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Chapter 325: Peace Talks

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Long Xiang couldn't take it any longer, and screamed out, "Shen RuHu, what are you still waiting for? Attack! Are you planning to give in to your own personal selfish whims?! Don't tell me you're still taking into account your old ties with that old thief Ling Zhan?!" As the Emperor, he was actually so humiliated in his own capital that he had long lost his wits! He couldn't help but wish that the perpetrator of this incident would be in front of him, dismembered bit by bit! Seeing that Shen RuHu was trembling with fear as though he was facing the greatest enemy of his life, he couldn't help but rage! Since he too didn't dare to go forward and speak to his own father-in-law, then Shen RuHu as his subordinate had to suffer for him!

Shen RuHu's originally black face turned a deep shade of purple in anger! He forcibly reasoned with himself to lower the blood pressure rising toward his head, and turned back to address the heavily guarded Long Xiang, saying, "Your Majesty, the reaction shown by the Ling Family is a little out of our expectations, and we suspect that there might be a scheme hidden within. If we move hastily, it might result in negative consequences!"

Long Xiang barked out a cold laugh, "I have a troop strength of over 10,000 here, just a mere Ling Family, what can they do to me? Hurry and give the order to attack! Capture all the traitors and bring them to me. Those who resist are to be killed, with the exception of the womenfolk!"

Hearing the last few words, Shen RuHu nearly burst out into anger there and then. He was about to contend for what he believed was right against the Emperor, but by the side, Yang KongQun quickly approached and softly whispered to him, "Great General Shen, this old man is not suspecting your abilities, but I feel that you should send in a section to feign an attack, so as to test out the true abilities of the Ling Family. This can also serve as sort of an answer to the Emperor himself. If this drags on, it won't be good for your face!"

Shen RuHu paused for a moment to carefully ponder, and realized that Yang KongQun's idea actually didn't sound bad, so he sighed and replied, "Fine!"

Just as he prepared to give the command, the sound of door hinges squealing was heard as the door to the Ling Residence slowly opened. A person walked out, with his shirt unbuttoned, revealing a chest full of hair. Seeing so many horses and troops gathered outside, with swords drawn, he seemed to have gotten a shock. While scratching his head in confusion, he spoke out in a puzzled tone, "Ehh? Why are so many of you gathering here for? Haha, your faces are even painted, are you guys preparing some kind of show for me?"

***

Nine Swallow City.

"What did you say? The Western Han sent an ambassador? What does Han TieXuan have to discuss with me at this juncture?" Seeing the report sent by his men, Ling Tian seemed as though he had met with an outrageous situation. This morning, you were just embroiled in a vicious battle to the death with me, and at night you suddenly send an ambassador over to find me! This… your mindset changes faster than me changing clothes!

Even for someone like Ling Tian who had the experience of two lifetimes, and one in which he was deeply embroiled in crafty plots and machinations, he couldn't help but feel that his brain had short-circuited. If Han TieXuan was employing some form of trickery, then his ploy was a terrible one, without an ounce of trust! And if Han TieXuan was really thinking about having a proper discussion with them, then Ling Tian's first thought would be: This idiot has had his head kicked by his warhorse! This matter was weird, weird to the point of being completely unbelievable!

"Let him in!" Ling Tian paced for a while before finally coming to his decision.

"General Ling is a king among men, and this time, even under complete encirclement, managed to bravely fight and break through. The tales of your deeds cover the lands, unheard of since the dawn of time. TieXuan only feels admiration for General Ling! General's bravery could be said to be unparalleled below the heavens! Now that General Ling has occupied Nine Swallow City, he could be said to have a natural barrier for defense and is undoubtedly already safe. While this is a cause for celebration, you still have internal and external blights to worry about; with wolves in front and tigers eyeing you at the back, this is definitely a worrisome situation! The best solution to your problems now would be to clear both internal and external threats, so you can head home safely!"

"TieXuan has been a disappointment, bringing my own 100,000 troops and attempting to foil your escape. If General Ling has any intention to rout the Northern Wei army, this Han is willing to aid you in accomplishing your task! When the time comes, all you have to do is light the flare, and we will begin an all-out war by using a pincer attack. With both of our combined efforts, Northern Wei will definitely fall at the snap of our fingers!"

"General can be relaxed, these words of TieXuan come from the bottom of my heart, and every word is true as can be! Please don't suspect my intentions, and I expectantly await your command! Signing off with respect, Western Han Han TieXuan!" This was the missive sent to Ling Xiao by Han TieXuan.

Looking at the letter personally penned down by Han TieXuan, Ling Tian furrowed his brows so much that he felt as though they were becoming dough twists! 1 While the tone of the letter was humble, from within, Ling Tian could feel a sense of unwillingness from Han TieXuan!

"Is your side's general suffering from schizophrenia?" Playing with the missive in his hands, Ling Tian's pale face in the candlelight seemed to exude some sort of unknown charm. He didn't raise his head as he slowly spoke, "With such a f**ked up attempt, do you expect this young noble to believe him? Does Han TieXuan think that this young noble is a fool?! If the same thing happened to you, would you believe it?!"

"Young noble has a legitimate point, and this little one here probably wouldn't believe it either, but this matter is the truth, and my house's general also believes that you would suspect something. If you bought this tale easily, then it would be more likely that we don't have any chance at all to succeed. My general has commanded me to ask young noble Ling, what exactly he has to do in order for you to believe that his intentions are genuine? So long as it is within his means, my general will carry it out without a single word of complaint, to dispel your suspicions!" Han TieXuan seemed to have already realized that Ling Tian would have this sort of suspicion, and instead of being surprised, returned his question with another question.

Ling Tian's eyes gleamed. Ling Tian's forte was reading people, and this was also the basis for hypnotism. From the posture and actions of the messenger, he could also guarantee that this ridiculous idea was real! It was either this messenger was the world's greatest actor, or it was that Western Han's Han TieXuan was actually willing to work with them!

"If Han TieXuan doesn't come down personally, how could I trust this missive?! I believe you get my meaning, honored messenger, and I believe Han TieXuan would too!" Ling Tian leisurely placed the letter back on the table, and spoke with utter indifference, "In a war, messengers are never to be harmed. While this battle has caused our two sides to be irreconcilable, there's hardly any difference in reducing one life from the enemy's side. You may return and tell Han TieXuan not to belittle me with such tricks! If he really has this intention, then come down personally! Oh, and he has to know that he might not have the chance to leave the place if he comes down! You may leave now, honored messenger. I shall not see you off!"

The messenger no longer spoke a single word, but bowed and went off!

Seeing the messenger leave, Ling Jian picked up the letter and glanced through it before saying, "Young noble, I think that Han TieXuan doesn't have good intentions! Why would he come over to request a cooperation when he obviously has the upper hand? There must be a plot within this; young noble don't fall for it!"

"He has evil intentions? This matter is not so simple!" Ling Tian suddenly started to laugh out loud. "While it seems like there's a ploy within, to me it seems like there isn't! It all depends on whether Han TieXuan will show up!" Seeing how everyone was looking at him with puzzled looks, he only smiled mysteriously, "To use one hard style to tackle all the myriad changes, one simply just has to use patience."

Ling Chi mumbled, "Why would he dare to come? There are so many troops within our city that hate him, if he really comes here, everyone would eat him alive!"

Ling Tian only laughed in response, "I don't see it that way. I believe there's a chance he might turn up!"

Not even two hours had passed when a soldier came forward to report, "Western Han's General Han TieXuan is here with a follower and is requesting an audience with young noble."

Everybody immediately froze in shock. Did Han TieXuan really turn up in person? So he really had the intention to make peace!

Ling Tian, however, remained passive, only replying, "Invite him in." He then turned to Ling Twenty and instructed, "Invite General Li XiangDong to the meeting hall, and be careful, don't aggravate his wounds."

During the battle that day, all of Ling Xiao's troops received some form of serious injury, and ever since they occupied Nine Swallow City, Ling Tian had cleared all the various provincial offices and converted them into resting places for the military officials. If there was nothing serious, Ling Tian would be extremely unwilling to cause them to aggravate their injuries, but this was a special circumstance. Other than Ling Xiao and Li XiangDong, nobody else would recognize Han TieXuan! He was left with no other choice but to invite General Li to meet his old nemesis.

"This must be young noble Ling? Indeed a talent. This one is Han TieXuan, pleased to meet you." In a short time, Han TieXuan and his follower came to the meeting hall, escorted by two other soldiers on Ling Tian's side. Two heavy mantles covered the figures of Han TieXuan and his follower completely, not revealing any part of themselves. Ling Tian only heard a rough voice speaking.

Ling Tian also cupped his hands in greeting, blandly saying, "Forgive me for my poor eyesight, but because of your attire, I didn't dare to rashly greet you. Please understand." While he was speaking, Ling Tian's attention actually wasn't placed on Han TieXuan, but rather the person beside him. He could feel a pair of sharp eyes sizing him up from within the cloak, and that gaze was accompanied by a few points of admiration, instead of ill intent. The person beside Han TieXuan resembled a deep pool, with a naturally stately bearing. It was obvious that this person had skills that were on par with Yu ManTian!

Who was this person? Why would he appear now? And what was his intention?!

Han TieXuan laughed and replied, "In order to prevent ourselves from being seen or heard, we had no other alternatives. Thus we could only dress like this."

Ling Tian instead laughed out drily as he commented, "General Han only needs to take off your cloak and need not be too candid. Under this meeting hall, how could it be inconvenient for you…."

