Liangzhou.
June 27.
"Bang!"
"It's broken—completely broken!"
Sun Buqi burst into the courtyard, shouting, "The last news we got was that Sanshi burned the granary, but after that—nothing! No word at all!"
"Keep your voice down!"
Sun Li glanced toward the house. "Lan jie'er's due in two or three months. Don't let her hear you."
"Ah…"
Sun Buqi held a rolled map in his hands and spread it open on the ground. "Sis, it's been so long already. The situation now is—Senior Brother and Ninth Senior Sister have both entered battle. Even the capital's army has marched into the Great Wasteland. In at most another month, at least one wave of reinforcements will reach the Mingzhou heartlands. But the problem is… Sanshi's been out of contact for ages."
"Don't cry, sis."
"I'm not saying Sanshi's definitely dead…"
Now he had to do the comforting. "Last time he disappeared, it was for two months too, wasn't it? And he came back fine! This time'll be the same, you'll see…"
What the hell. The last time he'd seen his sister cry like this was when their mother died.
Creak—
The door opened.
Gu Xinlan, her belly round beneath a loose gown, stepped out with Siqin supporting her arm. "What are you two talking about?"
Sun Li hurriedly wiped her tears. "Nothing, Lan jie'er."
As she spoke, she twisted Sun Buqi's arm hard—so hard that she used her full qi and blood strength.
"Ahh—!"
Sun Buqi's face contorted in pain as he scrambled to roll up the map.
"Lan jie'er, let's get you back inside," Sun Li said, forcing a stiff smile. "I think the clothes I made for the baby this time turned out really nice."
"It's fine. I heard everything."
Gu Xinlan pulled out her handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of Sun Li's eyes. "Something happened in Mingzhou, right? I already suspected it last time. It's fine. That bastard just loves disappearing like this. Give it a little while—he'll come back."
She pulled Sun Li into an embrace, patting her shoulder softly.
Sun Buqi couldn't stand it anymore. He snatched up the map and made a run for it.
…
Mingzhou.
Jiankou County.
"Please, please, sir!"
"Lord Jia, I beg you—let my daughter go!"
"Get lost!"
Jia Siye impatiently drew his gleaming Yanling saber. "Old man, if you wanna die, just say so!"
Behind him, a young girl was bound tightly and thrown onto a wagon, crying and struggling helplessly.
"Lord Jia, have mercy! She's my only daughter!"
"Slash—"
The blade flashed.
The old man was cleaved clean in half on the spot.
"Next house!"
Jia Siye sheathed his knife. "Move faster! You've got two hours. Take what you want, kill who you want. Once we're done here, we move to the next city!"
"Hahaha!"
"Alright!"
"Let's go!"
The Red Brows Army swept from house to house like locusts, plundering everything in sight.
"Lord Jia!"
"When you attacked Jiankou County, it was us commoners who opened the gates for you!"
"You promised to give us food—said you'd save us! What happened to that?! Why has everything changed?!"
"Changed? Ha!"
Jia Siye sneered at the weeping townsfolk on both sides of the street. "You were useful back then. Now you're just wasting rations! You're nothing but mouths that eat and don't fight. Slaughter them all! Damn it, I've already wiped out two cities. I was planning to just rob you and move on, but since you don't know what's good for you, guess I'll have to work a little harder! Brothers, let loose!"
Blood spilled from the cracks under every door, flowing into the streets until a red river ran through the city.
"Lord Jia!"
A Red Brows officer rushed out from an alley. "It's about time we leave for Luotian Pass. General Dong An sent word—he suspects the Reserve Camp remnants might be heading this way. We should prepare for battle."
"Nonsense! You think I don't know war?"
Jia Siye scoffed. "Those bastards don't have wings! Two months ago they ran from here and burned Jinquan Prefecture after that. No way they could've come back so soon!"
"Still, my lord, we should be cautious."
The officer tried to persuade him. "Think about it—when we take all of Mingzhou, maybe even half the realm, what'll today's plunder mean then?"
"Hmm. Fair point."
