The martial arts academy professor euphemistically called Fang Jie's behavior a skillful application of tactics because he was too embarrassed to utter the word "shameless." However, it was undeniable that everyone present knew that Dean Zhou's assessment of "shameless" was entirely without derogatory intent; on the contrary, it conveyed approval.
Even Prince Yi, Yang Yin, who was sitting beside Dean Zhou watching the competition on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor, couldn't help but smile approvingly and whispered to Dean Zhou beside him, "That's the way a smart person acts. The Sui army has never lacked courageous men, nor has it lacked arrogant people, but those who can use clever tricks like Fang Jie are truly rare."
Dean Zhou hummed in agreement without speaking, watching the young man from the small border town with great interest.
The professor who had asked the question earlier shook his head, somewhat disappointed, and said, "But in my opinion, soldiers should have more guts. Knowing that a difficult situation awaits them, they shouldn't be afraid, but rather face it bravely. This is the spirit that the Sui Dynasty soldiers have always advocated. Isn't someone like Fang Jie too cowardly? Doesn't he have the fighting spirit a soldier should have?"
Prince Yi, Yang Yin, smiled and shook his head, saying, "Then I'll make a bet with you. When it comes to the real fighting on the battlefield, do you think someone with guts has a better chance of surviving, or someone like Fang Jie? And what is the first thing to do to win?"
He asked.
Professor Mo Wanwu of the Martial Arts Academy thought for a moment and answered, "Strength."
Prince Yi shook his head again but remained silent, waiting for others to offer different answers. "It's preparation."
Another professor answered earnestly, "Although the battlefield is ever-changing, thorough preparation is the greatest guarantee of victory. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you win every battle."
Prince Yi hummed in agreement, "Having strength without preparation can indeed lead to unexpected setbacks."
Everyone nodded. At this moment, Professor Qiu Yu, who had been sitting quietly to the side, said three words in a very soft voice. Although very soft, Prince Yi, Yang Yin, still heard them and nodded, saying, "Correct."
"Survive."
That was Qiu Yu's answer. Prince Yi couldn't help but sigh, "To win, you must first survive. You might think Fang Jie's performance is a bit cowardly and cunning, lacking the sharpness expected of a Sui soldier. But without a doubt, it's the right choice. The opponents in the first round won't be too strong; using such opponents will allow him to quickly enter combat readiness. However, he can't rush to end the battle, because those who finish first are the strongest among the candidates. It's only the second round, and so many strong individuals are already facing each other—how intense will the battles be? Even if he defeats a powerful opponent, he will inevitably expend a great deal of energy, and might even get injured."
"After eliminating a strong opponent in the second round, if he's also injured, how difficult will it be to face an even stronger enemy in the third round?"
Yang Yin smiled and said, "By delaying the first round, Fang Jie will face..." His opponents won't be too strong. If the second round drags on a bit, the opponents in the third round won't be very strong either. He's constantly eliminating others, but expending the least amount of energy. This way, when facing a strong opponent in the final round, he can unleash his full potential. And by then, his opponents will be exhausted after eliminating many powerful opponents."
"Then, he's very likely to win in the end."
Yang Yin paused and said, "What is the most brilliant tactic? Winning is the most brilliant tactic."
Dean Zhou, who hadn't spoken until now, nodded and said with some emotion, "This little guy reminds me of someone. People often speak of that guy with great respect now. Because he created the most monstrous achievement in the history of the Martial Arts Academy—nine subjects all excellent…"
At this point, everyone knew who he was referring to.
Nine subjects all excellent—only one person has achieved this. That is Li Xiao, who later became the number one general during the reign of Emperor Taizong. Mentioning this name inevitably brings to mind his monstrous achievement of nine excellent subjects in the Martial Arts Academy exam, and his undefeated record in leading troops into battle afterward. These glories were not only recorded in the Li family genealogy but also in the history books of the Sui Dynasty. Even many years later, people still held this person in high esteem.
Dean Zhou smiled and said, "But you've all forgotten how Li Xiao achieved outstanding results in all nine subjects. His five humanities subjects are a given; if you really want to analyze it carefully, Li Xiao should have been a scholar. His knowledge was arguably comparable to that of the Grand Secretaries of the time. And in the martial arts examination, Li Xiao ultimately used the same tactics Fang Jie is currently employing. He was a refined and cultured person; in terms of skill, he probably wouldn't even rank in the top thirty among the candidates at the time. Yet, in the end, he won first place. Why?"
