Just as Zhou Rong was racking his brains over how White Robe would ignite this fire from inside their naval army, an unfamiliar commander, right in front of him, lit a flame on the deck.
The flame, the instant it touched the silver needle, suddenly turned crimson red.
"Buzz!"
In that instant, Zhou Rong felt a buzzing roar in his mind, and the scene before his eyes froze.
Everything that had happened throughout the entire Battle of Chibi began to flash through his head like a lantern show.
From the first clash between the two armies, when the other side unleashed the grand formation Dragon King Sacrifice, forcing their great ships to be unable to advance and leaving them no choice but to link with iron chains; then, working with Sima Yao, they put on a false-surrender flesh-wound ruse to make him lower his guard, when their true aim was to head straight for Fuyu Prefecture to burn the provisions; and then sending troops out through Ziwu Valley to feint at the capital, making everyone think he was making a desperate final gamble, and that he had lost.
But in truth, from beginning to end, Chen Sanshi had only one objective...
That was to do everything possible to transfer the bandit troops from Mangshan Prefecture into the imperial army, and ignite this fire from within the Water-Controlling Grand Array.
If there was no need, then create a need!
If the ships were too scattered to burn cleanly, then churn the river and overturn the sea, forcing you to link with iron chains; if your troops were sufficient, then burn the provisions, forcing you to draw grain from Mangshan Prefecture.
Link after link, it looked complicated, but in fact it was all inevitable!
Because...
Zhou Rong had no choice but to walk down the road White Robe had already laid out for him.
If the ships were not chained together, they simply could not win; if they did not transfer provisions, they simply could not pursue!
He was like an old ox in the fields, being led forward by the nose.
Four Crossings of Hongze!
Zhou Rong naturally knew about the Mingzhou war that made White Robe famous across the world.
In his view, whether it was the later, inevitable trend of ten thousand troops avoiding White Robe, the three thousand breaking ten thousand outside Hulao Pass, or the all-in gamble of Sealing Wolf Juxu; or the counterstrike from desperation in the Guandu battle, the grim defense of Hongdu Prefecture where they ate meat and killed enemies, and then the Qiantang Prefecture moment when the King of Liang entered the formation and plucked off the mask...
Each and every one of these looked grand, and the armies defeated only grew larger and larger.
But to him personally, Four Crossings of Hongze was White Robe's true masterstroke.
This Chibi battle still could not compare!
Yet within it, there was a similar brilliance.
Because it achieved...
Commanding the enemy!
Telling you to link with iron chains and you link with iron chains; telling you to transfer provisions and you transfer provisions. It was completely commanding them!
The buzzing grew even more violent.
Zhou Rong could almost no longer hear anything else around him. He only saw Prince of Qi silently roaring something, and then a large mass of soldiers lunging toward that young officer who held a steel trident and had set the fire.
Liangshan!
This man was the Assistant Commander of the Mangshan Prefecture Command, and the name registered with the court seemed to be Zhang Tao.
When... had they colluded with White Robe?!
Liangshan and Liangzhou.
One in the far north of the Great Sheng Dynasty, one in the far south.
No matter who came, no one would have imagined there could be a connection between them.
One wrong move... and the whole board was lost!
"Young master! Young master, are you all right?!"
The old servant hurried forward to support him, knocking and pressing at his various acupoints.
Only then did Zhou Rong gradually return to the normal world.
"Seize him!"
"Seize him!"
Prince of Qi howled in fury.
One soldier after another rushed toward the arsonist. Yet that young commander merely swung the trident in his hands. As mana flowed, it was as if a sea beast that could swallow the heavens howled past; anyone who dared draw near had their head explode, red and white spraying as they died on the spot.
"Villain, this prince will fight you to the death!"
Prince of Qi was also in the Profound Manifestation realm. He snatched up a long saber and charged. But after only 5 rounds of exchange, his weapon was knocked aside, and he took a kick straight to the chest. He spat a mouthful of blood and flew backward.
One hand clutching his chest and the other pointing at the young commander, he roared in towering rage, "Zhang Tao! The court just conferred on you the title Nation-Guarding General, your future was boundless. Why would you follow rebels and commit such monstrous treason!"
"Your daddy's name is Zhang Shun!"
Zhang Shun glared, shouting, "If taxes in Poyang County had been reduced even a little, how would today's disaster have come to pass!"
"Zhang Shun, Poyang..."
Prince of Qi suddenly understood. "You're also Chen the Hunter's fellow townsman?!"
"Save your breath. Give me your life!"