Jia Siye grinned. "Alright, tell the men to hurry it up so we can move out. And why panic? Luotian Pass still has three thousand soldiers guarding it, right? Even if those bastards really do come, they won't break through anytime soon—"
"Lord Jia! Lord Jia—they're here!"
A Red Brows foot soldier stumbled forward, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Enemy troops—more than three thousand of them—right outside the city!"
"They're really here? How the hell did they get this far?"
Jia Siye's grin vanished instantly. "How close?"
"Right outside the gates!"
"What?!"
Jia Siye kicked the soldier to the ground. "What were you idiots doing?!"
"It was too dark to see, my lord!" the man cried, kneeling in terror. "It wasn't till dawn that we realized—outside the walls, it's packed with soldiers, like ghosts crawling straight out of the mountains!"
"Useless trash!"
Jia Siye didn't panic. "Quick! Gather everyone—defend the city!"
There were still a few hundred defenders atop the walls. Even if the enemy had reached the gates, they could hold out for a while—long enough to assemble the rest of the troops.
The Reserve Camp remnants had, at most, three thousand soldiers. Their speed alone proved they carried no baggage or siege equipment. Even if the Red Brows Army had only two thousand men left, that was enough to grind them down. After all, there were still tens of thousands of reinforcements behind them.
"Bwoooom—"
The war horn sounded.
The Red Brows soldiers—who had been in a drunken, lust-filled daze—suddenly snapped to attention. They rushed from house to house, some yanking up their pants, others shoving silver into their belts as they ran for the walls.
"Everyone! Fight back!"
"Open the gates!"
"I heard him! That's Lord Chen—the same one who was stationed here before!"
At the city gates, the townsfolk who'd been hiding suddenly surged out.
They weren't cowards.
A cornered rabbit still bites—how much more so a human being?
With blades already at their throats, they had nothing left to lose.
They were unarmed, powerless against the Red Brows Army before—but now, someone was attacking from outside.
All they had to do was open the gates, and those outside would storm in.
And when they heard it was the Reserve Camp—Lord Chen's men—their courage flared.
The man who had crossed the Hongze River—Chen Sanshi!
When the Reserve Camp was garrisoned here months ago, they hadn't harmed a soul. If they'd come back, it meant salvation.
"Charge!"
In that instant, the city erupted.
Farmers wielded hoes, pitchforks, sickles, even kitchen knives—roaring as they rushed toward the gates.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
"Rebels! Peasants!"
"No wonder the officials despised you!"
The Red Brows soldiers on the wall hesitated, unsure whether to climb down and slaughter civilians or hold the walls.
Only a dozen Red Brows guarded the gate, and none of them had cultivation. The stronger officers were deep in the city, busy looting and murdering—they wouldn't waste time on guard duty.
Those dozen were quickly overwhelmed. After killing a few dozen civilians, they were buried beneath a wave of bodies and beaten into bloody pulp beneath farm tools.
"Stop!"
"Vermin! Filthy vermin!"
Even the quickest response from the Red Brows inside the city was too slow.
By the time they arrived, it was already too late. The gates had been thrown wide open.
Thousands of armored soldiers surged in like a tide, formation perfect, killing intent burning.
"Kill—!"
"Slay the traitors! Pacify the northwest!"
"Don't let them form ranks!"
Chen Sanshi could sense it—these Red Brows were far stronger than the ones he had faced in Baigou County. If they were allowed to set up formations, the battle would drag out and cost unnecessary lives.
"Lord Jia, what now?!"
"Do we retreat?"
"Retreat, my ass! You think there's still time? And stop panicking!"
Jia Siye drew his blade. "The reports said the Reserve Camp only has one Meridian-Connecting cultivator. I'm one too! Kill them all—leave none alive!"
…
"There's a Meridian-Connecting cultivator!"
Yu Song cut down an enemy soldier and shouted, "I've seen that face before! Before we marched to Mingzhou, we were given portraits of the Red Brows leaders—he's Jia Youtian, former bandit chief of Meishan Mountain. Just entered the Meridian-Connecting stage. My realm's higher, but I'm badly wounded. One-on-one, I might not win. Chen Qianzong, we should go together. I'll engage him head-on, you flank and strike!"
