Undying Life

Chapter 275: Mobilizing the People as Bandits

Twenty days later, in the Lord's Mansion of Wushuang City, Wu'an sat at the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand, while some generals in front of him were extremely worried.

"General, what should we do? It's been twenty days, and Zhong Shan's two hundred thousand troops are gone? Vanished into thin air? And every time there's a clue, the scouts disappear. What should we do?" a general asked, his face full of worry.

"This Zhong Shan, can't be found? If we can't find him, then forget it, he'll come looking for me," Wu'an frowned.

"But..." the general wanted to say something more.

"When King Julu mobilized eight million troops to search, Zhong Shan still managed to slip away with some old, weak, sick, and young under our noses. With those scouts, it's impossible to find him. Zhong Shan's skill at hiding his troops is unparalleled. There's no need for us to waste any more effort," Wu'an said.

"But, are we just going to sit and wait for death?" the general asked.

Click! Wu'an crushed the teacup in his hand.

Obviously, Wu'an was also extremely anxious.

"Wait, patience is a virtue. Zhong Shan is the reinforcement sent by the Great Luo Dynasty. His only goal is Wushuang City. He will come looking for me sooner or later," Wu'an said.

"What should we do then?" the general asked.

"Close the four gates tightly. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my orders. I don't believe he can magically appear in the city," Wu'an said.

"Yes!" the generals responded.

Meanwhile, in a valley far to the northeast of Wushuang City.

The valley was cylindrical in shape, with only one exit from top to bottom. The bottom of the valley had been leveled and covered with smooth white jade stones. Surrounding the valley was a circle of four hundred and one white jade thrones.

One of them was the main seat, and the others were all guest seats.

A circular meeting place.

At this moment, three hundred and eighty-six people had already sat on the white jade thrones, while fourteen people had not yet arrived.

The three hundred-plus people were all extremely serious, each of them possessing extraordinary cultivation or prestigious status.

Every one of them exuded an aura of dignity, including sect masters, family heads, and community leaders. Anyway, these people represented most of the people and sects outside Wushuang City.

Everyone had received a letter, a letter from the Great Luo Dynasty, a letter from Zhong Shan.

Everyone sighed slightly. The letter was too tempting, making it impossible for them not to come. Out of four hundred guest seats, only fourteen were vacant, indicating the allure and quality of this letter.

Everyone patiently waited for the arrival of the main seat.

At this moment, suddenly, one person looked up, and then a large number of people followed suit.

Two figures slowly descended from above the valley.

One was dressed in Confucian robes but exuded a domineering aura, while the other was dressed in black clothes like a bodyguard.

The man in Confucian robes was Zhong Shan, and the man in black clothes was Ah Da.

As they descended towards the main seat, everyone in the valley stood up to show respect. Zhong Shan looked at the people in the valley and slowly landed.

Standing at the main seat, Ah Da stood behind the white jade main seat, leaving only Zhong Shan in front of the main seat.

Three hundred and eighty-six people, many of them could see Zhong Shan's cultivation level. Sixth level of Golden Core? Is he...?

"I am Zhong Shan, and I greet everyone!" Zhong Shan smiled as he spoke.

Zhong Shan? Everyone stared at Zhong Shan with wide eyes. Is he really Zhong Shan? How is that possible? He's Zhong Shan?

Because the signature on each person's letter was Zhong Shan, the commander of the reinforcement from the Great Luo Dynasty.

"Would this person be the commander-in-chief?" Clock Mountain looked at the attitudes of the crowd, one by one. He smiled and said, "Please be seated," amidst their uncertain expressions. With a mixture of surprise and doubt, the people sat down.

"My cultivation as a Nascent Soul practitioner can be compared to the imperial power of the Great Yu Dynasty. I hope you won't mind my level of cultivation," Clock Mountain said.

"Yes," the crowd responded. However, their eyes still held a hint of disbelief. After all, Nascent Soul practitioners were already formidable, and what cultivation level could Clock Mountain possess? Golden Core?

Clock Mountain didn't dwell on this topic. He directly addressed the main issue: "Time is limited. Let's discuss what I mentioned in the letter."

The people's expressions became solemn as they listened attentively.

"Commander, do you want to borrow the people of the Dual City and the strength of the surrounding sects and families?" someone asked.

"Hehe, I suppose many of you still feel indignant about losing your possessions. Why should others occupy what belongs to you?" Clock Mountain replied.

Hearing this, the people furrowed their brows.

"That's because the Great Yu Army is invading," someone said.

"Yes, it's an invasion by the Great Yu Army. This is war. Now, what's in the Dual City and what those countless people take out of it no longer concerns you. It's no longer yours," Clock Mountain explained.

