Chapter 65: The Wily Old General

During the day, Li Xiannan deliberately drank wine atop the city walls, and the soldiers within the city also celebrated with wine. The ruse was obvious—an attempt to lure the enemy. How could Shangguan Wei, that old fox, not see through it? He played along, making himself the bait by attacking the southern gate and engaging Di Luoxi’s main force, while Shangguan Qixiu led troops to launch a surprise assault on the weakest point, the western gate.

According to their original calculations, with knowledge of the city’s defenses, once they broke in, victory would be inevitable—Linjiang City would be theirs. To guard against any unforeseen events, Shangguan Wei specifically assigned four of his family retainers to join the assault on the weak western gate, ensuring every precaution was taken.

Yet, unexpectedly, Long Chen ruined their plans.

Shangguan Hu was killed, Shangguan Li retreated, and, with the western gate engulfed in flames from fire oil bombs, the Southern Liang army fell into chaos.

One of the burly Shangguan Qixiu, Shangguan Liang, who was leading the charge, noticed the chaos behind him and dared not press forward any further. The situation at the western gate reversed; Zhou soldiers rallied and counterattacked fiercely, forcing Shangguan Liang to withdraw.

He ran straight into Shangguan Feng and shouted, “What’s happening?”

Shangguan Feng’s heart still pounded with fear. “Huzi is dead! Shangguan Li has retreated!”

Shangguan Liang was incredulous. “Weren’t the three of you attacking together? How could this happen?”

Shangguan Feng had no time to explain. “The rear troops outside the western gate were struck by a fire attack and suffered heavy losses. We…”

He wanted to say they should retreat, but Shangguan Wei was still fiercely fighting at the southern gate. If they withdrew first, it would be desertion in battle—a crime punishable by beheading.

Both looked toward the southern gate. Soon, flames erupted outside as well, and the screams of the dying reached their ears.

“What now?” Shangguan Feng asked anxiously.

Staring at the Zhou troops counterattacking ahead, Shangguan Liang cursed through gritted teeth, “That damned eunuch! He always ruins everything! Fall back!”

Together, Shangguan Liang and Shangguan Feng led their forces in a fighting retreat as Zhou soldiers reclaimed the western gate.

Meanwhile, the battle at the southern gate raged on.

Long Chen and Zhang Qian fought their way through the melee, reaching the southern gate where Di Luoxi was besieging Shangguan Wei. Outside, flames soared into the sky, and the stench of burning flesh, cloth, and hair filled the air, so foul it made one retch.

Long Chen strode in, spear in hand, and shouted at Shangguan Wei, “Old traitor, your family retainers are dead by my hand!” He tossed a ghost mask toward him.

When the flames rose outside the southern gate, Shangguan Wei already knew the surprise attack had failed. But he was unwilling to accept it. The pain of losing his son earlier that day had unhinged him; he craved Di Luoxi’s head as a burial offering.

The situation beyond the gate grew ever more dire—his elite Tianwei Legion were turned to living torches, their formations shattered beyond repair.

Di Luoxi, once desperate, saw the firelight and fought all the more valiantly. Shangguan Wei’s fury burned hotter, but he had no thought to retreat.

But when Long Chen threw Shangguan Li’s ghost mask at him, Shangguan Wei’s heart jolted. He knew Shangguan Li never removed that mask unless he was dead.

“Scoundrel!”

Shangguan Wei, consumed by rage, had lost his son by daylight and now his strongest retainer by night—how could he not be furious?

“And this!” Zhang Qian hurled Shangguan Hu’s lion-headed mace to the ground.

Shangguan Wei’s weathered face froze in shock.

Two were dead?

His rage burned on, but reason returned. If he did not retreat now, he might never make it back alive.

“Long Cheng’en!” Shangguan Wei roared, brandishing his halberd as he charged at Long Chen. Di Luoxi, alarmed, rushed to intercept him. But Shangguan Wei feinted, then, with a sharp command, led his officers in a dash for the southern gate.

Di Luoxi gave chase, but Shangguan Wei’s cultivation was profound. If he wished to escape, no one could stop him.

