One Year

One year later.

Speed is the essence of war. King Dongyang gathered the forces of King Zhenshui and merged them into one. His advance was like a bamboo breaking, conquering Yingnan Prefecture in just one year. His forces then pressed towards Pingshan and Zhaoming Prefectures, eyeing Xitai Prefecture.

After King Dongyang raised his banner to depose the puppet emperor, the puppet emperor's court was forced to divert troops to the south, unable to suppress the unrest. The northern prefectures, which had shown signs of stabilization, devolved into chaos.

If King Dongyang successfully captured Pingshan, Xitai, and Zhaoming Prefectures, he would be in a position to encircle the three prefectures of the imperial capital.

With no retreat left, the puppet emperor's court could essentially be declared finished.

Pingshan Prefecture, Jiang Prefecture, Hening County.

A significant portion of the refugees fleeing south from the northern regions remained in Jiang Prefecture. They hadn't anticipated that after just a short period of peace, Jiang Prefecture would also be affected by war, forcing them to flee north once more.

It wasn't just the refugees; a large number of the local residents of Jiang Prefecture also chose to abandon their homes.

Bandits pass like a comb, armies pass like a sieve.

For ordinary people, what else could they do but flee when natural disasters and man-made calamities struck?

A long dragon snaked along the main road.

Qin Sang, with a blade of grass in his mouth, sat on a rock by the roadside. His feet were clad in grass sandals with holes, his clothes were coarse cloth patched all over, and his face and hands were grimy. His eyes were vacant, and his hair, unwashed for who knows how long, hung in greasy clumps, emitting a foul odor.

Beside him, leaning against the rock, were Zhou Ning, the Water Monkey, and another person. They were dressed similarly to Qin Sang, appearing as three unfortunate refugees who shared the same fate.

This person was Zheng Kun, who had studied martial arts under Bai Jianglan for many years. He was also one of the people Qin Sang had seen on the boat back then. Now, like the Water Monkey, he had joined the Blood-Clad Tower and had become Qin Sang's subordinate.

In the past year, Qin Sang had adhered to his principles. While his achievements weren't numerous, his intelligence was precise. Several crucial pieces of information had helped the army break through passes, and his name had been noted by the Prince.

Coupled with the protection of the County Princess from above, he had climbed to a high position within the Blood-Clad Tower in just one year. He was now one of the deputy hall masters of the Military Affairs Hall, with the position of Hall Master remaining vacant, reserved for Qin Sang.

Qin Sang looked up at the sun, calculating the time. His seemingly vacant gaze was actually focused on the city gate of Hening County.

This main road connected all the way to Duling County in the south. The road was filled with groups of refugees, not only from Hening County but also more fleeing from Duling County along the road to escape disaster.

King Dongyang's army was divided into two routes. The western route was personally led by King Dongyang, with King Zhenshui's main force and the troops who surrendered in Yingnan Prefecture under his command. They had already achieved significant victories in Zhaoyang Prefecture.

However, the eastern route army was blocked at the city of Duling County. They had been in a standoff with the puppet emperor's defending forces for two months, making no progress.

Duling County was strategically important, a place of contention for strategists since ancient times, known as the throat connecting Pingshan Prefecture and Jiang Prefecture.

Once Duling County was captured, Jiang Prefecture would have no defensible positions left. As the largest and most prosperous prefecture among the three prefectures of Pingshan, the fall of Jiang Prefecture would mean that Pingshan Prefecture would not be far behind.

The puppet emperor, in a frenzy, mobilized his troops. The entire military strength of Pingshan Prefecture was concentrated at Duling County. The army launched dozens of fierce assaults, all ending in failure with countless casualties. They then devised a plan: feign an attack on the main path while secretly crossing the Chencang pass.

The military tents below the city remained, and the siege continued. Late at night, they quietly withdrew two flanking forces, dispersing them into the mountains. They infiltrated through mountain paths, penetrating deep into Jiang Prefecture's territory, launching a surprise attack on Hening County, and casting a covetous eye on Jiang Prefecture City.

