novelraw Chapter 73 : Expansion of the Pacifying Rebels Army
Chapter 73 : Expansion of the Pacifying Rebels Army
Chapter 73: Expansion of the Pacifying Rebels Army
The night had fallen upon the Prince of Anxi’s mansion, shrouding it in silence.
Within the grand hall, the deep and shadowed passage rippled like the surface of water.
A moment later, a tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped out from within.
The man stood upright as a pine, his presence exuding a battle-hardened aura of iron and blood, thick enough to weigh down the air within the courtyard.
He wore a set of ancient-styled, somewhat worn dark-golden armor.
Under the candlelight, his sharply defined face was illuminated, revealing firm, resolute lines and eyes deep as an abyss.
“Your humble general, Yue Fei, pledges loyalty to Your Majesty!”
Yue Fei knelt heavily on one knee, the golden armor clashing against the stone floor with a resonant clang.
Jiang Zhaoming stepped forward to help him up, gazing at his weathered face. “General Yue, please rise.”
After Yue Fei stood, Jiang Zhaoming briefly explained the nature of this world to him.
Then, his tone shifted. “General Yue, the Jin marauders may advance southward straight into Anxi Prefecture. The fate of Anxi Prefecture may depend on you.”
At the mention of “Jin marauders,” Yue Fei’s pupils contracted sharply. A flood of memories surged through his mind, and his killing intent flared uncontrollably.
Sensing that overwhelming murderous aura, Jiang Zhaoming hurriedly said, “General Yue, please calm yourself.”
Realizing his loss of control, Yue Fei quickly restrained his killing intent, then knelt once more and bowed deeply.
“I, Yue, shall never fail the trust His Majesty has placed in me!”
Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes narrowed slightly, golden light flickering within them. A moment later, an information panel surfaced before him.
【Yue Fei】
Life Fate: Utmost Loyalty to the Nation (Mystic Crimson-grade Life Fate. When fighting for the nation, personal strength increases by 30%. The morale of the entire army rises to its peak, combat power increases by 30%, and they become immune to all negative effects.)
Innate Talents:
Legacy of the Martial Duke (Crimson-grade Talent. When commanding troops, enables the army’s formations to operate with flawless perfection, greatly enhancing their power. During training, subordinates’ progress speed increases dramatically.)
Spear Soul Daoist (Crimson-grade Talent. Possesses extraordinary talent with the spear—one strike can shatter ten thousand techniques, until mastery of the peerless spear path.)
Reading through Yue Fei’s Life Fate and Talents, Jiang Zhaoming felt a deep surge of awe. Mystic Crimson was an even higher grade than Crimson.
Jiang Zhaoming spoke solemnly. “General Yue, from this day forth, you shall command the Pacifying Rebels Army.”
“Your duties are twofold: first, to strengthen the army’s combat effectiveness; second, to expand its numbers.”
“Your humble general accepts the command!”
Yue Fei clasped his fists and answered firmly, his voice steady and resolute, without a hint of hesitation.
Jiang Zhaoming then recalled something. “By the way, General Yue—unless absolutely necessary, display only the peak of the Myriad Phenomena Realm. Conceal your Golden Body cultivation for now.”
Although Yue Fei did not understand the reason, he still obeyed without question.
Afterward, Jiang Zhaoming summoned Cheng Yaojin and instructed him to assist Yue Fei, providing a detailed explanation of this world.
The next morning, Jiang Zhaoming received a reply from his Imperial Father.
The letter stated that he need not worry too much—the main offensive of Great Jin would not focus on Anxi.
Even if troops were dispatched, their target would most likely be Canglong Pass, and no experts of the Profound Core Realm were expected to appear.
As for reinforcements, not a single word was mentioned.
After reading the letter, Jiang Zhaoming furrowed his brows tightly, his expression growing even heavier.
His Imperial Father had written that Great Jin was unlikely to deploy Profound Core cultivators.
But he had also said that Great Jin might attack Canglong Pass.
Canglong Pass lay only five hundred li northeast of Beiting County, and it was a crucial trade route for Anxi Prefecture.
If Canglong Pass were attacked, both Jiang Zhaoming and all of Anxi Prefecture would face grave danger.
