Yang Kan's Plan

[Grand Marshal Gate]

"The Prince of Yuzhang is here."

Though he was nearly at the end of his strength, Fu Qi's voice remained resonant as he spoke.

He did not allow the dignity of the Xiao Liang court to falter in the slightest.

"This general has been waiting for a long time."

From atop the city wall came a familiar echo.

It was Yang Kan.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up.

At this moment, Yang Kan was drenched in blood, his armor riddled with fractures as if he had just emerged from a brutal battle.

"Lower the basket!"

Tough bamboo strips formed the basic frame of the box, which was raised and lowered via a simple pulley system; the sections where the hemp ropes connected to the bamboo basket were wrapped in cowhide to reinforce the structure.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Fu Qi stood on opposite sides to stabilize the center of gravity.

The Prince of Yuzhang, Xiao Dong, stood between them, clutching Fu Qi's hand tightly.

He pressed his lips together, his expression filled with trepidation.

After all, until they were truly outside the city, no one knew Yang Kan's true stance.

Zhu Yuanzhang silently clenched his fists.

He calmed his heart, held his breath, and observed his surroundings.

On the city wall, counting the six bare-chested laborers hauling the basket upward, there were also eight fully armed soldiers flanking Yang Kan.

They wore bronze masks shaped like beasts, and their skin below the neck was smeared with colorful paint.

They were tall and burly, holding long maces.

They looked just like the door gods depicted in the murals of later generations.

Once the basket reached the top of the wall, Yang Kan stepped forward personally to help the Prince of Yuzhang, Xiao Dong, out, saying, "Horses, dry rations, and water are all prepared. Your Highness may leave the city at any time."

The eight armored soldiers followed Yang Kan at a close distance.

The moment Zhu Yuanzhang stepped onto the wall, the eight men tensed up in unison.

"A Merfolk?"

One of the soldiers wearing a wolf-head mask asked.

"A half-Merfolk transformed by overseas alchemists."

The soldier wearing a fox mask scanned Zhu Yuanzhang from head to toe and replied.

"But his cultivation is astonishing; it is enough to pass for the real thing."

"..."

Zhu Yuanzhang cupped his hands in a salute.

He noticed that as the soldiers spoke, their eyes drifted intentionally or otherwise toward one of the eight, who wore a fish-head mask.

Before the fish-head masked soldier could speak, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart stirred, and he spoke first.

"A half-breed?"

The soldier with the fish-head mask took a long look at Zhu Yuanzhang.

He gave a slight nod.

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes slightly.

Among the inheritances that had entered his mind during the transformation process beneath the Bitter Sea, there was information regarding this very matter.

On certain remote islands overseas, the local natives often worshipped the long-lived Deep Ones as gods.

They would offer their wives and daughters to mate with the Deep Ones.

Among the children born, half would gradually manifest more and more characteristics of the Deep Ones as they aged.

The other half would show no abnormalities throughout their lives, but given the right opportunity, once the transformation was complete, they would possess the full abilities of a Deep One.

"This is the first time I have seen someone without Merfolk blood reach this level through sheer hard work."

"Judging by the aura on you, you must have seen the palace of Father God and Mother God—Guixu—from afar in your dreams, haven't you?"

As he said this, a hint of envy laced the fish-head soldier's words.

Any human permitted by Dagon to enter the underwater city was regarded by the Merfolk as one of their own.

This meant that, should the other party be willing.

He only needed to wait for the transformation to complete, and he would be able to follow the guidance of the ancient river path.

He would head toward Guixu, the immortal city beneath the waves.

And under the gaze of Dagon, he would obtain a truly immortal and eternal life.

Yet, the half-breeds did not possess such a privilege.

Nor were they easily accepted by Guixu.

But what the Fish-Faced Armored Soldier did not know was that Zhu Yuanzhang had not only seen that massive stone palace.

He had even walked inside it, inspecting those broken stone statues at close range.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

"I have indeed seen that stone palace on the seabed."

But at the same time, a trace of doubt surfaced in his heart.

After all—

According to the system display, Guixu referred to the entire city, including that unfathomably deep underwater rift.

