Protect Our Patriarch
Book 5: Chapter 136: Make a fortune! Break into Shangjing City

...

With a single command.

The soldiers who had been lying in wait surged out like a tide, charging down from the dense forest.

This operation was a surprise attack, so Lüqiu Yuanmo and Princess Jiabao brought only experts at the Celestial Realm and above.

The people Princess Jiabao brought were quite diverse, including retired elder princes, old commandery kings, some Celestial Realm family guards squeezed out from various mansions, and some royal heirs who hadn't yet seen battle.

As for the newly recruited ragtag militia, they were only good for guarding the city; sending them on a surprise attack against enemy troops would just cause chaos.

Lüqiu Yuanmo's situation was similar, with his group consisting of both the old and the young.

The two elite forces twisted together like a rope, shooting towards Yun Mengyu and Wang Fugui like an arrow.

Leading the charge was an elderly woman with a dignified and spirited demeanor.

Clad in battle armor and wielding a Divine Spirit Artifact war hammer, she was surrounded by a dense aura of protective energy. Behind her loomed the phantom of a mighty azure ox, making her seem like a rampaging humanoid fierce beast, exuding an extraordinary aura of might and dominance.

This elderly woman was none other than the "Prince Qing Shao" of the Southern Yan Kingdom.

In her youth, she was a figure of great renown, with exceptional talent, deeply favored by Emperor Yuanji shortly after his ascension, and admired by the young people of her time.

Surprisingly, she did not choose to marry a nobleman of equal standing like most princesses, but instead opted for a consort marriage. As a result, she remained within the royal family and was eventually granted the title of "Prince" due to her military achievements.

She is considered a legendary figure in the Southern Yan Kingdom.

Besides her, the other Divine Realm experts were also elderly, with one being a highly respected elder prince of the Southern Yan royal family, another from the Qiu Clan, and two others from third-grade families.

In this surprise attack aimed at capturing the enemy leaders, Xiang Ancient City had almost all its top elites "all out."

Lüqiu Yuanmo and Qiu Daoyu had endured and waited for so long, and it was indeed not in vain.

With defenses lax, the soldiers in the manor were in complete disarray, even those supposed to be on guard were caught up in the scramble for loot, unable to organize themselves for a while.

Amidst the earth-shaking cries of battle, the elite forces of Xiang Ancient City, organized with great difficulty, pierced into the manor like a sharp knife under the leadership of several Divine Realm experts.

"The center of the spiritual herb garden has an underground warehouse, and the voices of Yun Mengyu and Wang Fugui came from there just now." Prince Qing Shao, wielding her war hammer at the forefront, her gaze as sharp as lightning, her aged voice booming like thunder, exuded the decisiveness and fierceness of a battlefield veteran, "Everyone, follow me and charge!"

"Charge into the warehouse!"

"Capture Yun Mengyu alive!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

With just a few words, the morale of the Yan Kingdom's elite was instantly roused, and under the leadership of several Divine Realm experts, they charged towards the underground warehouse at the center of the manor.

Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, the leaders of the two volunteer battalions immediately organized their soldiers to resist.

However, they had lost the initiative. Despite their efforts to rally morale and organize resistance, they still couldn't stop the united and determined elite of the Demon Yan Kingdom, who were focused solely on capturing the princess of the Celestial Dynasty and turning the tide of battle.

The vanguard drew closer and closer to the underground warehouse.

Inside the warehouse, Yun Mengyu and Wang Fugui seemed to be so startled by the commotion outside that even their quarrel ceased.

The door to the underground warehouse was almost within reach, about to be breached.

Suddenly.

"Boom!"

A burst of sky-blue profound energy exploded.

The warehouse door was suddenly opened from the inside, and an elderly nanny in green calmly stepped out. With a wave of her hand, a massive surge of profound energy poured out, crashing towards the charging soldiers of the Demon Yan Kingdom.

This elderly nanny was, of course, Nanny Rong.

The violent energy surged like waves, as if the heavens and earth were overturning.

