Chapter 1052: Checkmate
Proofreader: Papatonks
“Sir Zhuo, eastern lands’ forces arrived and await your instruction!”
“Southern lands’ forces are here, awaiting instructions!”
“Western lands’ men have gathered at the northern lands border, awaiting instructions!”
Reports came into the Main Hall one after the other, with the others now waiting to see what he would do next.
Taking a deep breath, Zhuo Fan held his teacup and sipped from it before putting it down with utter nonchalance. Then his eyes shone as he directed in a demanding tone, “The first order was to have the three forces return to their bases in three days. The second order, to teleport to northern lands in three days as well. That makes it six days, right?”
“Yes, to transfer so many people also took a lot of sacred stones.” Shangguan Feixiong sighed.
Zhuo Fan rolled his eyes, “War is always costly, yet you mind such trifles?”
“I’m not, I only want to know if it’s worth it.”
“I’ll make you feel it is.”
Zhuo Fan rolled his sleeve, and smirked, “With the two orders completed, here is my final and most crucial command. The outcome of the four lands’ war against the central area will all rest on this.”
They all shuddered, tense and paying close attention.
[Everything hanging on a single order? What kind of divine trick will he use?]
Even the antagonistic Murong Xue had to sharpen her ears, very much curious to know.
“My third order…”
Zhuo Fan watched them gulp in anticipation and he emphasized every word, “All forces are to surround Invincible Sword and strangle him!”
[What?!]
Sss~
They all shook and gasped, looking at Zhuo Fan with dumb looks. It was beyond anything they expected from him.
[Using all the people of the four lands in exchange for the strongest, Baili Yutian?]
[This is insanity!]
Shangguan Feixiong was in disbelief, “Z-Zhuo Fan, aren’t you mistaken? You want us to kill Baili Yutian together? He’s strong enough to mow us down by the hundreds of thousands. We’ll be wiped out in minutes!”
“For that reason I needed all other lands to join in killing him!”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, “He is very strong, but only a man with Yuan Qi. With so many of us, by coming at him one at a time, each casualty we suffer will surely drain him that much more until his head will roll. The instant it does, the battle is ours!”
Everyone’s faces twitched, Zhuo Fan’s plan horrifying them to the core.
Using millions of lives to wear down Invincible Sword was not something that ever crossed their minds. Zhuo Fan’s sudden order had them hesitating, even afraid.
They could already see the mountains of corpses and the rivers of blood, the foul scent of iron in the air and the muddy ground with limbs sticking out.
Murong Xue was outraged at the genocide and rebelled, “You fiend, how can you think of something so vile? Throwing innocents against that blade will end in countless casualties. You’re a stone-cold demon!”
“This is war. Have you ever seen one without casualties?”
“But the adversary should at least be at their level. Invincible Sword and all those cultivators are way too far apart. You’re asking them to die, to become cannon fodder. This doesn’t make sense!”
“As long as they manage to wear down even a smidgen of Invincible Sword’s Yuan Qi, it makes perfect sense. Even the toughest animal collapses under the assault of too many ants. The four lands’ forces will wear him down to his grave!”
“What would be the point of it all then? To kill just Invincible Sword, so many of us will fall but there are Baili Jingwei and the Sword Star Empire around still. How will we fight them?”
“Yeah, killing just Invincible Sword will lead to the loss of nearly two lands in terms of life. How are we going to hold our own against Baili Jingwei?”
Ling Yuntian nodded as well with a frown, “Has Sir Zhuo done this only to take that monster’s head?”
Zhuo Fan had an evil smile on his face, “Yes, all of it is for this. And yes, it all comes down to the Invincible Sword’s fate. By taking down him, victory is guaranteed. Whether it’s Sword Star Empire or Baili Jingwei, they’re both finished. It’s just that simple.”
Everyone looked in suspicion as he explained.
“Sword Star Empire is unlike the average empire, with the emperor and ministers in close relation and making it strong. They have no flaw, all brought about by Invincible Sword Baili Yutian.”
Zhuo Fan sipped from his cup once more, “It’s also why the Sword Star Empire’s foundation is resting solely on the Invincible Sword. It’s strong because he is. The Nine Sword Kings have utmost respect for the man, while Baili Jingwei garnered respect, even from the Sword Kings, all because Invincible Sword appreciates his skills. But this invincible balance is taken for granted by Baili Jingwei, and will end up crushing the empire.”
