Volume 5 Chapter 35: Changes in the Armpits (2)
We held back Sheng Tang's troops, and Xue Hai and Xiao Yao did not disappoint us. By the time Yun Tian broke through their blockade and rushed to the Jiucheng battlefield, the outcome had already been decided. Most of the coalition forces had already entered Jiucheng's garrison. Although their headquarters had not fallen yet, it would only take a few minutes!
This information was delivered to me and the chief by a messenger. We saw that there was no need to continue to engage in a fight with the Tang Dynasty, so we led our troops to quickly withdraw to the main battlefield.
However, before I arrived at the Nine City Station, the intelligence officer of our alliance (Thunder Alliance) sent me a piece of information, which was like a bolt from the blue: the Tongtian Holy Land, Ice Blood Blade, and King's Peak in Shenghua City, as well as the Evil God Temple in Wuqu City and Mingjian Villa in Tianshi City, all had unusual movements, and the target was all Thunder Alliance! At present, these five gangs have begun to deploy troops, which is why our undercover discovered that the situation has changed.
I was horrified, but less than two minutes later, another piece of information came to me: In the Grand Alliance, Qingfeng Pavilion, Shewoqishui and Fengchitianxia each sent secret envoys to contact various external forces and to hold secret meetings with gangs within the alliance such as Luanshi!
Damn it! I clenched my fists tightly, and veins popped out on my arms.
In fact, I was not completely ignorant of this beforehand.
I had noticed the small moves of Qingfeng Pavilion, Shewoqishui and Fengchitianxia a few days ago. The four intelligence groups of our alliance are not vegetarians. Moreover, after the battle with Tiexue, I have specially strengthened the infiltration into the alliance. It is not difficult for me to guess the reason why they are doing all kinds of things: first, they are afraid of the rapid expansion of the power of Jinglei League, and they are afraid that the entire alliance will be controlled and annexed by Jinglei League in the future. Second, the news that our alliance has formed a caravan to travel back and forth between the East and West Continents and has made amazing profits has spread. It is not uncommon for those who are interested to covet the advantageous geographical conditions of our alliance and want to defeat our alliance and then seize the trade route developed by our alliance to grab huge profits.
It's just that after my, the profiteer and Lonely's research, we think that, firstly, these three factions should not launch an attack during the attack on the Nine Cities, because this will inevitably cause the Great Alliance to split. If the attack on the Nine Cities fails, the final result is likely that even if the three factions can destroy the Thunder Alliance, it will be to make wedding clothes for others, and they will not get any benefits. Secondly, they should not collude with external forces, for the same reason as above. We deduce that the most reasonable strategy for the three factions is to secretly contact the gangs of the Great Alliance first, reach a certain agreement, and then wait until the battle of the Nine Cities is over, raise business issues at the alliance meeting, and force the alliance to release the management rights and share the benefits. If the alliance does not agree, it will become the public enemy of the alliance. At that time, just like the destruction of Iron Blood, the Great Alliance will work together to destroy the Thunder Alliance, eliminating a hidden danger and gaining great benefits. I think all the gangs should agree, and the three factions' conspiracy has a great chance of success. And we are naturally making various preparations for such a conspiracy.
Unfortunately, I overlooked the saying that greed can make people lose their minds, and not everyone can look at problems in the most calm way. The three factions were eager for success and too greedy, and they even went so far as to seek the skin of a tiger and connected with many sects in Shenghua, Wuqu, and Tianshi. It seems that their goal is not only to destroy Jinglei League, but also to use external forces to seize the entire Grand Alliance!
At this moment, I suddenly remembered the warning given to me by Duo Suan Mingzhe when I took Qilin to level up some time ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t take it seriously. It’s too late to regret now. At this moment, something unexpected happened. The Thunder Alliance is facing the biggest crisis since its establishment!
It is impossible for the Thunder Alliance to fight against the combined forces of so many gangs at the same time with its own strength. I must strive for as much support as possible. The three factions launched the attack too hastily, and they still have to hold secret meetings with gangs such as Luanshi. The Grand Alliance should not have reached a unified opinion yet. If I ask for help from the Grand Alliance immediately, since everyone has not turned against each other, I should at least get a batch of reinforcements.
Thinking of this, I gave a few instructions to one of my subordinates, asking him to go back to the headquarters to convey the order to the profiteer. As the saying goes, if an enemy comes, we will fight him; if a flood comes, we will block it with earth. Since someone wants to destroy our alliance, how can we just sit there and wait for death?