As Zhang Shun spoke, he raised the trident to strike for the kill.
"Clang--"
At the critical moment, swordlight flashed.
The swordlight in Zhou Rong's hand bloomed like a lotus flower.
As he parried, Zhang Shun shouted loudly, "Zhou Rong, the defeat is already decided, and you still won't accept surrender?!"
"Villain!"
Zhou Rong did not answer. He only unleashed sword moves whose killing intent grew ever more ferocious.
And in the midst of the fight, crimson flames rapidly spread across the deck.
"Your daddy's done playing with you!"
Zhang Shun thrust out the trident sharply. On each steel blade, a waterspout vortex condensed. From afar it looked like a three-headed python formed from floodwaters, nearly impossible to defend against.
Zhou Rong stumbled back several steps.
Seizing the chance, Zhang Shun dove headfirst off the "Feiyun" tower ship, passed through the Water-Controlling Grand Array's water wall, and plunged into the waters of Eastern Han Lake, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Everything happened far too suddenly.
It looked like a fierce slaughter, but it was only a few breaths of time. Yet the crimson flames had already covered more than half the deck, and were still spreading rapidly.
"The Water-Controlling Grand Array, the Water-Controlling Grand Array!!!"
Prince of Qi shouted.
This was the last chance.
The Water-Controlling Grand Array had automatic internal defensive measures.
And they had personally tested it.
Even fire-aspect spells from Qi Refining Perfection cultivators would be easily extinguished by the Water-Controlling Grand Array, which contained spiritual power.
"Buzz!"
The grand array sensed internal destruction. The formation plate began to spin madly on its own, activating defensive methods. On the second-tier water wall, massive waves condensed and slammed onto the deck.
However... it was useless!
"Sizzle, sizzle--"
All the lake water carrying spiritual power, the instant it touched the vast swathes of Strange Flame, was evaporated clean in a flesh-searing "sizzle," turning into blue smoke that spread out. Not only did it fail to extinguish the flames, it instead caused the air temperature on the deck to rise continuously.
One had to know, in theory, a second-tier formation could deal with flames of Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet facing this crimson Strange Flame, it was utterly ineffective!
"Th-this, what kind of fire is this?!"
Even from several meters away, Prince of Qi could already feel a burning pain on his skin.
Almost at the same moment—
Strange Flame… erupted everywhere!
Not only on the central command ship, but on nearly every "Feiyun" and "Gaihai" ship, soldiers from Liangshan set fires.
Across the surface of Eastern Han Lake, crimson-red fire dragons rose one after another into the sky, painting the pitch-black night for over a hundred kilometers around into a blood-red hellscape.
The Water-Controlling Grand Array kept condensing floods to put out the fire, doing useless work. Meanwhile, the Strange Flame devoured one giant warship after another at an unbelievable speed. Under a blaze that could no longer be restrained, the water walls formed by the second-tier formation kept evaporating and thinning. Once the formation core was damaged, it collapsed completely—and then the entire ship was swallowed by roaring fire.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
"Scatter and retreat!"
Prince of Qi was still desperately trying to salvage the situation.
Sadly, it was equally futile.
The warships had long since been linked by iron chains. If only 1 or 2 ships had caught fire, they might still have had time to separate them—but now flames were erupting from every direction. Where was there time to hack through the chains?
What was more, over Eastern Han Lake, the east wind was blowing!
After losing the Water-Controlling Grand Array's protection, Prince of Qi and the others faced that violent east wind head-on, and only then did they truly experience the real might of the Eight-Gate Xunwind Forest-Bone Formation.
So-called forest-bone… meant that the Eight-Gate Xun wind could flay away a person's flesh, leaving only stark white bones!
Gust after gust of Xun wind swept in like blades scraping across their bodies.
Prince of Qi had to grit his teeth and force his injuries down, using protective Gang Qi once more. It felt as though armored soldiers were hiding within the storm itself, swinging swords and sabers at him.
Beside him, a formation grunt was literally "shaved" open by the east wind, a wound torn into his body—then a second, a third—until he was drenched in blood. He could no longer cling to the wooden post and was flung away like a kite with its string cut, flying off into the distance, no one knowing where he fell amid the chaos.
With the formation's defense gone, even the "Feiyun" tower ship was no longer impregnable. Cracks and holes tore open across the hull in great numbers. The sails became tattered, as if sliced to ribbons by sharp blades, and it could no longer advance even a single inch.
