Chapter 283: with translation of chapter title

The morning sun leapt over the horizon, pouring its golden light over the Jin Prefecture land that had been baptized in blood and fire.

The day's brutal slaughter and earth-shaking explosion seemed, under this newborn sunlight, to have been washed of some of its ferocity, leaving only a landscape of ruin and a lingering faint scent of blood.

The Chen army's main camp had already resumed efficient operation.

Wounded soldiers were orderly sent to the rear camp for treatment, while the bodies of the fallen were carefully collected, registered, and prepared for a unified burial on a chosen day.

The captured Northern Han soldiers were separated and placed under guard, with specialized officials conducting an initial screening; the low-ranking troops hung their heads in dejection, while the officers' faces were ashen, fully aware that their future was uncertain.

Chen Wen stood upon the repaired watchtower, looking down upon the busy yet orderly camp, and in the distance, the battlefield where occasional smoke columns still rose.

He had changed into a clean set of dark robes; his complexion remained somewhat pale, but the fatigue in his eyes had been replaced by calm and sharpness.

The power within him was gradually settling, and the shock from the information fragment was temporarily suppressed by him, sealed deep in his consciousness, to be slowly analyzed later.

The urgent task at hand was to thoroughly consolidate this hard-won victory and expand its gains.

"Your Majesty, the various armies' statistics have been preliminarily compiled."

Zhang Cheng's voice came from behind; although he was stationed in Bian Liang, he maintained close contact with the front via swift horses, and at this moment he held a preliminary battle report memorial.

Chen Wen turned, took the memorial, and quickly skimmed it.

It listed cold numbers: beheadings, captures, seized arms and provisions, our own casualties…

Behind each number lay countless lives lost and fates turned.

"Our army, though suffering considerable casualties, still retains its elite forces, and morale remains usable."

Zhang Cheng added, "In contrast, the Northern Han allied forces have lost their main strength; commander Liu Jun escaped with only his life, fleeing toward Taiyuan. Their morale has collapsed, and in the short term they possess no strength to fight again."

Chen Wen closed the memorial, his gaze turning toward the northwest—where the Northern Han capital, Taiyuan, lay.

"Liu Jun has been defeated and retreated; the Northern Han are filled with fear. This is a heaven-sent opportunity; if we do not press forward now, would we not be wasting the blood-soaked achievements of General Han and the countless soldiers?"

His voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.

"Issue my decree."

"Appoint Shi Dun as commander of the northern front headquarters, with Li Hong as his deputy, leading the victorious army of twenty thousand; they shall march today to Fen Prefecture, with their blades pointed straight at Taiyuan!"

"Issue proclamations to all prefectures and counties along the way, announcing my benevolence: those who surrender shall be spared death, those who resist shall be executed on the spot!"

"We must, with thunderous force, shock the Northern Han, compelling them to submit tribute and acknowledge vassalage!"

"Your servant obeys the order!" Zhang Cheng bowed, received the command, and immediately went to draft the edict and mobilize troops, horses, and provisions.

Shi Dun and Li Hong received the order, without hesitation swiftly reorganized their troops, carrying part of the seized grain and fodder, like a sword drawn from its sheath, advancing toward Fen Prefecture.

The victorious army, morale high, swept all before it along the way.

Many border prefectures and counties of Northern Han, upon hearing of Jin Prefecture's crushing defeat and Liu Jun's flight, were already trembling with fear.

Seeing Shi Dun's army arrive at their walls, and also receiving the Chen dynasty's proclamation of surrender, most chose to open their gates and submit; the occasional stubborn holdouts were also swiftly swept away under the Chen army's fierce assault.

Victory reports flew back to the Jin Prefecture camp like snowflakes.

At the same time, Chen Wen's gaze also turned inward.

"Any news from Qian Gui?" he asked Li Wu, who was temporarily handling some military affairs beside him.

"Your Majesty, Commander Qian received a secret report last night."

Li Wu lowered his voice, "Relying on clues provided by Fu'an (the Cold Crow) and interrogations of captured low-ranking Iron Crow troops, the Inspection Bureau has carried out several rounds of precise sweeps in Bian Liang and surrounding prefectures."

"They also eliminated three hidden contact points, captured seventeen lurking 'Dark Crows,' and seized a small amount of Nether Energy Crystals and communication devices."

