Journey to the West: Sun Wukong's Advice System-Chapter 236 Great Disparity in Military Strength

Liu Xiu’s shock at this moment was no less intense than when he first learned that Master Sun was the Ziwei Great Emperor.

What is the concept of a thousand catties per mu?

Having been diligent in farming from a young age, he was no stranger to the yield of many crops. Among them, rice was one of the main crops in Nanyang, but the yield per mu was generally around a hundred or so catties.

Master Sun’s hybrid rice seeds, if they truly could yield a thousand catties per mu, would mean a near tenfold increase in the productivity of rice!

It could not only solve their immediate problem of insufficient food and fodder, but in the long run, it would benefit the whole world!

Liu Xiu excitedly took the bag of seeds, feeling their significant weight as if the rise and fall of the entire world were in his hands.

At this time, Wu Zhiqi, who was on the side watching this scene, revealed a mocking expression, not understanding what there was to be excited about.

Slap!

Sun Wukong directly smacked him on the head.

Wu Zhiqi glared in anger, bound by the Binding Immortal Rope and unable to break free.

He did not know who this Taoist was, but given the respectful manner of that dragon from earlier, it was clear that this person’s status was not simple.

"Still daring to glare?" Sun Wukong gave him another slap.

Slap!

Wu Zhiqi only felt stars exploding before his eyes and his soul shaking in terror, and in his heart, a great shock set in as he realized that this Taoist was a Quasi-Saint!

He did not dare to be reckless any longer and obediently squatted to the side.

Sun Wukong glanced at him and scoffed, "You are, after all, one of the Four Great Spirit Monkeys, the most extraordinary ancient creature of ancient times, daring to contend with the human king Da Yu. And yet, now you have so little backbone,

Just what did the national teacher Wang Bodhisattva give you that made you so willing to be a lapdog for the Buddha Sect?"

Wu Zhiqi’s face changed slightly, wanting to rage but still held back, muttering, "If you were suppressed for thousands of years and suddenly someone let you out, would you be willing to work for them?"

This admission was equivalent to confirming that it was the national teacher Wang who had released him and also struck a chord with Sun Wukong.

Slap!

Another slap flew out.

"You!" Wu Zhiqi was furious, but upon seeing those sharp, arrow-like eyes, he once again obediently lowered his head.

Meanwhile, he was filled with alarm and doubt. Only they knew that the national teacher Wang had released him. How did this Taoist find out?

But he did not dare to ask any more questions.

Sun Wukong had tricked the answer he wanted out of him and did not continue to question further.

Wu Zhiqi’s words had indeed struck him, reminding him of his own original life path.

As the netizen Zhi Hu said, he had caused havoc in Heaven and was then suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain for over six hundred years before being released by Guanyin to become a scripture-seeking monk for the Buddha Sect.

His past bore some resemblance to Wu Zhiqi’s, yet it also made him seem more like a lapdog for the Buddha Sect.

Sun Wukong thought of these things but did not become angry, for his life had already changed and he would not experience being suppressed again.

Later, after Ao Lie had quelled the flooding, they took Wu Zhiqi and temporarily left Nanyang.

Sun Wukong did not intend to chop down Wu Zhiqi. After all, as a Daluo Golden Immortal, such a formidable fighter would be a waste to kill, especially since he was also a strong member of his own monkey tribe.

...

Outside Chang’an City, Jia Ye and national teacher Wang Bodhisattva were sitting opposite each other in the Zhen Guo Temple.

Although Jia Ye was called a Supreme One by others, he was actually of the Bodhisattva fruition, and his mana cultivation had reached the Quasi-Saint Realm. Additionally, being the eldest disciple of the Buddha, his status and position in the Buddha Sect were higher than Wang Bodhisattva’s.

"No wonder Liu Xiu is so odd; his behavior and manners are unlike those of people today," Jia Ye sighed.

He had just learned of the events in Nanyang from Wang Bodhisattva and found out that it was Sun Wukong supporting Liu Xiu.

This time, it was Sun Wukong’s eldest disciple, Ao Lie, who took action, subduing the Water Monkey Great Saint Wuzhiqi and quelling the flood in Nanyang.

