Thank you to our new Patrons: Charlie Puente-Duany, Anime fan123456, DeathClan1980, Leroy, Drake Blazer, Mridk, Jose, Destin Woods and Isaiah! Your support means the world to me <3 We are up to 'Chapter 50: Yang Wushuang: ??? Wasn't It "Middle-Aged"? I Have to Apprentice Myself to a Teenager?' on Patreon!
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(T/N: The title references a military tactic used by an Ancient Chinese general where he pretended to repair a road to distract the enemy while secretly launching an attack through a different route.)
Wu Ping City, Northern Gate
The torrential rain continued to pour down, mingling with blood on the ground and flowing through the cracks of the stone pavement.
At this moment, Zhu Fan's martial soul was fully activated, making him resemble a demon god incarnate. His eight soul rings glowed brightly beneath his feet, and every move he made sent over a dozen soldiers flying backward.
Even when faced with a hail of arrows from Wu Ping City's soldiers, he showed no fear.
With another swing of his massive bloody claw, he deflected countless arrows, their clanging sounds filling the air as they fell to the ground, splashing water droplets everywhere.
Behind him, the two hundred elite vanguard soldiers formed a tight wedge formation, fiercely guarding his flanks and holding their ground at the gate tunnel.
Their eyes were resolute. Despite being drenched in blood, they did not retreat a single step, creating a stalemate with Wu Ping City's forces.
At this moment,
Li Jinglong, the old general and lord of Wu Ping City, finally arrived after hearing reports about the battle at the gate.
"Not advancing?"
A single glance at the battlefield situation caused Li Jinglong's gaze to sharpen as he immediately deduced Zhu Fan's objective.
"Holding out for reinforcements?!"
Thinking of this.
He roared loudly, "Pass my command! Close the eastern, western, and southern gates, leaving only a small force to guard each."
"All remaining troops within the city are to gather at the northern gate!"
"Eliminate all enemies at the northern gate before Wu'an City's main army arrives!"
"Yes!"
The guards quickly turned and rushed off to relay the orders.
Then, he looked toward the Tian Dou Empire soldiers who were locked in a stalemate with Zhu Fan. "Charge, all of you!"
"The first to break through the enemy ranks will be promoted three ranks! The second will be promoted one rank!"
"Anyone who hesitates or retreats—execute them without mercy!"
As Lord Li Jinglong bellowed, the previously hesitant Tian Dou soldiers, unwilling as they were, dared not disobey and charged forward once more.
Instantly, the pressure on Zhu Fan increased significantly, but his killing intent remained undiminished.
Every Wu Ping soldier who dared approach him found themselves overwhelmed by darkness before instantly perishing. No one could withstand even a single blow from him.
Even the two formidable Soul Sages left behind by Xue Qinghe joined forces against him—
But under Zhu Fan's fierce attacks, they were quickly defeated, spitting blood.
Although Zhu Fan had expended a significant amount of soul power—
He still adhered to Dai Chengfeng's orders, firmly holding onto the northern gate of Wu Ping City.
Until...
Reinforcements from Wu Ping City arrived!
Wave after wave of soldiers surged forward like an endless tide of "insects."
Though Zhu Fan and the two hundred elite vanguard soldiers fought with fearless determination, they were still flesh and blood. With two Soul Sages working together to entangle Zhu Fan—
Under such relentless two-sided attacks, casualties inevitably began to appear among their ranks.
Seeing his own soldiers gradually gaining the upper hand, Li Jinglong let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, he had time to inquire about what had happened.
He strode directly to the officer responsible for guarding the city today, grabbing him by the collar and roaring, "You worthless fool!"
"How did Wu'an City's forces suddenly attack?"
"And why didn't you close the gates when you saw them coming? They had no siege weapons!"
"How could you let them take control of the northern gate?!"
The officer was immediately choked and struggled to breathe, hurriedly explaining, "Lord, they… they appeared out of nowhere! We didn't see them at all beforehand."
"By the time I realized it, it was already too late."
"You didn't see… where they came from?"
Boom—!
In an instant, Li Jinglong's mind went blank, and he nearly stumbled, his thoughts consumed by three words: "We've been tricked!"
