Chapter 179

"Burn everything that can't be taken!"

"Burn the city, don't leave it for Lin Dao!"

"Throw all the corpses into the water wells!"

"Kill everyone who can't walk."

Li Zicheng, fleeing back to Xi'an City all the way, burned palaces and cities, slaughtered the populace, and prepared to withdraw.

"Chuang King~"

Niu Jinxing, unwilling to accept this, advised, "There's no need to kill all those who can't walk."

"They're all useless scum. Shaanxi has suffered famine for years with no grain. Throwing them to Lin Dao is just right."

"If Lin Dao raises them, he'll have to consume his own military rations."

"If Lin Dao kills them, his reputation will inevitably be ruined."

Li Zicheng, his complexion ugly, let out a cold snort and gripped the horse whip in his hand tightly.

"Fine."

The Shun Army returned from a crushing defeat at Tongguan; military morale suffered a heavy blow.

Amidst the panic, the former military discipline became waste paper.

Inside the entire Xi'an City, rioting soldiers were everywhere.

With red eyes they broke doors and seized houses, looted property and insulted women.

The once high-spirited Shun Army, after losing confidence in defeat, swiftly turned into a beast army that committed every evil.

The previous bandits were a beast army to begin with.

It was purely because establishing a regime gave them a prospect that they gradually developed something like military discipline.

Now everything is about to collapse into bubbles, and these bandits immediately revealed their true nature.

Inside and outside Xi'an City, fire light reached the sky; thick smoke covered the sky and blocked the sun; cries and pleas for mercy spread across the four wildernesses.

Turning Xi'an into a ruined city, he threw it to Lin Dao as a burden.

In Li Zicheng's heart, this also counted as venting a bit of his resentment.

He brought baggage and family, and under the old camp's protection exited Lantiankou, heading for Shangzhou.

"Chuang King, set your mind at ease."

Li Guo rode forward to comfort him: "As long as the old camp still exists, our capital remains; there will ultimately be a time to rise again."

"I know." Li Zicheng, riding his horse, replied calmly: "Back then, pursued by the official army until only eighteen horsemen remained, we fled into the mountains; even those unbearable days we survived."

"It's nothing more than starting over; there's nothing major about it."

Yuan Zongdi, Gao Yigong, and others nearby all expressed their agreement.

Losing battles is just a common occurrence for bandits.

As long as they can escape, that's enough.

Lack supplies? Go rob. Lack people? Go capture and plunder.

Before long, they'll recover their strength.

"Chuang King."

Hao Yaoqi stepped forward with a grin: "Lin Dao went to Shaanxi; we'll go raid his rear and go to Henan."

"Then we'll head south to Jingxiang, flow straight down to Jiangnan, and raid Lin Dao's old nest too!"

Those around started a ruckus: "Heard the women in Jiangnan are each whiter than the last; once we reach Jiangnan, I'm finding ten!"

"Hahahaha~~~"

Amidst the laughter and joy, the low morale gradually rose.

A fast horse came galloping from the front; everyone gradually fell silent.

The fast horse rode up and reported: "Chuang King, Shangzhou City is lost!"

In an instant, Li Zicheng's smile froze; his heart turned to ice.

The next day, Lin Dao personally led the vanguard troops and rushed to outside Xi'an City.

"Put out the fire first."

Lin Dao caught his breath: "Search for survivors, treat the injured."

"A dog can't change its habit of eating shit; bandits are still those bandits!"

City slaughter and looting — for bandits it's just like a common meal.

Their hearts have long gone wild; they run rampant without restraint, lacking the most basic respect for life.

Toward this kind of human scum, only one attitude works.

Thorough physical extermination.

Disaster relief proceeded very smoothly, because after Lin Dao arrived outside the city, rain began to fall from the sky, gradually extinguishing the great fire.

This was originally a natural phenomenon, but among the populace and in the army, it spread that the Grand Marshal is the True Dragon Son of Heaven, that even Old Heaven is helping him.

Intangible prestige rose rapidly.

With the fire out, the rest is simple.

Take out military grain, open porridge factories to relieve disaster victims, then carry out post-disaster reconstruction.

