Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 371 - Two Hundred Fifty-Nine: Setting a Trap_2

Chapter 371: Chapter Two Hundred Fifty-Nine: Setting a Trap_2

"May I ask, why does your lord not want the actual production from the Northern Frontier?"

Zhou Chen, without a second thought and following Xu Yuan’s instructions, directly said:

"The outflow of a strategic resource like the Cloud Qi Bomb is a responsibility my lord cannot bear."

"....."

Within the tent, the originally tense atmosphere gradually relaxed with these words, and even a trace of a faint smile flashed across the faces of many generals.

So, the person behind Mr. Zhou seems to be a high-ranking official in the Prime Minister’s Mansion involved in reselling materials.

Having power in one’s hands naturally means making the best use of it without delay, or else it goes to waste.

Emptying the public coffers to fill one’s own home.

Many Formation Patterns from the Prime Minister’s Mansion are at the forefront of the entire Dayan, just like the Ghost Mist Formation was at the beginning.

Although the Geometry Institute guarded them with strict measures, they were still sold out at a high price in the end.

However, their delight did not lie in this fact.

Since the person behind Mr. Zhou was reselling them in secret, it meant that the other party dared not publicize it, which allowed room for bargaining, and quite a bit of it at that.

Qian Shuisheng, with his aged face, smiled and said:

"Mr. Zhou, thirty million taels is not a small amount. May I trouble you to wait outside the tent for a while, as we need to discuss this matter?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen clasped his fist in salute and exchanged a smile with Qian Shuisheng:

"If that’s the case, I shall await the good news outside the tent."

With that, Zhou Chen walked out of the tent under the watchful eyes of a room full of powerful figures.

"......"

As the tent flap fell, the atmosphere inside, which had briefly relaxed, suddenly tensed again, becoming even severe.

Qian Shuisheng, seated at the main position, narrowed his eyes and suddenly let out a cold laugh:

"What do you think... who is the person behind Mr. Zhou?"

"It shouldn’t be Lou Ji or Zong Qingsheng."

The man with the scarred face said, "They have no sons or daughters, and they are utterly loyal to Xu Yinhe. Besides, their positions are too high; it’s unlikely they would commit an act of betraying the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s interests."

Everything in the Prime Minister’s Mansion is theirs to command; whatever they want, they just ask for directly, without needing such means to reap benefits.

The young female general chuckled and said:

"Elder Qian, I think who it is doesn’t matter that much, as long as they can provide us with the Cloud Qi Bombs."

The hot-tempered and burly man snorted lightly:

"Thirty million taels is a bit too much; last year, when the battle situation was unfavorable, the entire annual military expenditures for the tens of thousands of Border Army soldiers in the Northern Frontier didn’t even reach seventy million taels."

The man with the scarred face chuckled:

"This expense is indeed a bit excessive. We’ll have to ask those Sects in the south for more benefits. The Northern Border Sects have been taking the brunt of the pressure for them. By next year’s Primordial Origin Competition, when resources are redistributed, we’ll need to demand more from those old immortals in the Jiangnan region."

With that, a wave of subdued laughter filled the room.

The Sects are a large collective, with rules of their own.

The Border Sects contribute manpower and effort, while the wealthy regions need to contribute materials.

The Northern Border Sects bore the brunt of the last desperate counter-attack from His Majesty before he died. On the stage of the Primordial Origin Competition, they naturally have reasons and justifications to ask other Sects from different regions for benefits.

As the conversation flowed, some friendly generals began to talk and plan for the coming year with laughter.

But where there is laughter, there is also silence, and the number of silent figures was not small.

The atmosphere inside the tent was quickly interrupted by a serene voice:

"Now that the game is only halfway through, are you all ready to start celebrating?"

The speaker was the handsome young man from Wanyao Valley. Since it is inappropriate to overshadow the host, he turned to look at the silent elder in the main seat:

"Elder Qian, surely you have something to say?"

"....."

Qian Shuisheng, upon hearing this, slowly lifted his gaze and exhaled quietly:

"Gentlemen, although the person behind Mr. Zhou is providing us with Cloud Qi Bombs perhaps for personal gain, it is also because they want to see us fight a life and death struggle against the Barbarian Tribes. Once the cloud qi is dispersed, what do you think the Barbarian Strange King will do?"

The irascible, hulky man put his hands together, excitement on his lips:

"Elder Qian, once the snow clouds are scattered, and the Barbarian Tribes lose the fortune of the heavens, they will naturally avoid the edge of our army’s blades, and we can directly take shelter in Northern Border City."

"What if they don’t avoid?"

