Chapter 30: One Year

The Mortal Realm

A year later.

Speed is paramount in military action. Prince Dongyang gathered and merged the forces of Prince Zhenshui, advancing irresistibly. In just one year, they conquered Yingnan Commandery, with their vanguard pointing directly at Pingshan and Zhaoming Commanderies, and eyeing Xitai Commandery.

After Prince Dongyang raised an army to suppress the impostor emperor, the impostor emperor's court was forced to divert troops south. Unable to suppress the unrest, the four northern commanderies, which had shown signs of stability, descended into chaos.

If Prince Dongyang successfully captured Pingshan, Xitai, and Zhaoming Commanderies, he would be able to encircle the three imperial capital commanderies. The impostor emperor's court would have no retreat, and its downfall would be practically assured.

Pingshan Commandery, Jiangzhou, Hening County.

A large portion of the refugees fleeing south from the northern regions had settled in Jiangzhou. Unexpectedly, after just a period of peaceful life, Jiangzhou was also about to be affected by the war, forcing them to flee north again.

Not only the refugees, but most of Jiangzhou's locals also chose to leave their homes. Bandits may sweep through, but soldiers leave nothing behind. For ordinary people, how else could they survive when natural disasters and human-made calamities struck, except by fleeing?

A long line snaked along the main road.

Qin Sang sat on a roadside stone, a blade of grass in his mouth. He wore broken straw sandals, and his coarse cloth clothes were full of patches. His face and hands were grimy, his eyes dull. His hair, unwashed for an unknown time, was clumpy and emitted a sour, foul smell.

Water Monkey Zhou Ning and another person leaned against a stone, dressed similarly to Qin Sang. The three looked exactly like miserable refugees.

This person was Zheng Kun. He had studied martial arts under Bai Jianglan for many years and was one of the people Qin Sang had seen on the boat back then. Now, like Water Monkey, he had joined the Blood-Clothed Tower and become Qin Sang's subordinate.

That year, Qin Sang strictly adhered to his principles, and his achievements were not particularly numerous. However, his intelligence was accurate; several critical pieces of intelligence helped the army break through strongholds, and his name was noted by the Prince. Moreover, with the Princess's protection from above, he quickly climbed to a high position within the Blood-Clothed Tower in just one year. He was now one of the deputy hall masters of the Military Hall, and the position of hall master remained vacant, reserved specifically for Qin Sang.

Qin Sang looked up at the sun, silently calculating the time. His seemingly dull gaze was, in fact, constantly focused on the gate of Hening County town.

This main road connected directly to Duling County in the south. Crowds of refugees on the road were not only from Hening County but mostly from Duling County, fleeing along the road to escape disaster.

Prince Dongyang's main army was divided into two routes. The western army was personally led by Prince Dongyang, with the main forces of Prince Zhenshui and the troops who had surrendered in Yingnan Commandery under his command. They had already achieved significant victories in Zhaoyang Commandery.

However, the eastern army was blocked outside Duling County city. They had been in a standoff with the impostor emperor's defenders for two months, unable to advance an inch.

Duling County had a strategic and perilous terrain. It had been a critical military stronghold since ancient times and was known as the 'throat' of Pingshan Commandery and Jiangzhou. If Duling County fell, the entire Jiangzhou would have no further natural defenses. As the largest and most prosperous of Pingshan Commandery's three prefectures, once Jiangzhou changed hands, it would mean Pingshan Commandery was not far from falling.

The impostor emperor frantically mobilized troops. All of Pingshan Commandery's forces were concentrated at Duling County city. The main army launched dozens of assaults, all unsuccessful and resulting in countless casualties. So, they devised a strategy of open feint while secretly executing a surprise attack.

The military tents outside the city remained undiminished, and the siege momentum continued unabated. Late at night, two detached forces were secretly withdrawn. They dispersed into the mountains and secretly advanced along small mountain paths, infiltrating deep into Jiangzhou. They would launch a surprise attack on Hening County, eyeing Jiangzhou City.

