An unexpected encounter with the sleeping Little Dragon Girl leads to the annihilation of the Quanzh

Möngke's order, like a black lightning bolt, shattered the tranquility of the grassland.

"A three-day massacre ensued, leaving no one alive, not even a chicken or a dog!"

These eight words, imbued with bloodshed and brutality, were quickly spread throughout the entire Mongol camp by the messenger.

After a brief silence, hundreds of thousands of Mongol troops erupted in a deafening cheer!

"Hurrah—!!"

"For the Great Khan!"

"Kill all the Southerners!"

For these steppe wolves who live by conquering and plundering, massacring entire cities is their favorite reward.

That means that one can burn, kill, and loot at will, and indulge one's bestial nature to the fullest.

The morale, which had been somewhat low due to the death of the Grand Preceptor, was completely ignited at this moment!

Every Mongol soldier's eyes gleamed with a green light, filled with a bloodthirsty desire.

Inside the golden tent.

The nobles and royalty also recovered from their earlier fear.

The Khan's decision restored their confidence.

Yes, so what if someone is incredibly capable?

They have hundreds of thousands of invincible iron cavalry!

Even if that southerner named Lin Ye were a god descended to earth, could he really wipe out their entire army of 300,000?

"The Great Khan is wise!"

"That's right! Slaughter all those southern barbarians and avenge the Imperial Advisor!"

"Diaoyu City is but a tiny, insignificant place; it will surely be taken within three days!"

Everyone echoed his sentiments, and the flattery was incessant.

Mongke looked at them coldly, a hint of barely perceptible disdain flashing in his eyes.

A bunch of good-for-nothings who only know how to drink and brag.

His order to launch a full-scale attack on Diaoyu City was not merely out of spite.

More importantly, it was a test.

He wanted to see how that monster named Lin Ye would react when faced with his Mongol army slaughtering the people of the Southern Dynasty.

Will he make a move?

If he takes action, how far can he actually go?

Mongke was an excellent hunter.

He would not rashly attack an unknown and powerful prey.

He would first use some bait to test the other party's strength and bottom line.

Diaoyu City, and its hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, were the first bait he threw out.

"Dalba." Mongko's gaze fell on Darba, who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Disciple is here."

"You, tell me again, in great detail, what Lin Ye looks like and his martial arts skills," Mongke's voice was devoid of any emotion. "Don't overlook any detail."

He wanted to memorize all the information about this enemy.

He believes that every human being has weaknesses.

And he will definitely find that weakness.

Then, a fatal blow!

……

Woo-woo-woo-woo

The desolate yet powerful sound of the bugle echoed endlessly over Diaoyu City.

On the city wall, the banners of the Great Song Dynasty fluttered in the cold wind.

The soldiers defending the city, each holding a weapon, looked solemnly at the city below.

Outside the city, it was a dark, boundless expanse.

That was the Mongol army.

Countless tents, like mushrooms on the grassland, covered the entire land overnight.

Countless cavalrymen, like a black tide, galloped back and forth outside the city, raising clouds of dust.

A suffocating sense of oppression enveloped the hearts of every soldier defending the city.

The defending general, Wang Jian, pressed his hand against the city wall, his brow furrowed.

Standing beside him was another famous general who fought against the Mongols, Yu Jie.

"They've arrived." Wang Jian looked at the massive, dark army outside the city and slowly uttered two words.

"Yes, they're here." Yu Jie's expression was equally grim. "Judging from this, it's more intense than ever before."

"I received news that Möngke is personally leading the expedition and is currently in the army camp," Wang Jian said in a deep voice. "Moreover, it seems they are not prepared to slowly besiege the enemy as they have done before."

"You mean, they're going to launch a full-scale attack?" Yu Jie was startled.

Diaoyu City is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Over the years, the Mongols had tried to launch a full-scale attack, but each time they were met with fierce resistance and bloodshed, with corpses piling up like mountains beneath the city walls.

So later, they all learned their lesson and switched to using a siege tactic, hoping to starve the soldiers and civilians in the city to death.

"Look," Wang Jian pointed to the outside of the city, in the distance, at those huge wooden machines being assembled.

"Huihuipao..." Yu Jie's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.

That was the most terrifying siege weapon that the Mongols learned from the Western Regions.

