Fishing an Eternal Divine Dynasty from the River of Fortune

Chapter 14: March to Kuqa

At the break of dawn, the citizens of the prefectural city were startled awake by the sound of orderly marching steps.

Through the morning mist, one could see twelve thousand prefectural troops already assembled on the training grounds.

After a series of brutal campaigns, only about twelve thousand soldiers remained in the Prefectural Army.

However, each one of them was a battle-hardened elite— even the weakest among them had cultivation at the Tempering Bones Realm.

Among them were over nine hundred experts at the Blood Refining Realm, and one formidable Divine Power Realm expert presiding over them.

On the parade ground, Jiang Zhaoming, clad in full armor, was giving his final pre-battle address.

Although the gap between the Blood Refining and Tempering Bones Realms was often narrowed in large-scale formations, this army of twelve thousand elite soldiers still exuded a terrifying killing intent.

After finishing the oath-taprince ceremony, Jiang Zhaoming and Yan Chen led the Prefectural Army to set off toward Luntai County.

There, they would rendezvous with the Luntai Army before jointly advancing to attack Kuqa County.

As for the Black-Armored Army, Jiang Zhaoming outwardly claimed they were to defend the city— yet in truth, it was a hidden maneuver.

After all, many rebel forces coveted the prefectural city. Any troop movement might easily attract enemy attention.

At this time, the city’s visible defensive strength consisted of only a few thousand Black-Armored Soldiers, without any Divine Power Realm experts stationed there.

Thus, should any rebel army attempt to scheme against the prefectural city, the Black-Armored Army could deliver them a devastating counterstrike.

Thinprince of the true identity of that Black-Armored General, a trace of amusement flashed across Jiang Zhaoming’s eyes.

With that God of Slaughter overseeing the city, and the terrifying mobility of the Black-Armored Army, this hidden piece would surely make any invading enemy suffer dearly.

——Ten days later.

The Prefectural Army force-marched for ten days, covering 1,800 li, and successfully arrived at Luntai County.

Although most of them were infantry, their powerful vitality allowed them to travel nearly two hundred li per day.

During their march, they encountered a convoy transporting grain supplies.

At Jiang Zhaoming’s order, the Prefectural Army escorted the grain convoy together to Luntai County.

Within the county, Luntai’s Governor, Chen Kuan, had already reported the news that their new prince, Jiang Zhaoming, was willing to donate five million shi of grain to aid the Luntai populace.

Thus, as soon as the Prefectural Army entered Luntai County, both soldiers and citizens lined the streets in welcome.

“The new prince has arrived!”

“It’s the Prefectural Army bringing food!”

“Heaven has finally shown mercy!”

The ragged commoners knelt on both sides of the road, many elderly folk crying uncontrollably.

Several children, bold with curiosity, ran toward the army’s formation, only to be hurriedly pulled back by their parents.

“Your Highness, look.” Yan Chen pointed toward the city gate. “That’s… Governor Chen Kuan of Luntai?”

Indeed, Chen Kuan led the officials of the governor’s office and was kneeling at the city gate.

When he saw the army arrive, he shouted loudly, “Governor Chen Kuan of Luntai welcomes the royal army!”

Looprince at Chen Kuan, Jiang Zhaoming could not help but smile wryly. He then dismounted and personally helped him up. “Lord Chen, please rise.”

Although Jiang Zhaoming felt somewhat awkward about such a grand gesture, he knew it was necessary.

Stories of a newly appointed prince personally leading his army to campaign and comfort the people were a tremendous source of morale for the common folk of this era.

Such acts greatly aided Jiang Zhaoming in gaining the people’s support and consolidating the fortune of Anxi Prefecture.

“Your Highness is merciful indeed!” Chen Kuan said, tears streaming down his face. “Five million shi of grain— you’ve saved the lives of our eight million people in Luntai!”

Behind him, someone shouted first, “Long live the Prince of Anxi!”

In an instant, the cheer spread like wildfire, echoing through the crowd until the sky trembled with their cries.

Looprince at the citizens who had forgotten all decorum, Jiang Zhaoming could only try to restrain them, for the words “long live” were not to be spoken lightly.

Still, the feeling of winning the people’s hearts filled him with satisfaction.

After resting in Luntai for half a day, Jiang Zhaoming ordered the Prefectural Army to merge with the Luntai Army and continue marching toward Kuqa County.

For this campaign, the Luntai Army dispatched thirteen thousand soldiers, leaving seven thousand to guard the county.

Both Luntai and the Prefectural Armies could not deploy their full strength, as the chaos in Anxi Prefecture required defensive garrisons.

Even so, this combined force of twenty-five thousand should be enough to defeat the Kuqa Army— especially since among them were three Divine Power Realm experts: Qin Wei, Yan Chen, and Ma Fei.

Luntai and Kuqa were neighboring counties, and the remaining distance was not far.

During this half-month, no signs of rebel activity were found in Yili County.

Thus, Jiang Zhaoming secretly dispatched eight thousand Black-Armored Cavalry and the Divine Power Realm Black-Armored General to the battlefield through his divine sense.

Four days later, Jiang Zhaoming led the army to the borders of Kuqa.

Unexpectedly, the Kuqa Army made no movement, allowing the allied forces to penetrate deep into Kuqa territory and quickly reach the county capital.

At the same time, the eight thousand Black-Armored Cavalry had also quietly entered Kuqa County, ready to reinforce at any moment.

When they reached the city’s outskirts, Jiang Zhaoming finally saw the Kuqa Army.

