Volume One: The Turmoil of Yan and Yun Chapter 81: Myriad Stars and Celestial Phenomena (Part Two)
It was not only Kunlun awaiting the dragon's fall. There were also the Five Provinces of Bohai, the Southern Sea’s demon clans, and… the barbarian tribes of the grasslands.
By now, Yufeng Pass was on the brink of collapse. If not for Feng Muyun’s seasoned command on the battlefield, the pass might already have fallen. Now, both the Lord of Divine Might Fortress and the Mistress of Fragrant Valley were grievously wounded. Three great Void Path elders and dozens of Illumination-level masters had perished within the pass, and the casualties among ordinary soldiers were devastating. Even the defensive array that shielded Yufeng Pass had been relentlessly worn down by the barbarian clans’ high priests, leaving it with barely a tenth of its original strength.
Feng Muyun stood at the gate, gazing down upon the fluttering banners below, his expression as calm and deep as still water.
Though Yanbei could rival the barbarians, the sudden involvement of the demon clans caught him off guard. Not a single whisper had reached him from the spies planted in the grasslands; it was as if the barbarians and demon clans had joined forces overnight.
That was impossible. For generations, the barbarians of the grasslands and the demon clans had been bitter foes. The barbarians needed the bodies of demon beasts for alchemy and crafting magical artifacts; likewise, the demon clans required the blood of barbarian warriors to break through their own bottlenecks. The barbarians had led more than a few campaigns to exterminate demon beasts, and in recent years, beast tides had erupted time and again.
Why, then? What profit could make barbarians and demon clans join hands? Or perhaps… what threat?
At this thought, Feng Muyun’s brow furrowed even deeper.
If the threat came from even farther north, why had it not erupted sixteen years ago?
Whatever the reason, one thing was certain.
The barbarians’ military formations were far more refined than before, and the coordination between the barbarians and demon clans had reached an unprecedented level… Neither the Grand Prince of the barbarians nor Mohe Takan was capable of achieving this.
There was someone extraordinary behind the barbarians, orchestrating their every move.
“It’s time to retreat, Muyun.” At some point, the Lord of Divine Might Fortress had come to his side. “It’s only a matter of time before Yufeng Pass falls. The defensive array is half-ruined; lingering here does us no favors.”
Feng Muyun shook his head.
The fortress lord frowned. “I know your nature—unyielding, unwilling to surrender even an inch of land. But if you do not yield now, you’ll lose even more in the future.”
If every son of Yanbei fell at Yufeng Pass, then how could the vast lands of Yanbei ever be defended?
“Two more days,” Feng Muyun replied.
The fortress lord wished to argue further, but in the end only sighed. “How many more must die on these walls for the sake of two more days?”
“It’s worth it,” Feng Muyun answered.
Seeing his resolve, the fortress lord spoke no further, instead changing the subject: “Hanhai Gobi seems unusually quiet. Yufeng Pass and the Hanhai Gobi are the only two gates directly facing the northern grasslands. It makes no sense for Yufeng Pass to be in such dire peril while the Gobi remains untouched.”
Feng Muyun replied, “The main barbarian force is at our gates. The rest pose little threat.”
The fortress lord said, “Your family’s third brother is absent; perhaps the Hanhai Gobi is not as stable as you think.”
Feng Muyun answered, “Jin is there as overseer. With him holding the line, all will be well.”
The fortress lord asked, “Who is Jin?”
“Feng Jin, my third brother’s son.”
The fortress lord fell briefly silent, then asked, “How old is he?”
Feng Muyun smiled. “In two months, he’ll be thirteen.”
The pause that followed was longer still. At last the fortress lord said, “If I didn’t trust you completely, I’d suspect you meant to hand Yanbei over to our enemies.”
Feng Muyun understood the fortress lord’s doubts and concerns, but some things could not be explained. To explain would only invite endless troubles.
