Chapter 638: Annihilation

In the ninth year of the Peaceful Reign, spring.

Xuzhou.

Since the rebellion of Huang Jie and the capital’s relocation by the Great Zhou, Xuzhou had also fallen into chaos.

Several regional warlords fought bitterly, with court officials vying for power amidst the turmoil. Every vassal lord in the realm had their own hidden hands at play, unwilling to let any single side gain an advantage, barely maintaining a delicate balance.

But now, a powerful neighbor had risen nearby, watching hungrily.

Duke Ding, Wu Zhi!

Though a woman, she had conquered two provinces, dominated the land, and risen to become the most powerful vassal in the realm. Her rapid expansion had left many established lords utterly astonished.

Now, leveraging her initiative, Duke Ding’s army finally surged into Xuzhou like a thunderbolt, raising the banner of defending the throne. Her military might pointed directly at the seat of the secondary capital’s court, sending shockwaves across the realm.

…

Pingling Commandery.

“Just pass the Suolong Pass ahead, and we’ll reach the vast plains. Our cavalry can then directly threaten the secondary capital. The rivers and mountains are within sight!”

Zeng Yu rode his horse energetically, his expression exhilarated.

Only now did his master’s grand plan begin to unfold before the world.

But no matter how furious the vassals became, even to the point of desperation, they were too late to react, let alone exert influence from afar.

“Our ruler commands an army of one hundred and fifty thousand, publicly claiming three hundred thousand, the strongest in the realm. Along the way, every county and commandery has surrendered. Only here have three warlords, with support from various factions, gathered an army of one hundred thousand, claiming two hundred thousand, to defend Suolong Pass!”

Zeng Yu sighed inwardly: “This will be a tough battle. If we succeed, the secondary capital will be completely exposed, with no chance of resistance left.”

He looked toward the distant, densely packed enemy formations, like a sea of dark clouds, and a flicker of concern passed through his eyes.

At that moment, a deep horn sounded. He shook his head and returned to his own ranks.

“Master Gongsu Ao, your previous ironclad ships and turtle ships were excellent. Now you’ve contributed many new weapons, making city sieges and territorial conquests smooth sailing. I must commend you for this!”

Before the military tent, Wu Zhi looked at the leader of the Gongsu family, now the Minister of Works, her expression filled with satisfaction.

“These minor mechanical advantages pale in comparison to the majesty of the King’s heavenly mandate.”

Gongsu Ao, once a slippery old fox who had hesitated even when personally approached by Wu Ming, now wore a solemn expression and respectfully bowed: “Heaven has the sun and moon, yin and yang take turns, this is the natural order. The King possesses yin virtue and is destined to rule the realm!”

Once Wu Zhi seized Dingzhou, the Gongsu family abruptly decided to fully pledge allegiance.

Though these craftsmen were not adept in other areas, they excelled in construction projects and military equipment production within the Ministry of Works.

Especially when Wu Ming casually provided some blueprints, these men could immediately produce working prototypes and even improve upon them, greatly satisfying him.

The Mohist mechanisms were too advanced, requiring rare materials unsuitable for mass warfare.

But Wu Ming’s designs combined practical experience from multiple worlds, achieving maximum lethality with minimal materials, making them the most practical battlefield weapons. The previous naval victory under Ma Meng was merely a small demonstration.

Now, the Gongsu family was racking their brains to provide theoretical justification for a female ruler, engaging in propaganda efforts to curry favor.

Seeing Wu Zhi nod in approval, Gongsu Ao continued: “Counterweight trebuchets, cloud ladders, arrow towers, and other devices have been produced in sufficient numbers by the Ministry of Works. We’ve made improvements, significantly enhancing their performance. Even if the enemy defends a perilous pass, we need not fear them. But now they dare to engage in open battle—this madness must be due to the King’s heavenly mandate disrupting their fortune. This battle will certainly end in a decisive victory!”

“They have no choice. After all, three warlords are involved, with countless hidden factions among them!”

Wu Zhi gazed toward the distant enemy formations, a faint mocking smile on her beautiful lips.

In commanding an army, nothing is worse than divided authority—she understood this all too well.

Even when leading Dingzhou’s troops, the presence of various family and clan forces had made command less than seamless.

Only after reorganizing the Lingzhou army, settling the elderly and infirm in agricultural colonies while training the young and strong into elite troops, did she achieve complete loyalty and unified command under her alone.

This was naturally because the displaced refugees lacked clan or aristocratic networks that might form cliques, making them a blank canvas ready for her brush.

After realizing this subtly, Wu Zhi immediately increased her focus on the five thousand Lingzhou troops. With them, she could now control the original Dingzhou forces, recently feeling her authority firmly established and her fortune stabilized.

On the enemy side, with three warlords already present and countless factions involved, multiple command sources rendered effective coordination impossible.

Moreover, ten thousand troops meant massive consumption of supplies.

Even Wu Zhi, supporting her forces with two provinces, found the logistics staggering. The enemy’s supply situation was even worse in the war-torn Xuzhou region.

Thus, their hasty decision to engage in battle was understandable.

