FRGNM -Chapter 226 The Battle Begins

“Jiang Wei, don’t push things too far!” His face changing drastically, Qian Guang drew in a sharp breath. He naturally understood the current situation. But the city gates could not be opened—once they were, the enemy would invade!

Yet if the gates stayed shut, how could they fend off this horde of magical beasts? Inside the imperial city, the barrier prevented them from using Dou Qi at all. But once the gates were opened, it would mean the fall of the capital. An army of a million—how could they possibly fight that?

With a soft chuckle, Jiang Wei raised a finger and said calmly, “Then I’ll give you one incense stick’s time to think it over. If there’s no decision by then, our magical beasts will attack on their own.”

“Do we really need an incense stick’s time?” A cold voice rose. A figure in full armor stepped forward, spear in hand, radiating the bearing of a female general.

Killing intent surged in her eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through her dark pupils. She gripped the city wall and said coolly, “Whether your beasts can actually succeed in attacking isn’t certain yet. Shall we give it a try?”

“Hah, so it’s the Princess.” Jiang Wei laughed loudly. “Princess, we lowly folk naturally trust in your strength, but… you have catapults and archers—do you think we don’t?”
As he laughed, he clapped his hands lightly, and the catapults behind him were brought forward.

Qian Yi’s expression darkened. She gripped her spear tightly, staring coldly at the people below. Damn it. If they used catapults, wooden spikes, or archers to kill the beasts, the enemy would immediately retaliate in kind. The barrier here had its limits—even if it could block attacks, how long could it last?

“So then, Princess,” Jiang Wei sneered, “I advise you to open the gates. That would be good for both you and me. As long as everyone inside surrenders and General Lie Yun ascends the throne, your status and position will remain the same, with endless wealth and glory. Isn’t that a good deal?”

Good for both sides?

Wouldn’t Nangong Mo still be the crown prince then? Would they really treat the Murong family the same and not wipe them out completely? Throughout history, it had always been the victor who became king and the loser who perished. If they lost, that man would surely face only death.

As she thought this, a large hand pressed gently on her shoulder, pulling her into a solid embrace. Looking indifferently at those below, Nangong Mo curled his lips in disdain.

“Since when did dogs at Lie Yun’s side start putting on airs? One sentence— we will never surrender. If you want to fight, then fight. Whoever doesn’t fight is a coward. Do you dare?”

“You!”

Jiang Wei was nearly driven to vomit blood by those words. Clenching his fists, he said coldly, “Fine. Since you’re courting death, don’t blame us! Everyone prepare—feed the beasts!”

“Yes!”

The troops below roared in unison, swiftly untying the ropes. White powder sprayed into the air, and the once-calm magical beasts seemed violently stimulated. Their eyes turned blood-red, and deep roars burst from their throats.

“Let go of me!” Qian Yi quickly broke free. Seeing the beasts about to attack, her brows knitted tightly as she asked in a low voice, “What do we do now? With so many beasts charging in, even if we had ten times our forces, we couldn’t stop them.”

“No need to be afraid. Do you really think Luo Mingyu and the others are useless?” Nangong Mo smiled faintly. “Besides, the two of them each have their own sacred beasts.”

“Roar!”

The freed beasts went mad, leaping toward the city walls. Their speed was terrifying—within moments they reached the walls, claws slashing inward.

Dou Qi surged. Countless bolts of lightning crashed down. The frenzied beasts were struck and fell like roasted meat, only to be devoured instantly by the beasts surging up behind them.

“What—what’s going on?!” Jiang Wei’s face changed drastically as he stared at the lightning in the sky. Could touching the barrier really bring down lightning on the beasts? Impossible! They had brought beasts in and out before without any issues!

Had someone altered the barrier?

In his shock, Jiang Wei spotted figures within the city. Shadows leapt across rooftops, each holding heavy crossbows, bows slung on their backs. Every arrow fired was coated in Dou Qi, striking the beasts and drawing down accumulated lightning directly onto them.

