Undying Life

Chapter 276: Ambush on All Sides

Three days later, at the north of the Dual City.

With the First Battalion of the Great Mystery Army, totaling two hundred thousand soldiers, Clock Mountain advanced step by step. Following the two hundred thousand troops was a floating island, a very small one with only a small house on it. Clock Mountain borrowed it from a sect.

Not far away, Clock Mountain waved his hand.

"Roar~~~~~~"

The two hundred thousand troops halted simultaneously with a thunderous roar.

Meanwhile, Clock Mountain stood with Ah Da atop a mountain peak, gazing at the once-mighty Dual City from a distance.

The gates of the Dual City were tightly shut, and the city walls were brimming with soldiers, emanating an aura of solemnity.

"Dual City? How should we attack such a celestial city?" Clock Mountain smiled, apparently prepared, just engaging in conversation with Ah Da to pass the time.

"Dual City's walls are solid and impenetrable. Only the city gates offer a chance of entry, but breaking through them requires someone with absolute power like Emperor Nalan or King Great Mystery. Typically, cities can only be attacked from the air," Ah Da explained.

"From the air?" Clock Mountain chuckled.

"Yes, for example, in the case of the Dual City, there's a massive array in the sky that prevents people from leaving. Anyone who flies up will be struck down by thunderbolts. However, people from the outside can enter, provided they leave no traces of magic. If there's any trace of magic, they'll still be struck down by the thunderbolts," Ah Da said.

"So, anyone flying in the air must fall freely like raindrops, or else casting spells will trigger a response from the array, resulting in being struck down," Clock Mountain said.

"Yes, I've heard that casting spells will cause a slight disturbance in the surrounding natural laws, which will alert the array. But if no spells are cast, they'll still be shot down by the city's arrows. There aren't many people who can fly onto the city walls to begin with. And those few who do risk their lives, as they'll undoubtedly be shot down by the arrows. So, capturing a city like this is extremely difficult," Ah Da explained.

"Difficult? So what? We're about to take the city," Clock Mountain smiled.

"But, sir, who knows how many people will die, and they'll all be civilians," Ah Da sighed.

"They volunteered for this. It's their own greed that brought them here. Whether they live or die is still in their hands. I didn't force them; it's up to their own hearts. If they're not greedy, they won't have to die. If they are, then life and death are up to fate. As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. After they go back, they'll undoubtedly distribute the spoils among their subordinates. The first batch of sacrificial lambs will undoubtedly receive the most treasures. I'll just watch them coldly. Compassion has no place in warfare," Clock Mountain said.

"Yes!" Ah Da nodded.

Compassion has no place in warfare. Indeed, what's the point of waging war if one is still hesitant and worried?

With a gentle push of his hand, Clock Mountain swiftly maneuvered the small floating island forward, with several generals quickly propelling it. It floated to a spot in the central area between Clock Mountain and the Dual City, hovering in the sky.

The generals quickly retreated, leaving the small floating island suspended in mid-air, with only a basic house on top.

Clock Mountain waved his hand lightly, and a soldier flew towards the Dual City with a letter in hand.

When the two hundred thousand troops appeared in the distance to the north of the Dual City, someone noticed.

At the Lord's Mansion of the Dual City.

"Report~~~~~~"

A long announcement echoed outside the Lord's Mansion, followed by a soldier swiftly rushing into the main hall, interrupting a discussion between War An and a group of generals. War An immediately turned to look at the soldier.

"Report to the commander, a large number of soldiers from the Great Luo Dynasty have appeared to the north of the city, led by Clock Mountain," the soldier immediately reported.

"Hmm..." War An stood up at once.

"What?" War An was somewhat incredulous.

"A large number of soldiers from the Great Luo Dynasty have appeared to the north of the city, led by Clock Mountain," the soldier repeated.

"Clock Mountain? Is he planning to attack the city? How many men has he brought?" War An asked.

"I'm not sure, it's too far to see clearly. And we don't know if there are troops hidden in the mountains and forests. Scouts have been dispatched to investigate," the soldier explained.

"Let's go!" War An said, leading the generals to fly towards the northern city gate.

Before long, they arrived at the northern city gate, standing on top of the city wall, gazing into the distance at the large number of soldiers and the conspicuously floating island.

A floating island?

How could there be a floating island in the midst of the two armies?

War An could tell at a glance that it was the most basic kind of floating island, without any power or threat.

At that moment, a scout returned.

"Report to the commander, the other side has been investigated. It's a force of two hundred thousand troops, likely the First Battalion of the Great Mystery Army," the scout said, kneeling.

"Understood," War An nodded, dismissing the scout.

Then, another soldier flew over from a distance. However, this time it was an enemy soldier.

"Who goes there?" someone on the city wall shouted.

"I'm a messenger of the commander. I have a letter to deliver to General War An," the soldier called back.

