Chapter 346

Upon hearing such bold words, Li Zhao Wen was stunned for a long moment, then laughed and said, "Ha! Truly heroic! Though it may disappoint the soldiers of Anxi City, this time, their lord shall be borrowed by me!"

"Come, let us don your armor."

Li Zhao Wen personally took Li Guanyi to the Duke's martial armory.

This place stored countless treasures: armors, weapons. Since Li Zhao Wen came in person, no one dared utter a word. When Li Yuanchang saw the two arriving together, he quickly avoided them from afar.

He turned his thoughts and informed Li Jianwen of the matter.

But Li Jianwen merely pressed his forehead, weary in heart.

It felt as though things had already gone too far.

Fifty thousand wolf-tooth barbed arrows had already been given away.

What more did it matter?

Li Jianwen said, "Let them go."

Though Li Yuanchang was deeply displeased, he dared not anger both his elder brother and second sister at once; he merely sulked, gloomy and silent, going off to find courtesans to vent his frustration.

Li Guanyi selected a brocade battle robe, a cold-iron thousand-forged mountain-pattern armor with a tiger swallowing the waist, civil-military sleeves, and swapped in numerous weapons—he possessed immense strength, but since the Tiger Roar Heaven Halberd remained within the Nine Cauldrons, he could channel the divine weapon's aura into his chosen arms.

He took for himself a heavy spear of Xuanbing grade.

There were halberds too, but Li Guanyi wished to conceal his identity as much as possible; since he wielded the spear with ease, he joined Li Zhao Wen and led the eight hundred men out of the city, hastening toward the battlefield.

This battle aimed to break formations and shatter momentum—hard blades, hard spears.

The silver-haired girl lacked Wu Gong and could not accompany them; Yao Guang excelled in large-scale troop movements, not small-unit raids, so Li Guanyi informed her of many details and instructed her to suppress her aura and wait here, gathering intelligence as events unfolded.

Changsun Wu Chou had already sent word to Anxi City via Li Zhao Wen's rare bird, the Golden Peng.

Lei Laomeng received the message and reported it to Po Jun without delay.

Po Jun flipped through the letter, laughed heartily, and when Fan Qing asked curiously, he replied calmly, "My plan has succeeded. But Generals Fan Qing and Khan Qibili—you both have long served our lord and possess ample battlefield experience."

"Yet you have never gained fame across the land."

"Now, with this surge of momentum, wind and clouds rising, it is the moment for a dragon to rise. Generals, would you be willing to lead your troops on this campaign? Swap your leather armor for iron plate, and we have three thousand sets of full cavalry armor and ten thousand fine weapons."

Both were stunned. Po Jun handed each a sealed strategy: Khan Qibili was to lead three thousand golden-curved-sword cavalry, while the original chieftains of the Nine Tiele tribes under Khan Qibili, along with Fan Qing and other generals, each led their troops to assemble a force of ten thousand.

"Your lord is there. Lead your troops to him and join under his command."

"Unfurl your banners, stretching for dozens of li; sound gongs and drums as if a vast army marches forth."

Fan Qing said, "What of Anxi City?"

Po Jun replied, "General Wang Shunchen, the Divine Archer, is famed far and wide; he must not move lightly—remain in Anxi City to guard it. Your generals leading forth with such overwhelming force will make the Western Regions believe Anxi City has emptied its elite forces."

A faint smile appeared on the strategist's face, his eyes shimmering with purple light:

"They will surely believe our city is defenseless."

"They will rush to join this spectacle. Let us turn this great tide into a 'Empty City Stratagem' and crush the surrounding arrogance."

Generals Fan Qing, Khan Qibili, and others all bowed in sincere admiration to Po Jun; without hesitation, they assembled their troops. Khan Qibili led six thousand, Fan Qing led four thousand—ten thousand in total, stretching their lines as if preparing for a grand campaign, marching in vast, thunderous columns toward Yemeng Pass.

Anxi City had recently fought with great glory.

Surrounding city-states had all been subdued; now, seeing such a massive army march out, they immediately grew cautious and dared not act. Po Jun further employed stratagems to fabricate the illusion that Anxi City's defenses were weak.

The nobles' hearts stirred intensely.

