Chapter 292: The Command Shook Mountains, and the Assembly of Generals Startled Even Ghosts and Gods

Song You thanked Advisor Zhang, Mr. Qiao, and Big Belly Jiang before leaving the camp. He passed through the city again, this time walking more slowly than on his way there.

The oppressive aura of killing intent in the city seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment.

The Daoist strolled leisurely, observing his surroundings. When encountering large convoys of carts and horses, he stepped aside to let them pass, exchanging glances with those who cast their eyes his way.

In his heart, a peculiar feeling began to take root—

For many of these people, it was likely the first time he had made eye contact with them, and it might also be the last. For some, it was because the vastness of the world made even a fleeting meeting rare and precious. Every ordinary moment of passing by someone, no matter how unremarkable it seemed, was inherently invaluable. For others, it was because they would not survive the battles to come.

Song You walked, pausing now and then, meeting their gazes and nodding.

These people were all vividly alive, each with unique appearances and personalities. They passed by him in different ways—some avoided his gaze, some met his eyes, some nodded in greeting, some smiled and cupped their hands respectfully, and some glanced at him furtively or waited until they had walked a distance before daring to look back.

At first glance, these people seemed similar, but upon closer inspection, no two were exactly alike.

When they returned to their quarters, Lady Calico leapt onto the table, finding a suitable height to meet his gaze. She asked, “When are we going to Yuezhou?”

“In winter.”

“What’s a phoenix?”

“A legendary divine bird,” Song You answered her patiently, as always.

“Is it powerful?”

“I’ve never seen one.”

“Who’s stronger, the phoenix or the old Swallow Immortal?”

“Who knows?”

“Will we be able to see one when we get to Yuezhou?”

“We’ll leave it to fate,” Song You replied gently. “There may not be a phoenix there, or perhaps what’s there isn’t truly a phoenix.”

“Then it must be a mystical bird!”

“Maybe.” Song You nodded. “Or it could be some other divine bird or a mystical being nurtured by the heavens and earth. People might see it and, not knowing what it is, call it a phoenix.”

“Why are we going to look for it?”

“For no particular reason, just to take a look,” Song You replied patiently. “If fate allows, we’ll catch a glimpse of it and broaden our horizons.”

“Oh…” Lady Calico shook her head slightly. The idea of traveling long distances just to catch a glimpse of a completely unfamiliar bird seemed hard for her to grasp. But she didn’t care much; after all, this Daoist in front of her spent his days walking from place to place anyway. Wherever he went, she would simply follow.

So she quickly shifted gears and said to him, “But it’s still spring now…”

“It’s summer already.”

“It doesn’t feel hot.”

“This place just isn’t hot.”

“Everywhere is full of flowers.”

“The flowers of grasslands bloom in summer.”

“Then what will we do from summer until winter?”

“We’ll stay here, or maybe march with them.”

“Will we help them fight?”

“We’ll only deal with the demons.”

“I’m very strong. Can I help them fight?”

“No, you cannot.”

“Why not?”

“Because war is a matter for humans. Demons, gods, and ghosts must not interfere.”

“Oh, I’m not human.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why aren’t you human?”

Lady Calico tilted her head, looking at the Daoist in confusion. Her gaze was pure, yet her words could be objectively interpreted as criticism.

“…”

Song You couldn’t help but reach out, placing his hand over her head, and sighed helplessly before replying, “The demons in the northern frontier army are probably few by now, if any remain. The days ahead will likely be dull. Lady Calico, you’re a mature cat, so perhaps you can plan what you want to do during this time.”

“Plan what to do…”

“It means thinking about what you want to accomplish, making a plan, and then sticking to it. It could be learning, living well, or playing. Of course, you don’t have to be overly strict about it,” Song You said, pausing to look at Lady Calico.

Using a doubtful tone, he added, “People who can plan their future are truly remarkable. It’s a very difficult thing to do. I wonder if it might be too challenging for you, Lady Calico…”

The moment Lady Calico heard the words

“truly remarkable,”

her expression grew serious. Hearing that it was difficult, her gaze became even more cautious as she lifted her head to stare at the Daoist.

