Chapter 500: Leaving the City and the Sudden Crisis — Victory Without Bloodshed |
Mo'ao Calendar Year 136, December 28th, midnight.
Above the northern city gate of Longgu Town.
Long Mingyuan, Li Yangtian, and Long Wenhai stood in the air. Below them, an army of fifteen thousand was exiting the small northern gate of the city in an orderly fashion.
Longgu Town City's main gate was on the east side, with the other three directions having smaller gates. Since Long Mingyuan had decided to send troops north for reinforcements, the army naturally had to exit through the north gate.
"Yangtian, you will lead this northern reinforcement expedition, with Wenhai assisting. I will personally command the Iron Caltrops Army and hold the main city. Report any battle developments promptly."
Upon hearing this, Li Yangtian's brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he cupped his hands and said, "Lord Leader, for this northern reinforcement, I alone am sufficient. The town city is too important. It would be better to keep Wenhai in the city as your aide?"
His suggestion was not without reason.
Although looking back now, Great Xia's formation of the alliance two years ago was entirely a trap for the five northern towns, it must be said that in the two years since the alliance's establishment, with the integration and exchange within the Nine Towns' territories, not only had Great Xia developed rapidly, but the strength of the five northern towns had also made significant progress.
For example, the number of Warmth Realm individuals in the five towns had increased by at least three to four times compared to two years ago. Even Beishuo Town now had seventy thousand Warmth Realm individuals.
Take Yangju as an example. Originally, the entire Yangju town only had two Sun Manifestation Level experts: Lord Leader Cao Qianyang and Army Commander Yan Chenzhou. In September last year, Yan Chenzhou's top disciple Wu Tianfa broke through. In May this year, Cao Qianyang's son, Town Lord Cao Yuankang, surprisingly also broke through. Yangju's Sun Manifestation Level experts suddenly numbered four.
Naturally, Longgu was not to be outdone. Last year, Long Mingyuan's son, Town Lord Long Wenhai, also broke through. Longgu thus returned to the situation from four years ago, simultaneously possessing three Sun Manifestation Level experts.
Three Sun Manifestation Level experts could be considered decent strength, but that depended on who you compared them to.
With the outbreak of war, the news that Beishuo had colluded with the two feudal towns, attempting to kidnap Xia Hong's son, had long since spread throughout the Southern Foothills region.
Of course, there was no need for others to spread it; Long Mingyuan had been aware of this matter for a long time.
The problem was, he hadn't known that Great Xia had so many Sun Manifestation Level experts.
A full twenty-eight!
The details of the kidnapping incident in Xia City had long been spread. Yang Jian and the feudal towns' group of twenty-three Sun Manifestation Level experts went there, and seventeen were killed on the spot. The number of Sun Manifestation Level experts mobilized by Great Xia's side was a total of twenty-eight, plus those twelve Beast King puppets.
What was the concept of twenty-eight Sun Manifestation Level experts?
While it wasn't enough to block an army of thousands, if Great Xia truly gathered all these people to cause trouble in the town city, it would be quite easy.
Sun Manifestation Level experts could fly through the air. That ability alone allowed them to do too many things.
Among the five northern towns, currently only the three northern towns dared to deploy their main armies outside their town cities to face the enemy. Why was that?
The ample Warmth Realm military strength of the three towns was certainly a reason, but more importantly, these three towns had a considerable number of Sun Manifestation Level experts. Plus, with the support of the two feudal towns, they were completely unafraid of Great Xia causing trouble in their town cities.
But their Longgu and Yangju towns were completely different.
They only had three or four Sun Manifestation Level experts. Their Warmth Realm armies were practically their only reliance. If Great Xia truly sent top experts to cause trouble in the town city, it would be manageable if the defending troops in the city reacted quickly. But if the reaction was slow, a major disaster could easily occur.
Longgu Town was currently sending troops north to reinforce Wuchuan, taking away fifteen thousand men. The town city would be left with only four thousand Warmth Realm soldiers, although this included one thousand Iron Caltrops Army troops. Still, the numbers were too few. If only Long Mingyuan, a single Sun Manifestation Level expert, remained, it would be rather...
