Rise of a Lonely City: From Exiled Prince to Ruler of the Nine Provinces

The brick kiln is located three miles west of the city; it is an abandoned kiln site left over from the previous dynasty's brick-making.

Under the moonlight, the kiln opening resembled a gaping maw, dark and sinister.

Outside the kiln, there were piles of broken bricks and tiles, mostly covered by snow, but traces of recent human activity could be seen—disordered footprints and crisscrossing wheel tracks.

Xiao Chen led his men to ambush behind an earthen slope fifty paces outside the kiln.

From here, you can clearly see the kiln site and the path leading to it.

"Your Highness, there's some noise." Wang Dashan lowered his voice.

A faint light shone from inside the kiln, and several figures moved about.

I could vaguely hear voices, but I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Xiao Chen made a hand gesture, and the twenty veterans split into three teams. One team guarded the retreat route, another team went around to the back of the kiln, and he himself led Wang Dashan and five other men, slowly making their way towards the kiln entrance.

The sound became clearer when we were still twenty steps away from the kiln.

"...That's all?" a rough male voice asked.

"Master Liu said to ship half first, and the rest will be given after the matter is settled," another voice said ingratiatingly.

"Half? That's like giving a beggar a handout!"

The rough voice was impatient. "Tell Scarface Liu that the warriors of the grasslands are not dogs he can summon and dismiss at will. If you want us to take action, you'd better show some sincerity."

Grassland people!

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat. Scarface Liu had indeed colluded with the grassland tribes.

"Yes, yes, I will definitely tell them when I get back."

The obsequious voice continued, "However, Master Liu said that as long as we can drive away or... or get rid of that prince this time, half of Hanyuan City's harvest will belong to your department."

A rough, hoarse voice sneered, "Half? Cold Abyss City is so poor that even mice don't come here. What good is half a harvest? We need iron, salt, and cloth."

"Yes, yes, yes, Master Liu said that as long as the Prince is gone, he will give the Black Stone Mountain in the west of the city to your tribe..."

Blackstone Mountain!

Xiao Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

That was where he discovered the coal mine.

How would Scarface Liu know there was coal there? Did he also read "The Mineral Resources of the North"?

wrong.

Xiao Chen suddenly remembered the Bright Armor and the "Frost Abyss" sword in the cellar.

The fact that Yang Ye, the former general who defended the city, hid these things before the city fell indicates that he had a premonition that the city could not be defended.

Therefore, he may have also hidden a record of the location of the mineral deposit.

Scarface Liu must have discovered something during his three years in Hanyuan.

"What's in Black Rock Mountain?" a rough voice asked.

"I heard... I heard there's treasure."

The ingratiating voice said mysteriously, "Master Liu consulted a master who said there's black gold in those mountains that can be burned, a hundred times better than firewood. There are also red stones that can be used to smelt iron."

It really was coal and iron.

Xiao Chen gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

This news must not be leaked, otherwise the grassland tribes will definitely come to steal it.

There was a moment of silence inside the kiln.

The rough voice rang out again: "Alright, we'll take this deal. I'll bring five hundred cavalry in three days. Tell Scarface Liu to prepare what we want."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Footsteps sounded; the person inside was about to come out.

Xiao Chen made a hand gesture, and everyone immediately hid.

Four people emerged from the kiln.

The three were dressed in grassland attire—fur coats, fur hats, curved knives at their waists, and bone ornaments adorning their braids.

The other was one of Scarface Liu's men, whom Xiao Chen had met before; he was one of the men who had been shouting at the city lord's mansion that day.

The four walked to the open space outside the kiln, and the leader of the grassland people suddenly stopped and sniffed.

"No, it smells like a stranger."

He turned abruptly and drew his scimitar.

Almost simultaneously, Xiao Chen also made a move.

"Let's do it!"

Twenty veterans rushed out from their hiding place, their blades gleaming in the moonlight.

"There's an ambush!" Scarface Liu's men shouted in alarm and turned to run into the kiln.

The three grassland men, however, were fierce and brave. Instead of retreating, they advanced, brandishing their scimitars, to meet the charging veteran.

Hand in hand.

Xiao Chen charged straight at the leader of the grassland people.

The man was tall and broad-shouldered, clearly a warrior from the grasslands.

Seeing Xiao Chen charging towards him, he grinned maliciously and slashed down with his curved blade, which cut through the air.

Xiao Chen did not take the blow head-on, but dodged to the side, and with a swift motion, he slashed his "Frosty Abyss" blade toward the opponent's ribs.

The man reacted extremely quickly, parrying with his own blade. The two blades collided, sparks flying everywhere.

What incredible strength!

Xiao Chen's arm went numb, and he took two steps back.

