My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 274 - : 274

Chapter 274: 274

Heavenly Water City.

After several days and nights of bloody battle, the area beneath the city walls was already paved with corpses, and now the battlements were the center of the fierce fighting.

The soldiers of Yan Country had taken control of the battlements. A large number of soldiers climbed up the ladders, rushing toward the Houjin soldiers to kill.

The clash of weapons, the unending wails, at this moment, whether it was Houjin or Yan soldiers had long become numb, only knowing to kill the enemy before them with different uniforms.

The experts from the Five Lakes and Four Seas Hall and the Soul Seeker Mansion were also fiercely fighting, but a great many of the Soul Seeker Mansion’s experts had fallen at Dongluo Pass. There were not many experts left defending Heavenly Water City, hence in terms of both soldiers and Jianghu experts, Houjin was at an absolute disadvantage.

Soon, no more Houjin soldiers could be seen on the battlements, and then the gates of Heavenly Water City were opened. The soldiers from Yan Country surged through the city gates, grandly entering the central city of North Field, Heavenly Water City.

“Kill—!”

The war drums sounded, and Heavenly Water City fell.

This southern stronghold of Houjin had been completely conquered in six days by Wang Shiyi leading an army of three hundred thousand.

Countless soldiers of Yan Country, already frantic and bloodied in their eyes, were stepping over the corpses and blood of Houjin soldiers as they ferociously rushed into Heavenly Water City.

Inside the City Lord Mansion.

The ground was flowing with fresh blood, and several Yan women knelt on the floor, their faces pale as they trembled violently.

The intense sounds of fighting outside, sounding right next to their ears, far from being the medicine that could rescue them from misery, were instead the Death Sentence pushing them towards death.

“It’s all over, let’s retreat from the North Gate.”

The Deputy General of the Yunshui Banner, his face covered in blood, said, standing beside the Banner’s leader.

The Banner Leader of the Yunshui Banner, his face grim, walked with a sword toward the Yan woman, and brutally slaughtered her with one strike.

The hearts of the other Yan women were pounding violently, filled with fear.

They were Yan women quite favored for their beauty, plundered by the barbarians from the plains, and valued by the high-ranking leaders of Houjin, filling their ranks were even noble girls and family members of Yan officials, as well as female warriors, whose Cultivation had been ruined and who had become tools of pleasure for Houjin to torment and toy with.

Though their hearts were filled with terror, they dared not resist, knowing that resisting meant death.

With a swift movement of his hand, the Banner Leader of the Yunshui Banner left several Yan women dying in a pool of blood.

“Escape, where can we escape to?”

The Banner Leader of the Yunshui Banner, his face full of rage, said, “The North Gate is but a trap. Wang Shiyi must have already prepared tens of thousands of troops in ambush, and we won’t even have intact corpses by then.”

“Then… then…”

The Deputy General turned pale upon hearing this, as fear of death overtook his heart.

Are there people in this world who are not afraid of death?

Yes, but he was definitely not one of them.

The sounds of the slaughter outside the City Lord Mansion grew closer, so close they seemed to be right by his ear.

They were coming!

The breathing of the Yunshui Banner Leader became more rapid, and his grip on his longsword tightened.

“Thud!”

As the sound of metal striking metal rang out, the large door was kicked open, and countless soldiers from Yan Country rushed in, led by a woman wielding a longsword.

“I’ve come to take you away.”

The person was none other than Wang Ningshui from the Five Lakes and Four Seas Hall. Her longsword was still stained with fresh blood, and upon seeing the Yan women lying in pools of blood, her pupils shrank suddenly.

Feeling cold inside, the Banner Leader of the Yunshui Banner guessed the identity of the woman before him and immediately shouted, “Kill!”

His bodyguards charged at Wang Ningshui.

“Puff puff puff puff!”

Wang Ningshui, with her First Grade Heavenly Flower Cultivation and Fifth Realm swordsmanship, swung her longsword, and immediately, numerous bursts of blood sprinkled before her.