Han TieXuan was already in the process of removing his mantle, but upon hearing Ling Tian's words, his face turned purple, as though he wanted to burst out in a rage. It took him a while to calm down, and he stuttered, "Oh… that's, that's… we're all men after all, there's really no need for me to do this… hehe, umm…." He suddenly felt like he was spouting gibberish, as though he was having some funny thoughts, and could only let out an awkward laugh, "Young noble Ling is really good with words, haha…"

Ling Jian and Ling Chi were dressed in military fatigues, standing by the side without moving like statues. However, with this exchange of words, and upon seeing the alternating colors of Han TieXuan like a light show, Ling Chi couldn't help but laugh. Feeling that it was inappropriate, he could only cover his mouth and turn it into a weird sounding cough.

Chapter 326: Negotiating Terms

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Ling Jian had also turned red from the effort not to laugh, and glaring at Ling Chi, he hollered, "Scram!" As though he had obtained amnesty, Ling Chi disappeared in a whoosh, and from outside loud peals of laughter could be heard.

Ling Tian glared furiously at Ling Jian, then looked back and turned his attention toward the other hooded man, smiling as he greeted, "May I know who you are?"

Just how astute was Ling Tian? He had long seen through the fact that although Han TieXuan had turned up, the person in charge of the discussion today wasn't him! This could be seen from the fear in his eyes whenever he glanced at the person beside him. Could it be that the Western Han was not led by Han TieXuan after all?

Who was this person then?!

He should be someone that Ling Tian had to keep tabs on!

That person only laughed a little before taking off his hood. In a clear voice, he spoke, "Young noble Ling is indeed extraordinary, but I'm merely a nobody that doesn't deserve young noble Ling's attention."

When his mantle was taken off, a middle-aged person with a scholarly look on his face appeared. His penetrating gaze immediately gave Ling Tian the impression that he had never met him prior to this, but surprisingly also gave him a feeling as though he had met someone similar. The eyes stared at him with hints of admiration and respect, and while Ling Tian was not aware of what made him think that way, his tone also grew more friendly as he spoke, "Mister and General Han, please take a seat first. Men, bring some tea!"

The tea had just been served and the fan-like hands of Han TieXuan immediately darted forward, grabbing it up and sending it toward his mouth. Obviously, the journey here had made him extremely thirsty. However, he was interrupted by a rather breathless voice, which sounded like a broken bell still being continuously hammered. "Wahaha, I actually heard that my dear godson is coming over to surrender. Huehuehuehue, what a filial kid, this old man has no choice then but to come out and show my face as thanks… hmm wait, are you guys actually lying to me?" At the last part, the speaker voiced his suspicions as well.

Han TieXuan's face immediately turned into a fascinating shade of violet as he slammed the teacup he had just brought to his mouth onto the floor. He abruptly stood up, his arms akimbo as he hollered, "Li XiangDong, you swine! Your daddy Han is already here, but why don't I see your bastard face?"

An exclamation was heard, as though the original speaker was surprised, followed by the hastening of footsteps, and two soldiers appeared carrying a stretcher. Li XiangDong was wrapped up like a mummy, lying on the stretcher as though he was half dead. While his eyes were closed shut, his mouth certainly wasn't the same. "This old man seemed to have really heard my grandson paying his respects to me; don't tell me that unfilial piece of sh*t really came? Since when was his courage so huge, whose influence is he depending on?"

Han TieXuan walked up scathingly before the stretcher, his spittle flying everywhere as he raved, "Open your dog eyes, Li XiangDong, your daddy Han is standing in front of you! Huh? Look at you, wrapped up like a mummy, such a small war and you're already terrified? Pui!"

Li XiangDong slowly opened his eyes. "Ahha, it's really you. My dear son, where's the gift you promised this godfather of yours the last time we met?"

Hearing him sprout even more gibberish, Han TieXuan was on the verge of exploding and sent a punch toward him. If that punch were to connect, most likely Li XiangDong would have to return home in a coffin!

"Will General Han please calm down. Ling Tian has seen your sincerity, and I believe that we can talk business now!" Ling Tian grabbed onto the offending arm while laughing, and turned to stare at the two soldiers in charge of carrying Li XiangDong, snapping, "What are you guys still waiting for? You know that General Li isn't feeling well, but you still carry him everywhere? Can't you see that I'm entertaining an important guest here? Hurry and take him back to the district office! Are you guys asking to be court-martialed?"

Both soldiers started sweating profusely, thinking to themselves, You were obviously the one who ordered us to bring him in, but now you scold us and demand him to be carried out. Are you playing with us? However, in front of Ling Tian, they obviously didn't dare to utter a single word. The temporary leader of the guards, Ling Twenty, seemed to have turned into a yes-man, nodding his head repeatedly and waving for the two of them to take Li XiangDong away. As he was taken away, Li XiangDong was still shouting out, "Twenty, look, that's your big brother TieXuan, why don't you say hi, we're practically like family! Next time, I'll bring you to over to your big brother's place, and get him to properly cook a few dishes for us, so we can all indulge in good food and wine…" His voice got more distant, leaving only a furious Han TieXuan with all the veins on his forehead bulging.

"Haha, while I've seen the sincerity of General Han, I have yet to discern what General Han actually wants. Why don't you explain the matter to me?" Since Ling Tian had already affirmed the identity of Han TieXuan, he diverted the topic back while gesturing for Han TieXuan to take a seat. While he was not sure of the reasons why Han TieXuan would suggest an alliance, he had at least been convinced by his sincerity, and Li XiangDong's speech of "Since when was his courage so huge, whose influence is he depending on" gave Ling Tian an idea. Could there actually be someone behind Han TieXuan pulling the strings?

Thinking about this point, he couldn't help but glance at the other person seated silently by the side. To his shock, he found out that the person's eyebrows actually resembled Yu BingYan's, and the shape of his face was actually the same as Yu ManTian's, it was just that he had a much more scholarly look! Ling Tian's heart skipped a beat as he thought, Could Han TieXuan's backer actually be him? However, his face remained passive, save for a small smile that hung on the corners of his lips.

If his backer was really as he thought, then the alliance between him and Han TieXuan would be as good as settled!

Because the main perpetrator behind the Northern Wei army was the Water of Heavenly Wind, people from the Shui Family!

That middle-aged had been staring at Ling Tian all this while, and upon seeing that Ling Tian looked at him with a knowing expression, he couldn't help but give out a smile. Their gazes met in the middle, and both looked away, having already developed a tacit understanding.

Ling Tian had found this matter to be surprising: How could Water of Heavenly Wind be so rampant in these areas without the local tyrant Yu Family standing up? Now he understood that the Yu Family had long ago laid down their cards! And the fist they threw out was surprisingly the Western Han army! He had no idea just how the Yu Family had achieved this!

Han TieXuan gazed at the middle-aged man, and seeing that he only continued smiling without any intention to speak, he turned towards Ling Tian and said, "Concerning the battle before, this Han was deeply impressed with the heroic spirit you and your men showed, which was completely different from the garbage that is the Northern Wei. My idea is for us to let go of our past hatreds, and form a strong alliance to get rid of those Northern Wei dogs, before sharing the spoils. What does young noble Ling think of that?"

Ling Tian instead smiled and replied, "I believe the Mister beside General Han only reached here this afternoon, right?"

The scholarly looking men responded with a smile, "That's right, I indeed only arrived in the afternoon!"

Ling Tian's question was unbelievably strange. Other than the scholarly looking man, everybody else on the scene, including Han TieXuan himself, had no idea what the question meant!

While Ling Tian was already certain of the person's identity, he had to clarify if the person had attended the war between him, Northern Wei, and Western Han! While he knew that this person would never bring himself so low as to lie to him, he still asked, simply because it was his own arrogance! Having received a positive answer, Ling Tian's face revealed a huge smile!

The middle-aged man replied with a smile, but he was shivering inside his heart. From this indifferent sentence that Ling Tian spoke, a lofty and unyielding spirit could be heard in his words! Furthermore, it seemed as though Ling Tian had suspicions toward the Yu Family!

Ling Tian continued, "To have General Han and Mister come personally, how could I Ling Tian still not place any trust in you? I would like to consult the two of you for advice, please be generous!" While his mouth spoke "the two of you", his eyes were only focused on the middle-aged man!

After that came the discussion of dividing the spoils, and here there were some arguments. Ling Tian actually expressed his greediness by requesting 60% of all the gold and silver, as well as troops and supplies that they obtained from the war! Han TieXuan had actually the advantage while discussing, but upon hearing his demands, his eyes bulged out as he stared furiously at Ling Tian, unable to agree! He insisted on an equal split.

Ling Tian pondered for a long while, before smiling and replying, "Since that's the case, then I have a suggestion!" Glancing at them, he continued, "As for the gold and silver, the lands outside Sky Bearing, as well as the lands in Northern Wei, I will not take a single bit! However, I want every single captive from this battle, and all are to be equipped with a warhorse, a set of weapons and armor, together with three days of supplies! Do the two of you agree to this?"

The moment he finished speaking, not only was Han TieXuan stunned silly, even those bystanders such as Ling Jian were gaping with shock! These conditions were not even harsh, in fact they were too generous! This would be as good as Western Han waging and winning the war on their own, for all the valuable materials such as minerals and land would go to them, with Ling Tian only getting the reward of tens of thousands of hungry mouths to feed! While the captives could be easily reassigned, their sustenance had to be provided for before they could be used!

