Chapter 362: Storms Rise, Clouds Surge, the Secret Force Has Been Deployed

【Wang】!

Above millions, the absolute ruler, whose prestige commands awe and leaves all in submission, in this vast, turbulent land of the Western Regions, this title carries immense weight.

And even more so, among this coalition army advancing to capture Hongxia City, each commander is a fierce general or renowned minister from their own tribe, each possessing extraordinary skill and formidable authority, yet all now suppressed.

Behind them, the khans of each tribe urgently send messenger after messenger, disregarding their situation, while ahead, Xiao Wuliang and Yu Langwang, with fifty thousand troops, hold the Xiang Kingdom's mighty pass, 【Hongxia City】.

For the old wolf king to consume these fierce warriors and their elite commanders, he must pay a price sufficient to shatter the very foundation of his own army; yet for the tribal coalition, to pierce through Hongxia City, guarded by Xiao Wuliang and Chen Fubian and the Canglang Cavalry, they too must pay a horrific cost.

There is even a high likelihood they will lose their lives.

During this time, the repeated orders from the khans and chanyus behind them demand they push forward regardless of their army's condition; yet under these circumstances, themselves and their soldiers fighting to the death in a frontal assault is already a matter of nine deaths and one life.

Even if they win, the gains go to the khans and kings behind them.

The generals, already simmering with resentment, now strike with brutal ruthlessness; the wolf king, who once sacked cities and crushed the Xiang nobility's armies, swears before the eternal sky that covers desert and steppe.

The first to conquer Xiang shall be king.

In this chaotic age, the aging wolf king offers this condition, like cracking open a fissure in a frozen stalemate.

They cannot win the fight.

To fight to the death is nine deaths and one life.

Even if they pour everything into battle and truly clash with the wolf king, and even if they themselves die on the battlefield, their corpses freezing on the desert sands, who benefits when their lives trade for the wolf king's army to collapse?

What benefit is there for us?

None whatsoever!

Why not, we ourselves become kings?

Faced with this situation, these fierce generals—already bold and daring—feel their ambitions ignite like winter desert weeds at the spark of a single flame; they struggle inwardly, yet know deep down the wolf king does not wish to fight them to the death.

He seeks only to channel their strength to conquer the Xiang Kingdom. One of the fierce generals speaks: "The wolf king's might is fearsome, but how can we trust your word?!"

Yu Langwang sits astride his warhorse, its bearing noble and solemn, like a mountain; he points to the sky and declares loudly: "Let this vast sky be our covenant—we swear blood oath: whoever enters the Xiang royal capital shall be king."

"This king—I, the king, acknowledge it! I swear by the Eternal Sky: I shall never attack him! Otherwise, may the Eternal Sky punish me!"

"Among the Western Regions' military might, who surpasses me?"

"Even the wolf king, whose infamous name makes barbarian children cease crying, acknowledges the dignity and weight of this kingship—what could be heavier?"

"This Western Region is vast, boundless, its deserts rich, its people countless—you fight on the frontlines, yet will you truly accept that those so-called bloodline nobles use your corpses as stepping stones to become kings?"

"Are you destined to be the blood and mud beneath their feet?"

"Since you lack noble lineage, must you inevitably become the price paid for their glory?"

The wolf king smiles calmly; beside him, Xiao Wuliang, who has defeated and slain over twenty Western Region tribal generals in this time, stands solemn and indifferent. The wolf king urges his warhorse forward, unhurriedly saying:

"Even if since childhood, for decades without pause, you have trained hard in Wu Gong;

Even if in these years you abandoned everything, struggled with all your might, even if you parted from parents and wife and children to come here;

Even if you left behind the corpses of comrades and friends, and chose to fight this fearless battle with me, at any cost?"

"I had a friend."

"A life-and-death friend—he told me."

"Knowing why you fight matters more than the fight itself."

"Tell me, sons of the Western Regions—why do you fight? Why does your blood flow?"

"Is your purpose merely to die for those whose Wu Gong is inferior, whose diligence is lesser, whose intellect is weaker, whose ambition is smaller—merely because they are born of noble blood?!"

The wolf king's voice, bold and calm, strikes at the very heart of the Western Regions.

This cascade of words stirs complex emotions in these warriors trapped in the quagmire of war; especially now, with the relentless orders from behind echoing his rebuke, they instinctively grip their weapons, their bodies tensing.

Yu Langwang grips his weapon in his right hand, and with his left, sweeps it sharply; his cloak whips violently in the desert wind. Chen Fubian suddenly roars:

You obey the commands of the kings of the various western tribes.