Those bodyguards fell to the ground, twitching for a moment before lying still.

“I…. I surrender…”

Seeing this scene, the Deputy General of the Yunshui Banner collapsed to his knees, pleading for mercy.

A mocking light glinted in Wang Ningshui’s eyes.

“Splat!”

Just then, a blade pierced directly through the Deputy General’s body.

The Deputy General looked startled, lowering his head to gaze at the Houjin longsword that had pierced through his body.

And the owner of this longsword was none other than the leader of the Water Cloud Banner, “You’ve been with me for eleven years, so just keep accompanying me.”

The light in the Deputy General’s eyes gradually faded, and he then heavily fell to the ground.

“It’s your turn.”

Wang Ningshui’s eyes were filled with endless coldness, no nonsense spoken, he stepped forward and then slashed with his sword.

“Clang!”

The leader of the Water Cloud Banner raised his longsword to block in front of him, a great force striking, causing his knees to buckle, and he couldn’t help but kneel down.

Wang Ningshui sneered coldly, his longsword swinging to slice off several fingers neatly.

“Ah—!”

The longsword in the leader’s hand fell, and he couldn’t help but let out a ghastly wail.

Wang Ningshui closed in with large strides, slashing again with his sword.

“Puh-chi!”

The leader of the Water Cloud Banner felt a warmth in his throat, followed by a burst of blood spurting out; he could only stare with widened eyes in shock at Wang Ningshui. Ultimately, his body went limp and collapsed on the ground.

Wang Ningshui glanced at the corpse on the ground, then strode purposefully towards the distance.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of Yan Country quickly stepped forward behind him and severed the heads of two Houjin generals.

After Heavenly Water City had been breached, the entire city plunged into a melee.

Among them were Houjin soldiers stubbornly resisting, and quite a few Houjin experts were mixed in as well.

Chaotic!

Heavenly Water City was in total chaos!

In the alleys, the sound of fighting was constant.

Two soldiers of Yan Country rushed into a courtyard, where there was only one woman holding a child about seven or eight years old.

“Hm!?”

At this moment, the two soldiers were stunned because from the woman’s expression and attire, including her hairstyle, it was clear that she was a woman of Yan Country.

At this moment, the child in the lady’s arms also appeared a bit anxious and frightened.

“Please, your honor, let my child and I live.”

The woman saw the soldiers who had rushed in, knelt down, and pleaded.

“Kill them!”

One of the veteran Yan soldiers, seeing this, decided coldly.

The rookie soldier, with his mouth agape, said, “Brother Zhang, she’s from Yan Country….”

The veteran soldier coldly said, “I said, kill them.”

The woman and the child continuously knelt down pleading, making pounding noises.

The rookie soldier watched this, silent.

“Sigh.”

The veteran soldier sighed, “You two handle it then.”

Saying this, the veteran soldier walked towards the distant alley.

As soldiers, what were they risking their lives for? Protecting their homeland and family sounded grand but was too distant; in truth, it was for the sake of wealth and their families back home.

The rookie soldier looked at the pleading lady, “You can get up.”

The woman quickly said, “Thank you, sir, thank you, sir.”

After asking around, the rookie soldier learned that this woman was a native of Yu City in the Northern Wilderness Dao of Yan Country. When the Southern Barbarians had moved northward, they had kidnapped her to Houjin, where she had lived for eleven years by now. Having lived here so long and even having borne a child, she had grown accustomed to everything here.

“Now that Heavenly Water City is in chaos, you should find a place to hide.”

With no desire to snatch the possessions of the mother and child, the rookie soldier walked towards the courtyard exit.

“Don’t!”

Suddenly the woman cried out desperately.

In the blink of an eye, a sharp blade thrust through, piercing directly through the rookie soldier’s abdomen.

He struggled to turn around and saw a child, seven or eight years old, holding a dagger with cruelty, barbarism, and ferocity in his eyes.

