"What did you just say?"
Fan Tianfa snatched the letter from the courier's hands, his pupils trembling as he scanned the words. "S–Surrendered? They actually surrendered? Without any resistance at all?"
"None, sir!"
The soldier replied firmly. "The men at the front saw it themselves. The Black Armored Cavalry didn't even need to attack. As long as they raised the banner with General Chen's name outside the city gates and waited a while, the gates would open on their own!"
"Hah… good, good…"
Meng Quji let out a long breath, thankful he had listened to reason and hadn't forced Chen Sanshi to return under orders.
He turned to the scholar in green robes beside him, who had remained silent all this time. "General Fang, tell us—how did he do it?"
Fang Qingyun stood motionless, gazing at the sand table as if his roots had sunk into the ground. He didn't move or speak for a long time.
"General Fang?"
Zhan Taiming spoke carefully, breaking the silence. "What is it?"
"I understand now."
After a long pause, Fang Qingyun suddenly spoke. His clear, ringing voice carried the joy of discovery—like an old mathematician who had finally solved an impossible riddle, or a craftsman who had unlocked the secret of a mechanism after years of study.
"I know how Chen Sanshi achieved it."
"Oh?"
Meng Quji couldn't contain himself. "Then speak, quickly!"
"Grand Commander Meng."
Fang Qingyun's lips curved into a faint smile. "Tell me—what is your Dao?"
"My Dao?" Meng blinked. "General Fang, you mean in terms of military philosophy?"
"That's easy," Meng said without hesitation. "My Dao is the Dao of Invincibility. Every true master of warfare must first establish himself in an unassailable position, and only then wait for the enemy to fall."
Fang turned to the next man. "And you, General Fan?"
"Me?"
Fan Tianfa puffed out his chest proudly. "I believe in the Royal Dao! The way of righteousness and legitimacy—carrying out the Emperor's mandate, leading a just army. Wherever I go, Heaven itself lends me strength. Victory follows naturally, and the people's hearts return to the throne."
"I'm not qualified to speak of Dao," said Zhan Taiming modestly. "I'm merely the Deputy General under the Grand Commander. But if I must name one, I've always favored the Domineering Dao of General Lü Ji. Of course, compared to him, I'm only a clumsy imitation."
"General Lü Ji embodies true military dominance. Wherever he appears, the enemy trembles in fear. Once he seizes an advantage, no one can stop him. His foes always collapse like mountains swept by the tide!
"Mingzhou was the same. Zhong Wuxin was a Martial Saint, yet what happened? Out of 80,000 enemy soldiers, barely 10,000 escaped alive under General Lü's pursuit. Many died of sheer terror before even reaching the battlefield.
"General Lü Ji is a model for us all!"
This arrangement was deliberate—the court had paired Zhan Taiming's stability with Meng Quji's force, creating a balance of temperaments. Together, they complemented each other perfectly when crises arose.
"Frankly," Meng admitted, "none of us can match General Fang's depth in the study of military Dao. Our own paths—royal, domineering, or defensive—were all learned from the classics. We simply found what suited us and expanded upon it.
"But you, General Fang—you created your own school of Deception Dao, a true founding philosophy in its own right. Someday, you'll be enshrined in the Martial Temple."
Fang Qingyun neither boasted nor denied it. Instead, he shifted the topic. "Then tell me—what Dao does General Chen follow?"
"This…"
Meng stroked his beard thoughtfully, then said, "Deception, of course."
"I agree."
Zhan Taiming nodded. "From what we've seen, Chen's path must be that of Deception. I've reviewed his campaign dossiers myself. Back in Poyang, he led barely a thousand remnants to rout twenty thousand barbarian troops. He used feints, diversionary attacks, and sudden strikes—all classic tactics of deception."
"Indeed."
Even Fan Tianfa nodded. "The four crossings of the Hongze River—he feinted, retreated, advanced, circled, then finally struck Meishan Prefecture head-on. That's the very essence of your own maxim, 'Warfare is the art of deception.' No wonder they call him your junior brother. Someday he might even surpass you."
Fang Qingyun only smiled quietly.
"Oh?"
Meng raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me, General Fang—he's following some other Dao? Perhaps Benevolence, Madness, or the rare Strategic Dao of Balance?"
"None of those."
Fang shook his head. "You're mistaken. Yes, his early campaigns carried traces of the Deception Dao. But as I studied his later battles, I realized it was far more than that.
"I don't know who taught him at first. But whoever it was—whether one teacher or many—he has long since surpassed them. He's fused every lesson, every philosophy into something wholly his own."
"His own Dao?"
Meng caught the meaning instantly. "General Fang… you mean—"
"Exactly!"
Fang Qingyun flicked his sleeve and declared loudly, "Prepare yourselves, gentlemen. Before long, the Eight Volumes of War will become Nine. Chen Sanshi has opened a new path—a Dao that has always existed, yet was never truly seen.
"The name of that Dao… is Momentum!
'War,' he said, 'is momentum!'"
——
Changting Prefecture.
"General!"
"Our northern garrisons have all surrendered!"
