My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 344 - Hearing Thunder in Silence

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Hearing Thunder in Silence

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Hearing Thunder in Silence

Yujing City, Great Yan Emperor’s bedchamber.

At this time, Zhao Zhiwu had not attended court for over a month. No one in the world knew that this grandmaster realm master was currently lying on the dragon couch, looking extremely weak.

The white-browed eunuch whispered, “Your Majesty, Princess An Le has arrived.”

Zhao Zhiwu coughed lightly, “Cough cough cough… Let her come in.”

Before long, Zhao Xuening hurried in, “Father Emperor!”

“Has there been another incident?”

Zhao Zhiwu, struggling to sit up, said, “I have told you, even if the sky falls, you must remain calm and composed. That is the demeanor a ruler should maintain.”

Zhao Xuening suppressed the tremor in her heart and said, “An Jing went to Yulong Snow Mountain. As expected, Zongzheng Huachun from Houjin did not appear. Jiang Shang and the Ghost Swordsman had a battle. Jiang abandoned absorbing the Evil Blood and became an evil spirit, his life and Dao perished.”

Zhao Zhiwu nodded slightly, and said sentimentally, “Jiang Shang? He too was a personage, it’s a pity he chose the wrong path.”

During the initial succession struggle of the Great Yan Dynasty, the Demon Sect was firmly a part of the Crown Prince Faction, because the crown prince, not being a martial arts emperor, would be controlled by the Demon Sect. If the crown prince had ascended to the throne, the Demon Sect’s influence would have been unparalleled for a time, and by then, the Demon Sect would have become more troublesome than the current Zhenyi Sect.

Zhao Xuening continued, “And that mysterious Xi Hafu from the Buddhist sect has unified his obsessions, and after absorbing a large amount of Undying Blood, his cultivation is suspected to have advanced to the Grandmaster Realm. Even the mysterious masters of the Demon Sect have been severely injured by him.”

Zhao Zhiwu’s expression became serious, “Xi Hafu has advanced to the Grandmaster Realm?”

Zhao Xuening asked, “Father Emperor, what should we do now?”

Zhao Zhiwu fell into reminiscence, then slowly said, “This Xi Hafu is a once-in-a-generation genius from the Buddhist sect. If Fa Wu is considered a gifted individual, then this person named Fan Wo, dharma name Xi Hafu, is indeed the first true genius of the Buddhist sect. It is said that before he turned thirty, he had already reached the Master Realm. However, after he joined the Lingtai Temple and reached the Master Realm, he quickly disappeared from public view. It is said he traveled everywhere. So, when Xi Hafu appeared, I guessed it might be him.”

“Originally, with great divine power, he cut out his own obsessions. It can be said that both bodies were his obsessions and yet also his true self, only different in their obsessions. Now, as his thoughts have unified and he has reached the state of selflessness, combined with the remnants and blood of the Evil Spirits, this person has fully reached the realm of Buddha. Xi Hafu’s strength is even more formidable than that of the undying Qian Qiu. After all, Qian Qiu, being severely injured, has not regained his full strength.”

Zhao Zhiwu’s tone also carried a measure of gravity.

Currently, the Great Yan Dynasty is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Ordinary people see the million soldiers, but the Emperor, sitting at the top, sees those top masters who truly shake the foundation.

Zhao Xuening exclaimed, “Father Emperor, is Xi Hafu now a Buddha reincarnated?”

Zhao Zhiwu said gravely, “It’s not incorrect to say that. Given his strength, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that he is the Buddha reincarnated.”

Zhao Xuening couldn’t help but ask, “Then, whose strength is greater between the undying Qian Qiu and Xi Hafu?”

Zhao Zhiwu pondered for a long time and then replied, “If the undying Qian Qiu’s injuries were healed, he might be slightly stronger. But his injuries, left by numerous grandmasters, and having flared up anew in our battle, need not be overly worried about. But as for Xi Hafu… by the way, what happened after Xi Hafu ascended to the Grandmaster?”

Zhao Xuening took a deep breath and said, “In the end, the Ghost Swordsman brought out the Imperial Jade Seal, summoned a million Yin soldiers and forced Xi Hafu to retreat.”

Zhao Zhiwu’s expression changed, “You said the Ghost Swordsman took out the Imperial Jade Seal!?”

