As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 228
"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

……

Another ten days passed.

Outside Yueyang City, the roars and howls of the warriors were deafening.

Endless soldiers surged toward this centuries-old capital like a tidal wave.

Fearless and daring individuals climbed the ladder to the wall, facing falling rocks and stray arrows without flinching, and rushed upwards at high speed.

Those at the top fell down, while those at the bottom continued to climb upwards.

"Charge! First to the top! First to the top!"

"Those who climb first deserve the greatest credit!"

Their eyes were full of fervor as they shouted loudly.

Victory was within reach. Once they climbed the city walls, the continuous stream of allied troops behind them would help them completely tear apart the defenders on the walls.

The city gate, which has stood here for hundreds of years, has witnessed the vicissitudes of history, the rise of countless heroes, and is respected by the nation and the world.

However, today, it is being relentlessly battered by a massive battering ram.

As the men pushing the battering ram were shot to death by arrows, their replacements followed closely behind, their muscles bulging with blood, their eyes bloodshot, and their voices shrilly.

Once the city falls, it's game over.

"Boom boom boom!"

Catapults were launching huge stones at the city from afar.

This ancient city, which has witnessed hundreds of years of vicissitudes, is now riddled with craters.

Humans are inherently creatures filled with destructive desires.

Rush!
Slaughter, occupation, plunder, victory!

Endless desires filled the soldiers' minds.

Victory is now within reach!
Having captured this city, Great Qi would become the largest state in the Qian Yuan dynasty. Their uprising would be a success, their ruler would reward those who had contributed, and they would become the new elites!
The Blood-Clad Army is a group of desperate criminals. Success is just a step away. After holding back for a month, why not charge forward bravely?!

These people are monsters!

In contrast, the defenders standing atop the high city walls had a completely different mental state.

There was little hope to begin with, and food supplies were gradually running out.

On the city wall, looking down at the group of soldiers below who were as ferocious as wolves and tigers, the defending army of Chen trembled and their morale collapsed.

The most hopeless war is one in which there is no hope of winning.

How to win? How to defend?
What good is holding out? Where are the reinforcements?
This massive army of hundreds of thousands could always breach the city walls, push down the city gates, climb the city towers... and slaughter them all.

How can one find the motivation to move forward on a path that is certain to lead to death?

"Sigh...this..."

Inside the city tower, amidst the powerful shouts of battle, even the valiant general in full armor lowered his eyes and sighed inwardly, "Your Majesty, how... how can I possibly defend this city!"

Without reinforcements, without supplies, without a way out, and with morale so low... how can we possibly win?
The garrison commander of Yueyang City has been replaced several times.

In the end, they replaced him with a bodyguard raised by Dong Zhenghong, named Dong Jin.

Now that the country is on the verge of collapse and the system is in chaos, no one will say anything if someone promotes someone at will.

The city's defenders are of paramount importance and must be kept loyal.

However, no matter how you change things, the underlying conditions remain the same.

Even if we replaced them with the God of War, they would be helpless in this situation!
Even if they held out to the death, it would only mean that everyone would lose their lives.

……

"Your Majesty, within three days, our army will surely breach the gates of Yueyang!"

Finally, His Majesty has finally agreed to attack the city!
Amidst the ranks of soldiers, blood-stained cloaks fluttered in the wind.

The imposing and majestic king, a man of humble origins, rode a tall horse and gazed into the distance at the fierce siege battle with its constant shouts of battle.

Although he was a king who led troops into battle, ate and lived with his soldiers, and took the lead in battle.

However, siege warfare is a war fought with lives at stake, where the odds are against you.

It is certainly not permissible to allow the most distinguished leader to participate in the battlefield.

The generals around him, watching the fierce battle, kept excitedly shouting to Wang Huai.

Even a monk who knew nothing about military affairs could see that victory was assured in this battle.

These seasoned generals could see it all too well, which is why they were so eager to attack the city, to storm into Yueyang, and to make a name for themselves in history.

If we delay even a day, things could change.

"Ah."

