When one of the Daoists on the platform heard this, his face fell, "The place where the Lightning Tribulations took place was within Dark Altar Sect's mountain range. Although it's only a corner of the mountain range, it's still within it."
"If it wasn't for the Lightning Tribulations, we would've overlooked it."
"Now that the truth has been revealed, we know that for the past ten years, there's been a mysterious force that has been influencing our sect from the shadows. It seems like this fireball has something to do with it. We have to investigate this matter thoroughly."
Before he could finish his sentence, a Daoist on the left stood up and shouted, "The Heavenly Tribulations are descending."
The only thing that remained was the water mirror. A bolt of lightning that had been brewing for a long time could be seen striking down. It was so bright that it seemed like everything was going to be destroyed.
As the bolt of lightning struck down, the seemingly powerful fireball shattered into pieces. The entire Daoist Temple then exploded.
"Boom!" Although it wasn't directed at the Paradise, the entire Paradise shook violently. The red light that had been raining down from the sky was extinguished. After some time, the light returned to normal.
"Quick, report the damage." The Daoist in the middle shouted out.
"Although it wasn't directed at us, the Paradise was affected. Patriarch, please take a look."
The water mirror lit up once more. Within the Paradise, numerous cracks had appeared. Black Qi seeped into the cracks, carrying with it the aura of the underworld.
"Quick, repair it. We cannot let the Qi leak out." The few Daoists on the platform made their decision. A beam of red and yellow light shot out from the top of the mountain, turning into a thin mist that dissipated. The cracks on the ground started to repair themselves.
After the repairs were completed, they looked around and saw that the sky was calm. The red light in the sky was getting brighter as well. One of the Daoists bowed down to the Daoist on the throne, "Sect Leader, although it's been repaired, we've expended much of our energy. We have to investigate this matter thoroughly."
The Daoist who was addressed as Sect Leader looked like a young man. At first, his face could be seen clearly. However, when they looked closer, they couldn't see him clearly. He then spoke out, "Chong Xuan, we're no longer alive. The Yin and Yang barrier is too strong, and it's hard to interfere. Are you alive, or are you an Earth Immortal? Why don't you investigate this?"
Chong Xuan stood up and replied, "Yes, Sect Leader."
A bright light flashed across the sky, followed by the sound of thunder. Rain started to pour down. The blind Daoist had been unconscious for a few minutes before he woke up. He turned around and saw that although it was raining heavily, the fire in the Daoist temple had yet to be extinguished. He also saw a few charred corpses and thought to himself, "The people inside are dead. I'm afraid even their souls are gone."
But he was still unwilling to give up. Seeing that the heavy rain had dispersed a lot of the dark clouds, he gathered his courage and approached the side hall. He saw that the side hall had almost exploded and was almost razed to the ground. Only the foundation was charred black and there were a few things left. He searched the ruins for a while and only found a fragment of an iron anchor.
A sense of foreboding welled up in his heart. The blind Daoist knew that he was in trouble. He looked at the direction of Dark Altar Mountain and gritted his teeth. He then picked up the fragment and walked away.
The rain continued to pour down as the blind Daoist stumbled along the mountain path. All of a sudden, a muffled sound could be heard. The blind Daoist wiped the rainwater off his forehead and turned around to look. He saw a ray of light in the distance. His heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly retracted his gaze. He didn't dare to look again and continued to walk away.
Pinghu County, Magistrate's Office
Several days later, the last resistance in the city had been extinguished. Things had come to an end, and the entire city had regained some of its liveliness. The Magistrate's Office had a signboard on the wall, and a drum was hung on the main door. Soldiers were everywhere, and yet the interior was lit up with colorful lanterns.
As for the banquet inside, although it had been through the chaos of battle, it was still more than enough. Pei Zi Yun walked out and walked along the corridor of the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
The generals and officials of the seventh rank and above entered the main hall. The rest of the people were seated at the bottom of the stairs. Needless to say, the dishes were plentiful.
