On November 8, after a long journey, the messenger from the Far East, escorted by a group of half-orc guards, finally arrived in Dìdū, reporting a bad news: the demons had indeed launched a large-scale attack, and the enemy that had been confirmed so far had a total of two legions, including the old human rival Ling Buxu Legion and the extremely murderous and bloodthirsty Gusta Legion, with a total strength of 250,000 troops.

Unlike the Rus' Legion, which was defeated not long ago, all the attackers this time were strong generals of Jīng, and the kingdom may add new troops at any time, several provinces in the east have already fallen, and the Far East is facing a test of life and death!

President Luo Minghai listened to the half-orc messenger Luo Luo's rambling report, and green smoke rose above his head.

Regardless of whether you are facing a test of life and death in the Far East, the family is most concerned about the security of the homeland now, and the only thing that interests you is how the demon army entered the interior of the family through guò?

"What are you talking about? The demon army has entered the interior of the family?" The half-orc with a little back in his ears was actually Uncle Delen, the former village chief of Bulu Village, and his eyes widened: "When was the Valen Fortress taken by the demons?"

The high-ranking officials at the meeting looked at each other, and the Far East actually didn't know anything about this matter? Now, the question is back to the original point, how did the demon army come here?

In order to answer this question, the Registrar Office specially invited all the professors of geography from Dìdū University.

When the group of old gentlemen with as much knowledge as long as their beards entered, everyone in the command stood in awe: although these old fellows usually do not understand the knowledge they have made, but now, it is up to them to save the country! The truth that knowledge is power has never been so highly demonstrated.

After a day and night of busy work on a huge map of the Far East, the experts came up with an ambiguous answer: according to the current strategic shape of the Far East, it is very likely that after the demons launched an attack on the Far East, they seized several provinces in the east and mastered several key but unknown branches of the Guqi Mountains, where or, maybe, maybe, maybe there will be a secret trail that can cross the entire Far East and the Guqi Mountains.

"According to the pattern and distribution of the Guchi Mountains, it is theoretically entirely true that there is a secret passage from the occupied provinces to the interior of the family!" said the old professor, who had the longest and whitest beard, and therefore the most knowledgeable and authoritative. As for how the demons learned about this secret path and why they didn't use it before, experts analyzed that maybe it was because the demons only learned about this secret recently.

Both hands were presented with generous allowances and hard bonuses, and the group of old men were respectfully sent away, and the commanders rubbed their red eyes that had not slept all night, and found that they still had found nothing.

The experts were talking mostly nonsense, except for a young (not yet eighty) and therefore not very authoritative and knowledgeable expert who had the audacity to deduce: "Judging from the topography and the distribution of the landforms, even a trail like Zài must have been very difficult and rugged." More than a thousand miles of difficult roads, and I personally think that it is very difficult to transport the large army to the store zài by such a small road. ”

Hearing this, the command office was like a treasure: that is to say, it was only a small force of the demon clan that came over, not a million-strong army like in the last Far East War?

After getting the report, Zichuan Shenxing made a decision on the spot: "What are you hesitating about? Attack, recover Bit Province!"

Thus, the huge gears of war began to turn.

Military orders were frequently transmitted from dìdū, and one division after another of the army marched eastward from dìdū, and at the same time, the Valen Fortress also cooperated with the troops, and 50,000 infantry outflanked the province of Bitt from the right side, threatening the flank of the demon army.

The human army smoothly slaughtered into the almost empty province of Bit, without encountering any resistance from the demons, and the strangest thing happened: the menacing demon army in the previous report suddenly disappeared!

A human army of 150,000 was stationed in the capital of the province of Bit, and a search party was sent around the province to reconnoitre, even if it was to find a few needles that had fallen to the ground. As a result, they all reported that they had found nothing, and the surrounding provinces also reported that there was no trace of the demon army entering the country, so the only explanation was that this group of demon troops had escaped through the Guò Guqi Mountains again!

This qiē is really ridiculous to the point of being incredible, the army of the demon clan has come from thousands of miles to kill, and only took a turn in the province of Bit and ran away?

When the news came back to Dìdū, the chief and the bigwigs of the command office looked at each other, unable to believe their ears. So, that's the end of a qiē?

Of course, it can't end there, because there is such a secret road, the eastern territory of the family is threatened like never before, so the family has to adjust its strategic focus.

At the latest meeting of the General Office and the Inspectorate of the Inspectorate, President Luo Minghai took the opportunity to propose: "The existence of such an unknown trail is a great threat to the security of our family. We must consider whether it is safe to put the family's all-powerful forces into the dragoons on the Western Front at any time when the demons may transport their armies to our core hinterland through the guò path? ”

This opening statement marked the beginning of yet another factional struggle. Because the dragoon plan was presided over and implemented by Dilinti yì and Stirling, once this plan can be completed smoothly, the power and status of the two of them will definitely have a huge improvement and leap.

If nothing else, once the war began, Sterling commanded the actual battle as the chief of military affairs, commanding the entire army of the family, and according to the regulations of the war, the needs of the front line and the army took precedence over the needs of the other ones during the war.

Although Luo Minghai's position is higher than Sterling's, he also has to act according to the orders of the military, which he will never tolerate, so he seized an opportunity to sabotage the implementation of the dragoon plan.

