Chapter 553: The City Was Breached
Translator: StackThatCoin Editor: Hitesh_
The only chance to live.
Not only did Feng Lingling stop clamoring, even Wu Qi had focused all his attention. What was to be offered could avoid the war, avoid innocent people from being slaughtered, and of course, also allow Wu Qi to avoid fighting the great armies outside the city. He was not interested in fighting against several tens of thousands of soldiers.
A dead silence reigned both inside and outside Zhong Ning City. The crying of a baby suddenly rang out from some building inside the city, sounding rather piercing.
Without any sign or sound, the building where the crying of the baby was heard suddenly crumbled and collapsed. All the people inside of it, including the baby, were crushed into blood and gore. "The only chance to live? I've run wild my entire life, and this is the first time someone utters such bold words to me." Feng Lingling's voice was heard coming from off in a distance.
Lord Long Yang let out a faint sigh. He lightly flicked his long sleeves and gently stomped his feet, then said with a soft voice, "Since Prefecture Overseer Zhong does not like to listen to me, then let the war begin. I would like to witness how much of a combative force does Prefecture Overseer Zhong still have after all of the soldiers in the four camps outside the city are controlled by the Human Emperor's Imperial Decree."
King Zhang Qiu, who sat with a straight back on his throne, said grimly, "It is not only the armies. The Directorate of Celestials has already severed their relationship with Prefecture Overseer Zhong. Their Grand Oracle, Yu Mu, is part of us now. Without their support, I wonder how long can Zhong Ning City's defensive formation last."
Wu Qi pricked his ears as he heard Feng Lingling's voice ring out, "What kind of chance are you speaking of? Tell me now."
A charming smile emerged on Lord Long Yang's face. "I presume Marquis Zhong is well aware of what had caused today's incident. But, we will not discuss who is right and who is wrong here. So long as Marquis Zhong is willing to join His Highness and vow that you will serve only him, we can always sit down together and come out with a satisfactory agreement between all of us.
"Once, His Highness mentioned to me that Feng Lingling, Marquis of Zhong, is a capable man. Should he not be, how could he secure such a high position? Though he is a little bit arrogant and unruly, and sometimes does not understand the rules between the superiors and subordinates, he is still a talented and capable man. It will be a pity if such a capable subordinate is killed. Your Excellency Fusang, don't you agree with His Highness?"
Fusang Ye, who was holding the imperial decree and using it to control the armies of tens of thousands of soldiers to prepare the siege, turned his solemn face to look at Lord Long Yang. After remaining silent for a long while, he shook his head and said, "Mister Long Yang, are the words you spoke just now representing King Bai Shan's intention?"
Lord Long Yang stared back at Fusang Ye in astonishment. He considered for a moment, then bowed seductively at the old man and said, "How could my words represent His Highness's intention? Those are merely comments His Highness had for Feng Lingling when we were discussing the incident. It is just that I feel pity for him, such a talented man! And knowing that it is not easy to cultivate to where he got today, I wish to offer him a chance to live."
He giggled and continued in a soft and gentle tone, "Do Your Excellency think that His Highness is the kind of person who is tolerant of rebellion and shelters the wrongdoers? This is not something that His Highness will ever do, speak, or think."
Fusang Ye turned his stern glance towards King Zhang Qiu. "What do you think, Your Highness? Are those words..."
King Zhang Qiu did not speak. Instead, he just nodded while his eyes rested on Lord Long Yang's face.
Lord Long Yang sighed as he stared at Fusang Ye and said with a smile, "Why is Your Excellency fussing over such trifles? Feng Lingling is a capable subordinate, and I am averse to killing him and his entire clan just for what has happened. If he is willing to leave the city and surrender himself, it proves that he has the intention of mending his mistake."
Fusang Ye said immediately, "Even if he does come out of the city and surrender, he will have to be captured alive and brought before His Majesty. He has to bow his head and admit his guilt before His Majesty."
"Could Your Excellency have forgotten something? When His Majesty was issuing the imperial decree of besieging Zhong Ning City, he only told us to make our judgment based on the situation. Surely, it doesn't mean that we have to capture Feng Lingling alive here, then bring him all the way back to trouble His Majesty, eh?"
Fusang Ye laughed. Shaking his head, he gave Lord Long Yang's indescribably beautiful face a glance and said with a sigh, "What you have said is somewhat reasonable... Well, it is good to know that both Kings are not going to pursue the matter further, and it is just right to hand Feng Lingling over to them."
"Our little King is a man who values talented people, that's all. You ought to know that his father will just look down his nose at a man like Feng Lingling." Lord Long Yang said immediately.
Though it was only a short exchange, countless blades, swords, spears and halberds were hiding behind those words. Fusang Ye gave Lord Long Yang a deep look, his facial muscle twitching every now and then, and he did not speak for a long while. Meanwhile, Lord Long Yang smiled faintly as he turned to look at Zhong Ning City and cried out, "Feng Lingling, don't ruin your life with a wrong decision! You might not care for your own life, but how could you not care about your family members, your sons, and daughters?"
It was only after a full fifteen minutes that Feng Lingling's aged, wearied voice was heard again. "Fusang Ye, does His Majesty's imperial decree mention how I will be handled after I open the city gates and surrender? Will it be a reproach, a dismissal from the office, an exile, a house arrest, or something else? I have one hundred and seventy-five sons and grandsons, ninety-seven daughters and granddaughters, and too many wives and concubines to make the difference. What about them?"
After a long moment of silence, Fusang Ye finally said, "His Majesty has a kind and forgiving heart."
