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Before he could react, Chen Dao dashed past him in a flash. In that lightning-fast moment, Chen Dao swung his spear fiercely, the spearhead smashing heavily into the back of his neck.

Chen Dao had carelessly unleashed this tricky move, leaving Mei Qian utterly unable to defend himself.

Mei Qian felt a gust of wind rush behind him, and a chill ran through his heart. Just now, he had nearly been struck in the head by this little devil! How could he not be afraid?

But now there was nowhere left to dodge. He had no choice but to brace the shaft of his blade against his back.

*Clang!*

A harsh, grating sound rang out as the spearhead slammed heavily against the shaft of Mei Qian’s blade. The force was immense—at least a hundred pounds. Mei Qian’s tiger’s mouth split open from the shock, and his great blade flew from his grasp. Even the armor he wore was shattered and sent flying by Chen Dao’s strike.

Mei Qian screamed, spraying a mouthful of fresh blood.

Damn it! Just yesterday this kid could barely hold his own against me, but today, using a cunning trick, he actually drew blood?

Damn! Mei Qian wanted to curse out loud. Is this still the script? Even if I’m just a minor character, there’s no way I’m going down to some brat!

His bones felt as if they were shattered, but Mei Qian was an experienced battlefield commander. Drawing on the furious momentum of Chen Dao’s strike, he squeezed his warhorse hard and galloped away like a flash, disappearing without a trace in moments.

As he fled, he shouted to his men, “Charge! Charge! Whoever kills him, I’ll make second-in-command!”

Greed was a powerful motivator. Hearing their leader’s words, dozens of soldiers quickly surrounded Chen Dao.

“Kill him! Kill him and we’ll be second-in-command!” one soldier chuckled.

“I wonder if we all kill him together if we’ll all be second-in-command?” another said with reluctant eyes.

“There can only be one second-in-command!” someone else said firmly.

“Don’t think about it. As long as we kill him, we’ll each get a reward. Remember last time Old Wang was rewarded with a wife!” another soldier’s eyes gleamed with a lecherous light.

“Charge together! This guy’s tough!”

With a sharp shout, dozens lunged at Chen Dao. To them, Chen Dao was nothing but a gleaming prize, a tangible reward, a woman to be claimed!

Though Chen Dao’s heart burned with rage and he fought fiercely, he was overwhelmed by sheer numbers and found himself trapped within their encirclement. Desperately, he flailed his spear, attempting to use its length to carve out a sliver of survival.

*Pfft!*

A blade sliced into Chen Dao’s shoulder, and his left arm went limp.

“Get lost, Songshan dog traitors!” Chen Dao cursed loudly, swinging his spear wildly without any rhythm. The relentless pressure of battle and his growing weakness left him utterly drained, barely able to continue.

...

“Damn you!”

Just as Chen Dao was about to collapse, a familiar voice rang in his ear. Li Miao appeared clad in armor, wielding a cleaver, astride a stubborn donkey that snorted loudly.

Huang Yi followed close behind, clutching a small cleaver, charging fiercely at the nearest Mei Qian soldiers. Chen Bang was already fighting desperately on the battlefield; upon seeing Li Miao arrive, he ran over to join him in battle, intent on protecting his life.

Li Miao shouted hoarsely, “Quick! Go rescue Uncle Zhi!”

He glanced at Huang Yi standing by his side, watching indifferently as nearby soldiers fought, and roared, “Sister-in-law! You damn well better join in!”

Li Miao’s arrival boosted the morale of the Jiangting troops tremendously. Even some bold civilians, wielding hammers, charged directly into the fray. Though few in number and mostly here to die, their presence still moved Li Miao deeply.

Even His Majesty had taken up arms. Who inside the house would dare remain idle? Yang Hong appeared, rolling up his sleeves and preparing to charge in. Li Miao saw this clearly.

“Yang Situ, you get out of here!”

After a soldier helped Yang Hong dodge an enemy’s blade, Yang Hong was moved to tears.

“Your Majesty, let me do something!”

Li Miao hacked down a nearby enemy, nearly laughing.

“You’re an old man and a civilian official. Coming in here is just suicide. Even if you had some martial skill, it’s nothing but child’s play. What use are you at your age?”