It did not refer merely to the palace itself.

And most importantly, Zhu Yuanzhang had seen the inscriptions on the palace walls, as well as the oracle bone script intentionally left behind by the ancients within the palace.

Whether this palace was built by the Shang Dynasty to flaunt their conquest of the "Blue Barbarians" of the East.

Or whether it was an underwater city built by the Deep Ones for some specific purpose.

It remained a matter of uncertainty.

After all, the most critical piece of evidence was this.

If Guixu were truly the palace of [Dagon].

Then how could the Deep Ones have allowed the divine statues to fall into such disrepair for thousands of years without rebuilding them?

But if the palace was truly built by the enemies of the Deep Ones.

Why would they revere it as a holy site and preserve it?

Strange!

How strange!

Zhu Yuanzhang remained calm and composed.

"It seems your soul has long been reserved by Dagon."

The Fish-Faced Armored Soldier, whether out of envy or mockery, pointed toward the Qinhuai River in the distance.

"Cross this gate, and you shall immediately swear the three-fold oath, returning to the embrace of Dagon."

"To enjoy eternal life... and the curse of the sea."

The moment he looked in the direction of the Fish-Faced Soldier's finger.

When the Qinhuai River, carrying unmanned vessels and the corpses of healthy men and women, came into his view.

Bang.

In the depths of Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, it sounded as if a string called reason had snapped, inch by inch.

Suddenly.

He seemed to suffer from an illusion.

If the Stone City were the eye and Yanque Lake the tail.

The winding Qinhuai River before him looked like the carcass of a whale that had not yet breathed its last.

Great gushes of blood were flowing from its torn wounds.

Pouring into the Yangtze River, merging into the vast sea.

Nourishing, one after another, the plankton that lived off this corpse.

If even the royal aura of the entire Qinhuai River was merely nourishment for some abominable thing.

Then, once the transformation of the Mountain-Shrinking Fist was complete, and he followed the current downstream...

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but shudder.

"The carrier pigeon has returned; the Prince of Shaoling, Xiao Lun, has dispatched the Marquis of Nan'an, Xiao Jun, as the vanguard. Leading thirty thousand infantry and cavalry, they are moving downstream along the Qinhuai River to confront the rebel forces of Hou Jing across from the Xuanyang Gate."

"They are expected to arrive secretly at the south bank of the Xuanyang Gate tonight."

Yang Kan pointed at the map, his expression grave as he planned the escape route for the group after leaving Taicheng.

"After exiting the Grand Marshal Gate, the 'Eight Guards' will split into four groups to serve as cover, drawing the attention of Hou Jing's Xianbei and miscellaneous barbarian cavalry, heading separately toward the 'Jianchun Gate,' 'Kaiyang Gate,' 'Lingyang Gate,' and 'Siming Gate' to attempt a breakout."

"At that time, Hou Jing's forces at the Xuanyang Gate will surely be weak. You may seize the opportunity to escort the Prince of Yuzhang out of the city, rendezvous with the loyalist army, and inform them of the situation inside the city and the true strength of Hou Jing's forces."

"I estimate that Hou Jing's true combat troops do not exceed ten thousand. As long as the Marquis of Nan'an is willing, coordinating from within and without to retake the 'Xuanyang,' 'Lingyang,' and 'Kaiyang' gates under the cover of night will by no means be difficult."

Hearing Yang Kan say this.

Both Fu Qi and Xiao Dong wore expressions of intense agitation.

The youth in the brocade robe stepped forward, bowing sincerely toward Yang Kan as he made a solemn promise.

"If one day the world is set right, I shall certainly report to His Majesty and personally request honors for the General and all the righteous men here, restoring your reputations! Wealth, land, official titles, and rewards—I shall be sparing in nothing!"

"This humble general is but a surrendered officer from the north; how could I dare accept such a grand gesture from Your Highness?"

As Yang Kan spoke, he helped the Prince of Yuzhang to his feet, though a flicker of indescribable bitterness flashed through his eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched it all.

His heart remained as still as stagnant water.