All those present could see that this war was as good as won, having Western Han as a spy and ready to backstab the Northern Wei! However, the extent of the benefits of winning remained to be seen. What would happen if all the defeated Northern Wei soldiers were to run away?

At this point, Ling Tian's conditions were like painting a cake to alleviate his own hunger, but handing over a real piece of fat meat to the Western Han with both hands!

Han TieXuan was shocked to the point he stood there dumbly with his mouth open, as though waiting for his teeth to fall out. This was an extremely harsh proposition for Ling Tian. This made Han TieXuan feel as though his brain had actually short-circuited just thinking about why someone would do that to himself. It was only after Ling Tian had repeated himself twice that he finally awoke from his reverie and nodded his head repeatedly like a hen pecking for corn. He couldn't wait to express his agreement and was so gratified that his entire face had turned red from excitement! If all went according to his will, then not only would he receive merits for expanding the lands of Western Han, but he would also receive the Yu Family as his backers!

The matter of the war was decided within moments, and both parties agreed to begin their attacks at midnight the next day. The middle-aged man and Han TieXuan immediately bid their farewells and left. Even after they were outside the fort, Han TieXuan still couldn't believe that he had just been handed such a lavish gift on a silver platter! In contrast, the middle-aged man gave Ling Tian a long and deep look, as well as a meaningful smile before he left.

Chapter 327: Who Benefits Most

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

Just as he was leaving, a buzzing noise sounded in Ling Tian's ears, "This old man can only do this much! Make good use of this opportunity! You have to take good care of Yan'er or this old man will not let you off so easily!"

A look of gratitude could be seen on Ling Tian's face as he shouted to the two departing figures, "Thank you! Have a safe trip! I won't be seeing you out!" In the darkness, crisp laughter could be heard as both figures melded into the darkness.

Ling Jian, who was beside Ling Tian asked softly, "Young noble, are we really going to let Western Han enjoy such benefits?"

"Let Western Han enjoy such benefits?" Ling Tian responded with a question as he muttered with a mysterious smile, "Are they truly the ones benefiting?"

"Ling Tian is really generous!" In the dense forest, Yu ManLou's beard was drifting in his wind with his finger trembling. With his face flushed red, he pointed at Yu ManTang and scolded, "Second brother, I had just said that you were far-sighted and you made such a grave error! Han TieXuan is a boorish man and it isn't surprising that he couldn't see through Ling Tian's plans. However, do you really not understand his plans?"

Yu ManTang, who was also the middle-aged scholar that followed Han TieXuan said with a smile, "Big brother, this matter is extremely beneficial to our Yu Family! So what if we let Ling Tian enjoy some benefits? Since we are borrowing his strength, it isn't wrong for us to give him a few soldiers!"

"A few soldiers?" Yu ManTian snorted as he looked towards Yu ManTang as though he wanted to devour Yu ManTang alive. "That is a few hundred thousand men! Furthermore, each of them has a war horse! This is a force capable of ruling the continent with some slight training and adjustments! Second brother, you have really disappointed me greatly!"

Yu ManTang responded with a chuckle, "Big brother, this little brother thinks that things aren't that serious. Big brother, the battle has not started and we still don't know how many soldiers will surrender in the end. The way this little brother sees it, fifty to sixty thousand soldiers would already be an amazing feat. Why should big brother bother about those measly soldiers?"

Yu ManLou began to laugh from anger, "Second brother, for Ling Tian to offer such conditions, he must be extremely confident! Fifty to sixty thousand? I am sure that Ling Tian would only make such a decision if he could ensure a hundred thousand soldiers! If I were him, I would also make the same choice!"

Yu ManTang replied with a smile, "So what if he has a hundred thousand soldiers? Big brother must be feeling indignant about not taking Ling Xiao's life this time. You are only focused on this single failure but not looking at the big picture! After today's battle, the strength of Northern Wei is sure to dwindle, and it will be impossible for them to ever make a comeback! It is almost certain that Northern Wei will fall into the hands of our Yu Family! What does brother think about that?"

Yu ManTian snorted and said, "This goes without saying, but so what if that was the case?"

Yu ManTang continued, "Relying on this battle, we have already ensured Han TieXuan's status in the Western Han army! With his military merits, he will definitely be able to gain command of the whole Western Han army with our aid! At that time, Western Han will also be in our hands. Does big brother agree?"

Yu ManLou brows were furrowed as he considered the actions he should take towards the two empires after this battle. After a short while, he nodded his head in agreement.

Yu ManTang then twiddled with his thumb as he said, "As such, our Yu Family would have grasped the military strength of two empires! Together with Ling Tian's strength, it can be said that half the continent is in the hands of our Yu Family."

Hearing this, Yu ManLou couldn't help but sneer, "Do you think that Ling Tian would be easily controlled by us? With his ambitions, how would he not plot an uprising with such strength in his hands? This is akin to rearing a tiger for future troubles!"

Yu ManTang shook his head with disagreement, "Big brother misunderstood my intentions! If Ling Tian wants to stabilize Sky Bearing, it will definitely require a great amount of effort. Furthermore, he wouldn't be able to fully assimilate the surrendered troops into his army so easily either! After that, Ling Tian would still have to deal with the Southern Zheng and DongFang Family. On top of that, the Xiao Family is still laying in wait for their opportunity. If Ling Tian doesn't replenish his army, how will he deal with them?"

Yu ManTian let out a sigh as he said, "While your words have truth in them, do you really think that we will be able to deal with Northern Wei and Western Han so quickly? Don't we also need some time? Furthermore, for such a huge territory to belong to Western Han, do you think they will be able to defend their borders with the small number of soldiers they have? While Ling Tian seems to be giving all the spoils of war to Western Han, all of these things can be easily taken back by him after he stabilizes the internal chaos within Sky Bearing! The Western Han army only has 250,000 soldiers and it is already difficult for them to defend their own borders! There is no need to mention newly acquired territory! If that's the case, then wouldn't all the benefits go to waste?"

Yu ManLou continued with agitation, "As for the wealth obtained from this battle, that is no more than a joke!" Yu ManLou said with a snicker, "When Ling Tian leads his army into battle, wouldn't he be able to easily seize back all of that wealth? While our Yu Family does receive benefits, we would also be forced to expose ourselves! We can no longer hide behind the back of others and work in the shadows. If that's the case, wouldn't the losses exceed our gains?"

Yu ManTang was stunned for a moment as he asked, "Why does big brother say that?"

Yu ManLou's tone was chilly, "After this matter, Ling Tian only has to announce that this battle was a result of him joining hands with our Yu Family. At that time, we will definitely be exposed and be placed in the spotlight! He can even borrow our prestige to further develop his own strength! Furthermore, the other powers definitely won't covet his strength! With Ling Tian's wisdom, he will definitely make use of such an opportunity!"

"How can that be possible? With Ling Tian's newly acquired strength and swift development, how can the others not be wary of him?" Yu ManTang was completely puzzled.

"Haiz!" Yu ManLou let out a long sigh as he said with disappointment, "If the other powers were to be aware of us joining in the war for hegemony, would they think that Ling Tian or our Yu Family that has a thousand years of foundation would be scarier? Isn't the answer to that extremely obvious? In comparison, all the other powers would only be wary of us and not Ling Tian!"

"I see," Yu ManTang nodded his head before frowning, "Then what should we do? The negotiations have been completed, and the plan will be put into action in just a short two hours. I am afraid that it is too late to change anything! Furthermore, if we were to delay the battle, we would miss this opportunity to defeat both Northern Wei and Water of Heavenly Wind together!"

Yu ManLou said with an ashen face, "Second brother, everything is already set in stone and you are still asking me what we should do? Both parties have already begun to put the plan into action, and it is far too late for me to change anything." After pausing for a moment, Yu ManLou let out a long sigh, "Second brother, this brother knows that you had always been a meticulous and careful individual, thus letting you handle such an important matter. However… you have really disappointed me!"

Yu ManTang lowered his head in guilt, "This little brother is in the wrong. May big brother punish me."

Yu ManLou then glared at him with eagle-like eyes as he asked, "Second brother, answer me truthfully. Did you have a personal agenda?!" The last few words resounded in Yu ManTang's heart like a loud bell!

"Big brother!" Yu ManTang raised his head and came into contact with Yu ManLou's fierce glare. After their gazes met for a while, Yu ManTang slowly lowered his gaze.

A myriad of emotions flashed past Yu ManLou's face: frustration, disappointment, heartbreak and even a trace of killing intent. After a long while, he let out a sigh, "It was indeed the case! Forget it! Forget it! Take this to be the dowry of our Yu Family!"

Turning around, Yu ManLou said with an ice-cold tone, "ManTang, even if you are my brother, I don't wish for something like this to happen again! When you return, give up all of the responsibilities you have on hand! You aren't young anymore, and you should enjoy a peaceful time with sister-in-law." Toward the very end, his tone became softer. With another sigh, his body darted into the air and floated away.

"Big brother, where are you going?" Yu ManTang asked anxiously.

From afar, Yu ManLou's furious voice could be heard, "Going home! If I am not going home, should I remain here and watch Ling Tian capture the surrendered soldiers?!"

In the darkness, a black figure also followed after Yu ManLou.

