Chapter 72: with translation of chapter title

Blade light and sword shadows intertwined, emitting a piercing metallic clash.

Shouts and cries rose and fell, chilling to the bone.

Although the county troops in the county seat had gathered all of Qing Shan County's forces, numbering many, they gradually fell into a disadvantage under the joint attack of Sun Wukong and the vanguard army.

Their formation was scattered, their line torn apart, and morale quickly sank.

In the fierce battle, the buildings inside the gate were utterly destroyed, and the streets were littered with fallen soldiers and scattered weapons.

Night gradually retreated, and dawn's light gradually illuminated the ruined battlefield.

The air was thick with smoke and the stench of blood, and countless weapons and debris lay scattered on the streets.

The soldiers of the assault force and the vanguard army leaned wearily yet satisfied against the city wall, their faces bearing the weariness of battle and the joy of victory.

Sun Wukong stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance.

He held in his hand the splendid Golden Cudgel; the previous staff, worn down by Sun Wukong's divine power, was already battered, covered in knife marks and bloodstains.

"Ha ha!"

"Well done! Wukong."

Qin Qiong, leading the vanguard army into the city, gazed at the Cangzhou Army's flag flying high on the city wall.

He turned and punched Sun Wukong's shoulder, smiling at the blood-soaked Sun Wukong.

"Hehe, Shubo, shall we pursue the victory now?"

"While Qi Zhou hasn't reacted yet, let's press on and take a few more cities in one go."

Sun Wukong, who was resting, saw Qin Qiong appear behind him, instantly energized, and smiled at Qin Qiong.

He was eager to try, wanting to seize the opportunity to strike down a few cities.

"This"

"Impossible!"

Hearing Sun Wukong's suggestion, Qin Qiong hesitated a moment, then firmly refused.

For the vanguard army, the most important thing is to seize a bridgehead for the main forces behind.

Now the task is roughly complete; if we act rashly, we may only invite disaster.

Therefore, as a qualified Commander-in-Chief, Qin Qiong still chose to play it steady.

"Now, our vanguard army need only secure a bridgehead for the lord's main army to follow."

"As for pursuing the victory, it is not really necessary."

Seeing Sun Wukong's doubtful gaze, Qin Qiong spoke slowly.

"Now Qing Shan County already has some fleeing defeated troops; even if we rely on our cavalry's advantage and march day and night to take a few more cities, it would be useless."

"For the overall situation, the gain or loss of a single city is not of great importance."

Seeing Sun Wukong's gaze turn wise, Qin Qiong sighed and explained to him.

Seeing Sun Wukong still impatient, Qin Qiong shook his head, descended the wall, and went to organize Qing Shan County.

Qing Shan County had just been taken by the Cangzhou Army's vanguard, and the county magistrate and coroner died simultaneously on the battlefield.

Qin Qiong still had a mountain of things to do, but had no time to waste chatting nonsense with Sun Wukong.

Just let him keep silent on the wall, pretending to be a master!

"Pass my order: first seize control of all key routes in Qing Shan County!"

Having descended the wall, Qin Qiong quickly sprang into action, organizing personnel to control the city's key points, preventing any remaining enemy troops in Qing Shan County from escaping.

At the same time, he ordered his subordinates to begin restoring order in the city, comforting the populace, and ensuring the city's safety.

The sky gradually lightened, and dawn first appeared.

After a night of fierce battle, Qing Shan County was captured.

At this point, no figures of Qing Shan County's troops remained on its streets; the townspeople began to emerge from their homes, gazing in amazement at everything around them.

Qin Qiong stood in the main hall of the county office, gazing at a rough layout map of the entire Qing Shan County.

He began assigning tasks, with order after order issuing from the county office to every corner of Qing Shan County.

Some soldiers were tasked with patrolling the city to ensure safety.

Another group of soldiers was responsible for requisitioning civilian houses as barracks for the main army, while yet others gathered supplies within the city to provide provisions for the army.

Under Qin Qiong's direction, the orderly work of organizing Qing Shan County began to proceed smoothly.

But Qin Qiong did not let down his guard.

Now the vanguard army has already fired the first shot in Qi Zhou; the several cities not far from Qing Shan County may at any moment receive news and send troops to investigate.

Therefore, to ensure the city's safety, Qin Qiong still needed to further consolidate the defenses and strengthen the garrison of the city walls.

As time passed bit by bit, Qing Shan County, under Qin Qiong's arrangements, gradually turned into an ironclad hedgehog.

He ordered the soldiers to patrol day and night, closely monitoring any movement outside the city.

At the same time, Qin Qiong also drafted most of the divine archers from the tens of thousands in the vanguard army, emulating the lord's Vermilion Bird Battalion.

He organized a crack team of archers stationed on the high points of the city walls, ready at any moment to respond to a possible attack by Qi Zhou's enemy forces.

Next, Qin Qiong set about rectifying the city's public security, dispatching soldiers to patrol the streets to ensure the safety of the people's lives and property.

For those troublemakers who took advantage of the chaos to disrupt order, he decisively suppressed them, restoring order within the city.

And while Qin Qiong was busy organizing Qing Shan County, intending to forge it into a bridgehead for the Cangzhou Army in Qi Zhou,

On the other side, Su Ye and Li Jing, etc., who were marching with the Cangzhou Army along the road opened by Qin Qiong's vanguard army, also received the battle report of Qin Qiong's vanguard having taken Qing Shan County.

In the bright candlelight, Su Ye sat upright in the central command tent, his eyes firm and deep.

Li Jing and Yao Guangxiao, among others, also gathered in the large tent at this time.

"Report—" a messenger burst into the tent, breathless, "Sir Inspector, General Qin's vanguard has already crossed the mountains and taken Qing Shan County in Qi Zhou!"

"Understood, go rest now."

Su Ye was unusually calm; he nodded slightly and spoke in a low voice.

"Pharmacist, now Shubo and the others have already fired the first battle, taking the lead in capturing a county of Qi Zhou."

"I imagine that by now the Qi Zhou cities surrounding Qing Shan County have already heard the news of Qing Shan County's fall."

He waved his hand to dismiss the messenger, then Su Ye turned his head and said to Li Jing.

"My lord, our Cangzhou army of several hundred thousand marches mightily straight toward Qi Zhou, without any attempt to hide."

"I suppose the Qi Wang of Qi Zhou will sooner or later learn of our Cangzhou army's movements and purpose."

Li Jing, seated below, seeing his lord look toward him, spoke slowly.

Previously, the Qi Wang, because the Great Yong dynasty's internal princes rose up together, and because Qi Zhou is located in the north of Great Yong.

Therefore, the Qi Wang deployed most of the Qi Zhou army in the south of Qi Zhou to defend against the princes within Great Yong.

Li Jing glanced at the map of Qi Zhou's mountains and rivers hanging in the military tent.

"Now that the Qi Wang has learned of our Cangzhou's large‑scale invasion, he will surely urgently dispatch the southern Qi Zhou army westward to resist our Cangzhou forces."

"Intending to block the enemy among the mountains west of Qi Zhou."

Li Jing pointed to the symbol of the southern Qi Zhou army on the map of Qi Zhou's mountains and rivers, as well as the continuous mountains to the west of Qi Zhou.

(End of chapter)