The deputy general shouted in alarm, “Look out!”
Wu Ku reacted swiftly, his body instinctively twisting to the side.
The arrow grazed his neck, tearing away a strip of flesh.
The deputy general was not so lucky. An arrow struck him in the neck, ripping open a gaping wound as though someone had scooped out a chunk of flesh. Blood sprayed like mist, reaching more than ten feet away.
Strangely, only a little over an inch of the arrow’s shaft protruded from his neck. Clearly, the arrow itself was small, yet its destructive power was terrifying.
This was the might of the Dragonforged Crossbow.
Wu Ku’s eyes widened with fury. With a roar, he gripped his blade and charged toward the Cangming Guards ahead.
Xie Nanxiao wielded Panlong and rushed toward Wu Ku. “Your opponent is me!”
Wu Ku bellowed, “Just what I was hoping for!”
He raised his long saber and charged at Xie Nanxiao.
A spear had greater reach than a saber. Before Wu Ku could close the distance, the spear was already thrusting toward his neck, carrying a cold, cutting wind.
Wu Ku could only twist aside to avoid it.
One step back led to another. Xie Nanxiao reacted with lightning speed—or rather, he had already anticipated Wu Ku’s movement. His previous attack had merely been a feint, and now the spear shot forward once more.
The spearhead sank into Wu Ku’s neck, and blood blossomed in the air.
“Kill!” Xie Nanxiao roared. “The Quzhao commander is dead! Follow me and kill them all!”
“Kill!”
The Cangming Guards raised their Dragonforged Crossbows and fired relentlessly at the Quzhao soldiers illuminated by the flames.
The Dragonforged Crossbow had only recently been finalized, and production was still limited. The other troops had received only a small number of them, while every member of the Cangming Guards had one. Even the Dragonshadow Guards did not enjoy such treatment.
It was not that Jiang Jin favored the new troops and neglected the old ones. The Dragonshadow Guards had long been accustomed to using the Dragonfeather Crossbow, and they had trained with it as well. Switching to a new weapon would require them to undergo training and adaptation all over again.
So Jiang Jin had decided to equip the Cangming Guards first.
After nearly half a year of training through the winter, the Cangming Guards numbered only a hundred, but they were an elite force in no way inferior to the Dragonshadow Guards—though they lacked the latter’s practical experience.
In addition to the Cangming Guards fighting alongside Xie Nanxiao at the dock camp, Qiu Wu had brought around five hundred sailors to attack the Quzhao guards at the dock and in the surrounding area.
This was the navy’s first battle since its establishment. They had to win—and win decisively.
In Ge Feng, at Qingqiu Mountain, Luo Qingci was bent over a desk, writing something. Beneath the dim candlelight, her figure appeared somewhat indistinct.
“Why are you still awake?” Feng Qingzhu asked as she walked over, draped in an outer robe.
Luo Qingci looked up at her. “You’re not asleep either.”
Feng Qingzhu yawned. “I’d love to sleep, but I can’t.”
Luo Qingci continued writing rapidly. “I’m drafting a development plan for the three counties.”
“It should be about the same as Ge Feng’s, shouldn’t it? The basic model is already there. Besides, the lord has everything under control.” Feng Qingzhu leaned lazily against the back of her chair.
Luo Qingci did not even raise her head. “If everything has to be done by the lord, then what use are we?”
Feng Qingzhu paused. “…You have a point.”
Luo Qingci continued, “These three counties are different. Shantong County is remote and backed by mountains, with plenty of wasteland and grassland. The lord will most likely use it for horse breeding and livestock farming.”
“The other two counties are near the sea. The lord already has a navy, and with our crossbows’ extremely long range, we’re practically invincible on the water.”
“So water transport will very likely become the lord’s primary means of transportation in the future. Xianglu and Fuchuan will inevitably become counties the lord focuses on developing.”
Feng Qingzhu suddenly sat upright, fully awake. “So the lord may expand those two counties? What about industry?”
