Chapter 23: Breaking Through The Barrier
Shu Tian Calendar 25th year, November, Da Yao, Bo Prefecture, Gu Shou Pass.
Snowflakes fell on the great earth, soon turning into ice shards.
Wang Lu, the court-appointed Northern Expedition General, clad in armor, gazed at the distant mountain range shrouded in heavy yin energy. That place had already been occupied by the Haotian Dragon Clan.
In the Da Yao World, if a prefecture is at peace, all auras can be mobilized by edict, such as a prefect suppressing a military general with a single word, or the Demon Suppressing Division’s chief punishment shattering immortal magic with one command.
But now Bo Prefecture is restless. The Haotian Dragon Clan’s army has occupied multiple small cities in Bo Prefecture and begun extensive construction in this mountain range, digging earth to erect steles, building grave mounds and mausoleums. —This is the migration of dragon descendant citizens, relocating the ancestral divine tablets of the Haotian Realm into this realm.
All feng shui favorable spots on the mountains have been built into “Sacred Yin Huts” and “Shang Yin Shrines”.
Sacred Yin Hut: Only battle-hardened individuals may reside in the Sacred Yin Hut. But this place has long received the benevolence of the Moon Empress’s laurel yin, so men and women who lost family in war may reside here.
Shang Yin Shrine: The Haotian Realm has countless imperial shrines to satisfy people’s spiritual lives, and many of these shrines worship the imperial Moon Empress, with the Shang Yin Shrine being a prime example.
These dragon descendants returning from beyond the heavens still differ somewhat from Da Yao’s local customs and culture, specifically in being biased toward yin.
For example, on the battlefield, one often sees huge pottery soldier figurines wielding guan dao charging wildly. Such things in Da Yao are typically used only in emperor’s tombs, nurtured by earth vein yin energy to deter tomb robbers entering the death domain.
And the dragon descendants’ yin-based magic is even more formidable; they summon hordes of yin soldiers on the battlefield, who suddenly emerge clad in armor and wielding long halberds!
Good grief, money can make ghosts push the millstone is true enough. Some Da Yao border troops don’t shy from heterodox paths, but at most it’s the Five Ghosts Moving Technique to advance grain carts at night, with the transport officer sacrificing at most some essence to let ghosts give the cart a push. But this? It’s having ghosts come out to fight directly!
…Driving away ghosts comes at a cost!…
Take the Five Ghosts Moving Technique as example: Wu Family Army transport officers, upon activating such magic to ensure grain carts advance, lose some yang energy after starting transport. Too much loss leads to serious illness. And having ghosts push the cart directly? It seems more efficient, but what’s the cost? The cost is the transporter sacrificing several months of lifespan.
As for directly summoning yin soldiers to battle fiercely on the battlefield, how much living lifespan must be sacrificed? These Haotian Realm generals seem accustomed to it.
In the Haotian Realm, under the dragon descendants’ imperial rule, the “yin dwellings” built by the empire everywhere neighbor “yang dwellings” of the living, making it half yin and half yang.
Such layout seems abnormal to any force in Da Yao. How can the living dwell with the dead? In such arrangement, living lifespans decay, while the deceased rest uneasily in soil, repeatedly driven into service, their ferocious energy surging.
Yet, looking at the Haotian Realm’s rulers makes it clear. Their rulers are powerful giant dragons; these dragon seeds couldn’t care less about malevolent ghosts. Dragons naturally carry killing intent, able to suppress ghosts.
In Da Yao’s mountains and forests, fierce beasts like tigers also disregard malevolent ghosts and may even bind them as vengeful spirits.
Thus, in the nations built by dragon descendants, whether human or ghost, all are “dust and sand” usable in the ruling system.
Such blurring of human and ghost is the scene at the end of the Cheng Dynasty.
As for what the Haotian Realm was like when dragon descendants migrated thousands of years ago? How did such a world, where humans and ghosts coexisted under a dynasty standing for millennia, maintain peace?
None of that matters now, for the Haotian Realm is destroyed, its dragon descendant imperial citizens suffered heavy casualties, scattering toward various realms in the heavens.
As for this branch of dragon descendants returning to the Xi Ren Realm, after establishing a nation in the Northern Border, they prioritized “building mausoleums.” They have already shown the world what their great governance truly looks like.
