In the distance, a series of urgent conch horns sounded. After losing tens of thousands of troops, the demon race finally retreated. Amidst the snow, countless demon cavalry retreated, no longer daring to face the sharpness of that Marquis of Victory. In the wind, the young Sage of the School of Military Affairs gently shook his bright silver spear, scattering the bloodstains on it. He raised his hand and flicked, and the bloodstains on his robe behind him all evaporated, returning to pure white. His aura was long and his complexion ruddy, as if this earth-shattering battle had nothing to do with him.
He turned and floated onto the snow ridge.
"Huo Piaoyao!"
Xu Zhan clasped his fists and said with a smile, "You've worked hard!"
The Sage of the School of Military Affairs smiled faintly, "It's just a small matter. I hope the first Sword Suppressing Tower can be completed within the scheduled time. If there were Sword Suppressing Towers, I probably wouldn't have to personally kill enemies."
"Yes, we will do our best!"
The next moment, Huo Piaoyao floated in front of Lin Zhao and Chuan Zhi, smiling, "The School of Military Affairs relies on a killing aura to defend against enemies, and it has always been like this. Lin Zhao, although your senior brother dotes on you and thinks you are good at everything, I, as your half-brother, still have something to say to you."
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao couldn't help but smile and immediately clasped his fists respectfully, "Brother Huo, please speak. Lin Zhao is listening."
"Hmm."
Huo Piaoyao smiled and nodded. This kind of attitude was good, so he smiled and said, "You have more strategy than enough, but not enough killing aura. To put it bluntly, with your ability to strategize and win battles from thousands of miles away, you are already qualified to be among the ancestral halls of the School of Military Affairs. However, you can never be one of the Seventy-Two Generals because you lack killing intent. Look at your senior brother, humph, he is a genuine foe of ten thousand men."
He pointed to the north and said with a smile, "I can only fight ten thousand ordinary mortals, but he can fight ten thousand of the Upper Five Realms in the Sea of All Heavens!"
"..."
Lin Zhao was somewhat speechless, and scratched his head, "My senior brother's killing intent is heavy because his abilities are up to par. My killing intent is not heavy mainly because my abilities are not up to par. How can a mere Lower Five Realm compare to my senior brother? However, I have taken Brother Huo's words to heart. I will definitely make up for the lack of killing intent. In the future, on the battlefield, I will never show mercy when it is not warranted. Please rest assured, Brother Huo."
"Hmm!"
Huo Piaoyao smiled and nodded, then turned to leave. He thought that this kid was truly teachable. However, he didn't seem to have the right to teach him how to make up for his killing intent... After all, this kid wasn't just a sword cultivator. He was also a disciple of the Confucian Sage Qin Suihan, and half a genuine scholar. The Sword Warming Lake was nurturing the tip of the Sword of Sweat and Ox, and he was destined to be a scholar full of knowledge in the future. Had he taught him incorrectly?
Then, he chuckled self-deprecatingly. What did it matter? A disciple of Qin Suihan would naturally have extremely high comprehension. He was just pointing out a direction, and how he walked it depended on himself.
As for Lin Zhao, he stood in place, his mind a bit chaotic. He then looked at the mess on the northern battlefield, the bodies of countless demon cavalry lying scattered, and countless riderless Cloud Xi warhorses roaming the snowy plains, not knowing where to go. Lin Zhao shouted to the young Sage of the School of Military Affairs, "Brother Huo, can the cleanup of this battlefield be handed over to the army of the Snow Region Celestial Pool?"
"Yes."
Huo Piaoyao smiled and nodded, "I will stay here to oversee it for you."
"Good!"
Lin Zhao immediately turned to Chuan Zhi and said sternly, "Immediately order Mu Ya to lead twenty thousand men down North Mountain to come and lead the horses, collect weapons and armor, etc. Don't wait until the demon race turns back, that would be more troublesome."
"Yes."
Chuan Zhi happily nodded and then conveyed the order to Mu Ya through telepathy.
