Chapter 285: Birthplace (Part 23)

Chapter 285: Birthplace (Part 23)

The winds blew fiercely.

Zhuang Mingqi had come alone to report this matter to the prince.

Normally, he should have gone to the palace to see the emperor, abiding by the emperor's decree. However, he knew well that if he entered the palace, the emperor would certainly not dispatch reinforcements to stabilize the border.

In the past, before the emergence of deities, when the enemy had heavily defeated the border forces, the emperor had considered relocating the capital upon hearing of the defeat, fearing any delay.

The prince had offered to lead the troops, but the emperor, suspicious, had refused to provide even a single soldier.

Left with no choice, the prince had rushed to the border alone, managing to stabilize the situation.

Now, with a deity on the enemy's side, the emperor would likely capitulate immediately.

How could that be allowed?!

Apart from the deep-rooted enmity between the two kingdoms, the deity's haughty demeanor atop the city walls was eerily reminiscent of the deities that had once descended upon their land.

If this deity from the enemy's side demanded tributes, could their people bear such a burden?

Soon enough, Zhuang Mingqi realized his fears were not unfounded.

As the two had just arrived in Fengyang County, not far from the Luoxia Pass, to rest, they learned that the emperor's envoy had already ridden at breakneck speed to the border. They arrived even before them, issuing the decree for the garrison to open the city gates in welcome for the new deity.

Upon reading the report from the government mansion, Zhuang Mingqi trembled with rage.

Conversely, the prince beside him, after reading it, remained silent, merely setting the report aside.

"Let's go. We need to reach the frontline before the city gates open."

With that, he swiftly mounted his horse.

It's puzzling how one, who once struggled to even stand in the celestial palace, now musters the strength to ride tirelessly for thousands of miles to the frontier. Not a hint of weariness is shown.

Zhuang Mingqi was utterly oblivious to any irregularity in the Crown Prince by his side. Together, they pressed on without rest, reaching Yue Wu Pass just before dawn.

Having breached three cities, the armies of Yi Nation were now facing the last defense: Yue Wu Pass.

Just a hundred miles past Yue Wu Pass lies the prosperous city of Sheng Yue, home to a million souls, bountiful in resources.

Yet, as they approached, the atmosphere in Sheng Yue was tense. The well-informed elite were already selling their properties and packing up, preparing to depart from the city.

Those left behind are the impoverished populace. Without money or food, departing from their ancestral lands only meant one thing: either selling themselves into servitude, where their offspring would be born as slaves, unable to seek education or fame. If they ever displeased their masters, they could be dismissed or even killed without a second thought.

Or, they could simply starve.

In these times, which household could boast of surplus food?

The royal court?

The court spent all its silver trying to appease the gods, uncaring of the lives of its commoners.

There were whispers of the Crown Prince residing in a celestial palace atop the capital’s mountains, willing to go to great lengths for his people... but it seemed like a distant dream.

The remaining citizens of Sheng Yue could only pray: pray for Yue Wu Pass to halt the invaders, pray for the emperor to send reinforcements, pray that the gods of Yi Nation would show them mercy in their suffering…

Of course, most of these prayers were but formalities.

Behind closed doors, each household secretly knelt before their "idols", their prayers nearly identical.

Praying... that the Crown Prince would come to their aid.

They no longer sought the help of the gods.

In this kingdom, only the Crown Prince seemed willing to save them.

And the Crown Prince did not disappoint.

Upon his arrival, the generals of the pass, although unfamiliar with him, instantly knelt, recognizing the once-disgraced prince.

"Though we have the emperor's decree, the fifty thousand soldiers of Yue Wu Pass are at your command!"

Without responding, the prince ascended the city wall, gazing into the distance.

From afar, all that could be seen from Yue Wu Pass was the blazing fires of the conquered cities.

"Where is that deity?"

The general of Yue Wu Pass promptly responded, "Also in the defeated city!"

In the next moment, the guards saw a dark whirlwind enveloping the Crown Prince.

To their astonishment, the prince leapt from the wall, which stood more than ten meters high.

Everyone frantically peered down from the walls, only to see the prince, who had jumped, land gracefully and mount his horse.