"There's no more grain in the city!"
"Please, General—let us surrender too!"
"We can't! We still have four thousand brothers here, and you want me to surrender?!"
"General, Chen Sanshi only gave us three hours to decide! You might not care—you're an outsider brought in from another unit. If the city falls, you die, and that's it! You'll just be reborn eighteen years later as another brave man. But we're local garrison troops! Our wives and children are inside these walls! If we keep resisting and the city falls, they'll all be dragged down with us!"
"Enough! I told you to hold the line!"
"Chkk—"
"You— you!"
"General… you forced me!"
Commander-in-Chief Ma Guocheng drove his long saber straight into the other man's chest. His subordinates rushed up from behind, hacking the body into a pile of shredded meat.
Afterward, Ma Guocheng raised his blood-stained blade high and shouted, "Open the gates! Surrender—!"
Boom!
The heavy gates of Changting Prefecture swung open.
All ranks of officials, high and low, came out to surrender.
"General Chen!"
"Please, show mercy!"
"We are all local garrison soldiers. After opening the gates, we won't go through Ghost Gate Gorge. From now on, we're people of the Great Sheng Dynasty!"
Dressed in white robes upon his white horse, Chen Sanshi led the Black Armored Cavalry into Changting Prefecture.
After so many days of marching and fighting, the troops finally had a chance to rest.
"The twenty-seventh prefecture."
Xia Cong silently counted in his heart.
All the way along the march, he, Xiao Zheng, You Jike, and the others had watched in disbelief as every city they passed surrendered without resistance. Not a single battle had been fought. From small, decaying county towns to heavily fortified prefectural seats—each one capitulated in turn.
It was the first time they had witnessed that conquering land could be as easy as reaching into a bag.
A single white robe.
A single white horse.
An army of thousands, and they all surrendered.
What kind of awe-inspiring sight was that!
Xia Cong and the others were all handpicked elites from the capital—each considered a prodigy. Since childhood, they had studied military texts and strategies, so when it came to warfare, they had their own opinions and confidence.
From the very start, they hadn't understood what their general was doing or why.
The only reason they followed orders was partly because of their discipline. They were elite soldiers, not the lazy, corrupt guards stationed in decayed garrisons. For them, obedience was the first rule—orders must be carried out no matter the doubts.
The other reason was because Chen Sanshi's feat of the Four Crossings of the Hongze River had left them utterly speechless. They wanted to see just how far his brilliance could go.
And now they'd seen it—
This was the result!
Every one of them was convinced beyond words. They couldn't help but admire him so much that, like the enemy soldiers, they too wished to kneel in submission.
Yet even while following at his side, they still couldn't fully comprehend the method behind it all.
In comparison, Lu Shuhua and the others—who had personally witnessed the shock of the Four Crossings—were calmer. It wasn't that they weren't amazed, but they had been amazed so many times that now they were simply numb.
"Isn't this surrender happening too fast?"
Xie Sishu rode up beside Chen Sanshi. "My lord, we've left very few people to manage the surrendered troops. Won't that make our foundation unstable?"
"Too fast?"
Chen Sanshi gave a faint smile. "Not at all. This is the normal speed."
In truth, this was exactly as it should be.
Not every soldier possessed the same Blood Oath of the Battlefield as his men from Poyang County. Most soldiers defended their cities only because they had no escape. That desperate stubbornness was what people called the "unyielding will to defend."
But once the Great Sheng army released surrendered soldiers and paraded them publicly, that defensive will collapsed by half in an instant.
Next came the opening of granaries wherever they went—handing out food to the hungry. With the people's support, defending the city became twice as hard. In some places, the people themselves even rebelled when they heard the Great Sheng army was coming, since constant wars had starved them.
And finally, many cities housed both foreign garrison troops and local soldiers. These two groups had never shared the same heart.
For the outsiders, losing didn't matter—they could drop their weapons and go home, acting like they had never fought at all.
For the local troops, surrendering meant their families inside the walls would remain safe.
If the outcome was the same either way, why fight to the death?
Sometimes the two factions clashed, and internal chaos broke out before an enemy even arrived.
With all these reasons combined, there was simply no reason not to surrender.
As for Xie Sishu's worry that surrendering too quickly might lead to instability, Chen Sanshi dismissed it entirely.
Voluntary surrender and forced surrender under siege were two completely different things.
Once the gates were opened, the soldiers inside could leave freely.
Those formation grunts were powerless, and their numbers too many. Even if they fled back into Qing territory, no one would punish them—the law could not condemn so many at once.
But what about the generals who gave the order to open the gates?
Would they dare return?
And if they did, would the Qing Kingdom ever trust them again?
Of course not.
Once they surrendered, their fates were sealed. They would have no path back and no hope for redemption. Many would even help the Great Sheng forces defend their own cities afterward—because a man who surrenders once may be forgiven, but one who betrays twice is doomed.
It was the same as back in Mingzhou.
Deputy General Li Tiancheng, under General Dong An's command, was never punished on the surface. But where was he now? Who even knew if he was alive?