Then the two sides were sarcastic, scolding, sarcastic, and personal attacks on the topic as usual, but it was obvious that Luo Minghai had a rare upper hand this time.

Because this incident had a great impact on the family, the leaders of the neutral factions, such as Minghui and Pigu, spoke one after another, believing that it was unwise to launch a war against the Liufeng family when the security of the Eastern Front was not guaranteed.

Of course, they spoke tactfully and politely, but that's what it meant.

The atmosphere of the meeting was almost overwhelmingly in favor of Luo Minghai, and even Stirling, a staunch ally of Dilling, wavered, saying: "Consideration can be given to delaying the implementation of the Dragoon plan and waiting for the results of the investigation into the events in the province of Bit." ”

At this meeting, the attitude of the new commander, Shikawa Xiu, was very intriguing, he was known to be a close and sibling friend of Di Lin, but this time he did not speak in favor of either side.

So everyone vaguely guessed that he didn't approve of Di Lin's plan either, but he came forward to oppose it because of his bad feelings.

Di Lin was in an isolated position, his expression was indifferent, and his sharp gaze swept over everyone one after another, and said: "The dragoon plan was personally decided by His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, and if it is to be vetoed, His Highness the Commander-in-Chief must nod his head - is it too rude for you to be so eager?"

Everyone woke up like a dream, and when they woke up, Di Lin actually had the biggest support, that is, the bitter hatred of the chief Zichuan Shenxing against the Liufeng family. Everyone quickly turned around and said in the tone of a puppy to the owner, "His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief ......"

Zichuan Shenxing's face was green, and he got up and left his seat with a "hum", leaving the leaders of the room behind and looking at each other in the conference room.

As a result, the dragoon plan ran aground, but although Luo Minghai was victorious, Di Lin was still glorious despite defeat.

Leaving the chief's conference room, it was still early, the sun had just set, and the leaders present at the meeting had dispersed one after another.

Stirling offered to give him a ride back to Zichuan Xiu, but he smiled and declined - the Black Flag Army office in Dìdū had specially prepared a carriage and a coachman for him, so he didn't have to take someone else's ride.

Walking quickly to his carriage, Zi Chuanxiu suddenly stopped, and beside his carriage, a long figure stood quietly, and Di Lin stared at him.

For some reason, when he came into contact with his calm and firm eyes, Zi Chuanxiu couldn't help but panic in his heart.

"Big brother, you, are you waiting for me?"

"Hmm. Di Lin nodded cautiously: "Ah Xiu, can you let your carriage go back first?" I want to talk to you about something. ”

Zichuan Xiu looked at him: "Okay." "Di Lin is a little strange today, although it is a sentence of discussion, the tone is an unquestionable commanding tone.

When Shikawa Xiu was instructing the coachman, the panic continued like a wave crashing on the shore, and his feet trembled a little.

Di Lin looked at him: "Get in my car!"

The night is deep, with hazy street lamps, dim roads, and horse-drawn carriages galloping along the main road of dìdū.

I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, the windows were hidden by the curtains, and I couldn't see the scenery outside.

The car only stopped at the city gate for a moment, and Zi Chuanxiu heard the garrison at the head of the city shouting: "The east city gate has been closed, and it will be opened at dawn!"

The guard sitting in front got up and replied: "Inspector General Dilin, Lord Dilin, has urgent business to go out of the city!

Then, Shikawa Shu heard the "creaking" pull of the city gate, the heavy echo of the hanging board falling, and the carriage began to move again.

It was obvious that the car was out of town, because the road was bumpy next, and the carriage began to shake rhythmically, making a rhythmic crisp "clucking" sound.

There was a windproof lamp hanging in front of the carriage, the misty light seemed so weak in the boundless darkness, and the red light shone on Di Lin's cold face through the breathable small lattice window, which looked even more somber.

The carriage went all the way east, most likely into the forest to the east of Dìdū, because Zi Chuanxiu smelled the fresh smell of the trees peculiar to the forest, heard the sound of cicadas, insects, and the sound of sleeping night birds being awakened by the carriage and flapping their wings.

He couldn't help but open the curtains, and the first thing he saw was a huge full moon hanging over the undulating forest, and the carriage was driving on the forest path, with swarthy trees and wild grass on both sides.

From time to time, the car passed by bridges of various sizes, and many small streams and rivers glowed silvery white in the moonlight.

After walking for a long time, the two were silent, as if hypnotized by the heavy night.

Zi Chuanxiu couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"

Di Lin replied calmly: "It will be there soon." ”

It was really very soon, and as he spoke, a dim light appeared in the forest in front of him, and the light of swaying figures and weapons appeared.

The carriage stopped, and two armed gendarmes holding lanterns appeared at the window of the carriage, Di Lin handed the documents out of the window, and the gendarmes carefully checked and saluted: "My lord!"

Di Lin nodded: "Hard work!"

The carriage began to move forward again, but it had not taken a few steps and had to stop again for inspection, and then it went forward again—Zichuan Xiu counted, and in less than half an hour's journey, they had passed through seven checkpoints.

The security is getting tighter and tighter, and there is a checkpoint where Zichuan Xiu sees that the weapons in the hands of the gendarmes are actually light combo crossbows, which can penetrate the armor of heavy cavalry at close range, and there is also a checkpoint where Zichuan Xiu sees a squadron of light cavalry, fully armed.

