Chapter Ten of the Romantic Continent: The Pacification of Qingzhou

As Guo Hui drew closer, Qing Ji couldn't help but secretly admire him. He hadn't expected this enemy general, despite his ordinary appearance, to display such extraordinary bearing.

"Qing Ji, Deputy General of the Tianlong Legion!" Qing Ji's voice rang out clearly and loudly as his warhorse neighed. "

Guo Hui, Garrison Commander of Xintai Garrison of the Tianhe New Army!" Guo Hui replied in equally steady words.

A sense of mutual respect arose between the two who had exchanged names. Though they said nothing more, a silent understanding compelled them to spur their horses forward.

Two hundred paces, one hundred and fifty… one hundred paces…

At this moment, both sides' soldiers knew their commanders were about to engage in a heroic final battle, and they simultaneously erupted in thunderous shouts.

The methods of warfare have evolved throughout history. As the population has increased, battles involving tens of thousands of soldiers were once considered unprecedented. However, after the War of the Hundred Tribes, battles involving tens of thousands became commonplace. Later, battles often involved hundreds of thousands of

soldiers. The methods of warfare had to change accordingly. The era of soldier versus soldier, general versus general was over; strategic brilliance was no longer the primary measure of a general's worth. But for any general and soldier, to first engage in a decisive battle between their commanders under the watchful eyes of the masses was an unparalleled honor and crucial for morale. If one side refused, the soldiers' morale would suffer a severe blow, potentially even leading to a rout without a fight.

Therefore, some commanders, knowing they were no match for their opponents, sought to avoid challenges by launching their own charges after forming ranks, attacking the enemy without giving their commander time to propose a decisive battle.

The Green Steed and the Blazing Fire charged towards each other with incredible speed. Both Qing Ji and Guo Hui held their weapons level, protecting their chests and abdomens, their bodies slightly lowered, assuming a balanced offensive and defensive stance. However, upon closer inspection, Qing Ji's aura was stronger; his flaming spear thrust was like a white rainbow piercing the sun. Guo Hui, on the other hand, was as steady as a rock, his three-pointed, double-edged sword seemingly enveloping the entire space before him.

Both men's hands were as firm as cast iron, and in the blink of an eye, they clashed.

With a loud "thud," both unleashed their full power, unleashing their full martial arts techniques.

Sparks flew.

The battlefield fell silent instantly. These two were locked in a head-on clash, without any fancy moves, a battle fought purely based on their true skills.

"Thump, thump..."

Both Qing Ji and Guo Hui swayed on their horses, then, propelled by the powerful force of their blows, they and their horses were thrown back several steps.

This was an extremely rare scene. In typical mounted battles, each side would charge twice, exchanging two attacks. A head-on clash like theirs, without any dodging or yielding, was exceptionally rare.

Only a perfectly evenly matched pair, with exceptional steeds of unparalleled skill, could achieve such a seamless integration. An ordinary warhorse would likely have been crushed by the sheer force of the attack.

"Impressive skill!" Qing Ji, regaining his footing, exhaled and said sincerely, "But there are many generals in my army with similar skill, and Lord Ye Tianlong is far superior. I urge General Guo to reconsider!" With that, he turned his horse and, surrounded by his guards, galloped away.

"Don't chase!"

Guo Hui stopped his men from giving chase, gazing thoughtfully in the direction Qing Ji and his party had disappeared. He knew his martial arts were actually inferior to Qing Ji's, because Qing Ji had managed to fight him to a draw after such a long march. Qing Ji's words chilled him to the bone. Even if Qing Ji exaggerated, it showed that Ye Tianlong had many skilled warriors under his command, a strength he could hardly withstand.

"Ye Tianlong, what kind of person are you?"

On the way back to the city, Guo Hui stared speechlessly at the banner of the Tianhe New Army atop the city wall. This man's rise to power had only taken a few months, yet his reputation far surpassed that of anyone else in the Fast Empire.

"Is a dragon emerging?" Guo Hui couldn't help but smile bitterly. Without an answer, he could only compose himself and begin preparing for defense.

Ye Tianlong's army appeared in Guo Hui's sight at noon on the fourth day, advancing to within about two miles of Xintai City Pass and setting up camp.

Ye Tianlong personally led his central army of 15,000 cavalry, erecting tents, raising flags, and hoisting the battle flag of the Tianlong Legion. The vanguard, composed of 5,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry, advanced to within one mile northeast of the city and set up camp. The left and right wings were also composed of 5,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry, with the rearguard being of equal strength.

