Second Young Master Xu pointed at the map and said:

“Songshan County is one of the critical strongholds in Commissioner Yang’s second defense line. If we can hold Songshan County, Qingzhou’s supplies can be transported south via the Song River route.”

“The entire northwest area, with Songshan County as its fulcrum, can serve as our army’s rear base, supporting our forces as they engage the Yunzhou rebels.”

Miao Youfang leaned in to look. On the map, the Second Young Master used charcoal to mark the cities occupied by the Yunzhou army. “Songshan County” stood like a nail embedded in the northwest of the rebels’ advance line.

“Now that you’ve drawn it this way, I understand the county’s importance. This great hero was wondering why Commissioner Yang valued such a small county so much, though you often said it was a crucial defensive point.”

“But where exactly its importance lay, this great hero Miao had no clear understanding. Now it’s obvious at a glance.”

Miao Youfang nodded as he looked: “Second Young Master truly deserves his reputation as a double-ranked scholar and Cloud Deer Academy graduate. This great hero is deeply gratified.”

“Read more books when you have time, improve your rhetorical standards,” the Second Young Master replied with a calm expression.

He was quite experienced in dealing with uncouth warriors by now.

He would never easily lose his temper.

Second Young Master continued: “Unless the Yunzhou rebels suffer major defeats on the Dongling and Wanjun fronts, forcing them to commit more troops to those battlefields and leaving them unable to support Zhuo Haoran, he won’t retreat but will wait for reinforcements.”

Dongling and Wanjun formed the second defense line along with Songshan County.

“Then what should we do?” Miao Youfang asked what he didn’t understand.

“The city still has ample supplies and defensive equipment, so naturally we hold firm and await Commissioner Yang’s reinforcements,” Xu Xinnian pondered: “Provided the battles at Dongling and Wanjun aren’t too fierce.”

“What if they are fierce?” Miao Youfang continued asking.

“Then we prepare for isolation and a prolonged battle,” Xu Xinnian sighed.

The situations at Dongling and Wanjun were, relatively speaking, more important than Songshan County.

Fortunately, before he set out, Sun Xuanji had given him a large number of heavy weapons, including cannons, heavy crossbows, wheeled crossbows, and firearms—all excellent for defense.

As for oil, rolling logs, and other resources, Songshan County was wealthy and had abundant reserves.

The Great Zhou defenders had the resources for a prolonged battle.

As they spoke, he summoned a captain and ordered: “Send scouts out from the west gate with picks and shovels. Have them move along the Song River and watch the enemy’s supply lines.”

After the captain left with his orders, Miao Youfang volunteered his analysis: “You want to cut off their supplies before reinforcements arrive?”

The other days when he led cavalry charges into their camp, killing wildly and burning the rebels’ supplies, even after the fires were extinguished, the remaining supplies probably wouldn’t last many days.

Xu Xinnian gave a “heh” and said: “No, I want to destroy the main road to delay their reinforcements’ advance, then provoke Zhuo Haoran into attacking the city. This way, we might be able to eliminate Zhuo Haoran’s force before their reinforcements arrive.”

Military campaigns necessarily involved the transport of supplies and equipment, which required vehicles.

Vehicles’ normal progress depended on roads.

A road full of holes would greatly delay reinforcements’ marching speed.

“Brother Miao, you’ve just been through hard fighting. Go eat some meat—you’ll need to stand watch tonight.”

Xu Xinnian rubbed his throbbing temples and exhaled: “I need to rest for a while too.”

He hadn’t closed his eyes for a day and night.

After sending Miao Youfang away, Second Young Master Xu lay down in his light armor. The hard, uncomfortable equipment didn’t hinder him at all—he quickly fell asleep.

This was thanks to his experience supporting the demon tribes in the north when the combined Great Zhou and demon armies were scattered, with remnants dispersed everywhere, facing crisis at any moment.

Thus he had mastered the art of quickly falling asleep in armor.

“Boom boom boom…”

Dense, deep drum beats woke Second Young Master Xu. His eyes shot open as he sprang up from his simple bed, instinctively turning to check the water clock beside the bed—it was the fourth quarter of the Mao hour.

Just before dawn.

He grabbed his regulation sword and ran out to the barbican. The sky was pitch black, with torches blazing on the city walls in the cold night.

Miao Youfang, who was heading toward the barbican, met Second Young Master’s gaze and grinned: “That fellow’s mad—actually attacking the city himself. Isn’t this exactly what we wanted? We don’t even need to use provocation tactics.”

