Chapter 340: Whoever Takes Xiao Mo's Head Shall Be Enfeoffed as a Marquis of a Thousand Households!
Inside the Yanmen Pass City Lord’s Manor.
Xiao Mo was taking inventory of the remaining pills, spirit beast flesh and blood, spiritual medicines, grain and fodder, as well as various weapons and armor.
Finally, looking at the various numbers on the white paper, Xiao Mo’s mind carried a hint of gravity.
Spirit beast flesh and blood could replenish blood qi, which was extremely important for soldiers.
Those pills and spiritual medicines had effects like pain relief, stopping bleeding, treating injuries, and even keeping someone alive by a thread.
As for grain and fodder, soldiers who hadn’t achieved abstinence from food definitely needed to eat every day but the spirit beast flesh and grain fodder only had half a month’s supply remaining. The pills and spiritual medicines couldn’t even sustain a few major battles.
Those weapons and armor were also nearly depleted. If soldiers’ weapons and armor were damaged, there was only enough for ten thousand men to replace them.
In short, Xiao Mo felt that even if he closed the city gates and didn’t go out, calculating carefully, he could at most hold out for twenty days.
Not to mention the Zhei Kingdom would attack the city like mad.
“Can we really hold out for a month?”
Xiao Mo didn’t have much confidence but Xiao Mo knew he had no choice.
Now the supply line to the Zhei Kingdom’s southern border eleven cities was also cut off. They were also urgently short of various resources.
If he held out, and the Northern Frontier army took the Zhei Kingdom’s southern border, this great battle would be at least half won but if he couldn’t hold out, not only would he die on the battlefield, the Northern Frontier men would also sacrifice themselves in vain. Everything done would be wasted, and they might even face a counterattack from the Northern Wei!
“Pass down the order. Starting today, soldiers below Foundation Building realm shall still eat two meals daily, but each meal’s portion is seventy percent of the original.
Soldiers at Foundation Building realm and above shall each receive one jin of spirit beast flesh per day.
Spirit pills and spiritual medicines must be applied for uniformly by Hundred-Man Commanders.
Xiao Gui, Zhao Guang, you and Yanmen Pass’s Chief Clerk Wang, take people to the homes of wealthy merchants in the city, especially grain merchants. Confiscate all the grain in their homes and record the amounts. Tell them we’ll compensate them at market price after the war.
If they refuse, kill them!
Afterward, open the city granary daily to cook porridge to relieve the citizens. Each person gets one bowl per meal, but I want chopsticks stuck in the pot to not fall over!
Have you all heard clearly what I’ve said?”
Deputy General Zhao Guang frowned, “General, in these special times, we don’t even have enough grain for our army to eat. Should we really relieve the citizens?”
“If the citizens become desperate from hunger, they’ll riot. If the city falls into chaos, we’ll be in serious trouble,” Xiao Mo glanced at Zhao Guang. “Just do as I say. I know what I’m doing.”
“Yes, General…”
Zhao Guang saluted and went down with Xiao Gui to execute the orders.
If it were an ordinary general, Zhao Guang might have tried to persuade him a few more times but the other party was Xiao Mo.
These past days, Zhao Guang had followed Xiao Mo in and out of battlefields, fighting bloody battles. Not a single decision Xiao Mo made had been wrong.
So Zhao Guang greatly admired Xiao Mo. As long as Xiao Mo decided on something, Zhao Guang would execute it.
And not just Zhao Guang. Xiao Mo had gone through life and death with all the soldiers, with clear rewards and punishments, sharing hardships together. His position in the soldiers’ hearts was like the Northern Pacification Prince himself.
Soon, Zhao Guang and Xiao Gui led dozens of soldiers to search the homes of wealthy merchants in the city one by one.
When these wealthy merchants saw the Northern Frontier soldier lords arriving, they very sensibly opened their granaries, even expressing they wanted to donate to the Northern Frontier army without needing any compensation but Zhao Guang and Xiao Gui weren’t fools, especially Xiao Gui.
Although Xiao Gui was from a branch of the Xiao family, he was still a landlord!
So how could Xiao Gui not understand what these old things were thinking?
Xiao Gui took his blade and questioned these masters’ stewards and concubines, asking where the grain hidden in their mansions was.
At first they were quite stubborn but when Xiao Gui was really about to cut someone down, these old things immediately knelt, hurriedly leading Xiao Gui and the others to various warehouses and cellars.
“My lords, I beg you! Leave us a little! If you take it all, what will we do? Our entire household has dozens of mouths. We’ll starve to death…”
Watching the grain from their homes being carried away bag by bag, these wealthy merchants hugged Xiao Gui and Zhao Guang’s legs, wailing and crying.
“Stop your damn nonsense! Annoy me again and I’ll cut you down!”
Xiao Gui kicked them away.
“Besides, we’re not refusing to pay you back. After thirty days, when our Northern Frontier army arrives, naturally someone will deliver silver to you. Just keep the receipt safe.”
“Thirty days? In three days, my entire family will starve to death.”
