[Wuxia] Long Hui's Male Concubine (Complete) - 34

page views:1 Publication date:2023-06-23

In the twelfth chapter,

Bai Lingyu, having just ascended the city wall, quickly surveyed the enemy's formation and estimated that their forces numbered no less than 100,000.

"What's the situation?"

Just then, [Long Hui] swiftly reached the top of the wall and issued orders. Seeing their commander appear, the soldiers' morale soared.

Bai Lingyu was slightly taken aback. [Long Hui] secretly transmitted his voice, "Lingyu, it's me. Senior Sister is distraught over the Little Phoenix matter and is unfit to command the army. I will temporarily assume command."

It was Lu Mingluan. Bai Lingyu hummed in agreement, nodding in understanding.

Bai Lingyu said, "The enemy force should number no less than 100,000, but we still need to investigate further."

At this moment, Lianyi also climbed onto the city wall and whispered, "Mother has already brought Bing'er back to Wutong Garden. Bing'er is not in any immediate danger; she just fainted."

Bai Lingyu then asked, "What about Xuexin?"

Lianyi said, "Xuexin is fine; she just got a few scrapes. She accompanied Mother to escort Bing'er."

Bai Lingyu felt relieved. Lu Mingluan said, "Yi'er, quickly send out Sparrow Shadows to scout out the enemy's situation!" Lianyi accepted the order, summoned twenty-eight Sparrow Shadows, and personally led the team to scout out the enemy's situation.

Lu Mingluan asked, "What's the situation inside the city now?"

Bai Lingyu replied, "I've already sent Xu Hu with troops into the city to maintain order, so it's relatively stable for now."

Lu Mingluan said, "Now is a critical moment; we absolutely cannot afford any internal strife!"

After a few hours, Queying returned to the city, and Lianyi reported, "Commander, the enemy's forces this time number about 120,000. They started from Cangcheng and are attacking Jinling from three directions. They've already crossed the beacon towers."

Lu Mingluan frowned and asked, "How strong are they?"

Lianyi replied, "The enemy soldiers seem spirited and not restricted by the formation."

Lu Mingluan said, "If I'm not mistaken, this fire has damaged Jinling's ley lines, causing gaps in the formation, making it difficult to contain the enemy."

"First, order the proud birds to attack, give them a good beating, and slow down their advance!"

Lu Mingluan coldly ordered. The demon general Lu Fei immediately led three hundred proud birds into the air, launching a three-pronged attack on the enemy's army. However, just as they reached mid-air, they were struck by a series of lightning bolts, causing heavy casualties among the many birds.

Lu Mingluan was startled and immediately leaped into the air. She saw dense thunderclouds covering the sky above, with muffled thunder rumbling. As soon as

Lu Mingluan took to the air, she was struck by a series of lightning strikes; the electric currents, like dancing silver snakes, rushed towards her, forcing her to use all her strength to maintain her defenses.

Lu Mingluan activated her Seven-Colored Divine Light for protection, flying through the lightning to try and determine the extent of the thunderclouds. She discovered that the thunderclouds stretched for hundreds of miles, almost covering the entire Jinling region.

Lu Mingluan descended from the city wall and said coldly, "The thunderclouds in the sky are extremely unusual. The proud birds can no longer fly. This must be the work of Cang Shitian."

At this moment, Hongjun and Yuanding climbed onto the city wall and inquired about the battle situation. Lu Mingluan gave a general account of the situation, but she did not reveal her identity to Yuanding.

Yuan Ding looked up at the sky, calculating with his fingers, his face growing increasingly grim. He asked, "Did you kill one of Cang Shitian's avatars?"

Lu Mingluan nodded, "Yes, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, my wife and I killed one of Cang Shitian's avatars."

Yuan Ding said, "You fell for his trap. Cang Shitian deliberately sent an avatar for you to kill."

Lu Mingluan asked curiously, "How so?"

Yuan Ding said, "Cang Shitian's avatar contained the primordial energy of the Bright Karmic Fire. Once he died, the primordial energy would disperse in all directions, eventually returning to dust. However, he cultivated the Heavenly Vault Mystic Method, so after his death, some of his primordial energy surged into the sky. Moreover, the place where he died happened to be the location of the Yin-Yang Gathering and Yang-Reversing Array, allowing the primordial energy to..." The formation remained solid and unbroken, the earth's energy mixing with the soil, and the heavenly energy mingling with the clouds. Both heaven and earth contained the true energy of Cang Zei. When the Yin-Yang Gathering Formation was activated, the earth's energy would surge forth, fueled by the earth's fire, resonating with the heavenly energy and drawing forth thunderclouds.

Lu Mingluan asked, "Could these thunderclouds also be a kind of formation?" Yuan Ding

nodded, "This formation is called the Illusionary Cloud Thunderstorm Formation. The earth fire erupting in Jinling, combined with the true energy of Cang Shitian's avatar, creates a resonance between heaven and earth. This formation already has sufficient power; with just a slight activation, ten thousand thunderbolts will roar."

Before he finished speaking, several bolts of lightning struck down, turning many city-guarding soldiers into charred remains.

Lu Mingluan inwardly cried out in alarm. This Illusionary Cloud Thunderstorm Formation not only prevented the Ao Niao Clan from taking flight but also subjected Jinling to an attack from the sky; the situation was extremely dire.

Yuan Ding chuckled, seemingly with a hint of schadenfreude, but before he could finish his laugh, a bolt of lightning struck him.

Caught off guard, Yuan Ding scrambled to avoid it, leaving a large crater where he had stood.

Lu Mingluan retorted sarcastically, "Daoist Master, lightning doesn't have eyes. You'd better be careful, don't get too cocky, or you might get struck!"

Yuan Ding's face turned ashen, his beard bristling and eyes wide with fury.

The enemy army had already approached Jinling, encircling it from three directions, deploying their forces in formation. Swords and armor gleamed like a forest, and various military branches were arrayed in orderly ranks, a truly impressive military display.

Among the troops stood a platform, upon which stood a Daoist priest, none other than the Purple Crane Immortal.

Yuan Ding was furious, pointing at the enemy camp and cursing, "Outrageous! Zi He, you scoundrel, dare to show off your formations in front of me! If I don't teach you a lesson today, I'm not Yuan Ding!"

Hearing Yuan Ding's voice, Zi He said with some surprise, "Oh, so it's my old friend, Brother Yuan Ding. After escaping from Linxia Mountain, instead of resting properly, you've come to wade into this mess. Truly unwise!"

Yuan Ding snorted, "If I'm unwise, then you, licking Cang Shitian's boots, are shameless!"

Zi He exclaimed, "Yuan Ding, what do you mean by that? Cang Shitian is a member of the evil sect. I, Zi He, as a Xuanzong cultivator, how could I lower myself? It's you who shamelessly associates with demons, disgracing the Daoist sect!"

Yuan Ding pointed at the enemy camp and said, "Your emperor is actually Cang Shitian in disguise. It's a shame you, you idiot, are still so foolish..." "Work for him."

Zihe sneered and said indifferently, "His Majesty is a wise and capable ruler who loves his people like his own children. He is a wise ruler for all time. You scoundrel, how dare you slander His Majesty!"

Lu Mingluan snorted, "Yuanding, Zihe probably already knows Cang Shitian's identity. You'd better not waste your breath and save your energy."

Yuanding chuckled, "Since Zihe wants to be a dog, I, the Daoist, will lower myself today and become a dog butcher!"

Zihe sneered, "Yuanding, enough nonsense. I wanted to avenge my humiliation back then!"

When they were fellow disciples, Zihe had competed in formations with Jingchen and Yuanding, but lost both matches. Jingchen was tolerant, so it was fine, but Yuanding had played a trick on this defeated opponent, making him lose face. Now, seeing his former rival again, Zihe was filled with anger and vowed to avenge his humiliation.

Zihe lit three incense sticks, drew talismans in the air, and chanted, "Transform Yin and Yang, sever demonic influence, Thunder and Fire Orthodox Law, hasten to your wish!"

The brilliant talismanic writings transformed into continuous Daoist energy that surged into the clouds, once again attracting the thunder of the drought.

Facing the thunder and lightning, Yuanding chuckled and flicked his robes, saying, "This Daoist master cultivates the Thunder and Fire Body, yet you dare to play with thunder in front of me? You've brought shame upon yourself!"

Before he finished speaking, Yuanding pointed his finger at the ground, drawing in the Qi to create an array within an array. He moved the earth fire surging within Jinling City, then used the Heavenly Gang Technique to guide it, drawing up the remaining energy of the earth fire to form a powerful wall of fire, sealing off the raging thunder. Moreover, Yuanding, somewhat humiliating Zihe, protected all the soldiers on the city wall, ensuring that the thunder's energy did not harm them in the slightest.

Seeing that the heavenly lightning he summoned couldn't even harm a single enemy soldier, Zihe was enraged. He immediately activated his magic again, summoning dense thunderclouds that unleashed thousands of lightning bolts, engulfing the entire city of Jinling.

Lu Mingluan cried out in alarm; this round of lightning strikes would reduce many houses in Jinling to ashes. What had the common people done to deserve this?

Although Yuanding desired the position of Daoist Venerable, he always maintained the heart of a Daoist cultivator and never indiscriminately killed civilians. Now, seeing Zihe actually harming the people, he was furious: "Zihe, you shameless scoundrel!"

He then unleashed his Heavenly Thunderous Aura again, his true energy exploding forth. Since the Jinling formation had been destroyed, his power had fully recovered.

Yuanding formed hand seals and chanted incantations, using the Heavenly Thunderous Aura as a foundation to draw upon the earth's fire for protection. The earth's fire within Jinling soared into the sky, clashing with the heavenly lightning.

The two were evenly matched, one seeking revenge, the other determined to defeat his enemy, each displaying their unique abilities.

Yuan Ding, his eyes bloodshot, leaped off the city wall, his feet touching the ground, drawing upon the earth's fire to protect himself.

Zi He's magic power manifested into an enormous god, a thunder god with wings, a blue face, fangs, sharp claws, and a pointed beak.

It unleashed a barrage of heavenly lightning, attacking Yuan Ding.

Yuan Ding refused to yield, raising his arm and conjuring fire into armor—the Blazing Armor of Heavenly Thunder. However, amplified by the terrain, this armor transformed into a colossal giant, its hair and beard crimson, its body clad in thick armor, its indestructible body withstanding the lightning strikes. The soldiers watching from afar witnessed an unbelievable spectacle—a thunder god battling a fire immortal. This phenomenon had appeared once before at Iron Wall Pass, but that time it was formed from the true energy of two martial artists; now, it was a strange phenomenon arising from a battle of Daoist formations.

The path of formations is not simply about having a deep foundation, but about who seizes the initiative first and accumulates enough momentum to gain the upper hand. This is because once a formation is complete, it connects with heaven and earth. Outsiders entering the formation are essentially fighting against the heavens and the earth. If there is no way to break the formation, the sect will be dragged down.

Zihe's Illusionary Cloud Thunder Formation has been set up for several months and is already at its peak. Now, summoning thunder and lightning is effortless for him. In contrast, Yuanding was hastily prepared and inevitably lacked completeness. He was overwhelmed by his opponent, and his Fiery Armor was shattered by the Thunder God.

In the midst of the army, Cang Shihai personally led the army and sat on his command post, closely watching this unprecedented battle of Daoist formations. Meanwhile, Shenyuan, an avatar of Cang Shitian, who was the commander-in-chief, appeared calm and leisurely, sitting on a chair and drinking tea.

He took a sip of fragrant tea, put down the teacup, took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and smiled, "General, there's no need to be too nervous. Now that Master Zihe's formation is complete, he can use formation to break formation, covering a radius of a hundred miles around Jinling. Even if Yuan Ding has the power to reach the heavens, he will be unable to resist."

Jin Ziyi said calmly, "Is the Master so confident?"

Shen Yuan smiled and said, "I am from the same Taoist sect as Zihe, and I have considerable confidence in his abilities. Once this Illusionary Cloud Thunder Formation is complete, those traitors will surely be punished by heaven. Jinling will soon fall, and then the army will rush over and annihilate this group of rebels in one fell swoop!"

Jin Ziyi and Yin Fangxi fell silent at the same time, no longer saying anything, seemingly thinking about something, which displeased Cang Shihai.

With a deafening roar, thunder struck from the sky, drawing everyone's attention once more. The Thunder God summoned by Zihe spread its wings and flapped its arms, emitting a thunderous howl, seemingly intimidating the enemy. The Fire Immortal had already been annihilated by lightning, while Yuan Ding was struck by a bolt of lightning, his body billowing smoke.

Zihe, brimming with pride, laughed loudly, "Yuan Ding, do you know how a suckling pig is roasted?"

Yuan Ding, enraged, stomped his feet, riding the earth fire into the air. His Yuan Gong incantation drew in all directions, absorbing all the earth fire burning within Jinling City, transforming it into nine sharp pillars of fire that shot into the sky.

Yuan Ding shouted, "Zihe, you scoundrel, try my formation—the Nine Beasts Earth Fire Formation!"

Under the catalysis of his magic, the nine pillars of fire transformed into nine divine beast forms: Baxia, Yazi, Taotie, Bixie, Qiuniu, Pulao, Chaofeng, Aoyu, and Bian.

Although this formation was incredibly powerful, it required the support of external forces to be generated, and the recent fire allowed Yuan Ding to unleash it with ease.

The flames raged, and the nine beasts emerged in droves, charging, pouncing, biting, and tearing... determined to rip the Thunder God to shreds and burn him to ashes. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded the

Thunder God, taking turns to entangle him in battle and attack. Seeing this, Zi He bit her tongue, drawing a talisman with her blood, and then channeled her magic power, chanting emphatically: "Dharma annihilates and seals the gods, the primordial law is established, the eight trigrams give rise to images, thunder draws the law, driving away demons and evil!"

Driven by her magic power, the Thunder God raised his giant palm to the sky, and lightning responded to the call, pouring down once more.

The lightning energy transformed into weapons; the Thunder God held an electric cone in his left hand and a thunder hammer in his right, his might awe-inspiring, as he counterattacked the nine fiery beasts. With a single strike of the thunder beast's heavy hammer, the earth fire dissipated, and the Qiu Niu was annihilated.

