Chapter 220: Great Victory! Great Victory!

At the same time the frontline troops began to engage.

This batch of Chen State's logistical troops, their supply officer Ning Zhaoji, received flags and beacon fires from the frontline battle lines several li away; he was an experienced logistical officer and immediately said: "The front line is under heavy pressure—there may be a major change."

"Take the supplies and retreat immediately—return to our main camp."

As a logistical officer responsible for carrying grain and siege equipment, the most important thing is to run fast; best case is to keep these supplies in our hands, worst case is to destroy them so the enemy can't use them—Ning Zhaoji said sternly: "Everyone carry flint—once the situation turns bad."

"Burn the grain, the cloud carts, and all such equipment."

"Don't let the enemy get hold of any of this…"

"What are we not going to let them get?"

The general's face darkened, he drew his sword, and said: "Logistical troops, draw—"

Boom!!!!

The roar exploded almost simultaneously.

The sound resembled that of a massive siege crossbow requiring twenty men to draw—CRASH—the main gate of the logistical camp was blown open, and a giant bear, over two zhang long and one zhang tall, slowly stepped in.

Seven meters long, three meters high, it opened its mouth and spat a stream of foul-smelling saliva.

The front-line soldier was so terrified he fainted outright.

On the bear's back sat a massive mechanical crossbow; behind it sat a burly man clad in a captain's armor, looking more like a jianghu rogue, chewing on something as he said:

"Boss is really steady—sent us to flank the supplies first."

A man in his forties or fifties said: "Mainly because we're starving—we've been eating anything in the mountains. If we don't replenish soon, the brothers will go mad."

"Besides, I want to see if these regular troops' hemostatic powder is really that good."

"Our version's a bit stronger, but it stops bleeding faster."

Lei Laomeng burst out laughing: "Shi Laogui, stop talking nonsense—move!"

"Damn it, these eight months of waking up every day wondering what to eat are finally over—spending every day with you seven old ghosts figuring out what's edible. All this supply—no wonder Chen State's rich. Damn, they've got money."

Lei Laomeng and the logistical officers stared at the Chen State supplies—there was even wine.

These men who had gnawed bark and eaten insects suddenly had bloodshot eyes.

Chen State's logistical supply general Ning Zhaoji roared: "You bandits dare invade here?! Your siege crossbows are spent—withdraw immediately, or I'll—"

Lei Laomeng said: "Is that so?"

Boom!!!

Almost simultaneously, a massive roar erupted.

All defensive measures around the logistical camp were shattered—walls on all sides collapsed, and one by one, strange beasts stepped in: giant wolves, black bears, eagles screeching overhead. Lei Laomeng imitated Fan Qing's habit and said: "Surrender, and you live."

The strange beasts roared.

The crossbows were loaded, perfectly synchronized.

Lei Laomeng frantically scratched his head, pulled out a notebook from the front of his armor.

He glanced at the script—he was a jianghu man, not a proper officer—so he'd gone to Fan Qing, the most general-like figure among them, and had him draft a few lines. Finding what he needed, he tucked the notebook away, cleared his throat, and declared solemnly:

"You are now under our control. All personnel, lay down your weapons and cease resistance."

"Otherwise, we will subject you to Mo Family mechanical bombardment."

"Repeat: surrender, and you live!"

The logistical troops were all third-tier units; seeing the crossbows, each too massive for anything but a giant bear to carry, Ning Zhaoji turned pale, opened his mouth, his will to fight evaporated, and finally his weapons clattered to the ground. He slumped and said:

"What… what unit are you?"

Lei Laomeng answered naturally: "Qilin Army, logistical division."

Ning Zhaoji stared blankly: "Huh?"

Lei Laomeng said: "One of the logistical divisions."

"The ones in charge of cooking."

Ning Zhaoji: "Haaa???"

………………

When the rear logistical and supply lines were surrounded.

Elder Murong heard the general shout "Li Guanyi," but, weakened by blood loss, he couldn't react immediately—after all, the Qilin name hadn't appeared for nearly a year. Yet the next instant, he saw the Chen State general, clad in dark armor with a flowing cloak, leap onto his horse in an instant.

The strange warhorse neighed, its cultivation at the peak of Heavy Heaven Realm.