Afterwards, I left the main force behind, sprinted at full speed, and soon arrived at the Jiucheng base.
The Jiucheng headquarters has been taken down. The gang leaders of the major alliance and members of the command center have entered the headquarters hall. Some are celebrating their victory, while others are whispering.
After greeting them, I didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Everyone, our alliance has received news that there are more than five gangs in Shenghua, Wuqu, Tianshi and other places, gathering troops to attack our alliance. The situation is critical. I hope that you will send reinforcements quickly for the sake of our alliance!"
The boss of Fengchi Tianxia came and went like the wind and said sarcastically, "Leader Jinglei, are you sure? The six major gangs attacked you? This is such a big deal. We have no information at all. How did you know?"
I had a blank expression on my face and didn't even look at him. It was true that Fengchi Tianxia and other gangs colluded with external enemies to harm our alliance, but I couldn't produce any evidence. Now was not the time to fall out. I was afraid that if I looked at this villain for one more moment, I would become furious and would not be able to help but kill him on the spot. Then I wouldn't be able to explain myself even if I was right.
I said in a deep voice: "This is the latest intelligence obtained by our alliance. It is absolutely true. There is no need for me to joke with you. According to the alliance charter, when one faction is in trouble, everyone will support it. Now that the war in the Nine Cities has come to an end, it is time to send the coalition forces to rescue our alliance!"
At this time, Zibuyu chuckled and said, "Brother Sky, you are too anxious. We naturally believe that you would not joke about such a thing, but we have not received any news. Could it be that the intelligence power of the entire Grand Alliance is not as good as your Jinglei Alliance? I am afraid there is no guarantee that there are no problems. Why not send someone to verify it first? If the information is proven to be correct, we will of course fully support your alliance."
I was furious, but I couldn't vent my anger. I snorted and said, "I guarantee on my reputation that the information is absolutely true. As the saying goes, military intelligence is like fire. If we send people to investigate and then report back, I'm afraid the enemy will have already arrived at the city! If the Thunder Alliance is destroyed and foreign forces enter Pojun City, what good will it do to the Grand Alliance? Boss Bei, you are the chief leader, and now I'm waiting for your words!"
Beibei hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Brother Tiankong, have you received any declarations of war from other gangs?"
I frowned and said, "The enemies coming this time are all gangs from outside the city. It will take a lot of time to assemble the team and start the attack. They will definitely not declare war on me in advance. They must have calculated that they would declare war at the last minute. But the main force of the coalition is also in Jiucheng at the moment. It will also take time to rush back to Pojun. If we don't move now, by the time the other party declares war, I'm afraid it will be too late!"
Beibei shook his head and said, "Then it's hard for me to do anything. According to the alliance charter, when a gang receives a declaration of war, all members are obliged to do their best to support it. Now there is no notice, and I can't guarantee that your information is 100% correct. As the general leader of the alliance, I can't let the coalition army go out for no reason - if the information is wrong, wouldn't it be a waste of time? Besides, although the Nine Cities have been defeated, Shengtang Yuntian is still eyeing them, and a large army is still needed here. Brother Tiankong, I'm sorry, I can't do anything!"
I was so angry that I couldn't control myself anymore and slammed the table hard. Everyone was shocked.
I said word by word, "Okay, okay, Boss Bei, I didn't expect that I underestimated you. Qingfeng Pavilion, Who Else Is It, Fengchi Tianxia, and you, Luanshi, you have already reached an agreement! Do you want to wait for the demise of Jinglei League so that you can divide up the business and wealth? Hey, I'm afraid you have let the wolf into the house and will regret it later!"
Zi Buyu smiled and said, "Brother Sky, don't say anything careless. What agreement do we have with Zeng? Boss Bei is also dedicated to the public good. He can't risk the interests of the entire Grand Alliance for your Thunder Alliance, right?"
I sneered and said, "Everyone knows it tacitly, right? As for who is selling out the interests of the big alliance, everyone knows it!" Beibei, Laiqu Rufeng and Tianxia Youwo (Who else but me is the boss) all looked embarrassed. Only Zi Buyu, the old fox, kept an unchanged expression.
I continued, "Since the Grand Alliance has stood by our side and refused to help us, what good will it do for the Thunder Alliance to join the Grand Alliance? From today on, our alliance will officially withdraw from the Grand Alliance! Now, in my personal capacity, I ask all of you brothers who are loyal to me to help support our Thunder Alliance. I will definitely reward you handsomely!"
