The bold proclamation earned gasps and raised eyebrows from the generals in the hall.
Liang Wude, standing closest to the wrapped item, stepped forward and carefully unwrapped it. His eyes widened at the sight.
"Boro Yashun!" he exclaimed.
The others quickly moved closer, peering into the sac.
"It really is Boro Yashun…"
"That brute with Innate Divine Strength—how did the commander manage to kill him?"
"That bastard… is really dead."
In that moment, the generals no longer saw a child before them. They saw a proven warrior—a valiant commander.
"You all wondered how I made it back alive," Qin Feng said evenly. "It's simple. I awakened a physique and fought my way through."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "Now then… let's begin the defense planning in earnest."
With that, the meeting officially began.
---
Qin Feng started by requesting a report on the current military strength of the fortress.
All in all, just over forty thousand troops.
He closed his eyes briefly, then asked, "And what is the exact status of General Huo Jian and the one hundred thousand troops assigned to him?"
General Feng Luo responded, "Huo Jian sent a missive claiming he had marched toward the capital, on orders from 'the Court,' to intercept enemy forces heading there."
Qin Feng raised a brow, his voice low and deliberate. "Not the Emperor… but 'the Court'?" He repeated, letting the words hang in the air.
The generals nodded, some muttering curses under their breath.
A cold shadow passed over his face as he clenched his fists, the chair groaning under the strain. 'Just as I suspected… that traitorous dog truly bit the hand that fed him.'
Moments later, he released his grip, exhaling slowly to steady himself.
His eyes swept the hall, sharp and unyielding. "Hear me well," he said, each word deliberate, leaving no room for argument. "From this day forth, Beiguan Fortress has no General Huo Jian."
The declaration was met with quiet acceptance. They were not fools—they could see clearly that his father had been plotted against, andHuo Jian was an accomplise.
Yet, their hearts still ached. With the troops under Huo Jian, the fortress would not be in such a dire situation.
"Generals," Qin Feng said, raising his voice to command their attention, "the situation does not favor us." He stepped down from the podium. "However, if there is one thing I know about every person in this hall, it is this: none of you are cowards."
He moved toward Liang Wude, who puffed out his chest proudly.
"My father told me stories of how you followed him into enemy territory to rescue captured countrymen." Qin Feng tapped Liang Wude's shoulder, then nodded at his deputy.
"Of how you held your ground with him during the Hongmen Feast orchestrated by the rebel Prince of Han." Now he stood before General Bai Xian.
"Of your refusal to kneel, even when surrounded at the Battle of Bloody Gate." He turned to Zhao Kun.
"And of your daring encirclement of enemy reinforcements with less than half their forces at the Dinat Plains." Now he was before Feng Luo.
Finally, he returned to the terrain map table, his voice rolling across the hall.
"You have all proven yourselves the bravest of the brave, the best of the best. And now, the coming battle… will not be your last!"
The generals leaned forward, eyes sharp, muscles coiled with anticipation.
"The scribes will write of forty thousand brave men standing against hundreds of thousands. Of how forty thousand moved like a storm through them, rending their ranks—and sent them fleeing with their with their tails between their legs!"
A spark ignited in the room.
"Zhàn!" Liang Wude shouted, fists clenched and held over his chest, eyes burning with fervor.
"Zhàn!" Feng Luo's voice followed, ringing clear and strong.
"Zhàn!" Zhao Kun and Bai Xian added.
One by one, their deputies joined, voices crashing together like rolling thunder:
"Zhàn! Zhàn! Zhàn! Zhàn!"
The polished floor seemed to vibrate beneath their stomps. Lanterns swayed. Halberds rattled slightly in their racks. Banners fluttered as if stirred by an unseen wind.
Morale had skyrocketed. The generals no longer saw themselves as weary defenders—they were a storm, ready to strike back.
Qin Feng allowed a small, proud smile. The fortress might be underprepared, the enemy looming—but this army… this army would not break.
---
The meeting then shifted to practical planning. Traps, weapons, rations, recruitment—everything was discussed, and supervision tasks were assigned:
General Zhao Kun — Training infantry: formations and techniques.
General Feng Luo — Training cavalry units.
General Bai Xian — Wall defenses and trap operations.
General Liang Wude — Inventory management and weapon production.
The meeting stretched late into the night, but it was productive.
Throughout, Qin Feng used True Sight to scan for spies or traitors. To his satisfaction, none existed in the hall. The generals were trustworthy.
Still, he knew traitors lingered elsewhere in the fortress. So, he had not yet revealed the full scope of his plans.
Once he rooted out all spies, he would personally provide each general with resources from the system shop to enhance efficiency and combat power:
Infantry: advanced training manuals with formations that maximized unit effectiveness.
Cavalry: specialized training manuals to improve mounted combat.
Wall defenses: powerful siege weapons and contraptions.
Armory: superior weapons and armor from the shop, several times stronger than existing stock.
Of course, he'd have to find a way to do all these without actually revealing the existence of the system.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now, his priority was clear: root out every spy within the fortress—within two days at most.
With True Sight, along with it's broken "far-sight" ability, as well as his shadow guards, Qin Feng plans to completely root out every spy within the fortress.
Within forty-eight hours, Beiguan Fortress would be rid of all spies and potential sabotage.
And only then… would the real preparations begin.
---
AN: I really hope the whole pep rally wasn't too much. I kinda felt embarrassed after writing it. Kept debating whether to leave it or remove it. Finally decided to just leave it.
Let me know in the comment what you think about it, should I go bury myself in shame for coming up with that? Or is it barely passable.
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