One year later.
Speed is the essence of war. Prince Dongyang consolidated the forces of the Prince of Zhenshui, merging them into one. With the momentum of a broken bamboo, he conquered Yingnan Commandery in a mere year, his spearhead pointing directly at Pingshan and Zhaoming Commanderies, while casting a covetous eye toward Xitai Commandery.
After Prince Dongyang raised his army to crusade against the pseudo-emperor, the pseudo-emperor’s court was forced to divert troops southward. Unable to suppress the unrest, the four northern commanderies, which had previously shown signs of stability, descended into total chaos.
If Prince Dongyang could successfully seize the three commanderies of Pingshan, Xitai, and Zhaoming, he would be able to form a pincer movement against the three commanderies surrounding the Imperial Capital.
With nowhere left to retreat, the pseudo-emperor’s court could effectively be declared finished.
Pingshan Commandery, Jiangzhou, Hening County.
A large portion of the refugees fleeing south from the north had remained in Jiangzhou. They never expected that just as they had begun to live a peaceful life, Jiangzhou would also be caught in the flames of war, forcing them to flee north once again.
It was not just the refugees; most of the local people of Jiangzhou also chose to leave their homes.
Bandits pass like a comb; soldiers pass like a fine-toothed rake.
For ordinary people, when natural and man-made disasters arrive, what else can they do to survive but flee?
A long, winding dragon of people stretched along the main road.
Qin Sang sat on a rock by the roadside with a blade of grass in his mouth. He wore tattered straw sandals, a coarse cloth garment covered in patches, and his face and hands were smeared with grime. His eyes were dull and vacant, and his hair, unwashed for who knows how long, hung in greasy, matted strands that emitted a sour stench.
"Water Monkey" Zhou Ning and another man leaned against the rock, dressed much like Qin Sang—three refugees sharing the same miserable fate.
This man was named Zheng Kun. He had studied martial arts under Bai Jianglan for many years and was one of the people Qin Sang had seen on the boat back then. Like Water Monkey, he had joined the Blood-Clad Tower and was now one of Qin Sang’s subordinates.
Over the past year, Qin Sang had strictly adhered to his principles. While he hadn't performed a massive number of meritorious deeds, his intelligence reports were consistently accurate. Several key pieces of information had helped the main army break through enemy lines, and his name had even been noted by the Prince himself.
Coupled with the protection of the Princess, he had climbed to a high position within the Blood-Clad Tower in just one year. He was now one of the Vice Hall Masters of the Military Altar, and the position of Hall Master had been left vacant specifically for him.
Qin Sang looked up at the sun, calculating the time. His seemingly dull gaze was actually fixed firmly on the gates of Hening County.
This main road connected all the way to Duling County in the south. The throngs of refugees on the road were not just from Hening; many more were fleeing from Duling County to escape the disaster.
Prince Dongyang’s army was divided into two routes. The Western Route was led by the Prince himself, consisting of the main force of the Prince of Zhenshui and the troops who had surrendered in Yingnan Commandery; they had already achieved significant results in Zhaoyang Commandery.
The Eastern Route, however, had been blocked at the gates of Duling County, where they had been locked in a stalemate with the pseudo-emperor’s garrison for two months, unable to advance an inch.
Duling County occupied a strategic position and had been a place of military contention since ancient times; it was known as the throat of Pingshan Commandery and Jiangzhou.
Once Duling County was taken, the rest of Jiangzhou would have no defensive barriers left. As the largest and wealthiest of the three prefectures in Pingshan Commandery, the fall of Jiangzhou would mean that Pingshan Commandery was not far from total collapse.
The pseudo-emperor had mobilized troops like a madman, concentrating the entire military strength of Pingshan Commandery at Duling County. After dozens of failed frontal assaults that resulted in countless casualties, he had devised a strategy of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang."
While the military tents remained outside the city and the offensive posture continued, two detachments were quietly withdrawn in the dead of night. They dispersed into the mountains and forests, sneaking through mountain paths to infiltrate the heart of Jiangzhou, launching a surprise attack on Hening County to threaten the city of Jiangzhou itself.
