Chapter 703: Chen Zhuguo's Benevolence and Righteousness

Two days later at the Xiazhou border, yellow sand stretched endlessly, and heat waves rolled.

The Great Zhou Left Martial Guard's main force was like a black dragon that had lain dormant and now awakened, slowly unfurling across the vast, desolate northwestern lands.

Unlike the suffocating, oppressive aura when the Qi State's troops pressed the frontier days ago, the current formation, though scented with the sour sweat and gunpowder of recent battles, surged with a spirit so lofty it could pierce the heavens.

It was the breath of the victorious.

The banners snapped in the scorching sun, each ripple seeming to proclaim the authority of the Great Zhou provincial troops to the land.

The soldiers were weary, their armor still stained with blood and dust that had not been wiped clean, yet their backs stood straight and their eyes burned with fervent light.

They gazed at the Great Banner at the center of the formation, black background with golden "Chen" characters, their looks full of worship and awe.

Chen Yan wore military attire, over it a weather‑worn Black Qilin Cloak, and beneath him the all‑black Divine Steed Wu Zhi, whose four hooves seemed to tread snow; even it appeared to sense its master's high spirits, moving with light yet steady steps.

He did not ride the broad carriage prepared for him, but instead kept his horse at the front of the column.

From that spot he could instantly feel the wind's direction, and any soldier who lifted his head could see the commander's broad, mountain‑like silhouette.

"Report—!"

Just as the army marched beside a dried riverbed, a puff of yellow dust suddenly rose ahead.

Two swift horses, like arrows released from a bow, surged forward, kicking up dust.

Leading them was a hulking veteran, as massive as a moving iron tower, none other than Lu Ming, dispatched on a "special mission."

Lu Ming, still in his military garb, showed no fatigue; instead his face radiated excitement and wild joy.

Dangling from his warhorse's saddle were seven or eight snarling Human Heads, evidently freshly severed; as the horse jolted, the heads clanged together, producing a sour‑tinged thud, and the dripping black blood traced a broken red line across the yellow sand.

"Ugh—!"

Lu Ming charged to a spot ten paces ahead of Chen Yan's horse and abruptly pulled the reins.

The warhorse reared, its front hooves striking the air a few times, emitting a long whinny.

Without waiting for the horse to settle, he flipped off with a swift, powerful motion, sprinted a few steps to Chen Yan, performed a Dankui Guidi, and his voice boomed like a cracked gong.

"Subordinate General Lu Ming, honored not to disgrace the command! I come to deliver orders to Chen Zhuguo!"

Chen Yan tightened his hold on Wu Zhi, lowered his eyelids to look at the blood‑scented younger brother‑in‑law, and a faint smile curled his mouth: "Rise and speak!"

"Seems you've had a good time on this road?"

"Thrilling! Truly damn thrilling!" Lu Ming sprang up, brushed sand from his face, his bull‑like eyes flashing excitement, gesturing wildly, "Brother‑in‑law… oh no, Chen Zhuguo! You didn't see those Qi State wimps' cowardice!"

"I led a thousand brothers, faithfully following your orders: we only pursued, never struck; only frightened, never killed! We hovered three to five li behind their rear, beating drums by day, blowing horns and lighting torches by night, and the loud‑voiced brothers took turns shouting 'Chen Yan is coming', 'The living Yan King seeks souls!'"

Lu Ming spat as he spoke, and the surrounding generals gathered, each perking up to hear this venting spectacle.

"So, guess what?" Lu Ming slapped his thigh, laughing uproariously, "Those over forty‑thousand Qi troops were terrified into trembling birds by our thousand! At the Hun River, fighting over a single plank bridge, they turned on each other— trampling, being shoved into the river and drowning, being trampled by horses, countless deaths. The water was nearly blocked by corpses!"

"And that Ku Di Gan fellow, ha!" Lu Ming sneered, "I captured a few stragglers, interrogated them, and learned that Ku Di Gan, that kid, heard the war drums behind him, thought you'd arrived with tens of thousands, and spat a mouthful of blood on his horse! Without his bodyguards, he'd have fallen off and died on the spot!"

At this point Lu Ming pointed to the heads hanging on the saddle: "These short‑sighted scouts intended to stay behind as rear guard. Seeing my face, two of them wet their pants before I could act, their swords trembling! I thought their blades shouldn't go unused, so I cut them down on the spot!"

"Hahaha!"

The Left Martial Guard generals around burst into uproarious laughter.

The gloom that had lingered in their hearts for days dissolved completely with the laughter.

Not long ago, the Qi army was a mountain looming over them, an invincible foe.

Now, under the Great Zhou soldier‑immortals' stratagem, the strong enemy has become a joke, the fierce tiger a sick cat.

Chen Yan also laughed, his voice bright. He flicked his Horse Whip toward Lu Ming, teasing, "You brute, usually rough, but this time you're rough with finesse, bringing my 'psychological attack' to life!"

Then Chen Yan restrained his smile, scanned the generals, and proclaimed loudly:

"Relay the order to the whole army! No more halting, full speed ahead!"

The secretary, with a sweeping gesture toward the south, said, "Lu Ming, return to the unit! We head to Tongwan City! Our Pao Ze awaits there!"

The army set out again, rolling southward.

Along the way they passed several villages ravaged by the Qi army; most were reduced to broken walls and ruins, yet surviving villagers wept among the debris.

Chen Yan showed no hesitation, ordering that some provisions and medical supplies be left behind, and directing the quartermaster to arrange relief and pacification.

This act spread the reputation of "Chen Zhuguo's Benevolence and Righteousness" together with the news of victory across Xiazhou.

One day later.

As the last ray of sun on the horizon was about to sink into the Great Desert, a towering, breath‑stealing citadel finally emerged into everyone's view.

Tongwan City.

This stronghold, built over six years by mobilizing a hundred thousand laborers under the former Great Xia ruler Helian Bobo, resembled a prehistoric white behemoth, crouching on the banks of the Wuding River.

Its walls were not ordinary blue bricks or Huangtu, but forged from a mixture of glutinous‑rice juice, white ash, and sand, steamed at high temperature and rammed into place.

The walls were as hard as iron, resisting blade and axe, and under the erosion of wind and sand they took on a bleak, bone‑white hue.

In the sunset's glow, the stark white walls reflected a blood‑red sheen, exuding a desolate, ancient, murderous pressure.

"That is Tongwan City..." Chen Yan halted his horse, gazing at the legendary stronghold, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.

This is the administrative seat of Xiazhou and the strongest barrier of the Great Zhou Northern Border.

Beyond those towering gates, crowds of Human Heads already surged.

Chief Clerk of Xia Prefecture Zhang Wenqian and Commander-in-Chief Gu Yu Ci, leading Xiazhou's civil and military officials in official robes, had long awaited in the scorching sun and sand.

Though they strained to keep decorum, the wind‑etched faces, sunken eye sockets, and bodies trembling slightly in the wind silently testified to the immense pressure they had endured.

It was the torment of life and death, the heavy burden of defending the land.