What were the consequences of tens of thousands of people fleeing in panic?
Crowding, trampling, injury, death!
The soldiers of the Tianye City allied army threw away their weapons and armour one after another. They did not even have time to mount their warhorses, simply running for their lives on foot.
They would never come to this accursed place again, no matter how much money was offered.
Ou Wuyang and the other nine Tianye City magnates desperately tried to stop their own armies. But faced with this situation, even a genius commander could not prevent a great rout.
Some of these magnates possessed very high martial arts, with several even being Dragon Warriors. But at this moment, no matter how high their martial arts, it was of no avail.
Their soldiers also fled for their lives with all their might. At this moment, these magnates could only command their own several dozen or hundred personal guards, like a single leaf upon a boat tossed about amidst tens of thousands of fleeing soldiers.
“Commander, we must flee quickly as well. Otherwise, in a moment, even if we are not killed by the undead army, we will be killed by the Silver Wolf Legion.” someone beside Ou Wuyang said.
Ou Wuyang gazed at the great rout before his eyes, on the verge of tears.
This great battle had lasted a month, mobilising over fifty thousand troops in total, costing over a hundred thousand gold coins in military expenses. And because trade routes had been cut off and merchant caravans raided and killed, the losses were incalculable.
All of this merely to destroy the Silver Wolf Legion. The price was too great. The crucial point was that not only had they failed to destroy them, but they were now returning in great defeat.
A month of fighting to the death, and the twelve-clan allied army had lost several thousand men in total. The Silver Wolf Legion, at most, had lost merely a few hundred.
And tonight, in this great rout, the casualties from mutual trampling far exceeded all casualties of the previous month combined.
…
Suo Lun exerted all his strength, throwing this Dragon Flame Seal into the midst of the undead army.
Instantly, countless undead once again hurled themselves into the flame like moths to a flame.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” They desperately drilled into the Dragon Flame.
This scene was truly too magnificent.
Countless undead, one after another, then completely annihilated.
Several hundred, several thousand, tens of thousands of undead, completely devoured by the Dragon Flame, completely vanishing into smoke and clouds.
And the tens of thousands of allied troops could no longer see any of this. All around them were boundless, endless chaotic crowds. Everyone was desperately fleeing. Anyone who slowed even slightly might be trampled to death.
The fleeing crowd was like a terrifying tidal wave. No one could stop it, no one could control it.
A full half hour later, this terrifying chaos finally ceased.
The tens of thousands of allied troops had fled completely clean, leaving behind only corpses and wounded strewn across the ground.
Next, Tianye City would face enormous trouble. Some of these routed soldiers would return to camp, but some would flee in disorder into Tianye City.
Around the Yellow Springs Ancient City, corpses lay scattered in all directions upon the camp grounds. Some who were not yet fully dead were howling in agony at this moment.
In this great rout, at least five or six thousand were killed or wounded, more than the total casualties of the past month combined.
Everywhere were armour, everywhere were bows and arrows, weapons.
Because this was a siege battle, there was no need to ride horses. All warhorses had been gathered in one place.
And the rout just now had been too sudden. There had been no time to go to the horse pens to mount horses. So countless warhorses had also scattered in all directions. At first they ran aimlessly, but after the great army had finished routing, they instead calmed down, wandering about and grazing on grass.
Throughout the entire process, the only ones who remained in formation, motionless, were the Silver Wolf Legion.
They too were completely stunned. They had thought themselves doomed to certain death, yet watched with their own eyes as Suo Lun performed a heaven-shaking miracle.
The instant countless undead appeared, they too had been stunned, even their legs growing weak. But not a single person fled.
Because they had already believed themselves doomed to certain death. Moreover, the countless undead had surged directly towards the enemy army.
Thus, under Yan Yan’s command, the entire Silver Wolf Legion stood in perfect formation, motionless, watching the entire process from beginning to end.
…
Suo Lun went to retrieve the Dragon Flame Seal. At this moment, he no longer dared to touch it with his hands. It was no longer merely scalding hot, but nearly burning.
He closed the jade box and tucked it back into his bosom.
He had succeeded. Before dawn broke, he had helped the Silver Wolf Legion complete their great breakthrough, performing a miracle that should have been impossible.
Yan Yan stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and presented his sword with both hands, saying, “Yan Yan of the Silver Wolf Legion greets the liege lord. From this day forth, my Silver Wolf Legion shall pledge loyalty to the Suo Clan for generation after generation, never speaking of rebellion!”
Suo Lun received the sword, then returned it with both hands, and extended his hand.
Yan Yan lowered his head and kissed Suo Lun’s ring.
At the same time, the several hundred Silver Wolf warriors behind him knelt down in perfect unison, saying together, “The Silver Wolf Legion greets the liege lord.”
From this moment on, the entire Silver Wolf Legion, from top to bottom, pledged complete allegiance to Suo Lun, becoming the Suo Clan’s army.
At the city gates, Yan Nai’er, with her stunning figure and coldly breathtaking beauty, gazed upon this scene, her eyes rimmed slightly red.
