Chapter 397
Chapter 397
After waiting for well over two hours, the flames engulfing the valley finally died down. King Arotae of Qiang and Gounan Douta led their grand army into the valley. But neither Aruna nor Shen Lang were anywhere to be seen; they had long since departed.
“How many men did we lose?”
King Arotae of Qiang asked, his voice laced with fury.
“Three thousand!”
“How could we have lost so many?”
“Fewer than a thousand died in battle, but two thousand burned to death.”
“Aaargh!”
King Arotae of Qiang roared explosively. To have lost three thousand men without even touching a hair on Shen Lang or Aruna's heads. He was so enraged he could have coughed up blood.
“How many did they lose?”
“Their losses were negligible!”
“Where did the armies of the traitors Aruna and Shen Lang go? How did they vanish without a trace?”
Arotae already knew the answer to that question. His gaze was fixed on the Great Snow Mountain.
“Scouts report that the combined forces of Shen Lang and Aruna are likely headed for the Great Calamity Palace.”
The path they had taken in their retreat led only to the Great Calamity Palace. Upon hearing the report, Gounan Douta's eyelids twitched, and the King of Qiang's temples throbbed.
*They dare go to the Great Calamity Palace?*
In their hearts, both men considered the Great Calamity Palace their private property. Arotae said coldly.
“The Great Calamity Palace is now in ruins. Do they intend to use it as a defensive line to protect their army? What a ridiculous notion. That road ends at the Great Calamity Palace, making it a dead end. They are practically walking to their deaths.”
Gounan Douta laughed heartily.
“There is nothing in the Great Calamity Palace now. No food, no clothing, and they carry nothing with them. The weather at the summit is cold and covered in snow. Fleeing to the Great Calamity Palace will only lead them to freeze or starve to death miserably!”
The King of Qiang gave his order.
“Prepare warm clothes, ample dry rations, and dried cow dung. We will go to the Great Calamity Palace on the snow mountain and kill every last one of Aruna and Shen Lang's followers.”
At the King of Qiang's command, Su Jianting and Su Mo grew anxious. The Great Calamity Palace wasn't far from here, and the road built by the Great Calamity Temple was wide, but with snow covering the mountain, the army's march would be incredibly slow. A delay of several days would further postpone the rendezvous of the Su and Qiang armies. But if the State of Chu officially attacked Zhong Yao's grand army before they could join forces with the Qiang, Su Nan would have no choice but to raise his troops and rebel without further delay.
Su Jianting quickly voiced a warning.
“Your Majesty, Shen Lang and Aruna have only about three thousand soldiers. Even if they flee to the Great Calamity Palace, they will freeze or starve to death. Is there any need for Your Majesty to personally lead an expedition against such a defeated rabble? They can be wiped out with minimal effort. Why not send ten thousand soldiers to the Great Calamity Palace to eliminate Shen Lang and Aruna, while Your Majesty leads the main army into Tianxi Province to join our clan?”
Arotae said coldly.
“There is only one king in the State of Qiang. I must be the one to personally behead Aruna!”
Su Mo said.
“Then how about this? Your Majesty could divide your forces, personally leading twenty thousand troops to the Great Calamity Palace to eliminate Shen Lang and Aruna. The remaining twenty thousand could be sent to Tianxi Province under a general of your choosing to join forces with the Su Clan.”
“Only I can command my army!”
*Divide my forces? What a joke. What if I send a portion of my army, and your Su Clan swallows it whole?*
Arotae intended to keep all military authority firmly in his grasp under the title of King of Qiang, giving the Su Clan no opportunity whatsoever.
Su Jianting spoke urgently.
“Your Majesty, Shen Lang is exceedingly cunning. I am merely concerned that there may be traps and ambushes in the Great Calamity Palace. On Anguish Isle, he used an extraordinary method to wipe out Qiu Tianwei's thirty-thousand-strong army. Your Majesty must be on guard!”
King Arotae of Qiang laughed loudly.
“Hahahaha! Su Jianting, you've been so spooked by Shen Lang that your courage has shrunk to the size of a bean. He and Aruna have nowhere else to run, so they fled to the Great Calamity Palace. With my grand army hot on their heels, where would he find the time to set traps? And how could he possibly set an ambush on a mountaintop with only three thousand men?”
Su Jianting, of course, had no idea what vicious scheme Shen Lang might employ, but an instinctive sense of dread filled his heart. King Arotae of Qiang suddenly laughed and asked.
“Great Master Gounan, didn't you say you were in a hurry to get to the Great Calamity Palace? In that case, how about the warrior monks of the Great Calamity Temple take the lead?”
Arotae was truly devious. If Shen Lang had set any traps, the warrior monks of the Great Calamity Temple would be the ones to spring them. His Qiang army, positioned at the rear, would have nothing to fear.
“Hahahaha. Everyone says the King of Qiang is incomparably brave, but it seems your courage is as small as a mouse's. Very well. I will take the lead!”
Gounan Douta replied with a laugh.
The Great Calamity Palace was a place Gounan Douta never forgot, even in his dreams. Returning to the Great Calamity Palace, the holy land built by the Great Calamity Temple in the Eastern world, was the dream of every monk from the temple.
The next day.
The two armies finished preparing all necessary supplies and were ready to ascend the snow mountain.
“Ascend the mountain and head for the Great Calamity Palace!”
At Gounan Douta's command, two thousand warrior monks began their march toward the Great Calamity Palace along the six-foot-wide mountain path. King Arotae of Qiang also shouted loudly.
“All troops, advance! Forward to the Great Calamity Palace. Annihilate the traitors!”
