An unexpected force

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Cannons and crossbow bolts exploded continuously in both camps, and the shockwaves and shrapnel from the exploding shells were deadly to ordinary soldiers.

In the contest of heavy weapons of mass destruction, the Great Feng army almost crushed the Kang Kingdom's army. This was one of the reasons why the Great Feng dominated the Nine Provinces. Even though the Witch God Cult had secretly seized a large number of cannons and ballistae in recent years, the lack of maintenance by Warlock had greatly reduced the performance of the Law Artifact and the power of the cannonballs.

Moreover, Law Artifact are constantly being updated and replaced, and there is a huge difference in performance between old and new weapons.

Nangong Qianrou led her heavy cavalry, breaking away from the main camp and avoiding the range of artillery and crossbow fire, and launched a charge from the right flank of the Kangguo army.

The Kangguo army quickly realized the approach of this heavy cavalry. They kept their cannons and ballistae unchanged and engaged the Great Feng army in a firefight, with archers and musketeers firing in unison.

Attack this heavy cavalry force of over ten thousand men.

After several rounds of firing, the archers and musketeers decisively retreated. At this moment, a group of 3,000 cavalrymen wielding long-handled swords charged out from the Kang Kingdom army.

The Mo Dao (陌刀) originated in the early Great Zhou. It weighed over 80 jin (approximately 40 kg) and was forged from fine iron. Only the strongest soldiers could wield it. In those days, the Great Zhou, which had no Warlock, relied on 20,000 Mo Dao soldiers to be invincible.

Every Mo Dao user was at the peak of the Essence Refining Realm, wielding the Mo Dao with ease. Beneath the Mo Dao, men and horses were shattered, making it a unique counter to heavy cavalry.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was a true nation founded on military strength, Martial Dao were at their most glorious.

In the mid-to-late period of the Great Zhou, the country's strength declined, and the reputation of the Mo Dao Army faded. By the time of the Great Feng, the Mo Dao Army had disappeared from the historical stage due to the limited Martial Dao skills of its soldiers.

However, the Mo Dao Army has been preserved in Northeast China and has been passed down to this day. This is probably because the shamans of the Witch God Cult can stimulate the soldiers' potential, enhance their Qi and Blood, and achieve a rapid increase in combat power.

The entry requirements for the Mo Dao Army have therefore been significantly lowered.

Three thousand Mo Dao soldiers charged towards ten thousand heavy cavalry of the Great Feng, showing no fear but instead displaying a surge of fervent passion.

With a single strike, both man and horse were shattered; it was particularly effective against heavy cavalry.

A ferocious glint appeared on Nangong Qianrou's beautiful face. The Nine Provinces only knew that cavalrymen were respected by barbarians, but after the Battle of Shanhai Pass, they respected the Jing Kingdom.

The Great Feng cavalry was not worth mentioning.

Is that really the case?

The reason why the Great Feng cavalry was so few was simply because they lacked good warhorses and suitable pastures for raising horses.

Few numbers do not equate to weakness. Over the past twenty years, Wei Yuan summarized the reasons for the more than ten minor defeats in the Battle of Shanhai Pass, at which the cavalry was severely outmatched.

The Great Feng lacked the valiant and battle-hardened Mo Dao army, and the combat strength and skills of its soldiers could not compare to those of the Great Zhou during its glorious period. How could they enhance the power of their heavy cavalry on the existing foundation?

Wei Yuan's decision was: Equip!

The Great Feng lacked shamans who could unleash the potential of its soldiers and enhance their combat strength. Nor did it possess the robust soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, the Great Feng had Bureau of Astronomy and Warlock.

Few people know the reason why Wei Yuan frequently visited the Star-Gazing Tower over the past twenty years. But after this battle, the ten thousand sets of heavy cavalry armor that Wei Yuan had painstakingly crafted over the past twenty years, with all his heart and resources, will be a significant part of this battle.

The Mo Dao army, long abandoned by the Great Feng, is nothing more than an old relic covered by the dust of history!