The inspections are becoming more and more careful, and even the identity of the Inspector General of Di Lin cannot provide them with much convenience, they not only have to see Di Lin's documents, but even the documents of the coachman, the guards, Zi Chuanxiu and others have to be checked one by one.

In the end, the carriage stopped, someone outside opened the door, Di Lin jumped down first, and Zi Chuanxiu followed.

What appeared in front of him was a huge black wall that was three meters high, and the wall was written in lime in large and eye-catching characters: "Royal Domain, death to those who trespass!"

There were shadows on the wall, and I don't know how many guards were watching over them.

Zi Chuanxiu became more and more surprised: what is hidden in the depths of this dark forest?

As if guessing his thoughts, Di Lin whispered: "This forest is the fiefdom of the chief minister's private domain, and to the outside world, we say that this is the chief minister's private summer farm, and outsiders are strictly forbidden to enter and leave. But in fact, this is a secret military research office jointly run by the Military Affairs Department and the Supervision Office. ”

Zichuan Xiuying said: "A military factory?"

"So to speak, but this military factory is different from the ordinary, it is a high-density factory directly controlled by the family, and it is codenamed 777 to the outside world. Security is provided by the gendarmerie unit of the Ombudsman. Even among the high-ranking officials at the command level, there are many people who don't know that this factory has stored zài - even the commander of Goshan, who is in charge of logistics and supplies, knows the store of Qiqiqi, but she does not know the specific location of Qiqiqi. ”

Zi Chuanxiu frowned: "Then, why do you want me to know?"

Di Lin looked at him: "First, you have reached the level where you can know, and second, it is necessary for you to know. ”

There was a small door under the wall, and Di Lin showed the guards guarding the door the certificate of the Supervision Department, and Zi Chuan Xiu also showed the golden certificate of the commander, and the guards nodded strictly: "Both adults are qualified to visit." ”

He knocked on the door with a small hammer for a few long and short sounds, and the door opened silently.

The two entered through the small door, and as soon as Shikawa Xiu stepped inside, the door immediately closed behind him again.

Inside the wall, rows of wide tiled houses were neatly arranged, and many strange-shaped huge metal tools and lathes were placed in the open air, and for a while, Zichuan Xiu could not know the purpose of these tools.

Although it was already late at night, countless lanterns hung high up, the firelight was as bright as day, people were working next to each lathe, and the small carts transporting materials were constantly shuttling, and the voices were full of people.

Several officers stood in front of him, and one of the short officers stood in front of him and saluted: "Inspector General, welcome to inspect!"

Di Lin returned the salute and said with a smile: "Wu Qiben, I'm here to disturb again." ”

He introduced to Zichuan Xiu: "This is Wu Qiben, the person in charge of 777. He also introduced to the officers: "This is the new commander of the Black Flag Army, Lord Shikawa Shu. ”

The officers saluted in unison: "Hello sir!"

Wu Qiben frowned, and looked at Zi Chuanxiu with suspicion: "The new commander of the Black Flag Army? I remember that the commander of the Black Flag Army seems to be Lord Fang Jin, right? What's wrong with him?"

Zichuan Xiu was shocked, the Black Flag military Jin died in a heroic battle in the Far East four years ago, and the family gave him the title of "Loyal Martyr", which is a major event known to the world, why didn't this flag book in front of him know anything in the past few years?

He looked at the officer in front of him, short, swarthy face, his stiff uniform as dirty as a rag, stained with oil and sweat, and a strange smell of sweat acid, oil, and metal—he looked more like a factory foreman than a senior officer of the family.

Di Lin glanced at Zichuan Xiu, and said lightly: "The family has another important task for the leader of Fang Jin-Commander Axiu, show your documents to Wu Qiben." ”

Zi Chuanxiu took out his certificate, and Wu Qiben waved his hand again and again: "Don't dare, don't dare, where is there a reason to believe in the elder who can't be supervised." Commander Zichuan Xiu, it's me who is too rude. ”

The corners of Zi Chuanxiu's mouth twitched, and he smiled bitterly and said, "It's nothing." ”

"So, Inspector Elder and Commander Xiu came here late at night, I don't know what instructions I have?" That Wu Qiben looked very familiar with Di Lin, and his tone of voice was very relaxed.

Di Lin looked at the busy factory and sighed, "Do you still have to work so late?"

"The latest instructions from above have come down, and the parts of No. 7, No. 9 and No. 10 are in a hurry, and the quantity is large, 50,000 at a time, and the deadline is urgent, and it takes two months to deliver. As a last resort, we implement three shifts, 24 hours a day, day and night, and people do not stop. ”

"Seven and Nine have ready-made products? I'd like to show the Show Commander. ”

"Of course, two adults, please come with me to the shooting range. ”

Wu Qiben led the way in front, followed by Zi Chuanxiu and Di Lin.

Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Di Lin whispered to Zi Chuanxiu: "This factory is isolated from the world, and the things inside can't be known from the outside, and the things outside can't be passed on. Wu Qi originally came in 778, and he still doesn't know that his family has experienced the Far East War, Fang Jin's leadership and martyrdom. According to the rules, we also try not to tell them about the outside world, so that they can work and study as much as possible - every staff member here is a treasure of the family, a treasure worth the same amount of gold. ”

Zi Chuanxiu couldn't stop nodding, looking at the busy figures under the lights, those sleepless hard workers, he couldn't help but be in awe.