Without hesitation, he turned and fled—his steed was a Dragon Horse, galloping on gales; he was the nephew of Chen State's Grand Tutor, and had seen this boy's Wu Gong before. What nonsense about Second Heaven Realm—he, a Fourth Heaven cultivator, might not even defeat the berserk Yuwen Hua, yet this man had forced victory.

A general knows when to advance and retreat.

Liu Shideng held a horse spear, armor grim, surrounded by several deputies and a hundred or so Second Heaven Realm personal guards—not his own troops, but noble retainers and distant relatives, each one irreplaceable.

They formed an escape formation and charged toward one side.

Then came the sound of crimson flame—Liu Shideng turned his head and saw the young general in the dark-gold mask, slashing left and right, his battle halberd sweeping and smashing toward them. He wasn't rushing to break the formation—he moved with majestic, overwhelming force, like a tide.

Liu Shideng paled: "That general's aura—he didn't have this a year ago!"

The entire army's formation subtly revolved around this young warrior.

He was the commander of the Qilin Army.

Yet one deputy, seeing Li Guanyi was only Second Heaven Realm, roared: "Second Heaven Realm? What's to fear? I'll fight you!" He wheeled his horse, raised his spiked club, and charged Li Guanyi—Liu Shideng still clung to a sliver of hope.

Then a flash of cold light appeared before his eyes.

The young general swung his blade—deputy's head severed, body tumbled from horse.

Liu Shideng screamed in terror: "That's Second Heaven Realm?!"

They pressed forward rapidly—the Qilin isn't known for speed, but it's fierce, roaring, flames blazing; within mere breaths, it smashed through the front blockade, crossed the frontline battlefield, and the enemy's heavy infantry parted to let General Liu Shideng through.

Then, per Chen State battle formation, all heavy shields were raised and merged into one.

Through the gaps, spears thrust out.

Impenetrable, brimming with lethal intent.

The Fire Qilin let out a long roar, stepping on flames midair, its front claws slamming down upon the heavy shield—shield shattered, the hundred or so armored soldiers in front, locked in formation, offered no resistance, their defense crushed outright, then rolling like tumbleweeds in all directions.

Liu Shideng's warhorse, startled—even a dragon-horse—could not be controlled now.

Or rather, precisely because it was a spirit-linked beast, it sensed even more acutely the terror of the rider upon its back; it neighed suddenly, rearing up on hind legs, and Liu Shideng, man and armor alike, tumbled to the ground, yet summoned inner Qi, a vast force pulling him back.

Around him, a dozen soldiers stumbled and fell, becoming human shields, crashing directly between Li Guanyi and Liu Shideng, while Liu Shideng had already fled at speed; the soldiers' faces wore grim expressions, as if unable to believe their commander had just used them as meat shields.

Li Guanyi's gaze swept over them, then he reversed his hand.

The Tiger Roar Heaven Spear plunged straight into the ground beside him.

The Fire Qilin pressed its claw down, its twin pupils blazing crimson-gold, mouth open, fixing its gaze upon those around.

Emitting waves of white mist, as if any moment it would unleash a blast of Qilin fire.

The young warlord sat atop the Fire Qilin, now surrounded by enemies, yet exuded calm composure; he extended his hand, golden light flowing slowly from his palm, spreading outward, finally forming an ancient, primordial warbow.

From either side of the warbow, strands of golden light, brilliant as dawn, stretched forth and converged in the center.

The golden radiance dispersed.

Divine Weapon: Break-Cloud Thunderbow!

Li Guanyi stood upon the battlefield, drawing the warbow—the divine weapon hummed.

After being personally trained by Murong Longtu and Murong Qiushui, his soul had already broken through; it locked onto the charging warlord, the brilliant light coalescing into an arrow—next instant, the bowstring's hum echoed like wings flapping, merging into a continuous chorus.

Liu Shideng felt the sharp edge drawing near from behind.

Next moment, pain surged through his body, his vision darkened, and he collapsed.

Li Guanyi exhaled, reached out, and pulled the Tiger Roar Heaven Spear from the ground; the remaining soldiers, gripping swords and shields, moved to surround the young general—he gripped the spear, his dark-gold mask impassive, his gaze sweeping calmly over them.

