Rebirth of a Stunning Beauty (Complete) - 24

~Chapter Three, Section Two~ A

damp afternoon breeze began to blow, and dark clouds rose from the north, quickly covering most of the sky.

The sky suddenly darkened, and the sweltering summer afternoon became unbearably muggy.

On the mountains flanking Chen County, countless cicadas chirped restlessly, and in the suffocating atmosphere, a rumble of thunder shattered the oppressive silence.

Large raindrops began to fall, their sound drowning out all other sounds. A sudden gust of wind arose, causing the trees on the mountains to sway wildly, and the raindrops, falling at an angle, stung one's face with the help of the wind.

Below the county town, the ground, scorched red-hot, emitted plumes of smoke. The ground cooled rapidly, and small streams of rainwater cascading down from the mountains converged into puddles on the road below the town.

Standing atop the county town wall, holding an oil-paper umbrella, the Third Young Master muttered to himself, "The fire attack is indeed out of the question. But with this heavy wind and rain, you can forget about attacking the city in the downpour. No matter how skilled the archers of the Divine Bow Battalion are, they can't possibly shoot accurately in such a storm, can they? Hmph, without a fire attack, I still have a water attack!"

At this moment, Nu Hengmei rushed over through the rain, wiping the rain from his face as he reached the Third Young Master's side, excitedly saying, "Third Young Master, the brothers on the mountain have already filled the water tanks with rainwater. This rain will continue for another half hour, enough to accumulate a large amount of water and wash the enemy army away!"

Xiao Tianci also rushed over, saying, "Third Young Master, all the canals in the city have been blocked, and a lot of rainwater has accumulated. Some canals have completely overflowed, and the water has flooded the streets. At this rate, within half an hour, the county town will become a waterlogged city!"

The Third Young Master chuckled upon hearing this.

As early as when Prince Su's army was defeated and retreated in the first battle, the Third Young Master had already dispatched a thousand Imperial Guards to the mountains on both sides to cut down trees, pile up stones, and build silos to block all the mountain streams and waterways to collect rainwater. Although summer showers are short-lived, the rainfall is particularly abundant. After enough water has been collected, the Third Young

Master will order the silos to be destroyed and the water released once the Northern Frontier Iron Army marches to the city walls. At that time, the accumulated rainwater will surge down with a force no less than that of a flash flood. In addition, the mountains on both sides have already been deliberately damaged by the Third Young Master's men; the rocks have been loosened, and the tree roots have been cut off. Under the scouring of the floodwaters, there is a possibility that a rather terrible mudslide may also be formed.

Even if Prince Su's army manages to break through this water barrier and rush into the city, all the drainage ditches in the city have already been blocked by the Third Young Master's men. Chen County will soon become a waterlogged land, and both infantry and cavalry will find it difficult to move around once they enter Chen County. Meanwhile, the Third Young Master's men had already found high ground and lay in ambush, preparing to snipe them with crossbows.

The Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion was a formidable enemy, but the Third Young Master's men were scattered throughout the county town, rendering their arrow formations ineffective. The Third Young Master had decided not to engage the Northern Frontier army in prolonged combat on the city walls, otherwise, he would have no way to deal with the Divine Bow Battalion's arrows!

However, the city walls could not be left undefended, otherwise, allowing the Northern Frontier army to enter too easily would be a significant loss. Therefore, the Third Young Master decided that he himself, along with Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Nu Hengmei, and Xiao Tianci, would guard the city walls.

With these five masters present, even if the Northern Frontier army wanted to break through, they would pay a considerable price!

Gongzi Su stood with his hands behind his back in the tent, looking at the continuous rain outside, and issued orders to the generals behind him: "The remaining soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion will be incorporated into the Suicide Battalion and will launch the first attack after the rain stops. The remaining soldiers of the Assault Battalion will be incorporated into the Annihilation Battalion and will launch the second attack after the Suicide Battalion. The Divine Archer Battalion will provide cover, and the Light Cavalry Battalion will be ready to strike at any time. Once the city gates and walls are under control, they will launch a swift surprise attack. Where are Generals Yuan Zui, Yuan Da, Yuan E, and Yuan Ji?"

The four demon envoys, clad in gleaming black iron armor, stepped forward, cupped their hands, and said in unison, "Your subordinates are here!"

Young Master Su Ling said, "General Yuan Zui will lead a thousand brothers of the Death Squad, and General Yuan E will lead a thousand brothers of the Iron Guard, launching a simultaneous attack with the Daredevil Camp. Both generals command elite troops; we hope they will lead their armies to victory! General Yuan Da will lead a thousand brothers of the Blood Blade Camp, and General Yuan E will lead a thousand brothers of the Shadow Camp to support the Annihilation Camp!"

The Death Squad was composed of disciples from the Demonic Sect's Mystic Cloud Sect, the Iron Guard Camp was composed of disciples from the Demonic Sect's Vajra Hall, the Blood Blade Camp was naturally composed of disciples from the Demonic Sect's Blood Blade Hall, and the Shadow Camp was composed of disciples from the Demonic Sect's Shadow Hall.

The Demonic Sect, with its three main branches and five halls, boasts countless disciples and a multitude of experts. This time, Young Master Su dispatched four heinous demonic envoys, leading elite disciples from one branch and three halls in a simultaneous attack. Adding to this were the Northern Frontier Daredevil Battalion and the Annihilation Battalion, totaling 20,000 soldiers, plus the remaining 5,000 soldiers from the Vanguard and Assault Battalions, bringing the total to nearly 30,000 for the first and second waves of attack, aiming to capture Chen County in one fell swoop.

A short while later, the rain stopped, the clouds dispersed, and the sun reappeared, its golden rays illuminating the earth.

Summer showers come and go quickly; the azure sky, washed clean by the rain, was even more captivatingly blue. A rainbow arched across the horizon, adding to the enchanting beauty of the blue sky dotted with white clouds.

Unfortunately, few appreciated this captivating scenery, as a life-or-death battle immediately commenced after the rain.

Shouts of battle and the sound of war drums tore through the air as the Northern Frontier Iron Army surged towards Chen County like a tidal wave.

Yuan Zui and Yuan E led their elite suicide squad and Iron Guard battalion at the forefront, followed by over twelve thousand daredevil soldiers.

The puddles on the ground were shattered by tens of thousands of massive feet, splashing into strings of muddy yellow droplets. Just as they were about to reach the county town, a gong sounded from the city wall, followed by a commotion from the mountains on either side, and then the thunderous roar of rushing water.

The two brothers, Yuan Zui and Yuan E, exchanged a glance, both startled. They looked towards the mountains on either side and saw surging, turbid waves suddenly erupting from both sides, cascading down the slopes. The waves carried thick logs and jagged boulders. Where the turbid waves passed, the man-made damage to the mountains could not withstand the erosion, and the soil and rocks collapsed, merging into the water to form grotesque, brownish-yellow water dragons, their claws outstretched, rushing down the mountainside.

Yuan Zui and Yuan E cried out in alarm, "Mudslide! Retreat! Retreat!"

The soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army, without waiting for their commanders' reminders, sensed the danger and immediately maintained their formation, retreating at an even faster pace than they had come. The two battalions of demonic disciples led by Yuan Zui and Yuan E were at the forefront; any retreat would have to wait until the Suicide Battalion, Blood Blade Battalion, Shadow Battalion, and Annihilation Battalion had retreated.

Seeing this, Yuan Zui and Yuan E immediately roared, "Brothers of the Death Squad and Iron Guard Battalions, charge with us!" Instead of retreating, they advanced, using their fastest movement techniques ever, rushing towards the county town gate. The soldiers of the Death Squad and Iron Guard Battalions knew that retreat was now too late; their only way out was to charge forward and enter the county town before the mudslide reached them.

The two battalions of demonic disciples were all elite members of the demonic sect, top-tier fighters in the martial arts world; their agility was exceptional. Two thousand and two figures, like two thousand and two black arrows, shot through the air towards Chen County.

At that moment, mudslides swept down from both sides of the mountain. With a deafening roar, the massive mud-and-rock dragons, at least seventy percent of them composed of earth, rocks, and wood, surged down the slopes and onto the road, engulfing the Northern Frontier soldiers who couldn't retreat in time, swallowing them whole.

The mud and rocks from both sides converged and then surged in the direction the Northern Frontier army was retreating, continuously swallowing up soldiers along the way. The area towards Chen County was higher and naturally unaffected by the mudslides.

Although the two battalions of demonic disciples led by Yuan Zui and Yuan E charged forward quickly, over three hundred were still swept away by the mudslides. Those who were lucky managed to escape using their martial arts skills, while the unlucky ones were crushed to death by the rocks and wood mixed in with the mud.

When the mudslide finally stopped, most of the soldiers of the Northern Frontier Daredevil Battalion had been swallowed up, with only eight or nine out of ten surviving. This water attack had once again caused heavy losses to the Northern Frontier army!

However, the Blood Blade Battalion, Shadow Battalion, and Annihilation Battalion, led by Yuan Da and Yuan Ji, were much more convenient in their retreat because they were at the rear of the charge, and none of them suffered any casualties.

Nearly ten thousand soldiers of the Daredevil Battalion perished in this man-made natural disaster, enraging Young Master Su. However, he quickly calmed himself and swiftly analyzed the situation.

The roads were now completely blocked by the mudslide, making passage impossible for troops. Infantry could barely pass, but cavalry could barely move. Clearing a path by manpower would take one to two days.

If they turned back, they would have to travel over a hundred li back to the fork in the road, then choose between Lupingye or Yesanguan, adding over two hundred li to their journey. Either way,

it would delay their march and exhaust their troops, severely damaging their morale.

Thinking of this, Young Master Su felt another wave of bitterness. They had wasted most of the day in front of Chen County, without even meeting the enemy commander, and had already lost over twenty thousand fierce northern frontier soldiers. What angered him even more was that a master of the Demonic Sect's level, Gu Changkong, along with a thousand elite raiders, had mysteriously vanished. The Demonic Sect's experts were originally intended for surprise attacks to breach the city, but now so many had been lost in this small Chen County. How could the subsequent battles proceed smoothly?

"First fire attack, then using the heavens' power for a water attack—who exactly is the enemy general defending Chen County? What happened to Zuo Yuanfang? How could he not even take Chen County?" Young Master Su muttered to himself, racking his brains for a solution.

