Liangzhou.
"Eunuch Hou, Inspector-General Pei—while this Marquis marches east to Mingzhou, the Liangzhou troops are in your hands. You must keep a close watch over the Great Wall. If the barbarian hordes make any move, abandon the outer defenses and retreat to the city. Hold fast within Liangzhou, and do not engage rashly."
Marquis Lü Ji, as imposing as a mountain, sat tall atop his fiery warhorse as he issued his orders to the remaining officials.
"General Lü, rest assured."
Pei Tiannan replied firmly, "Leave the northern frontier to me. There will be no mistakes."
"Senior Brother!"
"Buqi?"
Lü Ji turned to see the young master galloping toward him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm coming too."
Sun Buqi held up his long spear proudly. "I've completed the Tempering Bone stage! I can help."
"No."
Lü Ji rejected flatly. "You and Junior Sister stay in Liangzhou. You won't be of use on this campaign."
"Wait!"
Sun Buqi pressed, "Senior Brother, tell me the truth. What's going on in Mingzhou? Why are you sending more troops again? Did something happen?"
"Dong An."
Without turning back, Lü Ji spurred his Fangtian halberd-bearing horse forward. "He's rebelled."
Dong An's rebellion!
Such high-level intelligence wasn't known to anyone else.
Sun Buqi felt as though lightning had struck him. "Sister… my brother-in-law…"
Not far away, Sun Li sat silently on horseback, not approaching Lü Ji to speak.
"The map!"
Sun Buqi quickly spread one out. "If Dong An's turned traitor, doesn't that mean all of Mingzhou is finished? Sister, what do we do?"
"Second Senior Brother already sent word. They've dispatched people over."
Sun Li bit her lip so hard it nearly bled. "Don't tell Sister Lan. Understand?"
"You're still worrying about that? Sanshi's doomed—doomed! Not just him, the entire Mingzhou is finished! You stay here. I'm going back to see if I can reach Father!"
Sun Li said nothing, quietly turning her horse toward the Chen residence.
"Sister."
Gu Xinlan, her belly heavy with pregnancy, stood at the doorway to greet her. "How did it go?"
"All good."
Sun Li dismounted, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "They won. My little nephew will definitely meet his father before he's born."
"That's good."
Gu Xinlan took her hand gently. "Come, I'll teach you how to make clothes for the baby."
"Oh… okay."
…
Yanzhou.
"Second Brother!"
Rong Yanqiu caught up to Cheng Wei. "Any word?"
"Yes."
Cheng Wei released his gyrfalcon into the sky. "Our little junior is still alive—but things aren't looking good. Over 100,000 troops are surrounding them. I doubt they can hold out much longer."
Rong Yanqiu's eyes went cold. "That bastard Dong… he's obsessed. Our Fourth Brother became his heart demon. To defeat him, he's willing to betray his own people. If I ever catch him, I'll make him regret it."
"Aiya~"
Cheng Wei wasn't listening. He was focused on the abacus in his hand. "We're doomed, doomed!"
"Doomed? What nonsense!"
Rong Yanqiu snapped. "Within twenty days, we'll break into Mingzhou!"
"Not possible," Cheng Wei said, flicking the beads. "At least forty days. Western Qi's placed heavy forces along the southern routes, and Mingzhou's supply lines are still flowing strong. We can't take it quickly.
"This war favors Western Qi completely. They fight on our land, our people die, and they eat our food stocks. It's pure profit for them—no loss at all."
"Forty days is too long!"
Rong Yanqiu glared. "You're always the clever one. Think of a way to push through in thirty days!"
"I'm no immortal. Even if Fourth Brother were here, it'd be the same!"
Cheng Wei sighed, setting down the abacus. "Unless the central region is left undefended—and someone burns their grain depot in Jinquan Prefecture. Without those supplies, Western Qi's internal transport would take two months to reach the front.
"Once their grain is cut off, they'll have to retreat. Only then will we have a chance to strike."
He looked at Rong Yanqiu. "But tell me—who could do that now? Zhao Wuji is barely hanging on. Sha Wenlong's trapped in Yangchun Prefecture. And our junior? He crossed the Hongze River heading south. Who's left to go?"
…
"Enemy troops!"
"Enemy troops incoming!"
Outside Jinquan Prefecture.
The rebel soldiers escorting grain wagons looked up in panic at the sudden clouds of dust on the horizon. They had no idea where the attackers came from—and they were cavalry!
"Kill—!"
