The Demon Lords

Chapter 483 9: Hehe_1

As the appointed defender of Shengle City, to have the city fall before he even took office?

Zheng Fan rubbed his face vigorously. This is just too damned difficult, isn't it? Back when I played games, I'd at least start with a city or a farm as a base. But now? My home is gone! To be honest, I'm thinking about turning back to Yinlang County and continuing as the commander of Green Willow Fortress. At least there, there's a fortress I can live in. Although the Yan Army's military laws are strict, I'm not worried about being penalized. After all, Shengle City fell before I even arrived. How could they possibly blame me for that?

"My lord?" Liang Cheng was still waiting for instructions.

The sky is so high,

the sea is so vast...

What should we do next?

"How far away are the Situ Family's forces from us?" Zheng Fan asked.

"According to the messenger's report, the distance is actually quite far. However, because so many local tyrants and various powers in the New Jin territory surrendered at the first sign of trouble, it makes the disturbance caused by the Situ Family this time seem large. Moreover, I believe that since they attacked suddenly, they must have sent in forces deep, and the Jin people are not short of cavalry."

Zheng Fan nodded. The current situation could be described as utterly chaotic. As a retinue accompanying their commander to his new post, they hadn't yet been assigned to any combat unit, so their access to information was severely limited.

In other words, as far as the various generals or Lord Jingnan were concerned, Zheng Fan's troops didn't exist on their rosters.

"Let the whole army enter this fort and conscript all its able-bodied men as laborers."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Regardless, I need to find a place to settle down first. This fort isn't very big, but at least it's something to rely on. It should have a fair amount of food stored inside. Plus, I brought quite a lot of things with me for this assignment. I really wouldn't want to abandon everything and travel light. Most importantly, where would I go if I traveled light? Head east to clash head-on with the Situ Family? Hui Wenzu didn't give me any reinforcements. Even counting those little ladies, I have less than two thousand men. What resources do I have to fight with? Or return west to Yan State? If I retreated to Yan State without even seeing the enemy, how could I possibly justify that?

Actually, there is another option: either go north to find Li Bao's Northern Garrison Army stationed in Quhe City, or go south to seek refuge in Li Tian City, where the Southern Marquis is located. But I'd have to leave all my belongings here. Unless it's truly a matter of life or death, a time to flee for my life, I, Chief Zheng, am unwilling to suffer such a financial loss.

Therefore, the old master of this fort was stunned. He had already been acting subserviently for a long time, even offering up all the food and wine in the fort for the Yan people to enjoy. But these Yan people had turned hostile without warning. They stormed into his fort, first restrained him and his family, then forced the men in the fort to immediately start reinforcing the walls.

Has something happened?

The old man was advanced in years and had long since lost his youthful ambition and spirit. At this moment, he gritted his teeth and voluntarily helped the Yan people pacify the others in the fort, urging them to cooperate fully.

All the old man wished for was that, no matter what happened, his fort would see as little bloodshed as possible. As for whether this was collaborating with bandits or aiding tyranny, such thoughts didn't even cross his mind, nor did he dwell on them.

After all, for many years, the people in Jin land had only known the three great families and had been largely unaware of their Emperor. If the Yan people's military system was similar to that of the Barbarians, then the Jin people, in their political system, were very much aligned with the Barbarians.

In other words, long ago, Jin State had essentially been a federation operating under the "Jin" banner. The common folk of Jin land truly had little concept of loyalty to the emperor or patriotism, nor did they possess a strong sense of allegiance to a greater cause. It was simply a case of adapting to whoever held power; they obeyed whichever authority came along.

Consequently, after the main forces of the Helian Family and the Wenren family were wiped out in one fell swoop, nearly half of Jin State surrendered at the first sign of trouble.

In this regard, although the people of Qian State weren't particularly formidable in combat, their soft power was vastly superior.

Zheng Fan donned his armor and, sword at his side, stood on the battlements looking out into the distance. The sudden turn of events had disrupted all his previous plans and projections, but those were secondary now. The last thing Zheng Fan wanted to see at this moment was the sight of enemy troops appearing in his field of vision.

This is all I have left, and I'm still trying to nurture it into something more. I absolutely cannot afford to lose it all here. Otherwise, it would truly be like decades of hard work vanishing overnight, sending me right back to square one.

"My lord, don't worry. Even if the Situ Family sends troops, Jin land is so vast, they couldn't possibly head straight for us," Liang Cheng said reassuringly.

Zheng Fan glanced around and, not seeing the Blind Man, looked back at Liang Cheng with a wry smile. "A Cheng, do you know what the Blind Man would say if he were here?"

"What would he say?"

"He'd tell you to shut up."

Liang Cheng was speechless.

Privately, the Blind Man had once told Zheng Fan that while it might be a coincidence if other people's predictions came true, Liang Cheng had far too many "coincidences."

Ultimately, it was probably because this fellow was a powerful Zombie. Such a malevolent entity was infinitely more ominous than any raven cawing mournfully at one's doorstep. Deities of misfortune like Tai Sui, or any other ill omen, simply couldn't compare to Liang Cheng.

