"Li Ming of Longgang Prefecture, Qingzhou. It’s an honor to finally meet you, Lord Bai."

Li Ming smiled, clasped his fist, and walked toward Bai Yuan.

He ignored Li Huan, who was standing to the side.

This man usually had a natural air of authority, yet his smile could make one feel as pleasant as a spring breeze.

As the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling man. Bai Yuan clasped his fist in return. "Lord Li."

Qingzhou was the private domain of the Qingzhou Royal Mansion, which appointed all of its official positions. Li Huan and Li Ming were equivalent to Prefects, so addressing them as "Lord" was well within etiquette.

"I’ve long heard of Lord Bai of Ling Province’s great renown. Seeing you today, you are truly as exceptional as they say—a man above the common sort."

"..."

Bai Yuan was speechless.

Just like Li Huan, Li Ming was incredibly talkative.

’That old fox, the King of Qingzhou, seems to have a talent for procreation. Though he has only one Princess Consort, his concubines and consorts are countless, and he’s sired an unknown number of heirs—a feat strangely reminiscent of a certain ancestor of Emperor Zhao Lie.’

In the Royal Family, being prolific was a valuable skill.

Besides being a great warrior, his prolificacy was the main reason the King of Qingzhou was the last remaining prince with his own fiefdom.

’It’s a numbers game—he’s bound to produce some exceptional heirs eventually. Otherwise, protecting such a vast inheritance would be no easy task.’

’I suspect that the late Lingzhou General, Lu Xiao, tried to copy the King of Qingzhou’s methods. He just died too soon to build a family on the scale of the Qingzhou Royal Mansion.’

’With so many children, the title of a Prince’s son or daughter becomes cheap. They have to fight to stand out.’

’Li Huan and Li Ming are the standouts among those descendants, but naturally, the competition is incredibly fierce.’

Li Huan shot Li Ming a dark look.

"Fourth Brother, what brings you here?"

Beihua Prefecture bordered Longgang Prefecture, so it was only natural for the two of them to have plenty of conflicts.

Li Ming’s smile never wavered. "Ninth Brother, I’ve long heard that Lord Bai is an expert when it comes to slaying demons, and I’ve come specifically to consult with him."

At these words, Li Huan immediately grew wary.

’Bai Yuan is the expert I went to great lengths to invite, using my connection with Yang Fangyu. I can’t let Li Ming beat me to it.’

’His fourth brother has a habit of poaching talent.’

Li Ming ignored Li Huan and addressed Bai Yuan directly. "Lord Bai, Longgang Prefecture has long been plagued by demons. I implore you to lend us your aid and save the people from their suffering."

As he spoke, he observed Bai Yuan’s expression.

He deliberately appealed to Bai Yuan’s sense of duty first, but Bai Yuan’s expression remained unchanged.

’If he’s not moved by sentiment, then it must be about personal gain.’

Li Ming understood perfectly. "Lord Bai, I recently came into possession of a Sensibility Pill. Why don’t you stay in Longgang Prefecture for a few days and appraise it with me?"

Bai Yuan raised an eyebrow.

’The Sensibility Pill is a miraculous elixir that Jianghu Martial Masters would kill for. It can help one break through to the Sensation realm, and its name alone is enough to make anyone green with envy.’

’Li Ming is clearly trying to hire me with the Sensibility Pill.’

Bai Yuan shook his head. "Lord Li, I already have an agreement with Brother Li. I will pay you a visit at your residence after I return from Beihua Prefecture."

Li Ming’s expression froze.

He never expected Bai Yuan to refuse his invitation.

He had his men investigate Bai Yuan thoroughly before he even set foot in Qingzhou.

Bai Yuan had yet to break through to the Sensation realm, so he had specifically catered to his needs by offering the Sensibility Pill. The sincerity of his offer was more than sufficient.

"Since you have official business to attend to, we’ll have to share a drink and a long talk in a few days, Lord Bai."

Li Ming had a certain grace about him. He clearly understood the rejection in Bai Yuan’s words but didn’t press the matter.

