On the city wall, several zhang high.
Chen Sanshi did not wait for the enemy to reach the walls. Instead, wrapped in surging flames, he suddenly rose into the air. When the black, tide-like enemy army was still about 500 steps from the city wall, he crashed down like a falling meteor from beyond the heavens.
"Rumble—!"
After a heaven-shaking impact, a massive meteor crater was left outside the city gate. Shattered earth flew everywhere. Sand and stone filled the air. Thick smoke billowed. Within it stood a black-armored figure, encircled by coiling fire dragons. Runes flowed across the armor, shining brilliantly.
"Those who take even one step forward—"
"Die!!!"
The word "die" pierced the heart like an arrow.
It actually forced the advance of the 200,000-strong army to halt dead in place. Siege towers, ladders, and other heavy equipment stopped as if they had slammed into an iron wall.
One man.
One spear.
He forced back 200,000 troops.
200,000 soldiers, yet not a single one dared to advance another step.
"I have 7,000 defenders in this city. You mere 200,000—why haven't you surrendered yet?!"
Chen Sanshi spoke again, his voice booming like thunder.
"We were once comrades-in-arms!
"It is only because the court is muddled and traitors rule that we are forced to turn our blades against each other!
"This king has no wish for slaughter. Why not lay down your weapons, turn around, and ride with my Northern Liang cavalry to the gates of Chang'an, to restore clarity and justice to this world?!"
The battlefield fell deathly silent.
The Central Plains soldiers looked at one another, then began whispering among themselves, their words unclear.
"Do not listen to the nonsense of this rebellious traitor!"
Only when a series of deep, powerful voices swept across the battlefield did the army's morale stabilize again.
Above the army,
A small flat boat was flying through the air.
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong, Li He, Daoist Dao Xuan, and Ling Yun stood together on the flying boat as they rushed toward the front lines.
"A bunch of idiots!"
"There are only a little over 7,000 people in the city. What are you afraid of?!"
Hearing this,
The Central Plains soldiers snapped back to their senses.
That's right!
The man surnamed Chen said it himself—there were only 7,000 defenders. They had 200,000 men. What was there to fear?!
Those words were an outright insult to them!
Anger flared among the ranks.
Were the men of the Central Plains cowards?!
"Just attack the city!"
"Leave Chen Sanshi to us!"
"Whoever is first to climb the walls will be enfeoffed as a marquis, with hereditary succession! And the court will continuously supply resources until someone from his clan reaches the Martial Saint realm!"
First to ascend, become a marquis!
Coupled with rage at the humiliation,
The Central Plains soldiers finally erupted with boundless killing intent.
"Kill—"
"Kill the traitor—"
The army formations surged forward again. Mountain-like siege engines began to move. Everything merged into a black tsunami that suddenly exploded forward, rushing straight toward the towering city walls.
Yet within that black tide, a streak of fire was dazzling beyond compare. Like a stubborn rock in raging rapids, it split the tide apart. Wherever it passed, only scorched earth remained.
But in the end, it was still just one man.
He could not stop tens upon tens of thousands of troops from pouring toward the city walls from other directions. A brutal clash was inevitable.
On the flying boat,
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong struck first. He leapt down from over 100 zhang in the air, raising his blunt great saber high. As he descended, he reversed the Dragon Scripture. The distorted lower Eight Scenic Deities continuously spawned baleful True Force, pouring it endlessly into the saber. The baleful aura surged higher and higher, blotting out the sky, forming a pitch-black mountain with no visible end, which finally smashed down toward the black-armored general on the ground.
It was as if a god in the heavens had grown enraged, unleashing supreme divine power and casting down a Nine-Yin Black Mountain to suppress a mortal who dared defy order.
Yet the mortal would not yield.
A fire dragon roared upward, slamming into the base of the black mountain. It even showed signs of cracking the heavenly peak. But at that very moment, the others struck together.
Martial cultivator Ling Yun flicked his wrist, and a sword emerged from his sleeve. No blade edge could be seen. Instead, a vast river poured down like a torrential flood. This was Sleeve Cosmos—there is a Ling family in Heavenly Water, the Heavenly River Sword Technique!
"Sizzle—!"
Water-element True Force cascaded like a waterfall onto the fire dragon, immediately weakening its power. This prevented the black mountain of baleful aura from collapsing at once, continuing to restrain Chen Sanshi's movements.