"You obey the commands of the kings of the Western Regions' tribes."

"Then, what is the foundation of those ancient kings, those so-called noble titles?"

Yu Langwang burst into loud laughter; his mere aura alone suppressed the mighty chieftains and warlords of the allied tribes—his aged white hair streamed wildly, his gaze sharp as a blade, and he spat, "Nonsense!"

The wolf king bursts into loud laughter; his alone, his presence alone suppresses the fierce lords and generals of the tribal coalition. The aged wolf king's white hair flies, his gaze sharp: "Nonsense!"

"That ancient bloodline was drained dry beneath the knives of the Tuyuhun three hundred years ago! The greatest hero in the history of this land was nothing but a Buddhist slave! What makes a king? The blade's edge! The courage!"

"It is by your own weapon that you seize glory!"

"And from you, your descendants shall inherit honor! Your children and grandchildren shall rise in nobility!"

The wolf king's voice swells with boldness and seduction; he suddenly spreads his arms wide:

"The world shall sing your names!"

Found a nation using your own names!

"Found your own kingdom with your own name!"

Such words resonated with the world—founding a nation, elevating one's bloodline to nobility, passing it down to posterity; spoken by Yu Langwang, the most formidable voice in the west, they held an almost unbelievable allure across this land of slavery, strife, and legend.

These words, perfectly aligned with the present age—founding a kingdom, making your own bloodline noble, passing it to future generations—carry an unbelievable seduction across this land of the Western Regions, soaked in servitude, strife, and legend.

It finally ignites the final flame of ambition in the hearts of these men.

The wolf king waves his arm: "Open the gates of 【Hongxia City】!"

Xiao Wuliang watches the wolf king's back, swings his weapon, and strikes hard against the gate. Inside the city, warriors pull the Mo Family mechanisms, turning massive ropes; the triple-layered city gates slowly creak open.

This iron-blooded pass, which had blocked the Western Region coalition for months, finally opens—directly leading to the last capital of the Xiang Kingdom.

The wolf king rides his warhorse, back straight, calm and powerful in his smile:

"Go, all of you."

"I shall celebrate the new king with the city's treasure vault."

"The throne of king is won by sword and spear."

【61】 The tribal coalition of the Western Regions moves forward; the leading general spurs his horse, charging ahead, then suddenly shouts: "You bastard—you're just trying to incite us! We are all trusted confidants and blood kin of the khans and kings of our tribes—how could a few words from you stir us?!"

"Today I lead my army to kill you!"

He led his troops, spurting forward, attacking the aged Yu Langwang who had stepped alone ahead, separated from the battle formation; the blade's edge brimmed with murderous aura, transforming into a domineering frosty gleam, slashing toward the wolf king's brow—yet the old wolf king did not evade or move.

The blade's edge carried a suffocating pressure, forcing Chen Fubì's white hair to whip backward—but as the general's blade descended, several sword qi and spear sparks erupted, piercing straight through his back.

The fierce general spat blood and crashed heavily to the ground.

Even in death, he could not believe he had been killed by an attack from behind.

The wolf king sat calmly atop his warhorse.

Letting the dying general's blood spray onto his armor, he stood unmoved, as thousands upon thousands of cavalry thundered past him on either side, banners snapping, beneath them the bloodshot eyes of valiant generals.

Ambition, desire.

A thousand armies passed.

The wolf king gazed at the fallen general, still unwilling to die, his eyes wide and fixed—Yu Langwang, composed, murmured to himself: "Pity—you never saw the longing for the throne in those generals' eyes?"

"They knew many would die, yet they still thought—"

Why wasn't I the one who succeeded?

From that moment on, your opponent was not me, but human hearts, this wild ambition—why stand before all under heaven!

Yu Langwang Chen Fubì spurred his horse; its hooves were as large as bowls.

He strolled forward, crushing the general's skull into a pulp of blood and mud.

"Heroes and tyrants—within their chests, desire burns; their eyes fix on thrones, beauties, and the fire reflected in their gaze."

"This, is the root of chaos."

"Loyalty—in chaos, how could any king believe in it?"

A minister's loyalty leads to no good end.

The towering warhorse, gray as unyielding mountains, slowly turned; its hooves still trampled blood-mud. The wolf king, white-haired and white-bearded, tall, clad in ink-black armor, draped in an ink-black cloak whose trailing hem fell across the horse's back.

His jaw was hard, cold; the whole man resembled an aged wolf, unaware of when death would come, more like a stone frosted over in winter—a stone out of this age, long overdue to shatter.

The great army passed through Hongxia City.

