Arrows rained down like a storm.
Among them were Zhao Feng's arrows, enhanced with true energy, piercing through the air.
Despite its seemingly stronger and more fortified defenses compared to other Donghu tribes, the royal court was swiftly reduced to ruins.
The Qin cavalry launched a ferocious assault, charging straight into the heart of the royal court.
Countless arrows rained down like a torrential storm, overwhelming the Donghu warriors within the court.
At this moment, it was not yet the time for the Donghu people to extinguish their lamps and rest. Many civilians fled in panic, knocking over lamps in their haste. Oil spilled onto the ground, igniting fires that rapidly spread throughout the camp.
But Zhao Feng did not care about any of this.
The only thing that mattered was the destruction of the Donghu royal court.
To cripple their power for at least five years, ensuring they could not launch another southern invasion.
Arrows continued to rain down relentlessly.
The night concealed the incoming arrows, but the piercing sound of arrows cutting through the air rang out clearly.
Yet for the Donghu people, those sounds meant death.
Under the relentless barrage of Qin arrows, the Donghu commanders roared in defiance:
"Archers, return fire!"
"Fire! Fire now!"
"Kill these damned Qin soldiers!"
"Quickly"
From within the royal court, the Donghu forces struggled to form a defensive line.
The surviving watchtowers also launched volleys of arrows toward the Qin cavalry outside.
In the darkness, they could only barely make out the silhouettes of the Qin forces.
Meanwhile, the Qin cavalry unleashed arrows freely into the settlement, firing indiscriminately.
The exchange of volleys left the Donghu forces within the royal court devastated, while the Qin cavalry outside maneuvered skillfully, pressing ever closer.
Though some Qin soldiers inevitably fell to the enemy's arrows, their charge did not falter.
As Zhao Feng approached the ruined main gate, already shattered by his attacks, he bellowed,
"Soldiers, hear my command!"
"Kill!"
"Leave no Donghu alive!"
With a sweeping motion, he brandished his Overlord Spear.
A blinding arc of energy slashed through the darkness.
Dozens of Donghu soldiers charging toward him were instantly cut down, their bodies sent flying as they perished without even a chance to react.
"Killed a Donghu Myriad Chief, gained +30 to all attributes."
"Killed a Donghu soldier, gained +1 Strength."
"Killed a Donghu Thousand-Man Commander, gained +5 to all attributes."
…
"Die!"
Zhao Feng gripped his Overlord Spear tightly, striking forward with unrelenting force.
Each spear strike sent waves of energy rippling outward, powerful enough to shatter mountains and stones.
The surrounding camp walls crumbled beneath his onslaught.
"Follow the General!"
"Kill!"
The ten-thousand-strong elite troops roared, following Zhao Feng as they charged into the Donghu royal court.
Spotting any surviving Donghu warriors, the Qin cavalry mercilessly cut them down.
Spears thrust forward like lightning, striking down their foes with precision.
In this battle, distinguishing friend from foe was easy.
The Donghu had no cavalry. The Qin cavalry fought from horseback.
Charge, charge!
At this moment, every Qin soldier fought with unstoppable ferocity!
Slaughter engulfed the Donghu royal court!
"Destroy the Donghu royal court."
"Kill as many as you can."
"Burn everything that can be burned."
"After this battle, let nothing remain of this royal court."
"Kill!"
Zhang Ming, Wei Quan, and the other Qin officers bellowed commands.
As they fought, they set fires, torching the entire settlement.
Simply put
This was Zhao Feng's goal.
To completely erase the Donghu royal court!
As the battle raged on, time slipped away.
Zhao Feng and his elite troops continued their ruthless slaughter.
The two to three thousand Donghu soldiers left to defend the royal court were no match for Zhao Feng's forces.
Their defenses collapsed at the first assault.
By the following morning
As the sun rose over the battlefield
The entire Donghu royal court had been reduced to a land of smoldering ruins.
Everywhere, the charred remains of buildings lay in heaps of blackened rubble.
Countless corpses littered the ground.
Many Donghu survivors had fled in terror, but some still roamed the ruined settlement, desperately trying to escape.
Zhao Feng and his elite troops continued the slaughter, hunting down those who remained.
The wails of the dying echoed throughout the royal court.
The Qin cavalry continued their rampage.
This was retribution.
"This is the Donghu royal court," Zhao Feng muttered.
