"Young man, you are very brave and adventurous." The next morning, when the Flying Tigers commander came to visit, he changed the polite address of "Commander Li" to the intimate address of "young man."
Li Jun merely smiled at this change. Ever since he confided in Meng Yuan on his way to Feng Jiutian's home, Li Jun had never allowed his true thoughts to be easily seen through by others.
"Heh, this can hardly be considered a daring adventure," Li Jun said. "They're just the Blazing Fire Clan. If they weren't the Fierce Dragons, how would they dare cross the river?"
Qi Guang squinted at Li Jun, pondering the young man's intentions. Was what he had shown in yesterday's battle merely a lucky break brought about by youthful recklessness, or a brilliant strategic and tactical combination?
“Young man, this has caused us a lot of trouble.” Qi Guang decided to test him again. “Of the more than 7,000 men in the Blazing Fire Regiment, 2,000 have come to my camp and asked to join my Flying Tiger Regiment.”
"Isn't this a good thing? The Flying Tigers' strength will increase significantly. Commander Qi can ask Steward Hua to transfer the funds originally allocated to the Blazing Fire Regiment to the Flying Tigers. Speaking of which, Commander Qi should thank me, hehe."
Not getting the answer he wanted from Li Jun's half-joking, half-teasing words, Qi Guang went on to say, "Having witnessed the might of the Peace Army yesterday, several commanders who offended their younger brothers at the banquet are all feeling uneasy. Fang Li of the Qiankun Group bid farewell to Chief Steward Hua early this morning."
"Hahahaha..." Li Jun now understood Qi Guanglai's intention. After absorbing part of the Blazing Fire Group, the Flying Tiger Group had become the number one force in Thunder City. Other mercenary groups either came to curry favor with him or leaned towards the Flying Tiger Group, all fearing that he would choose them as his next target.
“In fact, Commander Fang, there’s no need for that. As I said, as long as we don’t take the initiative to become enemies with the Peace Army, then the Peace Army will not treat us as enemies.” Li Jun said half-jokingly, “If we treat the Peace Army as enemies, then no matter how much we call each other brothers, I will have no choice but to fight them to the death.”
Qi Guang was getting a little annoyed. He was getting impatient with the young mercenary leader. This opponent was not only difficult to deal with on the battlefield, but also cold and terrifying off the battlefield.
Just as he was pondering whether to leave, a soldier entered the tent and said, "Lord Hua, the chief steward of Thunder City, has arrived."
Both men were taken aback. Hua Feng was old and frail, and rarely appeared in public. Now, alarmed by the conflict between the Peace Army and the Blazing Fire Gang, he had come to the Peace Army in person. Qi Guang was surprised because he believed that Hua Feng had instigated Li Jun's conflict; if that were the case, Hua Feng wouldn't have come today. Li Jun, on the other hand, was surprised that Hua Feng dared to come in person.
Li Jun ushered Hua Feng into the tent and offered him the seat of honor. Hua Feng was clearly pleased with his respect in this small matter. This young mercenary commander not only had military talent but was also a cautious and polite person. Of course, he didn't know that these manners were taught to Li Jun by Lu Xiang.
“Commander Li did a great job. I thought there would be some trouble, so I sent Yu Sheng to dissuade him. I didn’t expect that the Blazing Fire Gang, which was running rampant in Thunder City, would be wiped out in just a short while.” Hua Feng first made it clear that he was not there to accuse anyone and also stated his position on the matter. Then he asked, “However, I am a little puzzled. Why was Commander Li so confident in wiping out the Blazing Fire Gang in one fell swoop?”
Li Jun pondered whether to tell the truth, but finally decided to do so: "After weighing the options, I believe I have a 90% chance of winning, so I made up my mind. First, in Governor Hua's mansion, I saw that Xiao Lang was dressed in luxurious clothes and looked pampered, so I judged that he was not very vigilant. On the street, I also found his soldiers causing trouble and bullying passersby, which shows that his subordinates are not disciplined, so their combat effectiveness is only average. Moreover, I just arrived today and have not yet settled in, so he did not expect me to launch a surprise attack on him immediately. Therefore, although it seems a bit risky, the actual risk is not high."
Hua Feng stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Indeed, indeed. The Blazing Fire Gang has a large number of members, and they think that I can't do without their protection. They run rampant in the city. Commander Li's arrival has indeed rid Thunder City of a scourge. Commander Qi, I heard that some of the Blazing Fire Gang's men have come to your side. You must keep a close eye on them and not let them bring the Blazing Fire Gang's bad habits with them."
