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

Western Wilderness.

Yellow sand filled the sky, and the scorching sun beat down on the parched earth.

Xia Yuan was riding on horseback.

This is a worthless horse that was stolen from a remote village by the roadside.

Its fur was mottled and it was thin and bony.

The horse's hooves sank into the scorching sand, wobbling and trembling with every step.

The Western Wind Heavy Armor he once took pride in has long lost its former majesty.

The armor plate on his chest was dented into a deep pit.

Three deep, bone-revealing knife wounds were diagonally across his back.

Blood mixed with yellow sand formed a thick layer of black scabs. With the slightest movement, the scabs would crack open, and fresh pus and blood would seep out.

The procession stretched for miles across the open, unobstructed wilderness.

No one is carrying the flag.

No one is playing the drums.

Even the sound of heavy breathing was scarce.

The 400,000-strong army marched out in triumph, but now only less than 30,000 remnants remain.

The once invincible elite of the West Wind Heavy Armored Battalion has lost all its armor, and the straw sandals on its feet have long been worn out.

As they walked, someone's legs suddenly gave way, and they collapsed headfirst into a sand pit by the roadside.

He convulsed twice and then couldn't get up again.

The soldiers beside him didn't even glance at him, numbly stepping over their comrade's corpse and continuing to move forward.

Xia Yuan turned his head and spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with thick phlegm and sand.

shame.

A humiliating disgrace.

The Battle of Heishui Pass practically broke his backbone.

Lin Mo.

That man was originally nothing more than a piece of trash in his eyes.

He's a hundred times more terrifying than that madman from southern Xinjiang who plays with insects!

He single-handedly slaughtered hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the blood-soaked waters of Broken Soul Cliff.

That earth-shattering power still lingers in Xia Yuan's mind.

Xia Yuan gripped the reins tightly, the rough hemp rope digging into the flesh of his palm.

This debt absolutely cannot be left unresolved.

They should have received his letter by now in the capital.

As soon as the million-strong army from the capital arrives.

He is determined to raze Zhenbeiguan to the ground and tear Lin Mo to pieces!

"Your Highness... ahead... ahead is Xicang City."

The lieutenant, dragging his injured leg, limped towards the horse.

Upon hearing this, a glint of light suddenly flashed in Xia Yuan's eyes.

Xicang City.

That was his fiefdom, his main city, the stronghold he had built up over a decade ago.

The city wall is ten zhang high and is built entirely of the hardest boulders in the western wilderness, making it as solid as a rock.

His wives, concubines, and children were not the only ones living in the city.

He also hoarded a million dan of grain and fodder that he had plundered over the past ten years, as well as a full thirty million taels of silver!

As long as you enter the city.

Raise the suspension bridge.

I will be able to make a comeback!

"Pass down the order!"

Xia Yuan straightened up, which aggravated the wound on his back, causing him to gasp in pain.

But he swallowed his scream back.

"All troops, speed up! Head back to town and feast!"

Upon hearing the words "eat meat," the 30,000 remaining soldiers' previously lifeless eyes suddenly lit up with a green light.

The scattered formation miraculously came together, and the heavy footsteps quickened by a factor of three.

Half an hour later.

The magnificent outline of Xicang City rises abruptly from the horizon.

Xia Yuan took the lead and rushed to the front.

There were still three hundred paces to the city gate.

However, he suddenly pulled hard on the reins.

The inferior horse let out a mournful neigh, its forelegs raised high and slammed heavily into the yellow earth, stirring up a cloud of dust.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?"

The deputy general standing to the side looked at Xia Yuan with a puzzled expression.

Something's not right.

"Something's not right?"

"It's too quiet."

Xia Yuan gazed at the city not far away and murmured to himself.

There were no patrolling guards at the city gate, and the drawbridge over the moat was raised high.

The two heavy iron-clad city gates were tightly shut.

But none of these were the reasons that made Xia Yuan stop.

At this moment, his gaze passed over the city gate and was fixed on the highest point of the city wall.

The flags that were flying there have been changed.

Originally, it should have been a black banner with a gold border, bearing the character "Yuan" to represent his status as the King of Qi.

At this point, not a single one remained.

Instead, there were uniform blue flags with white waves.

A strong wind swept by, and more than a dozen large flags fluttered in the wind atop the city wall.

In the very center, there is a large "衡" character embroidered on it.

衡。

Balance!?

Xia Yuan's mind went blank with a "buzz".

The blue and white colors were even more dazzling than the blood mist that Lin Mo had stirred up at Broken Soul Cliff.

Lao Tzu...

My city was stolen?!

"Xia Heng—!!!"

Xia Yuan focused his energy in his dantian and unleashed a hysterical roar.

The sound echoed across the empty wasteland, causing several wounded soldiers nearby to cover their ears and show pain on their faces.

There was some movement on the city wall.

Rows of fully armed crossbowmen leaned out in unison.

The cold, sharp steel arrowheads gleamed with a chilling light under the blazing sun, pointing directly at the 30,000 remaining soldiers below the city.

From behind the parapet of the city gate tower in the very center, a discordant sound of string and wind instruments drifted out.

A luxurious rosewood couch, originally placed in the back of the Prince Qi's mansion, was moved to the edge of the city wall at some unknown time.

Xia Heng was wearing a loose-fitting ice silk brocade robe.

His clothes were wide open, revealing his fair, sunless chest.

He nestled comfortably in the soft couch, his legs crossed and casually propped up on the low table in front of him.

On the left, kneeling, was a beautiful woman from the Western Regions with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a seductive figure.

Peel a crystal-clear, chilled grape, carefully remove the pit with a silver skewer, and feed it to Xia Heng.

On the right stood a Jiangnan dancer dressed in a light, sheer veil.

He held a large peacock feather fan in his hand, fanning himself slowly and gently.

Xia Heng bit into the grape, and the sweet, cool juice burst in his mouth.

He lazily rolled over.

Clinging to the battlements, he looked down at the ragged, beggar-like fleeing soldiers outside the city.

"Oh?"

Xia Heng raised an eyebrow, his tone exaggerated.

"Isn't this my second brother?"

"You're back from the North?"

He looked Xia Yuan up and down, scrutinizing his tattered and worn-out clothes.

"Tsk tsk tsk, how did you get into such a mess?"

Xia Yuan was so angry that he trembled all over, and bloodshot veins instantly filled the whites of his eyes.

"Fourth brother, you bastard! You son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing in my city?!"

Clang!

As he spoke, Xia Yuan suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the ten-zhang-high city wall.

"Open the gates! Open the city gates right now!"

"Second brother, don't get so angry."

Xia Heng did not mention the broken knife in Xia Yuan's hand.

He reached out and pinched the smooth cheek of the Western Region beauty, eliciting a coquettish reproach.

Then he changed to a more comfortable position, resting his chin on one hand and his elbow on the city brick.

"Brother, I'm just worried that since you've sent out all your troops, the defenses in Xicang City will be weak, and some pirates or thieves might take advantage of the situation..."

So we specially dispatched 100,000 troops to guard the city for you.

"We're brothers, blood is thicker than water, so there's no need for thanks!"

"Bullshit!"

Xia Yuan swung his sword wildly through the air, creating a piercing whistling sound.

"This is the Western Wilderness! It's all sand, even finding a ditch is a struggle, where would pirates come from!"