by Fang Xiang
Zuo Mo is starting to plan. This is great motivation for him. Also, the girl that sent the paper cranes is not showing up anytime soon. Think long long into the future but she will come back.
I’ve also discovered that I misspelled twelve in the previous chapter … … I guess you guys don’t read chapter titles?
Chapter 214: A Mountain Of Problems
The art of multiple people fighting less, that was gang fighting. Gang fighting, that was fighting in groups.
In Zuo Mo’s understanding, it was ridiculous to depend on a person that had been only l studying ling grains two years ago to study battle tactics. However, if it was about gang fighting, he still had some real experience. There were many disciples in the outer sect; of course, there were those that were bullies. Adding on that the little factions were like trees in a forest, while fights didn’t happen everyday, there would be an occasional one.
Having seen many gang fights, the winning side always had certain qualities.
First, more people was better. This was the most basic tenet of gang fighting. Gang fighting, if there weren’t enough people, it would be embarrassing to call it a “gang”. More people won over fewer people, that was the most common outcome.
The second was “bravery and viciousness.” Bravery was not being afraid. The other side had more people, but their side dared to put their life on the line. The people who were not afraid of putting everything into a fight dominated everything around them. Other people didn’t dare to get close. Even experts wanted to stay alive! As to viciousness, it meant being unconditional in attacking. Once an attack started, one could not attend to their own back and be timid; the blow coming from the vicious had to reach rock-bottom. After flipping over several people, the other side would be discouraged.
Next was cooperation. The essence of group fighting was using more people fighting fewer people. Then how could the smaller group win? That required cooperation. A group of cooperative people defeating disordered rabble three times their number, was very normal occurrence.
The last was that the weapons were appropriate, look at Ling Ying Sect, they were the epitome of this. However, even the best talismans and flying swords depended on the people using it. Idiots with talismans were still idiots.
After concluding all this, Zuo Mo’s thoughts became nimble.
It took time to increase numbers, and it was a task that could not be hurried. Regarding “bravery was vicious,” Zuo Mo felt that it was pretty hard to attain. This group of people would be very unwilling, and were only forced to follow due to his jinzhi.
Cooperation could be considered, but this was Gongsun Cha’s problem. If he interfered, he might not have any positive benefit to the situation.
What he could only work on weapons.
He may have some talismans, but it wouldn’t be better than what these people had searched for and schemed for themselves. He could only think about other objects. He actually did find something.
Yin fire bead!
The power of the yin fire bead did not have to be said. He had never tried it on a jindan, but there definitely was not a problem with people under jindan. If one wasn’t enough against jindan, then two. If that was still not enough, then everyone could throw them together. Each person throwing eight or ten… surely even jindan couldn’t bear it!
He thought uncertainly. However, he did feel that it was possible.
In the past, he had always been worried that the matter of him knowing how to make yin beads would be revealed. Now that it was a matter of life or death, he threw those concerns to the back of his mind. If it spread, then there was a possibility of people targeting him, but that was a matter for the future. If he couldn’t leave Little Mountain Jie, then there was no future.
This idea made his mind jump. He inventoried the yin fire beads that he had, there were ten or so.
He shook his head, discontent with this number. For ningmai, Zuo Mo felt ten was enough, but the other was jindan!
That was a jindan!
Just thinking about it, Zuo Mo felt respect rise; and his desire for battle decreased. Other people may not know the strength of jindan, but how could Zuo Mo not know? He had suffered greatly under Xin Yan Shishu’s hands and had a clear understanding of jindan. If it was just him alone, Zuo Mo definitely would not be able to wound Xin Yan Shishu even with things ten times more powerful than yin fire beads.
This was because he basically could not throw them and have them touch Xin Yan Shishu’s body.
But if it was gang fighting, Zuo Mo thought there was a small chance. In a battle, there would be many talismans and flying swords flying. Before the yin fire bead was activated, it was not eye-catching. If the other was not on their guard , it was easy to get tricked.
