Chapter 737

The autumn wind on Haozhou's city wall carried an premature chill; Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) pressed his knuckles against the rough city bricks, his gaze toward the dark horizon to the northeast. The lump of 'strange iron' in his bosom had suddenly heated half an hour ago; though now cooled, that flash of heat was like a clear warning.

Liu Ji hurriedly climbed the city wall, holding a freshly decoded secret letter in his hand; his face, illuminated by torchlight, looked unusually solemn.

'Leader, the latest news from the north.'

'Speak.'

'Four days ago, the Jurchen leader Nurhaci summoned the tribes at Hetu Ala, declared independence from the Yuan court, established the state name "Gold", and called himself the Great Khan.'

Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang)'s eyes narrowed. This point in time is far earlier than his memory of history.

'Anything else?'

'Scouts report that on that day, the Hetu Ala valley frequently showed omens; birds and beasts vanished; the leaders of the tribes participating in the alliance…… their dispositions changed greatly.' Liu Ji paused, then: 'After returning, they began to ruthlessly discipline the troops; resisters were all slaughtered, corpses piled and burned, black smoke lingering for days. Moreover, a force of about three thousand Jurchen cavalry has completely changed attire, both men and horses clad in black armor, eyes glowing with strange light, rapidly consolidating the scattered Jurchen forces of Liaodong.'

'Three thousand……' Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) chewed on that number. If these cavalry share the same origin as the demonic troops that broke through Xifengkou, and are even more elite, then they constitute a force capable of altering the entire northern pattern.

'What movements does the False Song have?' He suddenly thought of another hidden danger. According to his memories before crossing over and the intelligence gathered after arriving in this world, the one now holding Huai East and calling itself the 'Great Song' should be Zhang Shicheng, a salt merchant by origin. This is a formidable local power not to be ignored.

Liu Ji obviously understood his meaning: 'The Zhang Shicheng forces in Huai East have recently seen increasing friction with Yuan local officials, but their main force remains pinned by the Yuan army of the Jianghuai province in the Taizhou–Gaoyou line, unable in the short term to look west. However…' He lowered his voice: 'The black-robed people of White River Town and their demonic troops seem to have colluded with the Zhang Shicheng forces. In documents captured by our army at Haozhou, we found correspondence traces between a Zhang Shicheng subordinate commander and the black-robed people, mentioning "borrowing troops" and "jointly resisting the Yuan barbarians".'

Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) sneered: 'Inviting the wolf in brings self-destruction.' He then turned solemn: 'The False Song is no worry; it will sooner or later be swallowed by the Yuan court or this newborn "Gold" state. The pressing danger lies in the north, not the east. How long will it take to integrate those three thousand You…… demonic cavalry of Liaodong?'

Liu Ji pondered: 'The Jurchen tribes are scattered in the mountains and forests, originally not subject to one another. Even if forced together by iron-and-blood methods, it would not be a matter of weeks. But if Nurhaci truly possesses sorcery to control minds…… the process could be greatly shortened. In my view, at the latest by next spring, their forces will surely point southward—either to strike the Yuan army at Shanhai Pass, or…' He swept his gaze over the map's Huai River line: 'Taking a detour via the Mongolian steppes, they would harass the heartland of Zhongyuan from the northwest, even echoing east-west with the demonic folk of White River Town.'

At that moment, a sudden rush of footsteps interrupted the two. Xu Da, face covered in dust, rushed onto the city wall, clasped his fists and said: 'Brother, of the three scout teams sent north, only one has returned.'

Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang)'s heart sank: 'How many returned? What news did they bring?'

'Five came back, wounded.' Xu Da said solemnly: 'They encountered a small squad of demonic cavalry scouts fifty miles north of Fort Town; after fighting, they were defeated and retreated under cover of night. They reported that Fort Town has become a dead zone, its inner and outer walls overgrown with dark-blue moss-like strange growths; the town holds no trace of normal human life, only groups moving sluggishly, with gray-blue skin—"walking corpses" wandering about. Moreover, on the road from Fort Town to White River Town, the wheel ruts are deep, the cargo extremely heavy, and along the way sticky blue liquid drips, giving off a fishy-sweet smell.'

'Walking corpses…… transport……' Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) linked it to the demonic troops' corpse-collecting behavior at Xifengkou; a chilling chain gradually became clear: slaughtering living beings, extracting or transforming some substance, and conveying it to hubs like White River Town for centralized use. This is hardly ordinary wartime plunder; it resembles a systematic, ruthless resource gathering and processing.

'How is Chang Yuchun's injury?' he suddenly asked.

'He can now walk on the ground, but the medical officer says his vision is impaired, making it inadvisable for him to again lead troops in assault.' Xu Da replied.

'Tell him, for now there's no need to charge, but training troops must not cease for a moment.' Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) declared decisively: 'Select brave warriors willing to fight from the entire army and the able-bodied youths of the city, regardless of background, as long as they fear no death and obey orders; place them under his command for training. If horses are lacking, first train infantry to form formations. We must forge in Haozhou a true elite capable of opposing the demonic troops—not just to defend the city, but also to take the offensive in the future.'

'Yes!' Xu Da received the order.

'Master Liu.' Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) also turned to Liu Ji, 'Increase investment in the smelting of the "strange iron," gather all the city's artisans, and explore a method for stable production. Furthermore, you and several veteran artisans should devote extra thought: besides weapons, see if this iron can be made into armor plates, arrowheads, and even other anti-demonic items.'

'Liu Ji will obey.' Liu Ji responded solemnly.

Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) finally gazed toward the deep northern night sky. He knew that from the moment Nurhaci proclaimed himself khan, the world's collapse had entered a new stage. Demons ran amok, separatist regimes sprang up everywhere, and although the Yuan court appeared massive, its interior had long been rotten and hollow; facing such a strange enemy, it likely lacked the strength.

The road ahead is destined to be a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. But since history has been utterly transformed, he, Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang), will in this purgatory, with the sword and plow in his hand, carve out a place where ordinary people can breathe and survive. Haozhou is the starting point, but far from the end.

He turned, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable force: 'Issue orders to the whole city—effective immediately, implement wartime rations, raise morale, prepare the troops for war. We have little time.'

The torches on the city wall crackled, illuminating the soldiers' resolute yet slightly bewildered faces. They did not know what the terrifying enemy rising in the northeast actually was, but they trusted this leader before them who had miraculously seized Haozhou. And Zhu Yue (Zhu Yuanzhang) deeply understood that this trust was his most precious asset at present, and also his heaviest responsibility for the future.

In the night's darkness, distant Hetu Ala, a new darkness is accelerating its gestation. And on Haozhou's city wall, a faint spark of resistance has already been lit.