"Don't worry!"
Long Mingyuan suddenly smiled and interrupted Li Yangtian's train of thought. He then paused for three or four breaths, looked at Li Yangtian, and with a trace of pride on his face, said, "Our Longgu now... has more than just three Sun Manifestation Level experts..."
Upon hearing this, Li Yangtian's expression froze for a moment, then he immediately realized something. He looked up at Long Mingyuan with a face full of pleasant surprise, asking in a slightly probing tone, "Lord Leader, could it be that the recent rumors in the city are true?"
Since August, a rumor had quietly spread in Longgu Town City, saying that the Lord Leader's youngest son Long Wenhong, his eldest nephew Long Wenqing, and his second nephew Long Wenying had all broken through to the Sun Manifestation Level.
Coincidentally, these three individuals had not made any public appearances in the town city since the beginning of the year, so it was inevitable that people would speculate.
The reason it was called a rumor was that it hadn't been confirmed by anyone. Even Lord Leader Long Mingyuan personally denied it a month ago. In recent years, personnel flow among the Nine Towns had been frequent, and the major town cities had mixed in many people from other towns, so there were frequent rumors based on hearsay. Therefore, no one took it seriously.
However, the statement Long Mingyuan made now clearly indicated that the rumor was most likely not false, which was why Li Yangtian asked this way.
At the moment, the three of them were in the air. The people below couldn't see or hear them, so Long Mingyuan didn't hide it from him. He nodded and said, "Correct. I don't know who spread that rumor, but Wenhong, Wenqing, and Wenying have indeed all broken through to the Sun Manifestation Level successively in the first half of this year."
Long Mingyuan had three sons: Wenhai, Wen Yue, and Wenhong. He also had a younger brother, Long Mingfeng, who died in the Dajue Temple upheaval five years ago. Long Mingfeng had five sons. Among the five, the ones with the best aptitude were the eldest, Long Wenqing, and the second, Long Wenying.
Hearing that the three had broken through, Li Yangtian's face was now filled with excitement. He couldn't help but look up and ask, "Lord Leader, since Wenhong and the other two have broken through, why haven't we seen them? Could it be they are not in the city?"
Long Mingyuan shook his head and said solemnly, "Great Xia's ferocious might is at its peak. Furthermore, the two feudal towns are now involved. Even the three northern towns, each with nearly ten Sun Manifestation Level experts, can't make much of a splash, let alone our mere six Sun Manifestation Level experts in Longgu. Considering this, I had the three of them hide in the rear residence of the clan grounds, not to appear publicly. If something really goes wrong in the town city, we'll have a trump card."
"So that's how it is. The Lord Leader is wise!"
Li Yangtian immediately flattered. A cold glint swiftly flashed through his lowered eyes, then disappeared as he looked up again. He continued, "Since the Lord Leader has made arrangements long ago, then I, your subordinate, am also at ease..."
After saying this, he looked down. Half of the army had already exited the northern city gate. He continued, "Luo Yuan's Central Route Army might attack the East Valley Camp at any time. Speed is crucial in warfare. I need to arrange for the army to accelerate its exit from the city. I take my leave first."
"Go ahead! Wenhai, you go too. Report any situations promptly."
"I obey your command!"
His eldest son, Long Wenhai, who was standing behind him, bowed respectfully and followed behind Li Yangtian, flying downward.
"It's been almost an hour, and they still haven't all left the city. What are they all dragging their feet for? Speed up the exit from the city, quickly, quickly, quickly!"
Urging the march was naturally not something the commander-in-chief, Li Yangtian, needed to do personally. He just gave the order, and the various army Battalion Commanders immediately moved along both sides of the army, constantly urging the soldiers to increase their speed.
Fifteen thousand people, under normal circumstances, should have left the city long ago within an hour. It was just that Long Mingyuan had only just made the decision to reinforce Wuchuan. A lot of time was wasted on roll call and military supply preparations, which was why it was so slow.
