The snow-covered River West City was illuminated by red lanterns, exuding an air of peace and prosperity.
Every household hung red lanterns, preparing to welcome the arrival of New Year’s Eve and the first day of the new year.
Even the barracks outside the city began to relax, preparing for the festivities with a lively atmosphere.
This year, all the states and counties along the northern border could enjoy a good New Year’s Eve.
In the final court session of the year, Great Wei also announced a holiday.
In her first year of ruling, Empress Hazel Han recaptured River West, conquered Zhangye, established the Zhangye Protectorate, reclaimed three states in Yan, stabilized the Southern Border, and avoided military conflicts with Da Li in the east.
Domestically, the weather was favorable, marking a good beginning.
In contrast, the Huns faced heavy snow and lost tens of thousands of warriors, with countless small tribes destroyed.
This winter was not kind to the Huns.
For the first time since its establishment, the Huns’ royal court was attacked by enemies.
The entire Hun tribe was gearing up, waiting to get through this winter.
It was not in their nature to be attacked without retaliating.
In a secret chamber beneath the master’s residence in the Huns’ royal city.
“Master, is everything ready?” the Grand Chanyu asked, looking at the master, Gu Yin.
“Almost!”
Old Taoist Gu Yin looked at the blood pool in front of him. The surging blood reflected their faces in a bright red hue.
The massive blood pool resembled a cauldron, filled with countless essences of blood.
These essences were collected from the Great Wei’s common people and elite soldiers, slain in wars initiated by Yiqi Zhi.
All of this stemmed from a secret method Gu Yin discovered in an ancient ruin.
The method involved refining the essence of living beings’ blood, supplemented by various spiritual herbs, to create blood pills.
According to ancient texts, blood pills could help one break through to the Great Grandmaster realm, reaching the level of Martial Saint or Yang Spirit.
However, refining blood pills required the essence of a million living beings.
Knowing he had no hope of breaking through, Gu Yin couldn’t resist the temptation of near immortality and the desire for a thousand-year lifespan.
Gu Yin brought the secret method to the Huns’ royal court.
He chose the Huns because they were a warlike people, waging war against Great Wei every year.
Moreover, in the Central Plains, Daoists were flourishing, and such an evil method would not be tolerated by the righteous path.
Yiqi Zhi, who also yearned for the Martial Saint realm, appointed Gu Yin as the Huns’ master and began their plan.
Finally, the day had come, and their eyes were filled with fervor and desire.
“In that case, there’s no need to keep those 200,000 Wei people alive,” Yiqi Zhi said coldly.
“Agreed!”
Old Taoist Gu Yin nodded. With the essence of 200,000 martial cultivators, he was more confident in succeeding.
Their tones were indifferent and cold, as if those 200,000 people were just 200,000 pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
Yiqi Zhi never intended to use General Li’s 200,000 troops. From the beginning, it was all a ruse to lure them to the grasslands for their blood pill plan.
“Come here!” Yiqi Zhi shouted.
“Father!”
Jin Daoxian entered, respectfully looking at his father, Yiqi Zhi.
He was now the Left Wise King of the Huns, thanks to Oliver Sheng killing his older brother, the former Left Wise King.
“Take the troops and bring those 200,000 Wei people here,” Yiqi Zhi ordered.
“Yes, Father!”
Jin Daoxian left the underground palace and went to the barracks, mobilizing 20,000 soldiers to escort the 200,000 Wei people.
……
In General Li’s camp, the dejected General Li spent his days in drunken stupor, no longer caring about the army.
His cultivation had been sealed by the Huns’ Martial Saint, and his subordinates had lost faith in him. Only his personal guards remained loyal, while the other soldiers wished to see him dead.
Betraying Great Wei, losing his future, and knowing his family back home might be implicated, he was essentially imprisoned by the Huns.
In the freezing grasslands, who wouldn’t have complaints?
“This damn weather is too cold!” a thinly-clad soldier said.
“If only we had some wine to drink.”
“These damned Huns won’t even provide firewood to keep warm.”
The Huns’ attitude towards them was worsening.
“If I had known it would be like this, I would have chosen death over coming to the Huns’ grasslands as a traitor.”
“How can we see any hope in such days?”
Many soldiers were already feeling despair.
They couldn’t return to Great Wei, and they couldn’t stay with the Huns.
The Huns’ army, braving the wind and snow, arrived at General Li’s camp.
The guards outside hurriedly approached Jin Daoxian.
“Greetings, Left Wise King!” the leading officer said, cupping his fists.
“Hmm, I am here on the Grand Chanyu’s orders to escort these Wei people to the royal city,” Jin Daoxian said.
“Yes, Left Wise King!”
“Lead your troops and join me in escorting these 200,000 Wei people to the royal city.”
“Finally, the guard duty is over,” the officer said happily.
Guarding these Wei people, they couldn’t even drink or sleep properly, constantly on alert to prevent a rebellion. Watching over 200,000 people in the heavy snow was no easy task.
A personal guard of General Li saw the Huns’ army approaching aggressively and hurriedly ran to inform General Li.
“Marquis, Marquis, something’s wrong!”
“Why are you shouting?” General Li roared impatiently.
The guard quickly said, “Marquis, the Huns are coming with a large force.”
