Players, though a bit bewildered, quickly dispersed to scout the surroundings and clarify their next objectives, with reassurance from elite players like Chu Ge.

After all, it was just a game!

The officials at Dark Sand had already set up the scenes, so there must be a specific way to play it; the players felt it was just that they hadn't found it yet.

However, they didn't know that Meng Yuan was just as confused as they were.

Seeing no one around, Meng Yuan whispered to his companion in secret, "What's happening? Where are the demons?"

The voice of his companion rang in his mind, "It seems the demons are in the Desert North area, preparing for war."

Meng Yuan was speechless, "What? Then why did we rush to bring the players here so quickly?"

"I have no idea," replied his companion. "I thought you had a plan!"

Meng Yuan: "..."

The situation became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Actually, the players were supposed to enter a simulation trial, but the demons suddenly exerted their power and dragged all the simulation trials of the Illusion Realm here. Meng Yuan just went with the flow, gathering all the players to prepare for a decisive battle with the demons.

But now, it turns out that the demons weren't planning to engage in battle yet.

At this point, Meng Yuan certainly couldn't lead the players to charge carelessly into the demons' stronghold in the Desert North, could he? That would be like going on a suicide mission.

But he definitely couldn't let the players run around chaotically during this awkward time.

Hmm...

The solution was easy, stage an interim cutscene to buy some time.

Moreover, the cutscene had the benefit of serving as a pre-battle motivational speech, boosting the players' morale.

The only issue was that the players had already started acting independently, and adding a cutscene at this point would feel like a bug, not very smooth.

But this was no problem for Meng Yuan; dealing with unexpected events was as simple and natural to him as eating and drinking.

He immediately had his companion stealthily place a prop in the distance, waiting for the players to discover it.

...

"Hey! Look what I found!"

One of the players shouted excitedly, and his surrounding peers gathered around.

The place where the players were was an endless Great Desert, but it seemed quite distant from both the Beidi people in the Desert North and the border fortresses of the Chu Dynasty; it was the kind of place with neither a village in sight nor a shop behind.

Aside from the wind and sand, there were only wild grasses.

But what the player was holding was a broken Ring-Headed Blade.

The Ring-Headed Blade was a standard-issue weapon of that era and could be considered the ancestor of the Liang Blade.

Although the Ring-Headed Blade was broken and covered in rust, the ring on the handle and the straight blade were still clearly visible.

"What's this?"

Everyone approached curiously.

Looking at the broken and rusted Ring-Headed Blade, they naturally thought of a poem.

"Unyielding weapons buried in sand, still sharp, recognized as relics of past dynasties."

And then, suddenly, everyone's field of vision began spinning rapidly; they felt as if they were momentarily given a god-like perspective. The skies above fluttered, the wild grass was blown by the wind, and time seemed to race ahead.

The players vanished into thin air, the Ring-Headed Blade fell to the ground, and its timeline seemed to reverse as the rust slowly faded, with vague figures starting to appear in the distance...

Finally, the Ring-Headed Blade appeared in the hands of a valiantly fighting Chu Army soldier.

"Kill!"

He shouted, swinging the Ring-Headed Blade, but the blade, already chipped from use, suddenly snapped upon colliding with the enemy's saber.

And that Chu Army soldier was shot dead by a Beidi barbarian warrior, falling to the ground with a look of profound unwillingness in his eyes.

The horde of Beidi barbarian warriors, carrying their plundered gold, silver, and enslaved captives, marched off into the distance.

As the dust kicked up by the barbarians gradually faded from view, a line of text appeared in the players' vision.

"In the sixth year of the Guangyuan era of Great Chu, the Martial Emperor dispatched four armies to subdue Beidi, three of which were defeated.

"The Beidi people retaliated by killing the Governor of Liaoxi, driving back the defenders of Guyang, and enslaving two thousand civilians to the North.

"Thousands of families were thus shattered, and the Chu Army was unable to catch up.

"After years of wars, over a hundred thousand soldiers of the Chu Army perished, the treasury was depleted, and taxes were exhausted, yet it was still insufficient to support the warriors.

"The Beidi people moved like the wind, waging war to sustain war, a strategy capable of crippling even the mightiest of dynasties. At this time, they were, without a doubt, the overlords of the entire world, with only distance as their limitation.

"Those distant, tiny nations might survive, but the Chu Dynasty was right under the Beidi's nose, with no other choice."

The scene shifted again, this time to an imperial garden where the Martial Emperor was riding his horse, bow ready, aiming at a deer ahead.

However, with the twang of the bowstring, the deer suddenly leapt, escaping the shot.

The little deer began to sprint wildly. The Martial Emperor, with his entourage, gave chase, but the deer was incredibly agile, nearly disappearing into the forest.

Just then, a fast horse charged out, a young rider on its back notching an arrow to his bow.

With a "swoosh," the figure of the distant deer trembled violently, and after limping a few steps forward, it ultimately collapsed to the ground.

Emperor Wu burst out laughing, "Fine archery!"

The young general dismounted with a flip and, holding the arrow-struck fawn high, presented it to Emperor Wu.

"Good, I award you this game!