It can throw a boulder weighing hundreds of kilograms hundreds of steps away, with enough force to smash a hole in a sturdy city wall.

"This time, they are determined to take Diaoyu City in one fell swoop." Wang Jian's voice was extremely heavy.

"Why? Why so suddenly?" Yu Jie couldn't understand. "Didn't they send the Golden Wheel Monk to Zhongnan Mountain before, trying to consolidate the power of the Central Plains martial arts world? How come now..."

"I don't know either." Wang Jian shook his head. "A few days ago, I did hear some unbelievable news from the martial arts world."

"What news?"

"It's said that a man named Lin Ye wiped out the Quanzhen Sect in Zhongnan Mountain and even... crippled the great hero Guo Jing." Wang Jian himself felt it was absurd when he said this.

"What?!" Yu Jie exclaimed in shock. "Master Guo has been crippled? How is that possible! Who has such power?"

"It is said that even the Mongolian National Preceptor, the Golden Wheel Monk, died at the hands of Lin Ye."

"The Golden Wheel Monk is dead too?!" Yu Jie's shock was beyond words.

Although he wasn't a member of the martial arts world, he knew just how formidable Guo Jing and the Golden Wheel Monk were.

These two, one guarding Xiangyang and the other stationed in Mongolia, represent the highest combat power in the martial arts world for their respective sides.

Now, one has been crippled, and the other has been killed?

Moreover, they were all dealt with by the same person, an unknown nobody named Lin Ye?

"Is this news true?" Yu Jie asked incredulously.

"I don't know." Wang Jian gave a wry smile. "It sounds more absurd than a theatrical performance. But, where there's smoke, there's fire. I have a feeling that the Mongols' sudden madness this time might be related to this incident."

Just as the two were puzzled...

Below the city, the Mongol army suddenly split into two sides.

A troop of cavalry, surrounding a huge, golden command platform, slowly drove out.

On the command platform, Möngke, clad in golden armor, his hand resting on his scimitar, coldly gazed at the Song army on the city wall.

Beside him, a messenger shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Listen up, southerners on the city walls!"

"By order of the Emperor of Great Mongolia!"

"You have one hour to open the city gates and surrender the city!"

"If you dare disobey, on the day the city falls, everything will be burned to the ground, leaving not a single chicken or dog alive!"

The sound, amplified by internal energy, resounded throughout the entire Diaoyu City.

Upon hearing the words "massacre," the people in the city were immediately thrown into uproar, with cries and screams rising and falling.

The soldiers on the city wall also changed their expressions drastically, and many of them showed fear in their eyes.

"You bastard!" Wang Jian cursed angrily, "This is outrageous!"

He snatched the bow and arrow from the soldier beside him, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at the messenger shouting from below the city.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow, like a shooting star, pierced the sky!

However, it hadn't even flown halfway down the flight path.

Similarly, an arrow was fired from the Mongol army ranks.

They came from behind but surpassed others!

A crisp "ding!" sounded.

The two arrows collided precisely in mid-air and fell to the ground.

Wang Jian's pupils suddenly contracted.

Excellent archery!

The Mongol army was indeed full of hidden talents.

Below the city, Möngke saw this scene and a cruel, cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He slowly raised his right hand.

Then, with a heavy thud, it came down!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The war drums, like a death knell, thundered down!

"kill--!!!"

Tens of thousands of Mongol infantrymen, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, surged towards the walls of Diaoyu City like a black swarm of ants, shouting deafening battle cries!

at the same time.

Dozens of trebuchets were also adjusted to the correct angles.

"put!"

With a command given.

A boulder weighing over a hundred pounds was hurled into the sky with a sharp whistling sound, like a meteorite, and crashed down hard onto the city wall of Diaoyu City!

A great war is about to break out!

Lin'an, the Imperial City, Daqing Hall.

The morning court session of the Song Dynasty is underway.

Civil and military officials lined up on both sides.

On the dragon throne sat a middle-aged man with a pale face and a slightly weary look in his eyes.

He was the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Lizong, Zhao Yun.

At this moment, he was in a very bad mood.

Because, Your Highness, those censors are arguing fiercely again over some trivial matters.

"Your Majesty! I impeach the Vice Minister of Works for embezzling funds intended for palace repairs and enriching himself. I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely!"

