Su Xiang nodded unconsciously. Peng Yuancheng looked at him with a faint smile and said, "Since you trust me, please ask the garrison to open the gate, General Su. It seems that Commander Li is not on the city wall."
Section 2
Su Xiang spurred his horse forward and arrived at the city gate, shouting loudly, "Open the gate! Open the gate!"
The soldiers on the city wall recognized him, but did not open the gate. They simply said, "Commander Li has ordered that if General Su and Lord Peng come here together, please wait a moment while he personally comes to greet them."
Su Xiang turned and smiled at Peng Yuancheng, who returned a deep smile. His heart, however, was churning with turmoil. If the Peace Army opened the city gates, he was prepared to charge in without hesitation and reclaim Yu Yang City. Although his wife and children were in the hands of the Peace Army, what did they matter to him? What could be more important than his ambition and his grand cause? If he could kill Li Jun in Yu Yang City, the seemingly formidable Peace Army would immediately scatter like birds and beasts, and Yu Zhou would be his, Peng Yuancheng's. But it seemed Li Jun was prepared and hadn't been blinded by victory.
After a while, figures moved on the city wall, and Li Jun appeared in front of Peng Yuancheng, accompanied by Meng Yuan and Ji Su.
"Lord Peng, ever since I saw your elegant bearing a month ago, I have been thinking of you constantly," Li Jun said with a smile, bowing from the city wall.
"This humble general also misses the commander at all times." Peng Yuancheng, with a smile on his face, jumped off his horse, bowed deeply, and said, "Now that Peng Yuancheng is a defeated general, I am at the commander's disposal."
Li Jun laughed heartily and said, "The one who was defeated was the so-called supervising officer Pang Wu, and the incompetent Zhu family. How dare I regard Lord Peng as a defeated general? If Lord Peng doesn't mind, then let him become a general in my Peace Army, how about it?"
Peng Yuancheng bowed again and said, "How dare I disobey?"
Li Jun narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "By the way, your wife has a few words for you to pass on to this old man. Please speak, sir."
The old servants of the Peng family took a few steps forward and looked down. Peng Yuancheng stood calmly under the city gate, looking up, seemingly unmoved.
“Master, Madam asked me to inform you that the Peng residence is surrounded by hundreds of Peace Army soldiers. So far, the Peace Army has not touched a single tree in the Peng residence.” The old servant did not treat the Peace Army as his own people in his words. He slowly said, “Madam said that you should do things according to your own nature and do not need to worry about her and the two young masters. No matter what you do, she will never let your reputation be dishonored.”
Unexpectedly, Madam Peng had these words conveyed through the old servant; it was practically encouraging Peng Yuancheng to refuse to surrender. Meng Yuan glanced at Ji Su, but Ji Su's face also showed surprise, clearly indicating that she was unaware of what Madam Peng had instructed the old servant.
The soldiers of the Peace Army were somewhat enraged, but the old servant, seemingly aware that he would be killed for relaying such words, showed no fear. Only Li Jun remained smiling, saying, "Not only Lord Peng, but also the families of all Lord Peng's troops—the Peace Army dares not be disrespectful to them. Lord Peng, what do you think?"
Peng Yuancheng understood that Li Jun's actions were intended to reassure him and demoralize his troops. He glanced back at the four armies and, sure enough, heard whispers among them. It seemed that the surrender was truly just a charade.
“I understand, young general…” Peng Yuancheng said heavily. So far, Li Jun has not shown the slightest flaw in this battle. It seems that his defeat is inevitable. Whether it is a battle of wits or a psychological warfare, he has lost. Now, the only way to save himself is to surrender.
"The entire army must withdraw and set up camp ten miles away!" After a brief exchange of glances with Li Jun, Peng Yuancheng gave the order. The young commander on the city wall, his eyes gleaming with intelligence and determination, seemed to be staring directly at the sun, forcing Peng Yuancheng to lower his gaze. This man's domineering presence wasn't innate; it was honed through constant battles of wits and courage.
"Does this man truly possess the aura of a king?" Peng Yuancheng watched his generals retreat and set up camp, but his heart remained with Li Jun. In terms of temperament, Li Jun's background and experiences determined that he did not possess the domineering aura of someone born into nobility or the elegant demeanor cultivated by a prestigious family. He only possessed the perseverance of someone who had experienced countless battles and the profoundness of a first-rate master. Although his youth made him appear somewhat naive, Peng Yuancheng discovered something even deeper hidden within that naivety.
Knowing that Li Jun would never give him an opportunity, Peng Yuancheng had no choice but to order his troops to camp outside the city and enter the city alone. His only option now was to follow Li Jun's instructions and wait until the opportune moment arrived.
