The City Lord of Shou’an City was a young man with deeply sunken eyes, a clear sign of excessive indulgence in wine and women.

His attire, adorned with brocade embroidery and pearls, spoke volumes of his noble lineage. According to Xue Ru Shi, this was the third son of Marquis Guangping, Li Fu – a man known for his avarice, lechery, and penchant for surrounding himself with sycophants and thugs. Marquis Guangping, finding him a disgrace, had long since exiled him from Guiyi, transferring him to a remote border province.

His name was Zi Ye, yet he had accomplished nothing of note. It was said that his cultivation, while possessing some innate talent, was largely the result of countless spirit medicines. He had barely managed to push open the Heaven and Earth Gate, reaching the level of Tenglong. Beyond that, his progress had been utterly unremarkable. Marquis Guangping had expended considerable effort, accumulating official achievements on his behalf, solely to secure him a position within the inner mansion realm. Divine abilities? He possessed not a single one. Were it not for his illustrious father, he would never have attained the position of a City Lord, no matter how he tried.

His time in Shou’an City had been one of unchecked freedom, far from the watchful eye of the emperor. Each day was a swirl of debauchery and ill repute. All matters concerning the city’s defense were entrusted to the City Guard Commander, Yuan Zhen, a loyal subordinate of Li Fu from years past.

Heavy Xuan Sheng had laid siege to the city for two days, and Li Zi Ye had not once set foot on the city wall. Yet, for reasons unknown, he had suddenly decided to inspect the defenses today. Jiang Wang, with his Gan Yang Chi Tong, could clearly see the dazed expression on his face, as if he had just woken from a drunken stupor.

According to Xue Ru Shi, a man like this should have been easy to persuade into surrender…

His current reaction, however, was unexpectedly fierce. Standing on the city wall, he unleashed a torrent of foul language, his curses flying back and forth with an unstoppable momentum. He cursed with such vigor that the several thousand soldiers of the Xinrong Camp were shamed into silence. His curses spurred a wave of cheers from the soldiers on the Shou’an City wall.

Heavy Xuan Sheng, on the other hand, seemed largely unconcerned. He knew well that a person’s usual demeanor did not define their entirety. Nor did he care that Li Zi Ye, a mere fop, had displayed an unexpected burst of courage in this critical moment. With the fate of Feng Li Fu already sealed, the determination and bravery of a few individuals were ultimately irrelevant to the larger picture.

If there was anything remotely worth considering, it was the morale of the Xinrong Camp. After all, “eating one bell from the enemy is worth twenty of my own.”

Xue Ru Shi watched Li Zi Ye on the city wall, this fop whom he usually disdained. He clearly possessed the martial might to crush him with a single hand, the eloquence to curse him until he vomited blood, and countless valid reasons to “choose a good tree to perch on.” Yet, in the end, he said nothing, his face ashen, and returned to Heavy Xuan Sheng’s side.

“Heavy Xuan General, I…”

Heavy Xuan Sheng smiled and asked him, “Is Marquis Guangping from Chang Luo?”

Xue Ru Shi, bewildered by the sudden question, answered truthfully, “His ancestral home is in Chang Luo.”

Heavy Xuan Sheng glanced at Jiang Wang, a look in his eyes that seemed to say, *See? Did I not tell you?* Then, turning to Xue Ru Shi, he continued, “Being cursed and insulted to your face doesn’t feel good, does it?”

Xue Ru Shi remained silent.

Heavy Xuan Sheng’s voice was heavy with meaning as he said, “General Xue, this Li Zi Ye is but a fleeting existence, here today and gone tomorrow. No matter how unpleasant his curses, they will have no bearing on your reputation. I do not know how many Li Zi Yes exist in the Xia Kingdom, but I do know this – the same event will be recorded entirely differently in the history of Xia and the history of Qi.”

“This subordinate… understands!” Xue Ru Shi replied.

Heavy Xuan Sheng patted his shoulder. “The history of Xia will undoubtedly end with this battle. The survival of a place like Dai City may not even be recorded. But the history of Qi will be long. You can choose to leave no mark, or you can choose to make your mark. It all depends on your performance.”

Having spoken, he did not wait for Xue Ru Shi’s response. He strode forward, reaching within a hundred paces of the city gate, and looked up at the city wall. “Li Zi Ye!”