Second Young Master frowned as he walked toward the battlements: “Zhuo Haoran is hot-tempered and impulsive, easy to provoke, but we haven’t used any provocation yet. He’s no ordinary commander—he should know that with his remaining forces, he can’t possibly take the city.”

“Something’s strange about this.”

Miao Youfang asked: “What’s strange about it?”

I’m not the Supervisor, how would I know… Xu Xinnian reached the battlements and cautiously looked into the distance. By the light of cannon fire from the walls, he saw dense enemy forces approaching the base of the city.

“Are they planning mutual destruction?”

Second Young Master’s brows furrowed tightly.

As thoughts flashed through his mind, he suddenly dove to the left as a cannonball whistled past and exploded where he had been hiding. The blast sent flames, shock waves, and stone fragments spraying in all directions.

Miao Youfang stirred his qi to block the scorching air currents, saving Second Young Master from serious injury.

“Damn it!”

Second Young Master climbed up covered in a cold sweat, crouching as he ran along the horse path while shouting: “Catapults launch illuminating oil fires!”

“Archers and gunners prepare! Hold the oil barrels, bring up the rolling logs first…”

Under his command, the defenders organized their defense and counterattack methodically. Cannon fire thundered everywhere, with shells exploding.

Expanding fireballs burst both below and on the city walls.

When cannon crews were killed, reserves quickly took their places.

When heavy crossbows and cannons were destroyed, militia immediately brought up new heavy weapons.

Additionally, these conscripted militia crouched and ran back and forth along the horse path, rescuing the wounded.

The battle was incredibly fierce.

Zhuo Haoran, holding his regulation sword, nimbly avoided cannons, arrows, and rolling logs dropped from the battlements.

Successfully approaching the city gate.

He had personally destroyed the gate three days ago, but the Yunzhou army couldn’t pass through because the defenders had already piled tons of stones to block the entrance.

They left only a small door that could barely fit one person and a horse.

During the defense, giant stones blocked this small door.

When sallying out, dozens of militia would use ropes to pull away those huge stones.

This tactic was common before the emergence of the sorcerer system.

In ancient times, every city’s gate had a dedicated storehouse for stones, ensuring defenders could quickly seal the gates in wartime.

After the sorcerer system appeared, border fortresses and major cities had formation protection, gradually abandoning the “city-sealing tactics.”

Over the past year, Yang Gong had revived these tactics, ordering counties to build storehouses and prepare stones.

City-sealing tactics were mainly intended to defend against Fourth Rank experts. City gates couldn’t stop warriors of this rank, but sealing tactics could ensure that even after gates were destroyed, they could still hinder enemy forces.

After all, armies still consisted mainly of ordinary soldiers and lower-ranked warriors.

Zhuo Haoran leaped up, taking several steps along the wall before easily reaching the top. His blade swept across, cutting a cannon and two gunners in half.

Thump thump thump… Miao Youfang’s footsteps left deep marks in the horse’s path as he charged like a mad bull, his Fifth Rank body rushing toward the Fourth Rank Zhuo Haoran.

Zhuo Haoran gave a savage laugh as his blade intent erupted. His regulation sword instantly became red-hot like an iron brand, carrying an essence that could destroy anything, poised to cut down this Fifth Rank fellow.

Nearby, under the protection of two guards, Second Young Master Xu’s body stirred with faint clear qi. With one hand behind his back and one at his lower abdomen, he said in a deep voice:

“A great man should die without regrets.”

“A great man should harbor benevolence and righteousness.”

The jade pendant from Yang Gong at his waist lit up, adding strength to his righteous qi.

Simultaneously, the guard on Second Young Master’s left nocked an arrow and shot it skyward.

The arrow, tied with fireworks, exploded high in the air.

As the two phrases fell, Miao Youfang seemed to receive a stimulant, his qi surging upward, while Zhuo Haoran’s eyes wavered for a moment. The words “benevolence and righteousness” prevented him from bringing down his blade.

Seizing this opportunity, Miao Youfang closed in, one palm knocking away the sword, followed by a stepping advance with shoulder turned, sending Zhuo Haoran’s body involuntarily airborne. Then came the specialty of redirecting force warriors—

A combo to kill you!

The second Young Master was a Seventh Rank Benevolent One. What he had just used was an Eighth Rank Self-Cultivation ability—Literary Courage force.

Literary Courage force’s main effect was boosting morale, increasing allied warriors’ combat power, and relieving certain ailments.

Additionally, it could briefly influence enemy willpower—used well, it could weaken opponents.