As soon as Arotae finished speaking, the King of Qiang's thirty-seven-thousand-strong army began its majestic ascent of the Great Snow Mountain, marching toward the Great Calamity Palace along the six-foot-wide path. Su Jianting followed closely behind the King of Qiang. Among all those present, he knew Shen Lang best. If Shen Lang had employed some scheme or trick, he would be the first to notice. However, the closer they got to the summit, the more uneasy Su Jianting became. But he couldn't pinpoint the source of his anxiety.
***
Marquis Zhenyuan's Estate.
Su Nan appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, he was burning with impatience. His army of twenty to thirty thousand was already deployed; with a single command, they could march out and sweep through Tianxi Province in an instant. The southern part of Tianxi Province was like a fat, juicy piece of meat. It lay right before him, seemingly within reach, but Su Nan had to force himself to wait. He could not make a move before the grand army of Chu did. Once the Chu army began to move, Su Nan's army would launch its attack with the force of a thunderclap, sweeping everything before it.
*When will Chu make its move? When?*
Just then, Su Yong burst into the room like an arrow.
“My lord, my lord, wonderful news. The grand army of Chu has made its move. The battle has finally begun!”
Overjoyed, Su Nan rushed up to Su Yong and asked.
“Are they truly fighting? Or is it just a show?”
“They are truly fighting. The battle began with such ferocity that it caught Zhong Yao's grand army completely off guard. The Chu forces have already captured more than ten watchtowers and barracks in succession.”
Su Nan was still forcing himself to hold back. But the subsequent reports he received were increasingly urgent and clear. Yes, the Chu army had truly commenced battle. Su Nan was so moved that his entire body trembled.
*The moment has finally come! Our Su Clan will finally rise like a phoenix!*
Finally, Su Nan summoned all his strength and roared out his command.
“Dispatch the troops and begin the battle. From this day forward, our Su Clan begins its great enterprise! All forces, advance!”
The moment to shake the heavens and the earth had arrived. In an instant, the State of Yue was plunged into a state of supreme tension.
***
Marquis Zhenyuan, Su Nan, officially issued a manifesto. It enumerated the thirteen great crimes of King Ning Yuanxian of Yue.
*King Ning Yuanxian of Yue is extravagant and unrestrained, cold and cruel. He shuns wise ministers and favors petty men, executing the loyal and faithful. As a result, treacherous villains fill the court, and his merciless tyranny prevents the people of the realm from living in peace. The people of Yue have long suffered under the Ning Clan!*
*Furthermore, Ning Yuanxian is without righteousness. How loyal was the State of Nan'ou to Yue? Yet, two generations of Nan'ou's kings were harmed by him. For the king of a nation to attempt to seize the lands of his son-in-law is a shameful and deplorable act.*
*Ning Yuanxian knows no shame. Driven by greed, he has seized the great enterprises of Yue's nobility under the pretext of new policies. The tragedies suffered by the estates of the Count of Dongjiang, the Count of Jinhai, and the Viscount of Nanshan are so heart-wrenching one cannot help but cover their face and weep.*
*And I, Marquis Zhenyuan, Su Nan, how diligently have I served with utmost loyalty? Yet Ning Yuanxian heeded the slander of petty men and sought to exterminate our Su Clan. For generations, our Su Clan has been loyal to the Ning Clan; had the king ordered us to die, we would have done so without hesitation. If it were only our Su Clan, death would be acceptable. But why vent his rage upon the people of Baiye Commandery, sending the treacherous officials Zhang Chong and Shen Lang to Tianxi Province to harm the populace and slaughter the innocent?*
*Our Su Clan never intended to rebel, but for the sake of the people of Tianxi Province, we cannot but punish the king for his brutal politics. A ruler may treat his subjects as mere limbs, yet his subjects will regard him as their very heart. A ruler may treat his subjects as dogs and horses, yet his subjects will regard him as a fellow countryman. But when a ruler treats his subjects as weeds to be trampled, his subjects are bound to see him as an enemy.*
*Now, our Su Clan raises its army to correct the foolish governance of Yue, to follow the path of the sages above and win the hearts of the people below. From this day forth, our Su Clan shall lead the seven commanderies of Tianxi Province and formally establish our independence, completely breaking away from the rule of Yue. I, Su Nan, appeal to all the old noble families of Yue. Join this righteous cause and stand against the tyranny of Yue. Heaven's Mandate is with us; what is there to fear?*
This fluently written manifesto was delivered to thousands, spreading throughout the world on Su Nan's command. For days, Su Nan's manifesto denouncing Yue was posted on every major street and alley, spreading to the states of Chu, Wu, Yue, Nan'ou, Qiang, and even to the various nations of the Western Regions. Because the manifestos and the messengers to deliver them had been prepared long in advance, they were able to distribute them frantically the moment Su Nan gave the order.
When the manifesto denouncing Yue was released to the world, everyone was utterly shaken. The King of Wu sent an envoy to the Su Clan to express his deep concern and demanded that King Ning Yuanxian of Yue cease harming the old noble families of the state. The King of Chu expressed deep sympathy for the Su Clan and declared his support, being the first to recognize the autonomy of the Su Clan's territory from Yue, and showed intense indignation at the cruelty of King Ning Yuanxian.
King Gong of Nan'ou also issued a proclamation in response to Su Nan, calling for a joint denunciation of the merciless King of Yue and expressing his desire for Nan'ou to become a brother state to the Su and Qiang. An envoy from the State of Qiang sent an official document stating that the Su and Qiang were one family, that an enemy of the Su Clan was an enemy of Qiang, and that for the sake of the Su Clan and the people of Tianxi Province, the State of Qiang would shed its last drop of blood to protect them. Su Nan's rebellion instantly lit every fuse, driving the State of Yue into a perilous situation. With crises erupting from all sides in a flash, the State of Yue looked as if it could collapse at any moment.