"Throw it up to the city," the person on the city wall ordered.

"Phew!" The soldier tossed a letter up to the city wall and then turned and left.

In times of war, messengers were not to be killed, so the soldier returned safely.

On the city wall, everyone looked at War An, awaiting his response to the letter in his hand.

War An's expression was somewhat strange, but he still opened the letter and carefully read it.

Since our parting in the Celestial City, General War An's charisma remains unforgettable to Clock Mountain. I once wished to have a meeting with General War An, but alas, Clock Mountain was of humble status back then, lacking power and freedom. Even now, he still carries a sense of longing and regret.

The Grand Marshal Yi Yan once invited me to join the Great Yu Dynasty. Clock Mountain did consider it, but the internal affairs of the Great Yu Dynasty were complex. Joining would mean certain doom, and even then, I would still be besieged by the eight million troops of King Ju Lu. There was a lingering sense of sorrow.

With the princess's relationship, King Great Mystery bestowed upon me two hundred thousand troops. However, it seems that King Great Mystery had already made arrangements. Clock Mountain is just a puppet, with the true control of the army in the hands of others. There's a slight sense of frustration.

Today, to show sincerity, I have openly brought these two hundred thousand troops before General War An. I have borrowed a floating island and hope to invite General War An for a discussion. There will be only three people present: you, me, and Ah Da.

Clock Mountain bows!

Reading Clock Mountain's letter, War An felt uncertain.

"General," a general called out.

War An handed the letter to him, and several generals read it in turn.

"General, could it be that Clock Mountain intends to defect to our side?" one excitedly exclaimed.

"If the general can persuade Clock Mountain to surrender, it would certainly be a great achievement," another said.

"Something doesn't seem right. There might be some kind of conspiracy," another general doubted.

"Conspiracy? Whatever the conspiracy, with his two hundred thousand troops in front of us, nothing can go wrong. Two hundred thousand troops can't possibly take the Dual City," another general asserted.

"General, What Do You Think?"

"General, what do you think?" someone asked again.

"I intend to take a look," Wu An replied after some thought.

"But, sir, I have a feeling this is a trick by Zhong Shan. You shouldn't risk your life," the man cautioned.

"Risk my life? This isn't even dangerous. That floating island, I can come and go as I please. Still, we need to be cautious. Mobilize all the resting troops. Gather 600,000 soldiers at the northern city wall. Keep a close watch on Zhong Shan's forces. Without my order, no one is allowed to leave the city or start a battle," Wu An commanded.

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded promptly.

With these orders, everyone felt relieved. There was no chance of failure. 600,000 troops to watch over 200,000, plus the natural fortress of Wushuang City. No matter how crafty Zhong Shan might be, he couldn't possibly pull off any tricks.

The soldiers in Wushuang City were mobilized, and the numbers on the city walls increased. The scouts soon reported the data back to Zhong Shan, who was far away.

"Sir, just as you said, there are indeed 600,000 troops at the northern gate. The other three gates can have at most 300,000 each," Ah Da said excitedly.

"Yes, let's go. To show our sincerity, we will first go to the floating island," Zhong Shan said with a smile.

"Yes, sir!" Ah Da replied with excitement.

Zhong Shan and Ah Da slowly flew towards the floating island. Meanwhile, at the northern city wall, Wu An also saw the two figures flying from a distance.

"Remember, keep a close watch on those 200,000 soldiers," Wu An gave his final order.

"Yes, sir!" the generals replied.

Nodding, Wu An felt assured that everything was in order. He stepped out of the city wall and slowly flew towards the floating island in the distance.

Southern Wushuang City, in a Valley

In a valley in southern Wushuang City, Shui Wuhen was leading 150,000 remnants of his army. No, they should now be called elite soldiers. There were 150,000 troops ambushed in the valley, and another 300,000 whose whereabouts were unknown, having been arranged by Zhong Shan. Not far away, a few figures flew towards them. These were people who had met with Zhong Shan a few days ago in the valley among a group of over 300.

"General Shui, how much longer do we have to wait? We've already delayed for half an hour. We still need to open the southern city gate. Isn't this wasting our time? Including the time for the siege, we'll only have two days in the city. Are you planning to drag this out until nightfall?" one man asked anxiously.

"Yes, General Shui. The Grand Marshal told us to wait, but some people are already getting impatient. If you don't give the order to attack, they'll go on their own," another man said.

Shui Wuhen looked at them and sighed slightly but said, "Wait a little longer for the Grand Marshal's signal. We also need you to keep the original citizens of Wushuang City under control. Otherwise, if we are exposed, all our efforts will be wasted."

"Sigh!" the group sighed deeply but had no choice.

Two days. Two days to plunder everything except the government offices. There were treasures in some places, and many people knew where they were. They were deeply afraid of being outdone.