The dozen or so soldiers around him dared not advance.

The Fire Qilin stepped forward slowly.

The hundred or so soldiers before Liu Shideng parted like waves split by a blade; his general's heavy armor was shattered, revealing a grotesque, penetrating wound—blood gushed from his mouth in great spurts; he collapsed there, staring at the scattered troops before him, vision darkening, gasping:

"I—I am the nephew of the Grand Commandant of Chen State! You—you cannot kill me!"

"You cannot!"

Li Guanyi looked at him.

This is the battlefield. This is the world.

The youth raised his spear and brought it down sharply.

Liu Shideng's head flew clean off.

Liu Shideng, young and bold general of Chen State, of the Grand Commandant's faction.

Dead.

Li Guanyi's spear lifted the warlord's head, and he roared: "Commander is dead! Will you not surrender?!" Beneath his roar, Liu Shideng's severed head delivered a crushing blow to Chen State's morale; what little cohesion remained in the army collapsed instantly like a mountain falling.

This is the true weight of slaying a commander.

Chen State's supply lines were severed.

Behind them, the central command was led by the famed general known as the Immovable Vajra King.

General Yuwen Tianxian's advance was like a rotating boulder.

Heavy shields, long spears, cavalry in perfect coordination—steady, unhurried, yet never ceasing.

On the other flank was Ling Pingyang, among the top ten young cavalry commanders.

Five hundred heavy cavalry split into two detachments, crushing the battlefield with linked 【Crescent Moon Formation】.

Added to this, their commander slain, morale plummeted; all fled toward the rear, where no enemies remained—yet no sooner had they run than a heavy drumbeat rang out; five hundred solemn, silent heavy shield infantry stood waiting, bows and crossbows strung, a thousand long-spear infantry lined up on either side of the shields.

If they charged from the flanks, they would face the long-spear formations—deadly to infantry.

If they charged head-on against the heavy shield infantry,

they would meet a hail of arrows and bolts.

This was an extremely standard formation—even more precise and perfect than the military manuals demanded; their commander knew he and his brothers were all common-born, ignorant of military formations—they could only hammer the basics.

Meet the standards of military manuals?

No—

Only surpassing them is the true path!

Their leader, a rugged man in his thirties, growled:

"Qilin Army, Fan Qing, has been waiting for you here."

He raised his battle-axe; the heavy shield infantry slammed their Heavy Shields into the ground, the sound of crossbows being strung made the fleeing troops' scalps crawl with dread—they felt boundless terror; the general solemnly declared:

"Surrenderers shall not be killed!"

Then all two thousand infantry stepped forward together.

A thunderous, deadly silence erupted; they roared in unison:

"Drop your weapons!"

"Surrender—no killing!"

The clatter of falling weapons rang out, continuous and crisp.

In Murong Yuan's blurred vision, the battlefield seemed to have inverted in an instant; amid blazing fire, the Fire Qilin stepped forward, its rider dismounted, wearing a dark-gold mask, crimson battle robe swirling, lifting him up.

"Are you well?"

Li Guanyi supported Murong Yuan, seeing his body riddled with wounds—clearly a brutal fight—and shouted: "Where are the Alchemists?!"

Murong Yuan's consciousness slowly faded, dimly passed into the hands of others.

Finally at ease, this fearless Murong clan youth felt he had survived—when he heard a frantic voice: "Holy shit, how is he still alive with wounds like these?"

"He was injured jumping from the city wall, then struck again by a hook-spear…"

His internal organs were also impacted; all five viscera and six bowels were shattered, blood pooling inside the organs—he began vomiting blood—

"Ah, is Shi Lao here?!"

Then a calm voice said: "Be careful, plug the wounds. What, can't plug them? Pack gauze soaked in hemostatic powder straight into the wounds. Whether it hurts or not, worry about living first—dead men have no right to scream in pain."

"Brothers who survive and still have the strength to curse us are more valuable than those who praise us."

"Unbenevolent? Pfft—I'm Qi Laogui. My job is to snatch lives from the King of Hell himself. Damn it, they must live."