That wealthy merchant was on the verge of tears.
“You won’t starve! Our general will distribute porridge in the city. Everyone gets a share every day!”
After speaking, Xiao Gui said no more and continued to the next household.
Within a day, the wealthy merchants in the city weren’t entirely cleaned out, but at least they were plundered seventy to eighty percent.
Neighbors watched as the Northern Frontier army carried away bag after bag of grain, all feeling apprehensive, afraid their own surplus grain would also be confiscated but unexpectedly, the Northern Frontier army didn’t even glance at these ordinary citizens.
The second day of the Northern Frontier army defending Yanmen Pass.
Every household shut their doors. The city’s citizens were in a state of panic.
Yesterday the Northern Frontier army had plundered those wealthy families. Though it wasn’t their concern, who knew what would happen next?
When the military grain ran out, wouldn’t the Northern Frontier rob them too?
They had even heard that there was once a Chu Kingdom army that also defended a city without coming out. After the grain was exhausted, those soldiers actually ate the citizens! It reached the point of people eating people!
“How much surplus grain do we have at home?”
In the city, a carpenter surnamed Tang looked at his wife and daughter and sighed.
“Head of household, we don’t have much grain left, only three days’ worth…” His wife patted their sleeping daughter, her eyes full of worry.
“Three days…” Carpenter Tang wiped his face. “During this time, we’ll eat less. Don’t let the child go hungry. I’ll think of a way, see if I can borrow some grain.”
“Head of household, in this situation, which family still has surplus grain…”
His wife gripped her dress tightly.
“The war has lasted several months. Before the Northern Frontier army came, that dog of a city lord already scraped us once. Those profiteering merchants’ grain prices rose higher each day.
Now look how good it is. The grain merchants’ grain has all been taken by the Northern Frontier army. Even if we still have some silver in our hands, there’s nowhere to buy grain.
Other families aren’t doing any better.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll think of something. You take care of our daughter. We still have three days’ worth of grain at least. Think about those wealthy masters. They don’t even have grain for today. And I heard the Northern Frontier army will distribute grain and cook porridge daily…”
“Bah! You believe what those official lords say? They’re about to starve themselves! Still distribute grain? How can there be such a good thing!” His wife spat.
“Alright, alright, stop arguing. I’ll go outside and check with a few of my brothers.”
Carpenter Tang put on his outer garment and walked out of the house.
Walking on the city streets, Carpenter Tang’s mind was in turmoil.
He said he’d go find grain, but where would he find it?
And just as Carpenter Tang was walking down the street.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of gongs and drums on the street. Northern Frontier army soldiers were shouting everywhere in the city, “Daily at noon and evening hours, grain will be distributed at the south city gate entrance, city lord’s manor entrance, Qingcha Pavilion on Tanghe Street, a total of ten locations!”
“Distribute grain?”
“Will the Northern Frontier army really distribute grain?”
“Who knows? Our previous city lord never distributed grain. Now this enemy kingdom’s general will give us food?”
“Who cares!”
“Go see!”
“Hurry, hurry!”
After hearing this, city residents successively took to the streets, heading to the nearest grain distribution point. Carpenter Tang also quickly returned home, calling his wife and daughter to go.
Before noon, long queues had formed at each grain distribution location. Northern Frontier army soldiers maintained order, giving each person a token. One could collect porridge with the token.
In Carpenter Tang’s view, the porridge cooked by the Northern Frontier army would definitely be very thin, possibly even mixed with bran and sand but that was still better than having nothing to eat.
However, when it was Carpenter Tang’s turn to get porridge, he found the porridge was so thick that chopsticks could stand in it, and there was even a hint of lard flavor!
The lucky ones could even get a bit of pork!
“This Northern Frontier army… really gives us citizens food!”
Looking at the white porridge in his bowl, Carpenter Tang suspected he was dreaming.
Although each person could only eat one bowl, twice a day, if it could be like this every day, at least his family could survive!
“Hurry and eat! If you don’t eat it’ll get cold!”
His wife had also gotten a bowl of porridge. She said to her husband and daughter, her eyes full of joy, no longer as desperate as before.
“I’m not very hungry. You two eat more.” Carpenter Tang poured half his bowl of porridge to his wife and daughter.
“Boom!”
And just as Carpenter Tang and the others were squatting by the roadside drinking porridge, they heard a tremendous sound from the north city gate!
On the walls of Yanmen Pass, the Zhei Kingdom army had already begun attacking the city.
Zhei Kingdom soldiers climbed the city walls like a tide, but were all repelled by the Northern Frontier army.
“Release arrows!”
With Li Jing’s command, countless arrows shot toward the enemy army. However, the Zhei Kingdom army kept coming, more and more, like ants that could never be completely killed.
The pressure on the city walls grew greater and greater but just at this moment,
Yanmen Pass’s city gate opened!
The man wearing an Asura mask led less than nine thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry charging into the enemy formation.