In an instant, everyone seemed to hear the sound of the wind howling, as if a mighty wind was coming from the void, or as if a dormant ancient beast was awakening with a sharp screech.

The sweeping wind attribute energy instantly blew away the charging Demon Yan Kingdom cultivators, leaving them pale and vomiting blood.

Even Prince Qing Shao, who was closest, was caught off guard by the vast energy, her form destabilized, and she was directly blown away.

"A Lingxu Realm expert!"

In the second echelon, Lüqiu Yuanmo's eyes narrowed.

Such formidable combat power and astonishing momentum could only belong to a Lingxu Realm expert!

"Just as expected. Fortunately, I was prepared." Princess Jiabao, Qiu Daoyu, also showed a serious expression.

She immediately looked at a middle-aged man in a gray robe beside her, nodded to him, and politely said, "I'll have to trouble Old Ancestor Kui."

This middle-aged man in gray was none other than the Demon Yan Kingdom's national spiritual beast, Kui Niu [Qiu Kui]!

"Rest assured." Qiu Kui, in his middle-aged form, nodded, his expression grave as he instructed, "With my strength, I can hold her off for at most an hour. Make the most of the time."

With that, he pulled out a heavy bronze shield and charged forward with it.

"Boom!"

With a stomp of his single leg, the ground was instantly crushed into a large pit.

His form then vanished like a gray lightning bolt, reappearing in front of Nanny Rong in the blink of an eye.

"Boom!!"

The mighty wind crashed against the man-high bronze shield.

His entire body shook, and he was immediately pushed back a considerable distance, shield and all.

Fortunately, he was no ordinary Divine Realm expert and quickly stabilized himself.

However, Nanny Rong's attack was not a single strike. Under the continuous bombardment of the mighty wind, his form was inevitably pushed back, like a ship trying to sail against a hurricane, looking particularly battered.

Damn it! This woman's strength is formidable, her realm is likely approaching mid-Void Realm!

Realizing that Nanny Rong was even more troublesome than he had anticipated, Qiu Kui's expression grew serious, and he dared not hold back any longer.

"Roar!!"

With a thunderous roar that echoed through the sky, gray light burst forth from his body, and his form suddenly expanded, transforming almost instantly into a fearsome giant beast with a bull's head and a single hoof.

The beast stood as tall as a ten-story building, its form far more massive and robust than ordinary fierce beasts, with gray skin that had a rocky texture, thick and solid, clearly indicating formidable defense.

The bronze shield also expanded in an instant, embedding itself like a protective mirror in the beast's chest, covering most of its vital areas.

As it appeared, the sound of wind and thunder exploded in the heavens and earth, with a massive force of wind and thunder swirling around it, spreading a terrifying aura that shook the heavens and earth, even dispersing much of the formidable aura released by Nanny Rong.

"Kui Niu?!" Nanny Rong's eyes narrowed, a glint of sharpness flashing in her eyes, "I've heard that the Demon Yan Kingdom has a tenth-order peak national spiritual beast, Kui Niu. It seems you are the one."

As for the shield in Kui Niu's hand, it should be the Dao Artifact of the Demon Yan Kingdom's royal family, the "Heaven-Shaking Shield."

National spiritual beasts, like clan spiritual beasts, often hold a very special status in families.

Generally speaking, small families rarely contract clan spiritual beasts because spiritual beasts often have large appetites, whether carnivorous or herbivorous, and are extremely costly to maintain.

Moreover, clan spiritual beasts require combat capability, unlike those raised as mounts or for meat, demanding higher quality food, which is even more expensive.

Raising a top-tier fierce beast like Kui Niu, with pure bloodline and deep heritage, is even more costly. Only top-tier families with deep heritage, like the royal family of the Yan Kingdom, can afford it.

However, raising a clan spiritual beast has many benefits.

Firstly, in terms of cultivation.

When a family heir contracts with a clan spiritual beast, influenced by the beast's bloodline power, not only will their cultivation speed at lower levels increase significantly, but their physical qualities will also be enhanced.

If the contracted spiritual beast's bloodline is highly compatible with their own, over time, even their bloodline aptitude and lifespan can be improved.

