Chapter 1557: A Cornered Dog Leaps the Wall

Hot blood sprayed from Jin Jue's severed neck. His headless body convulsed and collapsed.

Everyone else present was stunned. Not even in their dreams had they imagined such a scene.

Jin Jue's eyes were still moving, wide with disbelief. Never had he imagined that one day his life would end this way.

And Wu Chang was hardly here merely to kill Jin Jue.

Surging spiritual power swept from his body. Rolling black clouds spread like demonic claws and seized every commander on the spot.

Wu Chang flung one large hand.

More than a dozen heads were ripped free at the same instant by those black-cloud claws and carried before him.

A dozen jets of hot blood spurted into the air. None of the men even had time to scream.

The cultivators around them watched helplessly. Not one dared intervene.

Who would have dared stop him?

Then Wu Chang's cold gaze swept toward them.

The Han cultivators were horrified. Almost as one, they scattered and fled in panic. No one dared remain before him.

They had no choice but to run. However powerful Wu Chang was, if their own lives were under threat and he meant to kill them, how could they simply sit and wait for death? Even if escape was impossible, they still had to try.

Fortunately, Wu Chang had no idle interest in chasing them all down.

Some of the slain commanders' trusted subordinates, however, roared in grief and rage, drew their sabers, and charged.

Boom!

Bodies flew through the air. The charging men were blasted away like kites with broken strings, crashed to the ground, and died on the spot.

Not one of them could even get close to Wu Chang, much less fight him to the death.

The soldiers all around were terrified. They gripped their weapons, but with no military orders they had no idea whether to advance or retreat, nor did they even understand what had happened.

Wu Chang did not linger.

He flashed away, dragging more than a dozen severed heads behind him, and vanished into the distant sky.

Only afterward did some of the cultivators who had hidden themselves dare emerge.

They stared in the direction Wu Chang had disappeared, one after another still shaken and frightened.

They did not understand.

Why had Wu Chang suddenly come here personally and slaughtered the commanders so viciously?

Had Jin Jue and the others done something to offend him?

Even if they had, who was Sacred Venerable Tianmo? Did he really need to come in person to do the killing? A single command from him should have been enough.

What they did not know was that Wu Chang had no other choice.

If issuing a command had been useful, he would not have needed to act this way.

What could he command Jin Jue to do? Surrender?

The moment he spoke, not just Jin Jue but the entire State of Han would surrender.

But what damned use was surrender?

Did Wu Chang need Han to surrender?

Han already revered him as its Sacred Venerable. Han's Three Great Sects already bowed before him.

Demanding another surrender would have been absurd.

In name, the realm had already belonged to him. What difference would surrender make?

...

At Xiping Pass, Gao Pin was still before the map with his generals, laying out their battle plans.

Someone walked in from outside.

A man whose mere appearance made everyone present tremble.

Wu Chang had arrived.

He strode straight into the room and casually tossed what he carried.

Thud, thud, thud...

More than a dozen bloody heads rolled across the floor before the generals.

Everyone recoiled, startled and confused.

Wu Chang said coldly, "Jin Jue's head is here. The heads of Han's principal commanders are here. Gao Pin, you can attack without concern now."

With that, he turned and left expressionlessly.

Gao Pin and the others stood frozen as though they had just heard someone talking in a dream.

Only after Wu Chang's back had completely disappeared through the doorway did Gao Pin hurry forward and search among the severed heads.

Jin Jue's was easy to find.

It was still warm.

Clearly, it had not been severed long ago.

The generals identified the heads of Han's other senior commanders one after another. Those too still held their warmth.

No one dared breathe loudly.

The Qiyun Sect elder nearby swallowed dryly. Fear flickered uncontrollably in his eyes.

"Ah..." Gao Pin sighed softly, Jin Jue's head cradled in both hands.

He looked around at everyone's expressions and knew they had all been frightened badly.

And why only them?

He had been frightened too.

Looking at Jin Jue's head, the eyes still open in death, Gao Pin did not know what to say.

A famous commander of his generation had actually fallen like this.