The central army of 15,000 cavalry set up 500 tents, their encampments arranged in a well-organized and orderly manner, a truly magnificent and awe-inspiring sight. More troops continued to arrive, their ranks and encampments assigned by the rearguard, the numbers steadily increasing.

Guo Hui, observing the enemy's situation from the city wall, felt a chill run down his spine. The enemy's central camp was surrounded by barricades, and inside was a fortified camp of 600 wagons, heavily fortified, making a raid impossible. Looking at his own men, he saw glimmers of fear on their faces, indicating that morale was wavering, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Previously, when facing Xia He's 100,000-strong army, they hadn't felt much fear, but now it was different. Ye Tianlong's army had annihilated the main force of the Tianhe New Army, even killing its commander, Zhang Lie. The previous surprise attack had completely fallen the Xintai region, leaving Xintai City a desolate and helpless city. This invisible pressure filled every soldier in Xintai with despair.

While Guo Hui was racking his brains for a counterattack, around midnight, a deafening shout rang out from the city gates. A soldier ran in to report,

"The city gates have been opened!!"

"What?!"

Guo Hui was jolted, staring at the messenger in disbelief.

It turned out that a portion of the Tianhe New Army soldiers who had fled from Tianhe City to Xintai Pass had suddenly defected, launching an attack on the Tianhe New Army soldiers guarding the gates. Eight hundred ferocious soldiers had swiftly killed the guards and seized control of the gates.

Guo Hui slumped into his seat, completely realizing he had fallen for Ye Tianlong's scheme. He couldn't help but admire the person who devised such a plan. To have laid an ambush for future attacks while simultaneously capturing Tianhe City was truly a masterful display of cunning.

Seeing the city gates open, Ye Tianlong, while ordering his troops to storm the city, couldn't help but pat Ji Wujiu standing beside him, praising, "Not bad! Your strategic planning is truly impressive!"

Ji Wujiu smiled wryly, saying, "You flatter me, sir. This credit should belong to my junior brother Winnie. He arranged the entire plan, and I only found out about it before we set off." Ye Tianlong raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "Then why didn't he tell me himself?" "He

was once a member of the Tianhe New Army, but now he's plotting to extinguish the last glimmer of light. He finds it difficult to talk about it." "I really don't understand. You two are quite interesting." Ye Tianlong shook his head, no longer pressing the matter. Because at this moment, the main force of the Tianlong Legion had already poured into the city; how could he, as the commander-in-chief, lag behind?

The first to defect were soldiers dressed in Tianhe New Army uniforms. Although these were actually soldiers from the Tianlong Legion in disguise, this caused confusion among the genuine Tianhe New Army soldiers. They didn't know who their true comrades were, making them unable to trust those around them. Therefore, the Tianlong Legion quickly took control of the entire city.

"What's going on?"

Upon seeing Ye Tianlong arrive, the soldiers surrounding the General's Mansion quickly parted to make way for him to reach Qing Ji.

It turned out that after Qing Ji led his troops into the city, he quickly seized control of the area, completely surrounding Guo Hui's General's Mansion. Despite repeated attempts to persuade them to surrender, the people of the General's Mansion remained unmoved, clearly prepared to fight to the death.

"Then charge in and slaughter the enemy!" Ye Tianlong shouted, brandishing his sword. The already impatient Tianlong Legion soldiers responded with a thunderous roar, launching a general assault on the General's Mansion. They had wanted to attack before, but Qing Ji had held them back. Now, with Ye Tianlong's command, they immediately surged forward.

Once the gates were breached, Ye Tianlong rushed inside. Beside him, the Tianlong Legion's generals Zuo Daojin, Fan Tong, Wang Meng, and Long Ling'er also rushed in. Everyone knew this was the final battle for Qingzhou, and they all wanted to claim the credit.

Ye Tianlong rushed into the hall, where more than ten heavily armed guards suddenly charged out from both sides.

The hall was brightly lit, making it easy to distinguish friend from foe. With a roar, he charged forward, his fiery sword flashing, instantly cleaving two guards who lunged forward in four pieces.

He moved like a mad tiger, his sword like a raging dragon, sweeping across three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and advancing ten chi (approximately 3.3 meters), leaving ten corpses on the ground in a few swift movements.

He stopped pursuing the fleeing enemies, for there were no more to fight; those who continued to charge were all dealt with cleanly by his skilled men, leaving none alive.

Ye Tianlong rushed towards the inner courtyard like a whirlwind, finding Xiang Fei engaged in fierce combat with the ever-emerging guards ahead. Behind him, a large number of Tianlong Legion guards surged in like a tide, killing all enemies within sight.