Ten thousand heavy cavalrymen fiercely charged through the Mo Dao army, causing men and horses to fall in disarray.

Nangong Qianrou took the lead, his brown pupils replaced by blood red, and veins bulged on his face. He no longer looked like a human, but more like a beast that had lost its mind.

Whether it was the Kangguo army or the Great Feng army on the other side, many generals frowned upon witnessing this scene.

In previous sieges and captures, the heavy cavalry had never really had a chance to prove their worth, so even their own men were unaware of their true combat strength.

Apart from Wei Yuan and Nangong Qianrou.

At this moment, a grand, ethereal chanting sounded from within the Kang Kingdom army, layer upon layer, making it impossible to discern the specific content.

A spiritual aura emanated from the entire battlefield. The Mo Dao soldiers, who had just died and whose blood was still warm, rose again. Some of them had lost their heads, some had lost their arms, and some had their chests pierced, but they truly rose up.

Rejoin the battlefield.

For wizards, as long as the corpses are not torn to pieces or burned to ashes, they are an inexhaustible source of soldiers.

"Awoo."

A continuous roar came from the distant high places, and huge flying beasts glided over the Great Feng army, dropping stones, oil and other items.

The gates of Yandu opened, and the Yan army swarmed out, attempting to launch a pincer attack with the Kang army.

"Raise your shields!"

Chen Ying, a rising star in the military and leader of 12,000 Imperial Guards, calmly issued orders. "Turn around the artillery of the 168th Company, turn around the crossbowmen of the 24th Company, and the assault battalion will charge with me."

He shouted the orders while waving a small flag to convey them.

The infantrymen raised their shields to defend against the aerial attacks, while some of the cannons and crossbows turned and opened fire on the Yan army that had broken out of the city.

Amidst the roar of cannons, Chen Ying led 5,000 light cavalry and 10,000 infantrymen, charging out with great momentum to meet the Yan army.

The war raged from day to night. The Yan army, leaving behind more than 8,000 corpses, retreated to the city. The Kang army also suffered heavy losses and withdrew thirty li.

The Great Feng army was in an extremely difficult predicament, for three reasons.

First: Defeats in the war.

Yandu is easy to defend and difficult to attack, even more so than the seven cities that have already been conquered. In addition, Yandu is full of experts and has a strong military force. With a third-rank wizard in charge, it is as difficult as climbing to the sky to take it down in a short period of time.

With the arrival of the Kang Kingdom's army as reinforcements, it was no longer possible to attack the city.

Second: The supply line was cut off.

Without supply lines, the Great Feng army is like a castle without a foundation; collapse is only a matter of time. The sharp knife plunged into the heart of the Yan Kingdom has already been dulled.

A bonfire blazed inside the military tent.

The young and middle-aged faction led by Chen Ying, and the Wei Yuan faction led by Nangong Qianrou, gathered together.

Chen Ying stood before the sand table, surveying the landscape:

"The strategies of Kang and Yan are clear: they will trap us under the walls of Yandu until we run out of ammunition and food, or scatter and flee, and then they will divide and devour us. Our food supplies are almost gone; by the day after tomorrow, we will have to kill our horses for meat."

One of the generals grinned and said, "I'll be in charge of raiding for provisions. There are quite a few villages near Yandu; we should be able to scavenge some food. No killing horses, absolutely not."

Chen Ying chuckled and said, "General Zhao, then I'll leave it to you. Duke Wei's mission for us was to hold out for ten days. Six days have already passed; we need to hold out for another four days, and then we'll retreat."

He paused, glanced at the assembled generals, and seeing their lack of enthusiasm, pondered for a moment before speaking frankly:

"To be honest, this battle was fought inexplicably, and the supply shortage was even more inexplicable. I still don't understand Duke Wei's intentions. But military orders are absolute, and even if Duke Wei ordered me to brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, I wouldn't blink an eye."