…Your peace does not belong to my Yao calculation balance…
For Da Yao’s northern border cities like those in Bo Prefecture, these cities’ Yao energy has been thrown into “yin-yang imbalance” by the dragon descendants’ nation-building. Viewed from the sky, the mountains resemble blood vessels dyed black with ink; on slopes heavy with yin energy, trees are all twisted and clawing, leaves mostly fallen. The leaves in the woods are ink green, and when withered, not yellow but gray.
And since Bo Prefecture’s checkpoints are also in the mountains, they too have been severely affected.
While inspecting the military camp, Wang Lu found soldiers listless in their tents, holding weapons loosely without any killing intent. In such state, even on overcast days at their stationed camp, rats would burrow through brick seams. Spiders brazenly webbed in corners!
Gu Shou Pass, this key Da Yao Border Army defense stronghold, is now enduring assault by the dragon descendant army.
…War drums thunder…
Pu E’s Guotai faction dragon descendant army, clad in jade armor, arrayed outside the checkpoint, with ten-zhang-tall soldier figurines at the forefront of the main camp! Da Yao has these too, but as soul-suppressing generals in emperor’s tomb grounds.
When pottery figurines heavily stomped forward, ignoring arrow rain piercing their bodies, reaching the fortress to hack wooden barricades and breach fortress barriers, soldiers manning giant crossbows on the city wall cursed these evil dragon clans deploying “mausoleum tamed beasts” in battle as gravely lacking virtue.
Bo Prefecture’s Prefect at this time arrived by carriage atop the city gate, finding garrison general Wang Lu.
Prefect: “General, can you give Prefect Han a firm answer—can this checkpoint still hold?”
Wang Lu looked at Prefect Han and asked: “May I ask Lord Han, what if it holds, and what if it doesn’t?”
With a boom, a cannonball projectile smashed onto the city tower, the entire fortress trembling slightly.
Prefect’s expression unchanged: “If the general can hold Gu Shou Pass, Prefect Han on behalf of Bo Prefecture and its five hundred thousand folks thanks the general.”
Wang Lu hurriedly supported Prefect Han, but the prefect insisted on bowing, demanding Wang Lu give him a plan.
Yet Wang Lu seemed not to understand: “Military affairs are perilous; I cannot decide.”
Prefect Han pulled Wang Lu aside and laid it all bare: if it can hold, he can levy another ten thousand able-bodied youths. But if the general cannot hold, Tong River’s great ships will carry the people south across.
Wang Lu stared at the prefect: “A court-appointed citizen shepherd who abandons the city to flee shall be executed, family re-entered into slave status.”
Prefect: “Prefect Han will not abandon the city; coming to this checkpoint means willingness to live and die with the general.”
The two eyed each other, seeing helplessness in each other’s gazes.
The prefect learned from the general’s eyes that “the city cannot hold,” while the general understood from the prefect that “the court’s reinforcements will not come.”
Is there no spare troops under heaven? Of course there are; one hundred thousand troops already assembled in Yao Capital, but impossible to hand a region’s troops to local generals.
Each garrison general commands at most one or two armies (two thousand per army); unless the dynasty center’s control weakens, it won’t hand other regions’ troops to garrison generals, lest local fiefdoms grow too powerful.
Of course, the court can appoint great generals leading tens of thousands.
The problem is, in Shu Tian Calendar year 24, the court saw the “River Drying Strange Case,” implicating the Grand Marshal and Prince Bo’s rebellion.
Thus, current Emperor Shu suspects the borderlands, especially daring not to assemble armies in the north.
Since ancient times, for Da Yao’s Central Plains to assemble armies northward, it must select a trusted heavy minister, but now the Da Yao court momentarily lacks such a figure.
Hence, from the emperor’s perspective: Bo Prefecture falling versus dynasty foundations shaking—between two harms, choose the lesser.
Of course, one unspoken matter: Wang Lu was recommended by Prince Bo and exceptionally capable. —In the imperial court’s bigwigs’ eyes, this branch of Border Army is already a discarded piece, not to be given any chance for military exploits or achievement.