Just as he slew one beast, another attack surged forth—a ferocious giant turtle lunging at the Thunder God.

Thor's electric cone struck diagonally, killing the giant turtle, piercing the flames, and breaking through Yuan Ding's attack once more.

Yuan Ding changed tactics, attacking with Pulao, whose head was covered in sharp horns, incredibly sharp, its flames concentrated and razor-sharp. With a single impact, it pierced Thor's armor. Seeing this, the Purple Crane summoned more lightning to aid in the attack. Thor absorbed the lightning and quickly repaired its injuries, regrouping its offensive. It spread its wings and flew high, first creating distance, then its thunder hammer struck the electric cone, instantly unleashing countless currents that riddled Pulao with holes.

Thor pressed forward relentlessly, launching counterattacks. Thunderclouds and electricity rained down along its attack trajectory, its thunderous energy boundless, killing everything in its path. Yuan Ding's attacks were repeatedly shattered by its powerful assault, the fire beasts defeated one by one, dissipating and perishing.

After Thor defeated Baxia's fiery energy, only the last fire beast, Chaofeng, remained. Although eight of the nine beasts were gone, Yuan Ding showed no sign of weakness. With a cold snort, it summoned Chaofeng to peck at Thor. In one swift motion, Chaofeng pierced Thor's eyes, then with a hook of its claws, with a whoosh, the electricity on Thor's face dissipated, and most of his head was gone.

Zihe, who controlled Thor with his Yuan Qi, was also suffering from Thor's injury. He felt a tightness in his chest and was on the verge of vomiting blood.

Zihe's magic power surged forth in anger. With the help of thunderclouds, he reconstructed Thor's image. This time, Thor held a bow and arrow and fired a series of arrows at Chaofeng, killing the last fire beast. The nine fire beasts perished one after another, and Yuan Ding had exhausted the burning earth fire within Jinling, leaving it unable to set up its formation.

Just as Zihe was feeling smug, Yuanding sneered, "Zihe, thank you for putting out the fire for me this time!"

Zihe cried out that he'd been tricked. It turned out that the scoundrel had deliberately used a formation to his advantage, drawing all the fire from Jinling to the heavens to extinguish it with the power of the heavenly thunder.

Having been outmaneuvered, Zihe was furious and shouted, "Yuanding, you scoundrel! Let's see how you withstand the might of this thunder array this time!"

He tried to summon more lightning, but to no avail. The thunderclouds remained motionless. Zihe was startled and quickly calculated with his fingers. His expression changed drastically. The movement of the thunderclouds had been disrupted, making it difficult for him to summon lightning at will.

Although the Illusionary Cloud Thunder Array still hung over Jinling, Yuanding had disrupted its operation, preventing a continuous flow of lightning. This meant Zihe couldn't summon lightning freely, and the array had to wait a while before attacking again, effectively giving the Dragonscale Army a chance to regroup.

First, he used lightning to extinguish fire, then he used fire to disrupt the lightning. Yuan Ding's Taoist arts were displayed to the fullest extent. In that situation, only he in the world could have resolved the disadvantage.

Because he specialized in the Thunder and Fire Body Technique, he had a thorough understanding of the characteristics of thunder and fire. Even if it were someone like Jing Chen, whose cultivation was no less than Yuan Ding's, they wouldn't have Yuan Ding's ability to manipulate fire and lightning, and would still be unable to withstand the thundercloud formation that the opponent had built up.

Yuan Ding leaped onto the city wall and chuckled, "Zi He, you were defeated by me back then, and today you will suffer the same fate. You fool, you will always be my defeated opponent!"

Zi He retorted angrily, "Yuan Ding, you can seal the thundercloud formation for a while, but you can't seal it forever!"

Yuan Ding rolled his eyes and said, "Losers always have to be quick-witted with their words. You should just vent your frustrations and get it out of you, lest you get a stroke from holding it in!"

Zi He gritted his teeth and said, "Once the army breaks through the city, I will definitely tear you to pieces!"

With that, he jumped off the altar.

Yuan Ding had helped her before, so Lu Mingluan put away her sharp edge and sincerely thanked him, "Thank you for your help, Master."

Yuan Ding turned away, refusing her greeting, and said, "I just couldn't stand that scoundrel Zi He, I wasn't trying to help you. Save the gift!"

Lu Mingluan looked up at the sky and saw that the thunderclouds had gathered and were not dispersing, seemingly showing signs of returning.

Yuan Ding snorted, "Although I disrupted the thunderclouds' movement with the earth fire, it was only temporary. The thunderclouds will recover in ten days to half a month."

Lu Mingluan looked at the suspended blade and asked, "May I ask, Master, how can this formation be broken?"

Yuan Ding said, "Cang Shitian sacrificed an avatar to first ignite the earth fire, then unleash heavenly lightning, each step linked to the next. I have already done my limit to this extent. This Illusionary Cloud Thunderstorm Formation has accumulated great power, with thunderclouds covering hundreds of miles. To break it... is difficult, truly difficult!"

Cang Shitian first used an avatar to infiltrate Jinling and plant the Yin-Yang Reversal Formation. Then, he deliberately sacrificed himself, leaving his physical body and vital energy in Jinling. When the time was right, he launched a series of killing formations—earth fire raged wildly, burning Jinling; the fire intensified; vital energy drew lightning, and thunderclouds covered the isolated city, bombarding it. If Yuan Ding hadn't discovered it in time, with earth fire and heavenly lightning attacking simultaneously, how could Jinling have survived?

Lu Mingluan sighed and sincerely bowed to Yuan Ding in gratitude: "Daoist Master, you averted a disaster for the people and soldiers of Jinling. Your kindness is immeasurable; please accept my bow!"

Yuan Ding glanced at her, seemingly still remembering the humiliation of their defeat at Linxia Mountain, his face still showing indifference.

Having escaped the calamity of being struck by heavenly lightning and extinguished the remaining subterranean fires, the Jinling defenders breathed a sigh of relief. But before they could even catch their breath, the enemy made their move again. They deployed troops in three columns, bringing out various siege weapons, all aimed at Jinling.

Lu Mingluan sensed something was wrong and immediately ordered her men to strengthen their defenses. She glanced at the sky and thought, "Although the Thunder Formation cannot attack on its own, the thunderclouds are dense and persistent, and the lightning is incessant. The Ao Niao Clan cannot take to the air; they can only fight on the ground!"

The enemy began their attack, with thousands of troops marching in orderly formation, their powerful strides shaking the earth. Even the Dragon Scale Army soldiers on the city walls felt the tremors.

Lu Mingluan stared intently into the distance. About two miles away, dozens of oil-burning carts were approaching from the formation. They were arranged in groups of five, each dragging a stone cannon. The stone cannon was about nine zhang tall, with a barrel as thick as three arm spans and twelve zhang long. It had a steel axle in the middle, with a massive boulder weighing tens of thousands of jin suspended from the front by an iron chain. At the rear were dozens of gears of various sizes, which used an oil-burning mechanism to grip the handle, using the power of the gears to lift the burning boulder.

In an instant, the enemy general gave the order, and the operator activated the mechanism. The iron chains snapped shut with a thunderous roar.

A massive 300-pound boulder flew into the air and crashed down upon the walls of Jinling City.

In that instant, the entire Dragonscale Army witnessed the most terrifying thing they had ever seen.

The majestic watchtower crumbled in the blink of an eye, and dozens of Dragonscale soldiers were smashed into mincemeat by the boulder.

Immediately, the sounds of explosions, screams, and cries of terror rose and fell, echoing across the city walls.

Bai Lingyu swung his spear to deflect a boulder that was hurtling towards him, but the impact left his arm numb, and he felt a sweet taste in his throat, spitting out a small mouthful of blood.

Lu Mingluan swept away the rubble around him, cursing under her breath.

Bai Lingyu took a few breaths, regulated his inner energy, and ordered his men to count the number of casualties. The report came back that there were no fewer than 300 dead and wounded, and the city walls had been damaged to varying degrees, especially the north gate and the west wall.

Lu Mingluan's face darkened, and she stamped her foot, saying, "Outrageous! This must be something made by those poor Confucian scholars!"

The surviving soldiers witnessed the power of the stone cannons and were all terrified. If they were hit a few more times, wouldn't Jinling City collapse? Just then, Bai Lingyu said, "Bing'er sent ten cannons today, let's retaliate!"

Lu Mingluan hurriedly went to check. She also understood the principles of mechanics, and when she saw these cannons, she was overjoyed: "Good, that vixen Yue Junwan really has some skills. Pass down the order, the gunners take their positions immediately, aim and fire, blow those broken stones to smithereens!"

At her command, the demon cannonmen quickly took their positions, filled the cannon barrels, and moved the muzzles. Then, at her command, flames spewed out, streaks of fire flashed down, and those tall stone cannons immediately became targets, blasted to pieces. The broken wreckage fell into the army, killing many people.

Just as Lu Mingluan was about to continue firing, his subordinates reported that they were running low on ammunition. It turned out that the new cannons had just been manufactured, and before the matching shells could be carried to the city walls, a fire broke out and engulfed the city. Lu Mingluan immediately ordered men to move more shells, but the news came that the gunpowder depot had exploded due to the spread of the fire, resulting in many deaths.

Now, the city walls lacked sufficient firearms; both new and old shells had to be used sparingly, reserved for the most opportune moment.

However, the enemy, also intimidated by the threat of the new cannons, halted their advance and retreated ten miles, giving Jinling a chance to regroup.

Lu Mingluan frowned and said, "With the city wall breached, the enemy will definitely take the opportunity to launch an attack. Lingyu, you quickly lead an elite force out of the city to defend against the enemy and delay their advance into the palace. The rest of you should set up defensive fortifications at the breach as soon as possible. The engineers should immediately repair the breach. We must not let a single enemy soldier into the city."

By the next day, Shenyuan, Jin Ziyi, and the others had already been exposed by the enemy for the fact that the Dragon Scale Army did not have many firearms, so they launched another strong attack. This time, the enemy used a Xuan Turtle Formation based on an infantry square formation. This formation used the Zhenxie Chariots at the front, which was equivalent to the protective role of the Ironclad Battalion. Behind them were the Burning Oil Chariots loaded with Ironclad Divine Thunder, which served the same purpose as the Divine Fire Battalion. Behind them was a heavy cavalry unit that advanced together with the Ironclad Battalion infantry, which was a double layer of protection. Behind them were the various infantry battalions. The Xuan Turtle Formation was supported by light cavalry flanking and covering the sides, making it both offensive and defensive.

Bai Lingyu's elite Dragonscale Army encountered the enemy three miles outside the city. The battle was exceptionally fierce. Faced with this new formation, the Dragonscale Army suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, Bai Lingyu was valiant, using his silver spear to forcefully challenge the operator of the Demon-Suppressing Chariot, breaking through the first defensive formation. He then shattered the Ironclad Divine Thunder, barely forcing the enemy to retreat. However, the price was the lives of three thousand soldiers and the damage to Bai Lingyu's qi meridians, reducing his power by half.

The next day, the enemy attacked again with even greater force. Lu Mingluan had no choice but to grit her teeth and fire the remaining cannonballs to barely hold the city.

That night, the Dragonscale Army gathered to take stock of the casualties. The losses were considerable, and their firearms were exhausted, making the situation extremely dire.

Just as she was frowning in worry, a sweet, coquettish voice rang out from outside: "Master, Master, where are you? I'm starving!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingluan suddenly remembered that she had been busy with the war these past few days, and her silly little girl at home had been left unattended. Now, she had come looking for someone by following her scent.

Lu Mingluan couldn't help but laugh and cry. She apologized to everyone and went out to deal with this little devil first. Once outside Shuai Zhang's place, Lu Mingluan immediately revealed her true form. She saw Xiao Xiao staring around with watery eyes, her face wet with tears, clearly having just finished crying.

Lu Mingluan rushed over, and Xiaoxiao, seeing her at a glance, took off running and threw herself into her arms, sobbing, "Master, I'm so hungry... Where have you been these past few days? You haven't come home at all."

Before Lu Mingluan transformed into Long Hui, she had repeatedly told her not to leave the house, and the girl had been obedient, staying obediently at home. Who knew that Lu Mingluan would be gone for several days, leaving Xiaoxiao so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back. She hid in the house, sobbing, and finally, she couldn't bear it any longer and went out to find her master.

Lu Mingluan glanced at the silly girl and saw that her round little face seemed to have thinned a bit, probably from being starving. She couldn't help but feel guilty and reached out to wipe away her tears, saying softly, "It's alright, Xiaoxiao, don't cry."

Xiao Xiao rubbed her tummy, blinking as she said, "Master, I'm hungry, I'm so hungry!"

Lu Mingluan immediately called Lianyi over, asking her to take care of Xiao Xiao first. Xiao Xiao protested, "Master, I want to stay with you."

Lu Mingluan coaxed, "Xiao Xiao, be good, don't be naughty. Play with your sister first, Master has important matters to attend to!"

Xiao Xiao immediately burst into tears, throwing a tantrum like a child, leaving Lianyi and Lu Mingluan helpless.

Just as the girl was getting emotional, her demonic energy began to surge, quickly stopping her crying. She slowly wiped away her tears, giggling, "This brat is such a nuisance, Master is sorry!"

When she lowered her wrist, her innocent face vanished, and her once bright and clear eyes now gleamed with an eerie light.

Lu Mingluan smiled bitterly to herself. The original silly Xiao Xiao had been driven mad by hunger, and her emotional outburst had allowed another personality to regain control of her body.

Xiao Xiao tidied her messy hair and smiled sweetly at Lianyi, "Sister, I'm sorry to have troubled you!"

Although she spoke politely, Lianyi felt a strange chill.

Xiao Xiao walked to Lu Mingluan's side and said, "Master, I know you are troubled by the war, so I came to lend you a hand."

Lu Mingluan nodded and led her into the command camp.

After roughly understanding the situation, Xiao Xiao chuckled coldly, "Since the enemy is so eager to enter the city, why not just let them in?"

Lu Mingluan asked curiously, "Xiao Xiao, what's your idea?" Xiao Xiao said

, "Anyway, we're repairing the breach now, so why not just use the materials on the ground behind the breach? The excavated soil and bricks can be used to repair the breach, and the pits on the ground can be used as traps. Wouldn't it be much easier to just let them in and step on the traps?"