And as for local officials like Magistrate Li, they would become the most loyal supporters of the Great Sheng Dynasty—zealous beyond measure.
"Let the army rest for one night."
Chen Sanshi issued the order.
After entering the city, he took a casual patrol on his steed Qianxun. Eventually, he stopped at a Sending-Children Guanyin Temple—and found several Witch God Sect followers disguised as monks.
That night, he returned silently and killed every one of them without a sound. Using his Mystic Pearl, he absorbed the incense qi burning within the temple's censer.
Each time he entered a city, he did the same.
Laizhou was filled with these temples—everywhere you went, there was another Sending-Children Guanyin shrine, always crowded with devotees. The locals swore the goddess was effective: women struggling to conceive would soon bear children after visiting.
But the real reason was far darker.
Behind the statue of Guanyin, a secret tunnel led underground to a hidden chamber. There, a bed waited—and every night, seven or eight "holy monks" came to perform their vile acts.
The Witch God Sect's corruption ran deep.
They would use any means to harvest incense qi.
Chen Sanshi later found an abandoned house to stay in. There, he first practiced his spear techniques, then took out the Mystic Pearl to cultivate his Sword Qi Technique.
[Technique: Sword Qi Technique (Mastery)]
[Progress: 688/1000]
He had gathered much incense qi along the journey, but his rate of consumption was too fast. He estimated he would need to drain several more small temples—or one large one—to reach Minor Achievement.
Zhaotong Prefecture.
Laizhou's largest city was Zhaotong Prefecture. Its Guanyin Temple was the grandest as well—so famous that people from other prefectures and counties would travel thousands of li just to make offerings there.
That was the local side of things.
From the broader view, Zhaotong Prefecture was a critical stronghold.
Out of Laizhou's thirty-six prefectures, twenty-seven had already surrendered. The remaining nine were the toughest bones to crack, with Zhaotong Prefecture at their head. Its commander, Deng Feng, was well-known and deeply respected—taking him down would be difficult.
But conversely, if Deng Feng fell, it would be a crushing blow to Qing Kingdom's morale. The other eight prefectures would collapse like dominoes, opening their gates in rapid succession.
Only then would the Great Sheng Dynasty have time to consolidate its forces and prepare for the coming war.
Even so, the situation was still far from optimistic.
There was one other thing along the campaign that Chen Sanshi found unexpected—his name.
It was far more powerful than he ever imagined.
Who could have thought that his act of ferrying refugees across the river would bring such far-reaching influence?
Among the twenty-seven prefectures that surrendered, at least ten fell because local uprisings caused chaos within the cities. And the name Chen Sanshi alone had contributed to more than thirty percent of those victories.
That too, was a kind of momentum.
"The incense energy within the Mystic Pearl is being consumed almost as quickly as it's gathered," Chen murmured. "But…"
"The white qi is getting thicker."
He stared at the pearl in his hand, lost in thought.
Ever since Meizi County, he'd noticed something strange.
Each time they conquered new territory, the white qi within the pearl increased a little more—almost perfectly in sync with the speed of their advancing front.
Could it be… that victory itself was transforming into qi?
It felt like it. Yet, somehow, it didn't.
Something about it didn't sit right, but he had no time to ponder.
Before he realized it, dawn had arrived. It was time to march again—this time, toward Zhaotong Prefecture.
There wasn't much time left.
The Qing army from Green Ridge Mountain was on the move.
He had to make Zhaotong surrender before they arrived.
Even the hardest bone had to be bitten through.
——
Yongle Prefecture.
"Bastards!"
Prince Tang—Li Gong—slammed his fist onto the table, sending plates of roasted meat and wine crashing to the floor. His face twisted with rage. "In just thirty days, twenty-seven prefectures surrendered?
"Fifty thousand surrendered troops?!
"Even if those Fifty thousand stretched their necks out for execution, it'd take three days and three nights to kill them all! And yet they opened their gates without firing a single arrow?!"
He kicked over the overturned stool and roared, "What's this supposed to be? Wherever that damned Chen goes, the cities open their gates for him?
"Are we sure this is a war and not a royal inspection tour by that bastard? It's absurd—utterly absurd!"
"It truly is absurd," the deputy general said bitterly. "Many of the local commanders didn't just surrender—they started persuading neighboring cities to surrender too. Over time, surrender became a trend. No one could stop it. Now, Chen Sanshi and his Black Armored Cavalry are heading straight for Zhaotong Prefecture."
"As long as Zhaotong doesn't fall, there's still hope!"
Li Gong took a deep breath and steadied himself. Pointing at the map with his chopsticks, he said, "The remaining nine prefectures, including Zhaotong, are all led by commanders who either served under Deng Feng or deeply respect him. As long as Deng Feng doesn't surrender, none of them will!"
"Then we're fine," the deputy general said confidently. "The Deng family has been loyal for seven generations. They were among the founding heroes of the Qing Kingdom. Others might surrender, but General Deng never will. I'll send him a letter immediately, urging him to hold for just twenty days—that's all he needs!"