His voice boomed like thunder, causing the flags on the city wall to flutter and silencing Li Zi Ye’s torrent of curses. “This old man knows you’re a bastard! I couldn’t care less how you lord it over the people of Xia. But Xue Ru Shi is different! I have given him orders, his name is recorded, he is already a man of Qi! You dare to insult and curse this old man’s subordinate? Do you truly not wish for a peaceful death?”

He pointed his halberd at the city wall, as if aiming it directly at the face of that young man with deeply sunken eyes. “Today, if you do not apologize to him, when the city is breached, I will make you a sky lantern!”

His voice, his presence, his might…

They sent Li Zi Ye staggering back a step, almost falling over!

The Shou’an City Guard Commander beside him, seeing the situation turn sour, supported him with one hand and waved forward with the other.

Instantly, the massive crossbows on the city wall were drawn. Eight heavy military-grade Divine Breaking Crossbow bolts, each nine *chi* long, locked onto their targets and howled through the air.

Heavy Xuan Sheng pressed his large hand forward, his Heavy Xuan force surging outwards, directly halting the eight roaring Divine Breaking Crossbow bolts in mid-air! With a single grip, these eight bolts twisted and contorted, forming a tangled mass of iron, which was then crushed into a massive iron ball.

“Li Zi Ye, I give you one day to consider! Surrender, and apologize! Otherwise…”

The massive iron ball in the air transformed as he spoke, finally taking the shape of an iron man with its belly torn open. With a flick of Heavy Xuan Sheng’s hand, it was hurled forward, smashing heavily onto the ground before the city gate!

“Such an iron man!”

At the same time, he hooked a finger with his other hand behind his back.

Jiang Wang, mounted on his horse, instinctively understood. His pupils turned a fiery gold, and he simply glanced at the iron man. A wisp of flame ignited in the iron man’s navel, burning fiercely!

It was truly like a person, being burned alive into a sky lantern!

Li Zi Ye had never witnessed such a spectacle. It was true that he harbored love for his country and deep hatred for the people of Qi, but he was, after all, merely a pampered fop from an esteemed family, accustomed to harassing innocent women and never having truly faced a test of life and death! Seeing the horrifying form his potential demise could take, presented in such a visceral manner, he nearly collapsed. What consideration for decorum could he possibly have?

“Extinguish it, extinguish it!” he screamed from the city wall.

Nearby officers scrambled, casting Dao techniques, triggering a torrent of water to pour down. The water from the Dao techniques rushed towards the flames, only to be ignited by the fire! The flames surged back up along with the waterfall, almost reaching the city wall, their fiery light baring fangs and claws.

The group of officers on the city wall were so startled that they all recoiled. Li Zi Ye stumbled back further, only to realize that the flames had already been halted by the brilliance of the city’s protective great array. They couldn’t actually harm him…

Yuan Zhen watched it all unfold in silence, knowing that Shou’an City was fundamentally indefensible. Morale had already collapsed, and all aid had been cut off. No one could change the inevitable now. With even the City Lord reduced to this state, the fall of Shou’an City was a foregone conclusion… It was merely a matter of whether they were willing to die for the city.

He himself was not afraid of death. Li Zi Ye, deep down, possessed some mettle; perhaps, with gritted teeth, he could die alongside the city. But what about the others?

As Li Zi Ye stood there, bewildered and lost, the expressions in the eyes of many people had already shifted… Anger could breed courage, and hatred could fuel strength. But a splash of cold water, and fear would extinguish everything.

Yuan Zhen stepped forward, shielding Li Zi Ye behind him, and said to Heavy Xuan Sheng, “We can surrender, but…”

Heavy Xuan Sheng waved a large hand, cutting him off. “I do not like others negotiating with me. I will now repeat my terms. If you can accept them, then open the city gates! If you cannot, then wait for death!”

“Open the city gates now and surrender. This Li Zi Ye will sincerely apologize to my subordinate. If you do this, not a single person in Shou’an City will die when the city is opened. I promise you all the same treatment as the Dai City Guard Army. I promise you all the dignity of being a man of Qi from now on!”

Having said this, Heavy Xuan Sheng flicked his robe sleeve. “Choose!”