Bai Lingyu frowned and said, "Simply using traps is not enough to wipe out the enemy troops entering the city. If we can't quickly... " "Dealing with these trapped fish is tantamount to leaving Jinling vulnerable from both inside and outside,"

Xiao Xiao said. "If they fall into a pit, just pour kerosene on them and make them into braised pork, wouldn't that be much easier?"

Bai Lingyu smiled bitterly, "That fire almost destroyed the gunpowder depot, making fire attack impossible."

Xiao Xiao chuckled, a cold and ruthless glint in her eyes, and said, "As far as I know, manufacturing firearms requires a large amount of concentrated acid. Without firearms, then use concentrated acid, pouring it down bucket after bucket. Even if they manage to climb out, they'll be half-dead!" Still relying on their bare hands? How can that be satisfying? Forum reputation guaranteed! High-grade silicone video of Fan Bingbing's genitals, molded to a highly realistic shape, with soft and delicate skin! Built-in large-particle protrusions closely resemble female physiological structure, providing a more realistic experience... with a rhythmic flow, irresistible! Click to enter.

Lu Mingluan couldn't help but clap her hands and exclaim, "Wonderful, Xiaoxiao, you've come at just the right time."

Lianyi also smiled broadly and said, "Xiaoxiao, I'll go prepare some food for you."

Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "Don't eat anything for now. If I'm full, that silly girl will come back."

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled and laughed in confusion.

The next day, the great battle resumed. The Western Regions army advanced layer by layer. Bai Lingyu led his troops to resist for a while, then feigned a retreat. Seeing this, the enemy army steadily advanced. When they reached the breach in the city wall, the evil-suppressing chariots and ironclad thunder could not enter. They could only use heavy cavalry to clear the way, followed by infantry.

The moment they entered the city, a thick fog enveloped them. This was a fog-concealing technique jointly used by Lin Birou and Yu Wuhen, obscuring their vision and causing them to fall into a trap. As they sank into the pit, soldiers poured concentrated acid down their throats, their screams echoing across the battlefield. The Western Region soldiers struggled desperately to escape, but were shot dead by the Dragonscale Army guarding the top.

A foul, rotting stench rose from the pit, nauseating even to seasoned veterans.

After a fierce battle, the Dragonscale Army annihilated over ten thousand enemy soldiers, forcing Cang Shihai to withdraw and regroup.

After half a day of rest, they attacked again in the afternoon. This time, Cang Shihai bombarded the city with armored grenades and cannons, creating three more breaches in Jinling City, which had lost its artillery defenses. These breaches were in the north wall, the south gate, and the east wall. Combined with the already damaged north and west gates, Jinling now had a total of five breaches.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Cang Shihai mobilized another 100,000 troops within two days and stationed them around Jinling. In particular, he built earthen walls and stockades near the Chujiang and Chishui River basins to block the naval support of the Longlin Army and isolate Jinling. The reinforcements from other cities then engaged in fierce battles with the Western Regions Army on the riverbanks. Since Jinling was shrouded in thunderclouds, the Aoniao Clan could no longer transmit military intelligence by flight, causing the various armies that came to Jinling's rescue to be extremely anxious. In addition, news of Jinling's fall spread from the enemy, causing the reinforcements to become frantic. If it weren't for Wang Dong and Liang Ming, two veterans of the Longlin Army, persisting in fighting, the multiple reinforcements would probably have fallen into chaos first.

Five days after Jinling was ravaged by subterranean fire, Cang Shihai immediately sounded the charge. Armies from all sides seized the five breaches and launched a fierce attack. In this critical moment, Hongjun led his Daoist disciples to defend the breach in the north wall; the south gate was guarded by Baizhan, Langhaotian, and Yuan Feizi; the west gate by Yuan Qitian and Mingxue; the north gate by Bai Lingyu, Lin Birou, and Yu Wuhen; and the east wall by Zhiguan, Chishi, and Huang Kui.

The five sides clashed fiercely, a bloody battle with deafening shouts. At noon, the Western Region army changed tactics, first bombarding the area with artillery fire, then sending heavy cavalry to crush them, followed by attacks with beast cavalry whose spiritual senses were sealed. This prevented Bai Lingyu from using the Qilin blood to intimidate the enemy, and the Dragon Scale Army struggled more and more in the fight.

With a deafening roar, the north wall defenses finally crumbled, breaching first. Heavy cavalry charged forward, and Hongjun unleashed his boundless Dao energy, using his body as a wall to protect the defenses, desperately trying to stop the heavy cavalry's advance. He blocked one rider after another… but the enemy heavy cavalry charged relentlessly. Flesh and blood were no match for this ironclad torrent. Hongjun coughed up blood and retreated, wounded.

The heavy cavalry surged into the city. Although the Dragonscale Army had dug traps behind the city walls, the enemy was prepared. A detachment of light infantry charged out from the heavy cavalry ranks, filling the traps with planks and mud to pave the way for the heavy cavalry. Coupled with the concentrated acid and their depletion of resources, the heavy cavalry were no longer threatened and brazenly entered the city.

Behind the city wall lay Gouqu Street, the dividing line between the military camp and civilian residences. Beyond this street lay the residential area of Jinling. But as the heavy cavalry entered Gouqu Street, they suddenly saw a red-robed Taoist standing before them, a single blade in his hand, his eyes cold and arrogant. It was Yuan Ding Zhenren. "Perfect timing! I'll send you all into a 'Earth Fire Mixed Yuan Formation,' and let that scoundrel Zihe see my skills!"

Yuan Ding's blade plunged into the ground. Three days prior, he had buried a portion of his Yuan energy underground, mixing it with the earth's veins and condensing a considerable amount of earth fire. With the insertion of the fiery blade, Yuan Ding channeled his blazing true energy into the earth's veins, instantly turning the entire Gouqu Street into a powder keg. With a deafening roar, the heavy cavalry were either blown to pieces or burned alive. Their thick iron armor did not save them; instead, it became their death warrant. They could not escape and were burned alive. The stench of burning flesh filled the air. The heavy cavalry entering the city were completely annihilated by Yuan Ding's fire array. However, this array destroyed the earth's veins in Gouqu Street. For a hundred years, no plants could grow there, and the Hunyuan Earth Fire Array could not be used again.

Yuan Ding's array was inherently short-sighted; if he hadn't considered the mutual destruction of resources, he wouldn't have used such a harmful spell. Judging from his weakened state after using the array, he had already depleted a significant amount of his vital energy. Even if he wanted to use the array again, he was powerless to do so.

With Hongjun's defeat, the South Gate also crumbled. Lang Haotian had his arm severed by a sharp blade, and the South Gate's demonic defenses were breached. A blue-armored general, sword in hand, rode his horse and led his troops into the city.

Seeing their kin decimated, Bai Zhan and Yuan Feizi were enraged and attacked the blue-armored general. However, after days of fighting, their strength was depleted, and they were no match for him. The blue-armored general turned his sword, unleashing countless needle-like sword energies. Yuan Feizi was the first to fall, his body riddled with stabs, looking as if he had been pulled from a pool of blood. Bai Zhan, with a stronger foundation than Yuan Feizi, managed to hold his ground, but he too was struck in the thigh, bleeding profusely.

The blue-armored general was none other than Jue Tian, the leader of the Six Paths Divine Palace. He had severely injured three demon experts and was riding high on his success. Leading five thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, he stormed into the city. Beyond the south gate lay another important military camp, a large training ground.

Jue Tian roared, "Brothers, run! Charge into the city! Kill the enemy, earn merit, and enjoy endless treasures, gold, silver, and beautiful women!"

These Western Region soldiers had long heard of the wealth and beauty of Jiangnan, and now, entering the city, their eyes gleamed with lust, drooling as they unleashed their pent-up desires.

Just then, a beautiful figure slowly emerged from the front, graceful and alluring, with snow-white skin and a jade-like face. The Western Region soldiers were aroused, their bodies burning with desire.

Finally, a dozen or so men couldn't contain themselves any longer, howling and charging towards the woman, each spewing lewd and obscene words.

"This girl is mine!"

"Bullshit, whoever grabs her gets her!"

"Damn it, what's the point of fighting? Everyone, attack together!"

Jue Tian looked around and cursed, "Idiot, come back..."

Before the warning was finished, the dozen or so cavalrymen were already decapitated, their blood splattering five steps away.

The delicate and lively eyes no longer had their former gentleness, only a cold, icy killing intent and raging anger. Her fair and smooth hands each held a long sword, the left one being Suiyue and the right one Wuchen. Beside her beautiful figure, a soft sword floated in the air, which belonged to Feng Yan.

"I will make you repay my sister's suffering a hundredfold!"

The beautiful woman opened her lips and spoke coldly. Before her words had even finished, sword light flashed all around the training ground, and more than a thousand swordsmen appeared with their swords, each taking their place. Their swords moved in all directions, arranged in a mysterious pattern, like stars, like rivers and mountains, like wind and clouds... It was the ultimate sword formation of Tianjian Valley! Jue Tian roared, "Wei girl, I'll see how you withstand the imperial army! All troops—charge!"

The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry formed ranks and charged forward. The disciples of Tianjian Valley stood in formation, their continuous sword energy blocking the elite cavalry from the Western Regions.

Wei Xuexin's delicate body moved in an instant. She wielded the two famous swords of Tianjian Valley left and right, wielding the Autumn Water Swords in tandem. The sword energy, both strong and gentle, intertwined. In addition, the Phoenix Beauties Sword, which circled around her, was drawn by its core, like a nimble and venomous snake, unpredictable and cunning. These three famous swords complemented each other perfectly, creating a beautiful yet chilling massacre as if in an empty field. The enemy soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they were killed on the spot, and each corpse had a deep sword wound on its face.

Wei Xuexin glared coldly at the enemy leader, Jue Tian. Jue Tian felt a chill run down his spine from her glare and drew his sword to protect himself. Wei Xuexin moved with jade-like steps, so fast that she was already close in the blink of an eye.

Jue Tian immediately unleashed his Needle Force Sword Qi, using a wide-ranging attack to restrict Wei Xuexin's movements.

Wei Xuexin activated her Sword Heart, instantly discerning the needle force's strength. With a clean and swift thrust of her Time Sword, she pierced through Jue Tian's defenses, then slashed horizontally towards Jue Tian's brow.

"My life is over!"

The sword strike was so fast it was indescribable. Jue Tian could only close his eyes and await death, but then he felt a chill before his eyes, followed by excruciating pain. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was not dead, but his nose was in excruciating pain. Reaching out to touch it, he found his hand covered in blood, his nose had been sliced off.

"You bitch, what have you done!"

Jue Tian roared in fury, cursing wildly. Before he could finish speaking, Wei Xuexin swung her Wuchen sword, swiftly slicing off both of Jue Tian's ears. Jue Tian felt fear and turned his horse to flee, but then Feng Yan flew in from the sky, slicing his handsome face into a bloody mess with a few quick strokes.

The excruciating pain chilled him to the bone, and his only desire was to escape. Ignoring the agony, he mustered all his strength and ran towards the city gate. However, before he had taken more than a few steps, he tripped and fell backward. His warhorse's hooves had been severed, rendering it unable to run, causing its rider to lurch forward due to inertia.

Jue Tian gritted his teeth, forcibly dispelling his fear, raised his sword, and unleashed his ultimate Yuan Gong, intending to fight Wei Xuexin to the death.

Wei Xuexin's jade-like face remained icy cold. She slowly released her fingers, and Wuchen and Suiyue immediately slipped from her grasp, but remained suspended under the control of her sword heart.

Wei Xuexin lightly pinched her jade-like fingers, and three precious swords flew out simultaneously. The Sword of Time was as fast as lightning, first severing Jue Tian's five fingers, making him unable to hold a sword for the rest of his life; the Sword of Dust was as fierce as thunder, forcibly shattering Jue Tian's dantian, rendering his cultivation completely useless; the Sword of Phoenix was cunning and unpredictable, blinding Jue Tian's eyes, making him eternally blind; finally, all three swords were unleashed at once, piercing through Jue Tian's body. The sword energy, both strong and gentle, orthodox and unorthodox, intertwined continuously within Jue Tian's body. As the three swords passed through his body, the sword energy exploded with a bang, and Jue Tian was immediately reduced to nothing, his flesh and blood completely obliterated, leaving no trace of his body!

In the thirteenth chapter,

after Long Hui and Yu Xiuting left the otherworldly Gobi Desert, they returned to the backyard of the Demon Palace. The guardian demon soldiers immediately went to report to the Demon Lord, who personally came out to greet them and asked, "How did you two fare on this trip?"

Long Hui smiled and said, "We were lucky and found the Immortal Slaughtering Sword."

When he came out, he had already used the Void Chapter's martial arts technique to temporarily seal the Myriad Demon Stone in the void, so the Demon Lord could not sense the existence of the stone at all. Moreover, he did not mention the stone, leaving the Demon Lord anxious.

The Demon Lord chuckled and didn't press further about the whereabouts of the primordial stone. He said calmly, "My son was escorting the Heavenly Pot Essence to Jinling, but encountered some minor mishaps along the way, hindering the journey."

The Heavenly Pot Essence was related to Wei Jianming's life, and Yu Xiuting's expression changed drastically. She asked coldly, "What happened!"

The Demon Lord sighed, "Cang Shitian mobilized a total of 230,000 troops, completely surrounding Jinling. Even if my son wanted to deliver the treasure, he was powerless to do so."

The two women's expressions changed drastically at the same time. The Demon Lord didn't press further about the Myriad Demon Primordial Stone and gestured, "You two should hurry back to Jinling. I won't stay any longer. Please!"

The two women were anxious and quickly ran out of the Demon Palace. They had passed through this place once before and knew the path. They directly used their wind-riding flight to leave the Demon Realm.

Leaving the Blood Mist Forest, the two quickened their pace, heading towards Jinling. However, upon entering Jinling territory, they encountered thunderclouds blocking their path. Although the thunderclouds were chaotic, the lightning within them was still formidable. Anyone daring to enter would be struck by a series of lightning bolts. Long Hui, possessing the profound abilities of the Yanwu Heavenly Book, was not afraid of this lightning; on the contrary, it was an aid to him. However, Yu Xiuting was severely restricted, unable to advance an inch. Long Hui thought, "These thunderclouds are unusual. Even Valley Master Yu and I are finding it difficult. If the Ao Niao Clan cannot take to the skies, the battle in Jinling must be in a critical situation. Even if I were to..." "Charging straight in might not turn the tide of battle. It would be better to deploy outside first and then launch a coordinated attack from within!"

