Chapter 389: The Grand Momentum Is Now Established

After Li Guanyi defeated the Yu Langwang, the cunning yet magnanimous old wolf retreated in a way Li Guanyi could not stop—he wanted to pursue, but he had already exhausted every means at his disposal.

The Allied Forces of Four Directions.

Li Guanyi's realm breakthrough, reinforced by the Nine Cauldrons.

The Fire Qilin surged forth.

The core was the Western Regions alliance falling under Li Guanyi's hidden card.

Exploiting the situation where the Yu Langwang led fifty thousand troops into reckless advance, the states of Chen, Ying, Li Guanyi, and the Western Regions collectively deployed nearly three hundred thousand troops on the battlefield—yet still failed to completely trap this seasoned divine general.

Li Guanyi felt he would rarely have another chance to capture a lone divine general, nor another chance to crush the Yu Langwang into such a pitiful state.

He suddenly had a feeling this might be his final direct confrontation with the Yu Langwang on the battlefield—the Divine Archer General Wang Shunchen had arrived with the Western Regions alliance; upon seeing the appearance of the Gray Wolf Guard cavalry, his expression changed.

Li Guanyi sighed and turned around.

The Fire Qilin walked slowly, clad in a Central Plains general's armor, its crimson battle robe swirling.

His brow was calm, utterly unlike that Central Plains merchant.

Even Wang Shunchen could not help but lower his head—Li Guanyi's character had not changed; this was pure instinct, an innate pressure born from directly shattering the prestige of a top-tier divine general and now bearing the weight of the world's great momentum.

Qin Wu.

Led his troops back to Anxi City.

This time, Li Guanyi's faction had unleashed nearly all its strength.

Po Jun, Wen He, Master Yan Daiqing, Yuan Zhi, Fan Qing, Wang Shunchen, Khan Qibili, General Ling Pingyang, and other strategists and generals all pushed to their limits, plus one hidden card, to achieve a battlefield feat worthy of being recorded in history.

Unfortunately, Khan Qibili and General Ling Pingyang, after completing their part of the Western Regions strategy, were still deep within the Western Regions, returning with their troops.

Though the Fire Qilin had a gentle nature, it could not carry so many Wearing Heavy Armor elite soldiers.

After the great battle, though gains were made, soldiers and officers still needed rewards, casualties needed compensation; though the Yu Langwang had come roaring in, his army was on the verge of collapse—he was no richer than Li Guanyi.

He also slipped Li Guanyi over forty thousand hearty, voracious men.

Even the warhorses had to eat meat, fed soybeans and eggs as snacks.

Li Guanyi sensed Yan Daiqing's habits and felt his vision darken, a wave of stomach pain—fighting the Yu Langwang had brought him overwhelming momentum and a name across the land, but everything else was pure loss.

These nearly fifty thousand Gray Wolf Guards, men and horses alike, consumed as much as a normal army of one hundred fifty to two hundred thousand.

The Yu Langwang, in some sense.

Had pierced through Qin Wu Hou.

Li Guanyi grew listless; Nangong Wumeng lingered behind him, fidgeting for a long time—coming, leaving, coming again—finally only quietly reached out and brushed his fingers through the dazed general's hair; the general looked up:

"Ah, Nangong…"

Li Guanyi's eyes were vacant: "Have you found Jin Shan?"

Nangong Wumeng gritted her teeth: "Is all you care about Jin Shan?"

Li Guanyi thought for a moment, clinging to hope: "Silver Mountain would do too."

"Are you making wishes?! Damn it!"

Nangong Wumeng kicked Li Guanyi and stormed off in a huff.

After a while, she shuffled back again, hesitating and blushing:

"There's no Jin Shan or Silver Mountain."

"What about a copper vein?"

Li Guanyi: "A copper vein… what?!"

Qin Wu Hou stared blankly, then burst into laughter.

"Hah! Wumeng, you're truly a blessing from heaven!!"

"No—you're my god of wealth!"

Nangong Wumeng rolled her eyes.

Li Guanyi declared that the god of wealth was unquestionably the most beautiful person in the world.

Even rolling her eyes was charmingly alluring.

Nangong Wumeng's face flushed crimson; she shot backward three zhang, hiding behind a pillar, shouting: "Wh-what's mine, you you you—"

"You have no shame!"

"You you you!"

Nangong Wumeng fled.

Though a copper vein had been found, mining it could yield substantial income, but it would not relieve financial pressure in the short term—yet Yan Daiqing was accustomed to this.

Every morning, he drank a cup of strong green tea, then began work.