Yu ManTang let out a sigh and looked towards Nine Swallow City. "Ling Tian, Yan'er, your father can only do so much for both of you. Today, I have betrayed the family for both of your sakes and will never get another chance to do so! I hope that the both of you can grasp this opportunity! Don't let this old man down! Our Yu Family has already let down Yan'er for a full 17 years! Ling Tian, you must take good care of my daughter! Even if she can only stay alive for a single day, I hope that you will let her live that day in joy!"

The shadows of the trees overlapped each other as the vegetation of the forest swayed in the wind. Yu ManTang's lonely figure also disappeared into the shadows.

In the darkness, the Nine Swallow City and Soul Extinguishing Pass were covered in darkness!

All of a sudden, in the still of the night, the sound of galloping horses could be heard. While they were still far away, the horses were approaching fast!

In the dark night, elite cavalry troops could be seen on the horizon. There were dozens of such squadrons! However, these troops were obviously not from the Ling Family Courtyard but their strength was in no way weaker than the soldiers from the courtyard! Each squadron was about five to six hundred men in size and the largest one was no more than two thousand in size! They seemed to have fallen down from the heavens! Each of the squadrons only had a single target, the huge Northern Wei military camp!

A small red signal flare then shot up into the sky with a loud whistle, exploding in the sky with a loud bang! The sky was immediately covered with a bright red, lighting up the dark night sky!

Chapter 328: The Situation is Set

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Inside the Soul Extinguishing Pass, a heavy drumbeat started to shake the very air! The drumbeats sounded like the heavy rumbling sounds of thunder, making even the grass in the plains tremble from the vibrations! The deeply asleep soldiers of Northern Wei were jolted awake, but found out that they were surrounded by screams of slaughter!

The gate to Soul Extinguishing Pass suddenly opened up wide, and cavalry soldiers akin to the demons in the underworld shot out like arrows leaving their bows, bringing with them an aura as though they could pierce through everything in their way! They rushed deep into the Northern Wei encampment, reaping the lives of the soldiers as though heeding the summons of King Yama himself!

At the point, Ling Tian led the demonic army, the guandao in his hands waving around him, creating violent winds as he brought bloodshed wherever he went! By the time the Northern Wei soldiers realized what was going on, Ling Tian was already dozens of feet into their encampment, leaving behind a trail of blood to indicate his path.

Flanking his left and right were Ling Jian, Ling Chi, Ling Feng and Ling Yun, all of them on horseback. They split into four different directions and slaughtered their way in as well! Further behind them were Wang Han and Feng Mo, guiding two large armies and rushing their way into the encampment from the side!

Directly opposite from where Ling Tian's army rushed in, tens of elite troops also rushed in like tigers descending from a mountain, or dragons swimming through the oceans, brazenly killing their way in as well!

There were about twenty of such groups, and all of them were using the exact same chisel boring tactic, with the same amount of savageness, tearing into the unprepared Northern Wei soldiers! In this sudden sprint, the Northern Wei soldiers resembled a batch of helpless sheep waiting for the slaughter!

Who would have thought that the almost 400,000 strong would be besieged by a paltry force of 10,000 soldiers, and with the weaker side actually taking the initiative to attack? Who would also have thought that a half-dead army could actually display such overwhelming strength? The most unbelievable thing was, where had Ling Tian actually come up with so many reinforcements?!

Wei ChengPing and Qian ShuiHuan were jolted awake as well and immediately rushed out of their tents barefooted, without even putting on their battle mail. What greeted both of them simply caused them to be rooted on the spot without being able to speak a single word! Their entire camp was on fire, and from the flickering flames of the fire, they only saw the fast flitting shadows of their enemies, flashing around as though this was a barren ground!

Recovering from his shock, Wei ChengPing immediately called out at the top of his voice, "Pass the order! Pass the order! Request for reinforcements from the Western Han!"

As though in reply to his words, a loud explosion came from the direction where the Western Han was located. The supply wagons of the Northern Wei army had turned into fireworks filling up the sky!

Next, a series of ear-splitting shouts were heard as the 100,000 troops from Western Han rushed towards their Northern Wei ex-allies and started rampantly killing as though they were on drugs! From afar, the sounds of people screaming could be heard, "Rush into the camp and capture the crown prince of Northern Wei! Capture Wei ChengPing alive!" With tens of thousands of them all screaming the same command, how could it not be loud?!

At the moment, Wei ChengPing was already scared to the point where his legs softened and he fell to the ground with a thump! Qian ShuiHuan ground his teeth hard as he stared towards the direction where the Western Han armies were making their way over, with a face full of hatred and killing intent!

With the surprising turncoat from Western Han burning off the 400,000 soldier's provisions, this had destroyed the last bit of hope remaining in the Northern Wei soldiers! Following a chant that started among Ling Tian's soldiers, "Those who surrender will be spared", everyone began to throw away their weapons en masse and kneel on the ground.

"Your Highness Crown Prince!" A few of Wei ChengPing's bodyguards quickly ran to his side, but only saw him lying on the ground, paralyzed with fear. As for Shui QianHuan, he had long disappeared together with the experts surrounding him! The few of them quickly grabbed Wei ChengPing and galloped off, gathering a few of the diehard soldiers to protect Wei ChengPing without a care for their lives, escaping into the night!

In the end, the majority knelt down in the middle of all the surrounding enemies begging for mercy. The outcome was set!

****

"Third Master Yu? Why are you here?" Yang KongQun yelped out in surprise. Deep in his heart, he started to complain about the fact that this blockhead was still in the Ling Residence. This only meant trouble!

While Yu ManTian possessed a high cultivation, he was, after all, a single person and unable to change any outcome. However, behind him was the hegemon known as the number one family! Who would dare to provoke him?

"Ehh? Old Yang, what kind of question is that? You mean that I, Third Master, can't be here?" Yu ManTian seemed absentminded as he pondered over Yang KongQun's words. "This is my niece's husband's house! Do you expect me to fork out silver to stay at an inn when I can stay in his house? While I was staying at Smoky Thea Tower a while ago, that period was free of charge. I couldn't possibly stay there for the whole time, I still value my face, and since I'm not as rich as you Old Yang, I could only come to my niece's husband's house to stay!" Yu ManTian spoke matter-of-factly.

"This..." Yang KongQun felt a little stupid at his explanation, "I didn't hear of the Yu Family having a marriage with the Ling Family? Third Master, who is the husband of your niece?"

"Oh, seems like he's called Ling Tian, that gigolo." Yu ManTian grinned as he spoke, as though he was extremely proud of him. "Old Yang, while my niece's husband looks like a gigolo, his heart is actually really kind and he has many positive qualities. Furthermore, the wine in his place is really good! Hehehehe…." Yu ManTian smacked his lips unconsciously at the thought, absentmindedly reiterating, "Really good!"

"Mister Yu!" Long Xiang stood up from his emperor's carriage and warmly called out while smiling at him, "Sky Bearing Empire is currently in a precariously unstable position, besieged by enemies external and internal. As the monarch of a country, to have allowed the land of my forefathers to fall to this state, Long Xiang really feels embarrassed and ashamed! Right now, the Ling Family has a huge influence, having control over Sky Bearing's army, finances, and government. Their only heir Ling Tian is even more twisted, deceiving the country's monarch, barging into the imperial consort palace, and creating a multitude of troubles. Thus, I have no choice but to get rid of this blight. Mister Yu is a virtuous and true hero, and I believe you will stand on the side of justice. As long as Mister does not help either side in this battle, Long Xiang will be eternally grateful! You will receive good karma for this!"

Yu ManTian scratched his ear a little, a perplexed look on his face. This was not faked, as the flowery words of Long Xiang had caused this self-proclaimed talent of the world to be completely and utterly confused about his intention! The only thing he understood was the intent of capturing a criminal.

"Your words are resounding and lustrous, as though a candle had been lit to illuminate the area. They not only possess a kingly aura of doing as you please but have also been brought to the point of perfection! Listening to your words today is better than reading ten years of a book!" Yu ManTian shook his head as he replied in a scholarly manner, "However, I didn't understand a single word you just spoke!"

After which, Third Master Yu thrust his chin up, a self-satisfied smile appearing on his face as though he had thoroughly impressed himself with his speech. Innately, he felt that his speech was inspirational and resounding. With all the flowery embellishments to his sentences, he was immeasurably self-satisfied.

Shen RuHu's face twisted into a weird expression as he whispered, "Third Master Yu, our Emperor's words are to ask you to move aside so we can enter and capture the criminal."

"Criminal? Who's the criminal?" Yu ManTian got a shock. He tilted his head and stared at Long Xiang, a hint of suspicion in his tone, "Are you saying that you suspect my niece's husband of being a criminal?"

"That's right! All in the Ling Residence are now suspected of being criminals of my Sky Bearing, and will not be pardoned." Long Xiang had a heavy expression as he announced, "I hope that mister will not interfere! Sky Bearing has always maintained a cordial relationship with the Yu Family."

"F**k you!" Yu ManTian suddenly burst out in anger, "How could the husband of my niece be your criminal?! And you even dare to talk about friendly relations? Friendly relations, your mother!" In truth, Ling Chen had given Yu ManTian the task of stalling for time, but it seemed like he was not a good person for the task. Within such a short period of time, he had already flared up!

The moment he shouted out, Long Xiang's face turned green. Shen RuHu hollered, "What guts! To insult my monarch, even if you're from the Yu Family, there's only death awaiting you!"

"Hahaha…" Yu ManTian laughed out long and loud, suddenly staring straight at him and shouted back, "What guts! To actually be so impolite in front of this Third Master. You might be the monarch of Sky Bearing, but only death awaits you!"

