bullyxtreme Chapter 272 Retreat
Chapter 272 Retreat
When Jiang Ziya heard this, a subtle change flashed across his face and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was experiencing a silent wave in his heart.
However, this subtle emotion was fleeting, and was replaced by his deep and steady gaze, fixed on Ji Chang's face.
However, since the king asked, he had no choice but to answer.
So Jiang Ziya pondered for a while, considered his words, and then slowly spoke:
"Replying to the king, this...the battle between Senior Brother and Luo Shu is over."
"Since Luo Shu's spiritual treasure is of a high grade and its overall strength is slightly stronger than that of Senior Brother, Senior Brother was able to tie with him."
When Ji Chang heard this, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in doubt:
"If that's the case, why can't I see the Immortal?"
Jiang Ziya smiled slightly, stroked his long beard gently, and continued:
"Your Majesty, you may not know that my senior brother just sent me a message, saying that he received a message from our master and urgently needs him to return to Kunlun Mountain."
"Brother, I dare not neglect such an important matter, so I have specially sent a message to this minister to explain the reason."
When Ji Chang heard this, most of the worries in his heart instantly dissipated, replaced by respect for Manjusri Bodhisattva and a barely perceptible regret.
He sighed softly, with some sincerity and regret in his voice:
"Oh, I see. I wanted to personally host a banquet to express my gratitude to the Immortal, but the world is unpredictable and I was unable to express my gratitude in time."
Seeing this, Jiang Ziya hurriedly stepped forward, gently waved his hands, and his eyes flashed with understanding and comfort:
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. Senior Brother is alone and indifferent to fame and gain. Now, everything he does is for the benefit of the people."
After hearing this, Ji Chang showed sincere admiration and emotion. He nodded slightly and sighed:
"Master, you are indeed a disciple of the saint. You are a man of great virtue who cares about the world and the people. Your broad mind and generosity are truly admirable."
After saying this, Ji Chang's expression became solemn. He was well aware of the severity of the current situation.
He slowly turned around and looked at Jiang Ziya with a sharp gaze, which contained both trust and expectation. He continued:
"Prime Minister, what should we do next? Now, the three immortals Manjusri, Samantabhadra, and Yuding are not here. How can we break through the Sishui Pass?"
"Prime Minister, although my army is now protected by the Chan Sect, the Sishui Pass ahead is still as difficult to cross as a tiger crouching and a dragon coiling."
"And the three immortals Manjusri, Samantabhadra, and Yuding are not here. How can we break through the barriers and continue our expedition to attack Shang?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya gently stroked his long beard, raised his head and looked in the direction of Sishui Pass, secretly weighing the strength of both sides and the subtle changes in the situation.
"Your Majesty, the situation at Sishui Pass is very unusual right now. Not only is there a brave and combative vanguard officer like Yu Hua, but there is also an arrogant person like Luo Shu in charge."
"If our army attacks rashly, we will probably fall into their trap and suffer heavy losses."
Jiang Ziya's voice was deep and powerful, and every word revealed his accurate judgment of the battle situation.
Upon hearing this, Ji Chang frowned slightly, obviously worried about the strength of Sishui Pass and the enemy's power.
He pondered for a moment and asked, "Then according to the Prime Minister's opinion, what should we do?"
Jiang Ziya smiled slightly, with a gleam of wisdom in his eyes:
"Your Majesty, as the Art of War says, avoid the enemy's sharp edge and attack when they are lazily retreating."
"Although our army's morale is high, the enemy is no pushover either."
"I suggest that we withdraw our troops twenty miles first, set up camp in a safe place, and hang up a sign to show that we have no intention of advancing hastily."
"This move can not only help us conserve our energy, but also confuse the enemy and make them relax their vigilance."
After hearing this, Ji Chang's eyes flashed with doubt:
"But if we do this, won't it make the enemy underestimate our army?"
Jiang Ziya shook his head and explained:
"Your Majesty, this is wrong. Military tactics emphasize the combination of reality and illusion. Our army's move may seem like a sign of weakness, but in fact it is a retreat to advance."
"When our army has rested for a while and morale is high, we will join forces with Brothers Puxian and Yuding."
"After they conquer Qinglong Pass and Jiameng Pass respectively, we will be able to attack from three sides. Then we can attack Sishui Pass and we will surely be able to break it in one fell swoop."
After hearing this, Ji Chang suddenly understood. He clapped his hands and exclaimed:
"The Prime Minister is indeed very far-sighted. I admire him very much! I will follow his plan!"
However, just as Jiang Ziya ordered the entire army to prepare for an orderly retreat, an angry shout suddenly came from the opposite side.
"Rebel Ji Chang, surrender immediately! Otherwise, I will kill all of you rebels on the battlefield, leaving no one alive!"
The voice was deep and full of majesty, with an unquestionable determination, which instantly attracted everyone's attention.
Upon hearing this, Ji Chang's heart trembled, and he quickly turned around, his eyes fixed on a general who was riding a five-colored divine bull, wearing golden armor and holding a spear.
Isn’t that familiar figure Huang Feihu who should have retreated?
Ji Chang frowned, his heart full of doubts and puzzlement, and said slowly:
"Huh? Didn't Huang Feihu withdraw his troops? Why would he come out of the city to challenge us?"
Seeing this, Jiang Ziya quickly stepped forward and said to Ji Chang in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, this person must have seen Brother Wenshu leave and felt that our army had no one under his command, so he came to provoke us."
Upon hearing this, Ji Chang nodded, with a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"What the Prime Minister said is very true, but our army is about to retreat, and his move has undoubtedly disrupted our deployment. What should we do next?"
Jiang Ziya smiled slightly and answered confidently:
"Don't worry, my king. Once the exemption from war is given, no matter how capable he is, he can only shout with his mouth."
Upon hearing this, Ji Chang's mouth curled up slightly, and there was a hint of joy in his voice:
"How could I have forgotten this? I am getting old and my memory is not good."
Jiang Ziya stroked his beard gently, with a faint but confident smile on his lips, as if everything was under control. He slowly said:
"Your Majesty is too modest. It's not that my memory is bad, but it's because of the war and the numerous trivial matters that I can't help but neglect."
"Haha, the Prime Minister is absolutely right. This is indeed the best strategy."
When Ji Chang heard this, his eyes flashed with trust and admiration for Jiang Ziya.
After saying this, Ji Chang turned around and instructed the messenger beside him:
"Go and pass the order quickly. Immediately hang up the banner of no war. Let Huang Feihu see that our army is not something he can easily provoke."
The herald left in response, and soon a huge wooden sign with the words "free from war" was hung high up, standing out on the battlefield.
Huang Feihu saw this, his face suddenly changed, his eyes widened with anger, and he shouted loudly:
"Rebel Ji Chang, you have the guts to betray your country and claim the throne, raise an army to rebel, but you don't even have the courage to fight me head-on?"
"You put up this banner to avoid fighting. Are you afraid? Or do you know you can't win and want to escape?"
His voice echoed across the battlefield, carrying a strong sense of provocation and unwillingness.
However, there was silence in the Zhou army formation.
Only the occasional neighing of war horses and the subtle sounds of weapons clashing seemed to silently respond to Huang Feihu's roar.
Ji Chang stood on a high place with a sharp gaze. He did not respond to Huang Feihu's provocation, but ordered his soldiers to retreat in an orderly manner.