"Your Majesty! I believe this is slander! Lord Zhang is an honest and upright official, incorruptible. Someone must be maliciously defaming him behind his back!"

"You're talking nonsense! The evidence is irrefutable, and you still want to deny it?"

"You're spouting nonsense!"

Zhao Yun listened to the argument below, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

Embezzlement?

Doesn't this kind of thing happen every day?

What's there to argue about?

Now, he is more concerned about the movements of the Mongols in the north.

Military reports from the front lines arrived at the palace several times a day, like snowflakes falling.

Sichuan has fallen.

Hubei is in dire need of help.

The Mongol hordes were slowly eroding the territory of his Great Song Dynasty.

His reign as emperor was becoming increasingly frustrating.

He raised his eyes and glanced at the side of the military officers.

Several anti-Mongol generals, led by Privy Councilor Meng Gong, all had dark faces and remained silent.

Clearly, they were also extremely annoyed by this tedious infighting among civil servants.

"Enough!" Zhao Yun finally couldn't hold back and slapped the armrest of the dragon throne.

Although the voices were not loud, the argument inside the hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone looked at the emperor.

"With the nation in peril, instead of thinking about how to repel the enemy, you're here arguing endlessly over trivial matters! What kind of behavior is this!" Zhao Yun reprimanded coldly.

Those officials who dared to speak out were so frightened that they knelt down and repeatedly said, "Your Majesty, we deserve to die ten thousand times over."

Zhao Yun ignored them and turned to Meng Gong, asking, "Minister Meng, how is the battle at the front?"

Meng Gong stepped forward, bowed, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the situation is not optimistic. Möngke has personally led an army of 300,000 men to the gates of Diaoyu City. Judging from his posture, he intends to attack Diaoyu City at all costs."

"Diaoyu City is the last line of defense for our Great Song Dynasty in Sichuan. Once it falls, the Chengdu Plain will be indefensible, and the Mongol army can advance unimpeded, sail down the river, and head straight for Lin'an!"

Meng Gong's words caused the temperature in the entire hall to drop several degrees.

Many civil officials showed expressions of fear.

"Then... what about Xiangyang? Is the great hero Guo Jing still guarding Xiangyang?" an official asked in a low voice.

A slight warmth appeared on Zhao Yun's face when Guo Jing was mentioned.

Guo Jing was someone he personally promoted. He guarded Xiangyang for more than ten years and repeatedly repelled the Mongol army. He was the pillar of his Song Dynasty.

As long as Guo Jing is still alive, Xiangyang will be impregnable.

However, Meng Gong's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over everyone's heads.

"Your Majesty, I... was just about to report this matter." Meng Gong's face turned extremely grim. "I have just received... unbelievable news from the martial arts world."

"Speak." Zhao Yun's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling.

"Guo Jing... the great hero Guo... his martial arts have been crippled, and now he is no different from a cripple."

"What?!"

Zhao Yun suddenly stood up from the dragon throne, the color draining from his face instantly.

The entire hall erupted in chaos.

"Impossible! This is absolutely a rumor!"

"Master Guo's martial arts are unparalleled; who in the world can cripple his skills?"

"Lord Meng, how can such a matter of national importance be based on rumors from the common people?"

The officials were in an uproar, and not one of them believed it.

In their hearts, Guo Jing is an invincible war god.

"Silence!" Zhao Yun shouted sharply, forcing himself to calm down. "Minister Meng, tell me everything you know!"

Meng Gong took a deep breath and recounted the information he had gathered about the Zhongnan Mountain massacre in detail.

From Lin Ye's origins to the destruction of the Quanzhen Sect, and then to Guo Jing's crippling and the killing of the Golden Wheel Monk...

He explained it in great detail and very objectively.

When he finished speaking, the entire Daqing Hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was stunned speechless by this news, which was even more bizarre than a myth.

A man named Lin Ye single-handedly slaughtered the entire Zhongnan Mountain.

Is this...is this something a human can do?

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!" An elderly minister with white hair trembled with anger. He was the current prime minister, Shi Songzhi, a staunch advocate of peace.

"Meng Gong! You are a Privy Councilor, a high-ranking official of the state! How dare you use such nonsense from commoners to mislead the Emperor! What are your intentions?!" Shi Songzhi pointed at Meng Gong and rebuked him sternly.

