Chapter 256: The Eastern Battle, Part 4

The north, specifically Lüliang County, had completely tilted in favor of Anyang. Well-prepared in advance, Anyang launched a swift offensive, achieving victory after victory.

The Dongyuan County army, caught almost entirely off guard, suffered devastating defeats in just over two days, losing more than thirty thousand soldiers. The fierce artillery bombardment, relentless machine-gun fire, and the constant overhead attacks by aircraft left them unable to rest without preparing for escape. In this way, they could at least secure a moment’s breathing time to flee when danger struck.

The aircraft, in particular, were everywhere, appearing in the east one moment and the west the next. Not only was the front line bombed, but even the rear areas were frequently attacked. For instance, Nanliang Prefecture was bombed multiple times, leaving the soldiers of Dongyuan County in a state of constant anxiety.

In Nanliang Prefecture, Yuan Zhong furrowed his brows deeply. The situation had grown increasingly critical, and it was time to make a decision.

However, there was a major problem—without Lüliang County, leaving only Dongyuan County, the Yuan family would have almost no chance of rising again. At that point, they would be surrounded—Anyang to the north, Nanyang County to the west, Jin Kingdom to the south, and the sea to the east, which was also within Anyang’s military range. By then, the Yuan family would have only four choices:

The first three: surrender or pledge allegiance to one of the three major powers.

The fourth: annihilation.

And if Anyang absorbed Lüliang County, it would only grow stronger! But the situation was already dire; there was no hope of capturing Lüliang County now. After hesitating for a long time, Yuan Zhong finally accepted reality and made the best temporary decision—abandon Lüliang County, let Anyang take it, and lead the remaining soldiers back to Dongyuan County.

In the future, if Dongyuan County could maneuver carefully and manage its affairs well, there might still be a chance to rise again.

But Yuan Zhong decided too late. Just as his army began to regroup and move south, the worst news came from the south—not only had Xiandai River fallen under Anyang’s control, but one of Anyang’s two supreme commanders, Yan Zhengqing, had personally taken charge. Additionally, Wang Jian had led forty thousand elite Nanyang County soldiers in a surprise assault from the south.

The south was precisely the weak point in Dongyuan County’s defense. Wang Jian advanced like a hot knife through butter, swiftly penetrating deep into enemy lines. Eventually, seventy to eighty miles south of Nanliang Prefecture, his forces encountered the first wave of retreating Dongyuan troops, numbering over ten thousand.

Caught unprepared, the Dongyuan soldiers were utterly routed. Anyang’s army was already highly skilled in combat, and now, with the momentum of victory, their morale was unmatched. Furthermore, the numerical advantage of forty thousand Anyang troops against ten thousand from Dongyuan left no room for suspense.

To be precise, as soon as the battle began, many Dongyuan soldiers abandoned their weapons and armor, fleeing into the mountains—choosing to disappear forever and live as ordinary civilians instead.

By the time Yuan Zhong received the report, the battle was already over. Only a few capable and loyal officers managed to escape, numbering no more than three to five hundred.

Yuan Zhong had no time to be angry; he had to make immediate adjustments. But it was still too late. At that moment, Wang Jian’s army began encircling from the south, completely cutting off the southern approach to Nanliang Prefecture.

Meanwhile, in the north, Beichen Yuqing suddenly ordered a full-scale attack. Fifty thousand elite Anyang troops charged forward, with artillery, machine guns, aircraft, and flying machines swarming like locusts. The Dongyuan army, having been repeatedly defeated, abandoned their gear and fled, retreating more than three hundred miles in a single day.

By evening, Beichen Yuqing led his most elite force of over ten thousand soldiers and pursued them to Nanliang Prefecture, successfully linking up with Wang Jian’s forces, completing the total encirclement of Nanliang Prefecture.

This war truly struck like a bolt of lightning. Just as Yuan Zhong was preparing to flee alone, he found himself trapped.

Beichen Yuqing personally appeared, stopping a hundred meters away to address Yuan Zhong: “Lord Yuan, surrender. At the very least, let the remaining soldiers have a chance to live. Anyang does not mistreat prisoners—this is well known.”

His commanding voice echoed over a radius of more than two hundred meters, making sure every Dongyuan soldier heard it loud and clear. Beichen Yuqing was not just persuading Yuan Zhong to surrender—he was also indirectly pressuring him.

Yuan Zhong turned his head, seeing the flickering hesitation in the soldiers’ eyes, the struggling expressions on his officers’ faces. Suddenly, he felt a wave of despair. But as the governor, he had to make one last stand.

“General Beichen, I admit you are powerful. But if we hold the city and wait for reinforcements, we can still endure.”

“No, you cannot.” Beichen Yuqing’s voice carried absolute confidence, arrogance, and a hint of disdain. “We have artillery and aircraft—we can strike from a distance and bomb every inch of the city. Within an hour, we can drop two thousand tons of explosives, enough to erase Nanliang Prefecture completely.

Moreover, we have tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment cultivators and hundreds of Golden Core experts. You cannot stop us!”

“Tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment cultivators? You must be joking!” Yuan Zhong refused to believe it. If Baofeng County claimed to have that many cultivators, he might believe it halfway—after all, the Northwest Commander, Xiao Liming, had spent decades building his forces there. But Anyang? They had only existed for a few years!