Thinking this, he landed on the ground. Yu Xiuting asked in confusion, "Can't you convert lightning energy? Why don't you charge in?"

Long Hui shook his head and said, "Charging straight in is pointless. Jinling is already surrounded. Even if I go in, I'll only get myself trapped. It's better to deploy outside and break their retreat, throwing them into disarray."

As he spoke, he looked around. Yu Xiuting followed him, but her face remained cold and unreadable.

After they had circled around, they discovered that enemy troops were stationed within a fifty-mile radius of Jinling, and earthen walls and stockades had been built near the waterways to defend against the Longlin Army's navy.

Besides, numerous earthen walls had been built in other areas. Long Hui secretly became suspicious and whispered, "These earthen walls seem suspicious."

Yu Xiuting said calmly, "Cang Shitian intends to strategically isolate Jinling."

Long Hui humbly asked, "I wonder what insight the Valley Master has?"

Yu Xiuting said, "Cang Shitian probably planned a fierce attack on Jinling, but realizing it would be difficult to take it in a short time, he made two preparations: a strong attack on one hand, and building earthen wall fortresses on the outside to slowly surround Jinling and cut off its connection with other cities."

Long Hui praised, "The Valley Master is indeed intelligent and insightful, seeing through Cang Shitian's scheme at a glance." Yu Xiuting's cheeks flushed, seemingly unable to bear his flattery, and she said, "Stop flattering me; I've seen this kind of tactic before."

Long Hui asked curiously, "Has the Valley Master also fought on the battlefield before?"

Yu Xiuting said, "This is how the Mongols besieged Xiangyang."

Long Hui said "Oh," and Yu Xiuting was immediately stunned, her mind in turmoil. She

thought to herself, "What's wrong with me? Why did I bring up Xiangyang for no reason!" Thinking of Xiangyang reminded her of Yu Ting'er, and she couldn't help but feel her mouth go dry and her face flushed. She felt as if Long Hui's eyes were looking at her ambiguously, and her delicate skin felt like it was being pricked by needles. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and she was extremely embarrassed.

Long Hui suddenly spoke up, "I almost forgot, Valley Master also participated in the Battle of Xiangyang."

Yu Xiuting felt as if her head had exploded, her ears instantly turning red, her long, swan-like neck also painted with rouge, and her beautiful face was as red as fire. She had an urge to kill him to silence him, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Shut up, and don't mention anything about the future!"

Long Hui hurriedly said, "Valley Master, we've already delayed for quite some time. You should go to Muzhou to rescue Jianming first. I'll handle Jinling."

Mentioning Wei Jianming, Yu Xiuting's expression softened considerably, and she asked, "What are you planning to do?"

Long Hui said, "Go find Duanmu Lige. He should already be encamped nearby. We'll ask him to retrieve the Heavenly Pot Essence first!" Yu

Xiuting used her sword heart to sense the location of the demonic energy and quickly found the whereabouts of the demon army. After the two arrived at the camp gate, they announced their names and purpose, and the camp quickly gave the order to pass.

Led by the demon soldiers, Long Hui and Yu Xiuting entered the main tent, where Duanmu Lige was waiting for them.

"Greetings, esteemed guests!"

Duanmu Lige cupped his hands in greeting. "Jinling is currently surrounded by the imperial court, and I am truly unable to deliver the Heavenly Elixir into the city. I hope you will forgive me."

Yu Xiuting said calmly, "Thank you for your trouble. Please, Yang Demon, hand over the Heavenly Elixir to me, and I will find another way."

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Lige immediately ordered someone to hand over this hot potato to Yu Xiuting.

Yu Xiuting took the Heavenly Elixir and, without lingering, immediately flew towards Muzhou on her sword. She first flew at a low altitude, and once she left Jinling's territory, she sped away at top speed.

After Yu Xiuting left, Long Hui said, "Young Master Duanmu, Jinling is currently besieged by Cang Shitian's army. We hope you can lend a hand!"

Duanmu Lige looked embarrassed and said, "It's not that I'm stingy, but I only brought 1,500 soldiers with me this time. I'm truly powerless."

Long Hui chuckled inwardly and said directly, "Young Master Duanmu, I won't ask you to help for nothing."

After saying that, he opened the Void Realm and took out the Myriad Demon Stone.

A hint of smugness appeared in Duanmu Lige's eyes, and he chuckled, "General Long is indeed straightforward. Since that's the case, Duanmu Lige will fight to the death."

Long Hui cursed inwardly, "They really are two foxes, one big and one small. The Demon Lord saw that I didn't mention the stone after I came out, so he guessed that I wanted to use it as a bargaining chip. He directly told me about the situation in Jinling, and then said that his son had already arrived in Jinling. I will definitely go back to seek help from Yang Mo in order to break the siege as soon as possible. This Duanmu Lige is just putting on an act." "They put on a little act, forcing me to use the Ten Thousand Demon Stone as a bargaining chip ahead of time."

Since things had come to this point, Long Hui didn't have time to haggle and said directly, "Then please ask Chi Gai Yang Mo to send troops at the turn of Shen (3-5 PM) and directly attack the northern siege forces. As long as you break through the northern siege line, I will hand over the Ten Thousand Demon Stone with both hands."

Duanmu Lige nodded and said, "It's a deal. General Long, please wait for my good news."

After bidding farewell to Duanmu Lige, Long Hui went to find the generals of the various reinforcements.

Ling Xiao, Wang Dong, Liang Ming, Sun De, Linghu Da, Ma Yi, Liu Chang, and Wu Feng led their troops to the rescue, but they were all blocked by the imperial army with earthen walls, fortifications, and a large number of troops. The eight men were very anxious, so they agreed to meet in the Chu River basin outside Jinling to discuss the aid.

Sensing the presence of the eight men, Long Hui used his Kui Water True Essence to walk on water and arrive. When he boarded the warship, the eight generals were taken aback.

Long Hui waved his hand, indicating that they should sit down first and not panic.

Seeing Long Hui, the generals seemed to have found their leader and felt much more at ease.

Long Hui asked, "What's the situation in Jinling now?"

Ling Xiao replied, "The enemy has deployed 100,000 troops on the outskirts, built 183 earthen walls and 32 bunkers, and countless roadblocks and traps. We've tried everything but haven't been able to break through."

Long Hui asked, "Is the local commander Zhang Huanyu?"

Ling Xiao shook his head, "No, it's his deputy, Li Qing."

Long Hui said "Oh," and then asked, "Where's Zhang Huanyu?"

Ling Xiao replied, "It seems Su Ming is still recovering from his injuries in the battle and is recuperating in the rear."

Long Hui laughed, "It's obvious that Cang Shitian wants to seize his military power and install his own confidant in the position. This Li Qing was originally the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Battalion, and the two deputy commanders of the Tiger and Leopard Battalion are both key members of the Haotian Sect. I don't think Li Qing is a good person either."

Long Hui glanced at the markings on the map and said, "In that case, let's first combine our forces on the southern route to break through the enemy's defenses, and then wait..." After breaking through the first line of defense, we will divide our forces into two routes to attack from both sides and break through the defensive fortifications at the foot of Nanliu Mountain. Once this point is breached, our army will divide into four routes to take out the four strongholds around Xinlinpo and Liuxia Mountain.”

Wang Dong glanced at the map and said, “General, you are absolutely right. Once we break through these four strongholds, our army can advance unimpeded and coordinate with the Jinling garrison.”

Long Hui said, “After taking out these four defensive strongholds, the eight of you will lead your troops to attack the enemy’s rear camp!”

Wang Dong asked, “Attack from the south alone, I’m afraid it will be difficult to lift the siege of Jinling!”

Long Hui laughed and said, “It’s alright. I just reached an agreement with Duanmu Lige. They will attack the north route. With the north and south working together, the siege of Jinling can be lifted!”

Long Hui refused to believe that Duanmu Lige only brought 1,500 men. Even if he really only had that many men, he could bargain with the Ten Thousand Demon Stones and was not worried that the Demon Realm would not send a large army to support him.

The eight men received the order and immediately returned to muster their troops, converging by land and sea to form a combined force of 20,000 elite soldiers.

Long Hui donned his battle armor, mounted his powerful warhorse, and was followed by eight generals, his imposing

figure awe-inspiring. With a shout, Long Hui commanded his troops, and the entire army roared in unison, their military might soaring to the heavens, shaking the

very foundations of their ranks. Long Hui personally led his army in a fierce assault on the first line of defense deployed along the Chu River in Jinling. Cang Shihai, to defend against the Longlin Army's navy, had constructed the highest and thickest earthen walls, and stationed a garrison of 30,000 troops, along with three fortified bunkers and over twenty arrow towers and artillery emplacements.

Long Hui spotted the earthen wall, grabbed a spear, and hurled it. The spear contained the true essence of earth defense; upon piercing the wall, it immediately exploded, causing the earthen wall to crumble and collapse under the catalysis of the true essence.

Seeing this, the Western Region army immediately shot arrows at Long Hui. Long Hui used earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a technique of teleportation) to dodge the arrows, then used his Earth-Defense True Essence underground to disintegrate the surrounding earthen walls.

With the walls down, the reinforcements had fewer obstacles, and Liang Ming led a cavalry archer force into the enemy's lines. This cavalry archer force was a mix of crossbowmen and cavalry, highly skilled in horsemanship and accurate in archery, able to hit their targets even while running and jolting.

Liang Ming's elite troops suppressed the enemy's arrow towers with archery, while Wang Dong seized the opportunity, wielding two long-handled sabers and leading his saber-wielding cavalry to assist, flanking and breaking through the enemy formation.

Ling Xiao, Sun De, and the other six rushed forward, seizing the opportunity to strike the fleeing enemy. In just half an hour, they broke through the first defensive line. Afterward, the generals, following Long Hui's plan, divided their forces into two groups. Ling Xiao, Sun De, Liu Chang, and Linghu Da led 10,000 troops to flank from the left; Wang Dong, Liang Ming, Ma Yi, and Wu Feng led 10,000 soldiers to attack from the right. With their forces flanking from both sides, the Longlin Army and the Western Region Army engaged in another fierce battle at the foot of Nanliu Mountain. One side wanted to save the isolated city, while the other vowed to defend the position. The two sides fought back and forth, shedding blood and fighting fiercely until the sky darkened and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Long Hui stepped forward to assist, raising his palm to draw in the thunderous energy from the heavens. The thunderclouds summoned by the purple crane became Long Hui's own boost. He activated the Thunderclap Chapter's inner power technique, gathering the eight desolate thunderbolts upon himself. The Western Region army was instantly struck by five thunderbolts. Long Hui, without hesitation, activated his supreme internal energy, forcing out the purple thunderous energy of the third level of the Thunderclap Chapter. Instantly, thunder descended from the heavens, and the purple energy roared. Seeing this, Ling Xiao immediately gathered his energy and unleashed the Heavenly Thunder Sound to aid Long Hui's power. The mountain stronghold was instantly destroyed, many soldiers were struck dead by lightning, and the morale of the Western Region army was thrown into chaos.

The Longlin Army pressed on with renewed vigor, and the two armies attacked the mountain, joining forces to capture Nanliu Mountain and break through Cang Shihai's second encirclement.

After a brief reorganization, the Longlin Army split into four groups and attacked the four strongholds surrounding Xinlinpo and Liuxia Mountain. Upon seeing the Longlin Army, the Western Region troops there, knowing their comrades had been defeated, lost much of their fighting spirit, and the four strongholds were quickly wiped out.

After pacifying the four strongholds, the Longlin Army reinforcements advanced with overwhelming momentum. Eight generals each led their own troops to raid the rear camp of Cang Shihai's army.

Wang Dong wielded twin swords on horseback, Liang Ming fired sharp arrows with his divine bow, and Ling Xiao unleashed his thunderous power. Long Hui's three fierce generals each displayed their unique abilities, defeating powerful enemies one after another. The remaining five generals were equally determined, leading their troops in a surprise attack, turning the Western Region army's rear camp upside down.

Just as the Dragonscale Army reinforcements were engaged in fierce fighting, the enemy forces to the north suddenly fell into chaos. A fierce demon army of no less than eight thousand men charged into the battle. Duanmu Lige wielded a giant iron chain axe, and with each swing, he unleashed fiery clouds of demonic flames. Enemies who got close were all reduced to charred remains, leaving no trace of their bodies. Behind him, more than a hundred insect beasts aided the battle. These strange creatures were ferocious and brutal, and their bodies were covered in thick armor, making them difficult to injure with swords and spears. Even if they were wounded by firearms, the blood that oozed from their wounds was even more troublesome. This blood was grayish-green and contained a strong poison. Anyone who touched it would have their skin and flesh torn apart, and their bones and blood would be completely lost.

Seeing this, Long Hui secretly sneered, "Nearly ten thousand elite soldiers, plus over a hundred insect beasts—why would the Demon Lord be willing to go to such lengths without offering some meat?"

With reinforcements arriving from both north and south, Cang Shihai's encirclement was difficult to maintain. Seeing the reinforcements arrive, Bai Lingyu, disregarding her injuries, rashly led five thousand elite cavalry into battle. The defenders and reinforcements worked together from within and without, directly breaking through the Western Regions army's encirclement. To avoid further casualties, Cang Shihai immediately retreated, withdrawing thirty miles and deploying his troops at the border of Jinling and Cangxi, regrouping for another battle.

With the siege resolved, the morale of the Jinling army soared. Bai Lingyu quickly ran to Long Hui, beaming, "Husband, I knew you would return in time!"

Seeing her pale face and tattered armor, Long Hui knew she had suffered greatly and said softly, "Lingyu, you…it's good that you're alright. Seeing you puts my mind at ease!"

Hearing his gentle words, Bai Lingyu's heart sweetened, and two blushes rose on her cheeks, revealing her girlish charm.

Just as the couple were gazing lovingly at each other, an untimely voice rang out: "General Long, I have fulfilled my mission."

