Time flew by, and three days later, Lin Zhan could move freely. Apart from his slightly pigeon-toed walk, he was almost completely recovered.
Dazhuang and Erzhuang brothers no longer needed wheelchairs. The bodies of martial artists were inherently stronger and recovered faster than ordinary people, and Xiao Hei's last paw swipe, while appearing brutal, hadn't caused significant damage.
That evening, Lin Shanhe returned to the He family manor and met with Lin Hai and several other Quasi-Kings to discuss matters. He had specifically summoned Lin Zhan, Jiang Zheng, Ying Xuan, and Zhang Haoran to join them.
"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and all uncles, we have prepared three units in total, comprising 500,000 soldiers. My and Fifth Brother's Guānwài Garrison and the Capital City Garrison will each contribute 100,000 men. Eldest Brother has allocated 300,000 main forces from his direct Third Army Group, and they will enter Bohai Bay to assemble the day after tomorrow. Additionally, we have brought in the Water Ghost Special Operations Brigade led by the newly promoted lord, Shui Gui Zhang Lang, from the Sixth Army Group, a total of 3,000 men," Lin Shanhe reported the troop situation to the elder Quasi-Kings.
"Shanhe, you and Dazhen are both seasoned military men. You and the others can plan the specific combat strategy. We old fellows will just follow orders and kill," Lin Hai said, looking at the Quasi-Kings, who all seemed to have a "do as you please, we'll just fight" attitude. He could only sigh helplessly.
This was, in fact, a common phenomenon. Those skilled in warfare had less time for cultivation. Like Lin Shanhe's father-in-law, Ouyang Chengshan, and the old military god of the Jiang family, neither had advanced to the Quasi-King level. Those with high talent and long cultivation times who became Quasi-Kings lacked the experience in leading troops, thus lacking tactical knowledge. The only Grand Marshal, Lin Laohu, was fast in cultivation and skilled in leading armies, but he was a bit too reckless and ended up dying. Alas, it was truly regrettable.
Lin Shanhe had been excited to witness the prowess of the older generation, only to receive this reply: "Uh, are you uncles not planning to lead the troops?"
The straightforward Lin Shan said, "Lead troops? What a joke! Look at us old geezers. Your Second Uncle and I used to follow your father's lead; the rest was just about killing. He Lao Si, born a bandit, can rob a few people or take hostages, but that's about it. As for your Uncle Lao Wai and Uncle Zhang, the famous duo with empty heads, would you dare let them command? You might just lead the entire army into a ditch. And your Uncle Leng Ao, he's either researching hunting or matching dogs. He'd be better at leading dogs than men. Only your father was decent. He was the best at leading troops among the Quasi-Kings and held the highest rank, but he died too early. So, stop wasting time and get back to your troops."
Lin Zhan and the others were instantly dumbfounded. It seemed as if Old Master Lin was like a singer who was best at crosstalk and a crosstalk performer who sang the best.
Lin Shanhe looked at his uncles with a hint of grievance. "Third Uncle, are you truly my father's biological brothers? Are you sure Grandpa and Grandma didn't mix up the babies?"
"Um, several grandfathers, Uncle Lin, Uncle He, if I may say something, aren't we going to make a big show of attacking the Little Sun Country and risk them preparing in advance, increasing our difficulty?" Jiang Zheng asked, looking at the unreasonable, grandfatherly Quasi-Kings.
"Hmm, young Jiang is right. As expected of Old Thief Jiang's grandson."
"That's right, this brat's words make sense."
"Come, young Jiang, tell us in detail." The old grandfathers treated their grandchildren much better than their own sons.
Jiang Zheng explained what he had in mind: "Well, several grandfathers, Sun Tzu's Art of War states that warfare is the way of deception. Therefore, when capable, feign inability; when employing, feign non-employment; when near, feign to be far; when far, feign to be near. So, I suggest that we juniors go to the Little Sun Country under the guise of a vacation to make preparations. Moreover, we are all scions of noble families, and it's understandable for us to bring dozens of experts, especially after Dazhuang and Erzhuang were kidnapped not long ago. Our safety is paramount."
Lin Zhan, full of mischief, and strategist Jiang understood each other's intentions instantly. He quickly said to everyone, "Several grandfathers, Jiang Zheng's plan is excellent. It just so happens that Dazhuang recently took a liking to a young lady from the Little Sun Country. Our romantic escapades as young lords would be the perfect excuse."
"Furthermore, our presence there would draw the attention of various factions in Fusang. After all, if anything were to happen to us children there, the wrath of you elders would not be easily borne."
After a discussion, the old men directly approved Lin Zhan and Jiang Zheng's idea. They handed over 20 Lord-level early-stage crystal cores to Lin Zhan, calling it their operational expenses.
Lin Shan also used his communicator to summon 20 human royal court Diamond-level martial artists to act as bodyguards for Lin Zhan and the other spoiled brats.
Lin Zhan and the others instantly felt these old men were incredibly endearing. Even calling them "Grandpa" felt much more intimate than usual.
Lin Shan waved his hand, telling Lin Zhan and the others to prepare and leave tomorrow morning. Once they reached the Little Sun Country, they could be as dissolute as they pleased.
Watching Lin Zhan and the others depart, the four old grandfathers of the He family said, "The brains of these two youngsters are much better than those two brats, Dazhuang and Erzhuang."
"They are all good children. Our Huaxia has successors," the other old men said happily, as if Lin Zhan and the others had saved the world.
He Kuang and Lin Shanhe exchanged glances. "Why do I feel these kids are so eager to go just to find their mistresses? They aren't planning to bring those girls back with them."
The old men stopped smiling. Lin Shan, who had provided money and bodyguards, chuckled awkwardly. "How could that be? My Zhan is a good child, and these children are all exemplary. They wouldn't have as many wicked ideas as you scoundrels."
"Third Uncle, you don't sound very confident saying that yourself. Aren't you afraid these brats will bring back a few more 'rice cooked into a meal' situations?" Lin Shanhe said with ill intent.
"So what if they do? We old folks aren't afraid of having more grandchildren; we can afford to raise them."
"It's not about whether we can afford it, but that doing so would be interbreeding," He Kuang said with a hint of jealousy, as the younger generation's welfare was truly enviable.
Lin Shan's expression turned cold upon hearing this. He kicked Lin Shanhe and He Kuang out with one foot each, shouting, "Get back and organize your troops! You guys just know how to annoy me by bringing up what's not supposed to be mentioned!"
The other old men chimed in, "Third Brother (or Uncle), you did great! These unfilial brats need to be disciplined more often."