He had arrived at the main hall of the royal court.
Countless bodies of royal guards lay strewn around him, their corpses forming a grotesque landscape.
"The Donghu treasury should be beneath this hall," he thought to himself.
Closing his eyes, Zhao Feng extended his spiritual sense outward, scanning the area around the main hall.
His spiritual sense could penetrate everything within its range, leaving nothing hidden.
Within moments, Zhao Feng smirked.
"Found it."
"As expected, it's right beneath the royal court."
A satisfied grin appeared on his lips.
He had discovered the entrance to the Donghu royal treasury.
Since he had already fought his way here, it wasn't enough to just slaughter Zhao Feng intended to make the Donghu bleed even more.
Every kingdom in the Central Plains had treasuries. The Donghu would be no exception.
"Guard this place."
"No one is allowed to enter without my command."
"Also, pass my orders let the soldiers continue the slaughter until nightfall."
"At nightfall, we retreat." Zhao Feng commanded.
Zhang Ming immediately saluted, "Understood, General!"
With his orders given, Zhao Feng strode into the main hall of the royal court.
Inside, he was greeted by the sight of a grand throne covered in tiger pelts.
This was the seat of the Donghu King.
"Sitting on a tiger skin?"
"You're not worthy."
Zhao Feng stepped forward and sneered.
Raising his hand, he struck out with his palm.
A surge of true energy shot forth.
Boom!
The force of the strike shattered the tiger-skin throne into pieces.
However, Zhao Feng remained calm as he advanced. Beneath the throne, an entrance was revealed.
This was the underground entrance to the Eastern Hu treasury.
Descending just ten meters inside
A hidden chamber emerged.
Before him stood a massive bronze door.
It appeared to be extremely sturdy, seemingly impossible to open by human strength alone.
But Zhao Feng possessed the Dragon Spring Sword and a true energy strike capable of cutting down hundreds of armored soldiers in a single blow.
To him, this door was nothing more than an illusion of security.
Raising his sword, he swung it without hesitation.
A blade of sword energy slashed out.
Crack!
The bronze door was effortlessly cleaved apart.
Boom!
The door collapsed.
The treasury lay wide open.
"These barbarians…"
"I'd like to see what treasures they've got."
Zhao Feng smirked.
Looting treasuries was something he greatly enjoyed.
Back when he conquered Han, he had reaped great rewards. Since then, he has made it a priority in every war of conquest. No matter which nation he toppled, he would ensure that he plundered at least half of its treasury.
These spoils would serve as his foundational wealth for the post-Qin era.
Even when Yan was destroyed, Zhao Feng claimed the majority of its treasury for himself, stowing it away in his storage space.
And now, Zhao Feng's storage space has expanded from a mere few dozen cubic meters to several thousand.
No matter how many riches lay before him, he could take them all.
He stepped inside.
Whoosh!
Torches lining the walls ignited instantly.
Zhao Feng walked in slowly. Using his divine sense, he had already located where the Eastern Hu stored their treasures.
After only a short distance
A vast chamber unfolded before him.
Inside, an immeasurable amount of gold was stacked.
There were also countless iron weapons, various arms, and bows.
A single glance revealed
The stored weaponry here was enough to arm an entire army of ten thousand fully equipped soldiers.
"This Eastern Hu king is incredibly cautious. His troops mostly lack armor, yet he has stored over ten thousand full sets here."
"Seems like he was planning for an escape strategy." Zhao Feng sneered.
Then, his divine sense spread outward
Enveloping all the gold, armor, and weapons.
Everything within his divine sense's range was instantly transferred into his storage space.
"There's more over there."
Having emptied this section, Zhao Feng moved deeper into another chamber within the underground vault.
Upon entering
Zhao Feng's grin widened.
"So many ginseng roots."
"There must be at least five or six hundred of them."
"And not just ginseng polygonum multiflorum, snow lotus, all sorts of rare medicinal herbs are here."
"This Eastern Hu truly is wealthy. As the overlord of the grasslands, their collection of medicinal herbs is probably on par with Great Qin's."
Seeing the mountain of herbs stored within the stone chamber, Zhao Feng was ecstatic.
Without hesitation
He swept them all into his storage space.
With these herbs in his possession, their value and utility would be far greater.
After securing the medicinal supplies
Zhao Feng continued his plundering.
