Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The eastern sky was pale, the first rays of dawn yet to penetrate the clouds.
Outside Yanmen County City, on Main Street, the warhorses neighed, and eighty thousand troops from Hengshan County had already surrounded the city, sealing off one side of Yanmen County completely.
……
“Clang!”
Ye Yang drew the Azure Soul Sword from his back, pointing the blade at the city above, and shouted, “Listen up, defenders of Yanmen County! I am Ye Yang, the Eastern General personally appointed by Your Majesty King Huai. Today I come to conquer Tyrant Qin. I hope you will not continue to be accomplices to tyranny and prey upon the common people. Open the city and surrender immediately. Past offenses will be forgiven. Otherwise, if you persist in your folly, when the city falls, it will be your death day!”
Below the city, fifty thousand Vermilion Bird Iron Cavalry drew their blades. Under the light of dawn, the sword blades gleamed with cold light, creating a unified front. After a loud shout from the soldiers, it seemed as if the entire eastern gate of Yanmen County was trembling; the might of the Qi Army was truly astonishing…
……
On the city wall, a general clad in battle armor looked sternly at those below and whispered fiercely, “What a Ye Yang! He has arrived so quickly…”
Beside him, a defending officer said quietly, “General Zhou Ning, Ye Yang’s army is at our gates with overwhelming momentum. We have fewer than seven thousand defenders within the city. Liang City has already fallen to Fan Zeng; over ten thousand defenders have surrendered to the Chu Army. Ye Yang is also part of the Chu Army. In my opinion, we should surrender.”
“Nonsense!”
Zhou Ning snapped back sharply, his eyes wide with anger. “We eat the king’s salary and bear his worries. Now that the Great Qin Empire is crumbling and on the brink of collapse, it is precisely our time to exert our utmost effort. A true man born in this world cannot be greedy for life or fear death and lose his integrity. Hmph! If Ye Yang wants to take Yanmen County, he will have to step over my Zhou Ning’s corpse!”
Saying this, Zhou Ning suddenly drew his sword and shouted down at those below, “All soldiers of County City listen up! As long as there is a city, there are people; if the city falls, we perish together! We must defend our imperial territory and vow to fight to the death; we will never engage in cowardly surrender!”
On the city wall, a group of Qin soldiers raised their weapons and shouted in unison: “We swear to follow our general to death! We swear to follow our general to death!”
The officer who had suggested surrendering sighed helplessly and said softly, “What is the point of this struggle, General? Governor Li Yuan enjoys all earthly pleasures alone at Bright Moon Platform while we must guard this lonely city through cold nights. Chen Sheng said it well: do nobles have any special privilege? Are we destined only for loyalty unto death?”
Zhou Ning raised his eyebrows and suddenly swung the Blade. As the Blade swept across, the guard was left speechless, and a head, splattered with blood, fell from the city, landing with a "thud" and rolling far away.
Zhou Ning brandished his sword and shouted, "Who dares to disturb the morale of the army? The same fate awaits you! Fight to the death! General Zhang Han fought valiantly even when surrounded in Jiyuan. How can we, defending this great city, not serve our Emperor with our lives?"
The soldiers on the city wall cheered loudly, feeling greatly inspired.
……
"Damn it, we've run into another tough opponent..."
Ye Yang grimaced and said to Wang Lie beside him, "This guard Zhou Ning is stubbornly loyal. What should we do?"
Wang Lie replied, "Zhou Ning is foolishly loyal but not a good person. He once allowed his subordinates to burn, kill, and plunder in Hanoi County; he is truly unforgivable. We need not show mercy; just kill him!"
"Good!"
Ye Yang suddenly raised the Azure Soul Sword and leaped from his warhorse, his battle robe billowing as he stood majestically at the edge of the city wall. With a stern gaze and a resolute face filled with killing intent, he pointed the Blade at Zhou Ning and angrily declared, "The Tyrant Qin is tyrannical, and the world rises against him. Why are you so stubborn? If that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Zhou Ning took a massive blade adorned with a Blood-colored Divine Dragon pattern from his guard and chuckled, "Very well! I was just about to experience the legendary Fire God Warrior's might. Boy, transform quickly so that your Zhou Ning grandfather can see what this Fire God Warrior Transformation is all about!"
