The news of the collapse of the peace talks quickly spread throughout the Nanyang Plain. For a time, the short and leisurely atmosphere disappeared without a trace and was replaced by a tense atmosphere.
Cavalrymen were galloping to relay orders, guards were everywhere, and officers were patrolling the camp nervously. Smiles could no longer be seen in this place. Everyone's face was taut, and there was worry hidden between their brows.
This was a foreseeable, terrifying war. Who knew how many of the hundreds of thousands of people here would die? How many would be crippled?
An endless stream of rations and fodder was sent into Nanyang Plains, as did an endless stream of soldiers. This place had completely turned into a war fortress. Li Chengfeng could hear the sound of galloping horses, the rumbling of ox carts transporting rations, the sound of soldiers training, and the scolding of officers at every corner.
"There's going to be a big battle …" Li Chengfeng looked down from the top of the city wall. The three city gates of Nanyang Plain were all wide open. Soldiers and rations were being sent out continuously. Looking down from above, it looked like three giant dragons snaking across the ground, rising from Nanyang Plain and heading towards the horizon. It was almost impossible to see where they ended.
"It's a pity we can't fight with the army …" Han Tianxing sighed as he watched the departing soldiers.
Li Chengfeng rolled his eyes. "You won't think that way when you're on the battlefield!
Are you willing to sacrifice your life just to make a contribution? "
Han Tianxing still had the simple romanticism of a man in his bones. He had a blind passion and yearning for war. He clenched his fists and said, "Didn't we learn everything just for this moment?"
He turned to look at Li Chengfeng. "Senior Brother, don't you want to make a name for yourself on the battlefield and revive the Li family's glory?"
Li Chengfeng was silent for a while, then sighed. "I used to think about reviving our family and bringing glory to our ancestors. But ever since I became the Court Master of Hidden Sword Court, I realised these thoughts have slowly faded …"
Han Tianxing fell silent too. He knew the burden on Li Chengfeng's shoulders was too heavy. He could not just care about the Li family, he had to carry the mission of Hidden Sword Court's rise. After all, the sacrifices his seniors had made for them were something they could never forget.
If anything happened to Li Chengfeng on the battlefield, what would happen to Hidden Sword Court?
Eldest Senior Brother, Senior Brother Qin, Senior Brother Ouyang, and the others had all died in vain.
Xiaobao whispered, "Isn't it better if we just stay here?"
Han Tianxing could not win against Li Chengfeng in an argument but looked at Xiaobao as if he had expected better from him.
Li Chengfeng shook his head. "I'm afraid the wind will not subside even if the tree desires peace …"
As he spoke, a messenger with a red flag on his back ran up the stairs to Li Chengfeng, panting heavily. "Messenger Li, the General wishes to see you!"
Li Chengfeng, Han Tianxing and Xiaobao looked at each other and sighed. "They're here!"
Li Chengfeng followed the messenger all the way to the Great General's camp. When he entered the tent, he immediately felt a terrifying murderous aura.
This murderous aura was different from the murderous aura of cultivators. It was an aura gained after killing millions of people on the battlefield. Ordinary people could not feel it but people of the same species were very sensitive to it. Even animals were sensitive to it.
For example, even the fiercest dog would not dare to bark at a butcher who had been in the business for more than ten years.
Some of the generals in the tent looked gentle, some looked ferocious, some had scars on their faces, some had beards, some had cold gazes, some looked menacing. However, when their gazes landed on Long Tenghai, their gazes were filled with respect and admiration.
Perhaps Li Chengfeng was better at fighting than all of them. Even though he had defeated the Flying Warship, he was still an insignificant little brother on a battlefield with millions of people. No one paid much attention to his arrival.
Advisor Gao Shenghan saw Li Chengfeng and waved at him with a smile. "Brother Chengfeng, come, sit here."
Gao Shenghan warmly called Li Chengfeng to his side, using his warm gesture to make up for the awkwardness and rift caused by the mistaken assumption that Li Chengfeng was dead.
If Zhao Feiyue was not standing beside Gao Shenghan in the tent, Gao Shenghan's action alone would have caused Li Chengfeng to be roasted on the fire, causing countless people to be jealous. However, since Zhao Feiyue was here, it was only natural.
Li Chengfeng walked awkwardly to Gao Shenghan and smiled awkwardly, then quickly exchanged a look with Zhao Feiyue.
Gao Shenghan patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to continue listening. Li Chengfeng then realised that Long Tenghai was arranging the upcoming battlefield missions.
A huge military map hung on one side of the camp, marking out the major military locations, as well as the location of the upcoming battle, battle lines, troop deployment and marching routes.
Li Chengfeng wondered why he was called into a military meeting like this. Also, hadn't the troop deployment already begun?
Long Tenghai looked at Li Chengfeng and said solemnly, "Zhenren Li, you're the only person who has entered a flying warship. You know how powerful it is and its weakness. In your opinion, is it possible that the Puppet Kingdom has another flying warship?"
What?!
Li Chengfeng was extremely shocked, his eyes widened as he looked at Long Tenghai and blurted out, "That's impossible … right?"
Li Chengfeng's worldview was completely shattered by the sight of a flying warship in this world. This was technology that did not even exist in Li Chengfeng's previous world!
This is some f * cking black technology that only exists in sci-fi movies, okay?
It was already insane for a country to have one. If there were two … what did that mean?
It meant that they could be mass-produced!
Mass-Produced flying warships?!
Stop joking. If there were mass-produced flying warships, then Long Tenghai and the rest would have fought the Puppet Kingdom for more than ten years. This would be a goddamn anti-Japanese drama!
It must not have been easy for Daqi's Southeastern Army to hold out for so long under the bombardment of flying warships!
In reality, one Soaring Battleship was enough to make Long Tenghai and the others badly battered, to the point where they had to hold back for fear of breaking the vases!
A terrifying war machine that could appear anywhere on the battlefield at any time and launch a devastating attack was the most terrifying existence on this battlefield!
Its deterrence was even greater than the Daqi cultivator army!
Long Tenghai said with a serious expression, "The Puppet Kingdom has been very strong in this negotiation, and they seem very confident. They don't seem to realize that they are at a disadvantage at all. It seems like the one who was injured was not them but us."
Li Chengfeng did not understand. "Are they bluffing?"
Long Tenghai shook his head. "It doesn't look like it..." After saying that, he looked at Zhao Feiyue. Zhao Feiyue said, "Indeed, their Marshal Vivian's performance was extremely strong, and she looked like she had victory in her grasp. I couldn't see any flaws at all."
Long Tenghai stared at Li Chengfeng. "I really can't think of any trump card the Puppet Kingdom has, or any chance they have of winning!"
Long Tenghai came to the map and gestured for them to surround the city. "I've blocked Dijon's reinforcements at the back. Our army will surround Sunshine City from three sides!
If the Puppet Kingdom does not fight us at the South Sun Plains and allows us to surround them, Sunshine City will be a dead end. It's only a matter of time before it falls! "
Li Chengfeng also knew about military affairs, so he naturally understood that once Sunshine City was breached, Grey Helm Valley would be like a turtle in a jar, and the Puppet Country would be like a fish on the chopping board, completely at Long Tenghai's mercy!
That was why the upcoming battle at the South Sun Plains would be the key to victory. The Puppet Kingdom was in a bad situation but why did they seem to have the upper hand?
Unless … they really had a trump card up their sleeves?
What was this trump card?
Or was it as Long Tenghai had guessed, that the Puppet Kingdom still had flying warships?
If there was still a Sky Soaring Battleship in the sky during the decisive battle …
The consequences would be unimaginable!