As for the medium and small warships—armored ramming warships, skiffs, and the like—many soldiers were blown straight into the air on the spot. Some fell into the depths of the lake, some smashed into the sea of fire…
And the ships themselves—more than a few were simply flipped up by the storm's sweep, only to be yanked by the iron-chain links, left hanging and whipping in midair like kites.
At this moment, the killing power of the Eight-Gate Xunwind Forest-Bone Formation was displayed to the fullest.
And yet… such terrifying might was only a supporting effect.
This east wind was born for the Strange Flame!
With the east wind backflowing, the Jiangnan naval army—when 1 ship caught fire, it dragged several ships with it. Like a dreadful plague, it spread uncontrollably with the gale. Eastern Han Lake, flames erupting everywhere, in the blink of an eye completely became… a sea of fire!
A crimson sea of fire!
"Your Highness!"
"Grand Commander Zhou!"
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan sprang back onto the central command ship. "Retreat, now!"
"Retreat—retreat right now!"
Prince of Qi raised 1 hand over his head to block the wind. Following Nie Yuan, he left the deck and leapt onto the spare skiff tied behind the great ship. With 1 slash, he cut the rope, and at the same time he shouted, "Grand Commander Zhou, you're still not retreating?!"
In the firelight, Zhou Rong gripped the commander's sword and stared motionless at the distant lake surface, where White Robe was still locked in a bitter fight with the Ling family.
"Young master! Go! Go, now!
"As long as the green hills remain, there'll be no fear of lacking firewood!"
The old servant and several soldiers tugged and hauled together, finally dragging him off the central command ship and onto another small boat to retreat.
The moment they left the ship, the Strange Flame had already swallowed over half of the central command ship. Everything it touched—whether timber or formation banners—turned to ash in an instant.
The unbalanced great ship reared backward, carrying the Strange Flame as it sank rapidly. Most of the soldiers aboard had no time to escape; they could only be burned to nothing amid screaming wails.
And this scene kept repeating.
The 400,000-strong Jiangnan naval army—defeat collapsed like a mountain slide!
On the distant lake surface, the Ling family and White Robe clashed again.
Under the scorching True Force impact, Ling Ling's arm had already gone numb. Her light body flew backward nearly 330 meters before she could steady herself, slamming hard into the iron horn spike at the prow of a haigu ship. As the whole ship shattered into pieces, she vomited blood into the lake. When she tried to lift her sword again, she saw that her arm had long since turned to charcoal…
The other 6 members of the Ling family were all grievously wounded as well.
At the same time, they noticed the roaring inferno blazing up behind them.
No one… could come help them anymore!
"From this day on, there will no longer be Eastern Han Lake on the map."
In the minds of the Ling family, those words from about 15 minutes earlier—spoken by White Robe so calmly, as if he were stating something that had already happened—kept echoing again and again.
It was drying up fast!
"Rumble—!"
The east wind raged.
The Strange Flame burned the heavens!
Warship after warship sank beneath the crimson flames. More than 100 "Feiyun" and "Gaihai" tower ships ceased to exist, completely—truly lighting the rivers and lakes ablaze!
Strange Flame.
It only burns everything away; it does not go out.
As long as there is enough fuel, it can keep burning even in water.
The warships' timber is fuel, and the "people" on the warships are fuel too!
The Jiangnan navy has 400,000 bundles of firewood!
On this bleak winter night, east of Chibi, within the lake, an earth-shaking spectacle appeared.
One warship after another, after burning away part of itself, lost balance and began to sink. During the descent to the lakebed it continued burning, the dreadful heat constantly warming and evaporating the water. The entire Eastern Han Lake was like a gigantic cauldron, a great iron pot boiling water.
Under the Eight-Gate Xunwind Forest-Bone Formation, flames sprayed everywhere. Once Jiangnan soldiers were splashed by it, they could no longer escape—either they hacked off a limb, or they could only watch helplessly as the Strange Flame swallowed their bodies.
In the panic, who would think to cut off a limb?
Most people, in extreme terror, threw themselves into the lake one after another—like crimson carp, like blossoming lotus flowers of flame.
400,000 soldiers…
were…
More than 400,000 flame lotus flowers blossomed in grand splendor across the 250-kilometer Eastern Han Lake, forming a cruel yet breathtaking war tableau!
The lake's surface no longer had wind and waves—only rolling, boiling turbulence.
Even if one was not tainted by Strange Flame, if they carelessly fell into the lake water, they would be cooked through in an instant.
On this winter night lake, the crackling of blazing flames, the wails of pained struggle, the thuds of heavy things striking the water, the clash of weapons and armor—truly a purgatory on earth.
