Chapter 451: Flood of Arrivals, Chuishan Affairs Concluded, Master of the Nine Towns, the Bell Tolls

“Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender, and you shall be spared!”

Yuan Cheng’s display of the five severed heads not only stunned the factions led by Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan’er, but also made Yang Zun and Yang Fa flinch.

The entire inner city had already fallen into deathly silence due to the sudden appearance of the Xia Army, so Yuan Cheng’s powerful shout instantly reached every ear; all present, except those of Xianyang rank and a handful of strong Yuhán-level cultivators, shuddered in fear.

Especially the two thousand Beishuo soldiers who had retreated to the Duan clan’s territory, and the thousand-plus direct Duan clan members—they didn’t just tremble, their faces paled noticeably.

They knew clearly that Yuan Cheng’s words were aimed squarely at them.

“Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender, and you shall be spared!”

“Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender, and you shall be spared!”

…………

Yet Yuan Cheng’s shout was only the beginning.

Qiu Peng, Xu Ning, Liu Yuan, and Hou Quan quickly joined in with their own powerful shouts; ten commanders or deputy commanders—Yue Feng, Zhao Long, Meng Yi, Hou Tong, Hong Guang, Hong Tian, Zhou Yuan, Zhu Qing, Li Longkai, and Hou Ming—not only shouted along but also gestured to their troops behind them.

“Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender, and you shall be spared!”

…………

Fifteen thousand Yuhán-level soldiers, even if they did nothing but stand there under the cold sun, exerted immense intimidation.

And now, with their full aura unleashed, they roared in unison toward the inner city.

Swirling blood qi surged skyward, violent air currents instantly scattering the clouds above the inner city; it was not just the five-kilometer-diameter inner city that shook—likely the entire Chuishan Zhencheng trembled from the sound.

The ground quaked relentlessly; even Yang Zun and Yang Fa changed color, silently rising into the air, let alone the three thousand shattered remnants huddled in the Duan clan’s territory—their expressions turned ghastly, despair instantly crawling across their faces.

Clang… clang…

A few scattered soldiers even dropped their weapons from sheer terror.

At this point, resistance was utterly meaningless.

The moment fifteen thousand Yuhán-level Xia soldiers appeared, the fate of the Beishuo and Duan rebel forces was sealed—never mind they had already fought for over an hour against the Mu clan’s elite troops and were utterly exhausted; even at full strength, they had zero chance of victory.

To survive, they must surrender their arms!

Clang… clang…

The Duan faction moved fastest—they immediately discarded their weapons and stepped out from their clan territory, kneeling before the nearest Yunjiao Fifth Army to surrender;

The two thousand Beishuo soldiers still clung to hope, turning to look at their lord Yang Zun; seeing that Yang Zun and Yang Fa had both risen into the air, their pupils filled with despair, and one by one, they laid down their weapons.

“Seize their weapons, strip their armor, and detain them all!”

Yuan Cheng’s voice carried clear delight; though the Xia Army feared no battle, it was best to win without losing a single soldier.

As Yunjiao Fifth Army soldiers began detaining the defeated troops from the Duan clan’s territory, this coup, which had lasted nearly two hours, finally reached its conclusion.

Duan Hong was dead; the remnants of the Duan and Beishuo forces had all surrendered; the Mu faction, backed by the Xia, achieved a decisive victory.

From this day forward, Chuishan had changed hands entirely!

Yang Zun clenched his fist beneath his sleeve, glanced first at Mu Longhe, then swiftly shifted his gaze to Li Xuanling, who stood hovering in midair.

Of course, it wasn’t just him—Yang Fa, Cai Shiqi, Chu Yan’er, and even all the surrendered remnants, as well as the victorious Mu army, now fixed their eyes entirely on Li Xuanling.

Because Li Xuanling had ignored Chu Yan’er’s earlier question, no one present—except those from Xia and a few others—yet knew her true identity.

When had the Xia produced such a powerful Xianyang-level cultivator?

Who was she?

Soon, everyone had their answer.

In midair, Mu Longhe suddenly bowed deeply to Li Xuanling: “The Xia’s righteous intervention has earned the boundless gratitude of Chuishan; Mu Longhe, on behalf of all Chuishan, thanks the Lady for her aid!”