Before Murong Yuan lost consciousness, he heard these words; at first he was moved, but then the man added, "Damn, he's about to pass out. With this much bleeding, if the blood flows backward, he'll die. Severe unconsciousness combined with vomiting blood means that when his tongue drops involuntarily and blocks his throat, he'll suffocate."

"Got any needles?"

"Watch closely—this is battlefield experience. At this point, pin the front of his tongue to something with a needle—that'll keep him safe—"

Murong Yuan struggled.

He struggled in hazy awareness.

What the hell kind of physician is this?!

Fuck! Where did this Qi Laogui come from? Let me die!

Then a group of incredibly strong men pinned him down.

………………

The Fire Qilin Army broke into this battle and ended it swiftly; the forces surrounding this place were clearly second-rate rear units, and against the Fire Qilin Army with three renowned generals, they collapsed with almost no defense—but they could not be fully annihilated.

Even with encirclement from all sides, a small portion of troops still managed to break out and flee.

The enemy's casualty rate hit nearly twenty percent before they completely shattered; most were captured. The logistics units were cut off outright by the beast army led by Lei Laogui and Shi Dalin. When that logistics officer realized the opposing force numbered only five hundred, and that he'd been fooled by Lei Laogui, an old veteran, he nearly drew his sword and killed himself.

Because of Tai Ping Gong's reputation.

The people of Dongdu City opened their gates to welcome this army. They brought out their last remaining grain, gold, and silver, loaded onto carts, and according to the customs of the age, presented them through the eldest and most virtuous elders of the city, offering them to the general.

Li Guanyi asked Ling Pingyang: "Did my father ever accept such offerings?"

Ling Pingyang smiled: "He did. Though I wasn't yet under Yue Shuai's command back then, I'd heard the stories. Technically, Tai Ping Gong once ruthlessly extorted the regional lords of the southwest, taking pearls and giving them to his soldiers and the common folk."

"But he never did anything like this when he came to Jiangnan."

Li Guanyi thought for a moment, then said to the elders: "Please take them back."

The white-haired elder hesitated: "Why?"

The boy removed his helmet. The elder was stunned—he saw it was only a sixteen-year-old youth, his brows sharp, his tear mole unable to hide his martial vigor, and he said calmly:

"After being besieged so long, the people in this city must be starving. Please distribute these gold and silver among the populace—those with more take less, those with less take more. And these meats—boil them into porridge and distribute them to the people."

The elder hesitated—he had assumed this general was putting on a show for fame.

His soldiers must be displeased.

Yet this fierce army did not enter the city, nor did they complain. From the very beginning, Li Guanyi had instilled this core ethos into the army's foundation—they naturally set up camp outside the city, and even the general himself never entered.

Thanks to the supply trains of the Chen army, Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army finally ate rice.

Previously, they'd eaten anything in the mountains. Now, cooking real food—with ample meat and even wine on the other side—the soldiers weren't allowed to drink, but rice and meat were served in abundance. Former logistics commander Ning Zhaoji had feared he'd starve to death, yet he found men bringing him meals.

Lei Laogui said: "For prisoners, meat is served only once every three days."

"But rice and vegetables won't be withheld—you must work. Those lying idle get nothing. Come, one by one."

Ning Zhaoji grimaced and went to collect his meal. Lei Laogui said smoothly: "What's your name, kid? You're quick on your feet. Honestly, if we hadn't moved fast, you'd have slipped right through our fingers."

Ning Zhaoji took a bite and replied: "Ning Zhaoji. From the southwest of Chen. Studied at the Jiangzhou Military Academy for a few years. Did logistics…"

Lei Laogui said: "Ah! A scholar! Here, take two extra pieces of meat."

"We caught you this time purely by luck. Otherwise, we'd have been utterly defeated."

The old veteran grinned broadly.

Ning Zhaoji's expression softened. Lei Laogui began building rapport.

On the other side, Fan Qing watched the routed troops and said calmly: "Your general abandoned you as expendable. Look—you rarely even had meat to eat, yet your general drank wine. How much gold does one bottle of that wine cost?"

"Why did you enlist?"

"For land. Fine—we'll divide land."

"If you can bring your families, the Fire Qilin Army's benefits are…"

Yuwen Hua's lip twitched. He realized Fan Qing's growth rate was like he'd swallowed pills. After a moment's silence, he left Yuwen Tianxian to visit a captain from a noble family who had resolved to die. "What's your family background?"

