Chapter 522: Public Execution — Wu Chuan at the End of the Road |
Cai Qiuhu had left.
Xia Hong had agreed to his request, giving Yangju Town a month's time for Cao Qianyang to lead his people in withdrawal.
As soon as Cai Qiuhu departed, Xia Chuan, Xu Ning, and the other ten Sun Manifestation Level cultivators immediately gathered around, including Li Xuanling, who had been stationed outside the city all along, now leading Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng over by the hand.
"Lord Leader, are we going to establish friendly relations with Caiqiu?"
Xia Chuan asked as soon as he approached. The others, hearing this, all looked at Xia Hong, a flicker of curiosity in their eyes as they awaited his answer.
Longgu Town had changed hands, and Yangju was already a turtle in a jar. Logically, Great Xia had no reason at all to spare Cao Qianyang and his people. From Xia Hong's earlier exchange with Chu Tianxu and Cai Qiuhu, everyone could glean some hints.
"Who said anything about establishing friendly relations? The enemy is strong, we are weak. Whether we can be friendly isn't for us to decide; it depends on the intentions of those two Fang Bos from Chencang and Caiqiu..."
After speaking, Xia Hong turned to look at the silent group and continued, "Cai Qiuhu only mentioned Yangju the entire time, not a single word about Wuchuan or Jinshan. Don't you understand what that means?"
Only then did everyone react, their expressions turning slightly grave.
"Of course..."
Xia Hong nodded directly, looking at everyone's strange expressions. "You don't think two Beast Emperor-level puppets are enough to intimidate them, do you?"
Everyone instantly grasped the implication.
Jiang Xinfan had been infiltrating Chencang for over half a year and had long sent back considerable intelligence. Xia Chuan and the others had a good understanding of the Feudal Towns' strength.
"So, by granting Cai Qiuhu this favor, the Lord Leader is initially showing goodwill to Caiqiu. Ultimately, how the two Feudal Towns view our Great Xia will still come down to strength."
Xia Chuan, quick-witted, soon understood Xia Hong's intention.
With his explanation, everyone else also understood, nodding slightly.
Xia Hong did not hide the appreciation on his face at all, smiling as he nodded. "It's good that you understand. In the three years prior, I stayed in both Caiqiu and Chencang. The strength of these two major Feudal Towns, to put it without exaggeration..."
He paused slightly here, then continued, "...if either one were truly determined to go all out against Great Xia, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to withstand it!"
Seeing Xia Hong so serious, a touch of gravity appeared in everyone's eyes.
Only Xia Chuan lowered his brows slightly, a flash of disagreement crossing his face. But he clearly sensed Xia Hong's ulterior motive, so he said nothing, merely nodding along with the others.
"Alright, I've been away for three years. I returned right into the middle of such a major event and haven't had a proper chance to talk with you all. Now, we finally have some time..."
Hearing Xia Hong's words, everyone's expressions immediately softened. Looking down at the Beishuo City below, which was already in its final cleanup stage, their faces were filled with excitement.
Despite still being in wartime, Beishuo Town City had been captured after all. Longgu Town City had already changed hands on the night of the 28th. That meant, of the five northern towns, Great Xia had already taken two.
It must be remembered, this Northern Expedition began on the 26th. By the time Beishuo City was captured, the sky was already bright. Now, as dusk approached and night was about to fall, it was December 30th.
Even counting Great Xia's troop mobilization time, it had only been four days in total. In four days, two of the five northern towns were gone, including the strongest among them, Beishuo. This efficiency was nothing short of miraculous.
"Lord Leader, how should we deal with Yang Zun, Yang Fa, and the other two Sun Manifestation Level cultivators?"
The Lord's great hall of Beishuo City had become ruins, but there were other tall buildings nearby. Xia Hong directly led the group, flying towards the top of a towering structure.
As soon as they landed on the rooftop, Xia Chuan spoke up to ask. He was still holding Yang Zun. During last night's battle at Baimu City, Yang Fa and the other two Sun Manifestation Level cultivators from Beishuo had also been captured alive and were now under the control of the Xia troops outside the city.
"What do you think we should do?"
Xia Hong turned to look at Yang Zun in his hand, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, directly posing the question to Xia Chuan and the others.
"Kill them!"
Xia Chuan turned his head, surveying the chaos in the city. Without any hesitation, he gave the answer directly.