Yu Langwang set out, his mount crossing the battlefield.

"Li Wanli, oh Li Wanli."

"Our era has passed too long, so long that the world no longer knows why you were called Tai Ping Gong."

"And I? I am the Yu Langwang."

The wolf is never a beast that faces lions and tigers head-on.

That day, Yu Langwang Chen Fubì, by the pact of "proclaiming kingship without battle," opened Hongxia City; the allied forces passed through, advanced dozens of li, and the generals began quarreling, none trusting the other—each led their troops off in different directions.

The allied force split into thirty-three factions, large ones numbering tens of thousands, small ones only thousands.

Each chose a direction to attack the Tangxiang.

The remaining Tangxiang towns held firm, claiming aid had arrived from western tribes; their words were earnest. The Tangxiang believed them and opened their gates—then the western generals led their armies inside.

At first, they only sought grain; later, those without grain demanded gold and silver; the western generals ransacked back and forth, until they realized if they moved too slowly, they'd get no grain at all.

So they grew desperate.

So ambition arose.

They drew blades; wherever they passed, they looted grain, supplies, men, women, old, young—good or evil, all slaughtered—to seize gold, wealth, food, fearing they'd fall behind others, thus sparing nothing.

For their own interests, for their own ambition.

Their cruelty surpassed even the Yu Langwang's.

Yu Langwang sat calmly in Hongxia City, watching the world's strife; his fifty thousand troops suffered not a single loss, still radiating peak battle might—his entrapment was broken; he sat upon the Fishing Terrace in Hongxia City, treating the western desert as his sea.

Calmly observing the schemes of all under heaven's heroes.

Like a frost-white wolf, cold and mocking, watching this chaotic world.

Defense and offense reversed; all under heaven were stunned.

This cunning, cold, cruel Yu Langwang had finally surpassed his former self—no longer merely a strategic tyrant, rigid and inflexible; the Way of Kingship, the Way of Tyranny, the Way of Deceit, grand momentum—all military arts came to him effortlessly.

Yet beside him stood no longer a warm, calm general or comrade.

Thus no one could restrain the Yu Langwang's innate cruelty and coldness.

He crafted the situation, then personally shattered the gates of loyalty and valor in the hearts of western heroes and generals, ignited their desires, making the chaos of this world surge ever fiercer, slaughter heavier each day.

The western tribes, learning of the allied betrayal, were horrified; each formed alliances, preparing to resolve the matter. The former fourth general, now fifth general He Ruo Qinhu, and Chen's foremost siege expert Lu Youxian both knew the Yu Langwang's methods.

They were both shaken.

He Ruo Qinhu remained silent for a long while, then said: "The Yu Langwang is so aged, yet he has endured exile to Puyang as king, then risen again—only to suffer brotherly betrayal, comrades slaughtered, his Wu Gong stripped away—and still he wields such power."

"Such a general—he is truly stronger than I..."

"He has learned to wield hearts and grand momentum as his own armies."

"The highest art of war is to defeat by strategy—I am not his equal."

Lu Youxian fell silent, redoubling his efforts to fortify the city.

He cast aside Chen Dingye's orders.

Lu Youxian, such a famed general, clearly saw from Chen Dingye's secret letter the strategy hidden in the eyes of this king, now transformed into a venomous dragon—Chen Dingye had abandoned Chen's present state from the very beginning.

All for rebirth.

The Yu Langwang's domineering arrogance, after this strategic reversal, was fully revealed; these two Chens—one open, one hidden—bore mutual enmity, yet seemed to share a silent understanding.

The Yu Langwang's blade would surely pierce Chen Dingye's chest, rip it open, tear out the blood vessels, and see whether the heart had turned utterly black.

But a new Chen would rise from within.

Lu Youxian thought.

Jiang Wanxiang, Jiang Su.

Chen Fubi, Chen Dingye.

The Two Jiangs, the Two Chens.

Who in the world could possibly match him?!

Li Guanyi and Tian Ger?

But they are far apart, south and north, and cannot join forces.

Lu Youxian fell silent, his gaze settling on Anxi City—amidst this surging tide of chaos, Anxi City stood like a massive reef, unmoving in the midst of the storm-ridden Western Regions, radiating an eerie sense of stability.

Lu Youxian lacked strategic vision—or rather, as a pure frontier general, his thinking and tactics were rooted in caution and stability; his perspective was too low to deduce the relationship between Tian Ger and Li Guanyi.

But he could still see Anxi City.

That sixty-city domain under the Central Plains merchant.