Ye Yang laughed, "You are destined never to see the Fire God Transformation in your lifetime. With your abilities, I can easily kill you without transforming. Hahaha..."
"You arrogant brat!"
Zhou Ning was furious. Starlight Power swirled around him as he revealed himself to be a Starry Sky Warrior. However, he only seemed to possess Starry Sky Level strength. Brandishing his Battle Blade, he charged at Ye Yang. The Blood Dragon Blade transformed into a crimson lion head figure—indeed the legendary Earth Level Martial Art: Raging Lion's Roar!
"Flood!"
A chilling energy surged forward as Ye Yang stood in mid-air, his expression calm. With one hand open, a vivid blue Cosmic Array materialized, absorbing the impact of the Raging Lion's Roar against the Heaven and Earth Shield. The force shook the surroundings, and the roar echoed endlessly, yet Ye Yang remained steadfast, effortlessly neutralizing the Raging Lion's Roar with the Heaven and Earth Shield.
"It’s my turn now!"
Ye Yang laughed heartily as the Azure Soul Sword sliced through the air, radiating intense flames. It was the second strike of the Fire God’s Three Styles, the Purgatory Flame Blade!
"What?!" Zhou Ning exclaimed in shock. Ye Yang had previously suppressed his aura to an extremely low level, appearing to Zhou Ning as merely at Starry Sky Level. However, in an instant, Ye Yang increased his True Qi intensity, clearly reaching a superior strength at Starry Sky Fourth Level. The overwhelming advantage in power left Zhou Ning terrified; he realized he was no match for Ye Yang. Unfortunately, it was far too late.
With a crisp sound, the Azure Soul Sword was incredibly sharp, directly slicing Zhou Ning's Blood Dragon Blade in half. The torrent of Fire God Fragment True Qi crashed into Zhou Ning's shoulder, instantly shattering his Starlit Armor and sending him flying backward, spitting blood as he collided with the city wall!
"Boom!"
In a deafening crash, Zhou Ning's body created a massive crater in the wall as he lay among the ruins, unconscious.
The soldiers on the wall were taken aback; no one expected that the usually imposing commander and legendary Starry Sky Warrior Zhou Ning could not withstand even a single strike from his opponent. It was very likely that Ye Yang had just killed him with that blow!
Holding up the Azure Soul Sword, its flames illuminating the sky, Ye Yang stood like a war god and shouted, "I will say it again: Tyrant Qin is tyrannical; all under heaven shall rise against him! Who dares to be stubborn? Who will take Zhou Ning's place as commander? Step forward and surrender immediately; otherwise, there will be no mercy!"
The crowd was astonished.
After a moment of silence, finally a middle-aged general stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "Young General, I am the Deputy General of Yanmen County City. I... I am willing to surrender to the Qi Army. I only ask that you spare the common people and protect Yanmen County from the ravages of war..."
A group of Qin Soldiers exchanged glances before one by one kneeling down to express their willingness to surrender.
Ye Yang nodded and smiled slightly, saying, "Of course, you will immediately post the notice to reassure the people. After my Qi Army enters the city, we will not harm a single hair. Anyone who violates the law will face military justice!"
"Yes, thank you, my lord. I will open the city right away!"
"Good!"
...
Soon after, the drawbridge slowly lowered. Wang Lie, Zhang Tianhe, and others waved their Battle Blades as Ye Yang's eighty thousand troops entered the city, taking over the city defenses and Treasury without any issues.
After entering Yanmen County City, Ye Yang and Wang Lie arranged for the city's defense while posting notices to reassure the citizens of Yanmen County, ensuring that they were not disturbed. This greatly relieved Yun Xiaoxi and Yan Yao; at least they knew that although Ye Yang had been ruthless in Qi Land, he was not brutal and remained true to his principles.
