Chapter 538: Panic and Camp Explosion—Betting on Both Sides, the Anti-Air Pill |
Mo'ao Calendar Year 137, First Day of the First Month, Late Night
North of Hanzhao in Jinshan Town, at the southern foothills of Mo'ao Mountain, the one hundred thousand strong combined army of Jinshan and Wuchuan was forming a long, serpentine column, advancing westward in an orderly and rapid fashion.
"Brothers of Jinshan, hold on a little longer! Once we reach Yinhe Valley and occupy Jinyang, and then wait for the Caiqiu reinforcements to arrive, retaking our town city will be a matter of moments!"
"Although the Xia troops are strong, our town city's defenses are solid, and there are still garrison troops inside. They absolutely cannot breach it. Furthermore, Caiqiu has left scouts there to watch. If the Xia troops dare to attack the city, we will immediately turn back and launch a surprise counterattack!"
"Brothers of Wuchuan, don't worry at all. Caiqiu has left a Tribulation Body Realm expert to help us defend the city. We just received scout reports that the Xia troops have retreated. The threat to the town city has been resolved. Follow the Caiqiu lords into Yinhe Valley. Once reinforcements arrive, we can immediately fight our way back to the town city!"
………………
An army that has just suffered a defeat and is moving further and further away from home would normally be unable to maintain military discipline.
However, with Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang, the two Lord Leaders, sparing no effort to pacify them, it was completely different.
In the Ice Abyss camp, the authority of a Lord Leader was still unquestionable.
The allied army consisted of two parts. The vanguard was the Jinshan army, familiar with the terrain, while the Wuchuan army followed behind.
At the very rear of the Wuchuan army, Young Lord Leader Qin He, along with his younger brother Qin Shan, two other Sun Manifestation Level experts, and over ten other officers, were silently following the procession. The group was utterly quiet, their expressions grim.
"Another twenty-five kilometers to exit Hanzhao. After entering Yinhe Valley, we still need to travel another twenty-one kilometers west to reach Jinyang. Three Xia army routes are shadowing us from less than twenty kilometers behind. Why isn't Caiqiu using that method they employed earlier to assist our march?"
Probably unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Qin Shan suddenly spoke up, looking angrily towards the sky.
"Shut up! Father just said Caiqiu's Divine Wind March cannot be used again in a short period. Moreover, we are now an army of one hundred thousand. That Divine Wind March cannot simultaneously affect so many people!"
Qin He directly cut off his brother, glanced up at the sky, then glared at him sternly.
Qin Shan clearly realized something, his body trembling slightly.
Ever since the great defeat at the foot of Pass City, his father, Qin Feng, had never shown himself on the ground again. Although they could still hear Qin Feng's voice pacifying the soldiers, the lack of face-to-face communication left him feeling uneasy.
Not only that, when Qin Feng pacified the army, he only appeared in the air two to three hundred meters above the troops, and he was always accompanied by three Caiqiu Tribulation Body Realm experts.
Qin Shan was at the Sun Manifestation Level and also had the ability to fly. Once, when Qin Feng descended to pacify the soldiers, he tried to fly up to speak with his father. But before he could get close, his father harshly rebuked him.
"The army's morale is collapsing. Why are you coming up to find me? Stay down there with the officers and men. Be careful of a camp riot!"
These words were spoken when the father and son were only about a hundred meters apart. After hearing them, Qin Shan didn't dare to continue flying towards his father.
But Qin Shan wasn't stupid. He looked middle-aged but was actually ninety-two years old this year, a veritable old man.
Ghosts get wiser with age, and people get shrewder. Qin Shan had already figured it out.
His father, Qin Feng, was most likely being controlled by Caiqiu's people!
What the Wuchuan soldiers truly cared about was Wuchuan City. After all, their families and loved ones all lived there. Last night, they had only been lured to the Pass through a mix of deception and coaxing by their high command.
The surprise attack on the Pass failed. Although the allied army's casualties weren't too heavy, they had all witnessed the Xia army's frontal combat strength.
Eleven thousand against four thousand. Although Great Xia had Beast Emperor-Level Puppets, Caiqiu had also brought a full eight Tribulation Body Realm experts, and Fang Bo Cai Qianshan was present. The gap in top-tier combat power between the two sides wasn't actually that large.
Thinking about it this way, with the Xia army's military might, who in the entire Southern Foothills could still stop them?
