Suppressing the North and Displaying Might: Chapter 122: The Heavenly Martial Battle

Xianyang, State of Qin.

The Emperor of Qin was in a meeting with a group of generals, discussing the declaration of war against the State of Chu, which was set to take place in a few days.

"Your Majesty, news has arrived from the Tang Emperor. He is willing to send troops to join us in our war against Chu."

The Qin Emperor nodded and said, "It seems my daughter-in-law, whom I have never met, still possesses some capability."

However, Meng Tian issued a warning: "Your Majesty, although the Tang State is willing to send troops, we must be doubly cautious. We had no part in this arrangement, and I fear the Celestial State may have reached some secret agreement with the Tang State."

"Your suspicion is not without merit." With that, the Qin Emperor turned to the messenger and asked, "Who is leading the Tang army in this campaign?"

"The letter states that the Tang Emperor's younger brother, Prince Cheng, Li Shiyuan, has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies, with Xue Ding-shan, son of Xue Rengui, serving as the vanguard."

"Li Shiyuan? The Tang State has so many renowned generals that even I am envious. How could the Tang Emperor appoint someone who has never stepped onto a battlefield as Commander-in-Chief?" The Qin Emperor was puzzled; as one of his most formidable rivals, he knew the strength of the Tang State well.

Meng Tian also felt something was amiss. "Indeed. With generals like Xue Rengui and Qin Shubao, all of whom are veterans of countless battles, why would they send a prince to the front lines?"

"According to reports from Dark Moon, the Tang State has not been peaceful lately. After defeating the Mongols, Xue Rengui resigned from his post as General-in-Chief and went into complete seclusion. Some time ago, a garrison general named Li Qiutong led his subordinates in a rebellion against the Tang. It is said that even Li Yuanba could not stop him that night in Chang'an. Because Qin Shubao had a very close relationship with this man, it is estimated that the Tang Emperor no longer trusts him," Zhao Tian said, offering his own deduction.

"Li Qiutong? How does this man possess such great ability?"

"It is rumored that he is only twenty years old, yet has already reached the Saint Martial Realm, though no one has seen it with their own eyes."

"A twenty-year-old Saint Martial expert? Does the Tang State really produce geniuses like that?" The Qin Emperor suddenly became interested.

"Your Majesty, shall I find out his current whereabouts?" Zhao Tian asked.

The Qin Emperor waved his hand dismissively. "No need for trouble. He is just one Saint Martial expert; how much of a splash can he make? If he can reach the pinnacle of the Martial Dao in these chaotic times, then he would be worth finding."

Having said this, the Qin Emperor looked at Meng Tian and continued, "Since the Tang Emperor has sent this man to lead the army, it actually makes things easier for us. Meng Tian, I leave this battle entirely to you. Our Qin State will advance from the north to strike at the Overlord of Western Chu. The Tang State will likely start from the west, first engaging the territories guarded by Ying Bu and Ji Bu. As for the Celestial State, they will march directly from the Song State to confront Long Qie’s forces. I believe you know what must be done."

"This subordinate will not fail the mission; I will surely destroy the State of Chu."

That night, when Meng Tian returned home, his wife stepped forward to help him remove his armor.

"How did it go? When will the army depart?"

"I have to assemble the troops tomorrow. We will set out by next week at the latest."

"With four nations on the same battlefield, the situation will be volatile. You must be very careful."

"Rest assured, my lady. I am at least sixty percent certain of victory in this campaign," Meng Tian said confidently.

Lady Meng sighed and said, "You, you have worried so much for the State of Qin your entire life."

"General, an urgent report! His Majesty has summoned you to the palace immediately," a messenger shouted as he rushed in.

"What? I’ll go at once." Meng Tian had no choice but to dress quickly, bid his wife farewell, and hurry toward the palace.

Inside the Qin Emperor’s study that night, the lamps were still burning bright.

"Your Majesty, what has happened?" Meng Tian asked, breathless as he ran in, only to see the Emperor’s brow tightly furrowed, giving him an immediate sense of foreboding.