Before they could even react, the cavalry had already crashed into them like a thunderstorm. The 2,000 rebels collapsed in an instant, abandoning their wagons and fleeing in terror. The laborers scattered like frightened birds.
"Burn it all! Burn everything!"
Chen Sanshi shouted the order. "Then march to Jinquan Prefecture!"
"Got it! Move! Do as Captain Chen says!"
Yu Song could hardly believe how easily victory came.
Even Xie Sishu and Lu Shuhua were stunned.
They couldn't understand how Chen Sanshi had predicted the enemy's movements so precisely—how he'd managed to navigate through countless dead ends to find this single thread of survival.
"There's someone ahead!"
Lu Shuhua pointed toward the forest ahead. "Brothers, pursue them!"
"Don't attack! It's me, it's me!"
The men froze.
The figures emerging from the trees wore Red Brows Army uniforms—but they were clearly not enemies. There were barely twenty of them, all gaunt and filthy, skin clinging to bone, looking like they might collapse from a single gust of wind.
"Brother Chen! It's me!"
"Yan Changqing?"
Chen Sanshi recognized him at once. "Why are you here?"
"Brother Chen, you wouldn't believe it," Yan Changqing gasped. "During the battle, we were scattered here. I led a few brothers into the old forests. We've been living like wild men for months—finally, finally, you've come! So what's the situation now? Have you turned the tide? Are we counterattacking?"
Not everyone had the luxury of using gyrfalcons for communication.
For these soldiers, the battlefield was like walking blindfolded.
Xie Sishu quickly summarized the situation.
"What?"
Yan Changqing thought he'd misheard. "You only have about 3,000 men left? General Sha and the Crown Prince's heir are trapped elsewhere? And you still came here to burn their grain supply? You've got some nerve!"
"No time to explain."
Chen Sanshi's tone was firm. "Brother Yan, do you know the current situation in Jinquan Prefecture?"
Yan Changqing had been moving through this region for months, constantly on the run. He knew the area well enough to give a quick assessment. "The city's defenses are thin! Aside from the 2,000 men guarding the supply lines, there should be another 2,000 inside Jinquan Prefecture itself. From what I know, the commanding general has reached Minor Achievement in Meridian-Connecting, and his deputy is at the peak of Transforming Strength, close to breaking through to Meridian-Connecting. Now that their grain convoy's been raided, they'll definitely come out to retaliate soon!"
"Another 2,000, huh…"
Chen Sanshi frowned slightly. It seemed there was no way around a hard battle this time.
War wasn't a game. He couldn't expect to know the enemy's exact strength down to the man. A discrepancy of 2,000 troops was nothing significant. Estimation was all one could rely on.
"Sir!"
A scout came galloping in. "Enemy troops from Jinquan Prefecture are marching out!"
"They're fast!"
Yu Song's voice was steady. "Quick, burn the grain stores first! Once they're gone, form up in defensive ranks and face them head-on. They've got fewer men than we do—if we fight patiently, we'll break them soon enough."
"No!"
Chen Sanshi interrupted sharply. "Lieutenant General Yu, we need to deploy the 'Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation' and charge straight through them!"
"Captain Chen," Yu Song shot him a surprised look. "You've always been the cautious one. Why rush into a head-on brawl now? If we charge recklessly, we'll lose our numerical advantage and risk total collapse!"
"The art of war," Chen Sanshi said firmly, "is built on deception!
"Besides, Lieutenant General Yu, don't forget—we might still have large enemy forces pursuing us from the eastern bank. And north of the Wushui River is the main camp of the Red Brows Army. There could already be reinforcements crossing even as we speak.
"If we linger here too long, we'll end up surrounded on three sides by tens of thousands!
"So, yes, it's risky—but we have to take this risk now.
"And our goal isn't to slaughter them—it's to break them! Once the battle starts, you, I, Brother Lu, Brother Xie, and Brother Yan will go straight for the enemy's commanding officers. Kill the general and deputy, and their men will lose all will to fight!
"The only question is—Lieutenant General Yu, can you handle a commander at Minor Achievement in Meridian-Connecting?"
"He's one small realm above me…"
Yu Song gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes hardening. "No problem. I'll take his head even if it costs me my life!"
"Good!"
Chen Sanshi tugged hard on his reins, his warhorse snorting under him. "The one at the peak of Transforming Strength is mine!"
"You?" Yu Song blinked.
"I've reached Transforming Strength," Chen Sanshi replied simply. He didn't elaborate—after everything they'd been through in Mingzhou, his breakthrough was hardly surprising.