Pressure?

Huh? In the past three years, when had the Tiance Prefecture ever not faced financial pressure?

Oh, yes—last year, when the lord was not in Jiangnan.

Yan Daiqing handled logistics, inventory of spoils, and compensation for casualties with flawless order; every general and captain was thoroughly satisfied.

Then came several consecutive days of political discussions and banquets.

Only the Yu Langwang had glimpsed the truth of the Western Regions alliance; Lu Youxian, Jiang Gao, and others were too distant to realize Li Guanyi could command the military formations of the Western Regions—but even so, it at least signified Li Guanyi's alliance with the Western Regions.

Added to the victory over the Yu Langwang.

Qin Wu Hou's prestige grew ever stronger, yet the Yu Langwang, whose departure might have shattered the alliance, had escaped—yet the alliance, riddled with internal tensions, still had to hold together.

Under these circumstances, even the Great General of Chen's Western Frontier and the Crown Prince of Ying were forced to remain in Anxi City to negotiate the alliance terms.

That night, during the banquet, Yan Daiqing somehow arranged a reception of nearly imperial standard, one that would not disgrace even a foreign Crown Prince or renowned general.

Yet the host was Lei Laomeng.

The ever-reliable Lei Laomeng, broad-shouldered and burly as a black bear, dressed in lavish robes, bulky and full—he had ordinary martial foundations; now, he was only slightly stronger than Po Jun, the Tiance Prefecture's shame of single-combat prowess.

He still preferred wearing those scaled armor pieces—loose and safe, comfortable on the battlefield; this slippery attire made him feel that if a few archers appeared beside him, they could easily shoot him into a pile of flesh.

He reluctantly offered a few perfunctory greetings.

Seeing all the guests staring at him, Lei Laomeng's scalp went numb.

No one spoke. No one mocked him.

But precisely because of this, the awkward atmosphere grew even heavier.

Yet it drew a merciless burst of laughter: "Lei Laomeng, old brother, you've come to do such refined, literary work? Has no one else been left?"

Lei Laomeng looked over and saw Yuwen Hua, clad in full armor, laughing freely.

His tone was teasing, yet it eased Lei Laomeng's tension.

Yuwen Tianxian raised his cup and gave a slight nod, his expression solemn and calm.

Lei Laomeng reluctantly struck up conversation with these two men, preventing the banquet from becoming too awkward, too silent; yet his gaze flickered to the Chen side, where the veteran general Lu Youxian sat calmly, beside him the deputy commander and staff officer Lan Wendu.

On one side were Ye Buyi, Gong Zhenyong, Zhou Liu, and other young generals.

On the other side were Wei Zitao, Yin Kai liang, and other veteran generals.

The atmosphere was so stifling it gave Lei Laomeng a headache.

On the Ying side, the main seat was occupied by Crown Prince Jiang Gao, beside him the famed general Qin Yulong.

To Lei Laomeng's eyes, Yuwen Tianxian and Yuwen Hua were the oldest veterans of the Tiance Prefecture, so he naturally felt some affinity toward them.

Lei Laomeng felt this whole affair made him sit on pins and needles.

Today should have been handled by Mr. Pojun; even if Mr. Pojun refused to come, it should have been Mr. Wenhao or Master Yan Daiqing to manage such a banquet.

But alas, alas—

Alas, the Fire Qilin Army had few strategists, yet each possessed extraordinary talent.

They could truly be called a gathering of talent, with glorious battle records.

Mr. Pojun's open strategy shattered Crown Prince Jiang Gao's grand design.

Mr. Wenhao set fire to Yu Langwang's future, and seemed to have some connection with Lan Wendu.

Master Yan Daiqing refused to meet old acquaintances.

And because of his title as the number one barbecue master of the Western Regions, he felt deeply ashamed and resentful before old comrades like Lu Youxian, Ye Buyi, and Zhou Liu, so he picked up a Juan Sect logistics scroll, rolled it into a stool-like shape, and marched toward Mr. Wenhao.

With Crown Prince Jiang Gao and veteran general Lu Youxian both present, the atmosphere could not possibly improve.

Right now, Chen and Ying were fighting each other bloody-eyed in the Central Plains, desperate to crush each other's brains out; the Night Riding Cavalry and the Tiger Barbarian Cavalry slaughtered each other on the battlefield.

The atmosphere between them was simply unbearable.

But Jiang Gao was gentle, Lu Youxian steady.

Moreover, here in the Western Regions they were allies, so they had not yet torn the mask off; and because Qin Wu Hou was now renowned throughout the land, and this was Qin Wu Hou's territory in Anxi City, Jiang Gao and Lu Youxian had to grant each other some face.

