NOVEL FROG Chapter 136: Place Your Bets
[Shuimu Principality, Lanyin Territory, Shanghe Village.]
Zhang Lei led a long convoy into this village full of familiar faces.
The villagers, who had been notified in advance by the village chief, Ling Changshui, gathered at the grain sunning ground on the east side of the village to watch as Zhang Lei and his convoy approached on horseback.
Dismounting and greeting his third great uncle, Ling Changshan, Zhang Lei climbed onto a platform one and a half meters high, gazed at the villagers below, and loudly announced, "Fellow villagers, you all know me, Zhang Lei. Today, I've gathered you because the lord has new orders——!"
"Although the lord is no longer in Lanyin Territory, he specifically instructed before leaving that we need to accomplish this beneficial task for everyone——!"
"Now that your previous crops have been harvested, you needn't rush to sow the winter wheat. The lord has left behind something good for you to plant instead——!"
Saying this, Zhang Lei waved, and his men began directing horse-drawn carts under the platform, unloading wooden crates.
Some sharp-eyed villagers at the front could already see that inside these crates were vibrant green seedlings, dotted with blue patterns.
[Heaven Dou Empire, Fasno Province, 200 miles southeast of 'Firth City.']
A military force from [Shuimu Principality] was stationed on a hillside here.
Clearly, the war between the [Heaven Dou Empire] and the [Star Luo Empire] had commenced.
There was no exchange of insults, nor was there a ceremonial execution of an envoy to declare war, because there simply wasn't a standoff between the two armies!
Strangely enough, the main forces of both sides, namely the armies of the two great empires, remained stationed within their own borders, idly waiting. Yet, the smaller factions—the forces from various kingdoms and duchies—dispersed along the battle line stretching for hundreds of miles, and engaged in intense skirmishes.
Ling Yi, accustomed to living in what could be termed the most peaceful country in his past life, had never personally experienced the brutality of war.
His previous roles in the Cold Wind Barracks and within the Five Armies of the Duchy were more like obligatory military service experiences. The bloodiest scenes he had witnessed were merely the sieges against spirit beasts that had escaped from the Soul Beast Forest.
At times, these scenes were not even as impactful as the moments when Ling Yi performed surgeries on those mortally wounded and near death.
Of course, while he had never personally endured the horrors of war, having seen plenty of blockbuster movies in his past life and having felt the murderous aura in the underground "Soldier's Tomb" at the Mountain and Sea Garden, Ling Yi believed he wouldn't be too shocked or unsettled by warfare.
However...
Movies and TV dramas were all lies!
The war you imagined: diplomatic insults, the expulsion of diplomats, freezing the opposition's assets within the country, trade embargoes, stirring up public opinion, wartime regulation, men joining the military, women going into factories, electronic bombardments, surgical precision strikes, biological warfare, overwhelming steel battles—all seemed like controlled performances.
Yet on the Douluo Continent, the battles spread across these hundreds of miles were intense and sporadic, offering a picture of martial exercises, or rather, a spectacle, neither aggressive nor languid.
Can you believe it? While two armies fiercely clash, leaving a trail of devastation, and both sides retreat into the depths of the wilderness to lick their wounds, merchants emerge from the cities far behind the front lines. They bring various supplies to sell and run betting rings, gambling on the casualty count of each skirmish, employing people to tally the wounded and the dead.
Ling Yi's agile hands expertly wield a fine needle, swiftly and smoothly stitching up wounds. With a casual application of his 'First Soul Skill: Boundless Vitality,' he moves on to the next injured soldier.
In his ears, only he perceives the minute fluctuations—magnetic field oscillations from the rustling of the 'Blue Silver Grass' leaves that blanket the earth.
“Lord Jiang Yuan, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?”
“As soon as you agree, by the oasis of Crescent Moon River three days from now, abandon a force of mere three thousand soldiers, and we can manipulate events to ensure your victory in the entire battle!”
“Think about it; on one side, it's just three thousand inconsequential troops, and on the other, a grinding drawn-out conflict that could very likely see all eight thousand of your men permanently left on this land!”
Inside the command tent, Jiang Yuan's weary face is etched with fatigue, his eyes bloodshot, staring expressionlessly at the smooth-talking middle-aged man before him.
This man hails from within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire, a member of a soul master family behind a major Battle Soul Arena.
Evidently, he, or rather those behind him, aims to leverage Jiang Yuan to orchestrate a lucrative betting scam.
Jiang Yuan, surprisingly, feels no anger. Instead, he recalls his time over a decade ago, following the then-commander to the frontlines of battle between these two empires.
Now a marquis of the Water and Wood Principality, did that former commander face the same dilemma that Jiang Yuan faces now?
Reflecting on his journey, a soul king in his thirties, and pondering that unless fate intervenes, achieving the rank of soul emperor or even soul saint should be no difficult feat.
Back in the day, the main general, who is now the duke of a duchy, was also renowned for his remarkable abilities at a young age, with a future full of promise.
"Look, how similar it all seems?"
Thinking of this, Jiang Yuan's lips curled into an odd smile, as if smiling yet not.
“Mr. Jiner,” Jiang Yuan spoke, his tone light and airy, “This matter puts me in quite a difficult position. I hope you can give me some time to consider it.”
“I'm quite exhausted now, and my mind isn't very clear. Let me rest well first, and I'll give you an answer later—”
Although Mr. Jiner's strength was on par with Jiang Yuan as a soul king, Jiang Yuan still courteously used respectful language.
Behind every major soul arena, there are at least multiple soul sage-level beings standing guard.
After dismissing this envoy, Jiang Yuan had someone notify Li Zhishu, asking him to come and use his martial soul to prepare some soul power food to replenish his energy and recover his state.
Although the long baguette was coarse and hard in texture, not very tasty, it was extremely filling and storable, coupled with the effect of Li Zhishu's soul skill, it was quite popular among the rough soldiers.
By the way, Jiang Yuan also ordered someone to watch over the infirmary, and when Lin Yi, the military doctor, was done, to come by the main general's tent.
After many previous battles, General Jiang Yuan felt there might be hidden injuries on his body, requiring Lin Yi to come and treat him.
Over two hours later, having finally stabilized the condition of the last wounded soldier, Lin Yi entered Jiang Yuan's main tent.
"...Ah Yi, this is the situation we're currently facing."
Jiang Yuan, in the simplest terms, conveyed all the information he knew without any omissions to Ling Yi.
He urgently needed Ling Yi’s analysis and assistance!
So, what difficulties were the Shuimu Principality's army facing right now?
There were three main issues: supplies, manpower, and skilled fighters.
Due to the disruptive maneuvers of the Tian Dou Empire, these foreign kingdoms and principality forces, except for the native Barrack Kingdom which was supported by the famous grain-producing Limma Plain, were running into shortages everywhere else.
The Shuimu Principality’s army of over ten thousand was now reduced to just over eight thousand. This was achieved only through Ling Yi’s extraordinary surgical skills, combined with the soul skills of healing soul masters and the effects of herbs to keep battle losses at a minimum.
On another battlefield dozens of miles away, the Silvis Kingdom's army of twenty thousand had dwindled to eight thousand, similar to the Shuimu Principality.
As for the skilled fighters, they would determine who might emerge victorious in an impending final battle.
According to Jiang Yuan, who had contacted old acquaintances in the Tian Dou Empire, it seemed that both great empires were preparing to deploy their top warriors.
(End of Chapter)
