Chapter 26: The Greatest General in Three Hundred Years

“General Red?” The He father and son looked at each other in bewilderment. “General Red died before Zhong Shengguang?”

“Zhong Shengguang had a gathering of fierce generals under his command, but if one were to speak of the greatest warrior on the battlefield, it could be none other than General Red.” Mentioning the famous general of the past, Sun Fuping spoke with a sense of longing. “In the latter twenty years, the iron army of Panlong City was almost entirely forged by his own hands. The will left to me by a person from Panlong City mentioned that he commanded troops like a god, looking down upon the battlefield and absorbing most of the pressure from Zhong Shengguang.”

“Hmm, you know, after twelve years of defending the city, Zhong Shengguang was already riddled with injuries and illnesses, making it difficult for him to hold on much longer. As the saying goes, ‘Generals die in a hundred battles’; having nothing but iron will is far from enough—one also needs an iron body.”

“I’ve heard of that. It is said that General Red once led dozens of men to scout behind enemy lines, only to run headlong into two thousand Xianyou soldiers. He fought dozens against two thousand. While his subordinates were almost entirely wiped out, General Red fought with increasing ferocity, actually driving the enemy into a panicked retreat. He created the legendary feat of a few men pursuing two thousand; I wonder if he had entered a 'Tyrant Body' state...” Hearing this term, everyone frowned, and He Lingchuan quickly cleared his throat. “Anyway, the reinforcements eventually arrived, and Panlong City won a great victory. There are too many legends about General Red in Blackwater City; I could tell you stories for three days and three nights and never finish.”

It was exaggerated, but people loved these hyperbolic and blood-pumping stories.

“That was the Battle of Black Pine Pass,” Sun Fuping nodded. “Do you know in which year this occurred?”

“I’m not quite sure.” He Chunhua thought for a moment. “Was it after the negotiations between Xiluo and Xianyou collapsed and Panlong City was besieged again?”

“It was the autumn of the same year that the Xianyou Kingdom resumed war against Xiluo, the Panlong Wasteland once again became an enclave, and Panlong City turned into an isolated city!” Sun Fuping said slowly. “The wording in the will is also quite interesting; it describes General Red as having ‘emerged from the heavens’ to resist the tides of enemies from all sides and stabilize the morale of the Panlong army!”

As Sun Fuping played his part, He Lingchuan played his, acting the part of a polite listener: “Indeed. How could such an unparalleled powerhouse, a savior of Panlong City, have had no presence before, only to ‘emerge from the heavens’ at this moment?”

Regarding the legends of General Red, he was as familiar with them as the people of Blackwater City, but legends were just legends. Given the fundamental lack of data, who would truly go and verify the historical details from over a hundred years ago?

Nian Songyu interjected, “The Grand Marshal reviewed historical records and believed that since Zhong Shengguang’s divine assistance came first and General Red’s emergence came later, the two must be linked.”

He Chunhua: “So, besides the Great Fanghu, the manifestation of divine aid actually resided in General Red himself?”

To grant two types of aid in a single instance—this deity was truly generous.

“At the very least, he was a very important link in that chain,” Sun Fuping continued. “The will of a personal guard also mentioned that General Red left Panlong City twice: once to go to Xiluo, and once to reach the Xianyou Kingdom! He deeply regretted not going with them, otherwise, he might have had the chance to be stationed in his homeland instead of being buried in the wasteland.”

The He father and son were greatly surprised. “General Red actually returned to Xiluo?”

“Wasn't it said that Panlong City was besieged and became an isolated city?” He Lingchuan clicked his tongue. “He was actually able to go to Xianyou... hmm, what did he go to Xianyou for?”

“That is unclear.” Nian Songyu shrugged. “When he went, when he returned, and specifically what he did—none of the data we possess mentions it.”

“Even if he was the greatest general in three hundred years, his actions were beyond imagination. Perhaps he was an incredibly powerful sorcerer himself, layered with the providence of the entire Panlong Wasteland.” Sun Fuping let out a long breath. “However, I am more inclined to believe that General Red was no longer human, but possessed a demigod's body!”

“A demigod's body?” He Chunhua cried out. “Are you saying... a Divine Descent!”

“Exactly, a Divine Descent!”

The usually calm and steady Governor He was now both surprised and bewildered, but he quickly composed himself

“In recorded history, there have only been three cases of Divine Descent from ancient times to the present.” However, given how brilliant General Red's combat record was, attributing it to a deity seemed more acceptable. “It is said that the requirements for a Divine Descent are extremely stringent; otherwise, there wouldn't be so few examples.”

He Lingchuan immediately searched his original host's memory for the words "Divine Descent," but after searching for a long time, he only found a vague impression. It was said that gods were three feet above one's head, but in reality, gods existed beyond the heavens and could not directly descend into this realm.

Although the true deity could not come, under extremely limited conditions, they could perform a "Divine Descent" by attaching themselves to a human body to act, which could be considered an indirect entry into the mortal world.

Those who accepted a "Divine Descent" were also known as demigods.

“Yes, gods usually do not interfere in human affairs, but there are always exceptions,” Sun Fuping said. “In the spring of the thirty-second year of defending Panlong City, Xianyou and Baliing summoned five vassal states to launch a joint expedition, and they even requested six hundred demon troops from the northern Demon Kingdom to launch an unprecedentedly large-scale offensive against Panlong City. It is said the battle was so fierce that it 'leveled the mountains'; the entire Yindou Mountain to the north was razed to the ground.”

“In that campaign, the six hundred demon troops and the two leading demon generals were all killed. Of the five Great Grandmasters sent by the seven nations, three died and one was heavily wounded. The casualties among the soldiers go without saying; it is said that in the five years following this great war, the Xianyou Kingdom's fertile lands were 'all but empty,' as there were not enough young men to cultivate the land.”

Nian Songyu sighed, “Even as the victorious side, the Xianyou Kingdom could not withstand such losses. A few years after the Battle of Panlong City ended, internal strife broke out, causing it to split into several small nations, and war has continued to this day.”

“The will mentions that General Red perished in this epoch-making war. Three days after his death, Panlong City fell, and Zhong Shengguang committed suicide.”

“So that's how it was.” He Chunhua couldn't help but sigh. “What a pity.”

It was a pity that the Panlong Wasteland was buried with hundreds of thousands of loyal bones, yet in the end, they failed to change their destiny.

“It's not just a pity; it's terrifying.” He Lingchuan also sighed. “An army that the seven nations almost couldn't defeat has now become the heroic spirits we have to deal with. Speaking of which, no matter how powerful the Great Wind Army was, it couldn't have succeeded without the help of the Great Fanghu; yet in the end, Panlong City was still taken. Did the Great Fanghu lose its effectiveness?”

“That is unclear.” Sun Fuping spread his hands. “There is no record of it anywhere. It is already quite difficult for us to deduce the above from the limited data we have; these are all just glimpses through a keyhole. The truth will likely never be known.”

Nian Songyu stood up and stretched. “Get some rest early. From tomorrow onwards, none of us may sleep soundly.”

The meeting adjourned.

The He father and son shared a small room.

The room was very small, barely able to fit two small beds. When the two grown men lay down, they could hardly stretch their legs.

However, the bedding was unexpectedly dry. He Lingchuan speculated it was because the desert was too arid. There was some sand on the floor, but no annoying little creatures.