The expressions of the Wudang disciples behind them were all astonished. Only Patriarch Dongyun asked strangely:
"In former years, Kublai Khan attacked Japan and gained Tsushima and Iki Islands. It is a pity that later, due to encountering sea storms twice consecutively, the conquest had to be halted. At that time, Japan only had the strength for self-preservation and no talent for offense. Now, after only a few hundred years... they can make the Central Plains Dynasty so distressed?"
Patriarch Dongyun was a person who lived during the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongol soldiers were fierce, their armor was light, they were skilled horsemen, strong, and fearless, brave and unrestrained. However, the reason for the failure of the attack on Japan was actually arrogance, not understanding the opponent's geographical location, and the problem of climate, leading to a rash attack.
However, for the Yuan army, after destroying Jin, Song, Western Xia, and Western Liao, and after the entire world had to sit down and not stand up at Diaoyucheng, they had no rivals. They were arrogant and looked down on everyone, considering everyone present to be trash. As for the reasons for conquering others... did the Yuan Dynasty need them?
Roaring through history, emitting the voice of Chu! I am a barbarian, I want to hit you, so I hit you, do I still need a reason!
The Song Dynasty also wanted to ask, "We were originally allies, why did you attack me?" But the Yuan Dynasty replied, "I just hit you, what can you do to me?"
But in reality, wars without reasons damage the morale of one's own side and boost the morale of the other side, thus affecting the outcome of the war to some extent. Therefore, reasons are still very necessary, and they must be correct and in accordance with heavenly principles and human morality.
If any reason could be used to attack, then it would be the same as having no reason. "Quibbling" is the word invented this way.
"Wars since ancient times have been nothing more than for land, wealth, and population. The Yuan Dynasty had a war of attacking Japan in former years. Now, Japan is unified, using Tsushima Island as a stepping stone to invade Korea, and then using Korea as a stepping stone to plot against China..."
"Since the Battle of Baekgang in the Tang Dynasty, the sea has separated the three countries. The friction and struggles between the three countries have continued for nearly a thousand years!"
Hu Long: "I don't know when it will end, perhaps the struggle will continue until..."
Until when, no one can be sure.
"In January, Japan still occupied the coastal cities of Korea and refused to return them. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not willing to leave just like that... He again dispatched 150,000 troops to cross the sea and land in Korea, of which 140,000 were land forces and 7,000 were naval forces..."
"In August, Korea's Sicheon, Namhae, Gwangju, Hwangseok, Gimhae, Gongju, and Hanyang fell again..."
It is said that they fell again because they had already fallen once before and were repelled, and now they have been lost again.
"The Korean navy was annihilated in the Battle of Chilcheonryang... and there is also unfortunate news..."
"The True Person also knows about the appearance of those ghosts and gods. Previously, True Person Zhang dispatched his Yang Shen avatar to suppress them, but was blocked by immortals of the same level, who dissolved the Yang Shen avatar, making True Person Zhang afraid to go in person to deal with it..."
Ji Xiang: "I know who it is."
Defense tower Xu Fu, perhaps.
Pseudo-immortals have the bonus of their own country's divine power in their homeland. During the Yuan Dynasty, Japan once called itself a "divine country." Although it did not reach the initial requirements that Xu Fu wanted, the strength of pseudo-immortals is undeniable.
Now, the southern regions of Korea have all become Japanese territory, and Xu Fu's power can naturally operate freely within them. True Master Zhang has only recently become an immortal, how can he deal with this pseudo-immortal of many years? Even if he is still looked down upon by those alchemists, he was a giant in his time.
"How many more have been added now?"
Japan has only recently emerged from its warring states period, with a high quality of soldiers, many elites, all battle-hardened, and with the help of ghost and god powers.
On the other hand, the Ming Dynasty has reached the end of its dynastic period. The Ming army has become household guards, possessing great combat power under specific generals, but once they are separated from the command of that general, they become a mob.
However, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. In the late Qing Dynasty, despite its decline, it could still exchange a few blows with industrialized Japan. In the current period, everyone is in the feudal era, and the Ming Dynasty's firearms are stronger than those of Japan at this time. Without external factors, this battle would undoubtedly consume a lot of national strength, but it was originally a sure victory.
If numbers were useful, Cao Cao would have unified the world in the Battle of Red Cliffs!
"The army dispatched by Toyotomi Hideyoshi before was his direct Western Army. Now, according to intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Army has also arrived in Korea!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guard had spies in Japan. They had previously sent back a lot of intelligence, but there was also some laughable false information, such as the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's second self, but on the fifteenth, he still came out to eat, sitting up in his coffin...
The spies currently in Japan are the sea merchant Xu Yu and Shi Shiyong, a former Embroidered Uniform Guard staff officer now serving under the Governor of Liaodong.
