Chapter 234: The Territory's True Foundation! Jia Xu's Three-Tier Strategic Objectives! (Bonus Chapter—Requesting Votes!)
Not long afterward.
The Official Forum erupted.
One explosive post after another appeared.
《Good News! The Territory Is Making a Big Move! The Sealed Scourge Army Is Saved!》
《Commander Wen Ping, Vice Commander Zhou Cang, Strategist Jia Xu, Military Physician Zhang Zhongjing—An All-Star Lineup Joins Forces!》
《So What If We Defeated a Weak Scourge Army? This Time the Lord Is Getting Serious! Our Army Marches with Overwhelming Might! The Corpse Lich Territory's Doomsday Is Coming!》
《The Garrison Legion Formed by the Azure Dragon Guard, Black Tiger Guard, and Iron Eagle Guard Has Officially Been Established!》
《Shocking! Full Reveal of the Ten Black Tiger Captains! Every One of Them Is a Terrifying Tier-Three Commander-Class BOSS!》
《So This Is the True Foundation of Our Territory! The Scourge Army's Little Skirmishes Are Over! From Now On Begins the Real Territory War! I'll Bet Fifty Cents the Corpse Lich Territory Won't Last Ten Days!》
《The Ten Black Tiger Captains VS The Eight Founding Azure Dragon Guards VS The Five Scourge Legion Commanders—Who Is Stronger? How Should They Be Ranked? Stay Tuned for Old Zhang's Lore Research Society's Upcoming 20,000-Word Hardcore Analysis!》
《......》
From these forum posts, it was easy to see—
The Players were not surprised by the establishment of the Garrison Legion.
In fact, from the very first day Hang Yu had conquered the New Wan region, he had already begun integrating its manpower resources, especially by incorporating its well-trained military forces into the territory to strengthen its armed forces.
Originally, this process would have taken at least two weeks.
However, after Jia Xu joined, he utilized his familiarity with the New Wan region, his prestige there, along with meticulous planning and ruthless methods, allowing most of the work to be completed in only about three days.
Now, the Garrison Legion formed by the territory's three great guard units had officially been established!
The Garrison Legion was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers. The Ten Black Tiger Captains attracted particular attention, and many Players compared the "Ten Black Tiger Captains," the "Eight Founding Azure Dragon Guards," and the "Five Scourge Legion Commanders."
The Five Legion Commanders were immediately eliminated from the comparison.
The lore enthusiasts declared:
"Get lost! What kind of trash are you? How are you even qualified to be compared with the Founding Azure Dragon Guards or the Black Tiger Captains?!"
As for the Founding Azure Dragon Guards and the Black Tiger Captains, opinions remained divided, although for now, most lore enthusiasts seemed to favor the Black Tiger Captains.
In truth—
The two weren't really comparable.
The Azure Dragon Guard numbered only five hundred members.
There would be no expansion for a very long time.
Every one of them represented the territory's most loyal and elite combat force.
The Eight Founding Azure Dragon Guards were the absolute leaders among them.
Their current strength was already comparable to second-rate commanders, and they were improving at an astonishing pace.
The Black Tiger Captains, on the other hand, were merely captain-level figures within the Black Tiger Guard. At present, they were only at the level of fourth-rate commanders. Although they all possessed extraordinary backgrounds and exceptional talent as natives, in the long run they still couldn't compare with the Founding Azure Dragon Guards, who were practically the Lord's own favored sons.
However, because the Azure Dragon Guards had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and spent most of their time quietly protecting the Lord, Players had little basis for judging their true strength.
The Black Tiger Captains, meanwhile, had all been famous experts before joining the Garrison Legion.
Each possessed a rich and well-documented history.
That was why Players currently believed the Black Tiger Captains were unbelievably powerful.
At least for the time being, their prestige exceeded that of most Azure Dragon Guards and was even considered comparable to the Founding Azure Dragon Guards.
As for the Five Scourge Legion Commanders, whom the lore enthusiasts had dismissed with contempt—
They actually weren't nearly as weak as most lore enthusiasts believed.
