The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 571 If I say you are you, I am you. If I say you are not you, I am you.

"The Sui army has a master." After being bombarded by wave after wave of rumors, Li Mi quickly realized that this was a conspiracy of the Sui army, and it was also an open conspiracy. The conflict of interests between Wagang and the wealthy families has always existed. It was only because he controlled the overall situation and condoned, protected and favored them that the Zheng family was able to accept the Wagang rebels and no direct bloody conflict occurred.

According to his own plan, the capture of Xingyang City should be after killing Zhang Xutuo and destroying the elite troops of the Sui army, and then taking over the defeated Sui army to strengthen the strength, and taking Luokou, the granary of the Sui Dynasty, in one go. While opening the granary to release grain, the army will also have enough food and grass.

However, the plan did not change quickly enough. He underestimated the strength of the Sui army and overestimated the strength and courage of the Wagang rebels. Although Zhai Rang was a strong warrior, he was not really fit to lead an army in battle. He was defeated by Zhang Xutuo's attack. His joint encirclement with Xu Shiji and Wang Bodang also failed. Even the Turkic and Demon masters who were hired at a high price were unable to successfully kill the main general Zhang Xutuo.

In the end, he had to rely on the rebellion of the Zheng family of Xingyang to capture the city of Xingyang. Not only did the power of Xingyang City fall into the hands of the Zheng family, but it also allowed the Sui army to retain a large number of elite troops and heavily guard Luokou, thus ruining the implementation of the third step of his plan.

With the loss of the Luokou granary, Li Mi's plan to win the hearts of the people was completely shattered. He also had conflicts with the Zheng family over the supply of food and grass. In particular, after the Sui army experts disclosed the power and wealth of the Zheng family and belittled the Wagang Army, he was pushed into a very unfavorable situation.

The Wagang Army was fighting outside but was still poorly clothed and hungry, while the Zheng family of Xingyang was able to eat their fill just by rebelling against them. How could the many Wagang soldiers accept this?

Li Mi has always been ambitious and could not accept the current situation. Compared with Zhai Rang, he was a hundred times better. Even Zhang Xutuo and Yang Qing were expelled by him. However, he did not win a complete victory after all. He was blocked outside Luokou, cutting off his path of external expansion. If he could not take Luokou, his kingdom and hegemony in Central China would be in danger of collapse.

The Wagang Army was already somewhat underutilized at this point. The majority of the Sui troops they had incorporated were controlled by the Zheng clan of Xingyang, and they were severely short of food, fodder, and weapons. It wasn't that they were short of supplies, but rather that these supplies were controlled by the Zheng clan of Xingyang, making it difficult for them to seize them. While the Zheng clan of Xingyang supported them more than others, it was nothing compared to their wealth.

Just as Li Mi was thinking of a way to break the deadlock, the other party took action first and directly destroyed the Zheng branch's manor in the countryside, and sent a large amount of supplies to the Wagang Army. This move was not brilliant, but it instantly aroused the ambition, desire and ferocity of the Wagang rebels.

Who did it?

Zhang Xutuo and Yang Qing?

They are the most likely ones. After all, both the Zheng family of Xingyang and the Wagang Army are enemies. They certainly don't want to miss the opportunity to stir up trouble between them. However, sending food, fodder and military equipment to the enemy is against common sense, and it seems like the Wagang Army did it themselves.

Zhai Rang?

From the perspective of vested interests, he was undoubtedly more suspicious than the Sui army. The Zheng family of Xingyang was his ally, Li Mi, and had almost no relationship with Zhai Rang. He robbed the Zheng family's wealth to strengthen Wagang, and he could also provoke and destroy the relationship between the Zheng family and Li Mi. No matter how you look at it, he was the one who benefited.

And the most important thing is that he ordered the Turkish cavalry to kidnap Zhai Rang's daughter, and he secretly injured the leader Zhai Rang, exposing his relationship with the Turkish cavalry. Among those who looted the Zheng branch's manor, there were Turkish cavalry. How could he not suspect Zhai Rang?

But does Zhai Rang have such intentions?

Or was this a farce staged and staged by the Zheng family? But what were they trying to achieve by cutting off their own arms?

Li Mi finally put the blame on the Sui army in Luokou. Who let them take advantage of the situation and take the opportunity to counterattack Xingyang? Evidence is not important at all. If I, Li Mi, say it is you, you are you, and if I don’t say it is not you, you are also me.