The new recruit stumbled a few steps backward, his forehead soaked with dense sweat. As he steadied himself, his spear thrust directly at the throat of the child.

Despite being severely injured, the man was an adult male with Eighth Grade Cultivation, and his thrust was extremely fast.

“Puchi!”

Just then, a body blocked in front of the child.

It was the woman.

Seeing this, the child did not care about the woman and continued to rush toward the new recruit.

The new recruit tried to pull back his spear, but the woman clung to it tightly, bursting out with astonishing strength even in her dying moment.

The new recruit dropped his spear. The woman, following her inertia, fell directly to the ground. The new recruit then grabbed the wrist of the child with one hand and clutched his neck with the other.

The child’s face turned pale, unable to breathe, and subconsciously dropped the dagger.

The woman struggled to crawl towards the new recruit, her blood dyeing the ground red, her eyes filled with pleading, “Please… please….”

The child was also in extreme discomfort, constantly struggling, his fingers digging deeply into his flesh.

This time, the new recruit did not hesitate at all, a trace of ferocity in his eyes as he exerted all his strength, his veins visibly spreading along his arm.

“Crack!”

A crisp sound echoed, the child’s struggles grew weaker, and his breathing became fainter.

Eventually, the child stopped breathing altogether, and the new recruit sat on the ground, gasping for air heavily.

An old soldier walked in, “On the battlefield, put away your mercy.”

The new recruit covered his wound, panting heavily.

This scene was just a microcosm of Heavenly Water City.

Blood and slaughter filled every street of Heavenly Water City.

On the streets, Wang Shiyi looked at the chaotic and bloody Heavenly Water City, his expression calm as water.

By occupying this city, one could advance to attack the hinterland of Houjin directly and threaten the Royal Court, or retreat back to look over the Northern Wilderness from Beihuang Dao.

That’s why Heavenly Water City was of strategic importance.

Houjin lost Heavenly Water City in their effort to take Dongluo Pass, putting them at a strategic disadvantage.

But if Yan Country did not have reinforcements, could Wang Shiyi hold onto Heavenly Water City?

…..

The turmoil at Dongluo Pass, Houjin, and North Field quickly spread to Yujing City.

For Yan Country, this was naturally great news.

After all, Dongluo Pass was not originally Yan Country’s territory, whereas Heavenly Water City had effectively become part of Yan Country’s lands.

Most importantly, Houjin’s push southward was temporarily stifled. They would need to reclaim North Field before they could consider moving south again, thus ensuring several more years of peace and stability.

Beyond that, what astounded the ministers even more was the Demon Sect’s top expert, Jun Qinglin.

Among the army of two hundred thousand, he had slain two flag bearers and over five thousand three hundred Houjin troops died by his hand while many more were injured. His terrifying prowess had once again showcased the strength of a top Jianghu expert.

“The strength of these top Jianghu experts is truly formidable.”

“We must contain and guard against these Jianghu forces.”

“However, it’s really a pity that Jun Qinglin died at Sanfeng Pass.”

……

In the Golden Throne Hall, civil and military officials were buzzing with comments—some astonished, some regretful, and some fearful.

If a Five Qi Grandmaster was so fearsome, wouldn’t a Great Grandmaster be capable of obliterating a dynasty outright?

“Gentlemen, please be quiet.”

Zhao Tianyi glanced at the crowd and said, “Wang Shiyi needs reinforcements, which of you gentlemen will send someone to assist?”

Instantly, the great hall fell silent, everyone looking at each other.

Even though Wang Shiyi had expanded the territory, North Field was still fraught with danger; after all, Dongluo Pass still had an army of several hundred thousand, and there was also a similar-sized army of Houjin to the north. Now, Wang Shiyi was actually caught between two forces, and it seemed likely that North Field could soon be reclaimed by Houjin.

Minister of Ministry of Industry, Yue Tingchen, stood up and said, “In my view, Qiu Lun, son of the Pingyang Marquis, who has shown military skill and extraordinary martial prowess in confrontation at Beihuang Dao, is fit for this task.”

Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin glanced at Yue Tingchen but did not speak.

At this time, to dispatch the Pingyang Guard, which defended Yujing City and was loyal to the Crown Prince’s faction, was clearly an attempt to divide his strength in Yujing City.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“I agree!”

“I agree!”

…..

The ministers nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

Zhao Tianyi looked at Qiu Heng, “Minister Qiu, what is your opinion?”

Qiu Heng was silent for a long while, then said, “I agree.”

“Good.”

Zhao Tianyi nodded, saying, “Then it’s settled. I will present it to His Majesty in due course.”

At this moment, Zhao Chongyin stepped forward and said, “Regarding Zhao Country to the south and the Southern Barbarians, we must also guard against them.”

Upon mentioning this, all the civil and military officials furrowed their brows, growing anxious. The northern front was already critical, but they could not afford to underestimate the south, especially since Zhao Country’s strength was no less than that of Yan Country.

Yan Country was now trapped between major powers, and everyone wanted a piece of it, simply waiting to see who would strike first. Once any sign of weakening appeared, it would surely trigger a mass assault from all directions.

“With the Pingyang Marquis in the south, I believe in his abilities to handle it,”

Zhao Mengtai calmly said, “If you gentlemen are still worried, we could dispatch some soldiers.”

Pingyang Marquis shook his head and said, “At present, all sides are strained; there are no soldiers to send.”

Zhao Tianyi said, “Marquis Pingyang is prudent and calm. If Zhao Country makes any moves, he will report them in advance. Moreover, with a half-million strong army in his hands, Zhao Country may not be able to advance northward anytime soon.”

Hearing Zhao Tianyi’s words, the civil and military officials present let out a slight sigh of relief.

Although Zhao Country was fierce, they couldn’t possibly devour a half-million strong army in an instant, could they?

After further discussion, the ministers dispersed.

In the Golden Throne Hall, only Zhao Tianyi and the eunuch Bai Mei remained.

“Honorable Bai,”

Zhao Tianyi looked down from the great hall and said, “As for the death of Jun Qinglin, I think there’s more to it.”

How could the Demon Sect allow a Five Qi Grandmaster to die on the battlefield?

Eunuch Bai Mei calmly said, “It must have been Zongzheng Huachun’s doing.”

Up until now, no Great Grandmasters had emerged anywhere in the world, and anyone knew that a Great Grandmaster could change the geopolitical landscape. If a Great Grandmaster appeared in Yan Country, despite being surrounded by enemies, it still had the strength to resist. If Houjin, Zhao Country, or the Southern Barbarians were to produce a Great Grandmaster, then Yan Country would instantly be in grave danger.

Thus, all those who were Five Qi Grandmasters tried every possible means to break their limits and reach the Great Grandmaster, or find ways to eliminate their adversaries.

The battle on Blue Sky Island was also considered with this in mind.

If Jun Qinglin and Qi Xuan Dao fought to their deaths, there’s no doubt that Yan Country and Houjin would benefit most.

And who would be the first severe challenge when Houjin moved south?

Naturally, it was the Demon Sect, who did not wish to stand with them. The Demon Sect most feared Jun Qinglin, who might also break his limits.

Given Jun Qinglin’s age, his life span was close to an end, and just a few battles causing internal injuries could crush his hope of breaking through his limits.

A Five Qi Grandmaster without any hope of breaking through would have significantly reduced deterrent capacity, especially one whose life span was drawing to a close.

Zhao Tianyi nodded slightly, “This shows that Zongzheng Huachun has also reached that crucial point.”

Having said that, he walked towards the back of the hall.

Bai Mei narrowed his eyes to slits, staring off into the distant sky, lost in thought.

The current state of the world seemed to be waiting, waiting for a situation that was on the brink of eruption, much like waiting for the emergence of that Great Grandmaster.

But who will it be?

Who is the most suitable person?

Who is the most deserving person?

……

PS, I drank too much today…