Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 268: Benefits and Betrayal
The various separatist regimes within the Great Xia Kingdom were all paying close attention to the situation and changes in Anyang. Li Yulong suddenly ascended the throne as emperor, and the plan to besiege Anyang was thwarted. The Jin Kingdom sent troops…
A series of changes made everyone dizzy. For a time, all eyes were on Anyang, wondering how far it could go, and what changes the so-called industry and commerce could bring.
Anyang has gone to war with the Jin Kingdom! The surrounding nations of the Great Xia Kingdom—Cai, Chen, and Qi—also sent people to observe the situation and gather information; of course, many also secretly infiltrated the battlefield, observing the war and the changes it caused by military supplies, eager to see how Anyang would fight.
……
Late at night, Yan Zhengqing stood far off, gazing at the shimmering Xian Dai River. He then looked up at the southern sky, and his mind began to wander: there must be countless sea fish fighting over corpses by the seaside. In just a few days of battle, both sides had suffered over 60,000 casualties. The soldiers who faced the Ten Thousand Swords Formation in Anyang couldn’t even retrieve their body fragments; and the enemy, in order to prevent plagues, threw all the corpses into the river.
His thoughts wandered for a moment, and after a brief walk by the seaside, he returned his focus to the southern shore—he wondered what actions Kong Donglai and Yuan Yong would take. Would they choose Anyang or the Jin Kingdom? If they choose Anyang, what should I do? If they choose the Jin Kingdom, what should I do?
……
On the southern shore, the starless night was only illuminated by the glow of formations shining over the large camp.
The Jin Kingdom’s general, Li Lishong, led a few elite guards directly to the front of the camp but did not immediately enter Kong Donglai’s military camp. Instead, he asked from a distance with calm composure, “Why has Inspector Kong invited me here in the middle of the night? Is there something urgent?”
Li Lishong was wary of these “teammates.”
Kong Donglai saw that Li Lishong did not enter the camp and his heart skipped a beat—so there was no fool after all. But since a decision had already been made, Kong Donglai was ruthless. “Since you’ve been invited at midnight, there must be a great matter. I want to invite General Li… to hell! Kill!”
Around them, thousands of elite troops were already prepared, and in an instant, they surrounded them. Swords and knives were drawn, talismans ignited, and bows and crossbows were fired; in the blink of an eye, the quiet night sky was filled with countless flashes of cold light. Kong Donglai was a qualified politician, and when there was a benefit to gain, he would turn against anyone without hesitation!
So, after confirming his plan, Kong Donglai did not even check with Anyang, but directly launched an ambush—better safe than sorry!
Such a swift betrayal caught even Li Lishong by surprise. Though he had been on guard, he lost the initiative. With only a few elite guards beside him, all of whom were skilled in the Golden Core realm, they still couldn’t hold their ground against the overwhelming numbers; by the time Li Lishong reacted, half of his Golden Core experts had already been killed!
But Li Lishong was Li Lishong, a true leader. Despite the situation, he didn’t lose his composure or act out of anger: “Kong Donglai, you will regret this!”
As he spoke, nine rotating turtle shells suddenly appeared around Li Lishong’s body. The shells rapidly enlarged and spun, forming a protective barrier around him. Swords and knives could not harm him, and even water could not penetrate.
“Magic weapon! A defensive magic weapon!” Kong Donglai’s face turned pale. Li Lishong was a Golden Elixir expert, and with a magic weapon for protection, he became an invincible miracle in the short term.
Swords and knives struck the magic weapon and broke immediately; arrows hitting it bent and twisted like straw piercing stone. Spells that struck the shield were as ineffective as an egg hitting a stone—though they sparkled brilliantly, the magic weapon remained unharmed.
“Jiugong Xuanwu Shield, always remember this name!” Li Lishong shot into the sky, ruthlessly breaking through all obstructions and flying away; only a few of his guards were left behind—not because Li Lishong didn’t want to save them, but because it was too late.
When Li Lishong finally landed in his own camp, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Despite being a Golden Elixir expert and having the protection of a spiritual shield, the overwhelming attack he had faced earlier still managed to injure him. The tactics of a human sea were still very powerful.
Once back in his camp, Li Lishong did not have time to recover and immediately issued orders to retreat! Kong Donglai was a competent politician, switching sides without hesitation.
Li Lishong was also a competent commander, not willing to sacrifice his main forces for a few personal guards. At that moment, he decisively ordered a retreat—survival came first. A gentleman avenges a grudge after ten years; there would be time later. Right now, protecting the army was the priority.
But Li Lishong was no pushover. Even during the retreat, his army remained organized. He even seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack, charging directly into the Nanyang District camp.
Caught off guard, the Nanyang District army was thoroughly defeated, with over 30,000 soldiers killed, and tens of thousands more injured in their panicked retreat. Li Lishong led his forces away triumphantly.
It turned out that Kong Donglai had kept things secret, failing to prepare his army in advance. This truly was divine retribution. Kong Donglai set a trap for Li Lishong, but Li Lishong, with quick thinking, had his entire army charge out—thankfully, the Jin soldiers followed orders precisely, their military discipline allowing them to engage in battle without delay.
Li Lishong, who had just fought his way out of Nanyang Commandery with his army, and the Jin Kingdom’s forces, found themselves facing an interception by the Dongyuan County’s army—Yuan Yong was quite capable, and together with Kong Donglai, they worked seamlessly to complete the coordination. Unknowingly, they had already set up an army of 50,000 ahead.
In an instant, the remaining 200,000 soldiers of the Jin Kingdom were trapped between two fronts. Behind them was the 160,000-strong army of Nanyang and Dongyuan Counties (with some casualties already), and ahead of them were the 50,000 soldiers sent by Yuan Yong to block their path.
Li Lishong took a deep breath. “At all costs, charge through quickly, or there will be changes! Prepare the Ten Thousand Sword Formation!”
Li Lishong knew very well that the sudden betrayal from Dongyuan and Nanyang Counties was certainly related to Anyang. If they delayed too long here, they would inevitably face an imminent attack from Anyang. Therefore, Li Lishong made a quick decision to destroy the 50,000 intercepting soldiers at all costs.
Having already used the Ten Thousand Sword Formation twice, Li Lishong had already lost over 18,000 foundation-building experts and 12,000 elite soldiers at the peak of the Qi Refining stage. Many more had died in subsequent battles. The Ten Thousand Sword Formation had now seriously weakened, and they could only scrape together around 20,000 peak Qi Refining soldiers to barely create five smaller versions of the Ten Thousand Sword Formation.
Without any foundation-building experts, the “Sword Dragons” formed by the Ten Thousand Sword Formation could only fly a few dozen meters at most, but it was enough to break through the blockade.
The attack of the Ten Thousand Sword Formation was far more efficient than the carpet bombing of cannons. Five severely weakened “Sword Dragons” rolled through the intercepting army, and in just a few moments, over 20,000 soldiers were killed, with blood mist rising into the sky. The remaining 30,000 soldiers, terrified and frozen in place, dared not continue the interception.
Li Lishong didn’t have time to order the execution of those stunned soldiers and immediately led his team to escape. The soldiers who had exhausted their true energy using the Ten Thousand Sword Formation were naturally carried forward by elite soldiers.
By the time Kong Donglai, Nangong Zhi, and Yuan Jinjiang arrived to reorganize the army, all they saw was a bloody battlefield and 30,000 soldiers still standing dumbly like “statues.”