“You and your Yanyun secrets!” the fortress lord said gruffly. “If you won’t speak, I won’t ask. But there’s one thing you must know.”
Feng Muyun said, “Please speak, lord.”
The fortress lord fixed him with a burning gaze. “At most two more waves of all-out assault. If we do not retreat after that, both I and Liang Zhiyin will die here.”
Though the greatest barbarian elders of the grasslands were also at the Unification Realm, they held the advantage in numbers. Xue Wuji and the others could hold them off for a time, but not forever. Thus, in the later stages of this battle, the fortress lord and Liang Zhiyin fought two against three.
“If the Divine Craftsman had not been gravely wounded, he would have been here as well,” Mo Yan added.
Feng Muyun shook his head. “Even uninjured, he would not dare leave the Forge Valley lightly.”
The Forge Valley lay in Jiangnan.
Jiangnan belonged to the Five Provinces of Bohai.
Now, with the King of Bohai growing restless, how could Qi Luozhu leave Forge Valley at such a critical moment?
In the end, the reason Yufeng Pass could muster two Unification Realm elders was that Eastern Yue remained distant from the turmoil, and the Mistress of Fragrant Valley was truly devoted to the realm. Without them, the plight of Yufeng Pass would be even worse.
“What is Zisang Bumu really after?” The fortress lord frowned.
Before Feng Muyun could answer, the war drums sounded from below, mingled with the thunder of barbarian cavalry and their furious battle cries.
Several barbarian Takan rose into the air, charging toward the pass. Mo Yan and the others did not wait for orders but immediately rushed to meet them. The field of the truly mighty, however, was elsewhere.
Moments later, Feng Muyun stood alone atop the wall, his figure upright as the Overlord’s Spear in his hand.
Banners billowed. The clamor of battle shook the heavens.
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At the same time, in Shuntian, another major stronghold of Yanbei—sprawling across millions of acres, with walls seven zhang high and a moat five deep—stood the third largest city of Yanbei, surpassed only by Yanyun, seat of the princely house, and Fengshun, home to Divine Might Fortress. Even the Yun family’s city of Fengshou could not compare.
Yanbei was harsh and poor; much of its supplies had to be transported from other major cities through trade to maintain normal operations. Traditionally, the most important trade routes were through Yufeng Pass, connecting to the grasslands, and Shuntian, linking to Bohai.
This was why Feng Muyun did not worry about the Hanhai Gobi.
Yufeng Pass was already battered. If the Hanhai Gobi fell as well, the barbarians would gain nothing by entering. Those who plotted from behind the scenes would never allow it.
He waited these two days for a message.
A message from Shuntian.
“I never imagined that one day I’d have to draw my sword against Shuntian,” murmured a blue-robed general beneath the city’s looming walls. “This is a fortress that withstood three demonic invasions without falling.”
“General Yang, you worry too much,” a gentle laugh sounded beside him. Su Yuzhe rode up to Yang Fan’s side. “We are not here to sack Shuntian, merely to pass through.”
As two of the Five Pillars of Bohai, they had known each other for years; Su Yuzhe understood Yang Fan’s misgivings.
Who would want to bear the infamy of betraying their own forever?
If this failed, both Bohai and its Five Pillars would be cursed for generations.
“Pass through?” Yang Fan scoffed. “And if the Lord of Shuntian refuses?”
Su Yuzhe shrugged. “The prince holds the late emperor’s edict: in times of crisis, he must rush to Yanbei’s aid; any who block his way will be slain. If the lord bars the road, for the sake of forty million Yanbei souls, we can do nothing but open the gates with blood.”
Yang Fan sighed.
He spurred his horse forward and commanded the gates of Shuntian be opened.
No answer from the walls.
His face grew grim—not because of the silence, but because he sensed what Su Yuzhe would do next: bathe Shuntian in blood.
He had no wish to turn on his own. But he had pledged loyalty; what choice remained?
