Chapter 1502: Ning Would Rather Shatter Like Jade

Once he realized this game would genuinely endanger Yuheng City, he could only abandon it.

Wen Daolun understood the stakes, but was also puzzled: "Bai Mojie has these three mechanical giant worms; why hasn't he used them earlier?"

He Lingchuan's aura was gloomy, and there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face. Wen Daolun leaned closer and quietly asked, "What's wrong?"

Xin Yi also said, "Transporting grain long distances from within Beijia is inefficient, but if Beijia is determined to take Yuheng City, it can afford that cost."

"Our game with Bai Mojie must end soon." He Lingchuan gazed at the lights on the walls of North Auxiliary City. "The Beijia army's assault tonight is hysterical, with a hint of desperation. Perhaps Bai Mojie is under immense pressure and must achieve results. If the Emperor is displeased with his inaction on the front lines, he won't last long. Let's send him on his way."

He had a deep understanding of how Beijia's bureaucracy operated from his real-world experience. Failing to produce results within a set timeframe incurred punishment. Bai Mojie's unauthorized deployment and failure to win was a disgrace to the demon nation.

He Lingchuan, however, shook his head: "At most, they'll transport grain from their homeland. We can't use food to strangle the Beijia army for too long."

Everyone looked up at him, silent.

Silent, yet resolute.

They were ready to retake North Auxiliary City.

He Lingchuan himself set up a siege crossbow, aiming at a red-roofed building in the center of North Auxiliary City.

"Fire!"

Three specially designed long crossbow bolts, whistling through the air, traveled a hundred zhang and struck the red target.

They had a self-stabilizing effect, allowing them to fly fast and steady, almost unaffected by wind.

Boom! Three loud bangs!

After entering North Auxiliary City, Beijia's military laborers were busy moving supplies from the riverside camp into the auxiliary city.

With high walls and thick gates, it could serve as a foothold for the future.

Bai Mojie washed the blood and dust from his battle robes. The cool breeze blowing from across the river dispersed the gloom in his heart and stimulated his appetite.

Those close to him knew that General Bai always celebrated a victory with a large meal, even if it was late at night.

The chef he brought from Lingxu City had long ago roasted a large piece of herb-crusted beef ribs for him, slow-roasted at a low temperature for six hours, ensuring a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior.

Bai Mojie ate the meat heartily and generously rewarded the chef who roasted it.

He was always generous when happy; his joy was worth a thousand pieces of gold!

However, he was only halfway through his late-night meal when he heard a massive explosion that shook the roof, causing dust to shower down.

Wall powder and beam dust fell onto the veal ribs, rendering the good meat inedible.

But Bai Mojie had no time to worry about food. He slapped the table and stood up: "Enemy attack..."

Before he could finish, there was another booming explosion. This time it was too close; the wall directly opposite Bai Mojie was instantly blown apart, showering those inside with splinters of wood, bricks, tiles, and mud!

Both the wall and the roof were torn open.

A personal guard standing by the wall was blown away, his fate unknown. Bai Mojie's ears rang, and he was temporarily deafened.

Then, explosions continued, moving from near to far.

Bai Mojie didn't bother to brush the dust from his head, rushing to the shattered wall. Looking out, he saw chain explosions throughout the city: stables, granaries, armories, barracks... all were ablaze.

Smoke billowed skyward, horses neighed in panic, and people ran in disarray.

Bai Mojie watched, his liver and guts splitting, shouting repeatedly: "Move the supplies! Quickly, quickly, quickly!"

The Beijia army had moved camp overnight, transporting all their armaments and provisions into the storehouses, and the soldiers were resting in the camp. Then came this series of explosions!

Even though the Beijia army was experienced, they were stunned by the blasts. They had clearly patrolled multiple times before, finding no suspicious flammable or explosive materials in the city.

The immediate priority was to salvage supplies!

But a personal guard pointed south and shouted, "The city gate! General, look at the city gate!"

Bai Mojie dashed out of the collapsed wall opening and looked towards the city gate, his vision momentarily blacking out.

The city gate had fallen because the city wall had collapsed—an entire large section had crumbled, even the foundation had sunk.

Soldiers on the wall, unaware, fell down, while bricks and stones rained everywhere.

"It's a trap!" Bai Mojie stamped his foot repeatedly.

The Yuheng army was not as wealthy as them, but since their establishment, the foundations of both the North and South Auxiliary Cities' walls and main buildings had been embedded with array devices, forming a grand formation known as "Jade and Stone Burnt Together"!

This formation was not usually activated because its sole purpose was self-destruction.

It destroyed all important buildings in the city, including the city walls.

There were seventy-two array devices in total, long buried in the foundations of the buildings, then covered with bricks, tiles, and mortar. Unless they were privy to the information, invading armies could not detect them at all.

Its activation method was "red targets."

The red targets were normally hidden within the buildings and not visible. It was only before the Yuheng army abandoned North Auxiliary City that they flipped the red targets onto the rooftops.

If two red targets were struck within ten breaths, it would trigger the "Jade and Stone Burnt Together" formation. Out of the seventy-two array devices, as long as forty-two were still operational, the formation could be activated.

