Most of the Bei Qi's nine rivers and armies were gathered to attack Hong Zhou, and the other nine rivers were under fierce assault, with the border in utter devastation.
However, on the fifteenth day, Hong Zhou was suddenly breached, and tens of thousands of Mobei cavalry surged into the city.
But before victory could be celebrated, the city gates were abruptly closed, all exits sealed. Tens of thousands of troops emerged from within the city, directly shooting and taking the enemy general's head.
Without their commander, Mobei's formation instantly fell into chaos. Before they could surrender, tens of thousands of troops were ordered by the Dingbei King to be buried alive, all of them interred.
Hong Zhou city was instantly littered with corpses, and blood flowed like a river.
Xiao Chi Zhan stood on the city wall, calmly watching the grim scene below.
He wore a black robe, his pale, eerie lips slightly curved, his bony fingers gently stroking the fluffy white Persian cat in his arms, his aura terrifying and bone-chilling.
The surrounding generals stood respectfully behind him, none daring to utter a word, their armor clanking, cold and piercing.
"Have you found her?"
Yang Zhong, hearing the man's cold, eerie voice from the front, trembled slightly and bowed his head in a humble reply, "The Qilin Army men delved thirty feet into the seabed and searched the entire sea cave, but still could not find Miss Ye's trace."
Silence fell for a moment, only the screams and curses from below could be heard.
Xiao Chi Zhan, breathing in the scent of blood in the air, glanced back slightly, the smile on his lips truly terrifying.
"You blew up the entire ice cave and still couldn't find her. What use do you think I have for you?"
Yang Zhong was startled and immediately knelt on the ground, "Your Highness, please calm your anger!"
The surrounding generals followed suit, kneeling down.
The air was eerily silent.
Xiao Chi Zhan slowly turned around, gazing intently at the people kneeling on the ground, his eyes holding a bloodthirsty gaze.
Xia Han, who had been watching all along, immediately noticed his murderous intent and quickly spoke respectfully.
"Your Highness, such a grand search but no trace of Miss Ye's body has been found. It's very likely that Miss Ye is not dead, or perhaps she was carried by the currents of the sea cave to an unknown location?"
"Oh?" Xiao Chi Zhan retracted his gaze, stroking the cat in his arms, his tone softening.
Xia Han continued, "I have dispatched more men to search downstream along the sea cave. Miss Ye is blessed and will surely be fine."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the cold, dark muzzle of a firearm was pressed against his forehead.
He was greatly alarmed and immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
Xiao Chi Zhan, holding the cat in one arm and the gun in the other, looked down at Xia Han from above, his eyes filled with murderous intent. His gaze seemed to instill an unspeakable fear and dread of death in everyone present.
"If you don't find her, bring me your head!"
A chill shot up from the soles of his feet, soaking Xia Han's back in sweat. He had only said it in passing. That vast ice cave offered no chance of survival. Where was he supposed to find the person!
The pair of black boots in front of him slowly moved away, the terrifying, bloodthirsty aura gradually receding. His body went limp, and he collapsed onto the ground.
Mobei, having suffered such a defeat, had suffered heavy casualties and their national treasury was empty. Repeated negotiations with Bei Qi led to constant disputes.
The fact that the Great Liang's Dingbei King had buried tens of thousands of Mobei soldiers alive shocked the imperial court and caused the Nine Provinces to erupt in condemnation of his heartlessness, cruelty, and bloodthirstiness.
His past act of burning and burying 300,000 people in Xi Chuan years ago was once again brought up, especially in Xi Qiang, where rumors abounded.
Some said that he had been so bloodthirsty and ruthless since his youth, and that having occupied the throne for many years, he harbored wolfish ambitions, controlled the court, and supported puppets, truly being a god of calamity.
There were even rumors that the Dingbei King suddenly buried tens of thousands of troops alive and acted with such barbarity and inhumanity because he had lost the one he loved and had descended into madness.
The matter of constructing the underwater royal palace was also widely rumored. Such tyrannical rule, which exhausted the people and wasted resources, was truly absurd.
However, Great Liang had won several battles consecutively, its military strength abundant. Within a few days, they turned their forces to attack Xi Qiang, without any legitimate cause. Such a brazen act sent a shudder through the Nine Provinces.
The imperial court, the martial arts world, and the common people were all in a state of fervent discussion.
But Great Liang's expedition to Xi Qiang made other nations wary and hesitant to speak out. Gradually, the rumors faded into silence.
With Mobei's defeat and Bei Qi's withdrawal from the border city, the conflict in Hong Zhou subsided. However, after such a bloody and brutal incident, a faint smell of blood permeated the air throughout the entire city.
In the secret chamber of the Dingbei King's Mansion in Hong Zhou.
A man in a black robe lay on the bed, his eyes slightly closed. Beside him was a jade carving filled with blood, and on the nearby footstool, Xue Qiu was sleeping.
The scene was truly bizarre, incredibly chilling.
The man on the bed seemed to be trapped in a nightmare. His demonically handsome face showed a fragile stillness, his brows tightly furrowed, and a thin layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Not long after, he suddenly sat up with a jolt. The previously fragile expression was replaced by a ferocious, murderous rage, his chest heaving violently.
His sinister pupils held a terrifying destructive power. He kicked the nearby footstool away with a deafening crash.
In the small, enclosed secret chamber, there was not a sliver of light. The commotion was truly hair-raising.
"Ye Luan! Ye Luan!"
The faint murmurs were piercingly sharp in the silent secret chamber.
After an unknown period, the voice gradually subsided.
Xiao Chi Zhan leaned against the bed, lowering his gaze, supporting himself on his knee and rubbing his forehead.
After a long while, he got off the bed, took out the medicine from the drawer, and swallowed it in one gulp.
The jade carving on the bed glowed eerily red in the dim chamber.
Xiao Chi Zhan squatted down, reaching out his pale hand to gently stroke the jade carving, his eyes churning with countless entwined emotions.
After a moment.
"Luan Luan, smile for me."
In the dark, sinister secret chamber, the man's voice was deep and chilling, mixed with faint traces of lingering tenderness, making one's scalp tingle.
There was no response.
His eyes became dejected, his expression tinged with loss and grievance. "Why aren't you smiling?"
Yes, she would no longer smile at him.
She had fallen off the cliff!
Xiao Chi Zhan! She had jumped into the sea cave.
She had pushed him away with her own hands, preferring to die rather than be with him.
She didn't want him!
Xiao Chi Zhan's body went limp, and he collapsed onto the ground. The corners of his lips curved into a smile. At first, it was a low chuckle, and then, he suddenly erupted into a wild, prolonged laughter.
In the deep, dark chamber, this laughter was utterly terrifying.
She didn't want him!
She didn't want him even in death!
What had he done wrong? Where had he gone wrong?!
Luan Luan, hell is so cold. Come back, come back and teach me, okay?
"Chi Zhan Gege, this time, don't accompany me in jumping. Live well."
That voice seemed to ensnare his entire being, the red figure filling his entire mind.
Xiao Chi Zhan clutched his head in agony, and a drop of crimson blood-tear fell from his dark red eyes, terrifying.
She didn't want him to accompany her, not even giving him the chance to die with her.
How much did she despise him?
Xiao Chi Zhan, you don't even deserve to die.
She didn't want to see you.