Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds-Chapter 95 - 94, Fragrance fills the air and reaches Shenjing, taking your head as an offering (seeking first subscription)_2

Chapter 95: 94, Fragrance fills the air and reaches Shenjing, taking your head as an offering (seeking first subscription)_2

Aptitude is the prerequisite for investment. And one’s methods of handling affairs... those are the guarantee that convinces investors to increase their commitment.

"The Heavenly King is truly cautious..." Master Konghai praised upon seeing this.

Feigning valor is merely throwing one’s life away. Xu Xing’s conduct might seem unheroic, even petty, rather than that of a great man. Yet, in truth, throughout history, it is precisely such individuals who have accomplished great deeds. To possess a heart of courageous diligence, yet act with utmost caution and meticulousness...

"I’ve made a fool of myself before you, Master," Xu Xing said, then explained himself further, "Discretion is the true path to survival. If one can emulate Han Xin and Liu Bang, one shouldn’t chase empty fame like Hegemon-King Xiang Yu. To fight Han Xin’s army of hundreds of thousands with only tens of thousands of Jiangdong disciples was certainly valiant. But on the battlefield, overwhelming numbers—the more, the merrier—is the soundest strategy."

Sunlight glinted off armor as, under the gaze of the one hundred thousand strong Righteous Army, Master Konghai slowly approached Xu Xing’s side and took his pulse. After a few moments, he murmured, "As expected."

He then took half a step back and bowed to Xu Xing, declaring, "The Heavenly King is indeed the Bright King reincarnate! This old monk is utterly convinced. Not only am I willing to present the subsequent cultivation techniques of the Eight-Armed Vajra Sutra, but I also wish to dispatch another eight hundred monks from Xuanji Temple to descend the mountain and follow the dragon, aiding the Heavenly King in conquering the realm."

Master Konghai made the same decision as foretold in the Fate Deduction: to support Xu Xing in his bid for the throne!

"If This King conquers the world," Xu Xing declared, "Xuanji Temple can be the state temple."

He readily made a grand, empty promise. In any case, Xuanji Temple’s current status was already comparable to that of the Royal Family. Becoming the state temple or not would merely be icing on the cake for them. He simply wanted to use this opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Xuanji Temple and himself.

"This old monk thanks the Heavenly King for his grace," Monk Konghai expressed his gratitude.

「...」

「Returning to the commander’s tent.」

Xu Xing inspected the eight hundred monks gifted by Xuanji Temple. Spotting a grey-robed old monk among them, his hidden worries immediately eased, and he began to discuss the next offensive with his officials.

"Ming Gong," Gongyang Yi began, shaking his Feather Fan as he stepped into the role of chief strategist, "I have three plans: superior, middling, and inferior."

"The superior strategy: advance down the Cao River, seize Jiangnan West Road and Jiangnan East Road, and thus cut off the Imperial Court’s primary tax base. Shenjing is filled with nobles and ministers, and its commoner population numbers in the millions. Once the canal grain shipments are halted, a food shortage will be inevitable. At that time, Shenjing will collapse without a fight."

"The middling strategy: attack Yan Mountain Road in the northern territories, cutting off communication between King Zhenbei and the Imperial Court. Then, ally with the Tartars beyond the Great Wall to jointly assault King Zhenbei’s One Hundred Thousand Iron Riders."

He laid out the superior and middling strategies in one breath.

Of the two, the superior strategy, while appearing sound, was also a daring military gambit. Presently, the Outside Iron Riders are pinned down by the Tartars in the north, rendering them unable to dispatch forces south to counter the Siming Mountain Righteous Army. However, should this stalemate persist and the Tartar forces eventually withdraw, King Zhenbei would undoubtedly march south to relieve the Emperor. If, by that time, the forces of Mount Siming have not conquered the two Jiangnan roads, while they might not be trapped in a fatal position, their eastward offensive would certainly be blunted, making future advances in that direction exceedingly difficult.

The latter middling strategy—seizing Yan Mountain Road and collaborating with the Tartars to annihilate King Zhenbei’s Outside Iron Riders—is the most stable. Though King Zhenbei’s forces are strong, the border commanderies alone cannot sustain such a large army. Cutting off King Zhenbei Li Liang’s lines of communication with the Imperial Court would effectively sever his supply lines. Once the One Hundred Thousand Iron Riders are annihilated, the Siming Mountain Righteous Army could then sweep across the land unopposed.

"The superior strategy, the middling strategy..." Xu Xing frowned and shook his head.

Indeed, Gongyang Yi’s superior and middling strategies were both well-conceived. Yet, in his assessment, the superior strategy was too slow, and the middling strategy too perilous. The superior strategy charted a path of slowly consuming the empire. As for the middling strategy... it appeared sound, but even a cornered rabbit will bite. The One Hundred Thousand Outside Iron Riders were no pushovers. While they harbored a blood feud with the Tartars, they might still ally with their enemies to save their own skins.

"Does Ming Gong have any ingenious insight?" Gongyang Yi, not daring to presume with his own ideas before Xu Xing, asked cautiously. When it came to grand strategy for the empire, he knew he was Xu Xing’s inferior.

Witnessing this, Monk Shang, who was largely a figurehead in the commander’s tent, felt his face flush. He was quite familiar with the first part of this script: the three strategies—superior, middling, and inferior—would be presented, and the superior and middling ones rejected one by one. But in this rendition, his former chief strategist, Gongyang Yi, wasn’t following the usual script...

"The superior strategy is sound," Xu Xing began, pointing out its flaws, "but if we fail to conquer Jiangnan, we’ll become fish on the Imperial Court’s chopping block."

Holding fortified cities in Guanxi Road, the Siming Mountain Righteous Army need not fear the Outside Iron Riders. However, on the vast plains of Luonan Road... that would be the home turf of the Outside Iron Riders.

Gongyang Yi and the officials nodded, acknowledging Xu Xing’s point. Although the Siming Mountain forces had smoothly conquered Luonan Road, it didn’t guarantee an equally smooth conquest of the two Jiangnan roads.

"As for the middling strategy..." Xu Xing sighed. "The Outside Iron Riders have meritoriously resisted the Tartars, a service that benefits all people. We, the Righteous Army, aim to console the populace, punish the wicked, and rescue the people from their dire suffering. While our strategies can be cunning, we must not drive these defenders to desperation."

After affirming the righteousness of the army’s crusade against the Imperial Court, his tone shifted as he pointed out the flaws in the middling strategy. "Mister Gongyang, while your plan is feasible, we must guard against King Zhenbei allying with the Tartars to march south. Should that happen, the people of the Divine Land would inevitably be plunged into catastrophic suffering."

"I fear I would become a sinner for ages to come..." Gongyang Yi bowed formally, his admiration for Xu Xing heartfelt and complete.

The greatest difference between King Xing Tian and the Eight-Armed Dharma King was this: Xu Xing could identify the flaws in each of Gongyang Yi’s strategies, assess the situation, and weigh the options, rather than being indecisive and reluctant to adopt any plan.

Thus, after Monk Shang had rejected his three strategies, Gongyang Yi, believing that a strategist must first secure his own interests, had abandoned Monk Shang as his lord.