"Deputy General Yu, you handle the Transforming Strength ones. As for the Meridian-Connecting…"
"I'll take him."
"Boom—!"
Before Yu Song could even respond, Chen Sanshi exploded forward. The flagstones under his boots shattered, leaving a deep crater. In a blink, he had crossed dozens of zhang.
"You…"
Yu Song froze for two breaths.
'Don't tell me… he can already fight a Meridian-Connecting?'
He had no time to dwell on it. Gritting his teeth, he dragged his wounded body back into the fray.
"Slash—"
Jia Siye decapitated a Great Sheng soldier, then caught sight of a young general charging toward him, long spear blazing. The man moved like a mutated shadow leopard—his afterimages flickered across Jia's vision.
Young, spear in hand, overflowing with ferocity.
Chen Sanshi!
"Heh… looking for death."
Jia Siye's eyes gleamed with malice.
The report from Yangchun Prefecture had warned him clearly—if he ever encountered Chen Sanshi, he was to kill him at all costs. And now, the man had come knocking himself. A gift from heaven!
When this kid left Liangzhou, he'd barely reached Tempering Organ Perfection.
What arrogance—to think he could face him now!
Even if he'd advanced to Transforming Strength, how could he possibly rival a Meridian-Connecting?
Perfect.
He'd kill him—and then go find another rich city to sack. These backwater counties were poor as dirt; only in the prefectural capitals were the women soft and tender!
"Swish! Swish! Swish—"
As the youth charged, arrows suddenly rained down—fast and precise.
Jia Siye deflected each one with ease, sneering. "A fifty-stone bow? Impressive for a show, but that toy can't harm a Transforming Strength cultivator!"
When the distance between them closed to a few dozen paces, Chen Sanshi tightened his grip on the Five Tiger Soul-Breaking Spear.
He ignited his blood, gathered his Internal Force, unleashed the Five Organs of the Mysterious Body, the Blood of the Dragon and Elephant, and the Nine Dragons Tempering the Tendons—all of it surged through him, fusing into his weapon.
With a roar that split the air, the spear tore forward like a dragon bursting from the sea.
Jia Siye, who'd climbed from mountain bandit to Meridian-Connecting General, wasn't some fool either. With a snarl, he raised his Yanling Saber and slashed upward in a move called Parting the Clouds to See the Sun.
The two forces collided—metal clashing, qi roaring.
Both men staggered back more than ten paces.
Neither had gained the upper hand.
"What the hell?!"
Jia Siye's face twisted in disbelief.
He could feel it—the youth was indeed only Transforming Strength. But the power he released was equal to his own.
"Buzz—"
Before he could think, the spear came at him again.
He lifted his blade to block.
Another clash.
This time, Jia Siye felt himself being pushed back—his opponent's force was growing stronger with every exchange!
"Ridiculous!"
He thought he was hallucinating. With a furious roar, he finally stopped holding back and unleashed his full strength in a desperate brawl.
But within moments, he realized something was terribly wrong.
The kid's attacks were getting sharper and heavier each time, his power surging endlessly like a rising tide. Worse still, Jia Siye's saber techniques were being broken down one after another. His every move was read before he even made it.
"You're only Transforming Strength! And not even Major Achievement—at most Minor Achievement! How the hell can your internal force be this strong?!"
"Damn it, I'm not doing this anymore! I can't die here—I'll be a marquis one day, a man above all others!"
The instinct to live flooded his mind. He exploded with desperate strength, slashing hard enough to force Chen Sanshi back for a brief moment. But before he could retreat, a silver spear shot forward, its tip stopping right at his heart. He had no choice but to fight on.
Again and again.
Each time he tried to pull back, the next attack came harder, faster, more crushing than before. His defense crumbled, his saber grew heavier, his footing unsteady.
"Slash!"
Like a dragon striking through the waves, the spear lashed out—piercing Jia Siye's wrist, tearing out a gaping hole of blood and flesh.
From that instant, the outcome was decided.
Within five exchanges, Jia Siye's body was riddled with holes. Finally, the Five Tiger Soul-Breaking Spear drove through his mouth and burst out the back of his skull, ending his life completely.
