At the fifth watch, while it was still dark, atop the walls of Shunyang city, torches blazed brightly as soldiers marched in formation, constantly patrolling. Below, the city gates were tightly shut.

The atmosphere was tense, as if facing a great enemy.

A Xianbei man wearing Xijin military robes climbed the city wall, gazing at the pitch-black wilderness shrouded in thick fog ahead. His brows were deeply furrowed, his expression grave.

This was Gu Huiliang, a Xijin royal family member sent by Xijin Emperor Gu Huilong to serve as prefect here.

Since several days ago, after receiving news of Shangluo Commandery’s fall, he had ordered the city sealed.

At the same time, a panicked message was rapidly spreading throughout the city.

That Southern Dynasty man Li Mu, who had once gained fame with just a few thousand troops by taking Ba Commandery and pacifying Liang Province in a single battle, earning the title of War God, was now leading his army northward. Three days ago, with almost no effort, he had swept away the first obstacle on his path – Shangluo Commandery, previously seized by Xijin from Beixia.

Clearly, Li Mu’s next target would be this place – Shunyang Commandery.

The two commanderies were three to four hundred li apart. Based on marching speed estimates, Gu Huiliang had five to six days to respond to this sudden dire news.

The Emperor was leading the great army southward, targeting precisely this Li Mu.

The importance of Shunyang Commandery to the Emperor’s southern campaign was self-evident.

As the necessary route for the southward expedition, he had been ordered to prepare massive supplies and provisions in the city, along with over a thousand vessels ready to welcome the great army’s river crossing.

Those vessels were now neatly moored on the river’s south bank, waiting only for news of the great army’s arrival to immediately cross and greet them.

How could he have imagined that Li Mu, who should have been the Emperor’s prey, would advance instead of retreat, daring to actively engage? First taking the unprepared Shangluo Commandery with lightning speed, now heading toward his location.

Neither the Emperor nor he himself, despite his military background, had anticipated Li Mu would react this way.

There had been no prior preparation whatsoever. Once his great army arrived, this city would certainly be in mortal danger!

The message had already been sent at eight-hundred-li emergency speed to the Emperor marching south.

Three days had already passed.

Though the city stored ample supplies for a hundred thousand troops, it had only ten thousand garrison soldiers.

Normally, this number of defenders would suffice for any ordinary emergency. Even facing strong enemy attacks, relying on city defenses, they could certainly hold out until reinforcements arrived.

But this time, long-accumulated combat experience and instinct filled Gu Huiliang with bone-chilling dread from the depths of his heart.

Clearly, news of Southern Dynasty man Li Mu’s active attack had also caused panic among his soldiers.

Once Li Mu’s seventy thousand troops arrived while the Emperor’s great army had not yet reached them, Gu Huiliang dared not imagine what fate awaited Shunyang city.

His only hope now was that the Emperor’s southward army could move faster, and faster still. Only by arriving before Li Mu’s army could Shunyang be saved!

“General, His Majesty’s message has arrived—”

Behind him, a loud call suddenly rang out.

Gu Huiliang spun around sharply to see a soldier holding a letter, striding up the city wall and rushing toward him.

He hurried to meet him, and after reading the message, his utterly exhausted face finally showed wild joy.

The Emperor’s great army had reached Pingxing Commandery and was advancing toward Shunyang with full force, certain to arrive within three days.

The Emperor ordered him to defend strictly and wait for the great army’s arrival.

According to calculations, Li Mu’s army would also need two or three days to arrive.

This meant that when Li Mu arrived, the Emperor’s great army should also be able to reach them.

Gu Huiliang immediately ordered soldiers to go to the crossing and send ferry boats to the opposite shore, preparing to welcome the Emperor’s great army.

Having arranged everything, Gu Huiliang, who had been tense for several days, finally relaxed. Fatigue struck him. Thinking he had stayed up all night and could finally catch a brief respite, he had others continue watching while he went down from the city wall, collapsed, and fell asleep.

In his dreams, he followed the Emperor’s conquering footsteps, and after taking Chang’an, they captured Luoyang, with all the northern Central Plains falling into their hands. Gu Hui clan’s great army then magnificently crossed the great river and broke through the Southern Dynasty capital of Jiankang.

There lay the most fertile lands of legend, abundant products, inexhaustible gold and silver treasures, endless beauties to enjoy. He heard that the aristocratic ladies of Jiankang city were unparalleled beauties in the world…

He was salivating, immersed in beautiful dreams, when suddenly awakened by unexpected news.