They were fully assembled below the city walls— Jiang Zhaoming estimated around twenty-eight thousand soldiers.

Formed neatly outside the city, it was clear that the Kuqa General was confident in his army’s might.

Had he not been confident of surpassing Jiang Zhaoming’s formations, he would surely have chosen to defend rather than meet them in open battle.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhaoming could not help but sigh. “The Kuqa Army’s strength is truly formidable. If it were just the Prefectural Army, we might not have been able to take them down.”

Then, he turned toward the troops, his blood energy amplifying his voice.

“Prepare for battle!”

The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the land below Kuqa’s walls was already thick with killing intent.

Jiang Zhaoming stood at the front of the formation, his gaze sweeping across the dense, black ranks of the Kuqa Army.

Twenty-eight thousand armored soldiers stood like an iron wall.

The heavy-shielded troops in the vanguard slammed their shields into the ground, producing deep, thunderous rumbles.

The Kuqa Army’s formation was fully activated— visible blood energy condensed above them, forming a dark red cloud that rumbled faintly like distant war drums.

“Form the battle array!”

At Jiang Zhaoming’s command, the Prefectural and Luntai Armies rapidly changed formation.

The blood energy of twenty-seven thousand soldiers intertwined, surging like a great tide.

Yan Chen stood at the front, his long blade trembling in his grasp.

In an instant, hundreds of streams of blood energy converged upon him, forming a crimson aura around his body.

“Kill——!”

The war drums thundered, and the two armies collided!

At the center of the battlefield, the power of both formations clashed first.

The Prefectural Army’s formation took the shape of a “Spearhead,” focusing its energy at the front, forming a giant crimson blade that slashed toward Kuqa’s defenses.

Meanwhile, the Kuqa Army responded with the “Iron Wall” formation— a dense barrier of blood energy, solid as bronze, that forcefully withstood the blow.

“Boom!”

The moment the two formations collided, the ground cracked, and the shockwave sent dozens of frontline soldiers flying.

Even those at the Tempering Bones Realm coughed blood despite the protection of the formation, but they were quickly replaced by comrades from the rear.

Under the empowerment of the formation, the strength of ordinary soldiers was magnified severalfold.

One Blood Refining Realm vice-general borrowed the energy of three hundred men, his spear bursting with a five-zhang spear light that pierced through more than ten enemy soldiers in one strike.

At the heart of the battlefield, the two sides clashed fiercely as waves of blood energy surged.

Yan Chen, standing at the front of the Prefectural Army’s formation, frowned deeply— the Kuqa General had yet to reveal himself, which filled him with unease.

“Your Highness, something isn’t right,” Yan Chen said in a low voice. “That Kuqa old thief might be waiting for the right moment.”

Qin Wei snorted coldly. “Let him hide if he dares! I’ll just cut down a few hundred of his men and see if he doesn’t crawl out himself!”

Before his words had faded, Qin Wei leapt forward.

Though not a general of the Prefectural Army, and thus unable to borrow from their formation, as a Divine Power Realm cultivator, his blood energy surged like the ocean.

Swinging his crescent blade, a seven-zhang-long arc of crimson energy tore across the battlefield, cutting dozens of Kuqa soldiers and their armor clean in half.

As the blade turned, it whipped up a blood-red whirlwind, tearing open a gap in Kuqa’s front line.

Just as Qin Wei’s third strike was about to fall—

“Die!”

A blood-red figure suddenly burst forth from the collapsing formation.

The Kuqa General wielded twin maces, surrounded by the gathered might of twenty thousand soldiers, his aura surging to that of a late Divine Power Realm.

His left mace blocked the crescent blade, while his right mace smashed toward Qin Wei’s face with crushing force.

“Clang——!”

The ringing clash of metal echoed across the battlefield.

Qin Wei leaned back just in time— the mace wind grazed his nose, nearly shattering his head.

Though he avoided the fatal blow, the sheer force, bolstered by formation energy, tore open his palms and nearly wrenched his weapon free.

“Old cur!” Qin Wei retreated a dozen zhang, wiping the blood from his lips. “I underestimated you.”

The Kuqa General crossed his maces and grinned savagely. “Today, I’ll make that crescent blade of yours a head-severing knife!”

“Don’t be so arrogant!”

Yan Chen’s Wild Goose Feather Blade swept in, infused with the power of the Prefectural Army’s formation.

The blade’s edge hadn’t yet reached before its sharp intent had already carved a three-zhang trench into the ground.

Almost at the same time, Ma Fei’s Golden-Backed Mountain-Cleaving Blade slashed from the flank, the golden light of the Luntai Army’s formation flowing across the blade like a dragon.

“Boom!”

The three divine weapons struck the twin maces simultaneously, and the explosion of force sent soldiers within thirty zhang flying.

Qin Wei took the opportunity to steady his breath, then gripped his crescent blade with both hands and rejoined the battle.

From behind, Jiang Zhaoming watched as the four mighty figures clashed.

Each exchange of blows produced shockwaves that forced nearby soldiers to retreat.

Qin Wei’s crescent blade swept wide and fierce, Yan Chen’s Wild Goose Feather Blade was swift as lightning, while Ma Fei’s Golden-Backed Blade struck with crushing weight.

Watching this battle— the likes of which he had never imagined in his past life— Jiang Zhaoming’s heart burned hot with excitement.

“So this is the Divine Power Realm… One day, I must reach such a height as well. But before that…”

Jiang Zhaoming looked toward the Kuqa old thief, silently summoning the Black-Armored Army to prepare for the charge.