On a high mountain by the shore, a lay scholar who happened to be traveling here stood at the cliff's edge. Witnessing this scene, he immediately ordered his page to bring out paper, ink, brush, and inkstone, and began to write and splash ink. Many years later, a painting titled Viewing Fire at Chibi spread throughout the world.
"Senior Sister!"
"We... we might not be able to get away!"
Amid the raging firelight, the Ling family members stood on the scalding water's surface. Knowing it was impossible for anyone to come help them anymore, they already realized what they were about to face.
"Heaven has doomed my Ling family!!!"
Fourth Uncle Ling Qia threw his head back and roared.
They had come from Heavenly Water Isle to Eastern Divine Continent, thinking they would seize the lead without any pressure at all.
Who could have imagined… that their entire clan's strength would be stopped by a fire-element martial cultivator who should have been countered by them.
"All of you of the same clan—why be dejected?!"
The disheveled Senior Sister Ling Ling raised her longsword with a charred arm. The icy killing intent in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest. "Since there is no road to retreat, why not fight to the death!
"Our ancestor still lives, and within the clan there are still the younger generation.
"As long as we kill this scoundrel and hold firm to the ancestral vein, my Ling family can still grow and prosper!"
Their dead end was already set.
But… they absolutely could not let it end like this!
Because White Robe's middle Eight Scenery Gods had already opened 7; only the final step remained before he broke through to the middle stage of the True Force Realm, and that day would not be far away!
So even if they died, they had to grievously injure this man and delay the speed of his breakthrough!
"Glory to my Ling family!"
"Glory to my Ling family!"
On the scorching lake surface, the 7 of the Ling family spoke in unison, then actually slit open the blood vessels of their own throats in perfect unison. The wounds were so deep bone could be seen, yet the blood did not spurt wildly. Instead, like streams of crimson, it flowed into the soft swords in their hands. In an instant, bloodlight blazed, and sword qi surged without end—sharp and terrifying.
All the sword qi ultimately gathered onto Ling Ling alone.
After offering their essence blood, the others completely lost their lives. Like puppets with severed strings, they fell one after another into the lake. Aside from splashing up layers of water, there was no further movement.
Hair disheveled and face burned, Ling Ling let out a hoarse, forceful cold shout. In a crazed state, she raised the blood-colored sword-qi river that had formed from her clansmen's essence blood and pressed down from the high heavens.
On the lake surface,
Chen Sanshi stood in the scalding lake water with eyes closed. He no longer held his spear, but gripped the unsharpened broad saber with both hands. The heavy blade sank into the water as rolling fire-element True Force surged, further intensifying the lake's boiling.
After tens of thousands of fire lotuses bloomed on the lakebed,
this searing Eastern Han Lake displayed a mysterious phenomenon where water and fire merged together. It was no longer merely Gui water that suppressed fire—if the Ling family could draw on its power, Chen Sanshi could as well!
Under the pull of vast True Force, torrents of scalding lake water gathered like molten rock, carrying along Strange Flame that was still burning. In the instant before the blood-colored sword-qi river fell, the unsharpened broad saber suddenly cleaved upward.
Like—a volcano erupting!
"Rumble—!"
Scalding magma and the blood-colored sword-qi river dissolved into each other. Yet magma was endless, while the blood river had limits. After only 2 breaths of stalemate, the sword-qi river that the Ling family's 7 had condensed at the cost of their lives was completely wiped away under the Strange Flame's erosion.
As Ling Ling fell into the lake, she too was tainted by the crimson Strange Flame. Her body quickly became nothing but fuel, burning away completely as it evaporated the lake water.
The Ling family's 7—all slain.
With the Strange Flame's might, Chen Sanshi had achieved it almost effortlessly; only the weapon in his hand, obtained from the Prince of Zhen'nan, had suffered damage to a certain extent.
He came to a small skiff and stood there, staring at the roaring sea of fire before him, knowing that this Battle of Chibi had been declared over.
"Gurgle, gurgle—"
As Eastern Han Lake boiled, it continuously evaporated. The water level, which had surged under unceasing torrential rain, began dropping at a visible rate. Hundreds upon thousands of ships, plus several hundred thousand bundles of fuel, were like a legendary drought fiend descending, madly gnawing away at the lake water until it was consumed completely.
So much so that… the Northern Liang navy did not even need to keep charging forward.
"Stop advancing!"
They controlled the formation and moored in the distance, simply watching the enemy turn to ash, feeling the ships' positions drop lower and lower. Only after more than 70 percent of the enemy ships had burned did they steer small boats into the area to carry out the final harvest.