Below, Mu Qinghe, Zhu Ziying, Helian Shan, Qiu Sanming, and other Mu clan loyalists, seeing Mu Longhe bow to Li Xuanling, quickly followed suit: “Thanks to the Lady for her aid!”

“Thanks to the Lady for her aid!”

Over ten thousand Mu clan members had participated in the coup; now, only six thousand remained standing, and they all bowed low together.

Lady—who else in the Xia could be directly addressed as “Lady”?

Li Xuanling!

Upon hearing Mu Longhe’s title, Yang Zun, Yang Fa, Chu Yan’er, Cai Shiqi, and the rest immediately recalled the name Li Xuanling, their faces instantly filled with shock and awe.

The Xia had been integrated into the Nine Towns for nearly two years; though Xia Cheng remained mysterious to outsiders, many details of its inner workings had inevitably leaked out, thanks to the Hongmen trade port.

For instance, the news that Xia Hong had married, and that his wife was Li Xuanling—a woman of considerable strength—was one such piece of information.

But the phrase “considerable strength” left too much room for imagination!

One must admit, women still held low status in the Nine Towns—or perhaps throughout the Binghe region altogether.

For a woman to be called “considerable strength” was already remarkable; many assumed she was merely a very strong Yuhán-level cultivator—perhaps 30, 40, or maybe even 50 at most.

A Xianyang-level powerhouse… one capable of slaying a lord…

This instantly exceeded everyone’s comprehension; not just Yang Zun and Yang Fa—even Chu Yan’er, another woman and from Chen Cang, now bore deep wariness in her pupils, revealing the immense psychological shock Li Xuanling’s identity had inflicted.

“Old Mu, all of you, no need for such formalities. The Xia’s intervention was not merely to aid Chuishan, but to curb the arrogance of the outer vassal territories!”

Li Xuanling first smiled faintly, signaling the Mu clan to rise; then, turning sharply to face Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan’er below, her tone turned icy: “Two years ago, Chen Cang’s Chen Yiqing murdered dozens of merchants from three town associations and framed the Xia, triggering the Hongmen War and nearly provoking open conflict between the Xia and six towns. After Hongmen’s failure, Chen Yiqing still refused to yield, systematically assassinating over a hundred key figures across the towns, solely to sow discord among the Nine Towns;

Likewise, two years ago, this Chen Cang princess, Chu Yan’er, secretly infiltrated our inner city, intending to harm children under ten. Had my husband not discovered her in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable;

At that time, my husband, respecting Chen Cang’s strength, spared her life. Yet barely a year and a half has passed, and this woman has again incited Beishuo to swallow Chuishan, sparking this massive disaster;

Such heartless malice reveals Chen Cang’s vile intentions clearly…”

Chu Yan’er and the other Chen Cang people turned pale and green, several times attempting to rise and refute her—but when they looked up and saw the sword in Li Xuanling’s hand, they forcibly sat back down.

They could only listen silently as Li Xuanling listed every atrocity committed by Chen Cang.

Having finished with Chen Cang, Li Xuanling pointed at the now-standing Cai Shiqi and others, sneering: “Last year, this Cai Shiqi held a grand ‘Truth-Revealing Assembly,’ claiming to clear Chen Yiqing’s name—pretending to exonerate Cai Qiu.

I originally thought the Cai Qiu vassal territory might be better than Chen Cang.

Only after investigation did I learn that Cai Shiqing, who came with him, abused his strength and lineage to rape and defile women across Jinshan, Wuchuan, Muyin, Yangqu, Longgu, and Chuishan—countless crimes committed.

Today, Cai Shiqi instigated this coup and coerced Duan Hong, not to serve justice, but to compete with this Chen Cang princess; his ultimate goal? To extend Cai Qiu’s hand into our Nine Towns.

These two alone have proven Cai Qiu is no better than Chen Cang—both are cut from the same cloth, both aiming to seize our Nine Towns…”

Below, the Chuishan crowd’s emotions had been fully stirred; many turned to glare at Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan’er, their expressions turning hostile.

