Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 203 Daoist cultivation breaks through to the Divine Power Realm, Shimin uses a borrowed knife to seize Chang'an

[Name: Liu Qing]

[Race: Serpent]

[Realm Level: Divine Power Realm 42%]

[Rank: Divine Lord]

[From the gods: Seventh-rank incense god (1), Ninth-rank incense god (12)]

[Divinity: Authority 12%, Incense 24.1%]

[Cultivation Techniques: Dragon and Snake Devouring Qi Method (Great Success), Water and Fire Refining Method (Perfect), Wind Transformation Divine Power (Perfect), Alchemy (Minor Success), Formation (Beginner), Weapon Refining (Beginner)]

【血脉天赋：1吞象（大成）；2尾鞭（大成）；3厚甲（大成）；4口囊（大成）；5沸血（大成），6獠剑（大成），7火翼（大成），8妖言（大成），9委蛇（大成）】

【神通：1御水（大成）；2水傀（大成）；3寄香（大成）；4力士（大成），5化冰（大成）；6水雷（大成）；7洞阴（大成）；8点金（大成）；9分魂（大成）；10托梦（大成）；11阴风（大成）；12通幽（大成）；13拘灵（大成）；14神降（大成），15分流（大成），16断江（大成），17覆海（大成），18禁水（大成），19水遁（大成），20聚灵（大成）】

[Heaven and Earth Source Qi: 72 points]

Humanitarian Merit: 39 points

Having not looked at his panel for a long time, Liu Qing's strength has increased several times over now that his power has merged with the Dao and he has broken through to the mid-stage of the Divine Power Realm. He is now quite confident in his ability to kill the City God of Chang'an City on this mission.

Liu Qing put his arm around Hong Gu, sat on the back of the Water-Avoiding Golden-Eyed Beast, and headed straight for Chang'an City along the waterway.

Chang'an City.

Li Shimin, Li Xiuning, and Li Xuanba, the three leaders, all armed and dressed in black with their faces covered, quietly arrived at the north gate of Chang'an City.

Behind the three, along the shadows at the corner of the wall, followed the Li family's elite private soldiers and servants.

Not far ahead, a group of Sui Dynasty soldiers were huddled in twos and threes around a fire to keep warm in the chilly darkness of early spring.
The flames made their faces clearly visible in the night.

"Captain, do you think those rebel troops outside the city would really dare to attack our Chang'an City?"

"Pah, a bunch of damned vagrants. Don't be fooled by their numbers; they're just a rabble and no match for you."

"They think they can attack our Chang'an City? Dream on! Chang'an City's walls are tall and exceptionally sturdy. They're just a bunch of ant-like thieves. What siege equipment do they have? They're just standing around outside, probably trying to extort some money and grain."

"Don't worry, they're not that stupid. They won't dare to attack the city. Let's keep the outside tight and the inside loose, and take turns getting some sleep."

Just as the soldiers guarding the city were getting sleepy, Li Shimin and his men had already quietly crept up to their surroundings.

In the distance, a watchman struck a gong; there were still fifteen minutes until the appointed time.

Li Shimin gripped the ox-horn bow tightly with his left hand and drew the string with his right. The bow was fully drawn, and in the next instant, the arrow left the string with a sharp whistling sound, instantly piercing the heart of the city's captain.

puff-

The captain of the defending soldiers was shot through the heart by an arrow. The soldiers around him, long out of practice, stood frozen in place, unable to react for a moment.

But then, countless arrows that had been aimed at them rained down from the sky, killing them instantly.

"Xiuning, the Sui soldiers in the city gate have been killed. Quickly take your men up there. Ignore everything else, just lower the noose and open the city gate."

"Xuanba, you and your second brother, together, block the Sui soldiers rushing up and down the city gate, and make sure to hold out until the city gate is opened."

Li Shimin hung the ox-horn bow at his waist, drew his ring-pommel sword, and with a wave of his hand, led his private soldiers and servants toward the city gate.

The Sui soldiers guarding the city were divided into two teams: one team guarded the city gates below, while the other team patrolled the city walls to guard against Sun Hua's rebel army outside the city.

At this moment, the Sui soldiers guarding the city gate were killed by a hail of arrows. Li Xiuning only needed to lead her men, loosen the noose, lower the drawbridge over the moat outside the city, and then open the city gate to let Sun Hua's rebel army into the city.

Li Shimin then led his men up the city wall to eliminate another group of Sui soldiers, lest they be alerted and send a message to the Sui army camp inside the barbican, or descend the city wall to prevent the city gate from being opened.

"kill!--"

Li Shimin took the lead, leaping out of the darkness and charging straight at the Sui soldiers. Behind him, the private soldiers and servants of the Li family, like ferocious wolves, silently pounced on them.

Li Xuanba, dragging two golden hammers, his small body barely larger than the hammers themselves, possessed immense strength and moved with incredible speed, overtaking Li Shimin and leading the charge.

"Second brother, get out of the way, let me go kill them!"

