Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 653 - 359: Seizing the City_2
"I will definitely make a name for myself and show it to our ancestors," Lu Xun murmured to himself, his heart bursting with pride. He had already seen the first light of victory.
With an order, the grand army set out, heading directly towards the Central Plains. This army, longing for victory for so long, was finally about to encounter its first battle abroad. Many soldiers were red-eyed, ready to fight for a piece of land to settle and establish their lives. After all, many had been granted land for their significant contributions in previous wars, becoming the envy of their peers.
However, Wang Tao's forces in the Central Plains were oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. After all, the dreadful flames that had suddenly arisen had already cut off the passage between the two forces. The fierce flames were unbearable even if approached, let alone with an army attacking, so the guards within the city had long become lax, many soldiers starting to gather and gamble playfully.
"Lao Lee, hurry over for a couple of rounds!" a young man with his shirt open called out loudly.
Not far away stood an older soldier, vigilantly watching the outside. Hearing the young man shout, he turned his head and said, "Commander Wu, this isn't right. If the enemy sneaks over, the sin would be great."
"Lao Lee, you better relax. That place is now a natural barrier. You haven't seen it; that fire is terrifying; it even melted stones. Under such conditions, if the Chu Army can make it through, they'd have to fly over. No, even flying wouldn't work, the birds would get roasted in those temperatures. Hurry up, we're only missing you," the young man shouted excitedly.
Lao Lee walked over skeptically. He knew Commander Wu had personally scouted the frontlines, so his confidence must have been based on something. Thinking this, he put his heart at ease.
Little did they know that as they conversed, a troop had already stealthily approached the city. Chen Xiong, looking at the situation inside the city and seeing scarce defending soldiers on the walls, was overjoyed. Turning to his deputy, he said, "I told you the enemy would certainly be complacent. Look at their defenses; they might as well be made of paper. It seems I'm set to claim great merit again tonight."
The deputy, too, smiled and said, "I guess the other generals will be green with envy again, but there's nothing that can be done; they were too slow."
Many in the Great Chu knew that with the dreadful flames acting as a barrier, the enemy would surely become complacent. Whoever led the vanguard would likely earn great merit. Hence, everyone wanted to seize the position of Vanguard Officer. But Chen Xiong's cavalry was the fastest in the entire army. Now playing with the edge of information asymmetry and valuing the importance of swift action, such a good opportunity naturally fell into Chen Xiong's hands.
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"Get the men ready. As soon as it gets dark, we'll climb atop the city walls. Remember to first take control of the city gates. Tonight we'll show them why we are the trump card," Chen Xiong motivated his troops.
The soldiers excitedly fixed their eyes on the distant towering city walls, which in their minds, were already flying the flag of the Great Chu.
As night fell, Chen Xiong looked back at his troops, their faces alight with excitement, and gently waved his hand. Thus, this team hidden in the shadows began to move. Everything went smoothly, even exceeding Chen Xiong's expectations. At this moment, the Chu Army ascended the city walls as if a divine force, and without experiencing any fierce combat, they took over the city.
Opening the city gates, Chen Xiong led his cavalry thundering through. By the time the defending commander received the news, it was already too late. Being a man who knew the times, he quickly chose to surrender, allowing Chen Xiong to take the city without spilling blood, securing a bridgehead for the Great Chu's advance into the Central Plains.
When Lu Xun entered the city, everything had already been prepared for the welcoming, giving many in the Great Chu the surreal feeling of returning to their own territory.
Late at night, Wang Tao woke up restless, unable to calm his mind and fall back asleep, so he put on his clothes and walked around in the courtyard.
It was the dead of the night, with the moon hanging high in the sky, casting its silver glow, illuminating the silent courtyard, while the servants had long since fallen into deep sleep. Wang Tao stopped his personal guards from following, walking alone in the mansion that once belonged to the Liu Family.
Since moving in, he had never walked through it as carefully as he did now, and in that moment, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Since the failure of the Allied Army, his mood had never been high, the shadow of defeat weighing on his heart like a mountain.
He was filled with pessimism about his own future. Having witnessed the combat power of the Great Chu army and the strength of the Immortals standing behind them, to be honest, Wang Tao felt completely hopeless. This was an opponent that simply could not be defeated.
Every time he woke up from a dream, it was as though he could see the Great Chu soldiers' broadswords chopping at his neck. Such fears made the once bold and ferocious man restless; he thought perhaps vindictive spirits were haunting him, so he prayed in front of his ancestors' shrine, only to be informed that there were no vengeful spirits troubling him, but it was his excessive worries causing these anxieties. With that knowledge, he was finally able to calm down.
Before he knew it, Wang Tao found himself walking towards the quiet chambers of Taoist Zi Yang. He both revered and feared this ancestor: revered him for his extensive Divine Skills and feared his eyes which seemed to see through people's hearts, detecting the darkest corners within. Therefore, he often avoided this ancestor.
Yet today, as if possessed by some capricious spirit, he found himself at that very place. So, he peeked inside and saw Taoist Zi Yang not resting but standing in the courtyard, gazing into the sky, lost in thought.
"Old Ancestor, you haven't gone to rest yet?" Wang Tao asked respectfully.
"The Great Chu has mobilized its troops; they've likely already captured Pancheng."
With a single light remark from Taoist Zi Yang, it was as if thunder struck right beside Wang Tao's ears. He asked incredulously, "Impossible, there are terrifying flames blocking the way. How could the Chu Army have crossed over?"
"I don't know either, but as I observed the night sky, I saw the movement of the Purple Star and the resplendent glow of the Destroyer Star, which suggests that Pancheng has fallen. You must prepare early," Taoist Zi Yang said softly.
"Old Ancestor, can that flame be crossed?"
"That flame was caused by a terribly fearsome Drought Demon, and with my abilities, I'm no match for her. However, that is after all the Tea Saint, whose Mana reaches the heavens. If he personally took action, he might indeed be able to subdue the Drought Demon and extinguish the flames," Taoist Zi Yang guessed. Although his practice was not lacking, he was far from the level of beings such as Lu Yu and the Female Demon.
Therefore, he could not properly gauge the strength of both, and he was naturally unsure of the outcome.
But for Wang Tao, these words were already enough. After all, Taoist Zi Yang was an immortal being, and he would not speak without reason. Suddenly, Wang Tao felt the approach of war growing ever nearer, and this time, he had no confidence in winning.
He dispatched scouts to Pancheng for news overnight, and on the other hand, he prepared himself for the possibility of Pancheng having fallen, considering what he should do next. His commanders were puzzled by Wang Tao's actions but did not dare to question him because of Wang Tao's authority.
However, the news from Pancheng soon astounded everyone—the city had fallen into the hands of the Great Chu, the defending army had surrendered, and the Great Chu's forces had fully entered.
"Damned Liu Laosan, our master should have that traitor's head chopped off and fed to the dogs," they exclaimed as the news broke out, and the crowd erupted in anger, denouncing the commander of Pancheng.
Wang Tao, however, waved his hand to stop the cursing and, with a stern face, looked around before saying, "Punishing the traitor can wait; what we need to consider now is that with Pancheng gone, how we should stop the Chu Army's attack."
To his disappointment, however, none of the many generals present could utter a word. They stood there like puppets, motionless, unable to come up with any good solution.
It was hardly their fault, after all. The shadow of the Allied Army's former defeat still hung over them like a thick cloud. Engaging in battle with such an army was not an easy task, especially when this time the Chu Army was even stronger.
