The astonishing victory finally dispelled the gloom that had enveloped the common folk.
The city’s inhabitants celebrated from street to street, a universal jubilation!
The Sky-Propping Guards and Great Qian Iron Guards, having returned to the city to rest, finally shed their armor, revealing honest smiles of relief.
They had won!
As vanguards against the enemy cavalry, they had finally proven themselves.
Both elite units, whether public or private, had lived up to the Marquis’s cultivation!
“Marquis! I slew over a hundred with that Mo Saber you gave me!”
Yue Qingtian roared all the way back to the military camp, only to quiet down upon arrival, but he couldn’t find Liang Xiao anywhere.
Several Shadow Guards finally emerged from the stables and quietly informed him, “His Highness the Son-in-Law exerted himself excessively yesterday and is resting. Please wait until His Highness summons you.”
The Shadow Guards knew Yue Qingtian was a favored general meticulously nurtured by Liang Xiao, so they didn't make things difficult for him.
Yue Qingtian was utterly bewildered. He vaguely agreed and rejoined the Great Qian Iron Guards.
“Some of the White Robe soldiers are back! General Tian is also back!”
The guards on the city wall, spotting Liang Xiao and Lü Changhe, erupted in ecstatic cheers and applause.
Lü Changhe escorted Liang Xiao into the city, passing by the Great Qian Iron Guards.
“General Tian, why…”
Yue Qingtian jumped in surprise upon seeing Liang Xiao, quickly covering his mouth.
He realized that General Tian’s figure bore an uncanny resemblance to his Marquis!
After escorting Liang Xiao to the stable, Lü Changhe turned back.
Yue Qingtian looked around, confirming no outsiders were present, and then asked in a low voice, “General Lü, why is General Tian so much like our Marquis…”
Lü Changhe paused, then explained softly, “It’s only reasonable that General Tian resembles whoever summoned him, isn’t it?”
“Ah, yes, General Tian was summoned by our Marquis!” Yue Qingtian exclaimed, suddenly enlightened.
“General Yue, you mustn’t speak of this to anyone,” Lü Changhe cautioned.
His greatest fear now was that this boorish man, with his blunt tongue, would let slip something outside.
The fact that Liang Xiao *was* General Tian was a terrifying secret for enemies and foreign powers alike. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best to keep it hidden, especially since Liang Xiao already held the highest positions!
If enemies were to firmly believe Liang Xiao was General Tian, the pressure Liang Xiao would face on the battlefield would be unimaginable.
Conversely, sowing seeds of doubt and suspicion actually served as a form of protection for Liang Xiao.
Just like in today’s battle, someone had wanted to perish with General Tian, only to be cleaved in two by General Tian’s sword, scaring the enemy away.
The opposing side likely believed General Tian was truly a divine manifestation, invincible!
“My mouth is as solid as stone!” Yue Qingtian patted his chest in assurance.
Lü Changhe didn’t entirely believe him, but still nodded with a smile.
Inside the stable, Hong Xiu had learned of the front-line victory and, upon greeting Liang Xiao, knelt before the Sky Dragon Breaking City Halberd and the Sword of All Living Things, reciting scriptures repeatedly, hoping to cleanse the karmic retribution from Liang Xiao’s weapons.
Liang Xiao did not object, but thanked him repeatedly. He removed his battle robe, armor, helmet, and cloud-flowing gauntlets, and went to the pre-arranged bathhouse next to the stable for a thorough wash with hot water to clean off the bloodstains.
Only then did Hong Xiu begin to wash Liang Xiao’s equipment and the White Night Flying Shadow with hot water.
Hundreds of Shadow Guards remained vigilantly stationed inside and outside the stable, their faces filled with fanaticism, allowing no one to approach.
After emerging, Liang Xiao’s elegant demeanor was restored. Accompanied by ten Shadow Guards, he returned to the military camp.
“Vice Marshal! The battle results are earth-shattering!”
Mu Hong, with Liu Fan, rushed to report the victory. The two scholars, forgetting their appearance, gesticulated wildly as they detailed the captured spoils.