Meanwhile, Yuan Zui and Yuan E, leading the remaining 1,800-plus Demonic Sect disciples from their two battalions, had already reached the walls of Chen County.

The gates of Chen County were wide open, just as they had the previous two times. Although Yuan Zui and Yuan E were quite arrogant, the two previous defeats suffered by Gu Changkong and the vanguard and assault battalions had made them wary. Seeing that they had avoided the mudslide and that it had stopped, they lost their will to attack the city and immediately ordered their disciples to return along the original route.

They had rushed towards the city gate seeking refuge, not intending to attack Chen County with just a thousand men. Now that the trouble was over, why wouldn't they retreat?

But at this point, even if they wanted to, they had no choice!

Ninety-nine golden meteors lit up above the county town, their sharp whistling sounds like the wails of ghosts. With a series of hissing sounds, ninety-nine demonic disciples fell to the ground simultaneously, each one's skull pierced by a golden arrow of varying length!

Yuan Zui and Yuan E's expressions changed. They exchanged a glance and exclaimed in unison, "It's Xiao Tianci!" Then they retreated swiftly, but before they had gone ten feet, a voice like a thunderclap rang in their ears: "Illusion—Demon—Hand!"

The voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, and with it, a pair of crystal-clear, dreamlike hands suddenly appeared before them, as if these hands had always been there, waiting for them.

The two cried out in unison, "Illusion Demon True Lord!" With that cry, they simultaneously unleashed a palm strike, clashing head-on with the two monstrous hands that had suddenly appeared in mid-air, their wrists, arms, and owners invisible.

Two loud bangs followed, and Yuan Zui and Yuan E spun like tops, their bodies shimmering with a crystalline, jade-like light as they spun, then showering off diamond-like dust. Their bodies shrank smaller and smaller until only a puddle of shimmering dust remained on the ground; they had vanished without a trace.

Only then did Uncle Li's figure appear from the void.

"Illusion Demon at Will," ever-changing. Space ceased to exist under the Illusion Demon Hand; it could strike any target it desired in an instant. Like "Time Waits for No Man," the "Illusion Demon Hand" was a martial art not of this world!

Third Young Master, Qiao Wei, Nu Hengmei, and Xiao Tianci all leaped down from the city walls, joining Uncle Li in charging into the remaining group of over 1,700 demonic disciples. The Third Young Master wielded the Chaos-Binding Ribbon, channeling his inner force to transform the cloth into a sword. The two-zhang-long ribbon trembled taut, and with a single swing, more than ten heads fell to the ground.

Qiao Wei moved through the crowd like a ghost. Wherever he went, time stopped flowing in that place. Only after a part of his body touched a demonic disciple did time resume its course, but at a speed thousands of times faster. Any demonic disciple he touched instantly turned to dust.

Nu Hengmei channeled his Thunderous True Force to its limit, creating a vacuum within a three-zhang radius around him. Any demonic disciple who entered within three zhang of him was struck by the violent true force, their bones shattered and tendons broken, dying while vomiting blood. His fists were even more terrifying weapons, striking out with unparalleled speed, their force capable of pulverizing a person nine zhang away.

Xiao Tianci held a silver bow in his left hand, firing ninety-nine golden arrows back and forth. With each arrow fired, a demonic sect disciple fell to the ground. As the arrow was retrieved, the silken threads attached to it cleaved the disciple in two like steel swords.

Blood rained down, and heads rolled like watermelons. These 1700-plus demonic sect disciples, though first-class and highly regarded in the martial world, were quickly wiped out by the combined attack of the three young masters and five other experts.

After slaughtering them, the three young masters and the others retreated swiftly back into the city, quickly replenishing their depleted internal energy.

With the road blocked, the view of Gongzi Su and his companions was also obstructed, and no one could see what had happened in the county town.

Gongzi Su, smelling the strong stench of blood in the air, shook his head and said, "Generals Yuan Zui and Yuan E… I'm afraid they are already…"

Yuan Da and Yuan Ji were brothers of Yuan Zui and Yuan E, born of the same womb, and they sensed their brothers' impending doom. The two men, gritting their teeth, stared in the direction of Chen County for a moment, then simultaneously knelt before Prince Su, saying, "Young Master, this humble general is willing to lead an army to capture Chen County for you!"

Prince Su replied, "You two generals are probably here to avenge your elder brothers, aren't you?"

Yuan Da raised his head, his eyes gleaming as he looked intently at Prince Su, and said, "Young Master, we four brothers have lived and died together. If we cannot avenge our brothers who have perished in battle, how can we face the world?"

Prince Su slowly said, "The enemy in Chen County is far stronger than we anticipated. Even now, I..." We still don't know who is guarding Chen County. However, judging from the battles of these three engagements, the general defending Chen County is not only exceptionally strategist but also commands a terrifyingly strong team of experts. Therefore, I suspect that the defenders are likely from Xiaoyao Manor or Ironblood Howling Sky Fortress. If they are indeed from Xiaoyao Manor or Ironblood Howling Sky Fortress, our piecemeal tactics will only result in heavy losses and our own demise. Only a full-scale attack with superior forces can crush Chen County! In today's three battles, we have already lost over 20,000 elite soldiers, and even more... "General Gu Changkong, Generals Yuan Zui and Yuan E, I can no longer tolerate any loss of any kind! Therefore, Generals, I regret to inform you that I cannot grant your request!"

Yuan Ji said, his eyes red. "Young Master, this humble general is willing to fight in a personal capacity!"

Young Master Su Wei angrily retorted, "General Yuan Ji, we are now fighting a war, a decisive battle for the world, not a personal feud of the martial world! Everything must be for the greater good. If you are so easily angered, how can you shoulder important responsibilities in the future?"

Yuan Ji hummed in disbelief. With a hoarse voice, he said, "This humble general never intended to take on any important task! If I cannot avenge my brother, there is no difference between living and dying!"

Yuan Da nodded in agreement, "Young Master, this humble general is willing to lead only a thousand soldiers of our own troops into battle in our personal capacity!"

Young Master Su said in a sinister voice, "You two dare to disobey military orders?"

Yuan Da said, "If the general does not grant my brother's request, this humble general and my brother will lead our own troops into battle!" After saying this, he and Yuan Zui stood up, bowed to Young Master Su, and strode out of the tent.

Young Master Su took a deep breath and said in a sinister tone, "Therefore, you two have committed the capital offense of disobeying military orders!" He casually struck out with his palm, and a black mist appeared on his palm, enveloping Yuan Da and Yuan Ji. The two turned around in horror and said, "Destroy... God..."

Before they could finish the last word, they had already died.

~Chapter Three, Section Three~

The corpses of Yuan Da and Yuan Ji were covered in a strange bluish-black color, and their final expressions were full of horror.

Gongzi Su's palms hadn't touched them; with their skill, ordinary palm strikes from a distance wouldn't have been able to kill them. Yet now they were dead—completely, cleanly, and swiftly!

Gongzi Su felt a pang of regret.

The Yuan brothers were both exceptionally skilled fighters, but military orders couldn't be disobeyed. If anyone openly defied orders and wasn't executed, he, as the commander-in-chief, would lose his position.

Moreover, Hua Rong had privately instructed him to find an opportunity to kill the heinous criminals and Gu Changkong. Although Gongzi Su was unwilling, he now had no choice but to kill them.

Looking at the two corpses, Prince Su said calmly, "Men, take them away and give them a proper burial. Although these two generals disobeyed orders and committed a capital offense, they were ultimately driven by a burning desire to avenge their brother. Their actions are punishable, but their sentiments are pitiable. Consider them as martyrs on the battlefield!"

After four guards carried the bodies of Yuan Da and Yuan Ji away, Prince Su immediately issued an order: "Pass on my command! Mobilize the entire army, clear the mud from the roads, and open them as quickly as possible! Generals, our rations are running low. If we cannot capture Chen County quickly, our soldiers will starve! Therefore, we cannot turn back; we must advance as soon as possible!"

The generals in the tent responded with a roar and left to mobilize their subordinates.

As soon as the four guards carrying the bodies of Yuan Da and Yuan Ji left the camp, they were stopped by a soldier in black armor. "The acting sect leader has ordered that the bodies of the two demon envoys be brought to him for his disposal."

The four guards were immediately taken aback. One of them asked, "How does the acting sect leader know that the two demon envoys are dead?"

The black-armored soldier laughed, "Of course the acting sect leader knows. The two demon envoys, Yuan Zui and Yuan E, died in battle. The two demon envoys, Yuan Da and Yuan Ji, were brothers and naturally wanted to lead troops to avenge them. However, Young Master Su prioritizes the overall situation and will certainly not allow it. Given the temperament of the two demon envoys, they will definitely disobey orders. Military orders are absolute. If the two demon envoys are not killed, how can Young Master Su uphold military discipline?"

One of the four guards asked, "Who taught you to say such things?"

The black-armored soldier laughed, "Naturally, the acting sect leader told me. How would I know so much? Alright, enough nonsense, the acting sect leader is waiting in the tent!"

The black-armored soldier then led the four soldiers carrying the corpses around Young Master Su's central tent and proceeded to the rear, arriving at a spacious and exquisite tent in the rear army.

The tent was far from the surrounding tents, guarded by nearly a thousand gleaming armored guards, all disciples of the Demonic Sect.

Among them were two hundred female soldiers in elegant armor, each beautiful as a flower, their figures and expressions exuding an indescribable allure.

The black-armored soldier and the four guards carried the bodies of Yuan Da and Yuan Ji to the front of the tent. The black-armored soldier respectfully announced to the tent, "Reporting to the Sect Master, the remains of the two Demon Envoys have been brought."

Hua Rong's voice came from inside: "Place the bodies in front of the tent, you may leave now."

After the four guards put down the bodies of Yuan Da and Yuan Ji, the black-armored guard and his four companions withdrew.

After a moment, two female soldiers emerged from the tent, easily dragging the two bodies inside.

Dressed in a magnificent red gown, Hua Rong sat behind a long table. After the two female soldiers dragged the two corpses in, she dismissed the female soldiers standing in the tent, walked slowly to the two bodies, observed them for a while, and chuckled to herself, "Young Master Su is indeed skilled. Although he killed you, he didn't damage your bodies in the slightest. Ximen Wudi's corpse was too damaged; although the alchemy was nearly successful, its power was greatly diminished. You two still possess power and your bodies are intact, making you ideal materials for alchemy!"

