Chapter 73

General Yan Zhengqing of Cai's 40,000-strong army looked at the squad leader beside him, who had just been saved from the brink of death, with a furrowed brow.

Beside him, the military advisor Xiang Bowen held a small wooden tray, on which lay a deformed bullet, still glistening with a golden hue despite the blood on it.

Yan Zhengqing examined it carefully for a long time: "It's not gold; it's darker than gold."

Military advisor Xiang Bowen said, "It's brass, often used to deceive the uneducated. But I can't understand how this small brass bullet could injure a squad leader at the ninth level of Qi cultivation. It has no spiritual properties, nor any array patterns. Such a small bullet couldn't possibly be fired from a crossbow."

At that moment, several more "heroes" who were injured but not dead were carried in, and the doctors quickly rushed to their aid. With the help of cultivation techniques and the inherent strength of the cultivators, the bullet heads were quickly removed, and after a circulation of true essence, they were mostly out of danger.

Watching one brass bullet after another being extracted, military advisor Xiang Bowen sighed, "The enemy must have a new weapon we don't know about. Fortunately, it seems there aren't many of these weapons. However, such mysterious deaths have a significant impact on the front-line soldiers. With 22 war artifacts already destroyed, General, we should temporarily retreat and launch an attack again at midnight."

"Agreed. Pass the order to temporarily withdraw. Also, try to collect all the bodies that died under mysterious circumstances."

The war was temporarily halted, and both sides sent soldiers to collect the bodies; the Great Xia side lowered ropes from the city walls. The soldiers from both sides did not greet each other, silently sorting the bodies. This was a rare moment of peace on the battlefield.

——

Dozens of miles away, Li Xian also received a letter from his elder brother Li Liang. After hearing about the "war artifacts," Li Xian had an idea—get one to study. Naturally, Li Xian also wanted to send a few top-notch snipers to help. If the border was breached, everything would be over.

Xu Ren was very calm: "Don't worry! Your elder brother isn't a fool. Even in the most critical situation, he can hold out until tomorrow. We expect Cai's elite troops to arrive at dawn. After we win here, we will fully support the border, which is the best strategy."

"Master, I also suggest this! Dividing forces at a critical moment is a major taboo in military strategy!" Beichen Yuqing agreed with Xu Ren's view.

Li Xian was quick to follow good advice: "Alright. We'll fight a quick battle! But send people to Qingyun Valley to notify all the machinery, guns, and ammunition production to work overtime!"

With the strategy set, the team continued to lie in wait, quietly waiting for Cai's assault team to arrive. But Li Xian still had many questions—would Cai's troops definitely come here? What if they miss it? What if they divide their forces?

Leaving aside Li Xian's concerns, at dawn, a thousand miles away, Wuyang City was in an uproar. The first wave of distress messages from Anyang had arrived (the second wave of urgent intelligence was still on the way).

The civil and military officials were summoned in the middle of the night to discuss the state of the nation—Cai's invasion!

"At least 40,000 elite troops have invaded the border." The emperor's face changed, "Fu Minghui, you lead 30,000 imperial guards to support!"

The prime minister Ouyang Wubing, Li Yulong, the Wang family, and other officials all agreed.

Grand Tutor Kong Xiang, however, stood up, "Your Majesty, I believe we should not act rashly. If we fall for a feint, it will be dangerous."

The emperor was at a loss, "Grand Tutor, what do you suggest?"

"The imperial guards cannot be moved; they must protect the palace and coordinate from the center. Additionally, send orders to all border regions to strengthen their defenses to prevent other countries from taking advantage or Cai using a feint. Send orders to the governor of Kaiping, Yao Jianye, to assist Anyang. Anyang has 30,000 elite troops; if they just hold their ground, they can handle 100,000 troops. Your Majesty need not worry. Moreover, Li Liang and Li Xian are capable; with these two guarding Anyang, it will be as solid as a rock!"

"Grand Tutor makes a good point!" Kong Xiang's words were immediately followed by a group of flatterers.

A flash of anger crossed Li Yulong's eyes, but he remained silent.

Wang Chuan's eyes gleamed with joy—old man, I've been waiting for this! Just wait, when Anyang falls, I'll make sure you have a spacious and bright cell. And Li Xian, your days are numbered; marrying Xia Qingqing, hehe, it will be your downfall!

In the end, under Grand Tutor Kong Xiang's persuasion, the emperor adopted a "wait and see" strategy; Fu Minghui went to reorganize the army to be ready for battle. At the same time, imperial messengers were sent out to notify local areas to strengthen their defenses.

The brief court meeting ended, and as they dispersed, Wang Chuan suddenly approached Li Yulong, "Lord Li, have time for a chat?"

Li Yulong hesitated slightly but then nodded firmly.

——

At the same dawn, General Wang Qisheng of Cai led 4,000 elite troops and easily "broke through" Kaiping's defenses, striding confidently into the Great Xia territory.

After all the soldiers safely crossed the border, Wang Qisheng smiled at his military advisor Lu Yan, "As long as we have this leverage, Kaiping will belong to Cai in advance."

Lu Yan smiled confidently, "I'm sure Li Xian and Li Liang are focused on the border war. Hmph, the Kong family thinks they have it all figured out, but they don't realize that everything has fallen into the prime minister's plan. We will not only plunder Qingyun Valley but also take the opportunity to test the Great Xia's combat capabilities. Once we succeed, by declaring that the Kong family helped us, we will surely cause internal strife in the Great Xia. Then, with a million troops, we will surely conquer the Great Xia!"

"Right. Let's hurry, and try to reach Qingyun Valley before dawn." General Wang Qisheng instructed his men, "Be careful, especially with the talents, especially those from the research department. If possible, capture Li Xian alive. The rest, destroy them all!"

The army marched forward in grand procession, 4,000 men making almost no sound, as if completely blending into the night. After crossing a gentle hill, they indeed entered Huangshi Valley, just as Xu Ren had predicted.

Huangshi Valley was filled with jagged rocks and had no clear path; it was only relatively open and suitable for a surprise attack.

The Cai troops, confident in their plan, advanced rapidly without reconnaissance—there was no time for it. However, for the narrow sections of Huangshi Valley, they would send someone to check briefly; for the wider areas, they mostly ignored them.

After walking for several miles, just as they were about to leave Huangshi Valley, General Wang Qisheng suddenly felt a chill.

As a cultivator, and a cultivator at the Golden Core stage, Wang Qisheng trusted this inexplicable premonition.

"Be careful!" Wang Qisheng stopped.

A muffled sound came, and Wang Qisheng watched in horror as the confident military advisor Lu Yan's head exploded.

Bang! The sound of the explosion followed.

"There's an ambush!" Wang Qisheng's face changed drastically. How could there be an ambush?!

...