Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Blackwater Pass.

The leaden sky hung so low it seemed to crush the city walls.

Ten miles outside the city, Xia Yuan's 400,000-strong army, like a black tide, completely blocked the entire Blackwater Pass.

Banners fluttered like a forest, swords and spears gleamed like wheat, and the endless camps stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.

It's been three days.

For three whole days, the Dead Sea remained completely still.

They didn't attack the city, didn't provoke the enemy, and didn't even bother to send out an extra patrolling scout.

This deathly silence was more chilling than the deafening sound of war drums.

On the walls of Heishui Pass, Meng Hu paced back and forth restlessly, his iron boots clattering against the bricks.

"Damn it!"

Meng Hu slammed his hand hard on the cold battlements, causing gravel to fall down in a shower.

"General Qin, what exactly is that old man Xia Yuan up to?"

He turned to look at Qin Ruxue, who was dressed in military uniform and stood tall beside him.

"It's been three days, a full three days, and they haven't uttered a single word!"

"Just letting this drag on like this is making me incredibly anxious, like I'm being scratched by a cat!"

His unease was palpable.

The Mountain-Shaking Army expanded to 50,000 men within a month, but what kind of soldiers were they?

Apart from his old comrades who had crawled out of piles of corpses with him, the remaining 40,000-plus men were all raw recruits who had just put down their hoes and picked up knives and guns.

They couldn't even stand straight when they were in military posture.

Adding the Zhenbei Iron Cavalry and the Xuanjia Army brought by Qin Ruxue, the total number of troops guarding the pass is less than 100,000.

And now, outside the pass, is Xia Yuan's 400,000-strong army.

100,000 versus 400,000.

They are well-equipped, highly trained, and battle-hardened soldiers.

On our side, there's a bunch of greenhorns.

Although it was a defense of the city, it had the advantage of terrain.

But by surrounding them without attacking, their geographical advantage is being eroded little by little over time.

As the art of war says, "Strike while the iron is hot, but the momentum will wane with each second attack and be exhausted with each third."

Now, things are much better. Those bastards outside the city are calm and collected, while the new recruits in the city are losing morale day by day.

Qin Ruxue held the Lianhua Sword, her gaze calmly fixed on the dark, imposing army formation in the distance.

"General Meng, please calm down."

"Lin Mo had already instructed us to hold the city, observe the situation, and absolutely not to launch an attack."

"I know!" Meng Hu slammed his fist on the battlement. "But waiting like this isn't a solution!"

"The people in the city are starting to panic. Look at the cowardly state of my greenhorn recruits!"

"If this drags on for another two days, forget about fighting; we'd probably wet our pants just from hearing the enemy fart!"

Meng Hu's anxiety, like a plague, began to spread across the city walls.

Qin Ruxue's heart sank as well.

She was well aware of this principle.

She only knew the general outline of Ke Linmo's plan.

That rascal always likes to act all mysterious.

Looking at Meng Hu's anxious face, Qin Ruxue finally wavered a little.

She took out a palm-sized, smooth, antique bronze mirror from her bosom.

"I'll ask him again."

……

at the same time.

A hundred miles away lies the Cliff of Broken Souls.

The terrain here is treacherous, and unlike the oppressive atmosphere of Heishui Pass, it is now a scene of bustling activity.

Hundreds of uniquely designed catapults, like rows of towering steel behemoths, menacingly pointed towards a certain direction in the valley below.

These catapults were much smaller than the conventional ones, but their throwing arms were longer and their structures were more complex.

The chute was even lined with a thick soft pad, clearly not for throwing stones.

A group of old craftsmen from the "Exploding Sky Gang" were shouting at the top of their lungs around these precious treasures.

"Three inches to the left! Yes! That's it!"

"Set the winch to level seven! If you turn it wrong, I'll shove you in here as a cannonball!"

But not far behind them, the scene was completely different.

Lin Mo was sitting leisurely in a grand chair, holding a small, purple fruit and carefully peeling off its thin, cicada-wing-like skin.

The movements were gentle, and the expression was focused.

After peeling it, the trembling flesh was revealed, and he casually stuffed it into the mouth of Gu Ling'er, who was sitting on another chair next to him, her little mouth wide open, eagerly waiting to be fed.

Today, Gu Ling'er wore a craftsman's outfit that allowed her to move around freely, which perfectly accentuated her already extremely well-developed figure, showcasing curves full of youthful vitality.

At this moment, she was like a little hamster waiting to be fed, her cheeks bulging and still chewing incessantly.

Indistinct sounds came from her mouth, and a small hand kept shaking Lin Mo's arm.

"Mmm... Lin Mo... so sweet! I want more!"

Lin Mo smiled indulgently, picked up another one, and shook his head helplessly.

"Eat up, eat up, my little darling, eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

What he fed her was a precious plant carefully cultivated in Jiang Zhiwei's herb garden using the longevity fruit seeds awarded by the system.

Now that Qin Ruxue, Liu Yiyi, and Gu Ling'er are all pregnant, it's only natural that these top-grade spiritual fruits, which can soothe the fetus and nourish the spirit, should be provided to them.

"Eat more, it's good for you and for our baby."

"Um!"

Gu Ling'er nodded obediently, chewing away with a gurgling sound.

Just then.

hum-

The concentric mirror at Lin Mo's waist vibrated slightly, creating ripples.

Qin Ruxue's slightly uneasy voice came from the mirror: "Lin Mo, how... is it going on your end?"

Lin Mo glanced at the craftsmen who were still nervously adjusting things not far away, and replied in a relaxed tone while looking in the mirror.

"It'll be soon, in about an hour."

"That's good." The voice on the other end of the mirror visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, right." Lin Mo seemed to remember something and quickly added.

"What's wrong?" Qin Ruxue's voice became tense again.

"Remember to eat the fruit I gave you; it's good for both you and the baby."

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the mirror.

Immediately, Qin Ruxue's usually cold voice softened slightly.

"...Yes, I understand."

"Stay inside the pass. Without my order, do not leave the city even once," Lin Mo instructed as his final instruction.

"it is good."

The communication was disconnected.

On the city wall of Heishui Pass, Qin Ruxue put down the Heart-to-Heart Mirror and her gaze fell on the fruit plate on the table beside her.

On the plate, many small purple fruits lay quietly.

She subconsciously raised her hand and gently stroked her flat stomach.

There……

She already has Lin Mo's child...

The thought of that man who was always so unserious, yet always gave her an unparalleled sense of security at the most crucial moments...

Qin Ruxue's lips unconsciously curled up slightly.