Wang Huai simply sat on his horse, quietly watching the battlefield and seeing soldiers die one by one.

However, he showed no excitement at the immediate fulfillment of his long-cherished wish; instead, he remained calm and composed.

After waiting for these days, he finally ordered the attack on the city.

Firstly, he was also getting impatient.

Secondly, he also listened to the advice of his subordinates. Yueyang has a large population, and the people will be the first to suffer. If the city is besieged, it will only drain the city's resources and result in a dead city, which would be a loss.

Thirdly, those strange and unpredictable beings can use any means necessary if they want to, so we might as well be prepared and have a showdown with each other.

Time passed second by second, and every moment saw people dying, charging, and killing.

From noon to night, the dazzling sun gradually set behind the western edge of the mountains.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a dim, yellow light on the brutal battlefield.

Smoke billowed, flames raged, corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like rivers.

Even so, those who came later still trampled over the corpses of those who came before, charging forward.

"Hahahaha!"

"I'm first!"

The first soldier in blood-stained armor to scale the city wall laughed wildly and plunged the tip of his knife into the chest of a defender.

Hot blood splattered on his face, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

"Mother, your child has done a great job!"

at the same time,

The last rays of the setting sun eventually disappeared behind the mountains, and darkness enveloped the earth.

Suddenly, a cold wind began to blow, and the people on the battlefield felt a chill that penetrated to their very bones.

Wang Huai, standing in the center of the army, suddenly felt a chill and unconsciously tightened his grip on the hilt of his broadsword.

He stared intently at the battlefield ahead.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows of the soil.

The soldiers were all charging bravely toward Yueyang City, but he alone went against the grain, avoiding their figures and walking toward Wang Huai.

Surprisingly, his face had no facial features.

This tiny figure seemed insignificant, but it still caught Wang Huai's attention.

As he looked at the other person, the other person's face, devoid of features, seemed to be looking back at him as well.

"whee……"

Accompanied by bursts of chilling laughter.

"Decree from the Underworld!"

"Stealing the sky!"

A huge banner, emblazoned with runes of blue-faced, fanged demons, suddenly appeared in his hand and was slammed into the ground.

In an instant, purple unknown runes suddenly lit up on the ground, spreading outwards from their center and enveloping the entire central army where Wang Huai was located.

The earth trembled, and the wind and clouds surged.

"Escort!"

"Escort!"

The generals around Wang Huai immediately sensed something was wrong and kept shouting.

The next instant, the pitch-black semi-circular barrier rapidly expanded outwards from the strange man at its center.

In the blink of an eye, it enveloped countless people.

The barrier was dark and gloomy. Even though the battlefield was ablaze with fire and the flames were flickering, not a single ray of light could penetrate here. It was pitch black.

It's pure black here; you can't see anything.

Surprisingly, despite this bizarre situation, Wang Huai's army remained completely calm and orderly, waiting for Wang Huai's orders.

No one spoke; it was as if they were dead.

"His Majesty!"

Several loyal generals guarded Wang Huai's side.

Behind him, a man casually tossed aside his wine gourd, picked up an iron rod, and whose lifeless eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp light—this was Ye Wuzui, the drunkard.

"Big brother!"

The muscular warrior, with a robust build, brandished his battle axe and spoke with concern.

Xing Yong, a blood-clad warrior who could fight against a hundred men single-handedly on the battlefield and was unmatched by anyone, was known as the Ghost of War.

A man holding a bow and arrow, with sharp eyes, drew the bow to its fullest extent. Even though he could not see anything, he locked onto a direction by intuition: Huang Fan, the Mountain Spirit.

"His Majesty……"

His figure was concealed within the black robe. Upon seeing this scene, he frowned, gripped his staff tightly, and became the astrological ghost Qi Yuan.

The Nine Blood-Clad Ghosts are Wang Huai's closest and most trusted followers, having risen to prominence alongside him and reached where they are today.

Four people came this time to help Wang Huai through this final hurdle.

They were people named after ghosts, and opposite them, in the darkness, not a single outline could be seen, only a cold wind could be felt blowing, as if something had appeared.