"Minister Shi," Meng Gong said calmly, "this matter, though it sounds unbelievable, is not entirely unfounded. I have already dispatched men at full speed to Zhongnan Mountain and Xiangyang to verify the information. However, the death of the Golden Wheel Monk and the enraged attack on Diaoyu City are absolutely true! This is sufficient to confirm the veracity of the rumors!"

"Even if... even if this is true!" Shi Songzhi remained unconvinced. "So what? A mere brute from the martial world, no matter how skilled he is, can he possibly influence the course of a national war? What we need to do now is immediately send an envoy to negotiate peace with Möngke! Not sit here discussing these supernatural tales!"

"Peace talks?" Meng Gong sneered. "Prime Minister Shi, have you forgotten the lessons of the past? How much land did we cede, how much indemnity did we pay? In return, the Mongols intensified their attacks! You can't reason with a pack of wolves! The only way is to beat them until they're terrified, until they're hurt!"

"You! Meng Gong! You are dragging my Great Song Dynasty into an abyss of no return!"

"Shi Songzhi! You are the one who will destroy my Great Song Dynasty, a sinner for all time!"

The pro-war and pro-peace factions were once again embroiled in a heated argument.

Zhao Yun sat on the dragon throne, his head throbbing with pain.

His mind was in complete turmoil.

On the one hand, he felt that this matter was too far-fetched and didn't seem real.

On the other hand, the fall of Guo Jing and the death of Jinlun Fawang had a huge impact on the overall battle situation.

He would rather believe it exists than believe it doesn't.

If that person named Lin Ye is really that powerful...

An idea, uncontrollably, popped into his mind.

If we could recruit this person to our side...

Let alone Möngke, what is there to fear even if it were the entire Mongol Empire?

Once this thought appeared, it grew like wild grass, impossible to suppress.

What the Great Song Dynasty lacked was a pillar of strength, capable of turning the tide single-handedly.

Guo Jing was once...

But now, Guo Jing has fallen.

This Lin Ye seems to be a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger than Guo Jing!

"Shut up, all of you!" Zhao Yun roared again.

He stepped down from the dragon throne and strolled to the center of the hall.

His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Meng Gong.

"Minister Meng, I ask you," Zhao Yun's voice was extremely serious, "If I were to order you to personally go to Zhongnan Mountain to invite that Lin Ye... to come out of seclusion, would you be willing?"

As soon as Zhao Yun spoke, the entire hall fell into an eerie silence once again.

All eyes were on Meng Gong.

His eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and a hint of... pity.

To have the current Privy Councilor, the supreme commander of the Song Dynasty's military, personally invite a nobody, a nobody from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), whose authenticity is unknown.

This...this is absolutely ridiculous!

It was an insult to Meng Gong, and indeed to the entire Song Dynasty court!

Prime Minister Shi Songzhi was the first to react. He knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely forbidden!" he cried out. "Lord Meng is a pillar of the nation, the commander-in-chief of the three armies! How can he condescend to seek help from a nobody of unknown origin?"

"This man has slaughtered the martial arts world, committing countless atrocities; he is an absolute demon! Our Great Song Dynasty is a land of propriety and a celestial empire. How can we associate with such a monster? If word gets out, won't the whole world laugh at us? Where will we put the face of our Great Song Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

A large number of civil officials also knelt down, echoing his sentiments.

In the eyes of these scholar-officials who studied the classics, the Jianghu people were a group of uncouth people who refused to submit to the emperor's rule and engaged in fighting and killing.

For high-ranking officials of the imperial court to beg them is worse than killing them.

This is a matter of face, a matter of principle.

Zhao Yun looked at the kneeling officials, and his expression turned somewhat ugly.

He knew what these people were thinking.

face?

What time is it? Still have to worry about saving face?

What's the use of saving face when the country is about to be lost?

His gaze remained fixed on Meng Gong.

He didn't care what these civil officials thought.

He just wanted to know what Meng Gong, the general he trusted most, was thinking.

Meng Gong did not kneel.

He just stood there quietly, his brows furrowed, as if he were having a fierce internal struggle.

He knew, of course, how shocking the emperor's decision was.

Sending him to invite Lin Ye is not just a matter of lowering oneself.

More than anything, it was a high-stakes gamble.