This is why, despite having similar cultivation resources, the emperors of the Demon Yan Kingdom often reach the second or third layer of the Void Realm, frequently surpassing the emperors of the Liang Kingdom.

Secondly, spiritual beasts often have much longer lifespans than humans of the same rank. In case of a family experiencing a break in succession, or during awkward periods when the ancestor is in seclusion or absent, they can replace human ancestors to guard the family and protect the clan.

Just like now, the presence of Kui Niu gave Qiu Daoyu and Lüqiu Yuanmo the confidence to launch a surprise attack.

The tenth-order peak Kui Niu, with its formidable physical strength and the aid of a Dao Artifact, already had combat power equivalent to half a Void Realm expert.

Accompanied by thunderous beast roars, Kui Niu's massive form suddenly charged towards Nanny Rong.

The vast force of wind and thunder moved with it, exuding an incredibly terrifying aura, as if it intended to tear everything before it to shreds.

Such a world-destroying aura was almost comparable to the Void Realm.

Nanny Rong's expression also grew serious. With a flip of her hand, a delicate and beautiful round fan appeared in her palm, and she waved it fiercely.

In an instant, the wind in the heavens and earth became violent.

The howling wind seemed to connect the sky and earth, suddenly colliding with the wind and thunder force surrounding Kui Niu.

At the same time, with a clear cry, a giant Azure Luan phantom suddenly appeared behind her, exuding an incredibly powerful pressure.

Unlike the Azure Feather Luan, which is a spiritual bird, a true Azure Luan is a pure-blooded phoenix, with azure feathers tipped with gold, cloaked in a radiant glow, brilliant and dazzling, even exuding an aura of divine majesty, a legendary divine bird.

With the appearance of the Azure Luan Dharma, Nanny Rong's aura also surged instantly, and she immediately engaged in battle with Kui Niu.

The two were incredibly powerful, and as they fought, the surrounding area was filled with flying sand and stones. Almost in the blink of an eye, the ground was plowed into a sieve by the violent energy, nearly collapsing the underground warehouse.

To avoid collateral damage, their battlefield unknowingly shifted to the sky.

"While Old Ancestor Kui holds off the opponent's Void Realm, let's charge, charge, charge." Lüqiu Yuanmo, seeing this, was extremely excited, leading the remaining soldiers forward.

A great merit is right before them!

As long as they capture those two youngsters, not only will the Qiu Clan gain unparalleled glory, but he will also surely win over Princess Jiabao.

However, to their surprise, the enemy troops, though in chaos, reacted extremely quickly.

Amidst a series of shouts to protect the princess and noble son, several Divine Realm cultivators were the first to meet them, blocking the group of elderly experts from the Southern Yan Kingdom.

In terms of sheer numbers of Divine Realm experts, the Fugui Battalion had as many as five, and the Mengyu Battalion had four. At this point, seven were sent out to face the Southern Yan Kingdom's five, giving them a clear advantage, and the two sides immediately clashed.

Meanwhile, the remaining Divine Realm experts began directing their troops to converge towards the direction of the Southern Yan Kingdom's assault.

Under the intentional guidance of the Southern Yan Kingdom's experts, the Divine Realm battlefield quickly moved to the sky.

"Hurry, brothers, faster." Lüqiu Yuanmo led the charge, advancing rapidly with his troops, "We can't let the enemy troops hold us back, or we'll be surrounded and surely perish! Charge, charge, charge!"

"Capture the Celestial Dynasty princess, and victory is assured!"

Princess Jiabao also swung her long whip, following closely behind, quickly repelling several Celestial Realm opponents who came forward.

Her gaze was fixed ahead.

The enemy troops were too elite, with every one of them at the Lingtai Realm, and among them, there were even a considerable number of Celestial Realm and Purple Mansion Realm experts.

As the surprise attack force gradually advanced, more and more Celestial Realm and even Purple Mansion Realm elders fell behind to cover Princess Jiabao and Lüqiu Yuanmo, getting caught in fierce battles with the enemy troops.

This battle had reached a critical point where success or failure was imminent.