Although some felt resentful, they had to accept this reality.

"Do you think you and the leaders you represent will be content with this?" Clock Mountain asked with a smile.

"Commander, are you suggesting that we should risk our lives for you with only our discontent?" someone asked.

"Haha, of course not. Without sufficient benefits, who would dare to risk their lives? It's a matter of life and death, and one wrong move could mean utter destruction," Clock Mountain laughed.

Although some couldn't understand Clock Mountain's words, it wasn't the right time to question them. Shouldn't he be saying something more reassuring? The commander made seemingly harmless things sound so terrifying. Who would dare to go then?

"In short, I'm offering rewards for killing soldiers of the Great Yu Army. Ten high-grade spirit stones for killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, one hundred for a Golden Core cultivator, and a thousand for a Nascent Soul cultivator. The rewards increase accordingly," Clock Mountain announced.

Upon hearing this, some people were already tempted. After all, the rewards were quite generous. They would discuss it when they returned, and many of their subordinates would likely choose to take the risk.

However, many others frowned and pondered. Was it really worth it? It seemed dangerous.

"Of course, if you capture soldiers of the Great Yu Army, we won't interfere with what's in their storage bracelets. You can interrogate them yourselves to find out. How you do it will depend on your abilities," Clock Mountain continued with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the crowd lit up. The Dual City had been invaded, and the storage bracelets of these soldiers contained a lot of treasure. Everyone was moved.

Seeing the hopeful eyes of the crowd, Clock Mountain took advantage of the situation and said, "Furthermore, except for the original government offices and military camps, you have two days to plunder anything you want. Whatever you obtain will be yours."

Obtain it, and it's yours? Hearing this, almost half of the people stood up eagerly, even those with extraordinary cultivation levels were breathing a bit heavily.

Obtain it, and it's yours? Isn't this encouraging lawlessness? The Dual City is a treasure trove, and two days to plunder? By then, even some good houses would surely be demolished and seized. This, this...

"How about it?" Clock Mountain smiled.

"Commander, are you serious?" someone asked excitedly.

"Absolutely. I can provide you with written guarantees, but there are two conditions," Clock Mountain said with a furrowed brow.

"Commander, please go ahead!" the man said, while the others also focused on Clock Mountain.

"First, no killing! Second, no looting!" Clock Mountain said solemnly.

"Huh?" Everyone was slightly stunned.

"What if the people in the city try to kill us?" someone asked.

"If they attack you, you have the right to defend yourselves. But as long as they don't resist, you must refrain from killing and looting," Clock Mountain explained.

"Understood, Commander!" a few people responded excitedly.

"What about the sects?" one sect leader asked. After all, some sects were located outside of the Dual City.

"Invite them, and naturally, they're included," Clock Mountain said with a smile.

"Thank you, Commander!" everyone bowed in unison, their eyes filled with joy.

"Alright, follow my arrangements when the time comes!" Clock Mountain said.

...——After sending away the three hundred plus people, only Clock Mountain and Ah Da remained in the valley.

"Sir, this will bring nearly four million soldiers," Ah Da said excitedly.

"Four million? They're just a bunch of opportunists. Are they even considered soldiers? They're just a bunch of greedy people," Clock Mountain said.

"Huh?" Ah Da paused slightly.

"However, when it comes to seizing treasures and valuables from the city, they'll be like a stampede of mad bulls, rushing into the city recklessly. That's the effect I want. I want their enthusiasm, their greed," Clock Mountain said solemnly.

"Sir, are you using their greed to open the gates of the Dual City for us?" Ah Da analyzed.

"Exactly. Human potential is immeasurable, especially when greed is stirred up. People will go to any lengths when they're greedy, and the Dual City is nothing without its officials. What are two million city residents compared to that? They should have considered this outcome when they betrayed us. There's no need to show mercy. As for the other things, they haven't lost anything. It's just a matter of returning things to their rightful owners. It's not like we're giving them much, just allowing them to reclaim their own belongings," Clock Mountain laughed.

"Using their own belongings to bribe them, sir, Ah Da admires you!" Ah Da smiled immediately.

"Hehe! If they don't fight desperately, then these things will belong to someone else. So, they'll definitely fight desperately to reclaim them," Clock Mountain chuckled.

"But why did you make those two rules? No killing and no looting?" Ah Da asked puzzled.

"Killing? Those two million people in the city will eventually become citizens of the Great Yu Dynasty. We can't kill them. As for looting, it's to prevent morale from collapsing," Clock Mountain explained after some thought.

"Morale collapse? Preventing morale collapse?" Ah Da shook his head with a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding.