Chapter 69: Preparation
[Tai Lung's POV]
I flew above Gongmen City and carefully observed it from afar.
Just like you would expect a city which was about to be invaded to react, they were doing it. The city was in absolute chaos.
While the city itself was eerily quiet with the citizens locking themselves up in their houses, waiting for the disaster to pass by some miracle, the exit gate of the city was packed as many people wanted to leave the City.
Both were an understandable reaction to the impending battle. While the citizens were going to be unharmed in the upcoming conflict, if the Codes of War were followed, their new rulers would more likely than not demand war tax from them.
This was especially likely for Gongmen city which was the home of many rich animals from all over China. And the fact that trad had stopped in the city was a huge turn off to most resident, so these people wanted to move out of the city as quickly as possible.
I ignored the city itself and made my way to the army barracks which was stationed a little far away from the city.
When I finally reached there, I stopped using my Chi and fell to the ground like an asteroid.
*BOOOM!!*
I crashed into the earth as my feet were planted deep into the ground. But I showed no reaction and I easily stepped out of the crater.
The army quickly came out of the camps with their weapons, ready to kill any invader but they stilled on their spot when they saw me.
I took a look around the barracks and immediately noticed the sober mood of the place. A soldier's barracks should be lively like a tavern as there were none who were more appreciative of life and every day than soldiers who walked with death each day.
But the barracks which I stood at was the opposite of what you would expect. It felt more like a hospital or a graveyard, with the ghosts of negative feelings haunting the place.
"Why are you guys so quiet? Are you all scared?" I asked the wolves with a small smile on my face.
The majority of the army who were left in Gongemen City were directly under Lord Shen and me. They were also the ones whom I spent a week training, so they were the closest soldiers to me.
I let my Chi erupt out and started affecting the environment. It was like a drop of rain falling on a pond and creating small waves that spread out everywhere.
My will pressed down on the surroundings and even if they didn't see me, everyone in the vicinity was told of my presence.
It was not one of threat but a reassuring one. They had nearly been forced to a fate where they would fight an impossible battle they would never win, so their dull mood and eerie barracks was understandable.
But that stops now.
"Be not afraid," I said, my voice infused with Chi was carried by the wind to every ear.
"Your General is here."
..
..
"WUAAAAAAA!!!!!"
"LORD TAI LUNG!!!!"
The soldiers all came out and erupted into cheers, their previously dull eyes now held a spark of hope.
They must've heard of my tales even from Gongmen City so seeing me was a huge relief in their heart. These were the times when reputation became a vital weapon.
Because with only my presence and a few words, I was able to turn their situation, their reality upside down and boost their morale.
Turn despair into hope, fear into courage, and anxiety into excitement.
The first battle in a war takes place in the heart of the soldiers.
And that was won.
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[Tai Lung's POV]
It took me only a few hours to reach Gongmen City from the Jade Palace which means I had around three days to prepare for the enemy to reach us.
I gathered all of the soldiers in the barracks and gave them a short speech to boost their morale before telling them to get ready to march East.
We will meet the enemy beyond the Pearl Lake.
After I was done, I went to the city and with the help of some of the noble houses there, I was able to calm down the people from panicking too much.
With my reputation, it was not hard for them to believe that I would be able to protect them and defeat the army. The Supreme General was here, they told themselves.
But many people still insisted on leaving the city. Trade had also stopped for a while now and the economy of the city was quickly plummeting.
"Is this what you want?" I asked while I ate the fish dish before me. I was in Mr. Li's restaurant again and Officer Chaucer lookalike chef was also there with me. He did not know how to react to the situation.
"I thought that with all the things the city has done for you, at least you would have the honour and not go this far." I said to Gazelle who was lying on the ground, paralysed from her neck down.
She owned almost all of the brothels and male entertainment in Gongmen City so when Shen took over the city, he decided to let her stay and operate under him.
She was always more independent than she was with the Kung Fu Council, so we decided to let her stay in the city as her value outweighed her annoyance. It was similar to how we kept Master Ox and Croc alive and fighting for us.
Not only were they useful, they were a link to our enemy. As Sun Tzu said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
"I-I didn't do anything." She spat out in a voice still full of defiance.
"Do you take me for a fool, Gazelle?" I asked and used my feet to prop up her chin.
"Look at me." I told her and she did. Her eyes started shaking and her paralysed body trembled.
Like it was mentioned before, she had the innate ability to observe a person's strength. It was almost like how prey could differentiate predators from the rest.
She already said I was the strongest person she had ever seen last time, but now that I had gotten stronger again and also learned to control my chi properly, I wonder what she saw.
"Say that again while looking at me."
..
..
..
She couldn't.
"I'm curious. You have everything to gain if you work with us so why did you decide to make yourself an enemy? I thought you were not even that close with the Kung Fu Council." I asked. She was born and lived in Gongmen City and the reason she even associated with the Kung Fu Council in the first place was because they became rulers of the city.
So it was a genuine question why she decided to still work with them.
"Go to hell." She grits her teeth.
Wow, I felt some hate in her voice.
"Is it personal then? Don't tell me you were secretly in love with Master Rhino and you now want to avenge him or something." I said with a laugh and her reaction made me feel like that might be true.
Or was it just her acting? Choosing to make this the truth to avoid telling the real reason.
"The whore, falls in love with the ruler of the city but she never even had the courage to show her feelings because she feels unworthy. She never allows herself to be touched by him because she thinks she will taint him and believes that her love for him is special and not lust. But then Shen killed him before she even confessed blah blah blah." Sounds like a really shitty novel.
I continued to entertain her for a bit more minutes before my plate finally became empty. And with my fish gone, so was my pleasant mood.
I grabbed Gazelle by her horns and threw her across the restaurant. She crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, she immediately coughed out blood.
I pushed her head down on the ground and used my claws to cut the floor infornt of her.
"Now here is what we are going to do.." I said, " You are going to tell me everything that I want to know. Starting with how strong the alliance between the three kingdoms are, how many soldiers are marching towards the city and how many masters are coming with them."
She glared at me. I always thought she was someone clever but maybe hatred had made her dumb.
But the glare will quickly turn into one of submission soon.
To know your enemy was half the battle won.
Luckily, there was a literally walking meat of information under me. As the result of this battle would dictate the fate of everything, I cannot take any chances.
I will not lose.
.
.
.
[IMAGE]
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Author : Finally, I have returned!!! We will be back to daily updates for sure until the end of this arc.
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500 stones and extra chapter as well.
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