Chapter 21: The Heroic Young Northern Frontier War God

At the critical moment, Xiao Moting grabbed his wrist, "Careful, it will blow people up."

Xiao Dabao's teeth had almost touched the landmine fuse.

A soldier came flying over.

"Prince... Prince... there is a riot in the city. The commoners found out the granary was empty and ran to the gate of the Taishou Mansion to cause trouble."

"General Yang is leading troops to suppress them. He killed several of the ringleaders and captured over two hundred civilians, saying he wants to execute them all!"

Xiao Moting's expression darkened.

The enemy army is about to arrive, and now there is a riot in the city; something truly terrible is going to happen!

"Qin Zhan, take one thousand troops and follow me into the city!"

"Understood!"

He walked two steps, then turned back, "Bring the landmine."

Lest it be gnawed on by someone again.

Before long, Xiao Moting arrived outside the Xuancheng Taishou Mansion.

Along the way, countless dead and wounded lay by the roadside, blood flowing everywhere.

The once-prosperous Xuancheng was now in total chaos; screams, cries for help, and the wailing of commoners rose from all sides.

Outside the gate of the Taishou Mansion, Yang Wei was leading a large group of troops, surrounding a crowd of ragged commoners.

The commoners huddled together, roaring in anger.

"On what grounds are you arresting us?"

"... The dog Prefect emptied the city's reserve granary and won't distribute grain to us!"

"If you want to arrest someone, you should arrest the dog Prefect."

Although the commoners were angry, they had no weapons and were soon forced into a corner by the government soldiers, trembling.

"Daring to rob the government office, I see you really want to rebel!"

Yang Wei raised his hand and brought his blade down, severing the head of a leading young man with one strike.

Pfft!

Fresh blood sprayed out!

The commoners were terrified.

A woman with graying hair frantically hugged her gaunt little daughter tight.

The daughter cried in fear, "Mother, I'm hungry, I want to drink porridge."

Yang Wei picked up the command token and threw it fiercely to the ground, "Drag these rebels to the vegetable market, regardless of age, execute them all!"

As soon as the words fell, hundreds of commoners burst into tears.

"My lord, spare us, we heard the government was going to withdraw troops, and everyone was afraid, so we came to ask the Prefect for an explanation."

"The granaries in the city are also empty; if the Barbarians attack, we will all starve to death."

"It is freezing cold, the government won't distribute grain, and many people in the city have already starved to death."

The wailing of the commoners shook the heavens.

The soldiers held their Long Swords and charged toward them.

"Stop!" Xiao Moting's expression darkened as he strode forward, "General Yang, the commoners only want to eat, why is there a need to execute them all?"

Yang Wei turned his head, "Fourth Prince, heavy punishments should be used in troubled times."

Xiao Moting walked in front of Yang Wei, using his body to shield the trembling commoners behind him.

"They are just ordinary civilians, General Yang, release the commoners!"

Yang Wei did not move, his expression arrogant. "Does the Fourth Prince wish to order this subordinate? This subordinate serves under the Second Prince; according to military regulations, I only take orders from the Second Prince!"

The commoners immediately began to cry out.

"Fourth Prince, save us! We were just too hungry and wanted the Prefect to release the grain."

"The blizzard hasn't stopped; my parents and my wife all froze to death, and the three children at home have nothing to eat. I just wanted to get some food for the children."

"I beg the Fourth Prince to save us. My grandfather is bedridden, and I am the only one left in the family. If I am beheaded, my grandfather won't survive."

Xiao Moting gripped his sword hilt, staring at Yang Wei, speaking word by word.

"Yang Wei, this is Beijiang, and everything is decided by this Prince."

"Release them!"

Yang Wei scoffed.

"Fourth Prince, are you trying to use your status to bully others?"

Xiao Moting smiled coldly.

"This Prince is a member of the Imperial clan, and you are a subject! How can you speak of bullying?"

"Is it your turn to show off in front of this Prince!"

Usually, he had no airs.

But at this moment, he stood tall and imposing, radiating a powerful imperial pressure, noble and arrogant to the extreme!

Yang Wei's momentum was instantly suppressed.

He gritted his teeth.

"Fourth Prince, this subordinate has heard that you are the Northern Frontier War God, and I would very much like to witness the style of the Northern Frontier War God."

"If you can defeat this subordinate, then I am willing to let this mob go."

Xiao Dabao roared, "Yang Wei, how bold of you, daring to provoke the Prince!"

Qin Zhan's brows were tightly locked.

"Do not underestimate Yang Wei; he is the strongest fierce general under the Second Prince, with the arm strength of a thousand catties."

"The Ring-pommel Saber in my hand is forged from Black Steel from the Western Regions; it is worth ten thousand gold and cuts through iron like mud."

"The Fourth Prince encountered assassins, and the old wounds in his body have not yet healed; he has not recovered his vitality."

Xiao Moting's gaze was icy.

He had campaigned on the frontier and commanded tens of thousands of troops, yet he had no power or influence at court, and even less financial resources, which was why Yang Wei dared to slight him so.

He strode to the open ground in front and swung his horse-chopping saber!

"Come and fight!"

Yang Wei stepped forward, "The Prince of Northern Pacification is truly a young hero! Let it be agreed today: on the battlefield, swords have no eyes; if there are any injuries or deaths, each shall bear the consequences themselves."

He was clad in full armor, dragging a heavy and sharp Ring-pommel Saber in his hand.

The heavy blade scraped across the ground, emitting a harsh "skree-skree" sound that made one's hair stand on end.

Xiao Moting swung his horse-chopping saber.

"Whoosh!"

The Long Blade carried the sound of the wind as it slashed through the air!

Yang Wei let out a roar, swung his heavy Ring-pommel Saber, and swept it across.

Clang!

A crisp sound of metal clashing!

The Ring-pommel Saber was actually snapped in two!

Yang Wei was stunned; he looked at the broken half of the blade in his hand, then at the horse-chopping saber in Xiao Moting's hand, unable to believe his own eyes.

The sharp precious blade he was so proud of had actually been sliced through by Xiao Moting's single strike, as if it were a large radish?

How could this be?

Qin Zhan, who had been worried just a moment ago, watched with his eyes wide open.

"... The blade that Shennü Daren gifted to the Prince is so powerful that it can even cleave a precious blade in two!"

"If we use this blade to hack at the Barbarians, wouldn't it be like cutting tofu?!"

The commoners all around were also incomparably excited.

It was unknown who shouted out.

"The War God... the Fourth Prince is the true Northern Frontier War God!"

Immediately following this, the surrounding commoners erupted in a tidal wave of cheers, one after another kneeling to the ground.

"We can survive now, the Prince has won!"

"Northern Frontier War God, protect the common people!"

Yang Wei was terrified: "F-Fourth Prince... what kind of blade are you using, that it is so sharp?"

Xiao Moting held his Long Blade horizontally, standing firm on the spot.

On the hilt of the blade, a row of English letters was engraved.

—"madeinchina"

Two scouts rode their horses, galloping in from outside the city gate.

"... Urgent report! A hundred thousand Barbarian troops are making a forced march; they are expected to reach Xuancheng by noon tomorrow!"

In an instant, the commoners fell into chaos.

"What, the Barbarians are attacking?"

"They are going to lay siege to the city, everyone run for your lives."

Xiao Moting's expression was cold and stern as he looked up at the sky.

The snow had already stopped.

The Barbarians were traveling through the night, hoping to seize the initiative in the siege!

A fierce battle was about to break out!