The Xia army's strength was already terrifying enough to demoralize anyone. The soldiers had no fighting spirit. And now, the latest military order wasn't even to return and reinforce Wuchuan, but to enter Yinhe Valley, occupy Jinyang City, continue to contend with the Xia army, and wait for the Caiqiu army to march south.
The Caiqiu army's strength was undoubtedly formidable. The problem was, if they couldn't even protect their homes, what was the point of fighting the Xia army?
When soldiers go to war, shedding blood and sacrificing their lives, isn't it ultimately to fight for wealth and a better life for their families?
Those loyal to the Lord Leader, concerned about Wuchuan, wanting to continue the town's legacy—such people might exist, but they definitely wouldn't be the mainstream, only a small minority.
His father's pacification efforts and having all the officers watch the soldiers were clearly just patchwork measures. They could barely maintain some discipline, but the soldiers' longing for home was definitely growing heavier.
Qin Shan saw it clearly. As the marching column neared the exit of Hanzhao, the soldiers kept looking west frequently, clearly wanting to return to Wuchuan.
Jinshan's territory could be roughly divided into eastern and western halves using the Pass as the boundary. The eastern side consisted of the Pass, Qingcang, Linao, and Wood. The western side consisted of Bingfeng, Hanzhao, Qinggu, Xiyuan, and Yinhe Valley.
Hanzhao bordered the southern foothills of Mo'ao Mountain. Once out of Hanzhao, heading north was the entrance to Yinhe Valley, heading southwest led to the Xiyuan Main Camp, and heading due west led to the Wuchuan East Valley Main Camp.
The soldiers frequently looking west obviously meant they were homesick.
If the Wuchuan soldiers only started frequently looking west as they were about to exit Hanzhao, then the Jinshan soldiers leading the way at the front had been looking south the entire time. Furthermore, at regular intervals, a small number of soldiers would desert, clearly heading back towards the Pass based on their direction.
An army of one hundred thousand was too large. Although Caiqiu had many experts, they couldn't watch everyone. At first, when only a few deserted, the Jinshan high command executed them directly, suppressing the situation for a while. But as more and more soldiers deserted later, they didn't dare to kill indiscriminately anymore and could only try to persuade them.
But with this kind of thing, taking a soft approach would only make it worse.
"Our homes are gone. Why are we still fighting the Xia army? If my wife, children, and old mother are killed by the Xia army, can the Caiqiu army resurrect them?"
Just earlier, a Jinshan Warmth Realm officer who was deserting shouted these words right in front of thousands of soldiers. Jinshan Town General Shangguan Ning tried painstakingly to persuade him for a long time, but ultimately failed to stop that officer, who still left.
By now, when a few more people deserted, the Jinshan Sun Manifestation Level experts simply pretended not to see, ignoring them.
Qin Shan was at the very rear of the column. He saw clearly: from setting out from the Pass until now, over two hours, at least over a thousand people had deserted from the Jinshan army at the front, and people were still constantly running away.
When they truly exited Hanzhao, it would probably start with the Wuchuan army as well.
Qin Shan's face instantly turned very ugly.
"Shang Guanning is currently managing the Jinshan army, so Lord Leader Shangguan Yang must also be controlled by Caiqiu. Even if we want to resist now, we have no chance. Should we really continue following Caiqiu down this dark path?"
At this point, Qin Shan had no intention of resisting Great Xia anymore.
If his father were still free and determined to oppose Great Xia, he would naturally have nothing to say. After all, in terms of loyalty to his father and concern for Wuchuan Town's legacy, he was second to none.
But the key point was, his father was currently being controlled.
Judging by Caiqiu's actions, even if their army marched south and truly blocked Great Xia, Wuchuan's final outcome probably wouldn't be much better.
Since they were going to be annexed anyway, it would be better to merge into Great Xia. After all, they were from the same Southern Foothills region, familiar with each other. Looking at the four towns—Muyin, Jiangxia, Bashang, and Chuishan—that previously merged into Great Xia, their high command's outcomes were quite good.
As for Caiqiu, they obviously didn't see them as people.
But now, did they still have a way out?
"Second Brother, what did Father say to you when you went to find him earlier?"
Just as Qin Shan was feeling anxious and fearful inside, he suddenly heard his eldest brother Qin He's inquiry. He quickly looked up and replied, "Father said, 'The army's morale is collapsing. Why are you coming up to find me? Stay down there with the officers and men. Be careful of a camp riot!'"
Without thinking, he directly repeated his father's words.