There are many ways to serve the motherland, and these people have worked hard here, dedicated their youth and happy life, and have been isolated from the world for decades, abandoning their wives and children, which is also a sacrifice, a silent but no less tragic sacrifice, than the generous killing of the enemy on the battlefield.

Seeing that shooting range, Zichuan Xiu was startled, it was the first time he had seen such a long shooting range.

The usual shooting range is between 100 meters and 300 meters, at most 400 meters, because as far as the current technology is concerned, no bow and arrow can shè more than 400 meters away, and even if shè arrives, the arrow is already powerless, and there is no lethality at all.

Now, the shooting range presented in front of him is at least twice as long as the ordinary shooting range, and in the distance, the few lanterns that are the targets have only become a few bright spots, like stars in the sky, and the poor eyesight cannot see clearly.

He couldn't help muttering to himself: "I'm afraid it's not a thousand meters?"

"Nine hundred and thirty-five meters, to be exact!" Wu Qiben said confidently, and after arriving at the shooting range, he suddenly became nervous, his face was full of red light, and his voice was confident and loud.

"So, what weapon can shè that far? trebuchet?"

Wu Qiben and Di Lin glanced at each other, and Wu Qiben said respectfully: "Lord Xiu, we have also tested the new trebuchet. But we all felt that there was no room for improvement in trebuchets, that the 1,100-meter trebuchet had reached its limit, and that it would be pointless to sacrifice accuracy and lethality if it was longer - if you wanted to see it, we would show you later. Now, as instructed by the Inspector General, let's test parts seven and nine first. ”

"What's that?"

"Your Excellency, please look!"

A soldier came up pushing a "small cart" - Shikawa Xiu said it was a "small car", because he had never seen this strange thing before, it looked a bit like a combo heavy crossbow used to defend the city, but it was equipped with four wheels underneath, and compared to the combo heavy crossbow, it was much smaller in size and weight, and there were many more strange small parts.

With a proud look, Wu Qiben introduced: "This is one of the secret achievements of 777, and there is no officially named No. 7 component yet!"

"This ...... It's a combo crossbow, right? But it's loaded with a few wheels......."

Wu Qiben opened his mouth wide and his eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe that someone was so ignorant that he couldn't see the epoch-making historical significance of his invention clearly: "My lord, this is simply the difference between heaven and earth from a combo crossbow! A combo crossbow can only fire seven arrows at a time, it can't be aimed, its accuracy is quite poor, its distance is less than 200 meters, and its equipment is so heavy that it can't move. However, the No. 7 component can fire 36 arrows at the same time in an instant, and it can also be aimed at the point shè one by one, and it is equipped with a long-range sight, and the range can reach more than 950 meters, and the range of Qi shèshè can reach 320 meters, and the armor of the heavily armored cavalry can be pierced within 200 meters! What is even more valuable is that the No. 7 part is lightweight, and it can be pulled by a horse, and it can be used not only in the defensive battle of the city, but also used to equip field troops!

Zichuan Xiu was shocked, the crossbow machine that could reach nine hundred meters was simply unheard of, and he couldn't help but lose his voice: "Really?"

"Your Excellency, please look!"

The two soldiers lay on their stomachs behind the crossbow machine, used a special wrench tool to sharpen the crossbow machine, and then got up: "Report to the chief, shè is ready!"

Wu Qiben solemnly ordered: "The target, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth targets, execute them immediately!"

The two soldiers lay back behind the crossbow machine, one eye leaned in front of the telescope, gently moving the crossbow machine, and the other was stuffy, only to hear a piercing "squeeze" sound that shook the eardrum and buzzed and hurt, and the naked eye could not see it clearly, and a bright spot in the distance was extinguished.

Without pause, the two soldiers moved on to the next target, and the sound of "swishing" continued, and the bright spots in the distance quickly disappeared one after another.

"Good!" Zi Chuanxiu and Di Lin applauded in unison and applauded.

With a reserved smile, Wu Qiben bowed slightly: "Next, please ask the two adults to review the No. 9 part!"

Several staff members hung lanterns about 300 meters ahead, and a soldier came up with a light crossbow - twice as long as an ordinary light crossbow, more than a meter long, and Zichuan Xiu said unconfidently: "This ...... It's supposed to be a light crossbow, right?

"Exactly, my lord, this is a lightweight crossbow improved by our 777, it can be loaded with twelve arrows at a time, and you can also choose Qi shè and point shè, the point shèshè can reach 300 meters, the accuracy and lethality of jīng are quite high, it can penetrate heavy armor within fifty meters, and what is more valuable is that its cāo is simple and flexible, and only needs a day of simple training, and a soldier with a medium body can use a special wrench tool to wind it, fill the arrows, and aim the shè. My lord, let us show you how!"

The crossbow-wielding soldier simply wound and struck sharply, and the lanterns three hundred meters away were extinguished one after another in less than fifteen seconds in the shrill sound of the "fluttering" wind.

Zi Chuanxiu exclaimed in surprise: "Twelve consecutive shots, shè Cheng three hundred meters?" he looked at the strange weapon in disbelief, touched and touched it carefully, and his eyes were full of excited smiles.