"Open the gates; I wish to meet this 'god'!"

Instantly, the previously dampened morale of the troops soared to its peak.

Soldiers flocked to the walls, watching in awe as the prince, alone with his horse, made his way across the battlefield towards the conquered city.

Having been stationed at the frontier since his youth, the prince was acutely aware of the gravity of this battle.

Without his intervention, Yue Wu Pass would surely fall.

Soldiers were already trembling at the very mention of deities, and with the imperial edict breathing down their necks, had it not been for the resolute will of the defense commander, the city would have fallen long ago.

He had to triumph, to prove that the god was not invincible and neither was Yi Nation.

In a clash of armies, morale is as crucial, if not more, than strategies and armory.

The prince was well aware he might not necessarily prevail.

But if he abstained, Yue Wu Pass would surely be breached.

He had to step forth, and he had to win - by any means necessary. Even if it led to mutual destruction, killing the god of Yi Nation would buy Ru Nation some time.

He had almost exhausted all the spells he knew. Having previously given a portion to Zhuang Mingqi, who reported their effectiveness.

Ru Nation needed time. He had no better solution than to delay, to buy as much time as possible.

In the end, he emerged victorious from that battle.

As the prince returned, holding aloft the severed head of the deity, shouts of exhilaration and jubilation echoed from the city walls, from both soldiers and civilians.

The city gates flung open, with Zhuang Mingqi and the ecstatic crowd rushing out to greet their returning prince.

Yet, as Zhuang Mingqi neared him, something seemed amiss with the prince.

To the unobservant eye, the prince appeared still radiant, without a hint of exhaustion.

However, his black robe was drenched in blood, dripping continuously from his dark steed.

Those around assumed it was the enemy's blood.

Look! The prince stands tall and unhurt!

His prowess surpasses even the deities!

With an air of calm, the prince, high atop his horse, paraded through the camp.

Everywhere he passed, once dulled and desolate eyes reignited with hope.

The morale has been restored.

But it's not enough.

Three fortresses near Yue Wu Pass remain unclaimed. Until Yi Nation's troops are expelled, this battle is not over.

Furthermore, there are still citizens of Ru Nation in the recently conquered city. They must be brought back safely.

In his haste to kill the deity that Yi Nation summoned, he had failed to mask his movements.

Though the deity is dead, Yi Nation's generals still breathe. He no longer possesses the strength to deal with them.

Should he fall, a counterattack from Yi Nation's generals, if they are wise, is inevitable.

He just needs to hold on a little longer... merely two more days...

Whirr...

Sounds seem to stretch out, turning into a buzzing in his ears.

Suddenly, a bright red flash blinds him.

Ah... it appears he's coughed up blood...

"...Your Highness!"

Memories drift like fragments, a sense of suffocation accompanying them.

On the brink of death, but the weight of responsibility, heavy and unyielding, forbids even that final release.

The prince feels as though he's in a dream.

Fragments of conversations whirl around him.

——With an heir already, why does His Majesty wish to adopt a nephew to succeed the throne?

——Please, Your Majesty, declare the Crown Prince to ease the hearts of your subjects!

——The Crown Prince is brave and compassionate, His Majesty can rest easy.

——In my eyes, the Crown Prince is noble of character, embodying both grace and virtue. Skilled in literature and warfare, he can both lead in battle and govern the realm. With such a prince, why does the emperor remain displeased?

Beyond the darkening vision, a woman's cries echo.

——Your Majesty! I dreamt of a jade dragon descending into my womb when I was with child! It was him, the prince! Why would you kill me for this?

——A dragon? So, you mean your son is the rightful emperor, and I should abdicate the throne to him?

The darkness grows, and the suffocation intensifies.

At that moment, a soft sigh envelopes him, bringing with it an odd sensation of being wrapped up.

It's as if he wasn't the formidable Crown Prince but rather a fragmented gem, neglected since his tender years.

Someone was painstakingly gathering the shards, piecing him back together.

"Jie Fangcheng, Jie Fangcheng..."

—— "Your Highness!"

Jie Fangcheng's eyes snapped open.

Before him, the tent was filled with kneeling figures.