Boom!

Princess Jiabao, Lüqiu Yuanmo, and a group of young people finally broke through the enemy's blockade with difficulty, seeing Wang Fugui and Yun Mengyu standing side by side at the warehouse entrance.

At this moment, only a hundred personal guards were left protecting them.

"Success or failure hinges on this moment." Lüqiu Yuanmo roared with excitement, "Brothers, charge with me! Capture the leaders first!"

With that, he led the charge towards Yun Mengyu.

Truth be told, Lüqiu Yuanmo's overall strength was quite good, possessing a great prodigy bloodline and Purple Mansion Realm cultivation, making him a standard outstanding heir of a second-grade family.

Princess Jiabao was also not weak, comparable to Wu Xue'ning back in the day, with potential to achieve mid-Divine Realm in the future.

Unfortunately.

They encountered Wang Fugui.

Despite the surprise attack, Wang Fugui's expression remained calm and composed, exuding an air of leisure.

He waved his hand, saying lightly, "Time to close the net."

As soon as he finished speaking.

A woman stepped out from among Wang Fugui's personal guards.

The woman had long crimson hair, snow-white skin, and a pair of golden snake-like eyes, giving her an extremely exotic appearance.

Her movements were ethereal, seemingly just walking gracefully, yet her form appeared in front of them in the blink of an eye, as if teleporting.

She gave Lüqiu Yuanmo and the others no time to react.

A terrifying aura erupted from her, and in an instant, the world seemed to dim.

Endless gray-black mist gathered, almost instantly engulfing her form, leaving only a vague human silhouette and a swaying white dress visible.

At the same time, a giant gray-white serpent phantom appeared within the mist, emanating a terrifying ancient pressure, fierce and violent, causing immense dread.

"Another Lingxu Realm? How is this possible!?" Lüqiu Yuanmo was shocked, hastily retreating.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

As soon as he moved, a giant serpent formed entirely of gray-black mist shot out from the fog, darting towards him like a flash, coiling around him tightly.

In front of Ji Yue'er, a Lingxu Realm powerhouse, Lüqiu Yuanmo, who was only at the Purple Mansion Realm, was like a child just learning to walk, easily captured without any resistance.

From start to finish, it took less than two breaths.

Almost simultaneously, the previously somewhat disorganized volunteer battalions suddenly became spirited, their organization clear, and in a flash, they surrounded the royal heirs and heirs of various families.

At this point, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

These young people, though "young elites" highly regarded by their families, the future pillars of their clans, were all protected too well, having never experienced hardship or setbacks.

Surrounded and facing the relentless and overwhelming assault of the "enemy troops," they fell into utter panic and despair. Once Princess Jiabao and Lüqiu Yuanmo were captured, their morale finally collapsed, and they began to surrender one after another.

Though surrendering was shameful, it at least preserved their lives, and given their status, their families were likely willing to pay for their ransom.

With the younger generation surrendering, the older generation, still fighting hard, also lost the courage and determination to resist.

At this point, what was the point of continuing to fight?

A once ambitious surprise attack ended just like that.

The next day.

Wang Fugui woke up in his tent, unable to resist stretching.

After yesterday's battle, his confidence had grown a bit more. He had slept soundly, and his spirit was fully restored.

At this moment, a personal guard entered, bringing washing tools and breakfast.

Just then, Steward Ji Yue'er came to report: "Young Master, all the attackers from yesterday's battle have been captured. Apart from some injuries on our side, no one was killed. This shield is a Dao Artifact, seized from the Kui Niu guardian beast, and the princess said it should be given to you..."

As she spoke, Ji Yue'er handed the Dao Artifact shield to Wang Fugui.

Wang Fugui played with it briefly before putting it away: "Ancestor Grandfather loves collecting shields, I'm sure he'll be delighted."

After a pause, he continued, "What about the interrogation results of the male and female leaders captured last night?"