Li He seized the opportunity. He formed hand seals and chanted, spraying a mouthful of blood onto his sword. Red light flared instantly. His magic power surged even more violently, condensing into an illusory blade over 1 zhang long.
This was the "Bloodlight Curse," a life-and-death technique that burned one's foundation in exchange for power.
He was already an old man who had failed Foundation Establishment. He had no reservations left. If he could kill this man at any cost, he could secure massive cultivation resources for future generations.
The bloodlight sword slashed down.
With the combined strength of the three, the flames on the spear were finally extinguished.
Under the space-twisting impact, Chen Sanshi's legs were driven deep into the ground, unmoving. Yet his body was forced to slide backward 100 steps, carving two shocking trenches into the earth.
Only then did Daoist Dao Xuan, who had been waiting for the right moment, finally act.
Suspended in midair, he tossed out a formation disc. Spiritual light burst forth like a bright moon. Centered on the disc, everything within 100 steps was enveloped in the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. He shouted sharply, "Kun!"
The flat ground suddenly surged upward from all directions. Steep rocks rose like the gaping jaws of a colossal beast, trapping Chen Sanshi inside.
"Kan!"
He shouted again. The soil at his feet collapsed, and underground river water surged forth endlessly, filled with boundless magical power.
"Daoist Ling, let me lend you a hand!"
"Many thanks, Daoist!"
Martial cultivator Ling Yun spun his sword. All the icy river water and water-element True Force converged, wrapping around him. In just a few breaths, a massive water dragon tornado formed. It looked gentle on the surface, but within it lay endless killing intent.
Two nearby siege engines were swept into the water dragon tornado. In the blink of an eye, they were ground into fragments. A soldier who failed to dodge in time was dragged into the air. The instant he touched the tornado, he exploded into a cloud of blood mist and fused completely into the water dragon.
Just as Chen Sanshi broke free from the "Kun" earth-prison technique,
Ling Yun's sword lashed out like a long whip, and the water dragon tornado swept forward.
The others followed close behind.
Prince of Zhen'nan Cao Rong's saber fell like a collapsing sky pillar.
Li He's sword edge flared with blazing bloodlight.
All three went all out, giving the opponent no chance to catch his breath.
"Rumble—"
The ground split apart. Dust filled the sky.
But when they looked again, they only saw a talisman riddled with holes explode into ashes. The white-robed figure wearing the Talisman General Iron Armor was no longer there. Instead, he had quietly appeared several hundred steps away, stepping on a flying artifact and ascending back to Hongdu Prefecture.
While Chen Sanshi was locked in fierce combat with them,
A brutal siege battle was also unfolding.
After all, there were only 7,000 defenders inside Hongdu Prefecture. Even with the advantage of defending the city, they were clearly struggling.
Most critically, the enemy still had two late-stage Qi Refining cultivators and one Mortal Shedding perfection martial artist. They quickly climbed onto the city wall, looking almost unstoppable.
For this covert crossing through Yinping,
Chen Sanshi had brought only one Martial Saint—General Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji had once been the Commander of the Liangzhou Regional Command. He had fought alongside Chen Sanshi in the Mingzhou campaign. After his entire army was wiped out, he escaped alone back to Liangzhou.
Not long after the uprising began, he surrendered to the Northern Liang army.
Five years ago, he had been at Profound Manifestation Perfection. Only recently, with the help of pills, had he finally broken through to the Martial Saint realm. That was why he had come along to help defend Hongdu Prefecture.
But relying on him alone was still not enough.
Among the enemy was a Mortal Shedding perfection martial artist wielding a three-pointed, double-edged blade. With help from the cultivators, he quickly found an opening. He knocked Zhao Wuji's weapon aside and kicked him hard, aiming to take his life while he was off balance.
At that very moment, he suddenly felt intense heat rising behind him. Before he could even turn around, his consciousness went black.
A silver bullet had blown his head apart.
"Commander!"
Zhao Wuji, surviving death by a hair's breadth, burst into tears.
Chen Sanshi did not spare him a glance. He reached out, caught the three-pointed, double-edged blade, and used it immediately. Layer upon layer of Fire-Element True Force surged into it, transforming it into a blazing three-headed flood dragon, radiant and awe-inspiring, shaking the soul.
A Martial Saint is called a "saint" because they have pushed "technique" to its absolute limit.
