The naval force dispatched to Joseon this time was led by the Deputy General of the Nan'ao Town, the renowned general Chen Lin, with the veteran Deng Zilong as his副帅. The initial deployment plan was for only five thousand men, but given the enemy's fierce advance, nearly half of the previous years' victories were lost. Therefore, reinforcements were significantly increased, bringing the total to twenty thousand.
This force, though substantial, seemed small compared to the hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops reinforcing. However, naval forces from other regions were en route, along with some supporting land troops, and ten thousand Jurchen troops from Jianzhou... This represented a significant commitment of forces for the Jianzhou Wei led by Shurhaci.
At this time, Jianzhou did not have a large number of troops; the combat-ready soldiers numbered close to ten thousand, with only a few thousand being elite. After all, Nurhaci would not possess twenty thousand armored soldiers and sixty thousand combat-ready men until more than a decade later.
However, for the Jurchen, winter warfare meant that the entire populace could be mobilized. The number of soldiers depended on the number of males of age, so ten thousand was achievable, even if more than half were cannon fodder. But in this era, where were there so many elite soldiers? Cannon fodder was still combat power; they were people who genuinely wielded weapons and fought, not mere atmosphere-builders who only shouted for the general from the rear, as depicted in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
At this moment, Shurhaci was indeed engrossed in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. After all, this was the first time he was commanding such a large army. Previously, his elder brother had always been the commander. This time, it was to show utmost loyalty and prevent his territory from being ravaged.
Of course, as the attacking parties, both the Ming navy and the Jianzhou Wei habitually exaggerated their participating numbers. The navy was full of seasoned actors; "hundred thousand troops" was a phrase they uttered casually. The Jianzhou Wei claimed to have mobilized thirty thousand combat-ready soldiers.
There were also Ming dynasty land forces, led by the formidable "Liu San Dao" Liu Ting, who mobilized twenty thousand troops, also claiming to be a hundred thousand strong to the outside world.
Upon hearing this, Shurhaci remarked that with a hundred thousand on land and another hundred thousand at sea, and a few more, the total deployed force for this battle could be claimed as a million strong. Although others called it an absurd move, thinking Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not a fool and would not believe it, Shurhaci himself had a unique perspective.
After all, since the boast had already been made, there was no harm in exaggerating it further. Since the opposing side did not know their military strength, it could serve to confuse them.
It had to be said that this tactic was precisely what the brilliant General Yang Hao had used in history to deceive the Jurchen. He claimed to have thirty thousand troops stationed at Sarhū, which genuinely frightened Nurhaci into inaction for a period.
And the brilliant Yang Hao was currently in the Joseon region, leading a large number of Ming troops, and was being relentlessly leveled up by the Japanese as a game boss.
The plan was to provide landing support in the coastal areas of Jeolla Province, but unexpectedly, the mountain cities and passes in the Joseon heartland were collapsing like a mountain of soldiers. Most of the recaptured areas had already fallen.
Standing at the front of the warship, one could see three intertwined streams of cloud hovering in the Joseon sky: purple-red, yellow, and white. The weakest of these, the white stream, represented the destiny of the Joseon kingdom.
Purple represented the imperial authority of the Ming Dynasty, as the heavens had the Ziwei Palace and the earth had the Forbidden City, hence this color. There were also waves of crimson energy within it, the color favored by the Ming Dynasty, which was vermilion.
Yellow was because Japan at this time favored golden colors. Toyotomi Hideyoshi crafted golden artifacts for the Emperor of Japan, symbolizing the pursuit of wealth and power.
As for white, it was the color that ancient Joseon had always revered. This habit even persisted into later generations; while China posted red Spring Festival couplets, Joseon posted white ones, making it look less like a celebration and more like a funeral.
"Currently, the yellow qi is fierce, the white qi is weak, and the purple-red qi is retreating steadily."
Wang Lao Jianxian of Wudang Mountain gazed at the stream of qi from afar. The other Wudang cultivators also felt the gravity of the situation. Logically, not long ago, there had been consecutive great victories, and even when "Wolong and Fengchu" had privately signed a ceasefire agreement between the two leaders, the Japanese occupied territories in Joseon were only left in the eastern and southern coastal areas.
But now, even the western coastal areas, which were supposed to be "recaptured zones," had been reoccupied. This indicated that the rumors of "fake immortals" appearing among the enemy might not be false.
"No need to worry. Each time a fake immortal makes a move, they bring themselves closer to annihilation. They will not act unless it is absolutely critical. After all, opportunities to act are precious, and if they fight for too long, they will suffer great damage."
"According to some information I've gathered, there seem to be quite a few fake immortals in this world, but they are all old relics. Their opportunities to act can only be maintained at one or two times. There is nothing to fear from such beings. It's a pity we don't have any experts in the Pure Yang realm here; otherwise, with various magical artifacts, we could wear them down."
Ji Xiang stood at the bow of the ship. Above his head, the Red Dust Tribulation had become even greater.
Helping Li Jianyuan deduce immortal scriptures had generated a new Red Dust Tribulation, meaning a great disaster would be encountered in Joseon this time. Perhaps the very act of coming to Joseon was a harbinger of disaster.
Coincidentally, just as he was about to take a second-grade immortal elixir, he received the conscription order. This was itself a manifestation of misfortune. The second-grade immortal elixir required a long period of refinement, with regular refinement every seven days, denying him the opportunity to become an immortal. Stepping onto this land meant...