"Brothers—listen up!"
Yu Song's voice thundered across the ranks, his qi and blood surging to carry his words far and wide. "Follow me! Push forward with all you've got! Once we win this battle, we'll link up with General Zhao's troops and capture Wutong Prefecture in one strike! There's food and shelter there. Once we take it, we'll rally the people to defend with us. We can hold out until reinforcements arrive!
"So fight—fight like your lives depend on it!"
"Fight!"
"Kill the traitors! Take Wutong Prefecture!"
"Kill the traitors! Take Wutong Prefecture!"
Their shouts rolled like thunder.
When the men heard that victory meant survival, their morale exploded.
Chen Sanshi didn't tell them his true plan.
People needed short-term goals to drive them—this was "thirsting for plums to quench thirst." If he told them they'd still have a long, grueling road ahead, half of them would lose hope immediately.
They were exhausted.
Months in Mingzhou without a single full night's sleep or a hot meal—any ordinary man would have collapsed already. They were running purely on willpower. If that fire went out, even the toughest elite soldiers would crumble.
And this was still within one province, with intermittent supplies.
…
"General Feng, the Reserve Camp remnants are ahead!"
Deputy Commander Xu Kai saluted. "But I'm afraid the grain supplies are already lost!"
"Damn it all!"
General Feng cursed bitterly. He'd only just received word that a force might raid the supply line from the east, so he'd ridden out fast to intercept. "How the hell did they get here so quickly?!
"Pass my order—when we locate the enemy, form up twenty li ahead and hold position! Don't engage unless necessary! Our job is to delay them until reinforcements arrive—then we'll trap them like turtles in a jar!"
However—
When they finished forming up, they were stunned to see that the enemy had no intention of holding formation.
Instead, they'd assembled into a shock-charge wedge and were thundering forward in full assault, their war cries shaking the heavens.
"They're insane!"
"…"
"Chariot Suspension Formation!"
The main force deployed the Heaven and Earth Three Talents Formation, while their frontline commanders grouped tightly into the Chariot Suspension Formation—a spearpoint designed to ram straight through enemy lines.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!"
From horseback, Chen Sanshi loosed a storm of arrows even before the melee began, felling nearly a hundred men in rapid succession. Only when the enemy brought up heavy black-iron shields did he switch weapons.
The Dragon Spear of Nation-Suppression gleamed like molten gold under the sun, its strikes crashing with mountain-breaking force. The first swing shattered the wall of shields; the second pierced through an enemy's chest and flung his corpse into his comrades, scattering them like straw.
"The enemy commander's to the northwest—follow me!"
Among the chaotic swirl of qi, Chen Sanshi quickly locked onto the two strongest auras. He charged toward the deputy general like a blazing comet, his spear stabbing and sweeping without pause—each thrust cutting down another man.
Blades slashed at him from behind and the sides, but anyone below the Tempering Organ stage couldn't even scratch him. Blades rang against the interlocking black-steel scales of his armor, sparks flying like hammer on anvil.
Occasionally, a strike would land at the exposed gaps around his neck or underarm—but his Vajra Body tremored with a metallic hum, absorbing the blows without breaking.
To high-level cultivators, it was clear he bore a unique constitution. But to the ordinary rebel soldiers, the sight was terrifying—a living war god descended from the heavens, impervious to blade or spear. Their morale shattered instantly.
These rebels were Dong An's men. They lacked the strange, invigorating "qi" that the true armies of Great Sheng possessed. Under the protection of the Chariot Suspension wedge, Chen Sanshi smashed through like a storm, straight toward the enemy's command tent.
By the time he reached the enemy generals, few were left behind him.
After all, this was the charge formation—meant for breaking through, not survival.
Lu Shuhua, Xie Sishu, even Yan Changqing and the others had been pinned down in brutal fights midway through the charge.
They were all Tempering Organ martial artists—but so were the enemy's elites.
Now, only Chen Sanshi and Yu Song remained charging ahead through the storm of blood and steel.
"Traitor—die!"
Yu Song roared and clashed directly with the enemy's main commander.
At the same time, Chen Sanshi leveled his spear and charged at the deputy general.
Xu Kai gripped his heavy mo-dao, its massive weight humming through the air. In a moment of panic, he swung downward, the blade crashing against the Five Tiger Soul-Breaking Spear. The strike rang out sharp and clear, metal crying against metal. His panic faded—his footing steadied.