With that, she took out two small pills and placed them in the mouths of the two corpses, then poured warm water into each of them, circulating her energy to neutralize the medicine and ensure its effects reached their lungs and internal organs. After a moment, a metallic gray-black sheen gradually appeared on the two corpses, and their skin slowly turned as if it were metal.

Hua Rong looked at the two corpses, smiled slightly, and muttered to herself, "Refining corpses is much easier than refining people. Refining a person takes twenty years, but refining a corpse only takes forty-nine days. The Ying family's True Dragon Treasure Mirror is truly a wonderful thing! Hehe, fortunately, the Ying family doesn't know magic or how to control corpses, otherwise, wouldn't the Ying family have thousands or even tens of thousands of medicine-made people? Then who could shake the Ying family's rule?"

※ ※ ※ ※

"The wise plan according to the times, while the foolish act against reason. It seems... Young Master Su can truly be considered a wise man!" The Third Young Master sat on the city wall, watching the Northern Frontier Army fighting fiercely ahead.

Several dishes were laid out in front of him; it was dinnertime.

Qiao Wei, holding a bowl of rice, shoveled mouthfuls into his mouth while mumbling, "What kind of wise man is Young Master Su? Three consecutive defeats, heavy losses, and now the roads are blocked, yet instead of retreating and taking a detour, he sends troops to clear the way, wasting time and the soldiers' energy. If it were me, I would have retreated long ago!"

"Not so." The Third Young Master shook his head, pointing in the direction of the Northern Frontier Army with his chopsticks, and said, "Retreating and taking a detour may seem like the right choice, but it's not. If he retreats, he'll have to detour at least two hundred li. Speed is of the essence in war. Even though clearing the way will waste time and the soldiers' energy, isn't taking a detour the same?

"Moreover, taking a detour requires the entire army to mobilize, every soldier has to run at full speed, and no one can conserve energy. But clearing the way can be done in shifts, with some soldiers clearing the way while others rest, maximizing energy conservation and saving a lot of horsepower."

"Moreover, if he takes a detour, he won't be able to annihilate our army. We've inflicted three defeats on him, so he naturally knows we're a formidable enemy. If he doesn't eliminate us, we'll pose a serious threat in the future.

Furthermore, he surely knows that if he retreats, we'll relentlessly pursue him, causing him further losses. Taking a detour is never a pleasant experience.

Therefore, he has no choice but to open a path and then fight us to the death. With his forces, annihilating us would be a piece of cake. It's just a pity that Young Master Su was too cautious, which is why he suffered three defeats. If he had launched a full-scale attack from the start, even if our fire attack had succeeded, it wouldn't have been able to completely stop his army. As for our water attack, there would have been no chance to use it."

After the Third Young Master finished speaking, he reached for his chopsticks to pick up some food, only to find to his astonishment that several dishes were completely empty, not even a single leaf remained.

Qiao Wei and Uncle Li's bowls were piled high with food. They shoveled at the food while praising, "Well said, Third Young Master! We haven't heard such insightful analysis in a long time! So well said, Third Young Master, please continue!"

The Third Young Master sighed dejectedly and said, "Please, please, give me something to eat!"

Qiao Wei immediately adopted a compassionate demeanor: "Third Young Master, what are you saying? How could I dare not give you food? Everything we eat is a gift from you! Here, Third Young Master, I'll give you some food right now!" As he spoke, he carefully picked out a shred of meat, barely thicker than a hair, and gently placed it in the Third Young Master's bowl, saying, "Third Young Master, see how loyal I am to you! Even with such a large piece of meat, I can't bear to part with it!" "You have to eat, it's all for you... What are you standing there for? Eat up, don't be so touched, look at you, your eyes are all red, don't cry, don't cry, if you cry, I'll cry too..."

Uncle Li said indignantly, "Old Qiao, what do you mean by this? You can even offer such a small strip of meat?" As he spoke, he picked out a strip of meat from his bowl that was slightly thicker than Qiao Wei's, but almost twice as short, and put it in the Third Young Master's bowl, saying, "Third Young Master, you eat. I, Old Li, am not like Old Qiao, he's too stingy. You see, I, Old Li, still care about you, don't I? No, please don't get excited, don't let your hands tremble! Huh, why are your mouths trembling too? Hehe, there's no need for that, it's only right for me to be good to you, you don't need to be so touched. Eat, ah, don't let Old Qiao take it..."

"Crack!" The Third Young Master finally crushed the bowl in his hand...

※ ※ ※ ※

Lu Pingye and Qin Feng cleaved down the last Hu tribe cavalryman with a single sword strike, and looked up at the already setting sun.

The battlefield was littered with corpses, and there were ownerless warhorses everywhere.

During an afternoon downpour, the Hu tribe launched a sudden attack. The cavalry's movement was hampered by the rain, so the infantry initiated the assault. The Hu people, accustomed to the harsh climate of the northern grasslands, were no match for this environment, even navigating blizzards with ease.

Despite numerous traps on the ground, the Hu infantry advanced cautiously, clearing them and filling in ditches as they went.

The wind blew from the north towards the Qin army's position. The strong winds and rain rendered the Imperial Guards' crossbows inaccurate, rendering them ineffective. Although ten thousand Imperial Guards fired arrows relentlessly, the damage inflicted on the Hu infantry was limited.

At this critical moment, Qin Feng, who had only recently rested and whose strength had not fully recovered, had no choice but to lead the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals and the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps—two thousand young masters—out of the lines to meet the Hu infantry in the rain.

Fighting in the rain, Qin Feng's Heavenly Sword was able to perform at its maximum potential thanks to the rain, but the combat power of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals and the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps was greatly suppressed. The Hu infantry, however, remained unaffected and fiercely powerful.

In the ensuing fierce battle, Qin Feng and his group were unable to stop the Hu infantry from charging into their positions. The Hu infantry destroyed all the traps and mechanisms along the way, and when they reached the earthen wall, they prepared to push it down.

Seeing that their crossbows were ineffective and the enemy had reached the front lines, the Imperial Guard soldiers leaped over the earthen wall to engage the Hu infantry in hand-to-hand combat, attempting to prevent them from collapsing the wall.

Another fierce battle ensued, the sounds of battle deafening in the wind and rain. Although the Imperial Guard soldiers fought bravely and relentlessly against the Hu soldiers, they were already inferior in combat strength. Coupled with the torrential rain, the Imperial Guard soldiers, unaccustomed to fighting in such weather, were further weakened. The Hu infantry, totaling 20,000, significantly outnumbered the Qin army, causing the

Imperial Guards to suffer heavy casualties and retreat in disarray. Seeing the Qin army's fighting strength severely hampered by the torrential rain, Amon Lihu ordered a full-scale cavalry charge. Although the wind and rain limited the cavalry's mobility, the traps and mechanisms on the Qin army's earthen walls had been almost entirely destroyed, allowing the Hu cavalry to advance rapidly and overwhelm the Qin army with their numerical superiority.

As soon as the Hu cavalry appeared, Qin Feng and his Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals and Iron-Blooded Youths abandoned the Hu infantry and met them head-on.

This time, it was no longer a one-sided affair like the initial battle. Following Amon Lihu's orders, the Hu cavalry did not engage Qin Feng and his skilled subordinates in prolonged combat, but instead bypassed them, heading straight for the earthen wall position.

Qin Feng and his skilled subordinates could hold off several thousand cavalrymen, but not tens of thousands. The Hu army bypassed them, swiftly charging forward in the wind and rain, leaving only four thousand cavalrymen to engage Qin Feng and his forces.

Due to the limitations imposed by the wind and rain, the young masters of the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps could not fully utilize their light-footed skills. Although the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps, which had suffered no losses in the initial battle, still managed to kill countless enemies in the rain-soaked battle, they also suffered heavy casualties themselves.

Qin Feng and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals, seeing the Hu army's surprise attack on the earthen wall position, broke through the encirclement of four thousand Hu cavalry to rush to its aid. However, by the time Qin Feng arrived, it was too late. The Hu army had stretched its battle line far and wide, launching a full-scale attack. Under the combined assault of infantry and cavalry, the ten thousand Imperial Guards quickly collapsed. Then, the Hu infantry swiftly destroyed the earthen wall, which had become increasingly unstable due to the rain, allowing the cavalry to pass.

After the cavalry passed, three thousand infantry were left to cover the rear. Qin Feng and the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals fought from left to right and then from right to left, killing countless enemies, but still could not stop the Hu army from passing through the position.

When the rain stopped, the ten thousand Imperial Guards were almost completely annihilated. The Hu cavalry numbered 30,000, and the infantry 8,000. These

38,000 Hu troops crossed Lu Pingye's battle line and surged towards Tianjing City. On the battlefield, the 3,000 infantrymen left to cover the rear and the 4,000 cavalrymen entangled with Qin Feng and his elite troops continued their desperate fight.

By sunset, Qin Feng and his forces had finally wiped out the 7,000 enemy troops covering the rear, while the majority of the enemy army had already gone far away. Of the 10,000 Imperial Guards, over 9,000 were killed or wounded, with fewer than 500 surviving unscathed. The 2,000 elite members of the Iron-Blooded Youth Corps also suffered over 400 deaths and over 1,000 wounded.

Fortunately, the 30,000 laborers had all withdrawn after the first battle; otherwise, they would have become casualties.

Of the 60,000 Hu troops, 38,000 passed, and 22,000 died. Killing 22,000 enemies with 12,000 troops should have been a remarkable victory, but Qin Feng felt no joy whatsoever.

The Hu army numbered thirty-eight thousand, including thirty thousand cavalry! Although they couldn't attack Tianjing City, if they were to plunder and pillage the area around Tianjing, none of the surrounding cities, towns, and villages would be able to stop them!

Qin Feng, having lived in the capital for many years, knew that the Hu tribes never carried much food in battle, relying entirely on plunder. If they couldn't get food, they might even resort to cannibalism!

The thought of the potential carnage that might befall the people near Tianjing City tormented Qin Feng's heart. After slaughtering the rearguard, Qin Feng, without resting, leaped onto a stray warhorse and charged towards Tianjing City, shouting, "Those who can still ride, follow me to catch up with the Hu army! Leave a hundred brothers behind to take care of the seriously wounded!"

