Chapter 69: Something is happening

Li Xian wanted to continue his seclusion and prepared to take 20 more spirit stones, determined to clearly observe the formation process of spirit stones in the consciousness world. This matter had to be addressed quickly—if he missed the chance, he would deeply regret it.

However, unfortunately, Song Xing had already been waiting outside Li Xian’s door with a letter for half the day. At dawn, Song Xing had rushed back to An Yang, but instead of delivering the letter to Li Liang first, he had come straight to Li Xian to wait.

Li Xian took his letter, opened it, and his expression immediately became much graver!

“Song Xing, make another trip, deliver my elder brother’s letter, and invite him here for a meeting!”

“Understood.” Despite having had no rest for five days, Song Xing hurried out the door, ignoring his fatigue.

Meanwhile, Li Xian could no longer focus on his seclusion. He urgently called for Xu Ren, Bei Chen Yuqing, Fang Shijing, and also Liu Lei Gang from security, Yang Qianjiang from the weapons factory, and Liu Dongbao from the explosives division—six people in total for a meeting. Seeing Li Xian’s serious expression, no one bothered to ask about his cultivation breakthrough.

“Sir, take a look at this.” Li Xian handed the letter to Xu Ren. After reading it, Xu Ren’s face also became heavy. The letter was then passed among everyone, and soon, everyone’s faces grew solemn!

The letter was simple, containing only a few words:

“My son, recently I have sensed unusual movements from the Kong family. The Kong family has dominated one area for many years, acting aggressively. After much consideration, I fear that the Kong family might: internally, create strife within the court, and externally, secretly ally with the Cai Kingdom to jointly attack An Yang. You should prepare early.”

The letter was short but conveyed a lot! No one doubted Li Yulong’s judgment.

After reading it, Fang Shijing spoke with a hint of anger: “Kong Xiang holds the position of Grand Tutor, yet the Kong family conspires both internally and externally—this is outrageous!”

Bei Chen Yuqing did not speak but instead looked at Xu Ren; among the three, Xu Ren was undoubtedly the leader and held the highest status, while Fang Shijing, responsible for internal affairs, had the lowest rank.

Xu Ren thought for a moment, “In at least a day and a half, and at most three days, the Cai Kingdom’s army will reach us.

This time, Cai Kingdom will definitely split their forces into two. One large army will head straight for the border to engage the eldest son’s 30,000 troops.

The second route will undoubtedly dispatch the best Imperial Guards from the capital to swiftly assault the Qingyun Valley. This group won’t be large, with as few as 2,000 and as many as 5,000. All the Imperial Guards’ cultivation levels should be at least at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining stage, and their ranks will likely include Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The leaders will undoubtedly be Golden Core cultivators, possibly more than one.

Moreover, within three to five days, we cannot expect domestic reinforcements. Even if they do send troops, it will take two days for them to march. Thus, we can only rely on ourselves for survival!

Lastly, we must guard against the ‘mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.’ The Kong family won’t trust the Cai Kingdom; they will send elite forces disguised and hidden in ambush.

Additionally, other families, like the Wang family, might also get involved!

Now, as for the military arrangements, Bei Chen Yuqing, you may speak.”

As an advisor, Xu Ren was well aware of his role—analyzing the situation, navigating political intrigue, and devising military strategies were within his scope, but formulating detailed battle plans should be left to those directly responsible.

Bei Chen Yuqing, not one to shy away from responsibility, stepped up to the map on the wall. “The Cai Kingdom’s large army is pressing the border, but they likely won’t engage in a full-scale, life-or-death battle; their main goal is to provide cover. So, we need not worry about the eldest son’s front too much, but we must remain cautious and prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.

Additionally, the elite troops dispatched by Cai Kingdom to raid Qingyun Valley will certainly attack from a location that is unexpected, yet predictable—a place unnoticed by most, but with room to advance or retreat. There are three such places.

One is the seaside, the route we used last time, at the end of the human-demon border. Another location is where the borders of the Great Xia Kingdom, the Cai Kingdom, and the human-demon border converge. This is a lively spot, with frequent battles between soldiers from both nations and demonic beasts, providing good cover.