The young commander before him clearly couldn't maintain his Internal Force for long. The qi imbued into his mystic weapon flickered and wavered. That meant he was only at Mastery in Transforming Strength, while Xu Kai himself had reached Perfection. In another two years, he would break into the Meridian-Connecting realm.
"So that's all you are—a reckless brute! Die!"
Xu Kai no longer felt any fear. He swung the mo-dao with full strength, shouting,
"All units—forward! Protect Sanshi! Give him space to fight one-on-one!"
Wang Zhi's hoarse command tore through the din. "Shield Chen Sanshi! Don't let anyone interfere!"
Crossing two full major realms already placed Chen Sanshi at a disadvantage. If even a few Tempering Organ or early Transforming Strength cultivators joined in, the fight would spiral out of control.
"Kill!"
The men of Poyang County roared like madmen, bloodlust igniting in their eyes.
"…"
"Boom—!"
Xu Kai's mo-dao came crashing down once more.
Around the weapon's blade shimmered an invisible sheath of force—something only a cultivator at Transforming Strength Perfection could produce. It wasn't just Internal Force infused into the weapon but externalized qi, forming a second cutting edge layered atop the first.
The Five Tiger Soul-Breaking Spear met that energy first, cutting through the qi before its tip clashed with the steel itself. By then, much of its power had been dispersed. For most martial artists, a duel between Transforming Strength Mastery and Perfection ended in death within ten exchanges.
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Several rounds passed.
Xu Kai's grin widened. The young man's Internal Force reinforcement flickered out completely—clearly drained dry. That meant he'd only recently entered Transforming Strength Mastery, weaker than expected.
What astonished him, though, was the sheer physical might of this opponent. Even without Internal Force, he still blocked over a dozen strikes head-on with raw strength alone. But that was surely his limit.
Murderous intent burned in Xu Kai's eyes. His blade work grew more ferocious, each swing sharper and faster, his techniques turning brutal and precise—every move a killing strike.
As expected—
The enemy general began to falter.
By the nineteenth exchange, the young commander suddenly reined his horse around, spear trailing behind him as he tried to retreat toward his lines.
His Internal Force and blood qi were both exhausted. He was trying to live.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Xu Kai bellowed and spurred his horse forward.
The white steed ahead wasn't fast—he closed the distance quickly.
Thirty steps!
Twenty!
Ten!
Finally—five!
"Ahhhh—!"
Xu Kai roared like a beast, raising his mo-dao high. A surge of qi gathered along the blade as he swung, ready to cleave his foe clean in half from behind.
"Humm—"
But at that exact instant—
The fleeing rider suddenly twisted his body backward in an impossible contortion. His spear flashed up from below like lightning.
Under the blazing sun, it was as if a dragon of the nation itself erupted from the heavens—its power shaking the sky, its might splitting mountains. The force of it stunned Xu Kai for half a heartbeat.
A return strike from horseback—a turn-back spear!
And not an ordinary one.
That technique… that wasn't the work of a common soldier!
Someone in the Reserve Camp who used a spear like that…
"This man—it's Chen Sanshi!"
As a core officer under Dong An's command, Xu Kai knew of Liangzhou's elite selection troops.
The kid had been holding back all along!
His retreat had been bait, luring the prey in, waiting for this perfect counterattack.
'Clever bastard,' Xu Kai thought, a cold admiration flickering for a moment. 'No wonder he was the one bold enough to lead men here to burn our supplies. A man of true talent.'
But then he sneered.
'Pity… he's going to die.'
Xu Kai's smirk hardened.
He was at Transforming Strength Perfection. As long as he blocked this desperate strike, taking the boy's head would be child's play.
And it wasn't just any soldier—this was the handpicked disciple of Sun Xiangzong, the foremost of the Liangzhou elites!
Killing him would be a monumental merit.
Wealth, silver, and future cultivation resources—all within reach.
"Die!"
"Boom—!"
Xu Kai unleashed all his power. Blood and qi surged madly through his veins. His mo-dao, wrapped in terrifying Internal Force, twisted through the air as he brought it down to meet the spear.
But—
The easy victory he imagined never came.
Instead, a monstrous power exploded through the spearhead. Xu Kai's arms went numb instantly, his muscles spasming as a quake of pain rippled through his body.
He hadn't been ready. His mo-dao was ripped clean from his hands, spinning high into the air.
That power—!
He couldn't even extend his qi beyond the weapon, yet the sheer impact of that thrust had surpassed his own.