The thirty-six Heavenly Generals, the young masters of the Iron-Blooded Youth Group, and the surviving Imperial Guard soldiers immediately found stray warhorses on the battlefield and rode after Qin Feng, leaving only a hundred Imperial Guard soldiers to clear the battlefield, search for their surviving brothers, and finish off any remaining enemy casualties.

※ ※ ※ ※

Shortly after the fall of Lu Pingye's position, the Yesanguan position also fell.

Although Qin Lei's bravery had initially intimidated the Hu army, the Hu people were a nation renowned for its warriors, possessing an indomitable spirit. For the Hu people, dying on the battlefield was the best end for a warrior. Therefore, as soon as the rain began to fall, the Hu army at Yesanguan also launched an attack.

After several hours of fierce fighting, the Yesan Pass position fell, and the Hu army, consisting of 28,000 cavalry and 19,000 infantry, totaling 47,000 men, marched towards Tianjing City.

Of the 70,000 Hu troops, Qin Lei led his army to kill 23,000, a better record than Qin Feng's. However, Qin Lei felt no joy. The Hu army had launched a surprise attack under the cover of wind and rain, while the Imperial Guards' crossbows were rendered ineffective by the weather. The Hu army had won by taking advantage of favorable weather and superior numbers. This filled Qin Lei with utter dissatisfaction.

After slaughtering the Hu army covering the rear, Qin Lei led over a thousand surviving elite disciples from Xiaoyao Manor and over two hundred Imperial Guards in pursuit.

Although the Hu army had already traveled a considerable distance, Qin Lei believed that once he caught up, even if his forces couldn't engage them in direct combat, he could slowly annihilate the 40,000-plus Hu soldiers through guerrilla warfare! Although Lu Pingye and the positions at

Yesanguan

have fallen, and nearly 90,000 Hu troops are advancing towards Tianjing City, they are still unable to capture it with their current strength. The main force in the central route, the 170,000-strong Northern Frontier Iron Army, is now reduced to just over 140,000, and they are firmly trapped, unable to advance. As long as the three enemy forces cannot be combined, the capital will be temporarily safe.

However, behind the Hu vanguard is another 200,000-strong army led by the Hu general Wuhar, including 30,000 cavalrymen of the Northern Frontier Iron Army, known as the invincible cavalry of the era, and 20,000 archers of the Tutuha tribe, the most elite archer force of the Hu.

The Northern Frontier Iron Cavalry is invincible in battle and unmatched in open field warfare.

Tutuha means "god of archery" in the Hu language. Tutuha warriors are not only skilled with sabers but also possess the ability to shoot arrows with unparalleled accuracy.

If that army of 200,000 arrives and doesn't pass through Chen County, even if the Northern Frontier Iron Army led by Prince Su fails to join them, the capital will still be in grave danger!

~Chapter 3 Invincible, Section 4~

July 30th, dusk.

The blocked roads outside Chen County have been completely cleared.

Gongzi Su glanced at the three battalions of Annihilation, Bloodblade, and Shadow, poised to attack, and lashed out with his whip. The twelve thousand soldiers of these three battalions erupted in a deafening roar, charging towards Chen County.

The war drums thundered, and the entire Northern Frontier army roared in unison to bolster their morale.

On the flanks of the three Northern Frontier battalions, ten thousand archers of the Divine Bow Battalion had their arrows nocked, ready to fire as soon as a figure appeared on the city wall.

Behind these three battalions, another three battalions totaling thirty thousand Northern Frontier infantry followed in rotation, while twenty thousand light cavalry were also ready to pounce, awaiting the moment the city gates breached.

Gongzi Su's gaze swept past the throngs of his own soldiers and the forest of iron spears and steel swords, fixed on the wide-open city gate. He wanted to see what tricks the defenders of Chen County could still pull.

The soldiers of the Annihilation Battalion charged closer and closer, now only a hundred feet from the city gate.

Suddenly, thousands of figures appeared simultaneously atop the city wall. Upon seeing them, Young Master Su shouted, "Fire!" *Whoosh!

* A deafening roar tore through the air as ten thousand archers of the Divine Bow Battalion unleashed their arrows. Ten thousand iron arrows rained down on the city wall, instantly covering all the figures atop it.

The figures on the wall fell to the ground. A cold smile appeared on Young Master Su's lips as he muttered, "Before the powerful bows of the Divine Bow Battalion, even the strongest wall cannot protect you! Opposing me, Young Master Su, means certain death!"

On the city wall, the Third Young Master, hiding behind the scaffolding, looked at the fallen scarecrows, curled his lip, and said to Qiao Wei beside him, "Isn't there a single person in the Northern Frontier Army with any eyesight? They can't even tell the difference between real people and scarecrows."

Qiao Wei chuckled, "These scarecrows are so well-made..." "They're so realistic, and they're wearing Imperial Guard uniforms, it's no wonder the Northern Frontier Army wouldn't recognize them."

The Third Young Master nodded, then said to Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Nu Hengmei, and Xiao Tianci, "The Divine Bow Battalion needs at least two quarters of an hour to rest after each arrow shot. Use this time to get the brothers up to the city wall, fire a few rounds, and then leave. We'll guard the city gate!"

Uncle Li used a bronze mirror to signal the Imperial Guard soldiers hidden in the houses, then he and the Third Young Master jumped down from the city wall, landing in front of the city gate, leaving only Xiao Tianci on the wall.

Young Master Su looked at the five men on the city wall from afar and couldn't help but chuckle. He said to the generals beside him, "Are those five crazy? They actually think they can stop my hundreds of thousands of troops with just five men!"

The generals beside Young Master Su laughed in mockery, but before their laughter could finish, a high-pitched and stirring dragon's roar came from the direction of Chen County!

Amidst the roar of a dragon, a dazzling golden light erupted before the city gate. When the light faded, the first of the four figures standing before the gate was clad in an extremely strange golden armor, a black cloak, and wielded a massive, two-zhang-long (approximately 6.6 meters) long saber!

Young Master Su's expression changed instantly, his face grave. "That's... the roar of a heavenly soldier... the defenders are indeed from Xiaoyao Manor!"

Hua Rong, in the rear army, also heard the dragon's roar. A hint of surprise crossed her face as she muttered to herself, "Oh? So it's the Third Young Master Qin defending the city. No wonder the siege has been so long. Hmm, he's about to unleash his dragon roar now; it seems he won't be able to hold out for long..."

The Third Young Master roared, his saber held horizontally before the city gate, facing the tens of thousands of enemy soldiers surging towards him, and roared wildly, "I am Qin Ren, the Third Young Master of Xiaoyao Manor!" "If you dare, bring it on! I'll kill one if you come, and two if you come!"

Qiao Wei shouted from behind the Third Young Master. "Hey! This mountain is mine, this tree is mine! If you want to pass, leave your toll! If you dare utter a single word of dissent, hmph, I'll kill you and not bury you!"

Uncle Li was taken aback, pondering, "Huh—are we defending the city, or are we robbing them?"

The Northern Frontier Army didn't pay much attention to the Third Young Master and his group. In fact, the Northern Frontier Army had brought no less than a hundred siege ladders for this attack, so they didn't need to use the city gate. However, before the Northern Frontier Army could even set up the ladders on the city wall, three thousand Imperial Guards suddenly appeared on the city wall, wielding powerful bows and crossbows and unleashing a barrage of arrows at the defenders below.

The Northern Frontier Army was completely unprepared. They thought the defenders on the city wall had been decimated by the Divine Bow Battalion, and only a few soldiers from the Extinction Battalion had carried shields during the attack. Who would have thought that three thousand unharmed and lively Imperial Guards would suddenly appear?

After four volleys of arrows, over three thousand soldiers of the Extinction Camp fell, dying unjustly.

Upon seeing this, Prince Su's heart skipped a beat; he knew he'd fallen into a trap. The archers of the Divine Bow Camp hadn't rested yet, and if they were to fire now, the third volley would require an even longer rest period. But Prince Su couldn't worry about that now; he couldn't just watch his soldiers be slaughtered.

Just as Prince Su was about to give the order to fire, the Imperial Guards on the city wall suddenly vanished completely, leaving only five men on and below the walls!

Prince Su's face turned ashen with rage, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Damn it, what kind of fighting is this? When did the Imperial Guards of the capital learn guerrilla warfare?"

In Prince Su's memory, the Imperial Guards had always been a proud force, always preferring head-on confrontations with the enemy. But now, it seemed their fighting style had changed drastically.

Xiao Tianci stood proudly atop the city wall, silver bow in hand, golden arrows raining down—ninety-nine arrows aimed specifically at the officers of the Northern Frontier Army.

Meanwhile, the Third Young Master, along with Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and Nu Hengmei, had already begun their slaughter below the city.

The Third Young Master, his body radiating a dragon's roar, was a veritable weapon of mass destruction. His massive scythe had a kill radius of fifteen zhang (approximately 33 meters), each swing wiping out the enemy within that radius.

Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and Nu Hengmei supported the Third Young Master, relentlessly destroying the Northern Frontier Army's siege ladders. In no time, they had completely destroyed the Northern Frontier Army's siege ladders, forcing them to attack the city gates.

The Third Young Master stood firmly before the gates, refusing to retreat an inch. The Northern Frontier Army pressed forward relentlessly, fighting to the death, determined to breach the gates.

Corpses piled up like mountains before the gates, blood flowing like rivers. A small mound of corpses gradually rose within fifteen zhang of the Third Young Master, obstructing his view. The Northern Frontier Army was also blocked by the piles of corpses of their comrades. To attack the Third Young Master, they had to climb over the small mountain of corpses, stepping over the bodies of their fallen comrades.

The Third Young Master had killed countless people, and his own power was rapidly depleting.

To defend the city gate, he couldn't use his agility and speed, and could only stand in place, constantly swinging his giant horse-slaying saber. The thirteen-zhang-long blade aura that the saber shot out required his power to sustain, and as he was greatly depleted, the blade aura became shorter and shorter. Thirteen zhang, twelve zhang, eleven zhang, ten zhang... In the end, the Third Young Master's saber aura was reduced to only one zhang, and with the saber's two-zhang length, the effective range was reduced to a radius of only three zhang.

