Yun Chengxuan opened the city gate and quickly made his way up the wall.
Jiang Jin pointed in one direction. “Take your people that way and seize the south gate. I’ll head to the west gate, and we’ll meet at the north gate. You can use the Dragon Feather Crossbow.”
Yun Chengxuan shook his head. “I want to use the Buddha Heart and chop their guts out.”
Jiang Jin was speechless. This nephew of hers was obsessed with chopping guts out. Considering his strength, she didn’t argue.
“Guts aren’t the point. The point is killing them. And watch yourself.”
Yun Chengxuan grinned. His aunt really supported him in ‘chopping guts out.’ Excited, he led over twenty Dragon Shadow Guards along the wall in the direction Jiang Jin had indicated.
Jiang Jin took another Dragon Feather Crossbow handed to her by a Dragon Shadow Guard and led the charge toward the west gate.
Equipped with her device, night combat was like one-way transparency—she could see others, but they couldn’t see her. It was practically a one-sided slaughter.
Armed with the long-range Dragon Feather Crossbow, she took down enemies from hundreds of meters away.
There was hardly any resistance along the way. She moved unimpeded to the watchtower, then to the west gate, securing it.
Jiang Jin left fifteen Dragon Shadow Guards to hold the west gate while she led the others toward the north gate.
On the other side, Zhou Sui rode into the city on horseback, splitting his forces into several groups to attack the county office, the barracks, and other key points. Wearing his telescope, he had a clear view of the situation in the city.
He held the Dragon Feather Crossbow, firing arrows at the Qu Zhao reinforcements arriving to assist.
When too many enemies approached, he shouted warnings.
“About a hundred meters ahead, about a hundred troops are charging, including archers. Everyone be careful.”
For the fully educated Jinyang Army, knowing what a hundred meters meant came easily.
The shield bearers of the Jinyang Army stepped forward, placing shields in front of the crossbowmen. The crossbowmen aimed their bows and fired blindly at the hundred-meter range.
Given the narrow streets, the Qu Zhao soldiers were packed closely together. With the distance provided, the blind firing achieved a high hit rate.
Sure enough, screams and shouts came from ahead.
Zhou Sui watched as one volley took down dozens of Qu Zhao soldiers. A satisfied smile crossed his face. “Fire again!”
Amid the fighting, loud shouts rang through the city.
“Citizens of the city, listen up! We are the Jinyang Army, the Han Chinese Jinyang Army. Make sure to lock your doors and windows and don’t come out, or you’ll be killed without mercy!”
“Citizens of the city, listen up! We are the Jinyang Army, the Han Chinese Jinyang Army. Make sure to lock your doors and windows and don’t come out, or you’ll be killed without mercy!”
The citizens had already barred their doors and windows when the fighting started, trembling in fear, uncertain of their fate. They had no choice but to accept whatever came.
Learning it was the Han people, they relaxed slightly.
As for the Jinyang Army, many had heard about them from Qu Zhao soldiers in the city.
It was said the Jinyang Army was extremely brutal—burning, looting, and committing every atrocity, even desecrating corpses, dismembering them, and feeding them to wolves. Who knew if it was true?
This night raid resembled the earlier seizure of Gefeng. With Zhou Sui using his device and better directing the troops, the battle ended quickly.
By the time Jiang Jin and Yun Chengxuan took the north gate and arrived at the county office, it was brightly lit with lanterns.
The county magistrate and the county commander were tied up and thrown onto the ground.
Jiang Jin noticed a puddle of liquid beneath the magistrate and frowned. Did he wet himself in fear?
When the magistrate saw Jiang Jin enter, he was stunned at first, then began whimpering frantically.
Zhou Sui explained, “One kept begging for mercy, the other kept cursing, so I gagged them.”
Clearly, the one begging was the magistrate, while the one cursing must be the county commander.
She looked at the county commander and saw him glaring at her with venomous hatred, as if he wanted to tear her apart.
Yun Chengxuan didn’t back down. “Dare to glare at my aunt? I’ll gouge out your eyes and kick your guts out!”
Before he finished, he stepped forward and kicked the county commander, launching him over three meters into the air. The man crashed into a beam with a loud bang, then fell back to the ground like a free-falling object.
The ground seemed to shake, and dust rained down from the ceiling.
A crack of bones sounded. The county commander’s body convulsed violently, the cloth stuffed in his mouth quickly stained red by blood. A pool of blood spread across the ground…
The magistrate’s eyes widened in terror, his body convulsing as well before his eyes rolled back and he fainted from sheer fright.
Jiang Jin was stunned. Was this magistrate’s courage that thin?
She couldn’t help scolding her nephew, “This is an important figure. If we needed to question him and you killed him, how would we ask anything?”
Zhou Sui was equally speechless. Fortunately, there wasn’t much to ask; otherwise, killing the county commander outright would waste vital intelligence.
Yun Chengxuan scratched his head. “Then next time, I won’t kick him. I’ll just chop off his hands and feet, gouge out his eyes, and cut out his tongue?”
His mind might not be sharp, but he was keenly sensitive to malice.
He didn’t understand why people held such deep hatred for his good aunt. Such people didn’t deserve to live—they all should die!
Jiang Jin sighed. “...Remember, don’t let this happen again.”
Despite his good intentions, her nephew was like a spoiled child—needing discipline.
“Oh.” Yun Chengxuan replied, deflated.
She turned to Zhou Sui. “Are the Qu Zhao troops within the city under control?”
Zhou Sui nodded. “Don’t worry, Commander. Both the barracks and the city have been checked.”
At dawn, thin mist shrouded the land as urgent hoofbeats echoed through the skies of Zea Prefecture.
Sheng Chi, who hadn’t slept all night, suddenly opened his eyes. “Are those hoofbeats outside?”
Soon, a servant entered. “Yes, hoofbeats.”
Sheng Chi’s face lit up with joy. He stood and walked out, stumbling but catching himself. The servant steadied him. “Master, are you alright?”
Sheng Chi paused to regain his balance, then waved his hand. “It’s nothing. Summon Advisor Kong and Advisor Huo.”
“Master.” Before he could finish, Kong Yi and Huo Chun entered hurriedly.
Their faces beamed with delight. “Our people just reported that cavalry entered the Qu Zhao barracks. It seems the action at Gefeng has started—and succeeded!”
Sheng Chi’s face broke into the most relaxed smile he’d had in days. “Good! Haha, good! Now we see how many troops Qu Zhao will dispatch.”
“Come, let’s check the city wall.” He strode out, leading the way.
At that moment, the Qu Zhao barracks were in chaos. High-ranking officers gathered in a large tent.
A burly man in his forties, General Qu Shilang, sat in the main seat. Beside him sat Qu Bai and over a dozen high-ranking officers and advisers.
Qu Shilang’s face was dark as thunder. Only now did he understand why the powerful families of Zea Prefecture had suddenly sought negotiations—he had thought they were beaten into submission.
But clearly not. Their so-called negotiations had been nothing more than stalling for time.
The Zea Prefecture families had long conspired with Gefong. Qu Zhao had been played for fools!
Treacherous Han people. Deserving of death!
“What do you think?” he turned to Qu Bai. Among those present, only Qu Bai had any dealings with Ge Feng.
The focus was no longer on Ze’a Commandery but on Shanguan County—specifically, Ge Feng’s Jinyang Army.
Because Shanguan County’s position was far too crucial; it could not afford to be lost!
