Chapter 1982: Hidden Dragon Should Not Be Used

## Chapter 1963: The Latent Dragon Should Not Be Used

He Lingchuan had ordered Du Shan to coordinate and support the various armies from Duocheng, granting him the authority to make plans and act expediently. So far, Du Shan had performed very well.

Perhaps a little too well.

He Lingchuan returned to the sand table, gazing down at Miancheng. "Who is defending Miancheng?" he asked.

Tao Ran immediately replied, "It's Tu Shanfang, one of my subordinates. He's been in the Black-Armored Army for one year and seven months, and he's brave and skilled in combat. I sent him to Miancheng to train the local militia and organize resistance. Guo Baiyu is advancing fiercely, and Miancheng has sent several distress calls."

"We are heading to join the allied forces, so we cannot go to Miancheng," He Lingchuan mused. "In that case, let Wan Qiliang lead his army to reinforce them. He's performing well at Songbaipo, and that battle should be ending soon. Dong Rui is also temporarily with his army."

Tao Ran glanced at the sand table. Songbaipo was far from Miancheng; it would take Wan Qiliang considerable time to rush there even after his current battle concluded.

There was no alternative, however, as He Lingchuan had few mobile forces, and every unit was engaged in full-scale operations.

He instructed Tao Ran, "Send a message to Miancheng, tell them to continue defending the city and await reinforcements."

"Understood!"

Tao Ran understood that this order meant holding Miancheng to the last man, with no retreat allowed!

How many sacrifices would lie behind these words, for Miancheng to be held at all costs?

However, Miancheng was not the only region needing rescue.

Looking at the sand table, with various flags crisscrossing, it was clear that the war of the Shanjing warlords invading the Dragon God's territory was in full swing. Some areas had already been annexed by the enemy, but many more under the Dragon God's jurisdiction were still stubbornly resisting.

Most of these regions could only rely on local garrisons, whose strength was certainly not comparable to the Black-Armored Army, or even the armies of the local magnates.

The objective He Lingchuan set for them was clear and singular:

To hold on until reinforcements arrived, or until the Grand Training concluded!

Although the Black-Armored Army was fully deployed and rescuing wherever possible, the reality was harsh.

During this transitional phase, most of the cities on this sand table would not receive immediate reinforcements; they could only rely on themselves.

After the meeting, He Lingchuan was about to leave the council hall, but his foot, already over the threshold, pulled back. He turned and went to the table to write two secret letters.

The Soul-Reflecting Mirror, having clearly seen the contents of the letters, couldn't help but ask:

"Oh dear, what if Miancheng can't hold out? What if none of these regions on the sand table can hold out?"

If the Dragon God's territory were quickly encroached upon, the achievements of the first phase of the Dragon God War would suffer significant losses. Most importantly, the Dragon God's reputation and credibility would also suffer a major blow.

This would cast a heavy shadow over the outcome of the second phase.

The scales of war are very delicate; one never knows at what point they might suddenly tip. It could be just an opportunity, a struggle, or a single event that turns the tide irrevocably, beyond human ability to reverse.

"If they can't hold out," He Lingchuan said, still writing, "they will return to poverty, to turmoil, to hopelessness, forever falling into endless hell, just like the past thousand years! After all, I am only one person. If they want to protect the hard-won happiness, they must fight for themselves!"

"I will guide them, I will fight for them, and I will give my utmost for them," he continued, his voice calm and firm. "But in the end, only the people of Shanjing themselves can truly save Shanjing! During this most difficult time, they must awaken and fight, and endure it themselves!"

"As long as they endure, and hold out until the second phase of the Dragon God War," he concluded, "the Dragon God's army will surely come, and they will certainly rise from desperation!"

He Lingchuan rolled the notes into small lengths of lamb intestine. Well-trained bird demons could store these in their crops, avoiding the risk of them falling out or being exposed.

"Do you know why I traveled many places and ultimately chose the Shanjing Plains to launch the Dragon God War, instead of the vicinity of the Yuan Kingdom or other regions?"

The world is vast, with many other places.

"Because the people here may not have light in their eyes, but they still have a wild fire in their hearts," He Lingchuan said softly. "The Shanjing Plains have never lacked heroes; they just don't know it or don't care."

This is what he saw firsthand after inspecting the Shanjing Plains, and it became the basis for his actions thereafter.

"For them to believe me, I must first believe them, and believe in the potential hidden within this land and its people." This period was also very difficult for him to endure.

This was the Grand Emperor of Nine Hells' most powerless period, a time akin to a "latent dragon that should not act." If he got through it, he would soar; if not, he would plunge into the abyss.

For the Grand Emperor of Nine Hells to successfully endure this, he had to rely on the people of Shanjing.

After saying this, he summoned two bird demons:

"One letter goes to Wan Qiliang's army, for Dong Rui."

"This one, for Madam Zhu."

Huashiji was a small town known for the Bluestone Grand Canyon on its outskirts. The rock walls and boulders there often displayed deep blue and light blue hues, occasionally with crystalline purple or light red, looking like an overturned palette from a distance.

Unfortunately, it was too far from the Yao Kingdom; otherwise, nobles who loved strange stones would probably have them chiseled and transported home to decorate their backyards.

The Allied Forces meeting was held in the town. King Poliu had specifically stated that he had obtained important intelligence which could not be communicated by message, only discussed in person. Therefore, he strongly invited six allied commanders to attend.

According to the rules for a summit meeting, each leader's escort could not exceed two hundred guards, and their respective armies had to wait ten miles away.

The rules were clearly set, which was good for everyone involved.

With a population of just over a thousand, the newly arrived allied forces were particularly conspicuous—this was also one of the reasons for choosing Huashiji for the meeting.

Another reason was its location on the border between Poliu and Pei Kingdom.

This meeting was held inside the official residence, surrounded by seven or eight formations. These included arrays that prohibited escape arts, strengthened defenses, and provided intrusion alarms, making the area completely watertight—even a butterfly flying close would be pulverized.

But on the way there, Situ He's temples kept throbbing, giving him a strong sense of foreboding, as if something ominous was about to happen.

He arrived at the venue and took his seat. King Poliu had not yet arrived, so the King of Pei Kingdom leaned over with fresh news:

"King Poliu has finally decided to ban Yangshan within his borders."

He had always been a staunch ally of the Situ family.

Situ He shook his head and gently exhaled, not surprised.

King Poliu had long harbored this intention, but two months ago, after hesitantly closing a few outposts, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce's headquarters sent an inquiry expressing "serious concern." King Poliu became irresolute and did not continue.

But this time, he was very resolute.

A few days ago, his first order against Yangshan was to shut down all Yangshan Chamber of Commerce branches within Poliu's territory: stores were closed, goods confiscated, and personnel detained!

Before this incident, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce handled the transportation and trade of important goods in various places, and the livelihoods of nearly 30% of the population in certain cities and towns were directly or indirectly related to Yangshan.

With Poliu's ban coming down, the common people were all stunned.