Almost… without drawing a blade in blood!
The battle lasted until dawn.
This Strange Flame actually evaporated all the water of Eastern Han Lake in just 1 night. Even the lakebed that should have been muddy became dry and cracked; a portion of the Northern Liang navy's warships actually ran aground right where they were!
On the lakebed ground, there were no corpses and no traces of warships left behind—only ash drifting on the wind and large quantities of broken, damaged ice blades, proving that a great battle had once taken place here.
At daybreak, all the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, revealing a bright and clear world.
On the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, in the 77th year of the Longqing Era (old calendar), beneath iron chains linked together, the Northern Liang army burned Chibi with fire; the former dynasty's 400,000-strong naval army was reduced to ash. Strange Flame burned the heavens for 1 full night, until dawn—lake water dried up, earth cracked, as if a drought fiend had passed through. The Luoxiao River diverted its course, and from this day on, there was no longer Eastern Han Lake in the world.
2 days later.
"Everyone!"
"Abandon ships and go ashore!"
"Chase the enemy bandits—leave not 1 alive!"
The Northern Liang army had long since returned to shore. Without pausing even a moment, under the command of the various generals they split into 8 routes, heading for key passes and choke points to intercept the remaining troops of the court.
In a desolate wilderness byway, only a little over 10 mounted remnants remained at the side of Great Sheng's Prince of Qi. Dirty and bedraggled, they crouched in the woods gnawing on dry rations to replenish their strength.
"My 400,000-strong army!"
The injured Prince of Qi wailed, on the verge of tears: "It's gone—it's all gone!"
"Your Highness, there's no need to despair!"
Third Senior Brother Nie Yuan consoled him. "The court still has 1 million troops! As long as we escape back to the capital, we still have a chance to take revenge and wash away this humiliation!"
"Your Highness!"
"Pursuers!"
"Chen Sanshi is here!"
A scout covered in blood stumbled back to report. At once, panic broke out again among the remnants.
"Your Highness, go, Your Highness!"
The soldiers drew their blades one after another, ready to lay down their lives to cover the retreat.
"N-no…"
The ragged Prince of Qi lay on the ground. His pale lips trembled as he forced out a weak voice. "I can't walk anymore. General Nie… you all go. Don't mind me…"
"How can that be allowed?!"
Nie Yuan didn't waste a word. He hoisted the prince onto his back and, gritting his teeth, sprinted madly into the dense forest ahead.
"General Nie."
Prince of Qi coughed up blood. "Put me down. This will only slow you, and maybe none of us will get away."
"How can that be allowed?!"
Nie Yuan fled with all his strength, roaring as he ran, "I, Nie Yuan, am a minister of Great Sheng—how could I abandon the royal bloodline and cling to life in disgrace! Your Highness, say no more. Even if I die today, I, Nie, will die in front of the prince!"
"General Nie!"
Prince of Qi was moved to tears. "If Great Sheng were all like General Nie, how could we have suffered such defeat today?!"
"Stop right there!"
A fierce shout came from behind.
Nie Yuan ran even faster.
Prince of Qi said with difficulty, "General Nie, why does that voice sound familiar to me?"
"Your Highness must have heard wrong!"
As he spoke, Nie Yuan carried the man and leapt straight off a cliff, preparing to take a more rugged path to escape.
And behind them, Zhou Rong was pursuing at full speed with the old servant and a cultivator.
"Why are they running?!"
Qiu Xin looked utterly confused. "Aren't we on the same side?!"
Zhou Rong stared at the direction Nie Yuan had disappeared. How could he not understand now? This man was likely a traitor hidden inside as well!
From the beginning, he had actually harbored suspicions toward this White Robe's senior brother, but after testing him time and again, Nie Yuan's performance had shown no flaws.
For example, the iron chains linking the ships.
Even if Nie Yuan hadn't proposed it, Zhou Rong would still have done it. Later, when Sima Yao almost succeeded with the feigned surrender, this man even spoke up to warn them. No matter how one looked at it, he didn't resemble a traitor.
But now, looking back… it was precisely because of his presence that the wariness in Zhou Rong's heart had been lowered even further!
That man surnamed Nie had been guiding them all along!
And now, deliberately shaking them off only confirmed that thought.
After understanding the final piece, Zhou Rong stopped running. He stood where he was and, so furious he laughed, said nothing else.
What meticulous calculation—what command over the enemy army!