"The woman is Princess Jiabao of the Demon Yan Kingdom, quite stubborn." Ji Yue'er smiled slightly, handing Wang Fugui a stack of intelligence reports, "Unfortunately, that Lüqiu Yuanmo fellow isn't much, just a silver spearhead that's all show and no substance, couldn't withstand our Cha Nu Yin Demon's interrogation techniques. Young Master, these are the city defense details of Xiang Ancient City extracted from the interrogation."

"Though it's no wonder, our lineage may have average combat power, but we have many unconventional and cunning methods, especially... those targeting men." As she spoke, Ji Yue'er cast a charming glance at Wang Fugui, "Would Young Master like to try?"

"Cough, cough!" Wang Fugui, who was reading the intelligence while having breakfast, coughed repeatedly, "Steward Jiang, please don't joke like that with me. I'm only fourteen, quite thin-skinned."

"Young Master's thin skin... I haven't noticed it being thin at all," Ji Yue'er laughed, covering her mouth, "But I'm well aware of your tastes. You don't like women with too much femininity, preferring those who are fresh, sweet, and a bit feisty."

"By the way, the Princess Jiabao we captured last night fits your taste quite well. Why not take her as a maid? I can help you train her..."

The conversation was getting more and more outrageous.

Wang Fugui quickly waved his hand, "Alright, alright, Steward Jiang, save that for my Ancestor Grandfather, I'm too young to handle it. Have those key young people brought over, I have some questions for them."

Ji Yue'er complied and had Princess Jiabao, Lüqiu Yuanmo, and a few other "valuable" young people brought over.

Unlike Wang Fugui, who was refreshed after a good sleep, they all appeared dispirited and dejected, as if they had suffered a great blow.

Wang Fugui leisurely sipped his spiritual tea, his gaze sweeping over the prisoners.

These individuals ranged from seventy to over two hundred years old, with the weakest being at the Celestial Realm, and Princess Jiabao and Lüqiu Yuanmo at the Purple Mansion Realm.

Except for Princess Jiabao, the others all kept their heads down, instinctively avoiding Wang Fugui's gaze.

Only Princess Jiabao, despite her disheveled state, continued to glare at Wang Fugui, her expression defiant and fearless.

"Very well, these are all heirs of the Demon Yan Kingdom's various families, young elites of their generation, destined to become influential figures in the future." Wang Fugui said calmly, "For the long-term peace between the Liang and Yan Kingdoms, it's best to nip them in the bud. Steward Jiang, take them away and deal with them. Remember, we're the Celestial Dynasty's forces, we must uphold humanity, let them die swiftly."

"Yes, Young Master." Jiang Qinglian complied, summoning a group of guards to escort the prisoners out.

What?

The young people of the Demon Yan Kingdom were stunned.

Who executes prisoners right off the bat? This young man, despite his age, must be a reincarnation of a god of slaughter!

Especially Lüqiu Yuanmo, who was so anxious that his expression twisted: "Young Master, please reconsider, we are all heirs of the Yan Kingdom's families, you can name your price, our families will surely pay to ransom us."

"Yes, yes, Young Master, spare us, our families will pay, and pay handsomely. Just name your price, we won't haggle."

"No need for such trouble." Wang Fugui waved impatiently, "The last of Xiang Ancient City's resistance has been nearly destroyed, taking it won't be difficult. Your families' main wealth is concentrated in Xiang Ancient City, I can take as much as I want."

"..."

The young people were sweating profusely.

What he said seemed quite reasonable, what should they do?

Lüqiu Yuanmo, quick-witted, hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait. Firstly, Xiang Ancient City still has some defensive capabilities, with city defense troops, security forces, and over ten thousand militia trained by Princess Jiabao. Once the city's protective formation is activated, a direct assault will surely cost you dearly."

"Lüqiu Yuanmo!" Princess Jiabao was nearly furious to death, her eyebrows raised, "What are you doing? Betraying the country?"

"Calm down, Your Highness." Lüqiu Yuanmo, sweating profusely, said, "Our Xiang Ancient City is already defenseless, Young Master can take it with minimal losses. At this point, sacrificing our lives won't change the situation. It's better to stop now, to prevent unnecessary casualties from a siege."

