The soldiers followed Liang Xiao back to the encampment, and Gongsun Ye could no longer contain his praise.
"So you had your plan all along, was it because of Saint Dragon Shadow!"
The others also couldn't help but question Liang Xiao why he engaged Achilles in the divine halberd form of the Sky Dragon Breaching City Halberd, only to kill him with its divine spear form.
"Indeed! From the very beginning, my goal was not to defeat, but to kill. I said the Sky Dragon Breaching City Halberd was cumbersome because I couldn't achieve the kill with its divine halberd form," Liang Xiao finally explained the truth.
"You have all repeatedly mentioned this man's bravery, and his divine steed, Saint Dragon Shadow. I predicted he would be my formidable foe, someone I couldn't kill in one blow. Therefore, during our first engagement on the battlefield, I merely engaged him in a probing battle, to gauge his strength."
"In fact, I was confident I could defeat him even with the divine halberd form, but killing him would have been nearly impossible, as Saint Dragon Shadow's speed is not inferior to White Night Flying Shadow. However, if he were to continue leading the Tian Ri Cavalry, he would surely be a menace."
"If he realized he was no match for me, he might have fought to the death, or he might have fled decisively. In a battlefield kill, I certainly couldn't rely on the enemy's character; I had to have my own plan. So, after several probes, I decided to use the divine halberd form of the Sky Dragon Breaching City Halberd to deepen his impression, to try and induce him to underestimate me, and to create the illusion that he could defeat or even kill me."
"Afterward, I would then engage him in rounds of cavalry charges with the divine spear form, naturally showcasing the disadvantage in weapon weight, completely opposite to the divine halberd form, to maximize his confidence that the Tian Ri Divine Spear was superior. Then, using the speed advantage of the spear in close combat, I would force him to change his strategy, ultimately choosing a cavalry charge. By seizing the moment when Saint Dragon Shadow was at full speed and unable to turn back and escape, I would kill him with a single thrust."
"In reality, even with the divine spear form, my strength was still far superior to his, but if I didn't rely on the cavalry charge and instead engaged in a back-and-forth skirmish, I still wouldn't be confident in killing him. After all, even Master Long Yue possessed the White Dragon Golden Armor; how could his armor not be the same as mine, which shares the same luster as the White Dragon Golden Armor? I wouldn't have enough confidence to pierce his armor without the impact of the two divine steeds."
Amidst everyone's astonishment, Liang Xiao concluded, "In the final analysis, all my methods, all the illusions I created for Achilles, were aimed at achieving the kill."
The others were greatly impressed. Yue Qingtian scratched the back of his head and chuckled foolishly, "As expected of our Marquis! He can even devise strategies during a fight!"
Liang Xiao merely chatted and laughed with them, still not revealing the true story.
No one understood killing better than a "Heavenly General"...
Whether it was disguise or espionage, the ultimate goal of almost every mission was to eliminate enemy key personnel, or even leaders.
To achieve the kill, he would prepare the most meticulous plan, using all available conditions and means to ensure foolproof success.
Because failure meant a tragic death.
Arrogance, and the eagerness to establish his might by beheading the Heavenly General, were precisely the weaknesses Achilles exposed. These weaknesses seemed inconspicuous, not fatal to the average person, even irrelevant.
Unfortunately, Achilles' opponent was him, making these weaknesses fatal.
"Regarding the disposal of Achilles' body, General Yue, what are your thoughts? Beheading him and displaying his head would also be acceptable," Liang Xiao asked.
Everyone looked at Yue Yun, understanding Liang Xiao's intention.
"Thank you, Marshal, for your consideration! This man bears a deep blood feud with me, and he insulted my brother's corpse, but he should still be buried honorably."
"Firstly, my brother always respected the Heavenly General and would have wished for him to complete today's battle with perfect grace. Secondly, this action can prevent provoking the demoralized Tian Ri Cavalry, thus preventing them from turning their grief into strength, and potentially continuing to erode their morale. Most importantly, it will alienate the soldiers from Jiazhou, making them amenable to surrender."
"After all, Achilles is dead, and my vengeance is complete. As for beheading and displaying his head, it is ultimately just a form of deterrence against the enemy. The true key lies in the fact that the Heavenly General killed Achilles himself."
Yue Yun's answer earned everyone's admiration.
Liang Xiao no longer insisted. He then retrieved the Tian Ri Divine Spear and Achilles' armor.
"Qingtian, your 'Guan Dao' is still a bit lacking. The Tian Ri Divine Spear is top-tier, so I'll give it to you. The White Dragon Golden Helmet goes to General Yue, the White Dragon Golden Armor to General Nan, the vambraces to my father-in-law, and the boots to my brother-in-law..."