"Today's hunt is over, return now!"

The crowd surrounded Emperor Wu as he left the garden.

At this moment, the players became transparent as before, as if watching an over-the-shoulder cutscene CG, but this time, the players discovered that they could discuss amongst themselves.

When an NPC spoke, the players' voices would be suppressed, ensuring everyone could hear what the NPC was saying, but at other times, players could split into groups for brief discussions within the channel.

"That's General Wei Huo, isn't it?"

"So young!"

"General Wei Huo was only nineteen years old at that time."

"At that time, only General Wei Huo's campaign was victorious among the four routes of the northern expedition, which is why Emperor Wu was so pleased and continued to entrust him with important tasks."

During the players' discussion, the cutscene CG continued.

Riding on his horse, Emperor Wu said to General Wei Huo at his side, "If the treasury and provisions allow, could you lead my forces directly to the Beidi royal court and repay the humiliation my dynasty has suffered over these decades twofold?"

He had just returned victorious from the hunting grounds, but his expression was anything but relaxed and cheerful.

Instead, there was a heavy concern.

Of the four northern expeditions, only one was victorious, and the Beidi people soon proved with their retaliatory actions that they were still the undisputed masters of this land.

For Emperor Wu, he knew that if the struggle continued in this way, the Chu Dynasty would likely be the loser in the end.

Therefore, he placed all his hopes on General Wei Huo, the only victorious commander in the four campaigns.

General Wei Huo, full of youthful vigor, declared, "Certainly! As long as there are sufficient funds and provisions, your servant will definitely avenge your majesty!"

Emperor Wu looked at him and smiled, "But you haven't studied military strategy, how do you plan to fight?"

General Wei Huo was unconcerned, "The art of war lies within one's conviction.

"I can only say that all these old commanders, without exception, are useless. Some are fixated on the exact wording of military texts, insisting on coordinating chariots and cavalry, only to find they can't keep up with the Beidi cavalry; others are hellbent on matching the Beidi in horseback archery, only to suffer a terrible defeat.

"The Great Desert is the Beidi's home field, they're born in the saddle, and even if our army has warhorses and cavalry, how can we have an advantage when the enemy is also well-prepared?"

Emperor Wu nodded slightly and asked, "What are your thoughts then?"

General Wei Huo continued, "It's simple. We must learn not only the Beidi's archery on horseback but also their ability to strike and vanish like the wind, unpredictable and indefensible!

"The Beidi strike and vanish like the wind, always appearing where we least expect them. Even if we send out cavalry to meet them, they wait at ease, so how can we expect victory?

"Therefore, we must find the Beidi tribes, find their most vulnerable rear, and then strike where they must rescue, fighting a battle that completely breaks their backbone, rendering them incapable of waging war ever again!"

Emperor Wu's eyes gleamed brightly, "But in the vast frontier, how can we find the whereabouts of the Beidi?"

General Wei Huo replied, "Quite simple. We first seize River West. The River West Corridor is between two great mountains, with only a narrow passageway in between, and there are many Beidi people there.

"First, we target them, capture enough prisoners, and then let the Beidi guide us. Won't that allow us to penetrate deep into the Great Desert?"

Emperor Wu asked again, "How can we ensure victory against the Beidi of River West? And after entering the vast desert, what tactics will we employ?"

General Wei Huo shook his head, "Your Majesty, it's the same principle: the art of war lies within one's conviction. Before actually encountering the enemy, I don't know what tactics we'll use.

"But I do know, as long as Your Majesty guarantees troops, horses, funds, and provisions, I will surely avenge Your Majesty!"

Emperor Wu laughed heartily, "Fine! Since that is so, you do not need to ask me how I will ensure the army's supplies and funding, and I won't ask you about what military tactics or strategy you will use.

"You and I, sovereign and subject, will trust each other without doubt!"

...

Inside the Imperial Palace, a high official came forward with advice, hoping Emperor Wu would make peace and form an alliance with the Beidi.

Emperor Wu sneered coldly and said, "Are you aware that someone said the same to me months ago? Do you know what happened to him?

"I asked him if he were sent to the border, whether he could manage it well and prevent the Beidi from invading again? He said no.

"I then asked him if he could manage a single county. He still said no.

"I further questioned if he could manage even a single fortress? He had nothing to say and could only accept the appointment.

"Later, when the Beidi attacked, they took his head!"

Emperor Wu's gaze flickered with a cold light, "You want me to make peace and ally with the Beidi. If I did as you suggest, would the Beidi stop invading?

"You civil officials can't even keep one county on the border secure, yet you have the confidence to advise me that making peace with the Beidi will ensure border safety? Who gave you the courage!

"If you also wish to go to the front line against the Beidi and manage a county, and if you can keep it orderly and prevent Beidi invasions for several years, then I will consider adopting your advice to make peace and form an alliance with the Beidi!"

The high official was rendered speechless and withdrew in silence.

...

The scene shifted again to a mighty army setting off in high spirits.

Meanwhile, the players were split into two groups.

Some had joined the departing army, following General Wei Huo to the campaign in Longxi.

Others remained, forming battle formations in preparation to face off against the main force of the Beidi.

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