Not long after, countless Snow Region cavalry descended North Mountain and advanced eastward, appearing in the fertile plains north of the first Sword Suppressing Tower. Mu Ya, Chen Ben, Chu Yu, and others were all present, swiftly clearing the battlefield and leading away the riderless warhorses. However, Huo Piaoyao's killing power was too great, and many warhorses were injured, and even many were killed. But Mu Ya and Chu Yu were good at managing resources, and they took away everything they could. They even stripped the armor from the bodies of the demon cavalry. The fallen warhorses were also taken back to the Snow Region Celestial Pool. They would have horse meat for a long time. As for the bodies of the demon cavalry, they were all buried on the spot, which could be considered showing benevolence to the demon race.
...
Late at night, in the command tent of the Snow Region Celestial Pool.
Lin Zhao had not been to the command tent for a long time and felt a bit unfamiliar. He leaned on the command desk, looking at the scrolls of bamboo slips that had just been compiled, and frowned, saying, "Just tell me the numbers."
"Yes, sir."
Chuan Zhi pursed her red lips and said, "We have collected a total of over 18,500 Cloud Xi warhorses. Some of them are severely injured, and we don't know if they can be saved. In addition, there are various weapons, armor, shields, and so on. In this battle, Lord Piaoyao killed more than 40,000 demon troops, which is a heavy loss. Our gains in weapons and warhorses are also quite substantial."
"Hmm."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded, "Quickly recruit veterinarians, don't be stingy with money. Try to save as many of these Cloud Xi warhorses as possible. After all, Cloud Xi warhorses are precious. The more veterinarians we recruit, the better. In the future, horse breeding, horse training, and the reproduction of Cloud Xi warhorses will all need to be managed. There's no need to save money on this. Tell me directly how much money you need. I have over eight thousand Jin Zi Coins here, and I'm very rich!"
Chuan Zhi couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Yes, I understand."
Beside them, Xu Sheng frowned and said, "Sir, there is one matter that needs our utmost attention."
"What is it?"
Lin Zhao looked at Xu Sheng. This old general from the Eastern Wu Kingdom was a renowned general of his generation. And according to the saying, "An old person in the family is a treasure," Lin Zhao greatly valued Xu Sheng. He had been in the army for many years, experienced countless battles, and had experience in many military affairs. He often sought his advice. So he smiled and said, "Please speak freely, old general!"
"Yes."
Xu Sheng clasped his fists respectfully and said, "Sir, the Snow Region Celestial Pool now possesses many warhorses, including more than 32,000 Cloud Xi warhorses, a considerable number. In addition, there are nearly 20,000 fine horses from Yunzhou. Although these warhorses are the treasures of our Snow Region Celestial Pool, I must frankly say that the Snow Region Celestial Pool cannot support so many warhorses. Firstly, our transportation capacity is insufficient to transport enough fodder from Shanhai Pass and Fusu Great Wall to feed the horses. Secondly, the Great Shang Dynasty also raises horses itself. In the short term, they might sell fodder to us out of respect for you, but in the long term, it is essentially impossible. This will also place an unbearable burden on the Great Shang Dynasty."
"Right."
Xiang Ji said solemnly, "Sir, in the past, Yunzhou was known for its 530,000 cavalry. However, these cavalry were not all stationed in Tianji City all the time. The cavalry who were truly stationed in Tianji City year-round were less than 20,000. Most of the Yunzhou cavalry were dispersed and raised in the three northern prefectures, using the vast grasslands of one prefecture and one county to raise horses and garrison troops. In times of war, they could be reassembled with a single command."
Lin Zhao had never considered such a matter. He almost forgot that this game, "Tian Xia," pursued absolute realism, not what he had previously imagined, that the small region of the Snow Region Celestial Pool could support a hundred thousand cavalry? In fact, it was impossible. The Han Dynasty under Emperor Wu of Han, with the strength of the entire nation, could only support less than 200,000 cavalry. The Snow Region Celestial Pool was far from it.