Qin He fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then turned to look at Qin Shan and said, "Father just sent me a message, saying the same thing: to watch over the army and be careful of a camp riot…"
At the end, Qin He's tone was clearly abnormal.
Of course, this abnormality was something only Qin Shan could detect.
Eldest Brother Qin He was different from him. He had long been designated as the Young Lord Leader of Wuchuan, usually speaking with decisive authority, his tone often firm and powerful. But the end of this sentence clearly carried a trace of hesitation.
Hearing this unusual tone, Qin Shan's expression froze slightly. He then lowered his head, pondered for a moment, suddenly realized something, looked up at his elder brother, his pupils abruptly contracting.
His father, Qin Feng, was not a verbose person. There was no need to say the same thing twice. Their brotherly relationship had always been harmonious. When their father gave instructions, he always told only one person, never repeating them a second time.
Repeatedly emphasizing twice: be careful of a camp riot.
This meant…
Qin He at the front happened to turn his head back at that moment. The two brothers' eyes met, and something extra instantly appeared in their pupils.
Qin Shan understood immediately!
But Qin Shan still didn't dare to be certain. His heart was uneasy for a long time. First, he looked up towards the high sky above. Although the group of Caiqiu Tribulation Body and Sun Manifestation experts were high up and only vaguely visible, he didn't dare to speak casually. He quickly wrote two characters on his palm, then hurried forward to catch up to his elder brother, inadvertently showing his hand to him.
[Camp Explosion]
Camp Explosion meant the same as camp riot.
Seeing these two characters on his younger brother's palm, Qin He didn't speak, just nodded slightly, then quickly walked forward, first putting some distance between them, then speaking in a deep voice to the group of officers:
"All Commanders-in-Chief, go down immediately to pacify the officers and soldiers of each army and battalion! We are about to exit Hanzhao soon. Strictly prohibit soldiers from deserting. Guard against camp riots!"
"Subordinates obey the order!"
Understanding his elder brother's meaning, Qin Shan, along with the other officers, nodded and accepted the order. As they split up to go down, he quickly passed information to a few of them.
Of course, still without speaking, only using written communication.
After receiving the message, the expressions of several officers changed drastically, but they quickly returned to normal, then continued walking into the army as if nothing had happened.
The allied army soon reached the western edge of Hanzhao. The Jinshan army at the front seemed to have resigned themselves to fate, directly turning north towards Yinhe Valley.
The Wuchuan army at the rear could only follow behind them.
But just as they were about to exit Hanzhao, a voice suddenly rang out from the front ranks of the Wuchuan army.
"Brothers! If Wuchuan can't even be protected, what's the point of going to Jinyang? If our families are killed by the Xia army, what good is winning? I'm going back to Wuchuan City to protect my family. I'm not going to Jinyang!"
The speaker was clearly quite powerful. This voice was earth-shattering, instantly causing the front several thousand soldiers to stop.
When the front stopped, the rear naturally stopped as well.
The soldiers were stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted.
"That's right! My family and loved ones are all in Wuchuan. We, tens of thousands of us, should have rushed to reinforce Wuchuan last night. We were tricked by Caiqiu into coming to the Pass. Not only did the Xia army escape unscathed, but the Jinshan army was also tricked into coming out. If we continue following Caiqiu to Jinyang, what about my family?"
With a second voice, came a third, a fourth…
"If our families die, the Caiqiu army's arrival will be useless!"
"But the Lord Leader said…"
"Whatever the Lord Leader says, isn't it all decided by Caiqiu? The Lord Leader hasn't come down since earlier. He's long been controlled by Caiqiu's people."
"Exactly! Those Caiqiu people follow the Lord Leader like shadows, clearly coercing him. Great Xia is a tiger and wolf, but Caiqiu is no good either. Brothers, follow me back to Wuchuan!"
"Back to Wuchuan, at least we can protect our families."
"At worst, we can die together with our families!"
"Right! We're not going to Jinyang. Back to Wuchuan!"
………………
"Audacious! All of you, shut up! You're causing a camp explosion!"
"Anyone who dares to act recklessly will be executed!"
"Marching to Wuchuan is the Lord Leader's command. Defying the Lord Leader is a capital offense. Anyone who dares to move again, I will surely kill them!"
Voices of suppression quickly arose within the Wuchuan army.
However, before these few voices could gain momentum, they were overwhelmed by the overwhelming roars of the soldiers.
After countless soldiers roared, they directly, regardless of consequences, started walking west. They ignored not only those few suppressing officers but also the Wuchuan Sun Manifestation Level experts rapidly approaching from the sky.