“I will not apologize!” Li Zi Ye, who had not even been able to stand steady moments before, murmured the words, then raised his voice, hysterical with rage. “Don’t even think about it, I will not apologize! Traitors should be cursed! I will curse them even more! Xue Ru Shi, you dog…”

“You can refuse to apologize!” Heavy Xuan Sheng’s voice was even louder, drowning out his curses, and he spoke with extreme ferocity. “You can also commit suicide before I breach the city to avoid suffering! But how many people are in your Marquis Guangping’s household? Will they all manage to commit suicide in time? When Guiyi City was breached, my subordinate suffered insults. I swear on the name of the Heavy Xuan family that I will avenge him!”

Xue Ru Shi stood behind Heavy Xuan Sheng, silent for a moment. He, of course, knew that Heavy Xuan Sheng’s posture was mostly for show, but his heart was still inevitably touched. Although he was a collateral branch of the Marquis Yangling’s family, related by marriage and clinging to power, how many people truly cared about his dignity? Despite always looking down on Li Zi Ye, hadn’t he always had to greet him with a smile? He cherished his reputation, worked diligently, and toiled for years, only to enter Dai City one day. Li Zi Ye, who had accomplished nothing, yet became the City Lord of Shou’an simply because of his incompetence! How could Li Zi Ye have ever truly looked up to him in his heart?

Heavy Xuan Sheng, however, was genuinely upholding his dignity, supporting him with immense domineering force. Regardless of his motivation… This act truly wiped away his regret and lessened his shame.

Not far away, the soldiers of the Xinrong Camp, who had been drooping their heads in shame from being cursed, unconsciously straightened their backs. A subtle sense of recognition for the identity of “man of Qi” began to form.

Meanwhile, on the city wall, Li Zi Ye, who had been grinding his teeth in fury, was in a completely different state of mind. He wanted to curse the Qi dogs loudly. His father was Marquis Guangping, what was there to fear! But the name invoked on the other side was that of the Heavy Xuan family! That Heavy Xuan family that had produced Heavy Xuan Ming Tu and Heavy Xuan Chu Liang. Their fearsome reputation for slaughter was enough to silence children at night throughout the land of Xia. How could he dare to say, “Old man, I’m not afraid, if you have the guts, just kill my whole family”? The people surnamed Heavy Xuan would absolutely kill his whole family! He gnashed his teeth, yet could not make a sound. He was consumed by hatred, yet also unable to escape fear.

Heavy Xuan Sheng’s grasp of the human heart was truly remarkable. Every sentence struck a vital chord, easily breaking Li Zi Ye’s psychological defenses while simultaneously completing the further assimilation of the Xinrong Camp.

On the city wall, Yuan Zhen finally realized that nothing could be salvaged. This stout young Qi general was truly the most terrifying opponent he had ever encountered in his life. He could only sit in sorrow, trapped in the city, and witness the guard army’s morale plummet into the abyss, watching his young master’s psychological defenses crumble. He was utterly powerless.

But he still decided to launch his final counterattack. Amidst the panicked chaos on the city wall, this middle-aged general, whose life had been devoid of good deeds, opened his mouth and spoke loudly, “Heavy Xuan General, please listen to a word from me! I am Yuan Zhen, the City Guard Commander of Shou’an City, fully responsible for its defense. I am willing to offer the city in surrender! My young master is young and impetuous, his mouth unrestrained. His words have indeed offended General Xue… You wish for an apology, and Yuan Zhen completely understands! Shou’an City should make amends for General Xue’s honor!”

“However, a minister must die when his master is insulted! Yuan Zhen cannot bear to witness my young master kneel!”

Standing on the city wall, he looked at Xue Ru Shi.

“I will apologize on behalf of my young master, to General Xue!”

With a casual gesture, he drew a military knife from the waist of a nearby officer. He swiftly reversed the blade and plunged it into his own belly!

“Please forgive me!”

His eyes were wide with anger, staring directly at Xue Ru Shi. With a violent twist of the long knife, he sliced open half of his body, blood splattering onto the city wall on the spot! Boiling hot blood sprayed onto Li Zi Ye’s face and body.

Shou’an City wall fell silent.

Below the Shou’an City wall, it also fell silent.