“Can you do it?”

“I can’t.”

“Even you can’t do it…”

“That’s right. I just don’t know if you can manage it.”

“What if I can?”

“Then you will be more capable than me.”

“...!”

Lady Calico’s expression grew serious.

As she pondered how to make a plan for herself, the Daoist’s voice came from beside her. “I could offer some suggestions to you. Of course, they’re just suggestions. Whether to take them or how to implement them is entirely up to you, Lady Calico.”

“What suggestions?”

“You practice the Yin-Yang Method and fire element spells. These are part of your cultivation and should naturally not be neglected. Reading and practicing calligraphy are for your knowledge and culture; these shouldn’t be ignored either.

“But more importantly, you must balance work and rest. Catching mice and chasing butterflies are equally important and shouldn’t be forgotten. However, these are things you do every day anyway, so there’s no need for me to say much. Adding them to a plan would just help you in doing them better.” Song You paused.

He continued, “In addition, Advisor Zhang has many books. If you’re willing, I could borrow one for you to read.”

“I am!”

“In the past few days, I’ve shown you quite a few spells. If you’re willing, you could also learn a new one.”

“I am!”

“Then what would you like to learn?”

“What would I like to learn?” Lady Calico repeated the question, falling into deep thought.

Her small feline face scrunched into a frown, and the trace of worry on her expression was unmistakable. After a long period of internal struggle, she finally looked up at the Daoist and asked, “I want to learn both thunder magic and summoning the Mountain God!”

“Then learn both.”

“But you said mastery lies in depth, not breadth!”

“Indeed.” Song You nodded. “However, you’ve already mastered fire magic. Learning one or two more arts wouldn’t require the same level of dedication as mastering fire. You could study them as secondary disciplines or just as embellishments. That’s perfectly fine,” he explained. “But it’s best to learn them one at a time, prioritizing them. It will take a bit more effort.”

“I don’t fear hard work!” Lady Calico declared with a serious expression. “But many esteemed recluses and masters only ever mastered one or two techniques in their lives, and yet they roamed the world freely and were even worshipped as gods!”

“Lady Calico, you’re truly amazing at remembering all these random bits of information.”

“I’m amazing!”

“What else is there?”

“I have an amazing memory!”

“And what else?”

“…”

Lady Calico tilted her head upward, staring directly at him. This cat seemed to grow cuter by the moment.

Song You couldn’t help but smile slightly. Using his hand to cover her face, he finally managed to make her look away.

“Let’s start by teaching Lady Calico the Boulder Legion technique.”

“Boulder Legion!”

“Boulder Legion is a profound spell. Most Daoists in this world, even with cultivation skills, can’t even scratch its surface. However, with your exceptional talent and diligence, you have already reached the minimum cultivation level required to begin learning this spell at such a young age. That’s no small feat. I hope you will treasure this opportunity.”

“Treasure this opportunity!” Lady Calico repeated earnestly.

“Boulder Legion is an earth-element spell. The most crucial aspect is to comprehend the spiritual resonance of mountains and stones. Then, using your spiritual power, gather the stones to form human shapes and imbue them with that spiritual resonance. The resulting stone giants will resemble Mountain Gods.”

“Mountain Gods!” At the mention of gods, Lady Calico's eyes lit up with excitement, her entire demeanor brimming with enthusiasm.

Song You patiently began to explain the technique further.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside.

It was the sound of drums—the command drum for assembling the generals.

“

Boom, boom, boom

…”

The drumbeats rolled continuously, thundering like lightning.

The many commanders who had long been prepared rushed toward the assembly point at the sound of the drums. The clinking of armor and weapons echoed from the command headquarters, though it didn’t reach the rear courtyard where Song You and Lady Calico were. The generals had already gathered before the drumbeats even finished.

Song You paused mid-explanation and turned to look outside. Lady Calico, curious but considerate, didn’t interrupt him and simply followed his gaze.