At this time, Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and Nu Hengmei also arrived at the Third Young Master's side to help him defend the city gate. However, the Northern Frontier Army surged forward like a relentless tide. Despite the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood on the ground, the morale of the Northern Frontier Army remained unbroken, and they continued their relentless advance, attempting to exhaust the strength of the Third Young Master and his men with their lives!

"Retreat!" At the Third Young Master's command, Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, and Nu Hengmei immediately withdrew their attacks and retreated into the city gate. After the three retreated, the Third Young Master mustered all his strength and charged forward ten zhang, slaughtering all the Northern Frontier Army soldiers within that area before sheathing his sword and retreating into the city gate.

After the Third Young Master retreated into the city gate, the gate slammed shut. After shooting down another hundred men on the city wall, Xiao Tianci also leaped into the city and disappeared without a trace.

By now, the sun had completely set, and darkness was falling. Seeing that the last five defenders had also retreated, Gongzi Su shouted the order: "Divine Bow Battalion, advance! All troops prepare to attack!"

The Northern Frontier Army finally entered the city.

But once they entered the city, they discovered that the nightmare was far from over.

The small county of Chen was flooded, with knee-deep water everywhere. All the drainage channels within the town were blocked, and the Northern Frontier Army, unfamiliar with the terrain, couldn't find any way to clear the waterways. They had

no choice but to wade through the water, carrying lanterns and torches. The intricate network of houses within the town concealed countless enemies, and stray arrows frequently flew through the shadows cast by the lanterns and torches, unexpectedly felling the Northern Frontier soldiers.

After losing nearly five thousand men, Prince Su finally made a desperate decision, ordering all the Northern Frontier Army to demolish all buildings in their path as they advanced.

As the Northern Frontier Army extinguished their lanterns and torches to avoid attracting the enemy's attention and began demolishing houses in the dark, the soldiers suddenly smelled a terrifying odor.

It was the smell of kerosene.

Unbeknownst to them, the surface of the sewage that filled most of the town was now covered with kerosene!

The oil was ignited somewhere, and the raging fire quickly spread along the water, engulfing most of the county town in flames. Most of the Northern Frontier soldiers who were wading through the water and dismantling houses were swallowed by the fire.

Young Master Su Tie, already inside the town, stared at the inferno, muttering to himself, "A mere Chen County town has cost my Iron Army over 50,000 elite troops. Qin Ren, the third young master of Xiaoyao Manor… I will kill you in this lifetime!"

The fire, which had illuminated the sky, gradually died down as dawn broke.

Chen County was now scorched earth, littered with the charred corpses of Northern Frontier soldiers. The smell of sulfur and the aroma of roasted meat filled the morning air.

Outside Chen County, on the other side of the city near Tianjing, the Third Young Master, left to cover the rear, looked at the still-smoldering Chen County town and muttered while drinking his breakfast milk, "Qing'er's plan... is a bit too vicious. Zhuge Liang used countless fire-based strategies throughout his life, saying it was against the will of Heaven and would shorten his lifespan by twenty years. Qing'er is fond of fire-based strategies, isn't she afraid of shortening her lifespan... Alas, she only has a little over two years left to live, she really isn't afraid of shortening her lifespan..."

As he spoke, the Third Young Master glanced towards Tianjing. Of the ten thousand Imperial Guards who had kept Young Master Su's army outside Chen County, only eight thousand remained. Those eight thousand Imperial Guards had already gone far towards Tianjing, only the clouds of dust raised by their cavalry could be seen.

The Third Young Master had led five thousand cavalry, originally intending to pursue the enemy when they were blocked from advancing into Chen County and retreated, but he hadn't expected Young Master Su to act contrary to his plan. If Young Master Su were to withdraw his troops and take a detour, the Third Young Master was confident that he could use his remaining forces to harass him along the way, causing Young Master Su to suffer heavy losses and delaying his march by at least two days.

However, things haven't progressed according to the Third Young Master's original plan, so he had to change his strategy and have the 8,000 Imperial Guards retreat to Tianjing City first.

Fighting the Northern Frontier Army in the open is extremely unwise; although the 8,000 Imperial Guards are few, they are still a formidable armed force. Returning to Tianjing City to defend the city is far more advantageous than fighting the Northern Frontier Army in the open.

Song Qing has already returned to the city with the 8,000 Imperial Guards. Now, those remaining to cover the rear with the Third Young Master are only Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Nu Hengmei, Xiao Tianci, Lian Zhouluo'er, Qin Ni'er, Tie Xuanxuan, and the 72 Earthly Fiends of Xiaoyao Manor.

The Third Young Master and his men chose the narrowest section of the official road between two mountains outside Chen County, only wide enough for three four-wheeled carriages to pass.

Normally, such a passage would be more effective if blocked by an army. However, the Northern Frontier Army's Divine Bow Battalion is simply too formidable. A large army stationed here would only become easy targets for the Divine Bow Battalion's arrows; it would be more practical to have a few dozen martial arts masters guarding it.

At least, against a few dozen people, Young Master Su wouldn't allow the Divine Bow Battalion's archers to unleash a volley.

The Third Young Master, along with Qiao Wei, Uncle Li, Nu Hengmei, and Xiao Tianci, blocked the middle of the road, while Lian Zhouluo'er, Qin Ni'er, and Tie Xuanxuan, along with the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, lay in ambush on the mountainsides on either side, preparing a large number of hidden weapons.

The middle of the road was blocked by the Third Young Master and his group with dozens of huge rocks. The Third Young Master sat on one of these rocks, intently studying the lines on his palm.

Qiao Wei leaned over and looked at the Third Young Master's palm, smiling as he said, "Third Young Master, your lifeline is quite long!"

The Third Young Master glanced at Qiao Wei and said lazily, "I still have over a hundred years to live, so naturally my lifeline is ridiculously long."

Qiao Wei chuckled and held out his left palm to the Third Young Master, saying, "Third Young Master, look, I don't have a lifeline."

The Third Young Master looked closely and indeed saw that Qiao Wei's left palm had no lines at all. It was more than just a lack of a lifeline!

The Third Young Master's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Brother Wei, how come your hands are like this? There aren't a single line, and no lifeline either. Does that mean you were born to be dead?"

Qiao Wei smiled slightly and said, "Third Young Master, don't forget what my nickname is. Time is in my hands, and my life is not for others to decide."

The Third Young Master was overjoyed and said, "Brother Wei, are you saying that your 'Time Waits for No One' skill, besides accelerating the passage of time on others, can also prevent time from passing on yourself?"

Qiao Wei nodded proudly and said, "Of course. Can you tell that I'm already seventy years old? The martial arts that Lao Li and I possess are not of this world, but a gift from the gods!"

The Third Young Master asked nervously, "A gift from the gods? Which god gave them to you? And where did you come from?" "You learned that?"

Qiao Wei adopted a leisurely, wistful expression and slowly said, "That was many years ago. Back then, Lao Li and I were just two greenhorns, new to the Demonic Sect. We hadn't been there long, just lowly apprentices. One day… Lao Li and I robbed a general store of seven catties of brown sugar, eight ounces of tea, nine steamed buns, and ten copper coins. We were chased by righteous people from the martial arts world… We were pursued for over a thousand miles, finally reaching the summit of Tianshan Mountain. With nowhere to escape, we decided to jump off the cliff. You see, although we were members of the Demonic Sect, we would rather die than be humiliated; we would rather die than submit to such a fate."

Uncle Li then interjected, "Lao Qiao, you're mistaken, aren't you? You clearly planned to fake the jump, and to make it more realistic, you said we should leave two shoes on the edge of the cliff. But when we were laying out the shoes…" "You little brat, you were blown off the cliff by the strong winds, and you even pulled me down with you..."

Qiao Wei's face turned bright red, and he spat, "Nonsense! You're slandering my glorious and great image! Third Young Master, don't believe Old Li, he's senile. Well, let's continue. After Old Li and I jumped off the cliff, we thought we were doomed. Who knew that heaven had eyes, and we were caught by two strange trees extending over the cliff..."

Third Young Master asked, "Two trees grew on the cliff? And they just happened to catch you both?"

Qiao Wei nodded and said, "That's right. Two trees caught both Old Li and me. We were hanging there, neither up nor down, thinking we'd either be blown away by the wind or starve to death. Who knew that each of those two trees had a purplish-red fruit growing on it, but it was hidden by the leaves, so we didn't notice. Later, when we were about to starve to death..." "When we found those two fruits, Lao Li and I each ate one. We didn't know then that those two fruits were actually the 'Dragon's Saliva Fruit,' coveted by martial arts practitioners, said to be formed from the saliva of a celestial dragon, capable of increasing one's internal strength by a hundred years."

The Third Young Master curled his lip and muttered to himself, "Damn it, most people would be lucky to find even one fruit after falling off a cliff. You two, two trees, two fruits, one each. Damn it… you don't need to say what happened next. You probably ate the fruits, your power increased dramatically, you easily reached the bottom of the cliff, and then found a cave with two martial arts manuals inside. The manuals said that these were the secrets a certain immortal practiced before ascending to immortality, left behind to be given to those with the right destiny. So you treasured them like precious gems, each picking one and practicing…"

Qiao Wei exclaimed in astonishment, "Third Young Master is truly a genius! He even guessed that!"

The Third Young Master scoffed, "I've read these kinds of stories countless times. Damn it, when I fell off a cliff, I didn't even get any fruit to eat or any martial arts manuals. You guys, on the other hand... Sigh, luckily, my Xiaoyao Manor has plenty of pills that can increase one's internal energy by several decades. The most powerful martial arts manuals are just for use as toilet paper... Brother Wei, can I make a deal with you? Could you pass on 'Time Waits for No Man' to Song Qing?"

~Chapter Three, Section Five~

Qiao Wei readily agreed, "No problem. Anyway, I, Old Qiao, have never taken on a single disciple in my life. Taking on a female disciple in my old age wouldn't be bad."

Uncle Li leaned over and said, "Third Young Master, you absolutely mustn't! Don't forget, Old Qiao is old in years but not in spirit. In terms of lust, he's no different from you. If you let him take Miss Qing as his disciple, wouldn't that be sending a lamb to the slaughter?"

Qiao Wei immediately looked indignant and said, "Old Li, we've been friends for decades. Are you ruining my reputation at this time? Old Li, ask yourself honestly, I, Old Qiao, have always been upright. When have I ever been lustful?"