This, this was perhaps the very scene she had longed to witness.
…
Next, the Silver Wolf Legion did not immediately depart, but instead cleared the battlefield.
Everywhere were armour, weapons, grain, warhorses.
The first priority was collecting warhorses, then setting up cooking pots to prepare meals. After eating and drinking their fill, they even slept for several hours to recover their strength.
At noon, these several hundred Silver Wolf elite, each man with three horses, carrying heavy spoils, left the Yellow Springs Ancient City and returned to the Silver Wolf military camp.
Along this journey, Yan Yan received at least eleven waves of messengers.
Ji Gang was dead. The remaining eleven magnates had all come to sue for peace, beg for mercy, and compromise.
Because after this great rout, the fragile alliance of the eleven clans had completely disintegrated.
And the Silver Wolf Legion, which had won final victory, had instead become the most powerful force in Tianye City. Moreover, Yan Yan had been resurrected.
From this day forth, no one could stop the Silver Wolf Legion from covering the sky with one hand in Tianye City, combining the positions of chief steward and city lord into one.
It was a pity that these dozen or so magnates did not know that the Silver Wolf Legion had already decided to leave, to pledge complete allegiance to the Suo Clan.
Two days later, Yan Yan led the Silver Wolf elite and re-entered the military camp.
Previously, the Silver Wolf Legion’s camp had been occupied, and all Silver Wolf mercenaries stationed inside had been disarmed.
After the allied army’s rout, they had hurriedly released all Silver Wolf soldiers and yielded the camp once more.
So now the camp remained intact, falling back into Silver Wolf hands.
If Yan Nai’er had chosen to hold fast to the camp that day, instead of resolutely abandoning it and fleeing into the desert, the Silver Wolf Legion would have long since been annihilated, their corpses already rotted.
The first thing upon returning to the camp, Suo Lun took out a hundred thousand gold coins in banknotes and gave them to Yan Yan, having him recruit soldiers and purchase horses, as well as buy military equipment and provisions.
Of these hundred thousand gold banknotes, eighty thousand were his own, and twenty thousand were from that chest of Blood Fiend’s.
Seeing these hundred thousand gold banknotes, Yan Yan was instantly startled. Suo Lun had already lost Tianshui City. Where had he obtained so much money?
This sum, even he, Yan Yan, could not produce. Moreover, the military expenses for this fifty thousand strong allied army had merely cost over a hundred thousand gold coins, contributed jointly by the twelve magnates and the Raging Waves Kingdom.
“How many troops do you wish to recruit?” Yan Yan asked.
“Twenty thousand.” Suo Lun said.
Yan Yan said, “Twenty thousand troops, and they must also march several thousand li to Tianshui City, and then lay siege and attack. I fear a hundred thousand gold coins will not be enough.”
Then Yan Yan said, “We shall only recruit soldiers, not officers.”
Suo Lun understood Yan Yan’s meaning. He did not want a rabble, but an elite force.
All officers would be promoted from within the Silver Wolf. He needed an army that would obey his commands as readily as his own arms.
What was a rabble? That had been made abundantly clear in the battle at the Yellow Springs Ancient City.
Yan Yan said, “My warrior subordinates can at most command ten thousand troops.”
Suo Lun said, “The Suo Clan still has one hundred warriors, all of them great swordsmen and knights.”
Yan Yan said, “Then recruit fifteen thousand. I shall send invitations to the eleven Tianye City magnates for negotiations, striving to not spend a single gold coin, a single stone of grain, or a single warhorse of our own.”
That very night, Yan Yan and Yan Nai’er together attended a negotiation at an outdoor round table.
Yan Yan proposed that the eleven Tianye City magnates compensate the Silver Wolf Legion for losses of one hundred and ten thousand gold coins. Moreover, the Silver Wolf Legion’s share would be raised from twenty percent to forty percent.
This was completely demanding the lives of the remaining eleven magnates. They negotiated for several hours, finally agreeing that the Silver Wolf would monopolise thirty percent of Tianye City’s profits, and the eleven clans would jointly compensate the Silver Wolf Legion with thirty thousand gold coins.
Thirty percent of the profits amounted to roughly thirty thousand gold coins per year.
Just as everyone thought the negotiations had concluded, Yan Yan suddenly proposed that he wished to withdraw from Tianye City, and was willing to auction off the annual thirty percent profits of Tianye City, with the highest bidder winning.
This was like a heavy bomb, stunning everyone into dizziness.
In the end, this thirty percent share was auctioned for one hundred and twenty thousand gold coins. Combined with the previous compensation, Yan Yan had extorted a full one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins from the eleven magnates.
Then, he divided this one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins into two portions.
“These fifty thousand gold coins, I am willing to contribute to the liege lord, to be used for recruiting soldiers and purchasing horses. And these one hundred thousand gold coins, I shall keep as Nai’er’s dowry.”
…
The subsequent recruitment of soldiers and purchase of horses proceeded extremely smoothly.