"Because those candidates who could beat him were all too ambitious; none of them were willing to submit to anyone else, and none of them wanted to..." "Whoever loses, everyone who stood out in the first round of the competition will then fight against each other. By the final round, only a few of those who could defeat Li Xiao remained, and they were all too exhausted to fight anymore."
He looked at the young man in the arena and said, "That was a hundred years ago. We've all forgotten this cunning method and only remember the glorious results. Fang Jie is right, he hasn't forgotten."
...
...
At this moment, not far from the martial arts arena, on Shenquan Mountain, a large number of Imperial Guards in flying fish robes had sealed off the town at the foot of the mountain and the only road down. No one was allowed to go up the mountain, including the people of Shenquan Manor. Those who went down the mountain had to wait until the blockade was lifted before returning.
At the foot of the mountain, Meng Wudi, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, looked up at the mountain with a somewhat gloomy expression. Even with his status, he could not easily go up the mountain, because the enemy whose tracks had been discovered was highly skilled. One of them was the Buddhist disciple who had killed Henggun right under his nose that night and then quietly disappeared. Meng Wudi's greatest strength was his self-awareness; he knew that with his cultivation level, he might be utterly useless in a battle like today.
Of the three people already on the mountain, none were people Meng Wudi could afford to offend.
One was a member of the Imperial Guard, though he didn't hold any official position. But without a doubt, he was the third most powerful figure in the Imperial Guard and the Intelligence Bureau. This was Zhuo Buyi, the Jianghu figure who had even impressed the Emperor, who hadn't been executed. Keep in mind, the charge against him was treason!
The other was Heli Daoren, the High Priest of the Yiqi Temple on Qingle Mountain, who held the second position among the four High Priests of Qingle Mountain. In fact, his prestige within the Yiqi Temple was even higher than that of his senior brother, the High Priest Fengming Daoren. Because he was in charge of punishments, no disciple of the Yiqi Temple was unafraid of him.
The third was the elderly man in blue robes who frequently accompanied His Majesty. He didn't belong to the Imperial Guard, nor to the military; if one had to categorize him as working for anyone, it would only be that he was a member of the palace, and specifically, His Majesty's man.
Meng Wudi's status was already quite high, so he had access to some secrets. He knew that in His Majesty's eyes, this old man's status was comparable to, or even greater than, that of Commander Luo. However, Commander Luo, in charge of the Imperial Guard, was too preoccupied with mundane affairs. This old man, on the other hand, merely protected the nobles within the palace, so very few people knew his identity.
Meng Wudi had only vaguely heard that the old man's name was Li Nan. He didn't know why the old man would have such an unlucky name; many things in the palace were taboo. His name itself was a taboo.
Meng Wudi also knew that there were definitely more skilled individuals like Li Nan, whose identities were hidden and whose origins were unknown, than just him in the palace. On the surface, it appeared that the Imperial Guard was responsible for guarding the capital and protecting His Majesty's safety. But how many highly skilled assassins were hidden around the emperor? Otherwise, how could so many people have tried to assassinate the Sui emperor over the years, yet none have truly posed a threat?
Thinking of Li Nan, Meng Wudi naturally thought of Su Buwei.
That eunuch also seemed to be a hidden master.
The longer Meng Wudi stayed in the Imperial Guard, the more he felt his own insignificance. He had been arrogant when he was first promoted to deputy commander, thinking his day had finally come and his future was bright. But later he realized he had underestimated the Imperial Guard and the Taiji Palace.
With his eighth-rank cultivation, he could certainly cause a stir in the martial world, at least defeating the leaders of several minor sects. He had thought that even if his cultivation wasn't the highest in the Imperial Guard, he would at least be in a prominent position. But later he finally understood that his position as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard wasn't due to his eighth-rank cultivation, but rather his smooth interpersonal skills and self-awareness.
If someone lacking self-awareness were in that position, would they be so subservient to Zhuo Buyi, who didn't even hold an official rank?
Others might not, but he certainly could.