The intentions of people were naturally difficult to communicate. Xue Ru Shi’s emotions had twisted and turned like a mountain path, rising and falling several times. At this moment, his lips parted and closed, yet he didn’t know what he could say. Forgive? Not forgive? Even… sorry?

Li Zi Ye was completely stunned.

Jiang Wang’s heart was filled with respect.

Fourteen had no particular thoughts, only a hint of surprise.

Heavy Xuan Sheng, in his heart, was already involuntarily cheering for Yuan Zhen!

Yuan Zhen’s action both preserved the lives of those in Shou’an City, protected his young master, and simultaneously sowed the seeds of hatred and resentment in the hearts of these guard army soldiers. Li Zi Ye had indeed cursed Xue Ru Shi several times. Even if Heavy Xuan Sheng was maintaining his subordinate, why force Yuan Zhen to his death? It could be said that, in a situation where Shou’an City was completely indefensible, Yuan Zhen used his death to force Heavy Xuan Sheng into the worst possible scenario. Though he would gain the city, he would not gain the hearts.

Regrettably, for Heavy Xuan Sheng, this could not be considered a major setback.

“Well done, Yuan Zhen!”

Heavy Xuan Sheng did not hesitate for a moment, immediately speaking in a booming voice. “Knowing one’s mistakes and correcting them is the quality of a gentleman. So-called courage is proof of bravery! Your heart, I fully understand! The grievances between Li Zi Ye and Xue Ru Shi are hereby wiped clean. I promise not to harm a hair on Li Zi Ye’s head. May your spirit in heaven find peace!”

He continued, addressing the guard army on the city wall, “Yuan Zhen died by his own hand after surrendering to Qi. He entrusted Shou’an City to me before his death. I will treat you all as my comrades and fellow villagers! From this day forward, Shou’an City is my second home, the home of Heavy Xuan Sheng. I, Heavy Xuan Sheng, representing the Qi army, accept Yuan Zhen’s surrender. I, Heavy Xuan Sheng, representing the Qi country, accept him as a man of Qi! His loyalty, his righteousness, his bravery, are models for us Qi people. I will engrave them and record them, fulfill his dying wish, and inherit his spirit!”

Having finished speaking, he waved his hand again. “Why haven’t you opened the city gates yet? I want to give him a grand burial!”

The guard army in front of the city gates actually subconsciously obeyed his command and opened the city gates. Shou’an was now captured, and the Desheng Camp had taken another city!

From that moment until the Qi army fully took over the defense of Shou’an City, Li Zi Ye sat there in a daze. He did not speak a word, nor did he move. It was unclear if he was truly dazed for so long, or if he was forced to remain in that state.

Finally, Xue Ru Shi sent him back to Yuan Zhen’s mansion to rest. As for the City Lord’s mansion, it was naturally occupied by Heavy Xuan Sheng…

The fifty thousand-strong army that Qing Zhuan had requested from Lin Wu Fu only arrived, vast and imposing, on the day of Yuan Zhen’s grand burial. Heavy Xuan Sheng completed Yuan Zhen’s funeral rites, leaving two thousand men to guard the city. He personally led the main army, including the Desheng Camp, the Xinrong Camp, and the newly formed Zhenwu Camp, composed of the surrendered Shou’an City army. Taking the war resources from Shou’an City, they continued their advance south.

The main force was, of course, the allied army from the various Eastern Domain countries. With the current morale of the Xinrong Camp, they could participate in battles of a certain intensity. The Zhenwu Camp followed the army, mainly to prevent hidden dangers from leaving the city, and also to bolster their momentum and help persuade enemy armies to surrender. Naturally, the protective great array of Shou’an City was also personally destroyed by the Zhenwu Camp. Heavy Xuan Sheng was already intimately familiar with this tactic.

The battle of Feng Li Fu, from this day forward, entered the stage of an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. Heavy Xuan Sheng oversaw the western route, and Bao Bo Zhao oversaw the eastern route. Each led fifty thousand reinforcements, in addition to their own soldiers. With sufficient troops and Feng Li once again isolated, victory was assured!

On the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month of Dao Li three nine two zero, Fan Ao, who had struggled bitterly for nearly twenty days, finally accepted the reality of his powerlessness. He fled towards Huiluo with less than three thousand remnant soldiers.

The entire territory of Feng Li Fu changed banners.