Beichen Yuqing did not bother to explain. “I’ll give you one hour to decide. If you do not surrender, Anyang will no longer take prisoners. Choose wisely!”

Beichen Yuqing finished speaking and turned away. One hour? In one hour, the forty thousand troops in the rear would catch up and complete the encirclement. This would also allow the soldiers at the front to take a short rest and replenish their supplies.

However, there were also keen-minded individuals on Yuan Zhong’s side who advised him to launch an attack immediately and break through the encirclement.

“Sir, don’t wait any longer. Every moment we delay, we are in greater danger!” several military officers urged loudly.

Yuan Zhong was not a stubborn man. His eyes suddenly gleamed with decisiveness as he asked, “Everyone, tell me, which direction is the most promising?”

“The same direction we came from! The strongest point is often the weakest. The enemy is highly likely to overlook it. During the breakout, we might even have a chance to kill Beichen Yuqing. If we can take down Beichen Yuqing, Anyang will lose a strong arm of support.”

“Good! Everyone, prepare yourselves. We break through in one tea’s time!”

A tea’s time passed quickly. The tense atmosphere grew heavier. About a thousand loyal death warriors and officers, their arms wrapped in white cloth, launched a desperate attack.

Victory or death! The white cloth symbolized their determination and served as a mark of recognition amidst the chaos.

But reality is often cruel.

Beichen Yuqing sat leisurely in a chair, holding a teacup, completely at ease. Around him, more than two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators stood in formation, each with a glowing treasured sword floating in front of them.

Two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, each possessing a magic weapon-level flying sword!

Yuan Zhong, who had just charged forward, could hardly believe his eyes. “Is this an illusion array?”

Beichen Yuqing understood his disbelief but remained calm. “Lord Yuan, there is no need to panic. I said I would give you an hour, and I meant it. Don’t throw your life away.

Now, if you take one more step forward, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Yuan Zhong hesitated.

Immediately, one officer advised, “Sir, we can’t hesitate. The enemy is likely bluffing!”

But another, more timid officer said, “Sir, we… we should surrender.”

Hearing this, Yuan Zhong’s killing intent surged. He wanted to execute the cowardly officer on the spot, but after a moment’s thought, he held back. Killing him now would only weaken morale further. However, Yuan Zhong was unwilling to give up. Clenching his teeth, he declared, “Everyone, this is just a bluff! If they really had two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, why would they give us time?”

Yuan Zhong’s reasoning made sense. The officers, upon hearing it, suddenly realized: That’s right! If the enemy truly had two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, they would have captured us already! Thinking this way, they became more convinced that this was merely an illusion.

Beichen Yuqing chuckled. These people were ridiculous. “Their brains must be broken. To set up such a vast and realistic illusion array, at least a Nascent Soul cultivator would be needed.

I gave you an hour out of old friendship and to minimize bloodshed.

Since you refuse to drink the wine of courtesy and insist on drinking the wine of punishment—then kill them!”

Beichen Yuqing’s plan had been to wait for the army to arrive and force a surrender without bloodshed. After all, they were all sons of the Great Xia Kingdom—there was no need for needless slaughter. Moreover, Li Yulong and Yuan Yong had some past ties, and Li Xian and Yuan Zhao had some connections as well. Beichen Yuqing also had to consider public opinion. That was why he had given Yuan Zhong an hour.

But now, his kindness had been taken for granted. Since that was the case, Beichen Yuqing showed no mercy.

As soon as the enemy charged, Beichen Yuqing immediately ordered an attack.

Two thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators and two thousand magic weapon-level flying swords—one exchange was all it took to cut down over eight hundred of Yuan Zhong’s thousand men.

At that moment, Yuan Zhong finally realized—it wasn’t an illusion; it was real! But it was too late.

In less than a tea’s time, Yuan Zhong was captured alive, bound tightly like a bundle, and presented before Beichen Yuqing.

Beichen Yuqing looked at him and said, “Lord Yuan, at this point, I must apologize. Men, send Lord Yuan to Anyang City using the flying vessel and hand him over to Prince Xian.”

Prince Xian, of course, referred to Li Xian. With Li Yulong formally ascending the throne, Li Xian was officially titled a prince. Internally, Xu Ren, Beichen Yuqing, and other senior figures still sometimes called him “Young Master,” but in public, he was now officially addressed as “Prince Xian” or “His Highness.”

It was only when he was being taken onto the flying vessel that Yuan Zhong let out a long sigh. He suddenly seemed to collapse, curling up in the corner, staring blankly at the clouds passing by. His heart was dead. This battle had sealed the fate of Dongyuan County and the Yuan family—they had lost their chance to rise again forever.

Meanwhile, Beichen Yuqing, after sending Yuan Zhong and a few key figures away, detained the remaining minor officers and a large number of soldiers. Fortunately, Anyang County was known for treating prisoners humanely, and Beichen Yuqing personally swore to their fair treatment. As a result, few of Dongyuan County’s soldiers resisted, making the surrender process smooth.

Afterward, Beichen Yuqing and Wang Jian left twenty thousand troops to guard Nanliang Prefecture, while the remaining seventy thousand turned south, preparing to reinforce Yan Zhengqing. If an opportunity arose, they might even wipe out Dongyuan County altogether.

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