…Outside the city…
In the Dragon Army’s southward camp, Pu E lightly stood atop a ten-zhang suspended high rampart, witnessing Gu Shou Pass ahead pockmarked by her own firepower.
Boom, boom, boom.
Gunpowder smoke erupted in the camp; from giant cannons dragged by two strange giant oxen Da Yao lacks, orange-red light burst forth, projectiles arcing to smash the city gate. In the sky, sky lanterns hoisted wooden boats with female soldiers using white jade crows to relay cannon strike information to the ground.
With this round of cannon fire ending, axemen advanced toward the filled moat area.
In this era of daoist arts and strange beasts, siege is multidimensional; once axemen near the city wall, dragon horses from the rear sky will fly to the battlements.
…Defenders’ perspective…
Atop Gu Shou Pass, brick and tile seams widened with impacts. As garrison heated fire oil urgently, lifted spiked rolling logs preparing to defend against Dragon Army axemen’s wall-climbing assault, they felt a foul wind and yin cloud sweep overhead; some soldiers even felt soft things smash their armor. The foul stench that followed let everyone know it was horse dung.
This heavenly horse dung naturally came from Dragon Army flying horses passing over defenders’ heads, certain queasy beasts dropping their gifts.
Dragon horses sought less orderly soldier formations on the wall to dive, instantly seizing a patch atop the battlements. But this seized battlement was piled with corpses, blood streaming from wall seams.
The city ultimately fell; the giant-wood-propped gate, under chaotic windmill hammer techniques from two pottery figurine giant soldiers wielding heavy hammers, collapsed, wood fibers bursting from iron-wrapped cracks.
When the iron sheeting tore open, a stone lion head of stone material shot out from within, its forehead’s round raised bumps still bearing paint traces from ramming the gate. This is another common Guotai mausoleum-style war beast, size akin to normal stone lions.
Such monster leaping from the collapsed gate heavily smashed onto the defending military general’s war chariot; after hundred-stone weight stone lion’s battering, the chariot instantly shattered into fragments.
Standing on the city tower, Wang Lu watched jade lions and ink lions crazily tearing at fleeing soldiers after the breach, sighing to the heavens, “The court has wronged me and the city’s officers and soldiers.”
With that, he drew his sword and gently slit, blood staining the white blade.
……
Pu E stepped onto the city tower, looking at martyred Wang Lu and the prefect who self-immolated atop the tower, sighing deeply. Her soul-binding magic useless on these two, for after martyrdom, a force from Da Yao’s mountains and rivers recalled their souls. This recall process unaffected by any corrosion power, and Pu E’s power far short of “realm-destruction power,” naturally unable to touch these heroic spirits.
Pu E tread corpse-strewn stairs to the parapet, gazing afar at the sunset glow.
Pu E: “System, where’s the general from my card draw?”
The System seemed busy for a while, then replied: “Should already be on scene, but cannot select. Our side querying reason.”
Pu E: “This is your problem.”
Her system had no rebuttal.
…Where did the bug come from?…
“In future, if short on troops, levy from escort agency-selected able-bodied youths, and send weak elderly troop sources to the escort agency.”
In a military fortress, Wu Fei gave final instructions to Wu Hengyu.
Wu Hengyu paused, watching Wu Fei meticulously leave “clever stratagems” one by one, hesitated, then spoke.
Wu Hengyu: “Yuan Chang?”
Wu Fei turned, suspiciously eyeing him, wondering if he missed something.
Wu Hengyu: “How about you stay and do it together.” —He rarely invites people, so this was maximum sincerity.
Wu Fei paused slightly, then shook his head: “No, I have matters back home.”
Then, as Wu Hengyu frowned, Wu Fei said: “Once I’m done there and settled, I’ll come find you.”
Wu Hengyu raised left arm, hand before Wu Fei at eye level.
Wu Fei understood the gesture, raised his hand too; hands gripped like arm-wrestling, but not competing—palms to palms, in unity.
Amid Wu Fei and cousin’s heartfelt moment, the System popped a scrollbar.
Xuan Chong curiously wondered why his System ruined the mood now, Xuan Chong (curious baby pose): “What are you doing?”
System: “I’m backing up; none of your business.”