Yang KongQun sighed inwardly. The moment he caught sight of Yu ManTian, he knew that their relations were already finished. He had long begun to make preparations on how to avoid the wrath of the Yu Family in the future, but for now, he had to ensure the destruction of the Ling Family! If the Ling Family did not go, it would be the Yangs getting annihilated! How could their long-lasting feud be something that a Yu Family could alter? With a wave of his hand, a few martial arts experts shot forward, surrounding Yu ManTian. To go against him, sending ordinary soldiers would only lead to their deaths!

Yu ManTian let out a guffaw as he exclaimed, "Good! This old man loves to fight the most!" His fists suddenly shot out!

A huge rumble suddenly sounded from afar, followed by huge flames appearing in everyone's sights. Billowing black smoke filled the skies! At this sight, Yang KongQun's face suddenly had a drastic change!

The sound and flames appeared from the direction where his Yang Residence was located! Could it be...? Yang KongQun's face turned pale as he glanced towards the distance, a hint of doubt in his eyes!

"Wily Old Yang! There's no need to suspect anything, your worries are reality right now." A calm and indifferent voice sounded out. "Your rat's nest is completely finished!" A white-robed teenager had unknowingly appeared on top of the Ling Residence's door, his facial expression as though akin to a god looking down on the mortals, indifferent to their joys and suffering.

That person was Ling Lei!

Chapter 329: Completely Surrounded

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

At almost the same time, another loud explosion could be heard from the palace and a large cloud of smoke rose into the air!

"Hahaha…how satisfying!" A voice sounded and a snow-white figure landed beside Ling Lei! At the same time, three black balls landed in front of Long Xiang with a thick smell of blood emanating from them. As everyone looked over, they saw three heads with indignant countenances rolling on the floor!

Yang KongQun saw his vision blacking out as a wave of dizziness overcame him and a mouthful of blood sprayed out! His body began swaying in hopelessness! By his side, Yang Lei let out a roar as his eyes turned red and he began letting out a crazed roar, "Kill! Kill them all!"

These three heads were the heads of Yang KongQun's last son and his two grandsons! Not a single one of them managed to escape and they were all killed!

"Brother Dian is brother Dian indeed. Even with the both of us joining hands, we were a single step slower!" Two teens appeared out of nowhere and a black sphere was thrown towards Long Xiang's sedan. Afraid that the sphere was lethal, Long Xiang's guard quickly deflected the sphere with a palm strike and it landed in front of the sedan.

As Long Xiang looked towards the sphere, his body began to tremble. The decapitated head had long hair drooping down with a pair of fear-filled eyes staring at Long Xiang! She was the empress, Yang Xue! Long Xiang saw his vision darken with sweetness in his throat and fresh blood flowing down the corners of his lips.

"Ah ah, Your Majesty, do you find her familiar?" that teen asked with a chuckle, "What a peerless beauty. She was still elegant despite her old age! I almost couldn't bear to kill her just now. Oh, there are another two more over here." With a swing of his arms, another two heads rolled on the floor! Everyone could recognize that the heads belonged to the current crown prince and his younger brother!

Just when Long Xiang and Yang KongQun led their men to wipe out the Ling Family, the Ling Family had actually taken the initiative and destroyed the bases of both the Imperial and Yang families! Even the current empress and crown prince were beheaded and presented to the emperor!

What a cruel method!

Up until this point, no one from the Ling Family had come out to say a single thing. However, they had used such a cruel method to display their determination!

It's either your death or mine! There is no hope for reconciliation!

This was the bloody method of the Ling Family! Or perhaps, this was the bloody method which Ling Tian had trained his subordinates in!

The ten thousand people present were immediately frightened! The cruel methods of the Ling Family had shocked everyone present! If the Ling Family was able to easily assassinate the Empress in the tightly guarded palace, weren't they all nothing in the eyes of their enemies? All of them suddenly thought about how Ling Tian had risen to prominence so swiftly and displayed his cruel and sinister means! Witnessing how the scene in front of them was so similar to Ling Tian's means, the same thought surfaced in everyone's mind, The little devil isn't gone? Saving his father was no more than a farce? He is still in Sky Bearing and taking charge of the family? My goodness!

The sound of footsteps sounded from afar with a loud clamor and commotion sounding from all around. The walls of the houses to the sides were suddenly dismantled with black bows appearing from the resulting ruins, aiming at all the soldiers present! In just a single instant, the whole place was filled with men! The roofs and windows were all filled with archers with a person by their side holding onto a large shield! The glimmering arrows could be seen all around, aimed at the soldiers of the Imperial Army!

Men could be seen appearing from all around, wielding their blades with a confident expression as though victory was in their grasp! As Shen RuHu looked around, he realized that there were no less than twenty thousand enemy soldiers! They were dressed in clothes of different colors as they blocked off the whole road! All of a sudden, the light from blades could be seen from all around!

From afar, two burly men approached slowly on their horses. Even in the face of the elites of the imperial army, not a single trace of fear could be seen! Disdain could be seen in their eyes! Ling Lei and Ling Dian looked at each other with a smile, with the same thought surfacing in their mind, These two idiots, thinking that the young noble was chasing them away, they bawled their eyes out when the young noble sent them to manage the Violent Wind Gang back then, pleading to the young noble to retract his orders. But in just a few years, they already have such a heroic disposition! This disposition of theirs is something which the past them could never hold a candle to!

From the south, another squadron of burly troops approached and the one leading the front was black from head to toe like a piece of coal! The only white that could be seen on his body was probably the white of his eyes! He was Ling Five who was in charge of Ling Tian's armament factory. From afar, he began to shout, "Everyone work together and kill this muddle-headed, tyrannical, and dogsh*t emperor who kills the loyal!"

The troops he brought also began to echo, "Kill this inhumane dogsh*t emperor!" Their voices traveled afar as the troops all around began to roar, "Kill this dogsh*t emperor! Kill this dogsh*t emperor!"

Long Xiang's face was pale as he looked towards Yang KongQun and Shen RuHu with fear in his eyes. At this moment, he was truly afraid. Both Yang KongQun and Shen RuHu were also the same. Despite being able to keep their cool, their pale appearances had already betrayed the fear in their hearts.

None of them imagined that the Ling Family, or perhaps the strength that Ling Tian had in Sky Bearing, was developed to such an extent! While all of them knew that the Ling Family would not surrender so easily and they knew that the strength of the Ling Family was not to be underestimated, none of them had imagined that the strength of the Ling Family was developed to the point they could overthrow the Imperial Family!

It was too unexpected and out of all of their expectations!

The soldiers from the Imperial Army looked at each other at a loss as the weapons in the hands drooped downwards. At this moment, none of them dared to make a move, and even their breaths were controlled and light. What would they do if the archers were to open fire from them twitching their asses because of a fart? Merits and rewards may not be theirs but their lives most certainly were!

"Even though the matters of the Sky Bearing Empire have nothing to do with me, this old man is enraged by the way Emperor Long Xiang kills his loyal subject in cruelty! I cannot watch by the side any longer! This old man is NanGong TianLong from the NanGong Family and will announce to the world that our NanGong Family will be allies of the Ling Family forever! Even if our NanGong Family were to be destroyed from the matters today, this old man will not have any regrets!" The crowd split apart and NanGong TianLong appeared with NanGong TianHu and hundreds of his NanGong Family elites! They stood in front of the Ling residence with their faces stern, looking as though they were ready to give their lives!

Ling Lei looked towards Ling Dian and shrugged his shoulders as the both of them sneered in their hearts, It's too late! While NanGong TianLong's plan to give them aid at their lowest point wasn't too bad, it was far too late!

If the NanGong Family members were to appear before the members of the Violent Wind Gang appeared and when there was only Yu ManTian standing in front of the Ling Residence, regardless of whatever their intentions were, Ling Tian would definitely treat the NanGong Family as their close ally from today onwards!

However, just this moment of delay had a completely different meaning! Instead of sending coal in the winter, it was akin to embroidering flowers on brocade. It could even be said that they were seizing the opportunity to side with the victor. The NanGong Family had lost their biggest opportunity to ally with Ling Tian!

For the NanGong Family to appear now, not only would there be no positive effects, they would only be revealing their true intentions to the many people present. Even Ling Lei and Ling Dian were able to see that the NanGong Family was just siding the victor, not to mention Ling Tian.

Currently, under the pressure of the many Ling Family soldiers together with the unceasing number of reinforcements, the Imperial Army had lost all will to battle! Their bodies were all trembling as they lost the courage to even lift up their blades! They were no different from a flock of lambs ready to be slaughtered.

In the Yang Family, only Yang KongQun was still able to keep his cool and his three thousand Heavenly Blade Troops were still able to put on an emotionless expression. However, their eyes were all filled with complete despair! As for the others, their faces were already ashen with some of them lying on the floor paralyzed, with their muscles spazzing uncontrollably and white foam coming out from their mouths! They were all a pitiful sight to behold.

All of a sudden, a loud voice could be heard from the Ling residence, "Miss Chen is here!"

Everyone's gaze shifted with the soldiers of the Ling Family revealing looks of respect. At the same time, Long Xiang's was also bewildered, Miss Chen? Since when does the Ling Family have a Miss Chen? Don't tell me…

Forty burly men suddenly appeared and formed two straight rows in front of the Ling residence. They stood ramrod straight by the side with a divine light shining out of their eyes and their bodies fit. It was obvious that they all had decent martial art skills!