Chen Sanshi yanked the spear free and, before the body hit the ground, drew the Mountain-Suppressing Sword to sever his head. He leaped onto a rooftop, surveying the bloody battle raging in the streets below, and shouted coldly, "Jia Youtian is dead! Lay down your arms and surrender!"
"Lord Jia—Lord Jia's dead!"
The Red Brows soldiers looked up in shock. Recognizing their leader's face, they panicked and scattered in every direction.
Even with their so-called "qi," they were still nothing more than a mob.
Chen Sanshi's men, all forged through the Blood Oath of the Battlefield, possessed iron discipline and will. Even the Reserve Camp's regular soldiers outmatched the Red Brows in cohesion. Once their leader fell, the enemy's formation instantly collapsed.
But letting them run wasn't an option. If they escaped, countless civilians in other counties would suffer.
A routed army was more terrifying than any bandit horde.
"Kill—!"
With the enemy commander dead, morale among the Reserve Camp soared. The battle turned into a one-sided slaughter, lasting from dawn until dusk. When it finally ended, corpses filled every street.
"I'm dead tired…"
Xie Sishu dropped his weapon and lay among the bodies, gasping for breath.
The past few months had been hell—sleeping in the wild, fighting every day, never once resting properly.
The townsfolk of Jiankou County had helped too, though after opening the gates, there hadn't been much more they could do. When the fighting finally ceased, they poured out, beating the corpses of the Red Brows before falling to their knees en masse.
"Lord Chen!"
"Thank you, Lord Chen, for saving our lives!"
"Everyone in Jiankou County owes you their lives!"
"…"
"Get up," Chen Sanshi said tiredly, raising his hand. "If anything, I should be thanking you. Without your courage in opening the gates, we would've lost many more men."
Lu Shuhua glanced at the severed head of Jia Siye on the ground and kicked it lightly. "Chen Qianzong… how the hell did you kill him?"
"No kidding," Yu Song muttered, limping over with his saber as a cane. "You actually took down a Meridian-Connecting cultivator. At this point, I should probably hand you my rank as Lieutenant General."
"Don't joke like that, Deputy General Yu. Get some rest."
Chen Sanshi exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. "We move again at dawn."
[Skill: Commanding Troops (Minor Achievement)]
[Progress: 1555/2000]
After months of battle, his command skill had soared by more than a thousand points. But reaching Major Achievement would still take time.
…
Yangchun Prefecture.
"General Sha! We can't hold any longer!"
"We're down to only two thousand men!"
"The townsfolk won't help anymore—no matter how many we kill!"
"What do we do?!"
"Maybe we should surrender! The enemy said if we do, they'll let us join Western Qi! You'd still be a general, General Sha!"
"…"
"What did you just say?!"
"Slash!"
Sha Wenlong's saber cleaved the man's head clean off. Blood spurted from the stump like a fountain, splattering across the ground.
With a twisted face, he roared, "Anyone who dares speak of surrender again will share his fate!"
"Clang…"
Cao Fan dropped his Azure Dragon Crescent Blade, slumping to the ground, his face drained of hope. "General Sha, if you want to surrender, then do it. I won't blame you."
"Your Highness, what are you saying?!"
Sha Wenlong fell to one knee. "I know I'm no righteous man, but I understand loyalty. My clan has lived under His Majesty's grace for generations. Even Young Master Yin was willing to die for you—how could I do any less?"
"It's over…"
Cao Fan gave a hollow laugh, his eyes empty. "We can't hold out anymore. The food's gone, the horses are gone, the men have lost all will to fight. How do we keep defending?"
"Then we won't defend!"
Sha Wenlong ripped off his eyepatch, revealing his hideous, blinded eye. "Gather all the townsfolk! Arm them! Then we'll switch clothes with them—make them march in front as cover! You and I won't stay with the army. We'll mix in with the fleeing civilians. Once we get fifty li out, into the mountains, no one will find us! And don't forget—General Lü has been fighting at Jianmen Gorge for a while now. With his strength, he'll win soon enough. When that happens, that's when we'll be saved!"
Bluntly put—he planned to abandon everyone else to die.
Two people escaping together—that was their best chance of survival.