Although it was an accidental success, it did not affect the outcome. Li Mi publicized the atrocities of the Sui army and pinned the blame on the defeated Sui soldiers. He turned a blind eye to the traces and corpses of the Turkic cavalry, actively worked to unite the Zheng family of Xingyang, and spent a large amount of silver to arm the Wagang soldiers, preparing to attack and take Luokou as soon as possible.

He knew that Luokou had sufficient food, fodder and military equipment, and had tens of thousands of troops under the command of Yang Qing and Zhang Xutuo. If he mobilized the local young and strong people, he could mobilize even 100,000 people. It would be extremely difficult to attack by force, so he came up with other ideas.

After experiencing some setbacks, Li Mi attached more importance to elite soldiers, generals, food and weapons. He secretly wondered if he could kill Zhang Xutuo, a loyal court official, would it be possible to persuade the Sui army to surrender and completely capture the entire Luokou? In this way, he would have elite soldiers and no shortage of food. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

At this time, the news came that the two dragons of Yangzhou had entered the martial arts world. They were carrying the "Secret of Immortality" and were in possession of Yang Gong's treasure. Li Mi could not hide the news from him at all. As Yang Xuangan's trusted aide, he had heard Yang Xuangan say that whoever obtained Yang Gong's treasure could obtain the world. He could not help but be very excited and ordered Shen Luoyan and the martial arts forces under his control to hunt down Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling.

Since frontal combat was not possible, he decided to do it secretly. Li Mi secretly sent several letters and delivered them to different people through different channels. All of a sudden, all the martial arts masters in the Central Plains were mobilized.

Information about Zhang Xutuo's closest associates also surfaced in Li Mi's speech. Shen Luoyan whispered, "Qin Qiong, Luo Shixin, Cheng Zhijie, and Pei Renji are all fierce generals in the army. They are all naturally gifted and skilled in battle, on par with Wang Bodang and Shan Xiongxin, but no match for Lord Mi. Zhang Xutuo is a formidable general, undefeated in hundreds of battles. His prestige should not be underestimated, and he is the foundation of the Sui army's faith. He holds a significant responsibility, but he lacks meticulousness. Yang Qing, a member of the Sui royal family, is cunning and resourceful by nature, good at adapting to changing circumstances, but his will is weak. If faced with danger, he will surrender."

Having said that, Shen Luoyan pointed her slender jade finger at a rather unfamiliar name: Yue Buqun!

"The Gentleman Sword Yue Buqun, a hermit of Mount Hua, possesses the strengths of both Confucianism and Taoism. He is meticulous, insightful, and resourceful. Although his reputation is unknown to the world, he has some reputation among hermits. Wang Bo is friendly with him and even admits his inferiority in Confucianism. The Dugu clan has been searching for him for three times but has been unsuccessful. His true background is unknown, but he has reached the Grandmaster level in martial arts, with unfathomable internal strength. His Yangwu Sword technique is unparalleled in defense, and no ordinary Grandmaster can break it."

"It's said that this man was sent by the imperial court to protect Zhang Xutuo. He's been here for years. He's not greedy for money or lustful, and doesn't value power, fame, or wealth. He enjoys reading and is skilled in training. He trained all the Sui army's elite scouts. He also has sixteen second-rate swordsmen, and two of them, working together, can defeat first-rate fighters. He's Zhang Xutuo's strongest shield."

"If I must point out a weakness, it's that he has an easygoing personality. As long as it's not a matter of principle, he rarely refuses requests from others, and he always holds himself to the standards of a Confucian gentleman." Shen Luoyan's words made Li Mi's eyes light up. "A gentleman deceives others with his own methods. Is there any possibility that I can use this person?"

Shen Luoyan took a deep look at his main attacker, sighed softly and said: "It may be possible, but it is not very likely. After all, my Wagang is a rebellious rebel army and is not favored by the Confucian righteousness."

"This person possesses a noble character and exceptional strength. Legend has it that he has close friendships with several hermits, including Dugu Qiubai, who challenges Master Yijian Fu Cailin annually; Xiaoyao Zhenren, who fled to Sichuan and fought against the leader of the Yingui Sect, Zhu Yuyan; the elusive Drunken Monk; and the Three Crazy Taoist Priest who scared off Yu Wenhuaji with a single word. These are all said to be at the peak of Grandmaster status, some even half a step away from becoming Grandmasters. If..."