'Impossible… this is impossible!'
Panic crept into Xu Kai's eyes. He reached desperately upward, trying to grab his falling blade.
"Clang!"
A crisp, shattering sound rang out.
The mo-dao was struck midair, deflected once again by the spear. It spun violently, flying dozens of paces before falling—and embedded itself in the chest of one of Xu Kai's own soldiers.
"Puchi—!"
Blood sprayed high into the air.
Before Xu Kai could comprehend what had happened, a streak of golden light pierced straight through his chest. His ribs and heart were ground into pulp, and he toppled stiffly from his horse, eyes wide open even in death.
Force Accumulation.
Chen Sanshi had been charging this blow from the very beginning. It turned out that once he fully accumulated his strength, his strike could overpower even an average cultivator at Major Achievement in Transforming Strength. If he seized the right moment, it could deliver a clean, fatal kill.
Of course, if one strike failed, he could always build up power again—it would just take time.
On the other side of the battlefield, Yu Song, covered in blood, managed to slay the enemy's main commander at the cost of heavy injuries.
With both the main and deputy generals dead—and with Lu Shuhua and the others taking the heads of several mid-ranked officers—the rebel army lost its core of command. Their formations shattered instantly. Soldiers scattered like frightened beasts, fleeing in all directions.
"Transforming Strength—Major Achievement…"
Yu Song slumped forward over his saddle, barely able to sit upright. Blood spilled from his mouth in thick gouts before he finally steadied himself.
Crossing realms in battle—it really wasn't something humans were meant to do.
When he turned and saw the enemy deputy's severed head hanging from Chen Sanshi's spear, the sight hit him like a hammer.
A cultivator at Major Achievement in Transforming Strength… killed just like that?
Not only had Chen Sanshi moved faster than him, he was completely unscathed. Crossing two realms and killing without injury!
The gap between levels within the same realm was vast. Just between Mastery and Major Achievement, the difference was like a canyon—let alone crossing from Minor Achievement up two whole steps.
Still, Yu Song thought, this shouldn't be too surprising.
This kid had been like this since the Elite Selection.
Back then, he'd defeated prodigies like Cao Fan—fights that were much harder than this one.
Lu Shuhua, Xie Sishu, and the others had seen it too.
Before leaving Liangzhou, they had all still been at Tempering Organ Perfection.
Now, somehow, this kid was already killing Major Achievement Transforming Strength cultivators. One more step, and he'd probably start killing those in the Meridian-Connecting Realm!
"Don't linger!"
Chen Sanshi shouted to the troops, his voice cutting across the battlefield. "Move out—head to Jinquan Prefecture for resupply! Fast!"
The fight had been quick, the enemy collapse even quicker. Their own losses were fewer than 200 men. Their formations remained intact; they didn't even need to reorganize. The army turned immediately and charged south toward Jinquan Prefecture.
"Sir," Zhao Kang rode up beside him. "Why haven't Old Xu and Hundred-Commander Officer Bai's units returned yet?"
"They should be on their way. You go on ahead."
Chen Sanshi rode east for another twenty li before spotting Xu Wencai and Bai Tingzhi returning with their units. To his surprise, though they had taken some losses, it wasn't severe. Out of 900 men who'd staged the diversion, over 800 had made it back.
"Lazy bastard, you really pulled it off!"
Zhu Tong grinned widely, his earlier doubt gone. "Those fools at Luotian Pass got played like children!"
Xu Wencai didn't share his cheer. He staggered off his horse, saluting stiffly. "Sir, the pursuing forces from the rear will catch up in about ten days."
"Not just them."
Chen Sanshi pointed his spear southward. "Meishan Prefecture's likely sending troops across the river too. They'll arrive within seven days at most. Let's go—we'll hit Jinquan Prefecture first. The men are exhausted. They need at least a little rest."
…
Yangchun Prefecture.
"The south wall's collapsing! Get men there, now!"
"Arrows! We're out of arrows!"
"Move faster!"
"What about the boulders and logs?!"
"Gone!"
"If there's nothing left, tear down the houses! Rip apart every home in the city if you must! Even the dogs—drag them to the walls to fight!"
"General!"
"There's no grain left for the soldiers! And that damned Dong An outside the city keeps spreading surrender leaflets! They say if we yield, no citizens will be harmed, and all taxes will be canceled. Now the townsfolk refuse to help defend!"
"Then kill them! Kill until they obey!"