Zuo Mo brought this problem up with Pu Yao. Of all these people, only this guy had fought jindan experts before.
“Your idea is somewhat interesting,” Pu Yao had an interested expression.
Seeing Pu Yao’s expression, Zuo Mo knew that it had potential, “But this requires yin fire beads. Where can I get more yin fire beads?”
“You need to find a place with yin fiends,” Pu Yao didn’t have a solution, “Find someone familiar with the area and ask.”
Hearing Pu Yao say so, Zuo Mo knew that there was no place with yin fiends nearby. Otherwise, with Pu Yao’s abilities, he could have immediately pointed to the location. He could only go ask the xiuzhe of Little Mountain Jie and see if anyone of them knew if there were places with yin fiends.
———
When he walked into the camp, he was shocked by the heated atmosphere. Twenty something ningmai cultivating together, the presence was shocking, his little heart beating rapidly. After a long while, he recovered. Seeing Gongsun Cha talking with Ma Fan in the corner, he hurriedly ran over.
When he neared, he heard Gongsun Cha lecturing Ma Fan.
“Your pathing just now was not correct. You have to remember your role. You have no set location, so you cannot stop. You need to be more nimble. Understand? More nimble! Swimming between them, search for chances … …”
“You also need to notice to retract your presence; you need the enemy to not notice your existence … …”
“Notice the opportunities. Do not deliberately search to kill with one move. You are the main attacker, yes, but you have fellows. They are not just decorations. At this time, your best chance is to attack. Yes, you cannot kill him, but he will reveal openings and will give your fellows opportunities. Other than killing enemies, you need to learn how to make opportunities for your fellows … …”
“If you decide to attack, don’t do those unnecessary flourishes. You have to be more straightforward, use more force! One move, you only have the chance for one move … …”
Zuo Mo had never seen Gongsun Cha so fierce. That’s right, full of fierceness. This guy who usually looked shy and weak was bellowing a whole bunch of stuff out.
Seeing Ma Fan’s nervousness, not daring to miss a word, Zuo Mo’s heart was suddenly full of sympathy.
After the lecture, Gongsun Cha waved and indicated for Ma Fan to continue cultivating.
“Everyone is working hard!” Zuo Mo said with feeling.
Gongsun Cha nodded, “En, when they can sell their lives, that will be almost enough.” Ma Fan, who had been preparing to leave, staggered and almost fell.
Zuo Mo mumbled in response, and asked uncertainly, “Do you need help?” He had completely thrown everything on Gongsun Cha’s shoulders. Even he was slightly ashamed. Seeing Gongsun Cha so busy his feet didn’t really touch the ground, who would not feel a bit of shame.
Gongsun Cha tilted his head to think and asked, “Can you make a kind of talisman?”
“What talisman do you want?” Speaking of talismans, Zuo Mo felt his bravery rise. These spectacular and eye-dazzling things in the camp, he could understand if they were by themselves, but he didn’t understand when they were put together. But if it was about talismans, he was good at t
hat!
Zuo Mo completely forgot that he was also self-taught in forging talismans. In total, Xin Yan Shishu hadn’t thought him that many times. Having just felt some shame, Zuo Mo instantly found a place he could express his value and make up for his deficiencies, his mind becoming alert.
“Oh, talismans like the necklace” Gongsun Cha took off the Same Heart necklace on his neck.
Zuo Mo scratched his head. He understood what Gongsun Cha meant, to pass orders.
Pu Yao had spoken about this problem with him. The yao armies used the consciousness to pass on commands, the mo armies used the mo matrix to pass on commands, and xiuzhe used seals.
The Same Heart necklace could connect the user to six of the fellows, which meant commanding six other people. Clearly, six people could not satisfy Gongsun Cha’s demands. Zuo Mo agreed with that. Facing jindan, it probably needed several hundred. How to direct all of them then?