Of course, he knew the value of this weapon, and in general, the traditional archer shè was a hundred to one hundred and fifty metres, and they could only shè three or four rounds of arrows before the cavalry rushed closer.

A bow and arrow that can produce twelve arrows in an instant, and the effective shè range is three hundred meters, which is not a matter of doubling the lethality, but that the cavalry cannot get close at all! Moreover, the training of a skilled archer takes up to a year or two, and it also requires the limitation of talent, physique, and other factors, but the requirements of a crossbow archer are much lower, only one week.

This is definitely an epoch-making weapon that can completely change the shape of warfare!

"When did this come to be?"

"It was about the middle of 778, when Wu Qi had already put forward the design concept and preliminary drawings, and the first prototype was built at the end of 779 - I only learned about this after I took over the Supervision Office. ”

"There is such a good thing, why didn't you take it out and use it earlier?" Zichuan Xiu complained.

Wu Qiben hurriedly explained: "My lord, we have already manufactured the drawings and prototypes, but the prototypes at the beginning are very immature and prone to failure. Moreover, the initial cost was too expensive, and such a modified crossbow cost millions, and it could not be mass-produced at all. The key is the core component inside, the super-strong high-calcined alloy crossbow string is too difficult to manufacture, and the manufacturing process cannot be controlled, and only one or two of the tens of thousands of products can be qualified. It wasn't until mid-July of this year that we found the proper process for forging this alloy, and then we significantly reduced the cost and made mass production possible. ”

"Now, how many units can you produce in a month?"

"In the past, we produced 20 units of No. 7 and 300 units of No. 9 units a month. But since August, we've added a lot of money and manpower, and now we're producing six times as much as before. Moreover, our technicians are constantly improving the way of production, and there is still room for increase in output!"

If this kind of weapon can be equipped in the army on a large scale, Zichuan Xiu glanced at Di Lin in surprise and saw the determination in the other party's eyes. He remembered that the time when Di Lin proposed the dragoon plan to fight against the Liufeng family happened to be the beginning of September this year, which happened to be the time when there was good news about the breakthrough in the development of this terrible weapon.

Zi Chuanxiu hesitated: "Flowing wind and frost?"

Di Lin firmly: "Flowing wind and frost!"

He understood Di Lin's intentions, the tens of thousands of large-scale cavalry groups under the command of the wind and frost have always been the enduring nightmare of the Zichuan family, it is an invincible and terrible force, and the Zichuan family has confronted it five times, five battles and five defeats.

In the third crusade, the cavalry force of 8,000 people under the command of the wind and frost broke the encirclement of 100,000 infantry of the Zichuan family, and the army of the Zichuan family was still defeated even if the famous general Stirling was in charge, and the wolf bèi fled.

But with the revamped combo crossbow and light crossbow, it will be different. Zi Chuanxiu remembered such a scene in his mind: thousands of Flowing Wind Family cavalry were surging and overwhelming, but this time, it was not a big sword and spear facing them, not a mountain of swords and a sea of swords, but a fierce rain of arrows pouring like a torrential rain!

A crossbow machine phalanx with a little training can kill the enemy from a thousand meters away, and five hundred meters can definitely sweep them away, even the fastest war horses can't break through the three hundred meters of impact distance, it will be a hellish mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!

Killing countless enemies without losing oneself is the dream of all infantry generals and the nightmare of all cavalry generals. If he could equip a large group of light crossbow fighters during the Battle of Tran, Rose's 170,000 demon soldiers would never have thought of getting close to the city wall!

Zichuan Xiu exhaled a long breath: "I'd rather give up an infantry division than equip a crossbow brigade like this! The only weapons that can fight against this kind of weapon are shield infantry and heavy cavalry. The end of the light cavalry has arrived, and from today onwards, the tactics of large-scale cavalry charges can completely withdraw from the stage of history, and the future war will be the world of long-range weapons. ”

When he spoke, his expression was melancholy, because he himself was the best expert in cavalry warfare, and his starting point in the Far East was to rely on the help of the cavalry of the 8,000 Xiuzi Battalion, and now, his own skills were almost useless.

Di Lin smiled.

At this point, after the visit, the two met with the senior management of 777 to shake hands and encourage them to work harder.

When bidding farewell to Wu Qiben, Zi Chuanxiu said with emotion: "The Chief Inspector is right, each of you is a treasure worth the same amount of gold, and your invention is worth an army of millions!

Hearing this, Wu Qiben was moved, and tears fell from his eyes, and after such a long period of hard work, he was finally affirmed by the upper echelons of the family, which made him have mixed feelings. He sent them all the way to the door, and the carriage was far away, and the diminutive figure could be seen waving goodbye to them in the distance.

The carriage was rushing back, and along the way, Zichuan Xiu was immersed in shock and excitement, and he didn't even notice when the carriage entered the city gate.

By the time he came back to his senses, the brightly lit streets of zhōngyāng and young men and women strolling through the streets had already appeared outside the car window.

"Let's go down and walk!"

The two walked side by side on the leafy Zhōngyāng Street, feeling the cool breeze and the strong autumn mood.

The street lamps were long, shining golden light on their epaulettes and armbands, the silver-white sè trim on their military trousers, the high-end long leather boots made of chrome-tanned leather, the flowing dark blue sè trench coat and the Venus epaulettes on their shoulders, these were two tall and handsome young commanders, with extraordinary bearing.