“The Huns’ army?” General Li’s eyes cleared a bit.
In this freezing weather, what were the Huns up to?
A bad premonition rose in General Li’s heart.
Even though his cultivation was sealed, his realm as a Great Grandmaster still gave him a sense of foreboding.
Soon, the Huns’ army arrived at General Li’s tent.
Seeing the Left Wise King Jin Daoxian, General Li frowned.
“I wonder what brings the Left Wise King to my camp?”
“On the Grand Chanyu’s orders, I am here to escort you and your troops to the royal city,” Jin Daoxian said with a smile.
General Li couldn’t fathom the reason. Why would they want him and his troops in the royal city?
“May I ask, Left Wise King, what does the Grand Chanyu want us to do in the royal city?”
Jin Daoxian shook his head, saying, “How would I know? I am just here to deliver the orders. Please gather your troops quickly and come with me to the royal city.”
General Li looked at Jin Daoxian’s face, unable to discern any change, not knowing what Yiqi Zhi intended.
“Hurry up, don’t keep the Grand Chanyu waiting,” Jin Daoxian urged impatiently.
“You!”
General Li’s personal guard was about to roll up his sleeves and throw a punch.
“What, does General Li want to let his subordinates attack me?” Jin Daoxian’s personal guards quickly drew their swords, their eyes coldly fixed on General Li and his men.
General Li waved his hand, signaling his guard to restrain himself.
“Left Wise King, you misunderstand. I will gather my troops immediately.”
“You better not dare!” Jin Daoxian sneered.
General Li looked at him. With his cultivation sealed, even an Innate Great Perfection cultivator dared to act arrogantly towards him.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry!!”
“Stop dawdling.”
The Huns’ army kept urging them.
One by one, the soldiers were called out of their tents.
“What’s going on? What do they want us to do?”
“In this freezing weather, what do they want us to do?”
The soldiers were reluctant, but their weapons had been confiscated, and they hadn’t eaten well for days. Cold and hungry, they had no strength to resist.
They could only be herded together by the Huns’ army, threatened with swords.
General Li’s 200,000 troops were thus escorted to the Huns’ royal city.
They had no idea they were marching to their deaths.
Upon arriving at the royal city, the 200,000 troops were quickly shackled.
“Damn Huns, what are they doing?”
“Let go of your grandpa! If you have the guts, let go of your grandpa and fight him fairly.”
The soldiers finally realized something was wrong and tried to resist desperately.
But it was too late!
“Jin Daoxian, what is the meaning of this?” General Li, now shackled, was both confused and furious.
“I want to see Yiqi Zhi and ask him what this is about!” General Li roared.
“You want to see my father? I’ll take you to him soon!” Jin Daoxian sneered.
Seeing Jin Daoxian’s sneer, General Li’s heart sank.
The 200,000 troops were taken to the underground palace in batches.
Seeing the blood pool, the soldiers finally understood their fate.
“Father, the 200,000 Wei people have been brought,” Jin Daoxian said to Yiqi Zhi.
“Hmm!”
Yiqi Zhi glanced at the shackled General Li.
General Li’s eyes were fierce: “Yiqi Zhi, you intend to massacre my 200,000 soldiers!”
“General Li, don’t be angry. The Huns have fed you for so long; it’s time for you to repay us,” Yiqi Zhi said with a smile.
“Hahaha, how foolish of me to believe the words of you barbaric foreigners,” General Li laughed bitterly, regret evident on his face.
If his cultivation hadn’t been sealed, he would have fought to make Yiqi Zhi bleed.
Yiqi Zhi wasn’t angry. He waved his hand and said, “Master, proceed!”
“A Great Grandmaster’s essence should be quite good,” Gu Yin personally took action.
A Great Grandmaster’s body couldn’t be easily broken by ordinary martial artists.
“Slash!”
A dazzling cold light flashed, beheading General Li.
Gu Yin then collected all of General Li’s essence into the blood pool.
A dignified marquis and Great Grandmaster died so miserably. General Li never imagined he would meet such an end.
“Proceed, kill them all and throw them into the blood pool,” Yiqi Zhi ordered.
“Yes, Father.”
Jin Daoxian immediately ordered his soldiers to act. The cold light of their blades was like ice, and one by one, the shackled soldiers fell.
“Damn Huns, treacherous scum,” the surviving soldiers cursed as they saw General Li and their comrades fall.
They never imagined they would be slaughtered like pigs and sheep.
“Li Tian, you traitor,” someone cursed angrily.
All of this was caused by General Li.
“Karma, haha, Li Tian, you traitor, this is your karma. Even in hell, we will eat your flesh and drink your blood,” a soldier cursed.
“Haha, serves him right. This traitor led us to become traitors. He deserves to die.”
“Damn foreign tribe, you will face divine retribution for this massacre!”
“You foreign tribe, you will die miserably.”
“Damn you, foreign tribe. I curse you to die miserably.”
“One day, the Great Wei army will crush you Huns and wipe out your tribe.”
The 200,000 soldiers were slaughtered in the underground palace, dying miserably.
They cursed and raged, their resentment soaring to the heavens.
But it didn’t change their fate.
The 200,000 troops were all killed, their essence extracted, becoming the blood souls in the blood pool.
Even in death, they never imagined they would meet such an end, dying so miserably.
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