Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 129: Unexpected Events
The perspective shifts to the other side, where Zhao Cheng continues his offensive. Dozens of dragon horses that relay messages for him are exhausted and collapsed.

From late June to early July of the Shu Tianli era, Zhao Cheng's southern camp successively annihilated three Yao army attacks at Quwo, gaining complete control of the area. Because Emperor Shu had beheaded several officials at the front for their poor grain transport performance, and blamed those who had failed in their battles there, no other Yao army garrison was willing to take responsibility for the grain transport route to Quwo. He was constantly reporting his engagements with the Hao army on other battlefields.

This forced Emperor Da Yao to place the grain supply near the northern front; little did he know that this grain movement was intended to move Da Yao's lifeline to the mouth of the ambush troops that Zhao Cheng had prepared.

At the end of June, in the Hidden Mountains, the army Zhao Cheng had left in the north began to move, and Zhao Cheng personally went to Beijun to oversee the operation to cut off Yaojun's large granary.

…The battle scene is as follows…

On July 2nd, the peasant soldiers who had been working in the granary were cooking as usual. Dried horse dung, stuffed into the stove, was licking the blackened bottom of the pots with its flames.

These troops were able to guard this "safe rear line" because they had bribed their master. On ordinary days, this regiment would stand casually at the entrance of the grain station with their spears, and then start playing around once the crickets and fighting cocks were ready.

Today, as the adjutant in this granary laughed heartily at the documents detailing how the southern warlords had been reprimanded by the emperor during their campaigns, and joked about how "all the elite troops in the army were out there flattering the emperor," the sky suddenly darkened.

A thick, dark cloud covered the entire sky above the warehouse, and everyone wondered what the cloud above them was.

The cloud approached quickly, densely packed like a pile of sesame seeds. After a few breaths, these sesame seeds seemed to suddenly emerge from the air and transform into a group of winged birdmen, who swooped down without saying a word.

These are crow-men with wings the color of agate. They just used their "stealth" ability to launch a surprise attack.

This ability allows them to blend into the sky, leaving only a blurry, dark shadow. It's an optical phenomenon; just now, there were so many of them that they formed a cloud.

Even if you get within fifty paces, the "concealment" spell is theoretically ineffective; at this point, the crow-man will still appear as a tiny dot in the sky. However, if you get even closer, within thirty paces, the crow-man will suddenly appear as a real figure in the observer's view.

In an instant, amidst the sounds of crows swooping and fighting, the already demoralized farmers frantically dodged the sandstorm whipped up by the agate-colored wings; the crow-men were not particularly lethal, and could not even withstand a single volley from powerful bows and crossbows. But their advantage lay in their ability to launch surprise attacks.

When the crow-men engage in melee combat, it's a three-on-one fight. They possess a unique combat technique: when the great warriors encounter the crow-men, they suddenly feel a gust of fierce wind, whipped by the crow-men's wings. This strong wind carries sand, causing their vision to blur and making it difficult to open. Caught off guard, their opponents will find their eyes watering uncontrollably.

In an instant, after the crow people captured the high ground such as the ballista tower, the warehouse was in chaos, and the sound of flapping wings could be heard from the sky again.

A group of Hao Kingdom dragon horse troops, clad in leather armor and flapping their wings, swooped down from the sky. The five-horse charge, like an iron hammer, scattered the hastily assembled ranks on the ground, armed with swords and shields. After the core soldiers in the ranks were beheaded and killed by the Hao army's subordinates, the granary was in complete chaos.

Then, nine Taiyue Luan birds circled continuously in the sky, and in the center of the largest warehouse, the Nine Crows Praying for Clear Skies ceremony began.

Instantly, those below felt a dry, windy atmosphere, like that of autumn. Then, Taiyue Luan's wings suddenly froze, and the light in the sky intensified dozens of times. The flames that had been burning the cooking pots under the soldiers' fires burst into flames, lifting the pots off the ground and turning them into hot air currents that swept around the area.

Meanwhile, the pile of dried horse manure was swept up by a force, sparking under the blazing sun. Immediately afterwards, a firestorm rose from the fuel pile in the kitchen, twisting and moving towards the warehouse, which was then ignited by the fire dragon.

Five miles away, Zhao Cheng, riding on the Taiyue Luan, looked down at the large warehouse below, which was beyond saving, and ordered the gong to be sounded, withdrawing the troops.

Zhao Cheng's scheme wasn't just about the Da Yao army; it was about using one enemy to devour another. The "wolf" was the false one.