Hening County was in the heart of Jiangzhou. Currently, all of Jiangzhou's forces were concentrated at Duling County city. This, in turn, left the prefecture and county vulnerable. If Hening County were breached, the defenders in Duling County would be caught in an awkward dilemma.

The southern part of Jiangzhou was mostly mountainous and forested. The Blood-Clothed Tower had long since scouted out the routes, and the surprise attack strategy had a high chance of success. The strength of the two detached forces was already very considerable. If the main army in Duling County insisted on not returning to reinforce, they could simply continue to supplement their forces, hold Hening County, and raid supplies, which would also cause great distress to the enemy.

Qin Sang, along with Zhou Ning and Zheng Kun, blended into the refugee crowd. His mission was to reach Hening County as quickly as possible, assess the situation there, and ensure that when the two surprise forces arrived, they could coordinate from inside and outside, open Hening County's city gates, and capture the county in one swift move, preventing any unrest.

Hening County was clearly also on guard. The militiamen and yamen runners at the city gate were on high alert, their swords and blades never leaving their hands. Any refugees with unclear identities who approached were shouted away, let alone allowed to enter the city.

“It's almost *weishi* (1-3 PM), why isn't that kid Liu Ji here yet?”

Qin Sang heard Water Monkey complain and glanced down. Water Monkey was small and thin, and had a broken arm. Combined with his attire, he looked utterly miserable, more like a refugee than the actual refugees. Since losing his arm, Water Monkey's temperament had become much more stable, which is why Qin Sang agreed to take him on as a subordinate. However, old habits die hard, and he still liked to chatter, whether there was a reason or not.

Water Monkey knew his place, and Qin Sang didn't reprimand him. He then said, “Let's wait another hour. Old Zheng, go keep an eye on those wealthy families distributing porridge. We must get into the city before dark.”

Liu Ji was a member of the Blood-Clothed Tower, and his ancestors were from Hening County. He had branched off from the main Liu clan when he went out to do business. After joining the Blood-Clothed Tower, he was arranged to return to Hening County to reconnect with his ancestral roots, bringing a group of people to lie in wait there. After Qin Sang arrived in Hening County this morning, he immediately sent out a signal. He instructed Liu Ji to bring them into the city; the agreed-upon latest time was *weishi*.

“Alright!”

Zheng Kun grinned. He rolled on the ground and got up. He hunched his back and limped into the refugee line, waiting for the porridge distribution.

Qin Sang felt that sitting on the stone made him a bit conspicuous. He jumped down and sat on the ground, telling Water Monkey to keep a close eye on the city gate while he closed his eyes and pretended to doze.

Blending into the refugee crowd and traveling day and night severely hindered his cultivation. Qin Sang knew what was important. Although his duties were numerous after joining the Blood-Clothed Tower, he had never stopped cultivating, barely sleeping for an entire year.

That year, Qin Sang constantly hovered around battlefields, hiding on the periphery. He allowed Yama to collect the souls of the deceased. However, Qin Sang did not know the full extent of the Jade Buddha's capabilities and dared not let Yama run wild. Each time a certain number of souls were collected, he would recall it. With a continuous supply of Soul Pills, Qin Sang's progress was rapid. He had now reached the peak of the second layer, and it wouldn't be long before he broke through to the third layer of the *Underworld Scripture*.

As for the *Radiant King's Art*, Qin Sang tried several times but was unable to cultivate true qi. This confirmed Qin Sang's suspicion: that the 'qi' produced by the *Underworld Scripture* was not the same as true qi or internal energy. Since cultivating internal martial arts would infringe upon the time for *Underworld Scripture* practice, Qin Sang had to give it up.

However, he constantly honed his *Soul-Snatching Spear* and *Shadowless Steps*. His mastery of them was now considerable. Along with a few other martial arts he had chosen himself, he could now be considered a first-rate master even without using the Yama Banner.

At that moment, Qin Sang suddenly heard heavy footsteps approaching him. He opened his eyes alertly and saw a person also disguised as a refugee. When the person reached him, Qin Sang frowned and questioned in a low voice, “Zhang Wenkui, weren't you supposed to stay close to General Wang? Why did you leave without permission?”