As soon as he returned home, Li Jun immediately ordered the withdrawal of the Peace Army surrounding his house, and replaced it with Peng Yuancheng's own troops who remained in the city to guard it. Not long after, Peng Yuancheng came to see Li Jun again, this time kneeling on one knee and bowing deeply: "Commander Li, your territory is intact, your humble general has come to receive your orders."
"Get up, get up." Li Jun helped him up with both hands. This was the first time the two of them had been so close, face to face. After looking at each other for a while, Peng Yuancheng suddenly felt that there was something strange about Li Jun's expression.
"Lord Peng, there is something I would like to ask you." Li Jun's enthusiasm suddenly vanished, and his expression even became somewhat sinister.
Peng Yuancheng's heart skipped a beat, wondering if Li Jun was about to turn against him. Although he knew that Li Jun admired his talent and wanted to recruit him, he didn't know how much Li Jun could tolerate him, nor could he predict how Li Jun would treat him after the overall situation was settled.
"Please give your orders, Commander. I will answer to the best of my knowledge."
"Was it your idea, Lord Peng, to collude with the Japanese pirates?" Li Jun's question struck Peng Yuancheng's heart like a heavy hammer. To secretly collude with the inhuman and wicked Japanese pirates was a great taboo for all races in Shenzhou. If this crime were made public, someone from a prestigious family like Peng Yuancheng would immediately be ruined. Only a mercenary like Sun Yu, who had no scruples, would dare to do such a thing.
"What do you mean?" Peng Yuancheng had to defend himself. Although it was indeed Peng Yuancheng who secretly instructed Sun Yu to go and find the Japanese pirates, he was confident that he had not left any evidence. Even if he had evidence, he still had to defend himself. "Although Sun Yu once served under me in Otani City, Otani City's income was limited and it could not employ them for long. Therefore, I sent him away long ago."
Li Wu stared intently at Peng Yuancheng's face, as if trying to discern something from it. Peng Yuancheng felt as if Li Wu's bright gaze had completely seen through his heart. He had a sudden thought and wanted to gather his spiritual energy, but he quickly sensed the powerful spiritual energy gathered by Meng Yuan and Ji Su beside him. So he gritted his teeth and dispersed his spiritual energy, pretending to be completely unguarded.
Li Jun's heavy, leaden face gradually softened, and he smiled slightly, saying, "I just received an urgent report from Kuanglan City that six thousand Japanese pirates attacked Kuanglan City by boat. Two thousand of our soldiers were killed in action, and the entire Japanese pirate army was wiped out. The one who led the Japanese pirates here is Sun Yu."
"Sun Yu dares to collude with the Japanese pirates!" Peng Yuancheng said angrily, "Why doesn't the commander kill such a traitor?"
Li Jun's eyes flickered again as he spoke, and then he said, "Sun Yu has already been killed on the spot by Tu Longziyun, the naval commander of the Peace Army. The fact that he could think of colluding with the Japanese pirates proves that he is not stupid."
Peng Yuancheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief; at least there were no witnesses. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a half-smile seemed to flash in Li Jun's eyes. Peng Yuancheng said, "That's too lenient on him. The commander should whip his corpse and behead him, as a warning to future generations who dare to collude with the Japanese pirates!"
“No need.” Li Jun sighed softly, and after a moment of silence, said, “The matter of manipulating the dead is left to those who eat carrion. The only opponents we, the Peace Army, need to deal with are the living.”
Peng Yuancheng couldn't help but secretly admire him. Although he hated Sun Yu intensely, Li Jun was still able to remain calm under such impulsive circumstances and refrain from the pointless act of desecrating a corpse, proving that this man's magnanimity and breadth of mind were indeed extraordinary. Of course, he didn't know that Li Jun had learned this trait from Lu Xiang. If it were up to Li Jun's nature as a mercenary since childhood, he wouldn't have cared about so much.
A subtle silence fell over the tent. Everyone remained silent, looking at Li Jun with questioning eyes.
"With Lord Peng joining our army, the rest of the prefecture will be secured." Li Jun finally broke the silence and said slowly, "The remaining Zhu family forces are merely clinging to life and will not undergo any major changes. However, in order to achieve the greatest victory with the least losses, Peng Yuancheng..."
"Here." Peng Yuancheng knew from his tone that a task was about to be assigned. In fact, he even knew about the task that Li Jun was about to assign.
