The walking corpse placed the wooden box before Li Qian’an and turned away.

“Click!”

Li Qian’an pressed his fingertip against the brass lock, using qi to replace a key, making the bolt spring open.

The moment the box opened, he caught the scent of preservatives and insect-repelling powder. Inside was a roll of animal hide.

If the animal hide wasn’t deliberately chosen as material, then this map must be over two thousand years old. In the Sage of Literature era, books were written on bamboo slips, and animal hide predated even those… Li Qian’an thought as he unrolled the half-scroll of the hide.

Only when unrolled could one see that this map had been torn down the middle—it was the left half of a complete map.

The map’s drawing style was strange, covered in twisted, irregular lines, somewhat similar to maps from Li Qian’an’s previous life.

Besides the lines, there were no characters at all.

I remember topographical maps from my studies also had these messy lines… Li Qian’an looked at Yu Shi and asked, “Has this map been deciphered?”

This map certainly couldn’t be the same as topographical maps from his previous life.

Yu Shi shook his head: “My father studied it and believed the lines symbolize mountains and earth veins—only sorcerers could understand it. Even for sorcerers, finding the corresponding regions in the Nine Provinces would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.”

It was precisely because it was almost impossible to locate that he readily traded it to Li Qian’an.

Since keeping it in the Corpse Insect Clan would likely mean eternal storage, he might as well exchange it for keeping that ancient corpse in the clan for a few days.

Thinking of that perfect corpse, Yu Shi’s heart raced and his blood boiled.

Li Qian’an’s ears twitched as he heard the women’s moans from deep in the courtyard suddenly grow more intense and passionate.

He paid it no mind and immediately took out the coffin from the Earth Book fragment, then carefully stored the wooden box containing the half-map.

“By the way, let me advise you—don’t do anything strange with it, lest you become entangled in its karma. Though I believe its karmic threads have been thoroughly eliminated.”

Li Qian’an smiled as he warned.

The white-eyed “Yu Shi” glanced at him and said:

“In our Corpse Insect Clan, we have an old saying—those who can’t control their desires will never achieve greatness.”

“Anyone with the potential to reach Fourth Rank can resist their bound insect’s temptations. Though our clan doesn’t forbid such things, those who cross boundaries with corpses are all worthless dogs.”

… Li Qian’an’s expression slowly stiffened.

“Yu Shi” didn’t notice his strange expression, being completely absorbed in admiring the ancient corpse. He waved his hand:

“Go now, don’t disturb me.”

…

Li Qian’an returned to the Force Insect Clan as the warm sun hung high, at the third quarter of the Chen hour. He first went to his room to see Luo Yuheng.

The Imperial Preceptor sat cross-legged in meditation. Seeing him enter, she opened her beautiful eyes and smiled radiantly, like a stunning beauty amid spring flowers, always smiling.

Ah, it’s Little Joy… Li Qian’an sighed in relief. Like Little Sorrow, Little Joy was a positive personality, always wearing a smile, without any negative emotions, and willing to follow his lead during dual cultivation.

“The Southern Borderlands are wonderful—the climate is warm, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. My heart is truly delighted,” Luo Yuheng said with a smile.

“Just too many mosquitoes. Last night I was swatting them away from the Imperial Preceptor until my bottom was red,” Li Qian’an smiled.

Luo Yuheng gave him a coquettish glance, somewhat shy but not angry, still maintaining her joyful expression.

If this were the “Anger” personality, one sword strike would have sent me flying… Li Qian’an then looked at Xu Lingyin sleeping soundly on the bed and asked:

“Why did Lingyin come back here to sleep?”

Luo Yuheng said helplessly: “Shortly after you left, she ran in saying she suspected Master Lina wanted to eat her. She was scared and came looking for you, but you weren’t here.”

… Li Qian’an pondered: “Did she find bite marks on her wrist?”

Luo Yuheng nodded.

After Lingyin’s advancement, her appetite increased. When we return to the capital, Aunt will cry… Li Qian’an didn’t know how to comment, and could only pray silently for his aunt.

On the third day, warriors from the Heart, Corpse, Force, and Shadow Insect Clans had assembled.

This included five hundred Flying Beast troops from the Heart Insect Clan, four hundred warriors from the Force Insect Clan, six hundred mature corpse controllers from the Corpse Insect Clan, and eight hundred elite troops from the Shadow Clan—totaling twenty-three hundred Insect Clan members, plus a thousand extremely powerful animated corpse puppets.

The massive force of over three thousand members departed the Southern Borderlands, heading for Qingzhou.

Worth mentioning, Lina’s elder brother Mosan was also among the Force Insect Clan’s expedition forces.

As for Lina herself, she planned to consolidate her Force Insect power and absorb the Insect God’s blood essence before heading north to Qingzhou to participate in the war and temper her insect arts.

The Force Insect Clan had mixed feelings about sending four hundred elite troops—happy because Great Zhou would now be responsible for feeding them. The elders secretly instructed the young warriors:

“Eat your fill, empty the Central Plains’ granaries.”

They worried that with these people gone, hunting manpower would become scarce. Even the elderly who previously only farmed or didn’t work at all now had to roll up their sleeves and hunt in the mountains.

…

Deep night!

In a military tent ten miles from Songshan County, Zhuo Haoran sat beside the conference table, a copper basin containing a freshly roasted lamb leg before him.

He gripped the lamb leg with his left hand, tearing at it fiercely, while his right-hand sword was stained with blood.

The commanders sat silently on both sides of the conference table.