Sha Wenlong's broadsword was chipped along the edge. His armor had been replaced from a mystic-iron cuirass to common steel. Even he could barely sit upright. He slumped down, grabbed a chunk of horse meat, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The city's food stores were almost gone.
They'd already begun slaughtering warhorses just to survive.
Their numbers were shrinking fast.
When they'd first retreated into the city, there had been 18,000 soldiers. Now, barely 10,000 remained.
"General Sha," Cao Fan approached. "How bad is it?"
Sha Wenlong exhaled. "Not good. The Yanzhou Army's almost reached the south—they'll clash with Western Qi's main forces soon. But it'll still take at least one month to break through Mingzhou, and even longer to send reinforcements here.
"General Lü's coming too. He plans to force a path through Jianmen Gorge."
"Jianmen Gorge… that's the hardest route into Mingzhou."
Cao Fan sighed softly. "He really is unmatched—one of a kind in all history."
Each of the Eight Major Camps' generals had their own defining trait.
Lü Ji's was simple—invincible courage.
There was a saying across the empire: Lü's divine bravery, unmatched through the ages.
But no matter how brave, even he needed time to break through.
As for the Imperial Army marching from the Great Wilderness, they'd be the last to arrive—no question.
For Sha Wenlong and his men, time itself was life. But all they could do was keep holding on.
"And Chen Sanshi's forces?"
"No word."
Sha Wenlong sneered. "Most likely dead on the eastern bank by now."
"Good," Cao Fan laughed bitterly. "If they're dead, then we can finally stop worrying."
That might be the only small comfort left in their desperate situation.
Two more days passed.
On the third day—
The enemy siege outside suddenly stopped.
"What's going on?"
Sha Wenlong frowned. "Don't tell me reinforcements have arrived?"
"Report—!"
The scouts returned with their report.
Out of 20 sent out, only two or three came back each time.
One scout, eyes bright with excitement, rushed forward and said, "General Sha, the rebels outside the city lost their grain supply three days ago! They've been forced to halt their offensive and have sent men northwest to fetch new provisions. Their numbers outside the city have dropped by a third!"
Grain logistics were always calculated in advance.
Before one shipment was used up, the next had to arrive—any gap would break the supply chain. That was why the saying existed: 'Before the troops march, the grain must move first.'
Now that the rebels were hungry, morale began to crumble. If they forced another siege in this state, the losses could be disastrous.
"Good! Excellent!"
Cao Fan's eyes lit up. "Could this be a great victory in the northwest? Did the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger Camps break through? Wait… if they're still pulling supplies from the northwest, then that can't be it. Could it be Jianmen Gorge? Impossible—they couldn't have moved that fast."
"It is strange," Sha Wenlong muttered, staring at the map. "Mingzhou has two main granaries—a large one in Jinquan Prefecture, and a smaller one northwest in Mingdi Prefecture. The smaller one barely holds enough to last for a short time."
He tapped the map, frowning. "By logic, the rebels besieging us should be supplied from Jinquan Prefecture. Why go northwest for grain? Unless… Jinquan's supply route was cut off?"
"Impossible! That area shouldn't have any of our forces at all!"
"General Zhao!"
Cao Fan's eyes widened suddenly. "General Sha, could it be that General Zhao launched a surprise move near Wutong Prefecture—defeated his pursuers—and then circled back to strike Jinquan Prefecture?"
"That's… the only possibility."
Sha Wenlong nodded slowly. "If that's the case, then General Zhao has earned enormous merit. Once Jinquan Prefecture's supplies are burned, Mingdi's stores won't be nearly enough to sustain the Red Brows Army, the rebels, and the Western Qi troops at once. They might hold steady for a while, but if they want to keep fighting, they'll have to haul grain from beyond the Great Wall. The cost will skyrocket, and that'll shift the entire balance of the war!"
A sharp cry split the sky—
"Chiuu—!"
From the fiery dusk above, a gyrfalcon swooped down.
"Your Highness, look—it's Chen Sanshi's falcon. He's likely dead by now. We can use it for ourselves—wait… there's a message attached."
Sha Wenlong untied the note, glanced over it—and froze. His entire frame shuddered as he stumbled two steps back.
"General Sha?"
Cao Fan stood up, startled. "Don't tell me… he's alive?"
"Alive? Ha! He's more than alive!"
Sha Wenlong's hands trembled slightly. "They turned around midway through their southern march, tricked tens of thousands of enemy troops into chasing empty air, then swung west and burned the supply route! Right now, they've likely already taken Jinquan Prefecture.