The general's mansion still had many personal guards, who risked their lives to intercept him along the way. By the time Ye Tianlong broke into the inner courtyard, Guo Hui, dressed in military uniform, and several of his personal guards were already surrounded and fiercely attacked

by Zuo Daojin and Fan Tong. The ground was stained with blood and littered with corpses, clearly indicating a very intense battle. Ye Tianlong didn't even need to lift a finger. Zuo Daojin cut down the last personal guard beside Guo Hui, and Fan Tong, his mace covered in blood and flesh, had just raised it from the pieces of flesh he had smashed when Long Ling'er struck first, knocking Guo Hui, who had just parried Wang Meng's knife and was exhausted , to the ground.

Guo Hui didn't even have time to struggle before several swords were already at his body, and what came into his view were Long Ling'er's long, slender, and shapely legs.

"Be a good prisoner, meeting me is your luck!" Long Ling'er giggled, then triumphantly made a face at Ye Tianlong, indicating that she was the one who had captured Guo Hui.

Seeing Guo Hui being wheeled in, bound hand and foot, Ye Tianlong asked, "You knew you couldn't resist our army's arrival, so why didn't you surrender?" Guo Hui glanced coldly at Ye Tianlong without answering.

"You've got some nerve!" Ye Tianlong slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "You dared to ignore my good intentions and drive away the messenger I sent! Now you know how powerful I am, don't you?" "I have nothing else to say, I only ask for death!" Guo Hui replied decisively.

Seeing that Ye Tianlong was about to order Guo Hui to be taken out and beheaded, Qing Ji quickly stepped forward and pleaded with Ye Tianlong

for mercy. Ye Tianlong was somewhat surprised. Ever since his exchange of blows with Guo Hui, Qing Ji had repeatedly expressed his respect for Guo Hui, which surprised many people, as Qing Ji rarely praised anyone so highly.

Even Guo Hui was somewhat surprised, but Qing Ji still expressed his opinion; he valued the heroic spirit Guo Hui had displayed when facing him.

"General Guo is a true soldier; such talent shouldn't be abandoned by you, sir!"

At this moment, Ji Wujiu, standing to the side, also spoke up: "Heroes have always cherished heroes. General Qingji values General Guo Hui so highly; I, your humble servant, would also like to plead with you on his behalf!" Ye Tianlong was slightly tempted. Since his deputy and military advisor both spoke this way, Guo Hui was clearly a capable general, and his ability to withstand Xia He's 100,000-strong army proved his strength.

However, Guo Hui refused their offer. "Thank you for your kindness, General, but as a defeated general, what face do I have to live in this world?" This surprised Ye Tianlong greatly; Guo Hui would actually refuse his offer and choose death. He looked at Guo Hui and said, "You're so eager to die, is it to repay Zhang Lie's kindness in recognizing your talent?" Guo Hui remained silent, and Ye Tianlong felt a surge of resentment.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll deliberately spare your life," Ye Tianlong declared loudly.

"I can let you leave. If you're so inclined, you can always find another opportunity to fight me!"

Guo Hui was slightly taken aback. At this moment, Qing Ji said sincerely, "General Guo Hui, you deserve a better place to utilize your talents. I believe the lord can provide such a place. If you feel it's not suitable, you can leave later!" "Aren't you afraid that I might harm you

, sir?" Guo Hui pondered for a moment, then looked up and asked. Ye Tianlong laughed heartily, and after laughing, he said, "I trust Qing Ji, and you pose no threat to me now. You can ask them how many of your Tianhe New Army soldiers are under my command!" Guo Hui lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before saying to Ye Tianlong, "Sir, can you return my men to me?"

"No problem!" Ye Tianlong replied readily, "Even if you want to take them away, I won't stop you!"

Guo Hui was moved by Ye Tianlong's sincerity and touched by the trust between Ye Tianlong and Qing Ji. It was from this moment that his lifelong friendship with Qing Ji began.

With Guo Hui's surrender, the Tianhe New Army in Qingzhou became a thing of the past, and Ye Tianlong finally quelled the rebellion in Qingzhou.

Ye Tianlong then sent an envoy to see General Xia He, but received the reply that General Xia He was bedridden and therefore unable to launch an offensive against the Tianhe New Army or support Ye Tianlong's campaign in Qingzhou.

Given this, Ye Tianlong did not travel to visit Xia He. His army camped at Xintai for several days, and after some reorganization, began its return to Qingzhou City. At the same time, selected administrative officials were dispatched by Ye Tianlong to various parts of Qingzhou to help restore social order and production. One of the most welcomed measures was Ye Tianlong's announcement that every farming household would receive government subsidies to encourage them to develop fields abandoned by the war, and those without farming tools and oxen could request them from the government.