Although the strongest Players still lagged behind the Black Tiger Captains for now, the growth potential of Legion Commander-level figures shouldn't be underestimated. Surpassing ordinary Black Tiger Captains in the future wouldn't be much of a problem.
Power rankings like these...
People throughout history had always enjoyed making them.
After all, they created endless discussion and debate.
So it was only natural that these comparisons generated tremendous attention.
During these discussions, even the Cloud Players finally realized—
After successfully annexing and fully assimilating New Wan, the territory's overall power and military strength had increased by more than tenfold, giving everyone an overwhelming sense of security!
......
The offline world.
The capital of France.
A meeting was taking place.
"Arthur King," Alex, had fallen into the Corpse Lich Lord's trap.
His character in Twisted Three Kingdoms had been sealed, leaving him unable to log into the game.
Precisely because of that, however, Alex now had time to accept the request of the European Continental Security Bureau and specially fly to Paris for a comprehensive physical examination.
As a Tier-Three Player,
his body had undergone enormous changes recently.
Afterward, Alex was escorted into a secure room.
Several researchers and security agents were already seated inside.
Among them was a middle-aged man with a sharp yet elegant demeanor and a hooked nose. He immediately stood up, shook Alex's hand, and introduced himself.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Legion Commander Arthur King. I'm Aznavour, Director of the European Continental Security Bureau."
Alex hadn't expected to attract someone of this level.
Before he could ask any questions—
"I know you must have many doubts right now. For example, why playing a game has attracted such intense attention from numerous financial conglomerates and even our security agencies."
After thinking for a moment, Alex answered,
"Because the game has enormous commercial potential?"
"You're not wrong. From a commercial standpoint, this project certainly has tremendous potential."
Aznavour paused before continuing,
"But this game is far more extraordinary than you imagine. The examinations we just conducted on your body have already provided conclusive proof."
"Is there something wrong with my body?"
"No. Not only is there nothing wrong with it, but you're actually in exceptional health—healthier than any of us, healthier than any ordinary human."
"What do you mean?"
"Your skeletal structure, muscle strength, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys—even your brain—have all undergone unbelievable enhancement."
Aznavour explained,
"To put it simply, with your current physique, even after only minimal training, you'd be capable of competing in virtually any sporting event and easily defeating the reigning professional champions."
Alex was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.
He had indeed felt himself growing healthier recently.
But this was far too unbelievable...
Could all of it really be the result of the game?
"I know it's difficult to believe, but the facts are undeniable."
Aznavour continued,
"We've been secretly investigating this game for half a month and have discovered countless irrational phenomena. No logically consistent scientific explanation has ever emerged. But at this very moment, we've realized that within our existing framework of understanding, such an explanation may never have existed to begin with."
Alex asked,
"You mean the existence of Twisted Three Kingdoms has already surpassed common sense and human understanding? Don't tell me this game was created using some prehistoric super technology... or even alien technology."
"Heh. That's not impossible. In any case, with humanity's current level of science and technology, creating a game like this would be absolutely impossible."
"This..."
Alex was left speechless.
Aznavour continued,
"I suspect Daxia is concealing a world-shaking secret. However, such a secret cannot remain hidden forever. Before long, countries such as the Bald Eagle Federation, Eastern Ying, and Bharat will inevitably begin noticing clues as well."
"But if the truth behind this game really is what we suspect, it will deliver a devastating impact upon the existing world order and even religious belief."
"We'll most likely negotiate with Daxia and cooperate in concealing the truth."
Alex asked,
"Then what can I do?"
"Keep playing the game."
"That's it?"
"Of course. Not only must you continue playing, you must also play as well as possible."
Aznavour said,
"Never reveal any truth related to this matter. Your mission now is to develop yourself inside the game as much as possible... I have a feeling this game won't merely create enormous value—it may even completely overturn the world's balance of power and change the fate of all humanity."
Had he not personally experienced the miracles of Twisted Three Kingdoms,
he would have suspected the man before him was either a fraud or part of some elaborate prank show.
Another Security Bureau member, wearing glasses, slightly bald, and maintaining a serious expression, spoke.