"They can only be killed. There are still quite a few die-hard loyalists of Beishuo causing trouble in the city. Many people personally witnessed Yang Zun being defeated by the Lord Leader just now. Even under such circumstances, these people are unwilling to give up resistance, which shows their loyalty to the Yang Clan. The two Yang brothers, along with the remaining Yang Clan members, must be completely exterminated. Otherwise, there will definitely be future trouble."
All members of the Yang Clan must be completely exterminated...
Hearing Xu Ning's words, a flicker of shock passed through everyone's eyes. But after pondering for a moment, they all nodded in agreement.
"Then kill them!"
Xia Hong was not an indecisive person either. His hesitation stemmed more from his appreciation for Yang Zun. But to be honest, he didn't have much confidence in subduing such a figure, especially with so many people in Beishuo loyal to the Yang Clan.
Yang Zun was defeated in full public view, and the city was breached by the Xia troops. Yet, under such circumstances, there could still be rebels in the city. If Yang Zun and Yang Fa were spared, there would definitely be trouble in the future.
Not just Yang Zun...
Having made up his mind, Xia Hong no longer hesitated. He glanced at the chaos in the city, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "After clearing out the rebel troops, begin a city-wide search and arrest all Yang Clan direct descendants, collateral relatives, and maternal relatives. Anyone found harboring them will be considered equally guilty. Two hours from now, execute them publicly, together with Yang Zun and Yang Fa."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Hearing Xia Hong's emotionless words, everyone felt a slight chill run down their spines.
Xia Chuan, who had proposed the idea, showed no change in expression. He directly cupped his hands in acknowledgment and then turned to give orders. "Hou Tong, Meng Yi, Mu Qinghe, you three handle this. Every single person connected to the Yang Clan must be rooted out. If any future trouble arises because of the Yang Clan, I will hold you three accountable."
"Your subordinates obey!"
The three named individuals, Hou Tong, Meng Yi, and Mu Qinghe, immediately stepped forward, cupping their hands in acknowledgment. Hearing Xia Chuan's final words and realizing this task was not light, their expressions immediately became much more solemn.
As the three departed, the matter of Beishuo City was finally considered concluded.
"I wasn't here, yet you dared to launch such a major war. It seems Great Xia's strength is indeed different from the past. Since we have time now, tell me about it!"
Although Xia Hong said this with a smile, everyone present could hear the implied reprimand in his words, instinctively glancing at Li Xuanling standing beside him.
Li Xuanling clearly also understood her husband's meaning. Though a trace of indignation appeared on her face, in this setting, she naturally wouldn't say anything.
Xia Chuan's expression didn't change much. After a brief moment of contemplation, he directly answered, "Over 278,000 at the Warmth Realm, 49 at the Sun Manifestation Level."
Hearing this, Xia Hong's pupils trembled slightly, his face unable to hide his joy. Before returning to the Southern Foothills region, he had already spoken with Jiang Xinfan, so he had a rough idea of the camp's strength growth.
But growth this terrifying still far exceeded his expectations.
Jiang Xinfan went to Chencang in March of this year. According to his report, as of March, Great Xia had added a total of 19 new Sun Manifestation Level cultivators, and the total number of Warmth Realm cultivators was roughly over 170,000.
That meant, in the past nine months, Great Xia had added a full 24 Sun Manifestation Level cultivators. As for the total Warmth Realm number, Jiang Xinfan wasn't Xia Chuan and didn't understand the camp's overall situation. Xia Hong had long thought that the 170,000 figure must have some error. But the actual number nearing 280,000 completely took Xia Hong by surprise.
This margin of error was a bit too large!
"No wonder you dared to initiate this war..."
Xia Hong sighed slightly, then suppressed the excitement in his heart somewhat. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Now that Beishuo has been taken, we can start fortifying Dongchuan City. Chu Tianxu lost face with me; there will definitely be follow-up. The miasma in the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor has receded. We must guard against Chencang sending troops south..."
Xia Chuan and the others knew of the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor and the blood-red miasma that filled it, but they were unaware of the miasma's recession.
Xia Hong spent some effort explaining the corridor's miasma, the Abomination forces of the Blood Mire Plains, including the Black Wind General of the Bone-Erosion Path, etc., giving everyone an early heads-up.
At first, everyone was confused, but as Xia Hong explained in detail, they all understood.