Soon, Shangguan Wei and his men broke out of Linjiang City, leaving behind charred corpses and crippled soldiers.

With defeats at both the western and southern gates, the Tianwei Legion’s assault on the eastern gate also faltered and withdrew. Linjiang City had held.

Standing atop the southern gate, Di Luoxi looked back upon the city—burned houses, fallen soldiers, devastation everywhere.

“I failed in my duty. I meant to lure the enemy but fell into Shangguan Wei’s trap instead,” Li Xiannan sighed deeply.

He had thought himself the hunter, only to become the prey.

Di Luoxi shook her head. “Shangguan Wei is one of Southern Liang’s Five Tiger Generals—he’s fought all his life. Outsmarting him is no simple matter.”

The Five Tiger Generals of Southern Liang were not mere boast; each one was a true warrior.

“If it had been Long Ye leading the attack, we’d be dead,” Di Luoxi confessed, still shaken. “If he, the chief among the Five Tigers, had come, Linjiang City would have fallen and I would be finished.”

Long Ye, and his five sons—each a ruthless figure.

“Did you really kill two?” Di Luoxi turned to Long Chen.

Long Chen smiled. “No, only one. Shangguan Li’s cultivation surpasses mine; I merely knocked off his ghost mask.”

Zhang Qian recounted the battle. Li Xiannan was amazed. “Shangguan Hu was as skilled as you, and with Shangguan Li attacking as well, you managed to kill one?”

Di Luoxi laughed. “That’s my Little Dragon! The eunuch I fancy can, of course, strike back.”

Long Chen smiled awkwardly, unsure if that was praise or mockery.

“Let’s clean the battlefield. Enough bloodshed for one night.” Di Luoxi tossed her halberd to Qingyue, removed her helmet, and shook out her hair.

Li Xiannan surveyed the bodies and wounded soldiers. “What should we do with these?”

Capturing them served no purpose; leaving them, the ground was littered.

Long Chen replied, “Throw them outside. Shangguan Wei will have to come to rescue them, depleting their medicine and crushing their morale.”

The wounded were severely burned and would require vast stores of medicine. Such horrific wounds would also cow the other soldiers.

“What if Shangguan Wei doesn’t come?” Xuan Yi asked.

“He has no choice. If he doesn’t, his troops will see him as heartless and won’t fight for him again.”

Li Xiannan immediately grasped Long Chen’s intention—a truly ruthless ploy.

Even if Shangguan Wei saw through it, he still had to come. If he didn’t save them, no one would fight for him in the future.

“Little Dragon, come bathe with your princess,” Di Luoxi said, pulling Long Chen down from the wall. She had enjoyed Long Chen’s skillful hands during the day and wanted more.

Women are creatures of feeling; the joy of the body brings joy to the soul. Di Luoxi had discovered this and found herself craving it.

After Di Luoxi and Long Chen left, Li Xiannan asked, “Was it you who launched the fire oil bombs?”

Zhang Qian shook her head. “No, it was Wu Jian. Lord Long ordered him to fire them.”

Li Xiannan nodded. Wu Jian had smuggled the fire oil bombs from Daughter City, so it made sense.

Zhang Qian, Xuan Yi, and Qingyue followed Di Luoxi to the hot springs. Li Xiannan stayed to clean the battlefield.

She also realized something important: Long Chen clearly cared about appearances. In the hot springs, he scrubbed the princess and the other three, but never touched her.

“Mine aren’t small. Wouldn’t he enjoy scrubbing me?” Li Xiannan mused, feeling her own curves. Long Chen liked them big, didn’t he?

“It must be my face,” she sighed, shaking her head and turning to command the soldiers to care for the wounded and toss the Tianwei Legion’s corpses and wounded outside the city.

In the hot spring, Long Chen swiftly hung Di Luoxi’s clothes on the screen. Her black hair, like a waterfall, cascaded down her back, ending just above her tailbone. Her rounded jade hairpin held her hair in a way that only heightened her allure.

Long Chen tossed his own clothes aside and stepped into the water.

Di Luoxi reached out, pressing Long Chen down, and said coquettishly, “Carry me in.”