xymnovel Chapter 157 Bad News
Chapter 157 Bad News
Meanwhile, Ye Hua, the son of the Jade Kirin War God Ye Suizhi, who had gained Wen Zhong's approval, had already caught up with the Jade Kirin led by Pei Xingjian, traveling light.
The two, along with Yu Qilin, camped inside Longmen Pass with Li Jinlong and Pei Xingyan, who had arrived earlier.
Meanwhile, scouts were dispatched to Xuanwang City to inquire about Ye Sui's Nine Heavens Army.
However, what they received was destined to be bad news.
This operation against the Nine Heavens Army was a scheme orchestrated by several vassal kings of the Dayong Dynasty.
It also includes the Sparrow King, one of the most powerful vassal kings in the Great Yong Dynasty, who commands the Dragon King's Advisor and the Great Yong Dragon Sparrow Army.
We're just waiting for the Nine Heavens Army to jump in.
For those with ambition within the territory of Dayong.
The chaos among the princes is now inevitable.
Or rather, they never intended to avoid it at all.
After all, the rebellion of the princes of Dayong is over now.
Those who took advantage of the chaos to stir up trouble in Dayong.
What reason is there for it to exist?
However, it is not acceptable to allow the princes of Dayong to continue their internal strife.
It has been constantly depleting the resources of the Dayong Dynasty itself.
So, they neither want to end the internal strife nor want to waste resources for nothing.
What else can we do?
Of course, it's about shifting the pressure.
Throughout history, signs of internal strife have been shifted to external pressures.
It has always been an excellent way to destabilize the internal situation.
There is a common enemy, and there is profit to be made.
So, even if we can't unite all the feudal lords...
However, it is still possible to bind a few vassal kings together.
Therefore, the Nine Heavens Army became the target for diverting conflict.
Several vassal kings conspired to scheme against the Nine Heavens Army.
...
The night was as dark as ink, and the beacon fires on Longmen Pass burned fiercely, reflecting the desolate battlefield beyond the pass.
Ye Hua and the renowned general Pei Xingjian stood side by side, their gazes piercing through the darkness, fixed on the distant horizon.
Behind them stood the perfectly aligned and imposing Jade Kirin Legion, an elite force firmly stationed on this strategic pass, as solid as a rock.
Inside Longmen Pass, soldiers shuttled back and forth, busy reinforcing the defense line and preparing war supplies.
Everyone knew that this war was not only about the fate of the Dayong Dynasty, but also about the life and death of the Nine Heavens Army itself.
Therefore, despite the late hour, no one dared to slacken their vigilance in the slightest.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the silence of the night.
A scout leaped off his horse, panting, and approached Ye Hua and Pei Xingjian: "Reporting—General, news has arrived from the direction of Xuanwang City!"
Ye Hua and Pei Xingjian exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.
"The Nine Heavens Army of Xuanwang City... was completely annihilated..."
Ye Hua's heart sank suddenly, as if struck by a heavy hammer.
He gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
Pei Xingjian's brows furrowed, and his eyes revealed disbelief.
The Nine Heavens Army is an elite force that has been built up in Yunzhou over the past few centuries.
The leader of the Nine Heavens Army in Xuanwang City, the Jade Unicorn War God, was a figure who was famous throughout the land. How could his entire army be wiped out so easily?
"What did you say?"
Ye Hua's voice trembled slightly as he gripped the scout's shoulders tightly. "Where's my father? How is he?"
"The Nine Heavens Army suffered a crushing defeat in its battle against the Dragon Sparrow Army of the Great Yong Dynasty."
The scout lowered his head, not daring to look Ye Hua in the eye. "General Ye... he was severely injured by Long Junzuo, the leader of the Dayong Dragon Sparrow Army, and fled into the deep mountains with a few personal guards. His fate is unknown."
Ye Hua felt a sudden dizziness, staggered a few steps, and almost fell to the ground.