Qian Shuisheng countered, then added, "The Barbarian King is no fool. Once Northern Border is taken back by us, they become trapped like turtles in a jar."

Continuing,

Qian Shuisheng sighed, "The Cloud Qi Bomb can indeed change the entire battle situation. At present, the number of Barbarian Tribe armies near Northern Border is roughly estimated to be over four hundred thousand. If we engage in a tough fight with them, even if we win, our losses will be significant. By then, the Imperial Court will simply benefit from the fishermen’s profits."

The young female general’s brows were slightly furrowed, and a hint of ferocity appeared in her eyes:

"So, we’re just dragging our feet now? If we had chosen to reinforce the Northern Border City right from the start, none of this would be happening."

The middle-aged woman in armor glanced at the young female general and let out a cold scoff:

"Little girl, the decision was made collectively. Now that we’re facing a tough situation, are you trying to wriggle your way out of it?"

The man with the scar on his face chuckled upon hearing this and said:

"Madam Wang, indeed the decision was made by all of us, but if I remember correctly, it should have been you and your husband..."

"Enough! Both of you, quiet down."

Qian Shuisheng, seeing the atmosphere below starting to become tense, immediately spoke up to stop them, "What we need in the current situation is unity! Everyone, let’s hear your strategies."

"....."

Silence began to spread, and no one responded any further.

In the quiet,

Suddenly, someone spoke out abruptly:

"Can we think of a way to lure the Barbarian Tribes northward again?"

Another person retorted directly:

"How do you propose to lure them? The Barbarian Tribes know about the existence of the Cloud Qi Bomb, a heavenly weapon, in the vicinity of Houting County. You think they’re going to attack a well-defended Houting County under the clear sky? Hah... The Barbarian Strange King, as long as he’s not as brainless as you, would know it’s easier to attack us."

The one who had spoken showed a murderous look in their eyes:

"Dai Xiangfei, you have the nerve to criticize me when you gave away one-third of our supplies just like that. I really don’t know..."

"Shut up!"

Qian Shuisheng spoke out sharply again, his eyes filled with helplessness.

He had actually anticipated a situation like this.

Given the current circumstances, it was only a matter of time before internal conflicts erupted within the allied army. Mr. Zhou, who had brought the Cloud Qi Bomb, had simply ignited these conflicts prematurely.

With the wind at their back, all men are brothers, but against it, all become hunters on the prowl.

The drawbacks of the chaotic command system of the allied forces were beginning to show at this moment.

Rubbing his temples forcefully, Qian Shuisheng swept his gaze over the generals and spoke:

"Talking endlessly is useless. Right now, we have only two choices before us: first, we continue to hold our position and watch for changes, second, we use the Cloud Qi Bomb to break into Northern Border City."

"Aren’t both choices leading to a fight with those barbarians in the end?"

"Yes."

Qian Shuisheng’s tone remained steady as he spoke solemnly, "Under the current circumstances, we can’t avoid this at all."

The mistakes made in several decisions had led them directly into a predicament that was, for them, a dead end.

Having been manipulated to abandon Houting County to reinforce the Northern Border, and then due to misjudging the ambition of the Barbarian King and the speed at which Marquis Wucheng and Zong Qingsheng advanced southward, they were now pinned outside Northern Border City, surrounded by the hovering Barbarian Tribes’ army.

Breaking out of this situation would require them to fight a hard battle.

After pondering for a moment, the scar-faced man asked:

"Elder Qian, which of these two options do you lean towards?"

Qian Shuisheng glanced at him and tapped his fingertips on the armrest of the main seat:

"The latter."

"The latter?" The man with the scarred face furrowed his brow, his eyes showing contemplation, but he quickly realized that this was indeed their best option.

Qian Shuisheng said in a low voice:

"We’re trapped like fish in a net, but the Barbarian Tribes are even more anxious than we are, the longer they wait, the greater the chance of the Imperial Court’s forces coming down from the south. By then, our camp without Formation Patterns will be incapable of offering any protection.

"By using the Cloud Qi Bomb to forge a path, we can recapture Northern Border City at the fastest speed, and the Barbarian Tribes might then know to retreat and return along the mountain paths they came from to the depths of the Northern Frontier.

"This is the least costly method of engagement for us right now.

"Of course, we’ll need to plan out the details of the march afterward."

...

...

...

Zhou Chen left, taking several Sumeru Rings and two Second Grade Origin Initials, stealthily departing from the Sect camp amidst the wind and snow.

And as they left,

A pair of eyes shimmering with pale blue light was quietly watching them from a faraway slope.

Not until the three had completely vanished from his field of view did the burly figure silently turn away and disappear into the wind and snow....