One Year

A year later.

Speed was the lifeblood of war. King Dongyang gathered King Zhenshui's troops and merged them into one force, advancing like bamboo splitting before a blade. In barely a year, he conquered Yingnan Prefecture; his spearhead now pointed directly at Pingshan Prefecture and Zhaoming Prefecture, while his eyes coveted Xitai Prefecture.

After King Dongyang raised his army to punish the False Emperor, the False Emperor's court was forced to shift troops southward. Unable to suppress the unrest, the four northern prefectures, which had shown signs of stabilizing, descended into utter chaos.

If King Dongyang successfully took Pingshan, Xitai, and Zhaoming Prefectures, he would form an encirclement around the three prefectures of the Imperial Capital.

The False Emperor's court would have nowhere left to retreat. Its destruction could practically be declared.

Pingshan Prefecture, Jiang Prefecture, Hening County.

A large portion of the refugees fleeing south from the north had settled in Jiang Prefecture. They had only just enjoyed a brief spell of peace, yet Jiang Prefecture was about to be swept up in the calamity of war, forcing them to flee north again.

It was not only the refugees. Many of Jiang Prefecture's locals also chose to leave their homes behind.

Bandits passed through like a comb; armies passed through like a fine-toothed rake.

For ordinary people, other than fleeing, how else could they survive when natural and man-made disasters struck?

A long dragon wound along the main road.

Qin Sang sat on a roadside rock with a grass stem between his lips. On his feet were straw sandals full of holes, and he wore coarse clothes covered in patches. His face and hands were black with grime, his eyes dull and wooden. No one knew how long it had been since he had washed his hair; it hung in greasy strands, giving off a sour, rancid stench.

Water Monkey Zhou Ning and another man leaned crookedly against the rock, dressed much like Qin Sang. The three of them looked every bit like fellow sufferers—three refugees sharing the same misery.

The man was named Zheng Kun. He had studied martial arts under Bai Jianglan for years and had been one of the people Qin Sang had seen aboard the ship back then. Like Water Monkey, he had now joined the Blood-Clad Tower and become Qin Sang's subordinate.

Over the past year, Qin Sang had strictly adhered to his principles. He had not performed many outstanding deeds, but his intelligence was accurate. Several crucial reports had helped the army breach its defenses, and even the Prince had taken note of his name.

With the County Princess shielding him from above, he had climbed to a high position in the Blood-Clad Tower in just one year. He was now one of the deputy hall masters of the Military Altar, while the position of hall master had remained vacant all along, reserved for Qin Sang.

Qin Sang raised his head to glance at the sun, silently calculating the time. His seemingly vacant gaze never stopped watching Hening County's gates.

This main road ran all the way south to Duling County. The refugees traveling in groups along it did not come only from Hening County; even more had fled disaster from Duling County along the road.

King Dongyang's army was split into two routes. King Dongyang personally led the western army, which included King Zhenshui's main force and the troops recruited through surrender in Yingnan Prefecture. They had already achieved considerable victories in Zhaoyang Prefecture.

The eastern army, however, had been stopped beneath Duling County's walls. It had confronted the False Emperor's defenders for two months already, unable to advance an inch.

Duling County occupied dangerous terrain and had been a battleground fought over by military powers since ancient times. It was known as the throat of Pingshan Prefecture and Jiang Prefecture.

Once Duling County fell, all of Jiang Prefecture would have no defensible ground left. As the largest and richest of Pingshan Prefecture's three prefectures, once Jiang Prefecture changed hands, Pingshan Prefecture's fall would not be far off.

Like a madman, the False Emperor mobilized troops, pressing all of Pingshan Prefecture's forces into Duling County. After dozens of fruitless assaults that left countless dead and wounded, they came up with a plan to build a plank road in the open while secretly crossing at Chencang.

The camps beneath the city remained undiminished, and the assault showed no sign of stopping. Yet in the dead of night, they quietly withdrew two auxiliary armies, dispersing them into the mountain forests. They moved along narrow mountain paths, slipped into Jiang Prefecture's heartland, launched a surprise attack on Hening County, and cast covetous eyes upon Jiang Prefecture City.