The True Force realm, on the other hand, focuses mainly on tempering the body. Its stance work revolves around circulating power through the meridians to refine spiritual energy. It is no longer restricted to any single weapon.
In other words,
The difference between a Martial Saint and a True Force cultivator lies only in whether or not they possess "True Force." If that distinction is set aside, then purely in terms of weapon techniques, the two can fight almost evenly.
Chen Sanshi had practiced hundreds, even thousands, of different weapons long ago. No matter what he picked up, he could use it immediately.
With a casual lift of his hand, he controlled the three-headed flood dragon and pierced through the heart of a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator who was trying to sneak attack. Then he drew his golden bow to full draw. A blazing white tiger leapt through the air and blasted apart another cultivator who had tried to flee.
After killing these few,
Chen Sanshi fully activated his Qi Observation Technique. Amid the densely packed crowd, he searched for high-ranking Central Plains generals. He stopped using silver bullets and switched to Flowing Light Arrows, releasing four arrows at once again and again. His right hand drawing the bow moved so fast it left afterimages.
In just a few breaths,
He killed four Profound Manifestation generals, plus one Martial Saint!
His earlier entanglement with Cao Rong and the others had only been a feint. Sniping the enemy's generals was his true objective today.
As long as he thinned out those above the Profound Manifestation realm, the pressure on the city defense would drop by several times.
"Despicable schemer!"
Cao Rong and the others immediately saw through his intent. They rushed to the outside of the city wall and once again clashed with Chen Sanshi, who was wearing a mask, clad in black armor, and wielding the three-headed flood dragon.
But this time, Daoist Dao Xuan's formation did not follow.
Any formation takes time to set up and dismantle. It cannot move wherever a person goes.
The four of them could only rely on their signature techniques.
Daoist Dao Xuan unleashed spell after spell.
Ling Yun used water-element techniques to restrain fire, constantly applying pressure.
Cao Rong focused on entanglement.
Li He searched relentlessly for openings, trying to land a fatal strike.
Yet without formation support, they soon realized that their suppressive power over Chen Sanshi was weakening. Worse still, he showed signs of growing stronger the longer the fight dragged on. If this continued, he might soon fight them to a standstill.
"This is bad!"
Ling Yun's heart jolted.
He had heard rumors that this man could slaughter ten thousand without exhaustion and grow braver against stronger foes. Seeing it now, it seemed all too real.
Even in Heavenly Water Isle, he had never heard of such a terrifying martial physique.
Just this point alone—
If this man were willing, the strongest martial sects in the world would fight madly to recruit him!
"We can't keep fighting like this. Since we can't finish it quickly, we should withdraw first!"
Daoist Dao Xuan was equally shaken.
After roughly fifty exchanges,
The four of them retreated in turns. Only after they returned to the formation did the man surnamed Chen stop pursuing them, allowing them to sound the gong and withdraw safely.
The black armor on Chen Sanshi dissolved into a streak of light and returned to his storage ring. The flames on the three-pointed, double-edged blade gradually faded. He stood still, silently watching the "pacification army" retreat step by step until they vanished from sight.
Thus ended the first round of the siege.
On the city wall,
The scene was one of complete devastation.
After tallying the losses, the report was quickly delivered.
The Hongze Battalion had lost more than 800 brothers.
Comrades who had crossed mountains and ridges together not long ago were now reduced, in the blink of an eye, to just over 6,000.
But from now on,
There would never again be losses on this scale.
The main losses in the first round came from the enemy's high-level martial fighters. Now, most of those at Profound Manifestation and above were lying dead on the field. Their overall combat power had dropped sharply. Starting from the second round of the siege, even if Chen Sanshi focused solely on dealing with Cao Rong and the others, the Hongze Battalion soldiers could fully handle the rest on their own.
As he recalled the battle,
Chen Sanshi knew the strength of Cao Rong and the other three was not weak. They had not yet fought to the death. Dealing with them was manageable. But if these people suddenly went all out at the same time, the burst of power would be a serious problem.
Especially that formation master.
If Chen Sanshi had not misjudged,
The great formation used today should have been the formation core of the "Eight Gates Golden Lock Immortal-Trapping Formation" from the Heavenly Book formations. Once fully completed, it could concentrate the power of the formation to truly "trap immortals."
Daoist Dao Xuan had not unleashed it, likely because it was not fully prepared yet.
