"Next, we're going to split our forces into two ways. After returning to the inn, Li Mu said to the people under his command. "All the way, I will go to Qiangzhou to explore the way. The other way, led by Yi Fan, stayed in Sishan County and waited for the rest of the people to converge. ”

Immediately afterwards, he named and said, "Ah Li, Pei Miao, Wang Xiao, and Mei Mei will go with me, and the rest of the people will temporarily settle down in Sishan County." After all, Linzhou is much gentler than Qiangzhou. ”

Yi Fan and Li Mu had already passed the qi, so there was no surprise at all. He also agreed with Li Mu's opinion.

At the beginning, Li Mu proposed to move the Jiuge Gang to the north, and when it was the northeast, the two also discussed. Shazhou is the territory of the God of Wealth, which is a recognized fact in the rivers and lakes, and even the imperial court thinks so. The rest of the options are mainly between Linzhou and Qiangzhou.

Needless to say, the environment of Linzhou can be said to be a fairyland on earth compared to Qiangzhou. But Linzhou is still under the control of the imperial court, and Li Mu and Zhengyuanjiao do not deal with each other, and want to set up camp, these two problems must be solved.

On the Qiangzhou side, the control of the imperial court has become weak, coupled with the harsh environment, it has become the first choice for the imperial court to distribute sinners. In the northeast of Qiangzhou, the area headed by East Chucheng highlights the four words lawlessness. The Jiuge Gang is there, and it is more suitable to be a gang with a strong flavor of rivers and lakes.

In the current situation, the contradiction between Li Mu and Zhengyuan Sect can be said to have completely escalated, but Li Mu's own strength has also reached a higher level. He subdued the Zhengyuan Sect with his strength, and even controlled the Zhengyuan Sect in his hands. In this way, the Nine Songs Gang is relatively much safer in Linzhou. Even if the Zhengyuan Sect is all dispatched, a wave of counterattacks, with Yi Fan's astuteness, Nuluo's deterrence, and Huo Wuyou as a hostage in his hands. Basically, there won't be much of a problem.

The reason why Sishan County was chosen was that it was a plan to kill three birds with one stone.

First of all, the terrain of Sishan County is more complicated, and the complex terrain means that it is easy to hide.

Second, there is a red clay sword furnace in Sishan County, which means that there will be a lot of people from the rivers and lakes who will come to seek swords and swords, which makes it easier for the Nine Song Gang to recruit people.

Third, in terms of geographical location, you can enter Linzhou and retreat to Qiangzhou. Sishan County is not only the buffer between Linzhou and Qiangzhou, but also the connection between the two states. If Li Mu wants to grow stronger in the future, this key position cannot lack his own power.

As for going to Qiangzhou, that is what Li Mu said about going to see it first.

The situation in Eastern Chu City has only been heard of, and I have not seen it with my own eyes. For Li Mu, only by seeing it in person can he know it in his heart. In the case of undiscovered, Li Mu could not bring his relatives and subordinates over first.

Therefore, the strategy of dividing the troops is imperative.

Regarding the choice of manpower, Shen Li didn't want to be separated from Li Mu anymore, and Li Mu also didn't want to leave her behind, so they moved forward together. Wang Xiao and Bei Miao are Li Mu's cronies, and they usually use them easily, and he doesn't want to change them. As for Mei Mei, this woman, Li Mu can't fully trust after all. So take it with you.

Among the people who stayed in Linzhou, there were also a few people who were not so reluctant.

For example, Nu Luo, she heard that Dongchu City is almost the easternmost place outside of Da Zhen, and she has always wanted to go and see it.

Another example is Chen Yuan, her thoughts about Li Mu are buried very deeply. Especially when Shen Li was by Li Mu's side, she could only suppress her feelings. Hearing that Li Mu was going, she also wanted to follow, but she had no martial arts and no qualifications, so she had to give up.

The rest of the people have no objections.

Along the way, Li Lie has fully realized that his son has grown to the point of surpassing him, and as a father, he is very happy. Therefore, everything is arranged by Li Mu. After Chen Yuan went through the Zhengyuan Sect, he also grew a lot. The key is that he deeply realized Li Mu's strength.

As for Han Hou Shukeji, he obeyed Li Mu's words. The two of them had seen Xu Chong's status in the Nine Songs Gang, and they had even seen that Li Mu later entrusted the Yacheng Nine Songs Gang to Xu Chong. Now that they followed Li Mu to the north, they also had that kind of thought in their hearts. Moreover, they are also full of confidence in Li Mu.

Li Mu, who had arranged everything, set off with people.

Walking out of the boundary of Linzhou, you will be greeted by dry heat. Most of Qiangzhou is a desert sand sea, and it is not much more reckless than Shazhou. It is precisely because of the dry climate that Qiangzhou has become like this.

In the western part of Qiangzhou, there are market towns and military towns. Market towns are generally where people live, while military towns are where the Qinglian Army is stationed.

As one of the five armies of Dazhen, the Dongfang Qinglian Army has a large camp outside Sishan County in Linzhou, which is the foundation of the Qinglian Army's station. But Qiangzhou is not comparable to Yacheng. The Wuji army can control the overall situation by stationing a battalion. Qiangzhou has a vast geography, and the north is connected to the grassland and there is no danger to defend. If you stick to a battalion, you will inevitably be a little tired. Therefore, the Qinglian Army set up a lot of military towns in the market town and the line extending to the east. It can be counted as both a defensive post and a lengthened defensive line. Once you find that the steppe people or the night white people have moved, they can immediately react and send troops to defend against the enemy.

The road that Li Mu took was the trade route taken by the caravan. Along the way, where there is a market town, where there is a water source, where supplies can be replenished, are all marked. So Li Mu was not stunned.

It's just that they still lack a guide.

Because when you get past most of the market towns, it's desert. Although there are maps of trade routes, it is not easy to find the right direction in the desert and keep the route of travel the same.

Therefore, Li Mu and the others walked all the way, and they were also looking for guides along the way.

Because of the accident in East Chu City, there are many fewer caravans going to East Chu City this year, so most of the guides are doing nothing or looking for another way.

Li Mu and the others spent money to find one of the most experienced local guides, named An Liman, who is said to have lived in the desert all his life, and can tell the direction just by looking at the lines of the sand dunes. At the suggestion of the guide, the mounts of Li Mu and the others were also changed from horses to camels. After all, in the sea of sand, it is the territory of camels, and the horses have become a drag here.

After a little trimming, Li Mu and his party set off under the leadership of An Liman. An Liman took the lead and opened the way in front, Li Mu and Shen Li rode a horse closely behind, Wang Xiao and Bei Miao left and right, guarding the camel with luggage in the center, and Mei Mei was the queen of the palace.

According to this distribution, the team walked in the vast sea of sand. Not surprisingly, after half a month, you can reach Dongchu City.

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