My Cultivation Starting from Archery

Standing guard at the entrance of the Central Army Tent, Liu Jinkui, upon hearing these words, poked his head in and said, "That Xiong guy is spouting nonsense. It's one thing to desert in the face of battle, but to do so with organized forces is not desertion; it's mutiny!"

"Is there such a good thing?"

Zhu Tong said cheerfully, "Isn't that just perfect?"

"Enough, don't always speak so carelessly."

Zhao Kang scolded, "Be careful, Chu Shixiong and his group will hear. Those people are the type to write petitions and complain to the court."

Continuing with the matter at hand, he said, "Mr. Chen, if they really change commanders, what do we do?"

"Whoever comes, we have to hold out,"

Chen Sansi calmly stated.

This battle was not originally fought for the court.

Now,

The world is changing.

From a struggle over lands between various nations, it has become a battle for the Ancestor Vein, with many Cultivation Sects standing behind,

If the Ancestor Vein is lost and the Luoye Valley from behind West Qi secures a footing on the Eastern Continent, the Shengyun Sect will immediately abandon Dasheng. After that, losing the support of the "Immortal Master," with the kingdoms of Qing, Xu, and Qi attacking in unison, the world will plunge into chaos, and who knows how many will die. Only by holding the Ancestor Vein in hand will we have the qualifications to negotiate with the Sects, otherwise, we will just become a bargaining chip on someone else's negotiation table.

"How's the investigation on the intelligence I had you gather?"

Chen Sansi inquired.

"All clear."

Zhao Kang produced a secret letter from his bosom: "Our provisions are hard to sustain while West Qi is similarly not having an easy time, their supplies are almost depleted too. They have forcibly conscripted more within their borders and are transporting them here, presumably their last shipment of provisions.

"But..."

"They can hold out much longer than us."

In the end, war comes down to logistics.

Whoever has a robust logistical operation has a better chance of winning.

Likewise,

If one can disrupt the enemy's logistics, that too is a path to victory.

"Keep scouting and keep reporting,"

Chen Sansi said, "Our next focus will be on the enemy's provisions."

"Yes!"

...

Xiqi Camp.

"Immortal Master,"

Zhong Wuxin reported, "The arrangement for the conscription of provisions is almost done, enough to support us for another nine months, while the Sheng people have only four to five months left before they run out of provisions. The batch you've arranged is key to our victory. Once it reaches Jiazhou, where would be the best place to store it?"

"Wu City,"

Han Xiang decided as he placed a piece on the board.

"A good location,"

Zhong Wuxin mused, "This place has well-established official roads, which will reduce transit losses, and it's not far from our main force, so we can provide support in case of any emergencies. With the Immortal Master stationed there, we can be assured of security."

Having clarified everything,

He breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Chen Sansi is a smart man; he ought to withdraw his troops before they run out of provisions. Once they pull out of Jiazhou, it would be much harder for them to come back. We would have established our position and gained control of Mang Mountain, so there's no need to keep fighting."

"No,"

Han Xiang interjected, "We can't let a single one escape; they won't have the chance."

"..."

Zhong Wuxin was puzzled.

Suddenly,

Han Xiang, with his slender fingers, replaced all of Dasheng's black pieces on the chessboard with West Qi's white pieces, turning the stalemate into a scenario where Dasheng's black pieces were besieged by West Qi's white pieces.

"Hiss~"

Zhong Wuxin, unaware that the Emperor Dasheng had already reached an agreement with the Luoye Valley, said, "How can their own black pieces turn into our white pieces, turning against their own men?"

"Indeed,"

Han Xiang's tone was indifferent yet carried a tinge of pity, "The player opposite never imagined that, after working so hard to help the owner of the chessboard, the owner himself didn't want to win."

"Clack—"

The piece was set down.

Each move tightened the noose, leading to an inescapable checkmate!

...

"Chen Sansi!"

The supervisor eunuch Guo Fengjie arrived at the Central Army Tent unceremoniously and said, "This is the last time I ask you, can you send out troops within three days?"

"The timing is not yet right, a rash move cannot be made,"

Chen Sansi still gave the same reply.

"Since that's the case, Mr. Chen, please receive your order!"

Right then, Guo Fengjie produced a new military order: "Champion Marquis Chen Sansi has shown incompetence in command, causing delays in military opportunity, now removed from his position as commander. Appointed as the Western Expeditionary General, to lead the Hongze Camp to assist the new commander Mu Fengchun, and to follow all orders unconditionally."

"Mu Fengchun?"

Upon hearing this name, Xia Cong and others rummaged through their memories.

They only remembered that,

Mu Fengchun had previously partnered with Sun Xiangzong, and was considered the top strategist under Supervisor Sun, but they'd had a falling out for unknown reasons and parted ways discontentedly.

Afterward, Mu Fengchun also led various troops with barely any defeats, but he had retired from court affairs early on. Now, unexpectedly, he'd been asked to return.

After the announcement was completed,

A minor eunuch approached with a tray in front of the man in the White Robe.

"Mr. Chen, what are you waiting for?" Guo Fengjie raised his eyebrows and said, "Please return the Great Seal."

"The Great Seal is on the table; take it if you wish,"

Chen Sansi replied calmly, "But my words remain the same, no matter who comes, now is not the time to send out troops. Acting hastily will only lead to greater risks."

"Oh, my word~"

Guo Fengjie clucked his tongue and said, "Mr. Chen, I still say the same. The court has its difficulties and cannot delay any longer, and Jiazhou absolutely cannot be lost. Anyway, the Ministry of War is lenient and for the time being will not pursue Mr. Chen's responsibilities. Mr. Chen, you should still try to perform well from here on."

He signaled with his eyes.

The minor eunuch next to him was about to take the commander's seal.

"Report—"

"Disaster, disaster!"

Just at that moment, an Assistant General responsible for the transport of provisions in the Central Army stumbled in, gasping for air as he said, "Rebellion, there's a rebellion in the rear!"