"Hurry!" Li Gong snapped. "And send word to Southern Xu Kingdom—have them march toward Hulao Pass at once."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The deputy general began dictating orders, but worry crept into his voice. "But Your Highness, weren't you worried before that Southern Xu might demand too high a price for their help…"
Li Gong sneered. "At this point, losing a piece of flesh is inevitable. But it won't be ours. As long as Zhaotong holds, we can strike from three directions and crush Meng Quji's forces. Once we win, we won't just reclaim Laizhou—we'll march straight into Sheng territory!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
——
Zhaotong Prefecture. Outside the city.
The Great Sheng army camp.
"Twenty-seven prefectures taken in twenty days!"
Cao Fan put down the latest battle report, unable to hide his mix of shock and envy. "How does he do it? How can anyone fight wars like this? First, the Four Crossings of Hongze River, now this—'Ten thousand soldiers flee before the White Robe.' How does he always achieve the impossible?"
"Young Lord, you need not worry," said Cui Congyi calmly. "Those cities sound impressive on paper, but their commanders were all useless nobodies. Their surrender was inevitable. If you had led the campaign, it might have gone even better. You are, after all, the emperor's grandson—your words carry far more weight than some lieutenant general's."
"The real challenge is here, in Zhaotong Prefecture. This place is an iron fortress, impossible to breach.
"Deng Feng is as stubborn as a rock in a cesspit—foul and unyielding. We've been besieging him for two months, offering every term imaginable. He's only at the peak of Profound Manifestation Realm, yet even after promising him a marquis title, he didn't so much as blink. Do you really think a man like that will surrender?"
"Cui General is right," Sha Wenlong scoffed. "There are only twenty days left. No way he can do it. Let's just wait for that Chen fellow to fail his military pledge and lose his head."
"Even so," Cao Fan said softly, "if Zhaotong falls, it would benefit both the Great Sheng Dynasty and us personally."
"Truly virtuous words, Your Highness," Cui Congyi praised.
Da-da-da!
The sound of hooves rumbled from the distance.
Through the rising dust, the Black Armored Cavalry appeared, their banner emblazoned with the single character Chen.
"They're here!" someone called.
Soon, the riders stopped outside the main camp.
But though Chen Sanshi was nominally the acting commander, and Cao Fan was the emperor's grandson, none of the officers inside came out to greet him. They all remained seated within the tent, unmoving, even as Chen entered. Not one stood to salute.
"Generals Cui and Sha!"
Xia Cong stepped forward, spear in hand, his tone sharp. "General Chen is the commanding officer beyond Yongle Prefecture. How dare you be so disrespectful?"
"The commander only gives orders," Sha Wenlong said with open disdain. "We follow them, that's all. You think a mere lieutenant general deserves our salute?"
"You—!"
Xia Cong clenched his fists, ready to retort, but Chen Sanshi raised a hand, signaling him to stay silent.
"Gentlemen," he said evenly.
Chen Sanshi's expression was calm as he asked, "What's the situation?"
"Just like you said, we followed your instructions exactly—but it didn't work at all," Cui Congyi replied, his tone edged with impatience. "Lieutenant General Chen, I'll remind you again—time is running out! The Qing reinforcements are getting closer to Green Ridge Mountain. If we can't make them surrender, we should attack now. It might still be possible to take the city before it's too late."
"General Cui," Chen Sanshi said evenly, "you'll personally go to the city and negotiate again. This time, be firm. Tell them that if they don't surrender within fifteen days, we'll lose our chance completely. When that time comes, we'll summon the main army."
"Fifteen days? You're giving them that long?"
Cui Congyi frowned. "Lieutenant General Chen, the Qing reinforcements will arrive in twenty days. If they still refuse, do you plan to attack the city in just the final five days?"
"Attack the city? Heh."
Sha Wenlong sneered. "Five days? We won't even have time to retreat! When the Qing army floods in, we'll have no room to advance, no path to retreat, and we'll be crushed between two hundred thousand enemy soldiers. At that point, it'll be total collapse—defeat like a mountain crumbling!"
"General Sha," Chen Sanshi's voice dropped coldly, "who are you saying will collapse like a mountain?"
"Who else?" Sha Wenlong scoffed. "Of course—us!"
"Cui Congyi. Sha Wenlong."
Chen Sanshi's voice suddenly thundered through the tent—sharp and explosive like lightning tearing through a clear sky.
The temperature in his tone seemed to drop several degrees as every word struck like an icy blade, cutting through the silence and stabbing into the ears of everyone present.
"I'll let it go—for now—because both of you are generals of the Great Sheng Dynasty and my seniors in rank. For your rudeness, I'll overlook it this once.
"But if either of you ever again utters words like 'defeat like a mountain collapse,' spreading fear and breaking the army's spirit, I'll invoke my authority as bearer of the temporary Command Token—and have your heads cut off right here!"
"You… what did you just say?!"
Sha Wenlong's face darkened in rage. "You brat! You think I'm wrong? Deng Feng will never surrender! If you waste fifteen days like this, what then?!"
"Guards!"
Chen Sanshi's tone turned to ice. "Drag Sha Wenlong out and execute him!"
"Yes, sir!"
