Chapter 1905: Strange Duocheng

Its massive forehead pressed right before King Perou's eyes, those merciless eyes making cold sweat stream down his face.

"I am Yu Shen, seated beneath the Hundred-Battle Heavenly God!" The giant lion spoke, its forked tongue nearly licking King Perou's face. "These years, haven't you often prayed to the Divine Lord for blessings?"

"Ah, yes yes!" King Perou remembered, turning somewhat incoherent. "Then the Divine Lord now? What should I, should I do now..."

"A few days ago, you followed the Heavenly Venerable's words and expelled the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce. The Heavenly Venerable was gratified, so he dispatched me to negotiate with you. Had King Perou not complied, there would be no meeting today. In other words, this opportunity was won by King Perou himself. Recently, rumors of a false Dragon God have spread across the Shanjin Plains, and the gods are displeased! Do you know who this so-called 'Nine Nether Great Emperor' is? Heh, you've not only heard his name, you've met him in person!"

"Ah? I've met him too?" King Perou was startled. "Please, Divine Lord, instruct me!"

The legend of the Dragon God killing Miao Zhantian had naturally reached his ears. But Yu Shen said he had met the protagonist of the rumors, the Nine Nether Great Emperor?

When did that happen?

Yu Shen immediately spoke this name, making King Perou find it hard to believe, nearly snapping him back to his senses.

"He, He Xiao? The Yangshan Island Lord? How is that possible!"

The blue lion huffed.

These foolish mortals, whether Boss Situ or King Perou, all wore faces of disbelief upon hearing the truth.

"You've truly been played around by He Xiao." The blue lion growled low. "Listen well, the Heavenly Venerable wants you to do one more thing. As long as it's accomplished, henceforth the Perou Kingdom will exclusively receive the Heavenly God's favor!"

King Perou was both shocked and delighted.

But when Yu Shen conveyed the Hundred-Battle Heaven's will, King Perou visibly hesitated again: "Ah, this..."

"He refuses to deal with He Xiao, that's straying from the path and betraying the Heavenly God — will you follow suit?" Yu Shen sneered coldly. "What vital interest does He Xiao have with your Perou Kingdom, worth you going all out to protect him? You're unwilling to move against him, how do you know he doesn't covet your territory?"

"He still wants to 'sweep across Shanjin'? Hehe, the land beneath your feet, isn't it on the Shanjin Plains?"

King Perou's eyelids twitched nonstop.

This "trance" dialogue lasted most of a double-hour, then the Imperial Study's doors and windows opened.

Billowing blue smoke rolled out, nearly scaring the palace attendants nearby out of their wits.

But the Imperial Study hadn't caught fire, not even a whiff of smoke smell.

The god was seen off, sent away.

Thirty days after Miao Zhantian's fall, north of the Yao Realm, the outskirts of Duocheng.

Night had already fallen. Yuwen Yong stood on a low hill gazing at Duocheng. Clearly just a small city, yet north of the city after nightfall the lights stretched in patches, forming a stark contrast with the south city's dimness.

Behind him, only eight hundred-plus people remained.

Yuwen Yong had been the Grand General guarding Yao Kingdom's northern border, always holding the front line against Luodian. Who knew the rear would be stabbed in the back by Bai Tan Qinyang, the Yao King killed, the homeland destroyed.

After Bai Tan occupied the capital, Yuwen Yong could only retreat northwest. Midway he rendezvoused again with Tu Han and Shan Zezhong, turning back to campaign against the usurpers.

Who knew after months of stalemate, the last few battles were all crushing defeats. Tu Han was beheaded, Shan Zezhong's whereabouts unknown, and over four thousand troops lost.

Bai Tan's army pursued relentlessly. Yuwen Yong had to lead the remnants fleeing Yao territory. Midway, dead or deserted, another thousand-plus lost.

This is what's called an army collapsing like a landslide.

Barely shaking off pursuers, Yuwen Yong also escaped to near Duocheng. The whole army, starving and exhausted, urgently needed to open sources and find grain.

He had to find a way to feed these eight hundred-plus mouths, otherwise what awaited him was only mutiny!

At this time, his confidant received a secret report from a fellow townsman: Duocheng has grain, lots of grain!

Such a small city, yet several large warehouses on the north side. Constantly seeing carts and horses coming and going. A few times sacks leaked, and what spilled on the ground was all grain.

So Yuwen Yong brought his troops to sneak over.

Just as everyone waited with bated breath, the scouts who entered the city to reconnoiter returned with good news:

"North city has four large warehouses, five goods depots, seems there are also cellars, all guarded."

Such scale, impossible to be miscellaneous households. "Which faction's?"

"The Ziwu Association." The scout added, "But I saw the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce's flags on the carts."

"Yangshan?" Yuwen Yong scratched his head, not too surprised.

The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce developed quite ordinarily in Yao Kingdom, but outside Yao Kingdom across the Shanjin Plains they bloomed everywhere. Heard they do all kinds of business. Many small kingdoms, even many free cities' commerce are inseparable from Yangshan.

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Yangshan's owner He Xiao, Yuwen Yong had dealt with many times in the Yao capital. Knew he was a formidable figure. The Yao King even entrusted the construction of Tianshui New City to this one outsider. His own younger brother also often drank and caroused with He Xiao.

Probably the Ziwu Association also has dealings with Yangshan Chamber of Commerce.

"How many guards?"

"Hard to estimate, roughly over a hundred."

Yuwen Yong calculated both sides' numbers, waved his hand: "Go!"

Yangshan Chamber of Commerce has a big family and business, presumably not lacking this bit of grain. He'd just conveniently take some, hoping his men below are sensible.

Yuwen Yong's army drew weapons, whooshing into the city.

Though remnants, he knew in his heart that war needs an imposing momentum to seize the initiative. Must be like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, best to directly scare the other side into fleeing, minimizing own losses.

So the army shouted in unison, roaring earth-shakingly in the dead of night.

The north city guards were indeed badly startled. The seven or eight gate guards hadn't even time to signal alarm before the army smashed through.

Yao men rushed into warehouses, hacking wildly at sacks with knives. What spilled out was indeed grain, white and gleaming grain!

Wheat flour, millet, even sweet potatoes with very high sweetness after steaming!

In several other large vats, neat rows of dried meat, a beautiful smoke-cured color!

Rough estimate, just the dried meat and jerky totaled several hundred catties.

The Yao men were like mice fallen into a rice vat, momentarily so happy they lost their bearings.

The squad leaders kept ordering: "Take it away, quick, shoulder it and go — holy crap, even snow lotus fruit!"

A soldier's sack loosened, several brownish sweet potatoes rolling out. One hit the ground and cracked, the cross-section actually mango-colored, glistening with juice.

This isn't sweet potato, but snow lotus fruit that can be broken open and eaten directly as fruit. Extremely rich in water, also clears heat and detoxifies.

Yuwen Yong entered and took one look — first came great joy, then a bellyful of doubts.

He was not like the starving rank-and-file under his command, who saw grain and thought only of a full meal. Why would an insignificant little city like Duo Cheng stockpile this much materiel?

Rice, flour, fruit, meat, vegetables — it was all here. By his rough estimate, enough to supply an army of twenty or thirty thousand for over half a month.

Recalling the Yangshan Merchant Guild banners flying on the wagons outside, had he stumbled into Yangshan's supply transfer depot?

Otherwise, how could an unheard-of Ziyu Association possibly possess such abundant resources?