Xian Du's military banner left the Northern Court and headed south. The gaunt man sat silently in the carriage, his expression grim.
Mount Yue's power had always been fragmented. It was only during the reign of Jianixi that the land had united under one rule, with families of Mount Yue from the western foothills of Mount Dali crossing over to pledge allegiance. The rest of Mount Yue’s small or big kings ruled alongside esteemed families, dividing power further with the priesthood.
Xian Du had kept priests firmly in check during his rule. Now that he sought to mobilize troops, only a handful out of th e thousands of villages scattered across a thousand kilometers responded.
They’re all testing me... waiting for Mount Wu’s reaction.
Aside from his own five thousand elite soldiers, Xian Du had only managed to gather three thousand irregular troops. Even with careful planning, they might not reach Moonlight Valley within a week. This was making him increasingly anxious.
I must not underestimate the Grand Concord of Radiance! The esteemed families will shift with the breeze and will likely tolerate him. Though there are five thousand troops in the valley, I must remain vigilant.
Xian Du had seized the throne through his own cunning, so he was no fool. He silently jumped down from the carriage, called over a burly soldier and said in a deep voice, "Lead the troops forward. Do not delay!"
He then mounted a striped tiger-like beast and shot south like an arrow. He only took a group of elite guards along with him. The Mount Yue elite guards were all cultivators, so they made remarkable time. It only took them half a day to reach a major town close to Moonlight Valley.
Xian Du had the local family leader brought before him and said coldly, "Have the forces of the six towns mobilized to reinforce Moonlight Valley?"
As expected, the Mount Yue leader hesitated as he sweated profusely. He had never imagined that the royal court’s Xian Du would arrive at the valley’s gates overnight. Stammering, he said, "We have not... received the king’s decree... so we dare not act."
Xian Du's face darkened, then paled. He almost laughed out loud before drawing the blade at his waist with a sharp clang. He shouted, "To hell with your cowardice!"
His gaunt face flushed red as he raised the long blade high. Before the man could react, his head flew into the air, sending blood splattering everywhere.
Xian Du kicked the corpse aside, lifted the severed head and said coldly, "Send his head to the six towns. Order all forces to mobilize immediately!"
When he issued orders, he was forced to repeat them multiple times, yet they would still drag their feet and refuse to move. Even now, when the enemy was attacking the pass, they still wanted to play games with him. Xian Du was still furious, his gaze like a blade as it swept across the Mount Yue warriors before him.
He cursed, "You bastards are refusing to deploy troops? Are you just waiting for my blade?!"
His subordinates did not even dare to wipe the blood off their faces as they followed Xian Du out. After another half hour, they managed to gather a mere two thousand soldiers. Xian Du’s face was dark as he drove the troops forward. He sent men ahead to investigate the valley’s situation and rode swiftly out of the camp.
After riding for a kilometer, he saw that the road ahead was eerily empty. The scouts had not returned and the forces of the six towns behind him remained motionless.
Dissatisfied, he called his men forward and said in a low voice, "The six towns are too slow to act. If I leave, they’ll delay again. Chong Dui! Take the troops to reinforce the valley and I’ll gather more soldiers."
Chong Dui nodded in reply. Xian Du further instructed, "We don’t know the situation in Moonlight Valley. Be cautious on the road."
He was reassured when he saw his men nod repeatedly. He knew Chong Dui had always been reliable. He returned to the town with his trusted aides, and charged into another settlement. As expected, he found the family chief and various leaders sitting together, whispering and stalling. His rage flared instantly.
"You worthless scum!" Xian Du had, of course, planted his own men within the six towns. However, these towns were once great family fortresses. They governed entire settlements, so it was hardly easy to subdue them.
His fury mounting, he drew his blade and said coldly, "Cowards that are waiting to die!"
These men were pitifully unlucky. They had just found the severed head of one of their own when Xian Du burst into their quarters. As the King of Northern Mount Yue, he had no patience for excuses. It took only moments for the floor to be soaked in blood and for heads to roll.