Hening County was located in the heart of Jiang Prefecture. Currently, all of Jiang Prefecture's forces were concentrated at Duling County, leaving the prefectural and county areas vulnerable. Once Hening County was breached, the defending forces in Duling County would be in a dilemma, caught between advancing and retreating.

The southern part of Jiang Prefecture was mountainous and forested. The Blood-Clad Tower had long since scouted the routes, making the possibility of a successful surprise attack very high.

The forces of the two flanking parties were already considerable. If the army at Duling County insisted on not reinforcing, they could simply continue to bolster their forces, hold Hening County, and plunder supplies, which would also cause them trouble.

Qin Sang, along with Zhou Ning and Zheng Kun, blended into the refugee crowd. His mission was to reach Hening County as quickly as possible, assess the situation there, and, by the time the two surprise forces arrived, coordinate from within and without to open the gates of Hening County, taking it in one fell swoop to prevent chaos.

Hening County was clearly prepared. The militia and yamen runners at the city gates were on high alert, their swords never leaving their hands. Any refugees of unknown identity who approached were shouted at and driven away, let alone allowed to enter the city.

"It's almost 3 PM, why isn't that kid Liu Ji here yet?"

Qin Sang heard the Water Monkey complain. He lowered his head to look. The Water Monkey was small and had a broken arm. Coupled with his attire, he looked utterly pathetic, more like a refugee than a refugee.

Since losing his arm, the Water Monkey had become much more steady in temperament, which was why Qin Sang agreed to take him under his wing. However, his nature was hard to change, and he still liked to chatter whenever he had the chance.

The Water Monkey knew his limits, so Qin Sang didn't scold him. He then said, "Wait another hour. Old Zheng, go keep an eye on those wealthy households distributing porridge. We must enter the city before dark."

Liu Ji was a member of the Blood-Clad Tower. His ancestors were from Hening County. When he went out to do business, he separated from the main Liu clan. After joining the Blood-Clad Tower, he was arranged to return to Hening County to reconnect with his ancestral roots, bringing some people to infiltrate Hening County.

After arriving in Hening County this morning, Qin Sang immediately sent out a signal for Liu Ji to bring them into the city. The agreed-upon latest time was 3 PM.

"Alright!"

Zheng Kun grinned, rolled over on the ground, and got up. He hunched his back, limped, and squeezed into the crowd of refugees, queuing for porridge.

Qin Sang felt a bit conspicuous sitting on the rock, so he jumped down and sat on the ground. He told the Water Monkey to keep an eye on the city gate, and then closed his eyes as if dozing.

Blending into the refugee crowd and traveling day and night had severely hampered his cultivation.

Qin Sang knew what was more important. Although his duties in the Blood-Clad Tower were numerous, he had never neglected his practice. He had barely slept for the entire year.

Throughout the year, Qin Sang had lingered around the battlefields, hiding on the fringes, allowing Yanluo to collect the souls of the deceased.

However, Qin Sang was unsure of the Jade Buddha's depth and dared not let Yanwang run wild. Every time he collected a certain number of souls, he would recall it.

With a steady supply of Soul Pills, Qin Sang's progress was rapid. He had now reached the peak of the second layer and would soon be able to break through to the third layer of the Netherworld Scripture.

As for the Great Ming King Art, Qin Sang had tried several times but couldn't cultivate True Qi, confirming his guess. The 'Qi' generated by the Netherworld Scripture was not the same as True Qi or Inner Force.

Since cultivating internal arts would encroach upon the time dedicated to the Netherworld Scripture, Qin Sang had to abandon it.

However, he had continuously honed the Soul-Snatching Spear and Shadowless Steps, and his mastery was now considerable. Coupled with the martial arts he had chosen himself, he could be considered a first-class master even without the Yanluo Banner.

Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching him. He opened his eyes alertly and saw someone disguised as a refugee.

As the person walked closer, Qin Sang frowned and asked in a low voice, "Zhang Wenkui, I told you to stay close to General Wang. Why did you leave without authorization?"