Wang Huai knew who they were.

After waiting for so long, it has finally arrived. The ghosts and spirits of the underworld have stepped into the human world.

He had anticipated this, and raising his broadsword high, he shouted, "Light the fire! Fight! Don't turn back!"

The five thousand soldiers surrounding him were the most elite troops who had fought alongside him all the way.

Their military discipline was strict, and they were unstoppable. They had long since disregarded life and death, obeying only Wang Huai's orders, and their morale would not be disturbed by anything external.

Not to mention that Wang Huai had already explained this matter in advance.

Countless tiny sparks of light ignited within this strange barrier.

A flash of light appeared, and the banner of the underworld demons fluttered, illuminating several figures of different shapes.

A headless giant, a one-armed and one-legged freak, a faceless man, an old man bathed in blood, a sinister figure with an empty chest...

The King of Execution, the One-Armed General, the Faceless Demon, the King of Blood-Beating, the Heart-Gouging Demon... legendary ghosts and gods.

There were only five of them, yet they seemed capable of holding off a thousand troops.

The faceless man chuckled softly.

The next instant, a chilling wind howled, penetrating to the very bone.

All the flames were extinguished in an instant, and everyone only saw a shadow before everything returned to darkness.

"Turning Back Strike!"

The Executioner once again raised the enormous chain axe in his hand and whispered a low growl.

The axe turned to ashes and disappeared.

Several soldiers suddenly trembled, as if their hearts were being gripped tightly, and fell to the ground, lifeless.

An invisible blade of energy slashed through, and several soldiers had half their bodies severed.

"I will forge my armor with my blood, and sacrifice my heroic soul for the peace!"

"Blood-Clad Warrior!"

"Blood-Clad Warrior!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

However, faced with this scene, these blood-clad soldiers did not flee like the northern garrison.

Even as their companions died mysteriously beside them, they remained calm. Instead, they raised their shields and, in the darkness, maintained order and shouted loudly.

Shouting the faith of the Blood-Clad Army, echoing the cries of slaughter along the way. In their furious roars, their blood energy radiated, and an invisible aura rippled outwards in concentric circles.

Ordinary soldiers couldn't see it, but... those with strange powers could. The roars shook the heavens, and the bloodthirsty aura formed a barrier, protecting all the soldiers within.

The shouts of battle seemed to converge into countless beautiful swords, tearing at the ghostly banner fluttering in the center of the demonic realm, creating tiny holes, and the invisible barrier seemed to develop more cracks.

The courage and unity of warriors possess the power to overcome all obstacles in the world.

Wang Huai, brandishing his broadsword, pointed forward and shouted, "Gentlemen, follow me and charge out!!!"

Tiger Soul is powerful and captivating.

The king's majestic power shook the heavens.

He is a leader, an emperor, unmatched by anyone, and impervious to evil.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow flashed past, and the mountain spirit released the bowstring, piercing the blood-clad old man's body with pinpoint accuracy even in the darkness.

The ghosts opposite couldn't even form a complete face, and upon seeing this, they frowned slightly.

Under the imposing military might, their strength was also suppressed.

They were difficult to kill or eliminate, but at this moment, they were somewhat helpless in the face of Wang Huai.

The king had made thorough preparations.

These soldiers also surprised them.

As long as you are not afraid of ghosts and gods, you can fight them. As long as you charge forward bravely and fight fiercely, you can find a way to survive.

If you don't turn back, you won't be beheaded!

The state of Chen made a grand show of worshipping ghosts and gods, but ghosts and gods could not protect the state of Chen from survival, because ghosts and gods are inherently sinister and cunning, feared and hated by people. To believe in evil ghosts is to commit heinous crimes and deserve to perish.

They were happy to see the city besieged in blood; the more tragic and desperate the scene, the more likely it was to be remembered.

A nation transformed into the underworld, where a hundred ghosts roam at night—it's enough to shock and awe.

Now that we've reached the final stage, we can't leave in a sorry state, otherwise it will be a case of starting strong but ending weakly.

