The Demonic World I designed-Chapter 662 - 652: Troop Shortage

"So what?" Chen Qing laughed, looking at everyone, "When it was time to enjoy the spoils, you all remembered that we share a player identity. When you monopolized things, I surely didn’t enjoy any benefits from you."

The crowd: "....."

"Lord King of Qin... just state your terms, out with it." A deep voice came from above, clearly believing that enough probing had been done.

Knowing their own first-grade details put them at a disadvantage in negotiations, hoping that a shared hometown identity would induce the other party to concede benefits was clearly unrealistic. With such power gained in just a few short years, of course, they were not the tender-hearted kind.

"Then I’ll speak frankly." Chen Qing said with a smile, "First, I must clarify that nominally, I will have no involvement with the Celestial Serpent Palace, and I won’t oppose the Imperial Court Army openly in this assistance to you."

"Then what are you here for?" A woman’s voice scoffed from above, "To snatch territory?"

"Pretty much... that’s the idea."

"Your Highness King of Qin." The president of the Shenwu Guild frowned, "Even when discussing conditions, there should be limits. You don’t want to give up anything and yet desire benefits. I’m afraid it’s not that simple, is it?"

"Why not?" Chen Qing laughed, "The conditions you’re offering are just so-so. Although I do indeed wish to share in the spoils of the north, compared to risking the greatest of taboos, these benefits are a loss to the bone, aren’t they?"

"Then what do you propose?"

"Under the guise of assisting the Imperial Court, I enter the Northern Territory, and you as insiders of the Celestial Serpent Palace provide me with information on which areas are easier to take over and which areas have Serpent Demons that are better not provoked. I will occupy the majority of the territory, blocking the Imperial Court’s path to expanding their power, while you retreat to the Northern Wasteland, creating a stand-off situation. If the other side still wants to swallow up my lands, then our conflict will be justified."

"You have quite an appetite." The president of the Tianhua Guild looked at Chen Qing, and under the gray fighting cap appeared an inscrutable twisting of the void.

"We act as insiders while you get to grab the territories first? What’s in it for us? And... can you actually handle it?"

The president of the Shenwu Guild also laughed, "Do you think we would agree to such terms?"

"Why wouldn’t you?" Chen Qing sneered, "What’s your situation now? Still talking terms? Don’t think we’re all one big happy family just because someone calls us fellow townspeople. Once you regain your momentum, isn’t that risk much greater than what Emperor Siao poses? Allowing you to retain some of your strength and have a passage in the Northern Wasteland is already a decent outcome. Do you still want to keep the entire north and the Celestial Serpent Palace?"

"Such an arrogant newcomer..." The president of the Tianhua Guild watched Chen Qing as the invisible pressure in the void intensified.

But Chen Qing just smiled without a word, not believing the other party would dare to make a move in this place.

Any slight energy disturbance here could cause an irreversible void storm. The Fourth Guild that controlled this place presumably would not allow it.

Indeed, the next moment a voice came from above, "That’s enough with the intimidating tactics; clearly, this guy knows what place this is."

At those words, the presences of the two guild presidents immediately fell silent.

Possessing overwhelming power yet forced to watch helplessly as this insignificant creature swaggered about was truly a most unpleasant thing.

It seems that after this cycle, they needed to intensify their efforts in the early stages of the plan.

"I just want to ask His Highness King of Qin one question..." The deep voice from above inquired of Chen Qing, "His Highness King of Qin has quite an appetite, but I wonder, do you actually have the military force to achieve it?"

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"Your Majesty... this is indeed a bit of a stretch!"

After learning about the overall plan, Tian Heng and the Shen Family members all furrowed their brows as they looked at the map.

Jiangnan had expanded too quickly in the past year, first taking over the West Sea. Including the many overseas islands, the area had at least increased tenfold. However, the islands abroad were empty, and there was no immediate pressure from the other three seas. Even with such an exaggerated area, the required military force was actually less than that needed for the Southeast alone.

But whether it was population development or defense against the uncleaned sea-bed zombies, a certain number of troops were still needed.

Originally, with the previous military force, defending Jiangnan while developing the West Sea was just about reasonable.

But this year, not only had the Southeast been taken down, but also the Northern Wasteland in the North Sea had been opened up.

Here in the south, it was necessary to confront the barbaric tribes outside the Tiannan pass, and, being adjacent to the Imperial Court and Yundu, one also needed to be wary of those two places. Even though Tian Heng had been desperately recruiting troops, a lack of manpower was still the norm.

The submission of Northern Yan was originally a good thing, but now that line of land in the Arctic, it was impossible to leave no troops behind, right? The covenant stated that Beihai would not be disturbed, but did that mean leaving an empty city there?

With the front lines drawn so long, what had once been an ample military force in Jiangnan was now extremely strained!

"What is our current combat-ready military force, and what about the newly recruited troops?" Chen Qing asked the crucial question.

The terms were negotiated, and the parties had also signed a contract, but the other side cleverly added a clause.

If an ally could not hold the entire territory of the Northern Territory, then they had a reason to, for their own safety, send troops to occupy the place conquered by the Northern Imperial Court!

In other words, the opportunity was given to you; if you’re not effective, you can’t blame us for making efforts to protect ourselves.

This was clear, the other side shrewdly saw that it was impossible for one’s military force to be that sufficient...

"I’ll say it first..." Tian Heng began: "The Western Sea Army currently has three hundred thousand combat-ready troops, but the overall strength is not as good as the Warrior Army’s, where everyone is Fifth Rank. Most of the lower-level soldiers are still hovering between Sixth and Seventh Rank. The elite force of thirty thousand are nearly all Third Rank and above, mainly stationed at the Tiannan pass in the Southern Wilderness and the border with Yundu, used to deter the two opposing forces. My suggestion is that the soldiers at these two locations should not be moved..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing nodded. After being beaten back last time, the Southern Wilderness has been relentless, with scouts reporting numerous times the presence of a large army lingering around the Tiannan pass. It seemed King Chu Jiang had not managed to successfully restrain the other barbaric countries, at least not enough to be engulfed in civil strife.

The contract was only signed for the Northern Territory, but not for the Southern Wilderness. If the other party wanted to do harm and pull one’s forces from the south, it was entirely possible.

Then there’s Yundu, a place shrouded in mystery. Chen Qing still didn’t know who was behind the scenes there. As the former Royal Capital, it couldn’t possibly be completely devoid of combat power. Those remnants of the former dynasty who had once sought refuge with the King of Qin, followed by the player forces of the guilds, might also have infiltrated the area. It’s the unknown that needs the most guarding against.

Plus, with the maintenance of the West Sea islands, Tian Heng’s Western Sea Army could probably only spare a little over a hundred thousand lower-level soldiers of Sixth or Seventh Rank.

"Twenty thousand troops can be withdrawn from Beihai City," Xuu Hu said from the side. "By combining with the northern line of defense troops, the elite of Fourth Rank and above could make up fifty thousand, and those below Fifth Rank could make up a hundred thousand. At most... that’s all we can squeeze out!"

Hearing this, Chen Qing fell silent.

The combat-ready forces of over a hundred thousand would have already been the peak force of a dynasty in ancient times. But this world was different; the population base and the size of the territory were not on the same level. The Northern Territory alone was comparable to the size of ancient Eurasia. To try to swallow up so much territory with just over a hundred thousand troops...

Clearly, it was not quite possible!!

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