Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

A barrage of questions left Jun Cheng'an speechless, all his jumbled thoughts vanishing from his mind.

He stood in front of the sand table, staring intently in the direction of Wangliu City, his face contorted with rage.

With his knowledge, he naturally realized just how dangerous the situation was after Shen Yunwei pointed it out.

What's even more terrifying is that none of his many strategists and generals who had fought against the demon race for years raised this possibility.

On the contrary, Shen Yunwei, the Duke of Zhenbei who had only been in Dongji Pass for a few hours, saw through the problem immediately.

Perhaps Shen Yunwei was well-versed in military strategy and had profound knowledge in this area, but Jun Cheng'an absolutely did not believe that none of his many strategists had thought of this.

This loophole, which could have ruined the entire battle, went unnoticed by anyone, including Jun Cheng'an, the Emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty. This speaks volumes about the situation.

After a long, long time, Jun Cheng'an staggered to a chair and sat down, looking utterly dejected.

"The Apocalypse Warship was severely damaged in the previous conflict. The Taiwei Palace Master, who was capable of repairing the warship, refused to help and even made an excuse to return to the Four Symbols Mountain."

"The Tianqi warships are currently unable to fly long distances, reinforcements cannot reach them, and the troops of Donghua Prefecture are all pinned down within a hundred miles of the border, making it impossible for them to arrive in time to provide support."

Seeing the emperor so dejected, Shen Yun lowered her eyes, a hint of anger in them.

But she did not express her emotions. Instead, she continued to look at the map, picking up flags one by one under Jun Cheng'an's hopeful gaze, planting them down and picking them up again and again.

Thoughts flashed through her mind, only to be quickly overturned. Shen Yunwei's eyes furrowed even more, and her hand holding the flag hung in mid-air, motionless for a long time.

No, no, still no, it's a dead end everywhere!

These damned traitors! And this stupid emperor who knows nothing about military strategy! All they think about is internal strife!

They're all idiots! No, we can't let this foolish emperor give up! If he gives up, then it will be her northern border that faces the demon army head-on!

Finally, the Duke of Zhenbei, a master of military strategy, took a deep breath, cursed Jun Cheng'an and his advisors in his heart, and planted all his flags on the outskirts of Donghua Prefecture.

"With the heartland lost and families slaughtered, the front lines are bound to be in a state of panic, and there's even a possibility of a mutiny. Donghua Prefecture is probably beyond our control; Your Majesty should make preparations as soon as possible..."

Shen Yunwei's voice was very low, as if she was full of disappointment for the people on the front line, but as she spoke, her tone changed and became encouraging.

This slight change rekindled Jun Cheng'an's hope, who was almost ready to give up.

"Please do not be discouraged, Your Majesty. Even if we have lost Donghua Prefecture, we have not yet lost."

The demon army has penetrated deep into the heart of our Great Qi territory. The change in the battle line means that logistical costs have been greatly reduced, and we can also mobilize more troops to fight.

Moreover, before coming to Dongji Pass, I had made two plans. The million-strong army of the Northern Border is currently stationed at the border between the Northern Border and several states of Dongji, ready to launch an attack at any time to recapture Donghua State…”

……

……

On the edge of the two battlefields, in the heart of Donghua Prefecture, five hundred miles from the border.

A large city called Wangliu City stands on the banks of the Liangyu River.

As its name suggests, the Two Rivers stretch for thousands of miles, originating from the high mountains of the Myriad Spirits Domain, flowing westward, passing through the Great Qi, and finally emptying into the East Sea.

The mighty river, stretching for thousands of miles, has nourished countless lives on both banks and given birth to prosperous cities.

Wangliu City is a shining pearl on the banks of the Liangyu River.

Wangliu City enjoys a superior geographical location. The river in its area has a slow flow, which naturally forms a deep-water port that can accommodate large ships.

With its many advantages, Wangliu City was used as an important transportation hub connecting the east, west, north, and south after the Great Qi occupied the thirteen eastern states.

For over a century, countless goods have been loaded and unloaded at the docks every day, injecting boundless vitality into this frontier city and making it a shining pearl in the Far East.

Centered on the main city of Wangliu, it is surrounded by sixteen small towns and thirty-nine villages.

