Terms

Several thousand light cavalrymen in bright armor trotted up to the border of the domain, where they were halted by a twenty-man patrol squad. The patrol squad captain stepped forward to meet the cavalry and barked, "Halt! Ahead lies the territory of the Military Commissioner of Dingxi. Who are you, and why have you come?" The cavalry leader said coldly, "Are you blind, dog? You don't even recognize the banner of our Xu family? The man who dares halt the Xu family's troops in the Western Regions hasn't even been born yet! Since your eyes are useless, gouge them out!" Two sharp arrows suddenly shot forth, piercing the captain's eyes and penetrating straight into his brain! The captain fell backward onto the ground. The patrol members behind him were shocked and furious. Several immediately broke away to flee and report the news, while the rest braced themselves in formation, slowly falling back. The cavalry leader sneered with a cruel grin. "Quite stubborn, aren't you? Kill them all, then." Moments later, the cavalry rode onward, leaving behind twenty upright spears planted by the roadside, each skewered with a corpse. After penetrating more than ten li into the domain, they were finally halted by a military force. Though this force numbered only two thousand, their armor was neat, and they wore exceptionally expensive breastplates. The weapons in their hands were peculiar in shape—perhaps the legendary fire guns. The Xu family cavalry leader frowned slightly. Rather than rashly attacking, he leapt down from his horse and walked alone toward the opposing formation. A man also emerged from the domain defense force to meet him. Looking at his opponent, who was only at the early stage of the Dao Foundation, the Xu cavalry leader poked him in the chest and said, "Go back and tell your dogshit Military Commissioner that our Xu family's grand army will arrive shortly! If you don't want to die, open the domain and let us conduct an inspection. Here are the specific demands!" He slapped a sheet of jade paper against the man's chest and rode off with his troops. Shortly afterward, this sheet of jade paper lay before Wei Yuan and the cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning. Dozens of demands were listed on the jade paper, including: 1. Open the entire domain to inspection; 2. All cultivators must open their seas of consciousness for examination; 3. All cultivators must be implanted with restrictions and sign blood contracts, guaranteeing never to do anything detrimental to the Xu family; 4. All cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning must travel to the Xu clan's ancestral home to cultivate; 5. ... After reading the terms listed on the jade paper, Wei Yuan said slowly, "They are forcing me into war. Have the scouts returned?" Cui Yu replied, "The first batch has returned. For now, we know the Xu family has mobilized a total of three hundred thousand troops—combining Western Jin imperial troops and their own private army—along with five hundred thousand laborers transporting provisions and supplies, boasting an army of a million. The specific composition of their forces will require further scouting." Wei Yuan said, "The Xu family mobilized a full three hundred thousand troops without an imperial edict from the King of Jin. It seems the King of Jin is not having an easy time either." Cui Yu said, "That is completely normal. Just like my Ji-Zhao Cui family—at our limit, we could also field a million troops. It is only because the King of Zhao bears the surname Li that we would give him a courtesy heads-up, but in truth, we do not need his edict either." Only then did Wei Yuan truly grasp the immense power of the aristocratic clans. To mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops on their own authority went far beyond merely refusing to pay taxes. The territories controlled by great families were practically kingdoms within kingdoms. Just then, an attendant arrived to report that Li Zhi, the Mountain Pacifying Military Commissioner of Zhao, requested an audience. Wei Yuan was overjoyed and went out to welcome him. Moments later, the two returned to the council hall. The cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning were also well acquainted with Li Zhi. After exchanging greetings, Li Zhi got straight to the point: "I heard the Xu family has launched a massive invasion, so I came specially to help." Wei Yuan handed over the jade paper and said, "These are the Xu family's demands. Have a look." Li Zhi took the jade paper, read it carefully, pondered for a moment, and said, "They intend to crush you with thunderous momentum and force your total capitulation in a single battle. It seems my assessment was correct: the Xu family's primary