At this moment, there was no distinction between enemy and ally. Gao Pin felt the sorrow of the fox when the rabbit dies.

How long had it been since Wu Chang had shown himself here and departed?

In that tiny span of time, he had gone to the Han army and brought back the heads of nearly all its principal commanders.

Terrifying.

Horrifying.

That was the same fear in every man's heart.

Even the Qiyun Sect elder understood now: strength without restraint, power that could do whatever it pleased, was truly terrifying beyond measure.

Before long, Xiping Pass opened.

The Jin army poured down like a flood and launched its attack against Han.

Gao Pin and the others did not dare delay. Who among them would dare drag his feet?

Those dozen bloody heads were the lesson lying right before their eyes.

Fortunately, the offensive went smoothly.

It could hardly have failed to.

The Yan army had already withdrawn. Han had lost its head and its army had fallen into chaos without central command.

Faced with Jin's offensive, the Han forces collapsed and fled.

The Jin army drove almost straight through, meeting virtually no meaningful resistance...

...

In Jin's new capital, more than a dozen flying mounts circled down and landed inside the imperial palace.

Hei Shi had arrived with a group of men.

When Taishu Xiong heard the news, he hurried out to receive him and saluted upon meeting him.

Hei Shi smiled and waved a hand. "Your Majesty need not stand on ceremony. The matter is urgent, so I won't waste words. Come with me."

Taishu Xiong stared. "Where?"

"To the front." Hei Shi said, "To bolster the Jin army's morale, we'll have to trouble Your Majesty to personally lead the campaign. The senior figures of Qiyun Sect have already gone ahead. This is the Sacred Venerable's decree."

...

Ling Sect had rebelled.

Myriad Beasts Sect had rebelled.

Tianxing Sect had rebelled.

The Demonic Sect had rebelled as well...

Inside his study, Shao Pingbo sat behind his desk reading one report after another, his heart pounding with each one.

He understood at a glance.

The forces Tongueless Jia had secretly laid out were now openly tearing all pretense away and breaking with Wu Chang.

These sects had stepped directly into the open.

They were leaving themselves no road back. They meant to fight Wu Chang to the end.

Outside the door, Shao Sansheng came hurrying in with another report in hand, nearly running. He was panting hard.

"Eldest Young Master, something's wrong. Misty Pavilion's people have taken His Majesty away directly!"

"What?" Shao Pingbo shot to his feet.

Seeing the old man struggling to catch his breath, Shao Pingbo knew age was part of the problem and immediately handed over his own teacup. "No hurry. Drink some water and catch your breath first."

"Th-thank you, Eldest Young Master."

Shao Sansheng thanked him, set down the message in his hand, accepted the cup, and gulped down several mouthfuls. Once his breathing eased somewhat, he continued.

"It wasn't only His Majesty. Several important ministers at court were taken away as well. They say they're to accompany His Majesty on a personal campaign."

"And Qiyun Sect too. This old servant heard from people there that Misty Pavilion has taken the sect's senior leadership to the front as well. They claim it's to raise military morale and make the fighting easier."

"Oh, and there's this."

He set down the teacup, picked up the new report, and handed it over.

"We've received word that Wu Chang acted personally. He forced his way directly into the Han army's command center and killed Grand Marshal Jin Jue with his own hands, along with more than ten of Han's senior commanders."

"Nearly all the heads of the Han army's principal commanders were torn off by Wu Chang personally and delivered to Gao Pin."

"Marshal Gao had no choice after that. He's been forced to launch the offensive."

"Fortunately, the enemy army is already in chaos. Our forces are smashing through them like splitting bamboo!"

Shao Pingbo read the message again, pressed it down on the desk, then strode out from behind the long table.

He paced through the study, eyes flickering as he thought.

"He went personally into the Han army camp to kill them... Wu Chang is the cornered dog leaping the wall!"

"What personal campaign? What bolstering morale?"

"He's afraid Jin will fall into disorder and slip beyond his control."

"Jin is the last force still under his command. He has taken Qiyun Sect's senior leadership, His Majesty, and the important ministers to the front because he wants hostages. He wants to keep Jin from rebelling!"