Standing on the Main Street of the city, Ye Yang stood with his sword and laughed heartily, "To take down the County City so easily is quite unexpected. Wang Lie, instruct everyone to rest well. At noon, the army will set out to attack Bright Moon Platform and uproot Li Yuan to occupy Azure Obsidian!"
Wang Lie chuckled, "Understood, my lord!"
At that moment, Zhang Tianhe suddenly growled softly, sniffing sharply and saying, "Zi Yu, do you smell something very pungent?"
Ye Yang nodded, "Yes, the smell of saltpeter and sulfur is very strong but not very obvious; it's only faintly detectable. Could it be someone’s firecrackers?"
Zhang Tianhe asked, "What are firecrackers?"
Ye Yang replied, "Never mind; you wouldn't understand. It's one of China's Four Great Inventions. It shouldn't exist in this era; perhaps I'm just overthinking..." (Gunpowder was invented during the Sui-Tang period; this is noted for accuracy.)
At that moment, Zhao Yun arrived with a squad of Iron Cavalry and said, "My lord, I have inquired and found that Fan Zeng's cavalry has not yet touched County City. However, five days ago, a caravan of several hundred merchants from the Yan State passed through here and took a temporary rest, leaving behind a lot of goods in various homes and inns."
"Oh, what kind of goods?"
"I don't know, but I brought back a batch!"
As he spoke, Zhao Yun unfastened a bundle from behind him. Upon opening it, Ye Yang was shocked to find a mixture of saltpeter and sulfur, along with some dry branches. Having once been a special forces soldier, Ye Yang understood deeply that these were flammable materials in ancient times. Once they came into contact with Bright Flame and ignited, the consequences would be terrifying!
Shuddering, Ye Yang exclaimed, "Zhao Yun, how much of this kind of goods is there?"
Zhao Yun replied, "The caravan rumored that this material can ward off evil spirits and drive away pests. Therefore, every household has hidden some of it, and the warehouses of major relay stations and inns are hoarding large quantities of these goods. That group of merchants has already returned to the Yan State and is said to come back in a month to collect this batch."
Instantly, Ye Yang's eyes turned red as he shouted, "Wang Lie, immediately issue orders for the Three Armies to withdraw from Yanmen County City—now! As fast as possible!"
"Yes!"
Wang Lie understood Ye Yang's character well; given his usual lazy demeanor, he would not act this way unless the situation was absolutely dire.
Thus, at Wang Lie's command, the Vermilion Bird Iron Cavalry swiftly exited the city.
Meanwhile, Ye Yang looked at Zhao Yun and shouted, "Send word to the guards at the city lord's residence to immediately disperse and enter the main roads and thoroughfares in the city. Bang drums and tell the citizens to leave the city. Say that Chu Army and Xiang Yu are about to arrive and will massacre the city for three days upon entering, leaving no one alive in Yanmen County City!"
"Yes!"
Before long, as the drums sounded, panic spread throughout Yanmen County City.
At that moment, when the sun had already risen, dark clouds suddenly gathered, and the entire sky transformed into a starry night, with the sun and clouds completely vanishing!
"What happened..." Yun Xiaoxi stared in shock at the sky.
Ye Yang gritted his teeth and said, "This is bad! We fell for Fan Zeng's scheme and have harmed the people of Yanmen County!"
...
At this time, in the direction of Liang City, on a high altar, hundreds of young boys held apricot-yellow flags. In the center of the altar stood Fan Zeng, disheveled and imposing, gazing up at the sky with aged eyes. With both hands raised to the heavens, he summoned Starlight Power, causing the sky to change unpredictably as countless star energies rapidly condensed.
Before long, bolts of heavenly fire descended from above, flying straight toward Yanmen County City like fire dragons, illuminating the horizon in a terrifying display.
Fan Zeng trembled all over as he completed his spell. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out, "This fire will surely bring great disaster! Countless lives in Yanmen County City will perish; all of this is my fault! Yuer, I am willing to sacrifice my lifespan to kill Ye Yang. Please do not let me down; you must achieve great imperial ambitions!"