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked. After all, Qingfeng Pavilion and others had only won over some gangs in order to keep it secret, and most of the bosses were still confused about what had happened. But the fact that the Jinglei League, the strongest alliance in the league, was about to withdraw from the alliance showed that this matter was of no trivial matter!
Xuehai Wuya asked, "Brother Tiankong, what's going on? Can you please explain it to me? If the Thunder Alliance is in trouble, our Xuehe Sect is an old ally of yours, so we will do our utmost to help you!"
I clasped my fists and said, "Brother Wuya, thank you very much! To make a long story short, I have received intelligence that Tongtian Holy Land, Ice Blood Blade, King's Peak, Evil God Temple, and Mingjian Villa are all mobilizing troops to harm our alliance, and there are gangs inside the big alliance colluding with foreign enemies. The details are unclear at the moment. The situation is critical now. If Brother Wuya is willing to help me, please send troops as soon as possible. I will be very grateful!"
Xuehai Wuya was furious when he heard this and said, "The purpose of the Grand Alliance is to unite as one, fight against foreign enemies together, share risks and benefits. Today, the Thunder Alliance is in trouble. Even if we give up the Nine Cities to come back to help, what's the problem? If we work together in the future, are we still afraid that we can't fight back? It's better not to join such an alliance! I am willing to advance and retreat with Brother Tiankong. From today on, the Xuehe Sect will also withdraw from the Grand Alliance!"
As soon as Xue Hai Wu Ya made this statement, everyone was in an uproar. Two heavyweight gangs withdrew at once, and the big alliance fell apart. It seemed inevitable. No one expected such a sudden change after just defeating Jiu Cities!
Actually, Xuehai was playing a double act with me this time. The Jinglei League and Xuehe Sect had a very close relationship. When I found out about the conspiracy of Qingfeng Pavilion and other three sects, I had already won over Xuehai and formed a united front. Although the sudden change today made my original plan fail, Xuehai will always stand on my side. When I realized that the general leader Beibei was also in a line with the three sects, I knew that it was impossible to win the assistance of the gangs in the name of "Grand Alliance". On the contrary, the existence of the Grand Alliance was harmful to me. With the support of Qingfeng Pavilion and others, the general leader who was originally in name only has become very important. They jointly manipulated the Grand Alliance and secretly tripped up the Jinglei League. When that time comes, I will be in trouble both internally and externally, and it will be strange if I don't get destroyed. Therefore, it is better to break up on the spot. As long as the people in the Grand Alliance are panicked, those gangs who don't know the inside story will naturally be suspicious of Beibei and others. Then, it will not be so easy for Beibei to use them to harm the Jinglei League!
In fact, I was also extremely nervous when I announced my withdrawal from the alliance. What if Xuehai also betrayed me and joined Beibei's side? I would be left alone. At that time, the Jinglei Alliance would have to fight the Great Alliance internally and the five major factions externally. Even with the full support of Myna and Xiaoyi, there would be no way to save the situation.
Fortunately, Xuehai lived up to my expectations and cooperated with me very well, which immediately caused a sensation in the major league!
Immediately, an old hero of the Shenzhou sworn brotherhood said, "Brother Sky, Brother Blood Sea, why are you so impulsive? Everything can be discussed. It's not easy to establish a great alliance, and its development to this day is the result of everyone's unity and struggle. Seeing that we have defeated the Nine Cities and our reputation has been greatly enhanced, we can take advantage of the situation to capture Lian Zhen. How can we cause a split at this time? The Jinglei League is in trouble, and it is reasonable for us to help. It is normal for Boss Bei to have concerns, but I think we should send troops - even if it is a wasted trip, it is not a big deal. In case there is really an invasion, it is the obligation of all gangs in our Pojun City to resist the foreign enemy!"
Beibei said, "You make it sound easy. Right now, the coalition forces are injured and exhausted. If they keep traveling back and forth, what if the Thunder Alliance fails and the Nine Cities fall back into the hands of Shengtang Yuntian? How can we explain this to our brothers?"
Zi Buyu chimed in, "Besides, even if what Bloody Sky said is true, we don't know how the Thunder Alliance could have offended gangs in other cities. Does that mean that the entire alliance has to bear the consequences for the trouble caused by the Thunder Alliance?"