Yet the barbs in their speech were utterly unmasked.

Jiang Gao said: "General Lu Youxian, your defensive prowess is famed throughout the land—why, when facing Yu Langwang, did you collapse at the first touch?"

Lu Youxian stared blankly: "Yu Langwang is fierce. Even He Ruo Qinhu could not stand against him."

"How much less so I."

Jiang Gao said: "Is that so? Then why did you later send troops out?"

Lu Youxian stared blankly: "Yu Langwang is fierce."

Jiang Gao smiled: "Is that so? I thought perhaps you and Yu Langwang had secret cooperation."

Lu Youxian looked at him and said: "Yu Langwang is fierce."

He paused, then added: "When one seeks to condemn, one need not lack excuse."

"If you speak of defeat against Yu Langwang, why not compare it to the Crown Prince, who remained far away, thousands of li from the battlefield?"

"You arrived only after the battle ended."

Jiang Gao's expression darkened slightly. General Lu Youxian, ever stoic, spoke little and acted sparingly—but when he acted, he always gained results; when he spoke, he always struck deep.

Now Jiang Gao either had to admit he had ties with Yu Langwang, or admit that the Ying army had been led by the nose by Yu Langwang.

Jiang Gao did not respond directly, only said: "Is that so?"

"Yet these young generals around you seem ready to come under the command of the Anxi Army."

He raised his cup and smiled at Ye Buyi and the others: "Congratulations, congratulations."

But he did not say what he was congratulating them on.

Lu Youxian stared blankly:

"Rather than the Crown Prince, arriving only after the battle ended."

Jiang Gao's smile froze slightly; he found this old turtle increasingly irritating.

Yuwen Hua's smile faded; his hand rested on his sword hilt. Ye Buyi and Zhou Liu had clashed often with Yuwen Hua during Chen's grand sacrifice three years ago; now meeting again, the tension was sharp as needle against whetstone.

A few brief exchanges, and the atmosphere grew rigid.

Already, Lei Laomeng was losing control; Lu Youxian and Jiang Gao both wore anger on their faces, and Lei Laomeng felt his vision darken.

I really can't handle this.

Just as both sides were gripping swords and knives, a steady, resonant step echoed.

A clear, calm voice spoke: "Gentlemen, what fine spirits you're in."

Lu Youxian's expression stiffened. Jiang Gao's pupils contracted.

Ye Buyi, Zhou Liu, Yuwen Hua, Yuwen Tianxian—all reacted.

With a rustling sound—

The door was flung open by armored soldiers; a chilling aura swept in. A Lord stood at the threshold, clad in armor and battle robe, hair bound with a jade hairpin; his armor was not combat gear but ceremonial armor, enhancing his majesty, his robe embroidered with crimson Fire Qilin patterns on the civil and military sleeves.

He strode forward, the Chi Xiao Sword at his waist, his gaze calm and deadly.

Like dragons and tigers pacing.

The tide has already turned.

Lu Youxian secretly cursed himself for not having killed him; Jiang Gao's eyes held complexity; Qin Yulong noticed the jade hairpin on this Qin Wu Hou's head—it was familiar, and he paused slightly, then smiled, recognizing the simple, ancient jade hairpin as the treasured heirloom of the Xue family.

So he raised his cup in a distant toast.

This banquet held not the slightest meaning—it was merely posturing, until the matter raised by Ye Buyi and others on the battlefield was brought up, at which point Lu Youxian wished to shut it down entirely—

"They were just young men, speaking in the heat of battle to pursue the Yu Langwang; I hope your Lordship does not take it to heart or hold it against them."

He personally presented much gold and silver as gifts.

He even wanted to take these young generals away first.

Do the deed first, then offer gold and silver as congratulations, and sever all thoughts of it.

But they had listened to someone's words—their six thousand troops had been temporarily entrusted to the care of a man named Duan Qingyu; they were bound by alliance, and these troops belonged directly to Ye Buyi and others.

Regular soldiers do not understand high-level scheming; they simply follow their commander's orders.

That Duan Qingyu seems skilled at plotting for himself.

Lu Youxian hit a soft nail, so he sent Lan Wendu.

But after all his maneuvering, Lan Wendu failed to extract them; when he returned, his eyes held clear hostility toward Lu Youxian.

He is a poison strategist.

Lu Youxian's eyes were clear, but he was caught in the whirlpool, facing a Qin Wu Hou whose Wu Gong and methods left him no choice but to follow the rules here.

