Chapter 685
Chapter 685
"Young Master Shen Lang, this serpent legion can eliminate any army that invades the Southern Kingdom. But it cannot eliminate yours, can it? I smell the scent of the serpents' natural enemy!"
Shen Lang nodded at the words of State Preceptor Sha Yin of the Southern Kingdom. Big Dummy brought over a box and opened it. Inside was a large bonsai tree. The bonsai had thousands of leaves and hundreds of petals. When a gentle breeze was blown over it, all the leaves and petals took flight. It turned out they were all vibrant, beautiful butterflies. As thousands of butterflies took to the air, the countless serpents retreated in unison. The giant pythons slithered back into the undergrowth, and the slender vipers all returned underground. From the moment he planned his attack on the Southern Kingdom's capital, Shen Lang had prepared for every eventuality, leaving nothing to chance.
"If my guess is correct, this must be the work of Wu Daozi of Mount Fudao."
"Wu Daozi is my benefactor. This was a gift from him."
Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
"Shen Lang, it won't be easy for you to take the Southern Capital! As they say, enemies are bound to meet on a narrow bridge!"
Indeed, a familiar face appeared. It was Ku Nan Toutuo of the Great Calamity Temple. Then, thousands of masters from the Great Calamity Temple appeared atop the city walls. They were not warrior monks, but a corps of martial artists. Ku Nan Toutuo said.
"Prince Gong is too cautious. To avoid provoking the Great Yan Dynasty, he did not allow our Great Calamity Temple to participate in the attack on the State of Yue. I thought we would have no part to play in this battle, but to my surprise, I've run into you, Shen Lang. Today, you and I will have a true showdown. Let's see whose is stronger—your Nirvana Army or my Martial Arts Corps of the Great Calamity Temple."
The Martial Arts Corps was different from the warrior monks. Each of them trained in the martial arts, and all had reached an extremely high level of skill. In terms of individual martial prowess, each warrior from the Great Calamity Temple surpassed those of the Nirvana Army. However, in a large-scale battle, they would likely be no match for the Nirvana Army. The Nirvana Army's 'One Strike, Two Halves' technique was truly devastating. But if a battle were to commence, the Nirvana Army would undoubtedly suffer heavy casualties.
Ku Nan Toutuo of the Great Calamity Temple shouted loudly.
"Shen Lang, you want to attack the capital of the Southern Kingdom? Fine! Charge! Let's stake our lives on one final battle!"
"Ready yourselves!"
The warriors of the Great Calamity Temple drew their blades in unison. Just then, State Preceptor Sha Yin of the Southern Kingdom spoke slowly.
"Ku Nan, lower your blades!"
Ku Nan Toutuo cried out in surprise.
"Martial Uncle, we will not lose! I do not believe our two thousand masters from the Great Calamity Temple cannot defeat their two thousand Nirvana Army soldiers."
"I am no longer your Martial Uncle. I have left the Great Calamity Temple; our paths have diverged. I am now merely a personal advisor to Prince Gong, and I also happen to be a tutor to his children. This is the capital of our Southern Kingdom, not the Great Calamity Temple. Therefore, my word as the State Preceptor of the Southern Kingdom takes precedence. All warriors of the Great Calamity Temple, lower your blades. Otherwise, I will have you expelled!"
Ku Nan Toutuo roared.
"Martial Uncle, why are you being so weak? What's wrong with fighting to the death?"
"I said, lower your blades!"
State Preceptor Sha Yin's voice was still not loud, but a powerful energy seemed to ripple through the air. This State Preceptor Sha Yin's martial arts were exceedingly profound. In an instant, all two thousand members of the Great Calamity Temple's Martial Arts Corps lowered the blades in their hands.
"Young Master Shen, please enter the city!"
Shen Lang closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
* * *
Without a single battle, Shen Lang led his two thousand Nirvana Army soldiers into the Southern Capital.
"Young Master Shen, please have a seat."
Soon, Shen Lang and State Preceptor Sha Yin were seated near each other.
"Young Master Shen, please have some tea."