They aroused the admiration and attention of passers-by, and from time to time there were young women standing in place in a daze, looking at their dashing backs as if in a dream and unwilling to leave.

But they didn't see that the mood of the two senior officers was not as radiant as they seemed.

Di Lin's face was melancholy, revealing a heavy and resolute feeling.

A cool breeze blew, he tightened the collar of his trench coat, and said casually: "The wind is blowing, autumn is about to pass, and winter is coming." ”

He turned his head: "Ah Xiu, why did I let you see those things—you should know, right?"

Zichuan Xiu really couldn't understand: "Could it be that these new weapons should be equipped in my troops first?"

"This is one of the reasons, but the main reason is that I want to strengthen your confidence - we have indeed made the greatest preparations to eradicate the wind and frost, not only to have an advantage in the overall strategic situation, but also to have a good grasp of her at the specific level of tactics, and the effort is incalculable. By the time of this winter's Ming and Ming borders, those new weapons will be ready for actual combat. ”

"You can win a battle with this unexpected weapon, but you don't necessarily win the whole war. Seeing us adopt this weapon, sooner or later the enemy will follow. ”

"It is enough to win a crucial battle, as long as the Flowing Wind Frost and her Jīng Rui army are eliminated, the Flowing Wind Clan will lose its sharp teeth and claws, and we will be left to slaughter. Di Lin sighed: "You are right, the advantage of technology cannot be maintained forever, but I am confident that at least for a year, the Flowing Wind Family will not be able to develop a weapon of the same power." For a year, the big picture was decided. ”

Zi Chuanxiu's heart was weak, and he said carefully: "Do you blame me for not supporting you at the meeting just now?" But now is really not the time to implement the dragoon plan, I think what Sterling said also makes sense, and it is more prudent to slow down and see how the situation is before making a decision. ”

After listening to him, Di Lin whispered, "Ah Xiu, do you really believe that the demon clan will break in from some mysterious path?"

"Ah, that's what everyone says, so many experts and professors say the same......"

"Oh, is that what everyone said?" Di Lin's tone contained a bit of sarcasm: "So our Commander Ah Xiu believed it? Is the person who says this kind of thing really my good brother, the King of Light who single-handedly conquered the Far East?"

Zi Chuanxiu frowned: "Big brother, what do you want to say?"

"Since the death of Liufeng Xishan, the Liufeng family has been in a state of division, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate them. If we sit here and wait until they have a strong political figure, such as Liufeng Shuang or Liufeng Sen, who comes out and integrates the forces, then it will be very difficult for us to start. The continental war will continue. Don't believe what Goshen is shouting, those pacifists don't understand, as long as two opposing entities with huge armed forces exist, war is inevitable. Fighting now can win us peace for at least 300 years, once and for all. Long pain is better than short pain, although there is more bleeding for a while, but this is the only way to end the three-hundred-year division. If we miss this opportunity, we are sinners - against our families, against our people, and against our children and grandchildren. ”

"Big brother, I know all this. ”

"Since you understand, then why did you seduce the demon army into the customs and obstruct the implementation of the dragoon plan?"

Even a sudden thunderbolt from the sky could not have shocked Zi Chuanxiu even more, he suddenly raised his head and shouted, "Big brother, you ...... you"

"Don't tell me you don't know, don't tell me you didn't do it, that's an insult to my intellect. Di Lin said calmly, and his steps were not chaotic at all.

"First, the captain of your guard, Guray, hurried out of the dìdū at five o'clock in the morning on the fifteenth day of October, and headed east through the six provinces of Dakai, Enron, Cannes, and Shidiwe, and he did not sleep all the way to the fortress of Valen in five days, and on the twentieth day of October he entered the Far East through the fortress and disappeared from our field of vision, except for the messenger who delivered the urgent order, I do not see any reason for him to be in such a hurry. About ten days later, on November 1, the Bit Provincial Incident occurred.

"Second: When I used to transport strategic materials for you into the Far East, I found out that your secret passage exit was in the mountains within the territory of Bit, and now the area where the demon soldiers first appeared was also Bit. I don't believe that there is such a coincidence, there are two passages in the province of Bit, which do not interfere with each other, and a large number of demon armies have no idea about the Far East side of the Guò Mountain Range!"

"So, are you suspicious of me, Inspector General?" said Shikawa Hideqiang as he calmed down and said indifferently.

Di Lin shook his head: "It's not just doubt, I'm convinced." The appearance and departure of the demon soldiers were so sudden, the whole incident came too unnaturally, and the smell of artificial directors was too heavy - and only you, the King of Light in the Far East, had the ability and conditions to direct such a farce. Ah Xiu, your methods are so clumsy, I smelled yīn Mou thousands of kilometers away. ”

"Ha, ha, ha!" Zi Chuan Xiu sneered a few times, and his laughter was dry: "You accuse me of colluding with the Demon Army to enter the customs - then, Inspector General, may I ask me as the leader of the family, what reason do I have for doing this?"

That's what started to confuse me. Di Lin said unhurriedly, turning a direction under his feet, and Zi Chuanxiu had to follow his steps: "On the surface, you didn't get any benefits from this bit province incident, the only one who got the benefits was Luo Minghai, and at first I even wondered if he was directing this farce - but obviously not." He doesn't have that condition, let alone the courage, to let tens of thousands of demon army enter the family interior to demonstrate, which requires a whimsical courage and creativity, and those who can come up with this method are either geniuses or madmen.