Just then, a scout galloped back. Without entering the fort, he shouted his report from below the wall to Zheng Fan and Liang Cheng above, "Commander, a troop is approaching from the front!"

Zheng Fan looked at Liang Cheng.

Liang Cheng, pretending not to notice Zheng Fan looking at him, asked, "How many are there?"

"A few hundred cavalry."

Hearing this, Zheng Fan breathed a long sigh of relief. A few hundred cavalry, that's not too many.

However, soon, another scout came galloping back, an arrow protruding from his back. It seemed to be caught in his armor, and the wound wasn't very serious.

"Commander, a massive cavalry force has appeared twenty li to the east!"

Clearly, the two scouts had detected different things; the latter must have scouted much farther out. These were, at the very least, battle-hardened soldiers. Moreover, scouts were chosen from the army's most elite cavalrymen; it was impossible for them to make a blunder like mistaking a few hundred riders for a "massive force."

"How many are there?"

"Nearly ten thousand!"

Nearly ten thousand?

The term "nearly ten thousand" was vague. Once the number of people gathered in one place exceeded ten thousand, they formed a veritable sea of bodies—a horde. Even the most experienced scout would find it difficult to provide an exact figure relying on visual reconnaissance alone. Besides, how could the enemy not have deployed their own scouts, complicating any assessment?

Estimating cavalry numbers was even more challenging. The dust cloud kicked up by marching cavalry, a mix of men and horses, made it nearly impossible to ascertain their exact numbers.

Still, this rough estimate of "nearly ten thousand," composed almost entirely of cavalry, was alarming enough.

No matter how highly Zheng Fan thought of himself, he wouldn't be foolish enough to lead his troops into a head-on confrontation with such a force.

So, at this moment, Zheng Fan looked at Liang Cheng again. After all, the 'crow jinx' has already struck; might as well hear what the expert has to say.

"My lord, this fort can't compare to Green Willow Fortress, but it's the only defensible position in the vicinity. If we leave now, unless we abandon all our supplies and retreat quickly, there's a high probability we'll be overtaken by the Situ Family's pursuing forces. At that point, out in the open plains, our numerical disadvantage would be all too apparent."

Zheng Fan understood Liang Cheng's implication. "So, you're saying we should defend this place?"

"Let's defend. It's the most prudent approach. Li Bao to the north and Lord Jingnan to the south will surely send troops. We will have reinforcements, my lord."

Zheng Fan nodded. "Alright, let's defend this fort. Distribute all the valuables we can spare that we brought. The people of this fort, give them some too. Promise them that if they help us diligently this time, when merits are recorded later, I will not forget to request commendations for them."

"So, my lord, you had already arranged everything?"

"Hmm?"

"Earlier, when I was down below, I saw the Blind Man and Siniang already distributing the goods. My lord, your foresight is admirable. Your subordinate is deeply impressed."

"Isn't that flattery a bit too awkward?" Zheng Fan asked.

Don't you damn well know what my actual capabilities are? I've always believed that since waking up in this world, I've had two advantages: one is my ever-improving acting skill, and the other is good luck. In all other aspects, I'm completely outclassed by these demon lords.

Hearing this, Liang Cheng said, "Your subordinate will be more careful next time and strive to improve."

"Yes, that's right. Flattery is best when it's subtle, like a gentle rain that nurtures silently. A loud fart doesn't stink; it's the silent ones that truly get to people."

Liang Cheng was speechless.

Liang Cheng was somewhat stunned. To be honest, for a great Zombie like him to stoop to discussing with Zheng Fan whether farts were loud or smelly... he truly found it beneath his dignity.

It wasn't about being reserved; it simply didn't align with his worldview.

Zheng Fan didn't press Liang Cheng further. He looked ahead and saw nearly two hundred cavalrymen rapidly galloping towards them.

"Is that their vanguard?" Zheng Fan asked.

Liang Cheng immediately snapped into his professional role, shaking his head. "Their horses' gaits are disordered; they're clearly fleeing at full tilt. This isn't an advance guard. They look more like routing soldiers, though they've managed to maintain some semblance of formation."

Zheng Fan observed them more carefully and nodded. Warhorses aren't gas-powered motorcycles, after all; they're living creatures. No rider would push their horse to its absolute limit unless it was a dire emergency. An advance guard, holding the advantage, would surely anticipate potential upcoming skirmishes and deliberately conserve their mounts' stamina.

Perhaps because they saw the Yan Black Dragon flag flying above the fort, the cavalry troop rode directly to its base.

The leader, a man with a dark complexion dressed in a purple brocade robe, shouted urgently, "I am the Emperor of Jin! Open the gates at once and let me in!"

He sounded extremely anxious because a large cavalry force was rapidly closing in from behind. To be precise, these Situ Family troops were specifically after him, the Emperor of Jin!

On the fort wall, Zheng Fan and Liang Cheng exchanged a look.

Despite the inappropriateness of the situation, Zheng Fan couldn't help but chuckle. "Heh heh."