Without hesitation, Li Miao said firmly.

“Yang Situ, you go back inside and quietly watch us show off! And remember...”

Yang Hong’s eyes flickered, expecting an order, but Li Miao continued, “...make sure you don’t stop breathing.”

Yang Hong froze, his mood unsettled for some time.

Still... His Majesty cares for me.

Li Miao’s presence was undeniable. Though he brought few troops into the battle, the surge in morale was immense. Li Miao was the emperor, their sovereign. If even he took the lead in battle, how could they not?

The Jiangting troops and civilians were fired up. More civilians joined the fight, and some crawled out from piles of corpses to keep fighting. Li Miao was dumbfounded.

Damn, this is even possible?

But war is war, not a child's game. Though Li Miao’s arrival briefly lifted Jiangting’s spirits, the overwhelming numbers of Mei Qian’s forces soon began to erode their morale once again.

How did Li Miao know?

Because he saw a man in front of him drag two enemy corpses to cover himself and lie down calmly, his face purple as a plum...

Li Miao immediately struck him down with a cleaver.

Damn it.

The collapse of morale was a crushing blow to Jiangting. Gradually, Li Miao found himself surrounded, nearly powerless to fight, and could only wildly swing his cleaver like a desperate clown.

Mei Qian, seeing the situation sealed, rode up to Li Miao. Seeing him trapped like a fish in a barrel, he wanted to humiliate him.

Mei Qian sneered contemptuously at Li Miao.

“Heh, great Emperor of Zhongguo, just kneel and kowtow twice, call me ‘Grandpa’ three times, and tell me where the imperial jade seal is hidden—I’ll grant you a quick death!”

Li Miao’s face flushed crimson. A man can be killed, but never insulted. Though he feared death, he was still a man of honor. Such humiliation was unthinkable—at least not in front of so many.

Li Miao prepared to charge at the soldiers and Mei Qian, but instead retorted coolly, “Leader Mei, if you kneel and beg for mercy here today and join Jiangting, I’ll spare your life!”

“Ha!” Not only did Mei Qian laugh, but so did everyone else. What a hilarious joke.

Taking advantage of Mei Qian’s distraction, Li Miao tightened his grip on his cleaver, his eyes bloodshot and fierce like a dragon, ready to risk his life to take Mei Qian down.

Mei Qian was so focused on mocking Li Miao, he failed to notice the sound behind him.

But Li Miao saw it. At that moment, his eyes widened in shock. Within his dark, gleaming pupils, a rough, imposing figure suddenly appeared.

Though Li Miao was surrounded by hundreds of Mei Qian’s soldiers, as the second enlightened and valiant emperor of Zhongguo, he would never surrender so easily. He had planned to die alongside the enemy, but just as he was about to lose control, the sudden appearance of this figure eased his clenched arm.

Seeing that familiar silhouette, Li Miao’s eyes grew wide with excitement, and a song rose in his heart. It seemed he would live today after all!

The figure grew clearer—a burly, towering man astride a tall, majestic horse.

Li Miao’s heart leapt! None other than General Zhang Xun, the great general who had long been absent and whom Li Miao had hoped for in vain, even growing furious enough to want to behead dozens over his absence!

Zhang Xun’s timely arrival was a blessing. Just as Li Miao was about to perish with Mei Qian, he appeared alive and well.

“Heaven does not forsake me!”

Li Miao exhaled deeply, suddenly filled with strength. As long as he could hold on a little longer, he would survive intact. He could not help but feel exhilarated.

Mei Qian and the Songshan bandits stared in confusion, looking where Li Miao was looking and laughing—but they saw nothing but soldiers clashing.

Though Mei Qian had lost many men, he was relatively satisfied with the outcome. Once Jiangting was taken and the imperial jade seal seized, his life would be far better. The Black Rock Pavilion was their greatest support—thanks to them!

Now, with the false emperor of Zhongguo, Li Miao, trapped like a fish in a barrel, killing him would not only claim Jiangting as his territory but also make the wealth and women within his playthings.

Though Mei Qian had no ambition to establish his own kingdom—preferring the freedom of Songshan—gaining more land was always a valuable fallback in this chaotic era.

The more Mei Qian thought about it, the more excited he became. But seeing Li Miao’s expression, his own face darkened.