Following which, a flurry of footsteps could be heard and a white-dressed lady walked out slowly!

Following her were Mister Qin, Meng LiGe, the various managers of the Ling Family, and the twenty Blood Iron Warriors that Ling Tian left behind! Despite everyone present in the entourage being of considerable status, the gazes of everyone outside ignored all of them and were focused on this white-dressed beauty!

It was as though it was only normal for them to be attracted to her! All of them could not help but agree that this beauty was the core of the many members present!

She was the only lady who Ling Tian had recognized: Ling Chen!

Ling Chen's face was calm as she walked out of the Ling residence slowly. It was as though a beautiful flower had bloomed in the noisy Sky Bearing City! Pure, noble and unable to be defiled! It was as though looking at her from afar would make one feel a deep sense of inferiority!

Chapter 330: Proclamation of Destruction

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

Even Long Xiang who was coveting after Ling Chen could not help but think to himself, How can I deserve to own such a fairy? How can I defile her?

Ling Chen had never purposefully displayed a cold appearance, but everyone could feel a bone-chilling cold at this moment! Her gaze was like a thousand-year-old glacier! Her gaze was filled with the chilly winds of winter!

Despite standing there by the entrance of the Ling residence silently without doing anything, her bearing had already ruled over everyone currently present! It was as though she was naturally the motherly figure of the world, overlooking the world from high above! It was as though this was an elegance that she was born with!

A peerless talent, a matchless beauty!

Ling Chen, the lady who Ling Tian had used the present-day methods and knowledge to nurture, had finally revealed her splendor! This was a splendor that no princess or aristocratic daughter possessed!

Who in the world could compare to her?!

None of them knew what Ling Tian had taught her over all the years. In terms of the scholarly arts, Ling Chen was in no way inferior to the various talents of the world! In terms of martial arts, she was slightly above the Pavilion Head of the First Pavilion, Ling Jian!

Furthermore, everyone from the Ling Family Courtyard was aware that this fragile looking lady was the true controller of all information in the Ling Family Courtyard! Each and every message they sent had to be seen by Ling Chen! Each and every order that was given by Ling Tian was written by Ling Chen! All along, everyone knew that while Ling Jian seemed to be the number two figure on the surface, Ling Chen was the true individual who was only second to Ling Tian!

After Ling Tian, the one in charge of the Ling Family was Ling Chen!

However, such a talented lady had willingly lived under Ling Tian's splendor! If not for the fact that Ling Tian wasn't in Sky Bearing, Ling Chen would have definitely continued to conceal herself! She was not willing to, and she never would snatch any of Ling Tian's splendor! She was already used to silently staying behind Ling Tian, supporting him with all she had and enjoying each and every moment spent with him.

However, when Ling Tian was not around and the Ling Family had met with a grave crisis, Ling Chen stepped out without any hesitation! It was the first time Ling Chen revealed her splendor to the world! She was like a precious sword that had been buried for decades, stunning the world the moment it was unsheathed!

While Ling Tian had already arranged all of this many years before, Ling Chen had fully made use of each and every source of strength Ling Tian left behind for her! She had deployed each and every asset at her disposal perfectly! Just this point alone was something that not many people were able to do.

"Emperor Long Xiang," Ling Chen's voice was both alluring but chilly! Her mesmerizing eyes emotionlessly looked at Long Xiang's frightened face. "I am sorry but the Sky Bearing Emperor no longer has the surname of Long!"

Her words sounded like thunder!

Everyone was shocked upon hearing her words! It was as though their souls had received judgment in the afterlife! All of a sudden, they felt a strange feeling in their heart.

All of a sudden, a commotion broke out in the crowd and dozens of men walked out. There were some who were calm and others who were trembling. There were even some who were completely pale with their eyes darting around nervously. They were the various officials of the present Sky Bearing Imperial Court. Walking up to Long Xiang, the one in the lead was Minister Wei ZhengFeng! He then gave a bow to Long Xiang and actually didn't kneel down, "Your Majesty has made a grave error and the situation in Sky Bearing has already been determined. We hope that Your Majesty will abdicate the throne!"

"We hope that Your Majesty will abdicate the throne!" The officials shouted out together and bowed down.

Long Xiang was thrown into disarray as he looked around in fright, "General Shen… Sir Yang… err, no, Father-in-law?"

Shen RuHu's face began to contort and he took in a deep breath. With determination in his eyes, he shouted, "Imperial Army, receive my orders!" Before he could finish his sentence, a young commander suddenly charged forward and a blade was placed on his neck. With a low voice he said, "General Shen, I am sorry!"

Shen RuHu was angered to the point he almost vomited blood. "Xiang TieTong, you actually betrayed me?!" His voice was not only filled with anger but also heartbreak! This young commander was a talent who Shen RuHu treasured. Shen RuHu had nurtured him without sparing any effort and treated him like a trusted aide. However, Shen RuHu never expected that he would be betrayed by him!

Xiang TieTong lowered his head for a while before raising it up again with calm eyes, "General Shen, I have never betrayed you! I have a clear conscience!"

Shen RuHu was filled with disbelief, "Do you?"

Xiang TieTong said unflinchingly, "That's right! I belong to the Ling Family and to young noble Ling! I always have!" His eyes were filled with a trace of pity as he looked towards Shen RuHu. "General Shen, I have always been grateful for the benevolence General had shown me but I have my own position! I am called Xiang TieTong, has General Shen never noticed anything?"

Shen RuHu was taken aback for a moment before letting out a laugh, "That's right! That's right! I was the foolish one. Metal that can ring, isn't that a bell 1 ? Hahaha, what a joke! What a joke! My most trusted subordinate was the first one to betray me!" Shen RuHu burst out into a maniacal laughter with tears flowing down his cheeks. He suddenly lifted up his head and said with vigor, "However, I am not one who will bow down to my enemy!"

Xiang TieTong said coldly, "General Shen has witnessed for yourself that the current Imperial Family is without hope! Even if the Imperial Army is still under your command, they are no more than lifeless souls! I hope that General will give the order to not let them sacrifice themselves for nothing! Is General Shen really that unwise?"

Shen RuHu continued laughing as though he did not hear a thing! He actually ignored Xiang TieTong completely!

"RuHu!" A mellow voice sounded and Duke Ling walked out, "RuHu, you are feeling the heartbreak from your subordinate betraying your patronage and nurturing. Then how should this old man feel about you leading your army to attack my Ling Family?!"

"Honored teacher… this disciple doesn't dare…" A struggle could obviously be seen on Shen RuHu's face.

"Doesn't dare? You have already led your army to my doorstep and still say that you don't dare?" Duke Ling's body shook as his prestige emerged again. "Is this old man an enemy to you as well? Are you going to kill your own teacher?"

Shen RuHu's face changed again as he got off his horse and knelt down, "This disciple definitely doesn't have such intentions. If I have such intentions, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! RuHu had already decided that I will definitely protect Teacher from harm even if I have to sacrifice my life! But, but now…"

"Now that the situation has changed and has tilted in this old man's favor you want to protect Long Xiang again?" Duke Ling's beard trembled as he coldly said this.

Rivulets of sweat rolled down Shen RuHu's face as he said with a struggle, "Teacher… RuHu is still a subject of Sky Bearing…"

"Darn b*st*rd! Colluding with the enemy to harm his own loyal subject. Heartless to his wife and daughter, and attempting to kill his meritorious subject. For him to perform such deeds, what right does he have to sit on the throne of an empire? Men, send this RuHu to my side! This old man wants to see if he dares to go against this old man's words! If your heart is with Long Xiang, you can capture me for him!" Duke Ling began to roar.

Xiang TieTong returned his blade to the sheath and said with cupped fists, "General Shen, please."

General Shen shut his eyes with tears rolling down his cheeks. All of a sudden, he shouted out, "Receive my orders! Put down your weapons!" Following his words, Shen RuHu's body swayed as he sat down on the ground.

Hearing such an order, the soldiers of the Imperial Army revealed a look of relief as they threw away their weapons and sat down like Shen RuHu. Currently, it was obvious that the outcome was set in stone, and Shen RuHu's words were akin to saving the lives of the many soldiers present!

Seeing how Duke Ling was able to take care of Shen RuHu, Ling Chen smiled and looked towards Yang KongQun, "Family Head Yang, what do you think?"

Yang KongQun's face was ashen! Long Xiang could not fall! As long as Long Xiang fell, their Yang Family would be destroyed as well! Gritting his teeth, he ordered, "Heavenly Blade Troops! Kill this witch for me!"

Ling Chen revealed a wide smile and it was as though the flowers had blossomed. Those present were all intoxicated and even Long Xiang had the urge to stop Yang KongQun from issuing the order to kill her. After much difficulty, he managed to stop and saved himself from making a fool out of himself.

Only Ling Dian and Ling Lei could not help but shiver as they witnessed Ling Chen's smile!

Every time Ling Chen revealed such a smile, both of them knew that the five of them being tortured would come next! Now that she had revealed such a smile, who did she want to take care of? Whoever she chose to take care of, that person would definitely be in trouble!

Without looking at the ferocious Heavenly Blade Troops charging towards her, she suddenly shouted, "Receive my orders! All of you must aid our ally, the NanGong Family, to uproot the vile Yang Family! Help them to take revenge for their young noble NanGong Le! May young noble Le be watching this scene!"

