The horror of a camp explosion cannot be overstated by any words.
Because an army has completely lost its command and order, and can only slaughter chaotically.
Many times, you cannot even remain uninvolved, because if you do not kill others, others will kill you.
Moreover, at this moment, Gui Xingfu’s allied army was entirely borrowed, divided into no fewer than five major factions and countless minor ones.
Luanyang City, Yingzhou Island Hai clan, Linhai City, rock pirates, and the naval forces Gui Xingfu had borrowed from various coastal noble commanderies and cities.
These five armies had always had conflicts and frictions with one another. Added to two days of unfavourable warfare, they had long been harbouring a bellyful of fire.
At this moment, over three thousand rock pirates, fierce as jackals, burst forth to kill. Instantly, the several armies were thrown into complete chaos.
At first, it was only fighting with the rock pirates. Then the several armies began fighting one another. Then it became a complete mess, with many people killing whoever they saw, completely out of control.
And even more people began to flee, escaping towards the sea one after another, boarding warships to leave this terrible place of strife.
At this moment, the three thousand rock pirates displayed terrifying organisational ability and distinctiveness. Completely like a pack of wolves, under Queen Yan Chuo’er’s leadership, they slaughtered in groups any army other than their own.
Meanwhile, the gates of Chaos Stone Island castle opened, accompanied by shrill cries and strange shouts.
Several thousand rock pirates among the defenders also charged out in groups, joining with the rock pirates outside.
The rock people had dark bodies, long limbs, and slightly bent postures. Their features were extremely distinctive and could not be mistaken.
The two groups of rock pirates joined together, numbering over ten thousand. They began to form ranks in orderly array.
Meanwhile, Gui Xingfu’s other several armies were still in complete chaos, desperately fleeing and slaughtering one another.
“Kill, kill, kill…”
The ferocious rock pirates charged madly, killing whoever they met, slaughtering whatever they encountered, massacring all the way through.
They charged directly towards Gui Xingfu’s central army camp!
Gui Xingfu stood atop a high point in the camp, gazing into the distance. The camp, spanning several li, was in complete and utter chaos. Fires were burning fiercely everywhere.
Countless rock pirates truly were like ferocious beasts, slaughtering other races in groups.
Gui Xingfu’s body trembled repeatedly. He knew this army was finished. Not even gods or immortals could save it now.
He truly should not have brought Yan Mo into this back then. Those who are not of our race will inevitably have different hearts.
Another wave of surging pain struck his chest, another surge of blood qi.
“Pugh…” A mouthful of blood sprayed out violently.
“Father.” Gui Qinzhong rushed forward to support him.
“Go. Leave quickly…” Gui Xingfu said tremblingly.
Gui Qinzhong asked, “Where to? Luanyang City, or Chuyun Commandery?”
Gui Xingfu said, “Do not alert anyone. Just take the trusted warriors, pick a small boat and head north to Chuyun Commandery. Then flee to the royal city at the fastest speed possible. That way, you and I still have a thread of hope for survival. Otherwise, we are certain to die!”
Gui Qinzhong said, “Then, then are we simply abandoning this army?”
“It cannot be managed. This army is finished,” Gui Xingfu said tremblingly. “Watching others carry a load looks effortless. Carrying it yourself, you must rest at every step. I have rarely truly led troops in battle. I am more than capable of discussing strategy on paper. Now that I have taken command myself, I have suffered a crushing defeat. It is truly pain to the bone.”
Gui Xingfu’s political and scheming abilities were truly formidable, but he had not achieved much in military affairs nor had many opportunities.
“Go. Flee quickly. Flee to the royal city at the fastest speed!” Gui Xingfu said.
Then, he and Gui Qinzhong quickly changed into the clothing of ordinary soldiers. Under the protection of the Gui clan’s trusted warriors, they followed the fleeing crowds from the exploded camp, charging towards Chaos Stone Island’s dock.