Feng Lingling roared with laughter, his voice hoarse. "How am I supposed to open the city gates and surrender when all you can give me are empty words? If I trust you and do what you had bid, I will surely become the meat on your chopping board!"
Lord Long Yang chuckled. As he was about to say something, Lao Ai had already shouted out impatiently, "Why waste your breath, Feng Lingling? Either you will open the gates and yield yourself entirely to our orders, or you will fight us like a man! Just to let you know, I am very interested in your daughters, granddaughters, and even your wives, concubines, and mother!"
Goddess Miao Xin twisted her body and giggled as she gave Lao Ai's lean waist a hard pinch. "How could you show interest in other girls when I am staying here right next to you?" she complained, her voice sweet as honey.
Lao Ai guffawed. In front of all the people, he ran his hands down Goddess Miao Xin's curvy and slender body, rubbing and pinching along the way and nearly stripping her naked. "Why can't I? I thought you felt an extra sense of pleasure when I was playing with those female disciples of Miao Ying Palace in front of you?"
Lao Ai laughed boisterously as he pushed his lower abdomen forward in a complacent manner. His behavior made Goddess Miao Xin chuckle with a sweet voice, while both Miao Yue and Miao Feng were giggling shyly. The group of shameless man and women had made such a scene that even the immortal officer was frowning and turning his head around, for he could not stand to watch them anymore. From afar, Wu Qi could see the immortal officer's lips were moving. Though he could not hear the word, but it read 'what a bunch of extremely shameless Fiend Immortals!'
Wu Qi shook his head and glanced around while various thoughts went through in his mind. Should he make his escape by breaking through the formation? But, Zhong Ning City's defensive mechanism was too powerful, and there was absolutely no way he could break through it with his current overall strength. Should he wait quietly in the city for the final result? But he had to be extra careful not to be caught in the crossfire when the city was breached.
Although Lao Ai and Lord Long Yang seemed to be his allies, his partners in crime, Lao Ai had struck up a relationship with Miao Ying Palace and gained himself a formidable backing, and Lord Long Yang managed to cling himself to the wooden King Zhang Qiu. Should they suddenly come out with some other thoughts, which made them decide to take the opportunity and kill him with the great army, who should he cry his grievances to?
While Wu Qi was weighing all the options he had, Feng Lingling had already cried out sternly, "Do not insult me, you evil beings! Fusang Ye, do you really think you can capture Zhong Ning City?"
Lord Long Yang and Lao Ai shook their heads and sighed at the same time.
Lowering his voice, Lord Long Yang told King Zhang Qiu, "It looks like this old fool is determined to revolt against us! It is such a waste to all his talents."
It was only after some while of silence that King Zhang Qiu snapped under his breath, his face black as thunder, "Old fool, I shall rape all his wives and concubines and daughters and granddaughters, and murder his entire clan with tortures!"
And Lao Ai was grumbling into Goddess Miao Xin's ear, his voice full of fierce regret, "Tsk, once the city is breached, according to the imperial decree, Feng Lingling would be dead meat. It is a pity that all the girls in his clan will be executed as well. I am all prepared to give them a good spoil. Oh well!"
Goddess Miao Xin was giggling and did not speak a word. An amorous look lingered in her watery eyes, which made her look rather attractive. It had set Lao Ai aflame with sexual desire, and his little brother had raised his head. Hurriedly, Miao Feng and Miao Yue lowered down the bead curtain, then rushed to the cloud bed and joined the battle of man and women.
Fusang Ye's lips curved into an extremely bizarre smile as he lightly waved his hand and shouted, "Lay siege to the city!"
"Hoho! Ha!"
All the Long Bo men who were clad in heavy rock armors and stood ten thousand feet tall roared at the same time, their hands raised over their shoulders and pointing towards the sky. In the next moment, vast streams of energy shot out of their palms and gathered in the sky, forming a huge mountain that measured one hundred miles in height, and with a bottom so large that it covered the entire Zhong Ning City.
A muffled thud rang out as the mountain plunged straight down from the high altitude, slamming towards the city.
The Long Bo men were yelling and shouting excitedly, while the Feathermen and all the other strange human kinds were letting out sharp, sonorous roars. Like a shooting star, the huge mountain plunged straight down from an altitude of one thousand miles above the ground, only thousands of times faster. In just a flash, it had brutally smashed into Zhong Ning City's defensive barrier.
A faint cracking noise echoed out. Through his Chaotic Divine Eyes, Wu Qi saw that out of three most critical energy sources of the defensive mechanism, the one inside the Directorate of Celestials suddenly vanished without a trace. After that, a black energy curtain enveloped the entire palace.
The sudden loss of one energy source had caused the collapse of Zhong Ning City's defensive mechanism. The huge mountain pressed down lightly, sending forth a frightening wind that crushed almost eighty percent of the buildings in the city. Countless rocks and splinters of wood were hurled into all directions, piercing through heads and breaking bones of innocent people. Death reigned over the city.
Feng Lingling's furious howl was heard coming across a distance, "Yu Mu, you son of a b*tch! You are my in-law!"
The huge mountain landed hard on Zhong Ning City with a loud thud.
Yu Mu's voice rang out from somewhere, "We are in-laws only because your sons and grandsons have wed my daughters and granddaughters. I don't fancy it at all. Return my girls to me, I don't mind that they are no longer virgins. The relationship of in-laws is finished between us!"
Feng Lingling howled as he flew into a great rage. Meanwhile, Zhong Ning City's defensive mechanism fell apart completely.