As she said that, her body flashed as she appeared behind the members of the NanGong Family! With a smile, she said, "Family Head NanGong, as the proverb says, a nation's enmity and family hatred! The Yang Family and your esteemed family have an irreconcilable hatred. Now that the Yang Family is akin to a toothless tiger, it is your best and final opportunity to take your revenge. Family Head NanGong does not need to hold back, and all of you can go ahead and take revenge for your young noble. We will help Family Head to block the attacks from all other powers!"

NanGong TianLong was completely dumbfounded!

Chapter 331: Final Struggle

Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock

This crisp voice and clear words were no different from the voice of a devil in the ears of NanGong TianLong! He never imagined that the means of this frail and feeble looking lady were no different from her master, Ling Tian! She was equally cruel with a blade hiding in her smile! Holding onto a grudge while waiting for a chance for revenge! However, her vengeance was far too cruel!

NanGong TianLong cursed her incessantly in his heart! Despite your Ling Family having the upperhand at the present moment, you are actually asking the less than 200 men from my NanGong Family to fight the 3000 Heavenly Blade Troops?! Isn't this as good as sending us to our deaths? To think that you can righteously say that you are allowing us to get our revenge! You still dare to say that you will help us block all other powers other than the Yang Family? How can you even have the cheek to say that? Will there be any other power in Sky Bearing that will side with the Yang Family? If we were to really fight the Yang Family now, we will probably be lying dead on the floor before we can take our revenge!

However, it was impossible for NanGong TianLong to reject her and he had no choice but to clench his teeth and accept what Ling Chen said! He had led the elites of his NanGong Family to Sky Bearing for revenge. It would be unreasonable for him to let his ally fight his enemy while he watched by the side and enjoyed the benefits. If such a matter were to spread, no power in the world would be willing to ally themselves with the NanGong Family. If he hadn't tried to be smart and had supported the Ling Family from the very start, or if he didn't attempt to come to the aid of the Ling Family at the very last minute and had stayed out of this matter entirely, he would only be blamed by the Ling Family afterwards. If he had chosen any one of the above two decisions, the experts of the Ling Family would definitely take care of the Yang Family now. At that time, even if they were to suffer some losses, their losses wouldn't be too huge.

However, because NanGong TianLong tried to act smart, he had forced himself to such a miserable state! He had forced Ling Chen to make such a decision, forcing their NanGong Family to the tip of their enemy's spear! They no longer had any routes of retreat!

In fact, Ling Chen's actions were also akin to warning the NanGong Family: Don't think that you are so smart. We can easily see through those little games of yours!

During normal times, NanGong TianLong could easily make a retreat and lead his enemies to the Ling Family. Then, he could create chaos and use the opportunity to fish for benefits. However, the present situation would never allow NanGong TianLong to make such a move. If he were to really do that, their NanGong Family would definitely suffer a catastrophic attack from the Ling Family. At that time, those from his NanGong Family would probably perish before the Yang Family!

At this moment, fighting would mean a glimmer of hope and retreat would spell doom. Thus, they had no choice but to fight!

Furthermore, they no longer had the chance to regret or be depressed. The Yang Family's Heavenly Blade Troops had already charged up to them! After the soldiers from the Ling Family pretended to block them, they quickly created an opening with a signal from Ling Chen, letting the Heavenly Blade Troops charge in! The next moment, the elites of both the NanGong Family and the Yang Family were tangled in a chaotic battle!

With just a single exchange, both parties had suffered many casualties and fatalities! The NanGong Family's Sword God Manual was an extremely tyrannical sword skill and every move in the manual would definitely result in bloodshed! However, the Heavenly Blade Troops of the Yang Family knew that they would definitely perish after today! Thus, each and every one of them carried with them the resolution to drag someone along with them into death! At the very least, they wouldn't be suffering a loss and they could die a valiant death! Thus, the vigor and energy they displayed far exceeded the NanGong Family!

The battle was extremely miserable! While the men from the NanGong Family were martial arts experts with their skill superior to the Heavenly Blade Troops, with NanGong TianLong and NanGong TianHu being experts among experts, in this chaotic battle, their martial arts were not of much use! If they wanted to escape, it wouldn't be too difficult of a matter. However, if they wanted to fight the Yang Family head on, even Ling Tian himself would probably find it to be an impossible task!

However, NanGong TianLong and NanGong TianHu couldn't escape! They couldn't even retreat! They had no choice but to clench their teeth and hold their ground! The moment they escaped and created chaos, their NanGong Family's hundred years of foundation would definitely be uprooted by Ling Tian! This was something that NanGong TianLong was certain about. Regardless of whether or not Ling Tian was able to save his father, it was certain that Sky Bearing had already fallen into the hands of the Ling Family! With this newly gained strength, why wouldn't the Ling Family think of expanding their influence? Thus, their NanGong Family must definitely not give the Ling Family any reason to wipe them out! Perhaps, even if they didn't do anything wrong, Ling Tian might still find an excuse to create trouble!

At this moment, NanGong TianLong regretted his decision to the point his intestines turned green! Why did I have to act smart and try to seek benefits from both sides? I have really dug my own grave!

It was as though the Heavenly Blade Troops placed little emphasis on their own lives. Even if they could only inflict a shallow wound on their enemy at the expense of their lives, they would charge forward without any hesitation! Even if they would only be able to slow down the speed of their enemy's sword, they would block their enemy's blade with their chest without any hesitation! Such a way to battle could be said to be almost crazy!

While the men of the NanGong Family were martial arts experts, the Heavenly Blade Troops of the Yang Family were no pushovers. Furthermore, their opponent was willing to use five men in exchange for an enemy's arm and another ten lives in exchange for their enemy's head. Such a bloody way to fight was no different from committing suicide to kill their enemy. Facing such a crazy attack, almost a hundred men from the NanGong Family had died after a mere 10 minutes!

All the members of the Ling Family watched this scene emotionlessly as though they were watching a play. As for the troops of the Ling Family, they stared at the remaining men from the Yang Family and the Imperial Army warily as though they were facing a powerful enemy.

"Sister Chen," Ling Dian approached Ling Chen stealthily, "it wouldn't be a good idea to drag this matter any further. Wouldn't it be better for us to take care of that dogsh*t emperor first before watching this show in peace? We should be careful of a change in situation."

Ling Chen's frosty eyes looked at the battlefield of the NanGong Family calmly as she shook her head, "Wait for a while longer, there are still many experts of the NanGong Family left. If we were to take action now, the remaining experts of the NanGong Family would definitely seize the opportunity and retreat successfully. If that's the case, our previous plans will have gone to waste. All of our efforts would go to waste if we were to make a hasty move now! As for Long Xiang, do we still have to worry about him now?"

Ling Dian felt a sudden chill run down his spine! At that moment, he felt as though the one he was talking to wasn't Ling Chen but Ling Tian himself! This was completely like what Ling Tian would have done! He couldn't help but be shocked at that thought, Since when did sister Chen become so similar to young noble? Is this still the usual sister Chen who was afraid of seeing blood?

None of them knew that when Ling Tian went to capture Shui QianRou in the pine forest, he had already felt the impending crisis in Sky Bearing. Therefore, he had already handed over all his forces to Ling Chen's control! At the same time, he had also emphasized the way she should handle the NanGong Family.

In truth, Ling Tian also felt worried about the Ling Residence when heading to the battlefield. While he was certain that the strength he left behind was enough to handle any changes, he was wary about the NanGong Family. He was afraid that the NanGong Family would strike them at their lowest point and aid Long Xiang to wipe out their Ling Family. If Ling Tian knew that the intentions of the NanGong Family were just to take sides with the victor, he might have given Ling Chen a command to let them off.

With Ling Chen's wisdom, her ability to strategize was already no less than Ling Tian. However, her kind personality was the one thing that Ling Tian was concerned about. Ling Tian was afraid that she would suffer losses because of her personality. He had reminded her over and over again that she didn't need to take personal action if something were to come up. Instead, she just had to give the command to let others handle it. As for how the various parties were going to handle it, that was not something that was her concern.

Such a method was custom made for Ling Chen!

When Ling Chen had issued the orders today, she never expected the outcome to be so bloody. However, Ling Chen became even more calm as she saw the bloody scenes in front of her! Since things had already turned out like that, she couldn't shy away from the matter because of her softness. If she were to take a step back at this moment, Ling Tian's plans and efforts would definitely go to waste! She couldn't let Ling Tian down because of a moment of soft-heartedness!

Thus, Ling Chen chose to face everything bravely at this moment!

At this moment, Ling Chen was reminded of something that Ling Tian said, "You must be vicious to your enemy and destroy them by the roots. Regardless of age or gender, you must not leave a single one of them alive!" While Ling Chen might not be able to bring herself to kill a single one of them, giving out a command certainly wouldn't be an issue!

While such actions were no different than living in denial, an ancient saying was extremely true, 'what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over'! Ever since the courtyard had been established, there were hundreds of such orders that had been given from Ling Chen's mouth.

In just a short moment, the NanGong Family had been reduced to a miserable state. NanGong Yu had suffered a slash to her arm with half her body stained with blood. NanGong TianHu and NanGong TianLong were both covered in blood as well and were panting heavily. As for the other NanGong Family experts, there were only thirty or forty of them left fighting to the death!

Up until now, NanGong TianLong had not even pleaded for any help! As the head of the NanGong Family, he had the pride and arrogance of one! With just this alone, everyone present couldn't help but admire his strong will!

In the battle, the Heavenly Blade Troops of the Yang Family had tried many times to charge at the Ling Family's formations but were all killed before they could even approach within 30 feet.