“Prepare to meet the enemy!”

This was a heaven-sent opportunity, and Wu Zhi naturally would not miss it, immediately issuing the command.

“Victory! Victory! Victory!”

The troops roared, their momentum reaching a deafening crescendo.

“The enemy seeks decisive battle?”

On a high ground overlooking the battlefield, Wu Ming rode his horse, his eyes shining with divine light. He suddenly smiled: “With Heaven’s aid and the True Dragon’s Position attained, my fortune has indeed surged. These petty foes must be dazzled by the five colors, coming to offer themselves as sacrifices?”

The path of fortune was subtle.

Though it could not directly alter reality, it could influence the mind, triggering causes and amplifying or diminishing the likelihood of best or worst outcomes.

Just like now, the enemy could have easily defended the pass but instead chose to march out and fight. Though many factors were at play, this influence was undoubtedly one of them.

“Roar!”

In Wu Ming’s eyes, Wu Zhi’s army exuded a towering aura, within which a red dragon roamed majestically, radiant and awe-inspiring.

On the enemy side, though ten thousand troops also gathered fortune into clouds, their formation was chaotic. Within it, a three-headed evil dragon thrashed about, its form scattered and deviating from the righteous path.

At the red dragon’s roar, the evil dragon shrank back, its bravado hollow.

“The gap is this wide—no need to even fight…”

Wu Ming shook his head, though he found the hidden fortune connections around the evil dragon quite interesting.

“But to become a dragon, it must have received significant dragon qi support… Right, which vassal lord would want to see Wu Zhi successfully march on Luoyang?”

“Worldly warfare shall be resolved by the armies. Matters of the cultivation world, leave to you all!”

He turned back, speaking solemnly to his subordinates.

“We obey the Young Master’s command!”

Below the hill, a dense crowd gathered—Daoist Celestial Observers, Four Symbols Sect cultivators, Mohist engineers, Confucian scholars of the Grand Principle, Legalist spellcasters… various extraordinary figures knelt and loudly pledged obedience.

Since Wu Zhi’s rising power, countless people had flocked to her side—every sect and school imaginable. Wu Ming had integrated them into a cultivation organization dedicated to protecting the new dynasty, specifically to counter enemy cultivators, and later to monitor and suppress rogue practitioners across the realm after the victory.

“Master Tianxiang, you go here!”

“And the Gongsu family, handle the Yingshan direction!”

…

Following the fortune’s guidance, Wu Ming casually assigned tasks: “As for those above the Immortal Sage level, I will personally handle them. You may proceed!”

“Understood!”

Those below vaguely understood Wu Ming’s cultivation level, none daring to disobey. After another salute, Daoist techniques and Mohist machinery activated simultaneously, several beams of light vanishing into the distance.

“Charge!”

From the distant battlefield, the cries of battle shook the heavens as both armies slowly approached, their cavalry suddenly launching a charge.

Wu Zhi’s military strategy no longer relied on trickery but concentrated superior forces. She immediately sent five thousand cavalry charging forward. This straightforward approach was nearly unstoppable in the cold-weapon era—only overwhelming force could counter it, rendering any clever tactics useless.

At the same time, high above the battlefield.

With the red dragon’s roar, a dark ray resembling dragon breath shot forth, striking the three-headed evil dragon.

Struck by this blow, the evil dragon wailed in pain and exploded, its former menace completely shattered.

“Follow me in the charge!”

At the cavalry’s vanguard, Wu Tiehu laughed heartily. The Star of the Ram constantly empowered him, filling his body with explosive energy, urging him to conquer, kill, and plunder everything under heaven.

Under the Star of the Ram’s blessing, his martial prowess had nearly reached the peak of the mundane world, rivaling a martial sage. A few swings of his blade sent several enemy cavalry commanders tumbling from their horses. The dense starlight even formed a radiant armor around him, protecting against arrows and stray projectiles.

The enemy cavalry collapsed instantly upon contact. Wu Tiehu charged ahead, breaking through the infantry formations.

“Kill!”

Once the spearhead charge breached their defenses, the infantry immediately collapsed. Their lack of command coordination became evident as they scattered in panic toward the rear.

Once the retreating tide became a wave, it easily shattered the carefully arranged formations, triggering a catastrophic collapse like an avalanche.

Any competent general would deploy execution squads to shoot down anyone breaking formation.

But now, for some unknown reason, the enemy’s main force was also in chaos, issuing no orders at all.

“Infantry advance!”

Wu Zhi naturally seized this opportunity, personally beating the war drum as her army steadily pressed forward.

More and more fleeing soldiers emerged, and with the main force already struck, the ten thousand-strong enemy army collapsed entirely. Tens of thousands ran aimlessly, discarding armor and weapons, a scene truly shocking.

Zeng Yu stared blankly at this spectacle, then bowed deeply: “Congratulations to the King! Our army has achieved a great victory! In the future, we shall certainly unify the realm and bring all nineteen provinces under our rule!”

With the allied forces defeated, the secondary capital and court lay within reach. Zeng Yu no longer harbored any doubts about Duke Ding’s future!