They did not possess a Mystic Pearl. To use a Heavenly Book formation, they would need to consume a massive amount of formation flags and spirit stones, and most importantly—time.
But now,
Time was on their side.
As long as they waited for the Northern Liang main force to arrive, every problem would be solved.
The enemy had an "Immortal-Trapping Formation." As long as he had troops under his command, he could naturally break it.
Speaking of which,
If there was a chance, it would be necessary to take the Heavenly Book formations back from that old emperor. They could not be allowed to spread any further.
"Chirp—"
An eagle cry rang out.
The bluebird returned with intelligence.
After a period of cultivation, the mysterious qi within its body had grown much denser. Before long, it would officially advance to become a Tier 1 spirit beast.
Chen Sanshi gently tapped its head and took the letter.
It was a battle report from the Yunzhou front.
At the same time he had crossed Yinping, Yunzhou had already gone to war. Under Xu Wencai's command, they had won three battles in three engagements. The frontline had advanced several hundred li. So far, everything was proceeding very smoothly.
Inside the Central Army Command Tent of the court forces,
Cao Rong and the others strode back into camp, their expressions filled with anger.
The four of them had joined forces!
Yet they still could not do anything to Chen Sanshi alone, and they had even lost many generals. It was an utter humiliation.
"Report—"
At the same time,
News from Yunzhou arrived.
It only made Cao Rong's fury burn hotter.
"This isn't something we need to worry about too much right now,"
Daoist Dao Xuan said. "The Northern Liang main force has its battle line stretched too far. They won't be able to strike here anytime soon. We should think about how to take Hongdu Prefecture instead."
"Exactly,"
Ling Yun sighed. "Our grain supplies are running low. If we don't take Hongdu Prefecture quickly, the offensive and defensive situation will reverse. Our Chunqiu Prefecture will become an isolated city."
"Daoist Dao Xuan,"
Li He spoke up. "Do you have fasting pills?"
"Of course,"
Daoist Dao Xuan stroked his beard, spread his left hand, and revealed a porcelain bottle. "A full 100 pills."
"I have some as well,"
Ling Yun checked his storage bag. "About 10 or so."
"That's enough!"
Li He finally relaxed. "20 fasting pills are enough for the few of us to last until the end!"
"We don't have grain, and Hongdu Prefecture doesn't have much either,"
Cao Rong said. "Pass the order. After nightfall, continue the siege. Day and night without pause. Within 100 days, no matter the cost, we must take Hongdu Prefecture!"
On the city wall,
Chen Sanshi did not move even half a step.
After only a few hours, as the sky had just begun to darken, the enemy attacked again.
"Boom!"
A three-headed flaming flood dragon appeared in the night.
Another round of slaughter began.
Cao Rong and the others stuck to the same tactics as before. The four joined forces to besiege him, but they did not fight prolonged battles. If they could not injure Chen Sanshi within 20 exchanges, they would immediately sound the gong and withdraw.
Thus, the situation fell into a stalemate.
Neither side could do anything to the other.
In a blink,
Another 80 days passed!
A full 80 days.
Chen Sanshi stayed on the city wall day and night. If he was not killing enemies, he was cultivating. Whenever he had a brief gap, he refined pills inside the nearby watchtower, not wasting even a single moment.
The new pill formula given by Bai Linxun required calm focus to study, so he did not have the chance. Instead, he refined pills he already fully mastered, such as the "Clear Spirit Pill." He also refined some fasting pills.
But unfortunately, fasting pills could not solve the grain shortage inside the city.
The materials he carried could only make a little over 20 pills at most.
Moreover, those below the Meridian-Connecting stage could not consume "immortal pills."
Even the simplest fasting pill contained pill toxin. Without sufficient cultivation to expel it, consuming such pills would only cause severe side effects.
Another morning arrived.
The rising sun had just appeared.
Chen Sanshi sat cross-legged inside the watchtower. The spirit pearl in his arms continuously released spiritual energy. He absorbed and refined it through his spiritual root, finally storing it as spiritual power in his dantian.
With mid-grade single spiritual root talent, plus enough pills,
His Swallowing Fire Art advanced at a rapid pace.
Cultivation Method: Swallowing Fire Art · Qi Refining Level 4
Progress: 827 / 1,200
Immortal cultivation did not consume physical stamina. On the contrary, it nourished essence, qi, and spirit with spiritual energy.
This was Chen Sanshi's "sleep."