"Alex, you're not merely playing a game. You're carrying the honor and revival of France—and even all of Europe."
The bespectacled man continued,
"This game's influence upon humanity will surpass every industrial revolution in history. As someone whose family has lived here for generations, surely you also hope Europe can once again reclaim its former greatness."
"That is my wish."
Alex was an extreme right-wing conservative.
He possessed a profound sense of pride in European civilization.
Watching the continent—which had once led the modern world—gradually decay and weaken throughout the twenty-first century before becoming a puppet of the Anglo-Saxons had always pained him deeply.
Why had Alex chosen "Arthur King" as both his online ID and game name?
Because figures such as Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table all originated from Celtic mythology.
These heroes had originally stood against the Anglo-Saxons.
Yet through modern media, the Anglo-Saxons had transformed them into heroes of their own.
Once a civilization declined,
even its imaginary spiritual icons could be stolen.
It was an incredibly tragic thing.
Naturally, Alex dreamed that someone like "Arthur King" would one day appear, leading Europe toward genuine independence and strength while freeing it from Anglo-Saxon control.
That was also why he had been chosen by the security agencies.
Aznavour and the others all came from old aristocratic families.
Naturally, they too were unwilling to see their nations reduced to mere vassals.
During their investigation into the mysterious game that had suddenly appeared in Daxia, they had keenly sensed variables capable of changing the world.
Because of that,
for various reasons,
they believed it necessary to cultivate representatives inside the game.
Arthur King—Alex—was one of their chosen candidates.
As the game's player base continued growing, more such representatives would undoubtedly be selected to better prepare for whatever changes lay ahead.
Next,
Alex reported on the current balance of power and recent major developments.
"Our foundation within the Abyss Three Kingdoms World is a territory located on an Abyssal Plane. The size of its land, population, and number of towns directly determine how many Player slots can be distributed."
"The territory has a supreme ruler—Hang Yu, Lord of Luoshui City."
"Under him are two major legions."
"One consists of NPCs—the Garrison Legion. It currently comprises the Azure Dragon Guard, Black Tiger Guard, and Iron Eagle Guard. Together, the three guard units are expected to reach nearly ten thousand members."
"Each guard unit has a different role."
"The Azure Dragon Guard serves as the Lord's personal guard and messengers, holding the highest status."
"The Black Tiger Guard appears to consist primarily of generals and officers. General Wen Ping currently commands the Black Tiger Guard and has appointed ten formidable Black Tiger Captains."
"The Iron Eagle Guard serves as lower-ranking officers and ordinary soldiers. Its future numbers will likely exceed those of the Azure Dragon and Black Tiger Guards by tenfold or even dozens of times. They'll be stationed throughout every region of the territory, though their individual strength is relatively weaker."
"......"
This was the latest intelligence regarding the Garrison Legion.
"The other of the territory's two major legions is the Scourge Army, composed of Players."
"This legion has now also surpassed ten thousand members. Around seventy percent are Players from Daxia, while less than thirty percent come from overseas. At present, the legion has already formed nearly ten legions of varying sizes."
"My Twilight of the Gods Legion ranks only fifth. Whether in strength, status, or prestige, we're still inferior to War God Hall, Wings of Freedom, Divine Feather Palace, and the Undying Dragon Soul Legion."
"Because the Scourge Army has received the Lord's Heavenly Dao's Blessing, we possess true immortality. Furthermore, our monster drops are ten times greater than those of ordinary Starsea Natives. As a result, we've become the territory's primary force for expanding its borders."
"It's just that we've recently run into a huge problem."
"......"
That summarized the current state of the Scourge Army.
Aznavour said,
"This game's background is based upon the Three Kingdoms era of Daxia, and it first spread throughout Daxia. Even the internal test Players were primarily Daxians. Could the creators behind the game have some special connection with Daxia?"
The bespectacled, balding man beside him added,
"I've also found this extremely strange. Could it be that the people of Daxia are truly God's chosen people, blessed by divine favor?"
Although they couldn't understand it,
judging by the game's rate of expansion,
within ten years at most,
the entire human race would likely have access to it.
