Chen Hai, Qi Hanjiang and Du Linan rush back to Lukai gorge. Ge Xuanqiao is already waiting in Lukai gorge.
"I''ve seen Mr. Ge......" Du Linan didn''t expect that GE Xuanqiao, the first elder of the ancestral hall, would wait for them directly in lukaxia. Ge Xuanqiao was a figure of Du Linan''s generation in the sect. At this time, he respectfully came forward to salute.
Taiweizong will not make public the fact that GE Xuanqiao is in charge in Heishan at this time, but Du Linan also knows it, but he doesn''t know why Ge Xuanqiao''s grandfather suddenly arrived at Lucheng and happened to be waiting for them in Lukai gorge.
After Dong Ning''s spirit breath is also refined into the Snake Bracelet, no matter thousands of miles away, Chen Hai only needs to pull Dong Ning''s mind into the blood cloud wasteland, so he can communicate directly. The communication efficiency and accuracy are not known to be much higher than that of the spirit bird communication.
Of course, if Dong Ning doesn''t stay with Chen Hai, they need Dong Ning''s people in Montenegro to enter the blood cloud wasteland at the same time -- the entrance of the blood cloud wasteland is actually in Montenegro. Chen Hai''s spirit idea also enters the blood cloud wasteland through Montenegro, but the Snake Bracelet breaks the limitation of space distance.
Ge Xuanqiao not only rushed to lukaxia to meet Chen Hai directly, but also 25000 troops and horses after the merger of Jingjue army and royal army. At this time, he had also pulled out from Montenegro, crossed the vast sand sea and came directly to Lucheng.
Chen Hai told Ge Xuanqiao about the ambush in the demon temple in the mountains south of Lukai gorge.
"I haven''t seen Miao Mingcheng for many years. I went to Lucheng to see him this time. He probably had the idea of swallowing me alive..." Ge Xuanqiao was also filled with emotion when he thought of the western expedition twenty years ago.
Although Ge Xuanqiao strongly opposed the western expedition of Huben army 20 years ago, he was too insignificant to violate taiweizong''s overall will; At that time, even if taiweizong and Dong opposed the western expedition, they could not go against the strong will of Yingshi, the Lord of Yanzhou, to expand the territory.
Of course, GE Xuanqiao also knew that the blood feud he had forged in those years could not be solved so easily.
Before the western expedition, the population of Pinglu oasis was more than 10 million, once sharply reduced to less than 3 million. More than 90% of Pinglu''s more than 60 cities were destroyed. In the past 20 years after the war, it has only been rebuilt to more than 40 cities.
This was only the loss of Pinglu oasis. At that time, the real decisive battle took place in Tahe oasis where Tibet and Qiang were located.
The demon temple was once a sect several times stronger than taiweizong. The elite disciples and the spirit beasts kept for thousands of years were almost lost. Miao Mingcheng''s master, martial uncle, more than ten fellow martial brothers and nearly tens of thousands of disciples and grandchildren fell into the war.
"What, Grandpa Ge is going to see Miao Mingcheng in Lucheng?" Du Linan asked in shock.
Du Linan presides over the Taiwei guild hall and is a unique figure in the sect. But why does Chen Hai say that this is the basis for Du Linan''s neglect in Du?
This is because of the blood feud 20 years ago. Several leaders of the Taiwei sect who came to the guild halls in Lucheng and the King City of Western Qiang were assassinated.
Taiweizong left only hatred in Pinglu oasis. Even if ye intended to make friends with Dong and taiweizong, every assassination ended in nothing; Taiweizong''s and Dong''s strength have no place to play in Pinglu oasis.
Knowing that Miao Mingcheng has the mind to devour them alive, they have far fewer manpower deployed in Lucheng than the demon temple. Once Miao Mingcheng is in trouble, the problem will be in trouble.
"If I don''t come forward, how can I persuade the disciples of the demon temple to quit Pinglu?" Ge Xuanqiao waved his sleeve and said.
Hundreds of elite disciples of the demon Temple ambushed in the mountains before lukaixia. If they were not found, it would be a wonderful plan beyond the imagination of people in Hexi.
It is unrealistic to send hundreds of thousands of troops from tieliuling to the West in a short time if there is some civil strife in Hexi and Qiang.
From tieliuling to Lucheng, there is a vast sea of sand. Even if there are nearly 100 large and small oases that can be used as a springboard, how can we solve the problem of food and grass for tens of thousands of troops and horses to enter the West for more than 10000 miles?
Hexi didn''t have long-term and sufficient preparations. The most straightforward way to intervene in the civil strife of the Western Qiang state suddenly was to dispatch 10000 to 20000 of the most elite Taoist yamen soldiers to raid Lucheng with lightning speed, gather ye''s remnant soldiers and horses, and then defeat the rebels, and control the whole Pinglu oasis.
Hundreds of elite disciples of the demon Temple ambushed in the mountains before lukaixia, which was a trap for Hexi''s surprise strategy. They wanted to swallow up 10000 to 20000 yamen soldiers in Hexi at Lucheng, which made Hexi suffer unspeakably.
The most elite troops in Hexi are Daoya soldiers, but in Hexi, the total number of the most elite Daoya soldiers is less than 40000. If you lose a quarter or even nearly half of the elite at once, it will be a painful blow to taiweizong, Dong family and Hexi.
At this time, Hexi had a bad relationship with the Hexiang army in the south, the Tibetan army had evil intentions, and the demon barbarians in the north were ready to move. After such a heavy blow, Hexi would not have the ability to send troops to the west to retaliate against the demon temple in a short time.