It seemed as though he had driven the other side into desperate straits again and again, yet in truth, the defeat had been fated from the very start.
Even… there had never been any chance of winning at all!
"Thieving heavens, you are too unfair!"
Zhou Rong pointed his sword at the sky. "I, Zhou Rong, possess great talent—place me anywhere and I would be remembered through the ages as a Military Sage! Why? Why did I have to be born on this Eastern Divine Continent?!"
He had lain low at home for more than 10 years, waiting—waiting for a chance to make his name resound across the world.
And when he finally waited until the realm tottered… what he received was a single White Robe!
All the talent in the world, yet nowhere to wield it!
After a furious roar, Zhou Rong feebly tossed away his sword. He laughed at himself coldly, laughing until his tendons were exhausted, and only then let out a long sigh: "Since Heaven gave birth to Rong, why give birth to Shi?!"
"Young master, victory and defeat are common in war—why be so dispirited?!"
The old servant tried to comfort him. "Return to the capital, and we may not be unable to rise again!"
"Yes, Brother Zhou!"
Qiu Xin of Shengyun Sect urged, "Pursuers will be here any moment."
However, no matter what they said,
Zhou Rong only stayed where he stood, refusing to move even half a step.
"His Dao heart is shattered—he's beyond saving!"
Qiu Xin shook his head and stopped meddling. He stepped onto his flying sword to flee, but after moving only a little over 10 meters, a fire dragon rushed straight at his face. The defensive spell he cast collapsed in an instant; he was pierced through the chest and died on the spot.
Chen Sanshi in a white robe rode his White Swan horse. To the unhurried rhythm of hoofbeats, he appeared from the winding path ahead, blocking off the road of retreat.
"Young master, go!"
The Zhou family's old servant rushed forward without hesitation, raising his saber—only to be blown apart by a single arrow.
"Chen Sanshi."
Zhou Rong pointed at him and sneered. "I lost, but you won't win either. While you were entangled with me at Chibi, Shan Liangcheng has already gathered 1 million troops outside the capital. Add in a second-tier formation and the Ling family's ancestor—no matter how capable you are, you won't be able to use it!"
He knew.
In this world, no one could match White Robe in scheming. To defeat this man, there was only 1 path.
That was… to smash it with force!
To force him to face someone stronger head-on, to force him to strike stone with an egg!
"You needn't trouble yourself over that, Young Lord Zhou."
Chen Sanshi looked at Wei Xuan and Cui Zichen hurrying over from afar and gave a calm order: "See Lord Zhou on his way."
A flying sword flashed past.
Zhou Rong's head hit the ground.
Within 5 days.
The aftermath of the Battle of Chibi was finished.
Of the court's 400,000-strong Jiangnan army, a rough estimate put the death toll at more than 300,000. More than 50,000 were captured. At most only 20,000 to 30,000 scattered and fled, vanishing without a trace. The losses in grain, supplies, and equipment were even more countless.
By contrast, the new dynasty's army lost only 15,000 troops and a small number of warships, winning a great victory.
Peizhou Prefecture.
Inside a residence in the city.
The Minister of Works, Fan Shikui, born of an aristocratic family, was plotting major matters with several officials.
"The city will fall at any moment!"
"There is no hope of victory at Chibi!"
"General Zhang Jingwu outside the city has sent a letter. As long as we cut off Ming Qingfeng and Fang Qingyun's heads, then capture Prince of Jin alive and go out of the city to surrender, the court will let bygones be bygones with us!"
"Now it depends on what Brother Shangguan says!"
Most members of the sect clans were fighting at Chibi, but a small portion were here.
Shangguan Haichang was undoubtedly the most senior among them in qualifications and status, and also the only Martial Saint in the city. If they wanted anything done, they could not bypass him.
"Come, let's see what Brother Shangguan says!"
Fan Shikui led the group to the neighboring residence. But after pushing the door open, they saw Shangguan Haichang hugging a wine jar and sleeping heavily. No matter how they shouted, they could not wake him.
"Stop shouting!"
A military officer said, "What he drank was 'Saint-Toppler Drunk.' He won't wake up anytime soon."
This wine was expensive. It could strengthen a Martial Saint's physique, but if one did not circulate their cultivation in time after drinking it, the special medicinal force would make them dead drunk for at least 2 days.
"Honored sirs,"
Shangguan Haichang's personal servant said, "My master has been deeply worried lately. He has gone several days without sleep or rest, so he used wine to drown his sorrows."
"Enough!"
Fan Shikui made up his mind. "The few of us are enough!"