Before the outbreak of war, more than 1.6 million people lived on this land, making it the largest urban settlement in Donghua Prefecture.

Although the court conscripted a large number of people to work in the safer westwards in recent years due to the threat of war, many people fled to their relatives there.

However, even now, more than 1.1 million people still live in the area centered around Wangliucheng.

They either hoped for a lucky break, or because their families had settled there for generations and they had no relatives to rely on, or for various other reasons, they had no choice but to stay.

Several years after the outbreak of war, the streets of Wangliu City were much quieter than they had been in their heyday.

Streets and alleys, restaurants and brothels...

The entire city of Wangliu became desolate due to the rapid decline in population. Large numbers of young people were either conscripted into the army or left their hometowns, resulting in a sharp decrease in the number of young people in the city.

The decline in young people has also led to an imbalance in the population structure of Wangliu City, resulting in a severe shortage of labor, insufficient consumer base, and a gradual paralysis of the entire business sector.

Today, Wangliu City has fallen into a vicious cycle and is becoming increasingly desolate.

However, even in this situation, some industries have bucked the trend and prospered even more than in peacetime.

The Linhe Teahouse, an ordinary two-story teahouse, has now become a favorite place for people with some spare money.

"The demon race has invaded, attacked our borders, and slaughtered the people of our Great Qi... Under the leadership of the Holy Emperor, the soldiers and civilians of the thirteen eastern states rose up in resistance and vowed to fight the demon race to the death."

Everyone knows General Wei Changgeng, who once garrisoned our Wangliu City, right? General Wei was brave and skilled in battle, and served the country and its people...

He is currently leading our 50,000-strong army from Wangliu City to guard the border of Donghua Prefecture, fighting day and night against those man-eating monsters…”

The storyteller in the teahouse, as usual, told the stories that the government required him to tell.

His voice was flat and loud, without any intonation or anything else special, and it was anything but attractive.

The content was unremarkable, lacking originality and consisting mostly of familiar clichés.

But the teahouse was almost full of people. Middle-aged and elderly people who didn't know each other sat together, with some fennel beans on the table and a cup of hot tea in front of them, and they could sit there all day.

They chatted about everything under the sun, exchanging all sorts of news they had heard.

Those on stage talk about what's on stage, and those off stage talk about what's off stage; they don't interfere with each other.

In Wangliu City at that time, teahouses were the easiest place to get news from the front lines.

Beside a private seat by the window, a waiter with a towel draped over his back waited respectfully.

"Young master, what would you like to order?"

"Bring us a pot of your finest tea, and some local snacks from Donghua Prefecture."

The waiter, who had been keeping his head down, froze. He didn't dare to look up, only glancing at the gold-embroidered boots on the ground, and responded cautiously.

Having lived for so many years, the waiter had never seen such an elegant young man. Just sitting here, he didn't even dare to look at him.

"My esteemed guest, I just want you to know that our teahouse is just a small one, and even the best tea might not be worthy of your attention..."

The person by the window turned their gaze away from the distance and waved casually.

"It's alright. Every place has its own unique characteristics, and things you haven't tried before are always new and exciting. Even a simple home-cooked dish might be a delicacy to people in other places, so don't belittle yourself."

Before he could finish speaking, the shopkeeper, who was wearing a jade thumb ring, came over and gently pulled the waiter behind him, speaking respectfully.

"My son is ignorant, please don't be offended, sir... He didn't mean anything by it, he just didn't want to spoil your enjoyment. What would you like to try? Whether it's tea or dishes, as long as it's available in the city, I'll buy it for you right away."

"No need for such trouble. Just bring a pot of your best tea and some of your local specialties."

"Alright, I'll instruct the kitchen right away. We won't let you down, esteemed guest."

"Is the shopkeeper a local? How many years has he lived here?"

"Your discerning eye is truly exceptional, esteemed guest. I have lived in Wangliu City since I was a child, and it has been almost forty years now."

"If you're not busy, sir, could you please chat with me about Wangliu City and Donghua Prefecture?"

"Please feel free to ask, sir. This teahouse may not have many other skills, but it is the best at gathering information. Even if I don't know the answer, I'm sure someone can answer your question."