The battlefield changed every second. If they could not respond immediately, then there was only death.
Zuo Mo hadn’t expected that he couldn’t solve the problem of the yin fiends, and instead found another problem out of his trip to the camp. However, he understood the importance of the matter could not be delayed. He immediately passed on the matter of the yin fiend grounds to Gongsun Cha and rushed away with the Same Heart necklace. However, before he left, a batch of jingshi and ling grains was scraped off him.
He had to rejoice now that Master had gotten large amounts of supplies for him when Wu Kong Sword sect had sent him to the Desolate Wood Reef. They were used to great effect now. High intensity training like this consumed enormous amounts of jingshi and ling grains.
Zuo Mo was doubtful if he could manage it if there were one hundred or more people. However, this was not the time to think of it. The most pressing problem was what Gongsun Cha had thrown over.
Large-scale group fighting, xiuzhe used seals to pass commands. If it was forging, Zuo Mo dared to try, but if it was making seals, he could do nothing.
However, Zuo Mo was not a conservative person. This world would always have ways. Even more, he had a model on his hands. The effect of this Same Heart necklace was not any different than seals, but it was a talisman.
Zuo Mo started to think of how to replicate the Same Heart necklace. The number of people the Same Heart necklace could command was much lower, and could not reach Gongsun Cha’s demands. However, he thought of a method. Seven people to a troop, the leader of the troop in command. The troop leader would wear two necklaces, one to direct the troop members, the other receiving orders from the rank above. That way, wouldn’t everything be connected?
Of course, the usability of this method had to wait for the objects to be made before it could be tested.
The Same Heart necklace was an upper fourth-grade talisman. Theoretically, it was beyond of Zuo Mo’s ability. But thinking that he had patted his chest just now, there was actually no one except him that could solve the problem.
To be able to qualify as upper fourth-grade, the forging skill of the Same Heart necklace was very high. There were more than one hundred formations in the little necklace. These formations were either by themselves, or they were connected with others.
That was the focus of Zuo Mo’s study.
Only by familiarizing himself with these formations and chewing through all of them, he could understand how the Same Heart necklace could connect minds. Only by understanding the theory could he then copy it.
This wasn’t a small task. However, as it related to his wealth and little life, Zuo Mo definitely wouldn’t slack in the least. He would even eat this necklace if needed, much less just study it!
All in!
* * *
Translator Ramblings: Zuo Mo projects his own fighting experience into large-scale warfare and discovers there is not a lot he can do at the moment. But he has a direction now. How do you kill someone who is faster and more powerful than you are? Drown him in people!
Gongsun Cha, as shown in previous chapters, is going to be an important character. The chapters in the future be partially from his point of view or on what he is doing. Zuo Mo is important and the primary focus but he’s just one person who isn’t going to be able to level up and kill the jindan by himself. Teamwork … … and a whole lot of talent, sweat and luck.
Poor Ma Fan. I wonder if his parents thought he was trouble so that’s what they named him … …
Chapter 215: Sustain Battle Through Battle
He had lost again.
Gongsun Cha looked at the devastated landscape, his remaining shreds of troops and grimaced. He didn’t remember how many times he had lost.
The skill of the mysterious War Chess opponent was extremely high. He didn’t know anything about the mysterious opponent. He couldn’t even find any traces of this mysterious person usually. But he knew, this mysterious person that he had never met really existed.
Because the other would play War Chess with him.
Even though the other would use Zuo Shixiong as a cover, the skill of the two individuals were so drastically differed that Gongsun Cha could easily detect it.
Gongsun Cha intelligently did not ask. It wasn’t too hard for him to accept that the soul of an elder which had not extinguished was living inside Zuo Shixiong’s body. Thinking about Zuo Shixiong’s sudden rise in the last two years, it added some support for his speculation.
However, the feeling of defeat was still terrible!