The Imperial Jade Seal, which the Great Yan Royal Family had sought for many years, was unexpectedly in the hands of the Ghost Swordsman—a national treasure and the true symbol of inheriting the great mandate. Moreover, considering his wife’s special status, how could people not speculate? How could they refrain from thinking?

Especially since the Imperial Jade Seal can summon a million Yin soldiers, even a high-level expert like Xi Hafu was forced to retreat.

How terrifying is that?

Zhao Xuening nodded her head and said no more.

Zhao Zhiwu took a deep breath, his face returning to normal, hiding his thoughts from those around him.

Zhao Xuening asked in a low voice, “Father, what should we do now?”

Zhao Zhiwu said, “Let An Jing handle the matters of Houjin, and the Southern Barbarians have their State Preceptor. As for Zhao Country, it has been at war with our Great Yan for a long time, and it is nearly impossible for them to overthrow Great Yan.”

Zhao Xuening’s brows furrowed as she said, “But I am worried about the Buddhist forces…”

It seemed that the Buddhist top experts had now sided with Houjin, and the Buddhist experts and tens of thousands of Monk Soldiers in the south had become a sharp sword hanging over the neck of the Great Yan Dynasty, ready to strike at any moment.

Once activated, the impact on the Great Yan Dynasty would surely be unimaginable.

Zhao Zhiwu said, “Tianyi Bodhisattva will know how to handle it.”

Zhao Xuening nodded slightly, but her heart still seemed uneasy, her mouth opened slightly as if she wanted to say something but stopped.

Zhao Zhiwu smiled and asked, “Are you thinking that the world is now completely out of the control of our Great Yan Royal Family?”

Zhao Xuening nodded and said, “Yes.”

Nowadays, it seemed that both Xiao Qianqiu and the Buddhist forces suddenly held more power than the Great Yan Royal Family. They possessed the power to turn the tide of the battle, while the Great Yan Royal Family was completely protected by them, having lost the ability to control them.

Zhao Zhiwu slowly stood up, and Zhao Xuening quickly stepped forward to support him.

Zhao Zhiwu walked to the railing, looking at the thick, lush leaves and the elegant, moving flowers.

“Xuening, you must understand to listen for thunder in silence, and to see blooming flowers in colorlessness,” he said.

……

In Beihuang Dao, Yuan City.

After the North Field was sneak-attacked successfully by Pingyang Guard, the Houjin army did not retreat. It seemed they were resolved and launched an all-out attack, vowing to capture Yuan City.

Since the Three Kingdoms Alliance began their campaign against Yan Country, compared to the Southern Barbarians’ disastrous and heavily detrimental outcomes, Houjin and Zhao Country had an overwhelming momentum, devastating and unstoppable. But when Houjin faced Yuan City, personally defended by Wang Shiyi, they met a tough nut to crack.

After a month and a half of fierce attacks, they had still not captured Yuan City. On one hand, Yuan City’s defenses were indeed strong, and on the other hand, it was because Wang Shiyi’s command was well-organized, leading the army multiple times in person, resisting the invasions of the Houjin armies.

After several days of relentless day and night assaults, Jin Lv discovered a significant problem in Yuan City—the supply of grain for Wang Shiyi was running dangerously low.

You should know that prior to this siege, there were hundreds of thousands of Great Yan soldiers in the city, and their daily consumption of grain was both enormous and astonishing.

Grain is the lifeblood of an army, and once it ran out, the morale of Yuan City’s troops would be gone as well.

Upon discovering this, Jin Lv did not rush to attack the city. Instead, he ordered his troops to completely surround Yuan City and sent arrows with messages into the city every day, spreading news of the grain shortage and trying to persuade the soldiers and civilians to surrender.

Half a month of siege without attacking did not produce any effect. Life on Yuan City’s defenses went on as usual, as if nothing was amiss.

This made Houjin’s Great Commander, Jin Lv, unable to sit still any longer. Believing he had fallen into one of Wang Shiyi’s traps, he was consumed by anger and led a fierce attack on Yuan City, seemingly trying to vent all the frustration accumulated over the past half-month.

Yuan City then witnessed the most intense siege battle in its history, the brutality of which was rarely seen before.

Atop the city walls, amid the shouts of charging soldiers, arrows whistled past one’s ears, swords clashed, and screams arose from all directions.

