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Chapter 485 Betrayal
Yongzhou, Changming.

Yesterday's autumn rain still lingers, but today the sky is high and the air is crisp. Just after the midday bell, the seventy-two wards of Changming are bustling with activity.

On both sides of Tianjie Street, dilapidated buildings are being demolished in an orderly manner. Carts come and go, carrying the stone and timber needed for storefronts. Dozens of porters carry the new signboard of Zhou's Money Shop; today is its auspicious opening day.

The aftershocks of the great battle six months ago are receding. The people of Changming know that their Empress is in Luojing, negotiating with the defeated barbarians from the north. The Shangyuan Wang clan, like a persistent malignant tumor, has been eradicated. Once the matter in Luojing is resolved, the thousand-year-old Great Zhou Dynasty will usher in an unprecedented golden age.

Everyone is looking forward to that day.

Xinxingfang, west of the city.

After the foreign army stormed Changming through the new city gate, Xinxing Ward was the first place to be hit. In that catastrophe, it suffered particularly severe damage. Almost all the buildings in the ward were razed to the ground by the foreign artillery. Fortunately, most of the residents of the ward fled to the east of the city, thus avoiding being completely wiped out.

Upon assuming the throne, Fang Tang swiftly allocated one million taels of silver from the national treasury specifically for the repair and restoration of several wards in the western part of Changming City. This project was personally overseen by the trustworthy Langya Wang clan, and was carried out with exceptional efficiency.

Six months have passed, and the once dilapidated and desolate market town has been restored to its former state of orderly buildings. Small flags of restaurants and teahouses flutter along the roadside, and laborers carrying loads shuttle back and forth between the town and the new city gate. Xinxing Ward has recently regained its status as a connecting ward for the western markets of Changming City.

At this moment, in a corner of the lobby of a restaurant in Xinxingfang, two burly men wearing straw hats are enjoying their meal.

"Commander, when it comes to food, you Central Plains people really know how to eat."

One of the foreigners, with yellowish eyes, swallowed his food, grabbed a nearby wine glass, tilted his head back, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and laughed.

"Oh, this is nothing. Although Changming is the capital, it is still located in the northwest corner. I'll take you to Jiangnan when I have the chance; there are even more delicious things to eat there."

The man he called the leader slightly raised his straw hat, revealing a weathered and carefree face; it was none other than Fang Xun, the Prince of Hedong.

He glanced at them and flew into a rage: "Wulu, you son of a bitch, leave me a bite of that roasted lamb chop! Don't you know I like this stuff?"

On the other side, Wulu awkwardly put down the lamb chop in his hand: "I haven't asked yet, Commander. Didn't Your Majesty the Empress of Great Zhou take most of the court to Luoyang for peace talks? So who are we here to see today?"

"General Feng Xi of the Left Jinwu Guard. He's currently in charge of the troops of all the tribes in Yongzhou. We can contact him about our logistics." Fang Xun took a sip of wine and muttered, "Logically speaking, Changming wouldn't have stopped our supplies for no reason. They used to come every two weeks. But for the past month, the grain transport teams haven't come even once. They haven't replied to any urgent messages either. Could it be that old bastard Feng Xi has fallen ill and died?"

"Commander, we have enough food, right? Didn't we just take a lot back from those steppe people?" Wulu asked, puzzled. "The mountains are high and the roads are long; carrier pigeons might not be that fast. Or perhaps Commander Feng is delayed by something? That's quite common; there's no need for you to make the trip yourself, is there?"

“It’s different. Changming has lost contact with us, so we have to come back and take a look.”

Fang Xun looked at the surging crowd outside the window, lost in thought.

He actually left something unsaid.

Like Fang Weihan, Fang Xun, who could cultivate two methods simultaneously, also lacked a Heavenly Soul, thus his perception was often unaffected by the Heavenly Dao. This resulted in his intuition being exceptionally accurate.

Three days ago, Fang Xun had been feeling uneasy. So he used the extremely risky Yunjian Secret Technique, the Three Void Divination Method, to cast a divination for himself. The result showed that the southeast direction was extremely dangerous, and that "danger was imminent in the capital."

Coincidentally, Changming City was located southeast of Xiaoguan, where he was stationed at the time.

Fang Xun traveled from Xiaoguan, 500 li away, to Changming in just two days. Due to the rush, he only had time to bring his sixth-rank personal guard, Wulu, with him. To ensure everything went smoothly, he selected three thousand elite cavalry to follow closely behind, expecting to arrive at the walls of Changming the next day.

"I want to see just how dangerous this is."

Fang Xun was inwardly cold and composed, but outwardly remained calm. He did not tell Wu Lu his true purpose, but instead took him to a restaurant for a feast.

After all, bad omens can always appear unexpectedly, and being too cautious might actually lead to other troubles.

He drank the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp, and when he tried to pour it back, he found the wine pot empty, having been completely drunk.