"Brother Yuanmo is right." The other heirs echoed, "We're not afraid to die, nor unwilling to sacrifice, but we fear meaningless sacrifice."

"If we continue to resist, and this Young Master's subordinates suffer too many casualties, it might provoke him to massacre the city."

"Yes, yes, we're enduring humiliation to prevent more innocent deaths."

Each spoke with lofty reasons, as if genuinely concerned for Xiang Ancient City, leaving Princess Jiabao nearly fainting with anger: "I never expected the usually noble heirs of the families to act like this! I, Qiu Daoyu, am ashamed to be associated with you."

"The Princess has misunderstood them." Wang Fugui unexpectedly defended them, "Human nature is inherently about survival. This is rooted in evolutionary theory. Those who lack fear of death have a much higher mortality rate than those who fear it. Because they die more and faster, their chances of leaving descendants are lower."

"Generation after generation, over time, we've ingrained the fear of death into our bones. Our human race's survival to this day is inseparable from 'fear of death.'"

This statement left the young people and Princess Jiabao dumbfounded.

Others might cloak their fear of death with noble reasons, but this Young Master made it sound so refreshingly candid.

"Nonsense, the heroes and martyrs in history were not afraid of death!" Princess Jiabao retorted, "Their heroic sacrifices, are they false?"

"That requires strong conviction." Wang Fugui replied, "In our family system, the greatest cohesion is the family. There are countless willing to sacrifice for their family, but far fewer willing to sacrifice for the country without complaint. In short, I, Wang Fugui, am willing to give everything for my family, but not for our Eastern Qian Kingdom."

"Of course, if it involves a major event that could lead to the extinction of the entire human race, requiring me to stand up and sacrifice myself to save everyone, I would most likely be willing."

"As for the Princess's stubbornness, it's understandable. After all, you're royalty, this Yan Kingdom is your family! You can choose to sacrifice for righteousness, but don't use that moral standard to judge others."

With Wang Fugui's final words, the young people seemed to find their justification.

What the Young Master said made so much sense.

Princess Jiabao was infuriated, yet helpless.

In this atmosphere, Wang Fugui reached a friendly agreement with the "young masters." As long as they could avoid a siege, preventing further losses on both sides, they would be spared.

However, the ransom fee would still be required afterward.

In fact, the risk for these "young masters" in doing so wasn't great.

Though it would certainly incur royal displeasure afterward, this matter involved many young people from second, third, and even fourth and fifth-grade families, with too many families and individuals involved. The principle of "the law does not punish the masses" applies universally.

In such turbulent times for the Yan Kingdom, if Emperor Yuanji insisted on pursuing this, he likely wouldn't remain emperor for long.

Wang Fugui also wasn't worried about these young masters turning against him. Xiang Ancient City couldn't withstand Wang Fugui and Yun Mengyu now, anyone who dared betray would bring disaster upon their entire family.

Subsequently, led by Lüqiu Yuanmo, a group of young masters fled back to Xiang Ancient City in disgrace. Once the city gates were opened, they immediately took control of the gates and formation system.

Wang Fugui and Yun Mengyu's two battalions then stormed into Xiang Ancient City with lightning speed.

At this point, the morale of the two elite battalions was at an all-time high.

Before coming, no one dared imagine they could actually breach Xiang Ancient City. This was a monumental achievement and glory, along with a massive fortune.

This single feat was enough for them to boast for centuries! It was a matter of bringing honor to their ancestors.

"Control the garrison and take over city defense and security." Wang Fugui ordered, "Immediately implement a complete lockdown, all Xiang Ancient City residents must stay home, anyone who dares go out will be killed without mercy, implicating their family. Inform the residents that we will withdraw in ten days!"

Wang Fugui was well aware of how dangerous it was to occupy such a large capital city.To minimize danger, we must divide them, prevent them from gathering to discuss, and give them a tolerable deadline.

"The rest of you, follow me to attack the Imperial Palace! Take everything valuable inside."

With Wang Fugui's command, a fervent roar erupted from the battle group.

Everyone was exhilarated.

This time, the gains were immense!

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