objective does not lie here. They want a swift victory before shifting their forces north." "The Xu family is fighting elsewhere too?" Li Zhi said, "Of course they are. Your Qingming was only established a few months ago, less than a year. Before this, the Xu family had been contesting Ganzhou's three commanderies against the King of Jin and the Lu clan, locked in open and covert struggles for over a century. The Xu family had originally secured them, but then the Shamans suddenly invaded and shattered the four commanderies of Ningxi, dealing a devastating blow to the Xu family's vitality. In the end, the Ganzhou commanderies they had in hand were lost again." "Ganzhou? Isn't that where the world-renowned silver mine is located?" Li Zhi nodded. "That's the place. The commanderies to the left and right are equally rich in minerals. Those three commanderies alone generate an annual revenue of fifteen million liang of immortal silver. In comparison, your Qingming is as poor as dirt." Li Zhi was a core disciple meticulously cultivated by the Four Sages Academy and walked the Sovereign's Path, making him far more knowledgeable about the broader geopolitical landscape than the cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning. "Brother Li, if you clash directly with the Xu family, wouldn't that cause complications?" Wei Yuan asked. Li Zhi nodded and said, "That is why I deliberately brought only five thousand elite light cavalry. I plan to use a workaround: disguise ourselves as horse bandits and look for chances to disrupt the Xu family's rear supply lines. As long as you can hold the front line, my good brother, instability in their rear grain routes will force the Xu family to withdraw before long." "This is no small matter. Are you confident, Brother Li? If you fall into the Xu family's hands, the consequences would be dire." Li Zhi chuckled. "The men I brought this time are all Southern Qi elites; how could the rabble of the Xu family be a match for me? As for high-level cultivators, I have senior academy elders guarding me, as well as retainers sent by my father. Unless a True Monarch intervenes, the Xu family won't be able to touch me." Wei Yuan said solemnly, "This time, the Xu family will likely have a True Monarch making moves from the shadows." Li Zhi gave a wry grin. "I'm not worried about that! You're the one who draws all the hatred. Even if a True Monarch acts from the shadows, he'll only direct his attention at you." After agreeing on a method for exchanging intelligence, Li Zhi departed with his troops. Already in disguise, they made a wide detour toward the rear of the Xu family's army. Ningzhou, Qianqiu City. Inside the Privy Council, several dozen figures of imposing aura sat in a circle, their gazes fixed upon a massive sand table before them. The sand table displayed the terrain of northern Jin, its northernmost edge extending into the Liao domain. The person in the head seat said slowly, "The Lu clan seems convinced that our Immortal Ancestor is gravely injured. They refuse to return the three commanderies of Ganzhou and have repeatedly sent reinforcements instead. If we cannot resolve matters quickly, unexpected developments may arise." "The Lu clan has already suffered heavy losses on the northern border, yet they still dare be so brazen?" "That old ghost of the Lu clan is far from a match for our Immortal Ancestor. To have occupied those three commanderies for several years and still not be satisfied—he is truly courting death!" The man at the head pressed his hands down. Once silence fell, he said, "The Immortal Ancestor's plans are far-reaching; all of this was within his anticipation. Now issue the order for Xu Zhongnian to launch an all-out assault—no reservations, no holding back. If that Wei Yuan shows sense, spare the Qingming Domain. If he refuses to appreciate our grace, shatter the boundary stone and bring it back. True Monarch Qiuniu will oversee the Western Regions, while I go north to supervise the war. Heh, it has been a long time since I sparred with those old rivals from the Lu clan." Someone remarked, "If we act with total disregard, I fear the Palace of Grand Beginning may make a move." The leader said, "No need to worry. The Palace of Grand Beginning's northern mountain gate hangs by a thread. All of their True Monarchs must exert their full strength just to prevent it from falling. To contend with us at such a time—do they really want to forfeit their northern mountain gate?" The others nodded in agreement, and one chuckled, "The Palace of Grand Beginning is used to arrogance; it is high time they took a hard fall! Back when they drove ten thousand li into the frontier to establish their northern mountain gate, solely intent on blocking our path, did