Chapter 80 Ghost Cry Village: South of the City
Believe me
The night wind was biting, and the chill was penetrating.
Xue Qingshu led a large number of soldiers, rushing south of the city in the dark.
They dared not light any lamps, for fear of revealing their whereabouts.
Looking into the distance, the flames on the southern city wall stretched as far as the eye could see. Near the city gate, two or three groups of soldiers patrolled in shifts, but the scene was rather desolate.
After all, although there were rebels eyeing them covetously from the outside, the war had not yet officially begun. To conserve their strength, most of Xie's army was still asleep.
They never expected that the danger would not come from the Southern Frontier army outside the city, but from the shadow within their own city.
Xie's army quickly noticed the commotion in the shadows. Upon closer inspection, they saw a large group of soldiers charging out from the darkness, brandishing spears.
"Attack!"
The short, sharp cries of Xie's soldiers roused the sleeping night.
Only after getting a clearer view amidst the flashing blades and halberds did they realize that these wielders were actually "their own people."
An expression of disbelief crept onto their faces, and amidst the shouts of battle, the resistance seemed especially frantic.
Xue Qingshu looked at the dozen or so guards at the city gate and a smug, confident smile appeared on his face.
If the city gates are opened tonight, and the Southern Frontier troops enter the city, Xie's army will be attacked from both sides.
Once the future King Xia Nan's plan succeeds, I will be the number one contributor to the founding of the future kingdom.
"Are you trying to rebel?!"
Lieutenant Xu Lian roared and charged towards them, sword in hand, his movements erratic as if he had been jolted awake from a dream. He was only wearing his undergarments and hadn't even put on his armor yet.
Upon seeing this, Xue Qingshu laughed arrogantly.
"General Xu, whether or not to rebel is up to the victor!"
He said in a sinister tone, "Once we've killed you all and opened the city gates, the people will only think you were useless cowards who failed to guard them!"
Having said that, he, a civil official, also drew his sword and stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust and excitement.
Tonight is the night when Xue Qingshu will make a great contribution.
He planned to take advantage of the government troops' great victory to kill a couple of Xie family soldiers and make a contribution.
Just as the group was clashing with their swords, Xue Qingshu looked up and suddenly realized something was wrong.
The panic in the eyes of the Xie family soldiers had completely faded, replaced by a chilling killing intent that only those who had truly been on the battlefield possessed.
"You..." Xue Qingshu's voice trembled slightly.
The enemy soldiers moved swiftly and ruthlessly. With just a few slashes, the soldiers at the forefront were all covered in blood.
Blood spurted out, like red flowers blooming in the moonlight, petals splashing onto the iron armor, making it seem even more like it was possessed by a god of death.
Such martial arts skills are far beyond what ordinary city guards can achieve!
"How...how could this be...?"
Xue Qingshu gripped the knife tightly, then retreated in shock.
Xu Lian's cold laughter came from afar, filled with mockery and disdain, but he had no interest in paying attention to it and turned around to run in the opposite direction.
"call out--!"
A silver light pierced the sky.
Atop the city wall, a silver arrow flew swiftly, striking Xue Qingshu squarely in the chest!
Blood spilled from the corner of his lips, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
He knelt down before he could even utter a final word.
On the eve of his death, he realized:
Xie's army has never let its guard down, nor has it ever been outmaneuvered.
There has only ever been one real idiot: him.
This sudden situation caused the officers and soldiers who rushed forward to slow down, their eyes filled with hesitation.
Fear poured over them like ice water, instantly extinguishing their momentum.
At this moment, Xu Lian drew his sword and shouted, "Now that Xue Qingshu, the traitor of Great Xia, is dead! If you lay down your weapons now, you will still be citizens of Great Xia, and we will not pursue the crime of treason tonight."
His voice was icy cold, “If you remain obstinate, then ask my Xie family army for their arrows!”
Having said that, he raised his hand, and countless archers in armor appeared on the city gate, their bows fully drawn and aimed at the government officials.