"We still have 30,000 brothers left. In four days, I don't know how many of them will survive, let alone whether I will survive. But the Witch God Cult has been bullying us too much all these years."

"They collude with officials of the imperial court, embezzle the military equipment of our Great Feng, support mountain bandits in Yunzhou, and cause great suffering to the people. Now, they are even trying to occupy the north and surround the northeastern border of our Great Feng."

"Even if our entire army is wiped out in this battle, it will exhaust the military strength of both Yan and Kang. Gentlemen, are you afraid of death?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Anyone who dares to go to the battlefield isn't afraid of death," a general cursed.

"It's only four days. I'll be as lively and energetic as ever after that."

"Duke Wei told us to delay, but I'll complete the task even in forty days, let alone four."

Everyone looked at Nangong Qianrou, the woman with feminine features, who said calmly, "I will leave tonight with ten thousand heavy cavalry."

Chen Ying stared intently at him. "Duke Wei's mission?"

Nangong Qianrou hummed in agreement.

Chen Ying looked at him for a long, long time before the handsome young man smiled and said, "Alright, you can focus on your work. Leave things here to us."

Nangong Qianrou ignored her and turned to leave.

As he was about to leave the military tent, he suddenly stopped. Nangong Qianrou slowly scanned everyone's faces, observing them carefully. He took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"Everyone, take care!"

"Take care of yourself!"

The soldiers said in a deep voice.

Nangong Qianrou took off her helmet, gently placed it on the ground, bent over, paused for a few seconds, and then strode away.

Yandu.

The hall was brightly lit by candlelight, and Nurhega sat high on his throne, listening to his ministers' discussions.

Compared to the dire straits of the Great Feng army, the atmosphere here was noticeably more relaxed, even brimming with joy.

After defending the city for six days, the Great Feng army only attacked on the first day, leaving behind thousands of corpses before retreating in disgrace and never launching a second attack.

On the other hand, the arrival of Kangguo reinforcements enabled them to launch a pincer attack and cut off Great Feng's supply lines, thus cutting off their food supplies.

If the conflict drags on for a few more days, the Great Feng will have no choice but to withdraw. Their remaining troops are no longer sufficient to attack the city, meaning that the capital is now as secure as a mountain and they have nothing to fear from the Fengtian army showing weakness.

Once they withdraw their troops, the Yan and Kang states could even pursue them.

The victor will be the Witch God Cult.

In this way, the so-called Great Feng God was not as terrifying as imagined.

The improved situation gave the people of Yan a strong sense of confidence, and the prestige that Wei Yuan had accumulated during the Battle of Shanhai Pass was instantly greatly reduced.

"Heh, it seems this military genius of the Great Feng isn't so good at siege warfare after all."

"Perhaps twenty years of court intrigue had dulled his edge. Indeed, twenty years without leading troops had brought about a complete change in his character."

"With this single battle, our Yan Kingdom will rise to power and dominate the entire land, bearing the name of Wei Yuan."

"With only 100,000 troops, you think you can take over the main camp? Wishful thinking."

Wei Yuan led his army on a northern expedition, but encountered fierce resistance in the Yan Kingdom and was ultimately defeated. He fled back to the Great Feng Kingdom with his remaining troops, a feat that will surely be recorded in history.

Nurhega turned his head to look at the Grand Preceptor Irbu, who was holding a golden staff and wrapped in a robe, and smiled:

"Grand Preceptor Yilbu, once we defeat Wei Yuan, we can divide our forces and send troops to carry him on our backs to help Kangguo quell the war in the north. After this battle, it will be difficult for Great Feng to send reinforcements. The 30,000 li of land carried on our backs will then be incorporated into the territory of our Witch God Sect."

Yilbu said calmly, "The war in the north is not urgent. The order from the main altar is to annihilate the Great Feng army within the country's borders, especially Wei Yuan; he must not be allowed to return to Great Feng."

Nurhega was taken aback and frowned slightly.

