OFTLHFRO C167

Chapter 167 – The War Begins

“Report—!”

“General, heavy rain is falling near Han Town!”

Upon hearing the scout’s words, Wu Hong paused in thought, then lifted his head to gaze at the sky.

Beside him, Fu Jia exclaimed, “General, an earthquake followed by a downpour—this is Heaven’s will aiding us! Today, Han Town will surely fall!”

Hearing that, the hesitation in Wu Hong’s heart vanished. “Move out!”

“Yes, sir!”

Luo Mingchen sensed the mass of dark, dense troops approaching from afar, though he wasn’t surprised.

If Han Town had truly been caught off guard—struck first by an earthquake and now by torrential rain—it would indeed be a divine opportunity for Beiyue.

Unfortunately for them, that “divine rain” had been conjured by him.

Lying low behind a boulder, Luo Mingchen turned to Liu Changlian. “They’re here.”

To Liu Changlian, Luo Mingchen now looked less like a man and more like a living deity. Trusting him completely, he signaled the soldiers to ready themselves.

The rhythmic thunder of hooves rolled through the valley, and soon the army’s banners came into view.

When they saw the dark tide of men behind them, Liu Changlian’s eyes widened in shock.

At least a hundred thousand troops!

That pit they’d made would hardly trap even a fraction of them.

He could only hope the other defensive points were fully prepared.

The water mass in the sky finally dispersed, and Beiyue’s troops charged forward in a relentless wave.

As planned, the vanguard fell right into the pit.

Moments later, boulders rolled down the slopes above—

The same trick as before.

But this time, the enemy numbers were overwhelming. After the stones were dropped, Luo Mingchen’s side quickly withdrew, not giving the enemy a chance to counterattack.

Even faced with ambushes, Beiyue’s army didn’t retreat. The front ranks pressed on through the flooded terrain.

No matter what, they had vowed to take Han Town by day’s end!

The traps and mechanisms only managed to thin their ranks; crippling them entirely was impossible—especially since Xiaguang’s steel-armored troops were following close behind.

When Luo Mingchen saw those soldiers clad head to toe in metal, he understood why they’d dared to march on Han Town.

What he didn’t understand was how the two nations had joined forces.

That is, until Han Town unleashed its bombs.

Xiaguang possessed formidable smelting technology, Beiyue boasted raw strength—but the Dayan Dynasty had devastating explosives.

By the time Beiyue and Xiaguang realized something was wrong, half their troops were already too deep in the field.

Fu Jia cried out, aghast, “They’re unharmed?!”

But it was far too late.

Han Town’s gates burst open, and a wave of soldiers stormed out.

The blaring horns shook the heavens.

“Kill—!”

Chaos erupted—no formal call to battle, only blood and steel.

Luo Mingchen didn’t go looking for Huo Yan. Instead, he sought out the enemy generals and commanders, rescuing a few of his own men along the way.

In the midst of the melee, Fu Jia saw a flash of familiar water ropes—and before he could react, he was snared and yanked off his horse.

Using the same technique, Luo Mingchen captured Wu Hong and several Beiyue deputy generals, binding them tightly.

Then his gaze shifted to a circular formation on the battlefield, where Huo Yan was locked in combat with another man—one whose strength nearly matched his own. That had to be Miao Yifan, the marshal Lan Fei had mentioned.

“Lord Luo! Are you unharmed?”

Li Yunde and Liu Changlian broke through the enemy lines just in time to see the cluster of captives hanging midair, bound in glowing blue water ropes.

Their jaws nearly dropped.

This was… a bit too much.

“I’m fine,” Luo Mingchen said. “Go spread the word—the enemy generals and deputies have been captured.”

“Yes, sir!”

To make it more convincing, Luo Mingchen kept his captives suspended in the air for all to see.

The news of Beiyue’s captured commanders spread quickly through the ranks. Enemy morale plummeted while Han Town’s troops surged with renewed fury, cutting through their foes with unstoppable force.

On the other side of the field, Huo Yan dismounted Miao Yifan with a sweeping strike, driving his spear through the man’s shoulder.

“Those who surrender will not be killed!”

Hearing that, many of the panicked enemy soldiers froze in place.

The few who didn’t—lost their heads on the spot.

Darkness cloaked the battlefield, and the blood-soaked earth finally fell silent after hours of slaughter.

Far off on a hill, a small figure in a black cloak and a silver-blue mask watched the aftermath in silence.

Behind him, pairs of ghostly green eyes gleamed in the night—hundreds, perhaps thousands of them.

When the outcome was clear, Lan Fei patted the head of the great black wolf beside him. “Let’s go.”

“Awwooo—!”

A chorus of howls answered. Lan Fei mounted the wolf and vanished into the darkness.

Hearing the faint howls, Luo Mingchen sensed their direction, his feelings a mix of pride and helplessness.

So Lan Fei had brought thousands of black wolves to assist—but seeing they weren’t needed, had quietly retreated.

By the time Han Town’s forces regrouped, Wu Qing finally arrived—late and breathless.

Hu Zhongyi, face streaked with blood, gave a cold, mocking laugh. “General Wu, how impressive. Nowhere to be found during the battle, but right on time to collect the credit.”

Seeing the victory with his own eyes, Wu Qing could scarcely believe it. His mind buzzed.

“You… you won?”

Li Yunde stepped forward, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why, General Wu—disappointed, are we?”

Wu Qing’s face darkened, but before he could retort, Ruan Feng strode past, supporting an injured soldier. “What are you standing there for? Go help the wounded. If you hurry, some might still live.”

“Yes!”

Li Yunde gave Wu Qing a pointed glance, then went to assist.

Ruan Feng didn’t even spare him a look as he carried the soldier away.

Understanding the implication, Hu Zhongyi gave a cold snort and went to help as well.

Wu Qing was left standing there, ignored by everyone. “You all—”

But no one cared to listen. They didn’t even want his men’s help, leaving them idling outside Han Town like unwanted guests.

The humiliation made Wu Qing’s face burn with fury. He turned to Jiang Sheng. “What’s the meaning of this?!”

A flicker of irritation flashed in Jiang Sheng’s eyes before he smoothed it over. “General, we should assist them—and explain ourselves. If we do nothing, someone will surely report it to the court.”

Wu Qing’s anger only grew. “I’ve noticed you’ve been siding with them lately. They’re clearly trying to shut me out, and you want me to go grovel for their scolding? Jiang Sheng, you’re my strategist, not theirs!”

Jiang Sheng realized that at this rate, disaster was inevitable.

“General, Huo Yan isn’t the same as the late Grand General Huo. The one with true command here is Grand General Hu. He won’t shield you—”

“Enough!” Wu Qing barked. “A son obeys his father. If even Huo Yuntao wouldn’t dare cross me, who does this Huo Yan think he is? We’re leaving!”

No longer listening, Wu Qing led his troops away in a storm of indignation.

Using his heightened senses, Luo Mingchen heard every word of their exchange. His expression darkened.

“Wu Qing’s been completely ruined by Huo Yuntao’s flattery. The man’s turned into a fool.”

From the direction Wu Qing had gone—and the tone in Luo Mingchen’s voice—Huo Yan didn’t even need to ask to know what had been said.

“Don’t bother with him.”

Luo Mingchen frowned. “He’s already this unreliable. If he delays again next time, and the enemy attacks from Bing Town, what then?”

Huo Yan’s tone remained calm. “Then we replace him.”

If the man were merely greedy but still competent, that would be tolerable.

But to sabotage his own allies out of spite—that crossed the line.

If the emperor didn’t dare remove him, then they would simply help the emperor make that decision.