Luo Qingci smiled lightly and looked up at her. “Exactly. Those two counties may one day become even more prosperous than Ge Feng, especially Xianglu County.”
Although Ge Feng was where Jiang Jin had risen to power, its geography had already determined the limits of its development. Unless Jiang Jin eventually conquered all of Quzhao, Ge Feng could only become a minor center.
Luo Qingci pointed at the map. “Come look. What do you think of planning the industrial zone here?”
Feng Qingzhu leaned closer. “It’s not inside the city?”
Luo Qingci nodded. “That’s right. There’s only so much room within the city. Once it develops and the population grows, building more factories there would be too restrictive.”
“So I want to build a large industrial zone here. It isn’t far from the docks, the terrain is flat, and we can open roads here and here…”
Feng Qingzhu nodded repeatedly as she listened. “Then this industrial zone will be enormous!”
“Of course.” Luo Qingci smiled. “When the time comes, we can invite outside businesses to invest. The products we manufacture ourselves are still too limited.”
“The lord once said that only when a hundred flowers bloom and compete with one another can the market remain vibrant, innovation be encouraged, and the people’s demand for a variety of products be met. That is the best way to improve people’s livelihoods.”
She sighed regretfully. “Unfortunately, we still don’t know whether there are suitable materials nearby for making cement and bricks. We’ll have to wait until the lord takes the three counties before we can investigate.”
Feng Qingzhu became thoroughly fired up by her words. She had originally been unable to sleep because she was worried about Jiang Jin’s night raid, but by now she had completely forgotten the reason she had gotten up. She began discussing the industrial zone’s detailed plans with Luo Qingci.
Before long, she too picked up paper and brush and began writing a plan.
Dong Si was also unable to sleep. Standing in the courtyard, he gazed up at the starless sky and muttered, “I wonder if they’ll search the bodies. They mustn’t miss a single copper coin. The lord is far too poor right now.”
He lowered his head and looked at his hands. “It’s a pity I’m no good at martial arts. Otherwise, I could accompany the lord on his campaigns.”
Outside the southern gate of Xianglu County, Yao Ji heard the rapid approach of hoofbeats in the distance, and a smile spread across his face.
“They’re here!”
As the Quzhao guards shouted, “Halt! Who goes there?”
The hoofbeats came to a stop.
“We’re the dock guards. The docks have been attacked by the Jinyang Army. Send reinforcements immediately!”
Soon, torches were lit along the southern city wall. The guards at the gate looked down at the unfamiliar riders.
“Where is Commander Wu, the commander of the dock guards?”
The dock guards hurriedly replied, “The commander is engaged with the Jinyang Army. I’m a messenger. Hurry and report this to the county magistrate.”
The gate guards did not dare delay and immediately sent someone to report.
The messenger secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Open the gates and let us in first.”
The gate guard shook his head. “Wait below the walls. We’ll discuss the details once the county magistrate arrives.”
They had received strict orders: the Jinyang Army was cunning, so they had to remain vigilant. The city gates were not to be opened lightly, especially at night.
Yao Ji frowned slightly and sighed inwardly. The guards were too cautious. They would have to use the second plan.
He turned and nodded at Hua Ruo. “Be careful. Judge the timing for yourself.”
Hua Ruo acknowledged him. “Understood!”
She led her people around to the other side and began sneaking toward the city.
The messenger was anxious, but he understood the situation and did not dare say anything more.
The docks had suffered several incidents recently. In particular, two shipments of supplies had been sent out, yet neither had ever reached its destination.
The temporary docks built by Ningding Commandery had never been used even once.
On top of that, there were barely two ships at the docks, which meant the place was largely ignored and had become practically irrelevant.
The dock guards were neglected along with it.
Just as the messenger was thinking this, a sudden cry rang out from atop the city wall.
“Not good! Enemy attack! Quick, beat the war drums!”
The messenger was startled and hurriedly turned around.
Dozens of points of light suddenly streaked across the sky.
They resembled stars, shrieking over his head before smashing into the city wall.