Bringing up this matter at today's banquet was an attempt to pressure the Qin Wu Hou with overwhelming momentum.

Zhou Liu's camp had never managed to speak with Li Guanyi; now, hearing Lu Youxian raise the matter, his heart lurched—he looked toward Li Guanyi, where Ye Buyi merely bowed his head and drank, yet his hand had dropped and already gripped the sword hilt, revealing his inner state.

Such banquets normally forbid swords and blades.

But facing the divine generals of the realm, who would dare come without weapons at their side?

The Qin Wu Hou did not look at the gold and silver; he merely said: "They are my old acquaintances; if they are willing to fight here in Anxi City, it is acceptable—after all, we are allies jointly campaigning against the Yu Langwang."

Lu Youxian's expression was blank.

At the upper seat, the Lord, his battle robe hanging, gazed calmly and said:

"Is that not so?"

Lu Youxian stared into those eyes like dragons and tigers, yet for some reason, he recalled three years ago—the boy, still youthful, riding the Fire Qilin, charging out from Yicheng.

Back then, he had fierce spirit, yet was still immature, relying on the Fire Qilin's divine might to break free.

The youthful face in his memory merged with the solemn, composed Lord before him.

Only those eyes remained unchanged since then.

This question was putting Chen Guo's Chen Dingye's grand strategy to the test.

You say—are we not allies in jointly campaigning against the Yu Langwang?

Lu Youxian remained silent for a long while, then said:

"... Yes."

Ye Buyi exhaled in relief; Zhou Liu's face broke into a smile; Ye Buyi sat quietly, holding his cup, lowering his head, yet saw ripples trembling across the wine's surface.

That day, Ye Buyi, Zhou Liu, and others temporarily stationed in Anxi City under alliance status; after the grand banquet ended, Li Guanyi personally brought them together again, fetched fine wine, and drank heartily with the former Jinwu Guard youths.

The old rifts seemed not to exist; beside the pillar, Yuwen Hua paused, holding his cup and muttering: "Never thought you'd collapse from exhaustion in the midst of battle, hmph—never saw my heroic bearing."

He looked to the side, where Fan Qing still sat clad in full armor.

This battle general had awakened from severe exhaustion within just two days.

But Fan Qing did not know how Yuwen Hua had reacted upon seeing him half-dead.

At that time, Yuwen Hua had nearly roared in fury, then rushed out, using an unseemly familiarity to find Shi Dalin, then Lei Laomeng, and single-handedly clamped each under an arm as he sprinted back.

Fan Qing had lain unconscious for over ten hours; Yuwen Hua had never left his door.

After waking, he came personally to mock him loudly.

Fan Qing said: "Never thought our reunion would not be as enemies."

Yuwen Hua said: "Indeed, it is so."

He tilted his head and drank; both fell silent for a long while.

Yuwen Hua suddenly said: "I've reached the peak of the Fifth Heaven Realm."

Fan Qing said: "So have I."

Yuwen Hua said: "I fought the Yu Langwang!"

Fan Qing said: "So did I."

Yuwen Hua said: "I commanded six thousand!"

Thus, Wang Shunchen, the sharp-eyed divine archer, sat cross-legged high above, gazing at the sky, drinking alone, savoring the rare peace amid war's chaos; when he looked down, he saw on Fan Qing's unmoving, solemn, mountain-like face a smile.

"I command seven thousand."

Yuwen Hua's temple veins bulged; he roared in fury:

"Fan Qing!"

He hurled his cup; the next day after their reunion, they beat each other.

Punches landed flesh to flesh.

Finally exhausted, they collapsed on the ground, laughing loudly, exhilarated, raising their cups to drink.

It was indeed the bold spirit of men.

But unfortunately, the commotion of their brawl drew the Fire Qilin Army to gather and watch.

In the end, they were dragged away by Shi Dalin, grinning wickedly.

Anxi City won a great victory; this banquet was unusually refreshing; Li Guanyi chatted idly with Po Jun, Wen He, and others; Po Jun sighed regretfully: "What a pity."

"No general will ever look down on you again."

"Feigning weakness, pretending defeat, luring the enemy deeper—this strategy has completely failed. In the past, because you were young, your defeat aligned with the old generals' hopes, and they would instinctively pursue you."

"Now, if you march out to fight a great battle and claim defeat…"

"This hook would be too straight. Even a fool wouldn't believe you'd lose so easily."

"Regret… regret…"

Po Jun's mouth was filled with regret.

Po Jun's lips had never dropped.

Behind him, something seemed to be shaking rapidly.