In this barbarian treasury, he did not need to leave anything behind. Whatever he saw, he took.
Before long
All the wealth accumulated over countless years by the Eastern Hu had been completely emptied by Zhao Feng.
"When the Eastern Hu king returns and sees this, he might even feel honored."
Gazing at the now desolate treasury, Zhao Feng chuckled.
The Eastern Hu royal court had fallen.
Everything unfolded exactly as Zhao Feng had planned.
His desired victory had been achieved.
Meanwhile
To the east of Eastern Hu territory.
Countless Eastern Hu cavalry galloped forward, kicking up clouds of dust.
Their numbers were formidable.
"We've been pursuing them for six days straight."
"Just how far ahead are these Qin troops?"
"We haven't even caught a glimpse of them yet."
The Eastern Hu king asked coldly.
Since establishing his dominance over the grasslands, he had rarely led campaigns personally. After several days of relentless pursuit, even he was exhausted.
"Your Majesty."
"The Qin army is also riding tirelessly to escape. We simply can't catch up."
"Judging by the dead horses along the way, it seems the Qin troops are regularly switching mounts."
Wu Wu responded with a hint of frustration.
"How far are we from Tu'an?" the Eastern Hu king asked grimly.
"Your Majesty, only half a day's ride."
"The Qin army may have already reached the Tu'an border," Wu Wu sighed.
"If they enter Tu'an and return to Qin, then wouldn't this entire pursuit have been pointless?" The Eastern Hu king frowned.
"Well… this…"
Wu Wu and the surrounding generals found themselves at a loss for words.
That was indeed a possibility.
If the Qin forces crossed into Tu'an territory, they might not dare to give chase, effectively allowing the Qin troops to escape back to their homeland.
Their grand mobilization of forty to fifty thousand troops would turn into nothing more than a joke.
Just then
"Report!"
"Urgent news from the royal court!"
"Your Majesty."
"The Qin army has launched a surprise attack on the royal court!"
"Please, Your Majesty, return to aid immediately!"
From the rear, a dozen Eastern Hu riders galloped in desperation, their voices filled with urgency.
"What?!"
The Eastern Hu king yanked his reins sharply.
The surrounding generals also halted in shock.
They had all heard the riders' report.
"Halt the army."
"Stop!"
Wu Wu quickly issued the command.
The tens of thousands of cavalrymen came to an abrupt stop, pulling their horses to a standstill.
"Say that again!"
"What happened to the royal court?"
The Eastern Hu king's face turned grave as he looked at the arriving riders.
"Your Majesty."
"The Qin army launched a surprise attack on the royal court."
"The court has fallen."
"The Qin forces are slaughtering our people!"
"The royal court… the royal court may have already been destroyed."
"We risked our lives to escape and bring this message."
"Please, Your Majesty, return and save our people!"
The lead rider spoke in terror.
Hearing this
The Eastern Hu king's face turned ashen.
Seated on his warhorse, he wavered, as though he might collapse at any moment.
"Your Majesty!"
The surrounding generals paled.
"We've been deceived."
"I've fallen for the damn Qin army's scheme."
"This force fleeing toward Tu'an was just bait meant to lure our army away, while their true main force attacked our royal court."
"Sinister. Utterly sinister!"
The Donghu King's face turned ashen, with a hint of fear in his expression.
As the ruler of a nation with millions of subjects, this was the first time he had ever felt such terror.
He had been completely played for a fool, and this Qin army raid had caused severe casualties among the Donghu people, drastically reducing their population. Not only that, but they had also lost an enormous amount of resources.
The Qin army had come and gone freely within Donghu territory, suffering almost no losses.
Standing nearby, Wu Wu also felt his heart sink.
He had warned the Donghu King once before, but the king had completely dismissed his concerns.
"Your Majesty."
"What should we do now?" Wu Wu asked as he looked at the Donghu King.
The Donghu King cast a hateful glance in the direction of Tu'an, his face filled with deep unwillingness. "Retreat."
"By the time we reach the royal court, it may already be too late," one general commented.
"The Qin army has probably withdrawn by now."
"Ridiculous."
The Donghu King cursed, then gritted his teeth and said, "I will never let this Qin army escape unpunished."
He thought of the royal court being overrun.
Wouldn't the people and family members left behind there have suffered a terrible fate?
At that moment, the Donghu King was burning with anxiety.
