Preparations, the Eve of Qingming

The night passed, yet neither the Grand General's Manor nor the City Lord's Manor had been idle.

Likewise, Wang Xian had not been idle. He had laid countless trapping formations throughout the little courtyard, inside and out, and even in the nearby alleys.

Taking precautions before trouble arose—for his disciple's safety, he had to make arrangements in advance.

What the Grand General had not expected was that he would mobilize troops from the three cities near Giant Dragon City—Guazhou, Wangtian, and Chihe—and arrange for them to gather at Giant Dragon City on Qingming.

Meanwhile, Chen Mingcheng, the city lord, had already sent his trusted aide, Chen Wuwei, to the Vermilion Bird and Black Tortoise military camps outside the city overnight.

They had agreed to take over the defense of Giant Dragon City's four gates at dawn two days before Qingming. For three days, no one would be allowed in or out of Giant Dragon City.

After the husband and wife discussed the matter with the military advisor and several generals, they decided to make their move three days later.

Although the City Lord did not know when the Grand General would strike, Chen Wuwei, as a general, had calculated the timing.

It would take at least five days to move troops from the three cities to Giant Dragon City.

Thus, the City Lord's Manor had gained the advantage in time.

Although the two military camps outside the city had only six thousand soldiers, Giant Dragon City stood twenty zhang high. It could be said to be a pass guarded by one man against ten thousand enemies.

Even against the attack of more than ten thousand troops from the three cities, it could hold for ten days or half a month, perhaps even longer.

As long as they dealt with the