Fang Xun glanced at Wu Lu, who was engrossed in his meal, and decided to have him pay the bill.

He raised his hand: "Waiter..."

"boom!"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud bang came from the sky, making people's eardrums hurt.

"What happened?"

"what sound?"

Faced with this sudden turn of events, many of the guests in the restaurant either started cursing or panicked, creating a chaotic scene.

Fang Xun and Wu Lu exchanged a glance, a sense of unease creeping into their hearts. They grabbed their weapons, gripped the windowsill, and leaped from the second floor.

The scene before my eyes was shocking.

The golden film in the sky, the golden barrier that forever covered the city of Changming, was now folded and twisted like crumpled paper, with fragments of spiritual energy falling from above and gradually turning into firelight.

The narrow road was crowded with fleeing people. They didn't know what had happened, but their innate fear compelled them to run further away from where the strange event had come from.

The common people didn't know what had happened, but Fang Xun and Wu Lu saw it very clearly.

Their expressions changed drastically: "The Heavenly Illumination Formation... is shattered?"

This formation was shattered during the invasion by the foreign tribes due to the defection of the Shangyuan Wang clan. Fortunately, only the control center was damaged, and the main body of the formation was not seriously destroyed. In recent months, the masters of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Formation of the Great Zhou have been working hard to restore it. Although it cannot be restored perfectly, it is already at eight or nine tenths of its pre-war level, enough to withstand any attack from experts below the ninth level.

But now, this great formation, which the people of Changming regarded as indestructible, has been shattered.

Foreign forces are currently in Luoyang, and the Hebei aristocratic families have long since fallen apart. So, who exactly is attacking Qiantian Tongming at this moment?!
Wulu, who jumped from the top of a tall building, pointed to the north, which was the direction where the bright and clear sky was broken.

"Commander, the area north of Changming is in complete chaos. I saw a group of men in black robes fighting against the Imperial Guards. They are very strong and numerous. The Imperial Guards seem to be no match for them."

"The man in black robes..."

Fang Xun almost immediately thought of a group of beasts accustomed to wearing black robes.

"It's the Fire God Cult."

"The Fire Worship Cult? What is that?" Wulu was taken aback. He usually operated in the Western Regions and was not familiar with the local forces in the Central Plains.

Fang Xun's expression was solemn, and his mind raced.

Although it cannot be definitively confirmed that the attackers were the Zoroastrians, they are the only forces capable of launching a large-scale attack on Changming City at this moment.

Clearly, the Fire God Cult has broken its alliance with the Great Zhou in Jingzhou. They meticulously chose the day Fang Tang led all his experts to Luoyang to attack Changming, but... why?
Time did not allow Fang Xun to think any further. In less than a quarter of an hour, the followers of the Fire God Cult had spread from the north of the city to the west. From his direction, he could even see the black-clad followers slaughtering civilians.

“Commander, you Zhou people are ruthless when it comes to killing your own kind,” Wulu sighed, shaking his head.

"Take my token." Fang Xun tossed his Hedong King's token to Wulu. "With Qiantian Tongming broken, the Fire God Cult may have already laid an ambush around the city, so the news definitely won't get out. Go quickly to a merchant house of the Xie family of Chenjun, fifteen li south of the city. Tell the manager what happened here, and he'll know what to do."

"Yes, Commander." Wulu took the waist token, carefully putting it away close to his body, then asked, "And what about you?" "I'll stay," Fang Xun said in a deep voice. "There are no seventh-rank combatants in the city. If I leave, what will become of the people of the capital?"

"No!" Wulu exclaimed in alarm. "These men in black are numerous and powerful; they look like they're not to be trifled with. If anything happens to you, how can I face my brothers?"

"I'll stay here; you go to the south of the city to deliver the message."

Fang Xun spoke quickly: "Listen, kid. Your job isn't much easier than mine. Since the Fire God Cult dared to attack the city, they must have already set up a large ambush in the suburbs. Your mission to deliver the message to the south of the city will be extremely dangerous."

"My cultivation level is higher, so staying here will allow me to stall for a while longer."

"Can……"

"On my command, go now!"

Wulu gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn't delay any longer: "Yes!"

He leaped onto the roof and ran south.

Amidst a chaotic cacophony of shouts and cries, Fang Xun pushed through the fleeing crowd and stumbled upon a defeated army from the north of the city. They were mixed among the civilians, their armor tattered and their weapons nowhere to be found.

Fang Xun grabbed one of the men by the collar and shouted angrily, "I am Fang Xun, the Prince of Hedong! Whose men are you? How dare you abandon your armor and flee?"

"Zuo Jin... Jinwu Guard, under General Liang Yi's command." The defeated soldier trembled with fear. "The Fire God Cult... the Fire God Cult has stormed into the city! They... they are monsters! I have to run, I have to run!"

"waste."

Fang Xun shook off his hand, and the defeated soldier scrambled away.