"In the unseen, there will be experts at the immortal level appearing here."
Fights at the immortal level were about striking when the opponent is unprepared. Chen Taichu was also an immortal, and after being ambushed and turned into a banished immortal by himself, he was no longer a threat. But if he hadn't been successfully ambushed, it would have been disastrous.
In the end, he himself was not truly at the immortal level. As the saying goes, to defeat a master, you must drag his level down to yours, and then defeat him with your rich experience and outrageous maneuvers.
"General Chen, where shall we land?"
Ji Xiang looked at the distant coastline. A mountain city there was particularly striking. Joseon was a mountainous region with few plains. From afar, one could see the shadows of undulating mountain ranges, appearing and disappearing behind the waves and sea mist.
"The national prestige of the three countries is intertwined. We originally planned to land in Jeolla Province, but Jeolla Province fell too quickly. We then shifted to Gyeonggi Province, specifically Suwon Port near the royal capital, but now Suwon Port has also fallen into enemy hands..."
As Chen Lin spoke these words, he muttered curses at Yang Hao, calling him incompetent and saying he fought recklessly without any skill.
Yang Hao's bizarre operations were not a one-time occurrence. However, there was one aspect where he surpassed Li Rusong: under Yang Hao's command, the Ming army's discipline was much stricter than Li Rusong's, which improved the Ming army's reputation... What good was that!
Chen Lin thought that if they won, everything would be fine. If they lost, what good was it to be a benevolent person? The Joseon people might remember him kindly and erect a shrine for him, but what of it? They would still flee as they pleased, not lending him any effort, while he would be imprisoned.
For military men, winning was paramount. Losing meant losing everything. What about military discipline? Rewards for merit and punishment for mistakes were enough.
Moreover, most of the recaptured areas were initially taken by Li Rusong. Yang Hao captured very few areas, basically relying on overwhelming numbers. Unlike Li Rusong, he liked to create divisions between north and south, letting the southern Qi family army handle the difficult and siege warfare, while the northern army reaped the rewards. Who would fight for him under such circumstances! His strict military discipline was probably just to prevent the southern army from sharing his credit!
Ji Xiang looked at the map and pointed, "South of Hwanghae Province, isn't this port quite good? It's backed by Linshan Mountain, firmly controls the western coast, and can attack Gyeonggi Province at any time, containing the royal capital. Why not land here?"
Chen Lin explained carefully, "It is indeed backed by Linshan Mountain to the north, and there is a sea route to communicate with the main army. But what if, what if we attack this place and the main army loses the city? This place would become an isolated city."
"If we land here and the Japanese attack Hwanghae Province, capture Goksan, and advance directly to Sangwon and Nampo, our rear would be cut off."
Ji Xiang: "No need to be so cautious. With me here, attack with confidence."
"This Haizhou City is a strategic location, controlling the throat of the sea. How can we not take it? Everyone, please wait. I will be back shortly. I will just let them know a few things!"
"Then, what kind of important figure will be stationed in such a strategic location?"
The opening strike, directly targeting the general!
...
On the battlements of Haizhou City, the Japanese saw countless warships appearing on the distant sea, accompanied by wind gods, water demons, and sea dragons and horses escorting these warships. This immediately caused alarm, and they scrambled onto the city walls, blowing the alarm horns for battle.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
A large number of ashigaru infantrymen rushed to their positions, while samurai drew their sharp long swords. Haizhou City had now been fortified by the Japanese like a fortress. For the Japanese, these large cities rebuilt in Joseon were divided into outer cities, inner cities, and mountain cities, based on the original structures. Due to their warfare experience from the Sengoku period, the Japanese were far superior to the Joseon people in the technology and speed of constructing "triple cities."
A thundercloud rose from the distant warships. These samurai immediately became tense. Some shouted loudly:
"Matchlock troops, matchlock troops to the city walls! There are cultivators!"
Rows of soldiers holding arquebuses ascended the city walls, kneeling on one knee, using the city walls as cover, and aiming at the approaching thundercloud!
Ji Xiang emerged from the thundercloud and saw the firearms. Above this Haizhou City, the national prestige of Japan surged, coalescing into the form of a great serpent, hissing incessantly and revealing a ferocious appearance.
The power of the immortal path descended. Outside Haizhou City, countless more demons and monsters appeared, leaping out from the mountains, roads, and the sea!
"Xu Fu's power has spread here. There are also people holding divine positions within the city."
Ji Xiang gazed at them, while among the samurai, the most gorgeously dressed person remained still, also gazing at Ji Xiang.
A group of samurai surrounded this person. Several of them seemed eager to fight. Soon, a general, seemingly having received permission from the magnificent general, ascended the city walls. Fierce winds rose beneath his feet, and he suddenly charged through the air!
And he shouted titles such as "Thirty-Six Braves of the World!"
"I, Kida Sonbei, Hikosan Tsugami! I do not cut down the nameless under my blade..."
While his long sword was still swinging in the air, Ji Xiang had already pulled out his revolving cannon!
Rumble rumble rumble—!
Blood splattered, and the clouds and mist parted!
"You...!"
Kida Sonbei looked at the eight large bullet holes in his body with disbelief. His protective national prestige was pierced like this, and the opponent didn't even bother to engage him in close combat!
"If you can't use a gun, how can you call yourself a grandmaster?"
Ji Xiang looked disdainfully at his corpse as it plunged into the sea: "Sorry, what was your name again?"
"Never mind, I'll just call you trash."