He didn't understand the significance of the order from the headquarters. War is not a mere brawl; the focus should always be on the long term and the big picture, not on any particular person or a few individuals.

Defeating the Feng army and seizing northern territory is far more important than killing Wei Yuan.

Irbu continued, "However, being able to stop Wei Yuan within Yan Kingdom's borders is truly an unexpected bonus. Your mission has been successfully completed, and I will recommend you for credit to the main headquarters."

Nurhega smiled and said, "Thank you, Grand Preceptor."

Suddenly, Irbu tilted his head to the side, adopting a listening posture.

The whispers in my ears were ethereal and illusory, layered upon layered, as if the voices of countless people were merging together, as if they came from another world.

Irbu's expression changed rapidly, from calm to stern, and then to ashen, leaving Nurhega bewildered.

"The Witch God is summoning me, Wei Yuan?!"

Irbu transformed into a streak of black light and burst out of the hall, instantly disappearing into the night.

"Wei Yuan?"

Nurhega frowned, looking bewildered.

The ministers and military officers in the palace looked at each other, completely bewildered.

What did Wei Yuan do to enrage Grand Preceptor Yilbu so much?

Tens of thousands of miles away from Yandu, in the capital of Kangguo, a streak of dark light also pierced the sky, rapidly heading northeast.

As dawn broke, Nangong Qianrou led ten thousand heavy cavalry and finally arrived at the location designated by Wei Yuan.

This is a valley, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a babbling brook.

Nangong Qianrou ordered the cavalry to rest on the spot. Throughout the march, he strictly adhered to the rules established by Wei Yuan: resting every ten li to clean the horses' mouths and noses, and feeding them every thirty li.

The campfire roared, simmering the vegetable soup in the pot.

The grain was looted from villages along the way, while the vegetables were brought by themselves. Speaking of this, Nangong Qianrou thought of that wretched woman who competed with him for his favor.

Before the army set off, Xu Qi'an offered Wei Yuan a plan: dry the vegetables, bake them, squeeze out all the moisture, and then seal them with sheep intestines.

Each soldier carries a kilogram of dehydrated vegetables. It's not heavy, but after soaking in water, the amount is quite substantial. Sprinkle with a handful of coarse salt, and the taste is truly touching.

Nangong Qianrou ate her vegetable soup and picked up rice grains with her hands, pondering her adoptive father's purpose in sending her away from the army.

Wei Yuan gave the direction to the south, which was contrary to the army's marching route.

Nangong Qianrou vaguely realized that her adoptive father had spent twenty years painstakingly designing and creating these ten thousand sets of heavy cavalry armor, perhaps for another purpose.

Therefore, he had to break away from the main army. His adoptive father's idea was to try to avoid causing significant losses to this heavy cavalry force.

But what is the significance?

Just as Nangong Qianrou was thinking this, she suddenly heard a voice behind her. "You..."

He turned his head sharply and saw an ordinary-looking white-robed Warlock standing behind him.

This white-robed Warlock had the typical soft features of a person from the Central Plains, neither sharp nor deep-set, with rather thick lips, giving him a simple and honest impression.

Nangong Qianrou leaped up as if by reflex, like a gazelle leaping, quickly creating distance. She drew her sword and shouted, "Who are you?"

The heavy cavalrymen quickly dropped their bowls, drew their swords, mounted their horses, and moved with great speed, demonstrating their high level of military discipline.

The white-robed Warlock said unhurriedly, "They."

Nangong Qianrou shouted again, "Who are you?"

The white-robed Warlock appeared silently behind him, his cultivation level definitely surpassing Yang Qianhuan's.

The white-robed Warlock said, "You're late."

After a while, he finally finished speaking, "..."

"You're late?!" Nangong Qianrou finally understood what the other person meant and asked in surprise, "You were waiting for me? Did your godfather send you?"

The white-robed Warlock nodded.

Nangong Qianrou breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked, "Who are you? My godfather sent us to find you. What are your plans?"

The white-robed Warlock looked at him calmly and said in an unperturbed tone, "I am the Supervisor."