Hening County lay in the heart of Jiang Prefecture. Now that all of Jiang Prefecture's troops had gathered at Duling County, the prefecture had instead been left hollow. Once Hening County was breached, the defenders in Duling County would be trapped in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat.

Southern Jiang Prefecture was thick with mountains and forests, and the Blood-Clad Tower had long since mapped out the routes. The surprise attack had a high chance of succeeding.

The two auxiliary armies already possessed considerable strength. If Duling County's army stubbornly refused to return to reinforce them, they could simply continue gathering troops, hold Hening County, and plunder supplies, making things difficult for them all the same.

Qin Sang brought Zhou Ning and Zheng Kun into the refugee column. His mission was to reach Hening County as quickly as possible, take control of the situation there, and strive to coordinate from within and without when the two surprise forces arrived. They would open Hening County's gates and seize the county in one stroke, preventing complications.

Hening County had clearly made preparations as well. The militia and constables before the gates stood as if facing a great enemy, their blades never leaving their hands. Any refugee of unknown identity who approached was shouted away, much less allowed into the city.

"It's nearly the hour of the Goat. Why hasn't that brat Liu Ji arrived yet?"

Hearing Water Monkey complain, Qin Sang lowered his eyes to look at him. Water Monkey was small and thin, and he had lost an arm. Coupled with his current appearance, he looked miserable beyond words—more like a refugee than an actual refugee.

Since losing his arm, Water Monkey had become much more steady-tempered, which was why Qin Sang had agreed to take him under his command. But a leopard could not change its spots; whether there was something to do or not, he still liked to grumble a few words.

Water Monkey knew his limits, and Qin Sang did not rebuke him. "Wait another hour. Old Zheng, keep a close watch on those wealthy households handing out porridge. We must get into the city before nightfall."

Liu Ji was a member of the Blood-Clad Tower. His ancestors had been natives of Hening County, though his branch had split from the Liu clan's main line while doing business abroad. After joining the Blood-Clad Tower, he had been arranged to return to Hening County and acknowledge his ancestry, bringing several people with him to lie low there.

The moment Qin Sang arrived at Hening County that morning, he sent out a secret signal for Liu Ji to bring them into the city. Their agreed latest time was the hour of the Goat.

"Got it!"

Zheng Kun grinned, rolled across the ground, and climbed to his feet. Hunched over and limping, he squeezed into the refugee column and lined up to receive porridge.

Qin Sang felt that sitting atop the rock was somewhat conspicuous, so he jumped down and sat on the ground. He had Water Monkey keep a close eye on the city gates while he closed his eyes and feigned sleep.

Blending into the refugee column and traveling day and night without rest had severely delayed his cultivation.

Qin Sang knew what mattered most. Though his affairs had become complicated after joining the Blood-Clad Tower, he had never stopped cultivating. For the entire year, he had barely slept at all.

Over the past year, Qin Sang had lingered around the edges of battlefields, hiding at the very outskirts and allowing Yanwang to collect the souls of the dead.

However, Qin Sang did not know the depths of the Jade Buddha and did not dare let Yanwang run unchecked. Each time it collected a certain number of souls, he recalled it.

With a constant supply of soul pills, Qin Sang's progress had been swift. He had now reached the peak of the second level and would soon break through to the third level of the Netherworld Scripture.

As for the Great Ming King Art, Qin Sang had tried several times but failed to cultivate True Qi, confirming his suspicion: the "qi" produced by the Netherworld Scripture was not the same thing as True Qi or Inner Force.

Since cultivating internal arts would take time away from the Netherworld Scripture, Qin Sang could only abandon it.

He had, however, constantly tempered the Soul-Snatching Spear and Shadowless Steps, and his mastery was now no small matter. Along with several martial arts he had selected himself, even without the Yanluo Banner, he could be considered a first-rate expert.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard a set of heavy footsteps approaching. He opened his eyes warily and saw someone else disguised as a refugee.

When the man reached his side, Qin Sang frowned and questioned in a low voice, "Zhang Wenkui, weren't you told to stay close to General Wang? Why did you leave without permission?"