"Reporting to Army Commander, the rotation duty for the town city's four gates has been completed. One thousand Iron Caltrops Army troops are guarding the main eastern gate. The remaining three thousand Town Garrison Army troops are each led by one thousand under Ziqing, Zichu, and myself, guarding the south, west, and north gates respectively."
On top of the northern city gate wall, Li Yangtian was leading the fifteen army Commanders-in-Chief, watching the army slowly exit the city. His eldest son, Li Zihe, walked up behind him and bowed to report.
With only four thousand men left to guard the town city, they naturally had to guard the four gates separately. Once any special situation arose, they could be mobilized immediately.
Hearing his eldest son's words, the cold light in Li Yangtian's eyes grew heavier. He turned his head and glanced inadvertently towards the direction of the Long Clan grounds behind the Lord's great hall in the city center, then turned back to look at him and smiled, "The safety of the town city is entrusted to you. Once the army exits the city later, close the city gates immediately to prevent any trouble."
"I obey your command!"
As soon as Li Zihe finished his cupped-hands response, coincidentally, the soldiers of the last battalion below the city wall also walked out of the northern city gate. A flicker passed through his eyes, and he immediately shouted loudly towards the direction inside the city, "Close the city gates!"
During the rotation duty earlier, he had already arranged the one thousand Town Garrison Army troops below the city gate. The leader below, hearing his command, immediately directed the soldiers to close the northern city gate.
The town city was, after all, the core of Longgu. Even the small northern gate was seven or eight meters high and three to four meters wide. Moreover, because the entire gate was cast from pure thousand-folded iron mixed with silver, its weight reached several hundred million jin.
Such a gate could not be budged even a fraction by a few ordinary soldiers, or even by several hundred soldiers working together normally. Therefore, like other town cities, the opening and closing mechanism of the northern city gate relied on labor-saving devices like iron chains and pulley ropes.
At Li Zihe's command, the thousand-plus Warmth Realm soldiers inside the city gate immediately divided into two sides, roughly five hundred on each side. They simultaneously slung the thick iron chains over their shoulders and pulled inward together. Then, the two gate leaves began to slowly close from the outside inward.
Boom………… Screech…………
As the massive gate moved, it rubbed against the ground, producing a sharp, piercing sound of metal and stone grinding together. Those who heard it felt inexplicably uncomfortable, but since it was the city gate closing, they didn't dare say anything.
As for the soldiers who had already exited the city, that went without saying. They turned their heads for one last look at the town city, a trace of reluctance in their eyes. But under the urging of their respective battalion commanders, they continued to accelerate their northward advance.
"Father! Li Yangtian has rebelled! We've fallen into a trap! Quickly order the army to retur..."
However, just as the fifteen thousand-strong army had walked only a little over a hundred meters from the city, an extremely terrified and panicked voice rang out from within the city.
"Ah…………"
Unfortunately, before that person could finish speaking, he was interrupted by something. Then, after a pause of less than three breaths, an utterly miserable scream sounded.
"What was that noise?"
"The Army Commander rebelled? Who's spouting nonsense..."
"What happened in the city?"
"Isn't the Army Commander watching us advance from the side?"
"He's not there! Look at the flank, the Army Commander is gone!"
………………
The soldiers at the rear of the army, who had just exited the city less than a hundred breaths ago, heard the strange commotion from within the city. Instantly, their faces were covered with shock and suspicion. They stopped in their tracks, standing still and turning their heads to look towards the city.
Some clever individuals had already turned to look at the flank, the position where Li Yangtian had been standing just moments before. Unfortunately, now there were only the fifteen Commanders-in-Chief there, with no trace of Li Yangtian whatsoever.
As the sound spread wider and wider, the fifteen thousand soldiers outside the city, from the back to the front, stopped one after another, all turning their heads towards the city with uncertainty and alarm.
In the air above the northern city gate, Long Mingyuan was the first to hear the sound. To be precise, even before the sound rang out, he had already sensed unusual activity in the clan grounds.