"Dragon Lord..."
Ye Hua gritted his teeth and uttered the name, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Pei Xingjian, standing to the side, frowned deeply. He had learned about the Dayong Dragon Sparrow Army, one of the most powerful Daoist armies in Dayong.
Therefore, they were well aware of the Dragon Sparrow Army's strength, but they never expected the Nine Heavens Army to suffer such a crushing defeat.
He looked at Ye Hua and saw that Ye Hua's face had turned deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with anger and grief.
"Father……"
Ye Hua murmured, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.
He knew that at this moment, nothing he said could undo the tragedy that had already occurred.
He could only channel his grief and anger into strength to avenge the soldiers of the Nine Heavens Army.
Pei Xingjian gently patted Ye Hua on the shoulder to comfort her.
He knew how Ye Hua felt at that moment, but he also knew that as generals, they couldn't let their emotions cloud their judgment.
He took a deep breath and said, "Brother Ye, we must calm down now and think about our next course of action."
Ye Hua nodded, trying to calm himself down and regain his composure.
He knew Pei Xingjian was right; now was not the time for grief, and they had to prepare for the battle to come.
"Pass down the order."
"Strengthen the defense of the passes and closely monitor the movements of the Dayong Dragon Sparrow Army."
Pei Xingjian turned around and gave orders to the guards behind him.
"Since Long Junzuo has already defeated the Jiuxiao Army stationed outside Xuanwang City..."
"Then the area around Xuanwang City must have already fallen into the hands of the Sparrow King behind Long Junzuo."
"But if we want to control all of Wenzhou, then Longmen Pass is a strategically vital location that every military strategist must contend for!"
"Unless we break through Longmen Pass, Wenzhou will remain exposed to the might of my Nine Heavens Army."
Pei Xingjian glanced at Ye Hua, then said in a deep voice.
"Therefore, we must take immediate action to stop the Dayong Dragon Sparrow Army from capturing Longmen Pass."
"Drag it out until the main force of the commander-in-chief's army arrives."
"We absolutely cannot let Longmen Pass fall into Long Junzuo's hands."
"Otherwise, we will have to wait until later to seize Longmen Pass from Long Junzuo, who commands the Dayong Longque Army, and the Sparrow King behind him."
"It's almost impossible."
Pei Xingjian looked at Ye Hua, who seemed unable to accept it, and offered a reminder.
He was a wise and brave Confucian general during the Tang Dynasty.
Pei Xingjian could easily see that Ye Hua wanted to immediately head to the vicinity of Xuanwang City to find Ye Sui.
However, the current situation is that the Nine Heavens Army in Xuanwang City, including Ye Sui's army, has been completely wiped out.
The most urgent task for the Nine Heavens Army now is to defend Longmen Pass.
Otherwise, all the efforts made by the Nine Heavens Army during this period will be in vain.
The sacrifices of the Nine Heavens Army outside Xuanwang City were therefore meaningless.
"I'll send a message to the Commander-in-Chief with Po Yun, instructing our Yunwang Mansion's Wuyun and the Crown Prince's Luowang to do everything in their power to search for General Ye within Wenzhou."
"If you go to search for it alone, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"It would be better to wait for news inside Longmen Pass. As soon as they have news of General Ye..."
"Po Yun, if you set off immediately, you'll have a better chance of rescuing General Ye."
Pei Xingjian looked at Ye Hua and gently comforted him.
Don't persuade others to be kind to others without suffering.
Pei Xingjian knew that it wasn't him who was in danger, but his father.
He has no right to criticize a filial son's filial piety.
They used the so-called "big picture" to put Ye Hua in a dilemma between loyalty to his country and filial piety.
Therefore, he simply gave Ye Hua a detailed analysis of the current situation.
Tell him to remain calm and patient inside Longmen Pass.
Waiting for news from Luo Wang and Wu Yun.
This is at least better than Ye Hua running around aimlessly by himself.