Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

In late autumn, the weather turns cool and the autumn wind is bleak.

The gateway to the southern frontier of the Great Chu Kingdom, Nanzhao, a small town under the jurisdiction of the Dianshan Guard.

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, a loud and energetic rooster crow pierced the silent night.

Immediately afterwards, other roosters joined in, and in an instant, the crowing of roosters echoed throughout the town, as if announcing the arrival of a new day to the residents.

As the rooster crowed, the doors of the previously closed houses opened wide, and residents came out one after another to begin a new day.

The once quiet streets gradually came alive, dispelling the chill of autumn.

The men, dressed in simple clothes, walked through the streets with serious expressions.

Some carried loads on their shoulders, while others drove oxcarts; all were busy making a living for themselves and their families.

The women, mostly carrying wooden basins filled with dirty clothes, walked briskly towards the nearby river.

They skillfully soaked the clothes in water, scrubbed them with brushes, and then vigorously rubbed them.

The women chatted and laughed as they washed clothes, their laughter echoing along the riverbank.

The children were equally enthusiastic, running and playing in the streets, full of energy and vitality.

Occasionally, a few children would gather together and discuss innocent topics.

Their laughter and cheerful voices filled the small town with life and energy.

The town's market also began to bustle with activity, with various stalls filling both sides of the street.

Merchants displayed a dazzling array of goods, attracting the attention of passersby.

There were vendors selling vegetables, meat, fabrics... everything imaginable, a dazzling array that took your breath away.

Although it lacks the hustle and bustle of big cities, it has a strong sense of local life.

Everyone is working hard and enjoying these ordinary yet happy days.

However, none of them knew that a terrible disaster was quietly approaching.

Below the city gate, a dark-skinned man leaned against a corner of the city wall, greedily watching the smoke and fire emanating from the town.

The moment the town gates opened, the man left the town with incredible speed, heading straight for the outskirts of the countryside.

Faced with this unusual situation, the guards did not stop them at all, but continued to yawn lazily and boast to each other about the grand scenes they had seen.

Little did they know that this oversight would bring utter destruction to the entire town.

An hour later, it was broad daylight, and the streets were more lively than before.

But at that very moment, on the distant horizon, an infantry force from Luchuan was quietly approaching the town.

"yawn--"

The garrison commander on the city wall lay lazily on a deck chair, pulling his hat brim down to cover himself, intending to go back to sleep.

"blow--"

puff--

Suddenly, a swift arrow fell from a hundred paces away, piercing his throat with pinpoint accuracy.

The defending general's pupils contracted instantly. He abruptly pulled off the military cap covering his face, clutched his throat where an arrow had pierced it, and struggled to lean over the crenellations to look out.

Outside the city, a group of several hundred armored soldiers from Luchuan were rapidly approaching the city gate.

"Uh……"

He tried to shout, but the arrow piercing his throat prevented him from making any clear sounds.

With his last ounce of strength, he stumbled toward the warning bell a dozen steps away.

blow--

puff--

However, at that moment, a sharp whistling sound suddenly rang out, as if the air itself was being torn apart.

Another incredibly sharp arrow whistled through the air, moving so fast that no one could react. It pierced the man's cheek like lightning, leaving a trail of blood.

"Humph……"

The guard let out a painful groan as his body was thrown to the ground by the immense force of inertia.

His face, pierced by arrows and covered in blood, looked exceptionally ferocious and terrifying.

Sensing the speed at which life was slipping away, he kept his arm raised as if trying to grab the lever of a warning bell before he completely succumbed to darkness.

But in the end, his hand fell limply to his side, and he stopped breathing completely.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?"

At this moment, a passing soldier noticed the commotion and was momentarily stunned when he saw his comrade lying in a pool of blood.

It wasn't until they heard the increasingly clear footsteps outside the city walls that they realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh no, the enemy..."

blow--

puff--

Before he could even utter a cry, another arrow pierced his chest.

The next moment, a group of Luchuan soldiers, armed with short axes and wearing light armor, suddenly leaped onto the city wall.

Their faces were ferocious, their eyes were cold, and their whole bodies were filled with a thirst for killing, making them a terrifying sight.

These Luchuan soldiers were all martial artists at the Acquired Realm, serving as the vanguard on the Luchuan front, with the goal of eliminating all forward guard units.