...
"Boom! Boom! Boom..."
The sound of earth-shattering explosions echoed throughout Yanmen County City. Houses caught fire, and the starfire surged through the sky. Major inns and relay stations were completely blown to pieces. Civilians who could not escape struggled and cried amidst the flames, with casualties scattered everywhere. The fire raged for half a day.
"Rustling..."
From the ashes, Ye Yang crawled out of a burned house, covered in soot and holding a girl about six or seven years old in his arms. The girl was motionless, her body limp, her arms charred black.
Ye Yang looked around in confusion after exiting the house, only to see countless charred corpses surrounding him.
"Bang..."
Collapsing to the ground, Ye Yang looked up, tears streaming down his face: "Old thief Fan Zeng, why must you bring ruin to me, Ye Yang, and cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people? I swear, I will kill you in this lifetime!"
Yun Xiaoxi stood dazed among the ruins, holding the Snowdrift Sword, murmuring: "Zi Yu..."
Yan Yao's Black Cloak had already been burned away, even her sleeves were charred. In the midst of the flames, they saved many people, but their abilities were limited, and they could only watch as more perished in the fire.
"Brother..."
Yan Yao stepped forward and suddenly embraced Ye Yang, crying out loud: "Why is this happening? What is this all for..."
Ye Yang was left speechless.
...
Not long after, Wang Lie and others led a group of Vermilion Bird Iron Cavalry into the city. Dismounting, a crowd knelt before Ye Yang, while more looked around at the devastation, their hearts aching.
After a moment, Ye Yang raised his head and said: "Wang Lie, report our losses."
Wang Lie replied solemnly: "The Vermilion Bird Iron Cavalry suffered no casualties. However, our two thousand infantry returned to the city to rescue civilians; over a thousand brothers died in the flames..."
Zhang Tianhe clenched his fists tightly and shouted angrily: "That old thief Fan Zeng from Heavenly Kill! I heard earlier that Fan Zeng was once taught by a hermit in the deep mountains and mastered true teachings. He excels in using Star Arts to manipulate celestial energies and summon winds and rain. I never expected him to be so ruthless this time, sacrificing the lives of hundreds of thousands in Yanmen County City as our offering!"
Zhao Yun, covered in ash and dirt, said: "That old thief Fan Zeng's fire scheme is truly vicious!"
Zhang Fei raised the Zhangba Snake Spear and said, "That old thief Fan Zeng is so ruthless. We should immediately rush to Liang City and leave no one alive, not even Ji Bu and the Overlord Cavalry!"
Ye Yang shook his head dejectedly. "No!"
"My lord?"
"Fan Zeng has calculated everything and will surely guess that we will lose our composure and attack Liang City out of anger. As expected, there must be an ambush waiting for us in Liang City. If we rashly advance, we will only fall into Fan Zeng's trap and be harmed by it."
Wang Lie, with cracked lips, moved slightly and nodded. "My lord, what should we do now?"
Ye Yang looked up at the sky and sighed. "The world will surely blame me, Ye Yang, for causing the deaths of the people of Yanmen County City. Now, I will dispatch thirty thousand Vermilion Bird Iron Cavalry to guard the city. The rest will enter the city with iron picks and other tools to dig out the living and bury the dead. After this battle calms down, we will send troops and civilians from Liang City and Hengshan County to continue to thrive here. Additionally, we must take good care of the surviving people outside Yanmen County City. Our military provisions should be prioritized for them. Send orders to the Governor of Hengshan County to vigorously collect grain and supplies for Yanmen County City."
"Yes..." Wang Lie's voice trembled as he said softly, "My lord, you are a good person..."
Ye Yang grinned. "I don't want to be like this; being a good person is too exhausting!"
As he spoke, Ye Yang suddenly clenched his iron fist and shouted, "Send orders to the Three Armies: three days later, we will attack Ju Lu County! I want to kill Fan Zeng and destroy Xiang Yu!"
Comment 0 Comment Count