That was why when He Lingchuan and his group fired three arrows simultaneously, explosions erupted all over North Auxiliary City.

An entire section of the city wall collapsed, and even the main buildings in the city were blown to splinters.

The Beijia army stationed in the city was dazed and disoriented by the explosions. Even with the protection of their vital energy, over a thousand people were injured, with varying degrees of severity.

Bai Mojie couldn't help but curse aloud.

The enemy preferred to be shattered jade rather than intact tile, unwilling to leave even an auxiliary city for them.

As the explosions rang out, the gate of the South Auxiliary City opposite opened, drums roared, and the Yuheng army charged forward with angry shouts!

At the very front, a blood-red banner fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with a single large character: "HE."

He Lingchuan's philosophy had always been: "Strike while it's down, finish it off."

The Yuheng army had been suppressed for most of the night. Charging out for revenge at dawn, they were fully motivated.

Bai Mojie didn't even have time to swear. He simultaneously organized the Beijia army to repel the enemy and had to allocate manpower to salvage supplies.

Their food supply was already low, and with this bombing and burning, tsk...

At this point, the main buildings within the auxiliary city were also ruined, with few intact structures.

This area originally had no city, only a watchtower. Wen Daolun later expanded it into a garrison camp, without settling ordinary civilians. So, after the army withdrew, it was essentially an empty city.

How could He Lingchuan leave a perfectly good city to the enemy?

They had built it with their own hands; they would destroy it with their own hands!

Now, the Yuheng army's main objective was the auxiliary city that had once been theirs, while the Beijia army had to desperately protect it.

Even the well-traveled Xin Yi murmured, "What an eye-opener."

They say battle situations change in an instant, but this had become incredibly interesting.

Building a city is hard; destroying one is not. Yuheng City knew this auxiliary city inside and out, and this series of explosions was executed with remarkable skill and flair.

Bai Mojie had intended to hold North Auxiliary City, as he truly desired a foothold on the west bank of the great river!

But looking at the empty city walls, at the burning auxiliary city, and at the collapsing buildings, Bai Mojie was momentarily bewildered.

What was there to defend?

How could he defend it?

It had all burned down to empty shells; what use was occupying this auxiliary city now? If they wanted to station troops, they would have to rebuild, and rebuilding would require felling resources. How many Yuheng soldiers were waiting in the nearby forests for Beijia men to stray and fall into their traps?

He pressed his temples, feeling parched and his mind buzzing.

It's a trap, it's a trap! What to do, what to do!

His generals requested orders two or three times before he composed himself and commanded:

"Repair the city walls, keep the enemy out!"

He had spent over twenty days reaching the west bank of the great river and did not want to retreat easily back to Jintao Kingdom. Operating here directly threatened Yuheng City.

To retreat would be to admit defeat.

But the terrain here was unusually flat, with at most a few sand dunes, offering no defensive advantages, and the army's isolated camp by the river was not safe.

Moreover, he had never heard of any army that could simultaneously repel enemy attacks and establish a camp.

The best option was still to hold North Auxiliary City.

If it caught fire, they would put it out; if the walls collapsed, repairing them quickly would make them useful again.

All the generals objected:

"General, the Yuheng army is attacking the south gate fiercely; we don't have enough hands to repair!"

"You'll make hands even if you don't have them!" Bai Mojie's face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot. "If you can't fill it with sand and stone, fill it with lives!"

At this moment, he somewhat regretted sending the Xiluo army away.

The Xiluo army wasn't good at other things, but they had sheer numbers! If they swarmed to block the breach in the city wall, the Yuheng army would struggle to push them back.

Now, he had to use his elite Beijia army to fill the gaps, and his heart bled at the thought.

"Do you see the red spires on the leftmost and rightmost corner towers?"

"Yes!" Liutiao took another look. She remembered those roofs were black; how had red spires appeared now?

"Aim."

Wen Daolun quietly hissed: "That's right, Yuheng City can't keep its concealment barrier open all the time. If this thing invades..."

"Regardless, this war will enter its next phase." He Lingchuan let out a long breath. "Mr. Wen, after tonight, Yuheng City will face greater difficulties."

Wen Daolun chuckled: "Isn't that why you and I are here?"

Two hours later, the long night was almost over, and dawn was breaking in the east.

Liutiao and Sha Wei stood on the wall of South Auxiliary City, setting up siege crossbows and aiming at the auxiliary city opposite.

He Lingchuan didn't know the reason: "Either these big machines have usage restrictions, or he wants to save them for Yuheng City?"

Moreover, He Lingchuan and Bai Mojie's game of offense and defense had a prerequisite: controllable risk.

Liutiao and Sha Wei set up their siege crossbows, each aiming at a red spire.

He Lingchuan looked down; the army had already gathered below the city.

"There are also small countries nearby. Over time, they can still procure provisions, though not much."

Just then, a personal guard reported: "General, the food is ready."

Money, food, supplies—Beijia had so much they could squander it freely.

It naturally had a habit of extravagance and waste.

"Since things have come to this, let's eat first," He Lingchuan said to everyone. "Eat your fill; there's more action at dawn."

More action? Everyone exchanged glances.