Chapter 336 - - 334 Duge’s Pre-war Mobilization_1

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Huangfu Yue’s mouth fell agape in an O shape.

Then,

she blinked hard several times, gazing at the Martial Arts Stage where several Innate Experts were now bare, save for their underwear, and she involuntarily swallowed.

It was confirmed!

He Xu was indeed the Heavenly Demon, and a rather perverted one at that, not just towards women, but men as well…

Thankfully, there was water in the moat that night. The water snake controlled by He Xu writhed under the clothes, out of sight from everyone.

Otherwise, in front of so many soldiers and officers, if he had stripped off her clothes…

Huangfu Yue’s heart jolted, casting out the image that could have driven her to take her own life on the spot. She felt a surge of relief once more, thankful for the water.

…

The Martial Arts Stage was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as the watching soldiers were stunned.

What had happened?

In the blink of an eye, the clothes of those seemingly formidable Innate Experts were torn off.

Wasn’t the Imperial Master a Magician?

How could his martial prowess also be so incredibly high…

To instantly strip over a dozen Innate Experts of their clothes, even if he wasn’t a Grandmaster, he must be close!

Is this what the Heavenly Demon is like?

“Gentlemen, my apologies!” Duge smiled, tossing the clothes to the dazed crowd, his confidence in his abilities now firmly established.

The anxiety caused by the continuous hustle and bustle had been swept away with the removal of those men’s clothes.

Having tasted the pleasure of “the lord of clothing removal” in the previous Alien Battlefield and having enhanced it in the last simulation, Duge had grown fond of this battle tactic that could instantly conquer one’s spirit.

Leng Shi was most skilled in Qinggong and assassination, and it was precisely these skills that could elevate the act of stripping to the utmost degree.

If he could strip off your clothes in battle, then he could also take your life.

Moreover, being naked enhanced the shock to the psyche of the enemy, making them feel as if all their vital spots were exposed to the air. They would become nervous, embarrassed, awkward, and even hyperactive during combat, significantly reducing their fighting power.

Once his reputation spread, female martial artists facing him would often be intimidated before the fight even began… All in all, it was beneficial in every aspect without a single drawback.

The dozen or so Innate Experts accepted their clothes and bowed to Duge, then silently retreated to one side.

The previous feeling of superiority, being able to control the lives of He Xu and Luo Shuang at will, had evaporated.

They even felt a smidgeon of fear; it dawned on them that these past days they had been walking on a knife’s edge. If the order to harm the Fourth Princess had come from the Prince, they feared they would have been finished on the spot.

He Xu inviting them to spar was likely also a warning to them!

…

Duge took a step forward, standing in the middle of the Martial Arts Stage, and surveyed the shocked officers and soldiers below. He spoke loudly, “Fellow soldiers, I know the recent rumors about my identity have caused you unease. I also know that being caught between Wei Tingjiang and Cao Lin has caused panic among you.

Being afraid of death is normal; I understand everyone. If not driven into a corner, who would willingly go to war?

In war, the higher-ups distribute weapons to you, the rich provide money and grain, but it’s the children of the poor who sacrifice their lives.

If we win, the Emperor gains more land, the generals earn merits, and the rich continue to make money, but you might just be grateful to still be alive;

If we lose, at most the Emperor loses some territory, the rich lose some wealth, but all you are left with are lonely graves or a body full of injuries;

From beginning to end, you’re always the ones who give the most but gain the least.

After a battle, the history books will only record something like ‘such-and-such battle, Chongming Country severely defeated, casualties of fifty thousand officers,’ and you are the generalized ‘fifty thousand,’ with no one remembering your names except for your own parents, spouses, and children…”

Silence, an even longer silence. Amidst the already hopeless morale, there was now a hint of desolation.

Huangfu Yue furrowed her brows, completely clueless as to what Duge was up to.

“With provisions and military law, it’s enough to control these lower-ranked soldiers. Why tell them all this? Aren’t you afraid they’ll rebel?”

Luo Shuang also frowned slightly,

“Unwilling? In pain?” Duge’s eyes slowly swept over the soldiers standing below. Empowered by True Qi, his voice reached every corner of the Martial Arts Stage, clearly entering into every person’s ears.

Duge clearly saw many soldiers clench their fists, their eyes turning red, even their breathing hastened to his ears.