Everyone was still shaken up, “Why do you say that?”
“He’s too greedy and impatient, driven to have the five lands united in his time and thus expanded the empire too quickly.”
Zhuo Fan continued, “To attack the four lands at the same time, Baili Jingwei had recruited foreign Sword Kings in addition to the five his clan had, Shangguan Feiyun and Danqing Shen being among them. This bolstered the empire’s strength, making not even the four land alliance able to face them. But he’s too hasty to get the four lands, emptying the empire of everything and putting it into the invasions. The empire now lays void of any military and ripe for revolution. That’s why he had the Serene Shores Trading killed. They not only had ties with every land, but also dealt with their leaders and other mighty figures that would make use of the empty empire to affect its stability.
“So before going to war, the company had to be purged. He couldn’t allow such a big faction to stay behind and resort to tricks that ruined everything. Thus, Miss Murong, what you’ve been droning on about, that I killed so many central area’s innocents, is in fact unrelated to me. Baili Jingwei used it as an excuse to snuff them before setting out, just that it came a bit earlier. In fact, if it all went as he wished, the damage would’ve been far greater. I only triggered it and not carried it out myself.”
Murong Xue huffed, “I saw your nature. If you’re unrelated, then what about the next one, or the next people?”
“Fine, I know our views are in opposition, but let’s first focus on the war.”
Zhuo Fan knew appealing to reason wouldn’t work on her obstinate kind, so he looked at the oldies, “Now that we know the cause of his strength and weakness, we should realize defeating them in a straight up battle is impossible. But the enemy had given us a golden opportunity. Baili Jingwei is too conceited and eagerly threw their Patriarch into our home. The Invincible Sword is just as conceited too, thinking nothing can stop him, that nothing could hold him and so he came. This is where our chance lies.”
“Although the Invincible Sword is extremely dangerous, scaring our people the minute he arrives in northern lands, venturing deep in enemy territory is equally dangerous, for he doesn’t know if we would all jump on him regardless. Ha-ha-ha, as for worrying about being too few of us around afterward to fight, I can assure you that Baili Jingwei is far more worried. Think about it, the Invincible Sword entered deep into our land, but why did he only bring his clan’s Sword Kings?”
They all frowned, with Ouyang Lingtian speaking out, “Is it mistrust?”
“Exactly, senior Ouyang. Look beyond the overblown confidence Baili Yutian and Baili Jingwei constantly project and you’ll find their cautious natures. The people around the Patriarch cannot be allowed to have conflicting interests. A man of a different clan would be looked on with suspicion since they might have different motives. Thus Baili Yutian would not trust any foreign Sword King to fight alongside Baili Yutian. He fears betrayal, striking at Baili Yutian when he fights the four lands.”
Zhuo Fan’s eyes shone, like all was laid out before him, “Baili Yutian thus only has Baili Sword Kings around him while the attacks of our lands are all foreign Sword Kings. Thus making it very easy what Baili Jingwei truly cares about. He isn’t afraid of Sword Kings revolting, nor the empire’s dire straits, but Patriarch’s death. Yet even so, he had Baili Yutian take the lead. A truly conceited and cautious man.
“Such is the current situation. Those central area’s armies attacking us don’t matter, it won’t affect the Sword Star Empire. But what about the death of the Invincible Sword? With this deterrence gone, the Nine Sword Kings will grow cocky and not listen to Baili Jingwei. Especially the four foreign ones, finding themselves free to do whatever. There won’t even be a need for us to attack the central area, it will destroy itself for us. Such a grand empire is going to fall, making the loss of two lands worth of lives all the more worth it. Now, isn’t killing central area’s Invincible Sword to our advantage?”
Everyone stared with open jaws, yet their hearts stirred.
[Yeah, it won’t matter how heavy the losses, everything is worth the peace and future of our next generations.]
Only Murong Xue, per usual, nagged, “Using millions of lives over one victory? Devil, what do you take life for? There won’t be as many deaths if they fought the central area’s army, but you…”
“I’m the commander and all I see are assets and their place on the board.”
Zhuo Fan gave her a cold stare, “I only know that this will checkmate Baili Jingwei…”