He almost wanted to run to Qin Yulong, to Lu Youxian, and say: "This is my lord—a young hero, the pinnacle of this age. Do you have a lord like this? You don't, do you?"

He had been tied up with a hemp rope by the gentle, smiling Mr. Master Wen He.

That's why he hadn't made it to the banquet.

As for Lei Laomeng's assumption—that he was concerned for the face of the Crown Prince of Ying and others?

Ridiculous!

Concern for others' self-respect?

What kind of thing is that?

It's as if saying Master Wen He understands sympathy and regret!

Po Jun sighed deeply, got thoroughly drunk, yet held his wine cup and spoke to Li Guanyi at length. When Li Guanyi personally went to the Western Regions, Po Jun single-handedly held up all the visible battlefronts, shouldering the entire grand strategy.

Even he had accumulated immense pressure.

Li Guanyi listened carefully as Po Jun finished speaking; Po Jun finally mumbled drowsily:

"Pity… pity—"

"This is the absolute limit of a mere warlord, my lord."

"Future wars won't be won merely by strategy or bravery." He pulled Li Guanyi close, drunk: "The Wolf King is a hero, with vast armies—but he cannot endure. One defeat, and he loses all capacity to recover."

"But Ying and Chen are both empires stretching ten thousand li, my lord."

"The wars to come…"

"Will be wars of nations."

"So you must seize this great tide. You must seize it…"

Po Jun drifted into a drunken stupor. Li Guanyi sniffed the air.

"... Ma Fei San?"

He turned his head. The winter air was cold. Mr. Master Wen He had his hands tucked in his sleeves, smiling warmly.

Master Wen He stood in a strange limbo with Tiance Prefecture and all strategists—simultaneously both disliked and favored.

Yet he could inexplicably restrain every monstrous genius.

Everyone always thought Master Wen He was the most dangerous.

But in moments of ultimate peril, they all thought of him first.

Li Guanyi said: "Sir, you've drugged Po Jun again…"

Master Wen He replied: "Just a calming herb. This time, it's not Ma Fei San."

"What you smelled? Just because this wine flask often holds Ma Fei San—it's soaked in the flavor."

Often holds Ma Fei San… soaked in the flavor…

How could these things even be stored together?

But Li Guanyi thought, if Master Wen He hadn't had one eye socket black and the other purple when he said that, it would've had more gravitas.

Po Jun was taken away to rest.

When Yan Daiqing left, he had said: "Now that we've won decisively and the Western tribes are under our command, the Khans have proposed that you declare yourself king, claim supremacy." He paused, then said: "But still, I must say this."

Yan Daiqing looked at Li Guanyi: "Though the tide has turned, all of us feel it's still not yet time to declare kingship."

Li Guanyi nodded: "I understand."

Yan Daiqing nodded and departed.

The earlier banquet, the reunion with old friends, had been joyfully loud—now, with the feast ended and all drunk, an odd loneliness settled in. Li Guanyi turned and paced. The day was cold, the moon bright, stars sparse—yet he froze.

Beneath the silver moonlight, a silver-haired girl sat quietly at the corridor's corner, holding a scroll, waiting in stillness.

Li Guanyi looked down at the girl beneath the moon.

"You've come."

Yao Guang closed the scroll, her voice calm, unruffled, saying:

"I've been waiting for you."

Li Guanyi merely nodded. The silver-haired girl rose, brushed her robes, then wrapped her left arm across her chest, holding the scroll, and extended her right hand to grasp the sleeve of Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin battle robe.

Beneath the moonlight, the entire chaotic age slept. After heroes had risen, this rare peace settled. Li Guanyi's heart was tranquil, undisturbed.

The silver-haired girl's gaze fell, fixed on Li Guanyi's hand.

She showed no expression.

Her palm moved slowly, inch by inch downward.

Trying to grasp that hand.

Like trying to catch a firefly.

Closer… closer—

Footsteps approached.

The silver-haired girl's face remained expressionless, her hand returning to its original place.

Li Guanyi stopped in his tracks. Ahead stood a young man in a white robe, calm and noble of bearing, one of the rare few today who had not drunk. Li Guanyi said, "Brother Wenmian..."

The silver-haired girl's gaze was clear and serene; she stepped back and regarded Chen Wenmian.

Chen Wenmian remained silent.

Today's great victory was celebrated for his father's great defeat.

He forced himself to compose his thoughts, looked at Li Guanyi and the silver-haired girl, bowed, and whispered, "Chen Wenmian, greetings, Elder Brother..."

His voice paused.

"Sister-in-law."

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