Only by achieving such an effect can the demon temple be called a great victory.
However, the ambush of the demon temple in the south of Lukai gorge has been exposed, and there is no possibility of sneaking attack on the elite yamen soldiers of Hexi Road in Lucheng. Did they choose to go to Lucheng and start a bloody battle with Hexi, which is likely to lose both sides?
After being reminded by Chen Hai, Du Linan swept away his depression and thought that this possibility was very low.
During the western expedition 20 years ago, the demon temple was so badly damaged that it is far from recovering. It can''t afford too heavy casualties in a short time.
Otherwise, the demon temple can openly interfere in the political affairs of the Western Qiang state, and even directly stop the Ye family of the Western Qiang king and the Dong family in Hexi, rather than jointly subvert the Ye family with the Zhang family of Tianai mountain under the guise of the horse thief Kong Peng.
In this case, how dare the demon temple, which is far from recovering its vitality, take one-third of the elite combat power and start a war with taiweizong on the edge of Pinglu oasis?
You know, taiweizong at this time, even if restrained by the Musashi army and Hexiang army, even if he only took out 10000 yamen soldiers to advance westward, even if he finally fought with the elite disciples of the demon Temple ambushed outside Lucheng.
It may take only three or five years for taiweizong to recover from such a loss; The demon temple may take 20 or 30 years to recover, but the strength from the peak time of recovery becomes even more slim
Therefore, after confirming the ambush trace of the demon temple, Chen Hai''s strategy is very simple, that is, to directly find Miao Mingcheng, the demon Temple elder lurking in Lucheng, and Su chonghu, the main disciple of the demon temple, and force the demon temple to withdraw from the civil war of Western Qiang.
If the demon Temple doesn''t retreat, Hexi can only be forced to send troops to Pinglu oasis. Then the two sides will have a big war in Lucheng or somewhere else in the Western Qiang country.
Hexi didn''t send troops directly before, so he didn''t want to be involved in a larger war, but the demon Temple sent hundreds of elite disciples directly, so Hexi''s response could not be weak.
Therefore, Du Linan thought that the demon Temple might withdraw after the plot was exposed, but he didn''t expect that GE Laozu would personally go to Lucheng to have a showdown with Miao Mingcheng, the elder of the demon temple.
In case of any accident, GE Laozu fell in Lucheng. Du Linan really had no way to explain to zongmen.
Du Linan hoped that Chen Hai would persuade Ge Laozu to act cautiously, but looked at Chen Hai. Chen Hai frowned and looked into the distance. He didn''t mean to persuade Ge Laozu at all. Du Linan sighed in his heart and thought that Chen Hai and Ge Laozu couldn''t make a decision.
Soon, more than a hundred riders galloped towards this side. The first was a green robed sword repairman in his sixties. Behind him was a huge black sword. The whole person revealed his fierce edge.
This man is Zhao Jin, the master of the Zhao family in Lucheng. He was cultivated in the late Ming Dynasty.
In addition to Zhao Jin, the Zhao family in Lucheng also has a strong Ming Qiaojing who is not over 30 years old. It is the leader of the younger generation in the eastern region of Jinzhou. However, because Lucheng plays a very important role in Pinglu oasis.
Zhao has two strong men in Mingqiao territory, and he can''t control the power of Lucheng alone.
Zhao Jin and more than a hundred of Zhao''s children behind him stopped their horses on the stone hill more than a thousand steps away, but they did not suspect that another ambush was hidden after Lu Kaixia. Zhao Jin''s eyes revolved around Chen Hai and Ge Xuanqiao''s faces. He did not recognize Ge Xuanqiao, but he could feel Ge Xuanqiao''s unfathomable cultivation more than a thousand steps away.
Zhao Jin hesitated for a while before letting more than 100 children behind him stay in place. He rode his horse to the stone pond alone.
"Although the Zhao family is not a big family, they still have two bones and will never take refuge in foreign thieves," said Zhao jinlang. "I''m here to advise you not to waste your time and don''t make any rash thoughts about Lucheng. Even if you detain me now, it won''t be of any use!"
"Taiweizong has no intention of intervening in Lucheng, nor will he be directly involved in the war against rebellion and rebellion in the Western Qiang state. Ge Xuanqiao and I are guests invited by Ye," Chen Hai said, "But can Lucheng and Zhao stay out of it? Lord Zhao can send someone to the deep gorge 600 miles away from the southwest to see how many ambushes there are hidden in the demon temple, and then consider making a choice between Zhang''s traitor and ye''s royal family!"
Lucheng''s agriculture, animal husbandry and handicraft industry are quite developed. Nearly 300000 people, farming, pastures and handicraft workshops account for almost one-third of the labor force. In addition, there are considerable caravans.
However, with the five surnames of Lucheng, the distribution of clan industry between agriculture and animal husbandry, handicraft industry and commerce is not absolutely balanced.
Zhao family attaches great importance to craftsmanship, and its core industries are several large-scale workshops and caravans in the city.
Once the business road was cut off, the losses of the other four surnames were not so great, but Zhao''s foundation would be shaken off passively immediately.
Therefore, between the Zhou family and the Zhao family, Chen Hai finally chose to meet Zhao Jin, the owner of the Zhao family. He did not have much confidence in Zhao Jin, and knew where the foundation of the Zhao family was.
Chen Hai doesn''t believe that Zhao really wants to see Lucheng weaken its status after being controlled by the demon temple and become a small border town as insignificant as Xuanfeng city in the Western Qiang kingdom.