Chapter 75: Internal and External Cooperation

Sha Kui endured the severe abdominal pain, under the protection of several personal guards, fled in panic.

He never expected that Ma Ning would dare to rebel, nor that Jiang Xiaomu would attack the Sha Gate Gang at this time.

Sha Kui struggled to rise and leave, but before he could step out, Jiang Xiaomu had already arrived before him.

"Sha Kui, your time of death has come!" Jiang Xiaomu's voice was ice-cold and piercing.

Sha Kui looked at the murderous Jiang Xiaomu before him; it seemed he could not escape disaster today.

He spoke with a trembling voice:

"Jiang Xiaomu, you… you can't kill me! I… I can give you a lot of money."

Jiang Xiaomu snorted coldly, and the long blade in his hand fell without mercy.

"I don't need your money; I only want your life!"

Sha Kui's head flew up, blood spurted out, splattering Jiang Xiaomu all over.

The battle lasted nearly an hour, and the Sha family's resistance was finally completely wiped out.

The Sha Gate Gang, once the Sha family's stronghold, has now become their tomb.

Xiong Kuohai came before Jiang Xiaomu, drenched in blood, and knelt on one knee.

"Sir, all members of the Sha family have been completely cleared out."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded and said:

"Good, pass the order: clean the battlefield, tally the spoils."

"Yes!"

Xiong Kuohai received the order and departed.

"Report! Sir, we found two corpses in the stables!"

A soldier hurriedly came to report.

"What corpses?"

Jiang Xiaomu furrowed his brows.

"They are the corpses of Ma Ning and Sha Hu!"

The soldier replied.

Jiang Xiaomu quickly walked toward the stables.

In the dim stables, two corpses lay in pools of blood.

Ma Ning had a dagger plunged into his chest, eyes wide open, while Sha Hu lay to one side, his face darkly bluish, obviously dead from poison.

Jiang Xiaomu slowly walked to Ma Ning's side, squatted down, and gently closed his eyes.

"Brother Ma, your great vengeance has been avenged; you may rest in peace."

Jiang Xiaomu murmured to himself.

"Sir, I have examined it; this dagger was pulled from Sha Hu's body."

"They must have perished together in their struggle."

A soldier beside him explained.

Jiang Xiaomu fell silent; he had originally regarded Ma Ning as a pawn to be manipulated at will.

Yet he had not expected that Ma Ning also had his own obsession and dignity.

He rose, took a deep breath, and said to the soldier beside him:

"Bury Ma Ning's body with dignity; burn the rest."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier received the order and left.

In the military tent several hundred li outside Yun Cheng, Li Zhen was listening to his subordinate's report on the situation of the Sha Gate Gang.

"Reporting, General, the Sha Gate Gang has been breached by Jiang Xiaomu."

"Sha Kui and his uncle-nephew, as well as all members of the Sha family, have been killed."

The scout knelt on one knee, speaking respectfully.

After hearing this, Li Zhen's face showed no surprise or anger, but rather a playful smile.

"Oh? It seems this Jiang Xiaomu really does have some ability."

"Ma Ning, Sha Hu, and Wei Tong—these three good-for-nothings—have also been dealt with by him?"

"Yes, General."

The scout replied.

Li Zhen rose, walked to the map, and his gaze fell upon the location of Yun Cheng.

"These three good-for-nothings are useless even if kept."

"Jiang Xiaomu helped us settle them, actually saving us a lot of trouble."

Li Zhen spoke lightly, as if discussing a trivial matter.

"Pass the order: assemble the entire army, prepare to assault the city!"

A gleam flashed in Li Zhen's eyes, and his tone grew stern.

"General, should we attack the city now?"

"Jiang Xiaomu has just taken the Sha Gate Gang; their morale is high, so attacking the city now would probably…"

The deputy general beside him hesitated somewhat.

Li Zhen snorted coldly and said:

"Precisely because they have just finished a victorious battle, now is the moment they let down their guard."

"Taking advantage of their current exhaustion, with no time to regroup, we strike when they are unprepared, and thus can seize Yun Cheng in one fell swoop!"

"General, you are wise!"

The deputy general immediately took the order and left.

Li Zhen looked at Yun Cheng's position on the map; Yun Cheng, this prosperous city, would soon be in his grasp.

Jiang Xiaomu returned to Yun Cheng, and before he could wipe the blood from his armor, he heard the urgent hoofbeats of a scout outside the city.

"Report! Sir, Li Zhen has mustered his troops and is marching toward Yun Cheng!"

The scout dismounted, knelt on one knee, and his voice trembled.

Jiang Xiaomu's brows knit tightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Pass the order down, immediately summon Ye Ying, Xiong Kuohai, and others to the council hall for a meeting!"

Jiang Xiaomu gave the order in a cold tone.

Inside the council hall, the atmosphere was solemn; Ye Ying wore all black, while Xiong Kuohai bore a murderous aura.

"Li Zhen's army presses upon our borders; what good plans do you all have?"

Jiang Xiaomu sat in the chief seat, his tone calm.

Xiong Kuohai said in a deep, resonant voice:

"Sir, I, the humble commander, wish to lead the brothers out to fight them to the death!"

Jiang Xiaomu glanced at him and said lightly:

"Fool! Li Zhen has brought out his full forces this time, his troops far outnumber ours; a head‑on clash would only needlessly sacrifice our brothers' lives."

Ye Ying spoke:

"Since a direct assault won't work and a surprise attack is also inadvisable, let's lure them into a trap."

"Lure them into a trap?"

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled about what scheme Ye Ying was hatching.

Ye Ying curled the corner of her mouth in a cold smile and slowly revealed her plan…

Two days later, Li Zhen's army arrived at the city gates; Yun Cheng's gate stood wide open, with no one on the walls.

What is Jiang Xiaomu up to? Could he have abandoned the city and fled?

"General, the gate is wide open—could it be a ruse?"

The deputy general asked cautiously.

Li Zhen gave a cold snort and said:

"A ruse? What tricks could he possibly pull? Pass the order: the entire army advances into the city!"

The mighty army marched into Yun Cheng, only to find the city empty and the streets deserted.

Li Zhen's uneasy feeling grew stronger; he sensed that something was amiss.

Suddenly, shouts of killing came from all directions as countless soldiers burst out from homes, shops, and even cellars, surrounding Li Zhen's army.

"Kill!"

Xiong Kuohai wielded a massive axe, leading the soldiers into the enemy formation, hacking left and right, flesh and blood flying.

"Damn! We've fallen into Jiang Xiaomu's ambush!" Li Zhen roared.

"Break out! Break out quickly!"

However, it was too late; Jiang Xiaomu's troops had already surrounded them impenetrably, making any hope of breaking out slim.

At that moment, a figure appeared before him.

"Li Zhen, your doom has arrived!" Jiang Xiaomu said in an icy voice.

Li Zhen never imagined he would be driven to such desperation by an unknown vagrant.

"Jiang Xiaomu, you…"

Jiang Xiaomu wasted no words; his long blade, wrapped in a howl of wind, came straight down at Li Zhen's face.

Li Zhen's pupils contracted; he hadn't expected Jiang Xiaomu's strike to be so vicious. In the hasty moment, he swept his long spear sideways, barely managing to block the deadly blow.

Jiang Xiaomu's first strike missed; his footwork never ceased, and his long blade continued its relentless assault on Li Zhen.

Amid the flashing blades, Li Zhen struggled to keep up, overwhelmed.

"Damn it!" Li Zhen cursed silently; he had underestimated Jiang Xiaomu and overestimated himself.