After recovering his energy, he picked up his weapon and continued cultivating the Dragon Scripture without pause. The medicinal power of the previous Taiqing Pill was still taking effect. A burning sensation began to appear in the upper right side of his abdomen.
A streak of azure light grew brighter and brighter, until the shrine within suddenly awakened.
Liver Deity!
Name: Kaijun Tong, Courtesy Name: Daoqing, six inches tall, clad in green!
Cultivation Method: Dragon Scripture (Early True Force)
Progress: 251 / 500
Middle Eight Scenic Deities: four opened!
Chen Sanshi felt the True Force within his body strengthen once again. If those four returned, he would absolutely not let them retreat so easily again. He would seize the chance to finish them in one decisive push and wipe them out completely.
But it seemed that the enemy had sensed his rapid growth. Starting twenty days ago, they sharply reduced the frequency of their sieges. In the most recent ten days, they had not attacked even once.
At the same time, the Liangzhou front continued to advance steadily. They won battle after battle without a single defeat. At most, in another two months, they would arrive at the eastern side of Chunqiu Prefecture according to the original plan. By then, the Central Plains army, with its grain exhausted, would have only one road left—death.
Yet right now, there was still a harsh reality in front of them.
The grain had run out.
Starting fifteen days ago, food rations in Hongdu Prefecture had been reduced from two meals a day to one. Then from a full meal to half-full. As of yesterday, each person could only get one bowl of thin porridge per day.
Even using this method to stall, they could last at most another forty days.
What came next would be the truly difficult phase of this war.
Chen Sanshi calculated that the reason the enemy had stopped attacking recently was very likely because they were facing the same problem.
Pacification Army — Central Command Tent
"The grain is exhausted."
Cao Rong paced back and forth anxiously.
Daoist Dao Xuan said with a sorrowful expression, "If this continues, what should we do?"
"Exactly,"
Li He stood with his hands behind his back. "We can survive on fasting pills, but the mortals under us can't. Recently they've only been eating one meal a day, and complaints are already spreading."
"Daoist Dao Xuan,"
Ling Yun asked, "From the time we arrived at Chunqiu Prefecture until today, more than four months have passed. Is your formation still not ready?"
"The formation is ready, but the problem is…"
Daoist Dao Xuan said, "The Eight Gates Golden Lock Immortal-Trapping Formation must rely on ground-based military formations to unleash its true power. Chen Sanshi absolutely refuses to leave the city. I have no way to use it, unless the four of us link up again and try to lure him out."
"Absolutely not!"
Ling Yun immediately rejected the idea.
"Over these eighty days, our suppression of Chen Sanshi has weakened a little each time. In the last siege, he was already almost on equal footing with us. At this rate of improvement, the four of us are probably no longer his match now!
"He hasn't come to seek us out on his own, likely because he is wary of the 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Immortal-Trapping Formation'. If we rashly go now, we might not come back alive."
"Hmph!"
Li He was furious, so anxious he almost stomped his feet.
"In Heavenly Water Isle, there's a saying: 'Better to bully a white-bearded elder than to bully a poor youth.' Once you make an enemy of a young man, you must never relax just because he's junior. Especially with talented youths, no matter what, you must crush them with superior cultivation before they grow up. Otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable!
"This Chen Sanshi.
"I warned Brother Cao's father many times back then to kill him early and eliminate future trouble. But he refused to listen. Now look at this. Unless a Foundation Establishment cultivator comes, no one can deal with him anymore!"
In Heavenly Water Isle,
There had once been such an example.
A peerless genius youth with a mutated Heavenly-grade Void Spiritual Root formed a grudge with a junior from the grandson generation of an upper sect elder.
That elder, a dignified Golden Core cultivator, traveled 100,000 li in a sudden raid and personally annihilated the youth, who was only at Qi Refining Level 2. He even ground his bones to dust and did not spare his soul.
Many mocked the elder for bullying the young.
But the elder only chuckled and said calmly,
"I saved my sect from eternal ruin."
At the time, many people dismissed it.
Yet less than two hundred years later, a similar thing happened to another sect.
It was again a grudge between juniors. The upper sect elders did not intervene, and through one careless mistake, the youth escaped. In just two hundred years, he cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage and returned to annihilate the once-glorious Falling Snow Sect.
Therefore,
In Li He's view, that Golden Core elder had been right.