Since Lord Leader Qin Feng was already controlled, what was there to say about the remaining Sun Manifestation Level experts? They must be controlled too.
They trusted no one now, only wanting to return to Wuchuan, to their loved ones.
The first wave of soldiers heading west quickly triggered a chain reaction. Many emotionally agitated soldiers followed behind. Some of the remaining hesitant soldiers also followed.
Wuchuan's camp had exploded!
"The Wuchuan army is leaving?"
"I said it earlier! Instead of turning back to attack the Pass, we have to follow these Caiqiu people to Jinyang. If the town city is lost, what use is us staying in Jinyang? Will the Caiqiu army care about the lives and deaths of our families?"
"I'm going back to Jinshan City. I'm not going to Jinyang."
"I'm not going to Jinyang either. I'm going back to Jinshan City. Even if I die, I want to die with my family."
………………
What was even more critical was that when Wuchuan's camp exploded, the Jinshan army hadn't gone far yet.
The Jinshan soldiers at the very rear who hadn't gone far, seeing the Wuchuan army's camp explosion, were instantly infected. Many soldiers who had been hesitating immediately made up their minds. After roaring a few times, they directly broke away from the column and headed back east towards Pass City.
"All of you, stop! All of you, stop! Qin He, Qin Shan, how are you leading the army? Quickly stop them…"
"Jinshan army, all of you, stop! Don't move…"
With the ground army exploding and mutinying, the group of Tribulation Body and Sun Manifestation experts in the sky naturally couldn't just sit back and watch.
At the beginning of the camp explosion, Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang immediately shouted to stop it. But the soldiers below had already concluded they were being held hostage by Caiqiu's people. The two men's angry attempts to stop them had no effect whatsoever.
"Indeed, they are just a mob. No wonder an army of one hundred and ten thousand couldn't defeat forty thousand Xia troops earlier. Before the enemy even attacks, they explode their own camp first!"
"After all, they are border barbarians, unfit for proper affairs. Hmph!"
…………
In mid-air, before Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang could stop speaking, they were coldly interrupted by the group of Caiqiu Sun Manifestation Level experts beside them.
Hearing the contempt in the Caiqiu group's tone, Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang's faces showed embarrassment, but they didn't dare to reveal the slightest anger. They just turned their gazes towards the nine people at the very front, led by Cai Qiuhu.
After hesitating for a moment, Qin Feng cupped his hands and spoke to Cai Qiuhu, "Young Fang Bo Cai, I will go down immediately to stop them!"
Shangguan Yang hurriedly followed suit, "Kill a batch, and it'll be fine. This old man will go down now. I will surely stop the mutiny."
Hearing their requests, Cai Qiuhu didn't give any response. He just continued looking down below. After three or four breaths, he turned his head, staring intently at Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang, a somewhat inexplicable expression appearing on his face.
"No need. Many have already deserted along the way. Since you couldn't stop it earlier, don't even think about it now. Notify your officers to lead the remaining soldiers willing to follow us and continue towards Yinhe Valley!"
The current camp explosion was just the concentrated eruption of the anger the soldiers had been accumulating while withdrawing westward all along. It wasn't some spur-of-the-moment idea.
Earlier, when deserters appeared in the Jinshan army, Shangguan Yang had notified the Jinshan high command to kill a batch of people. They failed to suppress it then, let alone now.
This wasn't a mutiny of a few hundred or a few thousand people, but tens of thousands, possibly even tens of thousands. They had already killed one batch earlier. The soldiers already held grievances. If they went down to kill and suppress now, they really wouldn't be able to bring a single person to Jinyang.
"Two Lord Leaders, don't worry. I said, once my Caiqiu army arrives from the Bone-Erosion Path, helping you recover your town cities will be easy. Great Xia's rampage is only a matter of these next couple of days…"
Cai Qiuhu's tone clearly carried a hint of threat.
"Young Fang Bo, I have absolutely no disloyal thoughts. My family is still in Wuchuan City. Right now, I'm counting on your esteemed feudatory's strong army marching south to rescue them."
"Shangguan Yang is irreconcilably opposed to Great Xia. I only hope your esteemed feudatory's army arrives, subdues the Xia army, and restores peace to our Southern Foothills region."
Both Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang's bodies trembled violently. They hurriedly turned and bowed to him with cupped hands, hastily declaring their stance.
"That's for the best. Elder Brother, Senior Brother Zhu, take them down. Stabilize the army first. Try to keep as many people as possible. There might still be battles at Jinyang!"