Blood and flesh flew everywhere, a torrential downpour of arrows pierced through battle armor and uniforms, spattering blood tossed into the air as soldiers’ heads rolled on the ground. Unyielding spirits seemed to howl in the shadow-filled sky while pairs of blood-red eyes glinted with hatred on ferocious faces.

The air grew increasingly thick with the stench of blood, smoke filled the sky, and the earth was littered with corpses, streams of blood flowing everywhere.

The area outside Yuan City was packed with a dense mass of soldiers, rushing forward like a tide along with exhausted shouts. Stones fell like rain from the sky, arrows flew chaotically, and the blood-smeared faces of Houjin soldiers showed fierce and brutal expressions as they ceaselessly swung their bloody weapons.

Large numbers of soldiers fell dead in pools of streaming blood, but more took up their swords and rushed forward, their cries and the clashing of armor resounding through heaven and earth, creating a horrifying scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

The boundless battlefield seemed like a human version of hell, the air filled with the nauseating smell of blood, black smoke drifting across the sky, and fierce flames tinting the horizon blood-red. Blood-covered Great Yan soldiers fought desperately to the end, slashing fiercely while letting out beast-like roars from their throats.

This battle of attack and slaughter lasted three days and nights, with corpses filling every corner.

At that moment, Mu Xin Dharma King, surrounded by True Qi, took the lead and reached the city gates, immediately spotting Wang Shiyi who was commanding his troops.

“Truly worthy of being a Marquis.”

Mu Xin Dharma King leaped forward, charging directly at Wang Shiyi.

“Protect the Marquis!”

The surrounding Great Yan soldiers saw Mu Xin Dharma King charging and, even knowing death was certain, many positioned themselves in front of Wang Shiyi.

“Marquis, flee quickly!”

“Great Commander, flee quickly!”

Wang Shiyi’s personal guards also shouted anxiously.

Mu Xin Dharma King, highly skilled, closed the distance with several quick moves, and with a sweep of his hand, killed several personal guards before his palm, sharp as a claw, viciously grabbed at Wang Shiyi’s throat.

Wang Shiyi vibrated his long spear, his Inner Strength surging like a tide to meet the attack head-on.

“Crack, crack, crack!”

With one palm strike, Wang Shiyi’s wrought iron spear instantly shattered, and he was heavily slammed to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth.

“You’re too arrogant,”

Mu Xin Dharma King, looking at Wang Shiyi lying before him, coldly said, “You didn’t trust the Demon Sect’s experts and sent them all to attack our camp. That was your biggest mistake.”

Duanmu Xinghua, Lin Tianhai, and Yi Daoyun, Demon Sect experts, came to support, but Wang Shiyi remained wary of them, especially since Duanmu Xinghua brought Zhao Qingmei’s “order” for him to retreat to You Mountain, which only increased his displeasure.

As a Marquis of the Great Yan Dynasty, even if he was outmatched by Houjin’s forces, how could he seek refuge? Such news would be a great disgrace if spread.

Therefore, Wang Shiyi decisively refused Zhao Qingmei’s “order,” leading the army himself to resist the Houjin assault, leaving him trapped amidst their ranks. He was also deeply distrustful of the Demon Sect experts, so when Houjin launched their fierce attack, he directed the Demon Sect experts to hinder Jin Lv.

Clearly, the Houjin army was well-prepared, and it was unlikely that the Demon Sect experts would succeed as planned and might even fall into jeopardy.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Wang Shiyi said, “This place is filled with my Great Yan soldiers, do you think you can escape?”

“Hahaha,”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King laughed triumphantly and then said, “As a Second Qi Grandmaster, where in this vast world can’t I go?”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King was unwilling to waste words with Wang Shiyi and charged at him.

“Kill him—!”

The surrounding Great Yan soldiers also bravely rushed forward, trying to stop Mu Xin Dharma King, but these ordinary soldiers were no match for him and could not hold back his charge.

Just in the nick of time, two figures rushed forward from a distance, blocking Mu Xin Great Dharma King’s attack with a palm and a sword.

The newcomers were Wang Ningshui and Dai Danshu.

“Well done!”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King sneered, his True Qi surging and performing the Shrinking Land into Inches, the Great Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique unleashed, and his powerful Fist Force struck at Wang Ningshui.

Whoosh!

Wang Ningshui, with the Triple Blossoms appearing behind him, also displayed his utmost strength, his Cold Moon Sword Light slashing toward Mu Xin Great Dharma King.

Bang!