Shao Sansheng asked, "Eldest Young Master, what do we do now?"

"What do we do?" Shao Pingbo said. "The two sides are already fighting the decisive battle. It's life or death now. Neither will stop until the other falls."

"We can't interfere in a struggle like this. Protecting ourselves comes first."

"Have the household pack immediately. Find somewhere to take shelter."

"Take shelter?" Shao Sansheng was surprised. "Has it really reached that point?"

Shao Pingbo's voice sank. "Wu Chang has already broken the rules. The cornered dog is leaping the wall, and he has stopped observing restraint."

"If Wu Chang dares do this, do you think Tongueless Jia's side will sit and watch?"

"See the situation clearly. The greater momentum no longer lies with Wu Chang."

"In terms of forces within the cultivation world, Wu Chang cannot match the other side. Tongueless Jia's strength in the cultivation world has already surpassed his."

"Wu Chang has done the first day; Tongueless Jia's side will answer on the fifteenth. If Wu Chang dares destroy Han's command center, Tongueless Jia will dare destroy Jin's!"

"You need to understand this as well: Tongueless Jia has far more cultivators at his disposal than Wu Chang does."

"Once he moves, Jin's rear will inevitably fall into chaos. He will certainly destroy the Jin army's supply lines and refuse to let its campaign proceed smoothly."

"And this capital will be one of Tongueless Jia's primary targets."

"Twelve Wuliang Fruits were stolen. Tongueless Jia's side has at least ten Nascent Soul cultivators. If they begin causing destruction, Wu Chang will be unable to guard against them everywhere."

"He cannot split himself into a hundred bodies. He simply can't protect it all."

"Wu Chang has handed them such a fine opportunity that Tongueless Jia is probably delighted."

"Just watch. They'll certainly take advantage of the moment to incite Han's Three Great Sects and Song's Three Great Sects into rebellion."

"Han, Yan, and Song will soon join forces to resist Jin!"

Shao Sansheng shook his head repeatedly. "Wu Chang truly made a muddled move this time."

"He had no choice," Shao Pingbo said. "The Nine Saints lost the hearts of all beneath Heaven long ago."

"At this point, even if Wu Chang didn't act this way, the other side would still incite every relevant faction and create disorder."

"Instead of waiting passively, he might as well move first and seize the initiative."

"Enough of that for now. The capital is already unsafe."

"Tongueless Jia doesn't want our identity exposed, so we're especially liable to be caught like fish in the pond when someone else's fire spreads."

"One does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. Let's get out of danger first."

"We won't need to hide for long."

"Very well. This old servant will make the arrangements immediately."

Shao Sansheng hurried away to carry them out.

...

Beside an official road, along the riverbank, reeds spread thick around a wharf.

Next to the wharf stood a warehouse used for transferring supplies.

With both river and road here, transport was convenient. During wartime, the place had been requisitioned for military use.

A convoy rumbled down the official road.

It slowed and turned. One wagon after another arrived before the warehouse.

Guan Fangyi, disguised, stood at the entrance smiling as she waited.

The riders dismounted.

Niu Youdao stepped forward and asked, "Where's His Highness?"

"Inside."

Guan Fangyi turned and pushed open the small warehouse door.

Niu Youdao led several people in one after another.

Shang Chaozong and Meng Shanming were both inside, likewise disguised.

Meng Shanming's wheelchair was gone. He sat on an ordinary chair instead. Using the wheelchair for now would make him too easy to identify.

"His Highness and Marshal Meng must be half suffocated from hiding here." Niu Youdao approached with a smile.

The moment they heard his voice and knew who had come, both men hurriedly saluted.

"Master Dao."

Shang Chaozong then said, "I wouldn't say we're suffocating. We simply don't know how the army is doing outside and can't help feeling anxious."

Niu Youdao said, "Please bear with it. Wu Chang is trying every possible way to find the two of you. For now, it truly isn't convenient for His Highness to contact the army."

"If word leaks, the consequences would be unimaginable."

[End of Chapter 1557]