At this moment, the dock was also in complete chaos.
Countless soldiers who had escaped were boarding ships one after another, no longer caring which unit these warships belonged to. They even began fighting over the ships.
However, most of the soldiers were quite foolish, all rushing to seize those warships that looked large and magnificent.
“Go seize the rock pirates’ warships. The smallest kind. The fastest,” Gui Xingfu said.
Then, several dozen trusted warriors escorted the father and son pair, boarding a rock pirate warship.
“Go, go, go, go…”
The Gui clan warriors untied the anchor, unfurled the sails, and rowed desperately.
At this moment, the sea surface was also in complete chaos. Some warships fled north, some east, some south.
“North. Head north,” Gui Xingfu ordered.
Then, the rock pirate warship he rode, with sails fully unfurled and several dozen warriors rowing desperately, fled at full speed towards the northern sea region.
Over half an hour later, Gui Xingfu’s warship had escaped over thirty li.
And at this moment, Queen Yan Chuo’er had already led the rock pirates in charging to the coast of Chaos Stone Island. Gui Xingfu’s army soldiers who had not yet managed to seize ships were slaughtered completely clean.
The entire Chaos Stone Island army camp had been completely set ablaze by fire, illuminating the entire night sky.
Even the warships at the dock and on the sea had begun catching fire.
Across the entire Chaos Stone Island, blood was everywhere, corpses were everywhere.
Countless streams of blood even flowed into the salt fields. Perhaps the salt produced by this round of Chaos Stone Salt Field operations would be tinged with red.
Yan Chuo’er led over ten thousand rock pirates, slaughtering all the way from the allied army camp to the seaside, killing until the nearby coastal waters were dyed red.
Killing until the allied army wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves.
These rock pirates were not only the strongest army at sea. Even on land, they were like venomous snakes and fierce beasts.
“Board ships. Pursue and kill…”
At Yan Chuo’er’s command, thousands upon thousands of rock pirates boarded rock island warships one after another, continuing to pursue and kill the allied army warships that had fled by ship.
Gui Xingfu watched from afar, and was instantly so terrified his soul scattered.
Fortunately, he had chosen the fastest rock island warship. By now, the distance from the enemy was growing greater and greater. Even if Yan Chuo’er wanted to catch up, it was impossible.
Over an hour later, the rock pirate warship Gui Xingfu rode was already over a hundred li from Chaos Stone Island. The chaotic scene over there could no longer be seen clearly.
Behind him, the rock pirate fleet led by Yan Chuo’er in pursuit had also been completely shaken off.
…
Finally safe!
Gui Xingfu’s legs went soft, and he completely collapsed upon the deck.
He had nothing left. He had completely nothing left!
As expected, Linhai City had completely fallen, occupied by Suo Lun!
The forty thousand troops he led had not only failed to capture Chaos Stone Island, but had been completely annihilated.
After he fled to the royal city, what should he do? Did he still have value to Zhi Li?
Luanyang City was still fine, but the Yingzhou Island Hai clan family, Yan Mo would not let him off. He had lost so miserably in this battle.
The Yingzhou Island Hai clan had already lost thirty thousand naval troops in the previous great battle. This time, they lost another ten thousand.
Of the Hai clan’s hundred thousand navy, nearly half had been lost. Hai Gang, in order to set foot upon the mainland and ally with Zhi Li, had paid such an enormous price, yet gained nothing.
He believed this master of the Hai clan would have the heart to tear him, Gui Xingfu, to shreds.
And then there was Yan Mo. Of the five thousand rock pirates he supported, over a thousand were lost. The remaining three thousand were all fed to Suo Lun. He also wished he could skin Gui Xingfu alive and pull out his tendons.
Did Gui Xingfu still have any value now?
Gazing at the stars and bright moon in the sky, Gui Xingfu’s sorrow welled up from his heart. He seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.
