Having many children brings many blessings; the struggle for power begins with marriage.

Chapter 353 The First Phase of the War Ends

The Embroidered Uniform Guard quickly spread the news that Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie were in Lingyun City. In order not to arouse the suspicion of Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong, there were obviously more soldiers stationed near Lingyun City than in other places.

At this time, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen were unaware that Lingyun City was a trap. They were overjoyed to learn that Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie were in Lingyun City, as they were about to pass through it.

Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen immediately began preparations. They selected some elite soldiers, disguised themselves as merchants, and headed towards Lingyun City.

To make themselves look more like merchants, they robbed a caravan and killed everyone in it.

It's unclear whether their caravan was carrying goods, but when they passed through the gates of Lingyun City, the soldiers only gave them a cursory inspection before letting them pass.

Seeing that they entered Lingyun City so easily, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen felt a little strange. It was wartime, shouldn't they be strictly checking people? Why were they let through so easily? Just as they were puzzled, the discussions of the Northern Kingdom soldiers at the gate reached their ears.

"Recently, there have been more and more caravans coming to Lingyun City."

"Yes, the shortage of supplies in Lingyun City will be resolved soon."

"I really envy these businessmen; wherever there's war, they go there to make a fortune."

"Don't say that. Youping County is now under the control of our Northern Kingdom. The Prince won't let them raise prices at will."

……

Upon hearing the discussions among the Northern soldiers, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen realized why the soldiers had let them in so easily—it turned out that Lingyun City was currently experiencing a shortage of supplies.

This makes sense, since after the outbreak of war, those merchants and noble families should have fled with their goods. In the past, merchants and noble families played a role in the allocation of resources. Their departure would inevitably lead to a shortage of resources in the city.

After the Northern Kingdom occupied Youping County, in order to rule Youping County, they could not provoke the anger of the people. So they would try to restore prices to their previous levels. To restore prices to their previous levels, merchants would naturally need to transport goods from other places, such as grain.

The reason why the northern soldiers were so lax in their checks was most likely to allow caravans to enter the city quickly and then lower prices within the city.

With that in mind, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen stopped having any doubts and then sneaked into Lingyun City, checking into an inn.

Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen were quite confident in their abilities, but to be on the safe side, they decided to act at night. If anything unexpected happened, with their combined strength as Grandmasters, they could easily escape Lingyun City.

Their caution stemmed primarily from their fear that the northern kingdom possessed weapons even more powerful than artillery.

It was evening.

Inside the prefectural governor's mansion, Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian sat in the pavilion in the courtyard, with Xuan Yuan Chaoge sitting next to them, and they were discussing something.

At this moment, Liu Huaiming, a member of the Imperial Guard, entered the courtyard and came to the three men. "Lord Xuanyuan, Generals, the fish have been caught in the net."

Upon hearing this, all three revealed a barely perceptible smile. As long as they could deal with the two Grandmaster-level generals, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong, it would be a devastating blow to the Great Wu.

The remaining troops led by Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen will soon collapse due to the lack of a leader.

Xuanyuan Chaoge then said, "I need to hurry back to Yancheng, so let's not waste any more time and make our move now."

Upon hearing this, Wenren Lie said, "Lord Xuanyuan, if we make a move now, we might expose your Celestial Realm strength."

Xuanyuan Chaoge said calmly, "Not many people in this world have seen celestial beings. Besides, those people entered Lingyun City disguised as merchants, and people don't know that there are grandmasters among them."

Xuan Yuan Chaoge thought that as long as he could deal with those two people as soon as possible, no one would know that Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen, who were killed, were Grandmasters. If they didn't know that the two of them were Grandmasters, how could outsiders judge that the person who made the move was a Celestial?

Mu Changtian said, "Senior Xuanyuan is right, then I'll have to trouble you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie immediately led their troops to the inn where Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong were staying. Their reason for sending troops was that a spy had infiltrated the inn and they were there to catch the spy.

The people of Lingyun City didn't take the coming and going of soldiers seriously. They had been watching the performance of the Northern soldiers closely recently.

Apart from targeting some powerful families, the soldiers of the Northern Kingdom hardly ever harassed small merchants and vendors, and ordinary people were not persecuted by the soldiers. This made the people of Lingyun City believe that Wenren Lie's initial statement about the Northern King's benevolence was true.

At this moment, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong were still discussing their plans for tonight's operation on the second floor of the inn when they suddenly heard the sound of soldiers and armor outside.