Zhao Kang and the others drew their blades immediately.
Though they were only Tempering Organ cultivators, they didn't hesitate for a second. They surrounded Sha Wenlong—the mighty general at the peak of Profound Manifestation Realm—without fear.
"Chen—Chen Sanshi!"
Sha Wenlong was stunned. He never imagined the young officer would actually dare to carry out the threat. "You—what right do you have to kill me?"
"This command token grants me that right!"
Chen Sanshi raised the military token high for all to see.
"You… I…"
Sha Wenlong froze, momentarily speechless. His instinct screamed to reach for his weapon, but reason stopped him. He hadn't truly disobeyed orders yet, nor had he committed a serious offense. If he resisted now, that would be a capital crime.
So he swallowed his fury, his jaw clenched so hard his teeth creaked, and stood there trembling as the blades pressed against his neck.
"General Chen!"
Cao Fan finally stepped forward. "General Sha hasn't disobeyed orders. He hasn't said another word about defeat or panic. Even if he was insolent, surely it's not enough to warrant execution?"
"Yes."
Cui Congyi kept his composure, though the vein throbbing at his temple betrayed his suppressed anger. "General Chen, His Highness is right. General Sha was only asking a question—nothing more. Even if you hold command authority, does that mean we can't speak our minds at all? If you really kill him over this, won't you be abusing your power?"
Chen Sanshi acted as if he hadn't heard them.
"General Chen!"
Cao Fan took two steps forward. "We're standing before the enemy. If you execute one of our own generals first, it'll shatter morale completely! Besides, General Sha was only offering advice.
"General Sha! Kneel and apologize to General Chen—quickly!"
"Your Highness?!"
Sha Wenlong's one good eye bulged in disbelief.
Cao Fan whispered sharply, "Didn't you see the token in his hand? If he kills you, even Grand Commander Meng won't say a word."
"I…"
Sha Wenlong's jaw tightened until his teeth nearly broke. Finally, with a hoarse breath, he dropped to one knee. "General Chen… it's my fault. I was reckless. I swear I'll never again speak words that harm the army's morale. Please give me a chance to atone through merit."
"See that you do."
Chen Sanshi gestured for his men to sheathe their blades, then turned and left the command tent with his subordinates.
He'd never intended to kill Sha Wenlong—only to make an example of him, to ensure the others followed orders without question.
As the sound of their footsteps faded, Sha Wenlong still hadn't moved. His hand pressed into the dirt, qi swirling beneath his palm, gouging a deep hole into the muddy floor. His teeth ground audibly.
"Too much… he's gone too far!" he hissed. "I, Sha Wenlong, am a second-rank officer—a commanding general! How dare that brat humiliate me like this?!"
"What choice do we have?" Cui Congyi muttered bitterly. "He's holding Grand Commander Meng's personal token. We can only endure it. Just twenty days. Once his military deadline passes, we'll watch him lose his head with our own eyes."
"You're right."
Sha Wenlong's voice dropped to a growl. "I'll enjoy seeing how he plans to make Deng Feng surrender."
——
Zhaotong Prefecture, inside the city.
On the city walls, countless soldiers watched from afar as another group of surrendered captives was released toward Qing territory. Envy flickered in their eyes.
Then, a roar of hoofbeats rose outside the walls, kicking up clouds of dust. A black banner emblazoned with the character Chen whipped in the wind.
"Not good! Not good!"
"Chen Sanshi is here—Chen Sanshi is here!"
"White robe, white horse, black armor—there's no mistake!"
"Do we surrender?"
"Fools! Who dares speak of surrender?!"
Deng Feng stormed up the steps of the battlements, fury burning in his eyes. "Have you forgotten what I told you all? The reinforcements will be here soon! Once they arrive, the siege of Zhaotong will break without a fight! Why surrender now? You think I'll yield to some lieutenant general in the Meridian-Connecting Realm—Chen Sanshi?!"
"But General!"
Deputy General Song Hongbiao clasped his fists tightly. "We just received word—they've all surrendered!"
"Who do you mean?"
Deng Feng frowned. "Who surrendered?"
"Twenty-seven prefectures!"
Song Hongbiao replied anxiously, "Starting from Zhaotong Prefecture and stretching northward, every single city—large and small—has surrendered!"
"What?!"
Deng Feng snatched the intelligence report from him. After reading it, he closed his eyes tightly. His face showed more bitterness than anger, more sorrow than rage. "We raise soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment! The Great Qing has never treated its generals poorly, yet they repay the country with betrayal and disloyalty!"
"People of the city, listen well!"
At that same moment, Cui Congyi rode to the front lines and shouted with a booming voice that shook the sky. "I am Grand General Cui Congyi! Soldiers of Qing Kingdom inside the city walls, hear me!
"Across all of Laizhou, more than a hundred cities have already submitted to the Great Sheng Dynasty! Only you stubborn fools still resist, hiding behind your crumbling walls! We have no patience to waste any longer!
"This is your last chance!