Anyone who dares to take another step forward will be riddled with bullets.
Knowing that the situation was hopeless, no one dared to move an inch.
After a brief silence, they all dropped their swords and halberds, the metal striking the ground with a crisp sound.
The southern border troops, who had waited all night, could only wait for:
The city gates were tightly shut, and the night was calm and still.
*
After traveling through the dead of night, Tang Yu and his group finally arrived at the south of Xia Nan City as dawn broke.
The city gates remained tightly closed, and there were no casualties or chaos.
Only the soldiers, standing straight in the biting cold wind, and the banners fluttering in the wind.
Upon seeing Xie Xingzheng return, Xu Lian immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and greeted him, "General!"
Looking up, he saw Tang Yu beside the general again, and hurriedly clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying solemnly, "Thank you, Miss Tang, for sending a message. We were saved from the villain's scheme."
Tang Yu nodded slightly in response.
Xie Xingzheng glanced at her briefly, his eyes calm, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he quickly turned his attention to the area outside the city.
Outside the city, the Southern Frontier army had already formed ranks and arrayed themselves, the faint sound of drums carrying an indescribable sense of oppression.
Xie Xingzheng asked in a deep voice, "What is the situation?"
Xu Lian replied, "Last night we successfully killed Xue Qingshu and persuaded Xia Nan's soldiers to surrender. Now we have detained some of them and added others to the city's defenses."
As he spoke, he still felt somewhat worried, and couldn't help but look at the dark mass of Southern Frontier soldiers outside the city. "Compared to them, our forces are still weak. And since dawn, the Southern Frontier people have realized that the strategy of attacking from within and without has failed."
"Now, they are gathering their forces, probably preparing for... a full-scale attack."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xingzheng's expression darkened slightly, but he showed no surprise.
He understood that even if he successfully thwarted King Xia Nan's scheme, the city would not be in chaos, and most of the officers and soldiers would still be on standby for war.
But the reality remains harsh:
Outside the city, the troops from the southern frontier outnumbered their own by several times.
They would certainly take advantage of the fact that the Great Xia reinforcements had not yet arrived and launch a desperate attack on the city.
The real standoff has only just begun.
Xie Xingzheng said in a low voice, "The most urgent task now is to buy as much time as possible."
Xu Lian nodded.
In the initial battle, the enemy, unaware of the vast disparity in troop strength, will not launch a large-scale attack. However, as the war drags on, they will inevitably realize that Xia Nan's forces are insufficient, and then they will soon face annihilation.
Before the two could devise a plan, the Southern Frontier army outside the city suddenly made a new move.
The originally orderly military formation suddenly split to the sides, creating a passage in the middle, and a group of Gu people dressed in black walked out from behind.
Their steps were eerily synchronized, and even their movements were almost identical.
The leader was none other than Yuexi.
He was holding a thin little girl in his arms, gently shaking a bell in his hand.
That was Xiao Qimeng, who had been imprisoned at Wangyuan Escort Agency by Tang Yu and others back then.
Although not in its complete form, it is the only entity in Nan Yue capable of controlling this army of Gu people.
After all, the smug King Xia Nan is now forever asleep in the illusion of victory created by his dream, and will never wake up again.
Xie Xingzheng gripped the sword at his waist, his expression icy cold.
He would never allow the ending in King Xia Nan's dream to become reality.
*
As this group of black-clad Gu practitioners appeared, the entire Southern Frontier army suddenly pressed forward.
Xie Xingzheng then dispatched an elite team to form a defensive formation outside the city, while bows were drawn taut on the city walls, awaiting the enemy's move.
The air seemed to freeze, leaving only endless cold and chill.
After Yuexi whispered a few words to Xiao Qimeng, she began to shake the bell again, and the Gu people seemed to go berserk, attacking Xia Nan's army.
"There's no need to waste arrows," Xie Xingzheng said, raising his hand to stop him.
The opponent is an ignorant and unaware Gu person; even if you shoot arrows through them, it will be in vain.