Now that Da Yao is focusing his attention on Wei Guan, Zhao Cheng, who previously supported Wei Guan, believes that the King of Bo has completed his mission.

It's like a fisherman: once the fish has taken the bait, he no longer cares about the fate of the "bait."

The territory of the false Guan was Xingzhou and Yongzhou. Xingzhou was attacked by Da Yao's army; while in Yongzhou, there was some flooding, and the people were in a state of panic, so it was impossible for them to stand on their own.

Zhao Cheng: At that time, as long as we force the military forces of the garrison commander of Xingzhou to retreat, we can unify the north.

Why was Zhao Cheng confident that Emperor Xu could not conquer Xingzhou? Because he was short of food in the north, and his army plundered the land, losing the support of the people.

…Drag the view on the strategic map…

In the far northwest of Da Yao, the five armies forming a "cloth" were completely surrounding the pseudo-capital of the Prince of Bo. On July 2nd, the emperor ordered the city walls to be breached.

The pseudo-capital city was located in a river valley with lush vegetation on both sides, making it a good place for farming. However, all the villages here have now been burned down.

The people of the puppet regime hid in the capital, while outside the city walls stretched a massive army like ocean waves. Barrages of artillery shells left the city walls looking like they had been through a war.

Outside the city, towering golden-armored warriors, each ten feet tall, were wielding massive iron hammers, relentlessly striking the breach on the east side of the city.

The city walls were being dug down piece by piece, and arrows shot from within the city were causing the armor plates on the golden-armored warriors to fall off continuously. Unlike the large terracotta figurines, these warriors were human; they were warriors nurtured by the energy of the mountains and rivers, and after waking up to fight, they would eat a whole cow for one meal.

On the evening of July 5th, just as the city was about to fall, the emperor received news that his rear supply lines had been cut off, and his initial good mood of holding his rebellious son's lifeline completely vanished.

Emperor Shu was furious, but remained calm and said, "Break the city within ten hours. Have Long Tao (a general of the Zhanlu army) deliver a letter to that rebellious son."

…The battle view zooms out into the city, passing through building after building, until we reach the central palace…

King Bo watched as the city walls crumbled, and the giant trodden upon the bricks, approaching his last bastion. This prince, who had been so full of vigor in Yaodu ten years ago, looked at his children's cries and sighed, "Alas, this is the end."

Although he still had Cai and Heng's armies in the west, he knew that these two armies would not come to his rescue.

After the outer walls of the city collapsed, the inner city continued its defenses, but the civilians hiding in the outer city became the scapegoats for the breaching army. The Prince of Bo sneered: "My father, where is your holy name?"

After a short while, the Prince of Bo, watching his people begging for mercy under the sway of the imperial army below the city walls, was filled with rage. It wasn't that he was soft-hearted, but rather that with the people's morale wavering, he felt that if they continued to resist, his own head would be offered up by his men. He sighed and ordered his servants to carefully prepare his head.

That evening, the Prince of Bo surrendered, offering his own head. His family was taken to the Emperor by the generals.

As the procession of those surrendering the city knelt before him, the emperor gazed at the head of his son, who had betrayed him for six years. The greater events in his heart had already fallen behind, and he felt an inexplicable sadness.

Emperor Xu admitted that this son was actually most like himself. Seeing his son's head now was like a reminder of his own youth, the fate of a single misstep. He stroked his son's head, then covered it with a cloth.

Just as Emperor Shu was grieving, chaos erupted within the newly captured city. Discontent arose among the soldiers who had breached the city due to rumors. The rumor was that "a portion of the troops would be withdrawn from the city," but which force was it? The Zhanlu army uttered some provocative words.

On the street, the Zhanlu army general who came to mediate shouted at the soldiers from Qi in the east: "What right do you have to make a scene here? You can't even get through the gates of Yaodu."

As soon as those words were shouted, the knife began to pierce through and draw blood. After everyone was shocked, they decided to go all the way.

With a sharp "clang," a sword was drawn from its sheath, followed immediately by a collective scramble to draw their weapons. Then, they began hacking at each other in a frenzy.

Emperor Shu's campaign involved five armies, meaning there were several military leaders.

The command systems of these armies of Yaojun were actually independent of each other. In the open areas outside the city, they could set up separate camps and the officers could restrain their subordinates and keep to themselves. However, when they were in the same city, it was extremely difficult to avoid their mutual strife, which would intensify the conflicts.

If Wu Fei were here, he would be very astute and arrange rewards and punishments after the city is breached in advance, at least recruiting those who were the first to scale the walls into his tent and giving them advance rewards. These are all the most formidable people.