"Luo Minghai is a person who follows the rules, he doesn't have this kind of creativity. The only person who dares to do this, and who has the conditions and strength to do so, is you. The Demon Army's entry into the customs and threatening the eastern territory of the family will inevitably lead to the stranding of the dragoon plan. Since there is an unknown path from the Far East that can enter the interior of the family, the family will definitely refocus on the strategic security of the Far East, and in order to ensure the security of the family's homeland, it must do its best to protect the Far East - to protect the Far East from the hands of the demons, this is your purpose, right?"

Zi Chuan Xiu finally collapsed completely, Di Lin was too terrible, the sharp language was like a sharp bayonet, ruthlessly picking off all his defenses, he could only defend weakly: "It's just your guess......"

"The next sentence you have to say: 'You have no proof. Isn't it? Ridiculous, that's what every prisoner who has been exposed to the yīn plot says. ”

Zi Chuanxiu was silent, he knew that what he was in front of him was not an ordinary person, and many times, the words of Inspector General Di Lin were evidence.

Di Lin lowered his head thoughtfully, as if looking for something on the dim ground of the street lamp, and finally he raised his head with a long sigh, stared at Zi Chuanxiu, and his voice was as low as a whisper: "A large number of demon troops poured into the interior of the family, in this incident, a total of more than 500 people were killed by the demon army, and nearly 1,000 soldiers and civilians were killed and injured in the process of escaping, most of them were old and young women and children, and their bodies are still discarded on the side of the road, no one is buried."

"For this incident, the family mobilized 500,000 troops to deal with the situation, costing 830 million worth of money and grain and grass, in addition, this incident caused great panic in the eastern part of the family, creating thousands of square kilometers of no-man's land, millions of residents were displaced, and the ripe crops that were about to be harvested were not harvested and rotted in the ground.

"The six southeastern provinces are also the same grass and trees, the wind is loud, the factory is suspended, the school is closed, and the indirect economic losses cannot be calculated now, and the conservative estimate will not be less than 10 billion. Even more frightening is the displacement of millions of people, who live on the streets without food and clothing, and many of whom are likely to end up as thieves and hooligans. Winter is coming, and countless people will die of cold and starvation.

"In addition, panic has also caused great harm to dìdū, society is about to collapse, fires, criminal cases are frequent, there are nearly 100 people who commit suicide because of despair alone, all kinds of evil religions can be popular, people's hearts are broken, social turmoil, even if the demon army really hits dìdū city, it will not cause more damage. Ah Xiu, I know, you are here to save the Far East, but this time, you are wrong. ”

Zi Chuanxiu closed his eyes, and the tragedy of that scene seemed to appear in front of his eyes, the city under the iron hooves of the demon army, the innocent people who died, the city that was burning, the woman who fled on the road with her children and baggage on her back - feeling that there was a bottomless black hole in front of him, Zi Chuanxiu's whole body was trembling - Di Lin said it too lightly, this is not a mistake, this is a crime! The blood debt of thousands of lives, the economic loss of tens of billions, if the matter is exposed, any jury will not hesitate to sentence himself to death a thousand times!

"Ah Xiu, the truth can't be known forever, what I can perceive, Sterling, Zichuan Shenxing, and Luo Minghai are not stupid people, and they can be discovered sooner or later. The reason why Sterling hasn't noticed it now is because he believes in you so much that he didn't think about it at all, and he didn't dare to think about it. The only thing I don't understand is, how did you mobilize the demon army to your advantage?"

This problem is very easy to solve, Zichuan Xiu thought, getting his own order, Lu Di, who had been idle and bored, screamed excitedly.

He gathered a few thousand outlaws from the surrendered demon captives, Shirakawa issued them weapons, and then crossed the mountains through the secret passage into the weakly defended province of Bit, where the human world was weakly defended, and swaggered around the outskirts of the province.

Zi Chuan Xiu had given them strict orders strictly to clash with human armed forces, strictly prohibit the killing of human civilians, and strictly prohibit crossing the boundary of a hundred miles west of the mountain range - but it was clear that the panic of the human race had fueled Lu Di's courage, and those murderous and bloodthirsty demon soldiers were too difficult to control, and even though Zi Chuan Xiu had strictly ordered them, they still made more than 500 casualties.

But fortunately, before the army of the Zichuan family came, Lu Di ran away with his tail between his legs, this is a huge adventure for his own life, as long as a demon soldier is captured, his own plot will be exposed, but in the end, the matter is still revealed.

Zi Chuanxiu raised his head and looked at Di Lin without evasion: "So, what is the purpose of these words, big brother? If you want to find out the truth of the incident, I admit that I did it, if you want to catch the murderer, you can take people now!"

"Arrest people?" Di Lin sneered: "If you arrest people, I don't need to be so bitter with you, a team of gendarmes is enough." I'm giving you a chance to save it!Ah Xiu, listen, if we miss this opportunity, we will forever lose the opportunity to conquer the Liufeng family and dominate the continent. Once the Liufeng family can smoothly tide over this crisis, we will again face the embarrassment of fighting on two fronts, and the wars and tragedies of the mainland over the past 300 years will continue to be staged and will never end. You still have time to come forward and report to the Commander-in-Chief that a secret path has been discovered, and the threat from the Eastern Front is lifted. You, me, and Sterling, just like in the past, the three of us are fighting side by side, marching together, who in the world can stop us? We will definitely be able to capture the wind and frost alive, take Yuanjing, unify the continent, and the great cause of the ages will be created in our hands!"