They need to prove to people the majesty and power of the spirits and gods of the underworld, so that they can be remembered and feared by people at all times.

Therefore, they need to meet several tactical requirements.

One reason is to avoid the onslaught of a large army, lest they be crushed by the terrifying aura of hundreds of thousands of people.

Secondly, it is sufficiently bizarre and mysterious, taking the lives of several important people during the war and leaving behind a reputation.

"kill!!!"

Wang Huai roared and led the charge, spurring his horse forward!

The soldiers roared and followed closely behind.

However, although the warhorses were running and undetectable in the darkness, they were actually standing still the whole time.

Of course, there are limits to these restrictions.

The faceless demon glanced at the flags fluttering beside him.

There was no strong wind here, yet the flag bestowed by the Master was surging and fluttering, with some small holes on it, as if it would break soon.

Several spirits and deities around it transferred their power to the flag, which stabilized it somewhat.

The two sides reached a fragile balance.

A chilling voice suddenly rang in Wang Huai's ears: "The rebellious king in blood-red robes is caught in the Emperor's decree; you have nowhere to go."

"Why not join us in the underworld and become immortal ghosts and gods?"

"Humph!"

Negotiation means that the other party wants to lure you into a position that is in their favor.

Wang Huai had already prepared himself mentally; he had never been interested in immortality or anything like that.

From beginning to end, he had only one goal: to overthrow the corrupt old dynasty, eliminate all the greedy and corrupt people, and establish a glorious new dynasty.

He snorted coldly and roared, "Further words are useless, let's fight!"

Based on his senses, he located the enemy's position, swung his broadsword horizontally, and suddenly slashed at one of the ghosts.

"when!"

The weapons clashed, producing a crisp sound.

"Ah!"

"Then let's fight!"

It's just that they couldn't win by overwhelming force.

How could a group of mortals suppress a ghost or god who has lived for thousands of years?

Even if your magic is suppressed, there are still many other ways to win; it's just a matter of paying a price and suffering some damage.

……

"This……"

"What happened?"

"Quickly, save the emperor! Save the emperor!"

"Your Majesty, what is this?!"

"General Zhang, come with me to the rescue!"

……

The strange man carrying the flag appeared in the center of the army, and opened a huge hemispherical barrier, which encompassed His Majesty, the general, and the surrounding soldiers.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

The soldiers around them were at a loss when they saw the dark barrier, which caused some disturbance.

Even the soldiers fighting on the front lines were affected to some extent.

The general who was not shrouded in mist prepared to rescue the emperor while trying to maintain order and morale among his troops.

Just then, a golden figure suddenly rushed in from the west.

……

"Boom boom boom!"

The earth roared as the headless giant, like a chariot, charged into Wang Huai's soldiers, smashing through them and sending dozens flying.

The eerie old man swallowed a blood orb, and instantly his entire body swelled dozens of times, turning into a monster, and he charged forward.

The one who had just fought Wang Huai was a one-armed, one-legged demon. With a slash of his sword, he left a bloody gash on Wang Huai's body.

"kill!"

"kill!"

Wang Huai's personal guards were incredibly brave, even when facing monsters of unknown origin, and even when they could not see anything in the dark.

But it still roared and fought fiercely against this strange creature.

[Body Swap Technique]

The one-armed general opposite him had a faint glint in his single eye, and a strange power was being applied to Wang Huai.

He shuddered instantly, feeling as if half of his body had lost all sensation and he had lost sight of only one eye.

The sudden and bizarre change left him bewildered.

Without warning, he was slashed by the person in front of him again.

"drink!"

The problems in the darkness were immense. Although their own soldiers had not collapsed, they were unable to see and were constantly hampered.

After these monsters charged forward, they fell into a further decline.

Wang Huai crawled out from a pile of dead bodies, and although he suffered some injuries, he was not afraid.

This only fueled his anger; his eyes turned bloodshot, and his face contorted in rage.

A powerful aura swept across, revealing a hint of a dragon's form. Being stared at by him felt as if a force was surging straight into one's soul.

