Chapter 207: Peerless Elegance

"Ah Cheng.

"If we let Shatuo Queshi assassinate the enemy commander tonight, what do you think our odds would be?"

The Blind Man and Liang Cheng had both finally finished their work.

At that moment, they sat behind the battlements beneath the setting sun.

Liang Cheng shook his head.

"Very difficult."

"Explain."

"If it were Shatuo Queshi while he was alive, he could deliberately suppress the leakage of his aura.

"If the troops inside the fortress cooperated by creating chaos or making a feint in another direction, then let Shatuo Queshi break through alone—there really would be some possibility of beheading the enemy commander.

"But the current Shatuo Queshi may still be extremely powerful—yet as a zombie, he is too immature.

"The moment he awakens, the baleful aura of a zombie will be extremely difficult to conceal.

"That would amount to warning the enemy beforehand.

"Whatever the enemy commander's personal skill may be, he will naturally possess personal guards.

"So long as they can delay Shatuo Queshi for even a short while—once the army surrounds him, Shatuo Queshi will have very little room to maneuver.

"So—either we do not use Shatuo Queshi at all—or we save him for the most dangerous moment and have him carry Master through a breakout.

"That should not be much of a problem."

The Blind Man nodded silently.

Truthfully he had only been asking.

Using Shatuo Queshi would trigger too many consequences.

That trump card could not be revealed unless they truly had no alternative.

Liang Cheng comforted him.

"There is no need to worry too much.

"The fortified manor's walls may not be especially tall or imposing—but siege equipment is not easy to construct.

"The enemy came too quickly.

"They clearly did not prepare for siege warfare.

"The number of craftsmen inside their army should be extremely limited.

"Even if they now transfer craftsmen from the Capital Region—without ten days or half a month, producing all the siege equipment they need will still be nearly impossible.

"If Yan reinforcements still have not appeared after that much time—then there would be little meaning in continuing to hold this place to the death.

"At that point—

"I would instead recommend handing over the Jin Emperor.

"Then we take these troops and leave Yan's control."

The meaning was simple.

If such a long time passed without the Yan army appearing then it would mean the Yan court had tacitly accepted sacrificing this entire force so the Jin Emperor could die in a reasonable fashion.

If Yan itself took that attitude what meaning would remain in staying inside Yan's military system?

"Yes.

"But to tell the truth—we're still too weak.

"Living every day according to the attitude of people above us—not only Master dislikes it.

"The rest of us feel helpless and stifled too."

"If we lose the property, so be it.

"As long as the people remain.

"Naturally—best would be keeping both the people and the property.

"We worked our asses off coming from north to south and now east.

"Surely the more we struggle, the worse we shouldn't become."

At that moment, the whistle of a signal arrow rang out.

Every person atop the fortified manor's walls immediately moved.

Their first instinct was that the Jin army had decided to launch another assault before nightfall.

Liang Cheng stood.

He looked outside.

The gates of the Jin army's camp remained tightly shut.

There was no sign of Jin troops leaving the camp.

But Xue San would never fire a signal arrow without reason.

He must have discovered something.

That was why he had directly sent the warning.

"What happened?

"What happened?

"Are the Jin attacking again?"

Zheng Fan hurried back up onto the wall.

"Master.

"There is no movement from the Jin camp."

It was not fully dark yet.

In the remaining twilight, the situation around the fortress could still be seen clearly.

So the Jin could not exactly attempt a stealth attack.

"Then what's happening?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Did reinforcements arrive?"

Liang Cheng answered, "Master.

"Xinsu City does not possess many defenders.

"They are sufficient to guard the city.

"But the probability they would leave the walls to relieve our siege is extremely low.

"Xinsu City is far more strategically important than this fortified manor.

"As for reinforcements from elsewhere—from receiving the news to actually arriving here—even if cavalry pushed their horses relentlessly, it would still take at least three days."

The only nearby Yan troops were those in Xinsu City.

They were unlikely to risk losing the city by marching out.

Other reinforcements could not possibly arrive this quickly.

The small flame of hope that had just appeared inside Zheng Fan was extinguished instantly.

He could only sigh.

"Then what the hell is happening?"

"Master.

"There seem to be people over there."

A'Ming pointed southwest.

The main Jin army camp currently stood directly east of the fortified manor.

But Jin troops had also established camps in the other directions.

The fortress was effectively surrounded.

Yet beyond the Jin outer camp to the southwest three figures had appeared.

They were too far away to see clearly.

But from their silhouettes they seemed to be riding horses.

At the same time as these three people appeared the Jin camp in that direction immediately erupted into motion.

One unit after another began gathering toward that side.

"Did some important Jin person arrive?

"Situ Lei, the new Emperor of Great Cheng?" Zheng Fan guessed.

Liang Cheng answered, "Master.

"Probably not.

"This subordinate has observed the Jin force opposite us.

"Although both their attacks failed—they are not some mob.

"To a certain degree, they count as a disciplined army.

"Besides—this isn't some celebrity-chasing scene from later generations.

"These are rough soldiers bound by military discipline.

"Even if the Emperor of Great Cheng personally arrived—the defenders would not absurdly leave their camp just to welcome him."

This was a proper army.

Situ Lei might have only just enthroned himself and founded the state but the Situ Clan had possessed imperial power in all but name for many years.

There would be none of the rowdy spectacle of some mountain chieftain returning while all the brothers poured out of the stockade to welcome him.

At that moment, the gates of the Jin main camp to the east opened.