"According to their statements, the Iron Crow army's intelligence network here has basically been destroyed; the remaining scraps can no longer pose a threat."

Chen Wen gave a slight nod.

The Iron Crow army is like a bone-deep ulcer; its hidden threat is in no way inferior to that of the openly hostile forces.

Being able to deal a heavy blow to its intelligence system at this opportunity is of great significance.

"Tell Qian Gui, well done. But do not relax; we must guard against a resurgence."

"I understand."

Under Zhao Lao Nian's direction, the battlefield cleanup also yielded an unexpected discovery.

"Your Majesty, look at this."

Zhao Lao Nian held up a wooden box and approached Chen Wen, his face showing a hint of excitement and solemnity.

The wooden box opened, revealing several charred pieces that still showed their original azure hue, along with some twisted, neither-metal-nor-wood metal fragments.

"These were found at the edge of the blast zone, not completely destroyed."

Zhao Lao Nian pointed at those metal fragments and said, "Their structure is exquisitely intricate, something contemporary craftsmanship could not forge. Especially the tiny rune circuits inside, they share the same principle as the 'Crystal-Disturbing Tower,' but are more complex and efficient!"

He picked up a larger crystal fragment, speaking carefully, "More importantly, these crystal fragments, though their energy structure is violent, seem…… to be guidable, and even…… to a certain extent, be inversely analyzed and interfered with by the power of 'Fortune Momentum.'"

A gleam flashed in Chen Wen's eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Your Majesty," Zhao Lao Nian said excitedly, "if we study this deeply, we might not only produce better 'Crystal-Disturbing' equipment, but possibly… replicate our own 'crystal' weapons driven by Fortune Momentum! Or find more effective ways to counter, or even utilize, Nether Energy."

This is an extremely tempting prospect.

The Iron Crow army, relying on Nether Energy Crystals, has produced many weapons and monsters surpassing the age.

If we could master its principle, and even turn it against them, for Great Chen it would undoubtedly be a tremendous leap in strength.

Chen Wen pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"This matter is entrusted to you with full authority; you may mobilize the Ministry of Works' resources as needed. But you must be cautious, safety first, and absolutely must not rush for quick results, lest you suffer harm."

"Your humble servant understands!" Zhao Lao Nian solemnly accepted, holding the wooden box as if it were a priceless treasure, and withdrew.

After handling these military and governmental affairs, Chen Wen dismissed his attendants and walked alone to the edge of the camp, to a relatively quiet hill.

From here, one could see in the distance the battered yet still-standing walls of Jin Prefecture.

He took out the icy information fragment from his bosom and examined it carefully in the sunlight.

Within the lustrous fragment, data streams continued to flash silently, as if harboring the secrets of another world.

He no longer attempted to read that massive stream of information, which required an absolutely safe environment and abundant mental energy.

He merely felt the neutral, pure "information" fluctuation of the fragment.

"Node deviation……cleanup protocol……variable……end……"

These words surfaced again in his mind.

Combining Zhao Lao Nian's discovery that crystal stones and Fortune Momentum might exist in some opposition yet relation, a vague conjecture gradually took shape in his mind.

The Iron Crow Army, or rather its behind-the-scenes "master," seemed to represent a fixed, cold "order" or "script."

And himself, together with the new dynasty he had founded, whose gathered Fortune Momentum represented a vibrant, ever-changing "variable" and "new order."

The two are fundamentally in conflict.

Nether Energy Crystal Ore is the material manifestation of the former's power.

And the dynasty's Fortune Momentum is the manifestation of the latter's power.

Thus they repel each other, so the Iron Crow Army will spare no expense to "clean up" this "variable" of mine.

Then, what kind of existence is this "world"?

Why is there a "script"?

And where does this "variable" of mine come from?

He raised his head, gazing at the azure, spotless sky, his eyes seeming to pierce the boundless firmament to see the truth behind it.

The tiny fragment in his hand seemed to link to a vast, cold reality far beyond his imagination.

The road ahead remained shrouded in thick mist.

But at least he had now grasped the first thread in that mist.

He carefully stored the information fragment.

He turned, facing south—the direction of Bian Liang, the place he would soon return to in triumph.

The Battle of Jin Province was drawing to a close, and the pursuit-of-victory strategy had already been deployed.

It was time to return, bearing victory as well as more questions and responsibilities, to the capital that symbolized the beginning of the new dynasty.

A new journey lay beneath his feet.