Chapter 704
Chapter 704
Three days later, the area beneath the walls of the Chu capital was packed tight with Chu soldiers. All the reinforcements from the surrounding castles and commanderies had arrived, swelling their numbers to sixty or seventy thousand. However, these were not frontline troops, but rear-guard forces stationed to defend local territories. The true elites numbered less than twenty thousand. As the sun rose that day, the Chu reinforcements outside the city witnessed an infuriating sight. Their Queen of Chu appeared on the city walls, looking haggard and terrified. Had the poison injected into her body flared up? Her entire body was covered in rashes, particularly severe in the triangular region of her groin where skin folded. The rashes spread densely across her back, stomach, and even her arms, leaving her utterly terrified.
The pain and itching from the rashes felt as if they were seeping from the cracks of her bones, robbing her of sleep for days and nights and completely shattering her will and pride. Her haggard, frantic appearance was a far cry from the former Queen of Chu who used to look down upon her people from on high.
“Shen Lang, you despicable bastards.”
“Shen Lang, if you have any courage, why don't you face us with swords and spears? What kind of hero takes a queen and princes hostage?”
“Shen Lang, you vile commoner, holding a woman hostage?”
The officers of the Chu reinforcements gathered below the walls hurled curses, to which Shen Lang replied with a cold sneer.
“First, I am no hero. Second, I never intended to use the queen as a hostage to pressure you into surrendering. I simply wanted to show you all Her Majesty's current state. Have you all had a good look? A clear look?”
Shen Lang's sneer deepened.
“I asked if you had a clear look. I'm sure you all saw her well. Take Her Majesty away!”
At Shen Lang's command, the warriors led the Queen of Chu away. He addressed the reinforcements below.
“You said you wanted to face us with swords and spears? We can start right now! Come on, come on, come and try!”
His dismissive, mocking tone further enraged the Chu officers. The commander of the Chu reinforcements shouted loudly.
“Charge the city! Kill every last person from Yue and rescue Her Majesty the Queen and Their Highnesses the Princes!”
Soon, the sixty to seventy thousand Chu soldiers madly assaulted the city.
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.
The Second Nirvana Army and the sharpshooters of the Shaman Tribe unleashed a frantic volley of arrows. The feeling of shooting down from above was exhilarating. Another one-sided slaughter unfolded, and after four hours, the battle was over. Of the sixty to seventy thousand Chu reinforcements, over twenty thousand were casualties, and the rest had all fled. Shen Lang shouted from the city walls.
“Everyone, you must come back! Bring all the reinforcements from the surrounding areas. I won't leave; I'll be waiting for you right here! The Queen of Chu won't be leaving either. Remember this: next time, you must bring a hundred thousand troops!”
Hearing Shen Lang's words, the fleeing Chu officers and commandery prefects were overwhelmed with a shame and fury so intense it felt like death. But after that, no more reinforcements came. The strongest armies of Chu were all on the front lines, under the command of the King of Chu. It was unknown how the King of Chu would react or what edict he would issue upon hearing this nightmarish news.
***
Zhenxi City.
Perhaps this was the most brutal battlefield of all. The King of Chu's army was four times larger than Zhong Yao's. Although the combat prowess of both sides was comparable, Zhong Yao's forces were defending from behind sturdy fortress walls, allowing them to fight on even terms. The King of Chu possessed an incredibly sharp political sense. The moment he learned that the Sovereign's army was retreating, he sensed something was amiss. He had his army of over three hundred thousand surround Zhenxi City and only began the siege after the defenders' morale had plummeted.
Soon, the two sides engaged in the most ferocious battle. With their combined forces exceeding four hundred thousand, this was likely the largest-scale war in twenty years. Countless soldiers died each day. Bodies piled up like mountains on the city walls, and the blood they shed formed rivers. After five long days of fierce fighting, the casualties on both sides reached nearly a hundred thousand. Chu suffered over seventy thousand casualties, while Zhong Yao's defending army in Yue had over twenty-five thousand. Although Chu's casualties were far greater than Zhong Yao's, the disparity in their forces was too significant, and the ratio of their engagement had shifted from four-to-one to five-to-one. It was an incredibly fierce battle, but any sharp observer could see the scales of victory gradually tipping in Chu's favor.
Zhong Yao's defenders in Zhenxi City were still valiant, but they could completely collapse at any moment. In wars of such a grand scale, defeat doesn't creep in slowly; one side suddenly collapses in an instant. And as the annihilation of the Zhong Clan seemed to draw ever closer, the King of Chu's spirits soared. His army suffered immense casualties daily, but in his eyes, the dawn of victory was breaking, making it all worthwhile. If he won this war, no one in the State of Yue could stop his advance. He could lead his grand army straight to the walls of the Yue capital. If that happened, he could at the very least force them to cede Tianxi Province. How satisfying would that be?
Last time, when Jiang Li fell, he had cleverly seized over a hundred thousand square kilometers of land from the Great Qian Kingdom. And this time, he could gain another province's worth of territory. This meant that since his ascension, Chu would have expanded its domain by two entire provinces. He considered himself the most outstanding monarch Chu had seen in centuries. He knew his reputation was poor, but what did that matter? What was a bad reputation compared to the achievement of expanding his territory? As long as the people of the world revered him with awe, that was enough. Jiang Li had been renowned throughout the world, but what was the result? He was long dead; by now, his corpse must have rotted away.
Five days after the two sides began their fierce battle, the scales of victory tipped more clearly. Zhenxi City was teetering on the brink of collapse, while the Chu army, despite heavy casualties, saw its morale soar ever higher. But just then, the Third Prince of Yue, Ning Qi, charged in with an army of fifteen thousand. Instantly, the battlefield returned to a brief stalemate, and Ning Qi saved the collapsing Zhenxi City. At least in that moment, he appeared as a savior in the eyes of many in Zhenxi City.