Cai Shiqi gripped his severed finger, face dark with rage; his fear surpassed even Chu Yan’er’s—though fury boiled in his skull and his body trembled, he dared not move.

Chu Yan’er differed; after hearing Li Xuanling condemn both Chen Cang and Cai Qiu, and noticing the wary glances from Chuishan’s Yuhán-level cultivators, she seemed to grasp the truth, scanning the surroundings with grim realization.

Li Xuanling paused, lifted her elegant neck slightly, her gaze growing solemn as she continued: “Two Yuhán-level playboys, relying on their vassal territory status, have stirred chaos across the Nanlu region. If the Nine Towns do not unite and allow these vassal territory agents to keep provoking conflict, we will be picked off one by one—eventually, millions of Nanlu commoners will become their slaves.”

I have heard the vassal territories divide their subjects into six ranks: Shi, Gui, Jun, Min, Jian, Nu. Once Chen Cang and Cai Qiu conquer the Nine Towns, over ninety percent of us will be branded Jian or Nu—surely none of you wish for that?”

Li Xuanling openly revealed the vassal territories’ six-rank system; below, chaos erupted. Everyone—Chuishan, Xia, even the Beishuo remnants—changed expression instantly.

“Jian” and “Nu”—just the words alone revealed they were no good.

For over a year, the Xia had relentlessly spread propaganda; the Nine Towns already held little affection for the two vassal territories, especially Chuishan, deeply infiltrated by the Xia, whose resentment ran deepest. Hearing Li Xuanling’s words, their hatred for Chen Cang and Cai Qiu was now undeniable.

“Of course not!”

Yuan Cheng was the first to shout in agreement.

“Nanlu is our Nine Towns’ land! Chen Cang and Cai Qiu have no right to dominate us!”

“Correct! The vassal territories are outsiders—outsiders have no right to touch our Nine Towns! This Chu Yan’er and Cai Shiqi are no good—expel them, forbid them from meddling in our lands!”

“The Nine Towns must unite to resist vassal territory invasion! Chen Yiqing, Cai Shiqi, Cai Shiqing, Chu Yan’er—they treat us like dirt, relying on their strength! If they rule Nanlu, we’ll have no future!”

“Six-rank system, Jian and Nu—just hearing it makes my blood boil! We must govern ourselves—never let the vassal territories ride on our backs!”

………………

As Yuan Cheng spoke, Xia soldiers began roaring in unison; within moments, even Chuishan’s people were stirred—many shouted demands to expel Chu Yan’er and Cai Shiqi outright.

In an instant, the entire crowd was inflamed.

Cai Shiqi and Chu Yan’er’s faces paled slightly.

Public wrath was dangerous; facing fifteen thousand Xia soldiers, even Yang Zun and Yang Fa, two Xianyang-level lords, had quietly risen into the air—what of these mere Yuhán-level cultivators?

No matter how gifted, how noble their birth, how strong their backing, they could not stand against twenty thousand enraged Yuhán-level soldiers—if the mob truly lost control, they would be torn to shreds in an instant.

What had begun as a struggle over Chuishan Zhencheng’s ownership had, under Li Xuanling’s impassioned speech, transformed into a public denunciation of the two vassal territories’ crimes—all accusations now pointed squarely at Chen Cang and Cai Qiu.

Chu Yan’er, Cai Shiqi, and the other vassal territory envoys who had come merely to show off their power in this backwater were utterly stunned.

“Friends, please calm down!”

Li Xuanling had fully seized control of the moment; she raised a hand slightly, and the tens of thousands below fell silent at once.

“The vassal territories are powerful, and now two—Chen Cang and Cai Qiu—both eye our Nine Towns. Why do they send these arrogant, petty nobles to constantly provoke conflict, even war?”

Simply because they fear us uniting.

This proves that if the Nanlu Nine Towns unite as one, we stand a chance to resist the two vassal territories!”

With her long-planned intent laid bare, Li Xuanling’s gaze steadied; before the crowd could react, she continued loudly:

“The Xia bears the title of Nanlu’s dominant power—and thus must shoulder the burden of defending against external threats. Others dare not propose a Nine Towns alliance, fearing the vassal territories’ wrath. You fear—I, the Xia, do not!”