"Tiger!"
The Donghu King shouted.
"Present!"
A young general stepped forward quickly.
"Take three hundred thousand troops and return to the royal court immediately to provide reinforcements."
"If you find the Qin army, slaughter them all." The Donghu King's voice was ice-cold.
"Father."
"What about you?"
Tuoba Hu looked at his father with concern.
"The Qin army that raided our royal court has likely already begun retreating south."
"I must catch up with them."
"These damned Qin people I will tear them to pieces," the Donghu King said through gritted teeth.
This humiliating loss had cost Donghu a massive amount of national strength, making him feel utterly humiliated.
If this Qin army managed to return to their homeland unscathed, Donghu would become a laughingstock on the steppe.
"But Father."
"Our army's provisions won't last long."
"The supplies we originally gathered have almost all been burned by the Qin army. The rations we brought from the royal court are barely enough for half a month," Tuoba Hu said seriously.
"Half a month is enough."
"If I don't exterminate this Qin army, I am unworthy of being the King of Donghu, unworthy of being the ruler of the steppe," the Donghu King said coldly.
His decision was made.
Then, he shouted, "Tiger, once you return, take charge of the royal court and restore order. I will return after I have wiped out this Qin army."
"Warriors!"
"Follow me south we will trample Qin!"
The Donghu King roared.
With raging fury and hatred, he turned his army toward the Yan region of Qin.
Behind him, over a hundred thousand troops followed.
Meanwhile
Tu'an Kingdom
A small kingdom in the northeastern frontier of China, with a population of only two or three million far weaker than even the weakest of the Seven Warring States, Han.
Tu'an itself was not well-known, but its neighboring kingdom was infamous in later history for its shamelessness.
Goryeo
Later known as Goguryeo in history.
The two nations bordered each other and were roughly equal in strength both minor powers.
They shared a border with China and relied on Chinese trade for economic survival. However, they also tried to remain neutral, watching from the sidelines.
After all, they had no place in the conflicts of China's powerful states any one of them could easily crush Tu'an or Goguryeo.
At this moment, in a border city between Tu'an and Donghu...
On the city walls
Looking into the distance, they saw countless cavalrymen and warhorses galloping toward them, kicking up a storm of dust as if preparing to attack.
"General Jin."
"Are the Donghu planning to wage war against us?"
"What should we do?"
On the walls, a group of Tu'an soldiers looked at their leading general in panic.
Although Donghu's population was far smaller than Qin's smaller than any of China's states it still greatly outnumbered Tu'an's, and their entire population was trained for war.
Tu'an had long enjoyed peace in its isolated corner.
They had never feared the Chinese states, as China saw Tu'an as nothing more than an insignificant backwater. No one cared enough to conquer it they simply viewed Tu'an as another group of barbarians.
The real threat to Tu'an had always been Donghu and Goguryeo.
Especially Donghu.
Donghu's military was powerful, and their army was immense.
When news spread that Donghu had mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops, the King of Tu'an immediately dispatched Grand General Jin Feng to fortify the border. He also sent ten thousand soldiers to defend the city, fearing a Donghu invasion.
After all, with Donghu making such a grand military movement, how could Tu'an not be on high alert?
"Why are you panicking?"
"Are Tu'an's warriors afraid of Donghu?"
Jin Feng scanned them with sharp eyes and shouted sternly.
The soldiers on the city walls immediately fell silent.
"If Donghu dares to come, I will lead our warriors to slay them all," Jin Feng said confidently.
But at that moment
The army in the distance came closer.
At first glance
"General Jin."
"This doesn't seem like Donghu."
"The Donghu don't wear black armor, nor do they all have full body armor."
"These soldiers look more like… the Chinese."
A commander was shocked.
"Look."
"They have banners."
"What characters are those?"
"They look like Chinese script."
Another commander pointed out.
Jin Feng narrowed his eyes.
Looking at the approaching cavalry, his expression became one of astonishment.
"Qin!"
"That's the army of Qin!"
Jin Feng said in a low voice.
"Qin?"
"But isn't Qin in the west? How did their army end up in Donghu territory?"
A commander asked in confusion.
"Could the rumors be true?"
"That Donghu lost nearly 200,000 troops in China, and then the Qin army took advantage of their defeat to invade Donghu?"
Jin Feng's mind raced with thoughts.
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