Moreover, he was adept at handling complex and trivial matters. Rather than saying Luo Weiran valued his cultivation, it would be more accurate to say he valued his abilities. He was a competent manager, but certainly not a powerful figure.
Therefore, even though Meng Wudi was very curious about the exciting stories that would unfold on the mountain, the breathtaking battles that would take place, and the bizarre facts that would be discovered, he remained obediently and dutifully standing at the foot of the mountain, directing the Flying Fish Robe to maintain order on the roads and villages.
The enemy on the mountain could be quite proud to have the Imperial Guard mobilized so much.
The person whose tracks were discovered on the mountain was indeed very proud; he had been proud ever since he joined the Buddhist sect. He wasn't just proud himself; he made others proud because of him. He was the favorite disciple of the Second Venerable Wisdom Heavenly Venerable, the second seat of the Great Wheel Bright King of Buddhism. The Wisdom Heavenly Venerable had once said that among his many disciples, Chenya was the most likely to achieve perfect cultivation and the most likely to attain the status of a Heavenly Venerable.
But it was precisely because of this pride that Chenya nearly perished in Chang'an, the capital of the Sui Dynasty.
This arrogant and self-important man, known as the Wonderful Monk, was utterly powerless against the Crane Cry Daoist that night. If he hadn't been rescued at the crucial moment, he would likely be imprisoned in a dungeon, chained by his collarbone, and severely tortured. Daring to detain and insult a Buddhist disciple would be considered a Buddha-killer elsewhere, punishable by burning and the slaughter of his entire family. But in the Sui Dynasty, this was perfectly normal.
Therefore, only now did Chenya understand why his master, the Wisdom Heavenly Venerable, had described the Sui Dynasty as a land overrun by demons. The Wisdom Heavenly Venerable had once considered spreading Buddhism to the Sui Dynasty, but the people of the Sui Dynasty had completely disregarded him. This was unimaginable elsewhere. Wherever the Wise Celestial Venerable wished to go, even the local royalty would kneel in welcome!
But in the Great Sui Dynasty, a land teeming with demons, anyone who knelt before a Buddhist was scorned and might even be crippled.
...
...
Chen Ya sat cross-legged on a large tree, using the dense foliage to conceal himself. His injuries were severe; those two blows from the Crane Cry Daoist would have killed anyone else. Yet, even so, he had willingly forsaken the elixir that would restore his strength in the shortest time, gathering other medicinal herbs on the mountain and combining them with the old wine from the Divine Spring Manor to create a powerful weapon.
He assumed the red-robed high priest of the Daoist sect would be the first to find him, and he was right. But he hadn't expected Xiang Qingniu to be with him.
Even if he had, he didn't believe the clumsy, chubby little Daoist could see through his weapon.
He had abandoned the elixir, and his injuries hadn't improved. The repulsive force of the Crane Cry Daoist lingered within him, relentlessly ravaging his body like insects. Never before in his cultivation had the wondrous monk been so wretched.
Chen Ya, eyes closed, pondered how to escape his predicament. A cicada chirped incessantly nearby, irritating him. Just as he was about to shoo it away, the cicada suddenly stopped flapping its wings, falling silent.
Chen Ya couldn't resist opening his eyes. The instant he did, a sense of crisis surged within him. Without hesitation, he fled from his hiding place, leaping from the tree like lightning. As he landed, the chirping cicada also fell to the ground with a thud.
Alive, yet unable to move.
Not far away, the red-robed high priest, the Crane Cry Daoist, had an open vertical eye on his forehead, its dark red light flickering faintly.
If Chen Ya hadn't reacted so quickly, he would likely have ended up like the cicada, losing his freedom and falling from the tree to be slaughtered.
"This kind of tactic might work once, but if you manage to bind him again, it's just plain stupid," Chen Ya said forcefully, despite his serious injuries.
The Crane Cry Daoist chuckled coldly, "Only an idiot would think he's not an idiot."
Chen Ya was startled. He tried to move again, but couldn't budge an inch. He clearly hadn't looked at the Crane Cry Daoist's vertical gaze; he had clearly dodged it, so why was he still bound?
The answer didn't take him long to find.
A dozen meters away from him, a middle-aged man dressed in simple clothes slowly emerged from behind a large tree. His expression was calm, his steps unhurried.
A self-imposed prison.