If they had killed the White Robe back then, how could they have ended up in today's predicament?!
Cao Rong closed his eyes.
Only he knew that things were not that simple.
The White Robe had hidden himself too well.
At that time, his imperial father also needed him to seize the Mang Mountain ancestral vein.
And if anyone truly hated this man, it was him.
The four discussed countermeasures.
Daoist Dao Xuan took out a fasting pill and put it into his mouth. Suddenly, inspiration struck.
"I have a plan. It might cause internal chaos within Hongdu Prefecture and force Chen Sanshi to flee in disgrace!"
Hongdu Prefecture
"Where did this grain come from?"
Chen Sanshi asked calmly, without a sound.
"Commander…"
Zhao Wuji had grown noticeably thinner. At this moment, he was squatting on the ground, stuffing a flatbread into his mouth. Hearing the voice, he nearly choked to death. He hurriedly swallowed and said, flustered,
"Commander, I bought it!
"I really bought it!"
He pointed toward the city and explained anxiously,
"I absolutely didn't rob or force anyone. Just this one flatbread cost me a full ten taels of silver. If you don't believe me, you can ask that household. They definitely won't say a single bad word about me!"
Ten taels of silver for one flatbread.
That price was not exaggerated.
Because…
Hongdu Prefecture was already in famine.
Even if commoners still had grain at home, it was only barely enough to keep themselves from starving.
Under such conditions, grain was more precious than gold.
"Don't buy any more in the future,"
Chen Sanshi said, while sending Wang Li to verify whether it was true.
Subjectively, Zhao Wuji may not have forced anyone.
Objectively speaking, maybe not.
Think about it.
There is a war outside. You are hiding at home day and night. Suddenly, a Martial Saint covered in blood comes to your door, holding a blade. He puts ten taels of silver into your hand and says, "Fellow villager, can you sell me one flatbread?"
In that situation, you probably would not dare refuse.
Right now, every household in the city has its doors and windows shut tight. Isn't that because they fear the starving Northern Liang army might snatch grain?
A person who is full and a person who is starving are completely different creatures.
But the Northern Liang army must not take even the smallest amount from the people. This has always been an iron rule.
Even if they starve to death!
They still cannot take a single grain from the people.
"Commander…"
Zhao Wuji said carefully, "In the last three days, I've only eaten this one flatbread. I'm really starving. Commander, don't you have fasting pills? Could you give this subordinate one to eat, so I'll have the strength to keep killing enemies?"
"I do have fasting pills, but I can't give them to you."
Chen Sanshi refused.
There were over six thousand brothers in the city who were starving. Most of them were low-realm formation grunts. They simply could not take fasting pills. Only people like Feng Yong, who had recently broken through to above the Profound Manifestation realm, could barely endure them alone.
But there could absolutely be no preferential treatment.
Not only did he refuse to give them to his generals, he himself had not eaten a single pill either.
As the commander-in-chief, if he could not even share hardship and hunger, how could he expect his brothers to follow him and risk their lives?
"Northern Liang brothers inside the city, listen up!"
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from outside the city.
A Deputy General of the Pacification Army rode a scrawny warhorse to the city gate and shouted loudly,
"I know your grain is already exhausted!
"Since defeat is already certain!
"What are you still holding on for? Chen Sanshi won't die together with you!
"He cultivates immortal arts too. He must have fasting pills. Eat one, and you won't feel hungry for half a month!
"The Ninth Prince has said!
"As long as you open the gates and surrender, not only will past crimes be forgiven, you'll even be given grain!
"But if you stubbornly persist, even if we stop attacking, before long you'll starve to death inside the city!
"When you're all dead and Chen Sanshi leaves freely, who will even remember you?!"
This whole speech was nothing more than sowing discord.
"You're right!"
Chen Sanshi did not avoid it. Instead, he climbed to the highest point of all Hongdu Prefecture. He took out all the fasting pills and held them up for the Hongze Battalion to see.
"I do indeed have fasting pills, and I have a full twenty of them. Enough for me to go one year without eating or drinking and still not feel hunger!"
"Boom—"
Before his words even finished, flames suddenly rose in his palm. In front of everyone's eyes, he burned all the fasting pills into ashes!
"But!
"I will not eat a single one!
"If my brothers starve, then I will starve together with them!"