“It seems my sins against Suo Long were too deep, so his son has become my nemesis,” Gui Xingfu sighed.
Gui Qinzhong wanted to speak but stopped. After a slight hesitation, he still opened his mouth and said, “Father, I think… should we consider pledging loyalty to Zhi Yan?”
“Are you seeking death?” Gui Xingfu said sternly. “Foolish, ignorant! Zhi Yan is a woman. There has never been a woman who ascended the throne. Not a single woman has become a sovereign. Whoever dares support Zhi Yan is making an enemy of the entire world. Not only making an enemy of the Fury Wave Kingdom’s nobles and aristocrats, but making an enemy of all the kingdoms under heaven. Do not look at how imposing Suo Lun is now. He is destined to die without a burial place. The Suo clan family is destined to have their clan exterminated and their line extinguished. Whoever dares stand on Suo Lun’s side is certain to die!”
Hearing his father’s stern rebuke, Gui Qinzhong fell silent as a cicada in winter.
After the furious reprimand, Gui Xingfu instead calmed down. He rose from the deck, and his heart was once again filled with fighting spirit.
“If Gui Qinshao was rescued by Suo Lun, that is instead a good thing for us,” Gui Xingfu said. “Suo Lun will certainly try to make her the Linhai City Lord. But as long as I am not dead, and you are not dead, this city lord position will not fall to Gui Qinshao. I am in Zhi Du Royal City. Even if I have lost my territory, I am still the Linhai City Lord. Even if only to strike at Suo Lun, Zhi Li will send troops to help me retake Linhai City. We still have tremendous value!”
Gui Xingfu was indeed not wrong. His daughter Gui Qinshao falling into Suo Lun’s hands was instead advantageous to him at this moment.
If Gui Qinshao were still in Zhi Li’s hands, then when Zhi Li dispatched several hundred thousand troops to attack Tianshui City in the future, and incidentally recovered Linhai City afterwards, it might no longer have anything to do with Gui Xingfu.
Gui Xingfu said, “After entering the royal city, I must remonstrate with His Highness Zhi Li. At any cost, ignoring the King’s Divine Dragon Sceptre, ignoring any threats, exerting all strength to destroy the Suo clan. Have Tu Lingtuo and Zhi Wei’s armies attack Tianshui City immediately, and exterminate the Suo clan completely!”
“Full speed ahead. Sail towards Chuyun Commandery!” Gui Xingfu roared. “Suo Lun, everything is not yet over. I will follow Tu Lingtuo’s grand army and personally stand atop the walls of Tianshui City, watching your Suo clan family completely exterminated, watching your women being raped and humiliated one by one, watching your Suo clan have their clan exterminated and their line extinguished!”
“Suo Lun, everything is not yet over. Wait for my return!” Gui Xingfu shouted towards the sea again and again, venting the hatred and fury in his heart.
And just at this moment!
A lazy voice suddenly came from the air!
“City Lord Gui Xingfu, do not be in such a hurry. Am I not here? Why are you shouting my name like this?”
It was Suo Lun’s voice!
Instantly, Gui Xingfu was as if struck by lightning.
It was an illusion. It must be an illusion. How could Suo Lun appear here?
He immediately looked towards his son Gui Qinzhong, and clearly saw that Gui Qinzhong’s face was also filled with terror and shock!
Suo Lun had truly come!
Gui Xingfu was utterly terrified, his thighs trembling.
“Whoosh…” A gust of wind in the air, a cry.
Then several black shadows dove down fiercely from high in the sky.
They were griffin beasts. A full five griffin beasts, carrying over a dozen people upon them.
Suo Lun, Zhi Yan, Ashi Liren, Zhuang Zhixuan, Shadow Pavilion powerhouses.
Five griffin beasts circled in the air, circling around Gui Xingfu’s vessel.
Gui Xingfu’s entire body turned icy cold, his limbs trembling.
“Shoot them dead. Shoot them dead?” Suddenly, he roared desperately.