The Prefecture Governor who had surrendered sat on one side, while Chen Yong sat on the opposite side. The Prefecture Governor was Tian Min. He raised his cup and congratulated Pei Zi Yun, "The Daoist has quelled the rebellion. It's only been two months, and the three counties have been conquered. The rebel leaders have been defeated. This is all thanks to the Daoist's strategy."
"I wouldn't dare. This is the fortune of his Majesty, and the fortune of our dynasty." Pei Zi Yun replied humbly as he downed his cup. At that moment, the entire atmosphere relaxed.
The Prefecture Governor clapped his hands, and a young lady appeared. It was the beginning of summer, and the air of spring was thick. Her dress was thin and delicate, and she danced gracefully in the air. Behind the veil, a musician was singing and singing softly.
All the officials and generals forced a smile on their faces. Some of them were full of worries, while others were trying their best to please the Daoist. However, at this point in time, they had no choice but to put on a happy expression. The soldiers of the Imperial Court were much more relaxed. They ate and drank to their heart's content, and drank to their heart's content. Before long, they were drunk.
Many of the generals had heated gazes as they looked at the young lady before them. Pei Zi Yun squinted his eyes, and at this point, he could hear the singing.
"Do you not see, the waters of the Yellow River came from the heavens, and flowed into the sea, never to return.
Do you not see, the bright mirror in the hall grieves for white hair, like fine black hair in the morning, like snow in the evening.
Do you not see, the golden goblet is empty against the moon.
I am born with a purpose, a thousand pieces of gold will come back again.
I will sing a song with you, and ask you to listen to me.
Bells, drums, dishes, and jade are not expensive, but I hope that I will never wake up.
Since ancient times, sages have always been lonely …
The song was written by Pei Zi Yun himself, and was sung by the people of the world. Even the boorish generals who listened to the music gradually calmed down. In front of such a beautiful woman, it would be a lie to not be moved. However, military discipline was very strict. When the song ended, everyone stood up and shouted, "Let's drink to our hearts' content. May the Daoist be victorious, and may the world be at peace!"
Pei Zi Yun drank another mouthful of wine, and waved his hands. The musicians and the young ladies all retreated. The entire banquet hall was silent, and the atmosphere was tense. Chen Yong stood up, and asked Pei Zi Yun, "Daoist, since Pinghu County has surrendered, should we attack An Yong County?"
The Prefecture Chief, Tian Min, was secretly intoxicated with wine and women. He retreated just like that, which was a sign of military discipline. When he heard Pei Zi Yun's words, he bowed and replied, "Daoist, your subordinate is willing to surrender."
Pei Zi Yun raised his cup, as the wine swirled in his cup. After some time, he spoke, "Ji Bei Hou only had five counties. Now that three counties have fallen, the war has reached a critical juncture."
"If not for King Lu's incident, our army would have taken advantage of the fact that three counties have fallen and attacked An Yong County. The remaining two counties would have surrendered without a fight. Even if there was resistance, it wouldn't amount to much."
"Then we'll attack the capital, and take care of Ji Bei Hou."
"But if we attack An Yong County, Ji Bei Hou would definitely retreat back to the capital. Although he would still be defeated, the capital is very strong. I'm afraid we won't be able to conquer it for a long time. If it's short, it'll take a few months. If it's long, it'll take half a year."
"Of course, this wasn't a problem. The Imperial Court can wait, and so can the Crown Prince."
"But now that King Lu's incident has happened, the Imperial Court doesn't want the north and south to be in chaos. The Crown Prince and the Emperor are getting impatient. Although the original plan was good, it can't be carried out."
"Our army has thirty thousand men, and six thousand of them have surrendered. I've also transferred another six thousand soldiers from the nearby counties. Even if we take into account some of the injured soldiers, we still have forty thousand men."
"Immediately order the entire army to rest and recuperate for the next seven days. Also, order the armors and weapons to be shipped here. Once we've rested and rested, we shall wage war against Ji Bei Hou."