A major battle had just ended—Zhuo Haoran’s Yunzhou army had repelled an all-night raid by the Great Zhou defenders. Such raid battles had occurred frequently over the past few days.

The commanders secretly glanced at Zhuo Haoran, not daring to speak. The atmosphere in the tent was tense, with only the sound of Zhuo Haoran tearing at the lamb leg.

The five-day deadline had long passed, yet Songshan County remained uncaptured.

Not only uncaptured, but the Yunzhou army had suffered heavy losses.

Zhuo Haoran was a fierce general, personally valiant and exceptionally skilled at commanding troops. His strategy for taking Songshan County was to spend the first three days using refugee militia to deplete the defender’s cannon shells, crossbow bolts, and arrows.

As well as battering rams, oil, and other defensive equipment.

During this time, he sent experts to hide among the refugees, waiting for opportunities to scale the walls and destroy cannons and heavy crossbows.

This tactic achieved excellent results.

By the third day’s siege, the defenders had only two cannons and one heavy crossbow left, insufficient for defense. They could only resist the attacking Yunzhou army with battering rams, oil, and archers.

Seeing this, Zhuo Haoran immediately deployed his elite infantry who had been lying in wait for three days to storm the city.

However, when the Yunzhou elite infantry entered cannon range, the city walls suddenly erupted with concentrated cannon fire and bowstrings crackled—the fierce firepower immediately stunned the elite infantry.

After failing to take the city, they retreated hastily, leaving seven or eight hundred dead.

Xu Xinnian still had a batch of cannons and heavy crossbows but had refrained from using them for three days, even though the defenders suffered heavy casualties during this process.

Just considering the saying “the merciful cannot command armies,” Zhuo Haoran had to admit that fellow was a qualified commander.

The Commander-in-Chief had said that the essence of war was achieving victory at any cost.

When the frontal assault failed, Zhuo Haoran secretly divided his forces, sending elite troops to attack from the southern peaks at night, but they encountered beast traps throughout the mountains and deep pits studded with sharp stakes.

Except for the experts who could break through, the soldiers suffered heavy casualties.

Concerned that Songshan County hadn’t seen rain for half a month and the mountains were dry, Zhuo Haoran suspected Xu Xinnian might set fire to the mountains, so he abandoned the plan to bypass the peaks and surprise the defenders.

On the fourth night, drums suddenly sounded from the city walls, followed by thundering hoofbeats.

The Yunzhou army, exhausted from the day’s failed siege, thought the enemy was attacking and mobilized to meet them, only to find it was a feint—there was no attack at all.

After several such incidents, the Yunzhou army was worn out with fatigue.

At dawn, the drums sounded again from the city walls, but the Yunzhou rebels didn’t take it seriously, only symbolically sending scouts and a small force to check the situation.

As a result, they were hit by a thousand light cavalry charging their formations, and the Yunzhou army lost over two thousand men.

Six thousand elite troops were reduced by a third.

On the fifth day, Zhuo Haoran forced an attack on the city regardless of losses but returned defeated, both sides suffering heavy casualties.

But at night, the defenders again employed their previous tactic, harassing the Yunzhou army until they could hardly bear it.

Now it was the seventh day. The four thousand refugee militia were almost completely wiped out, and Zhuo Haoran’s six thousand elite troops were reduced to three thousand.

While the defenders still had nearly two thousand men.

Given the current numerical comparison, taking Songshan County seemed impossible.

Zhuo Haoran swallowed the last bite of meat and coldly swept his gaze over the commanders, saying:

“Let the troops sleep well—there won’t be any more harassment tonight.”

“After they’re well-rested, we break through at dawn!”

His expression was calm and collected, speaking with apparent confidence, as if breaking through at dawn was certain.

…

Miao Youfang and Zhu Jun led five hundred cavalry charging through the city gate, returning to their base.

“General Zhu, Second Young Master is cooking beef on the wall, care to join for a few drinks?” Miao Youfang invited warmly.

Zhu Jun was a thin middle-aged man, quiet and taciturn, the only Fourth Rank expert in Songshan County, responsible for guarding the north gate.

It was precisely because of his presence that Second Young Master dared to send cavalry to raid the enemy camp—otherwise, it would have been suicide.

He shook his head and said flatly: “Have Second Master send some to the north gate. I’ll pass on the drinking.”

With that, he led his subordinates away at a gallop.

“How boring!”

Miao Youfang shook his head, dismounted, and climbed the steps to the city wall.

Iron pots were set up along the horse path, with soldiers gathered around eating meat.

Their faces beamed with happiness as they ate large mouthfuls of meat, their spirits high.

Looking at the soldiers’ excited faces, Miao Youfang recalled his conversation with the Second Young Master earlier that day.

Second Young Master had forcibly requisitioned cattle, dogs, chickens, and ducks from the county’s civilians to reward the defending soldiers, compensating with a small amount of grain.

At first, Miao Youfang felt it inappropriate, thinking it was essentially plundering civilian property.

But Second Young Master told him that in times of war, soldiers’ interests must always come before civilians’. The soldiers had been fighting bloodily for days, exhausted, and meat would boost their morale.

As for the civilians, if the city fell, their fate would be even worse.

Miao Youfang now felt he had a point.

He walked straight into the barbican and saw Second Young Master bent over maps, frowning silently.

“Second Young Master, according to what you said, they should retreat tomorrow.”

“If they have no reinforcements, indeed.” Second Young Master looked up:

“But I believe the Yunzhou rebels’ reinforcements are coming soon.”