Chapter 277: Blossoming on All Sides

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Blossoming on All Sides

Zhong Shan and Ah Da were the first to land on the floating island. Shortly after, Wu An swiftly arrived as well. The moment Wu An set foot on the island, he meticulously inspected it with his spiritual sense, scrutinizing every blade of grass, every pebble, and every clod of earth from inside out.

Finding nothing amiss, Wu An confirmed that this floating island was indeed the simplest kind. It had a "Levitation Array," a small house on top, and a flag array of very weak power.

"General Wu An, long time no see!" Zhong Shan greeted with a smile.

"Mr. Zhong Shan, it has indeed been a long time!" Wu An responded with a smile as well.

Observing Zhong Shan's cultivation, Wu An couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Jindan stage? How could someone at the Jindan stage be on an equal footing with him? No, this man was even accompanied by a Huangji stage expert as his bodyguard. This person was far from ordinary.

"It has been several years since we parted in Sky City. I have prepared some tea in my humble abode. Please come in, General, so we may discuss some private matters," Zhong Shan said.

"Please," Wu An agreed promptly.

Wu An had already scanned everything inside with his spiritual sense, seeing it all clearly, so he had no objections.

Inside, there were two long tables facing each other. Zhong Shan and Wu An took their seats, and Ah Da poured tea for both of them. After serving the tea, Ah Da stood behind Zhong Shan.

Zhong Shan deliberately glanced outside, particularly at the Daxuan Army's First Camp behind him. Then he furrowed his brow slightly and said, "General Wu An, do you think our conversation should be kept from outsiders?"

"Of course," Wu An nodded immediately, looking at Zhong Shan with some excitement. Was Zhong Shan really planning to defect?

Zhong Shan gave Ah Da a signal, and with a wave of his hand, Ah Da activated the flag array outside. Suddenly, a large amount of black mist surged, covering the house on the floating island. It blocked out sound and isolated any spiritual sense from entering or exiting.

Wu An felt a twinge of unease since his spiritual sense couldn't penetrate the array. However, recognizing it as a low-level array, he suppressed his discomfort.

"Mr. Zhong Shan, on behalf of the Dayu Empire, I sincerely invite you to join us," Wu An said immediately.

Zhong Shan frowned slightly, appearing hesitant.

"What's wrong?" Wu An asked, puzzled.

"But, the King of Julu...," Zhong Shan said with a troubled expression.

"Oh, Mr. Zhong Shan, you need not worry about that. The prince has already let go of the past. He only sought you out back then because he was concerned you might take the position of Grand Marshal ahead of him. Now that he himself is a Grand Marshal, those old grudges have vanished," Wu An reassured him with a smile.

"Oh? The prince has become a Grand Marshal? One of them?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"Yes, this time for the campaign against the Daluo Dynasty, the Dayu Empire appointed two Grand Marshals: the Prince of Julu as the Northern Expedition Grand Marshal and Tie Xue as the National Defense Grand Marshal. So, Mr. Zhong Shan, you can rest assured," Wu An explained. Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

Zhong Shan paused slightly, thinking, "What is Nalan Piaoxue up to? Two Grand Marshals?"

From Wu An's words, Zhong Shan gleaned a lot of information. At the very least, the appointment of two Grand Marshals carried significant implications.

"But I am deeply indebted to the princess. This...," Zhong Shan continued to procrastinate.

"Once we conquer the Daluo Dynasty, the princess will be yours, Mr. Zhong Shan. Besides, didn't this Ah Da used to follow the princess? Now he follows you, doesn't he?" Wu An said with a smile.

Meanwhile, at the Southern City

While Zhong Shan and Wu An continued their verbal sparring, a different scene was unfolding in the south of the city.

Shui Wuhen had sent out a large number of scouts. They suddenly noticed the thick black mist billowing from the north of the city. This was the result of the flag array being activated on the floating island where Zhong Shan was, blocking external spiritual sense and serving as a signal to Shui Wuhen.

The signal was quickly relayed several times by the scouts until it finally reached Shui Wuhen. He stood before more than a dozen men.

"General, an hour has already passed. We only have 24 hours in total, and we need to account for the time it takes to siege the city and deal with the Dayu forces. There's not much time left. You need to give the order now," one man said anxiously.

Shui Wuhen had just seen the black light signal from the scouts in the distance.

"Alright, we won't delay any longer. However, you must all act with one concerted effort. Any hesitation and everything will be for naught. Open the city gates. Remember, your task is to open the gates," Shui Wuhen ordered.

No, it's not reinforcements; they're commoners, the lowest of the low. What madness has possessed them? What are they doing? Have they lost their minds? Do they not value their lives?

What did their commander Zhong Shan give them? These people are like crazed bulls, relentlessly charging forward.

"Shoot, shoot quickly!" the general shouted.

But there were too many people, and those who could fly were gathering in the air. The outer ranks used magical treasures to block the powerful arrows until they reached a height level with the city walls. Then they abandoned their defenses and descended into the city.

"Shoot, shoot, shoot!" the general kept yelling.

"Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh..."

The screams were unending. War is cruel, even with such a well-executed plan, it remains brutal. In the blink of an eye, many had died, but ultimately, some had landed inside the city.

"Not good! Someone's in the city!" a junior officer shouted.

"First Battalion, Second Battalion, get down there and kill them!" the general bellowed.

Once on the ground, using the powerful arrows again was impractical. As long as they landed inside the city, they were no longer bound by the sky array and could use their magic to continue resisting the arrows.

The First and Second Battalions went down to deal with the intruding civilians, leaving fewer archers on the walls, which allowed even more people to fly in.

The first thing those who flew in did was rush towards the city gates. Opening the gates would mean victory.

The First and Second Battalions also had the task of guarding the gates. Organized armies are strong, but how does that help when more and more people keep coming in? The ones who could fly carried those who couldn't and threw them into the city, quickly filling it up.

More and more people entered the city, filling the general's heart with dread.

"Break down the gates!" the intruders shouted as they rushed towards the gates.

At the gates, only the First and Second Battalions stood, a mere 20,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, the number of people entering the city kept increasing. Although many were being cut down, people continued to surge towards the gates, getting closer and closer. They just needed to open the gates.

The general on the wall was filled with anxiety. This was happening too fast. How could things change so drastically in an instant? Why weren't these civilians afraid of dying? What had driven them to such fearlessness? I need reinforcements!

Reinforcements?

At the east and west gates, large numbers of troops also appeared. Shui Wuhen's 450,000-strong army had divided, sending 150,000 to each gate, not to breach them but to tie down the soldiers on those walls.

East Gate City Wall

"Report, a large number of civilians are attacking the southern wall. General Ma requests urgent reinforcements," a soldier reported, kneeling.

"Nonsense! Civilians attacking the city? We're facing regular troops here. We haven't asked for reinforcements. What does General Ma think he's doing?" the officer on the wall glared angrily.

North Gate

Half an hour later, at the north gate.

"Report, a large number of civilians are attacking the southern wall. General Ma requests urgent reinforcements," a soldier reported, kneeling.

The officers on the wall exchanged worried glances.

"The commander is still negotiating on the floating island. Civilians attacking the city?" one general frowned.

"Something's wrong. This is Zhong Shan's trap. We've fallen for it," another general said.

"Take 200,000 troops and support them immediately. We will keep 400,000 here to hold back the 200,000 enemy soldiers in front," the general ordered promptly.

"Yes!" Given the urgency, the soldier accepted the command without hesitation.

"Quick, notify the commander," the general said anxiously.