Immediately, his several dozen trusted warriors bent their bows and shot arrows.
However, the arrows they shot were easily sliced apart.
Instead, Suo Lun, riding upon a griffin, bent his bow and nocked an arrow.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Terrifying rapid-fire arrows, nineteen in succession!
In an instant, nineteen Gui clan warriors were all killed!
Even on the back of a flying griffin, Suo Lun was still a hundred shots out of a hundred. This could truly be called mounted archery.
Then, he condensed his spirit and once again bent his bow and nocked an arrow.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…”
Another round of rapid-fire arrows, taking the lives of another dozen-odd Gui clan warriors!
After the third round of rapid-fire arrows!
The trusted warriors on Gui Xingfu’s ship had all died completely clean. Only Gui Xingfu and Gui Qinzhong remained.
The unmanned warship drifted aimlessly upon the sea.
Suo Lun and the others did not land either. They simply circled around Gui Xingfu’s vessel like this, then pinched open a signal arrow and lit it.
“Whoosh…” A brilliant firework shot fiercely into the sky.
This signal arrow informed Yan Chuo’er over a hundred li away of Gui Xingfu’s exact position.
An hour and a half later, Yan Chuo’er led several dozen rock pirate warships appearing upon the sea surface, completely surrounding Gui Xingfu’s vessel.
Then, Yan Chuo’er brought several dozen rock pirate leaders aboard Gui Xingfu’s vessel, took control of the warship, and completely captured Gui Xingfu and Gui Qinzhong, father and son!
The griffin beasts landed upon this ship. Suo Lun and Zhi Yan leapt down from the griffin backs, gazing at Gui Xingfu and Gui Qinzhong, who had now become prisoners!
At this moment, Gui Xingfu was in complete disarray. He wore the clothing of an ordinary soldier, his hair was dishevelled, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, his beard was singed. He had aged far more than ten years.
Finally, this old fox had fallen into his hands!
“Linhai City has already fallen. Gui Qinbi has fallen into your hands and betrayed me, correct?” Gui Xingfu asked.
“Correct,” Suo Lun said.
“You have already rescued Gui Qinshao and Tuling Si, correct?” Gui Xingfu continued asking.
“Correct,” Suo Lun said.
Gui Xingfu gazed at the incomparably handsome Suo Lun. His body trembled repeatedly, his heart in extreme agony.
This little thief. This little thief who had caused him to lose everything completely.
He had clearly already died. Why had he come back to life?
He had fought him for two years, losing every battle. Now he had finally completely fallen into his hands. Not only could he not preserve his ancestral foundation, but he could not even preserve his own life.
Playing schemes with this scoundrel?
Impossible. He was more cunning than a fox, more venomous than a snake.
Now there was nothing left to think about. Remonstrating with Zhi Li, following Tu Lingtuo’s grand army to destroy Tianshui City, personally cutting off Suo Lun’s head, watching Suo Lun’s women being ravaged one by one?
Everything had become a bubble!
His only will now was to survive!
At any cost, even if he had to become a pig or a dog, an ox or a horse, he would desperately preserve his own life.
Instantly, Gui Xingfu’s knees went soft, and he knelt directly before Suo Lun.
“This old servant Gui Xingfu pays homage to Your Majesty the Queen, pays homage to Your Majesty the Regent!”
After kneeling, Gui Xingfu kowtowed a full nine times. Then he pressed his entire body against the deck, motionless.
Suo Lun did not respond. Zhi Yan did not respond either.
Gui Xingfu crawled forward on his knees one step, then kowtowed again, pressing his head heavily against Suo Lun’s toes, pressing his forehead against the sole of Suo Lun’s shoe. He said respectfully and mournfully, “This old servant Gui Xingfu pays homage to Your Majesty the Regent!”
This time, he did not even call out to Her Majesty the Queen. He only called out to His Majesty the Regent.