"Surrender immediately, and we'll honor our promise—no one will be harmed! But if you ignore this final warning…"
"After fifteen days, prepare for a battle to the death! When your walls fall, not a single man, woman, or child will be spared!"
Not a single one!
His shout—empowered by the qi of a Profound Manifestation cultivator—echoed clearly across the battlefield. Everyone on the wall heard every word.
How had things come to this?
Not long ago, the Sheng army had seemed hesitant—pleading for their surrender as if afraid to fight. Now, suddenly, they roared threats of total annihilation?
Could it really be… that Laizhou's downfall was inevitable?
"General…"
"Twenty-seven prefectures have already surrendered! Let's surrender too!"
"Yes, General!"
"Enough! Silence!"
Though Deng Feng's voice rose sharply, it carried no anger. He shouted, "Brothers! Townsmen! Let me ask you—what kind of man am I, Deng Feng?"
"This…"
"General Deng is brave and loyal beyond compare! One of the fiercest generals of the Great Qing!"
"'Deng Qingtian,' need we even say it?"
"It was General Deng who opened the granaries and fed us common folk!"
"Otherwise, we'd have starved to death long ago!"
Deng Feng's voice rang out, "Then if you trust my character, do you believe my words?"
"Of course we do!"
"Then why won't you listen to me?!"
"But twenty-seven prefectures already surrendered!"
"That means nine prefectures still hold strong beside us!"
Deng Feng's voice thundered. "These nine cities are Laizhou's last bastions! They can't be taken so easily! Those bastards outside threaten us only because they can't win! Listen—another twenty days have passed. Just fifteen days more, and His Majesty himself will lead the imperial army to our rescue!"
"General, is that true?"
"Only fifteen days left?"
"That's right! Just fifteen days!"
In truth, Deng Feng knew the reinforcements wouldn't arrive for another twenty days.
But with the enemy's threats pressing close, he had to shorten the number—to quench thirst by imagining plums, to give his soldiers a reason to endure.
If they could last those fifteen days, they would survive.
Because once that time passed, if the Sheng army still hadn't attacked, the soldiers and people would fight to the death when they finally did. And if they didn't attack, the reinforcements would truly arrive.
Just fifteen more days!
"Alright, General!"
"We believe in you!"
"Brothers, let's hold on together for fifteen more days!"
"Half a month, and we'll be rewarded with glory and rank!"
"Right! And we commoners will be freed from taxes and grain levies!"
With Deng Feng's desperate rallying cries, the soldiers' morale steadied at last.
Zhaotong Prefecture fell silent again.
Three days passed—no one opened the gates.
On the fourth day, the defenders on the wall saw the Black Armored Cavalry withdrawing.
"Where are they going?"
"Looks like they're bypassing Zhaotong and heading for other cities!"
"Do you think the other cities might surrender too?"
"If that happens, we'll be the last ones in all Laizhou still holding out!"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Deng Feng, who had been stationed atop the walls day and night, immediately shouted, "Good! Let them go! The commanders of the other prefectures are all my brothers-in-arms—men who would live and die by my side! As long as I stand, they will never surrender!
"Chen Sanshi can't do a thing to us, so he's going after easier targets first. But that's exactly what I wanted!
"With so little time left, how many cities do you think he can actually take? Just moving back and forth will waste enough time for His Majesty's army to arrive!"
"If that's true, all the better."
"Then we'll trust General Deng and wait."
——
Yongle Prefecture.
"Seven days! Deng Feng hasn't disappointed me!"
Prince Tang—Li Gong—finally let out a long breath of relief.
Time was on their side.
Reinforcements were almost here.
——
Outside Zhaotong City. Great Sheng Army Camp.
"Seven days, and still no surrender," Meng Quji muttered. He was anxious, though less frantic than before. "General Fang, your so-called 'great momentum' doesn't seem enough to take Zhaotong. Deng Feng's influence runs deep—even under pressure, he's managed to keep his men from breaking. What do we do now? There's barely ten days left. We won't make it in time!"
Never in his life had Meng Quji fought a war that made his heart pound like this.
In the past, faced with a situation like this, he would have already retreated.
As long as you retreat fast enough, you never lose.
"Wait a little longer," said Fang Qingyun calmly.
After understanding Chen Sanshi's strategy, he had grown eerily serene. Sometimes he even played his flute, completely at ease—like a man who already knew the outcome.
Seeing him like that, and remembering what had happened last time, even Meng Quji, Fan Tianfa, and Zhan Taiming restrained themselves. They quietly began preparing for retreat but didn't dare speak up.
So they waited.
The three thousand Black Armored Cavalry bypassed Zhaotong Prefecture and continued marching south.
"Four steps are complete, my lord," one aide said softly. "Is it time for the fifth?"
Xia Cong followed closely beside Chen Sanshi. "So this time, our plan is to persuade the other cities to surrender first, turning Zhaotong Prefecture into an isolated stronghold—and then force them to yield through pressure? Brilliant strategy!"
Chen Sanshi pointed his spear toward the distant city. "That's Luoying Prefecture ahead. Go and negotiate."
"Me? Yes, sir!"
Xia Cong didn't hesitate. He immediately took a group of soldiers and rode straight toward the city gates.