"Time reveals a man's heart, and hardship shows true loyalty!"
Cao Fan sighed. "I never thought my Cao family would still have a loyal general like you here in the northern border, General Sha! Oh, right—does your physique have any chance of breaking through to the Martial Saint realm?"
"There's a chance," Sha Wenlong said, "but not a big one."
"Then that means there's hope!"
Cao Fan's eyes lit up. "If I survive this and return, I'll personally beg my father to give you his full support. A loyal and steadfast general is worth far more than a mere prodigy!"
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
Sha Wenlong immediately began making arrangements, ordering the civilians to flee first.
…
Outside the city.
The rebel camp.
Dong An wasn't even wearing armor. He sat in plain clothes, his hair having turned white overnight. The sight shocked every soldier who saw him.
All this—just because a few thousand men had escaped?
How could it matter so much? Why torture himself like this?
Dong An stared at the map spread before him, one hand absentmindedly moving a chess piece on the board beside it.
"Report!"
"Grand Commander!"
A soldier rushed in, panting. "Bad news, my lord! The gates of Yangchun Prefecture have been thrown open! Nearly 100,000 civilians are fleeing in all directions! We believe the city's garrison is mixed among them. What should we do?"
"Tap—"
Dong An's finger tapped once on the map. He said nothing.
"General Dong, say something!"
Xiang Tian leaned forward anxiously. "I really don't think we need to keep chasing those Reserve Camp remnants. Jia Siye is still there, and Luotian Pass has troops too—they can't possibly get away. What we should focus on is killing Sha Wenlong and capturing His Highness Cao Fan alive!"
Dong An still said nothing.
Now and then, he'd lift his brush and draw on the map, marking lines and crossings, replaying battles in his mind—analyzing, retracing, as though reexamining a complex game of chess.
"Report—!"
A scout, covered in dust, arrived in haste. "Grand Commander! Urgent message from Jiankou County!"
"Jia Siye…"
Dong An finally spoke, his voice hoarse and heavy. "He's dead, isn't he?"
"General, how did you know?"
The scout looked startled. Then he said, "When our pursuing forces passed through Jiankou County, Jia Siye and his men were all found dead. No sign of the Reserve Camp remnants, but it seems they went south—straight toward Luotian Pass. Right now, the pass is thinly defended…"
"Tell Liang Jinian," Dong An said gravely, "to seal off Luotian Pass completely. But he must act with caution. Be wary of feints—they've fooled us twice with false assaults already. Don't let it happen again.
"Here—and here—deploy heavy forces. No movement allowed. Guard these positions even if nothing happens. Prevent them from pulling the same trick again with a sudden return strike.
"And on the flanks, reinforce heavily too. Whatever happens, they must be surrounded to the death!"
He paused, eyes dark. "I underestimated them before.
"Chen Sanshi is clever. And Yu Song isn't weak either—don't forget, he's actually the Reserve Camp's acting commander.
"The commander of Jinquan Prefecture was a Meridian-Connecting at Minor Achievement. Jia Siye was too. To have slain two of that level in succession—he's no ordinary man. In the same realm, that kind of prowess is terrifying.
"So from now on, pay close attention not only to Chen Sanshi but also to Yu Song's movements. If he doesn't show himself, then he's likely running a feint. Make sure Liang Jinian understands that clearly."
"Yes, sir!"
The scout saluted and hurried out. The written orders would be tied to a black eagle's leg and sent flying to Luotian Pass.
"Lord Dong!"
Xiang Tian urged again, "You've given those orders—fine. But what about us?"
"Handle it yourself," Dong An said lightly, eyes still fixed on the map.
"Handle it myself?"
Xiang Tian frowned, finally snapping. "General Dong, why torment yourself like this? So a few thousand men escaped—what difference does it make? Let them go! What matters now is taking Yangchun Prefecture!"
"You fool!"
Dong An's head jerked up, eyes sharp as a tiger's. "Do you even understand what those Reserve Camp remnants mean? There are four men among them with Martial Saint physiques! And more importantly, there's Chen Sanshi—a man who's already surpassed Fang Qingyun!
