A Pawn’s Passage

Qi Xuansu asked, "If the flames of Izanagi and Himiko are of the same lineage, then why did Izanagi's become a demonic fire steeped in heavy yin energy, while Himiko's fire came to embody light?"

Suzuka Gozen replied, "Because the external forces were different. Mount Fuyo is an active volcano. Ancient legend tells of a vast yin-yang fissure beneath it that connects to the netherworld, from which endless yin energy gushes forth. When deities are corroded by this yin energy, their golden bodies decay, their divine kingdoms rot, and their sacred fire turns into cursed flame. Himiko has converted to Buddhism, deeming herself the incarnation of the Vairocana, and thus received the Buddhist Sect's essence of light."

Himiko's divine offices were derived respectively from the Vairocana and the Amitabha, symbolizing the sun and light.

Suzuka Gozen continued, "For a long time, Shinbutsu-shugo, the fusion of deities and Buddhas, was common in Fenglin. Its deities became mere vassals of Buddhism, serving as its protectors. It was only when the Confucian School of Principle arose and the Tenmon Sect aligned with its principles of revering the emperor that the Tenmon Sect began to break free of Buddhism's control and stand independently. Later, it absorbed doctrines from the Holy Court, proclaiming Fenglin as the center of the world. Gradually, the Tenmon Sect became the state religion, with the Emperor of Fenglin not only supported as the sovereign but also serving as its sect leader."

Qi Xuansu said, "So the Three Great Kami first relied on the Buddhist Sect to defeat Izanagi, then took advantage of the Confucian School's victory over the Buddhist Sect to gradually shake off the latter's control. After a thousand years, they finally stood as masters of their own house."

Suzuka Gozen smiled. "But just as they left the Buddhist Sect, the Daoist Order came about. Thus, after revering the emperor, they now have to also resist the Daoists."

Qi Xuansu bowed sincerely. "Thank you for dispelling my doubts, Suzuka Gozen."

Suzuka Gozen said, "I recall many years ago, when the Daoists had just taken charge of Fenglin, they investigated these ancient matters and even sent people to conduct field studies at Mount Fuyo."

Qi Xuansu replied, "Too much time has passed, with so many Fenglin Daoist Mansion Masters succeeding one another. Most of the people involved are no longer around, so naturally, none remember it as clearly as you, Suzuka Gozen. I believe the Fenglin Daoist Mansion must have records, but who knows which dusty archive they've been left to lie?"

Suzuka Gozen asked, "The Daoists have always been renowned for their impressive organizing skills. Do they not have anyone assigned specifically to manage archives?"

Qi Xuansu said, "Such archives are top secret. After being registered by the Fenglin Daoist Mansion, they were promptly sealed, with only an index number and rough classification. If the number is known, they can be found quickly. But if the number is forgotten, then only those authorized to view top-secret files can personally search for them. Everyone knows those records are there, and if one wished to find them, they certainly could. But the present situation is not so urgent as to warrant the Mansion Master taking time to search for those files. The pressing matter now is the war in Fenglin."

Suzuka Gozen chuckled. "It seems that when those archives were first established, it was done more as a matter of formality than true necessity."

Qi Xuansu replied without hesitation, "As time passes, any institution or organization inevitably falls into stagnation and rigid structure. Just as a vigorous youth grows into a decaying old man, the Daoist Order is no exception."

Suzuka Gozen said, "Even so, the Daoists already far surpass the Tenmon Sect. In just ten short days, you've advanced from the Daoist Xiaoyao stage to the Wuliang stage. This must be your reward for your battle merits, right? To be honest, I'm astonished. They say the Daoist Order can forge gods by human effort, and it seems there's no lie in that. This fills me with confidence that the final victor will surely be the Daoists."

Qi Xuansu rose to take his leave. "Thank you again for clearing my doubts, Suzuka Gozen. I must hasten to the frontlines, so I shall take my leave now."

"I won't see you off, then." Suzuka Gozen replied while she remained seated.

She had to stay at Mount Suzuka to recuperate from her wounds and to guard against a sudden raid from the Sonno-joi faction.

Qi Xuansu departed from Suzuka Gozen's shrine, glancing back one last time. The next time he returned, this place would likely already have been converted into a Daoist temple.

Instead of heading to the army camp at the foot of the mountain, Qi Xuansu soared directly into the skies with his Phoenix Wings. No matter how mobile the Black Robes Heavy Cavalry might be, they could not match Qi Xuansu's speed in flight. Thus, finding Spirit Guard Jia Chen and his heavy cavalry was no difficult task.

Though the Spirit Guard Jia Chen was also capable of flight, at this moment, he sat firmly on horseback. Behind him stretched a dark, dense mass of heavy cavalry. Their thunderous hoofbeats shook the earth beneath them.

More than 2,000 armored cavalry were en route to reinforce Spirit Guard Jia Shen's forces. Like a sharpened blade, they were poised to strike from the flank and rear, planning to separate the Sonno-joi army into scattered fragments.

Spirit Guard Jia Chen had anticipated the Sonno-joi army's breakthrough tactic and was deliberately luring them. If he clung too closely to the Spirit Guard Jia Shen, the Sonno-joi army within Kameyama Castle would never dare to emerge. Therefore, he had to open a gap, like a fighter feigning an opening to trick his opponent into overcommitting.

Meanwhile, on another front, a contingent of Sonno-joi cavalry was also charging straight into the defensive line of the Black Robes infantry.