He sat at the head, seemingly deliberating something...

Ah, it's coming back to him.

After the battle at Yue Wu Pass, he'd barely made it to his tent before collapsing in a pool of his own blood.

At least his condition didn't dampen the army's spirit.

By the time he woke, more than half a month had passed.

The dire situation the prince feared never materialized.

After his collapse, the fort commander rallied the reinvigorated 50,000-strong force and, outnumbered four to one, drove Yi Nation's army from Luoxia Pass in just three days.

Bereft of their deity, Yi Nation's troops were disheartened and retreated hastily to Shacheng, their fortified city. The commander of Luoxia Pass knew better than to pursue.

Their three-city conquest owed much to the prince's god-slaying feat, which threw both the rank and file and the commanders of Yi Nation into disarray, giving them the upper hand.

But any further advances were deemed perilous. With defenses ready at Shacheng, their own army would surely face defeat.

Thus, an uneasy peace settled between the two sides for over ten days.

While Shacheng bolstered its ranks with remnants and vagabonds, only a few within Luoxia Pass knew that the seemingly recuperating army was, in fact, searching far and wide for renowned healers.

The prince's condition was dire. His injuries, both old and new, were grievous. It's a wonder how, after killing the deity, he managed to return on horseback seemingly unscathed.

Any ordinary man would have perished countless times over in his place.

Now, as his health showed signs of improvement and he was once again able to strategize, he expressed intentions to launch an assault on Yi Nation—this time aiming straight for its heart, seeking to eliminate future threats.

Yet as soon as he voiced this plan, one after another, figures within the tent fell to their knees.

Leading them was Zhuang Mingqi.

"Your Highness! Allow me to lead the troops! But I beseech you to oversee our strategies from the rear!"

His plea was echoed by a chorus of "I volunteer" from the others.

The crown prince paused for a moment, then said with a resigned smile, "I'm fine now."

However, I was resolute in my defiance. After two days of hesitation, it was led by Zhuang Mingqi, rallying the thirty thousand troops of Luoxia Pass to launch an assault on Yi Nation.

The crown prince stood atop the city walls.

Seeing the prince of Ru Nation, renowned for his ability to slay gods, how could the morale of the Yi Nation army possibly remain high?

As Zhuang Mingqi's forces advanced with unstoppable momentum, causing the enemy to retreat step by step and victory seemed imminent, the prince suddenly felt a twitch in his eyelid.

In an instant, the azure sky appeared to be split open.

A golden-red light poured from the tear.

Amidst the golden-red glow, a silhouette began its descent.

Despite the vast distance, the crown prince could still hear the self-murmured words of this newly-arrived deity.

"Ru Nation? Weren’t they destined to fall? Why is there still an army here?"

Saying so, he raised his hand slightly—

"Zhuang Mingqi!!"

The thirty thousand troops were instantly obliterated.

As if hearing his voice, the god turned his head, looking at the crown prince on the city wall, his expression knowing.

"Oh? Such a profound aura of merit surrounds you. No wonder you've altered the fate of a nation. However…"

As the god flicked his finger, the prince drew his sword in defense but was knocked off the wall by that simple gesture.

With his wounds still fresh, he coughed up blood, only to see the wall he had been standing on moments ago crumble like paper from the god's light touch.

The thick walls collapsed, crushing countless soldiers and civilians beneath.

What was once the peaceful Luoxia Pass became a living hell in an instant, with the cries of children filling the air and countless eyes turned in disbelief to the fallen crown prince.

Wasn't he so powerful that he could even slay gods?

The crown prince clutched his chest, his gaze sweeping over the carnage around him, a momentary look of bewilderment in his eyes.

So this is what a true god is.

Would those so-called divine techniques he acquired be of any use? In the future, would anyone in Ru Nation succeed in their spiritual cultivation, capable of standing against the deities?

At that moment, he looked up as if sensing something.

High above, the newly-arrived god looked down upon him, as if observing a slightly more formidable ant.

"So you're the prince of Ru Nation who chose to forsake his divine path?" The god’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes seemingly filled with admiration.

But the supreme deity declared, “In three days, I shall end you here to uphold the dignity of the heavens.”