"See for yourself." The Qin Emperor pointed to the urgent report on the desk, his voice heavy.

Meng Tian picked up the report and read it word by word. Upon finishing, he finally understood why the Qin Emperor was so displeased.

"How could the defenses of Zhenbei Pass be broken in a single day? Is this true?" Meng Tian exclaimed in shock.

"Based on the current situation, it is almost certain. Furthermore, according to the Qin soldiers who escaped, the powerful martial artist who led the siege was none other than Li Qiutong of the Tang State."

Meng Tian knew well what Zhenbei Pass meant to the State of Qin, and he understood why the Emperor’s face was so grim.

"Your Majesty, the matter of Zhenbei Pass is of the utmost importance. I believe we must handle it as quickly as possible, or it will become a great disaster."

The Qin Emperor nodded. "I am well aware, but once Li Qiutong has taken the pass, he will surely be on guard, and the defenses on the southern wall will certainly be reinforced."

"But if we send a large army to blockade Zhenbei Pass, it will surely affect our upcoming expedition."

"Indeed. And more importantly, Li Qiutong’s temperament is unknown. If he were to be incited by the northern warriors, it would disrupt the plans we have been laying for decades. I called you here today to hear your thoughts."

Meng Tian fell silent. This incident had come at a truly inopportune time for the Qin State, and even Meng Tian was at a loss for a solution.

"Your Majesty, I have an idea, though I do not know if it is feasible," Zhao Tian suddenly interjected.

Although Meng Tian was dissatisfied with a eunuch interfering in state affairs, the Qin Emperor did not mind at all.

"Speak."

"I believe that your concerns regarding Zhenbei Pass boil down to three things: first, whether Li Qiutong will insist on holding the pass; second, whether Li Qiutong harbors ill intentions toward our Qin State; and third, that if Zhenbei Pass falls out of our control, our supply of cold iron will be cut off."

"You are correct." The Qin Emperor nodded with satisfaction.

Zhao Tian smiled smugly and continued, "I believe these three things are not impossible to resolve. Firstly, Li Qiutong has rebelled against the Tang State; now he is alone and without support, and he faces the Tang State as a powerful enemy. In such a situation, he chose to take the pass to become his own master, so he must surely be craving a powerful ally. Secondly, the fact that he could take Zhenbei Pass shows his great ability. Since Your Majesty is in need of talent, why not confer an official title upon him, using the method of pacification to reclaim the pass?"

Zhao Tian’s words provided the Qin Emperor with a viable strategy.

"But how can we ensure that Li Qiutong will agree to guard the pass for us reliably? What if he acts one way to our faces but another behind our backs?" Meng Tian countered.

"This, I..."

"This matter can be resolved through a Heavenly Martial Duel," the Qin Emperor suddenly declared.

"Your Majesty means for us to engage Li Qiutong in a Heavenly Martial Duel?"

The Heavenly Martial Duel had been the most orthodox and sacred form of combat in the Eastern Martial Continent since the birth of martial artists. It was said to have been established by a man known as the King of Martial Artists, Wuji. Both sides could be individuals, sects, or nations. Before the battle, both parties could set any contract or condition. Each side would field three combatants, fighting with blade, sword, and fist, regardless of life or death. The best of three rounds would decide the victor. Regardless of the outcome, both sides were bound to honor the conditions until death. Any violation would result in being abandoned by the Heavenly Dao, the total loss of one's martial cultivation, and the inability to ever enter the path of martial arts again.

"Exactly. He calls himself a genius martial artist, doesn't he? I shall compete with him. If he wins, the State of Qin will recognize his rule over Zhenbei Pass and leave him be. If he loses, he must recognize the leadership of the State of Qin. Of course, the prerequisite for all of this is that he must swear to the Martial Dao to defend the East and not allow foreign enemies to invade."

Meng Tian pondered this carefully. "Your Majesty is brilliant; this is indeed a way to achieve both goals. And when it comes to martial experts, our Qin State is certainly no worse than a mere youth."