The same applied to Li Shimin's private soldiers and servants; they sped up to overtake him and block his path, preventing their patriarch from being ambushed.
In their hearts, Li Shimin was the head of the family, while Li Yuan, who was far away in Jinyang, and Li Jiancheng were not.

Li Xuanba, like a demon, before even getting close, hurled a massive hammer, smashing two or three Sui soldiers into a bloody pulp. Then, he leaped onto the city wall, picked up the hammer, and with a shake of the two hammers, a muffled thunderclap resounded.

With a roar, like a demon descended to earth, he brandished a pair of massive hammers and charged into the Sui army's ranks, unleashing a carnage.
In an instant, there were only the sounds of bodies being smashed to pieces, turning into tattered sacks of flesh. Countless Sui soldiers were crushed to death by Li Xuanba's hammer, like newly hatched chicks.

The alert Sui soldiers reacted quickly, attempting to strike the gong to spread the news of the attack. However, at that moment, Li's private soldiers finally rushed forward, and with a snap of their halberds, they beheaded the Sui soldier.

Next, Li Xiuning led her men to the city gate and ordered her servants to lower the noose. With a rumbling sound, the noose loosened, and the drawbridge outside the city collapsed.

Changsun Wuji and the rebel leader Sun Hua stood in front of the army formation. When they saw the drawbridge being lowered, their hearts finally settled.

"General Sun, my master has lowered the drawbridge as agreed, and the city gates will open shortly. You may now order the attack!"

Sun Hua, clad in full armor, was tall and imposing with exceptionally long arms that almost reached his knees. He grinned as he looked at the lowered suspension bridge.

"Your master is indeed a man of his word. Alright, leave the rest to Grandpa!"

Sun Hua turned his back to face his thousands of most elite rebel soldiers and roared, "My men, follow me into Chang'an! Tonight, I will not sheath my sword and let you kill to your heart's content!"

A fierce killing intent erupted from Sun Hua, causing Changsun Wuji to frown and sense an impending doom. He had intended to incite Sun Hua's rebel army to fight the Sui soldiers within the city, hoping to reap the benefits, but now it seemed Sun Hua was not so easily controlled.

Sun Hua had already led his troops into battle. Changsun Wuji looked at Sun Hua's back and was very worried. Shimin wanted to use Sun Hua, but Sun Hua was probably using Shimin as well. In the end, who would be the one to benefit from the situation would have to be the one who was more cunning.

With a creak, the heavy east gate of Chang'an slowly opened.

Seeing that Sun Hua was about to lead his army into the city, Li Shimin joined forces with Li Xiuning and Li Xuanba, and then, with his private soldiers and servants, quietly disappeared into the darkness.

"Kill! Kill the Sui dogs!"

Sun Hua was the first to step into Chang'an City, letting out an excited roar. Behind him, thousands of elite soldiers also roared and charged into the city.

Not far from the East Gate was the Sui army camp in the barbican. Li Shimin sent one of his men, dressed in Sui army clothes, to report to them.

"Report——"

"Sun Hua's rebel army has already captured the east gate and is now advancing this way. We cannot hold them off and have suffered heavy casualties. Please send reinforcements immediately."

After shouting, Li Shimin's men disappeared into the darkness. The soldiers on night watch on the watchtower in the camp listened carefully and, sure enough, heard faint shouts of battle coming from afar.
He was immediately alarmed and quickly struck the alarm clapper in his hand.

The quiet barracks were instantly awakened. The Sui Dynasty generals in the army suppressed their panic and repeatedly ordered the officers and captains of each unit to beat the drums and gather their troops to resist the rebels.

Soon, the Sui soldiers, led by their commanding officers, hastily donned their armor, took up their weapons, and lined up to meet Sun Hua's rebel army.
Although they had been out of battle for a long time and were somewhat flustered, they remained composed and marched forward in formation following the command of the war drums.

Most of these Sui soldiers and officers were from Chang'an City, with their parents and children in the city. None of them thought about fleeing without a fight; they only thought about fighting hard to drive Sun Hua's rebel army out of the city and protect their families.

After turning a corner, Sun Hua's rebel army suddenly encountered 10,000 Sui soldiers.

After a brief silence, a sudden shout rang out, and the two armies gripped their spears and lances, charging towards each other.

As soon as the battle began, countless shrill screams rang out.

The spear pierced the bodies of the rebel soldiers, gushing out large amounts of blood that stained the ancient city red. The spears sent the Sui soldiers flying, crashing to the ground. Before the Sui soldiers could even scream, they were trampled into a bloody pulp by their comrades following behind.

The sounds of spears piercing bodies, the cracking of broadswords breaking bones, and the agonizing screams of countless Sui rebel soldiers on the verge of death suddenly echoed throughout Chang'an.

Li Shimin, Li Xiuning, Li Xuanba, and their entourage hid in houses along the street, nervously watching the battlefield situation.
Upon discovering that many rebel soldiers had died, he ordered his men to shoot and kill several Sui officers in command. When he noticed that the Sui troops were losing ground, he secretly shot and killed several more fierce rebel soldiers.
To ensure that the Sui soldiers are almost completely wiped out, so that they can join forces with Li Shimin to seize Chang'an later, it is also necessary to ensure the depletion of the rebel army's elite forces, so as to prevent them from becoming too powerful to control in the end.

