Main tent of the army camp.
A tall middle-aged man sat at the head position, his body clad in armor that highlighted his heroic posture. His tiger-like eyes were sharp, exuding an aura of authority without anger, and the slight wrinkles on his square forehead did not diminish his majesty but made him appear even more imposing.
Beside him sat two women, although gently pouring wine for him, it was clear from their eyes that they were filled with fear.
This man was the leader of the Chaotic Army, Guo Yanhuai.
Below were arranged two rows of seats, occupied by various military leaders within the chaotic army.
If Zhong Lin were present, he would have certainly recognized one of them as none other than the "Iron Arm Sword King" Xu Ruo, who had faced the Du family elder on that day.
"Come, brothers, let’s drink this cup together."
Guo Yanhuai raised the wine cup in his hand, shouting with authority.
All the military leaders also raised their cups, shouting in unison: "Let’s drink this cup together."
After three rounds of drinking, a faint blush appeared on Guo Yanhuai’s face.
"I, Guo Yanhuai, owe my current power entirely to your support, but to firmly establish ourselves, we must quickly take Black Mountain County, using it as a base to claim land as kings. Oulu, tell me, how long will it be before we can capture the city?"
As soon as Guo Yanhuai finished speaking, a large man about two meters tall stood up from his right seat and said in a booming voice, "Worry not, General. I have already sent people to gather desperate warriors among the disaster survivors in the General’s name. Black Mountain County’s experts were largely killed or wounded in the last great battle, and the two great families of Du and Zhang have suffered heavy losses due to Advisor Han’s stratagems. Currently, Black Mountain County is a tiger without claws. After a brief rest, we can storm the city by tomorrow."
Guo Yanhuai slapped his palm on the table, laughing heartily, causing the entire tent to tremble slightly with his laughter.
"Good, if we break through Black Mountain County this time, Oulu and Advisor Han shall take the primary credit."
The person referred to as Advisor Han was a young man in his twenties seated at the first position on Guo Yanhuai’s left. He wore a blue robe, had a fair complexion without a beard, his features were gentle, and he exuded an air of scholarship, forming an extreme contrast to the group of rough men he was sitting with.
Han Jin raised the wine cup in his hand, slightly bowing as he said, "The General overpraises me, I merely offered an idea. How could I compare to the bloody battles fought by Oulu?"
"Haha, Advisor, you’re too modest. You threw out a ’bone’ and almost wiped out the two families entrenched in Black Mountain County for hundreds of years. Oulu is just a rough man who knows how to fight. When it comes to brains, it’s you. What I lack most under my command are thugs wielding knives, but we truly need talents like you, Advisor."
Guo Yanhuai was generous with his praise.
At that moment, Guo Yanhuai felt increasingly satisfied with the Advisor Han Jin, who had followed him to power.
In the past, he was simply a stray dog hunted by noble families, only thinking about how to escape each day and survive.
Until he met Han Jin.
It was with his help and inspiration that he subdued eighteen groups of bandits, rallied disaster survivors, and rose to power in one stroke.
Now, he commanded an army of thirty thousand, conquering cities and lands along the way, only one step away from taking Black Mountain County. After that, he would leverage Black Mountain County’s strategic position to annex surrounding areas, eventually dividing the territory with the entire Great Chen.
If the Liang family could sit on the dragon throne, why couldn’t I?
Thinking of this, Guo Yanhuai became even more excited, pulling his two beautiful concubines into his embrace and caressing them wantonly.
These two concubines were also children of noble families he had plundered during his campaigns, and something he had never dared to dream of before.
But Guo Yanhuai did not notice that in his excitement, a flash of red light passed through his eyes, so quick that it would be undetectable unless carefully observed.
And Han Jin saw all of this.
Han Jin frowned slightly, sighing inwardly.
"Still not enough? Time to replace him."
He downed the wine in his cup, glanced around at the rough men drinking and making merry beside him, and a look of disgust flashed in his eyes.
Spending every day with such unkempt rough men, he felt like he was becoming smelly himself.
He slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "General, I have another plan. If it succeeds, you can take another city without losing a single soldier."
Guo Yanhuai’s wine cup trembled slightly in his hand. He pushed away the concubine beside him and walked quickly to Han Jin, grabbing his hands fervently and said, "What plan?"
Han Jin calmly withdrew his hands, saying in a deep voice, "The fall of Black Mountain County is imminent. General, send another army disguised as the remaining soldiers of the county to Xin’an County, and in the name of seeking reinforcements, lure them out. Then we can set an ambush, capturing Xin’an County in one fell swoop."
Guo Yanhuai stood up abruptly, shouting loudly with excitement written all over his face, and the red light flickered quickly again in his eyes.
"A brilliant strategy, Advisor! With this plan, I’ll have two cities in my grasp. Even if the county’s garrison comes, these two cities can support each other and resist them."
Then, as if he had thought of something, he bent over to ask, "Advisor, who should lead the troops to Xin’an County?"
Han Jin smiled slightly, "Since this strategy is mine, naturally, it would be best if I led the troops to execute it."
Guo Yanhuai shook his head like a rattle.
"On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. If the Advisor gets hurt, even taking Xin’an County would be a loss. Your value is worth more than ten cities."
Han Jin showed a look of gratitude, seemingly moved by a sense of loyalty unto death, and rose to salute, saying, "Han Jin is grateful for the General’s favor. However, this matter is of utmost importance, and any mistake would mean the loss of all previous efforts. For the General’s grand cause, I am ready to die without regret. If the General is really worried, you may dispatch Brother Xu Ruo to protect me. With Brother Xu Ruo’s Sixth Grade Martial Arts Cultivation, he could certainly keep me safe."
Guo Yanhuai paced a few steps on the spot and finally nodded, saying, "Then it will be hard for you, Advisor. Xu Ruo."
Xu Ruo also stood up at this time, responding respectfully, "Here."
"You must protect the Advisor. Any mistake, and I’ll have your head." Guo Yanhuai said sternly.
A murderous aura emanated from Guo Yanhuai, making Xu Ruo shudder inwardly.
"I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm befalls the Advisor."
"General, Xin’an County is quite a distance from here, and time is of the essence. I will immediately rally the troops," Han Jin said.
Guo Yanhuai heavily patted Han Jin’s shoulder and instructed, "Advisor, swords know no eyes on the battlefield, and you must not act alone stupidly. I await your return to continue strategizing for me, and to continue refining pills for me."
"Rest assured, General, the Blood Soul Pill is already prepared for you."