Once everyone entered the game,
the current imbalance would no longer matter.
Although Daxian Players currently dominated Twisted Three Kingdoms,
Arthur King remained the only Tier-Three Legion Commander among all non-Daxian Scourge Legions.
In that regard alone,
he already stood ahead of players from every other region of the world.
Aznavour advised,
"Since non-Daxian Players are currently at a disadvantage, you should make every effort to maintain good relations with the Daxians. Avoid unnecessary conflicts with them. Your highest priority is to grow stronger as quickly as possible while recruiting as many talented people as you can."
Arthur King completely agreed.
Competing or clashing with the major Daxian legions now would be foolish.
If several of Daxia's leading legions united against Twilight of the Gods, the forces currently under Arthur King's command wouldn't even stand a chance.
Compared to that, however,
what worried Alex even more was when he would finally break free from the seal.
Now that Twisted Three Kingdoms had become so important,
every second spent inside the game was precious.
If the Corpse Lich Territory kept him sealed for ten days or even half a month, the advantage he had worked so hard to build would be reduced to almost nothing.
However—
At that moment,
a message suddenly arrived.
It came from one of the legion's senior members.
Alex was overjoyed.
"The Lord has already dispatched Jia Xu! The territory is about to launch a full-scale operation against the Corpse Lich Territory! Those of us trapped there are finally going to be rescued!"
Over the past several days, Aznavour and the others had thoroughly studied Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Records of the Three Kingdoms, and every television adaptation they could find.
They were now quite knowledgeable about the Three Kingdoms.
Naturally, they understood that Jia Xu—the infamous Poison Strategist throughout history—was by no means an ordinary figure.
What they didn't know was—
Within Twisted Three Kingdoms,
just how formidable Jia Xu truly was,
or whether he possessed the ability to contend against an alien Lord and rescue the trapped Scourge Army.
They sincerely hoped Arthur King would escape as soon as possible.
Immediately afterward,
they prepared a Gaming Capsule for him so he could be awakened at any time and continue fighting for the territory.
………………
At that moment.
Woniu Mountain.
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith received a notification.
As representatives of the Scourge Army,
they had been summoned to a war council.
The two immediately hurried to the City Lord's Hall of Sanxiang City.
Inside and outside the hall stood numerous Azure Dragon Guards radiating powerful, oppressive auras.
Like statues,
they remained perfectly motionless.
At the center of the hall floated a projected map of Woniu Mountain.
Four even more powerful figures stood around it.
Wen Ping still wore his heavy armor, though he had removed his helmet.
His square, dignified face was filled with solemn determination.
Zhou Cang possessed an Abyssal physique.
His body was formed from pale bones, within which destructive flames burned.
Both hands rested upon an enormous black-gold battle blade.
Besides them—
There was the immortal-like elder Zhang Zhongjing.
And Jia Xu.
With crimson hair, scarlet eyes, youthful appearance, pale skin, and beauty bordering on the unnatural, he possessed an almost feminine elegance.
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith could clearly sense the overwhelming strength emanating from these four NPCs.
These were truly the pillars of the territory.
With them present, they immediately felt reassured.
Moreover, being able to discuss strategy and fight alongside such legendary ministers and generals created an indescribably fascinating experience.
Wen Ping said,
"You've both arrived at just the right time. We're currently planning our next operation."
Chimera Wraith immediately spoke.
"General, the Corpse Lich Territory can't transport captured Scourge soldiers through ordinary Blessing Points. They'll definitely transfer the prisoners first to Huangmei Hamlet, which has stronger defenses and lies closer to their territory."
"However, because there are so many captives, transporting them will take considerable time. They're probably still on the move."
"If we strike immediately, we may still be able to rescue some of them first."
Ye Li Meng nodded.
"The safest way for the Corpse Lich Territory to deal with the Scourge Army is to transport us back into their territory as quickly as possible before locking everyone inside a dungeon all at once. We can conduct reconnaissance and repeatedly attack them while they're transporting the prisoners."
Most members of the five great legions had already been captured.