"You will lead your 15,000 troops to attack Yujiang City. If you can persuade them to surrender, that would be the best outcome. Meng Yuan!" After giving Peng Yuancheng his mission, Li Jun turned to Meng Yuan. "You will lead the remaining troops to garrison Yuyang City and provide support for Peng Yuancheng."
"Yes!" Peng Yuancheng and Meng Yuan exchanged a glance. With Peng Yuancheng as general, leading the Yu Yang and Da Gu troops to attack Yu Jiang City, the Peace Army headquarters would avoid sacrifice, and Peng Yuancheng's loyalty could be tested. Li Jun wasn't worried at all that Peng Yuancheng would defect to help Zhu Wenhai. Even if he himself didn't care about his family, his soldiers' families were in Yu Yang City. Moreover, once Yu Yang fell, Yu Jiang City would be exposed to Li Jun's heavy halberds; even if Peng Yuancheng joined the Zhu family, it wouldn't help. Furthermore, Li Jun had also assigned Meng Yuan to Yu Yang, essentially exercising the function of monitoring Peng Yuancheng.
"What about yourself?" Ji Su asked with considerable doubt. In the army, she was the only one with a superior status who dared to ask Li Jun so directly. She was extremely curious about Li Jun's plans. Letting others be the vanguard while he hid in the rear seemed to be out of character for Li Jun.
“I need to go back to Kuanglan City.” Li Jun turned his back and said, “The soldiers who died in the battle between Kuanglan City and the Japanese pirates will be moved to the city’s cemetery. I must go back to participate in this ceremony.”
He said this, but he had something else on his mind: he was worried about Mo Rong. News from Kuanglan City said that although Mo Rong hadn't participated in the defense, she had exhausted herself building the city and had fallen ill. Li Jun had an indescribable feeling for this Dongyue woman who was like a sister to him and a friend. Although they hadn't been together every day for the past six months, for some reason, the longer they were apart, the more he missed her, and this longing grew stronger with time.
"Why am I like this?" Li Jun tried to dismiss this longing as merely a concern for his family, for Mo Rong, whom he considered like a sister. Yet, he couldn't escape the fear that lurked beneath this self-comforting explanation. He understood the difference between ordinary people and the Yue people, and he understood that the difficulty of their union surpassed even his challenge in breaking the traditional male-dominated culture of Shenzhou. Even a strong man like him had to bow his head in the face of emotional turmoil. He failed to perceive that another woman from another race was also troubled by him, a turmoil even more dangerous than his own feelings for Mo Rong. For the forthright Rong people, Ji Su's love and hate were equally intense.
Those who love others are also loved by others. This tangled and inextricable relationship can only be truly understood by those directly involved. Although Yu Sheng in Thunder City is deeply worried about this, and although Chen Ying in Raging Waves City is secretly helping Ji Su because of the vast difference in abilities between Li Jun and Mo Rong, the three individuals caught in this mess lack the legendary sword of wisdom to sever the bonds of love.
Mo Rong's illness was, in a way, also due to this situation. The images of Li Jun and Lei Hun alternated in her mind; sometimes it was Li Jun's radiant face, sometimes Lei Hun's aloof and indifferent one. In her delirium, she would sometimes murmur Li Jun's name, and sometimes softly murmur Lei Hun's name. But no matter who appeared in her dreams, she always saw a huge shadow behind them, a shadow that threatened to devour her and them all.
"Overwork and excessive internal heat." The doctor told Li Jun, who had rushed over, the diagnosis. "Fortunately, she has a strong constitution. She will be fine after taking a few doses of medicine. After a few days of rest, the problem is no longer serious."
"Thank you very much, sir." Li Jun used the honorific title "sir" to express his gratitude to the doctor. He felt as if he were suffering from Mo Rong's illness himself. His cultivation had deepened day by day, and with the spiritual power transformed from the dragon's power, he had long since reached the point where he was immune to heat and cold and rarely fell ill. Therefore, illness was a distant memory for him, but Mo Rong's illness made him unable to control himself.
"Sister Mo, you..." Ignoring suspicion, he came to Mo Rong's bedside. Looking at Mo Rong's obviously thin face, he couldn't remember a single word of what he had prepared to say.
"It's nothing...it's nothing. Why did you come back?" Mo Rong leaned against the pillow, her expression still cheerful. "Don't tell me it was to come see me for my illness. It would be a big mistake to neglect the frontline battle for that."
Li Jun stared at her somewhat pale face until Mo Rong avoided his gaze, a blush rising on her face. She scolded him, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Only then did Li Jun withdraw his greedy gaze from her face, take a deep breath, and smile, "It's good that you're alright. Get well soon. Don't worry about the city building anymore."