Meanwhile, in Xiyicheng, troops moved according to Li Zhao Wen's plan; both sides launched their armies with overwhelming force, surrounding Yemeng Pass with a hundred thousand troops, vast and unending.

Seven major tribes—Da Wan, Da Shi, Yue Shi, Shule, Gongyue, Qiuzi, and Shatuo—each contributed their forces, totaling a hundred thousand, all fiercely brave. Though inferior to the Qixue Army of the Qiang, they were seasoned and formidable warriors.

They surrounded the city, yet never expected that the obscure Lord of Ying State, Li Shude, possessed some skill; though he suffered defeats in open battle, once inside the city, his fierce generals led the defense, and the allied forces could not break through.

Originally intending to lay siege, they now dispatched scouts.

They received word: a massive army was advancing from Xiyicheng, and that damned Central Plains merchant Tian Ge'er had also sent out his hundred-tribe elite cavalry, attacking from two directions, banners blazing, stretching for dozens of li.

"Could there be over a hundred thousand troops?!"

The scout's report reached the Shatuo general, who flew into a rage:

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"That pauper of Anxi City, that money-grubbing bastard—where would he get the gold to raise a hundred thousand troops?!"

"That fool spends all his money buying slaves and serfs, lets wandering tribes dwell in his city—how could he have any army?!"

"Ying State is now locked in fierce war with Chen State and the Turkic Khaganate; that old man brought six thousand troops out—how could he possibly send another hundred thousand, plus those guarding the city?!"

"Are you telling me Xiyicheng alone holds three hundred thousand troops?!"

"With such strength in this chaotic age—"

"Li Shude has long harbored rebellion!"

"How could he remain hidden?!"

"Get out!"

The Shatuo general shoved the scout aside, furious. His reason told him it was impossible, yet even the most rational man, upon hearing such news, felt doubt and unease stir within.

As more scout reports kept arriving,

As this damned great city refused to fall,

That unease began to ferment slowly in their hearts.

If the commander felt this way, how much more so the ordinary Captains and soldiers? A faint unrest began to rise within the allied army, barely held in check.

The Shatuo commander ordered: "Surround the city!"

"Inside, there are over a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians—there isn't enough food. When morale collapses, something will break." He repeatedly ordered fierce assaults, all repelled; even though he disbelieved the enemy had a hundred thousand reinforcements, his inner dread made him instinctively intensify the attacks.

He stared fixedly at the high walls.

Fuming, he drew his blade and slashed at the stone, cursing: "Damned Central Plains people!"

"If you have courage, come out and fight us honorably! All you do is build walls and hide behind iron-and-stone traps—cowards, cowards!"

He kept taunting and attacking; though the city had not fallen in days, he had indeed inflicted heavy casualties. Each tribe had staked their lives against Ying State—Ying State, a great Central Plains power, would surely send a massive army once it recovered.

But with the world's situation come to this, they could not bear to submit or bow their heads.

Hence they did everything in their power.

Conditions within Yecheng were dire: outside, enemy forces equaled the combined population of the entire city, and morale among officers and soldiers alike had collapsed.

And reinforcements had not arrived in ages; the city's grain supply could last only ten days, while even if reinforcements came from the Central Plains, it would take at least two months.

This city had torn down every civilian house to use as siege equipment.

The warriors of the Western Regions were fierce and bold, forming ranks to launch volleys of arrows—some shots nearly reached Li Shude's very feet. He, accompanied by young Li clan disciples, had never witnessed such a massive siege of one hundred thousand troops encircling a city; long ago, their faces had turned pale with terror.

Those who had once been famed for their military skill now wore pale faces, wept day and night, their eyes swollen shut, yet Li Shude remained calm—even had the leisure to don his armor and climb the high platform to observe.

"Hoh! What a spectacle!"

From afar, the horizon was filled with the Western Alliance: clad in varied armors, heavy leather armor made of layered hides, offering exceptional defense, yet far lighter than the full plate armor of the Central Plains.

Everywhere, as far as the eye could see.

Such a vast force, assembled into a grand army, carried an awe-inspiring momentum.

One hundred thousand troops—absolute, kingdom-destroying power in the Western Regions.

"The enemy is this ferocious—this time, we are truly in danger…"

"These barbarians hate our Great Ying with a vengeance."