The third location is ‘Kaiping County’ to the west of An Yang County. The prefect, ‘Yao Jianye,’ is short-sighted and lacks the talent for long-term planning. If Cai Kingdom offers substantial benefits, Yao Jianye will certainly grant passage.

These three locations all have potential…”

Clearly, as Bei Chen Yuqing analyzed this point, he hesitated slightly.

Xu Ren immediately spoke, “Entering from Kaiping County, launching a raid on Qingyun Valley, then breaking out from the second location. This way, they can use Yao Jianye, and Yao Jianye wouldn’t dare to utter a word.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it!” Bei Chen Yuqing was delighted, “This way, they can bypass An Yang City entirely.”

Xu Ren looked again at Li Xian, “Young Master, this is a great opportunity. If Yao Jianye truly allows the Cai Kingdom’s army to pass, we can take advantage of this to remove Yao Jianye. Then, the eldest son can be promoted to the prefect of Kaiping County, and you, Young Master, can take control of An Yang. If all goes well, there will be no more conflicts of interest between you and the eldest son, allowing you to peacefully develop An Yang County.”

“However, this matter should wait until the eldest son arrives, so we can discuss it openly.”

“Agreed.” Li Xian nodded and looked at Bei Chen Yuqing, signaling for him to continue.

Bei Chen Yuqing traced his finger down the map, stopping in the southwest, “To the south of An Yang is Luliang County, to the west is Kaiping County, and to the southwest is Zhongshan County.

Zhongshan County is known for its high mountains and dense forests. If we are forced to retreat, we would undoubtedly withdraw in that direction. Therefore, the Kong family’s forces should be hiding somewhere nearby.

Considering the terrain, military value, and water sources, they are likely stationed near the Qingquan Valley.”

Li Xian glanced at the map. Qingquan Valley, a scenic gorge thirty miles away, would have been an ideal spot for establishing a base if not for its proximity to Zhongshan County and distance from the seaside.

Bei Chen Yuqing continued, “Qingquan Valley can only conceal up to a thousand men. Given the long journey of the Kong family, their numbers should be around 300, but all of them will be experts. They are certainly aiming for a tiger’s meal and may even be preparing for complete annihilation.

I believe the Kong family’s forces have already arrived!”

Li Xian listened to the two men’s analysis, and a surge of anger rose in his chest. “Send someone to wipe out the Kong family first! The bombs have been developed, right? Let them have a taste!”

Xu Ren quickly persuaded, “We can’t alert the enemy. Just send three excellent reconnaissance soldiers to monitor them. After we deal with the Cai Kingdom, we can take care of them.

“Young master, rest assured, the Kong family won’t make a move until we and the Cai Kingdom have decided the outcome.”

Li Xian reluctantly suppressed his anger but then turned to Liu Leigang, Yang Qianjiang, and Liu Dongbao. “How are the gunpowder, firearms, and marksmen coming along?”

Liu Dongbao was the first to stand up. “Yesterday, we produced 300 kilograms of explosives, and in the past few days, we’ve already made over 2,800 jin of explosives.”

Yang Qianjiang followed up, “Due to the limited amount of explosives, we are mainly focusing on researching sniper rifles. So far, we’ve produced 160 firearms, including 100 single-shot rifles with 30,000 bullets remaining, 40 regular sniper rifles with 20,000 bullets, and 20 top-tier sniper rifles with 8,000 bullets, all crafted with the utmost effort.

“Single-shot rifles use 7mm bullets and can threaten the early Foundation Establishment stage, with an effective range of 300 meters.

“Regular sniper rifles use 9mm bullets, which can threaten the late Foundation Establishment stage, with an effective range of 400 meters.

“Top-tier sniper rifles use 25mm bullets, capable of threatening the Golden Core stage, with an effective range of 500 meters.

“Currently, all bullets and calibers have been standardized. We have established basic ballistics, completed the production of rifling, telescopic sights, and scopes, and also finished foundational geometry and calculation methods.”

Li Xian immediately asked, “What about speed? I’m asking, how does the bullet speed of the top-tier sniper rifles compare to the flying swords of Golden Core stage experts?”

“The bullet’s exit velocity is approximately 1,300 meters per second, while the speed of a flying sword from a Golden Core stage expert ranges from about 100 meters to 800 meters, depending mainly on cultivation level, techniques, and the quality of the flying sword.”

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