"Noble family? Hmph. How much gold and silver did your family spend raising you?"

"You studied reading and writing from childhood, trained in martial arts as you grew, and at sixteen began studying military strategy and arts."

"Yet now you'll die because of a foolish commander, cutting off your lineage, leaving your family ruined—your relatives will seize your home, extinguishing your ancestral fire."

"On your family genealogy, your line ends with you!"

A nobleman understands another nobleman best.

The noble captain's face turned ashen.

Days later, all matters were settled.

In the main tent, Li Guanyi studied the battle report:

"Enemy combat troops: seven thousand. One thousand killed, one thousand escaped—roughly three thousand total. The remaining four thousand are all imprisoned."

"Logistics units: eight thousand. Over seven thousand captured by our forces."

"Our total forces now number over twenty-four thousand… including ten thousand prisoners, all able-bodied. We've seized ten thousand sets of armor, siege equipment, weapons, and vast quantities of grain—enough to feed the Fire Qilin Army for one to two months."

"But once we leave the mountains, we'll lose access to external food supplies."

"We must quickly find a city as a rear base—otherwise, our army's combat effectiveness cannot be sustained."

Fan Qing specifically came to apologize, saying Li Guanyi had ordered him to cut off the battlefield, but he believed surrounding the enemy on three sides while leaving one open would intimidate them into surrendering without battle, capturing most of the routed troops.

Li Guanyi replied: "My orders were to hold that sector of the battlefield. You fulfilled them. What crime is there?"

The boy pressed his forehead, stared at the numbers on the report, and twitched his lips.

Fan Qing had already begun skillfully initiating the 【Surrender Persuasion】 process.

Yuwen Hua, too, had matched Fan Qing's pace and started 【Surrender Persuasion】 among the elite troops of the noble families.

Do not increase it further.

The Fire Qilin Army has now stepped onto this land, securing one glorious victory, yet it has left its original Shenshan behind and now lacks supplies drawn from the mountains; moreover, this place remains far from the provincial capitals of the Eighteen States of Jiangnan, and the armies of the Yan and Chen states have been slowly nibbling at this region for over a decade.

Unlike wandering martial heroes who travel alone, a large army on the move inevitably provokes the nerves of both nations.

These were all difficulties, and Li Guanyi's forehead twitched.

While he was dealing with these matters, someone reported that Murong Yuan had awakened and come to pay his respects; Li Guanyi met this outstanding disciple of the Murong clan—Murong Yuan, twenty-seven years old, Heavy Heaven Realm, yet born with strength like an ox, capable of wielding a long-hafted double-bladed greatsword, cleaving through both man and horse.

He was among the most exceptional swordsmen of the Murong clan's younger generation.

In prior battles, he had been fiercely fearless, descending from the city walls by scaling ladders to slash at enemies, and even single-handedly destroying siege engines.

He had held the walls for seven days and seven nights, resting only briefly, repelling multiple assaults.

His stamina and strength surpassed ordinary men—he undoubtedly possessed a special physique.

Li Guanyi instantly judged: this man was unquestionably a talent!

A general!

But when Li Guanyi asked how he had defended against the Chen state's army, this swordsman merely shook his head and said, "Murong Yuan is merely a swordsman. My skill lies only in battlefield combat; command of the city's defense belongs to another."

His expression darkened. "Moreover, that man once said the Chen state would deploy an unexpected force to seize Dongdu City. Back then, I thought he was talking nonsense. Now I see—I was the one who failed to understand."

Li Guanyi said, "Who is that man? Please bring him to me."

Murong Yuan straightened his posture. "Today, I came specifically for this."

He rose and left the tent. Moments later, a young man in plain robes, carrying a long sword, walked in—calm and elegant. Seeing Li Guanyi's youth, he showed slight surprise; Li Guanyi, too, was startled.

The man who had held off the Chen state's army with only a thousand men, and predicted the situation in advance, looked barely in his early twenties.

The plain-robed martial wanderer bowed respectfully and smiled:

"Zhongzhou Academy, Confucian School."

"Yuan Zhi."

"I salute you, General."