Even the demon king, who was swinging his sword towards his neck, paused for a moment.

He felt countless crazed, blood-clad believers roaring in his ears, and the immense pressure of the entire nation's land and rivers weighed on his shoulders.

With half of his body still conscious, Wang Huai held a large sword and roared angrily, "I am the Emperor!!!"

"How dare a mere ghost act like this?!"

The resounding voice was deafening.

The broadsword slashed down with unparalleled power.

"Puch!"

The broadsword seemed to have struck something, and the one-armed general's only remaining arm was also severed.

However, immediately afterward, the severed arm was swung with a knife.

With a flash of light, the horse Wang Huai was riding also had its four hooves severed.

Wang Huai lost control and fell off his horse.

"Humph!"

However, he still snorted coldly, picked up his broadsword, suddenly flipped over, swung the sword horizontally, and cleanly severed the head of the evil spirit.

Of course, he's doing alright here.

The situation around them was rather dire. In the blink of an eye, many soldiers were killed. It was considered a miracle if they could even get a scratch on the enemy.

Only the three ghosts who followed him, all of whom were highly skilled in martial arts, could barely hold off these ghosts and gods who used strange methods.

Wang Huai knew that his side's combat strength would definitely have some impact on these ghosts and gods, and would certainly cause some damage.

However, he didn't know if they could win.

"What ruthless methods the king employs! Truly a shrewd and powerful ruler..."

A chilling voice came to his ears, and suddenly he felt a sense of unease. A withered hand, carrying a strong wind, pierced towards his chest.

He subconsciously clenched his fist, and the blood-red sunflower in his hand quietly bloomed.

In the midst of the chaos, just as he was about to reveal his trump card.

"Hahaha!"

"I'm coming too!"

Suddenly, a heroic voice rang out, and a figure gleaming with golden light rushed over. The voice was like thunder, making people dizzy, and it actually penetrated the strange barrier and reached the ears of Wang Huai and his group.

Professional matters should be handled by professionals.

……

"If His Majesty finds out about this, he will blame me."

On the western mountain, a tall figure stood silently in the darkness, its eyes as bright as the stars.

He looked down at the chaotic battlefield not far away, and saw that the ghosts and gods suddenly shrouded the area in a dark barrier. He finally sighed softly.

They are rivals, but not enemies.

Mingchen abandoned the Blood-Clad Army, but he did not abandon his brother.

It doesn't matter who dies here; it's better for the Blood-Clad Army and the Ghost Gods to fight like dogs.

After all, it's better for these people to die here than to become his enemies later.

However... humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings?

Although he said things like, "The next time we meet, we'll be rivals," Mingchen didn't want Wang Huai to die here.

He was always indifferent, uncaring about the life and death of others, and would not lend a helping hand to those in distress. But this was only towards strangers. He would naturally cherish those who had entered his heart.

Wang Huai treated him with sincerity, and even after his status changed and he held a high position, he never forgot him. Ming Chen was also willing to treat him with sincerity.

The warm, smooth jade, gleaming slightly, appeared in my palm, and whispered, "Your Highness, your city is being plagued by evil spirits. Lend me your power."

He was a mortal in his previous life, but once he entered the Immortal Jade Record, things changed.

They will all receive their own power, and Mingchen can also harness their power.

The old emperor's law was a sinful black dragon, violent and frenzied, capable of destroying heaven and earth.

But the Crown Prince's law was the sky he had always longed for.

As his voice fell, the next instant, a gentle night breeze blew against his face, more tender than the deathly cold wind brought by ghosts and gods from the underworld. The handsome man's long hair fluttered gently in the wind.

The carefree and dissolute young man lowered his eyes slightly, and his cold eyes seemed to have gained a touch of compassion.

Looking out over that century-old prosperous city, I waved gently.

The next instant, on the battlefield, in Yueyang City, whether it was the Blood-Clad Army, the Chen Kingdom's garrison, or the people of Yueyang... everyone was shocked and unconsciously raised their heads to look at the sky.

(End of this chapter)