The Eighth Rank Self-Cultivation’s Literary Courage force advanced version was Fifth Rank Moral Conduct, which as the name suggested, regulated people’s words and actions according to the “Six Virtues of the Gentleman.”

This was very similar to Buddhist precepts.

However, precepts had no room for advancement, while Moral Conduct’s next step was “Words Become Law.”

At that step, regulating people’s words and actions no longer required the “Six Virtues of the Gentleman”—it could be done arbitrarily and forcefully.

Bang!

Miao Youfang’s combo was forcibly interrupted by the recovered Zhuo Haoran, followed by a kick to his abdomen that sent him flying backward, rolling repeatedly along the horse path.

Ignoring the disheveled Miao Youfang, Zhuo Haoran stepped along the parapet, clearly targeting Second Young Master Xu.

In the past several siege battles, this Cloud Deer Academy scholar had given him no end of trouble, using Confucian arts for brief restraint while coordinating with a Fifth Rank warrior to repeatedly force his retreat.

Miao Youfang’s elbows and feet plowed deep marks in the ground as he forcibly redirected the energy, his palms drawing two shells from a basket and throwing them at Zhuo Haoran.

Then igniting them with qi.

“Boom!”

The expanding fireball engulfed Zhuo Haoran as the Second Young Master retreated under his guards’ protection.

He remained exceptionally calm, showing no panic at being hunted by a Fourth Rank warrior. When Zhuo Haoran burst from the fireball, he again stirred his clear qi:

“A gentleman should value harmony.”

“A gentleman should sacrifice life for righteousness.”

Miao Youfang, face contorted, pounced from the side, grappling with Zhuo Haoran as they rolled off the battlements.

Clang clang clang… During the process, both used hands, feet, and elbows in fierce close combat. Enemy soldiers climbing and scaling ladders were affected, falling with screams.

Miao Youfang quickly fell into a disadvantage, his guard broken by one of Zhuo Haoran’s punches. Following this, the Butcher Zhuo’s palms formed into blades, blade intent about to explode in Miao Youfang’s chest.

At this moment, a sharp spear light shot like a comet, interrupting Zhuo Haoran’s attack, forcing him to wave his palm-blades in defense.

Zhu Jun had arrived at the crucial moment, flying along the wall top.

With Second Young Master and Miao Youfang’s strength, dealing with Zhuo Haoran was barely manageable. Whenever Zhuo Haoran attacked the city, the Second Young Master would have someone signal the north gate’s Zhu Jun with fireworks.

Zhu Jun would then know the enemy’s fourth-rank expert was here and come immediately.

“Bang!”

In the cannon-like blast wave, Miao Youfang seized the chance to break free, stepping along the wall back to the top, guarding beside Second Young Master.

After splitting the spear, Zhuo Haoran likewise returned to the wall top, standing on the parapet.

Zhu Jun inserted himself between the two sides, beckoning his spear back as he faced off against Zhuo Haoran.

Zhuo Haoran’s gaze passed over Zhu Jun to rest on Xu Xinnian behind him. He sneered: “I once boasted before the Commander-in-Chief that I’d take Songshan County within five days. Now it’s the eighth day—the city remains untaken, and half my elite forces are lost.”

“Who would have thought my lifetime reputation would fall to a young punk like you.”

Second Young Master responded calmly: “A son falling to his father isn’t unfair.”

Anger flashed across Zhuo Haoran’s face, but he contained his emotions and said slowly: “Know why I’m attacking the city tonight?”

This was exactly what Second Young Master had been wondering, but he only responded flatly: “Because you’re tired of living.”

A vein throbbed on Zhuo Haoran’s forehead: “No need to argue with a dead man. Because the elite forces carefully cultivated by the Imperial Preceptor have arrived.”

“Screech~~”

Suddenly, high-pitched, sharp cries came from the horizon.

By now, fish-belly white showed in the east, the sky a sheet of dark blue.

Under the deep blue sky, a group of enormous beasts beat their wings as they swooped toward Songshan County.

“The Vermillion Bird Army!”

Zhuo Haoran glanced at the horizon before turning back with a savage grin: “When we break the city today, I’ll massacre for three days and nights.”

Flying beast army… Second Young Master’s pupils contracted.

…

Southern Borderlands.

Li Qian’an summoned the Pagoda Tower, its door opening to cast down a beam of light.

Within the light was Mu Nanchi holding White Princess.

“What did you need?” he asked White Princess while withdrawing from the Pagoda Tower.

The little fox had sent him a message through the Pagoda Spirit, saying she had urgent matters to discuss.

Mu Nanchi’s gaze immediately went to Luo Yuheng at Li Qian’an’s side.