As their leaders,
they were naturally anxious beyond words.
Both Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith desperately wanted to rescue their own people.
According to the information they possessed,
only main-city-level Blessing Points such as White Tiger City and New Wan City could activate dungeons capable of imprisoning war captives.
Although the Corpse Lich Territory fully controlled three map regions,
and undoubtedly possessed main-city-level Blessing Points meeting those requirements,
transporting several thousand prisoners there would be troublesome,
creating many opportunities to strike during transit.
After all,
the Corpse Lich Territory's protection period had already expired.
Human forces could now freely invade and fight within its territory.
"I understand everyone's eagerness to rescue your comrades."
Jia Xu finally spoke.
"As far as I'm concerned, rescuing the Scourge Army is nothing more than a trivial matter."
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith froze.
Even the Lord himself had intervened.
Wasn't this statement a little too arrogant?
Then again...
This was Jia Xu.
Neither of them could quite judge how much confidence those words truly carried.
Jia Xu continued,
"To be honest, from the very moment I arrived at Woniu Mountain, this entire region ceased to have any secrets from me. Every movement made by the foreign tribes lies within my perception. Had my only purpose been rescuing the Scourge Army, there would've been no need to wait until now."
There was no doubt—
He wasn't exaggerating.
Jia Xu possessed extraordinarily powerful perception, deduction, and reconnaissance abilities.
Once strengthened by his Fate Skill, Eternal Night Veil,
it was practically equivalent to possessing complete map-wide vision.
He could effortlessly sense and track every aura throughout the region.
Such were the methods of a supreme strategist.
Only with abilities like these could one truly plan from afar and secure victory a thousand miles away.
Zhou Cang was both astonished and puzzled.
"The Lord sent you here precisely to rescue the Scourge Army. Since you've long had the opportunity, why didn't you act sooner?"
"The mission entrusted to me by the Lord will naturally be completed without fail."
Jia Xu smiled faintly.
"But as a loyal subordinate, one should also strive to shoulder more of the Lord's burdens. This is my first official operation since joining him. Naturally, I'd like to accomplish something more interesting within my abilities... and achieve even more objectives."
Wen Ping asked,
"What objectives does Mister Jia have?"
Jia Xu replied,
"My objectives this time are divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers."
"The lowest-tier objective is naturally to rescue the Scourge Army within the time limit specified by the Lord."
Even that alone was already an extremely difficult task.
Although rescuing the Scourge Army itself wasn't especially difficult—after all, there was no need to worry about their casualties—
the Lord had given very limited time.
Completing the mission within that deadline remained quite challenging.
Even Zhang Zhongjing became interested.
"And if even your lowest-tier objective is already so difficult... what is your middle-tier objective?"
Jia Xu calmly answered,
"The middle-tier objective is naturally to annihilate every invading enemy in Woniu Mountain while minimizing casualties as much as possible, ensuring that from now on, every battlefield against the foreign tribes remains entirely within their own territory."
Hiss!
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith both inhaled sharply.
Although the territory's Garrison Legion had assembled nearly ten thousand troops,
the enemy still maintained five thousand Dead Bones soldiers on the Woniu Mountain front.
Furthermore,
their Lord had personally entered the battlefield,
their Corpse Fiend forces were moving toward the front,
and they had established heavily fortified defensive positions.
While the territory certainly possessed the strength to fight,
this battle would by no means be easy.
Large-scale casualties were almost unavoidable.
After all,
this was war,
and the enemy was anything but weak.
Wen Ping continued,
"If even the middle-tier objective is so difficult, then what is your highest-tier objective?"
Jia Xu answered,
"The highest-tier objective is to slay the enemy Lord, permanently ending this Lord War once and for all."
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith almost thought they had misheard him.
Had those words come from anyone other than Jia Xu,
they would've already started mocking him.
The ambition behind that statement was simply too enormous.
Even Zhou Cang couldn't help saying,
"Mister Jia's ambitions are far too great. I'm afraid accomplishing all of that within such a short time will be impossible."
The Corpse Lich Territory remained completely intact.
