Chapter 13: Shifting Battlefields

In Qian Ye’s eyes, Liao City was neither good nor bad. After a moment of observation, he asked, “Who does Liao City currently belong to?”

Nan Ruo Huai respectfully replied, “The Lord of Liao City is my second brother’s grandfather, and also the greatest supporter of my second brother.”

Though his words seemed ordinary, Qian Ye sensed something, turning to ask, “Do you have a grudge against your second brother?”

“Blood brothers, but not to the point of having a deep enmity.” Nan Ruo Huai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, “The person I loved the most died in my second brother’s mansion!”

Qian Ye nodded, “Then what do you need from me?”

Nan Ruo Huai knelt with a thud, his voice solemn, “In the future, you only need to hand him over to me. My life will forever be yours.”

Qian Ye said indifferently, “Is it not already mine?”

Nan Ruo Huai bowed, “I acknowledge that I have some small talent. The past twenty years were not wasted. I understand your intention in supporting me. But if I give my all, Zheng Country will become more prosperous, and you won’t have to worry about this small place. This is different from having a puppet on the throne.”

Qian Ye gazed at Nan Ruo Huai’s gray hair and nape, silent for a while. He felt no emotional turmoil, but there was a hint of sentiment.

Nan Ruo Huai did not raise his head, yet his demeanor was more composed and steady than any previous time in front of Qian Ye. After a while, Qian Ye chuckled, “Is Zheng Country still small?”

Nan Ruo Huai finally relaxed, “To us, it is heaven and earth, but in your eyes, it is just a small corner. For someone like you, even Yong Continent is just a bigger stepping stone.”

Qian Ye smiled, “You have great confidence in me.”

“In truth, we have never seen anyone like you, not even heard of such a person.”

Qian Ye rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the distant void, “Do you know what I plan to do?”

Nan Ruo Huai hesitated, then honestly said, “To be honest, I don’t know.”

Qian Ye sighed, “I actually have no grand ambitions. Let’s just take it step by step.”

Nan Ruo Huai was stunned, not fully believing it, but decided not to press further, thinking he wasn’t worthy of Qian Ye’s secrets.

He didn’t know that Qian Ye genuinely had no ambition. All he wanted was to take care of his brothers and send one person to the Holy Mountain.

With the entire floating island of Xudong pacified, the next step was occupation and preparation for war. Qian Ye sealed off the entire airspace around the floating island, allowing only incoming airships, not departures. Within a day, the Darkfire army of ten thousand arrived, replacing the local elite troops. At the same time, Yuank Jing City began large-scale construction of defensive fortifications and reinforced turrets.

Qian Ye treated this floating island as the first stepping stone and forward base for his advance into Yong Continent, so he paid special attention. After the first batch of troops arrived, Qian Ye ordered messages to be sent back, instructing Darkfire to prepare several engineering airships and recruit craftsmen to come to Xudong.

Several days later, when the various garrison units on the floating island were in place, Qian Ye led the army and flew to Liao City.

Of the ten thousand troops, only four thousand followed Qian Ye. The floating island, with its size, required at least ten thousand soldiers for basic defense. Six thousand was the bare minimum. Any less, and even the mercenary generals would not accept it.

Liao City had a population of about fifteen thousand, making it a major city. Built along a river, it enjoyed convenient transportation, and black stone mines outside the city provided continuous energy for the city’s workshops. When Qian Ye arrived, the first thing he saw from afar was not the city, but the columns of gray-black smoke rising above it.

Behind the billowing smoke lay flowing gold coins. Liao City had existing workshops and, more importantly, a large number of skilled craftsmen who, with a bit of training, could be used in the empire’s workshop system. Originally, Zheng Country emulated the Great Qin, and their workshop system was similar, though it was only equivalent to the empire’s level fifty years ago.

As the fleet approached the airspace above Liao City, a harsh alarm sounded throughout the city, even audible to Qian Ye on the cruiser. He walked to the deck, looking down, and saw a steel tower in the center of the city opening several vents, releasing plumes of steam with a piercing screech.

A power tower and steam siren?

Qian Ye was surprised. The city’s configuration was exceptionally high. Though the power tower was an old model, it was still a power tower, and many cities in the neutral zone did not even have one. Moreover, this power tower, despite being old, was large and tall, ensuring a powerful output.

Which meant the city might have powerful turret cannons?

Qian Ye’s gaze sharpened as he caught a strange whistling sound. A dark tower at a distance opened, firing a large bolt that arced through the air, aimed at the cruiser.