Hening County lay in the heart of Jiangzhou. With the entire military strength of the province currently concentrated at Duling County, the commandery was left defenseless. Once Hening was breached, the garrison at Duling would be caught in a dilemma.
The southern part of Jiangzhou was mountainous and forested. The Blood-Clad Tower had long since scouted the routes, and the chances of the surprise attack succeeding were high.
The strength of the two detachments was already considerable. If the main army at Duling refused to retreat to reinforce them, they could simply continue to bring in reinforcements, hold Hening, and plunder supplies, which would be enough to make the enemy suffer.
Qin Sang had mixed into the refugee crowd with Zhou Ning and Zheng Kun. His mission was to reach Hening County as quickly as possible, take control of the situation, and coordinate from within when the two surprise detachments arrived, opening the city gates to seize Hening in one fell swoop and prevent chaos.
Hening County was clearly on guard. The militia and yamen runners at the city gates were on high alert, their hands never leaving their weapons. Any refugee whose identity was unclear was shouted at and driven away, let alone allowed to enter the city.
"It’s almost the hour of the sheep (1:00 PM to 3:00 PM). Why hasn't that kid Liu Ji come yet?"
Qin Sang heard Water Monkey complaining. He looked down; Water Monkey was thin and small, missing an arm, and with this disguise, he looked even more wretched than the actual refugees.
Since losing his arm, Water Monkey had become much more steady, which was why Qin Sang had agreed to take him under his command. But old habits die hard, and he still liked to grumble about things.
Water Monkey knew his limits, so Qin Sang didn't reprimand him. He said, "Wait another hour. Old Zheng, keep a close eye on those wealthy families handing out porridge. We must get into the city before dark."
Liu Ji was a member of the Blood-Clad Tower. His ancestors were from Hening County, but he had split from the main Liu clan while doing business abroad. After joining the Blood-Clad Tower, he had been sent back to Hening to "reconnect with his roots," and he had been living there in hiding with a group of men.
After arriving at Hening this morning, Qin Sang had immediately sent out a secret signal for Liu Ji to bring them into the city. The agreed-upon deadline was the hour of the sheep.
"Understood!"
Zheng Kun grinned, rolled on the ground, and scrambled up. Hunched over and limping, he squeezed into the crowd of refugees, lining up for the porridge.
Qin Sang felt that sitting on the rock was a bit too conspicuous, so he jumped down to sit on the ground, telling Water Monkey to keep his eyes on the city gate while he closed his own eyes to feign sleep.
Mixing into the refugee crowd and traveling day and night had severely hindered his cultivation.
Qin Sang knew what was important. Since joining the Blood-Clad Tower, despite the complex affairs, he had never stopped his practice, and he had barely slept for an entire year.
Throughout the year, Qin Sang had hovered around the edges of the battlefield, hiding in the outermost reaches, letting the Yama King collect the souls of the dead.
However, Qin Sang was unsure of the true depth of the Jade Buddha and dared not let the Yama King run wild. Every time it collected a certain number of souls, he would recall it.
With a steady supply of soul pills, Qin Sang had progressed rapidly. He was now at the peak of the second layer and would soon break through to the third layer of the *Nether Scripture*.
As for the *Ming Wang Gong*, Qin Sang had tried several times but failed to cultivate any true energy, confirming his suspicion that the "Qi" produced by the *Nether Scripture* was not the same thing as true energy or internal force.
Since practicing internal martial arts would encroach on the time needed for the *Nether Scripture*, Qin Sang had no choice but to give it up.
He practiced the *Soul-Snatching Spear* and *Shadowless Steps* constantly, and his mastery was now quite high. Combined with a few other martial arts he had chosen himself, he could be considered a first-class expert even without the Yama Banner.
Just then, Qin Sang suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching. He opened his eyes alertly and saw a man who was also disguised as a refugee.
When the man reached his side, Qin Sang frowned and asked in a low voice, "Zhang Wenkui, I told you to stay close to General Wang. Why have you left your post without authorization?"