As he drew the Dragon Abyss Sword, he leaped onto it, his spiritual energy surging forth, and he and the sword became one, transforming into a sharp sword light that flew towards the north of the city.

The entire northern part of Changming City is now in chaos, with fires and thick smoke everywhere. Black-clad members of the Fire God Cult are rampaging through the city, while the resistance forces are few and far between.

However, in a short while, he found the last place in the north of the city where there was large-scale resistance.

In the Linhe Ward of the Twelfth Ward in the North, the Imperial Guards, the Gate Guards, and a small number of Tiger Warriors who had come from the Imperial City had all gathered here, making a desperate resistance by relying on the Ming River that runs through the city.

Feng Xi's roar echoed in the firelight: "Blow up the bridge! Blow up the bridge! The demonic cultists are afraid of water, blow up the bridge now!"

The Imperial Guards rushed toward the stone bridge over the Ming River, but the followers of the Fire God Cult had already established a foothold on the south bank of the Ming River. Several attacks were repelled, and the bridge over the Ming River remained undamaged. As more members of the Demonic Cult crossed the river to the south bank of the Ming River, many people showed expressions of despair.

Seeing his fighting subordinates dwindling in number, Feng Xi was filled with rage, his eyes bloodshot, wishing he could perish together with these demonic cult members.

"If the main force of the Imperial Guards were here, if the Crown Prince's guards were here, if His Majesty were still in Changming Palace... the Demonic Sect, those treacherous villains, how hateful they are!"

A sudden gust of wind arose, and a massive azure sword descended from the sky, its blade striking the bridge and triggering a tremendous explosion.

Fang Xun landed gracefully, and the Dragon Abyss Sword transformed into thousands of phantoms as it charged toward the opposite bank: "Brother Feng, take your men and retreat. I'll handle things here."

"Fang Xun! You didn't go to Luoyang?"

Feng Xi breathed a sigh of relief, overjoyed.

"I knew those bastards from the Fire Worship Cult would cause trouble." Fang Xun manipulated the Dragon Abyss, his flying sword sweeping across and severing the head of a fifth-rank demonic cultivator. "Enough with the nonsense, take the brothers and retreat to the south of the city to regroup!"

"Hold on for one more day, and my men will arrive in one more day!"

"Good! You came back alive!"

Without any hesitation, Feng Xi mounted his horse and gathered his remaining troops, retreating south of the city.

A blood-stained wind swept across the Ming River. On either side of the Linhefang Bridge, Fang Xun and the members of the Fire Worship Cult faced each other across the river. He spotted an old acquaintance among them.

Zheng Changfu was the chief of the Fire God Sect in Bingzhou.

"Old fool, I didn't expect you to still be alive?" Fang Xun sneered.

Zheng Changfu's voice seemed to be laced with poison: "King of Hedong, how can you know that fortunes can change in thirty years? Today, you will surely perish in this city."

"Luo Tiangang, no... Fang Xun, we meet again."

A man dressed in a dark ochre robe with seven stars slowly walked out from the crowd.

"Your name is... Yu Yong, right?"

"It's kind of you that Lord Dingjian still remembers me," Yu Yong said with a smile. "Considering that we once worked together, I'll give you some advice: leave as soon as possible."

"Our sect has no interest in conquering Changming. This trip to Yongzhou is merely to obtain one thing. Once we have it, we will immediately withdraw from this place."

Fang Xun opened his mouth and cursed, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Yu Yong's smile gradually faded.

"Just to take something?" He pointed to the towering fire in the distance and the piles of corpses behind him, his voice filled with barely suppressed rage. "You demonic sect call this 'just'?"

Yu Yong spoke again: "Fang Xun, I'm trying to persuade you. The Divine Cult does not want to be your enemy."

"None of you here will escape," Fang Xun said in a low voice. "I will kill you all."

"Very well, it seems you're determined to oppose us." Yu Yong waved his hand, and three more ochre-black cultivators stepped out from behind him, all of them at the sixth level of the Mirror Heaven Realm.

While they were talking, several more powerful auras gathered, among them was another familiar face: Ma Jin, the chief of Liangzhou.

Including Zheng Changfu from earlier, there was a total of one Rank 7 Mirror Heaven cultivator, three Rank 6 Peak Mirror Heaven cultivators, and four Rank 7 Bright Martial cultivators. Countless more low-level cultivators also gathered towards Fang Xun.

Fang Xun, however, was alone.

He showed no fear. The Dragon Abyss rang out, and countless sword qi phantoms, accompanied by a blood-red storm, pointed forward. A blood-red light appeared deep within Fang Xun's pupils, revealing Ming Wu's raging blood.

Fang Xun shook Longyuan, his tone arrogant: "You petty scoundrels, come and meet your death!"

"on!"

Yu Yong raised his whisk and said coldly.

"Kill him, don't delay the Holy Lord's important matters."

(End of this chapter)