Chapter 1054: Late City Guard

When Cai Qiyong appeared leading his troops earlier, he muttered to himself, wondering about He Lingchuan's whereabouts.

It seemed Commander He was not leading the troops conventionally; instead, he had infiltrated the city, opting for a solo combat approach.

While ordinary people were unaware, Wen Daolun knew very well that Jade City once had two secret tunnels leading outside. One had been dug by the previous government for troop movement and escape; the other was secretly excavated by wealthy residents in the northern part of the city, though no one knew how long it took them to complete it.

In any case, when the Great Wind Army seized the area, the owners of the houses had escaped via the tunnel.

Jade City had publicly sealed off the official tunnel but kept the more clandestine private one open, prepared for any emergencies.

He Lingchuan had used that secret passage to stealthily return to the city and save Wen Daolun during a moment of crisis.

He had planned a two-pronged strategy from the outset. The Jade City army he led to Longchuan, having merged forces multiple times along the way, was far smaller than it appeared. While Longchuan seemed lively with people constantly moving about, half of them were actually former bandits and local inhabitants.

He had also left a thousand elite soldiers in ambush north of the city.

Cai Qiyong's orders were to provide timely reinforcement to Jade City.

Fu Shanlie's willingness to attack Jade City likely stemmed from his confidence in a two-front assault, both from within and outside. Therefore, He Lingchuan left eight hundred men with Cai Qiyong and entered the city himself with two hundred elite soldiers via the tunnel to address internal problems.

Indeed, the fighting within the city was equally chaotic.

As the two spoke, Meng Shan swung his mace, moving to engage another giant mantis.

However, the creature instantly regained its agility and lunged directly at Meng Shan's head.

Meng Shan swung his mace, intending to shatter its skull, but to his surprise, as it lunged, it suddenly scattered into hundreds of tiny insects that began to bite at his head and face.

These were not beetles, but mantises shrunk dozens of times, each no longer than a pinky finger. Yet, they retained all their features and were just as lethal.

Meng Shan roared forward, unleashing a blast of energy that sent a swarm of strange insects flying. However, dozens more circled around, aiming for the back of his neck.

A few more charged toward Wen Daolun.

Wen Daolun swiftly formed a hand seal, incinerating the insects.

He Lingchuan stepped forward, unleashing several swift slashes of blade aura that cut down the insects swarming Meng Shan.

He didn't need to kill them individually; wherever his blade energy reached, the grotesque insects would fall in droves.

Meng Shan felt his eyes dazzled, seeing flashes of cold light all around him, and then—nothing.

He hadn't seen clearly.

Had the commander's cultivation advanced so rapidly? Just two years ago, he could still pin the commander down and give him a good beating.

He Lingchuan tilted his head. "Old Wen, stay with me. Don't fall too far behind."

Under attack from both sides and disoriented by the Emperor's Dew, the Jin Dao army outside the city was caught like the filling in a cookie. Unable to withstand the pressure, soldiers began to flee.

When the Emperor's Dew descended, most people became irrational. This, combined with the escalating battlefield conditions and the crushing pressure of their predicament, easily led to the collapse of their psychological defenses.

The Jade City army seized the opportunity to press their advantage. After several more rounds of charges and maneuvers, the two forces, one from within and one from without, quickly completed their grand link-up!

This meant they had bisected the Jin Dao army.

East of Jade City, the battle was decided!

Once He Lingchuan confirmed the area was safe, he waved over a team of guards, placing Wen Daolun securely in the center of the formation. "Alright, you're safe now!" he said. "I'll head off."

With over a hundred guards protecting him, Wen Daolun was safe under the ample shield of primal energy.

Seeing the Jin Dao army's imminent defeat, He Lingchuan detached three hundred men to rush to the South Gate and reinforce Liu Tiao.

He intended to confront Fu Shanlie.

That was the main theater of this battle.

After his departure, Wen Daolun continued to command the battle at the East Gate.

Up to this point, Jade City had executed its predetermined tactics, first repelling the Jin Dao assault.

Following the strategy of "picking the softest persimmon first," the army Fu Shanlie borrowed from the Jin Dao Kingdom could serve as an enhancement, a disruption, or for coordinated inside-outside attacks, but it was incapable of fighting a sustained siege battle on its own.

Even the elite Jin Dao forces couldn't hold their ground, and the entire army fled westward in disarray.

As the saying goes, a routed army crumbles like a mountain. This flight was unstoppable; no commander or general could halt it.

Wen Daolun was about to pursue the enemy out of the East Gate with his troops when someone suddenly called his name from behind.

He turned around to see Zhao Linyang emerging from an alley, covered in blood.

"City Defender Zhao, what happened?"

Zhao Linyang rushed closer, pointing into the alley. "I just heard shouts for help from in there. When I went to investigate, I found giant insects devouring people. My guards were actually no match for them."

Giant insects? Wen Daolun immediately dispatched more than ten men into the dark alley.

"How is the battle progressing?" Zhao Linyang naturally walked alongside him, with dozens of guards encircling them.

"The situation at the East Gate is largely settled. Cai Qiyong has gone to pursue the Jin Dao army; we need to kill as many as possible before they retreat back to their territory."

The Jin Dao had caused considerable trouble for Jade City over the past year, so the Jade City army was determined to exact maximum retribution and vent their frustration.

Just then, a loud bang echoed from the dark alley to the west; it was unclear what had exploded.

Wen Daolun instinctively turned to look.

As he turned, his nape was exposed to Zhao Linyang.

Zhao Linyang leaned closer, opening his mouth as if to speak, when suddenly someone squeezed in beside him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Old Zhao!"

He turned to see that it was He Lingchuan, who had returned unexpectedly.

"I've run into something. Old Wen is temporarily in charge of the East Gate; come with me." He Lingchuan then sniffed a few times, frowning. "What's that smell?"

Wen Daolun asked curiously, "What is it, Commander He?"

"Something's happening in the central district. You carry on with your work."

Zhao Linyang had no objections and stepped out of the ranks with He Lingchuan.

As the two rounded the corner, the two hundred elite soldiers who had remained there immediately followed.

Wen Daolun watched them depart, feeling that something was odd, though he couldn't quite place it.

He dismissed it, knowing the battle was more important.

Meanwhile, He Lingchuan and Zhao Linyang quickly made their way to the South City Gate.

Due to the Emperor's Dew, horses were uncontrollable, so everyone had to run on foot.

He Lingchuan asked Zhao Linyang, "Old Zhao, what did the giant insect you saw earlier in the dark alley look like?"

It turned out he hadn't left at all and had been listening intently to their conversation.

Zhao Linyang appeared to ponder for a moment. "It was about the size of a person. From behind, it looked like someone wearing a cloak."

"How did you find it then?"

"It was on the ground, gnawing on a civilian."

"You've studied demon beasts; can you tell what kind of creature it was?"

Zhao Linyang shook his head. "No, I'm not familiar with demon beasts."

He Lingchuan asked curiously, "Oh, did I remember incorrectly?"

"You did."

He Lingchuan let out a long "oh" and didn't press the matter further.

As they passed through the civilian district, where citizens often caused disturbances due to the Emperor's Dew, He Lingchuan would casually assign one or two soldiers to mediate the disputes.

After another hundred steps, Zhao Linyang gradually fell behind.

Every time Zhao Linyang slowed down, He Lingchuan would stop and wait for him. "Old Zhao, your stamina isn't what it used to be," he remarked. "How about joining my army for some training drills later?"