Chapter 742

First Volume, Chapter 742: Traitor or Hero

The Di King's right eyelid kept twitching; a terrible premonition arose spontaneously.

They arrived twenty days ago—this isn't a Pacification Mission, it's a forced march!

Only if Qin Feng was lightly equipped and carried no "gifts," and dashed straight from the gates of Liang Guo Jingdu to the border on galloping horses could he move this fast.

But why was Qin Feng in such a hurry?

The Di King immediately realized Qin Feng intended to create a major disturbance before entering Da Di Wang Du.

With the current situation between the two kingdoms easing, the only thing that could attract Qin Feng was Da Di's sole frontline stronghold in the south: Xiongying Ridge!

"Damn Qin Feng—his intentions are so vicious! If Xiongying Ridge falls, my Da Di will have no more forward fortresses to rely on!"

"Send my imperial edict: immediately deploy the Xiongying Brigade… no! The Xiongying Brigade is too far—send the Snow Wolf Brigade instead! At all costs, crush Qin Feng's troops and reinforce Xiongying Ridge!"

Just as the Di King issued the imperial edict, an Imperial Eunuch rushed in, clutching a Ministry of War "urgent military dispatch."

Seeing the Imperial Eunuch, the Di King's heart sank.

"Your Majesty, Xiongying Ridge has sent an urgent war report, begging for immediate reinforcements!"

The Di King snatched the dispatch, tore it open in three swift motions, and upon reading its contents, staggered back two steps, his eyes filled with shock.

"Li Yu, forget about ambushing Qin Feng…"

The Di King slowly closed his eyes and sighed weakly: "It's already too late to reinforce Xiongying Ridge…"

Li Yu took the dispatch the Di King handed him, glanced at it quickly, and couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

"What?! Xiongying Ridge is already in crisis? How could this happen so fast! Xiongying Ridge is my Da Di's sole heavy fortress on the southern frontier, garrisoned by nearly eight thousand veteran troops! Even if Qin Feng had the entire Liang Kingdom North Border army besieging it, it should hold for at least a year or two!"

"Your Majesty, this…"

Li Yu had clashed secretly with Liang Kingdom for years, yet he had never seen anyone move with such speed—this was siege warfare, after all!

Even if Qin Feng were the Military God reborn, he should not have brought Xiongying Ridge to the brink of collapse in just twenty days—this was simply unbelievable!

It takes two days for an urgent report from Xiongying Ridge to reach Da Di Wang Du.

Now, if we issue orders to reinforce Xiongying Ridge, it will take at least ten days to assemble the Snow Wolf Brigade and march them there.

Given Xiongying Ridge's current state, by the time the Snow Wolf Brigade arrives, it'll be too late—everything will be cold and dead.

Moreover, the entire Sang Zhou region has become a Buffer Land, crawling with countless Liang Kingdom Imperial Spies; if the Snow Wolf Brigade's movements are exposed, Qin Feng will likely ambush them, and we'll lose both the troops and the mission.

Since Xiongying Ridge cannot be saved, abandoning it decisively is the most rational choice.

Li Yu stared intently at the dispatch and said grimly: "Your Majesty, though Xiongying Ridge cannot be saved, the traitorous general Lü Ci and every verifiable traitor must be hunted to the ends of the earth—otherwise, everyone will follow suit! What will become of Da Di's prestige?!"

The Di King waved his hand, signaling that all matters concerning Xiongying Ridge were now under Li Yu's full authority.

"I am tired."

Watching the Di King turn away, Li Yu took a deep breath and, without hesitation, headed straight for the Ministry of War.

As soon as he entered, Li Yu barked sharply: "Where are the Ministry of War Officials? Immediately investigate the household registrations and clans of traitorous general Lü Ci and others—all relatives within three generations must be arrested without exception!"

At that moment, Li Yu noticed Chen Si was also in the Bing Bu DaTang, and froze in surprise, quickly bowing with clasped fists.

"General Chen, when did you arrive?"

Chen Si pounded his chest in return: "Lord Li, I came the moment I heard of Xiongying Ridge's emergency. Please, Lord Li, calm down—investigating the traitorous general must proceed, but do not act on your own to execute anyone."

At these words, Li Yu frowned tightly: "Treason is a crime that cannot be pardoned without appeasing public outrage! If His Majesty weren't so merciful, limiting punishment to three clans, even massacring the traitor's nine clans would be entirely justified!"

Chen Si nodded repeatedly, urging Li Yu to remain calm: "Lord Li, do not rush—I am not defending the traitor; there is a reason."

Though Li Yu was the Di King's trusted confidant, he held Chen Si in utmost respect—for across all of Da Di, Chen Si alone had ever gained the upper hand against Qin Feng in direct confrontation.

And… Chen Si was a staunch Hawk Faction member.

Those who met Chen Si for the first time might think him a broad-minded general, but Li Yu, as a fellow graduate of the military examination, knew full well: if anyone in Da Di wanted Qin Feng dead more than the Di King, it was Chen Si.

"Please, General Chen, explain," Li Yu said, gesturing respectfully.

Chen Si sighed deeply, took the latest frontline war report from the Ministry of War Vice Minister, and handed it to Li Yu.

"Lord Li, please read this eight-hundred-li urgent report—it just arrived at the royal capital."

"The traitorous general Lü Ci has not fled into Liang territory, nor hidden his identity to evade the Night Owls' pursuit—he has instead stationed his two thousand rebel troops right here in Sangzhou, raising a banner proclaiming loyalty to the Imperial Orthodoxy of Da Di—something is amiss!"

Li Yu frowned, his mind racing: Loyalty to the Imperial Orthodoxy? Combined with the Di King's earlier reaction, he was beginning to sense the truth.

Clearly, Lü Ci's betrayal was more than mere defection—he had made a secret pact with Qin Feng!

What consequences would arise if we massacred Lü Ci's family?

For safety's sake, Li Yu suppressed his anger and said grimly: "General Chen, what do you propose we do next?"

Chen Si had already decided: "Stillness is better than action—until Qin Feng reaches the royal capital, we must make no major moves."

"Once Qin Feng arrives in the royal capital, we can respond to all changes without changing our stance."

Li Yu suddenly understood, inwardly marveling—no wonder Chen Si was Qin Feng's old rival; he saw the stakes at a glance. As long as Qin Feng was inside Da Di Wang Du, no matter how powerful he was, he could not escape the Five Finger Mountain!

"General Chen, I entrust you with handling Qin Feng!"

Li Yu bowed deeply, his eyes filled with reverence: "My Night Owls will fully support all your decisions!"

…

On the walls of Xiongying Ridge, Ma Tingyun wore a face full of gloom; since the traitor Lü Ci defected with two thousand cavalry, morale had already nearly collapsed.

Of the remaining 4,800 defenders, apart from Ma Tingyun's personal guards and the Supervisor of the Army, all others were utterly demoralized.

Now, if Qin Feng launched a full-scale assault, even Ma Tingyun himself was no longer sure the city could hold.