Chapter 1981: This Is a Great Opportunity

Zhong Lizheng said, "Half a month ago, the Kingdom of Purlu openly challenged Situ He again, forcing him to come up with a strategy to counter us. Now they tear off their masks at the drop of a hat, completely disregarding their leader's reputation."

Zhao Yibing sneered, "They're asking for death! They haven't been taken down yet only because our Lord considers his old ties with the Situ family. Those with sense should stay put."

Zhong Lizheng coughed, "So Situ He still chose to do nothing, which angered the Kingdom of Purlu, causing them to storm off."

Several generals present had dealt with Situ He before and chuckled at the news.

Qu Ruhai frowned. Weren't they just discussing how to achieve a major victory to win over Shanjing's loyalty? How did the conversation veer off topic? However, his status was lower than the others present, so he didn't feel it appropriate to interject and correct them.

In fact, everyone was observing He Lingchuan's expression, but he remained unreadable, as if wearing a mask.

"The Allied forces are not united internally. Even Bai Shilu can collude with the Celestial Gods, so internal factions within the Allied forces are even less surprising," He Lingchuan chuckled softly. "Situ He understands me better, which is why he wants to stay put and test my patience. But others might not be able to wait."

He paused, then added, "Our target is the entire Shanjing Plain. We won't overlook the territory under the Allied forces' control, but seizing the Allied forces requires the right moment."

Tao Ran immediately said, "What if we primarily attack Baitang? Although Baitang has taken over the entire territory of Yao, the integration isn't complete. A few days ago, there were still Yao people attempting to assassinate him. If we strike while he's not yet firmly established..."

Qu Ruhai interrupted, "The Allied forces are indeed not strong, but if we attack Baitang now and the Allied forces stab us in the back, it would leave us in a difficult position."

Even the strongest army fears fighting on two fronts.

Tao Ran flared up, "Then what do you suggest...?"

He Lingchuan waved his hand. "Enough. Let's end the discussion here. We'll put both the Allied forces and Baitang aside for now. We will certainly take down the Allied forces, but we just need to wait for an opportune moment."

The Soul-Capturing Mirror in his arms shrilled, "You said 'opportune moment' twice? Aha, I hear you! Have you done something to the Allied forces?"

He Lingchuan paused slightly. The mirror had been with him for too long and was no longer so innocent.

He ignored it, telling the others, "But we are pressed for time with heavy tasks, so we can't just wait for it to appear. Therefore, our next target is here—"

At this stage, every Black Armored Army unit fighting outside bore multiple responsibilities. He Lingchuan himself was extremely busy, managing numerous projects simultaneously, making it impossible to simply wait for one to bear fruit.

He picked up a small black flag and planted it on the sandbox map.

Tao Ran looked at it and blurted out, "Huancheng, Guo, Guo...?"

There were too many enemies for him to remember every name.

Xu Ziyang prompted, "Guo Baiyu."

"Guo Baiyu was originally under General Dan Zezhong of former Yao. He retreated after being defeated by Baitang, but after arriving at the Shanjing Plain, he unexpectedly rose to prominence. Not only did surrounding factions pledge allegiance to him, but powerful demons and demon puppets also appeared in his army."

The moment the words "demon puppets" were uttered, the generals understood: this man also had the support of the Heavenly Palace.

"Among the opponents we've recently eliminated, one or two could also command demon puppets in battle, but none were as aggressive as Guo Baiyu. In the past month or so, he has successively captured areas around Huancheng, pressing towards Miancheng and Haoxian. His forces have swelled to nearly twenty thousand, and he is clearly emerging as a local power," He Lingchuan lightly tapped the sandbox map. "Miancheng and Haoxian are struggling to hold out against Guo Baiyu. Once Miancheng falls, there will be no natural defenses behind it, and large tracts of territory will be claimed by him."

"We cannot allow this fellow to continue unchecked," he said in a deep voice. "The Heavenly Palace must have invested significant resources in him. Taking him down will have a strong deterrent effect on the surrounding areas."

Since the Great Emperor of Nine Hells had spoken, Qu Ruhai and Tao Ran stopped arguing.

Just then, a tapping sound came from outside the window, interrupting He Lingchuan.

It was Lingguang.

The little monkey handed a red-headed letter to He Lingchuan. "Du Shan's letter, urgent. He also had the bird-demon deliver a verbal message—"

With that, it mimicked Du Shan's tone:

"A great opportunity, my Lord, this is a truly great opportunity!"

The letter contained only a few lines. He Lingchuan quickly scanned it, his brows relaxed, and a smile touched his eyes. He then handed it to the generals.

"Speak of an opportune moment, and it appears."

Tao Ran and the others took it and saw it was a message from Du Shan. The gist was that King Purlu had suddenly intercepted a secret letter: a petition from Situ He expressing his intent to surrender to the Great Emperor of Nine Hells. The tone was utterly humble, stating that he was doing his best to suppress internal opposition within the Allied forces, "awaiting divine grace."

The second important piece of intelligence was that King Purlu had privately met a secret envoy a few days ago, likely sent by a Heavenly Palace Guardian. However, the contents of their conversation had not been leaked.

A private, secret meeting? The generals exchanged knowing glances, realizing that King Purlu's palace must have been thoroughly infiltrated by Yangshan. Otherwise, how could such information have been leaked?

Considering Yangshan's concerted efforts in the Allied territories over the past two or three years, this was hardly surprising.

Du Shan also specifically pointed out that the Allied forces' meeting would be held at Huashiji seven days later.

"Huashiji isn't too far from here," Tao Ran said, looking at He Lingchuan. "My Lord, are you thinking...?"

"The Qingyang envoy sought out King Purlu. What do you suppose they intend to do?"

Zhao Yibing answered without hesitation, "Incite the Allied forces to turn against us."

The Allied forces were a significant power in the central-western Shanjing region. If they, too, turned their blades against the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, it would undoubtedly inject a powerful boost into the entire war against Nine Hells.

Qu Ruhai was overjoyed. "We were just looking for a reason to act. If the Allied forces dare to challenge us, aren't they just delivering themselves to our doorstep?"

"It's not that simple. Once the Allied forces enter the fray, it would be extremely disadvantageous for us," He Lingchuan exhaled softly. "Qingyang isn't foolish; they calculated that there's an opportunity to be exploited here among the Allied forces, which is why they sent an envoy to make contact. You should be asking what King Purlu plans to do next. The Allied forces' meeting is in a few days, and Huashiji isn't even on the Situ family's territory."

Everyone immediately recalled the secret letter King Purlu had intercepted, noting the uncanny timing.

Tao Ran turned and bowed to He Lingchuan. "This subordinate requests permission to teach these ungrateful wretches a lesson!"

The generals all clamored for permission to act.

Without Yangshan's strong support, the Allied forces would have long been scattered by Bixia. To this day, Yangshan remains inextricably linked to the economic activities in the Allied territories. If the Allied forces dared to cut ties with Yangshan at this moment, they would truly be showing an utter lack of judgment!

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow and cracked the knuckles of his left hand, producing several crisp sounds. "No need to argue or scramble, you all must come with me. For this operation, quality personnel are more important than quantity."

His gaze swept over the letter, as if he could already see Du Shan's smug expression.

King Purlu had only intercepted that so-called secret letter a few days ago. How did Du Shan know its exact contents?

How many documents did King Purlu review in a day? Obtaining such intelligence would be extremely time-consuming.

Therefore, Du Shan, that fellow—