He only cited official business, leaving the door open for the future.

Otherwise, he would just be pushing Bai Yuan further into Li Huan’s camp, and he was not so foolish as to do that.

Li Huan let out a long, internal sigh of relief.

He looked at Bai Yuan gratefully.

’I know the price I’ve offered couldn’t possibly compare to Li Ming’s Sensibility Pill.’

’For a Martial Artist who hasn’t yet reached the Sensation realm, the temptation of a Sensibility Pill is immense.’

Bai Yuan cupped his hands. "Another time, definitely."

Li Ming also clasped his fist in farewell, then turned and climbed into his carriage. With a sharp CRACK of the whip, the carriage that had been blocking the Official Road began to move away slowly.

’The reason I refused Li Ming, of course, had nothing to do with brotherly loyalty.’

’My relationship with Yang Fangyu is decent, but my deal with Li Huan is strictly business.’

’Even if I wanted to build a connection with the Qingzhou Royal Mansion, Li Huan and Li Ming are both sons of the King of Qingzhou. There’s really no difference between them.’

’I just had no real interest in the Sensibility Pill Li Ming offered. More than elixirs, I need Cultivation Techniques.’

’If Li Ming knew, he’d probably cough up blood in frustration.’

Cultivation Techniques were great, but one was usually enough. People like Bai Yuan, who crazily collected them, were a rare breed indeed.

...

「The next day.」

Bai Yuan and his party arrived at the Beihua Prefecture Magistrate’s Office.

"Younger Brother Bai, a band of Northern Demon People are holed up on Master Ridge, about a hundred li outside the city. The mountain is treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack. I’ve sent troops to surround and destroy them several times, but those Demons have repelled them every time."

Li Huan said, pointing to a map on the wall.

It was the first time Bai Yuan had seen such a detailed map. It was clear that the mapmaker had put in a great deal of painstaking effort.

There were no satellites in ancient times. To draw such a detailed map required an immense amount of effort.

Many capable generals had met disastrous ends, defeated by unfavorable terrain.

Therefore, studying terrain was a mandatory skill for any great commander. A man with no sense of direction could never become a General. That made Li Huan’s map priceless.

Bai Yuan looked at the map.

The terrain around the Demon Stronghold was indeed problematic. Only a single path led to it, and its back was protected by a sheer cliff. A direct, frontal assault was the only way to attack it.

Anyone who had experience leading troops into battle knew that storming a fortified city was far more difficult than annihilating an enemy in the open field.

You needed at least twice the numbers to have any hope of successfully storming a fortification.

That was precisely why Li Huan had been unable to do anything about the Demon Stronghold.

’This turtle shell is a tough one to crack.’

’Bai Yuan mused. If only I could build missiles, this would be a lot simpler. Too bad I can’t...’

’Still, I brought the Firearms Team. With suppressive fire, our odds of victory are much higher.’

’This was also why Li Huan had traveled all the way to Ling Province to ask for my help.’

Bai Yuan said, "There’s no time to lose. Why don’t we go take a look at the Demon Stronghold first?"

Li Huan was overjoyed. "That would be excellent."

That Demon Stronghold was a thorn in his side, and he wanted to eradicate it as soon as possible.

The two were in immediate agreement and set off with their troops for Master Ridge.

...

Qingzhou had many plains and was not densely mountainous like Ling Province.

Master Ridge was one of the few treacherous peaks in Qingzhou. From several li away, one could see a cliff several hundred meters high.

And atop the cliff, a stone-built castle was particularly eye-catching.

That was the Demon Stronghold.

Rather than calling it a Demon Stronghold, it would be more appropriate to call it a Demon Castle.

A Little Cat Demon slipped out of the jungle and leaped nimbly over the battlements. The interior of the Demon Stronghold was spartan, strongly resembling the slums south of Huanglong Prefecture City. A hundred-odd tents were scattered about haphazardly, with no concept of roads.