The Marquis of Li swept aside incoming arrows with his weapon, feeling numbness in his Hukou—after all, he was a national marquis; he could not tell which bold archer had fired them. With no shortage of celestial treasures, he had forcibly pushed himself to the Sixth Heaven Realm, yet that was as far as he could go.

The Marquis of Li knew well: his spiritual will and physical strength were insufficient; he could never reach the Master Realm in this lifetime. Beside him, his beloved general Xia Hou remained silent, then spoke: "My Lord, perhaps we should abandon this city…"

Li Shude raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"

Xia Hou Duan was the grandson of the Great Ying's Left Minister of the Minister, and had known Li Shude since their youth; both had once been bold and valiant, ranked seventy-ninth on the List of Celestial Generals, and said: "No city in the world can hold out forever."

"The city holds one hundred twenty thousand souls, but only ten days of grain. Arrows are growing scarce."

"We've torn down every house to make rolling stones, but how long can that last? The Mo family's mechanical Qiang Qixie, without matching crossbow bolts, are just piles of scrap iron—useless."

"The later we wait, the hungrier and more exhausted our men become, their spirit and vigor will steadily decline. Better to strike now, while still at peak strength—gather several thousand elite cavalry and break out."

"Even if I must sacrifice my life, I will ensure Your Majesty escapes."

The Marquis of Li tossed the arrow in his hand: "I trust your loyalty and courage, but alas—I could have fled with you in my youth, yet the Marquis cannot."

"If I abandon this city and its army, even if I escape back, the Li family's generations of noble titles will be ruined by me. When Your Majesty investigates, I will not escape death; better to die here with the city."

"If I die, it becomes a Western provocation—and a Marquis dies for his country."

"Righteousness is on our side."

"It will secure my children's wealth and status for life."

"Live in disgrace, and you drag your kin down; die, and you gain posthumous glory, honor across the land—how to choose? It is natural."

The Marquis of Li drew his bow and shot—an arrow struck down a Western elite cavalryman. "When we were young, we followed Your Majesty's orders to quell the Longmen rebellion. I shot seventy-two arrows—all hit. The enemy broke. We were poor then too."

"I even retrieved arrows stuck in the enemy and reused them."

"Never thought I'd die like this."

The Marquis of Li smiled: "A true man's body, slain by one hundred thousand fierce warriors—that is a glorious death! Only regret: I cannot witness the storms rising across this world."

He paused. "No—perhaps not."

"Our deaths will throw the Western Regions into utter chaos!"

"Is this not a glorious end for a man?"

The old Marquis once again radiated heroic grandeur; Xia Hou Duan's respect deepened: "I will stand by my Lord's side until the final moment."

The old Marquis laughed aloud.

Yet within, he felt regret.

He did not wish to flee—he could not.

The Western Regions excelled in light cavalry, swift as wind; within the city, he still had strength, but outside, he would die faster. His nature was cautious and deep; he would never risk it—yet he still feigned boldness.

His inner resolve, his strategic depth—even his childhood friend Xia Hou Duan could not fathom.

If he could survive, Li Shude would not refuse—but if he must die, he would die with dignity.

"Even if I die…"

The old Marquis leaned on his sword: "I must die like a hero."

"Not fleeing in desperation, hunted and shot down across the desert."

"Too shameful."

"Not the bearing of a noble house."

He gazed into the distance, still harboring a quiet hope—that his son might come to rescue him. But he knew: with the current strength of Xiyicheng, no such force could possibly arrive.

If a great army truly came, he would only die here all the more surely.

The old Marquis thought within.

"If someone truly comes to save me…"

"If it is my child, then he is my sole heir."

"But if it is someone else…"

"Then no matter what wish he holds, I will grant it."

"But how could this be possible?"

That day, the siege lasted until dusk; casualties within the city were heavy. One elder of the Mo family aided the defense, and with Mo disciples' support, they held on. At first, when the enemy scaled the walls, they collected human feces, boiled them into Jin Tang.

Scalding hot, they poured it down—those struck bore searing wounds, infected and rotting, screaming as they fell.

Jin Tang proved extraordinarily effective; for any rational mind, it was a brutal psychological assault. Later, when wood, stone, and coal ran low, they soaked arrows and blades in this Jin Tang—strike once, and infection followed.

If an arrow pierced deep, the effect was even greater—death came within days.

If the arrow pierces deep into the body, the effect is even better, and death follows shortly.

