Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 82: The Python Robe-Supreme Martial Arts(Marquis Ying)

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"The Lord of Jin has his eyes on the whole realm, but the Lord of Wei will likely focus all his strength on capturing Yan Prefecture, eating the meal one bite at a time," Wang Chuan said. "So, who do you think will succeed?"

"Your Highness, you see all this, which is why you've come out to avoid the limelight. The Lord of Jin has been at this for years, but today he’s bound to stumble. Alas, he failed to account for everything—one lapse amid a hundred careful plans," Qi Hao replied with a cold laugh. "You're very good, Your Highness, truly admirable."

"Everyone thinks the Lord of Jin has been generous to me, but in truth, I helped him train his troops beyond the frontier. My intention to drive out the northern barbarians was only incidental. Among these emperors, not one is sincere in such a pursuit; all are vying for supremacy in the Central Plains or coveting wealth and glory," Qi Hao sighed again. "Time and time again, batches of soldiers were sent to me, mostly new recruits. After passing through my hands, six or seven out of ten survived."

"Then, Marquis, soon you’ll have disciples everywhere," Wang Chuan gazed into the distance. "They’ve returned, all fine young men."

"Yes, they’re all excellent," Qi Hao replied, looking intently as well, deeply gratified.

The Jin army returned to camp, and the battle drew to a close.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

From here, the carnage spread across the battlefield; everywhere lay headless corpses of the northern barbarians.

Twenty thousand beheaded, with almost none escaping... an officer reported.

Wang Chuan seemed in high spirits; that night, after returning, he composed a poem that invigorated the entire army.

"Song in Reply to the Martial Marquis Beneath the Frontier"

The moon is dark as wild geese fly high,
The Chieftain flees in the night.
We would pursue with light cavalry,
Snow falls thick upon bow and blade.

At that moment, the Wei army had already captured Yan Prefecture, and reinforcements from Jin arrived. Both armies fought fiercely within the city, blood flowing like rivers, a scene of tragic heroism.

With ever more troops committed by both sides, the battle became a protracted struggle.

"Your Highness, you must sense it too—the Demon Emperor will be born here. I am determined to gather the realm’s greatest masters to destroy him!" Tian Xingzi also led him up the city wall to view the landscape, a pastime he enjoyed.

"The Demon Emperor... that Demon Emperor..." Wang Chuan always felt a severe headache whenever Tian Xingzi broached this subject.

He truly lacked the enthusiasm to face that Demon Emperor now, and had no desire to do so.

...

Outside Yan Prefecture, an old general, surrounded by several officers, gazed into the distance toward the city.

The Prefect of Chu, now over fifty, had long lost the passion and fighting spirit of his youth.

He favored steady tactics.

In recent battles chasing the Jin army, he believed he had seen through their intentions: should the Jin army have a chance, it would surely flee eastward.

Thus, he persisted in holding the eastern line, indifferent to criticism from allied forces.

In the end, the Jin army escaped northward.

Yet, two days earlier, he had already submitted a proposal to extend defenses, sealing off the northeast with a large army... But the Lord of Wei, busy mustering forces to fend off the invading Jin, did not adopt it.

As expected, the Jin army assaulted the city, breaking through the gates of Luo City, a humiliation unprecedented for Wei.

But Wei’s soldiers were mere mortals, faced with the likes of Wang Chuan, whose methods were unfathomable.

That day, the dense fog that confused the army, and the thunder that rumbled atop the city gate.

Faced with such tactics, what could they do?

"Sir, let’s attack the city, stop watching! Since we’ve infiltrated this place, we must seize Yan Prefecture by surprise," said a nearby officer. "What Wang Chuan owes, I’ll reclaim piece by piece."

"Sixth Prince, you are only a supervisory officer, just a supervisor!" The Prefect cast a patient, steady glance at the impetuous youth beside him.

Yet all along, this young man kept interfering; the Prefect himself struggled to keep calm.

"Do you dare defy me?" The Sixth Prince swept his cold gaze. "Do you believe I won’t report you to the Emperor?"