Amidst this chaos, it had withdrawn its military strength, refusing to strike as expected—taking advantage of the clash between Yu Langwang and the Western Regions' armies—and instead became the sole faction among the Western Regions' powers to preserve itself.

Lu Youxian muttered: "Could they not see the false situation Yu Langwang had staged?"

"No, that's impossible—Tian Ger in Anxi City is sharp-eyed; he could not have missed a situation so openly apparent to the whole world. If not that… then could it be…"

Lu Youxian's thoughts paused briefly.

Had they sensed Yu Langwang's deception?

Lu Youxian's pupils contracted sharply: "???"

"Then they have a top-tier strategist?!"

After a long silence, Lu Youxian intensified his focus on Anxi City. He assumed, based on the judgment that they possessed the finest strategist, that his own strategies were already anticipated by them—and built upon that assumption to further deepen his defensive measures.

…………………

The turmoil of the Western Regions seemed to form a vortex, drawing the entire world into its whirlpool—Jiang Wanxiang and Chen Dingye both underwent changes, and at the far northern edge of the world, where the Turkic frontier met the northern reaches of Ying State—that is, Saibei.

Yue Qianfeng also learned of this news.

Yue Qianfeng, Qu Shutong, and Xue Tianxing three generals held the line in Saibei against the Third Divine General Gao Xiang. Since Yue Qianfeng took the antidote, over half a year had passed; his bodily injuries gradually healed, his qi grew long and enduring, improving day by day.

Now hearing this news, Yue Qianfeng, a general of exceptional talent, immediately assessed the situation and said calmly: "The Young Master in the Western Regions has likely encountered a thorny problem. Yu Langwang Chen Fubi and Xiao Wuliang are old acquaintances; with the Lord's strength alone, he cannot hold out."

Xue Tianxing said: "But we cannot leave this place lightly."

Though the Third Divine General Gao Xiang and Jiang Wanxiang had broken their alliance, they still maintained a pact; it was only because Yue Qianfeng led the other two former officers of Tai Ping Gong that they held back this Third Divine General—otherwise, his Longxiang Army could have stormed directly into Turkic territory.

This would directly pin down the Tian Kehan of the Steppe, allowing the First Divine General Jiang Su to be freed.

The world's situation is one of mutual checks and balances.

One front on the grasslands, one in the Central Plains, one in Saibei, while the Jiangnan region basks in gentle sun and clear skies. Yue Qianfeng surveyed the world and saw only the Western Regions as a live board—thus, every change across the world was reflected upon the Western Regions.

Qu Shutong said: "We are beyond the Saibei frontier, extremely distant from the Western Regions. To go through the Central Plains would require crossing Ying State, Chen State, and the Western Regions—essentially traversing the three great war cores of the current world."

"But if…"

The generals fell silent, exchanging glances.

Then General Yue Qianfeng suddenly slapped his forehead: "Ah! Of course! Of course!"

All turned to him, eyes filled with confusion. Yue Qianfeng asked: "What has you so flustered, Qianfeng?"

General Yue Qianfeng said:

"Do you remember, several years ago, when we first rescued you, a young strategist gave me three silk pouches? The first pouch directed us northward; the second prompted the old devil Pang Shuiyun to emerge from seclusion."

"There's still a third!"

"That strategist said he and Guanyi would go to the Western Regions—if trouble arose, open this pouch!"

"Where did I put it?"

"Things like this are always visible when you don't need them, but vanish completely when you do—damn it, infuriating!" Yet after searching briefly, General Yue Qianfeng finally found the item.

Someone said: "That was two years ago. How could that strategist have foreseen the situation now?"

General Yue Qianfeng said: "We have no other option—better to try than do nothing."

He found the pouch, which he had stuffed into the lining of his robe, soaked in foul sweat. When opened, the white paper inside had yellowed. General Yue Qianfeng read it, his expression changed instantly. Yue Qianfeng took it, his eyes freezing.

It was a simple handwritten note.

A treaty note from the Seven Kings of Turkic.

Holding this item grants one the status of a Seven Kings' ally—free passage across the grasslands, unimpeded!

The generals fell silent, exchanging glances, each seeing shock, awe, and awe in the others' eyes. Yue Qianfeng said: "The Young Master has extraordinary talent."

This pouch was given to General Yue Qianfeng by Po Jun during the Chen State's Great Sacrifice.

It has been over two years since then.

Now, Saibei cannot reach the Western Regions by the original route—but there remains the northernmost grasslands, where Po Jun once won the recognition of the Seven Kings, descending from the grasslands to invade and swallowing the oasis regions of Tuyuhun, forming the original foundation of the Seven Kings.

