Chapter 1122: The City Burns (Part 2) [Requesting Double Monthly Tickets]
The three armies successfully joined forces.
The time to break through the last line of defense in the Gao capital was shorter than expected. Despite being penniless herself, Shen Tang, as the ruler, was incredibly generous to her loyal subjects. Thus, fueled by money, fame, promises, and motivational rhetoric, the army marched with divine intervention. A pervasive sense of urgency gripped the entire army, with everyone wishing they had more legs to run.
Until the excitement was extinguished by a fire.
Yes, a huge fire!
Firelight rose in the direction of the capital of the High Kingdom.
The fire raged skyward, turning most of the sky red.
Shen Tang's heart skipped a beat: "Ji Shou, you all come with me!"
Even though the two places are so far apart, the firelight can still be seen; one can't imagine how far the fire has spread within the city. Without hesitation, she immediately summoned several scholars to go and fight the fire. The others continued on their way, keeping an eye out for any potential ambushes along the route.
In chaotic times, war is devoid of any sense of propriety, righteousness, or shame.
Shen Tang dared not gamble on whether the fire was a desperate attempt by the enemy to delay their progress, or a trap set by the enemy using the city as bait to lure them into a desperate, all-or-nothing scheme. These thoughts flashed through his mind in a split second.
She thought of it, and so did everyone else.
"My lord, beware of traps."
Logically speaking, Shen Tang should be more cautious and slow down the march. After all, putting out fires wasn't her responsibility, and she could later issue an edict denouncing the Gao Kingdom's court for its utter depravity and tyranny, thus occupying the moral high ground to criticize and condemn the Gao Kingdom. But if she did that, she wouldn't be Shen Youli: "Trapes can only trap the weak."
A trap that can hold ants is ineffective against wild beasts. In her view, fighting fires and attacking cities were not mutually exclusive.
"The rest of you shall continue marching as usual, but remain on high alert!"
Shen Tang deliberately left Gong Xichou behind to guard against a surprise attack, while he led Kang Shi and the others to approach the firelight as quickly as possible. Kang Shi felt rather helpless upon hearing the order, not because he didn't want to make the trip, but because he was afraid that his side would arrive at the wrong time.
Who knows how long this fire has been burning? If they arrive just in time, the capital will completely collapse and turn into a sea of fire... What if the lord tries to shift the blame onto them?
My back is bad, I can't carry such a heavy burden.
However, these words cannot be spoken aloud.
Because he knew in his heart the reason why the Lord insisted on taking him along.
The scholars of the literary world each had their own preferred and favored techniques of verbal manipulation, and Kang Shi was the most skilled among them in manipulating water, often using the "Flooding the Seven Armies" technique to charge into enemy lines during battles. The other scholars were not proficient in this area, and there was no one more suitable than Kang Shi.
Kang Shi was multitasking.
While his mind wandered, he used the corner of his eye to scan the road ahead.
Fearing the enemy might figure out their master's temperament and launch a major attack on the road! He didn't see the enemy's shadow, but he did see a fleeting glimpse of eerie green light. Turning his head, he caught the eerie green light materializing into a high priest's robe on Ji Moqiu's body.
So this outfit can be worn whenever needed, just like armor.
Without needing to match the speed of the main army, Shen Tang and her group arrived at a place several miles outside the city in the shortest possible time. Even from this distance, the howls of wolves and ghostly cries could still be heard by the wind, and she looked up with a heavy heart.
The air above the capital was distorted by the flames, and the scorching heat mixed with the acrid smell assaulted her nostrils. Seeing the blaze before her, she knew this fire was a poisonous plot, not a trap.
"Gentlemen, let's begin!"
Save as many as you can, do your best, and leave the rest to fate!
Having said that, he was the first to transform into his martial armor, taking a deep breath as he charged into the sea of fire. Ji Moqiu immediately followed, and the moment he stepped onto the city wall, concentric circles of profound array patterns bloomed beneath his feet. He tapped one area with his wooden staff, unleashing divine power.
"Divine Gift: Cold Wood and Spring Blossoms, activate the formation!"
In an instant, a colossal object rose from the ground in the central area of the capital.
It was a strange plant with a trunk so thick that several strong men could hardly encircle it, its dense canopy branching out countless branches in the blink of an eye. These branches plunged into the ground, nourished by the earth, spreading and weaving wildly underground. These branches were particularly sensitive to the presence of life, able to detect the presence of any living creature on the ground immediately. As Ji Moqiu set up this formation, a figure swept past him.
Along with it came a refreshing, watery mist in the wind.
"Flood the seven armies!"
Water columns transformed into dragons, soaring upwards from outside the city walls and leaping over the high ramparts, charging towards the raging fire with unstoppable momentum. One water dragon, two water dragons, three water dragons… nine in total! They disintegrated simultaneously in the same area, transforming into a torrential downpour that fell precisely. Despite their enormous size and astonishing volume, the water dragons were utterly insignificant compared to the sea of fire!
