Chapter 220: The Wasteland Nation's Demise Is Now Inevitable

Even the Zhenhuang Grand General thought no defense was needed; the patrol guards on duty at the city gate, in this ghastly weather, naturally became more lax, and even the soldiers posted at the city wall gate slipped away to shirk duty.

More than ten Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army troops easily arrived at the city gate and skillfully set up some explosive packs.

Since we got this thing, we no longer have to laboriously scale the walls.

Just blow the city gate open; the more convenient, the better, and it also greatly reduces our own casualties.

After placing the explosive packs, they fell back to a safe distance, crouched in the deep snow, and pressed the remote detonator.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Flames flared, and a string of explosions roared suddenly.

The ground trembled, even the snow piled on the city wall shook loose, and thick smoke and a pungent smell of gunpowder spread in the raging wind.

Patrolling guards of Zhenhuang Pass in nearby corners were instantly terrified by the commotion.

When they recovered, they saw the city gate surrounded by flickering flames and swirling smoke, and the massive, heavy gate had already shattered into pieces.

"What… what is happening?!"

"Why did a sudden thunderous shock occur, and the city gate is gone!"

"Never mind, sound the horn quickly!"

The guards scrambled, trying to raise the alarm.

But in the blink of an eye, large shadows seemed to materialize out of nowhere in the surrounding snow.

Those shadows wielded long knives, their blades glittering against the snow, reflecting a cold, forest‑like light.

"Ghost… ghost!"

"What ghost is that! Damn it, someone is launching a surprise attack!"

"……"

Before they could discern the attackers' faces, they were surrounded and assaulted by the shadows, unable to react before being knocked unconscious.

Then, thousands of well‑trained, fully‑equipped Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army poured through the blasted city gate, smashing camp after camp with lightning speed.

The Zhenhuang Army in each camp barely had time to put on their clothes before a blade was already at their throats, forcing them to surrender.

Inside the Grand General's camp tent.

The Zhenhuang Grand General, while asleep, vaguely heard a strange muffled rumble from afar and felt the bed shake a few times, but he was still drowsy and reluctant to leave his warm quilt.

He half‑opened his eyes and shouted, "What's that noise outside?"

The guard on duty by the tent replied, "Reporting, Grand General, we're not sure yet; we've already sent someone to investigate."

The Zhenhuang Grand General yawned, "If it's not something urgent, after it's clarified, tell me tomorrow morning…"

"Yes, Grand General, rest well."

"Hmm…"

The Zhenhuang Grand General quickly slipped back into dreamland.

An unknown amount of time passed.

He was suddenly startled awake by a chill.

Opening his eyes, he found the blanket covering him had vanished.

Someone seemed to be standing beside the bed.

"Who! How dare you lift my blanket, you impatient scoundrel?!"

He cursed and tried to sit up.

But a bone‑chilling cold at his neck cleared his mind, and he saw two gleaming battle swords crossed at his throat.

The two sword‑wielders wore black armor he had never seen before, their eyes cold, murderous intent blazing.

The Zhenhuang Grand General froze, scolding, "Who are you! How dare you breach my camp tent!"

He then shouted, "Men! Capture the assassin!"

"Stop shouting." A Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army soldier said coldly, "Thirteen of your sixteen Deputy Generals have already led all Zhenhuang troops to surrender to us; the other three, heard to be your most trusted confidants, only wish to flee. We've brought their heads to you; look at the ground."

"What?!" the Zhenhuang Grand General exclaimed, looking down.

The three Deputy Generals' blood‑soaked heads came into view.

Only then did he realize his situation was lost, and he hurriedly begged for mercy, "Spare me, brave men… spare me! I… I also surrender!"

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army sneered, "You only surrender when you know who we are."

The Zhenhuang Grand General forced a smile, "You are all extraordinary, entering this place without effort; what can I possibly resist? As long as… as long as you spare my life, I'll agree to anything."

Several Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army members showed contemptuous looks.

No one expected that, in Zhenhuang Pass, the quickest to surrender would be this commanding Grand General.

Among those Deputy Generals, several were hard‑liners who originally would rather die than submit, but to protect their subordinates they were persuaded by the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army's reasoning and emotion to surrender.

"Your Deputy General said you ordered some Zhenhuang troops to raid nearby villages for supplies; do you admit it?" the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army asked.

The Zhenhuang Grand General's smile stiffened, "I… I admit it, but… if we don't raid, we won't have enough here."

"Then why did a Deputy General claim that a slight saving would not affect the Zhenhuang Pass soldiers' ability to get through this winter?"

"Huh? This… ahem, I just wanted the soldiers not to starve…"

"Nonsense! Ninety‑nine percent of what you seize goes to you and your confidants; the hungry still starve! Do you know how many innocent civilians died because of your raid order?!"