Not only did the other eleven magnates not obstruct them, but they fully cooperated, wishing for nothing more than the Silver Wolf Legion’s early departure.
In merely three days, they had smoothly recruited twelve thousand mercenaries.
All were soldiers, not a single officer, because all officers must be held in their own hands, unable to be infiltrated by anyone.
They purchased astronomical quantities of grain, arrows, armour, and weapons.
They purchased countless warhorses, mules, carts, and so forth.
Only Tianye City could purchase these astronomical quantities of supplies. Any other place, no matter how large the city, could not buy several thousand warhorses.
Because this was a city of trade, a city of smuggling.
The Yelan Duchy and the Xiliang Kingdom exported the most smuggled goods each year, and among them were warhorses.
And previously, the trade routes had been blockaded for a month. Countless supplies had accumulated near Tianye City, driving these merchants nearly mad.
This was perfect. Suo Lun scattered his hundred thousand plus gold coins, sweeping clean the stockpiles of many merchant caravans.
An army was truly a gold-devouring beast. After spending a hundred thousand gold coins, Suo Lun possessed an army of fifteen thousand, fully armed and equipped.
Whether they were elite remained to be seen.
But at the very least, the entire officer corps consisted of battle-hardened elites!
Ten days later, Suo Lun and Yan Yan led fifteen thousand troops away from Tianye City, marching eastward along the southern border plains.
The distance from here to Tianshui City was over five thousand li.
This army would continue marching eastward along the plains beneath the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, not entering so much as half an inch of the Raging Waves Kingdom’s territory. Therefore, the kingdom’s army had no right to attack or obstruct them!
At this moment, there were still thirty-nine days remaining until the deadline Suo Lun had set for suppressing the rebellion.
Leading fifteen thousand troops on a march of over five thousand li. For Suo Lun, this was perhaps an unprecedented experience.
Seven days later, Suo Lun’s army had advanced one thousand five hundred li.
Ten days later, Suo Lun’s army had advanced two thousand three hundred li.
Fifteen days later, Suo Lun’s army had advanced three thousand five hundred li.
Throughout the entire process, the army continued marching beneath the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, maintaining a distance of at least a hundred li from the Raging Waves Kingdom’s border.
Therefore, the kingdom’s army watched from the sidelines throughout, yet made not a single attacking move.
The Hundred Thousand Great Mountains held the most wandering warriors, and upon the mountains were countless barbarian tribes.
But faced with fifteen thousand fully armed legionnaires, whether barbarians, wandering warriors, or bandits, all could only tremble with fear.
…
Suo Lun’s fame once again spread throughout the entire Raging Waves Royal City.
Now nearly everyone knew that he had recruited over ten thousand mercenaries from Tianye City, marching over five thousand li to Tianshui City to suppress the rebellion.
And at this time, another person’s name shook the royal city. That was Ling Ao.
Half a month ago, the five great academies of the human kingdoms had held their annual martial arts tournament at the Flame Empire’s Flame Capital.
Ling Ao had won the championship, becoming the foremost young expert among the five academies.
This was the best result the Raging Waves Kingdom had achieved in over a dozen years. Ling Ao had become the pride of the entire kingdom.
When he returned in glory from the Flame Capital, he received a personal audience and commendation from His Majesty the King.
Immediately afterwards, he graduated from the Royal City Academy with first place honours, becoming Prince Zhili’s attendant. For a time, his prestige was unmatched.
Nearly countless nobles extended olive branches, attempting to marry their daughters to him and take him as their son-in-law.
But in Ling Ao’s heart, there was only one woman. That was Gui Qinshao.
He had travelled across half the human kingdoms, and had scarcely seen a woman more beautiful than Gui Qinshao.
He felt that only a woman of such noble status and breathtaking beauty as Gui Qinshao was worthy of a genius such as himself.
Of course, regarding Gui Qinshao having once been married to Suo Lun in a wedding ceremony, he was actually quite bothered in his heart. But at that time, Gui Qinshao had humiliated Suo Lun in the most thorough manner, which had given him some comfort.
Today, he officially graduated from the Royal City Academy and became Prince Zhili’s attendant.
He felt it was time to take the first step in his life. He would propose to Gui Qinshao.
As for the wedding, it would wait until he had rendered meritorious service and been ennobled as a baron by the king.
At this moment, Gui Qinshao was visiting the Tu Ling clan together with her mother. She was excessively arrogant, not putting others in her eyes even within the Tu Ling clan. Therefore, her relationship with several young ladies of the Tu Ling clan was not good.
And Tu Lingduo had been wounded by Suo Lun’s radiation energy arrow over half a month ago, collapsing unconscious on the spot. After treatment at the Dragon God Temple, she finally had no life-threatening danger, but remained somewhat weak, so she was recuperating at home.
At this moment, she was playing chess with Gui Qinshao.
“Miss, Lord Ling Ao requests an audience.” Her personal maid reported from outside. “He is even holding flowers.”
Tu Lingduo glanced at Gui Qinshao and smiled, “Cousin, someone has come to propose to you.”