Chapter 837: Guerrilla Tactics

Xu Yang helplessly spread his hands. "So you're suspecting that I brought all this trouble upon us?"

"It seems you've forgotten something very important. While these sixty thousand troops are under your command, the vast majority are my core elite. Would I disregard the safety of my fifty thousand brothers just for you?"

As expected, Xu Yang's words made Yun Yixuan, who had been somewhat agitated, gently lower the long spear in his hand.

"Even if you weren't an informant or a traitor, what was the meaning of intentionally letting that survivor go just now? Was it simply to send him back to deliver a message? Instead of that, why didn't you keep him and extract information? Perhaps we could have directly obtained the exact location of one of the three major bandit strongholds."

This time, before Xu Yang could speak, Lang Xian, one of the Five Heavenly Kings, could no longer hold back. "Excuse me, Special Envoy Yun, you're known as one of the Five Great Imperial Generals, yet your judgment seems to be completely out of sync... Do you really think those three green skulls just now could have provided any useful information? They were merely puppets formed by a mental imprint. Even if you tied them up and tortured them in every way, you wouldn't get any clues you wanted."

"Special Envoy, as the saying goes, 'employ no doubt, doubt no employment.' Since you've chosen to cooperate with our Sacred Flame Sect, please don't constantly question our Sect Master's stance."

"Exactly! If you weren't from the Imperial Family, our sect wouldn't even give you a second glance. Our cooperation with you now is purely out of loyalty to the Imperial Family. Don't push your luck too far, or our Northern Territory will still reserve the right to complain about you to the Imperial Family."

With each of the Five Heavenly Kings contributing a remark, Yun Yixuan's agitated aura was at least suppressed.

"You lot had better hope my mission is completed quickly. Otherwise, if my task is delayed, I'll make sure you all face severe consequences!" Yun Yixuan couldn't be bothered to argue further with them. He snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and strode into the depths of the camp, ignoring the situation outside.

He never dreamed that the situation that had just unfolded was entirely orchestrated by Xu Yang, with the perfect cooperation of Ling Yao. The true Western Emperor, one of the three leaders of the Eastern Region, wouldn't have reacted so quickly. It was merely an illusion created by a few leaders of Ling Yao's Ghost Axe Legion working together.

After a brief rest overnight, the sixty thousand strong army resumed their march deep into the Eastern Region the next morning, urged on by Yun Yixuan.

Under Xu Yang's arrangements, Ling Yao continually sent various troops disguised as bandits to harass Xu Yang's army. Along the way, Yun Yixuan was increasingly irritated by the constant harassment from these recurring bandits.

"Damn it, it seems we need to change our strategy! If we directly confront these bandits, we'll be at a disadvantage. They're too good at guerrilla tactics, and we're operating in unfamiliar territory, without the advantage of time or terrain. More importantly, our numbers are limited. If this endless entanglement continues, we'll definitely suffer losses."

Although Yun Yixuan didn't fully trust the warriors under Xu Yang, his command and control over the battle situation were beyond doubt; his strategic judgment was absolutely flawless.

"In that case, we might as well enter the Eastern Region Alliance territory first. Using your title as Imperial Special Envoy, we can secure some forces and unite with the regular law enforcement legions of the major Eastern Region alliances to jointly suppress the bandit forces. This would not only greatly improve our combat efficiency but also reduce our casualties and secure sufficient resource supplies."

Soon, Yun Yixuan and Xu Yang reached a consensus on this battle strategy.

Little did they know, Ling Yao had already made arrangements, having no intention of letting Yun Yixuan achieve his wishes smoothly.

Xu Yang, intentionally or unintentionally, guided the army's direction towards the northwestern corner of the Eastern Region. The closest alliance in that direction was the territory of Tiger Pill, a notorious troublemaker in the Eastern Region!

The sixty thousand strong army arrived at the city gates. Crossing the forward defense zone would lead them into Tiger Pill's alliance territory. However, just as the army was about to advance further, Old Tan, the elder brother, suddenly spoke.

"Sect Master, Special Envoy Yun, are you sure you want to enter the Eastern Region Alliance territory from here? As far as I know, this alliance called Tiger Pill was once a bandit force. I'm worried that if we rashly enter their territory and are unwelcome, we could very likely be surrounded and trapped within this alliance city-state!"

At Old Tan's words, everyone was surprised when Yun Yixuan scoffed coldly. "You seem to have forgotten who controls the alliance forces! The law enforcement team is the true core power of an alliance, and all law enforcers unconditionally obey the Imperial Family. I am an Imperial Special Envoy; as long as I show up, anyone with a law enforcement identity in any alliance will become my subordinate. If they dare to defy my orders, I will execute them without hesitation. With me here, what do you have to worry about?"

Yun Yixuan wasn't someone who deliberately sought attention, but when he displayed his identity as an Imperial Special Envoy, his sense of superiority was evident.

The Five Heavenly Kings exchanged glances but said nothing more, finally turning their gaze to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang, however, remained nonchalant. "Don't look at me like that. Special Envoy Yun, since you're one hundred percent confident, we will naturally follow your orders."

"All troops, advance!"

Full of confidence, Yun Yixuan led his ten thousand Golden Armored Knight Legion towards Tiger Pill's alliance territory. They soon arrived beneath the towering city walls of the defense zone.

"Who are you? How dare you enter the Tiger Pill Alliance!"

Yun Yixuan spoke with an air of superiority. "I am Yun Yixuan, an Imperial Special Envoy. This is my pass. Immediately summon your alliance leader to meet and welcome me!"

The warrior in military attire who was in charge of defense on the leading city wall revealed a knowing smile after seeing the Imperial token.

"Ah, so you're Imperial Special Envoys. Please wait a moment; I'll go inform our alliance leader."

As soon as the dozens of warriors finished speaking, they disappeared from the city wall. Shortly after, the city gate was silently pulled open from the inside.

Without further thought, Yun Yixuan immediately commanded his troops to advance into the city.