"The Abomination deliberately withdrew the miasma to make way for Chencang and Caiqiu, wanting the three of us to fight. That means the Abomination in the Blood Mire Plains is at a critical stage of awakening..."
Xia Chuan, having held a high position for many years, naturally had excellent comprehension. After hearing Xia Hong's words, he immediately reached the same conclusion Xia Hong had earlier.
Xia Hong nodded. "That Abomination in the Blood Mire Plains is a bit too anxious. Such petty schemes couldn't escape the notice of Chencang and Caiqiu. Now it depends on whether these two Feudal Towns are willing to step into the trap set by the Abomination..."
As he finished speaking, Xia Hong's brows furrowed slightly.
The Feudal Towns had no shortage of smart people. Someone would surely recognize the miasma's recession as a trap set by the Abomination. The problem was, if Chencang and Caiqiu believed that Great Xia posed a greater threat than the Abomination in the Blood Mire Plains, even knowing it was a trap, they would inevitably choose to send troops south.
From Xia Hong's perspective, that Abomination in the Blood Mire Plains, capable of even altering the flow of time, was undeniably a greater threat than Great Xia. But how Chu Longteng and Cai Qianshan thought about it, he couldn't be sure.
"The casualties among these fifty thousand troops in Beishuo City shouldn't be heavy. Leave ten thousand here to garrison the town. Dispatch twenty thousand to escort the prisoners of war back to Dongchuan City. The remaining twenty thousand elite designated troops, after resting and regrouping, head south directly, straight for Wuchuan Town City!"
Hearing Xia Hong's order, Xia Chuan immediately realized that his eldest brother had a thorough grasp of the current war situation.
Wuchuan had a total of sixty thousand troops. Qin Feng, previously thinking Great Xia wanted to capture the Donggu Main Camp to open up supply lines, had stationed a heavy force of fifty thousand at Donggu for defense, currently facing off against Luo Yuan's Central Route Army.
Luo Yuan's Central Route Army originally had only thirty thousand troops, but Yuwen Tao had transferred the ten thousand troops under Xiang Fuhai from his Right Route Army to him. So now, Luo Yuan had forty thousand troops under his command. They were originally stationed at the Floating Mountain main camp in Muyin Town. As soon as the battle at Baimu City began last night, Luo Yuan, worried about unusual movements from Wuchuan Town, had long since led his forces north, deploying his army outside the Donggu Main Camp.
Twenty thousand elite Xia troops charging straight for Wuchuan Town City—would Qin Feng rescue it or not?
After sorting out his thoughts, Xia Chuan's pupils trembled slightly. "Lord Leader, speed is crucial in war. Cai Qiuhu will definitely inform Qin Feng that Beishuo Town City has been captured by us. If the fifty thousand troops at Donggu start returning to the town city now, they would be much faster than us. Should I go now..."
Before Xia Chuan could finish, Xia Hong directly waved his hand, shaking his head. "You're underestimating Luo Yuan too much. He's right at the gates of the Donggu Main Camp, watching. If Qin Feng dares to abandon Donggu with his fifty thousand troops at this critical juncture and return to defend the town city, that would be seeking death. If he's really that stupid, it would save us trouble anyway.
Twenty thousand elite Xia troops also can't capture Wuchuan Town City. Surround it, first cutting off the supplies for those fifty thousand troops at Donggu. This battle would end without even needing to fight."
Hearing Xia Hong's words, Xia Chuan and the others were momentarily stunned, then their expressions immediately became excited.
Right!
Great Xia had initially used the pretext of opening up supply lines to deceive the five northern towns. They had all forgotten that they could use this same tactic against the northern towns.
The Xia troops needed supplies, but didn't the other towns need them too?
The fifty thousand troops Qin Feng stationed at Donggu consumed an extremely terrifying amount of beast meat and grain daily, which had to be continuously transported from the town city.
Relying solely on those twenty thousand elite designated troops, Great Xia certainly couldn't realistically capture Wuchuan Town City, but blockading it wasn't that difficult.
Given enough time, once the beast meat and grain supplies were cut off, Wuchuan's fifty thousand troops at Donggu would collapse on their own.
"A brilliant plan, Lord Leader! Your subordinate admires it!"
Xu Ning couldn't help but flatter directly, his tone full of excitement. "By surrounding Wuchuan Town City, Wuchuan is completely out of options and can only come out of the city to fight Luo Yuan's Central Route Army in a decisive battle..."