The reasons were simple. First, the owner of that miserable scream was none other than his youngest son, Long Wenying. Second, before the scream of his youngest son Long Wenying started, the snow mist in the air above the clan grounds area had already been forcibly dispersed.
"Damn it, there's a situation!"
Having been Lord Leader for so many years, Long Mingyuan realized the problem almost without thinking. He only glanced back at the army outside the city before immediately rushing towards the direction of the clan grounds.
Whoosh…………
Unfortunately, before Long Mingyuan could rush over, a fierce blade aura suddenly slashed towards him from the northern sky.
The blade aura was cyan in color, over a hundred meters long. It stirred up violent winds all around, surging like vast cyan smoke, majestic and imposing, overwhelming like a tidal wave.
Clang...
"Return to the city! Wenhai, quickly lead everyone back to the city!"
Long Mingyuan drew the silver long sword from his waist, blocking the blade aura. At the same time, he completely abandoned the idea of going to the clan grounds. Without hesitation, he turned his head towards the direction of the army outside the city and roared in fear.
His roar truly carried thick fear.
The reason was simple: this cyan blade aura was all too familiar to him. It was the Green Edge Blade of his most trusted subordinate, Longgu's Army Commander Li Yangtian.
Li Yangtian had rebelled!
How was this possible? How was this possible? How was this possible?
Long Mingyuan roared these three questions in his heart in succession. He turned his head to look at Li Yangtian, whom he had just pushed aside with his sword, and saw the other's cold eyes. Instantly, a chill surged within him, and for a moment, he even forgot his anger.
Li Yangtian had rebelled!
Then what about the Iron Caltrops Army? What about his die-hard loyalists in the Town Garrison Army?
Luring him into sending fifteen thousand men north to reinforce Wuchuan was also part of the scheme?
It's over...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As these two words surfaced in Long Mingyuan's mind, several loud bangs sounded again from the direction of the Long Clan grounds in the city center.
His expression turned to horror as he looked over. Subconsciously, he wanted to lift his foot to move, but Li Yangtian immediately moved with him.
"Commanders-in-Chief of the fifteen armies, lead everyone back to the city, quickly, quickly, quickly!"
Long Wenhai outside the city finally reacted as well. He roared, calling for the fifteen army Commanders-in-Chief to return to the city. Then he himself flew into the air, speeding towards his father Long Mingyuan's position.
However, he had just flown into the air when...
Swish... Whoosh... Hum...
A sword, a blade, and an axe—three attacks suddenly came at him simultaneously from the upper, middle, and lower paths.
The sword energy below him unleashed thousands of feather-like lights in succession, its speed already reaching the extreme. The blade energy horizontally slashed towards him from the middle path, drawing a crescent-shaped fierce edge over a hundred meters long. Finally, the axe above his head rolled up thousands of air waves, pressing down on him like Mount Tai.
Long Wenhai's face was full of terror and horror. A layer of death instantly veiled his pupils. Driven purely by an instinct for survival, he raised his long blade to block above his head.
There was no other way; he could sense that the axe above his head posed the greatest threat.
Unfortunately, this was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Boom…………
The feather-light sword energy instantly devoured his lower limbs. The blade edge directly sliced him open from chest to belly. The final axe was even more terrifying. It first split the large blade in his hands, then smashed down from the top of his skull...
"Ah…………"
The three attacked simultaneously. When the weapons' edges finished their work, Long Wenhai had already been turned into mincemeat, naturally unable to make any sound. This scream came from his father, Longgu's Lord Leader Long Mingyuan.
"My son…………"
Long Mingyuan had already rushed towards the direction outside the city the moment his eldest son was ambushed, but Li Yangtian directly blocked his path.
Witnessing his eldest son being utterly destroyed with his own eyes, Long Mingyuan's heart was filled with immense grief. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning.
"Yuan Cheng, Luo Yuan, Xu Ning..."
Seeing the three who killed his son, Long Mingyuan's expression was now twisted to the extreme. He almost ground out the three names from between his teeth.