The other party was also taken aback—this boy looked thin, but he was quite strong.

"That's interesting."

The steppe man licked his lips. "State your name. I, Hassan, do not kill nameless nobodies."

"Xiao Chen." Xiao Chen stood holding his sword.

"The Prince?"

Hassan's eyes lit up. "You're the prince? Good, good, that saves me the trouble of looking for you again."

He let out a low growl, and his scimitar slashed down like a storm.

The swordsmanship was bold and sweeping, employing the fighting techniques of steppe cavalry—simple yet effective.

Xiao Chen fought and retreated simultaneously.

His swordsmanship was not as skillful as his opponent's, nor was his strength, but he was more agile.

The fighting skills he learned in his previous life, combined with Zhao Tie's guidance over the past three months, allowed him to barely withstand the onslaught of attacks.

But this can't go on forever.

Xiao Chen glanced at the battlefield out of the corner of his eye.

The other two grassland people were surrounded by the veterans. Although they were brave, they were no match for the many hands and gradually lost ground.

Scarface Liu's henchman had already run into the kiln and disappeared.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath and suddenly changed his tactics.

Instead of dodging, he charged straight at Hassan's knife.

Hassan was taken aback, then grinned maliciously: "You're asking for it!"

The curved blade slashed down.

Xiao Chen did not block, but instead ducked and slid past the blade.

The "Cold Abyss" blade slashed upwards, aiming straight for Hassan's throat.

A fight where both sides perish!

Hassan's expression changed drastically. He didn't want to die, so he quickly sheathed his knife and went back to defend.

But it was too late.

Xiao Chen's knife tip pierced his throat an inch deep.

That one inch was all it took to kill him.

Hassan stared wide-eyed at Xiao Chen in disbelief, wanting to say something, but only managed a hoarse sound before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

"Big Brother!" The other two grassland men saw Hassan fall and their eyes widened in horror. They tried to rush over, but the veterans held them back tightly.

Xiao Chen wiped the blood from his face, picked up his knife, and walked towards the kiln entrance.

The kiln was pitch black, with only a sliver of light shining from the depths. He cautiously stepped inside, his eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness.

This is a large space that was originally a brick kiln, but has now been converted into a warehouse.

There were some sacks piled up in the corner, which were probably grain.

Several boxes were placed in the open space in the middle, one of which was open, and inside was...

weapons.

Knives, guns, bows, arrows, and even several sets of leather armor.

Scarface Liu was indeed stockpiling weapons, preparing to make a move.

"Come out," Xiao Chen said in a deep voice.

no respond.

He walked in step by step, when suddenly, a dark shadow flashed from the side, and a knife slashed down.

Xiao Chen was prepared and raised his knife to parry.

The two knives clashed, causing his hand to go numb.

The other party was not relaxed either, letting out a muffled groan and taking two steps back.

It was one of Scarface Liu's men who ran in.

"Your Highness... have mercy..."

The man's voice trembled, "I... I was just running errands..."

"Where is Scarface Liu?" Xiao Chen asked.

"In...in the gambling den..."

"How much food and how many weapons are here?"

"Grain, fifty shi of grain, weapons... one hundred weapons..."

The man stammered, "Your Highness, please spare me! I... I'll tell you a secret..."

"explain."

"Scarface Liu... Scarface Liu not only colluded with the grassland people, but also with..." Before the man could finish speaking, he suddenly widened his eyes and made a gurgling sound in his throat.

An arrow pierced his back.

Xiao Chen turned around abruptly.

At the kiln entrance, a few more people had appeared at some point.

The leader was a tall, thin man who was holding a crossbow and staring coldly at him.

"Your Highness arrived so quickly."

The tall, thin man spoke in a high-pitched voice, "Master Liu asked me to pass on a message to you—the waters of Hanyuan City are very deep. As an outsider, don't wade into these murky waters. You can still leave now."

Xiao Chen looked at the fallen corpse, then at the tall, thin man: "Are you one of Scarface Liu's men?"

"Chen Qi is the third-ranking officer under Master Liu." The tall, thin man pointed his crossbow at Xiao Chen.

"Your Highness, put down your sword and come with me to see Master Liu. Master Liu said that as long as you are willing to be a puppet prince, you will receive every penny of your monthly salary."

"What if I don't?"

"Then tonight," Chen Qi said, stringing his crossbow, "you can stay in this kiln and keep company with this grain."

The men behind him drew their knives and slowly surrounded him.

Xiao Chen glanced at it.

There were six people on the other side, and I was alone.

The fighting is still going on outside, so Wang Dashan and his men can't get in anytime soon.

A direct confrontation would be a dead end.

"Okay, I'll go with you," Xiao Chen suddenly said.

He put down the knife and raised his hands.