Xuan Chong wanted to ask more, System: “Homework done?” Followed by task marked “Southern Border Special Military Operation.”
Xuan Chong muttered: “Wasn’t I preparing?” then logged off immediately.
In this fist-gripping scene, Wu Fei finally nagged Wu Hengyu: “Don’t slaughter cities in the north; I lack people in the south—sell directly to me.”
Wu Hengyu: “Got it.”
…New character loaded…
Shu Tian Calendar year 26, in Wu Family Army, in the ledgers controlled by Wu Yuanchang, that organization callable “company” had armed personnel reaching eighteen hundred, with three hundred veteran soldiers forming the core.
Treatment gaps between elders and newcomers were huge; even injured elders received extremely high welfare from the company—daily silver money, even ten mu of irrigated fields.
Such welfare wasn’t from Wu Fei’s kindness; everyone knows “heavy rewards yield brave men,” but the biggest issue is “where do rewards come from?”
Wu Fei’s core purpose this trip was making money; confirming reputation all grasped by Wu Hengyu, and locals calling him “harm sparrow,” Wu Fei thoroughly shed burdens on money-making. From Yongji Pass to Zhu Er Prefecture, merchants’ prior slight links now had this trade route prioritized and opened!
In Da Yao, business spanning several prefectures and counties only troops can open.
Wood and jade from outside Yongji Pass sold to Zhu Er Prefecture, via water transport into Da Yao’s other prefectures and counties—this profit explodes tenfold. Likewise, cloth and salt goods from the two Zhu areas gave Wu Fei ample “economic chips”; these chips gave extra confidence for Wu Fei’s upcoming “Southern Border Special Military Operation.”
Two years ago, Wu Fei’s most important lesson from Wu Hanluan’s victorious southern border campaign was “espionage”; without “espionage,” Wu Hanluan couldn’t have won.
But Wu Hanluan mostly used “causal espionage” and “dead espionage”—one-time spies, like previous life’s lighthouse recruiting emigres, bribed, used up, discarded. Wu Fei plans inner espionage, living espionage: these spies in our employ can return alive and keep lurking. Because inner and living espionage, surviving there ties to enemy camp’s many interests; even if cursing self in enemy camp (cleverly offering collapse book), it’s because enemy camp’s emotions need winning studies to offset reality’s powerlessness from deep economic ties preventing full decoupling.
……
Wu Fei spurred horse leaving Zhu Prefecture, passing mountain forts now Wu Family Army’s trade stations.
Atop this pass, five zhang up on flat ground—just the old drill ground for training; escort agency-sent veterans taught spear techniques and battle formations to fort youths. Though his legs were bad, his combat killing skills remained.
Weapons: great cleavers. Spears were bamboo spears, crossbows light crossbows, bow strength one-and-a-half shi for hunting wild boar—just farming season, wild boar often rooted fields at fort-back valley bottom; had to hunt.
After Wu Fei led main force past lower pass, Old He Tou stopped his work, hurriedly descending slope.
After one incense stick, before marching column, simple Old He Tou asked Wu Fei: “General, what’s this?”
Wu Fei: “Temporary rest.”
Then pointed to troops’ soldiers and shackled slaves: “Feed these people and goods full. No need prepare our meal; buy your firewood.” Wu Fei tossed him one string of cash. (As soldiers traveling, must prepare own food.)
With Wu Fei’s instructions, simple Old He Tou had his mountain lads send inn firewood and great pots to military masters, while—whipping slaves to line up properly, hold bowls awaiting feeding.
One slave lifted filthy tangled hair, said to Old He Tou: “Old He Tou, it’s me, I’m Wen Si.” Speaking, this shackled slave excitedly stood.
Old He Tou stunned, then whipped down: “What yelling!” Then kicked him down.
This man was a friend Old He Tou knew when serving in the prefecture; after first official troops scattered, he ultimately joined Wu Hengyu, while this Wen Si turned bandit; as expected, after Wu Family Army pacified rebels, hunted fugitives everywhere, Wen Si got caught.
Old He Tou didn’t want to recognize Wen Si, but at meal distribution still instructed extra bran cake for him, and secretly stuffed dry ration in Wen Si’s bosom.
As for whether Wen Si survives south and sheds slave status, that’s up to fate.