Moreover, the fact that the main force in southern Xinjiang has not moved is clearly a deliberate test.
He must establish his authority in this battle.
The war drums sounded loudly, and the two sides clashed for the first time. A strong wind rose, stirring up clouds of dust.
Tang Yu stood atop the city wall, looking at the Gu army that clearly outnumbered their own, and frowned slightly.
A faint golden light appeared in her eyes, indicating that she was about to once again activate the power of her Dream within her body.
Suddenly, a warm and gentle hand covered her eyes.
"Believe me."
Xie Xingzheng stood very close and spoke in a very low voice.
She seemed to be enveloped in his unique warmth, dispelling the damp chill of the city wall.
The golden light in his eyes completely disappeared.
But Tang Yu's heart, which should have been as calm as still water, was stirred by these three words, causing a strange ripple.
It seems that whether it's a human or a poison, she will always choose him.
After Xie Xingzheng moved his hand away, he took a crossbow from the soldier beside him and looked up at the battlefield where smoke and dust were billowing.
Not far behind the Gu people stood Yuexi, holding Xiao Qimeng.
Amidst the shouts and cries of battle, the girl shook the bell. Though the clear, melodious sound of the bell could not be heard, its eeriness was palpable.
Xie Xingzheng slowly nocked the arrow, drew the bow, aimed, and then released it!
In the battlefield with extremely low visibility, the arrow pierced through the yellow sand and smoke, like a divine punishment descending, striking the small bell with pinpoint accuracy.
Yuexi's expression changed drastically in an instant.
With the bell shattered, the Gu people ceased their previous frenzied attacks, leaving only mechanical, instinctive slashes, chaotic and powerless.
The weakness has been revealed, and the Xie family army roars like thunder:
"kill!!!"
In an instant, the tide of battle turned.
The blade sliced across the necks of the Gu people, their lifeblood piercing through them, and they fell one after another, their black blood dripping onto the soil, leaving no trace.
Furthermore, they possess silver needles with unique characteristics of the Sihuo and Tang Clan. When these needles are inserted into the Gu corpse, even after the host has died, the Gu worms will quietly curl up inside the body, absorbing their last nutrients.
Within two hours, the entire army of Gu people was annihilated, and the dust settled.
Yuexi's face was deathly pale. She had already taken several steps back with Xiao Qimeng in her arms, hiding behind the soldiers of the Southern Frontier.
On the city wall, Tang Yu slowly stepped forward, overlooking the entire battlefield.
A long wind blew up the ends of her hair, making her look carefree and languid.
Her gaze fell on the hastily retreating Yuexi, and then on the little Qimeng he was holding.
His eyes were as cold as snow in the depths of winter, a chilling cold that cut to the bone.
"Do you know that King Xia Nan is dead?"
Tang Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to reach Yuexi's ears.
His face immediately turned ashen.
Although they had guessed that the plan had changed last night when none of the expected events occurred and they could no longer contact King Xia Nan.
But unexpectedly, he died?
Tang Yu's gaze fell on Xiao Qimeng, her tone utterly merciless: "That little girl is only half-finished. You think you can use her to overthrow the country?"
Yuexi's face was almost contorted from being touched on a sore spot, but she was unwilling to argue with her.
Tang Yu tilted her head slightly and continued, "You always like to rely on external forces, but you neglect to make allies. No wonder Nan Yue was betrayed by the King of Nanzhao back then."
boom!
It was as if something exploded in the minds of Yuexi and the other Southern Yue people.
He gritted his teeth: "How could that be...? You're talking nonsense!"
"What, now that you see our army pressing in, you're trying to make up lies to deceive us and buy us time?" Yuexi said viciously.
Tang Yu curled her lips and gestured for Tang Yiqing to bring Yueying forward.
She pinched Yueying's chin, forcing her to raise her head so that everyone could see her face clearly.
“I would lie to you, but she wouldn’t.”
Tang Yu paused, then looked at Yue Ying, "I'll give you a chance to tell them who harmed Nan Yue."
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