The Little Cat Demon sprinted through the encampment, finally entering a tent that was, by comparison, clean.

"Lord, the government troops from Beihua Prefecture are here again."

The Little Cat Demon spoke human words.

A woman in a black robe sat before her.

If Bai Yuan were here, he would recognize this woman at a glance as the Soul Chasing Tower Lord of Ling Province, Jia.

But she had now changed her name to Han Min.

Due to her failure, Kuaidong had stripped her of her position as Soul Chasing Tower Lord, and she had come to Qingzhou to recover from her injuries.

This Demon Stronghold was her handiwork.

In truth, her strength and methods were both formidable; otherwise, she would never have attained the position of a provincial Soul Chasing Tower Lord as a woman.

She just happened to run into that freak, Bai Yuan.

"I know."

Han Min waved her hand dismissively.

She had fortified the Demon Stronghold until it was impregnable. Even troops sent from Qingzhou itself would find it difficult to breach, let alone the paltry forces of Beihua Prefecture.

Just as the Little Cat Demon was about to leave the tent, she suddenly called her back.

"Send Hei Hu to scout."

"As you command."

The Little Cat Demon accepted the order in a shrill voice and left.

...

「At the foot of Master Ridge.」

"Younger Brother Bai, that’s the Demon Stronghold up there."

Li Huan raised his hand and pointed to the castle at the highest point of the cliff.

Bai Yuan was a little surprised.

It was common knowledge that monsters, Demons, and barbarians alike were all undisciplined by nature and rarely built fortified settlements.

Bai Yuan had killed many Demons in Ling Province, but he had never seen such organized and disciplined Demons.

Moreover, there were almost no cities in the vast Northern Plains.

’There must be an expert directing things from within this Demon Stronghold.’

Li Huan was also very puzzled.

He was familiar with the situation in the other twelve prefectures of Qingzhou, and a stronghold like this one existed nowhere but Beihua Prefecture.

To make matters worse, the Demon Stronghold acted with an unnerving degree of restraint.

Although the Demon Stronghold had killed its share of masters in Beihua Prefecture, the casualty count was only average compared to the other prefectures in Qingzhou.

As a result, reinforcements from the provincial capital of Qingzhou had never been dispatched to Beihua Prefecture.

So Li Huan was left to confront the Demon Stronghold on his own.

He had considered reporting the matter to his father, the King, but doing so would have severely damaged his future chances of inheriting the throne.

The King of Qingzhou was just over a hundred years old; for a Martial Artist of his caliber, he was still in his prime.

Therefore, he had not appointed a crown prince and had been observing the performance of his thirteen sons.

Li Huan already ranked low among the thirteen. If he asked for reinforcements, any good impression he might have made on the King of Qingzhou would be utterly ruined.

That was why he would rather travel far to Ling Province to find Bai Yuan than ask the Qingzhou Royal Mansion for help.

"Easy to defend and hard to attack, indeed."

Bai Yuan nodded. He wasn’t a military strategist, but he could grasp the basics of the situation.

’I wouldn’t entertain any cliché ideas about a surprise attack from the air with hang gliders. The Demon Castle is full of Demons, after all; there are probably some who can fly, which would just turn my men into living targets.’

’When it comes to warfare, slow and steady is the only true path to victory. Relying on clever tricks will lead to disaster sooner or later. Not every commander is a military genius.’

’The only surefire way to win is to have the larger force.’

’I have men and guns; the best method is obviously a siege.’

Generals in ancient times often laid siege to cities for months, sometimes even years—and many of them were famous commanders. That was because a siege was the most cost-effective method of attack.

Otherwise, the casualties from a direct assault would be too high for any commander to accept.

’The Demon Stronghold is full of Demons. If they’re besieged for too long, they’re bound to start fighting amongst themselves.’

’And that will be my time to move in and reap the rewards.’

’It’s the same principle a Hunter uses. You can’t just face a dangerous beast head-on; you’ll get killed in its desperate, final struggle.’

’To take the fortress at the lowest cost, a siege is the best option.’