The white of the snow-treading horses and the azure of the thunder on the man’s long spear intertwined. Wherever he passed, Zhei Kingdom soldiers exploded into blood mist one after another.
The nine thousand Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry were like a sharp blade, actually cutting the battlefield in two.
“Xiao Mo!” Zhei Kingdom general Guo Xin coldly watched that masked man. He couldn’t help gripping his long blade tighter. His voice, amplified by spiritual power, spread across the battlefield, “Whoever takes Xiao Mo’s head shall be enfeoffed as a Marquis of a Thousand Households!”
“I’m only worth a thousand households?”
As Guo Xin’s voice fell, Xiao Mo’s snow-treading horse leaped, actually charging directly toward the Zhei Kingdom’s central army!
At the same time, in the firmament above, dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbling continuously!
Thunder split the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield.
“This Xiao Mo, he actually dares to undergo tribulation on the battlefield? Has he gone mad?!”
Guo Xin stared blankly at everything before him.
The battlefield was the place with the heaviest blood qi and the heaviest karma.
Undergoing tribulation on the battlefield, the thunder tribulation would be several times more powerful than normal!
The tribulation-taker had an extremely high probability of dying under the thunder tribulation!
But this Xiao Mo had actually done it!
Xiao Mo patted his hand on the snow-treading’s body. The snow-treading horse understood and moved away from Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo landed on the battlefield, charging into the enemy army’s belly.
“Boom!”
Bolts of thunder struck down at Xiao Mo.
All soldiers within thirty zhang of Xiao Mo were struck into blood mist by the thunder tribulation.
And Xiao Mo, as the instigator, seemed to ignore his own thunder tribulation and continued advancing through the army.
Watching Xiao Mo getting closer and closer, cold sweat appeared on Guo Xin’s forehead. He knew that as the main general, he absolutely couldn’t retreat. Otherwise, the impact on army morale would be enormous but Guo Xin also knew that if Xiao Mo came twenty zhang closer, he would be deeply mired in the thunder tribulation!
Finally, when Xiao Mo was ten zhang from Guo Xin, Guo Xin retreated!
He rode his warhorse with Lushu bloodline charging toward the rear.
“Boom!”
As the last bolt of thunder tribulation struck down.
The thunder clouds in the sky dispersed, leaving only a torrential rain pouring down.
“Ha ha ha, are all Zhei Kingdom generals such trash?”
Xiao Mo looked at Guo Xin and laughed loudly.
The snow-treading horse galloped toward Xiao Mo again.
Xiao Mo pulled the reins and mounted.
Having entered Golden Core realm, Xiao Mo didn’t continue the pursuit. Instead, he continued leading the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry in killing on the battlefield.
“Return to the city!”
Feeling it was about right, Xiao Mo ordered a return to the city. He alone covered the rear, slaying all the enemy soldiers surging forward.
“Little brat! Don’t think of leaving!”
A Nascent Soul realm cultivator charged toward Xiao Mo.
Xiao Mo turned to counterattack, completely unafraid.
After entering Golden Core realm, Xiao Mo’s God-Slaying Spear had reached a higher level.
After fifty exchanges, Xiao Mo pierced through the other’s heart with one spear thrust.
Taking out a short blade and severing his head, Xiao Mo took advantage of the moment the city gate closed. The snow-treading horse leaped through the city gate.
After Xiao Mo stirred things up like this, the pressure on the city-defending soldiers was greatly relieved, and the Zhei Kingdom army’s morale was severely damaged.
Guo Xin could only order a temporary halt to the city attack and Xiao Mo hung that Nascent Soul realm cultivator’s head on the city wall, mocking them to the extreme.
“Damn it!” Guo Xin angrily threw his helmet to the ground and grabbed his deputy general’s collar, “Where are those Immortal realm and Ascension realm cultivators? Where the hell did they go?! Why haven’t they arrived yet!”
“General… I don’t know either…” The deputy general was on the verge of tears. “By all rights, those honored guests should have arrived. Perhaps the Qin Kingdom got word and also dispatched honored guests to intercept them?”
“Fuck!”
Guo Xin threw the deputy general to the ground.
“Within thirty days! No! Within twenty days! We must breach the city! Otherwise, if something happens to the southern border eleven cities, you and I will all have to present our heads to His Majesty!”
…
Bichui City.
Xiao Shi stood on the battlefield, gazing ahead.
In his eyes were Northern Frontier men charging toward the city walls one after another as if they didn’t care about their lives!
In his ears were shouts and the clashing of blades and swords, one after another!
At his nose was the overwhelming stench of blood!
“Ha ha ha! Your Highness! This city lord will compete with your son to see whether my Bichui City falls first or his Yanmen Pass is breached first!”
Atop the city wall, Xiahou Nan shouted toward Xiao Shi.
Xiao Shi’s expression was calm as he gazed at the distant sky.
Under that distant firmament, a man sat atop the city walls.
Though his entire body was covered in wounds, his skin scorched black yet in his eyes looking at those hundreds of thousands of troops was nothing but contempt.
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