"Judging by their current path, they'll soon head west to join Zhao Wuji and attack Wutong Prefecture. If that's the case, Wutong Prefecture might just outlast us!
"That kid… how did he even think of that? Such nerve! Doesn't he fear running into the enemy's full army after crossing the river?!"
Military intelligence had to be shared—and it had to be truthful.
That was an iron rule in the army.
No matter how strained relations were between commanders, information had to be exchanged. Failing to do so was tantamount to murdering allied forces—and if it led to major loss, it was considered treason, punishable by extermination of one's entire family.
After hearing Sha Wenlong's words, Cao Fan clenched his fists and hunched over the map, searching for routes.
He muttered, his face tightening as realization dawned. "It's too late. Even if Western Qi didn't act before, now that the grain's destroyed, they'll definitely send troops south to surround General Zhao. If Chen Sanshi heads west to meet him, he'll run right into their advance. It's a dead end—there's no way they can take Wutong Prefecture."
Sha Wenlong exhaled and nodded approvingly. "As expected of a man well-versed in strategy. You're right—they'll still die."
He smiled grimly. "The difference is, before dying, they've eased some of the pressure on us."
"That man…"
Even Cao Fan couldn't help but feel reluctant admiration.
If he could go back to before the Elite Selection—if he hadn't waited for the young man to come groveling, hadn't treated him like a dog seeking a master—would things have turned out differently?
His grandfather had sharp eyes indeed. He'd seen from the start that this Chen Sanshi wasn't ordinary.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
It would be better if Chen Sanshi died near Wutong Prefecture. Because if he survived… he'd become a problem too big to control.
Outside the city, in the main command tent—
"So fast? So they failed to stop him…"
Dong An closed his eyes, an unnameable frustration swelling in his chest.
He, a veteran commander, had been outplayed by a rookie.
"Sun Xiangzong's disciples—all of them deserve to die!"
Dong An slammed his fist onto the map, the veins on his forehead throbbing. "Encircle them! Surround them at Jinquan Prefecture! I want his head—I want to see Chen's head on a spear! You hear me?!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
At the border of Yanzhou, inside the Western Qi military camp—
The Martial Saint, Zhong Wuxin, held the report of the burned granary in his hand, his expression shifting from cold to stormy. Finally, he let out a mirthless laugh.
"I should've known that fool Dong An couldn't handle this. I never should've listened to him and tried that 'trap the dog in the pen' strategy. Now look—our grain's gone. Maybe Liang Ji should take over command; he couldn't do worse."
"What now, Marshal?" the deputy asked cautiously. "Our own supplies will take another 20 days to arrive. Until then, we'll have nothing."
"Withdraw."
Zhong Wuxin waved a hand. "Leave 20% of our forces to hold position. If they can keep it, good. If not, let them fall back too. The rest—retreat 200 li to Jing'an Prefecture and rest until the supply lines recover."
He rose from his seat, eyes glinting with cold fury. "As for me—I'll personally ride for Jianmen Gorge. I want to meet Lü Ji face to face."
"You don't need to worry," Zhong Wuxin said calmly. "This setback only raises the cost of the war. Even if we can't take down the Sheng Dynasty in the short term, as long as Liang Jinian stands, as long as we hold the Heavenly Book of Divine Military Arts, heaven, earth, and fate still favor us."
Because this was a signal—
A scholar blessed by the heavens, securing a foothold in Mingzhou, was like declaring to the entire world that the Sheng Dynasty's destiny was coming to an end.
Those who already rebelled, those hesitating, and those waiting for the right time would all be emboldened.
In less than half a year, the Sheng Dynasty would fall into chaos.
Then, the northern tribes, the Dongqing Kingdom, and the Nanxu Kingdom would swarm in together. Each would seize a massive piece of the Central Plains, and the Cao family—who had ruled the heartland for hundreds of years—would finally have to step down.
This was a war for the nation's destiny.
A true war of fate.
…
The Capital.
Wanshou Palace.
"Dong An, hehe~"
Upon the golden dragon throne, Emperor Longqing held the battle report in his hand, a strange smile curling at his lips. "Dong An… Dong An. Do you all still remember? He was personally chosen by me as the Martial Champion of the Imperial Examination. His marriage was granted by my decree. Years ago, when his son fell gravely ill, it was I who found the divine medicine to save him. And now—he repays my kindness with a knife in the back, for a so-called 'heavenly book' he's never even seen."