they ever imagine this day would come?" "Without the strength to back it up, they still wanted to hog everything for themselves—they brought this upon themselves! Now that they are stuck out front, a thorn in the side of Northern Liao, we are free to act as we please. Whatever we do, they'll just have to swallow it!" "Haha! If the precious soil formed from their patriarch's body is lost, wouldn't that make them deeply unfilial?" "When their northern mountain gate falls, I'm going to take a piss there myself to moisten the precious soil formed from the body of the Palace of Grand Beginning's forefather!" ... The Qingming Domain had begun full-scale war preparations. Only the Weaponsmith Workshop operated at maximum capacity; all other work ground to a halt, and all manpower was redirected toward the war effort. Along the advance route of the Xu army stood a satellite fortress, Xuanwei Three. Here, Wei Yuan stationed ten thousand soldiers, all concealed underground just as they had done against the Shamans. Yet the domain army's equipment was entirely different now. Every soldier was issued a new model reloadable fire gun with five spare rounds. In addition, more than twenty thousand older, decommissioned fire guns had been stockpiled here. Even if the invading Xu army were on par with the northern border troops, they could forget about taking Xuanwei Three without losing sixty to seventy thousand men. Watching the troops enter Xuanwei Three, Wei Yuan suddenly thought that if they had possessed such firepower back then, Yun Feifei would not have fallen. Twenty li behind Xuanwei Three lay Wei Yuan's designated decisive battleground. The terrain here was flat; though somewhat close to Xuanwei Three, Wei Yuan was confident his opponent would find the temptation of terrain so favorable to cavalry impossible to resist. Over a hundred thousand men were toiling on the battlefield around the clock. In a single day and night, they had dug more than a dozen interconnected trenches that crisscrossed the land like a dense spiderweb. The Xu family's army advanced slowly. Three days later, they finally reached the domain and made camp. At dawn on the following day, the vanguard—ten thousand heavy cavalry alongside fifty thousand light cavalry—moved out first, charging into the domain and formally raising the curtain on the great war. Surrounded by the cavalry, Xu Zhongxing, the garrison commander of Hanyang Pass, looked upon the grand army and remarked, "It has been years since I personally led troops into battle." A fierce general beside him also sighed with emotion. "Back then, Big Brother and I fought life-and-death battles against the Shamans. That time I was struck by a blood curse and almost died; if you hadn't carried me back on your back, old Fan wouldn't be alive today." Xu Zhongxing sighed faintly. "Returning to our old stomping grounds, yet our enemy is no longer the Shamans." Fan Donghe said, "Watch your words, Big Brother. Those elders traveling with the main army seem to be looking for any excuse to find fault with you." Xu Zhongxing snorted. "They just have their eyes on the hundred thousand elite troops I trained." Fan Donghe spat. "The elite troops we drilled—as if those bastards could command them! Back when we were fighting bloody battles against the Shamans, why didn't we see them lend a hand? Now that they see a soft persimmon to squeeze, every single one of them leaps out! Especially that old bastard Xu Qirui—his dharmic power is filthy beyond belief, and heavenly tribulation could strike him at any moment, yet the first thing he does is demand thirty pairs of virgin boys and girls! For someone like that to still be alive is proof the heavens are blind!" Xu Zhongxing sighed. "Keep your voice down." Fan Donghe shut his mouth sullenly, then said, "To be honest, I quite admire Wei Yuan. I hope he doesn't do something stupid this time so Qingming can be preserved intact. If Qingming is shattered, it would be an absolute shame." "Is he the type of man to compromise and swallow humiliation?" "Why do we have to attack here first? Couldn't we have gone straight to Ganzhou?" Xu Zhongxing sighed. "This is the Immortal Ancestor's obsession. There is nothing we can do." At that, both fell silent. Just then, a commotion broke out in the vanguard. The two urged their horses forward to the head of the column, where they saw an ancient tree by the roadside. Dangling from the branches were more than a dozen people—all emissaries sent by Xu Zhongxing to demand surrender. Watching the corpses swaying in the wind, Xu Zhongxing said calmly, "It seems this battle cannot be avoided. Come, let us test the mettle of the Palace of Grand Beginning. I hope the disciples of old Daoist Fenhai do not disappoint me."