“The Marquis led our troops to crush the barbarians, slaying over 170,000!”
At night, the news finally reached the Liang Residence, bringing joy to everyone within!
Even the maids and guards watching over Sophia cried out in delight.
Hearing the commotion outside, Sophia, who was facing away from the door and feigning sleep, felt her pupils constrict.
The barbarians had lost?
At that moment, Sophia felt the world spin. She closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
Jian Qinwan and the others, along with the martial artists from Mount Heavenly, who received the news within the residence, were so excited they were at a loss for what to do!
“My son-in-law is truly remarkable, beyond compare!”
Mu Xueqin embraced Jian Qinwan, who was also weeping tears of joy, her face beaming with pride.
Jian Qinwan, Yue Lian, Luo Qingxue, and Christelle gently stroked their pregnant bellies, their eyes filled with tenderness, and whispered softly.
“Your father is a great hero who has made the people of Great Qian stand tall…”
Zhuo Xun, mimicking Zhen Mi, cupped her face with trembling hands, her expression filled with envy and a hint of melancholy.
He had led the Yan Prefecture’s defending army to victory!
Slaying 170,000 was an achievement of unimaginable magnitude!
“I heard the barbarians primarily relied on cavalry. How could infantry achieve such a kill count?” Du Pingling asked, somewhat astonished.
Everyone else was equally surprised.
Of course, they didn’t suspect Liang Xiao of exaggerating the victory, but defeating cavalry with infantry was akin to climbing the heavens. They wondered what strategy Liang Xiao had employed.
“I heard that later, General Tian appeared, personally leading the troops to pursue the remaining seventy to eighty thousand barbarian cavalry for perhaps a hundred miles. Barbarian corpses were everywhere!” a messenger guard explained, his muscles twitching with each word.
Hearing this, the four pregnant women secretly rejoiced, then couldn’t help but caress their bellies and murmur in their hearts.
“Your father is invincible…”
“General Tian is indeed valiant; this old woman is most impressed!” Mu Xueqin couldn’t help but beam.
Du Pingling solemnly stated, “Though it may be somewhat presumptuous, if General Tian were still alive, along with the Marquis of An Guo, wouldn’t our Great Qian have five Saints?”
“Go away!” Mu Xueqin shot Du Pingling a look and retorted with annoyance, “The ‘Three Saints of Great Qian’ are mere honorary titles. How dare one compare them? That’s a world of difference!”
The martial artists of Mount Heavenly nodded in silent agreement.
In their hearts, with Liang Xiao in governance and General Tian in martial prowess, their achievements were indeed incomparable to the Three Saints of Great Qian.
Even Mu Xueqin, the Saint of Medicine, who had saved countless lives and accumulated immense merit, was far behind Liang Xiao.
Yan Prefecture finally lifted its lockdown, but almost no one left the city. People were reluctant to depart so soon.
In streets and alleys, the talk of the Marquis of An Guo and General Tian was ubiquitous, spreading like legends.
“General Tian was indeed invited by the Marquis of An Guo again. Without General Tian, our soldiers would probably only have slain ten thousand, right?”
“Ten thousand slain is still few? Before General Tian, slaying ten thousand was already an earth-shattering achievement!”
…
In a secret chamber, Zuo Jing, wearing a veil, gazed at the wine in her cup, her eyes distant, no longer able to hear the voices around her.
Originally, she had been drinking to drown her sorrows out of worry.
Now, it seemed, her concerns were entirely unfounded!
After a long while, Zuo Jing murmured to herself, “How did he manage to defeat cavalry with infantry and slay seventeen thousand? He’s so formidable…”
The Cloud Heaven Guards stifled their laughter.
Her current appearance bore no resemblance to the leader of the Cloud Heaven Guards; she was purely a devoted admirer of someone.
Having undergone ruthless training since childhood, she was now becoming increasingly like a genuine young girl.
Yun Tianwei Qing could no longer contain herself and whispered, “Miss, why don’t you hand over those important intelligence reports to the Marquis of An Guo and stay by his side?”