Chen Sanshi looked at the soldiers of the Hongze Battalion and promised,
"From now on, I will not leave the city wall even one step. I will stay in everyone's sight at all times. If anyone sees me eat even half a pill, then feel free to open the gates and surrender!"
"Commander!"
Feng Yong rushed over in panic, searching through the ashes scattered on the ground.
The Pacification Army's Deputy General never expected the White Robe to do this. He was briefly speechless, but after witnessing it, he hurriedly said,
"Good! Very good! Did you all see that? Chen would rather burn the fasting pills to put on a show than save two more subordinates! Why are you still following someone like this?!"
However,
Before he finished speaking, he realized the situation was not what he imagined.
That Lieutenant General was not heartbroken over the fasting pills being destroyed because he didn't get any. Instead, he lay on the ground and shouted loudly in earnest,
"Commander! Foolish, Commander! Defending the city depends entirely on you. How can you starve together with us?!"
"That's right, Commander!"
"Why care about the enemy's nonsense!"
"If they attack again tomorrow, we'll think of every possible way to grab fasting pills for the Commander!"
"You bunch of bastards, if you've got guts, keep attacking!"
"We'll eat your flesh and sleep on your skins!"
Inside the city, not a single Hongze Battalion soldier turned against the White Robe because he had fasting pills. Instead, seeing their commander starve made them furious, and they cursed the Pacification Army at the top of their lungs.
"You people?!"
The Deputy General could not imagine that the White Robe's position in the Northern Liang army was so unshakable.
"Central Plains brats!"
Feng Yong propped up his body, weakened by hunger, and shouted toward the Central Plains army,
"Our Commander burned all the fasting pills. But the ones above you probably have plenty hidden away, right?
"They're the ones who truly don't care whether you live or die!
"Why not surrender early?
"Come with us and kill our way to the capital!"
After just a few sentences, it was instead the Pacification Army—hungry for days—whose camp began to stir.
"What?!"
Daoist Dao Xuan heard that his 'brilliant plan' had been so easily broken and clicked his tongue.
"He really burned them? Is he an idiot?!"
"A rotten idea!"
Li He scolded. "Now it's our own troops who are getting restless!"
"Your Highness!"
"This is bad!"
A Lieutenant General rushed into the tent in a panic.
"Yunzhou!
"Northern Liang has won a great victory in Yunzhou!
"In at most sixty days, they'll be here!
"Your Highness, we must withdraw!
"The army has no grain. If we don't retreat now, we'll be sealed off and die here!"
"Anyone who speaks of retreat again will be executed on the spot!"
Cao Rong's expression was dark as he spoke decisively.
"I'll say it again. We have no grain, and they have no grain either! On a narrow road, the brave win. This is the moment of decision. Maybe tomorrow, the people inside Hongdu Prefecture will start starving to death. How can we talk about retreat?!
"As for Yunzhou, write to the capital!
"Make them do everything possible to stop the Northern Liang army!"
The capital.
Zhongjue Hall.
Almost at the same time,
News from Yunzhou also reached the Grand Secretariat.
"This is bad!"
Yan Maoxing said in a flustered state,
"Yunzhou has already been broken through. Only the last two passes remain. Once those are taken, Chunqiu Prefecture's retreat will be completely sealed off!"
"What is Ninth Brother doing?!"
The Prince of Qi could not help but shout angrily,
"200,000 troops! They have a full 200,000 troops! And they still can't take down a Hongdu Prefecture defended by only 7,000 people?!"
Several months ago,
They suddenly received news that Chen had crossed mountains and ridges, appearing like 'divine soldiers descending from heaven,' and had seized Hongdu Prefecture in one strike.
At the time, the officials were not overly alarmed. Hongdu Prefecture only had 7,000 men, and its grain supplies were insufficient. Who could have imagined that these 7,000 people would hold off 200,000 troops for a full three months?!
If this continued,
The 200,000 troops at Chunqiu Prefecture would truly face total annihilation.
The Northern Liang army would then merge forces at Hongdu Prefecture, march south through the passes, and press straight toward the capital!
"Prince Qin?"
The Prince of Qin stepped to the side of the crimson-robed official and asked,
"Do you have a strategy to break the enemy?!"
Zhongjue Hall fell silent.
Everyone turned their gaze toward this remnant of the old era.
Minister of War Mu Fengchun leaned on his cane and suddenly spoke,
"Withdraw the army."
"Withdraw?"
The Prince of Qi sucked in a breath.