At the moment Fist Force and Sword Light collided, like tearing through decay, the Sword Light completely shattered, and Wang Ningshui’s body heavily fell, crashing below the city walls.

Taking advantage of this moment, Dai Danshu rushed forward. His cultivation had reached the peak of Half-step Master thanks to the Earth Vein Spirit’s breakthrough notion, nearly touching the Grandmaster Realm.

He suddenly appeared above Mu Xin Great Dharma King, raising his hand, his ordinary palm glowing with a golden halo.

Boom! Boom!

The air above emitted a piercing roar.

Five Poison Soul-breaking Hand!

A massive handprint thundered down, and within it, strange howling sounds continuously emerged, with a faint purple Poison Beast appearing.

Mu Xin Great Dharma King, seeing the handprint falling, smiled faintly. “If Feng Lingyue were alive, I might have given way a little — but just you?”

He extended a finger, and a stream of True Qi burst out from the tip, rushing towards the colossal beast above.

“Bang!”

Under the impact of this True Qi, the tyrannical beast instantly shattered and dissipated into nothingness.

Dai Danshu also retreated continuously, his feet stomping on the ground.

“This Dharma King doesn’t even consider the Demon Sect worth noticing, what’s the Sect Leader of Five Poison Sect?”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King barked softly, pushing out his palm, and the True Qi surged forward like tidal water.

Bang! Bang!

Dai Danshu, like a small boat in a storm, was buffetted apart by the True Qi waves, his body submerged within them.

Once the waves dissipated, Dai Danshu stood still, his complexion as pale as paper, blood continuously gurgling from his mouth.

By now, all the meridians in his body were severed, and his internal organs were also shaken apart.

Although Dai Danshu was only a step away from Grandmaster, even needing just a bit more time to reach it, the gap between a Grandmaster and an ordinary expert is like that between heaven and earth.

Dai Danshu’s eyes bulged, his pupils violently contracting, then with a ‘thump,’ he fell to the ground.

In an instant, two great experts of the Five Lakes and Four Seas Hall were dead at the hands of Mu Xin Great Dharma King.

Seeing this, Wang Shiyi felt a chill in his heart.

Wang Ningshui and Dai Danshu were also famous experts in Jianghu, but now they were killed instantly by Mu Xin Great Dharma King. How terrifying was that?

Pots always break at the well, and generals often die in battle.

Wang Shiyi’ s eyes became sharp, his five fingers clenched suddenly, then he thrust a spear forward.

“Hiss! Hiss!”

The spear’s light was cold, like a Flood Dragon emerging from a cave.

However, Wang Shiyi was facing a Grandmaster of Great Snow Mountain, Mu Xin Great Dharma King, whose expression remained unchanged. He grabbed the spear with one hand and fiercely slapped with the other.

“Bang!”

Wang Shiyi immediately felt a jolt and then sprayed out a mouthful of blood.

This slap nearly shattered all the bones in Wang Shiyi’s chest.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King swung tens of palms continuously, each heavily hitting Wang Shiyi’s chest, causing a huge sound. Wang Shiyi’s chest had completely sunk in, and he was already breathless.

The hands of Mu Xin Great Dharma King were also covered in fresh blood.

This one of the three Great Marquises of Great Yan, Wang Shiyi, ultimately died on the parapet of Yuan City.

Some said he was stubborn and arrogant, others said he was brave and had made great military achievements. Some said he lacked strategy, bringing disaster to the country and the people, while others said his blood was hot with great ambition…

At this moment, this controversial general died on the parapet.

“Sigh!”

Mu Xin Great Dharma King exhaled deeply, casually throwing Wang Shiyi’s body aside, “What difference is there between the people of Great Yan and livestock?”

The surrounding soldiers of Great Yan were astonished, watching as Mu Xin Great Dharma King continued to pound on the corpse of the Marquis, their hearts filled with anger and outrage. Upon hearing Mu Xin Great Dharma King’s words, they were enraged.

After a long while, Mu Xin Great Dharma King, gasping for breath, said, “Wang Shiyi is dead. Are you not yet willing to surrender?”

A few soldiers in front exchanged glances, hatred flickering in their eyes, then bravely charged towards Mu Xin Great Dharma King.

“Kill—!”

“Avenge the Marquis!”

Seeing this, Mu Xin Great Dharma King immediately shouted angrily, “Since you all wish to die, I will grant your wish.”