Duanmu Lige walked over, and Long Hui sneered, feigning enthusiasm, "Young Master Duanmu, your assistance in relieving our army's siege is a great favor. Please come into the city for a few drinks so I can express my gratitude!" Duanmu Lige's expression changed, and he coughed a few times, saying, "I have important matters to attend to and need to return to the Demon Realm to report to my father as soon as possible. I'm afraid I will fail your kindness, General."

If it weren't for the Ten Thousand Demon Stone's connection to the Demon Realm's ley lines, Duanmu Lige wouldn't have fought the Western Region Army to the death. Now that he had relieved Jinling's siege, he only wanted to quickly retrieve the stone and leave this dangerous place. After all, the Western Region Army hadn't gone far, and if they attacked again, his eight thousand troops would be surrounded. It was better to leave as soon as possible.

Long Hui, having discerned some of the truth from his expression and grasped the Demon Realm's attitude, handed over the raw stone. Duanmu Lige accepted it, verified its authenticity, bid farewell, and led his men in a swift retreat. With

the crisis averted, reinforcements were stationed in Jinling to assist in its defense.

The Jinling soldiers, witnessing Long Hui's godlike sweep away of the enemy, were filled with awe, their morale, dampened by days of hard fighting, significantly improved.

Long Hui quickly switched identities with Lu Mingluan, receiving his generals as commander-in-chief. After a brief discussion and deployment, each general went about their assigned tasks.

For the next three days, Long Hui spent his time in the military camp, never removing his armor, with Bai Lingyu, Lin Birou, Yu Wuhen, and Lianyi by his side. Finally, he finished dealing with the post-battle matters.

He had already heard that his residence had been destroyed, and now, setting aside his duties, he immediately went to see his wife.

Cui Die and Qin Suya temporarily stayed at the Qin family's residence. Upon seeing Long Hui, they couldn't help but smile and rushed over to greet him warmly. Long Hui also gently comforted them, and seeing that they were unharmed, he felt relieved.

"Where are Xue Xin and Bing'er? Where did they go?"

Long Hui asked, and Cui Die and Qin Suya immediately looked troubled.

Seeing their strange expressions, Long Hui pressed them for details. Cui Die remained silent, which only increased Long Hui's worry. He pulled Lianyi aside and asked, "Yi'er, tell me honestly, what happened to Bing'er and Xuexin?"

A few days ago, Lianyi had kept the sisters' situation a secret from him, fearing he would worry. Now that he asked, she had no choice but to tell him, "Xuexin is fine. She hid after you came back, and we can't find her."

Long Hui was shocked and asked loudly, "What happened?!"

Lianyi sighed softly and bit her lip, saying, "On the eve of the eruption of the Earth Fire Array set up by Cang Shitian, Bing'er went home to tell us to leave, but Xuexin, for some reason, argued with her, and the two missed their chance… After the Earth Fire erupted, Bing'er shielded Xuexin from the flames and was seriously injured. In a fit of rage, Xuexin killed Jue Tian, and afterwards, she became very quiet and withdrawn." "She didn't say a word until today when she saw you leading the troops back, and then she disappeared immediately. We can't find her either."

Long Hui asked again, "What about Bing'er? Is she alright?"

Lianyi said, "After the accident, Mother has been treating Bing'er. She woke up the day before yesterday, and her injuries are under control, but... sigh, you should find Xuexin first."

Long Hui thought for a long time and thought to himself, "When Bing'er went to find Xuexin, that girl must still be angry with us and didn't want to talk to Bing'er. But the situation was critical at the time, and Bing'er didn't have time to explain before trying to forcibly take her away. The two sisters probably had a fight because of this... Afterwards, Xuexin felt guilty because Bing'er was injured, so she didn't dare to see me."

Thinking of this, Long Hui decided to find Wei Xuexin first. Once this girl gets stuck in a rut, she might do anything. If she can't think straight, wouldn't she regret it for the rest of her life?

Long Hui immediately set off to search for Xue Xin, but after searching from noon until evening, he found nothing. Just as he was feeling discouraged, a sword aura swept down from the sky; it was Yu Xiuting.

Long Hui asked in surprise, "Valley Master, why are you back? Is Jian Ming alright?"

Yu Xiuting's brows furrowed with a hint of sadness, but she quickly suppressed it, avoiding the topic, and said lightly, "I heard something happened at the Long Mansion, so I rushed back to check. Where is Xue Xin?"

Long Hui sighed, "I've been searching for her for most of the day, but I still can't find her."

Yu Xiuting closed her eyes and concentrated, using her sword heart to sense her daughter's location. Mother and daughter both practiced swordsmanship, and Yu Xiuting quickly located her daughter's location, pointing in a direction and saying, "Xue Xin is over there. Let's hurry over, or the girl might leave again!"

Long Hui was secretly startled. That direction was where the Long Mansion was located. He had searched half of Jinling but hadn't returned to the mansion ruins; he hadn't expected to miss this place.

The two rushed back to the ruins of the Dragon Mansion, only to find it littered with rubble and broken beams. The once elegant and warm residence was now reduced to this state, filling him with sorrow.

The crunching sound of their footsteps on the broken tiles and bricks was like a mournful lament. Reaching the area that used to be the backyard, they saw a person sitting on the ground, knees drawn up, their body slightly curled up, like a frightened little animal.

Yu Xiuting felt a pang of pain in her heart, thinking to herself, "Jianming is already like that… Xuexin is filled with self-blame. And I had that ambiguous relationship with that boy. Why is my life so miserable?"

At that moment, Long Hui rushed over. Wei Xuexin heard the noise behind her and hurriedly turned around. He saw that her fair face was wet, and her eyes were filled with fear and panic.

"Xuexin!"

Long Hui called out, but Wei Xuexin turned and ran. Long Hui used all his strength, moving like a dragon, and blocked her way with lightning speed.

Wei Xuexin's delicate body trembled, and she tried to run in another direction, but Yu Xiuting blocked her way first.

Seeing that there was nowhere to escape, Wei Xuexin's body trembled uncontrollably. She took a step back and murmured tremblingly, "Mother, elder brother..."

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.

Long Hui squatted down and put his arm around her shoulder. He felt that her body was so thin that it was heartbreaking. Her once warm and smooth body was now ice cold. Even through her clothes, he could feel that her skin was very stiff and her flesh was trembling.

"Xuexin, don't cry."

Long Hui's nose tingled, his eyes already brimming with tears. He gently comforted her, "Don't blame yourself for Bing'er's matter. It's all Cang Shitian's fault, it has nothing to do with you."

Wei Xuexin cried even harder, her cries heart-wrenching, like a cuckoo weeping blood. She gasped between sobs, "It's me, it's me, it's all my fault. If I hadn't argued with my sister... she wouldn't have been injured, and she wouldn't have a scar on her face..."

At this point, she couldn't continue, and after a few more sobs, she fainted.

Long Hui knew this situation could be serious or minor; one wrong move and she could suffer a qi deviation. He immediately channeled his true energy into her, and Yu Xiuting also grasped Wei Xuexin's wrist and channeled her qi to regulate her breathing.

Two streams of deep, gentle true energy flowed into her body. Wei Xuexin's thick eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her beautiful eyes, sobbing, "Big brother, I'm so sorry to sister... I'm the one who hurt her!"

Long Hui held her in his arms, thinking that to resolve Xuexin's inner conflict, he had to start with Bing'er. As long as Bing'er was alright, Xuexin's guilt would dissipate.

So he said softly, "Don't blame yourself anymore. If you feel so sorry for Bing'er, then quickly pull yourself together, wipe away your tears, and come with your big brother to see her."

Wei Xuexin's face was pale. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Yu Xiuting thought to herself, "Xuexin's condition is very unstable right now. I must carefully follow her. Jianming is already like that. If something happens to Xuexin, how can I go on living..."

Thinking of this, her eyes welled up with tears.

Upon entering the Wutong Garden, Long Hui saw Luo Qingyan sitting inside with a worried expression. In his haste, Long Hui didn't bother with formalities and asked directly, "Sister Luo, how is Bing'er?"

Luo Qingyan sighed, "She just woke up not long ago, but… well, come in with me."

Just as they reached Chu Wanbing's room, they heard a series of crashing sounds coming from behind the door. First, a mirror shattered, then porcelain broke, followed by broken tables and chairs.

Long Hui was startled and hurriedly pounded on the door, calling out, "Bing'er, what's wrong? Open the door!"

His voice trailed off, and the room fell silent.

Long Hui knew something was wrong and used his internal energy to break the door latch. Inside, it was pitch black. Chu Wanbing, her hair disheveled and barefoot, jumped up and pulled the blanket over herself.

The little phoenix was completely hidden under the covers. Long Hui frowned and asked, "Bing'er, what's wrong?"

Chu Wanbing cried out excitedly, "You, you go out, go out, don't come in!"

Long Hui knew the little girl was afraid of being seen by him with her disfigured face, so he slowly walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to touch her.

As soon as his palm touched the blankets, he felt the little phoenix trembling and trying to suppress her sobs: "You little thief, I beg you, please go out first..."

Yu Xiuting, who was standing outside the door, also felt heartbroken upon hearing this, and Wei Xuexin was sobbing uncontrollably.

Long Hui reached out and picked up the little phoenix, blanket and all. He felt that she was very light. He had only been in the Demon Realm for five days, and the girl had become so thin. Thinking of this, his nose couldn't help but sting.

Long Hui bent down against the blanket and said softly, "Bing'er, don't be afraid, I'm right here. Let your husband see your wounds."

Hearing this, Chu Wanbing began to struggle, wrapped in the blanket, her movements quite violent. She screamed, "Don't look, don't look... I look ugly now, I don't want you to see me, go away, get out of here!"

Long Hui forcefully held her body and shouted in an almost roaring voice, "Fine, you want me to leave, is that it? Just answer one question for me, and I'll leave immediately!"

Chu Wanbing seemed to be stunned by him and stopped struggling, only soft sobs could be heard.

Long Hui asked calmly, "Who am I to you?"

Chu Wanbing replied timidly, "Husband..."

Long Hui asked again, "And you, who are you to me?"

Chu Wanbing, wrapped in the quilt, had stopped crying and bit her lip, saying, "Wife." Long Hui gently patted her back and said, "I am your husband, and you are my wife, Bing'er. Are you still going to send me away?"

Chu Wanbing was speechless.

Long Hui reached out to lift the quilt, but Little Phoenix immediately grabbed it tightly, preventing him from pulling it off.

Long Hui sighed and said, word by word, "Whether beautiful or ugly, Bing'er is my wife. Bing'er, do you understand?"

There were no sweet words or grand pronouncements, just four simple words—husband and wife. Whether outside the door or inside the room, the hearts of the four women stirred.

Chu Wanbing felt a sweet warmth flowing into her heart, and involuntarily loosened her grip on the quilt, allowing Long Hui to lift it.

After pulling back the covers, Long Hui saw that Chu Wanbing's hair was disheveled, completely obscuring her face. Her thin pajamas seemed loose on her.

Looking at the loose pajamas, Long Hui sighed, "Bing'er, you've lost weight."

Chu Wanbing hummed in response. Long Hui gently brushed her hair aside, and Little Phoenix, unusually quiet, stopped making a fuss.

Behind the hair, he saw a scar on Chu Wanbing's left cheek, the skin torn and twisted, indescribably ugly and horrifying.

Long Hui felt a sharp pain in his heart. He reached out to touch the scar and softly asked, "Bing'er, does it hurt?"

Chu Wanbing lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes, and sobbed softly.

Long Hui cupped Little Phoenix's cheeks and leaned forward to gently kiss the scar, starting from her forehead, his lips moving slowly down to her chin, tenderly and lovingly touching the wound.

Chu Wanbing felt Long Hui's soft lips and warm breath, and for a moment she forgot her sorrow. Her body went limp, and she closed her eyes, letting him kiss her gently.

Long Hui laughed, "Silly girl, why were you so angry? This wound may be deep, but it might not be impossible to heal."

Chu Wanbing perked up immediately and asked eagerly, "You little thief, what did you say? You're not lying to me, are you?" Long Hui pinched her delicate nose and said, "I could heal the scar on Wuhen's face that was over ten years old. Your new wound is much harder to heal."

Chu Wanbing immediately burst into laughter through her tears, raised her fist and playfully punched him, scolding, "You little thief, why didn't you say so earlier? You made me..." "So many tears have been shed for nothing."

Long Hui said, "Your Majesty already possesses miraculous healing abilities, why go to such lengths to seek help elsewhere!"

Chu Wanbing called out sweetly, "Mother, can you heal my scars too?"

Luo Qingyan rolled her eyes and said irritably, "You know perfectly well what you're asking. These scars are just superficial wounds, what difficulty is there in healing them? It's just that you, you crazy girl, started making a scene as soon as you woke up, smashing everything in the house and kicking me out, not giving me a chance to speak at all!"

Chu Wanbing lowered her head in embarrassment and admitted her mistake, "Mother, Bing'er was wrong."

Luo Qingyan said, "As long as you don't go crazy again and listen to me obediently, I guarantee that the scars will disappear within ten days, and your little face will be as good as new!"

Long Hui glanced at Wei Xuexin and saw that her complexion had improved a little, but there was still a trace of guilt in her eyes. He said, "Xuexin, can you stay and take care of Bing'er for these ten days?"

Long Hui's words were actually meant to help Wei Xuexin resolve her inner conflict. If he were to be lenient and comforting with this girl's personality, it would only make her feel more guilty and think that she owed him too much. The more she felt this way, the more likely she would get sick. The best way would have been to scold her, which would have made her feel better. However, Long Hui couldn't bring himself to do it. So, he simply let her take care of Chu Wanbing, which was also a form of forgiveness and would help her let go of this burden as soon as possible.

Wei Xuexin let out a soft "Ah," and lowered her head, saying, "If you don't mind my clumsiness, sister..."

After Chu Wanbing's inner turmoil was resolved, she regained her former quick wit. Hearing Long Hui's words, she immediately guessed his intention and hurriedly said, "How could that be? It's too boring for me to be alone. Of course, I'd be happy if you could come and keep me company, Xuexin!"

Wei Xuexin smiled, and most of her pent

-up anger dissipated. So she temporarily stayed at Yanliu Residence. Having finally resolved the issue of the two sisters, Long Hui breathed a sigh of relief. However, thinking of the scar on Chu Wanbing's face and Wei Xuexin's pitiful appearance, a strange anger welled up in his heart. He gritted his teeth and cursed inwardly, "You burned down my residence and seriously injured Bing'er. I'll settle this score with you one by one!"

