Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 753 - 624: The Key to Victory_1

Chapter 753: Chapter 624: The Key to Victory_1

After parting with Yu Hongchang, Li Xuan approached a specially designed steel prison cart.

Bashe Queen was confined within it, blinking her big eyes at Li Xuan, "Why haven’t you come to see me in these two months, Xuan? Did those females around you stop you? They’re just jealous, don’t mind them."

Li Xuan’s lips twitched slightly, and he slashed open all the chains wrapped around the prison cart.

He reached out again, summoning all those talismans and Zhenyuan Nails on Bashe Queen’s body to his hand.

"Your Highness, you can leave. I took revenge by imprisoning you for three months because you conspired against me with the Black Deer King. It’s been more than half a year since you entered the capital, aren’t you planning to go back to your plateau?"

After regaining her freedom, Bashe Queen first stretched out her hands and then shook her tail.

Then she looked at Li Xuan with a smug smile, "Did those jealous women urge you to do this? I’m not leaving. Things in the royal court of Bashe have been running smoothly without my intervention. Since you’ve subdued the twelve law kings in Tubo, the entire Qinghai-Tibet region has been at peace and the Demon Kings out west are behaving themselves. None dares cause trouble."

Li Xuan sighed heavily in his mind, waving his hand, "Your Highness, do as you please. Just don’t be my enemy in the future. Do whatever you like."

As for the persistent Bashe Queen, he was completely helpless.

He couldn’t kill her, nor could he keep her locked up. Moreover, Luo Yan and Xue Yunrou were watching him closely, preventing him from using any of his disciplinary creatures.

Li Xuan had taken into account that the Marquis of Guanjun’s power would decrease significantly during Meng Wu’s southern expedition. Keeping Bashe Queen locked up would only be a waste of manpower.

Therefore, at the juncture of his departure from the Capital, he released Bashe Queen.

However, less than ten seconds after he released Bashe Queen, he regretted his decision.

Bashe Queen then looked at the soldiers who were marching steadily towards the east on the official road, "Are you leading the troops to war? Are you going to fight against the Meng Wu? I can help."

Li Xuan ignored her, walking forward, "I have already told you to do as you please. But I would like to remind you about something. This time our opponent might be Empress Shulv Ping of Liao.

It’s said that she was unparalleled in cold magic when she was alive, even perfected an extreme heavenly cold technique. Your Highness, you should consider it carefully."

Although snakes are cold-blooded animals, they are extremely afraid of cold. They usually get frozen to death when the temperature drops below five degrees Celsius.

Although Bashe was from the Divine Beast clan, she also shared this trait of being afraid of the cold.

The defeat of Bashe Changze in the old days was due to the combined suppression by four masters of the cold magic technique.

Bashe Queen scoffed, "You’re underestimating me. I’ve been extraordinary since my childhood, especially when it comes to cold magic. I’m not inferior to your human race."

She noticed in the distance that Luo Yan and Xue Yunrou were gazing in her and Li Xuan’s direction.

With an annoyed flick of her tail, Bashe Queen puffed up her cheeks. She thought to herself that it had to be those women that made Li Xuan avoid her.

Upon returning to Xue Yunrou’s Nine Heavens Ten Earths Pimo Divine Shuttle, Luo Yan pinched Li Xuan’s waist, "What exactly did you say to her? Why is she still following you?"

Li Xuan couldn’t help but grimace in pain, "How would I know? She’s just smitten with me. What can I do about it?"

Luo Yan snorted dismissively. Every time she thought about Li Xuan’s ’above-standard’ impressions of Chang Yingying, the Bashe Queen, back at the snake cave, she felt uncomfortable.

Luo Yan then looked at Xue Yunrou skeptically, "Young Heavenly Master, what do you think?"

Out of desperation, she had to rely on a love rival for the sake of dealing with this snake.

Among the girls accompanying Li Xuan to Jizhou this time, Dugu Biluo was his little follower, Leng Yurou was only interested in her machinery and devices, while Jiang Hanyun was puzzled.

Except for the Young Heavenly Master Xue Yunrou, none of them could be of any help.

Xue Yunrou, however, was smiling, she pulled out the ’Gelong Knife’ slung on Li Xuan’s waist, swung it around elegantly, saying with a smile, "I can castrate him. You wouldn’t mind, would you?"

Luo Yan nodded approvingly, "That’s more like it, before he ruins another innocent life."

Li Xuan immediately felt a chill running through his body, raising goosebumps all over.

Next, Xue Yunrou drove the ’Nine Heavens Ten Earths Pimo Divine Shuttle’ northeast, to inspect Chengde Qiuhu Office first.

Everything here still looked the same, without any changes. The ’Lihe Zhouguang Lei’ buried under the Dragon Qi was as silent as ever.

This time, Li Xuan stayed here for almost half a day.