He wasn’t content!
Even though he knew this was the normal and most rational outcome, and he was able to learn many things from each loss, but he just wasn’t content! He disliked defeat or it was more accurate to call it hate.
This unwillingness flashed through his heart and was buried deep down. Anger was not useful. The War Chess was different than real battles, but this was the only place right now where he could learn how to command. There was no room for him to pick and criticize.
Also, that mysterious elder was clearly an expert at War Chess. The wondrous tactics and the frightening offensive power. Each time the battle was at its fiercest, he would have a feeling that the person opposite him was a large man with a heavy and flaming hammer!
What the other was most skilled in was dictating the battlefield’s the offensive zones. It could not be rivaled. He would often see the other begin killing in all directions with an unreasonable and arrogant attitude. The balanced situation, once the two sides started to kill each other, would herald Gongsun Cha’s defeat. His territory was like a crisp cookie. First, it was his borders that would crack. The gaps would grow bigger and turn into a situation where his entire defensive line would break.
Brutal, forceful, charging forward!
Many times, Gongsun Cha would be puzzled. In his mind, the commanding ability of the mysterious person was much higher than him, and he would be a better candidate to lead the troops. Zuo Shixiong did not use the powerful one but threw such an important and troublesome matter to a beginner like him.
He pondered it for a while before throwing the question to the back of his mind. Having finally found something that made him feel interest, and having such challenging battles ahead of him, he felt excited just thinking about it!
So amusing, so interesting!
Having sorted out his emotions, Gongsun Cha burrowed back into the camp.
In the War Chess games that Zuo Mo had made, if the forces were not yao, they were mo. Xiuzhe were the rarest. Other than the most classical xiuzhe combinations, there was nothing that he could reference. In comparison, the combinations of yaomo soldier types were much richer and extremely detailed. Sometimes, he would wonder. Was that elder inside Zuo Shixiong’s body an old yaomo?
This guess was not unsupported. Other people might not be able to see the true face of the Golden Armor Guards, but having been in command of them for so long, how could Gongsun Cha not know?
These three Golden Armor Guards were the White Scaled Attendants of the yao guards.
White Scaled Attendants were a low-level soldier type frequently seen in the War Chess. He had used them multiple times. The reason that he could use the Golden Armor Guards to their maximum potential was due to the inspiration and help that the War Chess gave him. However, what he did not understand was the power of the three Golden Armor Guards far surpassed normal White Scaled Attendants.
Gongsun Cha completely did not care whether the mysterious person was yaomo or not.
There were enough problems for him to have a headache about already.
No matter if it was xiuzhe or yaomo, there had to be great consideration taken in the combinations of soldier types. Like the classical sword-seal, sword-Dhyana combinations of the xiuzhe. The combinations of the yaomo were more variable and rich.
But Gongsun Cha only had twenty eight ningmai and twenty six of them were sword xiu. Of the last two, one was a sabre xiu, while the other was a Dhyana. Completely all battle xiu, but there were no xiuzhe that could take a support role.
On paper, this kind of battle force was very strong. In reality, for group battle, the structure of this kind of force was extremely terrible. The effect of everyone was the same, that meant that the group lacked depth, diversity, and was therefore unable to complete formation transformations.
Sword xiu had the strongest offensive power, but it did not mean they did not have weaknesses. Compared to other xiuzhe, sword xiu lacked the endurance for long battles. Sword xiu were heavy on offense and light on defense, their other flaw was their defense was too weak.
Large scale battles were different than individual battles. Sword xiu were the kings of individual combat. Their strong and sharp attacks and their fast speed allowed them to be at an advantage in short individual battles, to pressure the enemy to the point of suffocation. In individual battles, sword xiu only needed to consider how to kill off the enemy before the enemy could threaten their weakness. But in group fighting, especially on large scales, sword xiu usually needed the protection of other xiuzhe at their sides so they could release their strong offensive power.