When recalling that Ao Lie was also chosen by the Buddha Sect to undertake the mission of retrieving the scriptures, yet now he had taken Sun Wukong as his master and had even earlier achieved the status of Daluo Golden Immortal, Jia Ye’s feelings were extremely complex.

"Wang Mang is a traditionalist, this is going to be difficult," the national advisor Wang Bodhisattva frowned, "With the flood in Nanyang subsiding, in at most two months, the Red Han army will be able to regroup and expand once again.

If not extinguished quickly, in at most ten years, Liu Xiu will be able to contend for the world."

"He has no chance now," Jia Ye gently shook his head, "The over four hundred thousand strong army dispatched by Wang Mang should be close to Nanyang by now, and Liu Xiu currently has no more than thirty to fifty thousand troops. With such a huge disparity in forces,

and adding on the fact that Nanyang has just experienced a flood, the Red Han army’s strength must have suffered a heavy loss, and they will definitely not be able to withstand Wang Mang’s vast army. Defeat is just a matter of time."

"Sun Wukong won’t just watch Liu Xiu fall, will he?" the national advisor Wang Bodhisattva expressed some concerns.

Jia Ye smiled and said, "Don’t worry, this is a power struggle between mortals; he wouldn’t dare to use divine means. This time, it was only under the pretext of subduing demons and vanquishing devils that he dared to let Ao Lie take action."

The national advisor Wang Bodhisattva sighed, "If I had known that Sun Wukong was supporting Liu Xiu from behind, I would never have let Wu Zhiqi out."

He had long set his sights on this primeval first-rate odd monster, who was the Water Monkey Great Saint, intending to take him under his wing.

So when Jia Ye asked him to take action, he took the opportunity to release Wu Zhiqi, driving him to wreak havoc in the Huai River, then he would be able to legitimately step in and subdue him.

But unexpectedly, Ao Lie subdued him first.

Jia Ye then said, "However, we should still be cautious. To ensure nothing goes wrong, you should go and summon some wild beasts that have yet to become spirits, to assist Wang Mang’s army."

The national advisor Wang Bodhisattva nodded, "This plan is brilliant, Sun Wukong will have no excuse to interfere."

After that, Jia Ye invited Wang Mang over.

The national advisor Wang Bodhisattva, over ten feet tall and as robust as an ox, could naturally tame wild beasts like tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, and elephants without using any divine methods.

Thereupon, he assumed the name Ju Wuba and joined Wang Mang’s massive army.

Wang Mang was naturally overjoyed and promptly sent Ju Wuba with a large number of ferocious animals rushing to Nanyang.

...

Though the flood had receded, the losses would not return.

Liu Xiu, while managing disaster relief, also taught the common people about farming, and at the same time, was on guard against the attack from Wang Mang’s army, as well as threats from local militia forces in the neighboring counties.

Being opposed to Wang Mang did not mean that the various local militias had the same agenda.

One day, Wang Mang’s massive army approached Nanyang.

Liu Xiu was well prepared; he left ten thousand soldiers under the command of his elder brother, Liu Yan, to defend Wancheng, while he personally led twenty thousand troops to hold off the enemy at Kunyang.

He understood that this was the battle that would determine his fate.

If he won, the world would be his.

If he lost, his hope of restoring the Han dynasty would probably be gone.

Outside Kunyang City, the massive army bore down on them.

A force of four hundred and twenty thousand, along with nearly ten thousand ferocious animals such as tigers, leopards, rhinoceroses, and elephants, merely in terms of momentum, could almost destroy the defendable forces inside Kunyang City.

At that time, the commanding officers defending the city were Deng Yu and Li Tong.

In the future, one would be the foremost among the Twenty-Eight Generals inscribed on Yun Tai, and although the other was not included in it, he too was commemorated on the Yun Tai Chart, both being founding heroes of the Eastern Han dynasty.

"It is always said that Lord Ming is cautious, but when it comes to taking risks, he is crazier than anyone," Li Tong said with a grave expression.

He did not agree with confronting Wang Mang’s massive army, given the too great disparity in forces they should avoid its edge, take advantage of the depth of Nanyang territory to continuously pull them along.

At the same time, they should join forces with the local militias in the surrounding counties to consume this four hundred twenty thousand strong army together.

But unexpectedly, Liu Xiu insisted on deploying troops, intent on stopping Wang Mang’s army outside of Nanyang.