“After several generations of wealth accumulation, merchants may have been deceived or exploited, but they persevered, accumulated their shrewdness, amassed their wealth, and passed down their experiences bit by bit;

The generals have also slain enemies on the battlefield, studied military strategies deep into the night, and practiced martial arts before dawn, that’s how they achieved their accomplishments.” Duge let out a light chuckle and continued, “But what about you? With no accumulation from your ancestors, and not striving as others do, faced with danger, you only think of shrinking back, of muddling through. Just a single Cao Lin has terrified you, your fate today is no one’s fault but your own.”

The soldiers were deeply wounded by this statement.

Boom!

The suppressed unwillingness and anger instantly erupted. Quite a few soldiers glared hatefully at Duge on the stage, clutching their weapons tightly.

Had it not been for Duge’s display of formidable martial prowess earlier, they would’ve already charged onto the high platform and torn Duge to shreds at this moment.

“Do you wish to change your fate?” Duge’s smile faded as he took another step forward, “Today, I’ll make it clear to you, your opportunity has arrived. A peaceful Chongming Country means you’ll never stand out in your lifetime, your children, your grandchildren, will forever have to repeat your lives…”

“Think of such a life, how tragic, how desperate it would be.” Duge took a deep breath, his tone rising gradually, “But a chaotic Chongming Country is different. With your own hands, you can break every barrier that confines you, everyone has a chance to rise above.

Perhaps most of you won’t become generals or Prime Ministers, but if you just try, you can live better than most.

If the Fourth Princess conquers Chongming Country, its wealth will be shared with you; if the Fourth Princess conquers Qingwu Country, Qingwu Country’s wealth will be shared with you.

It depends on whether you are willing to fight! You’re not fighting for the Fourth Princess, but for yourselves, for the future of your offspring.

To put it nicely, we’re claiming the throne for the Fourth Princess. To put it bluntly, we’re a band of rebels. How can rebels stay alive? By snatching meat from the mouths of others, by seizing territory from their hands.

Today, let me tell you the true nature of war.

The essence of war is a process of resource redistribution. Most of you may not understand what that means?

Let me explain, resource redistribution means turning the merchants’ money into ours, they become the poor, and those of us who gain the land and Silver Coin become the new merchants. As long as we win, you are the new nobility, the new generals…”

The soldiers’ restlessness gradually stabilized and their focus locked onto Duge.

“Princes and generals, have they not been born of commoners? The ones who should worry about me are not you; it’s those lofty lords who reap without sowing! The Prime Minister is a Heavenly Demon, yet the Emperor Chongming still uses him; the Great Chu King’s wife is a Heavenly Demon, and King Chu still * her in bed…

What’s wrong with being a Heavenly Demon? What the divine can’t give you, the Heavenly Demon can; what the Emperor can’t give you, the Heavenly Demon can, too…”

Duge raised his sword high, his voice sonorous and compelling, “Future generals, future landlords, future tycoons, tell me loudly, are you willing to follow the Heavenly Demon, are you willing to fight for yourselves?”

“Willing.” The soldiers’ emotions were fully mobilized as they raised their spears and halberds, their eyes bloodshot like bloodthirsty wolves.

“Tell me, are you willing to become exceptional?” Duge asked again.

“Willing.” The soldiers’ shouts were thunderous and deafening.

“Good, then go fight, go grab, go risk your life to win the war.” Duge smiled, his voice becoming louder, “Remember, you’re fighting for yourselves, not the Fourth Princess, not me.

You’re different from those soldiers fighting for Chongming Country, they live for others, you live for yourselves. If we win, we win the future, the luxurious wealth of generations to come. Shout with me, ‘Live for ourselves!’”

“Live for ourselves!” the soldiers voiced in unison.

“Fight for ourselves,” Duge said.

“Fight for ourselves,” the soldiers’ cries shook the heavens.

Huangfu Yue watched the troops, who seemed as if they had been injected with adrenaline, dumbfounded.

Luo Shuang pondered thoughtfully.

Duge signaled with his hand to lower, and the Martial Arts Stage became quiet once more, but the soldiers’ morale had already completely changed from before.

“Of course, when I tell you to fight, I’m not sending you to your deaths.” Duge’s gaze swept over the exhilarated soldiers, “Today, I displayed my martial power not for any other reason than to reassure you. There are War Gods and Grandmasters in Chongming Country, we have them, too.

Army to army, general to general, if you can’t fight Cao Lin, I will; the tough bones you can’t chew, I will chew.

I will show you how the War God will be stripped of his armor on the battlefield and trampled beneath my feet. From this battle onward, as the main general, I will lead the charge, to live and die with you…”

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