What scheme was Li Miao plotting now? Mei Qian’s face twitched. Perhaps still wary from past setbacks, he forced a smile, though his heart pounded wildly.

“Li Miao, you little brat, laughing when death is at your door—are you scared silly?” Mei Qian sneered, unwilling to lose face. If he appeared afraid while Li Miao was surrounded, his leadership would be ruined. He feigned calm disdain.

Yet curiosity gnawed at him. He quickly turned his horse to look behind, wondering what could bring joy to a man facing death. Could it be another trick?

All eyes turned to see a towering figure galloping swiftly on horseback.

This man was rugged and broad-shouldered, tall and majestic, eight feet tall, his face like frost, radiating fierce killing intent. Though not handsome by any means—none of them were—his presence was undeniable.

Because he was alone, almost no one under Mei Qian’s command had dared to expect reinforcements.

Reinforcements? Ha! Reinforcements usually don’t come in just one.

Yet now, this man’s already fierce face seethed with killing intent as if someone owed him a great debt. That murderous aura struck directly at Mei Qian, making him shudder, his hair standing on end.

Mei Qian instantly wilted. From that presence alone, he knew he was no match. He felt like a lamb stalked by a great eagle of the grasslands, chilled to the bone, his teeth chattering. He instinctively demanded, “Who goes there?”

Zhang Xun’s eyes, round as copper bells, suddenly widened. With a howl, his battle blade sliced through the air like a dragon’s roar echoing through the heavens, booming and deafening:

“My name is Zhang Xun. Whether you know me or not, today you will not return home! None of you will! Dare to harm His Majesty, and you will all die!”

From the moment the scouts sounded the alarm, Zhang Xun had been thrown into confusion. As a seasoned general, he knew Jiangting’s true state: the dilapidated city walls were mere earth mounds, and with his 300 elite Yulin troops gone, Jiangting was just a hollow shell. As for the enemy's forces? Zhang Xun snorted—if those kids counted as soldiers, it was a joke.

He hadn’t slept all night, leading his 300 iron-blooded soldiers at full gallop toward Jiangting. If he couldn’t protect his lord and emperor, then his life had been wasted.

Along the way, Zhang Xun held back his anger, praying Li Miao would be safe. But thinking of Jiangting’s dire state, he sighed deeply. As the hooves thundered, Zhang Xun had already sentenced the Songshan bandits to death.

Zhang Xun had ridden ahead alone, faster than the rest, hoping to rescue Li Miao. His timing could not have been better. Seeing Li Miao surrounded by the enemy, his worry vanished; as long as Li Miao lived, all was well.

“Kill!” Zhang Xun roared, charging into the crowd around Li Miao. No matter what, His Majesty had to be saved first. Li Miao’s eyes lit up. With a great general at his side, he felt invincible. His heart soared.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!” Li Miao grabbed a cleaver and leapt onto Zhang Xun’s horse. Though his martial skill was mediocre and hardly impressive, he could handle ordinary bandits with ease.

But Zhang Xun was different—a warrior of astonishing skill. The young Chen Daos weren’t a match for him; nor was Mei Qian.

After rescuing Li Miao, Zhang Xun’s blade radiated a terrifying aura that spread through the enemy ranks. This was close combat—bows were useless. None of Mei Qian’s soldiers could withstand Zhang Xun. He was a ferocious beast among men.

Wherever Zhang Xun passed, Mei Qian’s troops fell, none surviving.

“Hold the line! Hold the line!”

Mei Qian saw his men unable to stop Zhang Xun and realized killing Li Miao this time would be much harder. Zhang Xun alone was worth hundreds of soldiers. Watching his troops fall back under the assault of just two men, Mei Qian shouted desperately.

Seeing the retreat grow, Mei Qian’s fury boiled over. He bit down hard, beheaded a retreating soldier, and only then did the collapsing situation stabilize.

Seeing their leader’s fierce expression, many soldiers charged forward again.

Zhang Xun’s sudden appearance caught many in Mei Qian’s ranks off guard. Coupled with Zhang Xun’s overwhelming skill, his battle blade was the harbinger of death. In a short time, dozens were killed or wounded.

The tide of battle had turned.