Once Xian Du calmed down, he sheathed his blade and stepped out of the tent, only to see a bloodied rider speeding toward him. His heart tightened as the man tumbled from his horse, cupped his fists and cried out miserably, "My King! Moonlight Valley has already fallen without a sound! The Grand Concord of Radiance... ambushed us on the narrow path beyond the gorge! Thousands of our troops were wiped out... and only a few hundred managed to escape..."
Xian Du stood frozen for two breaths, his heart pounding in terror. He could only ask, "Where is Chong Dui?!"
The Mount Yue soldier wept as he replied, "I fear he is already..."
Xian Du’s legs nearly gave out beneath him. There was no time for grief, or to ponder how such a critical stronghold had fallen in mere days. The next question had already surfaced.
The Grand Concord of Radiance will surely advance... Do we fight or flee?
While Xian Du was overwhelmed, Chong Dui remained loyal as he rode swiftly toward Moonlight Valley. His troops were disorderly and uncoordinated rabble from various families. He could only force them forward, thinking to himself, I’ll sort them out once we reach the pass...
After marching just over five kilometers, he led his troops into the forest. He was only halfway through when a deafening explosion rang out as he was ambushed from both sides. Never had Chong Dui imagined he would be attacked while marching on his own territory.
Shocked, he shouted, "Form up! Retreat slowly!"
His words had barely left his mouth when he saw a flash of cold steel. A dark figure stormed through his lines like a violent gust of wind. The figure’s armor glinted with a frigid sheen under the night sky. A halberd appeared in the air for a moment, but it was already upon him before he had time to react.
Chong Dui was so terrified he could not even speak. He only had a cultivation at the third stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm; how could he withstand such an assault? He barely raised his weapon before he was thrown into the air like a leaf in a storm. He felt a crushing pain in his chest as stars whirled around him. He barely made out the halberd tearing his warhorse to pieces.
Five hundred elite warriors tore into his disorganized troops like tigers among a flock of sheep, unleashing a tide of bloodshed. Though Chong Dui was still dizzy from the fall, he heard a metallic clang as a white iron halberd stabbed into the ground beside his neck. It sent chills down his spine.
The glint of steel was so blinding he could hardly keep his eyes open. Covered in blood, Chong Dui dared not move, his skin prickling from the icy aura of the halberd. Then, a deep voice rang out, "I thought it was Xian Du himself, so I came to welcome him in person. Turns out, it’s just a minor general."
Li Zhouwei examined Chong Dui quietly. Around them, the battlefield was filled with wails of agony. Blood stained the forest floor. Yet, the young warrior seemed utterly unbothered. He smiled slightly as he pulled his halberd from the ground and flipped it in his grip.
The halberd’s tip hovered just above the ground. Crimson blood dripped from it, forming a dark red trail across the dirt. Riding forward, Li Zhouwei thought to himself, He might be useful after all. Pretending to be reinforcements to lure Moonlight Valley’s forces away won’t be an issue.
Chong Dui struggled to rise as he glanced around. Apart from the silent soldiers of the Grand Concord of Radiance, only scattered corpses remained in the forest. He knelt and said, "I am willing to serve Your Majesty."
The Grand Concord of Radiance seemed even more amused, his voice bright as he said, "Look at me."
Chong Dui had no choice but to lift his gaze. A pair of dark brown pupils shrank slightly beneath the long brows as they flickered with traces of golden light. The sight of this eerie young man made Chong Dui shiver.
The youth lifted his chin and uttered words that sent a chill down Chong Dui’s spine, making cold sweat break out all over his body. "You are loyal; no wonder Xian Du sent you. But your cultivation is too weak, you cannot deceive me."
Chong Dui’s expression turned fierce in an instant but he was nowhere near as fast as the halberd. Cold steel flashed, and a head soared high into the air. His body thudded to the ground, sending gouts of crimson blood gushing out, staining the last clean patch of ground bright red.
Li Zhouwei merely cantered forward on his horse. It was only after he was several steps away did the severed head finally land on the forest floor.
They had already advanced deep into Northern Mount Yue territory. Moonlight Valley had many cultivators and soldiers. In the mountains, cultivators at the fifth stage of the Embryonic Breathing Realm had awakened their spiritual sense. This allowed them to detect cultivation realms. Thus, Li Zhouwei did not let Li Wushao take action immediately. Instead, he opted to first probe the enemy with two assaults.