The Foremost General of Three Hundred Years

"Red General?" The father and son of the He family exchanged glances. "The Red General died before Zhong Shengguang?"

"Zhong Shengguang commanded a host of fierce warriors, but if you ask who was the greatest on the battlefield, it was undoubtedly the Red General." Speaking of the famous generals of the past, Sun Fuping's expression turned wistful. "In the latter twenty years, the iron-willed army of Coiling Dragon City was almost entirely forged by his own hands. The letters left behind by the people of Coiling Dragon City that I obtained mention that he was a genius in warfare, looking down upon the battlefield with such dominance that he relieved most of the pressure on Zhong Shengguang."

"Hmm, you must know that after twelve years of defending the city, Zhong Shengguang was already riddled with wounds and illness, struggling to carry on. As the saying goes, 'a general dies in a hundred battles'; having an iron will is far from enough—one must also possess an iron body."

"I've heard of this. It is said that the Red General once led a few dozen men to scout behind enemy lines, only to run headlong into two thousand Xianyou troops. He fought two thousand with a few dozen. Most of his followers were killed in action, but the Red General grew more ferocious as he fought, eventually turning the tables and sending the enemy fleeing in terror. He set a legendary record of a handful of men chasing down two thousand. I wonder if he had entered a 'Tyrant Body' state..." At this term, the group frowned, and He Lingchuan quickly coughed. "Anyway, reinforcements arrived in the end, and Coiling Dragon City won a great victory. There are simply too many legends about the Red General in Blackwater City; I could talk for three days and three nights and still not finish."

It was an exaggeration, but people loved these stories that were both hyperbolic and blood-pumping.

"That was the Battle of Heisong Pass." Sun Fuping nodded. "Do you know what year that took place?"

"Not entirely sure." He Chunhua pondered. "Was it after the talks between Xiluo and Xianyou broke down, and Coiling Dragon City was besieged once again?"

"It was the autumn of the same year that the Xianyou Kingdom resumed war against Xiluo, the Coiling Dragon Wilderness became an enclave once more, and Coiling Dragon City turned into a lonely fortress!" Sun Fuping said slowly. "The wording in the letters is also very interesting; it describes the Red General as 'appearing out of nowhere,' resisting the tide of enemies from all sides and stabilizing the morale of the Coiling Dragon Army!"

He Lingchuan chimed in to match his rhythm, playing the part of a well-behaved listener: "Indeed. Such an unparalleled powerhouse, the savior of Coiling Dragon City—why did he have no presence at all until this moment, only to 'appear out of nowhere'?"

He was as familiar with the legends of the Red General as any citizen of Blackwater City, but legends were just legends. With basic historical records missing, who would truly scrutinize the details of history from over a hundred years ago?

Nian Songyu took over: "The Grand Marshal reviewed the historical records and believes that since Zhong Shengguang's offerings to the gods came first and the Red General's sudden appearance followed, the two must be connected."

He Chunhua: "So, the gods' assistance, aside from the Great Square Pot, was actually manifested through the Red General?"

To bestow two types of aid at once—this god was truly generous.

"At least he was a very important link in it." Sun Fuping continued, "The personal guard's letters also mentioned that the Red General left Coiling Dragon City twice; once he went to Xiluo, and the other time he arrived in the Xianyou Kingdom! He deeply regretted not following him; otherwise, he might have had the chance to be stationed in his homeland instead of being buried in the wilderness."

The father and son of the He family were astonished: "The Red General actually returned to Xiluo?"

"Wasn't it said that Coiling Dragon City was besieged and became a lonely fortress?" He Lingchuan clicked his tongue twice. "He was actually able to go to Xianyou... hmm, what did he go to Xianyou for?"

"That is unclear." Nian Songyu shrugged. "When he went, when he returned, and what he specifically did—none of the materials we possess mention it."

"Even if he was the greatest general in three hundred years, his various actions were beyond imagination. Perhaps he himself was an incredibly powerful sorcerer, layered with the fortune of the entire Coiling Dragon Wilderness." Sun Fuping let out a long sigh. "However, I am more inclined to believe that the Red General was no longer human, but a demigod!"

"A demigod?" He Chunhua gasped. "You mean, a Divine Descent!"

"Correct, a Divine Descent!"

The usually calm and steady Governor He was both surprised and bewildered, though he quickly steadied his mind:

"There are only three recorded instances of Divine Descent in history." However, the Red General's achievements were so brilliant that attributing them to a god seemed more acceptable. "It is said that the requirements for a Divine Descent are extremely harsh; otherwise, there wouldn't be so few examples."

He Lingchuan immediately searched his predecessor's memories for the term "Divine Descent," but after digging for a long time, he only found a vague impression. People always said that there were gods three feet above one's head, but in reality, gods existed beyond the heavens and could not directly descend into this realm.

Although the deities themselves could not come, under extremely limited conditions, they could act by possessing a human body through "Divine Descent," which counted as an indirect entry into the mortal world.

Those who accepted a "Divine Descent" were also known as demigods.

"Hmm, gods usually do not interfere in mortal affairs, but there are always exceptions." Sun Fuping said, "In the spring of the thirty-second year of defending Coiling Dragon City, Xianyou and Baling gathered five vassal states to send troops together and requested six hundred demon soldiers from the northern demon kingdom, launching an unprecedented attack on Coiling Dragon City. It is said that the battle was so intense it 'leveled the mountains,' and the entire Yindou Mountain on the north side was razed to the ground."

"In that battle, all six hundred demon soldiers, along with the two leading demon generals, were killed in action. Of the five grand masters sent by the seven kingdoms, three died and one was severely wounded; not to mention the casualties of the common soldiers. It is said that in the five years following this great battle, the Xianyou Kingdom's domestic farmland was 'eighty percent barren,' with not enough young, able-bodied men left to till the land."

Nian Songyu sighed: "Even the Xianyou Kingdom, as the victorious side of the attack, could not withstand such losses. Not long after the great battle of Coiling Dragon City ended, internal strife broke out, splitting it into several small states, and it has been in turmoil ever since."

"The letters mentioned that the Red General fell in this world-shaking battle. Three days after his death, Coiling Dragon City fell, and Zhong Shengguang committed suicide."

"So that's how it was." He Chunhua couldn't help but sigh. "What a pity."

It was a pity that hundreds of thousands of loyal souls were buried in the Coiling Dragon Wilderness, yet they ultimately failed to defy the heavens and change their fate.

"Not just a pity, but terrifying." He Lingchuan also sighed. "An army that even seven kingdoms could barely defeat has now become the vengeful spirits we have to deal with. By the way, no matter how powerful the Great Wind Army was, it couldn't have functioned without the Great Square Pot; yet in the end, Coiling Dragon City was still taken. Could it be that the Great Square Pot failed?"

"That is unclear." Sun Fuping spread his hands. "It is recorded nowhere. It is already quite difficult for us to deduce the above content from limited materials; these are all just glimpses through a tube, seeing only a small part. The truth, I fear, will never be known."

Nian Songyu stood up and stretched. "Let's get some rest early. From tomorrow on, we might not be able to sleep soundly again."

Meeting adjourned.

The father and son of the He family shared a small room.

The room was tiny, barely able to fit two small cots. When the two grown men lay down, they could hardly stretch their legs.

However, the bedding was unexpectedly dry; He Lingchuan speculated it was because the desert was too arid. The ground had some sand and dirt, but none of those annoying little creatures.