Chen Qi smiled: "Those who understand the times are wise. Your Highness, please."

Xiao Chen slowly walked out, and when he passed Chen Qi, he suddenly moved.

He grabbed Chen Qi's wrist, which was holding the crossbow, and lifted it upwards.

The crossbow bolt whizzed off course and struck the top of the kiln.

At the same time, his knee slammed into Chen Qi's lower abdomen.

Chen Qi screamed and bent over to kneel.

Xiao Chen snatched the crossbow and slammed it down on the back of Chen Qi's head. Chen Qi collapsed to the ground, motionless.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

The other five men were stunned for a moment, then roared and pounced forward.

Xiao Chen picked up the crossbow and pulled the trigger.

A man recently fell backward as blood bloomed on his chest.

The crossbow is a single-shot weapon; it takes time to cock it.

Xiao Chen threw away the crossbow, picked up the "Frost Abyss" sword from the ground, and faced the remaining four people.

One against four.

The flash of blades, the glint of blood, and the screams of agony.

Xiao Chen was stabbed twice, once in the shoulder and once in the leg.

But he had already cut down two of them, and the remaining two, terrified, turned and tried to run away.

"Trying to run away?"

Wang Dashan's voice came from the kiln entrance.

He and five veterans rushed in, blocking their retreat. Two men knelt down in despair, begging for mercy.

The battle is over.

Xiao Chen leaned on his knife, panting heavily.

The wound burned with pain, and blood dripped down my clothes.

"Your Highness, you are injured!" Wang Dashan said anxiously.

"He won't die."

Xiao Chen waved his hand, "How's it outside?"

"Two grassland people died, we had eight wounded, but no one died."

"Transport all the food and weapons back to the city."

Xiao Chen ordered, "Not a single knife, not a single grain of rice, can be left for Scarface Liu."

"yes!"

The veterans began moving things.

Fifty bushels of grain, one hundred weapons, and a few sets of leather armor are the most needed items right now.

Xiao Chen walked to Chen Qi's side.

Chen Qi is still alive, but he has already passed out after being hit on the back of the head.

"Wake him up," Xiao Chen said.

A basin of snow water was poured over him, and Chen Qi slowly woke up.

When he saw Xiao Chen, fear appeared in his eyes.

"Tell me, what other plans does Scarface Liu have?" Xiao Chen asked.

Chen Qi gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Xiao Chen wasn't in a hurry.

He squatted down, picked up a knife, and brandished it at Chen Qi's face.

The knife was cold; it felt like ice against my face.

I'll count to three.

Xiao Chen said, "If you don't speak after three calls, I'll cut the flesh off your face piece by piece. I'll start with your nose."

"one."

Chen Qi was trembling all over.

"two."

"I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Chen Qi broke down, "Master Liu... Master Liu still has two hundred men at Black Wind Stronghold, and he'll be here with more men in three days... in three days. The young chieftain of the Grassland Tribe... the Canglang Tribe, Harbala, will also be bringing five hundred cavalry..."

three days later.

Xiao Chen's eyes turned cold.

"Anything else?"

"And... Master Liu has several strongholds in the city—gambling dens, brothels, warehouses—where he hides people. If a fight breaks out, they'll set fires and create chaos..."

"Where is the granary?"

"The largest granary... is in a cave at the foot of North Mountain, containing three hundred bushels of grain..."

Three hundred bushels of grain.

Enough to feed 300 people for three months.

Xiao Chen nodded and stood up.

"Your Highness, spare me! Spare me!" Chen Qi cried out.

Xiao Chen glanced at him and said to Wang Dashan, "Tie him up and take him back. This man is still useful."

"Yes."

As dawn approached, everything was transported back to the city.

Fifty bushels of grain, one hundred weapons, several sets of leather armor, and the prisoner Chen Qi.

This was a resounding victory.

But Xiao Chen showed no joy.

He stood at the entrance of the city lord's mansion, looking at the dawning sky in the east.

Three days.

In three days, Scarface Liu and the grassland cavalry will arrive.

He had to make all the preparations within those three days.

"Pass on the order."

He turned to Wang Dashan and said, "From today onwards, martial law will be imposed throughout the city. All able-bodied men will be issued weapons. The elderly, women, and children will be gathered near the city lord's mansion and protected by guards."

"yes!"

"Take half of the captured grain and cook it into dry rice. Let all the soldiers who participated in the war have enough to eat."

"yes!"

"Also," Xiao Chen paused, "take Chen Qi to the city wall and let everyone see what happens to Scarface Liu's men."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"We cannot afford to lose this battle."

"If we lose, Han Yuan is truly finished."

The morning light shone on his face, and that young face was now filled with determination.

Three days later, a life-or-death battle will take place.

He had no way out.