Chapter 2001: Internal Traitor

General Zhongwu patiently said, "We are different. He Xiao will definitely lead the charge against Anrong City himself; he is the Sky God's target!"

He understood that the divine corporeal forms given by Qingyang to various factions were likely problematic. Other powerful figures in the Glittering Gold Plain were unaware of the inside story, but General Zhongwu had studied in Begga for many years and had been promoted by Qingyang. He knew that divine corporeal forms were not easily acquired like roadside cabbages; how could so many be distributed at once? Yet, he was confident that even if Qingyang gave fake ones to others, the one given to him, Zhongwu, would be genuine. This was because Qingyang still needed him to hold He Xiao at bay! In the Glittering Gold Plain, the only individuals who could currently be called He Xiao's rivals were Baitian and Zhongwu. Confronting He Xiao head-on wasn't an act of arrogance; it was the only path left for the Bixia clan. They had no choice but to act.

Zhongwu continued to persuade his father, "Even if we can't win, we can retreat and defend the city."

"Very well, let's do it!" The Bixia clan leader finally made up his mind. "Our survival hangs on this one fight!"

Three days later.

Guo Baiyu maintained a relentless attack, leaving the people of Mian City hungry and exhausted, constantly dealing with sudden assaults on the city. Within a single day, the enemy attacked three times. In the evening, as Tushan Fang descended from the city wall, he smelled an unusual fragrance in the air. This was a sign that the Divine Fluid was approaching, and no one would choose to attack at such a time. It seemed they could finally rest well tonight. He felt his mind relax, and as soon as he sat in a corner of the narrow passage, he began to snore loudly. He hadn't slept for three days and three nights. Even with the comforting presence of the Divine Fluid, he was physically and mentally drained. If Tushan Fang was this exhausted, the weariness of Mian City's soldiers and civilians was unimaginable. His deputy approached, intending to report on military matters, but seeing him sound asleep, he quietly withdrew. A soldier then leaned over to the deputy, "Captain Tu..."

"Shh!" The deputy waved his hand. "Let the captain rest for a while. What is it?"

"We're running low on arrows again."

The deputy looked up at the sky. "The Divine Fluid seems to be coming again. No fighting tonight, so we'll deal with this in the morning."

Mian City currently lacked more than just arrows. The question should be: what didn't they lack? Oh, right, mouths to feed, those they had in abundance.

There seemed to be another commotion on the city wall. Soldiers from Hao County and local Mian City troops often clashed due to disagreements. In these times of food, medicine, and sleep deprivation, everyone's tempers were short, and a minor quarrel could escalate into a full-blown brawl—as had happened the night before.

"These ungrateful wretches from Hao County are eating our grain and fighting us!" a Mian City soldier grumbled. "They should really be driven out of the city to fend for themselves!"

Even the Mian City residents didn't have enough to eat, yet they had to share with the Hao County people.

Meanwhile, in the Mian City government office, Yu An, the former County Magistrate of Hao County, was discussing the allocation of supplies with Huang Chengqi, the Mian City Governor. Currently, Mian City's food supply was entirely based on rationing; money couldn't buy it. Huang Chengqi naturally prioritized military supplies, for how could soldiers fight and defend the city without food? But Yu An also wanted to secure a larger quota for the people of Hao County.

Eventually, Yu An compromised, sighing deeply. "Brother Huang, there's another important matter I need to discuss with you privately."

"I have one too." Huang Chengqi waved away the others, personally closed the doors and windows, and then returned. "Brother Yu, please go ahead."

"Brother Huang, you first."

Huang Chengqi shook his head. "What I have to say can wait; it's not urgent." Yu An had been there for several days and had been diligent in assisting with city defense matters. Huang Chengqi felt he could now confide in him about the secret that the Black Armored Army was gathering nearby, preparing to attack Guo Baiyu. This secret was currently known only to him, Tushan Fang, and a few other Black Armored Army members, having been communicated by Lord Wanqi via magic three days prior.

Yu An leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I have reliable information: there's a spy for Guo Baiyu among the city guard!"

His voice was quiet, so Huang Chengqi naturally leaned in to listen. "Who?"

"Captain Tu."

Huang Chengqi was greatly surprised. "How could that be? Who told you...?"

As he looked up, a sudden chill struck his chest—

Yu An pulled a dagger from his sleeve and plunged it directly into Huang Chengqi's heart. Huang Chengqi tried to scream, but no sound escaped. Only then did Yu An lean close to his ear and whisper, "Lord Huang, I'm sorry! You refused to surrender, so Guo Baiyu threatened my whole family's lives. Besides, neither the Dragon God nor the Black Armored Army will be coming. Mian City is doomed either way. Rather than let Guo Baiyu slaughter the city, it's better if I lead them in surrender, so we can still have a chance at survival."

Huang Chengqi stared at him, gurgled a few times in his throat, and then his breath stopped.

Yu An then pulled out a leather pouch from his sleeve and opened it. A grayish-black insect crawled out of the pouch. Its body resembled a scorpion's, but its tail had two long, thin needles. Yu An pointed at Huang Chengqi's corpse. "Freshly dead. Go on in."

The gray worm leaped onto the body, contentedly wiggling its antennae. Steam was still rising from it; it was very fresh. Then, it burrowed through the wound in Huang Chengqi's heart and eventually settled at the base of his neck. Miraculously, as soon as it entered, the bleeding from Huang Chengqi's wound stopped. The injury quickly covered itself with a soft membrane, preventing the smell of blood from escaping. Yu An quickly wiped the blood from his hands and took out prepared clothes to dress Huang Chengqi.

As soon as he finished these two tasks, Huang Chengqi raised his head and opened his eyes. Even though Yu An was mentally prepared, the sight of a dead man coming back to life still made his scalp tingle. For a dead person, Huang Chengqi actually looked quite well. Only at close range could one discern that his pupils were dilated and slightly lifeless.

"Let's go," Yu An cautiously said to Huang Chengqi. "The timing is perfect."

Huang Chengqi stood up, a dry sound escaping his throat. "Go."

The two walked out of the government office. Along the way, constables saluted Governor Huang, and two minor officials approached to give reports, but Governor Huang dismissed them all, saying, "Later."

"But, but it's important information..."

Huang Chengqi grew impatient and waved them away. "I said, later."

The two left the office and quickly headed towards the city gate. Huang Chengqi, controlled by the insect demon, moved freely without any hesitation, appearing no different from a living person.

Upon reaching the gate tower, the city guard's deputy approached to report, "Captain Tu just came down and is resting."

"He's too tired; let him rest well," Huang Chengqi told him. "You just take me up for a patrol." This was precisely the moment they were waiting for. As the county governor, patrolling the gate tower periodically was part of his duties. The deputy suspected nothing. "This way, please." He glanced at Yu An, who, as the Hao County Magistrate, followed closely, also walking towards the city gate. But with Governor Huang bringing him along, the deputy had nothing to say.

Inside the gate tower was a very narrow passage, wide enough for only one person to pass; a stout person wouldn't even fit. After inspecting two tunnels and a hollow wall, Huang Chengqi said, "To the delivery chute." So the deputy turned two corners and led them into a storage room. At the end of each section of the passage, there would be a storage room used for stacking supplies. Two soldiers stood there, guarding both sides of a beast-headed wall carving.