"Is Elder Mu saying we abandon Chunqiu Prefecture and let the Northern Liang army march south into the Central Plains? Fine. That's still better than letting Ninth Brother's forces be wiped out at Chunqiu Prefecture."
"No."
Mu Fengchun shook his head. His aged voice was hoarse.
"What this old man means is to withdraw the southern armies."
"The south?"
Minister of Personnel Yin Mingchun spoke up.
"Elder Mu, the 300,000 troops in the south have been dealing with Southern Xu all this time. How could they possibly withdraw?"
"Abandon them."
Mu Fengchun's words shocked everyone.
"Give up all eastern prefectures and concentrate all forces in Yunzhou to resist the Northern Liang rebels. Then abandon all southern prefectures as well and gather all troops around the capital as the final line of defense, just in case."
"Elder Mu?!"
The Prince of Qi stared in disbelief, anger even creeping into his voice.
"Does Elder Mu know what he is saying? This is half of the Great Sheng Dynasty's territory! Are we just handing it over to the bandits of Eastern Qing and Southern Xu?!"
"Fighting on four fronts will only lead to collapse on four fronts!"
Mu Fengchun's tone was firm.
"Ninth Prince must understand that what we need to do now is preserve as much strength as possible while buying time until His Majesty emerges from seclusion.
"The threats posed by Xu and Qing are far less severe than the Northern Liang army.
"Therefore, the southern and eastern fronts can fully contract their lines. With only small forces guarding key passes, we can still block Southern Xu and Eastern Qing for at least two years.
"Then we can concentrate our superior forces and deal with the Northern Liang army first. This matter cannot be delayed any longer."
Who could have imagined—
A Great Sheng Dynasty that had stood for over 300 years, once surrounded by enemies on all sides without falling, would now be forced by an internal rebellion from the northern frontier to abandon half its territory!
"Gentlemen, this old man agrees with Elder Mu."
The aged Grand Secretary Yan Liang, supported by two guards, entered Zhongjue Hall.
"We are not abandoning territory, only temporarily losing control of it.
"As long as His Majesty emerges from seclusion, within three to five years we can not only reclaim the lands but also severely cripple the three rival states. Unifying the realm would not be impossible. Therefore, protecting Kunlun Mountain and the capital must come first.
"This is also His Majesty's intention."
An imperial decree!
Upon hearing this,
None of the civil or military officials raised further objections.
"I agree!"
The Prince of Qin seemed to make a decisive choice and slammed the table.
"After abandoning the east and south, we can gather a full 1,500,000 troops. Just those that can rush to Yunzhou will number 300,000!
"The sudden appearance of 300,000 troops will be enough to catch the Northern Liang rebels completely off guard and trap them firmly!
"As long as we wipe out the hundreds of thousands of Northern Liang main forces in Yunzhou, Chen Sanshi's grand Chunqiu dream will be completely shattered!"
"But…"
Yin Mingchun still said worriedly,
"The combat power displayed by the Northern Liang rebels in this southern advance is truly terrifying. Even if we can trap them, it may be difficult to exterminate them in a short time."
"This old man has long been prepared."
Mu Fengchun coughed lightly and raised his hand.
"Immortal Master Wang, please come in."
Wang Jun of Shengyun Sect stepped into the hall. In his hands, he carried a tray covered with white cloth. The shape beneath was round and stained with blood.
"Send word to the Ninth Prince,"
Mu Fengchun pointed his cane at the sand table and said slowly,
"Since Hongdu Prefecture cannot be taken, do not risk further assaults. From now on, adopt a strategy of surrounding without attacking.
"Additionally, do everything possible to cut off contact between Hongdu Prefecture and the Northern Liang army in Yunzhou.
"As long as this can be ensured, and Immortal Master Wang Jun delivers what this old man prepared long ago to the front of the Northern Liang army, the 150,000 troops will be in grave danger and will soon collapse!"
"Cut off contact?"
The Prince of Qi pondered.
"That won't be too difficult. If we can trap the Northern Liang army inside a single city, we can set up an airtight aerial net and ensure that not even a gyrfalcon can get close.
"But Elder Mu, what is the thing you prepared?
"Can we open it and take a look first?"
After receiving silent consent,
The Prince of Qi gently lifted the white cloth and instantly stumbled back, nearly falling to the ground.
On the tray—
Lay a blood-soaked human head.
Chen Sanshi's head!