Under such circumstances,
threatening the Corpse Lich Lord was easier said than done.
Just how powerful that Lord truly was—
or how many elite troops still remained under his command—
were still complete unknowns.
Yet Jia Xu merely replied,
"The lower-tier and middle-tier objectives are nothing difficult for us."
"As for the highest-tier objective... it will simply require a little more preparation, a few additional arrangements, and perhaps a bit of luck."
Neither Wen Ping nor Zhang Zhongjing questioned Jia Xu.
Because based upon everything they knew about him,
if he dared make such astonishing claims,
then there was most likely a genuine possibility he could achieve them.
Wen Ping asked directly,
"What should we do next?"
Jia Xu answered,
"The foreign tribes are transporting the prisoners toward Huangmei Hamlet because its fortifications are the strongest, while its location lies close enough to the Corpse Lich Territory."
"For now, ignore them."
"General Wen and General Zhou should each lead one force to recapture the Blessing Points at Shangting Hamlet and Shankou Village."
"This will force the enemy to concentrate all of their frontline troops within Huangmei Hamlet."
"At that point, I'll employ a small stratagem."
"Not only will we easily capture Huangmei Hamlet and rescue the Scourge Army, we'll also seize the opportunity to wipe out the enemy's entire force."
Ye Li Meng and Chimera Wraith were completely bewildered.
Neither of them could understand what Jia Xu intended.
He was deliberately allowing the Scourge prisoners to be imprisoned inside the enemy's strongest fortress.
He was even intentionally forcing the enemy to gather all their troops there.
No matter how they looked at it,
this contradicted every principle of military strategy.
Logically,
they should've surrounded Shangting Hamlet and Shankou Village without attacking, drawing enemy reinforcements into an ambush.
Or they should've bypassed Huangmei Hamlet entirely and attacked the Corpse Lich Territory itself,
forcing the troops stationed in Huangmei Hamlet to come out and reinforce it.
Only such tactics would minimize casualties while maximizing enemy losses.
Although Wen Ping couldn't immediately understand Jia Xu's intentions either,
Jia Xu might nominally be the accompanying strategist,
but in reality,
he was the supreme commander of the entire Woniu Mountain campaign.
All Wen Ping needed to do was obey orders.
Had it been anyone else,
he might not have trusted them.
But who was Jia Xu?
He was the very man who had single-handedly secured a century of peace for New Wan despite the threat posed by Demonized Dian Wei.
Wen Ping and Zhou Cang immediately prepared to move.
Ye Li Meng asked,
"Then what should we do?"
Although the Scourge Army's main force had been devastated,
they still retained a respectable number of troops capable of contributing.
"My previous arrangements are sufficient to accomplish the lower-tier and middle-tier objectives."
"As for achieving the highest-tier objective..."
"Some additional preparations and arrangements are still required."
"Shangting Hamlet and Shankou Village pose no challenge. General Wen and General Zhou, together with a small number of Scourge soldiers, will be more than enough."
Jia Xu closed his eyes briefly, as though sensing something.
"Legion Commander Ye, why don't you take a few people and help me catch a little rat that's been scurrying around everywhere?"
Ye Li Meng blinked.
"A little rat? What rat?"
Jia Xu answered,
"This little rat isn't unfamiliar to any of you."
"It is none other than Skeleton Gan Ning from the enemy territory."
"Gan Ning?"
Chimera Wraith said,
"He once launched a surprise attack on the main city. But he's extremely mobile and exceptionally skilled at stealth. We probably won't be able to locate his exact position."
Then—
Something suddenly occurred to her.
Jia Xu had claimed to possess vision over the entire map...
Could it be—
That he could even sense and lock onto someone with stealth abilities as exceptional as Gan Ning's?
If that were true...
Then that would be absolutely incredible!
(PS: This bonus chapter was added to celebrate Warm Sun 1314's Silver Alliance. Today's regular update will probably be later than usual. Staying up late isn't healthy, so friends who aren't used to late nights can simply read it tomorrow morning. The remaining bonus chapter will be completed within the next three days!)