Cai Qianshan had four sons. Although Cai Qiuhu was the youngest, his status was the highest. He directly gave orders to his elder brother, Cai Qiuyang.
Cai Qiuyang showed no displeasure on his face. He nodded directly and, together with Senior Brother Zhu Huorong, led the two men down to stabilize the army.
"My lord, it's bad…"
However, before the four could descend, a figure suddenly shot up from below at high speed. He found Cai Qiuhu at the front of the group and immediately cupped his hands, saying:
"Qin He and Qin Shan, the two brothers, took advantage of the chaos and fled with people…"
Misfortunes never come singly. As soon as this person's voice fell, another figure flew over from below, urgently reporting, "Reporting, my lord! Jinshan Town Army Commander Shangguan Long also fled with his two sons, taking advantage of the chaos."
Hearing this, Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang's expressions changed drastically, their pupils filled with fury.
"These two unfilial beasts are so audacious! My lord, please assign me a few men. I want to personally go kill these two rebellious sons!"
"Shangguan Long is from my main clan line. He is notoriously greedy and ambitious. He must have been turned by Great Xia. This old man will definitely flay him alive!"
The Caiqiu group's expressions were originally also very grim, but upon hearing Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang say this, their faces immediately became much more restrained.
Losing three Sun Manifestation Level experts wasn't a big deal.
The problem was, the identities of these three were too sensitive.
Qin He and Qin Shan were Qin Feng's two sons. Shangguan Long was not only Shangguan Yang's younger brother from the main clan line but also the Army Commander of Jinshan Town.
The allied soldiers had just experienced a great defeat at the Pass and were worried about their loved ones in the town cities. Their hearts were already filled with fear and panic. The flight of these three would be an almost fatal blow to morale.
If these three raised their arms and called for followers, who knows how many people they would pull away!
"Elder Brother, Senior Brother Zhu, quickly take the two Lord Leaders down to pacify the army! If we delay any longer, they'll really all run away!"
Although Cai Qiuhu's face was ugly, he still made a prompt decision, immediately urging Cai Qiuyang and Zhu Huorong to take the two Lord Leaders down to pacify the soldiers.
Knowing the situation was urgent, Cai Qiuyang and the other man immediately nodded and took the people down.
After Cai Qiuyang and the other three had gone far, the second son, Cai Qiuning, immediately said coldly to Cai Qiuhu, "This is clearly their doing. If you ask me, just kill these two. Ye Tianhao and Shangguan Ning should be able to control the army well enough."
Cai Qiuning's words seemed inexplicable. The expressions of the dozens of people in the sky changed slightly. But after lowering their heads to think for a moment, they immediately understood.
Right!
How could they not control their own sons and younger brothers?
That angry display by Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang just now was clearly an act put on for their benefit. They had actually been fooled.
After realizing this, the Caiqiu group's expressions immediately darkened considerably. Clearly, a few threads of anger had also ignited in their hearts.
"Not appropriate!"
Just as everyone was about to speak, Cai Qiuhu shook his head, rejecting Second Brother Cai Qiuning's opinion. He said solemnly, "Ye Tianhao and Shangguan Ning have already pledged allegiance to us. If they could control the armies of the two towns, why would we still bother keeping an eye on Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang? These two still have some prestige after all. If not handled properly, I'm afraid not a single soldier from the two towns' armies will listen to us!"
Wuchuan Army Commander Ye Tianhao and Jinshan Deputy Army Commander Shangguan Ning had been secretly turned by them some time ago and had already pledged allegiance to Caiqiu. Unfortunately, their prestige was limited. Their status in the hearts of the soldiers of the two towns couldn't compare at all to that of the two Lord Leaders, Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang.
Precisely because of this, although Cai Qiuhu controlled the two Lord Leaders, he had never taken action to kill them, simply because he couldn't find anyone to replace them.
"If they won't listen, then they won't listen! We weren't counting on them in the first place. The army will arrive by the night of the third at the latest. No matter how strong the Xia army is, can they block the might of my Caiqiu troops?"
Cai Qiuning was clearly getting angry, his tone very unfriendly.
Cai Qiuhu still shook his head. "Even a lion uses its full strength when pouncing on a rabbit. Besides, compared to my Caiqiu, Great Xia hasn't reached the level of a rabbit versus a lion. Since we can use the allied army to cause them more trouble, why not…"
He paused here, then continued, "Moreover, Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang are just hedging their bets. They haven't done anything too outrageous. The army should still have quite a few left…"
"This is putting my Caiqiu on equal footing with Great Xia. They really think Great Xia has a chance of winning! Wait until my feudatory's army marches south and defeats Xia Hong. Then they'll know how laughable their actions are. Hmph!"