As these thoughts circled in his mind, a youth of fifteen or sixteen appeared atop the wall, alone, without even an attendant.
“The Heir of Yanbei?” Yang Fan was startled.
Bohai bordered Yanbei; it was no surprise he recognized Feng Qi.
“Though I know not how things fare in Wuyang now, since my elder brother has gone there, I trust he will see it right,” the youth said.
“Your elder brother… So you must be the second son of Yanbei. I am Yang Fan, the Pillar of Tranquil Seas. Might you open the gates for us, Second Young Master?” Yang Fan nodded slightly, as a gesture of courtesy.
Feng Yang looked down at the dense ranks of Bohai’s soldiers below and called out, “May I ask, for what reason do you seek passage through Shuntian?”
Yang Fan replied, “The situation at Yufeng Pass is dire. Have you not received the news, Second Young Master?”
Feng Yang smiled. “Of course I have. But I do not recall ever requesting aid from Bohai.”
Yang Fan said gravely, “If you wait for Prince Yanbei to summon help, Yufeng Pass may already have fallen. And if it falls, the vast lands of Yanbei will be trampled beneath barbarian hooves.”
Feng Yang arched a brow. “Are you suggesting… you understand Yanbei’s situation better than its prince?”
Yang Fan’s brow furrowed. Even now, he dared not answer.
The Feng family’s roots ran deep in Yanbei, winning the people’s hearts. Offending them before even entering Yanbei would only undermine greater plans.
“Having received the prince’s favor, we must share his burdens. Bohai borders Yanbei; learning of Yufeng Pass, our prince has worried day and night, fearing to fail the late emperor’s edict and His Majesty’s grace. Besides, Yufeng Pass is at its limit—why persist in holding out, Second Young Master?” As Yang Fan hesitated, Su Yuzhe rode forward with a laugh.
Feng Yang thought to himself: with a few words, this man invokes the late emperor’s edict and imperial favor. Yet in Yanbei, neither carries weight.
This was the root of all suspicion and impeachment against Yanbei.
He pondered, then said, “Wait here. I will consult my father and decide.”
Su Yuzhe said, “To ask now would waste precious time. Allow us through, and then send word—best for both sides.”
Feng Yang shook his head. “That would not do. Though I am likely the next Prince of Yanbei, I am not the one in charge. Such decisions cannot be made alone. Please wait half an hour.”
Su Yuzhe narrowed his eyes. “You truly won’t allow it, Second Young Master?”
Feng Yang sighed. “I dream of nothing more than you riding to Yufeng Pass’s aid. But I cannot let you through.”
Su Yuzhe knew further words were pointless.
He nodded to Yang Fan.
Yang Fan sighed inwardly, raising his hand slowly—then brought it down in a swift command.
Drums thundered, shouts erupted.
Tens of thousands of Bohai troops surged forward.
Feng Yang watched with an impassive face.
Suddenly, the sound of something tearing through the air rang out—the city’s grand defensive array was activated. Arrows of light streaked forth, felling the leading Bohai soldiers in waves.
Su Yuzhe raised an eyebrow. “The Overturning Waters Formation.”
His voice was soft, yet it echoed across the battlefield.
The Bohai formation shifted. A spectral black tortoise appeared, enveloping the Bohai soldiers. The arrows clattered harmlessly against the tortoise shell before vanishing.
But while the formation’s defense was formidable, its advance slowed greatly.
Feng Yang fixed his gaze on the phantom tortoise, his expression serene and unreadable.
He raised a red-and-white flag.
From both banks, boulders tumbled down, slick with oil, sparks igniting them into blazing infernos as they crashed along the mountain paths.
Su Yuzhe’s eyes narrowed.
Shuntian lay between two mountains; such boulders would strike only the city walls, not the Bohai army.
But just as he thought this, the boulders suddenly veered off the mountain paths—hurtling straight toward the Bohai troops!
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