CHAPTER 135
Preliminary Plan
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Dongfang Jue's heart leapt into his throat. No way!
The Flower-Seeking Immortal was about to be discovered! The setup clearly meant he was hiding inside the wardrobe!
Yu Lan glanced at Su Cheng, still thinking she should go instead. If anything went wrong, Su Cheng's mortal body wouldn't be able to withstand it!
Swallowing hard, Yu Lan placed her hand on the cabinet handle. Su Cheng seemed utterly unfazed, merely nodding in response.
For Su Cheng, if it were truly her, there would be no danger at all.
If it were her…
Yu Lan yanked the cabinet door open. But inside, there was no fragrant beauty—just a few grimy clothes and some tools.
"No one?" Yulan looked at Su Cheng with confusion. Dongfang Jue exhaled in relief and also turned to Su Cheng.
"No one there is exactly right," Su Cheng merely smiled. If she had truly been captured, then it wouldn't be her.
"No one, and that's a good thing?"
"Never mind. We can't catch her anyway. Let her have her fun."
Su Cheng flicked his sleeves and strode back to the center of the military tent, standing before the vast map covered in scribbles and markings. It was clear Dongfang Jue had put considerable effort into it.
After listening to the frontline scout's report, Su Cheng briefly reviewed Dongfang Jue's forces.
Frankly, it was just a matter of wandering around.
"Master Su, what exactly do you mean by 'luring him out'?"
"We must employ a chained stratagem to lure him out of the city." Su Cheng chuckled softly as he approached the horse tethering posts outside the tent, selecting a mount.
"How should Jue proceed?" Dongfang Jue had her own ideas, but she was more interested in hearing Su Cheng's plan.
Luo An was no ordinary man; common schemes would likely fail to lure him out. Had it not been for the peril at Lihe Pass, he would never have left the city.
Yet, regardless of which side was attacked, the other would rush to reinforce upon receiving confirmation, pincering her from both ends.
"You come with me to challenge them. With me here, feel free to be as bold as you like."
Dongfang Jue didn't understand what kind of strategy this was. No matter how they challenged him, the enemy probably wouldn't come out of the city!
Yet since Su Cheng had spoken thus, Dongfang Jue adhered to the principle of trusting those he employed and immediately summoned his men.
"Transmit my orders!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Su Cheng stopped Dongfang Jue: "Not a single soldier is needed. Only you and I must go."
"Is that so? But even if they do come out…"
Dongfang Jue trailed off mid-sentence.
Though they were three, in reality, only two were present—after all, Yu Lan was Longlong.
The three men and two horses approached within fifty meters of the city gates. Dongfang Jue, following Su Cheng's instructions, began to challenge the enemy.
"General Luo An! Do you dare step out to settle this with Jue'er?"
Before long, Luo An appeared on the city wall with a smirk, gazing down at Dongfang Jue from afar.
Luo An was a burly figure, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, clad in heavy armor and a golden helmet. His expression remained calm as he surveyed the three below the walls.
"Oh? Long time no see, Your Highness. What brings you to visit this old servant at this hour?"
The figure atop the red-maned steed wore a full-head chainmail lion armor, adorned with a crimson velvet cloak embroidered in gold. Clutching a black iron spear, a closer look revealed a woman's form—her features delicate yet slightly masculine.
Beside her rode a man, who in turn led a young girl, both mounted on a fine steed.
The man was handsome, the girl charming, and their mounts were clad in black armor with saddles of the finest quality—clear signs they were no ordinary folk.
The man also took a long look at Su Cheng. A long sword hung at his waist, and his hair was bound with a black cord. Though he wore no jewels or precious ornaments, he carried an air of refinement, untouched by the mundane.
This must be the girl's companion, though his identity remained unknown.
"Of course I've come to take your worthless life! Do you dare step outside the city gates to face me in a final duel?"
"Your Highness, I watched you grow up. How could I possibly harm you?"
"Heh. So you plan to hide like a turtle inside the city walls until I come for you?"
"Then I'll gladly wait for Your Highness to come and pull me out, hahahaha!"
Su Cheng glanced at Dongfang Jue. Though she was far… far worse than he'd imagined…
it was at least a proper challenge.
"Jue'er, tell him to hide well. Within five days, we will capture him alive."
Dongfang Jue perked up at this, then spoke as Su Cheng had instructed.
"Heh, then wash your neck clean and wait! Within five days, I will capture you alive!"
"Very well, I'll be waiting for Your Highness!"
Each utterance of "Your Highness" carried a veneer of respect, yet beneath it lay nothing but contempt and humiliation for her status as a woman.
Su Cheng understood, and Dongfang Jue heard it clearly.
"Alright, let's go." Su Cheng glanced at Luo An, smiled, and turned to walk away slowly.
Dongfang Jue hurried to follow. "Master Su, are we leaving already?"
"Our objective is achieved. It's time to move on to the next phase."
As they walked and talked, Dongfang Jue was filled with curiosity. What ingenious plan did Master Su have that could achieve victory without bloodshed?
"Jue'er, once you return, station men to monitor every single entrance and exit of Yong'an City. Increase the manpower and maintain round-the-clock surveillance. Arrest every single person entering or leaving, regardless of age or gender."
"Why?"
"Naluo An's confidence stems from knowing your forces won't last long. Your attack is entirely predictable to him. Assaulting a prepared enemy guarantees disadvantage."
"But what does this have to do with monitoring Yong'an City… Are we planning to attack Lihé Pass?"
"Yes and no."
"Huh? Master Su, stop teasing us!"
"Heh. If Juer could figure this out, Na Luo'an certainly wouldn't have missed it. When he realized none of his scouts returned, and then linked it to Juer's challenge…"
Dongfang Jue's eyes widened in sudden realization. Brilliant!
"Oh! I see! Master Su wants Luo An to think I'm attacking Lihé Pass, luring him out of the city to reinforce it!"
Without Yong'an City, what forces could Luo An possibly muster against Dongfang Jue's vast army?
Even if Luo An were made of iron, he couldn't withstand hundreds of thousands of troops!
"Jue'er is clever, but this is merely the first step. Since you speak of victory without bloodshed, I have no intention of taking action."
"Oh oh, then what should Jue'er do?"
"Don't rush, Jue'er. Let's see how Luo An responds first." As he spoke, Su Cheng pulled out the Fallen Immortal Ruler and continued, "Take this treasure, Jue'er."
Dongfang Jue nodded. "Where is this artifact used?"
"This artifact is called the Fallen Immortal. It possesses the power to bind heaven and earth. With this Fallen Immortal Ruler, anyone who leaves Yong'an City will never be able to return."
"It's not that I don't trust your soldiers, Jue'er. Though I doubt we'll need it, to ensure absolute certainty, we must guarantee Luo An cannot receive any news from outside the city."
Dongfang Jue's face brimmed with admiration. Truthfully, such a risky tactic would never have been employed were it not for Su Cheng.
Yet in that fleeting moment, she had genuinely believed, just as Su Cheng had anticipated, that he intended to strike at Lihe Pass.
If she faced Su Cheng across the battlefield, what were her chances of victory?
Returning to her tent, Dongfang Jue meticulously implemented Su Cheng's plan. She placed surveillance on every gate of Yong'an City and even concealed a unit within the woods to respond to any unforeseen emergencies.
If possible, she hoped not to resort to the Fallen Immortal Ruler. She wanted to see if she could succeed without relying on external aids.
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