"He's not just a capable commander—his martial strength will one day stand among the world's greatest! Don't forget the rumors from Liangzhou. Sun Xiangzong may very well pass his immortal techniques to that boy!
"If we don't destroy someone like him now, he'll be a threat not just to us—but to the entire Great Sheng Dynasty itself!
"Now stop standing there. Can't you even deal with two thousand defenders in Yangchun Prefecture?"
"Understood… yes, sir!"
Xiang Tian stammered, saluted hastily, and left.
Dong An's gaze stayed on the map.
'As long as I can crush that Chen brat, it'll prove that Fang Qingyun is no longer my equal.'
In his heart, Chen Sanshi—this young commander he'd never even met face to face, who had only exchanged blows with him from afar through battle and strategy—had already become his destined rival.
Some men lived for money. Others for power. Some for lust.
But Dong An was born with one obsession—to become the greatest military mind in the world.
Like the ancient Sage of War from a thousand years ago.
He wanted, when he was gone, for all future generations to study his strategies, his books, and his wars.
To him, victory over this one opponent mattered more than anything—more than reputation, more than survival.
Winning would mean that every past defeat was not failure, but experience—absorbed, refined, transformed into wisdom to command the next battlefield.
He had to win.
This war meant more to him than life itself.
…
Meishan Prefecture.
"It's still dropping!"
Liang Jinian paced back and forth in his quarters, face pale, feeling the weakening energy inside his body. "They must have lost again! That's the only explanation!"
"Report!"
The intelligence report finally arrived.
Liang Jinian tore open the wax seal at once and read through it carefully. Then, as usual, he spread his map and recreated every detail on the sand table. "A direct assault on Yangchun Prefecture while secretly crossing the Hongze River again! The same trick they used during their second crossing—cunning bastards!"
"Where's Jia Siye? Did he manage to stop them?"
"Report—!"
"Dispatch from the eastern front!"
"Lord Jia and his entire unit perished in Jiankou County!"
"What? He's dead? Impossible—how could that be?!"
Liang Jinian slammed his hand against the table, his face darkening. "The Reserve Camp's march has been relentless. They should've been exhausted long ago! First, they slew the Meridian-Connecting and Transforming Strength governors of Jinquan Prefecture. Then they killed Jia Siye in Jiankou County.
"It seems we've underestimated Yu Song all along. That man's strength is unmatched. He's destined for greatness."
"Grand Commander!"
A subordinate spoke anxiously, "What should we do now? We only have two thousand soldiers guarding Luotian Pass and a single Meridian-Connecting cultivator. At this rate, they might actually break through. Should we transfer reinforcements from Meishan Prefecture?"
Liang Jinian didn't answer immediately. He studied the map, his mind turning sharply. "Their current position should be somewhere south of Jiankou County—nearing Xiao Luo County.
"Ordinarily, yes—we'd send reinforcements straight away to cut them off.
"But remember!
"Last time, they pretended to attack Luotian Pass, only to double back west across the Hongze River. They made fools of us then. This time, we can't rush in."
He looked up. "How many men can we still gather from Meishan Prefecture?"
"According to the latest rosters, 10,562 troops, my lord."
"Good."
Liang Jinian twirled his ruler between his fingers, eyes narrowing. "Pass down my command. Send 8,000 men to station along the Hongze River. Of those, 3,000 are to cross and reinforce Luotian Pass. The rest remain on standby for immediate redeployment.
"If the enemy's true objective is to take Luotian Pass, we'll launch a full-scale assault.
"If it's another feint, they're to hold position, ready to strike back or move north to encircle.
"This time, they won't escape alive!"
"Brilliant strategy, Grand Commander!"
A deputy general exclaimed, "This setup ensures that they can't flee through Luotian Pass nor cross back over the Hongze River to circle around us in Mingzhou again."
"With only three thousand men, Chen Sanshi has managed to drag this out for so long. He's already quite the opponent—even comparable to me."
Feeling pleased, Liang Jinian set down his ruler and said, "I've heard that before the war, he was a scholar—couldn't even pass the county exam. In a way, I almost admire him.
"But an enemy is an enemy. Killing him is my form of respect.
"When he's dead, see to it that his body is left whole. Send it to Meishan and bury him properly."
