The Demon Lords-Chapter 723 - 152 Feast_3

Hundreds of wild people captives were escorted to the shore and forced to kneel.

Next, a Commander issued an order, and the Yan Army soldiers began to behead these wild people.

One by one, the heads of the wild people rolled off, some landing on the ice, others falling into the icy water. The headless corpses were then thrown into the river, one by one, by the Yan Army soldiers.

Immediately after, hundreds of soldiers of the North Border Army knelt on one knee, thrusting their sabers into the ground.

Ran Min thought they must have once been Li Bao's subordinates. At this moment, they were mourning their former main general and fellow soldiers in this way.

No amount of incense and candles, no amount of mourning, no amount of sorrow, no amount of tears, could comfort the spirits in heaven better than the enemy's blood and severed heads.

This was a battle of revenge for the Yan people; they needed this kind of slaughter to vent the rage and depression in their hearts.

His Majesty needed it to bolster the people's morale and continue his plans for external expansion; the ministers in the Imperial Court needed it to stabilize the order of the country; the common folk needed it to maintain their pride. But the ones who truly needed it most were the frontline soldiers.

An old knight let out a long howl, waving the saber in his hand, and roared, "THE YAN ARMY IS MIGHTY!!!"

Across the vast wilderness, they pursued, captured, and took heads; the Wang River, today, was once again dyed red.

When you are in a war, it is hard to discern what is just from what is unjust, as thinking itself is indeed a luxury in that environment.

If you're an escort in the Jianghu, you have to be ruthless; otherwise, people from both legitimate and illicit walks of life will try to take a piece of you.

Ran Min believed this also held true among nations. Only when you had beaten them until they ached, beaten them until they were terrified, would they not dare to provoke you again.

Ran Min's generation grew up hearing stories of the North Border Army. After all, killing barbarians was universally acknowledged as the correct thing to do in Yan State. Indeed, this was true; during the last war between the three states, a single imperial decree from His Majesty had been enough to ensure the barbarians dared not make the slightest unusual move. To put it plainly, they had witnessed Yan's ruthlessness, and that was why they feared it and dared not provoke it.

In the western desert, the Yan people had already proven the effectiveness of this approach through their actions.

Ran Min thought that next, they should deliver greetings from the Great Yan to the wild people and the Chu people, especially since they were the ones who had overstepped first.

Just as Ran Min was preparing to remount his horse and continue his duties, he saw a Pixiu carrying a general in gilded armor slowly crossing the river in the distance.

Instantly, all the Yan Army soldiers on the bank, regardless of their former affiliations—be they Imperial Guards or Cheng State soldiers—raised their sabers and shouted:

"The Lord is mighty!"

"The Lord is mighty!"

"The Lord is mighty!"

It was not objective to blame the Eldest Prince entirely for the defeat in the last battle at Wang River, but the contrast between the outcomes of the two battles was simply too stark; or rather, they were complete opposites.

Last time, the Yan Army had suffered a humiliating defeat, with tens of thousands of its young men drowning in the river, while on the surface, the Chu State navy sang songs of the Chu region.

This time, the corpses of wild people littered both banks of the Wang River. The long howls of the veteran soldiers drowned out the stench of blood on the battlefield, creating an atmosphere of bold heroism unique to the Yan people.

Setting aside the merits and demerits for now, the Eldest Prince would be completely overshadowed by the glory of Lord Jingnan.

The Earl of North Border was old, and the North Border Army had been disbanded. Now, in the entire Yan State, the only one who could be relied upon—the only one whose command could inspire unwavering faith in victory from the Imperial Court down to the common people and the soldiers in the ranks—was the Southern Marquis.

Li Fusheng, covered in blood, rode up on his horse. If anyone in the Eastern Conquest Army was feeling the most pent-up, it had to be him.

According to the blind man, who had once been a psychologist, Li Fusheng definitely suffered from some sort of mental illness. If he had lived in a later era, he might very well have become a serial killer. But in this age, having joined the army, he had instead found a suitable stage for himself.

"Lord," Li Fusheng said, grinning, his smile light and cheerful.

He was like an addict who, after going without drugs for a long time, finally obtained a dose of the finest quality. Phew! He felt relieved, almost floating.

Lord Jingnan's face showed little excitement; even amidst the cheers of the surrounding soldiers, he remained very calm.

This was not a deliberate suppression of emotion to maintain his dignity; the white-haired Lord, perhaps, had long ceased to care deeply about many things.

"Li Fusheng, hear my order."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I order you to temporarily assume the role of commander-in-chief. Pursue the fleeing wild people along the banks of the Wang River, and at the same time, keep an eye on the Chu army within Jade Plate City."

"This subordinate obeys!"

Li Fusheng understood that since he was to stay behind, the one to continue leading the army eastward in pursuit of the wild people would naturally be the Lord himself.

Li Fusheng did not contend for this assignment. The current situation was very promising; the Chu army inside Jade Plate City, having lost the screening effect of the wild people, could only remain trapped within the city. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Such a favorable situation was hard-won. If any mishap occurred during the pursuit, it could easily be lost. Under such circumstances, having Lord Jingnan personally lead the troops eastward in continued pursuit was the most prudent decision.

Even someone as proud and untamable as Li Fusheng would not dare to question Lord Jingnan's military command in the slightest.

Tian Wujing's gaze was fixed on the silhouette of Jade Plate City to the north. Then he ordered, "Tell Situ Yu to get all the officials in Prince Cheng's Royal Mansion busy. Have them gather civilian laborers and stone materials for this Lord. We are in no hurry to attack Jade Plate City. First, we will build another ring of walls around its outer perimeter, completely sealing off all its external contact!"