"Old general."
He looked at Xu Sheng and smiled, "According to the old general's judgment, how many cavalry is the Snow Region Celestial Pool most reasonably able to support?"
Xu Sheng frowned and said, "In the past, your subordinate was stationed in the Eastern Wu Kingdom, and the entire Eastern Wu Kingdom only had a standing cavalry of 30,000. Given the current situation of the Snow Region Celestial Pool, supporting 30,000 cavalry is the limit. The surplus warhorses and cavalry can only be used for farming and herding elsewhere, otherwise, the Snow Region Celestial Pool will inevitably be overwhelmed."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded, "The matter of farming and herding will be handled by the old general. Do you think it is feasible? We can provide more military pay and grain seeds to the soldiers who are farming. All of this is fine. All expenses can be paid from the Villa on the Summit."
"Yes!"
Xu Sheng clasped his fists and said, "Your subordinate obeys your order!"
Chu Yu smiled faintly and said, "South of the Snow Region Celestial Pool and north of the Deer Forest, hundreds of miles of fertile land are mostly grasslands and forests, which are very suitable for farming and herding. Moreover, they are close to the Snow Region Celestial Pool. If attacked, the cavalry of the Snow Region Celestial Pool can reinforce them at any time. We can designate this entire area as a farming region. We can even recruit civilian laborers to plant crops, herd horses, and so on. If this great battle is destined to be a protracted war, we should be prepared for it."
"Okay."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded. Xu Sheng was experienced and skillful, while Chu Yu was meticulous. So he smiled and said, "Chu Yu, the matter of selecting the farming region will be entrusted to you. You can freely allocate personnel from the Snow Region Celestial Pool. Actually, I am not that greedy. I just hope that in the future, when I give a rallying cry, you can bring me 200,000 Snow Region cavalry. With us, we can advance and retreat, and that will be enough."
Chu Yu clasped his fists and smiled, "Your subordinate obeys your order!"
Chuan Zhi smiled at the corner of her mouth, merely smiling. This arrangement could be considered good use of talent, couldn't it? As long as Lin Zhao was here, the future of the Snow Region Celestial Pool would surely flourish.
...
On the Demon Race Ancestral Mountain, the back mountain, the Demon Spirit Abyss.
On a mountain path covered with dry moss, a woman in a fiery red long dress was slowly walking. She was the great demon Yu Zhi, the real person in charge of the entire demon race, the number one person under the Demon Ancestor.
Yu Zhi's willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed. In fact, she was extremely unwilling to set foot on this path. Every time she came to the Demon Spirit Abyss, her mood was as heavy as visiting a grave. Why should the cultivation and essence blood that she had painstakingly cultivated become a wedding dress for others? It was a pity that whether she wanted to or not, she had to go. Because the "Water and Fire Fusion" plan was formulated by her. She just didn't expect the Demon Ancestor to be so ruthless, not even letting go of the essence blood of a thirteenth-level great demon. This also showed how much the Demon Ancestor valued this direct disciple.
She came to the side of the abyss, raised her index finger, squeezed out a drop of golden essence blood, and let it fall.
As this drop of golden essence blood fell into the abyss, a fierce and greedy aura surged upwards. Immediately, the wound seemed to be sucked by a force, and the second drop of essence blood was about to emerge!
"How dare you!"
Yu Zhi frowned slightly and directly flipped her palm, sealing the wound. She forcibly forced the second drop of essence blood back. She looked down into the abyss and frowned, "Man Yuan, you even want to seize my cultivation? When I come out in the future, won't you not even put me in your eyes?"
"Yo~~~"
A sharp voice came from the abyss, "Madam Yu Zhi is so petty. When I come out in the future, I will invite you to drink human blood. That's right, drink Lin Zhao's blood, and bring his head!"
"Humph..."
Yu Zhi frowned and floated away. Compared to Lin Zhao, she actually disliked the one at the bottom of the abyss even more.