Chapter 332: Destruction of the Yang Family

Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock

Witnessing another seven members of the NanGong family fall into pools of their own blood, filled with innumerable sword slashes, and turning into minced meat in a flash, Yu ManTian who was standing by the side could bear it no longer. With a loud roar like a tiger, he rushed into the battlefield, the greatsword in his hands waving around wildly, carving out a circle around him. He could not bear the loss of talents the most, and decided to jump into the battle. Besides, the Heavenly Blade Troops would not care if he was the third in command of the Yu Family or not, or whether he was an esteemed XianTian realm expert. They would just throw themselves forward without any hesitation!

Ling Chen sighed. For someone of Yu ManTian's character, it was only a matter of time until he interfered. However, since he had come into the scene, her plans could not follow her optimal schedule any longer. While Yu ManTian was a XianTian realm expert with rich battle experience, the battlefield was after all an unpredictable place. If anything happened to him, how would Ling Chen account to Yu BingYan? As such, Ling Chen raised up her right hand. Those of her side, upon seeing this, would know that she had set the order for complete and utter annihilation of the other party!

Shouts sounded from all four directions, followed by the swift sounds of wind breaking as shaft after after of black-colored spears rained down upon the Heavenly Blade Troops, without any sign of stopping! The closely clustered spears seemed to block off every single ray of light from the skies as they descended!

Under the light of the torches, the blood spurting out from various injuries took on a rose-red hue, accompanied by the lengthy screams of the victims in pain. A multitude of Heavenly Blade Troops had rushed over without concern for their lives, but in an instant, they had become fodder for Ling Lei, Ling Dian, and Yu ManTian!

The rain of spears continued for a good hour, to the point that while the spears were still raining, there were no longer any more screams of pain below!

After a "Halt!" command from Ling Lei, all the soldiers on duty straightened themselves in attention. Not a single noise could be heard then! Such a huge area, but without a single survivor! The 3,000 members of the Heavenly Blade Troops were uniformly turned to human mush, completely unrecognizable!

Only now did the perpetrator of this entire event, Ling Chen appear. Upon seeing the gore in front of her, her face blanched as she wobbled a little, before forcing herself to speak to Ling Lei, "Get all your men to disarm and advance into the palace, while reassuring the public. As for Yang KongQun's and Long Xiang's groups, we'll wait for the young noble to make a decision." The moment she finished, she quickly returned to the residence before throwing up incessantly.

Yang KongQun stood mutely on the spot, seeming like a living corpse as he stood there. At this moment, anyone could see the despair in his eyes. Suddenly, he burst into a fit of insane laughter.

Staggering along, he pointed to Ling Zhan and laughed, "Old Ling, it seems like I, Yang KongQun, have lost! I've completely been defeated! Hahaha…"

Ling Zhan sighed and waved his hands to stop Ling Lei who was about to pounce on Yang KongQun. He solemnly declared, "That's right, you've lost. Old Yang, you have no way to rise back up again!"

Yang KongQun gave a hollow laugh, as his face regained some semblance of calmness, "While I might have lost, I still want to know. How was I defeated? I planned far ahead, every step carefully constructed for a whole twenty years in secret! However, while I was beaten, I still don't understand it at all, and I can't rest in peace without knowing! I believe that my schemes and plots were not able to be easily seen through, because even my wife knows nothing about them! So tell me, in whose hands did I lose? Was it that I've never been able to tell your true colors? Or was it that I've always been making a mistake?!"

Ling Zhan slowly shook his head, his eyes full of pity. "Old Yang, the one who has defeated you is not me, but my grandson, and my only grandson, Ling Tian! Three years, ago, he was already waiting for you to carry out this plan to ambush you! Which meant that, three years ago, Ling Tian already had absolute confidence in routing you! However, you delayed your plans by three years, so how could you not lose?"

"Ling Tian? Three years ago??" Yang KongQun called out in disbelief, "Stupid Old Ling, are you trying to swindle a dying man?"

Ling Zhan shook his head instead, coldly remarking, "Old Yang, why would this old man still lie to you at this time? While you had been meticulously planning for the past twenty years, your target in the end was just my Ling Family and within Sky Bearing! From the start, my Tian'er never saw you as an opponent, for his goal was merely to use you as a stepping stone to conquer the entire world! Compared to him, how could you still think of victory? But you need not feel depressed, as even I was unaware of my grandson's ambitions. This is what is called 'ambition does not restrict itself to the old!"

"Turns out that you were really muddle-headed for your whole life, to not even know that your grandson was so outstanding, with such foresight!" Yang KongQun stood in shock for a while, before he finally realized! He let out a hearty laugh, "That's right! How could I be compared to someone who wants to hold the entire world in his grasp! While I am running along, he is already flying in the sky! How could I not lose? Haha, this old man admits his defeat wholeheartedly! I'm no longer unresigned to it!"

"Clang!" Yang KongQun withdrew his sword from the sheath, and it rippled like the water on a river. Holding it before his chest, he gazed at it with a sentimental expression as he muttered, "This old man has lived for a long time, spending a lifetime warring under the heavens. I've always believed my intelligence to be superior, that there was no one my equal. Even when I was older and had to resort to planning instead of being in the frontlines, I always made sure I made no mistakes due to negligence, but to think that I've lost to a boy of fifteen-odd years, to the point that I have no way to make a comeback! Hahaha, what a joke! Respect, I've only respect for him!" After his laugh, he threw his head back to the heavens and screamed, "From today onwards, there will no longer be a Yang Family!" and blood spurted. He had chosen to commit suicide! He hit the ground with a straight back. Even in death, he chose not to bow!

Ling Zhan gave a deep sigh. After all, this was still a person whom he had fought with for over a decade. He turned his back, unable to keep watching, but sudden screams alerted him once again. Turning his head, he saw a group of archers shooting arrows into the remaining Yang Family members, and before those kneeling Yang Family members could escape, they had all been killed!

"You…!" Ling Zhan roared, "Since they have already surrendered, why are you not sparing them?"

On one side, Ling Lei and Ling Dian bowed as they replied, "Elder Ling, please forgive us, young noble said that even a prairie fire cannot destroy the grass — it grows again when the breeze blows. The Ling and Yang families have too much hatred between them, and against the Yang family, if we were ever to move, we have to pull them out by the roots! We cannot leave behind any possible cancers!" As he spoke, he waved his hands, "Hurry up, why are you guys so slow?!"

Ling Zhan was furious to the point that he could not speak! While he was aware of such a reason, Old Man Ling was still an emotional person at heart and could not bring himself to do such a thing. He could only sigh loudly and return to the residence, while saying, "Kid RuHu, come and accompany this old man for a talk."

****

Dawn had broken!

Ling Tian led his troops together with the surrendered soldiers, creating an eye-catching sight and filling people with a strong sense of desolation. On the battlefield, wisps of smoke could still be seen, quickly dispersing under the gentle morning breeze. It resembled the lost souls of soldiers, being carried to another place of paradise for them, or it could actually be the hopes and wishes of parents and wives towards these men, disappearing with the wind, helplessly vanishing into nothingness….

Ling Tian's snow white robe had splotches of blood everywhere, as though there were plum blossoms growing on his robes! It was only at this time that the battle had ended!

The clearing of the aftermath had just begun!

Han TieXuan could be lauded as a military genius of his time. He did not display any indecisiveness, immediately choosing to chase after the escaping Wei ChengPing! Because they had discussed the spoils earlier, that all captive and warhorses would belong to Ling Tian, Han TieXuan could only pioneer a new territory in the Northern Wei if their imperial family collapsed! He wanted to rely on his role as a military servant to obtain a merit so huge that his name would be immortalized forever in the lands of Western Han! Thus, he did not bother with any wounded or captives on the field, charging forward with only the intent to eliminate Wei ChengPing, while capturing all the Northern Wei cities along the way! Never had he been embroiled in such a thrilling battle, where he had the absolute advantage!

Northern Wei had thoroughly lost this time around, ending with Wei ChengPing escaping in defeat. The remaining escaping survivors of the Northern Wei army did not even add up to 20,000! A 400,000 strong army, reduced to less than a tenth, was as good as being defeated! Han TieXuan, who was looking for even more profit, had chased them down all the way, ambushing at mountain passes and taking even more lives. From today on, in the stage that was the Heavenly Star Continent, there would never be a Northern Wei flag! In this battle for supremacy, Northern Wei had become history, never again to be seen as a threat!

The leftover provisions of the Northern Wei were all taken by Ling Tian, and just the leftover weapons were enough to fill a good 500 wagons! Furthermore, each wagon was so heavy that it required four horses in order to move them! If one were to look at it from afar, it would seem like a field of spears and swords on the plains moving!

After further arrangement, the 200,000 captive soldiers were split into twenty groups, each group consisting of 10,000 men. Ling Tian knew that time was pressing, so he only called his trusted aides to his side, commanding them, "You guys are to take 10 wagons of weapons each, and 10,000 of the surrendered soldiers each with three days worth of rations. How to settle their meals will be completely up to you. There must definitely not be any mutiny, and neither are any of you allowed to kill them indiscriminately. They will all be under your direct command in the future, so how you are going to lecture them will be up to you.

Lastly, Ling Tian emphasized this point, "I don't care what methods you use. In one year, I want to see the most loyal and battleworthy soldiers before me! Right now, all of you are to settle your teams and bring them back to your own bases! Wait for my next command!"