Since my husband Xia Hong remains in seclusion, I, his wife, today overstep my bounds and hereby formally invite the other eight towns to form an alliance with the Xia—to protect the Nine Towns and jointly repel the invaders!”

Protect the Nine Towns! Jointly repel the invaders!

Since the Hongmen War ended and Xia Hong proposed the Longyou model to resolve the Nanlu Nine Towns’ chaos, nearly two years had passed—the Xia had been scheming for two full years.

Seizing this Chuishan coup as an opportunity, Li Xuanling finally revealed her true intentions.

The Longyou model had, from this moment, officially begun!

Nine Towns Alliance!

On the ground, Yang Zun clenched his fists tightly, staring up at Li Xuanling, his face filled with envy, yet deep in his pupils burned a spark of resentment.

Beside him, Yang Fa’s face flushed crimson—his reaction was even stronger than Yang Zun’s.

In the brothers’ plan, the alliance should have been proposed by Beishuo.

The Xia had only emerged eastward for a little over two years—just over two years!

These past two years have been nothing but a nightmare for Beishuo…

In April of the year before last, Great Xia marched eastward and swallowed Basha whole; first they forcibly prolonged Muyin’s survival, then intervened on behalf of Jiangxia; though the three towns never formally allied, they already acted as one.

In September of the year before last, during the Hongmen Battle, Xia Hong defeated Yang Zun and seized the title of Number One of the Nine Towns; subsequently, taking advantage of the port-opening opportunity, he expanded his influence, and Great Xia solidified its position as the top town of the Southern Slope. With these two achievements combined, Xia Hong’s reputation as the dominant lord of the Southern Slope has long been universally acknowledged.

Now Great Xia has helped Mu Longhe reclaim Chuishan Town, meaning that Great Xia now controls four of the nine towns of the Southern Slope—nearly half.

Now, under the pretext of defending the Nine Towns against the external invasion by Cai Qiu’s Chencang vassal, they are pushing for a formal alliance of the Nine Towns.

If this alliance succeeds, the entire territory of the Southern Slope’s Nine Towns will soon be…

“Lady’s grand and righteous speech has shaken us to our core. Xia Hou Zhang is deeply moved and convinced. As the dominant lord of the Southern Slope, and with Xia Hong holding the title of Number One of the Nine Towns, it is only fitting that Great Xia lead this alliance to repel the external vassals. The treaty must be signed without delay—Jiangxia Town supports it!”

“Muyin’s survival owes entirely to Great Xia’s staunch support. Now that two powerful vassals eye us with greed, and Great Xia shows resolve to protect the Nine Towns, how could I, an old man, refuse? Muyin will be part of this alliance!”

“This internal chaos has cost countless lives—all because of Chu and Cai, who have brought unprovoked turmoil to the Nine Towns, revealing their wolfish ambitions. If the Nine Towns do not unite now, their collapse is imminent. Chuishan pledges allegiance to Great Xia as its leader, standing with Great Xia to defend the Nine Towns and repel the external invaders!”

Xia Hou Zhang, Murong the Sinking, and Mu Longhe, who had just ascended the throne of Chuishan, all spoke in agreement with Li Xuan.

These three declarations were precisely what Yang Zun and Yang Fa had anticipated.

As for Chuishan, one need only look at its fifteen-thousand-strong army—Chuishan will no longer be ruled by Mu Longhe. Or rather, installing Mu Longhe as a puppet was merely Great Xia’s cautious move, designed to avoid provoking suspicion among the other towns.

Thus, after hearing the three speeches, the two brothers merely sneered twice, then stood motionless, unmoved even as Xia Hou Zhang and the others fixed their gazes upon them.

But the next two voices to rise made them lose their composure; their faces darkened instantly as they looked up toward the front.

“Chencang and Cai Qiu have gone too far—this cannot be ignored any longer. To defend the Nine Towns and repel external invaders, Great Xia’s resolve is worthy of its title as Southern Slope’s dominant lord. Longgu Town also joins the alliance, to stand together against the external vassals!”

“Yangqu pledges allegiance to Great Xia as its leader, to defend the Nine Towns and repel the external invaders!”