"Grand Commander, you are truly magnanimous!"
Liang Jinian smiled faintly.
…
Yangchun Prefecture, Rebel Camp.
Dong An read the returned reports and finally let out a long breath, as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.
"Good. Excellent! Liang Jinian truly deserves his reputation as one favored by Heaven's Book—he's no fool. This deployment is flawless. It's over!
"This time, it's finally going to end!"
He tried to stand but swayed, nearly collapsing to the floor.
"Grand Commander!"
His close aide rushed forward to steady him. "You've barely eaten for seven or eight days now. Even an iron body can't hold out like this! A man who practices martial arts needs meat, not starvation!"
"Is that so? I hadn't even noticed," Dong An chuckled weakly. "Fine, bring me something roasted. A whole lamb—no wine this time, just a pot of broth."
"Yes, my lord!"
The aide hurried away, delighted. The Grand Commander's good mood meant the war was turning decisively in their favor.
…
Xiao Luo County.
"We're back again."
Chen Sanshi stared at the shattered city gates, then entered side by side with Yu Song, leading their brothers into the ruined town.
There wasn't a single rebel soldier left. Only a few constables remained to keep order—and they were loyal to the Great Sheng Dynasty, forced to submit under Red Brows occupation. Seeing Chen Sanshi's troops, they cheered and rushed to welcome them.
They had even prepared food in advance.
After finally enjoying a hot meal and resting half a day, the men continued marching south toward Luotian Pass. They stopped only when they reached a barren mountain two hundred li away, waiting for the scouts' report.
"Report!"
Zhao Kang came running, his shoes torn apart. "Luotian Pass is indeed poorly defended! After probing their lines, we estimate no more than two thousand troops remain!"
"Good, good, good!"
Yan Changqing's voice trembled with relief. "We're alive—we might actually live through this!"
"Damn right!"
Xie Sishu's exhaustion vanished. "The Capital Army entered the Great Wasteland three days ago. If we can just break through, we'll reach them in a month. Then we'll march back north with the main army and take our revenge!"
"We should…"
Lu Shuhua hesitated. "We should hear what Thousand-Commander Chen thinks first."
"At least someone's got sense."
Yu Song looked to Chen Sanshi. "Everyone's waiting for your orders, Thousand-Commander Chen. Time to decide."
After so many battles, not one man among them dared act rashly anymore. Every decision now rested on him.
"Luotian Pass… we won't be able to break through," Chen Sanshi said quietly, dousing their brief spark of hope. Then, patiently, he explained, "Every time we've crossed the river, we've had too few horses. That slows our march drastically. I wanted to try one last push, but it seems we're too late.
"By the time we reached Xiao Luo County, both Dong An in Yangchun Prefecture and Liang Jinian in Meishan Prefecture would've received word. They're bound to send reinforcements ahead of us.
"In this situation, the only way to break through Luotian Pass…" He paused, eyes narrowing. "Is to win fast—or die trying."
"But Luotian Pass isn't like Jiankou County with Jia Youtian and his men. Those people were bandits pressed into service, but the troops at Luotian are real defenders—they stay alert at all times. Besides, the plan to lure the Liangzhou forces into the trap was prepared long ago. The pass has been fully reinforced. Xu Wencai and the others saw it with their own eyes last time.
Even if there are only two thousand defenders, we have no siege equipment. We'd have to scavenge or build it ourselves. That alone would take at least twenty days before we even had a chance of breaking through.
That much time is more than enough for reinforcements to arrive at Luotian Pass—and for the pursuers behind us to swarm in and surround us completely.
So, if we keep pushing south and try to storm Luotian Pass by force… we're dead."
As Chen Sanshi's calm words sank in, the group fell silent. Even though they had expected bad news, hearing it so plainly left them hollow inside.
"Then… what do we do?"
After a long pause, Xie Sishu spoke, his voice trembling slightly. "Are we really at a dead end this time?"
"There's a way," Chen Sanshi said softly.
"Then say it already, Thousand-Commander Chen! You're scaring the hell out of us!"
"Yeah! We've followed you this far—just give the order! You tell us to go east, none of us will dare go west!"