"Grand Marshal."

A personal guard entered the tent to report: "The Chuang bandits' forces tried to return to Lantiankou, but were repulsed by our army."

Lin Dao, eating his meal, picked up a steamed bun, tore it open, poured in some Lao Gan Ma, and said: "Wanting to run now — too late."

"Knowing you're bandits, how could I possibly give you the chance to flee and harm the people elsewhere."

"Not going to Hanzhong to enter Chuan Shu, but instead wanting to run to Henan — seeking death."

From Shaanxi to Henan, besides Tongguan, there was also Shangzhou Road.

Shangzhou Road was the ancient Wuguan Road.

It was mainly developed using the Ba River Valley on the north side of Qinling and the Dan River Valley on the south side of Qinling to connect and open up.

Although not as difficult as the several routes into Sichuan, it was similarly not easy to walk.

Li Zicheng thought Lin Dao was attacking from two sides, but actually there were three routes, with the southernmost one going to block Shangzhou Road.

This Chuang King's best choice was actually to enter Sichuan via Hanzhong, relying on the terrain of Chuan Shu to resist layer by layer.

The strategies offered by Song Xiance were actually reasonable.

But Chuang King wouldn't listen~~~

Eating the steamed bun, picking up the water cup and drinking two sips.

Lin Dao reached out and picked up another steamed bun, "Order both sides to squeeze toward the center."

"Inform the soldiers of all departments that the bounty I offered Li Zicheng and them will not be short a single qian."

"This courier runs too well; he must be destroyed in one battle."

The bodyguard received the order and left.

Lin Dao ate and drank by himself, very quickly.

Having been in the army for a long time, he naturally developed the dining habits of the army.

Not picky about food, eating fast.

"If you love drilling into mountain gullies so much, then just die in the Great Mountain."

Inside Shangzhou Road, Li Zicheng's face was pale.

His own movements were tightly blocked by Lin Dao, completely falling into a disadvantage.

"Chuang King~~~"

Niu Jinxing stepped forward, and just as he was about to speak, Li Zicheng raised his hand to stop him, "You don't speak!"

The gazes of the people around toward Niu Jinxing suddenly changed.

He was about to lose favor~~~

"Offering strategies repeatedly, but every strategy offered was wrong."

Li Zicheng gave him no face at all, "Thinking about it now, it turns out Song Xiance was right all along."

He clenched his fist and smashed it beside him, "I regret it."

Being given no face in public, Niu Jinxing's face was pale.

He awkwardly raised his hand, lifted his sleeve, covered his face, and walked away.

Li Guo stepped forward wanting to persuade a few words; treating Niu Jinxing like this was not good.

"Don't say anything."

Li Zicheng with a heavy expression shook his head, "My heart is beating hard; this time it might really be disastrous."

His premonition was correct.

Facing the righteous army pressing over from both sides of Shangzhou Road, the blocked Shun Army again suffered a series of crushing defeats.

Especially in the battle by the Ba River Valley riverbank, the Shun Army, resolved to die, mobilized the old camp to make a desperate charge to break out.

The result was another crushing defeat without suspense.

In the rout, even many were squeezed and driven into the Ba River, drowning countless.

The equipment gap between the two sides was too great.

Especially the righteous army, having been tempered by multiple fierce battles, their combat skill and battlefield experience were also gradually climbing to the peak.

Under these circumstances, Li Zicheng's Shun Army had no hope of victory.

With the entire army completely collapsing, Li Zicheng reenacted a scene from several years ago.

Slaughtering the women and children of the old camp, burning all kinds of military rations, taking only over a hundred people to flee into the mountains.

Originally thinking he could, like entering the mountains with the Eighteen Horsemen several years ago, recuperate and multiply, waiting for Heaven's Mandate to come out of the mountains and rise again.

But after slaughtering a stronghold and resting for two days, pursuing troops came and surrounded them completely.

Looking at Niu Jinxing among the righteous army, pointing and gesturing toward this side, Li Zicheng gritted his back teeth.

"Traitor!"

"These scholars, not a single one is a good thing!"

The righteous army without suspense broke through the stronghold.