The scout he had just sent out returned in panic, saying that several li from the city, he had glimpsed in the distance the shadow of an army rapidly advancing.

Due to thick fog this morning, the banners couldn’t be seen clearly, but it was very likely Li Mu’s Southern Dynasty army.

Gu Huiliang was utterly shocked, his beautiful dream vanishing instantly.

He couldn’t believe, wouldn’t believe, that Li Mu’s army had already arrived when barely half of the five or six days’ march had passed.

He didn’t even have time to put on shoes, running frantically up the city wall, opening his eyes wide to gaze ahead.

Day had broken, dawn had come, but the morning sun had not yet risen. That stretch of wilderness outside Shunyang city remained shrouded in vast white fog.

The white fog slowly moved. Before his eyes, not a single figure could be seen; by his ears, not a sound could be heard.

Heaven and earth were solemn, the wilderness silent. Yet it seemed as if some hidden, terrible force capable of destroying this peaceful facade was quietly lurking in this all-encompassing thick fog. Once it erupted and burst forth, it would be like a volcano, devouring everything!

Gu Huiliang’s heart raced, cold sweat pouring down.

Just as he hoped the scout had seen wrong and reported incorrectly, that the army advancing in this direction wasn’t Li Mu but remnant garrison troops from Shangluo fleeing here in defeat, without warning, a black dot suddenly tore through the covering fog before him, instantly appearing in his field of vision.

It was a black-armored cavalryman. The night’s march had completely soaked his temples with dew, even penetrating his armor and saturating his clothes, which clung tightly to his body. But with his target in sight, his young, handsome face showed no trace of fatigue. On the contrary, looking at that city within reach in the fog ahead, his eyes blazed with the fervent gaze of a long-starved beast finally seeing delicious prey – filled with intense desire. Controlling his war horse and bearing a great banner on his shoulder, he charged like lightning straight toward the city gate.

On the banner, a fierce and mighty white tiger head flanked the gold-embroidered characters “Heavenly Response” and “Fierce Martial” on black background, striking to the eye.

This was the Heavenly Response Army’s battle flag that his sister had personally embroidered with helpers, now carried on his shoulder.

Gao Huan vowed he must climb the wall and personally plant this banner high atop the highest peak!

Gu Huiliang’s pupils suddenly dilated.

He saw that right behind this banner, following closely, appeared one mounted figure after another – dozens, hundreds, thousands.

The thick fog was instantly torn to shreds.

As if in just a blink, the area outside the city that had shown no one moments before was suddenly filled with soldiers surging from the fog toward the city gate, densely packed everywhere, their earth-shaking battle cries nearly shaking the entire city wall.

Countless enemies thus emerged from the fog without warning, charging toward the city gate.

Arrows flew like rain. Countless burning stone projectiles crashed toward the wall like dark clouds, falling into the city. In the blazing firelight, siege engines violently pounded the city gate.

The defenders atop the wall all changed color, but driven by Prefect Gu Huiliang’s hoarse roaring, they used their height advantage to desperately defend the city.

But the Xianbei soldiers had never encountered such fierce and terrible enemies.

Scaling ladders were forcibly erected. Under shield formations, that legendary Southern Dynasty man Li Mu known as the War God, leading his Fierce Martial corps behind him, climbed the scaling ladders and killed his way onto the city wall.

He was unstoppable, advancing all the way up. The moment his feet touched the bricks of the city wall as he raised his blade and shouted with arms raised, he seemed like heavenly troops descending to earth. The Xianbei soldiers’ will could no longer hold and rapidly collapsed.

Below the city wall, Heavenly Response Army soldiers were in high spirits, competing to follow that figure and scale the wall.

The siege battle ended in half a day.

The city gate was opened from within, and the remaining Heavenly Response Army outside charged in.

Fighting many against few, the outcome was without suspense.

Shunyang Prefect Gu Huiliang died in a hail of arrows, and the city was smoothly captured as Li Mu had planned in advance.

Banners were planted high atop the city wall, fluttering in the wind.

Upon occupying the city, Li Mu’s first order was to rush to the crossing and control those thousand-plus ferry boats. Then he pacified the people, ordering that civilians not be disturbed, commanding all soldiers to rest and reorganize along the riverbank outside the city, awaiting the Xijin great army’s arrival.