"I dare not. We each have our duties; the siege is not Your Highness’s concern," the Prefect replied solemnly.

His scouts had not yet returned; how could he rush the assault?

Without deployment or plan, would they simply charge ahead blindly?

The Emperor sent his son here for experience, but the Prefect doubted he would gain much.

Rumor had it the prince had trained in the army from childhood, yet he seemed to have learned nothing from military life.

Life had been too easy and carefree.

"I heard, Your Highness the Sixth Prince, you were once friends with Prince Wang Chuan," the Prefect remarked casually.

"Why mention him?" The Sixth Prince snapped.

"Men like Prince Wang Chuan—do you think he rose suddenly, or was he always hiding his brilliance? He was once ordinary and unremarkable for over a decade, feigning foolishness, yet in such circumstances he honed extraordinary abilities and astonishing talent!" The Prefect smiled. "Wei, and Jin—their rulers endured hardship and finally reached their thrones. Thus, they can endure what others cannot, and reap far greater rewards. These emperors may not be remembered for a thousand ages, but they shine brilliantly during their reigns. The next generation, however, some princes grew up too comfortably. That is not a good thing."

He seemed to be hinting at something.

"Wang Chuan is nothing but a vile wretch. Had I been in Luo City, he would have had no opportunity, never able to keep up his pretense," the Sixth Prince said.

"Victory and defeat—they are the ones who broke through Luo City’s gates. The people remember his kindness and are grateful," the Prefect replied. "Earlier, he promised to send money and grain to the people of two provinces, and delivered every bit. Now, everyone knows the Jin army may only wish to pass through, yet we pursue them relentlessly, seeking their destruction. I always said: from the start, either refuse them outright, or accept and never fight. Someone is always greedy for a little favor, but for the common folk, a ration can feed them for days; in times of war or disaster, it could save their lives."

"Luo City was the same. Using missing soldiers as an excuse, yet our army found it impossible to hand anyone over, for there were none. Though we cannot speak openly, the people of Luo City will surely feel the assault was justified."

"It’s only him who likes to do such things. Grand ambitions are not so easily achieved; winning hearts means little, true strength is seen on the battlefield," the Sixth Prince said. "Besides, the world is vast—he cannot bestow favors on every city he conquers. He’s nothing but a hypocrite."

Though his tactics were underhanded.

But isn’t it true that most could not accomplish what he did?

The Prefect was not blindly enamored of such men, but found such opponents terrifying.

He hoped never to face him again.

Though that man was false, the kindness he showed to the people was paid in real silver and grain.

Once scouts had probed the situation around Yan Prefecture, the Prefect quickly gave the order to attack.

The time was now, not to be missed.

The drums thundered, thousands of armored infantry formed into phalanxes, advancing under the cover of war chariots, steadily approaching the gates of Jiangzhou.

Fifty thousand troops deployed, far surpassing the previous force.

Now, he wished he could replicate Wang Chuan’s spectacular storm, break through and enter the city.

The siege engines were rectangular, about ten feet long and five feet wide, built of logs, fitted with two rows of wooden wheels, covered externally with tough leather, and coated with thick clay to prevent burning.

The roof arched in a triangular shape, to deflect stones and logs dropped from the walls—a device known as the "pointed wooden mule."

Such armored vehicles in this era of cold steel were designed to approach enemy walls, carrying a dozen fully armed soldiers inside.

Once they reached the city wall, the soldiers relied on the protection of the chariot to destroy the gates or dig tunnels.

Ladders, nest-carts, watchtowers—essential tools for siege—were also advancing in turn.

Arrows flew up to the battlements like rain, iron tips striking the parapets with sharp, crackling sounds.

...

"The Lord of Jin has his eyes on the whole realm, but the Lord of Wei will likely focus all his strength on capturing Yan Prefecture, eating the meal one bite at a time," Wang Chuan said. "So, who do you think will succeed?"

The Lord of Jin bestowed the python robe...