A glint flashed in Qi Guang's eyes. This warning couldn't be clearer. Two days ago, Hua Feng would never have said such a thing to his face. Now, because of the Peace Army's terrifying offensive, Hua Feng seemed to have found something to rely on. But Qi Guang was different from Xiao Lang. His subordinates were always very disciplined, so he said, "Please rest assured, Chief Steward Hua."
Li Jun understood that Hua Feng was actually using him to put pressure on the Flying Tigers. He was unimpressed by this tactic of openly provoking others and said, "When I first met Commander Qi at General Hua's residence yesterday, he was wearing a simple military uniform. This shows that Commander Qi is very strict with himself. A strong general has no weak soldiers under his command. Those people will naturally abide by the law when they are under Commander Qi's command."
Qi Guang was quite grateful for Li Jun's support, but didn't want to waste any more time on the matter, so he changed the subject: "Steward Hua, has Fang Li of the Qiankun Group left?"
"Haha, he was terrified by the Peace Army's performance yesterday. It's good that such an incompetent guy is gone. However, the gaps in the city's defense left by his troops and the Blazing Fire Regiment still need to be filled by the two of you," Hua Feng said.
Li Jun had a sudden inspiration and decided to do Qi Guang another favor, saying, "Two thousand men from the Blazing Fire Regiment have joined the Flying Tigers. Chief Steward Hua, do you think we should transfer the reward originally allocated to the Blazing Fire Regiment to the Flying Tigers?"
Qi Guang hurriedly said, "The performance of the Peace Army yesterday was obvious to all. Although they are few in number, they are extremely powerful. Chief Steward Hua, please increase the reward for the Peace Army."
Hua Feng gave the two of them a deep look and chuckled, "It's quite a nice thing that you two are using my money to do me a favor. However, as long as you two can cooperate sincerely, what does a little money matter!"
The three of them burst into laughter, and thus, a new power structure was formed in Thunder City. The monthly income in the vault of Jiang Tang, the financial officer of the Peace Army, also increased from 1,500 coins to 3,000.
The stability within the city did not mean that Thunder City was now at peace; in fact, it foreshadowed an even greater crisis. The original guard force, consisting of 10,000 elite soldiers and 30,000 mercenaries, suddenly lost over 6,000 men. Moreover, the remnants of the Blazing Fire Gang, who were well-versed in the city's defenses, withdrew from Thunder City and, in retaliation, directly defected to the Zhu family of Yujiang City and the Tong family of Yinhu City, who were enemies of Huafeng.
When the Zhu and Tong families learned of the dramatic changes in Thunder City, they were immediately invigorated, seeing this as a golden opportunity to annex Thunder City and strengthen themselves. They both dispatched large numbers of troops. Upon hearing this news, Hua Feng immediately summoned all the mercenary commanders.
"As you all know, Zhu Wenyuan of the Zhu family is leading 50,000 troops to advance into our territory from the south, while Tong Chang of the Tong family is leading 45,000 troops to attack from the west. What do you all think? Should we defend the city or go out to fight?"
Li Jun stood before the map, studying it repeatedly. He had anticipated this situation. If he could command a regular army of 30,000 men, he could easily defeat both enemies. However, he could only rely on an 1,800-man force and unreliable allies.
"Is there some kind of tacit understanding between the Zhu family and the Tong family this time?" he asked himself softly. Yu Sheng heard him and shook his head, replying, "Impossible. The relationship between the Zhu family and the Tong family has always been tense. They could not possibly unite."
“They don’t need to unite. As long as they have a little understanding, judging from the timing of their attack and the strength of their troops, it’s very possible.” Li Jun frowned slightly, and Qi Guang nodded. If that’s the case, then it will be difficult for them to defeat them one by one, and they will have to face two powerful enemies at the same time.
"What plan does Commander Li have?" Everyone looked at Li Jun expectantly. After the battle of the Blazing Fire Regiment, no one dared to underestimate this young man. Li Jun repeatedly pondered on the map, and suddenly his eyes lit up.
“It’s autumn now,” he thought with a smile. “We only need to face one side.”
Everyone's expectant eyes were fixed on him, but he held back his words. If everything were revealed, it wouldn't be fun.
"Please let Steward Hua decide what to do," Li Jun said.
Hua Feng looked unwell. As the weather gradually turned cooler, he felt increasingly heavy-hearted, as if he were about to fall ill. To make matters worse, the Zhu and Tong families came to cause trouble at this time, which made him quite uneasy. No matter how promising Li Jun was, his forces were ultimately insufficient.