"That's right, Chen Qianzong."
Yu Song, whose wounds had mostly healed, looked much better now. "If you've got something in mind, speak freely. We'll listen."
"Alright."
Chen Sanshi nodded. "Tell me, everyone—what do you think is the key turning point in this entire campaign so far?"
"Jianmen Gorge," someone said immediately. "If General Lü breaks through with his strength, that'll solve everything."
"No," another replied. "It's Yan Prefecture. The White Tiger Camp and Vermilion Bird Camp are fighting the Western Qi main army there. If they win, the enemy will face massive pressure near the Great Wall."
"It seems neither of you guessed right," Yu Song said with a wry smile. "Thousand-Commander Chen didn't agree with either of you. Then I'll guess—the Capital Army. Once our main army breaks through Luotian Pass, the Great Sheng Dynasty will outnumber the enemy. Victory will just be a matter of time."
Chen Sanshi still shook his head. "Old Xu, your turn."
Xu Wencai's feather fan swished lightly as he pointed to a spot on the map—Meishan Prefecture. "My lord, could it be you mean… Liang Jinian?"
"Exactly."
Chen Sanshi's tone grew firm. "The Red Brows Army's numbers aren't large, but without them, there wouldn't have been a rebellion in Mingzhou at all. Yet the real root cause isn't Liang Jinian himself—but what he holds in his hands… the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts."
"Do you understand?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Whether it's the Western Qi Kingdom or the rebel general Dong An, their goal is the same—to seize that book. You all know tactics and strategy, but in truth, war is about one thing: momentum.
"And the so-called divine artifact bestowed by an immortal—the 'Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts'—creates the greatest momentum of all."
"If I'm not mistaken," he continued, "this entire chaos in Mingzhou has stirred the hearts of people across the empire. Because when mortals hear of immortals favoring rebellion, they believe the dynasty's mandate is over. They'll rise up without hesitation, convinced that Heaven itself supports them.
"That's how a band of a few thousand Red Brows managed to create such turmoil across the land."
"But on the contrary—"
"If the rumors about immortals can be shattered, that divine 'momentum' collapses instantly. Once that happens, the tide of battle will turn. The enemy will lose all advantage—no heaven, no earth, no people. They'll be dragged into a bitter, grinding war of attrition."
"So, what we must do is—"
Before anyone could guess, Chen Sanshi reached out and slammed his finger onto the western bank of the Hongze River. Each word that left his mouth struck like thunder in their ears.
"Fourth Crossing of the Hongze River—Strike Straight at Meishan!"
The "Yellow Dragon" of "striking at the Yellow Dragon" was originally a place name, but for clarity, Chen Sanshi replaced it with "Meishan."
Fourth crossing!
"Brilliant… no, divine strategy! This is divine strategy!"
Xu Wencai gasped, realization dawning instantly.
He prided himself on his knowledge of military theory and had spent years studying famous campaigns from the past thousand years.
At the start of the Mingzhou Rebellion, he had been able to keep up with Chen Sanshi's thinking. But after the third river crossing, he began to falter. Now, upon hearing the words "fourth crossing," it felt as though a veil had been lifted from his mind.
He turned to the others, who were still confused, and explained eagerly, "Right now, most of the enemy's forces are behind us, chasing in full force. The only base capable of rapid mobilization is the Red Brows' headquarters—Meishan Prefecture!
"But after so many battles, Meishan Prefecture can't have much left—probably fewer than 15,000 men, maybe just a few thousand.
"If they divide their troops to reinforce the front, their base will be nearly undefended. That's when we strike! We cross west over the Hongze River a fourth time and head straight for Meishan Prefecture!
"Liang Jinian is just a scholar—he's not even as capable as a low-ranking soldier. And without any high-level cultivators around him, once we breach the city, he's finished!
"When Liang Jinian dies and we seize the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts, not only will we survive, but the entire Mingzhou front will turn in our favor!
"That's what our lord meant—
'Fourth Crossing of the Hongze River, Strike Straight at Meishan!'"
But…
The reason Chen Sanshi hadn't spoken of it sooner was because there was still one major problem—one that would require the most careful, deliberate planning.