Before long, he came galloping back, his face pale. "My lord, Luoying Prefecture is different from the others. They actually refuse to surrender!"
"My lord!"
Xiao Zheng added, "Maybe you should try in person? All the previous cities surrendered because of your name. Maybe they won't recognize our authority."
"No need. We'll move on to the next prefecture."
Without giving them time to respond, Chen Sanshi spurred his horse forward.
"Ah?"
Xia Cong and the others hurried to catch up.
"Lianyi Prefecture refuses to surrender!"
"Wuyuan Prefecture refuses to surrender!"
"Luyuan Prefecture also refuses to surrender!"
"My lord," Xia Cong called anxiously, "you really won't go yourself? These people are all Deng Feng's loyalists. None of them are willing to yield."
"And at this rate, by the time we return to Zhaotong Prefecture, it'll already be the thirteenth day!"
He wasn't questioning orders anymore. He genuinely wanted to learn—to understand.
"Is that so?"
Chen Sanshi tilted his head slightly. "But haven't they already surrendered?"
"This…"
Xia Cong froze, then realization dawned on his face like a flash of lightning. "Brilliant! I understand now, my lord! Even if those prefectures haven't truly surrendered, we'll say they have. To the defenders in Zhaotong, those cities will appear to have already fallen! Because with only two days left before the announced siege date, there's no time for them to confirm the truth. Combined with the twenty-seven that surrendered earlier, they'll believe the other eight have fallen too—and think they're the last city standing!"
"Xia Cong!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Go to the city where the surrendered troops are being held. Take the remaining two thousand captives and send them to the outskirts of Zhaotong Prefecture. Spread them around the city—surround all four gates."
Xia Cong's excitement vanished instantly. He blinked, confused again.
'Is he planning to have them persuade their comrades to surrender? Or use them to storm the walls?'
Feeling too dull to grasp it, he didn't dare ask further.
"Understood!"
He immediately went to carry out the order.
——
Leishan Prefecture.
After the first major battle, this place had been turned into a holding site for surrendered Qing troops.
At first, there were more than twenty thousand of them. Most expected a grim fate, but instead, the Great Sheng released them one after another—sending them home with rations.
A month passed.
From twenty thousand, only about two thousand remained.
These last two thousand lived in constant fear, unable to eat or sleep.
They were the only ones still imprisoned. Everyone else had been freed long ago.
Rumors spread among them that all of Laizhou had surrendered—everyone except them.
"How can this be?"
"My lord, why won't they let us go?"
"Are we the unlucky ones they'll slaughter to make a point?"
"My lord, please have mercy!"
They fell to their knees one after another, trembling.
"Silence!"
The guard commander, Zhu Qi, barked angrily. "Your fates aren't yours to decide! If the Great Sheng wants you dead, you die. If it wants you alive, you live!"
"General Zhu!"
Xia Cong arrived at that moment, holding the command token. "General Chen has given the order—escort these men immediately to the outskirts of Zhaotong Prefecture!"
"Zhaotong?"
The prisoners were struck with terror.
"They're sending us… to lead the charge?!"
"So in the end, we're still going to die!"
"How cruel! Too cruel!"
"Enough talk!"
Zhu Qi mounted his horse. "Move out!"
The column began to march.
——
The Fourteenth Day.
On this day, the Qing reinforcements reached the outer slopes of Green Ridge Mountain.
Only three to five days more, and they would enter Laizhou's borders.
——
Outside Yongle Prefecture.
Meng Quji had already prepared for retreat.
Meanwhile, in the Great Sheng camp outside Zhaotong, Sha Wenlong and the others were restless—part anxious, part secretly delighted.
Anxious, because the outcome of this campaign hung by a thread.
Delighted, because someone had signed a military pledge.
Ten days earlier, Chen Sanshi had failed to make Zhaotong surrender. Instead, he led his men south.
Now he was back.
And according to accurate intelligence—he hadn't taken a single city.
Not one!
He had simply ridden south and returned, wasting more than ten days. Tomorrow would be the fifteenth day, the promised date by which Zhaotong was supposed to open its gates.
After tonight—if Zhaotong still refused to surrender, they'd have to retreat.
Which meant Chen Sanshi had failed to fulfill his military oath.
All his earlier arrogance would finally face judgment.
——
Inside Zhaotong Prefecture.
On the city walls, Qing soldiers and citizens watched as the Black Armored Cavalry returned.
Then came reports from the scouts.
"Bad news!"
"The Sheng army outside is spreading word that the other eight prefectures have surrendered!"
"Just like the earlier twenty-seven, every city Chen Sanshi visited supposedly opened its gates without firing a single arrow!"
"What—are you serious?!"
"Didn't General Deng say the other eight prefectures would never surrender?"
"Keep your voice down! Did you forget what he said before those twenty-seven prefectures surrendered? He said the same thing back then too—and look what happened!"
"You mean to say… the General's been lying to us all along? Just to make us hold out till the end?"
"What else could it be?"
"Then what do we do now?"