Hu Long brought this news to Ji Xiang, after all, when going to Korea, spies would definitely need someone to meet.
The Eastern Army has also been dispatched, which can be considered the second main force of Japan participating in the battle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi dispatched a large number of Western Army troops into Korea to attack all of Korea and plot against the Ming Dynasty as part of his strategic objective, but weakening the military and financial power of the daimyo within the country and making it easier for him to operate was the second most important objective.
However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked Korea with an almost certain victory in mind, so the Western Army he used was also his direct forces. Once the conquest of Korea was successful, or even if he successfully defeated the Ming Dynasty, his prestige would be immense, and the Eastern daimyo and generals would be even more submissive to him. If the Eastern Army attacked Korea and achieved great military exploits, it would be equivalent to slapping himself in the face, and it would be difficult to weaken the influence of those daimyo on the Western Army.
For various reasons, the Eastern Army, which had not been deployed, arrived in Korea again, accompanied by reinforcements of ghosts and gods.
The Eastern Army officially had 160,000 troops, with 120,000 reinforcing Korea and an additional 5,000 naval forces. Among them, Tokugawa Ieyasu, Date Masamune, Honda Tadakatsu, and Uesugi Kagekatsu were appointed as generals...
The Japanese army stationed in southern Korea reached a total strength of nearly 300,000!
Village battles are not scary, but when village chiefs awaken and cooperate, that is the most terrifying.
"This is almost the entire national elite. If you add those demons and monsters, the total strength can reach nearly 400,000? After this battle, if it is unsuccessful, what is left in their country, they are not soldiers, they can only be called farmers with spears."
"The collapse of the nation is imminent, and yet they must make a desperate final attack?"
Ji Xiang: "So this time, you want me to go to Korea. Speaking of which, am I supposed to be delivering intelligence amidst a multitude of soldiers and ghosts and gods? Then it would be faster to assassinate Hideyoshi."
"Haha, True Person is joking. If it were that easy to bypass the Japanese immortals and kill Hideyoshi directly... wouldn't that be treating the Japanese national prestige as nothing? Cities within the range of Japanese national prestige are particularly difficult to attack. Now, the opponent's power is strange, and we can't even recover the southern part of Korea. How can we talk about entering the Japanese archipelago?" Hu Long told Ji Xiang that this matter was difficult. Due to some issues, the balance had been broken, and now they had to find alternative methods.
"Are they truly relying on the power of pseudo-immortals, with their homeland safe, so they can go all out?"
Ji Xiang chuckled.
The damage to the Heavenly Master was unexpected. Ji Xiang inquired about the details, asking when the Heavenly Master was injured. Hu Long only said that it was due to a failed alchemy attempt last month, and that a short period of recuperation would suffice. However, this was a critical juncture, and it was urgent to find someone to rescue them.
Ji Xiang pondered for a moment and understood what was happening.
Last month, that was...
The merging of the Southern Forbidden City and the Northern Forbidden City into the Forbidden City Dharma Realm... It seemed that the Heavenly Master and others had directly faced the Heavenly Dao. Fortunately, Emperor Jianwen's shadowy figure had mentioned it. Since this matter originated from him, it was something he had to deal with.
Speaking of which, before arriving in Ying Tian Fu, due to the repeated use of the True Meaning of the Three Teachings, some worldly calamities had occurred. The self-destruction of the three corpse gods in situ was no longer enough to resolve them. Now, with the additional calamity, although preparations had been made long ago, the collision of national prestige with other countries during the expedition to Korea was a first for him.
Speaking of which, his own national prestige, even when dealing with indigenous monsters within his own country, was not that effective.
When dealing with foreign monsters, how much strength would be left?
"Allow me a few more days, I still have some things to do."
Ji Xiang told Hu Long to reply to Wanli, asking for more time, five or six days at least. There were also very important matters here, and it was not that he was disobeying the imperial edict, but rather he was afraid that similar Yin world ghosts as in the Forbidden City would appear in the south.
Hu Long was stunned: "His Majesty said that True Person should preferably set off within five days..."
He changed his tone: "However, since Yin world ghosts have also appeared here, then this extension is also possible. Before coming here, His Majesty had already considered similar matters and issued an oral decree. He was also afraid that those Yin world ghosts would appear again."
After speaking, he took out a communication talisman, which made Ji Xiang stunned.
Wasn't this the communication talisman of Prince Lu?
"The events that occurred in Ying Tian Fu have been reported by the out-of-control Embroidered Uniform Guard divine generals. This talisman was found near Prince Lu's northern old residence. We don't know how to make it yet, and it is extremely precious. Please take care of this item and bring it to Korea."
Emperor Wanli did not intend to micromanage. He himself did not have the ability, but he had the Five Military Commissions!
If he didn't use the General Staff and insisted on playing it himself, moving the Xunlei gun five meters to the left, what use would that be!