With this item, one may cross the vast grasslands from Saibei, following the very path Po Jun took with the Seven Kings to attack the Western Regions.

Like a divine force descending from the heavens, arriving in the Western Regions!

Yet two years ago, he foresaw today's situation.

Truly a man of ghostly, unfathomable wisdom.

Yue Qianfeng stared at the item, silent for a long while, then suddenly said:

"General Yue Qianfeng, Yan Xuanji."

General Yue Qianfeng and Yan Xuanji both replied: "Yes."

Yue Qianfeng looked at the two of them and said: "The three of us must remain here to hold back Gao Xiang—but the Young Master in the Western Regions is already clashing with Yu Langwang; a decisive battle looms soon. Though we are distant, we cannot sit idle while he fights Yu Langwang alone."

"The two of you will lead seven thousand cavalry to reinforce him."

Seven thousand cavalry

Yan Xuanji froze in surprise, while General Yue Qianfeng, seeing the token thrown to him, saw two large characters in dark ink on a black background—

【BEI WEI】.

A fierce, chilling aura of death.

General Yue Qianfeng's face turned pale: "This is!!!"

"General!"

Yue Pengwu smiled: "The promise made that day is due to be fulfilled today."

"Earlier than I expected."

"Go!"

General Yue Qianfeng's expression shifted several times; he bowed and replied: "Yes!"

The next day, Yue Pengwu suddenly led his troops to challenge the Third Divine General Gao Xiang; after dozens of rounds of fierce combat, the thirty-something Yue Pengwu stood evenly matched against the seasoned general Gao Xiang, at the peak of his experience.

Yue Pengwu held the Li Quan Divine Spear and departed.

Yue Pengwu's fame surged.

He rose from eleventh place on the Divine General List to the top ten.

He barely secured the tenth position, yet it was enough to shake the region.

Beneath this news, General Yue Qianfeng personally led seven thousand elite troops of the Yue family army—the Bao Wei Cavalry—silently departing from Saibei, carrying the sealed letter and seal of the Seven Kings of the Turks, stepping onto the grasslands, moving soundlessly toward Xicheng.

The Great Tian Kehan of the Turks sensed it, yet tacitly chose not to intercept.

Intercepting them would only let the Wolf King grow utterly powerful!

But if this force is allowed to reach Xicheng, it will aid the city and counterbalance the Wolf Wang Chen Fubì; though the Great Tian Kehan of the Turks has allied with Chen Dingye, he does not wish for the Chen state to fully revive and be reborn.

Though allied, they are allies—and enemies.

In this world, who truly has a certain ally or enemy?

Thus, the elite cavalry vanished without a trace; General Yue Qianfeng rode a divine steed, wielding a short-handled battle halberd, clad in armor, his eyes slightly lowered, pure crimson scales swirling around him, the increasingly refined Crimson Dragon Manifestation rising.

"Kid, haven't seen you in two or three years."

"Ha!"

"You kid, got into trouble again? Don't fear, don't fear."

The warhorse's roar thundered like Lei Ting; General Yue Qianfeng thought to himself.

"Your Brother Yue is here!"

The surprise force has been unleashed!

The great tide of the world surged.

Not a moment's pause.

Every faction had its own strategy; every warlord had his own goal.

Li Guanyi understood the current situation; Po Jun prevented them from stepping into this muddy whirlpool.

Li Guanyi, like the Wolf King, watched the rising storm, knowing the Western Alliance had been lured toward the capital of the Tangxi Kingdom—its tactics ruthless; the Tangxi crown prince Hao Yuan Xia repeatedly begged Li Guanyi to save the people.

With this overwhelming tide, the Tangxi people could not hold out much longer.

Yet on this day, Li Guanyi received a message long absent.

The Black Tortoise Manifestation suddenly surfaced on its own.

It spun lazily in midair, then flipped uncontrollably onto its back.

The array unfolded in sequence, light flowing and shifting; a familiar voice came forth.

It was the Whale Fisher.

"Hmph… is this all Master Siming's thing?"

"Not hard at all."

"You kid?!"

"Didn't you ruin that woman's Wu Gong? I've been wandering outside for months, one by one dismantling her subordinates, now I'm heading to the Tangxi capital to clean up—kid, wanna come along?"

"Xiao Yuxue…"

The Whale Fisher paused, then spoke.

With three parts lethal intent.

"Come with me."

"It's time to kill this person."

?? Po Jun's three silk pouches given to General Yue Qianfeng, in Volume One, Chapter Three: 【The Winds of Heaven, Final Sight of Yao Guang】

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