Chapter 90: Time, Luck, Fate~~~

Longcheng, the Liu Cheng of the Han.

Murong Huang made this his capital, establishing the Murong Clan's foundation for a hundred years.

Its Ancestral Temple, Imperial City, ancestral shrines and Ancestral Graves are all inside and outside the city.

This place is the holy land in Murong Fu's heart, the hometown in his dreams.

At this very moment, Longcheng is experiencing the most cruel crisis since its founding.

*Clang clang clang clang clang~~~*

A giant hook machine taller than the city wall extends its long shovel bucket, clawing at the city wall.

The rammed-earth and adobe city wall continuously collapses and crumbles under the immense pressure of the huge shovel bucket.

One scrape of the shovel bucket, and a large chunk immediately collapses open.

The so-called sturdy city defense became an existence like torn cloth before heavy machinery.

"Loose arrows, loose arrows~~~"

The defending soldiers desperately loose arrows, throwing stones and timber at the hook machine.

Potfuls of boiling gold juice are poured over, adding a steaming, shit-stench smell to the hook machine.

The hook machine treats these boot-scratching-itch attacks as if unheard.

It continuously extends its shovel bucket, clawing at the city wall, tearing open a huge breach.

*Whirr! *

A crossbow bolt as thick as an infant's arm whistles through the air and hits the car window.

On the thick bulletproof glass, cracks are actually knocked out.

Lin Dao in the driver's cab, his gaze sweeps over in passing.

On a corner tower not far away, a bed crossbow is still trembling slightly.

"This is finally finding the hook machine's flaw?"

Lin Dao pushes and pulls the control lever, rotating the long arm to claw at that bed crossbow.

Without the slightest surprise, one shovel bucket down, that bed crossbow collapses and crumbles together with half the corner tower.

"Good thing they don't have cannons."

"If they had Ming-era red-barbarian cannons, a close-range shot..."

Lin Dao drives the hook machine slowly retreating; the moat on this side has long since been filled in by the hook machine.

Large batches of Gluttonous Army soldiers, holding shields, advance.

Along the collapsed city wall ruins, they climb into the city.

The Gluttonous Army pursued and killed all the way from Yi Shui Riverbank to the Xianbei Murong Clan's old nest Longcheng.

The Xianbei Murong Clan's final remnants are all blocked here.

"Great King~~~"

Inside the Imperial City, a soldier comes to report: "The Gluttonous Army has entered the city!"

Murong Jun, who escaped from Yi Shui Riverbank using his younger brother as bait, waves his hand expressionlessly, signaling the soldier to leave.

Yan King Murong Huang has had no news or trace since the Battle of Yi Shui.

Everyone takes it that Murong Huang is already dead.

Murong Jun fled back to Jicheng City and hastily proclaimed himself king.

The next day after proclaiming himself king, he fled again, escaping to Longcheng.

Originally thought that once the Xianbei Murong Clan withdrew from Youzhou, the Gluttonous Army would halt its steps.

But the result: the Gluttonous Army actually pursued and killed all the way to Longcheng.

"Just what is the reason for this?"

Murong Jun ponders this matter to no avail: "Just where did we offend the Gluttonous Army?"

"Between us and the Gluttonous Army, is there some irreconcilable deep hatred?"

"Why must they absolutely drive us to a dead end?!"

Ever since Yi Shui Riverbank until now, Murong Jun has been constantly pondering this matter.

Yet he never obtains an answer.

The Xianbei Murong Clan and the Gluttonous Army had no grievances in the past, no enmity recently.

They are even both nominally colleagues serving the Eastern Jin court of Jiangzuo; why must they be exterminated to the last?

"Great King."

Only two of the Murong imperial clan escaped from Yi Shui Riverbank.

Besides Murong Jun, only Murong Ping, who saw things looked bad and fled early, escaped.

He urgently steps forward: "Let's run."

"Run?"

Murong Jun expressionless: "Where else can we run to?"

South is the Gluttonous Army, east is the great sea.

North is Gaogouli, west is the great grassland.

Besides the great sea, all are enemies.

Falling into whose hands, the result is the same.

Even death would be extremely miserable.

Thinking now, previously striking out in four directions and offending people everywhere, reduced to this current plight, even Murong Huang's son-in-law became an enemy.

Not only can they find no reinforcements, but everyone wants to kick them while they're down, eat their flesh, drink their blood!

Looking at Murong Ping's fearful expression, the newly appointed King of Yan smiled desolately. "Uncle, flee for your own life."

"If you survive, remember to hide your name and live well, to continue the bloodline of my Murong Clan."

"Great King~~~" Murong Ping was moved to tears.

The usually arrogant great-nephew was now unexpectedly reasonable.

Murong Jun turned around and waved his hand.

Murong Ping, weeping without stop, saluted solemnly, then wiped his tears and rose to leave.

Murong Jun stood there with eyes closed, silently, not knowing what he was thinking in his heart.

After a long time, until the sounds of slaughter faintly reached his ears, Murong Jun finally opened his eyes.

He drew his blade and walked toward the Rear Hall.

Not long after, inside the Palace Interior, already piled full of firewood, the weeping and wailing of women and children came.

Wait until the weeping and shouting ceased.

Covered in blood, hair disheveled, Murong Jun shook as he walked out.

Staring around, throwing down the blade in his hand that had already been notched, Murong Jun threw back his head and laughed loudly.

The laughter was desolate, like the low cry of a Night Owl.

He threw down the blade, took out a fire striker and lit a pine-resin torch.

Murong Jun hummed a tribal folk song softly, walking along the Great Hall, lighting one by one the firewood piled everywhere that had long been smeared with fire oil.