But the people of the Western Regions were fierce and relentless, raining down volleys of arrows with tactical support, descending from above, inflicting far greater psychological pressure on the city's defenders than physical harm.

A siege war is itself an extremely brutal tactic.

Whether for the attackers or the defenders.

As the so-called "relief forces" of Xiyicheng and Anxi surged forward in great numbers, bolstered by Mo Family defenses, the Western Alliance failed to break through for a long time, and morale began to waver—but due to the strict discipline of their generals, it remained barely stable.

Yet this stability was like a teacup balanced atop a rolling log.

One misstep, and it would crash down completely.

Total collapse.

At this moment, Li Guanyi and Li Zhaowen finally seized their chance; they led eight hundred utterly fearless Xuanjia cavalry to a high ground, from which they could see far off the endless encampments and the siege.

Though spurred by heavy rewards, these Xuanjia troops now felt intense unease and fear—the ten-thousand-strong army stretched before them, their roars, shouts, the whistling of swords and spears, the hiss of arrows—all coalescing into the 【Battlefield】.

The overwhelming pressure made it hard to breathe.

Li Zhaowen lowered her gaze, took a shallow breath; even she felt a flicker of tension. Though she often led troops into battle, she had never before participated in a war of this scale—over ten thousand soldiers.

Once numbers exceed ten thousand, it becomes a sea of humanity, boundless and endless.

Especially ten thousand.

Eight hundred men before ten thousand were like a single spit that could drown them—no matter how brave, fear surged in this instant. Li Zhaowen lifted her eyes to Li Guanyi beside her; his expression remained calm.

Li Guanyi withdrew his gaze.

Noticing Li Zhaowen's stare, seeing her grip tighten on her battle spear, Li Guanyi knew this was her first time on such a battlefield—of course she felt nervous.

Li Guanyi pulled his warhorse alongside Li Zhaowen and extended his hand: "Come."

Li Zhaowen looked up at him, her phoenix eyes puzzled: "What?"

Li Guanyi said: "High five."

Li Guanyi lowered his voice: "Nervous?"

Li Zhaowen replied: "Why would I be nervous?"

Then she paused, adding: "But reading about ten-thousand-man battles in history books… and seeing one with my own eyes, the sheer momentum of so many men—it's a different feeling. My heart trembles, I worry, I'm excited."

Li Guanyi stared at Li Zhaowen.

He knew her deeper burden: her father was trapped inside the city, unreachable, his safety unknown—this pressure weighed on her. All great generals grow step by step.

Li Guanyi smiled: "Never thought I'd get to see you looking so young, Second Brother."

Li Zhaowen: "What?"

Li Guanyi said: "Because I know, after this battle, you'll grow accustomed to the aura of this scale. Someone like you—this ten-thousand-man war won't be your limit. But this time…"

Li Guanyi raised his hand, curled his finger, and tapped lightly on Li Zhaowen's helmet.

"Leave it to me."

"You hold the rear for me."

Li Zhaowen's phoenix eyes studied Li Guanyi, then smiled: "Oh?"

"Since childhood, no one has ever dared say, 'You hold the rear for me.'"

Li Guanyi sat astride his horse, spear laid across his lap, bowed slightly, and smiled:

"Then I am truly honored."

Li Zhaowen's tension eased slightly. Li Guanyi turned to the eight hundred fierce warriors; they too were tense. Though they had long accepted death, seeing it face-to-face was different.

Their current state resembled Qin Wuyang's attempt to assassinate the Qin Wang.

Even with preparation, fear still struck when the moment came.

Li Guanyi tapped his spear against his armor, producing a clear, chilling sound. He looked at the eight hundred Xuanjia troops—they stared back, puzzled. To be honest, the name Tian Ge'er carried a poor reputation in Xiyicheng.

They wondered how Li Guanyi had the courage to come here.

Li Guanyi said: "Do you all think we've come here to die?"

The eight hundred Xuanjia troops said nothing.

They knew their mission was to shatter the Western Alliance's morale—not quite suicide, but nine deaths out of ten. Li Guanyi smiled faintly: "I'm just a Central Plains merchant. Merchants value their lives—I wouldn't come here to make a losing deal, would I?"