State Preceptor Sha Yin poured him a cup of tea. Shen Lang analyzed it with his X-ray vision and mental computer, then downed it in one gulp.
"This is bamboo leaf tea; the aroma is quite pleasant. I came from the Great Calamity Palace, and I, too, participated in the battle decades ago. The one that took place at the Great Calamity Palace on the snowy mountain."
Shen Lang was stunned. It turned out this State Preceptor Sha Yin held a very high rank within the Great Calamity Palace.
"You could call me an elder of the Great Calamity Temple, if you must. I once wrote a letter to His Highness Jiang Li, asking why he was so determined to destroy our temple. At the time, I wrote, 'Your Highness Jiang Li has always lamented how the various transcendent powers hoard and monopolize the ancient civilization, deceiving the world. Yet our Great Calamity Temple wishes to share the ancient civilization with the world, so why do you seek to destroy us?'"
"What did His Highness Jiang Li say in response?"
"His Highness Jiang Li replied, 'The other transcendent powers block access to the ancient civilization as a policy of keeping the people ignorant. But the Great Calamity Temple has used the ancient civilization to manipulate the powerful, exploit the common folk, and has focused entirely on the heretical paths within that civilization. Thus, it is even more wicked and depraved.' That is why, he said, he chose to destroy the Great Calamity Temple first."
Shen Lang remained silent. He hadn't experienced those events and didn't know much about them, so he was in no position to pass judgment.
"At the time, I felt his words had some merit, but I still retreated with the Great Calamity Temple to the various nations of the Western Regions. However, the temple employed even more wicked and violent methods in those lands, harming the people, which is why I ultimately left."
"In that case, why is Prince Gong cooperating with the Great Calamity Temple?"
"Prince Gong is cooperating with me, not the Great Calamity Temple. The Southern Man tribes are different from others; they have a particular need for the power of faith. You are an intelligent man, Young Master Shen; you should understand what that means."
Shen Lang nodded.
"Therefore, Prince Gong and I intend to create a purer doctrine that can unify the spirit and faith of the Southern Man tribes. It is a monumental task, and I still don't know where to begin. Of course, the Great Calamity Temple doesn't want to miss this opportunity, so they wish to help Prince Gong and return to the Eastern world. But Prince Gong has refused their offer of warrior monk reinforcements."
Shen Lang continued to remain silent.
"My lord led his army on the Eastern Expedition, entrusting the Southern Capital to me. But I never expected you to actually arrive, Young Master Shen."
"I came on an expedition of thousands of miles to attack the capital of the Southern Kingdom. You may seem surprised, but wasn't this also within Prince Gong's expectations?"
"You eliminated the Wild Boar Legion, the elephant cavalry was of little help, and the serpent legion was useless. We still have the two thousand warriors of the Great Calamity Temple, but we do not wish to be indebted to them. Do you understand what this means, Young Master Shen?"
"I do!"
That was why State Preceptor Sha Yin had just ordered the Martial Arts Corps of the Great Calamity Temple to lay down their arms.
"According to this old man's calculations, if your Nirvana Army were to fight the Martial Arts Corps, you would win, but you would be left with only a third or a quarter of your forces. The casualties would be horrific."
Shen Lang said nothing, but beside him, the Sword King Li Qianqiu nodded.
"So, it is better to avoid a battle and prevent further casualties. Since you wish to enter the city, Young Master Shen, then enter you shall."
Shen Lang certainly had not imagined his army could enter the Southern Capital so easily. Wasn't this tantamount to surrendering without a fight? No, to be precise, it wasn't a surrender, but there were no traps inside the city.
"Young Master Shen, you came on an expedition of thousands of miles to save the State of Yue, and that is for a just cause. But our lord has also gone on a Northern Expedition for the great enterprise of the Southern Kingdom, which is also a just cause. Therefore, in this battle, no one is at fault."
Shen Lang lifted his teacup and took another sip.
"You intended to take everyone in the capital of the Southern Kingdom hostage to pressure our lord into withdrawing his troops. That includes Prince Gong's children, Privy Councilor Su Nan's children, and the families of all the important figures of the Southern Kingdom."