He absolutely refused to believe that Wu'an City's forces had descended from the sky.
If not that, then the only possibility was… underground!
And digging a tunnel wasn't something that could be done in just a day or two, meaning…
From the very beginning, he had been completely outmaneuvered!
"Good, good, good! Very clever!"
"So, the whole act of repairing roads without building siege weapons was just a diversion—they never intended to launch a direct assault. Instead, they planned to use the newly repaired road to charge straight into Wu Ping City!"
Li Jinglong couldn't believe this scheme was devised by Zhu Yan, his longtime rival.
Instantly, he instinctively thought of someone else.
A young man who had turned the tide during the previous bloody battle of Wu'an City, stabilizing its defenses. The true power behind Wu'an City now—the Fourth Prince of the Star Luo Empire, Dai Chengfeng!
In that moment, Li Jinglong felt a chill run down his spine.
He couldn't fathom how a "mere brat" in his eyes could endure and plan for half a year, orchestrating such a flawless, deceptive masterstroke.
"What a brilliant tactic of repairing the stack road openly while secretly attacking Wu Ping!"
"To think that I, Li Jinglong, a seasoned veteran of countless battles, have been completely outplayed by a mere boy!"
"Shameful! Utterly shameful!" Li Jinglong roared.
Despite his deep frustration over why he hadn't noticed anything unusual earlier, Li Jinglong was still a man who had seen many battles.
Soon, he took a deep breath and regained some composure. "Pass my order!"
"The enemy commander is clearly showing signs of fatigue. Now…"
"I give you the time of one incense stick."
"I want the northern gate of Wu Ping City, regardless of sacrifice! If you fail, face military law!"
Li Jinglong's voice carried a note of gravity, but more so of worry and bitterness.
After all, if Dai Chengfeng had stopped hiding his intentions, it likely meant the "sword of decisive victory" in his hands was already razor-sharp!
There was little chance of victory for himself.
But!
Li Jinglong didn't want to lose—he couldn't afford to lose. "If I lose this battle…"
"How will history remember me a thousand years from now?!"
"Whenever people mention this campaign, they'll talk about how the Fourth Prince of the Star Luo Empire orchestrated everything brilliantly, securing victory from afar, while I, Li Jinglong…"
As Li Jinglong pondered—
Suddenly.
One of the soldiers pointed fearfully toward the distance outside the city walls. "Lord, look there?!"
His trembling voice pierced through the rain.
"What is it?"
Li Jinglong turned in confusion, leaning on the battlements to peer out. Beneath the oppressive clouds and pouring rain, all he could see was an endless expanse of darkness.
Boom—!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky like a dragon, illuminating the entire scene.
Li Jinglong's pupils contracted slightly.
In that brief moment, through the rain, he vaguely saw what appeared to be a line of "iron armor" rapidly approaching Wu Ping City on the distant horizon.
But as the lightning faded—
The formation disappeared back into the darkness, as if it had all been an illusion.
Boom—!
Lightning flashed again, and this time, Li Jinglong was certain he hadn't been mistaken.
Under the pale electric light, countless black-armored figures emerged from the rain.
The armor gleamed with a cold, bluish hue, and each chest plate bore the emblem of the tiger head of the Star Luo royal family…
Their steps were perfectly synchronized, each stride seeming to pulse with the rhythm of the earth, sending up splashes of water.
Just from the sound of their marching, it was clear that the discipline of this army far surpassed that of the Tian Dou Empire soldiers.
Rumble, rumble, rumble…!
As the iron-clad force approached rapidly, the sound of their march finally broke through the rain and reached their ears.
It carried an overwhelming sense of oppression even in the darkness.
"The main army of Wu'an City has arrived!"
Someone shouted, and instantly, all the Tian Dou soldiers on the city walls tensed up, gripping their weapons tightly, their knuckles turning white.
Fear spread through their hearts like a flood.
Buzz—!
Suddenly, amidst the rain-soaked wilderness, the sound of horns echoed like the roar of dragons and tigers.
"Who says we have no clothes? Share your armor with me. The king raises an army, sharpens our spears, and shares our enmity!"
"Fellow warriors, repay this blood debt with blood! Charge!!!"
Within a single day, two empires watched the actions of one man!
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow