Demon, don't come any closer!

Chapter 45 The World Shakes

Linxian County, outside the city.

Seven hundred mighty Yue warriors stood facing the wind.

The battle brought together nearly five hundred surrendered soldiers, but many of them were wounded. Now, they are being personally cared for by Constable Wang. The remaining soldiers, who are in good condition, have been reorganized and brought together to the outskirts of Lin County.

The magistrate of Lin County was rather thin, with a neatly trimmed beard below his lips, clearly a man who paid attention to his appearance. Now, his official robes were disheveled, his eyes were filled with panic, and he kept wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.

Standing atop the city wall, looking down at the rebel army, he stamped his feet anxiously.

For the magistrate of Lin County, what he was witnessing was a bolt from the blue, an unexpected disaster.

Not long ago, three people from the Jinyuwei arrived. One of them was a member of the Xiang family, and he was very aggressive, wanting to mobilize the troops of Lin County. The magistrate of Lin County was naturally unwilling, but he couldn't fight against the powerful.

General Xiang is currently confronting the Qin state on the front lines. The status of the Xiang family members has risen accordingly. Even a single hair from them is thicker than his thigh. Therefore, the Xiang family had no choice but to send troops. However, unexpectedly, the Xiang family members, who were supposed to be powerful, did not die for their country after the defeat. Instead, they surrendered to the rebels.

He couldn't help but ask the county magistrate standing beside him, "What should we do?"

The county magistrate's eyes gleamed as he looked at the familiar faces: Elder Zhang, County Lieutenant Li, and Master Zhao. These were big shots in Lin County. He seemed to be completely oblivious to their past. The three of them were taking turns shouting to Lin County.

The county magistrate sighed and said, "My lord."

"It can't be held."

"Leaving aside the three county magistrates, there are also so many soldiers from Lin County. They all have relatives and family members in the city. Even if we are to defend the city, their friends and family will not allow it. It's only a matter of time before they close the great formation and open the city gates."

"Now, the only way for us to survive is to surrender."

The magistrate of Lin County angrily retorted, "Nonsense!"

"How can I, a dignified official of the Great Chu, surrender to the bandit leader?"

The magistrate of Lin County threw the handkerchief in his hand directly at the face of the county clerk, and angrily rebuked him, saying, "You are also an official appointed by the imperial court, how can you bend your principles and follow the traitors?"

"As the saying goes, death is a small matter, but losing one's integrity is a great matter."

"I, Li Changhe, have been favored by the Emperor for generations, but today I am powerless to kill the traitors. I am ashamed before the King and can only die to tell the world that even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin."

The magistrate of Lin County drew the long sword from the assistant magistrate's waist and held it directly against his own neck. As the blade touched the skin of his neck, a cold sensation came through, and the magistrate's hand suddenly trembled. He couldn't exert any force for a long time. After trying three or five times, he said helplessly to the assistant magistrate, "We have been friends for a while, please send me on my way."

The county magistrate sighed and said, "Sir, why bother? Why not surrender?"

The magistrate of Lin County shook his head helplessly and said, "If I could surrender, I would have done so long ago. I am different from you. I still have many close relatives back home, and my son is quite capable, serving as an official in another place. If I were to rebel, the imperial court would investigate and punish me."

"My whole family is going to die, none of them can escape."

"It's better for me to die than for my whole family to die."

"Even if you save your life today, you must plan ahead. The Great Chu can be conquered in the blink of an eye in just two counties."

The county magistrate gripped the hilt of his sword and began to apply slight pressure. The sharp blade sliced ​​open the neck of the county magistrate, and blood began to splatter. The county magistrate let out a painful howl, and his eyes slowly lost their luster. He had just wanted to say thank you, but it hurt too much.

The county magistrate, looking at the fallen corpse of the Lin County Magistrate, shouted, "He surrenders!"

With a creak.

The tightly closed door slowly began to open.

As Dou Changsheng rode his horse, he looked at the wide-open, heavy city gate, a sense of accomplishment appearing in his eyes.

My recent experience has been nothing short of magical, even more exciting than the decades of my previous life. Now, through my own scheming, I have taken Lin County without shedding a drop of blood.

The Great Yue already possessed two counties, which, although still insignificant to the Great Chu, together comprised 38,000 households and nearly 100,000 people.

Whether they live or die, it is all under their own control.

This fascinated Dou Changsheng, and he realized that this was the beauty of power.

After a moment of ecstasy, Dou Changsheng immediately sobered up upon seeing his Uncle Dou Jiu.

Everything I have now is just a fortress on the beach, a rootless duckweed. With just a little wind and rain, everything will be gone. It's far too early to enjoy life.

"County Commandant Lin!"

Upon hearing Dou Changsheng's shout, County Lieutenant Lin immediately strode over. Dou Changsheng pointed and said, "Take two hundred soldiers and begin entering the city to take over the city gates."

His gaze fell upon County Commandant Li, and he immediately gave the order: "Take ten men to the Donghuang Temple in the east of the city and invite out the Taiyi God. Be quick, or things will change."

County Lieutenant Li's expression darkened. This was no easy task. Once he took it, no matter what grievances he had, he would be held accountable in the future. This was a pledge of allegiance.

Without Dou Changsheng giving any instructions, Uncle Dou Jiu was already standing beside County Lieutenant Li, one hand on the hilt of his sword. If County Lieutenant Li refused, Uncle Dou Jiu would immediately take action.

County Lieutenant Li hesitated slightly, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes, sir!"

Dou Changsheng kept issuing orders that after capturing Linxian, the priority should be to deal with the Donghuang Temple. Since the news had not yet spread, there was still a chance to deal with it peacefully. But after today, every Donghuang Temple would probably be a tough nut to crack.

Finally, he looked at Elder Zhang and Master Zhao and said, "You two should send people to invite the powerful figures of Lin County. If anyone doesn't come, make a note of it, and then ask you two to bring your troops to their door and wipe them out."

"With a major battle looming ahead, I don't have the energy to waste on this."

Unlike Lang County, Lin County must be dealt with swiftly and decisively. After clearing Lin County outright, everyone must be taken along and headed to Fenglaikou.

Even if the county is slow to react, it should have received the news by now. At that time, it will definitely send troops to quell the rebellion. Therefore, defending against the enemy from the outside is of paramount importance. Fenglaikou is the decisive battleground chosen by Dou Changsheng.

As long as we take advantage of the terrain of Fenglaikou to deal with the pacification army in the county, we can send troops to attack the county city. Once we take the coastal county, it will shake the Great Chu. Only then will Dou Changsheng be qualified to formally offer sacrifices to Heaven and declare the restoration of Great Yue.

Using the Yue King's sword in his hand, he could pry open the remaining power of the ancient Yue and gain the support of the ancient Yue dragon energy.

Yes, Dou Changsheng had never thought of generating dragon energy on his own.

A prefecture would be enough, even a county would be fine, but people's hearts are fickle, they all switch sides, you expect them to accept Dou Changsheng and all start to be loyal to him, that's pure wishful thinking.

If it were during the reign of Qin Er Shi, when the world was in chaos, there might still be hope. But now there is no hope at all; we can only live off our past achievements.

Meanwhile, the news spread far and wide.

The Xiang family's betrayal of the country has shocked the world!