"Let's defend the city. Our army can't possibly fight two equally matched opponents at the same time. As before, we'll defend the city. With Thunder City's strong defenses and the support of the Magic Academy, as long as we inflict heavy damage on the enemy, we'll definitely be able to force them to retreat." Having exhausted all other options, Hua Feng had no choice but to repeat this plan.
"The Magic Academy." Li Jun murmured the name to himself. He'd been in Thunder City for almost a month, and Zhao Xian and Wang Erlei had already established an intelligence station for the Orphanage, so he knew a little about the Magic Academy. Long before the Thousand-Year War and even the War of the Million Ears, the Magic Academy existed in Thunder City, teaching Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and other schools of magic. In a sense, it was the source of magic and Taoist arts in the Divine Continent, attracting a large number of students from various countries. With the deaths of many magicians in the Thousand-Year War, some powerful spells were lost, and the Magic Academy gradually declined. At its peak, the academy possessed its own magic legion; now, all its teachers and students numbered only about two hundred, insufficient to form a powerful offensive force. Therefore, the Hua family used them to protect Thunder City.
Upon receiving their orders, the mercenary commanders all went out to deploy city defenses, except for Li Jun, who stayed behind under a pretext. Hua Feng knew he had something to say to him and asked, "Commander Li, what's your plan?"
“General Hua, it is autumn now, the season when the Rong people’s grass is withered and their horses are fat. If we can send a persuasive person with gold and silver to ask them to attack and plunder the Tong family, who are adjacent to them, then Tong Chang will have no choice but to withdraw his troops,” Li Jun said, his eyes darting around as he offered his suggestion.
“Exactly! The Rong people and the Tong family have been at war for years. Even if I don’t send someone to plead with them, the Rong people are probably already preparing to attack the Tong family. Yu Sheng, you should handle this matter personally. Don’t be stingy with the money. Tell the Rong people that I want to join forces with them to attack the Tong family. The treasures will go to them, and the land and people will go to me.”
Hua Feng understood immediately and handed the task over to Yu Sheng. Li Jun then said, "I must take my leave of General Hua. The Peace Army will be leaving Leiming City tonight, and I'm afraid I can no longer share the burden of defending the city with General Hua."
Hua Feng was taken aback. At this crucial moment, Li Jun's proposal to leave would not only weaken Thunder City's strength but also severely damage morale—his greatest fear. He cursed Li Jun inwardly for lacking mercenary ethics, but aloud he had to plead, "Commander Li, why do you say that? I originally intended to double your reward. I implore you and the Peace Army to stay and help us repel the enemy!"
A habitual smile appeared on Li Jun's lips as he slowly said, "My mind is made up."
The news of the Peace Army's departure caused a huge sensation in Thunder City. If it weren't for their professional ethics, the other mercenary groups would probably have followed suit immediately. All the commanders gathered around Qi Guang to berate Li Jun, but Qi Guang just chuckled coldly.
The same shock also occurred in the camp of Zhu Wenyuan, the marshal of the Zhu family army. After the spies in Leiming City relayed the news that the Peace Army had left, he was initially skeptical, but after confirming it, he was overjoyed: "The morale in Leiming City must be low. Our army can take advantage of this momentum, capture Leiming City, and capture the old thief Hua Feng alive!"
"Wait a minute. Second Young Master, don't you find it suspicious? Given the past performance of Heping Army and Li Jun, there's no reason for him to desert," said the advisor Sima Hui.
"I know he's plotting something; he just wants to ambush us from behind. As long as we stay on high alert and don't give him any opening, what can this sneaky kid do to me?"
"I still feel there's something wrong with this. Li Ke has truly inherited Lu Xiang's skills; he's incredibly cunning in warfare..."
"No matter how cunning they are, the difference in troop strength is obvious. I have 50,000 troops and another 20,000 reinforcements, while he has only a mere 1,800 men." Zhu Wenyuan said with some impatience. As the second son of Zhu Mao, the city lord of Yujiang City and the governor of Yuzhou appointed by the Chen Kingdom, he urgently needed outstanding achievements to compete with his elder brother Zhu Wenhai for the position of successor. Capturing Leiming City and bringing the Zhu family into the capital of Yuzhou would be the best achievement.
"Yes." Sima Hui dared not advise the somewhat hot-tempered commander any further, and could only secretly send someone to urgently report to Zhu Mao.