Chapter 2259: Chapter 2259 Plotting Against The Enemy
Han Mo tried every possible way to explain the situation, even having the soldiers vouch for him. Ruan Haotian finally decided to send someone to investigate before making any decisions.
Meanwhile, he ordered them to return to the base immediately, suspecting that they might have been controlled.
Upon receiving the instructions, Han Mo glanced at Ye Liuyun, unsure if he would let them go.
However, Ye Liuyun had them assist in cleaning up the battlefield, essentially making use of their remaining utility. Only after the battlefield was cleared did Ye Liuyun instruct Yuan Hao to return their interspatial rings and sound transmission talismans.
"Considering you were also fighting against the foreign race, we’ll let you go this time. Go back and tell Ruan Haotian there won’t be a next time." Yuan Hao warned them sternly.
"Yes! Yes!" Han Mo quickly agreed.
These men were already traumatized, having made up their minds to stay as far away from Ye Liuyun as possible in the future. They vowed to never take on any missions related to him again.
After being released, they initially feared that Ye Liuyun might send someone to hunt them down. They remained on edge, running for half a day before finally relaxing when no pursuers appeared.
However, the moment they returned to the base, Ruan Haotian had them arrested and ordered an experts to search their souls to confirm they had not been controlled by Ye Liuyun.
To everyone’s surprise, the investigation revealed that they had not been manipulated or lied. They had only witnessed the end of the battle and had no idea how Ye Liuyun achieved his victory.
Meanwhile, news of Ye Liuyun’s first major triumph spread like wildfire. He had led twenty thousand soldiers to annihilate fifty thousand foreign races. This victory greatly boosted the morale of the human cultivators and lots of praises for the leader of the Alliance of Goddesses had poured in.
"Where did Ye Liuyun go?" Ruan Haotian demanded of Han Mo and the others.
"We don’t know. After he let us go, we hurried back without delay." Han Mo replied nervously.
"Useless!" Ruan Haotian cursed. He then sent someone to inquire with Li Yuanlang. However, the response was the same as no one knew Ye Liuyun’s whereabouts.
In truth, Ye Liuyun had already reported the entire battle to Li Yuanlang. He had also discovered that fifty thousand forces from the west and central region were on the move, preparing to retaliate and encircle him.
Meanwhile, the other forces of the foreign race were also gathering, preparing to annihilate Ye Liuyun’s army.
Li Yuanlang ordered Ye Liuyun to retreat immediately.
However, Ye Liuyun considered that if he would inevitably lead the foriegn races back to base if he retreat. That would make him the target by all the martial cultivators.
Therefore, Ye Liuyun did not retreat. Instead, he ordered his soldiers to rest in place, closely monitor the movements of the foreign races and prepare to continue engaging with them.
At this moment, a small reconnaissance team sent by Ruan Haotian arrived at the scene. They confirmed to Ruan Haotian that the foreign races were indeed gone and there were traces of a previous battle.
The battlefield had been cleaned up and they could not find any foreign race corpses. There were only bloodstains and signs of combat on the ground.
They also reported Ye Liuyun’s whereabouts to Ruan Haotian.
"Why aren’t they retreating? Are they just waiting to die?"
Ruan Haotian was pleased upon hearing this. He ordered a few soldiers from the reconnaissance team to command Ye Liuyun to retreat and then monitor their movements.
He knew Ye Liuyun was deliberately opposing him, which was why he issued the command.
If Ye Liuyun complied, he could continue to control Ye Liuyun’s forces in the future. If Ye Liuyun disobeyed, he would be surrounded and annihilated by the foreign races, saving Ruan Haotian any future troubles.
However, Ye Liuyun was not one to be trifled with. He captured the messengers and the reconnaissance soldiers. He executed all but one minor commander, whose head he spared.
The terrified officer kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
Ye Liuyun had no intention of killing him. "Go back and tell Ruan Haotian not to bother me anymore! If he wants to command me, let him prove himself in battle against the foreign races, instead of playing these underhanded tricks!"
"Yes! Yes!"
The minor commander hastily agreed and fled back to the base as if his life depended on it.
Inside the base, the martial practitioners under Ye Liuyun’s control also spread the word, accusing Ruan Haotian of being jealous of the talented and incapable of killing the foreign races himself, while also ostracizing others.
Although the news spread did not immediately shake Ruan Haotian’s position, he clearly felt the pressure. Ye Liuyun’s arrival had annihilated fifty thousand foreign race troops, a feat that surpassed Ruan Haotian’s achievements over several years.
After some contemplation, Ruan Haotian decided to lead thirty thousand martial practitioners to eliminate an foreign race army.
However, the foreign race forces in the west and central regions numbered at least fifty thousand each. Therefore, he led his martial practitioners to attack the foreign race forces on the eastern side.
There were over twenty thousand foriegn race stationed over there which were relatively scattered, making it easier for them to strike.
The people he led were martial practitioners and not disciplined soldiers. They were only suitable for engaging with such dispersed foreign race forces.
The soldiers under his command numbered less than five thousand in total and all were temporarily recruited. They were all mainly for managing and defending the base, relaying orders and gathering informations. He truly lacked the strength to confront a large army head-on.
Upon receiving the news, Ye Liuyun was delighted and immediately ordered his army to march towards the east.
Moreover, their army did not move too quickly, leaving obvious traces along the way which attracted the attention of the foreign forces from the west and central regions.
"Aren’t you worried that your scheme might put Ruan Haotian and those martial practitioners in danger?" Li Xianying expressed concern that some martial practitioners might get caught up in the fallout.
"Ruan Haotian and the others have always hide in the base scheming against others, rarely stepping onto the battlefield. It would be better if they all died in battle. Letting Little Ye lead the martial practitioners against the foreign races would surely be more effective than Ruan Haotian!"
However, Zhao Hu felt indifferent, thinking it would be better if they all perished in the scheme!
Ye Liuyun actually shared this sentiment but could not express it so bluntly to Li Xianying.
He noticed that Li Yuanlang, Li Xianying and others had many reservations. Although they were dissatisfied with Ruan Haotian, they were more afraid of harming other martial practitioners.
"We should join forces with Ruan Haotian and together we can annihilate the fifty thousand enemy troops that have just mobilized in the central."
Ye Liuyun had no choice but to tell her that he wanted to cooperate wuth Ruan Haotian.
However, Li Xianying was no fool and remained skeptical. She pointed out the existing tensions between Ye Liuyun and Ruan Haotian, arguing that it was not the right time for their forces to unite.
Ye Liuyun further elaborated seeing her reluctance. "Even if Ruan Haotian doesn’t cooperate with us, we can still lure those fifty thousand enemy troops towards him.
I’m not trying to set him up. I just need him to divert the foreign race’s attention in the central front. This way, we can turn back and take out the fifty thousand reinforcements coming from the western route without getting encircled ourselves.
War inevitably brings casualties. The warriors who have come to this battlefield must be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice. Given their smaller numbers, if they scatter and retreat, the actual losses won’t be significant.
This strategy allows us to achieve a major victory with minimal losses. Otherwise, how much time and resources would we need to expend to defeat those fifty thousand enemy troops?"