"When you buy something, would you pay a hundred taels of gold for a bowl of noodles? No, right? And no merchant would give you a sword that cuts through iron for a single copper coin."

"That would be a loss."

"Today, I'm here for a great victory—watch closely—"

Li Guanyi raised his spear, pointing forward: "Each unit is different. Though they number ten thousand, they come from seven distinct tribes, each with deep rifts between them. They have no single general commanding this ten-thousand-strong force."

"They're merely seven uneven forces lumped together."

"They cannot coordinate properly—they hinder each other instead."

"Our goal isn't to defeat ten thousand soldiers."

"It's to turn them into our own forces—to make them turn on each other. Ten thousand men under a peerless general, disciplined and unified, are an unstoppable force—the kind only the top ten generals in the realm command."

"But if these ten thousand are bound by mutual suspicion and restraint? They're nothing but a pile of mud!"

"Our target: make them panic and flee!"

"Throw them into total chaos!"

One man, named Wei Chi Xiong, sneered:

"You talk big—but you're still asking us to die!"

Li Guanyi laughed freely: "Oh? So that's how you see it? Then if I propose this, I ought to demonstrate it myself—wouldn't that make the deal fairer?"

The eight hundred Xuanjia troops froze. Li Zhaowen was confused—but saw Li Guanyi spur his horse forward, riding past her. He wore black mountain-pattern armor, a brocade battle robe with martial and civil sleeves, left hand gripping reins, right hand holding his spear, eyes fixed ahead:

"Second Brother, prepare your troops. When I charge ahead, you follow immediately."

"We have only one chance."

"If the enemy reacts, our strategy is already too late."

Li Zhaowen said: "Brother Li, you need not go this far for me."

"If we return now, there is still a chance to turn back."

"This charge will be extremely dangerous."

She looked at the hundred thousand allied camps; the pressure was considerable.

Li Guanyi said: "It's come to this—what more is there to say? But I do have an idea." After a moment's thought, to ease Li Zhaowen's tension, he added: "If we succeed, when we return to Huicheng in triumph, you, Young Master, shall play the qin for us."

Li Zhaowen said: "Yes."

"I wonder what kind of beauty you prefer—what manner of grace?"

Li Guanyi laughed carefreely: "Beauty is dull. I have no interest in it."

Li Zhaowen raised an eyebrow.

Li Guanyi teased: "I've heard the Second Young Master of the Duke's mansion is gifted in both civil and martial arts—his weaponry, literary talent, and compositions are all peerless under heaven."

"If you were to compose a piece for me personally—"

"Then we could truly get drunk together."

Li Zhaowen's smile paused slightly.

His phoenix eyes studied the warrior before him, up and down, half-smiling, and said:

"Oh? Then let's see just how skilled you are, Brother Li."

The two spurred their dragon horses past each other—Li Guanyi in Mountain Pattern Armor, Li Zhaowen in Bright Light Armor—both with sharp, composed brows, each radiating an indescribable aggression and aura. Li Guanyi smiled and replied: "Fine."

He looked down, watching the storm over the Western Regions, watching the surging tide of the world's fate.

He was no greenhorn.

Though young, he had already walked through too many battlefields.

Li Guanyi gripped his long spear and swept it horizontally—the Qingluan bird's spiritual form soared into the sky; in the young lord's eyes burned fierce winds. One hand pulled the reins, the warhorse leapt forward—and before the stunned gaze of eight hundred Xuanjia soldiers—

He charged alone into the enemy ranks!

Li Guanyi called out loudly: "All of you, watch!"

"Today, I take one of their generals for you!"

"To prove our certain victory!"

A fierce, roaring momentum exploded!

Bold courage, unyielding resolve, a regal and commanding aura.

Li Zhaowen's eyes widened—he felt, for the first time, a faint ripple in his heart.

Li Guanyi charges into the ranks!

The eight hundred Xuanjia watched as the enemy troops could not react—Li Guanyi split through them like waves, rode straight to the general's position, slew his bodyguards, and with only three thrusts of his spear, killed the general.

He rode back and forth, as if no one stood in his way, slaying several officers.

The morale of the Xuanjia surged.

They were utterly convinced—he was a divine being!

Li Zhaowen's eyes gleamed—he gave the order to advance.

The eight hundred Xuanjia, at an unimaginable moment, at this critical juncture of the world—

Entered the battlefield!

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