After this period of war, many lands and estates in Qingzhou became ownerless. These naturally fell under Ye Tianlong's name as official land, but Ye Tianlong now unconditionally provides them to those without land to cultivate, agreeing to waive rent for three years. This measure naturally won widespread praise from the people.

News of Ye Tianlong's pacification of Qingzhou reached the imperial capital, Esnia. Andre III was overjoyed and appointed Ye Tianlong as the governor of Qingzhou, granting him military and political power. This effectively confirmed Ye Tianlong's status as the lord of Qingzhou. All the generals of the Tianlong Legion were also promoted and rewarded.

"Is the emperor going to send an imperial envoy to Qingzhou?"

In the secret chamber of the Left Prime Minister's residence, Her Highness the Holy Maiden and Gilemans sat facing each other.

“Yes!” A smile appeared on Gilmans’ face. “The dragon was born in Qingzhou; how could I be at ease if I didn’t go and see it?” “Oh, the Emperor knows about this?”

“Of course, many people know!” Gilmans looked down at his hands. “Although no one has mentioned it to His Majesty, everyone knows it.” “Do you believe this rumor?” The Holy Maiden’s voice was somewhat strange.

“Who knows if it’s true or false before seeing it?” Gilmans didn’t answer directly, but smiled and returned the question to the Holy Maiden.

“Do you believe it?”

"I don't know..." Her Highness's eyes were somewhat confused, but she quickly regained her composure. She stood up and said, "Your people will bring back the correct information, right?"

Gilmans also stood up and said, "Yes, not only my people, but His Majesty and Yunaya seem to have sent people as well." "That's interesting!" Her Highness murmured. "How do you think he will behave?"

Gilmans paused, touched his smooth chin, and pondered, "It's hard to say. He'll probably handle it very carefully, right? He must know this is a test." "That's your approach. I don't think he would do that." Her Highness shook her head slightly and said softly, "Because doing so would mean he really has something to hide." "That's right." Gilmans responded, and seeing that Her Highness was about to leave, he casually said, "Could I borrow that expert by your side for a day or two?" Her Highness's eyes turned cold, and she said decisively, "Don't even think about her. She's one of our greatest weapons against Ye Tianlong!" With that, she turned and left.

Gilmans watched the Saintess's departing figure with a resentful expression

, a strange smile gradually creeping onto his lips. "How can I give up such a delicious treat that's already within my grasp?" He raised his head, looking towards the sky and whispering something that sounded like a soliloquy, or perhaps a vow.

"From the moment I saw you, I knew you were a very special woman. Let me taste what makes you so special!" ***** "Li Die has been appointed as the Vice Commander of the Phoenix Dance Legion!!"

Ye Tianlong, who had just returned from practicing with two energetic girls, heard the delightful news from Yu Fengwu. Li Die, who had only been promoted to Commander of Ten Thousand Cavalry two months ago, had already become the Vice Commander so quickly—a truly meteoric rise. In less than a year, Li Die had transformed from an ordinary girl into a general commanding thousands of troops, and moreover, the Vice Commander of the Phoenix Dance Legion, one of the two major legions of Fast. This honor was enough to leave the entire continent speechless.

However, for the Fast Empire, this was a painful experience. Qiu Fu, the former deputy commander of the Phoenix Dance Legion, who was ordered to reinforce Wu'an, fell into a trap shortly after leaving the Great Lakes region. He advanced too hastily and was surrounded by the Asura orcs. His entire 5,000 cavalry were wiped out, and he himself was killed by the Asura Lion King.

The orc army then pursued their victory, surrounding Qiu Fu's 70,000 Phoenix Dance Legion soldiers. At this critical moment, Li Die, guarding Tianlang Pass, led 20,000 Phoenix Dance Legion soldiers remaining in the Great Lakes region out of the pass and launched a surprise attack on the Asura stronghold of Tianshi City. They captured it in one fell swoop and killed the city's commander, causing shock throughout Asura. The Lion King was forced to return to the rescue, allowing the 70,000 Phoenix Dance Legion soldiers to safely retreat to the Great Lakes region.

Upon returning to the Great Lakes region, Li Die accepted Andre III's appointment as deputy commander, officially assuming command of the Phoenix Dance Legion. After Yu Fengwu's departure, Emperor Andre III personally assumed the position of commander of the Fengwu Legion, although the specific affairs were overseen by the deputy commander. In other words, the deputy commander was the one truly in command of the Fengwu Legion.