Killing the families of each, those following Li Zicheng were all the most loyal dead soldiers of the old camp.

None of them surrendered; all fought to the death.

"Chuang King!" Li Guo pulled Li Zicheng running toward the large courtyard inside the stronghold, "Hurry!"

"Where can I go?"

Li Zicheng smiled bitterly, "Blocked dead here, nowhere to go."

"It's finished."

Arriving in the courtyard, he waved his hand, "I was originally a post station runner; because the post stations were abolished I lost my livelihood, and had no choice but to rebel."

"Rampant across the world for so many years, the enjoyments that should be enjoyed have all been enjoyed."

"Not a loss!"

Li Guo's eyes turned red, "Chuang King!"

Li Zicheng shook his head and stepped alone into the room.

Outside, the sounds of slaughter gradually subsided, and dense footsteps kept transmitting.

Li Guo roared loudly, "Chuang King, I'll go first!"

He raised his knife and charged out.

Moments later, a large batch of armored soldiers surged into the courtyard, charging straight into the house.

Seeing Li Zicheng seated on the chair, eyes blazing, he shouted loudly, "You are the Great Shun Chuang King!"

He held his knife horizontally across his neck and pulled hard.

Blood spurted three feet.

"Suicide? He took the easy way out."

"Give the reward silver to Niu Jinxing, and point him toward the bandit-ridden road back to his hometown."

"If there are no bandits, think of another way."

When Lin Dao received the news, he was in Hanzhong Prefecture.

The troops entering Shaanxi split into two: Liu San Dao led one part northward, heading straight for Yanxu, Ningxia, Guyuan, and the various garrisons of Gansu, after which they would enter the Western Regions.

Lin Dao led his forces southward, entering Chuan Shu via Hanzhong Prefecture.

"Li Chuang's power has already been destroyed."

He rose and activated transmigration, returning to the Modern World.

Without stopping, he activated the Time Travel Ability again.

Before him were still two green doors, and no third one appeared.

"Neither the Ming Dynasty nor Li Chuang."

Returning to the Chongzhen Spacetime, Lin Dao had already come to a realization.

"Sure enough, in this spacetime, it still has to be the Tartars."

He was unsure whether there would be a Third Door.

If there were, the premise would presumably be to destroy the Tartars.

After opening the transmigration gate of the Chongzhen Spacetime, his Physical Quality gradually increased.

Now, Lin Dao only hoped that if there could be a third transmigration gate, it could restore his ability of Plant Melons Get Melons, Plant Beans Get Beans.

This was a purely Reality Requirement; without an Inheritor, it truly would not do.

Lin Dao entering Sichuan was far easier than Deng Ai traveling the Yinping Ancient Road.

It was not that there was no Combat to block him.

Actually, in Chuan Shu, whether Officials or Local Gentry and Powerful Clans, all were doing their utmost to resist Lin Dao.

They all knew very well that Lin Dao intended Restoration of Furnace and Stove, and would not give Former Dynasty Old People the slightest Opportunity.

Under such circumstances, fighting to the death in resistance became inevitable.

But the gap in strength was too great, especially since Lin Dao announced right away that he would give the common people Land Distribution, and also provide Agricultural Tools, Grain, and Seeds.

The common people of Chuan Shu all stood on his side.

The Ming Remnants and Landlord Militia, although fighting to the death in resistance,

were still eliminated one by one by Lin Dao.

Including the Shu King of Chengdu Prefecture; this prince, richest under heaven, had not yet had time to be Enthroned before Lin Dao directly Swept Flat him.

Every time he took a Prefecture, Lin Dao would Recruitment troops to organize a Garrison Camp.

Giving the Soldiers something they wanted to protect, arranging them to be Stationed locally, to resist and eliminate bandits.

Arm the common people, so they have the ability to protect themselves.

Thus, the Ming Remnants and Landlord Militia soon disappeared into the Sea of People among the common people.

Lin Dao swept horizontally across Chuan Shu all the way, finally arriving at Shi Pan.

He dispatched a Messenger to send a letter to Qin Liangyu requesting an Appointment.

Qin Liangyu did not Refuse, and came to the Agreed Place to meet.

End of Chapter