Changsun Wuji secretly sneaked in from outside the city and found Li Shimin at the agreed location.

"Shimin, the second wave of Sun Hua's rebel army has begun to enter Chang'an City."

Li Shimin nodded: "According to the plan, we will change into the rebels' clothes, lead the second batch of rebels into the city, kill our way through the barbican, enter the inner city of Chang'an, and use the rebels to slaughter all the powerful families who are loyal to the Sui Dynasty."

At this moment, Li Shimin displayed his formidable nature, exuding a cold and murderous aura, devoid of any mercy. This was true of the powerful families within Chang'an.
Many of them had personal connections with the Li family, but unfortunately, they were loyal to the Sui Dynasty and would not join Li Shimin in opposing it.

They had no choice but to use the rebels' swords to bury them along with the Sui Dynasty.

Changsun Wuji nodded without hesitation. Although Li Xiuning felt reluctant, she did not stop him. After this battle, many familiar friends would never be seen again. If anyone was to blame, it was because they belonged to different camps.

Sun Hua's rebel army had suffered heavy casualties earlier. Under the cover of night, Li Shimin's private soldiers stripped the clothes off the rebels and put them on themselves before heading towards the second wave of rebels entering the city.

The others used the same method to ambush the government troops guarding the inner city gates, opening them and allowing the rebels to enter.

As Li Shimin had planned, things proceeded smoothly. The inner city gates of Chang'an were opened, and the second batch of rebels, instead of joining up with Sun Hua, were led directly into the inner city.

The various wards and markets in the eastern part of the inner city were all inhabited by powerful and influential families in Chang'an, and by people under Li Shimin's command. They were all marked according to pre-prepared plans.
They led the rebel army to attack the mansions of powerful and influential families.

"General Sun said, tonight the swords will not be sheathed, whoever steals the goods keeps them! Brothers, kill! The officials inside are incredibly wealthy, with countless grains, wine, and meat. If we break into their mansion, we'll be rich!"

These rebels under Sun Hua were originally composed of refugees who could not survive. Now, after being lured by such temptations, the lure of money, food, and treasure instantly aroused their greed.

Furthermore, recalling their past misery at being exploited by powerful and wealthy officials, they were instantly filled with rage and, with red eyes, they began to attack the mansions of the powerful and wealthy.

Greed and hatred gave them immense power. Faced with these wolves and tigers, the servants of the powerful and wealthy mansions could only hold out for a moment before scattering and fleeing for their lives, leaving behind only the nobles inside the mansions trembling with fear.

"Damn you! I remember you. I owed you a bushel of grain as rent, and you had your servants break my father's legs. Now that you're in my hands, I'm going to cut off all three of your legs, interest and all!"

A man with red eyes, his honest and simple face long gone, ignored the other man's kneeling pleas and excitedly swung his broadsword, cutting off his three legs one by one.

"Haha, you old pig and dog, your son stole my wife back then, and today your wife has fallen into my hands. Heaven has eyes, this is retribution."

Among the rebels, a man stepped forward, tore open the clothes of the lady of the mansion, and pounced on her laughing, ignoring her cries and pleas for mercy.

The world is governed by cause and effect. Today you bully me because I am weak, but when I am strong in the future, I will definitely take it all back with interest.

The nobleman, whose three legs had been cut off, looked at the miserable state of his family and children in the mansion and let out a heart-wrenching howl. He dragged his bloodied half-body, writhing on the ground, trying to beg for mercy and curse, but it was no use. He could only watch helplessly as his wife and children suffered. I wonder if he ever thought of this day when he bullied others.

These events, tonight, are but a drop in the ocean within the city of Chang'an.

Revenge and revenge were some of the motivations; more often, it was the impoverished rebels who swarmed and stormed the mansions of powerful officials and aristocratic families, vying for everything in sight.

They looted money, grain, cloth, and clothing—everything they lacked. Seeing that the rebels had finished looting and marked their positions, the forces loyal to the Sui Dynasty were about to become uncontrollable, and they extended their vicious reach to ordinary people.

Li Shimin then sent men to shout: "Brothers, this city is only full of poor bastards, we won't find anything good here even if we rob it. I know a place with more treasure than this place, come with me!"

Li's gang of private soldiers raised their arms and shouted, leading the rebel army toward the City God Temple outside the city.

The remaining rebels who entered the city hesitated before robbing ordinary civilians, but Li Xuanba swung his hammer and jumped out, leading a squad of Li family private soldiers to kill and drive them away.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Li Shimin ordered Changsun Wuji and Li Xiuning to each lead a squad of Li family private soldiers to close the outer city's east gate to prevent the subsequent rebel army from entering the city. At the same time, they ordered the inner city gate to trap Sun Hua's elite rebel army and Sui soldiers in the barbican, forcing them to fight each other.

(End of this chapter)