Just as Long Hui was thinking about how to retaliate against the enemy, he suddenly smelled a delicate fragrance wafting by. Looking back, he saw Yu Xiuting walking quickly past him, her two delicate willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed together.

"Xue Xin is alright now, so why is Valley Master Yu still looking so worried? Could it be that Jian Ming is in trouble?"

Long Hui asked, his mind filled with suspicion. "Valley Master... how effective is the Heavenly Pot Marrow Infusion?"

Yu Xiuting's steps suddenly froze, and she stopped in her tracks. A night breeze blew by, carrying a chilly feeling. Her children were not by her side, and she had no one to confide in, so she couldn't help but feel a strange loneliness.

She took a deep breath, her high, full breasts rising and falling slightly, and after a long while, she uttered a few words: "Let's talk about this somewhere else!"

For some reason, Yu Xiuting found that only Long Hui was someone she could talk to, but this was the very person who had been entangled with her in the future universe, and she had even fallen for him, almost losing her virginity in the process.

Thinking of Yu Ting'er, her cheeks flushed again. Yu Xiuting quickly calmed herself, thinking to herself, "Perhaps he only saw Yu Ting'er as Xue Xin back then. If I continue to dwell on this matter, things might get out of control. It would be better to face him frankly, speak to him in my usual manner, and let the matter fade away slowly."

With that thought, she regained her usual refined and aloof expression, gentle and elegant yet containing an unassailable majesty.

The two walked along the riverbank for a while. Yu Xiuting opened her mouth slightly and said softly, "Although Daoist Jingchen successfully performed the Divine Forging Technique, Jianming can be reborn, but not now. He will have to wait twenty years because his injuries were too severe. When I sent the Heavenly Pot Marrow Drops back, he was already on the verge of death."

Long Hui sighed slightly and said, "If it weren't for me, Jianming wouldn't have wasted twenty years."

Yu Xiuting remained silent and walked aimlessly along the river, seemingly venting her bitterness.

Long Hui accompanied her from behind. The night breeze carried a faint, elegant fragrance to her nose, making her heart flutter.

Suddenly, Yu Xiuting stopped in her tracks. Unconsciously, she had walked into a bamboo forest. The scene of the bamboo forest of Mount Tai flashed through her mind again: intimately embracing and whispering witty remarks, and the so-called marriage agreement... Her heart pounded wildly. Just then, a strong and hot body bumped into her from behind. Even through her clothes, she could feel the heat of his skin, especially his firm abdomen that bumped into her buttocks. Yu Xiuting could clearly feel the heat. Her buttocks were also very full and round, plump and elastic, like two ripe peaches that would burst open with sweet juice when Long Hui bumped into them.

Embarrassed, Yu Xiuting pushed Long Hui away and angrily rebuked him, "What are you doing!"

Long Hui awkwardly replied, "Valley Master Yu, you suddenly stopped, and I couldn't stop myself and bumped into you. Please forgive me for any offense."

Yu Xiuting snorted coldly, stomped her jade feet on the ground, and used her lightness skill to leave this awkward and troublesome place.

In the instant she turned and leaped, her lower body had to sink down to gather momentum before leaping up to exert force. At the very moment her lower body sank down, her round, beautiful buttocks caused the fabric of her skirt to bounce in a full arc. Even through the fabric, one could still see the plump flesh of her buttocks swaying slightly. The two buttocks also parted slightly to the sides as she lowered her waist. When her buttocks were closed, they resembled peaches, but when they parted, they looked like two round balls, or like the beautiful celestial phenomenon of two full moons rising in the sky.

Chapter Fourteen: Cleverly Releasing Commander Qiu

At dawn, a troop of men emerged from a narrow alley in the northern suburbs of Jinling. At the end of the alley stood an elegant villa, its interior and exterior heavily guarded; in fact, the entire alley was essentially a residential area for the Longlin Army.

The leader was Xu Hu. He handed a document to the gatekeeper, bearing Long Hui's signature and seal. After the gatekeeper reviewed it, he opened the gate.

Xu Hu led his men into the courtyard and inside, where they found Qiu Baifei engrossed in reading a book.

Xu Hu said, "General Qiu, it's been a long time. My general wishes to see you. Please follow us!"

Qiu Baifei smiled disdainfully, gently put down his book, stood up, and said, "Lead the way."

Xu Hu said, "Wait a moment," and took out a medicine bottle from his pocket, saying, "General Qiu, Nanjing has just been through a fierce battle, and everything is in ruins. There are no carriages for you to ride in, so you will have to walk. Here is the antidote for the bone-softening powder; please use it."

Qiu Baifei took the medicine bottle and said, "So generous! Aren't you afraid I'll escape?"

Xu Hu said, "Although General Qiu's martial arts are not bad, it's not easy for him to escape from Nanjing. Moreover, I have long admired General Qiu's reputation. If there is a chance, it would be an honor to learn from him!"

As he said the last sentence, a hint of disdain appeared in Xu Hu's eyes, as if to say, "New talents emerge in every generation, and you are already old!" Xu Hu, in the prime of his youth and with two beautiful wives, was brimming with confidence. His words carried a hint of arrogant arrogance, which displeased Qiu Baifei. Qiu Baifei coldly replied, "Hmph, lead the way!"

After taking the antidote, Qiu Baifei followed Xu Hu's group out of the alley.

Entering the main street, Qiu Baifei saw Dragonscale Army soldiers escorting many civilians towards the military camp. Anyone who fell behind was whipped. The entire street was filled with groans and complaints; the once bustling street was now in complete disarray.

After walking through several streets with the same scene, Qiu Baifei was secretly astonished. Suddenly, he saw a dozen or so shirtless civilians carrying mud and stones towards the city gate, and he understood: "So these traitors are conscripting men to build the city walls. Their so-called military discipline of not harming civilians is nothing but a lie!"

Thinking this, he couldn't help but sneer.

Up in a restaurant behind Qiu Baifei, Long Hui leaned out the window, watching the scene below with great interest. Lu Mingluan frowned and said, "You certainly have quite the grand entrance!"

Long Hui pulled her close, putting his arm around her slender waist, and said, "Mingluan, stop teasing me. I've missed you so much these past few days. Let me see if you've gotten thinner."

Lu Mingluan blushed and laughed, "You naughty boy, this is a restaurant, in broad daylight. Don't you dare touch me! Be careful!"

"What are you afraid of? This restaurant and the streets below are all under my control..."

Long Hui's hand began to wander, slowly sliding down her waist. The delicate touch of his palm transformed into the full, fleshy feel of the beautiful woman's tender buttocks.

Because she was sitting, Lu Mingluan's two jade-like buttocks were pressed against the chair from below, the heavy, beautiful flesh forming a distinct sphere. His fingertips, just touching the upper edge, felt a soft, supple sensation. Long Hui then slowly moved his fingers to the center, where the two mounds of flesh squeezed together to form a tight groove, the upper edges of the buttocks converging inward to form a "Y" shape. As his

fingers brushed against her, Lu Mingluan felt a sudden, inexplicable softness rise in her buttocks. A heat flowed from her buttocks down her spine, up her spine and straight to her head. Her red lips parted slightly, letting out a soft, fragrant breath. Her cheeks flushed, glistening with moisture, her eyes sparkling with allure, gazing tenderly at her beloved.

Tsk tsk! A sharp, jarring sound shattered the tranquil atmosphere. Turning around, they saw Xiaoxiao wolfing down her food. Several large bowls were piled high on the table, still containing remnants of noodles and broth. The little girl was holding a chicken leg in her left hand and chopsticks in her right, her cheeks bulging. Her fair cheeks were covered in oil and broth, and what was most laughable was that even her bangs were soaked with broth and dripping wet.

Long Hui nearly fainted from anger, saying, "Is she eating noodles or washing her face?"

Lu Mingluan smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe her disciple's face.

"You brat, all you do is eat! One day you'll choke to death!"

Long Hui couldn't help but feel secretly jealous. He had never received such treatment from Mingluan, who would interrupt him and wipe his sweat. This silly girl was so lucky.

"No, this burden is always here, making it difficult for Mingluan and me to get close. After we take down Cangsun, we need to find a way to deal with her!" Long

Hui had gone to Lu Mingluan's residence several times to make love with her, but was interrupted by the girl each time. Moreover, he always asked Lu Mingluan to cook for him when he was hungry at night.

Qiu Baifei was brought into the commander's tent, but Long Hui was not there. Only Bai Lingyu was there, with Eunuch Wang behind her.

Bai Lingyu said coldly, "General Qiu, it's been a long time. Do you know that the court has abandoned you?"

Qiu Baifei shook his head and said, "When the emperor commands a subject to die, the subject must die. I have already donated my life to the court!"

Eunuch Wang said sarcastically, "Oh, General, you should be discerning about your loyalty. The Huangfu Tengyun sitting on the dragon throne is actually a fake..." He

was interrupted before he could finish speaking. Qiu Baifei said coldly, "Just state your purpose. Don't waste my time."

Bai Lingyu said, "Since that's the case, then please draw the location of the Cang'an granary, General Qiu."

Qiu Baifei chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Do you think I'll do that?"

Bai Lingyu's eyebrows furrowed with anger. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, shouting, "Qiu Baifei, I treat you with courtesy because I respect your loyalty to the emperor. If you continue to be so stubborn, don't blame me for being impolite!" Qiu Baifei

sneered, "A rebellious daughter like you brings up the late emperor?"

Bai Lingyu was furious. Enraged, she drew her sword to kill him, but Eunuch Wang quickly stopped her

, saying, "Princess, Commander Qiu has also been blinded by the Cang bandits. Please give him some more time; I believe he will see the truth!" Bai Lingyu angrily sheathed her sword and snorted, "Since Eunuch Wang pleads for him, I will spare his life. However, he defied me first; he may escape death, but he will not escape punishment. Drag him away and give him fifty lashes, then shackle him and put him in chains, and send him to build the city wall!"

Qiu Baifei was dragged away... He was taken to the drill ground and whipped fifty times, his skin torn and bleeding profusely. Stubborn by nature, he endured the beatings without uttering a sound. After the fifty lashes, Qiu Baifei was shackled with heavy leg irons and chains and sent to build the city wall. These shackles and handcuffs were made of black iron and cold gold, which he couldn't break even now that his strength had returned. They were also fitted with barbs; while they were fine for maintaining normal movements, the barbs would pierce his flesh if he dared to use force, causing him excruciating pain.

Taken to the north wall, Qiu Baifei found about a hundred civilians there, being whipped by the Dragon Scale Army, carrying bricks and mortar to build the city wall.

Qiu Baifei was engrossed in his work when he was suddenly lashed with a whip again. The soldier behind him snarled, "You worthless wretch, get back to work! Want another whipping?"

Qiu Baifei snorted, glaring at the soldier, thinking to himself, "That Long fellow is so ruthless in exploiting the people of Jinling; public resentment must be boiling over. If the imperial army can seize the opportunity to strike, our chances of victory will greatly increase!"

With that thought, he swallowed his anger and lowered his head to work, while secretly devising a plan to escape.

After a long and arduous day, the able-bodied men were taken back to their tents. Qiu Baifei was also imprisoned with the other civilians, surrounded by soldiers.

The tent reeked of sweat and stench, extremely unpleasant, but Qiu Baifei paid no attention to it, constantly observing his surroundings, searching for an opportunity to escape.

Just then, he heard several people grumbling in low voices: "These bandits are truly inhuman. They force us to work from dawn till dusk and beat us so badly. They deserve to be struck by lightning."

Another said, "Why didn't the imperial army conquer Nanjing back then? We could have escaped this misery sooner!"

Yet another said angrily, "My wife is beautiful, and a traitorous general took a liking to her. He captured me and forced me to work here, and forcibly took my wife. These scoundrels deserve to die a horrible death!"

Qiu Baifei was about to listen further when he heard a burst of angry shouts from outside: "What's all the noise about inside? Don't you want to sleep?!"

Before the words were finished, a soldier rushed in with a whip and indiscriminately whipped everyone in the tent. Everyone was furious but dared not speak out.

The next day, Qiu Baifei ate with the others, a meal consisting mainly of foul-smelling, rotten food. After eating, they continued working. They toiled under the scorching sun, and anyone who slowed down even slightly was whipped several times. The soldier, while beating him, cursed, "Qiu Baifei, don't think you're some kind of commander of the Jiangnan Army. Once you're on my turf, you'd better watch out. Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant!"

Qiu Baifei's limbs were restricted, making his movements slow, and he was left covered in bruises from the soldier's beating.

That night, as Qiu Baifei drifted off to sleep, he suddenly felt someone patting him. Opening his eyes, he saw a worker from the construction site. The worker whispered, "Brother, wake up! Our old man wants to see you."

Qiu Baifei, full of suspicion, followed him out. The two crouched down and slipped into a tent. Inside, an old man sat cross-legged, his hair white, his face wrinkled, but his body covered in whip marks.

The old man glanced at Qiu Baifei, frowned, and asked, "Are you General Qiu Baifei, commander of the Jiangnan Army?"

Qiu Baifei asked, "Why do you say that, sir?"

The old man said, "Today, I heard those bandits address you in that way."

Seeing his refined manner, Qiu Baifei nodded and said, "That is indeed me. May I ask your name, sir?"

Tears immediately welled up in the old man's eyes. He knelt down and kowtowed, lowering his voice as he said, "General Qiu, please save the people of Jinling!"

The people around the old man also knelt down and kowtowed to him, but each of them moved extremely gently, for fear of disturbing the soldiers on night watch outside.

Qiu Baifei helped the old man up and said, "Old man, I am now a prisoner just like you. I'm afraid I've disappointed you."

The old man said with tears in his eyes, "My surname is Zhang, and I am the clan chief of Dongmiao Village in Jinling. A few days ago, all the men in our village were captured and forced by these bandits to build city walls. They are cruel and harsh. People in the village are either worked to death or beaten to death. We hope every day that the imperial army can eliminate the rebels as soon as possible and save the people of Jinling from this suffering!"

Qiu Baifei sighed, "The imperial army will surely come soon. Please be patient for a while longer, old man."