He laughed softly. "Interesting. Truly… very interesting."
Rows of officials in red robes knelt across the great hall. Even the Grand Secretariat's First Minister, Yan Liang, pressed his forehead against the floor. No one dared lift their head.
Only in one corner, a scholar sat quietly in a wheelchair, his expression calm.
When the emperor was truly enraged, he didn't shout. He smiled. Like now.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," one minister pleaded. "The Imperial Army is already on its way to suppress the rebellion. Within half a year, Mingzhou will surely be pacified!"
Any ruler would find betrayal by a trusted general unbearable—especially when the consequences were this disastrous.
"Where's Sun Xiangzong?!"
Emperor Longqing's robe sleeves flared as he spread his arms over the dragon chair. "Ever since I approved his army expansion, he's vanished. With something this big happening, shouldn't he have come back to report personally? Fang Qingyun, don't pretend you didn't hear me—I'm talking to you."
"Your Majesty," Fang Qingyun said softly, "I truly don't know. He left me here in the capital. I've had no word since."
"No word?" The emperor narrowed his eyes. "Then where did he go? To rest and heal, perhaps? He could've told me. He's my brother-in-arms—would I not help him? Why tire himself out in secret?"
"Your Majesty, I really don't know," Fang Qingyun said with a sigh. "He doesn't tell me everything."
"Heh. Fine. Let him be."
Emperor Longqing leaned back slightly, his voice returning to a dangerous calm. "Fang Qingyun, tell me—how do you think the situation in Mingzhou will develop? Oh, and Chen Aiqing is among them, isn't he? Your junior disciple. If he dies there, doesn't that pain you?"
"Dying on the battlefield is the fate of those in the Eight Great Camps," Fang Qingyun said evenly. "What's there to mourn? Besides, the next report hasn't come in yet. Things may not be as bad as they seem."
"Oh?"
The emperor smirked. "So you think the remaining 20,000 soldiers can still pull off a miracle for me?"
"Who can say?" Fang Qingyun hid the worry in his chest. "Until the dust settles, anything is possible."
In truth, that was more a prayer than a statement.
"Very well," Emperor Longqing said coldly. "I'll give Lü Ji and Jiang Yuanbo three months. If they still can't end this war by then…"
He suddenly stood, voice echoing through the hall. "Then I shall lead the army myself."
…
Jinquan Prefecture.
After more than two months of grueling marches, the soldiers of the Reserve Battalion finally got a single day of rest.
But another question loomed immediately—where would they go next?
"Message from General Zhao!"
Yu Song's face lit up as he read the report. "He says we'll attack from both sides and crush the small enemy forces in the west. Once we take Wutong Prefecture, we can hold for two more months—long enough for reinforcements to arrive!"
"It's too late," Chen Sanshi said flatly, dampening the excitement. "General Zhao's been on the move too long. The enemy's had plenty of time to react. In just a few days, Western Qi's armies from the northwest will march south. If we head there now, we'll collide with them head-on."
"What?!"
"Thousand-Commander Chen, are you joking with us?"
Xie Sishu glared at him. "We fought tooth and nail from Yingzui Mountain to Jinquan Prefecture, and now you're telling us we're not going to Wutong Prefecture?!"
Chen Sanshi raised a brow. "I only said we were coming to Jinquan Prefecture. When did I ever say we'd meet General Zhao?"
The room fell silent.
"Cough, cough…"
Yu Song, still badly wounded, wiped the blood from his lips. "Quiet! Thousand-Commander Chen, then tell us—what now? If we can't go to Wutong Prefecture, why not stay here and defend Jinquan? There's still grain in the city. If we rally the people, we might hold out for a while. General Zhao could come to us instead."
"Right!"
Yan Changqing chimed in. "Rally the civilians! We've treated the people kindly everywhere we went. Our name carries weight—especially yours, Chen Xiong. When we entered Jinquan yesterday, half the city came out just to see the man who crossed the river three times. If you speak, they'll rise with us!"
Chen Sanshi shook his head. "We have no high-realm warriors. Even Deputy Commander Yu is injured. If an enemy at the Profound Elephant Realm arrives, how will we stop them?"
Xie Sishu frowned. "So this won't work, and that won't work—then what do you suggest? We can't just sit here and die."
"Of course not," Chen Sanshi said, slamming his palm on the eastern side of the map. "So…"
He looked up, eyes burning.
"We'll cross the Hongze River again!"
A third crossing of the Hongze River!