Shen Lang did not answer, tacitly acknowledging it.
"But I wonder if you understand the temperament of the Southern Man people, Young Master Shen. They do not wish to surrender, nor do they wish to become hostages. If someone were to hold a blade to a woman's throat and pressure her husband to surrender, a woman of the Southern Man would rather take her own life than see her husband compromise and surrender!"
Shen Lang flinched, a shiver running down his spine. State Preceptor Sha Yin gestured, and the main gates of the Southern Kingdom's royal palace slowly swung open. Inside, it was filled with people. Among the countless women and children were Prince Gong's other wives and his children, Su Nan's children, and the families of all the most important figures of the Southern Kingdom. Moreover, the palace grounds were piled high with firewood, which had been doused with tung oil.
"Young Master Shen, this old man will go on ahead."
State Preceptor Sha Yin said with a smile, then slowly walked into the palace and climbed to the very top of the pyre.
"Pour."
Someone doused his body with tung oil. Then, a beautiful, frail, and pale woman appeared. She was another of Prince Gong's wives, Shana. She stood amidst the firewood and tung oil, holding a torch.
State Preceptor Sha Yin said.
"Young Master Shen Lang, we do not wish to surrender, nor do we wish to become your hostages. Even less do we wish for our lord to compromise and admit defeat because of us. Therefore, we choose death."
The moment the torch falls, the entire royal palace will go up in flames. Filled with so much firewood and tung oil, it would instantly incinerate the thousands of people inside, reducing them to ashes. Shen Lang's blood ran cold, his scalp tingling. He had never wanted State Preceptor Sha Yin to be so determined. From behind, Ku Nan Toutuo of the Great Calamity Temple shouted.
"Martial Uncle, why are you doing this? Why? We can clearly fight, so why choose to burn to death? Why burn everyone alive?"
State Preceptor Sha Yin said nothing, merely watching Shen Lang quietly. Everyone inside, young and old, stared at Shen Lang. Their gazes were remarkably calm. One gesture from Shen Lang would mean their fiery deaths. They would never surrender, nor would they become Shen Lang's hostages.
Shen Lang was truly shaken.
'Prince Gong, what virtue and talent do you possess to have earned such people and such a State Preceptor?'
Does the State of Yue have such people? No! The old Great Qian Kingdom had many such people, though. What should he do now? Without even a fight, the capital of the Southern Kingdom had fallen into his hands. But all he had gained was an empty city.
'So, should I just let them all burn to death? Including the thousand or so children? Prince Gong, you truly are something else. You're damn incredible.'
If he let them all burn, Prince Gong would not compromise or retreat; instead, he would become Shen Lang's mortal enemy. State Preceptor Sha Yin offered no persuasion, quietly awaiting Shen Lang's decision. Either Shen Lang retreated, or they all burned to death. Those were the only two paths.
* * *
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Shen Lang cursed loudly, then shot to his feet, raised his middle finger to State Preceptor Sha Yin and the thousands of people, and said.
"Impressive. You're all so damn impressive, I can't touch you! Let's go! Withdraw the troops!"
At Shen Lang's command, the two thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army withdrew from the Southern Capital in an orderly fashion. State Preceptor Sha Yin bowed his head and said.
"Young Master Shen, thank you for the grace of sparing our lives."
Shen Lang didn't want to hear another word from the old man and covered his ears. They were too much; he didn't even want to acknowledge them. After retreating from the capital of the Southern Kingdom, Shen Lang gathered his army, preparing to depart. But suddenly, a thousand women emerged from the city, each carrying a basket. The baskets were filled with food: various cooked meats, fruits, sweet potatoes, and more. A thousand baskets were placed before the Nirvana Army, and the women left without a word.
'You bastards. We're in the middle of a war. What am I supposed to do when you give us food and meat? Is this some kind of wartime camaraderie? We're enemies! Enemies!'
"Take it."
At Shen Lang's command, the two thousand soldiers of the Nirvana Army collected the meat and food, then departed from the Southern Capital, retreating deep into the jungle. Soon, the army made camp there.