The rewards given to those who were the first to scale the walls also served as a barometer for the soldiers below, who would observe the rewards bestowed by their superiors in this battle.

In this way, these men, who have just tasted blood, will focus their attention on the upcoming reward ceremony in the main tent. Even if a small disturbance breaks out in the city, it can be quickly suppressed.

However, Emperor Xu was so immersed in his feelings for his rebellious son that he failed to make arrangements for the matter at hand. Or perhaps he was too old and lacked the energy. With his son's head placed before him, he needed to get drunk to regulate his emotions and didn't have time to attend to the rising resentment among the soldiers in the city.

…Blue is leaping…

On the night of July 6th, several armies within the city began a mutiny in the palace. Each faction wanted to transport the chests of gold and silver to their own army, resulting in infighting.

However, amidst this frenzied chaos, the officials of the false regime, upon learning of their fate of being executed by the emperor, remained lifelessly in their cells. They were also temporarily spared from custody during the infighting among the enemy soldiers, knowing that even if they tried to escape, they would find nowhere to go.

Just as this area was peacefully waiting to die, a mysterious force began to intrude, changing the outcome.

While the soldiers were plundering each other for gold and silver, these self-proclaimed officials from the prison cells emerged, laughing foolishly. No one paid any attention to these madmen, perhaps believing that once things calmed down, these harmless lunatics would naturally be arrested and returned to their cells.

These harmless madmen wandered the streets, clapping their hands every few steps, until they finally reached the inner city's granary. They doused themselves in oil and jumped inside. —And so, the inner city's most crucial granary caught fire. The self-immolators turned into smoke, and in the smoke-filled sky, the blue, malevolent moon appeared and disappeared.

The emperor's army was already short of food at this time.

…The perspective shifts to another military strategist…

On July 7, after Zhao Cheng completed the raid on the northern granary, he returned to his camp in Quwo. At the same time, he received news from "Jian" that the garrison army had entered the city, but had failed to control the troops and had mutinied.

He immediately sat up and began to look at the map, preparing to cut off the grain and supplies storage points and fatal weaknesses of Da Yao's 150,000-strong army on its western expedition.

Late at night, Zhao Cheng, with dark circles under his eyes, drew a series of marching diagrams on the map, setting up a trap to swallow up the elite troops of the Western Route of Da Yao in one gulp.

After relaying some routine orders, he went into his tent to catch up on sleep. Flying back and forth between the two armies was indeed quite exhausting.

However, he didn't sleep well because a message arrived from Bo County. After groggily reading the message, he suddenly sat up, but lost his balance and fell off the bed.

Anyone would be furious if a plan that has just been finalized had to be torn up.

After Zhao Cheng got up, he wrote a letter to the Grand Tutor, asking her if she had figured out who the general of the Bo County Yao Army was!

After repeatedly wiping his face with a towel, Zhao Cheng deduced from the battle reports that this was not a "new general," but the same one who had been in "Yongshui South" two years ago. According to the battle reports from Bohai, the methods used by those who attacked Su Dong and his men were the same as those used in the Zhenshui flanking maneuver.

In this world, military strategy is a unique skill possessed by each general. Even between father and son, their military habits differ, so...
He thought the guy who should be in the west was now in the east! Pu'e had the wrong person on her mind!
Just then, the mirror began to ripple. Zhao Cheng twisted the white jade edge of the mirror and saw Pu E in the mirror. After Zhao Cheng questioned her strictly, Pu E was also stunned. After all, she had seen Wu Hengyu with her own eyes and had even beaten up his CP Yu Li.

Pu'e: How could that be?

Zhao Cheng practically roared, "How could I not? The situation in Bo County is critical!"

Pu'e looked at Zhao Cheng, then paused—she saw the system notification: "Loyalty has decreased."

Pu'e said, "I'll go check it out."

Zhao Cheng restrained his emotions and slowly said, "Grand Tutor, do not underestimate the Yao Army generals of Bo County. You need to write an order that they are only allowed to defend there and not attack."

Zhao Cheng was somewhat annoyed by Pu E's lack of awareness of her serious mistake, but upon seeing Pu E and remembering his promise, he calmed down and devised a plan.

Pu'e paused for a moment, then nodded.

Zhao Cheng: "I need to let Emperor Xu return and end the battle. I need to get back quickly."

Pu'e: "This?" — Sensing the undeniable look in Zhao Cheng's eyes, she nodded nonetheless.

After the water mirror session ended, Zhao Cheng leaned wearily against the bed, gazing at the mirror and muttering a sentence in a barely audible voice.

