"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the [Conquer the Earth City] quest, and receive quest compensation rewards: Current level experience +35%, Charm value +1, Gold coins +1500, Prestige value +1000!
...
The moment Lin Zhao stepped into the territory of Earth City, a bell sound rang in his ears. As expected, he was still in quest mode. Capturing a city would earn him quest compensation rewards. The rewards were not bad, at least much better than painstakingly grinding monsters or completing tasks. Most importantly, he even received charm value. Charm value was priceless, yet Lin Zhao had accumulated over 40 points. To other players, this was almost impossible, as even players of Shen Xingchen's caliber only had a little over ten charm points. The difference was considerable.
"Whoosh!"
Beside him, Chu Yu ordered two cavalry soldiers to unfold a terrain map of Dongwu Kingdom. He pointed forward and said, "My lord, there are two more cities ahead, named Lizheng and Sangcheng respectively. Both are fertile lands, important fish and grain production areas of Dongwu Kingdom, and have always been heavily guarded. We received news from the surrendered soldiers that Sangcheng is defended by at least fifteen hundred troops, all of them elite soldiers of Dongwu Kingdom, skilled in archery and horsemanship. The commander of the garrison is a renowned general of Dongwu Kingdom named Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng has extremely high prestige in Dongwu Kingdom. If we can capture Sangcheng and make Xu Sheng surrender, then Lizheng can be taken without a fight, because the commander of Lizheng is Xu Sheng's disciple."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao frowned and asked, "Chu Yu, what kind of person is Xu Sheng?"
Chu Yu replied calmly, "He is upright and loyal. Back then, when a demon army marched south, almost all the northern gateway cities of Dongwu Kingdom surrendered. Only Xu Sheng held onto Sangcheng and refused to yield. Finally, the King issued an imperial decree to surrender the city, and only then did he open the gates and allow the demon army to enter."
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback. "The demon army is cruel and difficult to control. Many things must have happened afterward, right?"
"Mmm."
Chu Yu nodded. "According to the surrendered generals, after the demon army entered Sangcheng, they initially committed no outrages. But the next day, they began looting property, killing, and setting fires. In a fit of rage, Xu Sheng led three thousand garrison troops and fought fiercely with the demons within the city. After killing over five hundred demon soldiers, he was relieved of his military command. From then on, Xu Sheng was dejected and stayed out of state affairs. He only resurfaced more than twenty years ago to defend the northwestern gateway of Dongwu Kingdom."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Sangcheng, I still wish to take it without a fight. Do you dare to accompany me on a trip? We'll go and meet this Xu Sheng."
"Certainly."
Chu Yu smiled slightly. "Xu Sheng is only an eighth-realm martial artist. My lord, please rest assured. With me here, he wouldn't dare to act rashly."
"Mmm."
...
At noon in the game, Lin Zhao and Chu Yu led 500 cavalry and 1000 surrendered soldiers to the front of Sangcheng. Indeed, Sangcheng was a formidable city. Its walls were built with blue giant rocks, stretching nearly five li north to south. Banners fluttered on the city walls, and the defending soldiers were well-armed and armored, with long spears thrusting out, clearly ready to face Lin Zhao's 500 cavalry.
Chu Yu rode his horse forward slowly and, under the city, cupped his fist towards the soldiers on the wall and said, "My lord wishes to meet General Xu Sheng. We hope General Xu Sheng will come out of the city to meet us!"
Lin Zhao rode his horse forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Chu Yu.
On the city wall, an old general in armor with a white-flecked beard held a battle saber. He was the defending commander, Xu Sheng. Although old, his complexion was full and ruddy. He leaped lightly onto the battlements and said with a hearty laugh, "Meet outside the city? You bandits dare to invade our border, do you dare to enter the city to meet?"
Lin Zhao cupped his fist and smiled, "Certainly!"
"Open the city gate!"
With Xu Sheng's command, the iron gate beneath the city pass slowly opened. Instantly, a group of armored soldiers from the city drew their swords, pointing them directly at Lin Zhao and Chu Yu. Lin Zhao frowned, then led Chu Yu into the city on horseback. In the city square, the old general Xu Sheng had set up a table, a pot of wine, and two cups. He sat there casually and said with a smile, "Make yourselves at home!"
Lin Zhao smiled and stopped in front of the old general, cupping his fist. "From Xueyu Tianchi, Bai Yi. Greetings, Lord Xu Sheng!"
"Bai Yi?"
Xu Sheng frowned and said, "I heard that someone recently gathered a mob on Xueyu Tianchi to resist the demon race, and even killed an eleventh-realm demon. Their leader was a young sword cultivator named Bai Yi. Could it be you?"
"It is I."
"Hmph!"
The old general's face was filled with anger. He said faintly, "Since you are a human sword cultivator who killed demons on Xueyu Tianchi, why are you following the Lin Lu Legion to conquer my Dongwu Kingdom?"
Lin Zhao sat down and retorted, "I also want to ask, since you are a human general, why do you submit to the demon race? The people living within Dongwu Kingdom are all human subjects. Why are you flying the demon race's war banner?"
Xu Sheng was speechless and could not answer. After a long pause, he asked, "Are you here to persuade me to surrender?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao admitted with a nod. "Actually, I'm not entirely here to persuade you to surrender. I'm also here to save your reputation, Lord Xu Sheng, and the lives of all the people in the city."
"What do you mean?"
Xu Sheng raised his eyebrows, his eyes filled with a strong fighting spirit, and he sneered, "With your mere 500 cavalry, you think you can capture my Sangcheng?"