With his palms striking repeatedly, soldiers fell one after another, yet the soldiers of Great Yan kept rushing forward relentlessly.

Although Mu Xin Dharma King was a Grandmaster, facing the fearless and relentless soldiers of Great Yan, he eventually became overwhelmed, his True Qi gradually being worn down, and he was completely surrounded by a flood of soldiers.

The battle for the defense of Yuan City continued, and after the death of Wang Shiyi, command of the battle shifted to Li Qirong.

But Wang Shiyi had died, and with the Great Yan soldiers exhausted, the tide had turned against Great Yan as Houjin soldiers swarmed in.

Jin Lv rode into Yuan City, his expression grim.

He not only wasted a lot of time in Yuan City but also suffered heavy casualties among his troops, although he had achieved a strategic position, at a great loss.

Inside Yuan City, the air was thick with the smoke of signal fires; cries and screams echoed everywhere from the streets to inside the houses, and blood even gathered into trickling streams.

Houjin began a massacre, even more ferocious and ruthless than before.

Jin Lv said to the deputy general beside him, “Have they figured out how they held out for so long?”

The city had long run out of provisions, and the civilians had fled before the great battle began; only the weak and sick remained, leaving very little food. How did Wang Shiyi and the others hold out this long?

This was Jin Lv’s query.

What method had Wang Shiyi used?

The deputy general said gravely, “It’s been thoroughly investigated. Li Qirong had the soldiers slaughter the city’s civilians to make dried meat to stave off the hunger of the Great Yan soldiers.”

“What!?”

Even some of the Houjin generals were shocked to hear this news.

Human flesh turned into dried meat!?

It turned out that Wang Shiyi had held out without supplies for so long by using civilians as food. Anyone hearing this would shudder.

Someone couldn’t help but gasp, “Li Qirong is so sinister! And those were Great Yan’s own civilians.”

A cold smile emerged on Jin Lv’s lips. “True to his reputation, Li Qirong’s strategies are always so ruthless.”

Li Qirong had devised many strategies for Wang Shiyi, the most grating for Houjin being the first attack on the Northern Wilderness Road. Over two hundred thousand Houjin soldiers were annihilated, at the cost of tens of thousands of Great Yan civilians; strategically, it was undoubtedly commendable.

Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

The Great Yan army suffered no casualties, whereas the Houjin army lost two hundred thousand troops.

This revealed Li Qirong’s methods and mindset.

“Great Commander!”

At this moment, a Houjin soldier hurried over, “The mansion where Li Qirong is staying has been surrounded.”

“Let’s go.”

Jin Lv rode towards Li Qirong’s mansion, and by the time he arrived, Li Qirong had already been captured by Houjin soldiers and was being pinned to the ground.

Riding atop his horse, Jin Lv looked down at the disheveled Li Qirong and said, “Li Qirong, we meet at last.”

Li Qirong glanced at Jin Lv but said nothing.

“Spirited!”

Jin Lv said, “If you hadn’t let the top masters of the Demon Sect sneak into the empty camp at night, perhaps Yuan City wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”

Li Qirong simply said, “It’s just a matter of winners and losers.”

He had advised Wang Shiyi to keep a few Demon Sect masters in the city, but Wang Shiyi had grown skeptical and lost faith in the Demon Sect.

“Ha ha ha ha, well said, a matter of winners and losers.”

Jin Lv laughed out loud. “Li Qirong, I admire your talents. Are you willing to surrender?”

Li Qirong disdainfully said, “Surrender to you? I, Li Qirong, live as a man of Great Yan, and I will die protecting the Great Yan civilians. To surrender to you, the barbarians of Houjin, is wishful thinking.”

“Protecting the Great Yan civilians!?”

Jin Lv’s eyes sparkled as he said, “You tell me, where are the civilians of Great Yan that you are protecting?”

Li Qirong scoffed and remained silent.

“I’ll tell you then,”

Jin Lv said coldly, “These civilians are now in your stomach.”

Li Qirong opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Jin Lv continued, “I’ll ask one last time, surrender or die?”

Li Qirong tersely said, “Death.”

Jin Lv said, “Drag him away and behead him.”

“Yes!”

Two Houjin soldiers immediately escorted Li Qirong out, and soon news of his execution arrived.

This ruthless and venomous strategist had chosen to die rather than bow his head.

Upon hearing this news, Jin Lv fell silent for a long time without a word.

…..