More voices rang out from the front—

“Roger!”

“Understood!”

Each response was firm, resolute, and laced with a chilling killing intent.

Truly, it was as if the command shook mountains, and the assembly of generals startled even ghosts and gods.

Song You quietly listened from the rear courtyard for a long time before collecting himself. Then, as if nothing had happened, he continued explaining the Boulder Legion technique to Lady Calico.

The next morning, General Chen completed the series of complex preparations for battle and informed the other four northern garrisons. He then led his army out of the city, shifting from defense to offense.

Naturally, Song You joined the march.

A monumental war, one destined to be recorded in history, unfolded before him with astonishing speed.

The northern frontier grasslands were by no means a weak opponent.

In this world and era, the conflict between the northern nomadic tribes and the Central Plains agrarian dynasties was deeply entrenched and seemingly insoluble. When the north was strong and the south weak, it didn’t matter who ruled the Central Plains or which tribes and nations roamed the northern grasslands—they would inevitably push south.

Only when the south was strong and the north weak could the Central Plains enjoy peace. At their peak, either side’s military might often stood unrivaled in the world.

The great northern war a decade ago saw both the northern frontier and Great Yan at their zenith, with the eventual victory going to Great Yan, thanks to General Chen Ziyi.

Now, the two forces clashed again. The scale of carnage could scarcely be imagined.

At this moment, both Great Yan and the northern frontier were colossal forces. The men of the northern frontier were born valiant warriors, and Great Yan’s northern army was equally elite. When the two armies clashed, it was like two ferocious beasts colliding.

At the height of brutality, in just half a day, tens of thousands of corpses littered the grasslands—each one a soldier from the finest, most battle-hardened armies of the era.

It was then that Song You truly understood what the State Preceptor had once said—

In reality, how many ingenious schemes truly existed? Even if there were such schemes, they could not fully convey the brilliance of Chen Ziyi.

What was Chen Ziyi like more than a decade ago? Song You couldn’t say. But the Chen Ziyi of today required no clever plots or strategies to highlight his genius. He needed only to stand there. When the banner embroidered with the character

Chen

was raised over the battlefield, the enemy naturally lost three parts of their courage, while his own side gained three parts in strength.

Battles that once saw five hundred unable to withstand a thousand were now winnable. Originally, the entire population of the northern frontier territories had taken up arms and marched south in force, a momentum that the five northern garrisons could hardly withstand. But now, they could now be held at bay.

That banner, as long as it stood, had this effect. As long as it stood, countless soldiers would defend it, ensuring it never fell.

Indeed, there weren’t many brilliant schemes or ingenious tactics. What there was instead was face-to-face combat, throat-tearing screams, the blood and spirit of Great Yan’s warriors, the battle prowess of the first professional army in history, the terrifying cohesion of a force that maintained its structure even after losing nearly half its strength, and the countless broken spears, shattered swords, and fallen bodies.

If one were to speak of the wisdom involved, it was truly profound.

It was the foundation laid by the Daoist Fuyang at the dawn of the dynasty, emphasizing the importance of the people’s welfare. It was the meticulous governance of generations of rulers and officials.

It was also the countless efforts of the nation's people that created the greatness of Great Yan, built an elite professional army with an astonishingly high percentage of armored troops, ensured an endless stream of logistical support, and instilled a sense of pride and honor in being a citizen of Great Yan.

It was the unparalleled might forged by Chen Ziyi since his emergence, undefeated in every battle, honed through blade and spear. It was his exceptional vision and boldness, his precise grasp of timing, the culmination of years of battlefield experience, and the purest essence of the art of war.

Looking at it this way, every aspect was indeed a manifestation of great wisdom. It was just that these elements, when spoken of, often lacked the dazzling brilliance of clever schemes and cunning stratagems.

This was a contest of comprehensive strength, and naturally, a collective triumph.

But what a pity…

The land was dyed in blood for thousands of li, with millions of lives lost.