What they had once done to others' old, weak, women, and children, they knew well in their own hearts.

To avoid their own old, weak, women, and children suffering the same miserable fate, sending them away early was the best choice.

Roaring flames devoured the Great Hall, and devoured the thousand-year dream of the Xianbei.

For the vast majority of tribes.

In several thousand years of long time, perhaps only once was there a chance for a brilliant bloom.

If the chance was missed, there would be no possibility of blooming again.

"Time also~ Luck also~~ Fate also~~~"

Murong Jun laughed loudly, holding a torch and charging into the roaring Great Hall.

Amidst the intense flames, his strange laughter came intermittently.

As the Palace caught fire, several important facilities within the city also caught fire along with it.

This greatly angered the Begging-for-Living Army that had charged into the city.

Burning the city was nothing, but the Ku Fang storing a large amount of supplies being burned was a huge loss.

Murong Ping escaped to the City Exterior.

He dared not wander randomly, fleeing all the way to the seaside.

Planning to find a ship at the seaside to go overseas, either to Sanguo or to Yamatai.

Passing a Weichang, he entered to request clean water and dry rations, and even sincerely expressed willingness to pay gold and silver as compensation.

The Weichang Master welcomed him with a smiling face.

After Murong Ping and over ten cavalry guards rode into the Weichang, the heavy Weichang Great Gate slowly closed shut.

The sounds of slaughter and screams lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

When the Weichang Great Gate opened again, several backbone disciples of the fortress, riding horses and carrying over a dozen heads, galloped toward Longcheng.

When the wall falls, everyone pushes.

"Hey~~~"

Looking at a pile of Ye Shan Shen already roasted before him, Lin Dao laughed in extreme anger.

"Truly ruthless, not a single hair left for me."

Fighting all the way to Longcheng, the consumption and losses along the way need not be mentioned.

A huge amount of spoils, and rewards also involved huge expenditures.

Originally thinking to make up for some expenses through captured goods.

But Murong Jun burned as he ran, even killing all the cattle and sheep encountered along the way and throwing them into water sources to pollute them.

Lin Dao spent money all the way, but income was extremely scarce.

You know, just the renovation and maintenance of the Hundred-Ton Wang and the Hook Machine, plus refueling, was a huge expense.

Ran Min on the side also rarely made a joke: "The gathered Han are not many, but it does reduce expenses."

After exterminating the Xianbei Murong Clan, Ran Min always felt refreshed and comfortable, the sky bluer, the air seemingly fresher.

As if a wooden thorn pressing on his heart had been pulled out, how comfortable.

Lin Dao with a calm face: "I need to return on my side."

"You stay behind and continue the suppression."

"Regardless of what tribe they are, clean them up when you see them."

"There are many captured horses, all left for you."

"Train more cavalry to pursue the tribes on the Grassland; cavalry is still more useful."

"Grain, grass, and military rations, I will leave you as much as possible."

"From now on, Wang Meng's side will deliver them on time and in fixed amounts."

Lin Dao looked at Ran Min: "Do you have any other requests? You can raise them to my face now."

Speaking of requests, there really were some.

Ran Min frowned slightly and pondered: "Sending troops to the Grassland, the hardest part is not winning, but finding the traces of those tribes."

The Grassland is extremely vast.

For tribes familiar with the terrain, if they truly want to hide, finding their tracks is like searching for a needle in the sea.

"No need to make things difficult."

Lin Dao greeted Ran Min to walk with him.

He took out the things already prepared long ago, and on the spot opened them to teach him how to use them.

"This is called a Solar Charger."

"These are the batteries used by the Flying Divine Luan."

"Place the batteries here like this, open the charging board."

"Use when sunlight is sufficient, pay attention to the color of the indicator lights."

"These batteries must be placed into the Flying Divine Luan like this, this position, not a single one can be missing."

"These several Drones, I have already debugged them in advance, you can just use them directly."

"This is the Control Board, I will teach you how to use it."

"First."

Nomadic tribes on the grassland, finding a place with no one to hide, even their own fathers coming would probably find it hard to locate them.

After all, the terrain of the Great Grassland is not merely grassland alone.

All kinds of complex terrain exist, relying purely on manpower to search is extremely difficult.

But.

If viewing from the sky looking down, the perspective is different.

Reconnaissance from the sky has wide range, fast speed, and high resolution.

There are also no more many insurmountable terrain obstacles, efficiency is undeniable.

"Once you find those tribes, exterminate them."

"Avoid a hundred years later, again being constant southward raids and harassment."

Seeing the Grand Marshal actually bestow such an Immortal Artifact upon himself, Ran Min was also deeply moved.

He repeatedly guaranteed he would certainly clean up the grassland completely.

He, Ran Min, indeed has ambition.

But facing the Grand Marshal, even with ambition it is useless.

Not to mention the troops under his command would not possibly follow him in rebellion, even if they did follow him, so what?

The Grand Marshal's God Carriage comes over, isn't it still the outcome of army formation collapse and scattering like birds and beasts?

That kind of Giant Object, fundamentally is not something manpower can resist.

Since there is no possibility of successful rebellion, Ran Min's ambition can only be forever buried in the deepest part of his heart.

"Right, if you have free time, you can chop more big trees and pile them up, if I have time I will come over to collect and take them away."

"Also Ye Shan Shen, if you have time dig more, I also need them."

The Qihuo Army troops split into two.

Ran Min's forces remain in the Northern Regions, continue clearing out the various Hu Barbarians.

Lin Dao then goes southward all the way, returned to his loyal Ye City.

(End of Chapter)