Although unclear about Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang's little maneuvers, Cai Qiuning could definitely conclude that the camp explosion and mutiny were orchestrated by these two.
Qin He, Qin Shan, and Shangguan Long—without a doubt, they must have taken the remnants to surrender to Great Xia.
This way, regardless of whether Caiqiu or Great Xia won later, the Qin and Shangguan clans would both be in an unbeatable position. This was what Cai Qiuhu meant by them hedging their bets.
Such thinking, under normal circumstances, wouldn't be a big deal. But for the Caiqiu group, this was no different from an insult.
Because this act of hedging bets represented that Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang did not have a favorable view of the upcoming situation. To some extent, this placed their Caiqiu on equal footing with Great Xia.
Naturally, everyone in the Caiqiu group felt very displeased.
"Have Zhu Qing use the Blood-Guide Trickery Technique to find the whereabouts of those three. I'll go kill them now, to warn Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang."
Cai Qiuning directly spoke coldly.
As soon as his words fell, a middle-aged man wearing a black cloak, with a thin face and a tall, slender build, stepped out from behind Cai Qiuhu.
That middle-aged man stretched out his hand, palm open. A small blood-colored worm immediately burrowed out from his skin. After wriggling in the air for a moment, it immediately flew towards the east.
Cai Qiuhu clearly wanted to speak to stop him, but seeing Second Brother Cai Qiuning had already taken people and flown east, he still said nothing.
"We still need them to hold Jinyang for a couple of days. A warning is also good!"
He had brought one hundred Sun Manifestation Level experts earlier. Zhu Qing was one of them.
Zhu Qing's strength wasn't great, but he possessed a Blood-Guide Trickery Technique that could record the aura of Sun Manifestation Level experts and track them based on that aura, with a range of up to a thousand li. His first stop after marching south was Yangju, precisely to collect information on Great Xia's Sun Manifestation Level experts.
If he could collect Great Xia's, naturally he could also collect those of Jinshan and Wuchuan. The more than twenty Sun Manifestation Level experts from the two towns combined had long been collected by them.
Now it could finally be put to use.
Killing Qin He, Qin Shan, and Shangguan Long would warn Qin Feng and Shangguan Yang, and at the same time nip their little scheme of hedging bets in the bud, lest these two cause more trouble later.
………………
Only when the allied army's camp exploded did Cai Qiu and the others realize Shangguan Yang was hedging his bets.
As for Xia Hong's side, not long after capturing Pass City, they already knew.
To be precise, it was when Yuwen Tao's Right Route Army set out from the Pass and had just arrived at Hanzhao that he found out.
"Jinshan criminal Shangguan Yan pays his respects to the Great Xia Lord Leader!"
Shangguan Yan was also at the Sun Manifestation Level. Led by Yuwen Tao to fly into the air, as soon as he saw Xia Hong, he immediately knelt down in mid-air.
Hearing Shangguan Yan refer to himself as a Jinshan criminal, Xia Hong's eyes slightly raised. He immediately guessed what was going on.
"After the great defeat at the Pass, Jinshan is powerless to turn the tide. This old man is willing to lead the hundreds of thousands of common people of Jinshan City in surrendering to Great Xia. I hope Lord Leader Xia Hong can spare Jinshan City from military disaster and spare the lives of my Jinshan people…"
Shangguan Yan didn't come empty-handed. He was carrying a large bag. After pleading for Jinshan Town, he immediately presented the bag forward and continued:
"Five years ago, during the Dajue Temple rebellion, Wuchuan Lord Leader Qin Feng killed the Great Abyss Master and obtained his organs. But because Wuchuan's alchemists were inadequate, he sought help from my Jinshan Town. These forty thousand Forbidden Sky Pills were imitated by my town based on Dajue Temple's Shock Void Pill. The Xia army will still have battles with the feudal towns ahead. These pills will surely have miraculous effects. Lord Leader, please accept them!"
Hearing this, Xia Hong's eyes instantly lit up.
Not only him, but the Sun Manifestation Level officers of the Right Route Army beside him—Yuwen Tao, Hou Quan, Yuwen Yong, Hou Bing, Hong Gang, and others—also had their expressions shaken violently, all looking towards that bag.