With the Martial Saint absent, their 2 Profound Manifestation experts could resolve everything with thunderbolt speed.
They could not delay any longer.
With each extra day, their surrender would become less and less valuable.
The group hurried off in a rush, heading straight for the largest manor in the city.
After they left, Shangguan Haichang suddenly opened his eyes. His expression was clear and sharp. There was not the slightest trace of drunkenness.
He said to his servant, "Go keep watch. Tell me at once if anything happens!"
"Yes!"
The servant accepted the order and left.
"These people are in too much of a hurry!"
Shangguan Haichang narrowed his eyes.
It was true that Chibi's defeat was already decided.
But Chen Sanshi and Cui Zichen and the others might not necessarily die!
Rebelling in such haste would very likely invite retaliation!
And when that happened, who would protect them?
Therefore, Shangguan Haichang chose to play dumb.
If it succeeded, then as the head among the sect clans, he would naturally count as having submitted as well. And if the people from Seeking Immortals Tower and Guiyuan Sect came back for revenge, that revenge would not fall on him.
Inside the temporary traveling palace.
The Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan and the civil and military officials had long been trapped here. Their provisions had been cut off 3 days ago. The pursuers all around were closing in with a final tightening encirclement. From the city walls, one could even see the enemy banners waving in the distance.
Cao Huan slumped in a deer-antler chair, his heart ashen.
The ministers' faces were also grim.
By timing, the battle at Chibi should have already been declared over.
As for the result... it went without saying!
"I swore to rule for the common people of the realm, to uphold the altars of state, to restore the Great Sheng in its flourishing glory. How did I fall to such a state?!"
In just a few days, the Zhengtong Emperor Cao Huan's already graying hair had turned completely into frost-white snow. His face looked as though it had aged 10 years, worn and battered, full of worry - it could only be described as one foot in the grave.
Minister of War Ming Qingfeng paced back and forth anxiously in the courtyard, waiting for the final news.
"Bang!"
The courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.
Fan Shikui led a group of crimson-robed officials, swords and sabers in hand, barging in!
"Fan Shikui?!"
Minister of War Ming Qingfeng's eyes bulged with fury. "What do you think you're doing?!"
Fan Shikui said expressionlessly, "This place is not safe. Escort His Majesty out of the city."
"You're staging a mutiny?!"
As Ming Qingfeng cursed, he grabbed an Azure Dragon Crescent Blade from the weapon rack in the courtyard, then led several palace guards in the yard as he charged up and fought.
The sounds of fighting quickly drew Cao Huan out, and he was shocked pale.
Outnumbered, Ming Qingfeng was soon badly wounded and fell to the ground.
"How dare rebels cause trouble!"
At this critical moment, the Master of Seeking Immortals Tower, Cui Zichen, arrived through the air with Prince of Yan Cao Zhi. With a single sword strike, he severed Fan Shikui's arm. Fan Shikui collapsed to the ground, writhing and wailing in agony.
The rest were so frightened they threw down their weapons and fled on the spot, only to be blocked by 2 other cultivators from Guiyuan Sect.
"Immortal Master Cui! Twelfth Brother!"
Cao Huan hurried forward to greet them, his voice trembling. "G-good, good! Thank heavens you returned alive! What about Minister Chen? Is he still alive? Are we fleeing to Northern Liang next?"
"How many troops are left?!"
Minister of War Ming Qingfeng struggled up in a sorry state and said in grief, "Could it be the entire army really was wiped out?"
"What are you talking about?"
Cui Zichen frowned. "A few days ago, Chen Sanshi burned Chibi with fire and shattered the enemy. The 400,000-strong Jiangnan navy has been completely wiped out."
Completely wiped out!
"Drove back the enemy?!"
Cao Huan jolted.
The capital.
Zhongjue Hall.
"That Hunter Chen only knows these petty tricks!"
Prince of Qin, acting as regent, said coldly. "Marching out through Ziwu Valley—sounds frightening, but in the end he still scurried back to Chibi to die, didn't he!"
"This brat truly deserves to be killed!"
Minister of Revenue Tian Guang spat a curse. "Right before defeat, he even burned an enormous amount of our army's grain!"
The Left Vice Minister of War stared at the sand table and said, "After Chibi ends, Chen Sanshi may not die. This humble minister believes the Ling family's old ancestor and Immortal Master Shan Liangcheng should both personally go to pursue and kill him."
"Counting the days,"
Yan Maoxing stroked his beard. "The battle report from Chibi should be back by now, shouldn't it?"
As everyone waited full of anticipation, movement finally came from outside.