"There's no point in fighting anymore. If we just open the gates and surrender, it'll all be over! Everyone else who surrendered has already gone home by now!"
"What did you say? How dare you spread lies and demoralize the army—die!"
Deng Feng strode up the wall just in time to hear those words. His rage exploded like thunder.
Before anyone could react, his blade flashed—clean and cold—and the soldier's head went flying, blood spraying in a hot crimson arc that splattered across the faces of everyone nearby.
He lifted the severed head by the hair, his voice roaring across the wall. "Listen up! The news outside is false! As long as I, Deng Feng, have not surrendered, the other eight prefectures will never surrender! Anyone who dares spread rumors and shake morale—this is their fate!"
"Th-this…"
The men stumbled back in horror. No one dared whisper another word.
But Deng Feng knew the truth in his heart.
When it takes killing your own men to keep them loyal—it means you're already at your limit.
Still, just one more night.
Just one more push.
By tomorrow morning, the Sheng army would begin their assault. Once the fighting started, the defenders would have no choice but to hold their ground.
If they could last five more days, the reinforcements would arrive.
——
Outside the city walls.
In the central tent of the Great Sheng Tiger Guard Army, tension filled the air.
"In a few more hours, dawn will break! If Zhaotong still hasn't opened its gates, it means that brat Chen won't complete his military pledge! When that happens, I'll drag him before Grand Commander Meng myself and see if Fang Qingyun can still protect him!"
"Where is Chen Sanshi anyway? Don't tell me he's hiding!"
Sha Wenlong squinted his one eye, running a thumb along the sharp edge of his broadsword. His mind played over the scene of himself kneeling before Chen—and his teeth ground at the memory.
"Reporting, General Sha! Chen Sanshi is still in his tent at the east gate!"
"What's he doing?"
"Not sure, sir. Looks like nothing. But I did see a lot of captured soldiers from the Black Armored Army being moved there."
"Captured soldiers?"
Cui Congyi raised an eyebrow. "What's he planning with those?"
"No idea, sir. The Black Armored soldiers aren't saying a word."
"Report!"
Another messenger burst into the tent, kneeling as he shouted, "General Chen's orders! At the hour of Mao, we are to cancel the 'three sides open, one side sealed' encirclement. The city is to be completely surrounded! All war drums are to sound, every formation assembled, all siege weapons prepared!"
"Hah! I knew it!"
Sha Wenlong laughed coldly. "He's calling the captured soldiers here to use them as shields—sending them to die first so we can follow up the assault! Looks like he's finally come to his senses and realized Zhaotong won't surrender! He has no choice but to storm the walls now!"
"But it's too late!"
"Way too late!"
"Once blood is spilled, the defenders will fight like cornered beasts. Five days isn't nearly enough to take this city! The Qing reinforcements are almost here!"
"He's throwing everything away—wasting the last chance we had!"
"General Cui, send word immediately! We're close to Yongle Prefecture—if we launch a falcon now, Grand Commander Meng will have the message by dawn! He must stop that fool before he gets us all killed! Strip him of his command token! We'll haul him back in chains for trial!"
"Yes, sir!"
——
In the Black Armored Army camp.
While chaos spread through the ranks, Chen Sanshi stood calmly in front of his tent, practicing spear forms.
When Xia Cong arrived, panting from haste, he stopped and took the coarse cloth Zhao Kang handed him to wipe his sweat.
"All set?"
"Yes, my lord!" Xia Cong clasped his fists. "All two thousand surrendered soldiers are in position, spread around the east, south, west, and north gates! The rest of the troops are ready for battle. At dawn, we can begin the siege! So, my lord, the fifth step—is it truly to attack the city?"
Lu Shuhua, Xiao Zheng, and the others exchanged uncertain glances.
They didn't understand, but they trusted him.
If he planned to attack, he must already have a way to win quickly.
But the answer they got shattered all their expectations.
"No. We're not attacking."
"Not attacking?" Xia Cong blinked. "Then we're still trying to persuade them? But my lord, we brought the surrendered soldiers here as shields, and the rest of the army's preparing siege weapons—if we're not attacking, what are we doing? Just scaring them?"
"You've been asking me what the fifth step of the Laizhou surrender plan is," Chen Sanshi said quietly.
He reached out and pressed his hand on the sand table, over the model of Zhaotong Prefecture. The flickering lamplight cast the shadow of his fingers across the entire miniature city.
"The fifth step," he said, each word ringing like steel, "is Four Directions Celebration Song."
"'Celebration Song'? You mean Qing folk songs?"
Xia Cong and the others looked completely bewildered. "My lord, what kind of plan is that?"
"Pass down my order," Chen Sanshi said. "After midnight, have all two thousand surrendered soldiers sing mountain songs."
"When the celebration songs rise from all directions—at sunrise—the city of Laizhou will fall."
"Bang!"
Chen Sanshi's hand, heavy as Mount Tai, slammed down on the sand table. The model of Zhaotong Prefecture shattered into dust.
The Fifth Step—Four Directions Celebration Song.
Songs of Qing, arrows to the heart—
the gates will open, and Laizhou will fall.