"At this critical juncture, the difference in strength between us and Ji Bei Hou isn't that great. Ji Bei Hou is a valiant general on the battlefield and knows this. Although he's been besieging the city for a month, he's only left with forty thousand men. Compared to the fifty-five thousand men we have gathered in Qi Bei County, this is his only chance."
"If we retreat to the capital, the remaining two counties will surrender without a fight. When that happens, Ying Prefecture will become a lone city. Although we can hold out longer, we won't stand a chance at all."
"Hence, if we retreat to Qi Bei County, Ji Bei Hou will definitely stay there and fight the final battle with us."
Chen Yong's face was full of excitement as he said, "Yes, Daoist Master. I will go prepare for the final battle right away."
Governor Tian Min was somewhat disappointed. At this point, Pei Zi Yun turned around and looked at the Governor, "Your excellency Tian, I have something I need you to do."
"I await Dao Master's orders." Tian Min bowed as he spoke.
"It's true that the army has gathered to wage war against Ji Bei Hou. However, that doesn't mean that it's impossible to persuade them to surrender. I'll give you a thousand men, and you can persuade them to surrender to the other two counties. If you succeed, I will report this to the imperial court. Not only will you be absolved of your crimes, you will also be promoted." Pei Zi Yun said.
Hearing this, Tian Min was overjoyed, "Thank you Dao Master, I will accomplish this task."
Pei Zi Yun and Yu Yun Jun were taking a stroll together. Under the moonlight, Yu Yun Jun's skin was as white as snow, as though it was coated with a layer of light. She looked calm and composed, but her eyes were filled with worry as she asked, "About this matter, do you have any confidence?"
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he laughed, "Of course I'm confident. Now that the three counties have fallen, Ji Bei Hou's power is gone. My army has gathered forty thousand men, and fifty thousand men have arrived at North Enlightenment County. We can break through this easily. Besides, I have a plan. I've left an ambush on the battlefield in North Enlightenment County."
Seeing that there was no one around, Pei Zi Yun spoke softly, "In front of North Enlightenment County, we will set up camp at a fixed location. I've already buried a batch of gunpowder in the best camp. All it takes is a little spark to blow it up."
"You thought of this from the start? How powerful is it? "Yu Yun Jun did not expect Pei Zi Yun to have such foresight, and asked in surprise.
"I've thought of it from the start. Look carefully at my setup. At first, I used an iron net to restrict and compress Ji Bei Hou's position. Next, I'll use it to break through, and open up the situation in North Enlightenment County."
"Once North Enlightenment County falls, Ji Bei Hou will definitely attack. Hence, I buried a batch of gunpowder. Of course, this batch isn't that powerful, and won't kill anyone. It's just a big firecracker."
"In the past, when the army was at its peak, and their morale was high, it would only cause a ruckus."
"But now that the three counties have fallen, and the siege has failed, the casualties are heavy. The morale and stamina of the entire enemy army is at its limit. Once the explosion is heard in the middle of the night, we will take the opportunity to charge into the camp. The enemy will definitely be defeated."
When Yu Yun Jun heard this, she nodded her head and heaved a sigh of relief. She then turned around to look at Pei Zi Yun's profile, and suddenly thought of Chu Xia. She couldn't help but sigh. Who wouldn't admire such a man?
Pei Zi Yun couldn't say this out loud. Instead, he said, "Although your disciple, Liao Qing Ye, is still young, she was able to learn Dao Arts very quickly. It looks like she's like you in terms of Dao Arts, and is much stronger than Chu Xia."
"Chu Xia's talents aren't bad either. With some accumulation and luck, there's still hope for her to open the gates of heaven." Pei Zi Yun laughed. Liao Qing Ye was a Three Leaf Cultivator, and was naturally extremely talented. Pei Zi Yun was just relying on the system.
Looking at the clear moonlight, he suddenly had a thought, 'At this point, how will King Lu and Xie Cheng Dong deal with this new situation?'
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