Uncle Li snorted twice and said, "I've seen countless women in my life..."

Qiao Wei stammered, speechless.

Ignoring the bickering of the two old men, the Third Young Master said with some melancholy, "Brother Wei, Qing'er's father once said that she suffers from the Three Yin Meridians and won't live past twenty, nor can she cultivate any martial arts. I wonder if your 'Age Waits for No One' skill can help her?"

Qiao Wei chuckled and said, "Third Young Master, there's no need to worry. My 'Age Waits for No One' skill is a divine skill, not a martial art, ghost skill, or human skill; it's naturally a skill left behind by the gods. Even though Miss Qing suffers from the Three Yin Meridians, she can still practice it. Besides, Third Young Master, the pills that increase internal energy are sold by the pound. Giving Miss Qing a few yang-type pills, even if they don't increase her internal energy, can at least suppress the yang energy within her body." " The Yin energy. I'll tell you again, Miss Qing, time waits for no one. Even if you can't charge into battle like me, killing without leaving a trace, you can still protect your own life."

As he spoke, a lewd look reappeared on Qiao Wei's face, and he said with a strange laugh, "Moreover, the Three Yin Meridians are not incurable. Third Young Master, you possess the 'Asura Demon Eye,' and your constitution is extremely Yang and strong. If you can have intercourse with Miss Qing while still a virgin, the Yin and Yang will complement each other, which will be of great benefit to both Miss Qing and yourself! Curing the Three Yin Meridians will be a piece of cake!"

The Third Young Master said with a bitter face, "I haven't been a virgin since I was fifteen, and now you're saying such sarcastic things, are you deliberately trying to ..." "Mocking me, young master?"

Qiao Wei lewdly chuckled. "It doesn't matter if you're not a virgin. As long as you put in the effort and have intercourse with Miss Qing for forty-nine consecutive days, seven times a day, you can use your own yang energy to resolve Miss Qing's three yin meridians. If Miss Qing can cultivate the 'Time Waits for No One' technique while having intercourse with you, hehe... not only can her three yin meridians be resolved, but she can also become a top-tier expert!"

The young master was thrilled and clapped his hands, laughing, "Brother Wei, after following me for so long, this is the kind of thing I love to hear most. However... forty-nine days, seven times a day, that means I'll have to do it three hundred and forty-three times..." "Wouldn't I die from exhaustion?"

Qiao Wei said seriously, "Young Master Qin is known for his inexhaustible 'golden spear' and 'inexhausted bridal chamber,' yet you've only made love 343 times in 49 days. How could you die from exhaustion?"

Young Master Qin nodded repeatedly, "That's very true! Well, once we've secured the capital, I'll start treating Qing'er! Alas, I, the Third Young Master of the Qin family, have been tormented by love all my life... For the woman I love, what's a death from exhaustion?"

Looking at the Third Young Master's grief-stricken face, Qiao Wei and Uncle Li sighed that he was truly a romantic hero for all time...

Dust flew, horses neighed, and Gongzi Su's army finally passed through Chen County, galloping along the wide official road.

After passing Chen County, the 20,000 light cavalry led the way, with the Divine Bow Battalion following closely behind as the vanguard.

Young Master Su led the charge, at the very front of the army. After passing Chen County, he saw the official road blocked by large rocks a hundred paces ahead, and five men sitting on those rocks. A nameless rage surged within him.

The Third Young Master, seeing Young Master Su's army arrive, didn't even bother to get up. He remained seated on a rock and shouted, "This mountain is mine, these trees are mine! If you want to pass, leave your toll! If you dare utter a single word of dissent, hmph, I'll go in with my white blade and come out with a red one!"

Having shouted this, the Third Young Master looked at Young Master Su smugly, intending to bargain with him and then provoke him into sending troops to break through the roadblock for a good slaughter. But no sooner had he finished speaking than Young Master Su raised his hand and shouted, "Divine Bow Battalion!"

The Third Young Master and Qiao Wei exchanged bewildered glances.

There were only five men on the surface, yet Young Master Su was already preparing to deploy the Divine Bow Battalion?

As the Third Young Master and his companions were still in shock and uncertainty, they saw a large contingent of archers rushing out from the flanks of the opposing cavalry—it was none other than the Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion!

The strength displayed by the five men when the Third Young Master and his group defended Chen County was still fresh in Young Master Su's memory. At this moment, why would he rashly send troops to charge the checkpoint, only to increase casualties? Of course, he would send the Divine Bow Battalion to finish off these five experts with arrows.

"Not good, Young Master Su has learned his lesson!" The Third Young Master cried out in alarm upon seeing the Divine Bow Battalion nock their arrows, and he and Qiao Wei leaped into the air, rushing towards the mountains on either side of the official road. At the same time, Young Master Su had already given the order to fire. The Divine Bow Battalion unleashed a thousand arrows simultaneously, a thousand iron arrows whistling through the air as they shot towards the Third Young Master and his companions.

The Divine Bow Battalion's arrows were all made of pure iron, each three feet long and as thick as a thumb, with astonishing force. Even with the Third Young Master and his companions' cultivation levels, they dared not take this rain of arrows head-on. Fortunately, the Third Young Master and his men reacted quickly. By the time the Divine Bow Battalion fired their arrows, they had already reached the top of the mountain and hidden behind the rocks.

A loud bang rang out, and the rocks where the Third Young Master and his men had been sitting were covered with what looked like a patch of black weeds—a rather spectacular sight.

Young Master Su snorted coldly and ordered the cavalry to advance, while the other nine thousand Divine Bow Battalion archers provided support on both flanks, ready to fire at any moment.

The Northern Frontier cavalry arrived at the rocks blocking the road. Over a hundred cavalrymen dismounted and moved the rocks to the side of the road, allowing the army to pass. The Divine Bow Battalion stood watch, their dark arrowheads pointed at the mountains on both sides, ready to fire at the slightest sign of trouble.

The Third Young Master and his men remained hidden behind the rocks on the mountain, not daring to show themselves. The Third Young Master said somewhat dejectedly, "Although the archers of the Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion can't fire continuously, they are all expert marksmen who can hit a target from a hundred paces. If these ten thousand archers take turns firing, we simply can't do anything."

Qiao Wei, standing beside him, urged, "Third Young Master, why don't you put on the Dragon's Roar armor and go down to wipe out the entire Divine Bow Battalion? Without this archer force, we'll be much more confident in defending Tianjing City."

The Third Young Master thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "The Northern Frontier army is too strong. Although the Dragon's Roar armor provides defense..." Invincible, but after days of fierce fighting, my strength hasn't fully recovered, and I can't freely control the Dragon's Roar. Even if I were to don the Dragon's Roar armor, I couldn't wipe out the Divine Bow Camp; at best, I could only protect myself. Besides, how do you know the Northern Frontier Divine Bow Camp only knows how to shoot arrows and not melee combat? If Young Master Su is willing to suffer heavy losses to kill me, and sends tens of thousands to surround me, I'm afraid I'll die of exhaustion in the enemy's ranks. At that point, what use would it be if I wiped out the Divine Bow Camp? In this world... "Tch, it's none of my business anymore."

Qiao Weiqi said, "Third Young Master, didn't you have over a hundred years left to live? How could you die here? Maybe when you're exhausted, a god will come to your rescue, striking down all the Northern Frontier troops surrounding you with a bolt of lightning, allowing you to break through!"

The Third Young Master immediately retorted angrily, "What I'm afraid of is the god tricking me! Damn it, he says I have over a hundred years left to live, but if I die unexpectedly, wouldn't that be a huge loss? As for the lightning, don't even mention it, I never..." "I only know that lightning is most likely to accidentally kill good people; I've never seen a villain die under its power!"

Qiao Wei said in surprise, "According to you, Third Young Master, you have even less to worry about. Tell me, among all the villains in the world, who is worthy to be compared to you? You, Third Young Master, have committed countless evil deeds, your crimes are beyond redemption, yet Heaven hasn't come to punish you. It's clear that evil people are favored by Heaven! Third Young Master, don't worry, just bravely go on killing. I believe that 'good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years' is the truest and most profound truth in the world!"

Uncle Li also said, "Third Young Master is a hero of our time. Tell me, which hero in the world dares to stand against you with sword drawn? Only the Third Young Master of the Qin family! Third Young Master, what fear do you have of the mere Iron Army of the Northern Frontier? One against a thousand, invincible against ten thousand—these two phrases are only fitting for you! What Dragon Roar Holy General, what Emperor of a Thousand Ages—they are not even worthy to carry your shoes! If you had been born in the Warring States period, would Song Wu have been the number one general of our time? Would this magnificent land have been ruled by the Holy Emperor Ying?" "Young Master Qin is incredibly brave. Taking the head of a general amidst a thousand troops is as easy as taking candy from a baby. The Northern Frontier Iron Army is nothing but a bunch of chickens and dogs in his eyes, utterly vulnerable. Young Master Qin, it's time to make your decision!"

The Third Young Master felt dizzy and his head throbbed with excitement. He suddenly stood up and shouted, "Good! Today, I, the Third Young Master of the Qin family, will also show my heroism! Watch as I annihilate the Divine Bow Camp and repay your loyalty with the enemy's heads! Dragon's Roar!"

Before Dragon's Roar was even drawn, a rain of arrows from the Divine Bow Camp had already descended. The Third Young Master shuddered and quickly dropped to the ground, his mind instantly clearing. He cursed, "You two old bastards, are you trying to kill me? Damn it, does bragging take no effort? I'm still clear-headed. At a time like this, with the Northern Frontier Army on high alert, if I rashly attack, I'll only be a target for them. I'll be riddled with holes before I even get my dragon's roar ready! Damn it, it's more worthwhile to wait until they pass before pursuing them."

Qiao Wei and Uncle Li chuckled.

The Divine Bow Camp remained watchful and heavily guarded until Young Master Su's entire army had passed before slowly withdrawing. The Third Young Master and his men, suppressed by the Divine Bow Camp, hadn't made a single move from beginning to end, and were all seething with anger. After Young Master Su's army passed, the Third Young Master leaped onto the hilltop and unleashed a torrent of curses at the Northern Frontier army, which only drew another volley of arrows from the Divine Bow Camp.