Wasn't Yuan Cheng currently leading the Rear Route Army to besiege Yangju?
Wasn't Luo Yuan stationed at Fushan with thirty thousand troops, preparing to lead the Central Route Army and join forces with Yuwen Tao's ten thousand troops to attack Wuchuan's East Valley Camp?
How did these two end up here?
"Lord Leader Long, have your fifteen thousand men lay down their arms and surrender! This Department Chancellor does not wish to shed more blood. If they put down their weapons, they can avoid death!"
A voice suddenly rang out from behind, causing Long Mingyuan's body to shudder violently. He turned his head in utter horror. Seeing Xia Chuan behind him, and the eleven people behind Xia Chuan, his face was filled with disbelief.
Wasn't Xia Chuan currently leading the Jinyang allied army, preparing to attack Beishuo Town's Baimu Camp? How did they suddenly appear here?
"We've been tricked. Great Xia deliberately displayed a posture of fighting on four fronts; it was all a bluff. First, they made all the northern towns turtle up. They deliberately ignored Longgu because Li Yangtian had already been turned. Great Xia's real target from the beginning of the war wasn't to open up supply lines at all, but my Longgu Town City."
"Lord Leader Long, persuade them to surrender, then commit suicide. This Department Chancellor personally promises here that I will preserve a thread of your Long Clan's lineage. Otherwise..."
Long Mingyuan's train of thought was interrupted again by Xia Chuan. He was about to speak when he saw the objects in the hands of the people behind Xia Chuan. Instantly, his pupils were stained with a bloody hue.
"Ah ah ah! Li Yangtian, you traitor! I want your life!"
The three people closest behind Xia Chuan were Hong Tian, Lin Ye, and Zhao Hu.
These three each held a head in their hands. The owners of those heads were none other than Long Mingyuan's youngest son Long Wenhong, and his two nephews Long Wenqing and Long Wenying.
Even if Long Mingyuan were a fool, he could react now. The one who caused the deaths of his youngest son and nephews was himself. Li Yangtian had betrayed him long ago. Everything from start to finish was an act—from persuading him to split his forces and send troops out of the city northward, to arranging for the Iron Caltrops Army and his three sons to remain guarding the town city, to inducing him to reveal the hiding place of the town city's remaining three Sun Manifestation Level experts...
All of it was an act.
He had been deceived by Li Yangtian...
"Stubborn and unyielding. Kill him!"
Xia Chuan, however, had no intention of wasting words with Long Mingyuan now. To buy over Li Yangtian, Great Xia had expended considerable effort. Moreover, he intended to shape Li Yangtian into a model of turning from darkness to light, to show the remaining Sun Manifestation Level experts in the other four towns. Naturally, he couldn't let Long Mingyuan vent his fury and kill someone here.
At his command, Yuan Cheng and the others immediately swarmed forward.
Li Yangtian's strength was originally only slightly weaker than Long Mingyuan's. Coupled with more than a dozen Sun Manifestation Level experts like Yuan Cheng joining the attack, the outcome was not hard to guess.
Long Mingyuan was destined to die. Xia Chuan didn't even bother to look at him anymore. He just lowered his head to look at the army below, which was assaulting the northern city gate. A slight chill appeared in his eyes.
These army soldiers had no hope of breaking open the city gate, but under the instigation of the fifteen leading Commanders-in-Chief, they had begun scaling the city walls and had already engaged in initial combat with the defending troops inside the city.
Looking at these Longgu Town Garrison Army soldiers who still refused to accept their fate, Xia Chuan took a slight breath, then released his bone energy and spoke sharply:
"Longgu Town City has already changed hands. Do you truly still intend to put up a desperate resistance? Do you plan to abandon the widows, orphans, elderly, and young in your homes in the city?"
The thick killing intent contained within this voice caused the large number of soldiers assaulting the city gate to stop instantly. The city wall fell into dead silence. Everyone looked up at Xia Chuan in the air, their eyes filled with struggle.