After careful thought, Jiang Zhaoming decisively issued new orders.
He commanded the Queshe Army, Black-Armored Army, Guan Ning Iron Cavalry, and Pacifying Rebels Army to all march north and join forces with the Yili Army to defend the northern frontier!
At the same time, Jiang Zhaoming issued a conscription order across the inner regions of Great Zhou through Anxi Prefecture.
Any cultivator who had reached the Tempering Bones Realm or higher could enlist in Anxi Prefecture during this period and receive fivefold pay.
As the news spread—that Great Jin had produced two new Profound Core Realm powerhouses and that Jiang Zhaoming was calling for recruits—Anxi Prefecture instantly entered a full-scale wartime state.
Rumors quickly circulated among the populace, claiming that “Anxi would soon face the main forces of the Jin marauders,” spreading unease and panic.
Some of the newly relocated citizens—or those planning to move in—grew fearful and chose to return to what they considered safer regions within the borders.
Of course, these were only a few.
The vast majority of Anxi’s people, especially the young men around twenty years of age, were burning with passion, rushing to enlist in the army!
This was thanks to years of patriotic education in Anxi Prefecture, which had instilled in this generation a deep sense of belonging and a fierce determination to defend their homeland.
Moreover, after years of nourishment by Vein-Purifying Crystals, their bodies were strong, and their martial aptitude generally excellent.
Within just one month of the conscription decree, over three hundred thousand qualified young men had enlisted—and the number continued to grow.
Jiang Zhaoming was extremely satisfied. This was, after all, the very purpose of instilling the concept of national duty.
These passionate youths were quickly organized and sent to Beiting County, where they would undergo military training.
While Yue Fei continued training the original Pacifying Rebels Army, he also took on the responsibility of drilling this vast force of new recruits.
A month later.
On the vast training grounds of Beiting County, yellow sand swirled in the early winter wind.
Three hundred thousand new recruits stood like a dark forest of spears. Though they bore the vigor of youth, their formations were still somewhat disordered and uncertain.
They looked toward the command platform at the lone figure—Yue Fei—and the generals standing beside him, such as Qin Wei.
Yue Fei wore his black battle armor, not deliberately releasing his aura.
Yet his composure, tempered through a hundred battles and as solid as a mountain, together with the natural, grounded presence of a Golden Body Realm expert, seemed to merge him with the earth itself.
As his gaze swept across the field, the once-boisterous drill grounds fell swiftly into silence.
Behind him stood the veteran soldiers of the Pacifying Rebels Army, straight and unyielding as iron.
The silent, blood-tempered ferocity emanating from their bodies wordlessly told the new recruits what the true battlefield was like.
“Men of Anxi!”
Yue Fei’s voice was not loud, yet it carried into every ear with the piercing clarity of clashing steel.
“You have come with hot blood in your hearts, seeking to defend your homeland and nation—that is good.”
He began with encouragement, but his tone soon turned sharp. “But the battlefield is not a place where blind courage alone can let you live—or win!
The Jin cavalry move like the wind, skilled in breaking through lines. The foes you will face are fiercer than tigers!”
His gaze was like lightning as it swept across the ranks. “From this day on, forget whatever paltry strength you hold at the Tempering Bones Realm. On the battlefield, individual bravery means nothing before thundering hooves and the slaughter of formations!
What you must learn is how to twist your blood and strength into one rope—forge it into a wall, condense it into an unbreakable spear!”
Thus began the training under Yue Fei’s nearly merciless discipline.
The recruits were divided into countless battalions of a thousand each, practicing the most tedious yet essential drills.
Advance. Retreat. Turn. Halt.
Every movement had to be as one—flawless and synchronized.
A single mistake invited the instructors’ unrelenting scolding and extra drills.
Once basic formation drills were complete, Yue Fei began teaching them how to swiftly execute battle formation transformations.
Day after day, the recruits’ slack demeanor was polished away, replaced by a discipline of absolute obedience.
In only two months, under Yue Fei’s guidance, these recruits had already mastered the Pacifying Rebels Army’s battle formation.
Afterward, Yue Fei gathered both the veterans and these new recruits together for combined training.
This time, their objective was not merely to practice formations—it was to train specifically against the tactics of Great Jin.