Nangong Qianrou's expression changed drastically.

Supervise?

He's the Chief Supervisor?! No, how could he be the Chief Supervisor? I've seen him before. Wait, it might not be the Chief Supervisor's true form, it could be an avatar. Yes, that explains why he appeared behind me without me noticing.

What exactly is my adoptive father planning to do by sending us to see the supervisor?

Nangong Qianrou took a deep breath, bowed respectfully to the supervisor, and then heard the white-robed Warlock say, "Second disciple!"

The second disciple? Nangong Qianrou was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized. "You're the second disciple of the Supervisor?!"

The white-robed Warlock smiled and nodded calmly.

Nangong Qianrou's face twitched incessantly.

He suppressed his anger and asked, "What exactly are your plans, Godfather?"

The white-robed Warlock said in a deep voice, "I..."

Then silence fell.

Having learned from her previous experience, Nangong Qianrou was in no hurry and waited patiently. She also took the opportunity to recall the identity of this Warlock. The second disciple of the supervisor was away from home most of the year. Nangong Qianrou had only heard of him but had never seen him.

I never expected to meet this second disciple today. Well, I can only say he truly lives up to his title as the head disciple.

Ten minutes later, the white-robed Warlock finally managed to utter the second half of his sentence: "I don't know!"

I didn't realize that Nangong Qianrou's expression had become somewhat ferocious.

The white-robed Warlock smiled at Nangong Qianrou without realizing it, then raised his hand and gently wiped away Nangong Qianrou's existence, as well as the existence of ten thousand heavy cavalry.

As dawn breaks, the golden-red morning light spills across the sea, rippling with layers of scattered golden light.

At the summit of Jing Mountain stands a towering watchtower.

The sentry, dressed in a sheepskin coat and wearing a winter hat, yawned, took off the water pouch from his waist, and took a sip of sheep's milk wine.

After autumn arrives, the climate in Jingshan changes drastically. The salty, damp sea breeze blows on your face like a fine knife, scraping your skin little by little, making it dry and rough.

The sentry glanced into the far distance at the towering altar, where he could vaguely make out two indistinct statues that had stood for over a thousand years.

To mortals whose lifespan is no more than sixty years, these two statues seem to be eternal and unchanging.

"Hey, wake up, it's almost time for your shift to change."

The sentry, who was drinking mare's milk wine, kicked awake his companion.

My companion rubbed his eyes, stared at his dark circles, yawned, and said lazily:

"Fozer, I've heard the situation in the North is excellent. I really want to go to the battlefield and earn some military merit. I can get promoted and plunder money, then I'll have enough to get married."

Fuzel took another sip of goat milk wine and shrugged:

"Foolish! If you can go to the battlefield, why spend money to marry a wife? Just kidnap ten or eight barbarian women; wouldn't that be more enjoyable?"

His companion scoffed, "Barbarian women are fiercer than tigers and wolves. What you've got, that little bit of meat between your legs? You're only good for showing off on a ewe."

"You bastard, what did the ewes do wrong to deserve this treatment?" Fozer cursed.

Suddenly, Fozel, who was looking out at the sea, froze. He rubbed his eyes, seemingly doubting that he was seeing things.

On the shimmering sea, at the horizon, a huge warship appeared, followed by two, three, five, and a total of twenty warships, arranged in a triangular formation, riding the wind and waves at high speed.

Flags fluttered on the warships.

At the bow of the lead warship, a figure in green robes stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, his gaze calmly fixed on Jingshan.

"Waaah."

The sound of horns rang out from the sentry post, echoing throughout the entire Jing Mountain and the city of Jing Mountain, a majestic city built against the mountain and home to many high-ranking wizards.

P. S.: The next chapter is going to be really tough. I have to write not only war scenes but also battles between top-tier fighters. I'm pretty sure I'll get writer's block and have my mentality blown. Just so you know, if there's no update tonight, it means I'm having writer's block.