He grabbed Shikawa Xiu's shoulder, his eyes full of earnest pleas.

Zi Chuanxiu's heart trembled, he stepped back and broke free of Di Lin's hand, turned his head to avoid his gaze: "So, the family just watched tens of millions of Far Easterners become slaves of the demon clan in vain and did not lend a hand?"

Di Lin was stunned for a moment, and Zi Chuanxiu said to himself: "Big brother, I have my position, you also have your position, and now, just like you, I have also embarked on a road of no return, and the Far East is my life and road - unless you kill me, I will never stop." Of course, you can expose me, or you can arrest me on the spot, in that case, it's not a big deal, I'll just die!"

Di Lin looked at Zi Chuanxiu steadily, gradually let go of his hand, and took a step back.

His eyes slowly changed, cold and firm, and his voice became cold: "I didn't expect you to have such a firm consciousness." Ah Xiu, now I am the only one who knows this secret, and now there is no one around, and your martial arts are above me-"

In an instant, Zi Chuanxiu felt a strong killing intent.

Out of conditional reverse, he jumped away like lightning, holding the hilt of the knife with his backhand, and almost at the same moment, Di Lin's long sword was already half unsheathed: "Why don't you try to kill me?"

It was one o'clock in the morning, and the dim street lamps shone on the dark and remote alleys, and the night was deep, and the silence around was terrifying, and there was no one near and far. The two of them stood in relative silence, you looked at me, I looked at you, and their pupils were shrinking little by little.

The air was as solemn as substance, and a qualitative and intangible murderous aura filled the narrow space, and the whistling wind swept between the two of them, and the sharp hiss made people's eardrums ache.

Di Lin's voice was as low as a whisper: "Try it, kill me, and your secret will be kept!"

Zi Chuanxiu's whole person suddenly twitched, and he let go of the hand holding the knife decadently: "Big brother, I can't kill you." I can't make a move on you at all, and if you do it, you can kill me in less than ten moves. For a moment, the murderous aura condensed around him suddenly dissipated.

"Ah Xiu, you have disappointed me so much, how can a person who does great things be such a mother-in-law?" Di Lin was furious, he wanted to say something and stopped, and finally violently returned the sword to the sheath, made a loud "ding" sound, and strode away.

"You're doing it yourself!"

The autumn wind was bleak, looking at his back and slowly leaving, but Zi Chuanxiu was unable to keep up. Between myself and this back, a huge chasm has emerged.

Compared to the quarrel on the night of the bloody dìdū four years ago, this split is even more severe.

Four years ago, Shikawa Shu was confident that he was right, but this time, he can only say that he has no choice.

For Di Lin's strange behavior, Zichuan Xiu can understand his contradictory mood. He can't be ruthless, the only way is to provoke Zichuan Xiu to kill him first, then, in order to protect himself, he can completely abandon his worries and feelings!

The corners of Zi Chuanxiu's eyes gradually moistened, big brother, you can't make a move on me, how can I be ruthless to you? You once said: "Ah Xiu, I can kill all the people in the world, but I can't be ruthless to you and Sterling." "The words are still in my ears, but have you and I reached the point where you have to live or die?

In the future, when you get into trouble, who will clean up the mess for yourself?

When you are confused, who will guide you in the maze?

When I cried out loud, whose shoulder did I lean on?

The world has all kinds of complicated evaluations of Di Lin, and for later generations, he is the most inscrutable person in the Golden Age.

He was known for his ruthlessness and cruelty, but he cared for his friends with all his heart; he acted carefully and thoughtfully, but he often had the kind of crazy behavior that made a desperate bet; he was an invincible military commander, a rare great strategist with a long-term vision, and at the same time an evergreen in the political arena; he was noble and arrogant, but he often did not keep his word and went back on his word; he was ambitious, but he was always able to act in the interests of the family, and he did everything to achieve the greatest interests for the family.

To the world, this is a horn full of contradictions, but for Zichuan Xiu as his brother, the image of Di Lin is very simple, he acts as the horn of both father and brother, and he has always grown up under the wing of Di Lin.

If Zi Chuanning is the support of his faith, Di Lin is the sustenance of his courage. At those most critical moments, I was full of indomitable courage to think that Di Lin was fighting side by side with me behind me, and in those most difficult and arduous moments when Pai was besieged, I thought of Di Lin's slightly upturned smile, and I was full of confidence that Di Lin would never leave me alone!

From Di Lin, you can feel the warm blood and liver of a man, a noble, personal friend, a brother who lives and dies together, Di Lin is the kind of person who can give his life without hesitation.

The narrow alleys, the dim street lamps, Zi Chuanxiu shrank little by little, and collapsed weakly.

He leaned against the filthy wall and sobbed silently, despite the sleek uniform of the ruler on his body. After Zi Chuanning, he lost another person with the most important meaning in his life.

Today, eight years later, Riwaki's smiling girlfriend has become a mother, and she has experienced countless vicissitudes.

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