If not for the attack coming from an enemy, Qian Ye would have praised the timing of the shot. The cruiser’s speed had already slowed, and it was too late to accelerate. Besides, the massive cruiser could not outrun the range of the tracking crossbow.

With a loud boom, the cruiser shook, surprising Qian Ye. The bolt’s power was greater than he had anticipated.

Qian Ye’s figure flashed, appearing at the bow of the cruiser. The bolt had pinned itself halfway into the hull.

The captain, a seasoned veteran, seeing the danger, adjusted the ship’s position without time for a counter-attack or retreat. The armor in this part of the cruiser was the thickest, and the bolt did not penetrate the outer layer.

Qian Ye held Dongyue, severing the exposed part of the bolt with a single sword strike. It was solid inside. If this had been a new tracking explosive bolt from the imperial navy, it could have blown off the cruiser’s bow armor.

But the cruiser could withstand it; other ships could not!

Qian Ye’s gaze sharpened again. Three more turrets rose, opening their tops, each firing a giant tracking bolt!

One shot towards the escort ship, one towards the cruiser, and the third headed straight for the rear.

Without hesitation, Qian Ye flashed to the escort ship, his sword moving like lightning, slicing the incoming bolt into several pieces. The cruiser shook again, hit by another bolt. Fortunately, it struck a heavily armored part and did not penetrate.

Qian Ye turned, his expression changing. The last bolt targeted the troop transport behind the fleet! The transport couldn’t escape the range, and the bolt struck midship, bursting through the roof and soaring a thousand meters before falling back.

A huge gap appeared in the transport’s hull, flames spouting from the breach, and figures falling. Alarms blared, and the ship plummeted.

Just as the transport was about to crash, a side hatch suddenly burst open, forced from the inside, and steam poured out. The ship began to spin, ejecting mercenaries one by one.

Qian Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This was the best possible response. The transport carried elite mercenaries, many of whom were officers with force levels five or six or higher.

Falling from hundreds of meters, they would likely survive, injured but not dead. The burning transport, however, was a flaming coffin, and staying inside meant certain death.

Ejecting the crew and mercenaries also avoided the explosion radius. The captain’s quick thinking was commendable. The only downside was that some mercenaries might land in the city center, surrounded by enemies.

But once the mercenaries reached solid ground, Qian Ye had no worries. No profession was better suited for urban combat than mercenaries.

It was now time for Darkfire to counterattack.

Even the main cities of the Great Qin had slow-firing turrets, and the four power turrets in Liao City were even slower. The cruiser captain, after adjusting the defense, was already in position. With a roar from the main cannon, half of Liao City’s main turret crumbled.

The cruiser continued, targeting another turret. Meanwhile, the three escort ships, having adjusted their positions, dived, their rapid-fire cannons continuously firing, engulfing the third turret in a sea of fire.

Only one turret remained, firing another bolt, its gears spinning, gathering power. This time, it aimed at an escort ship.

As the turret prepared to fire, the surroundings twisted, and Qian Ye appeared above it, holding a steel beam. He drove it down, jamming the bolt in its slot.

The turret crew, caught off guard, instinctively pressed the launch pedal. But the bolt, stuck, could not move, and the accumulating steam pressure caused the turret’s cast steel shell to visibly expand!

Amid the despairing cries of the crew, the turret exploded, sending tons of debris flying hundreds of meters into the air. Inside, the warriors had no chance to escape, their bodies vaporized.

Qian Ye returned to the cruiser, appearing on the bridge. The captain, tense, was issuing commands. Qian Ye gestured for him to continue.

The captain, directing the massive ship, tilted and circled Liao City, allowing its rapid-fire cannons to sweep through the smaller turrets and defenses.

With the four main turrets destroyed, Liao City had no means to threaten the cruiser.

Due to the unexpected strong defenses, Qian Ye patiently watched the cruiser circle the city, clearing one block after another.

An hour passed, and when the city’s defenses were silenced, Qian Ye ordered the mercenaries to land and engage in battle.

Qian Ye himself headed straight for the city lord’s mansion. Facing the swarming guards, a single Life Devouring silenced them. As he entered the hall, a white-haired, robust old man slowly stood, lifting a massive war axe, ready and waiting.

Qian Ye, not immediately attacking, said, “Nan Ruo Huai would make a good King of Zheng. Why cling to the impossible? You should know that you have no chance against me.”

The old man snorted, “Zheng is a country of Zheng people. Who are you?”

Qian Ye countered, “Isn’t Ruo Huai a Zheng person?”