He was observing the mountains and rivers and the terrain here, sensing and predicting the changes in weather and wind, memorizing every single detail.

Luo Yan was psychically connected with him, and she understood his intent by his behavior: "Xuan, are you still planning to detonate the ’Lihe Zhouguang Lei’ in advance and prepare to battle the undead iron cavalry here?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xuan smiled: "I do have such thoughts. Can we just let others dictate our actions? Waiting for the Empress Dowager of Liao’s sacrificial day at the end of March, wouldn’t that be foolish?"

"I don’t understand the art of war."

Xue Yunrou, who was standing on the side, said in a low voice: "But Shaofu Yu Jie and the Emperor have repeatedly urged you to act with caution; I suppose they don’t think highly of field battles. I also feel that field battles in Chengde are inadvisable. Once Empress Dowager Shulv Ping’s undead iron cavalry gets the support of the Dragon Qi from this place, their strength will certainly increase exponentially.

Giving Yu Jie’s stubborn character, if he thinks the defense line of Jizhou is at risk, he might choose to replace the commander immediately."

"Replace the commander in the midst of battle? Is it really that simple?"

Li Xuan scoffed initially, but his expression gradually turned serious: "Don’t worry, I have a plan for this battle. I would never risk the lives of millions of people in North Zhili, and ours as well."

Upon hearing this, Xue Yunrou and Luo Yan exchanged glances, their faces revealing unease and hesitation.

Could Li Xuan be overconfident? Did the forty thousand soldiers from the ’Shenji Right and Left Camp’ have the capability to repel more than two hundred thousand undead iron cavalry charged with Dragon Qi in a field battle?

Later, Li Xuan began inspecting the state of war preparations and defensive work at numerous passes, such as Gubei Pass, Xifeng Pass, and Jiangjunshi Pass.

He didn’t start officially transferring troops to the north until after the warning from the Meng people on February 27.

However, the preparation work for this confrontation had already started in the Ministry of War when he noticed the changes in Chengde Qianhu Office.

At this point, the defense of these several strong passes was very well prepared. All defensive equipment, tents, winter clothes to prevent the late spring cold, and everything else were all ready, and provisions for food were ample.

Moreover, the leaders occupying these strongholds were all handpicked by Li Xuan. Not only were they talented, but they were also confidants that he had collected over the year.

In ancient times, it was impossible to prevent factions from forming within an army.

Even Li Xuan, when facing strong enemies, would not hesitate to choose those he knew in depth, those who were close and trustworthy.

After inspecting these passes, Luo Yan prepared to return to Beijing.

For the past two days, she had been inseparable from Li Xuan, inspecting the pass city together, and had been witnessed by tens of thousands of people.

This was enough to create an illusion in the enemy’s minds that the ’Tianji Dihe Yin-Yang Knife’ was in Jizhou."

Before leaving, however, Luo Yan placed a crystal box — one and a half human lengths long — in front of Li Xuan.

Inside it lay a person identical to Luo Yan’s appearance.

Luo Yan then glanced warningly at Li Xuan: "I’m leaving this clone to you. Take good care of her and don’t damage her. She’s very valuable. It took me at least seven rare materials to develop her."

She still felt distressed when she thought of the clone she had destroyed to fake her death back in Nanjing.

Naturally, Li Xuan readily agreed, and after Luo Yan left, Xue Yunrou’s ’Nine Heavens Ten Earths Pimo Divine Shuttle’ flew directly to Jizhou City.

However, Li Xuan noticed that Xue Yunrou seemed a little distracted and would look to the north from time to time.

After contemplating for a moment, he understood why, and raised an eyebrow in amusement: "You’re thinking about Zhang Guanlan and Li Zhetian?"

Xue Yunrou nodded slightly. She turned her head to gaze passionately at Li Xuan: "Xuan, are you really confident about defeating the two hundred thousand undead iron cavalry in a field battle?"

Li Xuan didn’t hesitate. He looked at Xue Yunrou with utmost seriousness: "As long as it doesn’t rain on the battlefield, I’m one hundred percent sure of winning."

Flintlock rifles are weather-resistant, but they aren’t entirely waterproof.

Under clear weather, the rune-engraved flintlock rifle has a nine in ten chance of firing successfully. However, if there’s heavy rain, the success rate diminishes to less than half.

While this is better than matchlock guns, which are rendered useless in the rain, it’s still not enough to win against the enemy.

"So, the key to this battle lies in controlling the weather and manipulating the rain, correct?"

Seeing Li Xuan nod solemnly, Xue Yunrou couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

After a short pause, she caressed the Fumo Sword in front of her, her eyes filled with murderous intent: "I believe in you! In this battle, I want to finish off those two! For my father and Tianshi’s Mansion, I must take the life of Zhang Guanlan!"