Compared to the Sonno-joi cavalry facing Spirit Guard Ding Wei's army, these riders were even more pitiful.

The former had to endure volleys of gunfire as they charged, while the latter faced the might of full artillery barrages.

Before cannons, any armor was meaningless. Even the Black Robes Heavy Cavalry would not be able to withstand a direct hit.

The cannons roared ceaselessly. With each blast, three to four cavalrymen and their horses were hurled skyward. Their bodies were blown apart by the blast, leaving slim chances of survival.

From above, the battlefield was a hellscape. Countless severed limbs and broken remains, accompanied by plumes of smoke and ash, rose in the air, only to crash back to the blood-soaked earth.

For the unlucky ones that were struck head-on, their bodies exploded into nothing but a cloud of blood mist, leaving not even bones behind.

Yet the Sonno-joi faction had staked everything on this assault. Five Heavenly Beings at the very front led the charge, their blood qi fused into one, like the tip of a spear. If the spearhead could pierce through, then the shaft behind would inevitably drive forward as well.

The cavalry drew closer and closer to the artillery positions. Since cannons could not fire at steep angles, they gradually lost their effectiveness.

At that moment, it was the gunmen's turn. Beyond the standard long rifles, the Black Robes wielded heavy Thunderbolt Guns. Their key feature was sustained rapid fire that was continuous and unbroken. Each required two men to operate—one to fire, the other to reload. The drawback was severe overheating. If fired too long, the barrel could melt. With their specialized rounds, their power was too weak to pierce heavy armor or protective qi shield, but they were more than sufficient to shoot down horses.

Over a dozen Thunderbolt Guns formed crisscrossing fields of fire. Their tactic was to strike the horses before the riders.

Those riders thrown from their mounts were either trampled by their own side or picked off one by one by the long rifles.

This was merely a diversionary force.

If need be, they could even abandon the artillery positions and fall back to a secondary line of defense.

Layer upon layer of resistance awaited the attackers.

Once Maeda Masao's main army had marched out of Kameyama Castle, there was no path of return.

Speed was of the essence in warfare. The Sonno-joi troops had no time to haul away the cannons or even to destroy them. They had to smash through the defenses as quickly as possible and join forces with Maeda Masao's troops. Together, they would strike Spirit Guard Jia Shen's forces from both flanks. If there was a single moment's delay, Maeda Masao's army would become the one caught in a pincer attack.

From atop a ridge, Spirit Guard Jia Shen gazed northward at the surging, black torrent rolling toward him.

The sky itself seemed dyed red by their surging blood qi.

The Sonno-joi armies had suffered defeat after defeat, largely because their weapons were inferior to the Daoists' and they lacked unified command, often fighting their own battles. Yet in sheer ferocity and valor, they were in no way inferior. If anything, they surpassed the Daoist troops.

Most of these Sonno-joi ronin were Baodan-stage Houtian Beings, while their lowest-ranking captains were Kunlun-stage Xiantian Beings. Mid-level officers stood at the Yuxu stage, higher-level commanders at the Guizhen stage, while generals were Heavenly Beings.

Tens of thousands of troops radiated blood qi so immense that at their peak, they nearly rivaled a Manly Immortal. Even after heavy losses, their might was comparable to Pseudo-Immortal Martial Arts Practitioners. As a first-rank Spirit Guard, Spirit Guard Jia Shen could certainly fight his way through them, but annihilating an entire army of this size by himself was beyond his capabilities.

After all, when armies massed, their combined blood qi suppressed countless spells, rendering many useless or greatly weakened. This was especially true for Spirit Guards, who relied heavily on divine power. In the press of armies, such power was utterly stifled.

Other lineages were also suppressed to varying degrees. The only difference lay in the severity of the impact. By contrast, Martial Arts Practitioners were the least affected, almost not at all. That was why most on the battlefield were Martial Arts Practitioners.

However, their killing efficiency was low. Even a single punch that killed a dozen men could not compare to the sweeping, large-scale spells of Banished Immortals, Qi Refiners, Diviners, or Shamans.

Unless an Immortal personally entered the field, the best way to defeat an army of this size was with an equal army. Battlefield victories were not the same as duels between Pseudo-immortals and Immortals at the front lines.

Li Zhuyu stood beside Spirit Guard Jia Shen. "Deputy Commander, Maeda Masao has thrown everything into the assault this time. I don't think this is a feint."

In wartime, Daoist priests and Spirit Guards were always assigned temporary posts. For instance, the title of Sage Commander was held by Sage Qingwei. Similarly, Qi Xuansu's temporary role was as a strategist, responsible for assisting in planning and stratagems. This was akin to a wartime secretary, reporting directly and exclusively to the Sage Commander.

The three first-rank Spirit Guards served temporarily as Deputy Commanders assisting the Sage Commander. In practice, the Sage Commander oversaw the grand strategy, while the Deputies handled direct command of battles. This structure, with one Chief Commander and three Deputies, was in some measure modeled after the arrangement of one Grand Master supported by three Deputy Grand Masters.

Spirit Guard Jia Shen lowered the telescope in his hand. "The enemy outnumbers us nearly three to one. If we stretch our lines, reinforcing the front leaves the rear thin, and reinforcing the rear leaves the front thin. Strengthening the left leaves the right weak, and strengthening the right leaves the left weak. It's better to concentrate our forces into a single point.

"He who tries to defend everywhere will be weak everywhere. The side that is weak is the one compelled to guard against the enemy; the side that is strong is the one that makes the enemy guard against it."