…I will not fail you…

In the Yongshui area, a wave of refugees began to emerge as the north bank was largely submerged; on the south bank, boats carried refugees away, and these boats, laden with refugees, were swallowed up by a mist and disappeared after entering the center of the water.

This misty area was opened by Yu Li using the "Dragon Blood Flower," a spiritual object. Its effect is to allow refugees to safely travel to the eastern part of the Great Cave Heaven.

However, in the Great Cave Heaven, due to the pollution of the mountains and rivers by the Evil Moon, there are many demons and monsters. Wu Hengyu had to lead his troops to travel through it. His army fought against various ghosts, skeletons and demons dozens of times in the cave heaven.

Amidst the frequent wars in Da Yao, countless corpses were thrown into rivers and marshes. And within the Great Cave Heaven, these people who died because of the war transformed into skeleton monsters, obese rotting corpses, and half-corpse monsters whose lower bodies rotted away and crawled on two three-meter-long arms.

When the refugees entered, these dead spirits sensed the life force of the living and surged forward in a rush.

In the Great Cave Heaven, Wu Hengyu fought against these "refreshed" ghosts and monsters time and time again to ensure that the refugees could safely reach the eastern lake.

What followed was an unremarkable battle among many others.

The scene where Wu Hengyu's legion encountered the undead soldiers: surrounded by puddles, with a small island covered with dead trees in the center.

Wu Hengyu ordered his troops to protect the refugees and hide them in a corner on the side. After he rushed onto the island, the water monsters that had been lying in ambush in the puddles around the island quickly swarmed together like ants seeing a piece of candy, trying to bite Wu Hengyu’s vigorous blood energy. However, they couldn’t break through his defenses after gnawing for a long time. Meanwhile, Zhu Yanming and Bai Renfeng had already prepared their spells.

After repeatedly sweeping the area to confirm that all the monsters had gathered there, Wu Hengyu cast the Fire Avoidance Technique and the Calamity Repelling Spell, then let out a loud shout that exploded like thunder among the ghosts.

The burst of malevolent energy immediately left these ghosts bewildered and stunned, and also sent a signal to the cultivators on the periphery.

Multiple spells began to unleash.

Under the firestorm, the evil spirits gathered around him were sucked in like vacuum cleaners and destroyed in the flames with a crackling sound; in the sword rain spell, the sharp white raindrops falling from the sky caused the crawling ghosts to break apart as the golden energy fell.

This method of killing has proven to be the most efficient.

Hundreds of meters away, the refugees, protected in the center by the army's array, looked at Wu Hengyu and the five mages who summoned the heavenly might as if they were gods.

In the array, Yu Li also looked at her lover. At this moment, under her gauze dress, one could see her waist wrapped in white cloth. These were scars left from her battle with Pu E. They had not yet healed, and she would not be able to transform into a dragon again for a year.

Of course, for Wu Hengyu, the most important thing about Yu Li is her extensive knowledge!

It was she who persuaded Wu Hengyu to relocate the refugees from Yongzhou to the eastern lake region. This was not only to gather a reserve force, but more importantly, to "unite the Dharma image."

As the refugees worshipped and chanted, streams of incense energy gathered around Wu Hengyu. Most of the time, living beings cannot utilize the "power of incense," a power used to elevate ghosts to godhood. However, Yu Li used a special method to help Wu Hengyu transform the power of incense into magical power compatible with malevolent energy.

After Wu Hengyu swept away the ghosts, a scholar in the crowd (a planted by Yu Ji) shouted loudly, "General, you are truly a tyrant among men!"

Then others echoed the title, and the soldiers of the Northern Route Army standing in the formation, who were staring intently at Wu Hengyu's unparalleled prowess, also realized that it was a good title. So they raised their weapons and shouted, "Overlord, invincible!"

Although some soldiers knew that such a "kingship" was an act of usurpation, they were now traversing a vast, ghostly cave, and the Great Dao could not protect them, so they could only place their hopes on this general who was willing to save them.

The roar of mountains and the surging of the sea sculpted the incense and prayers gathered around Wu Hengyu, shaping them like a statue.

Yu Li's method of using the power of incense is that simple: "become king"! In the Great Yao World, the one who can also use the power of wishes is the Great Yao Emperor.

Bai Renfeng looked at Wu Hengyu, who was sweeping away the ghosts, and then at the surging crowd of refugees. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but felt himself being condensed by the power of will. This was because these people also regarded those who summoned flames to burn the demons as "heavenly officials," so they also had it.

Qinglin slowly said: It seems that the person we are assisting is the one destined to face this great calamity.

(End of this chapter)