Before Liang Xiao could finish, everyone unanimously advised against it.
"No, no, no! Absolutely not!"
Gongsun Ye, noticing that the concerned parties, including Yue Qingtian, were also dissuading him, felt relieved and reminded him, "Liang Xiao, apart from His Majesty, only you and your descendants are qualified to possess this set of equipment, as it is a symbol of victory for the Heavenly General and the entire nation!"
"Yes, yes! Giving them to us would be a waste of precious treasures, and we don't need such magnificent items. Our current equipment is sufficient! Even if you can't use it yourself, Marquis, you should collect it properly, or perhaps give it to your young marquises in the future!" Yue Qingtian chimed in repeatedly, his emotions stirred.
Liang Xiao appeared thoughtful.
Ancient people greatly valued honor, even if it was merely symbolic, adhering to principles that are difficult for later generations to comprehend.
Thus, Liang Xiao no longer insisted and handed the equipment to the shadow guards to be stored at Hong Xiu's stables, to be brought back to the capital later.
Saint Dragon Shadow was also entrusted to Hong Xiu to guide a few shadow guards in its care.
The White Dragon Shadow, a legendary steed since the Wu Dynasty, its offspring had finally broken free from the control of the Tian Ri clan and returned to this land.
The Yuzhang military camp simultaneously dispatched an urgent eighty-hundred-li dispatch and numerous carrier pigeons to the capital.
With the dust settled on this battle, and the truth of the Heavenly General's identity revealed, a sense of national identity formed on this land, destined to leave the most colorful stroke in the annals of Da Qian history.
But this was merely the settling of the dust from this battle; the true storm was just beginning, sweeping across the world like a prairie fire!
The Jiazhou allied forces south of Yuzhang City were now in utter shock.
"The invincible Tian Ri clan's Achilles, killed by the Heavenly General?!"
The entire Jiazhou army camp descended into chaos.
The Tian Ri soldiers all wore fearful expressions, filled with despair.
Especially the once proud and fierce Tian Ri Cavalry, who now knelt and wailed, beating their chests with their fists.
Hannibal could not stop them and could only let them vent for the time being.
This was the collapse of faith.
The Great Zhou Wu Sheng had beheaded Achilles, and the Da Qian Heavenly General, in a fair one-on-one duel, had killed Achilles.
The Tian Ri clan had no further excuses.
The morale of the entire army was low.
The next morning, a swift horse galloped into the camp.
"My Lord! Disaster!"
"What is it?"
The leaders of Jiazhou rushed out of the camp, seeing the panicked scout.
"We received news from the Yuzhang area... the Heavenly General, he, he is Marquis Anguo, Liang Xiao, he did not become a god after death!"
"What?!" everyone cried out in unison, trembling all over.
Xiao Che drew the sword at his waist and roared, "If you dare speak nonsense, I will exterminate your nine generations of kin!!"
The scout trembled, "It is absolutely true! We have confirmed the news repeatedly, and we have also received reports from our spies that the Heavenly General is Marquis Anguo, Liang Xiao. The entire Yuzhang military and populace knows now!"
"Report! Intelligence from Yuzhang! Marquis Anguo, Liang Xiao, is the Heavenly General himself!!"
Several more swift horses arrived with the news, startling Xiao Che so much that his sword slipped from his grasp.
Xiao Chang, Gongyang He, Dugu Qun, Hannibal... every one of them was struck as if by lightning!
Liang Xiao, was actually the Heavenly General?
At this moment, their world suddenly collapsed.
So, the Heavenly General who repelled the barbarians in Yanzhou back then, the Liang Xiao who gained fame in the capital, was only eighteen years old?!
"How, how is this possible..." Xiao Chang choked his own throat, his face ashen, unable to accept it.
Gongyang He's pupils contracted, and his heart stopped.
So, the person he had faced in the military camp was also a Da Qian Wushen?
Recalling Liang Xiao's stern gaze, an unprecedented fear surged into his heart, causing Gongyang He to tremble violently.
That was the gaze of the Heavenly General upon him!
A moment later, Gongyang He's lower body became wet, and soon the ground was also wet.
Fear had caused him to lose control of his bladder.
"Grand Tutor..." those beside him exclaimed in alarm and were about to remind him, when they saw Gongyang He shaking his head repeatedly, clutching his chest, his face filled with terror.
"The, the Heavenly General? How is this possible!"
Under the shocked gazes of everyone, Gongyang He clutched his chest and cried out "How is this possible!" three times. Then, he toppled backward, his heart stopped, and his breathing ceased.
Despite urgent rescue efforts, the former Grand Tutor of the Da Qian state, Gongyang He, died of a sudden cardiac arrest.