The boss of Haomen Villa, Yishi Xionghao, said angrily, "What's so difficult about this? There are 500,000 or 600,000 coalition forces, and they only took 300,000 back. I don't believe that the remaining troops will be defeated by Shengtang Yuntian! Zi Buyu, what you said is unreasonable. Not to mention that the reputation of Jinglei League is well-known on Cangzhi Continent. Even if Jinglei League is wrong, how could it offend five major gangs in three cities at the same time? Boss Tiankong said that there was collusion between traitors. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems self-evident! But I disdain to associate with you bunch of ungrateful people. Today, my Haomen Villa also withdraws from the big alliance. Boss Tiankong, just ask for any support you need. As long as I, Yishi Xionghao, can do it within my ability, I will never say a word!"
I was overjoyed. Although I had some friendship with Yishi Xionghao, it was only casual. I had never contacted him about today's matter. I didn't expect him to be so loyal. I quickly thanked him, "Brother Xionghao, you are so kind. Thank you!"
Zi Buyu's face changed slightly, and he said angrily, "What do you mean by this, my hero? Jinglei Xuehe has always been in collusion with others, and they think they are powerful. They often make decisions and grab benefits in the Grand Alliance. It was expected that they would withdraw from the alliance. You actually want to join them, don't you also look down on the Grand Alliance and think it is a place where you can come and go as you please?"
Yishi Xionghao was furious and was about to insult him back, but suddenly he heard a long laugh. Xiao Yao stood up and said coolly: "You guys just keep arguing, but I, Xiao Yao, fully support Xuehai Wuya. Since Xuehe Sect has withdrawn from the alliance, Suiyue Qingkuang will not stay. Boss Tiankong, when Tiexue attacked, Jinglei Alliance helped to defend Suiyue and made the most efforts. Today I will repay you for this favor!"
In a flash, four gangs withdrew from the alliance. Beibei and the others were very upset. Just as they were about to speak, the boss of Demon Realm City, Demon God Supreme, suddenly laughed and said, "I have long felt that staying in this big alliance is meaningless. Facing a powerful enemy, instead of uniting to fight the enemy, you are still busy fighting among yourself. With such an alliance, how can you talk about unifying the world? It's ridiculous! I also announce my withdrawal on behalf of Demon Realm City. As a member of Pojun City, of course, I have the obligation to help Jinglei League fight against foreign enemies. If Boss Sky needs anything, just give me your orders!"
Before I could even thank him, the Greatest Hero sighed, "Forget it, forget it. Since Boss Bei has made up his mind and doesn't want to send troops, I, the Divine Oath Brotherhood, cannot stand by and watch. I will also withdraw from the Grand Alliance and fully support Jing Lei!"
The situation has really taken a sharp turn for the worse. Six of the fourteen founding gangs of the Grand Alliance have already withdrawn, and it is almost a complete split. Beibei and the others were livid, but I was overjoyed. In fact, this result is not surprising. When the Grand Alliance was first established, everyone had ulterior motives. It can be said that the split was inevitable. Today's incident was just a catalyst! However, the good and rapid effect was beyond my expectation.
Of the remaining eight factions, the Qingfeng Pavilion and other three factions as well as Luanshi have obviously formed a group. Some of the other four factions may have been won over by them. Even if there are still one or two gangs who don't understand the reason, it is irrelevant to the overall situation.
Bei Bei snorted angrily and said, "Okay, okay, go ahead. From today on, you six factions are no longer members of the Grand Alliance. If you encounter any trouble, it has nothing to do with the Grand Alliance. You are also not eligible to participate in the distribution of the benefits that the Grand Alliance has obtained from Lian Zhen!"
I smiled and said, "People with different ideals cannot work together. The Great Alliance can attack your Lianzhen. As for the external enemies, our six factions will handle them. I, Bloody Sky, would like to thank you for your help. I promise that in the future, each of your factions will be able to obtain the distribution rights of the goods trafficked from the West by our alliance within a city to compensate for your losses!"
The five sects were all delighted, while Beibei and the others were gritting their teeth. Judging from the profits made by the Thunder Alliance in its first trade, the monthly profits from the distribution rights in a large city were already a huge fortune. Moreover, this move of mine would undoubtedly tie the five sects firmly to my chariot. They could forget about turning around and privately winning over the five sects again!
The other gang leaders who did not express their stance in time were even more regretful. If they had known earlier that they had joined the Jinglei League, as long as they helped the Jinglei League to overcome the current difficulties, they would have been able to secure a huge income in the future, which would be better than following Beibei. Even if they destroyed the Jinglei League, they would still have to worry about dealing with those foreign gangs, and their future would be unpredictable.
