Chapter 168: Submission at First Sight
Chapter 168: Submission at First Sight
"Gu Yutian is dead!"
"This is our opportunity!"
"From today, we will march our troops to Yixing, Datong, Danxia, and Huaining."
Gu Yang looked at the gathered crowd with a cold, stern expression.
March to the four prefectures!
When they heard these words, everyone's faces were filled with excitement.
If it were before Gu Yutian's death, Gu Yang's announcement to march on the four prefectures would not have caused such enthusiasm. After all, Gu Yang currently only controlled one prefecture. Even with some resources, rashly engaging in a war with four other prefectures might not yield much benefit. Failure could mean the loss of everything he had built.
But now, things were different.
Gu Qingfeng had slain Gu Yutian with a single strike, and the reputation of the Overlord Blade now dominated the land. Gu Yang, not only the Prince of Guangyang but also the current Lord of the Gu Family Manor, had the backing of an unparalleled powerhouse.
With this support, how much resistance could the four prefectures put up once the Guangyang army marched in?
After all, the name of a person and the shadow of a tree carry weight. The mere mention of the Overlord Blade was enough to quell any thoughts of resistance.
Gu Yang's decision to march now, leveraging the momentum, naturally increased the chances of success.
As the crowd's thoughts raced, Gu Yang turned his gaze to three of his generals.
"Shi Zhen!"
"I am here, my lord!"
"You will lead an army of 150,000 to attack Yixing Prefecture. I will have three Grand Masters accompany you. You must capture Yixing as quickly as possible, without fail!"
"I understand, my lord!"
The middle-aged general accepted the order with a serious and excited expression.
Next, Gu Yang looked at the other two generals.
"Xue Cheng, you will also lead an army of 150,000 to Datong Prefecture. Jiang Mo, you will lead 150,000 to Danxia Prefecture. As for Huaining Prefecture, I will handle it personally."
"We shall obey, my lord!"
Both generals bowed in acknowledgment.
"Since there are no objections, we will begin at once!"
With a wave of his hand, Gu Yang dismissed all the generals, who left the hall with respectful salutes. The once crowded hall was now nearly empty.
Marching to the four prefectures!
Gu Yang was taking a significant risk. His current Guangyang army numbered less than 700,000. Attacking the four prefectures with 600,000 troops left only a few tens of thousands to defend Guangyang Prefecture.
Defending a prefecture with just a few tens of thousands of troops was almost laughably weak. In normal times, Gu Yang would never dare to take such a risk. Guangyang Prefecture was his true base. If anything happened to it, even if he captured the other prefectures, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.
Moreover, a prefecture's forces were numerous. Fifteen thousand troops trying to suppress a prefecture was a pipe dream. When Pei Jing had crushed the resistance in Guangyang Prefecture, he had mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops to succeed.
Of course, that was under normal circumstances. But now, things were different. Gu Yutian was dead, and the reputation of the Guangyang army was at its peak. How many would dare to stand against them now?
An unparalleled powerhouse was a mountain for others to climb.
Therefore, Gu Yang would use this opportunity to quickly bring the entire Tai Shan Prefecture under his control.
The world was divided into nine states and thirty-six prefectures. Qingyun State had four prefectures. Only by establishing a base in a prefecture could he plan for control of a state, and ultimately, the world.
Then, Gu Yang turned to Gu Yun.
"Shenwu Sect has many powerful experts. Can Sect Master Gu send a message to Wuzhou and mobilize some of the sect's forces to assist me in capturing Tai Shan Prefecture?"
"Prince Guangyang, I have no objections."
Gu Yun nodded.
Since he had already decided to pledge his allegiance, there was no reason to hesitate.
Or rather, after witnessing Gu Qingfeng's terrifying strength and the profound mysteries of the Longevity Secret, Gu Yun had no other thoughts.
He regarded himself as a disciple before Gu Qingfeng, and now, with Prince Guangyang being Gu Qingfeng's son, Gu Yun had no reason to refuse.
Seeing Gu Yun's agreement, Gu Yang's face broke into a smile.
"Excellent! With the support of the Divine Martial Sect, I will be unstoppable!"
"This campaign against Huaining Prefecture will require your assistance, Sect Leader Gu."
"Prince Guangyang can rest assured. I will do my utmost to aid you!"
Gu Yun smiled gently.
Gu Yang was very pleased with this response.
To not use external forces when they were available would be foolish.
Although he had eleven innate grandmasters at his disposal, they paled in comparison to the power of the Divine Martial Sect's leader.
Despite Gu Yun's humble demeanor before Gu Qingfeng, acting like a junior, Gu Yang knew that this man was far from simple.
The Divine Martial Sect had maintained its dominance in Wuzhou for many years, even as martial arts declined and sorcerers rose to prominence. The sect's ability to preserve its status spoke volumes about its transcendent nature.
As the sect leader, Gu Yun must have had considerable strength to achieve this.
A half-step grandmaster!
In a world where no true grandmaster had emerged, such a level of strength made him one of the top martial artists.
Of course, the current top martial artist was not Gu Yun but his own father.
However, Gu Yang was well aware that even if Gu Yun wasn't the absolute top, he was certainly among the top three, if not the top two.
Thus, if Gu Yun could personally intervene, it would save a great deal of trouble.
—
The next day, the army set out.
Led by Gu Yang, the sixty-thousand-strong force split into four divisions, heading directly for the four prefectures.
This news quickly reached the ears of the four prefectures.
Upon hearing it, the prefectural governors and imperial generals all changed color.
Everyone knew that the Guangyang Army was the most powerful force in Tai Shan County. Though it only numbered sixty thousand, the figure behind Prince Guangyang was worth a million soldiers on his own.
Now, with Gu Yang leading the army, the imperial side's morale had plummeted.
Resistance?
It was nothing more than a joke!
Even if they could withstand the fifteen-thousand-strong army, they could not withstand the might of the Overlord Blade.
If they truly angered him to the point of personal intervention, the consequences would be dire.
Thus, when the Guangyang Army approached the four prefectures, many cities surrendered without a fight.
The ease with which this happened left Gu Yang secretly alarmed.
He had expected the resistance in Huaining Prefecture to be weak, but he hadn't anticipated that there would be no resistance at all, with everything proceeding as smoothly as water flowing downhill.
However, just as Gu Yang was about to take control of the entire Huaining Prefecture, a few imperial forces refused to surrender, determined to block his path.
Gu Yang was not one to show mercy.
He personally led the army, with Gu Yun accompanying him, and in a matter of days, they crushed this resistance.
With that, Huaining Prefecture fell into his hands.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