The old man gritted his teeth and said, "General, you are the hope of Jinling, and even the entire Jiangnan region. I will risk my life to get you out of here. There is a small gap thirty paces to the left of the east side of the city wall. We deliberately left it when we built it, and now it's just covered by a few stone slabs. You can leave the city from here."

Qiu Baifei frowned and said, "The enemy is defending the area all around, and I'm shackled. How can I leave?" The old man said, "General, please rest assured. Zhang San used to be a blacksmith. He can open these locks whenever he wants. If we weren't unarmed, we would have already broken free and fought them to the death."

The people inside the tent were all spitting fire with anger.

The old man said, "General, those bandits will gather to gamble tomorrow night, and the camp will be quite lax in its guard. You can take this opportunity to leave the city, and we will cover for you."

Qiu Baifei nodded gratefully.

The old man said, "Some time ago, we contacted the clan chiefs of several villages and secretly sent messages back to the villages, sending a young man named Zhang Ling to Cangmeng for help, but we haven't heard anything. We ask that the commander-in-chief lead his troops to rescue him and take care of this young man. Also, in three days, the people of our city will rise up in rebellion. At that time, we will open the west gate, and we ask that the royal army arrive in time."

Qiu Baifei gritted his teeth and said, "Old man, please rest assured, if I can escape, I will definitely lead my troops to wipe out the enemy and restore peace to everyone!"

Another night passed, and the man named Zhang San unlocked Qiu Baifei's shackles. Then, while the guards were gambling, Qiu Baifei quietly slipped out of the tent. The old man sent a young man to keep watch for Qiu Baifei.

Qiu Baifei tiptoed to the designated spot, lifted the stone slab, and sure enough, he saw a gap. Although it was only the size of a dog hole, it was enough for him to get out.

Qiu Baifei steeled his resolve, crawled on all fours, and burrowed inside. He was only halfway in when he heard shouts behind him, followed by angry curses: "Tell me quickly, where is Qiu Baifei?!"

Whips lashed, and the crowd wailed, but no one spoke. Qiu Baifei's heart tightened, and he quickly crawled out.

Once outside Jinling City, Qiu Baifei gathered his inner energy and ran towards Cangcheng. After running five miles, he suddenly heard rapid hoofbeats behind him. Having been enslaved for many days, Qiu Baifei was seriously injured and weak. Knowing he couldn't outrun the warhorses, he found a secluded spot to hide, waiting for the opportune moment.

Leading the pursuit was Xu Hu, whose army included several hunting dogs. The dogs had already smelled Qiu Baifei's scent and immediately barked loudly.

Xu Hu shouted, "Qiu Baifei is nearby! Everyone, search carefully!"

Seeing the hunting dogs chasing him, Qiu Baifei devised a plan. He took off his clothes piece by piece, leaving only his underwear, and scattered them around. Then he covered himself with mud, immediately luring the dogs away. After a while, they returned with several pieces of clothing, infuriating Xu Hu, who kicked them away.

Qiu Baifei sneered to himself, "You brat, you

think you can mess with me? You're still a long way off!" Xu Hu shouted loudly, "Qiu Baifei, I know you're nearby! Don't think you can hide and we won't find you! Men, drag that old geezer out!"

Several soldiers brought out the old man, who was tightly bound and gagged, covered in wounds, his face bruised and swollen, clearly having suffered considerable pain.

Xu Hu drew his military knife and pressed it against the old man's neck, shouting, "Qiu Baifei, I knew you could escape; it was all this old bastard's idea. I'll count to three, and if you don't come out, I'll slice this old dog in half!"

Qiu Baifei cursed under his breath, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

The old man cried out, "General, leave quickly! Avenge me later!"

With that, he broke free from Xu Hu's grip and slammed his head against a large tree. The impact was so powerful that the trunk shook violently, and many leaves fell.

After hitting the tree, the old man slowly collapsed, leaving only a gruesome trail of blood on the trunk. Enraged,

Xu Hu kicked the old man's corpse a few times, cursing, "You old pig-dog, don't think you're done just because you're dead! Carry his body back and leave it exposed for three days, to show those lowly people what happens to those who disobey!"

He then ordered his men to search the surrounding area, but still couldn't find Qiu Baifei, so he had to leave in a huff.

After Xu Hu left, Qiu Baifei immediately rushed to Cangcheng. He arrived at the city gate at dawn, shirtless and covered in mud, looking utterly disheveled.

The guards, mistaking him for a spy, brandished their swords and spears at him, ready to seize him.

Qiu Baifei roared, "Don't you recognize me?!"

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, then recognized him and hurriedly ran back to report.

Orders were quickly given, and several soldiers carried a sedan chair to bring Qiu Baifei into the city. After changing his clothes, someone came to fetch him.

Qiu Baifei followed the man into a tent, which was surrounded by axemen, much to his surprise.

Zihe greeted him with a smile, "Commander Qiu, your escape is truly a cause for celebration! I imagine you've suffered quite a bit these past few days. I have some medical knowledge, so I've come to examine your pulse and prescribe some nourishing medicine for you."

Qiu Baifei coldly asked, "Why are there so many executioners just for a pulse examination?"

Zihe replied, "These executioners are merely here to protect you."

Qiu Baifei frowned, staring coldly at Zihe, "Is it protection, surveillance, or even house arrest?"

Zihe smiled, "Commander Qiu, you're overthinking it. This is all out of your good intentions."

Qiu Baifei snorted, "Just say what you mean! No need for beating around the bush!"

Zihe sighed, "Commander Qiu, that vixen Lu Mingluan is skilled in soul-capturing techniques..." "I'm afraid General Qiu has been bewitched, so I've asked this humble Taoist to examine him."

His address changed from "Commander Qiu" to "General," and Qiu Baifei, realizing the implication, roared angrily, "You damned old Taoist, how dare you doubt my loyalty!"

Zihe said, "General's loyalty to the country is known to all, but the sorceress Lu's methods can render those under her spell completely unaware, completely oblivious to the fact that they've been bewitched. For the sake of the greater good, I beg you to bear with this."

Qiu Baifei said in a deep voice, "What if I refuse?"

Zihe sighed, "Then this humble Taoist will have no choice but to offend you!"

Qiu Baifei gritted his teeth and snorted, "You dare!"

The axemen immediately stepped forward. Qiu Baifei glanced at them and realized they were all soldiers from the Western Regions, not his old troops from Jiangnan.

Just as tensions were about to rise, "Stop! Who dares to be disrespectful to Commander Qiu!"

Looking towards the voice, he saw it was Jin Ziyi and Yin Fangxi.

Jin Ziyi said coldly, "Why aren't you leaving yet!"

Zihe cupped his hands and said, "Prime Minister, this humble Taoist is merely conducting a routine inspection. Please forgive me!"

Jin Ziyi said, "Our Confucian school also has methods to check whether

someone has been afflicted by the Soul-Stealing Technique. There's no need for you to trouble yourself, Taoist." After saying this, he walked straight to Qiu Baifei and said, "Commander Qiu, if you trust me, I will examine you."

Qiu Baifei's expression softened, and he sighed, "Then I'll trouble you, Prime Minister."

Jin Ziyi ignored Zihe and led Qiu Baifei toward his tent. Yin Fangxi followed behind, his cold eyes fixed on Zihe and the group of axemen.

Upon reaching her tent, Jin Ziyi used her Haoran Yuanxin technique to carefully examine Qiu Baifei's spiritual sense. This technique contained Confucian righteous energy; if someone was under the influence of a mind-controlling evil spell, the Confucian righteous energy would react and fight against it. However, it was quite strenuous to use, requiring half an hour in a quiet environment to complete. The practitioner needed a considerable foundation to continuously output true energy.

After testing him, Jin Ziyi withdrew her technique and said, "Commander Qiu, you haven't been bewitched by the evil spell; you're just a little weak."

Qiu Baifei said, "Then I'm relieved. I was just annoyed by that scoundrel's face."

Jin Ziyi smiled bitterly, "Now that military power has changed hands, that fellow is swaying like a blade of grass in the wind." Qiu Baifei

asked, "Who is the commander-in-chief now? Zhang Huanyu?"

Jin Ziyi shook her head, "No, Commander Zhang has gone to the rear to recuperate. Li Qing is the commander-in-chief now." Qiu Baifei frowned

, "Li Qing? Isn't that the commander of the Tiger and Leopard Battalion?"

Yin Fangxi, who was protecting him, asked, "What do you think of this man, Commander Qiu?"

Qiu Baifei said, "This man is first-rate at leading troops and charging into battle, but when it comes to coordinating and deploying hundreds of thousands of troops... " "The army's capabilities still need to be tested."

Jin Ziyi briefly recounted the siege of Jinling. Qiu Baifei nodded and said, "They fought with great discipline and skill, quite impressive. It's a pity they were disrupted by the Demon Realm at the end; otherwise, Jinling would have surely fallen!"

Jin Ziyi sighed, "When he first took office, he was somewhat disappointing. I really didn't expect him to be so capable."

Yin Fangxi shook his head and said, "I think he has a master guiding him; otherwise, he wouldn't have achieved such results."

Just as the three were discussing, someone outside called out, "Commander Qiu, Prime Minister, Grand Tutor, the Commander-in-Chief requests your presence!" Upon hearing this, the three followed their personal guards into the command tent.

Li Qing, also known as Cang Shihai, greeted them warmly, "Commander Qiu, you're finally back! I was so worried when you were captured by the enemy that I couldn't eat or sleep."

Qiu Baifei returned the greeting, "Thank you for your concern."

Cang Shihai chuckled and glanced at Jin Ziyi.

Jin Ziyi said directly, "I have already examined Commander Qiu and there is no bewitching magic. I can guarantee this with my life."

Cang Shihai chuckled and said, "Prime Minister, you flatter me. I naturally trust your words."

He invited Qiu Baifei to sit down and asked, "Commander Qiu has suffered some injustice in Jinling these days. You should have been allowed to rest properly, but I am concerned about the situation in the enemy camp, so I have taken the liberty of bothering you."

Qiu Baifei said, "Commander Li is loyal to the country, and I admire you greatly. I will now tell you about the situation in the enemy camp."

He then recounted what he had seen and heard, including how the Dragon Scale Army abused the people and preyed on the local populace.

After listening, Cang Shihai said, "What that boy said matches Commander Qiu quite well. It seems this matter is true!"

Qiu Baifei asked curiously for the reason.

Cang Shihai said, "A few days ago, a young man claiming to be from Jinling said he wanted to report the enemy situation to our army."

Qiu Baifei asked, "Is this young man named Zhang Ling?"

Cang Shihai nodded and said, "Indeed, how did Commander Qiu know?" Qiu Baifei

then briefly recounted the story of the old man surnamed Zhang.

Cang Shihai said, "It seems this is true. The rebel army has truly caused panic and resentment among the people of Jinling. That Zhang Ling also said that the people in the city are preparing to cooperate with the imperial army from within and without to kill the rebels."

Qiu Baifei asked curiously, "How can they cooperate from within and without?"

Cang Shihai said, "Three days later, the people in the city will rise up and fight the rebel army to the death. At that time, they will set fire to the city, and those people who were forced to build the city walls will open the west gate to welcome the royal army!"

Qiu Baifei nodded and said, "Old Zhang also mentioned this before I fled."

Cang Shihai pondered for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes and said, "In that case, then issue the order for our army to prepare for war." "We will attack Jinling again in three days."

Qiu Baifei stood up and said, "General Li, I am willing to lead the army to wipe out the rebels and repay the life-saving grace of Old Master Zhang!"

Cang Shihai said, "I understand General Qiu's desire for revenge, but you have suffered a lot in Jinling. It is better for you to stay in the rear and recuperate first."

Qiu Baifei's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth and said, "

I am in good health. I only ask to ride into battle and kill the enemy!" Cang Shihai waved his hand and said, "General Qiu, there is no need to be agitated. I support you. Go back and rest until you are well. It is not too late to go to the battlefield to serve the court."

After saying that, he turned and left, not giving Qiu Baifei any chance.

Qiu Baifei's face turned red and then pale. He snorted angrily and left.

Jin Ziyi and Yin Fangxi also shook their heads helplessly.

The three-day agreement had been reached. Cang Shihai personally led an army of 50,000 from Cangsong. In addition, there were 10,000 troops on each of the left and right wings, commanded by Jin Ziyi and Yin Fangxi respectively. The central army was personally overseen by him and Shen Yuan. The three armies were stationed 20 miles outside Jinling.

Cang Shihai summoned Zhang Ling and asked, "Zhang Ling, when will your uprising begin in the city?"

Zhang Ling replied, "We'll rise up when the rebels are asleep at the turn of the hour of Zi and Chou. The villagers will first set fire to Ronghe Street and Jinhua Street, where the rebel leaders reside. Then, the brothers captured for forced labor will also rise up near the city gates. At that time, we'll open the west gate and invite the imperial army to enter and wipe out the rebels."

Cang Shihai said, "It's already the turn of the hour of Zi and Chou, why haven't you risen up yet?"

Cold sweat beaded on Zhang Ling's forehead as he said, "There must have been some minor mishaps!"

Cang Shihai raised an angry eyebrow and grabbed Zhang Ling's sleeve, "What did you say? Minor mishaps? Do you know that I brought tens of thousands of troops to meet you? Now that the time has come, the gates are still not open! Are you a spy sent by the rebels to feign surrender?!"

Zhang Ling panicked, sweating profusely, and trembled as he said: "My lord, spare me... I'm not a spy. I really don't know what happened in the city. My brothers told me to open the city gates

at the turn of the twelve earthly branches. Why are they delaying? I... I really don't know!" At this moment, Shen Yuan waved his hand and said, "General, the rebel army is well-equipped and well-trained. Even if the people rise up, it will be difficult to clear the roads. The delay is to be expected. If the gates can be opened on time, then we should carefully consider the accuracy of the intelligence."

Cang Shihai nodded and said, "The mage is right. If it goes too smoothly, there may be a trap."

After waiting for a full half hour, fires were lit in the city, and the sounds of battle echoed through the sky. After a while, the west gate was suddenly opened. The gate was opened by a dozen or so laborers covered in blood. Shen Yuan gave Cang Shihai a look, and the latter understood. He raised his whip, and a hundred cavalrymen quickly rushed into the city and took control of the city gates.