If they win the gamble, the Song Dynasty might be able to come back to life.

I lost the bet...

He, Meng Gong, will become a sinner for the Song Dynasty for all time, nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

Because the person he invited was a demon.

A serial killer who sees human life as worthless.

By bringing a demon into the world, what if this person is even more brutal and uncontrollable than the Mongols? Then Meng Gong would be inviting a wolf into the house, deserving of death.

but……

If we don't gamble, what else can we do?

In Meng Gong's mind, the precarious walls of Diaoyu City flashed by, as did the menacing Mongol army outside Xiangyang City.

In the blink of an eye, there were images of the displaced people of the Song Dynasty, crying out in agony under the Mongol hooves.

He knew that with the current strength of the Song Dynasty, it was simply impossible to stop it.

Their demise is only a matter of time.

Rather than sit idly by and wait for death, watching helplessly as the country falls and the family perishes.

Why not take a gamble!

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance!

Even if it means bearing eternal infamy!

For this country, for the people of the world, he was willing!

"minister……"

Meng Gong finally spoke slowly.

His voice was hoarse, yet unusually firm.

"...I am willing to go."

These four short words, however, were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

Shi Songzhi and the others looked at him with incredulous eyes.

crazy!

Meng Gong, that guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, has gone mad along with the emperor!

A relieved smile appeared on Zhao Yun's face.

He knew that he had not misjudged the person.

Meng Gong was truly a pillar of the nation, with a heart for his country and a strong sense of responsibility!

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhao Yun said three times. He stepped forward and personally helped Meng Gong up.

"Minister Meng, with your words, I am at ease."

He turned around, facing the officials who were still kneeling on the ground, and his face darkened once again.

"Get up, all of you!"

"I know what you're worried about."

"It's simply because I'm afraid of getting burned, afraid that Lin Ye will become uncontrollable."

"But have you considered this? Do we have any other choice?"

Zhao Yun's voice echoed in the main hall.

"Guo Jing is down. How long can Xiangyang hold out?"

"Diaoyu City has fallen. How many days will it take the Mongols to reach Lin'an?"

"At that time, will you be able to keep your official hats? Will you be able to keep your wealth and honor? Will you be able to keep your heads?"

A barrage of questions left the officials pale and sweating profusely.

Yes, when a country is about to perish, how many of these ministers will have a good ending?

"My mind is made up!" Zhao Yun's voice was resolute. "This matter is settled!"

"Meng Gong, heed the imperial decree!"

"Your subject is here!" Meng Gong knelt on one knee.

"I hereby command you to depart immediately for the Tomb of the Living Dead in Zhongnan Mountain!"

"I will not give you any demands, nor will I set any limits for you!"

"I only want one result! That is, to mobilize this man to repel the enemy for my Great Song Dynasty!"

"Whatever he wants—money, beautiful women, official positions, titles, even… this half of the country!"

"As long as he's willing to act, you can agree to his request on my behalf!"

Zhao Yun's words caused everyone to gasp in shock.

Can you even promise half the country?

This...this is such an insane condition!

The Emperor has placed the fate of the entire Song Dynasty on the shoulders of Meng Gong and that complete stranger, Lin Ye!

Zhao Yun took out a gold medal and a blank imperial edict from his bosom and personally handed them to Meng Gong.

"This is a golden plaque bestowed by the late Emperor, as if I were present! Within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, anyone who disobeys may be executed first and reported later!"

"This is a blank imperial edict! I have already affixed my seal! You may write down any conditions on the spot, and it will take effect immediately!"

"Minister Meng, the fate of the Song Dynasty and the well-being of its people are all entrusted to you!"

After speaking, Zhao Yun, the emperor, actually bowed deeply to Meng Gong.

Meng Gong's tiger-like eyes were filled with tears.

He raised both hands high and accepted the gold medal and imperial edict, which were as heavy as Mount Tai.

"Your Majesty, I, Meng Gong, will certainly not fail in your trust!"

"If I don't succeed, I'll die trying!"

"I, your subject, am willing to stake my head on this!"

His voice, powerful and resounding, echoed throughout the entire Daqing Hall.

Those officials who had previously opposed the move now fell silent.

They knew that there was no way to salvage the situation.

From this moment on, the fate of the Song Dynasty has set sail in a completely unknown direction.