A cavalry unit carrying the commander's banner charged out.

"Even the Jin commander has been alarmed?"

Zheng Fan looked astonished.

Liang Cheng could no longer understand the situation either.

But one thing was certain.

The atmosphere among the Jin troops opposite them was not excited or welcoming.

Instead it carried tension.

As though facing a great enemy.

On the other side—

Fan Li had just unloaded a sack of sand and gravel.

He stared dumbly toward the southwest.

One hand scratched through his hair.

Then he said, "Dear mother of mine.

"Did the Great Sage really come?"

Below the wall—

Xue San appeared.

After shooting the signal arrow, he had returned directly.

Perhaps because the Jin soldiers were distracted by something else, they had not specifically sent scouts to hunt him.

So Xue San simply ran back openly.

Before the men atop the wall could even lower a rope—

Xue San used a dagger like a gecko's claw and climbed directly up the wall.

He flipped over the battlement and landed in front of Zheng Fan and the others.

"Master.

"Reinforcements are here!"

Joy covered Xue San's face as he reported the good news.

"Reinforcements?"

Zheng Fan froze.

Liang Cheng had only just explained that reinforcements could not possibly arrive this quickly.

But if Xue San spoke with such certainty then there had to be reinforcements.

Liang Cheng had only analyzed the situation.

Xue San had seen them with his own eyes.

"Exactly.

"Reinforcements are here.

"Master, guess who this subordinate saw?"

The Blind Man said, "Keep dragging it out and I'll castrate you."

Xue San immediately answered, "Master.

"The Marquis of Jingnan is here!"

"The Marquis of Jingnan?"

Zheng Fan's eyes widened.

He immediately asked again, "You're certain you didn't see wrong?"

"How could I possibly mistake that?

"Even if I couldn't see his face clearly—could I mistake that Pixiu?

"Could I mistake that gilded armor?"

Zheng Fan suddenly released a long breath.

Yes.

On the night Tian Wujing annihilated his own clan—

Zheng Fan had been there beside him.

Yet at this moment when he learned Tian Wujing had appeared nearby—

Zheng Fan was absolutely certain of one thing.

He was saved.

...

"Report!"

A drawn-out shout came from outside the command tent.

The Sword Saint politely stood.

He left the commander's seat and moved to one side.

"Enter!"

Yu Huacheng shouted.

"Reporting to the Grand Commander!

"Enemy activity has appeared to the southwest!"

"Southwest?"

Yu Huacheng's gaze sharpened.

He immediately asked, "Yan troops?"

"Yan troops."

The messenger hesitated.

Yu Huacheng immediately asked, "Who is leading them?"

Li Bao's Zhenbei Army was stationed in Quhe City to the northwest.

If troops came from the south or southwest they should have come from Litian City.

And the man stationed in Litian City the true controller of the newly annexed territories was none other than Yan's Marquis of Jingnan.

"Grand Commander.

"The other side carries one black dragon banner of Yan—one Jingnan Army banner—and... and..."

"Bastard!

"Is this the time to stammer?"

Yu Huacheng cursed directly.

"Grand Commander.

"The person who came... seems to be Yan's Marquis of Jingnan himself!"

"Tian Wujing!"

Yu Huacheng's heart seemed to stop for an instant.

Laymen watched the spectacle.

Experts watched the craft.

Among ordinary people, the story of two hundred thousand Yan iron cavalry annihilating six hundred thousand troops of the Helian and Wenren Clans in one stroke was generally attributed to the unrivaled strength of the Zhenbei Army's iron cavalry.

But a commander at Yu Huacheng's level naturally understood.

Yes the Zhenbei Army was terrifying.

But the reason that battle produced such an exaggerated result was that the man who coordinated and commanded the entire campaign for Yan deserved enormous credit.

That man was the Marquis of Jingnan.

Unfortunately because Tian Wujing had exterminated his own entire clan, his reputation among the common people was terrible.

Even so, a hundred years ago, the first Marquis of Zhenbei defeated five hundred thousand with thirty thousand.

Now the current Marquis of Jingnan had borrowed a road into Jin and carved away half the State of Jin in one stroke.

It was no exaggeration to say that the title of foremost commander beneath Heaven currently belonged naturally to the Marquis of Jingnan.

Yu Huacheng was confident.

He believed he possessed ability and talent.

Only because of the Jin Emperor had he never received a true chance to display them.

But no matter how confident he was he had never become arrogant enough to believe he could casually fight a battle against the Marquis of Jingnan personally commanding the Jingnan Army.

Most importantly behind him the main strength of the Situ Clan was currently deployed near the Heavenbreak Mountain Range!

Seeing his younger brother lose composure, the Sword Saint sighed helplessly.

He understood.

It was only human.

Just as an ordinary genius swordsman might one day suddenly discover he had to fight himself.

The Sword Saint walked over.

He placed one hand on his younger brother's shoulder.

A wave of aura entered Yu Huacheng's body.

"Steady your mind!"

Yu Huacheng's body stiffened slightly.

Then, he calmed.

He looked at the messenger.

Asked, "How many Jingnan Army troops came?"

The messenger's lips moved.

Yu Huacheng's eyes immediately revealed killing intent.

This messenger's performance today could only be described as atrocious.

Finally the messenger slammed his forehead against the ground.

He reported, "Grand Commander.

"Counting the Marquis of Jingnan himself—the Yan army... the Yan army... came with three men!"

(End of Chapter)