Chapter 364: Chapter 144 Guiding Technique and Spiritual Energy! The New Leader of Dafeng!_3
But Prefecture Lord Pei personally seeking out Mr. Su, and even preparing for the latter to replace Commander Hong, was undoubtedly an acknowledgment that Su Changkong’s strength was not inferior to Hong Zhenxiang’s!
“Thump thump thump!”
Prefecture Lord Pei choosing to visit in the dead of night was naturally to conceal his movements, and with a glance, he signaled for Di Hen to step forward and knock on the door, then waited intently.
“Creak~”
Shortly after, the door was pushed open, and there stood Su Changkong in a white casual robe.
“Prefecture Lord Pei?”
Su Changkong was also somewhat surprised to see Pei Yang at the door.
Although Pei Yang had long been aware of Su Changkong’s existence, the two had only met once before. Now that Pei Yang had come to see him in person, Su Changkong knew there must be a matter of importance.
“I apologize for the late visit, Mr. Su, may we speak inside?” Pei Yang said with slight remorse.
“Certainly, Prefecture Lord Pei, please come in.”
Su Changkong nodded his head and invited Pei Yang into the estate.
As for Di Hen, he did not follow inside but stood guard at the estate’s entrance, vigilant for any anomalies.
In the estate’s guest hall, Su Changkong and Pei Yang sat down.
“Prefecture Lord Pei, might you divulge the nature of your visit?” Su Changkong asked, pouring a cup of tea for Pei Yang.
Seeing that Su Changkong was straight to the point, Pei Yang didn’t beat around the bush either and said, “Mr. Su, you should know, with Zhenxiang gone and the Ferocious Wolf Clan stirring recently, a big war is likely imminent. Without Zhenxiang, the morale of the Dafeng Iron Cavalry will surely wane. I wish to ask you… to replace him!”
Pei Yang’s words took Su Changkong by surprise.
Hong Zhenxiang was the foremost warrior of the Dafeng Iron Cavalry, as well as the respected Commander Hong, a commanding figure who served as a symbol of spirit for the entire cavalry. If war were to break out again with the Ferocious Wolf Clan without the presence of Hong Zhenxiang, who had once single-handedly killed thousands of barbarians, the enemy’s morale would undoubtedly soar, while their own would suffer, placing them at a great disadvantage in any confrontation.
Hence, Pei Yang’s idea was simple: have someone impersonate Hong Zhenxiang to maintain the morale of the Dafeng Iron Cavalry!
And the most suitable candidate for that position was Su Changkong. For one thing, his martial arts were not less than that of Hong Zhenxiang and may even be stronger.
Moreover, Pei Yang had learned from Hong Zhenxiang that the mysterious expert who had killed the Chiliarch of the Chen family’s brothers was actually Su Changkong, who was also proficient in Disguise Technique!
By having him impersonate Hong Zhenxiang and lead the Dafeng Iron Cavalry in valiant combat, the troops would undoubtedly be emboldened!
“This…”
Su Changkong was somewhat speechless upon hearing this. Previously, at the Giant Whale Gang, the Sikong Family had had him impersonate Sikong Yong. Now, having arrived at Dafeng State City, Pei Yang also wanted Su Changkong to impersonate the departed Hong Zhenxiang.
Even though Pei Yang’s assistance to Su Changkong was not meager, and indeed without Pei Yang, Su Changkong would not have been able to complete several Blood Refining processes in such a short time and enter the Qi-Blood Furnace realm, Su Changkong did not readily agree to Pei Yang’s request. To impersonate Hong Zhenxiang meant truly heading into battle! When hundreds of thousands from both sides clashed, who could predict what mishaps would transpire, how dangerous it could be!
Su Changkong frowned and asked, “Why not have the court dispatch an Innate Martial Artist over?”
He expressed his confusion.
Innate Martial Artists were rare, one in ten million!
Neighboring Dafeng State City was the homeland of the Ferocious Wolf Clan, a strategically important location; the Great Flame Empire should logically have stationed an Innate Martial Artist there, yet Dafeng State City had none.
Pei Yang explained, “The reasons are rather complex… It’s an unspoken agreement between the two sides. Once we deploy an Innate Martial Artist, the Ferocious Wolf Clan will do the same, escalating the conflict. Neither the higher echelons of the Ferocious Wolf Clan nor the Great Flame Empire wish to do anything more than maintain this adversarial situation.”
Su Changkong had an epiphany.
Plainly put, the hostility between Dafeng State City and the Ferocious Wolf Clan had complex reasons behind it. The goal wasn’t actually to conquer the other side but to divert internal dissent!
Both the Flame Empire and the Ferocious Wolf Clan were internally unstable, with various factions struggling for power within. Yet, if there was a common foe, it could unite these internal factions.
That’s exactly the dynamic between the Great Flame Empire and the Ferrous Wolf Clan!
Beyond that, maintaining an elite army was no small expense; just the four hundred thousand strong Dafeng Iron Cavalry cost a staggering sum to upkeep.
But faced with the threat from the Ferocious Wolf Clan, the major families and powers of Dafeng State City would willingly pay to maintain the army; the foundations of their heritage resided there, and if Dafeng State City fell, centuries of their accumulated fortunes could be lost.
Therefore, both the Flame Empire and the Ferocious Wolf Clan were invested in maintaining the status quo at the border, neither wanting to upset the balance or escalate the conflict, as it would benefit neither side!
Innate Martial Artists would not be present on the battlefields of either party and indeed, once casualties reached a certain level, the conflict would subside.
“But the casualties… they’re real people!”
Su Changkong didn’t understand politics, but he couldn’t help but lament that in their last clash, combined casualties had reached a hundred thousand! Some small county towns don’t even have that many people!
Over hundreds and nearly a thousand years, countless lives had been lost.
And all this merely to shift internal conflicts and forge unity within.
Su Changkong was not among the top echelon of either side; he didn’t understand whether this was worth it and naturally, couldn’t change the situation.
Pei Yang spoke gravely, “Both sides don’t want their own to die in great numbers, and so making the other side suffer more casualties is our objective!”
Once casualties hit a threshold, a ceasefire would occur. Pei Yang’s goal was to maximize the Ferocious Wolf Clan’s losses so fewer lives would be lost on their own side!
The Ferocious Wolf Clan undoubtedly harbored similar thoughts.
Upon further reflection, the previous kidnapping of Pei Yang by Hong Yin and Mo Ying, with the intent to assassinate Hong Zhenxiang, might have been orchestrated by the Ferocious Wolf Clan, who hired the two monstrous individuals.
Killing Hong Zhenxiang would significantly weaken the Dafeng Iron Cavalry’s fighting power, thereby giving their own side an edge!
Pei Yang, being a State Governor, was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things, unable to change the overall situation. All he could do was exert his utmost to reduce losses on his side, hence his personal visit to Su Changkong, asking him to impersonate Hong Zhenxiang, who after merging with the Demon Monster Crystal Core, had to keep a low profile and flee to distant lands!
(Notice of upcoming update on Qidian Chinese Network, the next chapter will be updated on the 1st at 22:00)