So that was it—using the rules of the imperial city’s barrier against them. Fine. He wanted to see whether their arrows were more accurate, or his beasts more numerous!

“Release all the beasts—attack!” Jiang Wei sneered as the central road split open. Rows of beasts were unleashed, surging forward.

The red-eyed beasts clawed at the ground, then sprang upward in layers, smashing into the barrier again and again.

The golden barrier trembled, on the verge of shattering. Inside, the people merely watched calmly.

Crack—

Suddenly, the barrier split, a small fracture spreading outward. Even the hidden crossbowmen couldn’t kill every beast in an instant.

Beasts piled atop one another, falling under lightning only to surge up again, blotting out the sky as they gnawed madly at the barrier.

“The barrier’s about to break. Do you regret it?” Nangong Mo snorted. His right hand jabbed forward, his finger piercing the barrier. Purple Dou Qi erupted, blasting the beasts away.

Qian Yi stared in shock. “You—you’re a Purple Sovereign?! This…”

Purple Sovereigns were exceedingly rare—was he truly such a prodigy?

“I ask you—do you regret it?” With a sweep of his arm, the barrier shattered completely, the beasts in front sent flying.

Taking a deep breath, Qian Yi smiled. “What do you think? If I regretted it, would I have donned armor and come here for you? Nangong Mo—Murong Mo—do you regret it?”

“Never!” Purple Dou Qi tore through the heavens, blasting the surrounding beasts away. At the same time, a thunderous crash rang out—the barrier of Duanyun Kingdom collapsed entirely.

Jiang Wei burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Good, Nangong Mo! See that? Your turtle shell is gone. Still planning to hide up there and not come down? Oh right—you only have this imperial city. Once the gates open, you’ve already lost.”

After all, they commanded an army of a million.

“Hide?” Nangong Mo sneered. “I never planned to hide. You want to enter the city? Fine—I’ll give you the chance. If you dare, come in!”

With a slap of his hand, the city gates swung open—then the defending troops vanished without a trace. The empty city lay exposed before them, save for catapults and archers on the walls. Shield troops, cavalry, and spearmen were nowhere to be seen.

What was going on?

Jiang Wei frowned, staring coldly. The city should still have a hundred thousand troops. No matter how foolish Nangong Mo was, he shouldn’t have withdrawn them all.

“Nangong Mo, what game are you playing?” Jiang Wei sneered warily, not daring to rush in.

Nangong Mo waved casually. “Didn’t you say you wanted to occupy the capital? I’ve opened the gates for you. Now—do you dare to enter?”

Jiang Wei’s face darkened, fists clenched.

Someone beside him whispered, “General, this feels like a trap. Besides Nangong Mo and the Qian father and daughter, there are also two from Qiong Jade Immortal Island inside. Their strength is terrifying—there must be mechanisms waiting for us.”

“Hmph. Mechanisms?” Jiang Wei snorted. “So what? With a million troops, I don’t believe we’ll lose to his tricks. The gates are open—advance!”

He led the way, shield troops following, then cavalry, then archers, all pouring through the gate.

Inside, Ling Ruoxi chuckled softly, gazing at the chessboard before her. The pieces were already laid out—strangely, the black pieces moved on their own.

“Ridiculous. A fatal mistake in warfare. Lie Yun—why did you send such an idiot, thinking he understands Duanyun Kingdom completely?”

Smiling, she moved a white piece. “Shield troops first, then cavalry, with archers and spearmen behind? Jiang Wei—what will you do once your army is split apart?”

Three more white pieces fell. Her smile grew brighter.

They entered the city.

Jiang Wei’s nerves were taut as he stared at the capital. Without the restriction on Dou Qi, he felt exhilarated. But when he looked up at the walls—everyone who had been there moments ago was gone. Only catapults and wooden spikes remained.

“Hmph. Cowards—ran the moment we entered?” he sneered.

But as he turned, his expression grew grim. He knew the capital like the back of his hand—yet the scenery beyond the East Gate was completely wrong. Thick walls twisted and intersected like a maze, blocking their path, making it impossible to tell which way to go.