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao also raised his eyebrows. Instantly, Chu Yu, standing behind him, trembled. A powerful fist intent flowed around his body, and streaks of oppressive fist qi crushed outwards in all directions. The faces of the Dongwu Kingdom's armored soldiers turned pale, and they could barely breathe. Facing the suppression of a Haijing realm martial artist's aura, even Xu Sheng's heart turned cold. The gap was too great!
Lin Zhao looked at the other party and said calmly, his gaze serene, "With a Haijing realm martial artist and 500 cavalry, can we flatten your mere Sangcheng? The victors will undoubtedly be us. The only difference is that a few more people will die, but undoubtedly, the defenders of Sangcheng will suffer more casualties."
Xu Sheng gritted his teeth and said coldly, "Bai Yi, what exactly do you want?"
"To save the lives of everyone in your city."
Lin Zhao said lightly, "Before the siege, the commander-in-chief Yu Rang issued an order for us to capture these cities before daylight. Do you know why such an order was given?"
"Why?"
"It's very simple..."
Lin Zhao looked at the other party, his face expressionless. "Those who open their gates and surrender before daylight will be spared. If the city is breached after dark, there will likely be a massacre."
"Are you threatening me?" Xu Sheng raised his eyebrows.
"My lord is not threatening you."
Chu Yu said calmly and collectedly, "The battle reports from the northern three provinces of the Great Shang Dynasty over the past ten years clearly state that our old General Yu Rang is known as the White-Haired Yama. He has fought countless battles, conquering numerous cities. Half of these cities suffered massacres due to their resistance. You, Lord Xu Sheng, must have heard of such things, right?"
Xu Sheng clenched his fists, his expression hesitant.
Lin Zhao said, "Offer your city and surrender. At least it will ensure the safety of the city. Your Dongwu Kingdom is, after all, a human dynasty. Your fifty thousand soldiers cannot withstand the ten thousand iron cavalry of the Lin Lu Legion."
"Understood."
Xu Sheng frowned. "I am willing to surrender my city, but... can you guarantee the safety of everyone in Sangcheng?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao smiled faintly. "If Yu Rang really intends to attack Sangcheng, I will lead my 500 cavalry to fight them to the death. It doesn't matter, I am not from the Great Shang Dynasty anyway."
"Good!"
Xu Sheng nodded. "I will surrender my city!"
...
Not long after, another bell sound rang. Lin Zhao received a series of generous rewards:
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the [Conquer Sangcheng] quest, and receive quest compensation rewards: Current level experience +35%, Charm value +1, Gold coins +1500, Prestige value +1000!
It was nearing dusk.
As night was about to descend upon the land, Lin Zhao, Chu Yu, and Xu Sheng led a group of cavalry to the last city of the northern three cities, Lizheng. Under the city, the old general Xu Sheng gathered his true qi and said in a deep voice, "Zhou Tai, I have already surrendered to the Great Shang Dynasty. You should also quickly offer your city and surrender, so as not to have the entire city's populace die with you."
"Master!?"
On the city wall, a sixth-realm martial artist commander stared in disbelief.
"Why are you hesitating?" Xu Sheng shouted.
Zhou Tai gritted his teeth and roared, "Master, as defenders of Dongwu, we receive the emperor's salary and favor. How can we surrender so easily? If Master wants to surrender, then surrender. My bones are hard, and I will absolutely not surrender!"
Lin Zhao turned to look at Chu Yu.
The next moment, Chu Yu leaped into the air from his horse and landed like lightning on the city wall. With a spread of his jade-like fingers, a dense fist qi erupted, and he easily grabbed Zhou Tai by the neck, throwing him directly down from the city.
"What!?"
A group of defending commanders cried out in alarm: "Haijing realm martial artist?"
Zhou Tai fell to the ground, bruised and swollen, and got up with a look of shock. "Hai... Haijing realm?"
"Are you still receiving the emperor's salary?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
Zhou Tai trembled and slowly knelt on one knee, cupping his fist. "Zhou Tai... is willing to surrender!"
So simple!
After the cavalry of the Xueyu Legion entered the city in an orderly fashion, Lin Zhao once again received a bell sound:
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the [Conquer Lizheng] quest, and receive quest compensation rewards: Current level experience +35%, Charm value +1, Gold coins +1500, Prestige value +1000!
...
"Whoosh~~~"
A ray of golden light descended from the sky. He leveled up, reaching level 94, one step closer to the legendary level 100. Once he reached level 100, he could undergo his second sword cultivator class change, and his title would change from "Sword Hero" to "Sword Master," which sounded even more formidable.
After Lin Zhao completed his mission, he received much praise from Yu Rang for capturing three formidable cities without bloodshed. This military exploit was arguably the foremost of the current campaign. While the Xueyu Legion progressed smoothly, other battalions were not so fortunate, with some still engaged in fierce fighting throughout the night. The border of Dongwu Kingdom was already engulfed in flames.
Late at night, they set up camp to rest.
Tents were erected on the plain. Lin Zhao was restless. He rode his horse up a small hill and looked into the distance. The land was covered with a dense expanse of campfires, exceptionally tranquil.
Chu Yu pursed her red lips and stood quietly beside him, lost in thought.
Lin Zhao suddenly recalled a poem and softly recited:
"A journey of mountains, a journey of rivers, a thousand tents lit in the deep night."
"..."
Chu Yu trembled slightly and looked at Lin Zhao. "The next line?"
Lin Zhao turned to look in the direction of Xueyu Tianchi. The biting wind blew against his face, and his voice was incredibly gentle.
"A watch of wind, a watch of snow, the homeland is now silent."
Chu Yu looked into the distance, tears already welling up in her eyes.