After Zhou You returned, the situation reversed, and the Zhou clan officially entered the counteroffensive phase.
The grandmasters among the major forces that had joined the siege had already been cut down in one sweep. Those remaining belatedly came to their senses; upon hearing that Zhou Daqian had arrived, who still had the courage to fight to the death? Every last one of them thought only of fleeing for their lives.
As for the traitors within the city, they felt even more strongly that doomsday was imminent.
Once the two orders to Slaughter the City and enact family annihilation were issued, what would the outcome be...
There was no bloody defiance at all. Those still outside the city had a chance to escape, but those trapped deep within it could not even run.
Zhou Daqian, the provincial governor, was furious at the betrayal and had decided to Slaughter the City. Yet he was not slaughtering indiscriminately, only killing those who had rebelled and stirred up trouble. He was simply too merciful.
The aftermath went even more smoothly than expected.
After all, any traitor with both the nerve and strength to rebel was at least a local tyrant or a great clan. Killing their entire families was no great loss.
When ordinary civilians faced the chaos of war, they only shut their doors to avoid disaster. They would never go out to join the excitement.
"Time is limited. Finish this quickly!"
In one breath, a hundred thousand heads were chopped off. Even the land surrounding this small city had been soaked through.
Zhou You ordered the corpses thrown into the underground passage—yes, the secret tunnel that had let people into the city—so that even after death, these people would never see daylight again.
He hugged Zhou Xin and patted his chest.