Chapter 120

Chapter 120: Entering the City At that moment, Ling Jiayue was still standing atop the mountain with the assembled soldiers, looking down over the Sheyu Kingdom’s military camp. Ling Jiayue believed that after this battle, the Sheyu Kingdom would never be able to rise again. Hearing the soldiers behind her cheering, Ling Jiayue smiled as well. Although Danyun had grown up in a military camp, she had never experienced a battle like this. Cheering, Danyun grabbed Ling Jiayue’s hand and said excitedly, “Miss, Miss, we won! Most of the Sheyu Kingdom’s main forces were swallowed by the flood. The danger at the Northwest border frontier has been resolved!” Seeing Danyun’s excitement beside her, Ling Jiayue merely shook her head with a smile. Having ridden across battlefields in her previous life, she had long since grown accustomed to life and death. To be honest, a scene like this could not shake Ling Jiayue. She only watched the scene below with calm composure, as if she had merely raised a hand and annihilated the main force of an entire kingdom’s army. “General Ling! General Ling! General Ling!” The soldiers following behind Ling Jiayue shouted her name one after another. Their eyes were feverish as they looked at her, as though she were some legendary figure. Ling Jiayue knew that after this battle, she had won the army’s loyalty. From then on, no one would ever look down on her again. Ling Jiayue and the others quietly waited on the mountaintop, watching as the flood below gradually receded. Some of the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers were still struggling feebly in the water. Ling Jiayue ordered, “Soldiers, follow me down. Wipe out the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers and restore peace to the Northwest!” “Restore peace to the Northwest! Restore peace to the Northwest! Restore peace to the Northwest!” The soldiers shouted feverishly. Ling Jiayue charged down first, and the soldiers followed close behind her. They had only one goal: to kill the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers and protect the peace of the border frontier! Leading the high-spirited soldiers, Ling Jiayue rushed down the mountain and launched a fierce attack on the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers. The surviving soldiers had just endured the flood and were physically weak. How could they withstand another round of slaughter? One after another, they fell beneath the swords of the Dayi soldiers. As Ling Jiayue led the soldiers in killing the enemy, she also instructed them, “Stay alert. If you see the Sheyu Kingdom’s general, remember to keep him alive!” “Yes, General Ling!” the Dayi soldiers answered in unison. At that moment, Ling Jiayue’s Dayi army engaged the Sheyu Kingdom’s army in a fierce battle. But calling it a battle would have been inaccurate—it was more like a one-sided massacre carried out by Ling Jiayue and her forces. One Sheyu soldier after another fell beneath the Dayi soldiers’ blades. This place had already become a graveyard for the Sheyu soldiers. Before they knew it, time had passed swiftly, and almost all the Sheyu soldiers had been killed. While leading the soldiers in clearing the battlefield, Ling Jiayue asked, “Did any of you see the Sheyu Kingdom’s commander?” The soldiers answered one after another, “Reporting to the general, none of us saw the Sheyu Kingdom’s commander.” “It seems the Sheyu Kingdom’s commander escaped. He certainly has some ability, considering he managed to get away despite our attack. Forget it. First, clear the battlefield. We’ll return to camp and rest briefly. In a few days, we’ll enter Northwest Fortress-City,” Ling Jiayue ordered. “Yes, General Ling!” the soldiers answered in unison. Earlier, Xiang Haijun, the general who had been desperately holding Northwest Fortress-City, had heard the commotion outside the city. He climbed onto the city wall and looked down carefully. He saw the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers by the river being swept away by the flood. Thinking it was Heaven’s gift, he had not expected another group of soldiers to suddenly arrive and slaughter the Sheyu Kingdom’s remaining forces. Xiang Haijun took a closer look and discovered that the people slaughtering the Sheyu soldiers were wearing Dayi uniforms. Tears immediately streamed down his face. He thought, We have not endured all these days of bitter resistance in vain. The kingdom has finally sent reinforcements! Standing atop the city wall, Xiang Haijun ordered, “All soldiers, listen up! Return to the city and make preparations. Our reinforcements have arrived. Get ready to welcome them.” “Yes!” The city’s defending soldiers had finally received the reinforcements they had long awaited, and they were overjoyed. The soldiers within Northwest Fortress-City were now brimming with morale, and the Northwest finally had a moment of peace. After Ling Jiayue finished clearing the battlefield with the soldiers, she led them back to camp. Mu Yuheng had been waiting outside the camp for some time. Seeing Ling Jiayue return victorious at the head of the soldiers, he smiled and said, “Yue’er, after this battle, you’ve become the General Ling acknowledged by all the soldiers.” Ling Jiayue smiled and nodded. “Let’s make our preparations and enter the city. The Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers are no longer a threat.” “Good. I’ll listen to you.” Mu Yuheng looked at Ling Jiayue fondly as he spoke, then led her and the others back to camp. After this battle, the Sheyu Kingdom’s soldiers would instinctively fear whenever they heard Ling Jiayue’s name. Meanwhile, Ling Jiayue had become a legendary figure in the hearts of the Dayi soldiers. Ling Jiayue returned to camp with the soldiers and rested briefly before ordering them to head into the city. After all, the two armies were still engaged in battle, and speed was of the essence. If Ling Jiayue and the others delayed and allowed the Sheyu Kingdom to seize the initiative again, all their efforts would be wasted. Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng led the main army toward Northwest Fortress-City. Xiang Haijun, the city’s defending general, had opened the city gates early and was waiting outside to welcome them. When Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng arrived outside the gates, Xiang Haijun bowed to them. Ling Jiayue asked curiously, “Did you know we were coming? Is that why you deliberately waited here?” “I climbed onto the city wall earlier and saw that you had won a great victory, General. I immediately ordered rooms to be prepared in the city for the two of you. Since I calculated that you should be arriving about now, I came out to welcome you,” Xiang Haijun replied. “You’re quite perceptive. Let’s enter the city first,” Mu Yuheng said. Xiang Haijun led the two of them into the city. Once Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng reached their lodgings, Xiang Haijun tactfully withdrew, leaving the space to the two of them. Ling Jiayue suddenly seemed to remember something important and said, “Yuheng, earlier I heard that the Sheyu Kingdom also has ties with the Ye Kingdom. Now that we’ve dealt the Sheyu Kingdom such a heavy blow, do you think the Ye Kingdom might use Mu Yuyang to do something at court?” “Your concern isn’t unfounded. I’ll write a letter immediately and send it back to the capital so Big Brother will know. That way, he won’t be placed at a disadvantage here,” Mu Yuheng said before going off to grind the ink himself. At that moment, outside Northwest Fortress-City, a raggedly dressed man was glaring at the city with hatred. Gritting his teeth, he said bitterly, “In the name of the Sheyu Kingdom’s grand general, I swear that I will never let you win this easily. Just wait!” The news of the Sheyu Kingdom’s crushing defeat was also transmitted immediately to Chu Chaoci by the spy the Ye Kingdom had planted in Northwest Fortress-City. When Chu Chaoci saw the news, he was so furious that he smashed his teacup. He had never expected the Sheyu Kingdom’s army to be so utterly useless. Chu Chaoci’s gaze turned cold and focused, and he began to formulate a plan.