At that moment, a soldier at the window immediately exclaimed, "This is bad! The soldiers of Lingyun City have surrounded the inn!"

Upon hearing this, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen were taken aback. They had only been in Lingyun City for a short time, and they hadn't expected that their place of residence would be surrounded.

Could it be that they've already been discovered?

Xu Xingwen said, "Let's not act rashly. Let's assess the situation first. They might not be after us."

No sooner had Xu Xingwen finished speaking than the shouts of the Northern soldiers came from outside: "Spies inside, you are surrounded! Come out and surrender immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!"

Upon hearing this, all the guests who were still staying at the inn rushed out. At this moment, the innkeeper hurriedly ran to Wenren Lie and said, "Sir, what has happened?"

Mu Changtian said calmly from the side, "We've discovered a spy who's infiltrated. Get all your men out of here immediately, or you might get caught in the crossfire."

"As for the inn, the Northern Prince's Mansion will compensate for any losses incurred."

This……

The innkeeper was somewhat bewildered. He hadn't expected that a spy would come to stay at his inn. Although he wasn't sure if the Northern Prince's Mansion would actually compensate his inn, under these circumstances, he could only cooperate and let the inn's staff come out.

At this moment, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen still did not move, still hoping that the soldiers outside were not looking for them.

Just then, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong suddenly felt a strange force sweep over their bodies, making them feel very uncomfortable, but the force disappeared very quickly.

Xuanyuan Chaoge then said, "They're on the second floor, let's make our move!"

As they were talking, the soldiers on the street, armed with grenades and muskets, opened fire on the inn on the second floor.

As several iron balls flew into their room and exploded, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong realized that they had indeed been discovered.

Now that we've been discovered, there's no point in hiding it anymore.

They immediately jumped from the second floor. The northern soldiers below immediately attacked them with muskets, but the bullets only hit their protective qi and had no effect.

At this moment, Zhan Hong's gaze instantly locked onto Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian. He sensed that these two were at the Grandmaster level, and their armor was clearly different from that of ordinary soldiers. They were also wearing cloaks, which was obviously the attire of generals. He then judged that these two men were generals of the Northern Kingdom's army, and that they were their targets for this mission.

Zhan Hong immediately said to Xu Xingwen, who was standing next to him, "Old Xu, we're really lucky! The target has come to us!"

Xu Xingwen also noticed Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian's cultivation levels at this moment, and he immediately said, "Quickly deal with those two!"

As soon as Xu Xingwen finished speaking, the two rushed directly towards Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian. At this moment, the two of them did not notice that there was an old man next to Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie.

Celestials can easily conceal their aura. In people's eyes, Xuanyuan Chaoge was no different from an ordinary person, so neither of them knew that the old man next to their target was a Celestial.

In the blink of an eye, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong appeared beside Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian.

A slight smile played on their lips as they thought their mission was complete. With these two dead, Lingyun City was bound to descend into chaos.

However, just as they were about to make their move, a tremendous pressure suddenly descended, and Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen instantly felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them. They tried to struggle, but found that they could not move no matter what they did.

Just then, their protective auras shattered like glass with a "crackling" sound. Before they could understand what was happening, Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie attacked simultaneously.

Mu Changtian drew his sword and beheaded Xu Xingwen in one stroke. Wenren Lie raised his hammer and smashed it down on Zhan Hong's head, instantly scattering brain matter everywhere.

Two grandmasters were so easily defeated by two generals of the same level.

Of course, this was not due to their own efforts. The reason they were able to easily defeat Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen was entirely because Xuan Yuan Chaoge, a celestial being, suppressed the power of Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen, causing their protective aura to shatter and their bodies to temporarily lose protection.

If relying solely on Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie, the two of them would be no match for a Grandmaster.

Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen had not expected that there would be a Celestial Being in Lingyun City. If there had been, they would have been more careful and would not have died so easily.

Although the Celestial Beings were very strong, they were not invincible. Suppressing two Grandmasters for several breaths had also consumed a lot of Xuan Yuan Chaoge's spiritual power. If it hadn't all happened so suddenly, Xu Xingwen and Zhan Hong might have already reacted and broken free from Xuan Yuan Chaoge's restraints.

However, in a battle between masters, the difference often lies in a single thought. In just a few breaths, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen lost their lives.