"Prince of Qi!"
"His Highness the Prince of Qi is back!"
Hearing this, everyone crowded outside the hall.
They saw a cultivator driving a flying boat, carrying 2 people as it rapidly approached—none other than the Prince of Qi and Nie Yuan.
But the state of the 2 was completely different from what they had imagined.
Not only were they both in utter disarray, the Prince of Qi was also grievously wounded, his face bloodless, looking like a man on the verge of death.
At this sight, everyone present froze where they stood. Their hearts sank with a hard thud, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them from head to toe. They knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Outside the hall, a deathly silence fell.
For a long while, no one dared to speak. No one dared to take on this earth-shattering bad news—as though if everyone stayed silent, it would mean the thing had never happened.
How could...
How could Chibi lose?!
The civil and military officials looked at one another in silence.
Not long ago, the reports had stated clearly that the 200,000 rebel troops had been driven entirely into Donghan Lake, with even their retreat sealed off. There was no way they could have any strength left to resist!
How could it be, in the blink of an eye... that the Prince of Qi and General Nie Yuan returned like this?
For everyone here, this news was nothing less than the world turning upside down!
In the palace square, no one even moved to attend to the badly wounded Prince of Qi or the ash-smeared Nie Yuan. They simply stood there, hesitating for about 7 minutes, not daring to ask.
In the end, Prince of Qin gathered his courage and asked first, "Eighth Brother, did they get away?"
He still refused to believe that, with a second-tier formation and with someone able to restrain Chen Sanshi, the court's elite navy could truly suffer a crushing defeat.
So he clung to a shred of hope.
Could it be only a minor loss—Chen Sanshi simply led his men in escaping?
If so, for them, it could even be considered a good thing.
As long as they were kept from reaching the capital, anything could be negotiated.
However...
"Fourth Brother!"
The Prince of Qi lay on the ground and burst into grief-stricken wailing. "It's over, it's all over! 400,000 troops—burned clean by a single fire!"
"Your Highness! This subordinate is incompetent!"
Nie Yuan dropped to his knees with a thud. "The army has been completely wiped out, all warships burned to nothing. Old General Yan Hongyuan died in battle, Old General Zeng Ren is missing. The Ling family's martial cultivators all died in battle, and... and Young Lord Zhou, I fear, is also more likely than not dead or doomed!"
Completely wiped out!
At this moment, the hearts that the civil and military officials had been holding up were struck down with a thunderous blow.
"How could it be, how could it be?!"
Prince of Qin spun in place while repeatedly slapping the back of his own hand. "Weren't we one last push away from wiping them out completely? Even if we didn't win, it shouldn't have ended in total annihilation!"
"Your Highness! It was the Liangshan bandits!"
Only then did Nie Yuan explain in detail how the defeat happened.
"Ah!!!"
In a fury, Prince of Qin punched a stone pillar in the square until it collapsed. "Rebels—every last one of them! When did that Hunter Chen ever collude with those people?!"
"So Chen Sanshi marching out through Ziwu Valley was a smokescreen. His real goal was to burn up the grain and force us to requisition supplies from Mangshan Prefecture, thereby luring wolves into our own house?!"
The officials felt a chill crawl up their spines.
Because when they thought back carefully, it seemed that although they looked to be winning everywhere, they had already lost from the very beginning!
This war... how were they supposed to fight it?!
"This is bad!"
"Chen Sanshi is going to strike the capital!"
After Chibi's defeat, more than half the realm would fall into rebel hands.
The true court would be left with only the 3 surrounding prefectures centered on the capital—barely a single corner of land!
And the rebels' supply routes and official roads would be completely opened through.
Next, Chen Sanshi would lead the rebel army straight toward the capital.
The Fei River!
It was the court's last line of defense!
If the enemy crossed the Fei River, and they lost again—then the court would have no terrain left to defend, no troops left to mobilize.
The Great Sheng Dynasty would... be destroyed!
From the uprising in Liangzhou until now, less than 2 years had passed!
Yet it had gone from the court suppressing a rebellion to becoming a defense of the capital itself!
At once, the air in the capital turned heavy.
Almost everyone felt as if they could not breathe.
"Where is Immortal Master Shan Liangcheng?!"
"Quick!"
"Quickly invite the Immortal Master here!"
"From today onward, no official is permitted to return home!"
"Discuss strategies to break the enemy day and night!"
"Until the great battle ends!"
This was...
the final battle!
The 300-year national fortune of Great Sheng had reached its last moment of life and death!