At the crossing on the river’s south bank, along the shoreline, scattered torches were lit. Seen from afar, they looked like a winding fire dragon, quite spectacular. Over a thousand boats were successively returning to shore, with soldiers busy rowing and securing vessels. The atmosphere was busy and tense yet orderly.

Capturing Shunyang could be called another great windfall. Not only did they gain those thousand-plus river-crossing vessels, but all the supplies and provisions originally prepared for the Xijin Emperor in the city also fell into their hands. The soldiers finally ate and drank their fill and could rest properly.

During the day, Gao Huan had closely followed Li Mu in the assault and was injured on the back by a falling fire stone, though fortunately not seriously.

The military physician told him to rest well. Though he felt tired, he couldn’t sleep. Coming out of the medical camp, he sat by the shore watching the figures of soldiers busy working not far away, feeling excited but also somewhat puzzled and curious.

He knew that occupying Shunyang, the key to victory lay in speed – competing with the opponent for time.

Seventy thousand troops marching north to engage the enemy – such a large movement couldn’t fail to alert the opponent.

So they had to be fast, reaching and capturing the city before the opponent could make an effective response and reinforcements arrived.

To achieve this goal, after easily taking the unprepared first stop of Shangluo Commandery, his brother-in-law Li Mu selected only twenty thousand elite troops to advance rapidly with him, while the remaining soldiers followed behind. These twenty thousand soldiers carried only enough rations for three days plus siege weapons, abandoning all other supplies for light travel. On the several hundred li from Shangluo to Shunyang, except for necessary rest to recover strength, they marched day and night, finally arriving this morning at dawn like troops descended from heaven, appearing from the thick fog before the completely unprepared Shunyang defenders.

Twenty thousand soldiers, all fierce warriors and brave generals. Arriving here and finishing their last meal before the assault this morning, they had no remaining provisions. With reinforcements still behind and not yet arrived, if they couldn’t take the city, not only would there be no next meal, but once the vastly outnumbering Xijin great army arrived, all initiative would be lost with retreat cut off.

Moreover, his brother-in-law Li Mu led by example, a worthy commander with brave soldiers who naturally fought desperately following him with tiger-like momentum, finally successfully taking the city.

Gao Huan knew that taking Shunyang was only the first step his brother-in-law completed in his northward campaign.

Soon, probably within a few days, when the Xijin Emperor led his great army to the north bank, the real test awaiting them would truly arrive.

Gao Huan wasn’t afraid. He had unquestioning trust and admiration for his brother-in-law.

Speed is precious in war; striking first can capture hearts and destroy enemy courage.

Gao Huan had read military treatises thoroughly and naturally understood this principle. He knew his brother-in-law’s forceful assault and subsequent capture of Shunyang used precisely this method.

What puzzled and intrigued him was how his brother-in-law planned to deal with the approaching hundred thousand Xijin troops.

Behind him came sudden commotion.

Gao Huan turned to see his brother-in-law heading toward the medical camp with attendants, quickly got up and ran back, stopping at the camp entrance.

The wounded soldiers were deeply moved seeing their commander hadn’t forgotten them and personally came to visit.

Gao Huan watched his brother-in-law’s tall, upright figure, feeling the soldiers’ love and respect for him, and couldn’t help but feel deep pride in his heart.

After visiting the wounded soldiers, Li Mu was concerned about Gao Huan and wanted to find him. Not seeing him, he was about to ask when he suddenly spotted him at the camp entrance and walked toward him.

“How is your injury?” Li Mu asked him.

“Governor, don’t worry! Ready for battle anytime!”

Gao Huan immediately straightened his chest and answered loudly.

In front of others, Gao Huan never called him brother-in-law.

Li Mu nodded slightly, patted his shoulder, and said: “Rest well!”

He walked past Gao Huan.

His brother-in-law was always sparing with words and wouldn’t show excessive emotion beyond their superior-subordinate relationship in front of others.

But just now, when he patted his shoulder and told him to rest well, Gao Huan clearly felt appreciation and encouragement in his gaze.

He immediately felt his blood boiling. Watching his brother-in-law’s retreating figure as he walked and talked with companions, he couldn’t help but catch up and boldly ask: “Brother-in-law, the Xijin great army is about to arrive. How shall we respond?”

Li Mu stopped, turned, and looked at him for a moment before saying: “Tonight in my main tent, I’m calling people to plan military strategy. You may come to observe.”