TNIBFT -Chapter 285 Shocking the Ancients

On a slope not far away, Ye Tian stood tall and upright, his bearing extraordinary.

The common people quickly recognized him, and their attention was instantly drawn.

During this period, thanks to Ye Tian’s policies, the lives of ordinary people in Sifang City had reached an unprecedented peak of happiness. In their hearts, they truly acknowledged and supported him!

“It must be the City Lord’s arrangement!”

“Come on, let’s all go!”

“If it weren’t for the war, I’d be willing to stay in Sifang City for the rest of my life…”

“The City Lord is definitely not what Shi Xuan said!”

The crowd of onlookers no longer spared Shi Xuan another glance and rushed toward the small slope where Ye Tian stood.

From the city gate to the slope was only a little over two hundred meters, and the people surged forward eagerly.

“You…!”

“You fools! One day you’ll regret this!” Shi Xuan struggled up from the ground, his eyes filled with resentment as he cursed at the crowd’s backs.

Shi Hao’s face turned livid with anger, but toward his elder brother, he felt more helpless than anything.

“Father?”

Seeing Ye Tian, Ye Shuangxue became anxious, her watery eyes turning toward Ye Yunting. The young boy’s face was serious. “Let’s go, we’ll take a look too.”

“Something big must have happened!”

The three siblings, along with Old Yang, ran with the crowd.

Shi Hao followed closely behind.

Xiao Jiang turned his head and looked at Shi Xuan, whose cotton robe was covered in mud. After thinking for a moment, he quietly turned back.

After all, he was a good child—he understood the principle of returning favors!

“Damn it!”

“Shi Hao, you bastard—one day I’ll make you kneel and beg for mercy…”

Shi Xuan muttered curses as he dusted off his clothes. “And Ye Tian—just wait until the people of Great Zhou arrive. Let’s see how you die then!”

Before he could finish speaking—

A strong force suddenly kicked him hard in the backside. Before he could react, his whole body was sent flying forward, his head slamming straight into the ground.

“Ow!”

“Who was that?!”

“Who dares to kick me? I’ll kill you!” Shi Xuan bared his teeth in pain. Before he even opened his eyes fully, he saw a tender, childlike face staring at him with wide eyes. “You—”

As he opened his mouth—

A handful of white powder was dumped straight into it. His tongue tingled slightly, carrying a bitter taste.

“Ptooey!”

“Ptooey, ptooey!”

“You little brat, what did you make me eat?!” Shi Xuan was on the verge of tears. But when he scrambled to his feet, the child was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn it, was that a ghost?!”

Still cursing, Shi Xuan suddenly felt the light around him becoming a bit glaring.

Before he could think further, he saw streams of citizens rushing toward Ye Tian’s direction. Unwilling to accept it, he followed behind the crowd, determined to see how Ye Tian would “fool” these idiots this time.

…

“The City Lord has given orders—no one is to approach!”

“Citizens may go up to the city walls to watch—move along!”

“Step back!”

“Step back!”

Numerous city guards surrounded the small slope. Forget two hundred meters—even within a radius of five hundred meters, no one was allowed to get close.

“Xiao Jiang?”

Seeing his younger brother panting, Ye Yunting said, “Where did you go? There are too many people—don’t run around!”

“Hehe, got it!”

Xiao Jiang scratched the back of his head, then glanced at the guards driving people away. “Uncle Yang, let’s go up to the city wall too. Let’s see what my father is planning.”

At this moment—

Ye Tian stood at a high point. Within several hundred meters ahead, there was not a single person.

On the ground, markers had already been placed according to Ye Tian’s instructions.

“Everything ready?” Ye Tian asked.

Everyone wore solemn expressions, a hint of tension in the air.

Qin Fengyi stared at Ye Tian’s profile, her gaze carrying a tenderness she showed to no one else.

Zhu Zhongyi stood silently to the side.

“Ready!”

Someone called out.

Ye Tian nodded.

Looking at the hastily manufactured cannon before him, a trace of excitement and anticipation rose in his heart.

Across from them, the city wall was already packed with people.

Old Yang had two children sitting on his shoulders and another perched on his neck, squeezed into the middle of the crowd.

“Uncle Yang, move a bit forward—I still can’t see!”

Old Yang felt helpless.

His height was his fatal weakness. He wanted to see too, so he could only grit his teeth and push forward.

“What is the City Lord doing?”

“Is he offering sacrifices to the heavens?”

“Will that even work?”

“If war really breaks out, shouldn’t we be thinking about negotiating peace instead?”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Ye Shuangxue said nothing, her full attention fixed on the small slope ahead. In her bright, dark eyes, it seemed as if a black fireball streaked past in an instant, her pupils widening sharply.

That speed!

What was that?

Before her mind could even process it, a burst of flames shot into the sky on the distant snowfield. Black smoke coiled upward as snow and earth were blasted into the air. The sheer force was terrifying.

“Boom!”

A thunderous explosion rang out, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing.

The entire world seemed to fall silent. Ye Shuangxue felt her ears ringing as the deafening blasts echoed again and again.

Where the fireball landed, it blasted a charred crater into the snow, a horrifying sight.

In the distance came the howls of wild beasts.

Dogs barked frantically within the city, mixed with the cries of the crowd and the heart-wrenching wails of children.

Ye Shuangxue was stunned.

What… was this?

Even from such a distance, she could still feel its terror.

“Uncle… Yang…”

Ye Yunting stammered.

Old Yang stood frozen, mouth agape. This thing had completely surpassed his understanding. So terrifying—what on earth was it?

Shi Xuan had just climbed onto the city wall when the explosion startled him. His foot slipped, and he tumbled down the steps.

Terrified, his legs went weak as he lay sprawled on the ground.

Around him, countless citizens dropped to their knees, trembling.

“It must be the gods—the gods are angry!”

“Save us! Our Sifang City may be guilty, but after decades, haven’t we been punished enough?”

“It’s the City Lord—that fireball came from his side!”

Someone cried out in shock.

Instantly, people prostrated themselves on the ground.

“The City Lord is a reincarnated immortal! He saved all of us, invented medicines, and gave us peaceful lives—he is a merciful deity!”

“A reincarnated immortal!”

“With the City Lord here, why should we fear the Great Zhou?”

The citizens, faces full of reverence, knelt one after another. Some even began praying for safety.

Thunder!

Firelight!

These were powers only immortals possessed—able to move mountains and seas with a gesture. Could such terrifying strength belong to a mere human?

“Hahaha…”

“The Great Zhou army is here—they’re coming!” Shi Xuan shouted from the ground, his eyes unfocused. His expression shifted between terror and madness, his voice piercing the stunned silence.

Disheveled and unkempt, the medicinal powder he had taken was beginning to take effect.

The thunderous explosions stirred fear and hallucinations deep within him. As he looked at the crowd kneeling on the city wall, his eyes filled with horror. The kneeling citizens transformed into fierce Great Zhou soldiers crouching on one knee, all raising their heads to stare at him.

He collapsed in fright, limbs limp, scrambling on the ground.

“N-no… don’t kill me… don’t kill me!”