Pulling out the iron arrow embedded in his body, the Third Young Master said sullenly, "Young Master Su has the Divine Bow Battalion protecting the flanks of his main force, and three thousand Divine Bow Battalion archers bringing up the rear. Even if we wanted to pursue them, it wouldn't be very convenient. It seems we'll have to wait until night to raid their camp."

The Third Young Master wore indestructible golden silk armor; the iron arrow only pierced his outer garment, without harming him in the slightest. However, being suppressed and unable to retaliate was the most humiliating experience the Third Young Master had ever had.

"Chen County is only eighty li from the capital. Judging by the Northern Frontier Army's marching speed, they should be able to set up camp in front of the capital before sunset today." Qiao Wei squatted on the hilltop, watching the departing Northern Frontier Army, and said in a deep voice, "Even if we succeed in raiding their camp and kill several thousand or tens of thousands of Northern Frontier soldiers, it won't shake the enemy's foundation. To capture the enemy, we must first capture their leader. Why don't we be more decisive and raid Young Master Su tonight, then we'll be done with it?"

Uncle Li suggested, "Why don't we just kill all the generals of the Northern Frontier Army as well? Damn it, the Northern Frontier Army has strict discipline and is the strongest in the Qin Dynasty. " "But without a general in command, I want to see how they can win!"

the Third Young Master said. "The Northern Frontier Army is seasoned in battle. Do you think they can just kill their generals whenever they want? As the commander-in-chief, how could Young Master Su not be on guard? The military camp is very large; finding Young Master Su's tent will be difficult, and killing him will be even more difficult."

Qiao Wei said dismissively, "Young Master Su is just a scholar. Although he can command troops, he himself is powerless. Although the Northern Frontier Army is invincible on the battlefield, when it comes to real martial arts, how can they..." "What kind of expert is he? Finding Young Master Su and assassinating him is actually a piece of cake."

Uncle Li also said, "Old Qiao has lied his whole life, but what he just said was absolutely true."

The Third Young Master nodded and said, "It seems that you two are determined to kill Young Master Su! Very well, this glorious and arduous task will be entrusted to you two seniors! Men, bring the farewell wine!"

Two of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends immediately brought out two bowls of strong liquor and handed them to Qiao Wei and Uncle Li, "Drink the farewell wine, and then you two go and prepare to kill Young Master Su!" "With your unparalleled skills, killing Young Master Su will be as easy as you two say!"

Qiao Wei and Uncle Li exchanged glances. Seeing the Third Young Master's eager gaze, Qiao Wei gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, took a bowl of wine, gulped it down in a few gulps, then smashed the bowl to pieces, shouting, "Third Young Master, I, Qiao Wei, am deeply grateful for your kindness and will repay you with my life! I am willing to take full responsibility for killing Young Master Su... Ugh... Damn it, my stomach suddenly hurts so much..."

Qiao Wei suddenly clutched his lower abdomen, bent over, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "I can't take it anymore... Damn it, my appendicitis has flared up... The doctor told me not to drink alcohol, it's easy to get sick from drinking... Ugh... Third Young Master, it's alright, I will definitely stay on the front line despite my injuries and continue the assassination... Ah... It hurts so much... I can't take it anymore, I really can't... Third Young Master, I... This illness is really bad, I can only fail to live up to your expectations..."

As he spoke, Qiao Wei slowly squatted down on the ground and fainted.

"Ouch, you're in so much pain you've fainted." The Third Young Master smiled at Uncle Li and said, "Uncle Li, Brother Wei is out of commission, so this important task will have to be completed by you alone."

Uncle Li gave Qiao Wei a look of utter disdain and said contemptuously, "Backing down in the face of battle is not the act of a true man! Third Young Master, don't worry, I, Old Li, won't be as spineless as Old Qiao!" With that, he tilted his head back and downed his bowl of wine in one gulp. He casually tossed the bowl, intending to smash it, but accidentally hit Qiao Wei on the head, drawing a gash that slowly oozed blood.

A look of pain appeared on Qiao Wei's face, but he forced himself to endure it. Qiao Wei had mastered the art of enduring humiliation to perfection.

Uncle Li wiped the remaining wine from his lips, gazed at the rising sun, his face filled with righteous indignation, and recited loudly: "The wind howls, the Yi River is cold... The brave warrior departs... never to return! Third Young Master, take care!" He then clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Third Young Master, turned, and prepared to leap off the cliff. However, his turn was too hasty; his left foot tripped over his right, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground with a cry of pain, unconscious without a sound.

The Third Young Master looked at the two "unconscious" elders, sighed deeply, and muttered to himself: "Even ants try to survive... My two elders, only today do I understand the highest level of enduring humiliation and surviving! Men, drag these two elders down and give them a proper burial!"

Several expressionless burly men from the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends immediately emerged, dragging Qiao Wei and Uncle Li to a sunny spot on the hillside, where they began digging a pit to bury them.

Lian Zhouluo'er, Qin Ni'er, and Tie Xuanxuan walked to the Third Young Master's side. They exchanged glances, and finally Tie Xuanxuan said to the Third Young Master, "Aren, if you intend to assassinate Young Master Su tonight, we are willing to accompany you in the raid."

The Third Young Master gazed towards the capital and slowly said, "My eldest and second brothers have already sent word that the battle lines at Lu Pingye and Ye Sanguan were breached on the 29th, with a combined force of 85,000 Hu troops passing through. Although my eldest and second brothers are still leading troops to contend with these two Hu armies, the surrounding towns and counties..." The city is now scorched earth. The barbarian tribes not only looted all the grain and wealth they had seized, but also abducted women to be used as military prostitutes and killed men for food—their actions are utterly heinous! The Iron Army led by Prince Su is one thing, after all, its soldiers are subjects of Qin and wouldn't harm the people of the Central Plains. But if the barbarians are allowed to roam freely across my Central Plains, will my people have any chance of survival? I do not wish to fight the Northern Frontier Army. If I can kill Prince Su and assassinate a capable general of the Northern Frontier Army, forcing them not to attack... "Self-destruction is best. But the barbarian tribes invading the Central Plains... I must annihilate them completely!"

Lian Zhouluo'er said softly, "Worrying about the country and its people, that's not like you."

The Third Young Master smiled slightly and said, "One should not concern oneself with matters outside one's jurisdiction. Back then, I was just a frivolous and extravagant womanizer, so I naturally wouldn't care about the affairs of the world. But now, since I have personally pushed myself to the forefront of this era, I must shoulder my responsibilities. My eldest and second brothers are both fighting bravely for the people of the Central Plains, how can I alone..." "Enjoy peace? Tonight, I will raid the camp! With the Northern Frontier Iron Army eliminated, this major threat, the barbarian armies, skilled only in open field battles, will surely be unable to conquer Tianjing City. Defending Tianjing City means securing the Central Plains south of it!"

The Third Young Master pointed south and slowly said, "The world is in chaos, and foreign tribes are causing trouble. This battle for Tianjing City is our opportunity to conquer the land. If we win, we will have the chance to unify the world and bring peace and prosperity to the people. If we lose, we will perish with Tianjing City!"

~Chapter Four: Subduing the Enemy Without Fighting, Section One~

On August 1st, 782 of the Great Qin Calendar, Prince Su stationed his troops at the north gate of Tianjing City, where he joined forces with two armies of the Hu tribes.

After battles at Lupingye, Yesanguan, and Chenxian, only 210,000 of the 300,000 vanguard troops remained.

Qin Feng and Qin Lei pursued the Hu armies at Lupingye and Yesanguan, harassing them along the way, but with little success. The Hu army split into dozens of groups, rampaging through towns and villages near Tianjing City, burning, killing, and looting, moving swiftly and leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.

Despite their best efforts, Qin Feng and Qin Lei could not capture the main force of the Hu army. In guerrilla warfare, the Hu were far superior to Qin Feng and Qin Lei.

With the three enemy armies combined, Qin Feng and Qin Lei were even less able to charge the enemy camp with only a few thousand men, and were forced to retreat back to Tianjing City.

Thus, the Northern Frontier invading army arrived at Tianjing City three days later than planned. While the vanguard of the invading army from the northern frontier was encamped outside Tianjing City, the 200,000-strong follow-up force, led by the Hu chieftain Wuhar and escorting supplies, was only a hundred miles away from the city.

Inside Tianjing City, Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan convened the civil and military officials in the imperial court to discuss countermeasures.

Although the puppet emperor Ying Hai sat on the dragon throne, he appeared dazed, drooling, and only able to chuckle foolishly. All decisions were made by Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan, and the imperial edicts were naturally issued on their behalf. The civil

and military officials in the hall were all tacitly aware of this. The original civil and military officials of the Great Qin Dynasty had either been killed or crippled by the Demonic Sect, or had been killed or bribed by the Qin and Tie families. They had long known that the Great Qin Dynasty was no longer the domain of the Ying family, but rather the domain of the Qin and Tie families. The change of the emperor's surname was only a matter of time; Ying Hai, still sitting on the dragon throne, was merely a figurehead.

"Your Excellency, the Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion and the archers of the Hu and Tutuha tribes are the most formidable enemies for the defenders. Although our archers are numerous, if we hold the city walls, we may not only fail to suppress the Hu and Northern Frontier armies' attack, but we will also become targets for the Divine Bow Battalion and Tutuha archers to practice their archery." Liang Qiluo, the commander of the Imperial Guards, said worriedly, "However, if we abandon the advantage of the city walls and engage in close combat, no army in Tianjing can stand against the Northern Frontier Iron Army and the Hu light cavalry."

Guo Xiahuai said, "Moreover, the walls of Tianjing are too wide. The enemy can choose to attack from several points, but we cannot choose only a few points to defend. Currently, the Imperial Guards have only 98,000 left, the Imperial Guards still have 80,000, plus the 100,000 troops that have come to reinforce from the surrounding areas, as well as the newly recruited soldiers, the total strength in Tianjing reaches 320,000. However..." Of these 320,000 men, only 228,000 are well-trained elites; the remaining 92,000 are new recruits who have just received their weapons and have never been on the battlefield. Even our elite troops cannot contend with the Hu tribes and the Northern Frontier Army, let alone those new recruits. With 320,000 men to defend Tianjing City… I'm afraid it's still beyond our capabilities.”