The dozen or so Chu soldiers who rushed to the scene were stunned at first, and then they were attacked by the enemy.

"Damn it, it's those treacherous Luchuan! Brothers, let's fight them!"

"kill!"

Faced with a situation where the forces were vastly different from those of the invaders, the local officials and soldiers of Chu did not back down, but bravely charged towards them.

puff-

However, the defending officers and soldiers, having lost their core commander, were instantly annihilated when faced with this group of heavily armed Luchuan warriors.

An axe plunged into the chest of one soldier, while a broad, heavy sword cleaved another soldier in two.

When facing these disorganized ordinary soldiers, the combat power displayed by the acquired realm martial artists is a dimensional reduction attack. One person can easily kill twenty or thirty people, not to mention there are five acquired realm martial artists here.

The battle was a foregone conclusion. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the Luchuan warriors had taken control of this section of the city wall. The ground was littered with the remains of Chu soldiers with severed limbs and broken arms, a truly horrifying sight.

"Woo——"

A muffled rhinoceros horn sounded in the Luchuan army.

"Soldiers, follow me and charge in!"

"Ouch~~"

At the command of the Luchuan general, hundreds of armored soldiers roared like wild beasts and pounced on the town with its gates wide open like mad dogs.

When the savage side of the Luchuan soldiers was revealed to the city's residents, they finally realized what had happened.

But it was all too late.

In an instant, wails, cries, and calls for help mingled together.

The streets were filled with civilians fleeing in all directions.

"No, let me go, let me go!"

"Hahaha--"

A lone woman and child was captured by a short, stocky soldier from Luchuan.

He simply hoisted her onto his shoulder, and no matter how much the woman and child struggled and pounded on her, the Luchuan soldier only let out bursts of lewd laughter, and even raised his hand to slap her round buttocks hard.

"You beasts, I'll fight you to the death!"

A man in his early twenties swung a wood-chopping knife and charged at the intruders who had kidnapped his wife and daughter.

However, he had only run a few steps when a sharp iron knife pierced his chest.

"No, my house, my home!"

A man watched helplessly as a group of intruders broke into his house and took away his savings and food, while his house was burned down.

"You little bastard, leave your things here!"

In despair, the man's eyes turned bloodshot, and he grabbed a farm tool and charged at the arrogant bandits.

The next second, a spear shattered his heart.

The Luchuan soldiers burned, killed, and looted with abandon until dusk, when they gradually left, leaving behind a scene of apocalyptic ruins...

Shen Lang walked through the town, now reduced to ruins, staring blankly at the tragic scene before him. His gaze finally settled on a pregnant woman whose abdomen had been ripped open, and he remained motionless for a long time.

This tragedy occurred three days before Shen Lang arrived in Nanzhao.

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shangxian, who were traveling with him, as well as the officers and soldiers who came to their aid, were all heartbroken when they saw this scene.

Even Jiang Shangxian's eyes were red at this moment: "These beasts, they are simply beasts! They don't even spare pregnant women and children, they are beasts!"

Tang Zhao gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face, as he held a woman and child who had been violated to death and was barely clothed, sobbing uncontrollably.

The atmosphere was unusually oppressive and tragic.

At this moment, Shen Lang finally spoke.

"Did we come all the way from the capital, a journey that took two months, just to mourn?"

As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes turned to Shen Lang.

Shen Lang coldly surveyed his surroundings, his face showing no change in emotion.

"Put away your grief and sympathy. This is war; there's no time for you to experience the bittersweetness of human life."

All that's left is a relentless, life-or-death struggle. Control your emotions, or next time it will be your own families crying.

After saying that, he flicked his cloak and walked forward without looking back.

"He's utterly inhuman! No wonder he could slaughter civilians without any restraint during the Nanjing Uprising. He's a cold-blooded monster!"

Tang Zhao watched Shen Lang's retreating figure, expressing his extreme dissatisfaction.

"Sigh, that's just how he is. After the Battle of Fengsui Fortress, he seemed to have changed completely, becoming exceptionally cold-blooded on the battlefield."

They've lost faith in passion and enthusiasm; all they have left is a startling insight into reality.

Jiang Shangxian watched Shen Lang's retreating figure and let out a silent sigh.