"Correct. You two are responsible for this. Zhao Tian, draft the letter and send a martial challenge to Zhenbei Pass. If he does not accept, we will delay our expedition to resolve the pass first. Additionally, General Meng, contact the Sword Saint, the War Saint, and the Blade Saint to challenge them," the Qin Emperor commanded.

"I accept the decree."

Meanwhile, Zhenbei Pass was undergoing massive changes. Supplies and reinforcements from the Qiucao Alliance had just arrived, and it seemed everything was taking a turn for the better.

"Brother Li, long time no see." Li Qiutong saw Lin Ai waving to him from a distance.

"Xiao Ai, I didn't expect you to come personally."

"With such a big event, I had to come myself," Lin Ai said, her smile as sweet as ever.

"You must be tired from the journey. Let’s go inside and sit for a while. You can leave these things to Xingtian and the others."

"It’s fine. I still need to tell you about the specific situation. Let’s wait until the cargo is counted before we go in."

Ren Xingtian, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Brother Tong usually just chats with people, so we can handle these matters. I will check the inventory with the head steward."

Li Qiutong noticed the dark circles under Lin Ai’s eyes and pulled her away. "Come on, I'll take you for a tour of Zhenbei Pass."

"Hey kid, what, did you not see me?" A voice suddenly sounded in Li Qiutong's ear.

Li Qiutong turned in surprise to see Long Tianya. "Oh, Elder Long, I apologize. I didn't see you there."

Long Tianya glared. "I see that you only have eyes for the girl, and not for an old man like me."

Li Qiutong rubbed his head sheepishly. "By the way, didn't your brother come?"

"No, he has been busy in the City of Chaos handling matters regarding the Sharp Blade. Now that Ci Jian is dead, the Sharp Blade is in disarray, and he wants to take this opportunity to annex their industries," Lin Ai told Li Qiutong without holding back.

"He has such great ambition. Truly impressive."

"However, we really have to thank Brother Li for saving my brother. He had been missing for so long, and we hadn't heard a single thing."

"It was nothing, just a coincidence that I ran into him," Li Qiutong said casually.

"General Li, good morning." Xi Yun had just arrived at the southern district when he bumped into Li Qiutong.

Li Qiutong waved. "Good morning, Clan Leader Xi. Are you here to see the supplies?"

"Yes, I heard as soon as I woke up that the supplies had arrived. I didn't expect it to be so fast," Xi Yun said, beaming.

"Everything is in the outer southern city. You can go find Xingtian."

"Good, good." As he spoke, Xi Yun suddenly noticed the incredibly beautiful girl beside Li Qiutong.

"This fairy-like young lady must be the General's wife? Won't General Li introduce us?"

Lin Ai blushed instantly, while Li Qiutong remained composed. "No, no. This is our ally, Clan Leader Lin Ai of the Lin Clan."

"The Lin Clan?" Xi Yun’s eyes widened. "The continental tycoon, the Lin Clan?"

Li Qiutong hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yes, that should be it. Xiao Ai, this is Xi Yun, the Clan Leader of the Xi family and a veteran of Zhenbei Pass."

Having regained her composure, Lin Ai smiled politely and gracefully. "Hello, Clan Leader Xi. I am Lin Ai."

"Clan Leader Lin, I have long admired your name. Hello, hello." Xi Yun’s attitude became instantly respectful. For a businessman like Xi Yun, the Lin Clan was a giant in the business world; his own meager assets were nothing compared to theirs.

He then looked at Li Qiutong. "Is the economic ally General Li mentioned earlier the Lin Clan?"

Li Qiutong thought for a moment. "More or less." He didn't quite know how to explain it; saying the Qiucao Alliance was the same as the Lin Clan was partially true, but also not quite accurate.

"Then I won't disturb you two further. Please, enjoy your time." With that, Xi Yun left, chuckling to himself and muttering something under his breath.

"Xiao Ai, shall I take you to where I'm staying so you can rest a while?" Li Qiutong asked, seeing the weariness deepening in Lin Ai's eyes.

"Of course, thank you, Brother Li."

"It's no trouble. Let's go."