Ning Qi and Zhong Yao were essentially attacking from both inside and out, but their combined forces numbered only seventy thousand, still just a third of the King of Chu's army. The situation on the battlefield remained tense, and the two sides fought fiercely for several more days. Eventually, Chu, with its absolute superiority in numbers, regained the upper hand.
***
Inside the barracks.
The Third Prince, Ning Qi, was planning to stage a spectacular play that would astonish the world. He intended to lead ten thousand cavalry in a dramatic performance: a tragic assault on the King of Chu's central command. A play where ten thousand cavalry would charge an army of a hundred thousand. Furthermore, he planned for countless people to witness it all firsthand. He had to display his resolve to fight desperately for the State of Yue and his royal father, charging into the enemy lines in a seemingly suicidal attack. To save Zhenxi City, to save the State of Yue, I, Ning Qi, will disregard my own safety. He had to present such a tragic scene to stir the hearts of the people, demonstrating the will of 'though I face ten million foes, I will advance'.
Then, he would unveil the most astonishing scene. An archery shot that would shake the world: shooting the King of Chu from a distance of two hundred and fifty meters. Of course, he wouldn't actually hit the King of Chu. It wasn't that Ning Qi's archery was poor, but that a grandmaster-level expert was by the King of Chu's side and would block the shot.
However, the arrow Ning Qi shot would explode, and the scene would be incredibly spectacular. Of course, it wasn't that the arrow contained gunpowder to make it explode. Ning Qi did not possess gunpowder. When he infused the arrow with his powerful internal energy, it would be unable to withstand the force and would shatter upon release. And at that moment, the King of Chu would die instantly. This was because a hidden master from Mount Budao by the King of Chu's side would use a very special method to awaken the Gu-worms inside the king's body. Thus, it would appear as if Ning Qi had shot and killed the King of Chu from over three hundred paces away.
How that scene would thrill the world! The King of Chu would die suddenly before his army of over two hundred thousand. What a devastating blow that would be to the Chu army! Losing their leader in an instant, their command structure would be completely paralyzed. How could Chu not lose the battle? The King of Chu was cunning and power-hungry, keeping an especially tight grip on military authority. So if he were to die, there would be no one to control the army of over two hundred thousand.
***
Ning Qi examined the great bows laid out before him one by one. There was a simple, antique one, an ornate one, and one that looked overflowing with majesty. The arrows used for these bows were all massive, over one hundred and eighty centimeters long. Which bow should he choose for tomorrow's battlefield?
“This one seems good.”
Zhang Zuo pointed to the simple, antique great bow. Zhang Zuo, the former admiral of Tianyue, was now the admiral of Tianxi Province. Zhu Lin's death had shocked him and moved his heart. Therefore, Zhang Zuo had decided to pledge his loyalty to the Zhu Clan, and since the Zhu Clan now supported the Third Prince, Ning Qi, Zhang Zuo naturally pledged his loyalty to Ning Qi as well. Zhang Zuo was completely disillusioned with Crown Prince Ning Yi. Perhaps the Third Prince, Ning Qi, would be a wise and brilliant ruler?
Ning Qi hesitated for a moment before choosing the majestic-looking bow. It was a bow that exuded an aura of power, even from a great distance. The bow weighed over two and a half *dan*, and any heavier bow would be of little use in hitting a target. Ning Qi easily drew the massive, majestic bow and began to practice in his mind what posture he should use when he loosed the arrow. Then, under the cover of darkness, he went outside the barracks and began practicing with the bow.
Shooting a distance of three hundred paces was no problem at all. Moreover, shooting with this monstrously large bow made him look incredibly imposing. After practicing repeatedly, Ning Qi felt he had reached his peak condition and resolved to shoot with the most impressive form possible. Because this scene would be recounted by people for a long, long time.
***
When night fell, Ning Qi had a secret meeting with the emissary from Mount Budao.
“Are you certain there will be no mistakes?”
The Mount Budao emissary sneered.
“Of course! Sometimes, the reason we of Mount Budao do not create miracles is not because we are incapable, but because we have not been permitted to do so.”
Mount Budao was naturally confident in its ability to kill the King of Chu. This was because they had been laying the groundwork for this plan for over six years. By the King of Chu's side was a concubine of peerless beauty. Only twenty-nine this year, she came from the Yan Clan, an old and wealthy noble family of Chu. Thus, she was called Consort Yan. In just two years, Consort Yan had become the King of Chu's most favored concubine. Moreover, she never fought or competed with others and was so sensible it was almost heartbreaking to watch. So, not only did the King of Chu dote on her, but even the queen had brought her into her circle and trusted her.
However, she had another identity: a secret disciple of Mount Budao. With her status, inflicting the King of Chu with Gu-worms was as easy as pie. The King of Chu was guarded by top-tier masters at all times. Many monarchs even had guards nearby while they were intimate with women, some even watching the act.
But the King of Chu was an incredibly possessive man and would never allow another man to see his woman's body, or even hear her sounds. As it happened, this Consort Yan, though gentle and virtuous in daily life, made sounds in bed that could snatch a man's very soul. Even a eunuch hearing her would feel a stir of desire, to the point of feeling the urge to urinate.
The King of Chu adored her and did not want anyone else to hear her bewitching, soul-stealing voice. Every time he was intimate with her in bed, the king would always dismiss his guarding masters, which was how he became infested with the Gu-worms. While making love with him, lost in ecstasy, Consort Yan implanted the Gu-worms into the King of Chu's body.