Douluo: Goddess Life Simulator, Qian Renxue Is Addicted

"Though I've been demoted again and again, I've never stopped paying attention to the war situation. Once, I compiled a book detailing the rivers and streams across Zhu Nation. I called it the Commentary on the Waterways... After comparing some data, I discovered that the soldiers who fled to the cities beyond Great San Pass seemed to have taken a peculiar route."

"That route is... the Qing River."

"They would cling to wooden logs and follow the upper stream of the Qing River, drifting along with the current until they arrived in the wilds outside Qingshan Town. That way, they could bypass Great San Pass and return home."

Zhou Sheng'an explained his theory.

Xiao Tianhe and the old general brightened at once upon hearing this.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Vice General Zhou! I could kiss you!"

"If we can cut off Zhao Kuo's army's supply line, then it's only a matter of time before they're driven into a desperate corner!"

Xiao Tianhe and the old general were overjoyed, gripping Zhou Sheng'an's shoulder with near-manic excitement. "According to my battle plan, it'd take at least three months to turn the tide. But with your intel, we can press that down to less than a month!"

Zhou Sheng'an smiled faintly, neither humble nor flattering toward Xiao Tianhe or the old general.

And that was exactly the kind of attitude Xiao Tianhe liked most!

"You seem confident. If you were in command, how long would it take you to neutralize Zhao Kuo's threat?" the old general asked with a grin.

"Half a month is enough," Zhou Sheng'an said calmly.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Zhao Kuo acted recklessly and underestimated the enemy. He brought his troops to Great San Pass and let his cavalry run wild through the territory, but he likely didn't bring much rations with him—I estimate no more than seven days' worth. In that time, I'll have someone feign defeat to stoke his arrogance and lure him into an area where no supplies can reach him."

Zhou Sheng'an became spirited as he discussed military strategy. "At the same time, I'll assign a detachment to follow the secret river route I discovered and cut off the Heaven Dou Empire's supply lines midway."

"With that, half a month will suffice. The timing doesn't depend on me—it depends on how rash Zhao Kuo is. The more reckless he gets, the faster it'll all end."

Zhou Sheng'an smiled slightly, full of confidence.

The old general mulled it over, then said, "The plan's solid. But you may not have led troops before, so you might not realize how difficult it is to adapt on the fly. Especially when feigning defeat…"

His concern was well-founded. A general's control over his troops was a major factor.

The same mission handed to different armies could yield entirely different results.

Some generals led with strict discipline, training their soldiers like extensions of their own limbs.

Others, however, had undisciplined troops that could collapse at the first sign of trouble—completely useless, like that good-for-nothing Xing Daorong.

This, too, was a measure of a general's true ability.

"Zhao Kuo's effective command limit is around one hundred thousand, yet he's brought fifteen thousand and staffed key posts with his own men. That's risky... and a chance for us."

"But as for me leading the troops..." Zhou Sheng'an paused.

"You're not about to claim you can command two hundred thousand and have every soldier act exactly how you want, are you?" Xiao Tianhe laughed, thinking Zhou Sheng'an was about to joke.

"The more, the better," Zhou Sheng'an replied with a light smile.

"..." Xiao Tianhe froze, unable to laugh.

Zhou Sheng'an was utterly outrageous!

'The more, the better,' he said.

The strongest general on the continent, the Nine-Lives Divine Dragon Marshal Ge Long, only managed a cap of seven hundred thousand troops.

That was already the peak of Douluo Continent's military standards.

Yet Zhou Sheng'an just casually tossed out a "the more, the better"?

Absurd!

Xiao Tianhe patted his shoulder and said, "Young man, don't overreach. But I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. Take three thousand elite troops and cut off Heaven Dou's supply line. Once we repel the enemy, I'll recommend you for top honors!"

...

"As expected, Xiao Tianhe didn't disappoint! If Mister Zhou ever joins Star Luo in the future and faces injustice, I'll make sure to introduce him to Xiao Tianhe!"

Zhu Zhuqing finally felt a bit more at ease.

Earlier, she was nearly driven mad by that bastard Xing Daorong. Completely useless in command, yet a master at passing the blame!

Thankfully, Empress Zhu had Zhou Sheng'an's back, or he really might've been ruined.

Zhu Zhuqing crushed the bark she had torn from a tree and murmured, "Mister Zhou... now I can finally witness your invincible brilliance once again…"

She slowly closed her eyes. At a time like this, she had to experience it personally.

Only then could her heart truly race—only then could she feel the real impact!

...

[On October 24th, Douluo Calendar Year 2024, General Xiao Tianhe and Zhou Sheng'an finalized their battle plan. Zhou Sheng'an led three thousand elites through the river route, bypassing Great San Pass to cut off the Heaven Dou Empire's supply line. Xiao Tianhe feigned defeat, drawing Zhao Kuo deeper into enemy territory.]

[Zhao Kuo continued pushing into Zhu Nation, halting after three hundred li to wait for supplies.]

[Meanwhile, Zhou Sheng'an ambushed and wiped out the Heaven Dou Empire's supply convoys, then used captured laborers to trick open Great San Pass, seizing it in a surprise attack.]

[On October 31st, lacking resupply, Zhao Kuo realized the danger too late and was struck by Xiao Tianhe's counteroffensive, suffering devastating losses.]

[Zhou Sheng'an, with two thousand elite troops, laid an ambush at Bowang Slope, setting a trap with rations and corpses to lure Zhao Kuo.]

[On November 10th, only two thousand of Zhao Kuo's battered remnants reached Bowang Slope. Seeing food and fallen comrades, they rushed to the supplies—only for torches and arrows to rain down upon them.]

[Zhou Sheng'an beheaded Zhao Kuo on the battlefield.]

[General Xiao Tianhe nominated Zhou Sheng'an for top military merit and helped clear his name.]

[The Star Luo Emperor ennobled Zhou Sheng'an as a Count and appointed him as General Who Pacifies the North.]

[Zhou Sheng'an's name began to spread. With the slaying of the ninth-ranked general and Xiao Tianhe's strong support, Zhou Sheng'an himself was recognized as the new ninth-ranked general.]

...

And just like that, Zhou Sheng'an had "risen to greatness" in military affairs again. Aside from Zhu Zhuqing, who first triggered this development, the other goddess players soon noticed the explosive update.

Zhou Sheng'an was now the General Who Pacifies the North of the Star Luo Empire?!

Many goddess players were confused—why did Zhou Sheng'an make such a different choice?

"Compared to being a Grand Sage Master in the theoretical realm, this kind of small-scale military stuff... whatever, let him play. It's not like he can change the entire continent's power structure again, right?"

Bibi Dong wasn't paying much attention to Zhou Sheng'an anymore.

Her innate talent had let her discover another method to bypass the negative effects of divine inheritance.

She was currently at a critical stage, almost completely focused inward, with no time to spare for the outside world.