After seizing control of the city gates, Cang Shihai dispatched another 3,000 troops to quickly enter the city, intending to swiftly suppress the rebels within. The 3,000 soldiers charged into Jinling's main thoroughfare, where they encountered the Longlin Army, who were coming out to defend themselves. A battle ensued, the sounds of fighting deafening the city.

Seeing the opportunity, Cang Shihai roared, "All troops, attack! Crush the rebels!"

With the order given, Cang Shihai led his central army into the city.

Just as he led his troops in, the previously open city gates suddenly closed, cutting their main force in two. Suddenly, many Longlin Army soldiers appeared from all sides, surrounding their isolated army.

Cang Shihai looked up and saw a figure standing among the enemy, wielding a silver spear, clad in white armor, with a handsome and dashing appearance—it was Bai Lingyu.

Bai Lingyu sneered, "What do you think of this 'luring the enemy into a trap' tactic?"

Cang Shihai's expression changed drastically. He drew his sword, ready to kill Zhang Ling to vent his anger, but someone was faster than him. A figure flashed past and rescued Zhang Ling from danger.

Zhang Ling gasped, "General Long, you've finally arrived! You scared me to death!"

Long Hui took out a bag of gold from his pocket and threw it to him, laughing, "You did a great job this time. I'll remember your merit. After this battle, I'll promote you to captain of a thousand soldiers. This is your reward. In a few days, I'll introduce you to some beautiful demon girls!"

Zhang Ling accepted the gold, thanking him profusely. The others laughed and said, "Lu Liang, how many more do you want? Can you handle it?"

It turned out that Zhang Ling was Lu Liang, the deputy general under Xu Hu.

Cang Shihai's expression changed drastically, and he angrily asked, "Is this kid one of yours?"

Long Hui shrugged and said, "Indeed, this brother is one of our soldiers. How about it, isn't his disguise convincing?"

Shen Yuan said in a deep voice, "Was all of this your doing?"

Long Hui laughed and said, "Indeed, I cleared out several streets before escorting Qiu Baifei into the military camp. Those so-called coerced and enslaved civilians were just soldiers from my army in disguise."

Shen Yuan asked, "Were the laborers building the city wall also yours?"

Long Hui chuckled and said, "No, no. When building the city wall, Qiu Baifei would definitely have close contact with the laborers. They worked and slept together. How could Qiu Baifei not distinguish between soldiers and civilians? So I simply used real civilians, only..." "They're just people whose minds have been bewitched by Xuanmei's Soul-Stealing Technique."

Shenyuan chuckled, "You've really gone to great lengths, sacrificing all the good reputation you've painstakingly built up just to set up this scheme."

Longhui laughed, "Like I said, money talks. After tonight, I'll let them go home and give them a generous reward. Besides, the demon race has many ways to erase memories. I'm still a loyal and benevolent minister who loves his people like his own children."

Shenyuan snorted, "Qiu Baifei hates you to the bone. Aren't you afraid it'll be him tonight?"

Longhui shook his head, "Now that Qiu Baifei and Zhang Huanyu have suffered consecutive defeats, it's the perfect time for you to reclaim your military power. Why would you ever appoint them again!"

Shenyuan laughed angrily, snorting, "You've become quite cunning!"

"For someone as treacherous as you, I will only become more treacherous!"

Long Hui's face darkened as he pointed at him, saying, "You damned bastard, you destroyed my mansion and injured my wife! Today, if I don't tear you to pieces, I'm not a Long!"

At Long Hui's command, the Longlin Army swarmed forward, surrounding and killing the isolated force. The Western Region Army, trapped in the encirclement, quickly suffered more than half its casualties. Meanwhile, the army outside the city was also attacked by the Longlin Army. Ling Xiao, Wang Dong, and Liang Ming led their troops to raid the enemy forces outside the city, their advance unstoppable and devastating.

Seeing their central army surrounded and killed, Yin Fangxi and Jin Ziyi led their troops to the rescue on the left and right flanks respectively, but they were intercepted by Lu Mingluan and Yuan Qitian. The two were routed, suffering heavy losses, and had no choice but to lead their remaining troops in a retreat.

The two demons, however, would not let them go easily. They continued their pursuit, decimating the 20,000-strong flank army to just over 5,000. Jin Ziyi and Yin Fangxi fled in disarray, sustaining multiple wounds.

Inside the city, Cang Shihai and Shen Yuan fought like cornered beasts. Long Hui personally joined the fray, casually picking up a long spear and unleashing a spear-wielding technique. The spear's trajectory was unstoppable, thrusting left and sweeping right, leaving no opponent within ten paces unscathed.

Shen Yuan, enraged, drew his Heavenly Sharp Sword to parry. The two exchanged blows, their energy surging, sending sand and stones flying.

Long Hui, playing on home ground, was brimming with momentum, while Shen Yuan, surrounded and demoralized, was already at a disadvantage. Long Hui unleashed three consecutive spear strikes, first deflecting the Heavenly Sharp Sword's edge, then transforming the spear into a halberd—another martial technique from the Myriad Weapons Manual—the Halberd Frenzy. Its attack was fierce and domineering, wide and sweeping, as if Yang Ye himself were wielding the Tiger Fang Breaking Army Halberd. With each halberd strike, Shen Yuan's arm grew heavier. He steeled his resolve, fusing the Radiant Karmic Fire and the Heavenly Firmament Mystic Law into a counterattack sword strike.

The sword's momentum was fierce and domineering, carrying a scorching aura, and its aftereffects were inexhaustible, making it an unparalleled sword technique. Long Hui dared not be careless, transforming the halberd into a shield, guarding the universe—the Myriad Weapons Shield Defense Technique.

Long Hui avoided the brunt of the attack, waiting for Shen Yuan's sword momentum to run out before immediately unleashing the Thunderbolt Chapter. The sky was now filled with thunderclouds, and lightning energy was as plentiful as he desired. His entire body burst with lightning, forcing Shen Yuan to retreat several steps.

Long Hui unleashed his power once more, his halberd, now infused with the power of thunderous energy, becoming even more formidable. A single opening stance possessed the force to topple mountains and rivers, to shatter the sun and moon. Shen Yuan, knowing he couldn't withstand it, considered retreating. He used a Tai Chi sword circle, employing softness to counter hardness, deflecting the thunderous halberd's momentum, and retreated, pulling Cang Shihai along to escape.

But then, a phoenix's cry rang out, and flames rushed towards them. A slender jade palm struck Shen Yuan's shoulder with the force of thunder, causing him to release his grip. The newcomer was none other than Luo Qingyan.

Luo Qingyan's phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent as she shouted, "You treacherous dog, you harmed my daughter! Leave your life behind today!"

Before her words even finished, the Five Phoenix Heart Sutra was unleashed, and a single move, the Savage Crimson Quail Feather, scorched Shen Yuan's hair and beard yellow.

Bai Lingyu also drew her spear to fight the lone Cang Shihai. Her spear, imbued with divine power, was powerful and heavy. Cang Shihai fought desperately, channeling his blazing fire into his military saber, turning the blade red-hot. He slashed out with a whooshing sound, bringing waves of heat.

With her enemy before her, Bai Lingyu fought with increasing ferocity, shouting, "You dog, I'll let you taste this princess's Qilin Seven Star Spear!"

After years of fighting, she had gained much insight, but she had never created her own martial arts, remaining stuck at a certain point. Recent life-or-death battles had given her a sudden enlightenment, and she had finally created this Qilin Seven Star Spear technique. Tonight, facing her enemy, she could use it to test her skills.

Bai Lingyu first used the "Sweeping Clouds" technique. The silver spear moved swiftly, three parts receiving and seven parts dispersing, skillfully deflecting the enemy's attack. She then used soft force to disrupt the enemy's defenses, receiving and then neutralizing the attack, sweeping away the blade with a few quick strikes.

Her eyes narrowed, her waist slumped, and she instantly gathered her strength. Then, like a thunderclap from a bowstring, she thrust her spear straight at Cang Shihai's vital point—a move called "Armor-Piercing Stance."

Cang Shihai had cultivated the Heavenly Vault Mystic Technique, making his defense extremely strong. He swirled his blade, holding his ground, and blocked the fierce spear.

However, Bai Lingyu's attack was divided into three parts. Cang Shihai received the first blow but couldn't withstand the subsequent latent force. He was struck by the triple Qilin Divine Power, suffering internal injuries and coughing up blood.

Enduring his internal injuries, Cang Shihai unleashed another Heavenly Vault Mystic Technique move—Falling Stars. The blade shadows were as dense as stars, sweeping across the sky.

Bai Lingyu, not to be outdone, unleashed another "Flowing Shadow Stance," unleashing countless spear blossoms in a single breath, engaging Cang Shihai in a fierce battle. Their swords and spears clashed, the sound echoing far and wide. However, Bai Lingyu's divine strength was unparalleled, and Cang Shihai's reckless brute force was unwise. After more than thirty rounds, he finally succumbed, his tiger's mouth splitting open, blood flowing freely, and his military knife slipping

from his hand. Bai Lingyu seized the opening, delivering a fatal blow to Cang Shihai's throat. The silver spear pierced through his throat, blood staining the spear tassel and dripping down the shaft.

"Shihai!"

Seeing his younger brother's death, Shen Yuan was filled with grief and rage. He forcefully broke through his physical limits, his body wreathed in flames, and raised his palm to strike at Luo Qingyan.

Luo Qingyan sneered, "Don't be hasty, you brothers will soon meet again in the Yellow Springs!"

With that, she raised her palm to meet the attack. Their palms clashed, the Phoenix Spirit Fire battling the Radiant Karmic Fire, the two engaging in a contest of internal energy.

Shen Yuan, his eyes bloodshot with rage and burning with vengeance, gritted his teeth and said, "You vixen, even if it means destroying another clone, I'll take you with me to avenge my brother!"

Luo Qingyan's pretty face turned cold, a sneer flashing in her eyes. She said indifferently, "Sorry, I have no interest in keeping your good-for-nothing brother company."

With that, her voice suddenly rose a few decibels, and she shouted, "Ling Ti, if you don't act now, when will you!"

A surge of demonic energy rose into the sky, and a beautiful woman with a sword rushed forward, aiming a vicious strike at Shen Yuan's arm.

"Water Ling Ti?"

Shen Yuan was both shocked and furious. He tried to pull his hands back, but Luo Qingyan's palms seemed to have a sticky force that prevented him from leaving.

With a swift movement, Shui Lingti struck, instantly crippling Shen Yuan's hand, causing it to bleed profusely and writhe in excruciating pain. Luo Qingyan seized the opportunity to retaliate, unleashing a torrent of inner energy. Her Phoenix Spirit Fire completely suppressed the Radiant Karmic Fire, and Shen Yuan also suffered the agony of being burned alive. However, he still possessed the foundation of the Heavenly Vault Mystic Technique, protecting his heart meridian, and turned to flee.

Long Hui, however, would not allow him to escape so easily. He conjured a blade with his fingers, drawing heavenly lightning into his body, and unleashed a furious thunderous blade aura.

Shen Yuan, in unbearable agony, gritted his teeth and met the attack, but the blade aura was indestructible, directly shattering his protective energy and severing his arm with two consecutive strikes.

Covered in blood, Shen Yuan bit his tongue, burning his essence and vital energy to unleash the Haotian Sect's escape technique, fleeing like an arrow released from a bow, breaking through the encirclement in a flash.

Long Hui and Luo Qingyan shouted, "Where do you think you're going?" and gave chase, unleashing their inner power, dragon and phoenix fire surging forth, determined to kill Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan rushed out of Jinling, running frantically, desperately trying to escape, with the dragon and phoenix relentlessly pursuing him, causing him endless suffering.

Long Hui raised a palm to the sky, drawing in the thunderclouds of the heavens, and with a thunderous roar, he killed the evil god's clone from afar.

Shen Yuan was struck in the back by the palm, the lightning striking his heart and lungs, severing his meridians and cutting off his life force. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body flying more than ten feet like a kite with a broken string, before collapsing to the ground, where he died.

The instant Shen Yuan died, a chilling wind swept through the surroundings. Long Hui cried out in alarm and immediately struck again, intending to destroy Shen Yuan's corpse. His palm strike was blocked halfway by a bolt of crimson lightning. Emperor Li stood before him, a sinister smile on his face, and said, "Greetings, General. Rather than desecrating the corpse here, let's press our advantage and extract Cang Nie once and for all!"

Seeing Emperor Li's appearance, Long Hui knew he couldn't deny it and had no choice but to hand over the corpse.

Luo Qingyan raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "This matter is none of Emperor Li's concern. Please leave!"

With that, she extended her hand, effectively dismissing him.

Emperor Li remained unperturbed, picked up Shen Yuan's corpse, and vanished in a gust of wind.

Long Hui sighed, "We're still a step too late. This vengeful ghost has gotten a huge advantage."

Luo Qingyan laughed, "It's alright. Now that the enemy commander is dead, we can take advantage of the situation to capture Cangcheng and completely lift the enemy's strategic encirclement!" Long Hui

nodded in agreement and returned to the city to mobilize the army. He ordered several armies outside the city to march north. Lu Mingluan and Yuan Qitian each led elite troops as vanguards to give the enemy troops at the border of Jinling and Cangcheng a taste of their own medicine. Then, Ling Xiao, Wang Dong, and Liang Ming's three armies followed, cooperating with the vanguard to break through the outer defenses of Cangcheng. Then, Long Hui ordered Liu Chang, Wu Feng, Linghu Da, Sun De, and Ma Yi's five armies to block the three directions of Cangcheng: east, south, and north, leaving only the west route open, deliberately giving the enemy a chance to escape and eliminating their idea of defending the city to the death.

As he expected, with only a sliver of hope left, the Cangmei garrison did not fight to the death. Instead, they retreated while fighting, withdrawing from Cangmei overnight and handing over this most threatening city on the outskirts of Jinling. After the Longlin Army captured the city, they completely consolidated their territory, and the imperial army posed no further strategic threat. The situation completely changed, and the Longlin Army shifted from a passive defense to a strategic stalemate.

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/62721.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=62721&aspx=1

Last access time:

Previous Page : [Wuxia] Long Hui's Male Concubine (Complete) - 35

Next Page : [Wuxia] Long Hui's Male Concubine (Complete) - 36