"A decisive battle? That's wishful thinking!"
Xia Hong directly interrupted Xu Ning, a smile appearing on his face.
Xu Ning was puzzled at first, but after pondering for a moment, his eyes lit up.
Qin Feng's fifty thousand troops were completely locked in place, unable to move at all!
Even if Wuchuan wanted to seek a decisive battle with Luo Yuan, Luo Yuan wouldn't accept it.
Seeing Xu Ning's expression, Xia Hong knew he had understood. Smiling, he asked, "There are six Battlefield Messengers. Besides you and Xiao Kangcheng, who are the other four?"
When it came down to it, the temporary battlefield position of Battlefield Messenger was an idea Xia Hong had provided to Yuwen Tao. Whether other places in the Ice Abyss had real-time long-distance communication methods, Xia Hong didn't know, but Great Xia currently did not.
Slow communication usually didn't matter much, but on the battlefield, it was different, especially in large-scale battles. If intelligence couldn't be exchanged promptly between armies, it could sometimes be fatal, even affecting the final outcome of the war.
Those at the Sun Manifestation Level could not only fly but also traveled far faster than those at the Warmth Realm. Using them as battlefield liaison personnel was most appropriate.
Previously, Xia Hong had only mentioned it in passing. He hadn't expected Yuwen Tao, the Department Head of the Military Department, to take it to heart. For this Great Xia Northern Expedition, divided into four route armies, he directly created the Battlefield Messenger position.
Now it seemed that choosing Yuwen Tao as the Military Department Head was indeed the most fitting choice.
Xu Ning naturally didn't know Xia Hong's inner thoughts. He directly answered, "The remaining four are Lin Kai, Qiu Peng, Xiang Wentian, and Murong Ping. Lin Kai and Xiang Wentian are in Yuwen Tao's Right Route Army, Murong Ping is in Luo Yuan's Central Route Army, and Qiu Peng is in Yuan Cheng's Rear Route Army."
Xia Hong nodded slightly and directly ordered, "Go to Luo Yuan's Central Route Army now. Inform him of the situation in Beishuo City. Also, tell him to keep a close eye on Qin Feng's fifty thousand troops and nail them firmly in place at Donggu City."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Xu Ning had already grasped Xia Hong's meaning, so no further explanation was needed. He cupped his hands in acknowledgment, then immediately turned and flew south.
"Xiao Kangcheng, go to Yangju Town City. Inform Yuan Cheng and tell him everything about the discussion I just had with Cai Qiuhu."
Since he had promised Cai Qiuhu to spare Cao Qianyang and his people, Xia Hong naturally couldn't go back on his word. Yuan Cheng would understand what to do upon receiving the message.
"Your subordinate will go immediately!"
Xiao Kangcheng also bowed with cupped hands, then rose and flew south.
"Alright, the cleanup matters in Beishuo City will be supervised here by Yue Feng. I won't participate. Xia Chuan, come with me to take a look at Jinshan Town."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Yue Feng bowed with cupped hands. Looking up, he found that Xia Hong had already picked up Xia Yuyao and Xia Yusheng and, together with Li Xuanling and Xia Chuan, flew off towards the southeast direction where Jinshan Town was located.
"Only fifteen years, right? Beishuo... was actually destroyed by our Great Xia..."
After Xia Hong and the others had completely disappeared, Yue Feng turned his head, surveying the increasingly quiet Beishuo Town City around him. A flicker of bewilderment passed through his eyes, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
He remembered clearly how arrogant Yang Ning and Li Hu were fifteen years ago when Great Xia was just starting out at the Earthen Slope, how proudly they spoke of Beishuo Town City and Lord Leader Yang Zun when they barged into Redwood Ridge, and how disdainful their attitude was towards their group...
In just fifteen short years, this so-called powerful and prosperous Beishuo had been destroyed by Great Xia and was about to become nourishment for Great Xia.
As for that great Lord Leader Yang Zun they spoke of back then...
Yue Feng turned his head to look at Yang Zun, now barely alive on the ground, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Yuankun, go bring Yang Fa and the other two Sun Manifestation Level cultivators over. In one hour, gather everyone in the city at the ruins of the great hall. These four, along with all the Yang Clan relatives, will be publicly executed in front of them all."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing this, Li Yuankun's spirits lifted, and he immediately led people away to make arrangements.