"By the way, why haven't we heard from Yuzhu yet?" Ye Tianlong's smile faded, and he asked with some worry, "I wonder if something happened?" Having been gone for so long, Yuzhu hadn't returned, and Ye Tianlong and the others were starting to worry. He had brought her up frequently these past few days. Yu Fengwu could only comfort him, saying, "With Yuzhu's martial arts skills, there's no way anything could have happened to her! Perhaps something in her clan has kept her occupied?" Chen Yue added, "Don't worry, they live far from Qingzhou!" Back

in his room, Ye Tianlong, preparing to take a bath, saw the sword sheath hanging on the wall and couldn't help but reach out and take it in his hand, slowly walking to the corridor.

Looking at the simple, unadorned sword sheath in his hand, his mind was filled with countless thoughts. The rebellion in Qingzhou had been completely quelled, and Zhang Lie, who had instigated the war, was dead by his own sword. But he wished none of this had ever happened, that he were still the idle Eastern Governor of Esnia, rather than possess such a vast territory as Qingzhou.

"Without you by my side, what meaning would all of Qingzhou have for me?" Ye Tianlong couldn't help but press his sword sheath to his chest, softly calling out, "Qin'er, Qin'er..."

During the victory celebrations these past few days, the soldiers of the Tianlong Legion reveled, but Ye Tianlong found himself feeling little joy, for Qingfeng Mountain remained an indelible wound in his heart. Liu Qin'er was like a gentle spring breeze, bringing him a sense of peace and tranquility, but fate had cruelly taken her away from him!

"If I truly possess destiny, why would I take the woman I deeply love away from me?"

Ye Tianlong couldn't help but think of the gods within him. "Why is this? I can seal away the gods, yet I cannot save you? I possess immense power, yet I have no chance to save you anymore!" A strange surge of emotion made Ye Tianlong unconsciously grip the scabbard tightly in his hand. His inner power continuously poured into the scabbard, and the simple, unadorned scabbard began to grow increasingly hot, emitting a faint glow.

Suddenly, before Ye Tianlong's eyes, petals began to flutter and fall, pale pink petals scattering across the sky, a delicate fragrance filling the air.

Lost in his boundless emotions, Ye Tianlong was stunned by this spectacle.

"Tianlong!" Yu Fengwu's voice rang out from the entrance behind him, waking Ye Tianlong. Only then did he realize that the scabbard was extremely hot to the touch. Fearing he might damage the scabbard by using too much force, Ye Tianlong quickly withdrew the power he had unintentionally channeled into it.

"Did you notice the flower petals fluttering in the air?" Ye Tianlong turned to Yu Fengwu and asked.

Hearing Ye Tianlong's question, Yu Fengwu smiled slightly and said softly, "It's the season of lush grass and blooming flowers in April, so naturally there are flower petals falling." Just as Ye Tianlong was about to speak again, Yu Fengwu gently took his hand and said, "I know you've been missing your sister Qin'er. Don't think about it anymore. Lu Tuxian's men just arrived from Esnia and say they have something urgent to tell you." With that, Ye Tianlong could only compose himself and go with Yu Fengwu to meet the messenger from Esnia.

The messenger from Esnia was a lean man with a sharply defined face that left a very strong impression. Rutu first had him raise an alarm with Ye Tianlong: rumors were circulating in the capital that a divine dragon had been born in Qingzhou, and this dragon was none other than Ye Tianlong. Therefore, many people were advising Andre III to immediately recall Ye Tianlong to Esnia.

After hearing the messenger's words, Ye Tianlong and Yu Fengwu exchanged a silent glance. Chen Yue, standing nearby, couldn't help but say, "Tianlong should just feign illness and stay home. Returning to Esnia at this time is absolutely unwise..." "If he doesn't return to Esnia, things will be even worse," Yu Fengwu pondered for a moment, then said, "At that time, I'll accompany Tianlong to see His Majesty." Ye Tianlong waved his hand and said, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. At worst, I'll retire and return to my hometown; that would be much happier!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned. Chen Yue smiled bitterly, "I'm afraid that when the time comes, someone won't let you retire to your hometown!" On April 25th, 538 of the Fast calendar, the minister, ordered by King Andre III to reward the Heavenly Dragon Legion in Qingzhou, officially departed from Esnia. As the imperial envoy, he led a very large entourage, including five beautiful women, bestowed upon Ye Tianlong by His Majesty the Emperor.

In April of 538 of the Fast calendar, Ye Tianlong pacified Qingzhou, exactly three years after he established the Heavenly Dragon Dynasty.

Regardless of how later historians view Ye Tianlong, there is a striking consensus regarding his time in Qingzhou: Qingzhou influenced his entire life.

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Chapter Ten of the Romantic Continent: The Pacification of Qingzhou

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