"I… I…"

The Zhenhuang Grand General was at a loss for words, his face flushing red.

In desperation he could only say, "Don't kill me, don't kill me! You… you are coming for the Wasteland Nation's border passes, right? I can tell you about the defenses of other passes!"

"No need!" the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army replied, dropping all talk, hand rising for a slash.

Swoosh—

The Zhenhuang Grand General's head, eyes bulging, was flung outward, rolling on the ground in a spray of blood.

In less than half a night, several thousand Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army swiftly seized the most critical Zhenhuang Pass.

Then, using the remaining night, they cleaned up and organized, ensuring that those who should be killed were not spared, those to be recruited were not missed, and they also blocked the news so as not to alarm the other ten or so Wasteland Nation border passes around the Xuanhuang Shanmai.

The next morning.

A few Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor soldiers took Feng San, who had been captured at Zhenhuang Pass, and escorted him back to Niu Village.

This was a special instruction from Ning Jinli: the fellow must be taken over for the villagers to judge.

When Feng San returned to Niu Village, he was led into the Ancestral Hall.

The villagers gathered around, glaring angrily, showing no hint of sympathy for his missing leg.

"Village Chief… fellow villagers…" Feng San knelt on one leg, wobbling to keep balance, pitifully pleading, "I… I know I was wrong, please spare me… please spare me because I grew up here…"

Old Village Chief lifted his cane and swung it toward him.

Bang!

Feng San's cheek was struck, skin torn, and several teeth shattered.

He covered his face and wailed, "Village Chief… I really know I'm wrong! Beat me! As long as it eases your anger, any beating will do!"

"Ugh!" Old Village Chief spat on his face, "Now you say you know you're wrong? Have you forgotten how you betrayed Niu Village, how you came back with men to loot and flaunt? You even changed your surname! That was just a couple of days ago! You think we hold no grudges?"

"Wuwu…" Feng San lay on the ground, kowtowing, "I… I will change my surname back, I won't dare again, I was born a Niu Village person, I will die as a Niu Village ghost, please, Village Chief, please everyone, give me a chance to reform! I swear, if I offend again… I will not die a good death!"

Old Village Chief glanced at the villagers, thought briefly, and said, "Since that's the case, I'll have everyone raise their hands to vote. If more than half raise their hands, I'll let you stay in the village; otherwise, you'll be driven out to fend for yourself."

Feng San was shocked and turned pale.

He had lost a leg, and in this bitter winter.

If expelled from the village, death would be certain!

"Village… don't… don't!" he sniffed and wept, "Don't drive me away, otherwise I… I can't survive!"

Old Village Chief said calmly, "So you don't agree to let everyone vote?"

Feng San shook his head repeatedly; he knew all too well how poorly he was regarded in the village, and even without the events of the past two days, a vote like this might still have the majority expelling him.

"If we don't vote…" Old Village Chief squinted, "Fine, then just beat you to death right here in the Ancestral Hall. Niu Village cannot tolerate a traitor like you."

Feng San was dumbfounded, "Then… then let's let everyone vote."

Old Village Chief sneered, "Ha, that's what you said. Come on, fellow villagers, those who agree to let him stay, raise your hands!"

The words fell, and the villagers present gave no response.

Feng San's heart went cold; dragging his weak body, he crawled before them, "Everyone… be kind… I'm already a cripple, I… I have been punished, please show some mercy…"

Still no one raised a hand; some even spat at him, and others were on the verge of kicking him.

"Fine, the result is clear, Feng San. It's not that I didn't give you a chance; you have no right to the villagers' forgiveness. You deserve it!" Old Village Chief said, opening the Ancestral Hall doors.

A knife‑like cold wind rushed in.

Feng San's face filled with terror, constantly shrinking into a corner, "No! I don't want to go!"

Old Village Chief gave a signal.

A few burly villagers, angry, rushed forward and lifted Feng San.

Feng San struggled desperately, but it was of no help.

Finally, under the villagers' gaze, he was thrown onto the empty ground at the village entrance, and in less than half an hour he froze into an ice lump…

……

Ten or so days later.

In the Xuanhuang Shanmai, the mountain roads centered on the original camp base were completely opened.

Xuan Guo, including the Zhen Xuan Army, mobilized about two hundred thousand border troops, all crossing the Xuanhuang Shanmai to reach the Zhenhuang Pass inside the Wasteland Nation.

Zhenhuang Pass became a major gateway for Xuan Guo's great army to enter the Wasteland Nation.