Qin Xiaoyao pondered, “General Guo means… we cannot ensure that every section of Tianjing City's walls is defended by sufficient troops, but we also cannot focus on defending only a few areas. This is indeed a problem.” Liang Qiluo added

, “If I were the Hu commander, I would choose to attack the North Gate with the main force, using the Divine Bow Battalion and the Tutuha tribe's archers to suppress the defenders on the city walls. At the same time, I would send several feinting attacks on other areas. If the defenders only focus on the city gates…” "Then we'll send in more troops, turning those feinting attacks into our main force, seizing several sections of the city walls, breaking through from both sides to control the walls. Even if we fail, it won't matter much; taking the north gate shouldn't be a problem anyway."

Tie Kongshan said, "General Liang seems to have a high opinion of the Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion and the Tutuha tribe's archers. I wonder what remarkable abilities they possess that make General Liang believe that with these two forces, taking Tianjing City won't be a problem?"

Liang Qiluo said, "The Northern Frontier Divine Bow Battalion was actually established to counter the Tutuha tribe's archers. For many years, the Divine Bow Battalion has only numbered ten thousand. You could say that because of the Divine Bow Battalion, the Northern Frontier Iron Army has been able to garrison the Northern Frontier with two hundred thousand troops for many years, suppressing the Hu tribes outside the pass and preventing them from moving south into the Central Plains. As for the Tutuha..." The Kazakh archers forced the Northern Frontier Army to hold their positions at the passes, preventing them from venturing deep into the grasslands to launch surprise attacks on the nomadic tribes. If it weren't for the presence of the Tutuha tribe, the Northern Frontier Army would have already invaded the grasslands! Now that the Northern Frontier Army has betrayed its country and joined forces with the nomadic tribes to march south, we are already struggling to cope with just the Northern Frontier Army and the nomadic cavalry and infantry. Add to that the Divine Bow Battalion and the Tutuha archers, and even with cities, it will be difficult to stop their southward advance.”

Qin Xiaoyao said calmly, “Then, eliminating these two forces would be like pulling out the claws of a tiger.”

Liang Qiluo nodded, “That’s right.”

Qin Xiaoyao nodded and said to Tie Kongshan, “General, in that case, we will launch a surprise attack on the camp before the enemy officially attacks the city. We will dispatch the most elite forces from Xiaoyao Manor and Ironblood Howling Sky Fortress, regardless of losses, to annihilate the Divine Bow Battalion and the Tutuha archers!”

※ ※ ※ ※

Before sunset, the 200,000-strong follow-up force led by Wuhar and the 150,000-strong laborers transporting provisions and supplies joined forces with the vanguard of Prince Su and Amenglihu. Tents of 560,000 men filled the plain in front of the north gate of Tianjing City, stretching for over 70 li.

In the darkness, the Third Young Master gazed at the brightly lit camp, resembling a fiery dragon, a sly smile playing on his lips: "If we set it on fire, we could burn down quite a few enemy troops, wouldn't we?"

Qiao Wei, a bandage around his forehead, said solemnly, "Killing has always been linked to arson. Since we're going to raid the camp and kill tonight, setting it on fire is only natural."

"I wonder... will the north wind blow tonight?" The Third Young Master looked up at the sky; the sky was dotted with stars, without a single cloud.

"A north wind in the height of summer? Unless God helps us," Uncle Li said slowly.

"If Heaven doesn't help us, who will?" the Third Young Master said with a smile. "Don't forget, during that torrential rain in Chen County, it was a north wind that picked up."

※ ※ ※ ※

The night grew darker. Young Master Su sat in his tent, looking at a report from a secret agent of the Demonic Sect lurking in Tianjing City.

The report detailed the changes in the court within Tianjing City. Only now did Young Master Su realize that Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan were now in power in Tianjing City. He finally understood why he had encountered such strong resistance in Chen County.

"It seems that Lord Yuan Fang is in grave danger." After reading the secret report, Gongzi Su placed it on the oil lamp and burned it, muttering to himself, "If Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan are in charge of defending the city, we will probably find it difficult to easily conquer Tianjing City in this battle... What should we do? Should we take Tianjing City first, destroying the foundation of the people's hearts in the Central Plains, or should we bypass Tianjing City and continue south, unite with various rebel armies, seize the Qin Dynasty's territory, and then besiege Tianjing City?"

As Gongzi Su was pondering this, a faint commotion suddenly entered the tent. Gongzi Su's heart skipped a beat, and he raised his head and said in a deep voice, "Go out and see what's going on outside. Why is it so noisy?"

A guard in the tent responded and quickly ran out of the camp. Before long, the guard returned, panting, and reported, "Young Master, a troop of men has infiltrated Tianjing City for a night raid. After breaking through three miles of camps, they split into two groups, one attacking the Divine Bow Camp's camp and the other attacking the Tutuha tribe's camp!"

Young Master Su asked, "How many enemies are there?"

The guard replied, "Not many, only about three thousand men, but every single one of them is a master, especially the leaders, who are masters among masters. Several generals who went to intercept them were killed in a single encounter!"

Young Master Su snorted coldly and said, "It's the Xiaoyao Manor and Iron Blood Howling Sky Fortress again! They're quite bold, daring to attack my army's camp with only three thousand men! Attacking the Divine Bow Camp and the Tutuha tribe, it seems they want to destroy my army's henchmen. Fine, let them make a fuss. I don't believe that a mere three thousand masters can take down the Divine Bow Camp and the Tutuha tribe's camp! Investigate further, and report back immediately if there are any changes!"

The guard obeyed and left. A quarter of an hour later, he returned running and reported, "Young Master, the Hu chieftain, Commander Wuhar, and the Hu's greatest warrior, General Huang Taiji, have led a large force to divide and surround the enemy. The Divine Bow Camp and the Tutuha tribe's camps have not been breached! The Divine Bow Camp and the Tutuha tribe's archers have also joined the encirclement and are using their bows and arrows to kill the enemy attacking the camps!"

A cold smile appeared on Young Master Su's lips as he slowly said, "Being surrounded by a large army, and with the Divine Bow Camp and Tutuha tribe archers attacking with their bows and arrows, even a carefree young man..." The experts from the mountain villa and Ironblood Howling Sky Fortress seem powerless and can only be slaughtered by us! Very good, Qin Xiaoyao and Tie Kongshan, I, this young master, tried to make you pull out my claws, but instead you broke your own claws!

Just as he was feeling smug, a general from the Northern Frontier rushed into the tent and reported, "Young master, something terrible has happened! A fire has broken out in the rear of our army camp, and the grain and supplies have been set ablaze! The weather has also suddenly changed, a strong north wind has risen, and the fire is being fanned by the wind, which is also fueling the flames. The fire has gradually spread from the rear camp to the front!"

Young Master Su exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible? Our army's supplies... " "The camp is guarded by two light cavalrymen from the Hu tribes and ten thousand of our fierce northern frontier soldiers. How could anyone possibly sneak in and successfully set fire to it?"

The general replied, "My lord, everything I've said is true! The men who attacked the camp from the rear were not many, only a few dozen, but each of them was highly skilled in martial arts, especially in light footwork. They infiltrated the supply camp without alerting our garrison, poured oil on the grain carts, and only when the fire started did our garrison realize what was happening! However, the arsonists held their ground for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, preventing our garrison from putting out the fire. By the time our army..." "After the guards dispersed the arsonists, the fire was already out of control!"

Just then, another general, his body scorched and disheveled, rushed in, his armor in disarray, and reported with a sob, "My lord, the arsonists attacked our Iron Cavalry's stables, setting fires and throwing firecrackers, which terrified tens of thousands of Iron Cavalry horses, causing them to scatter and flee in all directions, trampling countless tents and killing or wounding countless of our soldiers. The rear of the camp is now in complete chaos!"

Prince Su felt a chill run down his spine. The supplies were burned, the horses were released, and before the battle even officially began, they had already been defeated!

"Bring me my armor!" Young Master Su roared, striding out of the tent, snarling as he went, "I'll see who has such power!"

In the Iron Cavalry stables, Qiao Wei knocked down more than thirty Iron Cavalry cavalrymen who came to rescue their horses with a single palm strike. He lit a tinderbox and set off the firecrackers hanging from the horses' tails one by one. With a series of explosions, the frightened warhorses neighed wildly and charged in all directions, kicking over the stables, overturning tents, and crushing the Iron Cavalry cavalrymen who came to gather their horses. They vanished into the night.

Uncle Li tied long silk strips soaked in kerosene to several warhorses, lit them, and the horses scattered and fled, spreading the fire throughout the camp as they went.

Nu Hengmei and Xiao Tianci were equally busy at another horse pen, setting fires and throwing firecrackers until all the horses were driven away before disappearing into the night.

The seventy-two Earthly Fiends, dressed in the armor of the Northern Frontier Iron Army or the leather armor of the Hu soldiers, split into several groups, killing and setting fires everywhere. The Earthly Fiends in the black iron armor of the Northern Frontier Army specifically targeted the Hu soldiers' tents and attacked them. The Earthly Fiends in the Hu leather armor, on the other hand, specifically targeted the Northern Frontier Army.

One Earthly Fiend dressed as a Northern Frontier soldier encountered a group of Hu soldiers and roared, "Don't fight! We're on the same side!" He then quickly rushed into the middle of his "own people," slashing down several with his sword before disappearing without a trace, enraging the remaining Hu soldiers who roared and screamed.

Provoked by them, the Northern Frontier Army and the Hu soldiers, unaware of the enemy's location, gradually became enraged. They split into two completely different camps and began hacking and slashing at each other.

"Without supplies and horses, even the strongest Northern Frontier Army and Hu soldiers can't fight!" Hidden in the darkness, the Third Young Master watched the chaotic rear camp and thought smugly, "Who says martial arts masters aren't very useful on the battlefield? At least when it comes to night raids and setting fires, martial arts masters are much easier than ordinary soldiers! In my previous life on Earth, a special forces team could dismantle an army. Today, I, the Third Young Master of the Qin family, will also try my hand at special operations! Although Wei Ge and his men don't have advanced weapons, with their martial arts skills, aren't they more powerful than a special forces unit? I'm not going to fight you head-on. You outnumber me, I can't afford to mess with you. Hehe, I'll burn your supplies, let your horses escape, and see what you rely on to besiege the city, what you rely on to fight!"

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