Kang Shi was also troubled by the sight. Standing on the broken pillar where the fire had just been extinguished, he made up his mind that he would not care about the cost at this moment! He said to Ji Moqiu, "High Priest of Ji Moqiu, please provide some literary support."
Ji Moqiu didn't hesitate: "Okay!"
Kang Shi raised his hand and conjured two avatars of literary energy.
He split his avatars into two groups, continuing to use the "Flood the Seven Armies" technique to transform as much literary energy as possible into water, while his true body activated the Way of the Scholar. He opened his eyes and said, "Heaven and earth are the game, and all living beings are the gamblers—"
With a flick of his sleeve and the support of Ji Mo Qiuwen, he became extravagant, and thirty-two giant ivory plaques flew in all directions, connecting to form a circle that encompassed the fire in the capital.
As the tokens were placed in place one by one, tiny points of light, resembling the stars in the heavens, quietly appeared in the sky above the capital. The firelight flickered in Kang Shi's eyes, masking his tense inner state.
This tension was instantly replaced by determination.
The common people in the city are the chips in this game.
He always loses at gambling, but only at this time does he win!
"The fortunes of heaven and earth are in my hands." A ivory tablet flipped over, its patterns resembling vast waves. As he assumed a bow-drawing stance, the surrounding heat suddenly plummeted. The energy of heaven and earth converged on him like a whale swallowing the sea, its target the ivory tablet that had flown into the formation. "Heaven, help me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the arrow was shot out.
The arrow pierced the ivory tablet, causing ripples to spread across the water.
This arrow seemed to tear open a gap between the Milky Way and the human world, with countless jets of water spraying in all directions. However, this scale was still no match for the raging fire, at most alleviating the predicament in this area. Just as Kang Shi's expression turned grim, another figure arrived late, and with his arrival, rain clouds quickly gathered above the capital.
Suddenly a strong wind arose, the sky darkened, and the wind and rain made it gloomy.
At first it was a light drizzle, then it turned into a torrential downpour.
Thanks to this stroke of genius with the heavy rain, Kang Shi breathed a sigh of relief. Ignoring the fact that he was also soaked to the bone, he smiled sincerely and praised, "Gongyi, you've come at just the right time!"
Luan Xin glanced at the water column of the ivory plaque, whose power was steadily increasing.
I took another look at Kang Jishou's condition.
Wen Tun said, "Do you want to back out a bit?"
Kang Jishou's display of power was indeed eye-catching; the water jets falling were comparable to a flood discharge. However, while the fire below was extinguished, it was also surrounded by the "flood." Fortunately, the water level was not high enough to drown anyone, but where the affected civilians would be swept away was beyond human control. Kang Shi was also worried about this, but between two evils, he chose the lesser: the water wouldn't drown anyone, but if the fire wasn't extinguished, it could burn people to death.
Until Ji Moqiu reassured him.
Kang Shi saw a tree branch below grow wildly, its extended part deftly wrapping around a person swept away by the flood. Before the person could even recover from the shock, it lifted them high into the air. Looking around, he saw countless other branches converging on the safe area. Each branch was entangled with a person—the elderly, children, or young adults—most of them too exhausted to struggle, their eyes filled with terror and a sense of relief at surviving.
These branches climbed outwards along the city wall.
After setting the person down, they retreated and began searching for the next living person.
The survivors who were rescued from the fire were stunned for a long time, ignoring the burning pain on their bodies, and hugged the people around them and cried bitterly.
I never thought I would escape alive.
The branches could only carry a limited number of people. Most survivors were either swept away from the fire by the floodwaters or found that the fire had strangely subsided in their hiding places, and mustered the courage to escape. A few were thankful to have escaped with their lives, while many more screamed and cried out in agony! Because of burns, and even more so because their loved ones were left behind in the fire forever.
Looking at Shen Tang's side, her methods were even more brutal.
He fully activated his own aura, using martial energy to suppress the raging fire, and then cleaved a path with his sword, his domineering martial energy completely separating the flames. Focusing his energy in his dantian, he roared at the people hiding in all directions, "Everyone, escape along this path!"
The city's houses were mostly built with easily flammable wood, and the person who started the fire used highly flammable oil, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Many people didn't even have time to escape. Shen Tang was furious!
The arsonist deserves to be torn to pieces!
Under such a large-scale fire, Shen Tang and others' efforts could only stop the fire from spreading and rescue those who still showed signs of life. It wasn't until the main force of the army arrived and the entire army worked together that it took two days to barely extinguish the fire. However, even the King of Gao, to whom Wu Xian had poured countless efforts, could not save the situation. Seventy percent of the area was destroyed, and all that could be seen were ruins.
A light drizzle was still falling from the sky.
The soldiers silently pulled charred corpses from the ruins.