Qi Zhan and Mu Cheng each led one hundred thousand Daxuan troops through Zhenhuang Pass, flanking and striking the remaining border passes of the Wasteland Nation on the eastern side of the Xuanhuang Shanmai.

In deep winter, the Wasteland Nation's commanders at the other border passes were likewise unprepared.

In just five or six days, on the eastern side of the Xuanhuang Shanmai, the Wasteland Nation's more than ten border towns and forts were all captured, and from then on, the Wasteland Nation's defenses against Xuan Guo completely collapsed.

Xuan Guo's two hundred thousand army moved as if into an uninhabited land, launching a full‑scale assault on the Wasteland Nation's interior, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

With General Mu Cheng personally present, many places required no fighting; the local garrison and civilians voluntarily opened the city gates to welcome them.

By the time the king of the Wasteland Nation learned of this, it was already too late, but he and a few favored ministers still wanted to make a stand, so they could only mobilize all remaining troops from everywhere to confront the Daxuan army.

And An Guo, bordering the northern frontier, would not miss such a good opportunity.

Taking advantage of the Wasteland Nation's full focus on Xuan Guo's attack, An Guo also sent forces to strike the Wasteland Nation, causing it to be attacked from both front and rear, sealing its doom.

However, at this critical moment, An Guo suddenly dispatched an envoy to Xuan Guo to request an audience with Xiao Qidi.

When a foreign envoy arrived, Xiao Qidi naturally received them with proper courtesy.

He set a banquet, offering fine wine and delicacies, making the An Guo envoy feel comfortable.

The An Guo envoy also behaved very respectfully, presenting Xiao Qidi with many valuable gifts, and the two sides seemed to get along extremely harmoniously.

Finally, the An Guo envoy clarified his purpose during the private talk with Xiao Qidi.

He said that, on the order of the king of An Guo, he was sent to make peace with Xuan Guo and discuss dividing the Wasteland Nation's territory: using the Wasteland Nation's capital as the boundary, the northern third would belong to An Guo, and the remaining two‑thirds to Xuan Guo.

That indeed seemed full of sincerity.

Xiao Qidi readily agreed, and when the An Guo envoy departed, he returned some generous gifts.

The whole process went quite smoothly.

Just as the An Guo envoy's foot had left, several senior ministers inside the main hall sighed in succession:

"Seeing the Wasteland Nation on the brink of collapse, An Guo truly came over to show goodwill. His Majesty, Jinli Fairy is truly prophetic, foreseeing events before they happen!"

"Fortunately, Jinli Fairy warned us in advance; His Majesty had already sent scouts to discover An Guo secretly stationing troops against our Daxuan border, otherwise we would have been deceived."

"Indeed, thanks to Jinli Fairy!"

Now, Ning Jinli's existence is no longer a secret to the senior ministers in the Daxuan court.

However, they still do not know that Ning Jinli is a person from a world two thousand years in the future of a parallel universe.

Moreover, they do not know that this is not because she is all‑knowing or prophetic.

The historical records on Ning Jinli's side state that the king of the Peaceful Kingdom was cunning, having pretended to be friendly with Xuan Guo during Xuan Guo's annexation of the Wasteland Nation, causing Xuan Guo to lower its guard while secretly preparing a surprise attack on Xuan Guo.

She bases her judgment on this; even though the timeline here unfolds differently, the temperament of the Peaceful Kingdom's king remains the same, so when a similar situation arises, he will inevitably make the same choice.

Yet Xiao Qidi, who knows this background, hears several senior ministers praising Ning Jinli and cannot help but let a smile tug at his mouth.

The fact that his beloved lady is respected by others makes his heart feel warm.

"His Majesty, should we also make covert preparations?" a minister suggested. "The border where the Peaceful Kingdom meets Daxuan lies at the northernmost tip of the Xuanhuang Shanmai; we could dispatch troops from the north."

Another minister shook his head: "No. To the north of Daxuan we already have to guard against nomadic tribes, and after annexing Yu Guo and establishing Wangxi Province, the borders adjoining the northwest grassland have increased, so the defensive forces must be strengthened; how can we divert troops?"

The other ministers also joined the discussion.

"Then we can't just watch the Peaceful Kingdom amass troops, can we? If they attack, we'll be on the defensive!"

"This... perhaps we could have General Qi and General Mu each allocate a portion of their troops."

"That won't work either; the two generals together command only 200,000 Daxuan soldiers, and the Wasteland Nation is not a small place like the original Yu Guo, so reducing their forces would hinder their offensive advance."

"…"

The ministers debated back and forth, but to no avail; their faces grew increasingly worried.

Xiao Qidi watched their anxious expressions, and his smile deepened.

A minister, seeing this, tentatively asked, "His Majesty, do you perhaps already have a countermeasure?"