With the loss of these two Grandmasters, the Dawu soldiers in the other inns were quickly wiped out by the Northern Kingdom soldiers. The Dawu soldiers in the inns were at most half-step Grandmasters, and they were no match for the power of firearms.

Seeing the corpses of Grandmasters Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen, Mu Changtian felt a pang of emotion.

This is a grandmaster...

The Grandmaster, once regarded as a "strategic weapon" by various countries and a pillar of the nation, was killed by two other Grandmasters in front of the Celestials.

The power of the Celestials is truly terrifying!

The world is really about to change.

In the future, any dynasty without celestial beings will inevitably face destruction. From now on, Grandmasters will no longer be the pillars of a country; celestial beings will replace Grandmasters and become the new pillars of a country or dynasty.

Fortunately, their northern kingdom possesses a celestial being!

Mu Changtian was incredibly grateful that they had gone to the Northern Kingdom. With the Celestials in the Northern Kingdom, it would probably be able to unify the world soon, and the Northern King would become the ruler of the world.

Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, Mu Changtian suddenly felt his internal energy growing rapidly. However, before he could say anything to Wenren Lie beside him, a force suddenly burst out from Wenren Lie's body and swept over everyone.

The next moment, Mu Changtian realized that Wenren Lie's martial arts aura was significantly stronger than his own.

However, Wenren Lie's expression remained unchanged, as if none of this was worth celebrating. Mu Changtian tentatively asked, "General Wenren, you haven't broken through to the Grandmaster realm, have you?"

Wenren Lie said calmly, "Well, I don't know how, but I suddenly broke through."

This……

Seeing Wenren Lie's calm expression, Mu Changtian couldn't help but admire him. If it were Wenren Lie who broke through to the Grandmaster realm, he would be overjoyed.

After all, the only level that can withstand firearms right now is the Grandmaster level. In the coming era of firearms, the Grandmaster level will be the dividing line between ordinary people and martial artists.

Below the Grandmaster level, everyone is an ordinary person. Only when one reaches the Grandmaster level can one face firearms directly and avoid being killed by an ordinary person with firearms.

Xuanyuan Chaoge looked at Wenren Lie with a smile and said, "General Wenren, you have finally broken through. I will go back and tell the King about your breakthrough. The King will be very happy to hear it."

Mu Changtian asked from the side, "Senior Xuanyuan, are you going back?"

Xuanyuan Chaoge said, "Well, since Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen are dead, my mission is complete. Moreover, General Wenren has now become a Grandmaster. With a Grandmaster stationed in Youping County, wiping out the remnants of Da Wu should not be a problem."

"Given the current turbulent situation, it is of utmost importance for me to return to Yancheng as soon as possible to protect the Northern Prince's Mansion."

Mu Changtian said, "What you say is true, senior."

Xuanyuan Chaoge then said, "Alright, let's stop chatting. I'll leave the rest to you two. I'll take my leave now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuanyuan Chaoge's body vanished from the spot.

Mu Changtian and Wenren Lie then came to their senses and directed the soldiers present to clean up the scene.

Over the next few days, Wenren Lie and Mu Changtian led their soldiers to wipe out the Dawu soldiers in Youping County. The 200,000 soldiers soon learned that their general's assassination attempt had failed.

When the soldiers of Dawu heard that their general had failed, they initially did not believe it. After all, Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen were Grandmaster-level generals. How could a Grandmaster die so easily, especially since the target was only two Grandmasters?

However, as time went by, the Northern army continued to search for the whereabouts of their 200,000-strong army. In addition, their general had not returned, so they basically confirmed that Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen had failed.

However, before Zhan Hong and Xu Xingwen returned, they dared not take any action. In the end, the 200,000-strong army remained in the forest for nearly half a month.

Later, due to the shortage of food and supplies, some soldiers finally couldn't bear it anymore and deserted. After the deserters were caught by the northern soldiers, the whereabouts of the 200,000 soldiers were quickly determined.

When the Northern Kingdom soldiers surrounded and annihilated the 200,000 Da Wu soldiers, the Da Wu soldiers had lost all will to fight. Even though they were elite, after being bombarded by cannons, lacking logistical support, and with the disappearance of their general, their fighting spirit was completely worn down.

Finally, a Grandmaster-level deputy general stepped forward and led the 200,000 soldiers of the Great Wu to surrender.

With this, the first phase of the battlefield clash between Da Wu and the Northern Kingdom came to an end, and it was now the Northern Kingdom's turn to make its move.

(End of this chapter)