"Damn that Lin Yi! How dare he?"
"Has he gone mad? Does claiming to hunt assassins mean he can kill anyone he likes?"
"I refuse to accept this! I'm going to impeach Lin Yi. He's an utter madman."
No matter how terrified these people were, Ma Chao and his men never stopped killing.
Their eyes were already red with bloodlust.
They killed from morning until sunset, with no intention of sheathing their blades, continuing instead to suppress what remained of these forces.
"Now this is Northern Liang. Just kill them and be done with it!"
Atop Northern Liang City's gate tower, Lin Yi quietly watched everything unfold, the pent-up frustration in his chest vanishing entirely. As one potential enemy after another was wiped out, notifications kept flashing through his mind.
Clearly, winning people over through force was far faster than winning them over through virtue.
"Ding! Congratulations, host, on using Win People Over with Virtue to convince the assassin Zhang Song. Received: ancient tactical sand table." "Ding! Congratulations, host, on using Win People Over with Virtue to secure the submission of the maid Haitang. Received: 100,000 jin of grain." "Ding! Congratulations, host, on your flourishing martial virtue. You have successfully destroyed the Heavenly Eagle Guard. Received: personal bodyguard Wang Yue and twenty elite guards!" "Ding! Congratulations, host, on your flourishing martial virtue. You have successfully destroyed the Blue Flower Brothel. Received: five hundred Qingzhou Army elites." "Ding! Congratulations, host, on your flourishing martial virtue. You have successfully destroyed Snow Cloud Manor. Received: three hundred White Horse Volunteers." "..."
Conquering one target after another had earned Lin Yi a tremendous haul, and his frustration over being assassinated instantly vanished.
His luck had turned. At last, it was his turn to rise.
Among the rewards just now, besides gaining more than seven hundred additional troops, he had actually received an unexpected figure.
Wang Yue!
Although this man had rarely taken to the battlefield, his strength was extraordinary.
It was said that at eighteen, he had ridden alone into the Helan Mountains and returned with the head of the Qiang People's chieftain, with no one daring to stand in his way. At thirty, he had traveled through the provinces, defeating virtually every opponent under heaven.
He was also the master of Cao Pi's master, and immensely powerful. This reward was certainly impressive.
With his protection, ordinary assassins would probably struggle even to get close to Lin Yi. He would be much safer from now on.
In his eyes, the tactical sand table was even more of a divine artifact, consisting of a scaled-down map of the world. With this thing, not only would waging war be easier, but he could also understand this world better.
Aside from these rewards, the most practical was probably the hundred thousand jin of grain Haitang had contributed. At the very least, it would feed his men for a while.
Lin Yi had also identified some patterns in these rewards.
When Win People Over with Virtue targeted individuals, the rewards were generally items or personal attribute bonuses.
When it targeted forces or groups, the rewards were generally troops.
Lin Yi's eyes lit up involuntarily. In that case, as long as he conquered more of these forces, the troops at his disposal would surely be endless.
Beside him, Haitang watched the sky gradually darken and could not help reminding him quietly, "Young lord, once it gets dark, catching these people will be harder. Should we head back first?"
There was something else she left unsaid: even with dozens of guards protecting him, it was not safe here. They would be better off returning to the prince's residence first.
"That makes sense. We must finish this quickly!"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. She had a point. Dragging this out until night would only introduce more uncertainty.
With a thought, Wang Yue appeared beside Lin Yi.
"Your subordinate Wang Yue pays his respects, my lord!"
Seeing his appearance, Lin Yi's eyes lit up. Though the man looked middle-aged, he carried the spirit of a wandering swordsman. He was truly exceptional.
His martial prowess was even somewhat higher than Ma Chao's, though battlefield slaughter was not his specialty. But if he were put in charge of Lin Yi's guards and trained some spies on the side, he would be an excellent choice.
Then he summoned the Qingzhou Army soldiers and White Horse Volunteers he had received. This battle had to be finished quickly.
He said gravely, "Wang Yue, go help Ma Chao. End the fighting as soon as possible!"
He intended to take down all these fiends in one push, or they would cause endless trouble later. This time he had caught them unprepared; next time, they would hide even deeper.
"Understood, my lord!"
Wang Yue nodded. After leaving some guards to protect the young lord, he led the White Horse Volunteers straight into the fray.
Seeing Wang Yue suddenly join the attack, Haitang could not help staring in astonishment. The young lord actually had another trump card. He had hidden it far too well.
What a frightening young lord. Anyone who dared underestimate him would probably pay a heavy price.
Sure enough, the arrival of this fresh force settled the outcome of the battle outright. All those supposed factions were crushed, leaving corpses strewn across the ground.
Today, the bloody aura above Northern Liang City soared into the sky, striking fear into people for dozens of li around. They all sent men to investigate.
Not far away!
Somewhere Lin Yi had not noticed, a pair of indifferent eyes quietly watched him, their owner as still as a statue.
The man wore black armor and exuded a deep chill. He ignored the slaughter around him, his eyes fixed solely on the young lord, Lin Yi, atop the city wall.
Beside him, Huang Yuntao could not help swallowing discreetly before saying quietly, "General-in-chief, it seems the young lord is far from ordinary. These men of his are all unfamiliar faces. If this assassination attempt hadn't enraged him, he would probably still be keeping them hidden."
"Hmph. A gentleman conceals his talents and waits for the right moment to act. As Northern Liang's young lord, if he wants to stay alive, he must grow stronger himself!" the man said coldly.
Hearing this, Huang Yuntao's mouth twitched several times.
This fellow was simply too arrogant, actually daring to say such things. The young lord was an only son. Why should he need to endure so many trials?
But he dared not say that aloud, because the man before him was someone Huang Yuntao could not afford to offend.
This was Xu Zhong, Northern Liang's general-in-chief and a trusted confidant of the prince. Even Huang Yuntao, a commandery governor, could not compare to him.
Xu Zhong controlled the prince's thirty thousand Black Cavalry Men, stationed in Northern Liang City all this time as its final safeguard. Before the prince left Northern Liang City, he had specifically ordered Xu Zhong to protect the young lord.
Yet this fellow seemed to have ideas of his own. Although he had sealed off Northern Liang City earlier, he had shown no intention of taking action.
At that moment, Xu Zhong spoke again. Watching the Xiliang Iron Cavalry rampage unhindered through the streets, his indifferent face finally showed a trace of emotion. He murmured, "This cavalry's fighting strength is astonishing, perhaps even on par with my Black Cavalry. Where exactly did they come from?"
He was a veteran of countless battles. The Xiliang Iron Cavalry obeyed every command without fail, and even their charges were perfectly ordered. This was absolutely beyond the capabilities of an ordinary army.
He truly had not expected the young lord to possess such a fearsome army.
He had followed the Prince of Northern Liang all this time and could be certain that no such force had ever existed within the Northern Liang Army's ranks. These were probably the young lord's private troops.