Shen Tang sat in the corner, staring blankly ahead, her hands folded on her knees. She didn't even notice when Wu Xian stepped into the puddle and approached. After a long while, she finally reacted, raising her face, which was dark and grime but couldn't hide her haggard state: "Brother Zhaode, your judgment is indeed poor! You and I didn't kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of you and me. Do you know how many people died this time?"
Fighting is one thing, but why should it harm ordinary people?
The fire did indeed hold her back for two days, buying precious time for those fleeing, but—who among those Shen Youli wanted to kill could survive? She wanted them dead by midnight; if the King of Hell dared to keep them alive until dawn, she would slay the King of Hell as well!
Shen Tang's eyes were filled with red veins.
He said, "Brother Zhaode, let me warn you first—if this fire was started by any member of your Wu family, I will kill their entire clan! Even if they surrender, I will still kill them! To hell with ancestral rules, my word is the absolute rule!"
She will not give the other side a chance to surrender!
She would even chop an earthworm vertically into pieces, and that person's entire family would be cut up like that!
Wu Xian's face turned pale for a moment.
He knew best how much effort the capital had been poured into it.
Seeing his once-familiar place reduced to ruins, his grief was no less than anyone else's. Hearing Shen Tang's murderous words, Wu Xian truly understood where he had gone wrong.
A bitter smile played on his lips: "Leave me a few heads."
Shen Tang said, "Even if he's your son?"
Wu Xian's wives and concubines came from various prominent families, and he had fathered forty or fifty children with them. Blood-wise, Wu Xian's clan was related to almost everyone. It was difficult to say that the Wu family wasn't involved in the fire! A dark thought crept into Shen Tang's mind, suspecting that the fire was orchestrated by the newly escaped ruler of Gao, Wu Xian's own son…
Wu Xian said coldly, "Then I'll kill myself!"
He knew deep down that he wasn't a good person, but he couldn't bring himself to be so ruthless as to use arson to delay the enemy; he wouldn't allow anyone to do that. A cold sneer escaped Shen Tang's lips; this was the first time she had openly expressed malice in front of Wu Xian.
No one could have predicted that things would turn out that way.
Wu Xian failed to kill his son, but saw his son's head first.
——
On that day, Shen Tang sent Gong Xiqiu and Wei Shou with 40% of their troops to pursue the enemy, while the rest of the troops were engaged in fire rescue.
Gong Xichou set off in the afternoon and returned in a little over an hour.
The first person to discover that Gong Xichou had returned was Ji Moqiu.
Shen Tang's perception of living people was stronger than others, so he simply rolled up his sleeves and started digging people out of the rubble. Ji Moqiu could be used as a physician; his divine power could stabilize the heartbeat of the dying and buy precious time for the military doctors in the wounded soldiers' camp to treat them.
Just as Ji Moqiu removed his hand from the man's chest, he seemed to sense something and looked up in a certain direction, his brows furrowing slightly. Shen Tang, carrying the two corpses out, saw his expression: "You sensed something?"
Is an enemy approaching?
Ji Moqiu shook his head: "No, it's Anian who's back."
Shen Tang paused: "So fast?"
One hour cannot match the other's three-day journey.
Ignoring the filth on her body, she hurried towards the outskirts of the city.
It's obviously unusual for them to rush back so quickly.
Could it be that we were ambushed on the way?
In order to minimize losses, Gong Xichou had no choice but to lead his troops back.
This doesn't fit Gongxi Chou's self-proclaimed "I am the best in the world" personality.
During this short journey, dozens of guesses flashed through Shen Tang's mind. Until she stepped out of the city wall, she keenly smelled the abnormally strong stench of blood in the air: "Gong Xi Chou!"
She first noticed Wei Shou's complex expression, then saw Gong Xichou, whose mood seemed rather subdued. Shen Tang cut straight to the point, asking, "Yuanyuan, what happened? Why did you return so quickly?"
Wei Shou opened his mouth, but could only sigh.
He shifted slightly, raising his large palm-leaf fan to signal the soldiers behind him to bring the contents forward. As the soldiers drew closer, the stench of blood intensified. Shen Tang lowered her gaze to the box held aloft by the two soldiers. Judging from its size, she could roughly guess what was inside. Seeing that Shen Tang didn't reach for the box, Wei Shou suggested, "Ah, my lord, would you like to call Wu Zhaode over?"
Now, Shen Tang was certain of the owner of the item in the box.
When Wu Xian arrived, he saw blood seeping from the cracks in the box, and his heart pounded: "Whose is this?"
Gong Xichou: "The new ruler of Gao State and... the Queen Mother."
|ω`)
Sigh, last Labor Day they gave out boxed lunches to Zheng Qiao, and this Labor Day they're giving out boxed lunches again.
P.S.: Mushroom has compiled a new keyboard collection; those interested can try their luck in the draw!
P.S.: Even Tang Mei said there was a strong smell of blood, so there must have been more than just these two boxed lunches.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
