"Hahaha, die, all of you, die!!"
In less than half an hour, the entire hall fell into complete silence.
As night gave way to day and sunlight streamed in, the Sect Master of Lingyin Sect's eyes were vacant, his pupils a milky white filled with intense fear. He looked around the hall, seeing the bodies of his fellow disciples scattered everywhere, some torn beyond recognition by swords.
"Who? I... I... what am I doing... Ah!!"
Clang!!
His sword fell from his hand. The Sect Master of Lingyin Sect clutched his head, screaming wildly, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging.
"You are killing people!!"
Yao Li's voice gently entered the Sect Master of Lingyin Sect's ears.
"I am killing people, I am killing people, no, no, no, it's you, it's you who are killing people, it's you who are killing people!!"
"It's not me, it's not me."
The Sect Master of Lingyin Sect roared as if driven mad, pounding his own head with his fists. Blood flowed, his face was a mess.
"No, it's you who are killing people, they were all killed by you!!"
Yao Li's voice rang out again.
"No, no, no!!"
"Pfft!!"
A mouthful of blood spurted out. The Sect Master of Lingyin Sect's head was a bloody mess from his own assault, and he collapsed limply!!
He kept muttering, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me, it wasn't me!"
Then, a Yao Li, five feet tall, flickered into existence, gazing coldly at the scene. From this day on, there was no more mention of the three overseas sects.
Yao Li slowly walked to the plaza of Lingyin Sect. Mountains of corpses and rivers of blood lay before him. Yao Li lightly drew his finger across the ground, and streaks of sword energy erupted, carving several large characters onto the bluestone of the plaza.
"Those who offend my powerful Han will be punished, no matter how far they are!!"
Arrogant, majestic, iron-blooded, powerful!!
With a single sword strike, the entire Lingyin Sect plaza was split in two, and large swathes of buildings instantly collapsed.
...
...
The capital of the Liao Kingdom.
The capital of the Liao Kingdom had lost its former prosperity. There were no people on the streets, shop gates were locked tight, and every household remained shut. Smoke rose from the four corners of the royal city, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.
Liao soldiers stood on the city walls, trembling with fear, their bodies shaking, unable to even hold their spears steady.
The Han army had besieged the city for a week, but had not attacked. Zhang Jiao, Changsun Wuji, Du Ruhui, and Zhang Han, who had conquered the north of Liao and returned, stood outside the city gates, chatting and laughing, not mentioning a siege at all.
Every day, they would let the army issue threats, playing a game of psychological warfare.
Meanwhile, within the Liao royal palace, officials were divided into two factions, arguing heatedly and red-faced.
One faction believed that Liao's fate was sealed and that they should open the city gates and surrender to submit to the Han, thereby saving their lives.
The other faction argued that Liao had a history of fierce battles and should defend their national prestige, fighting to the death and dying for a noble cause.
The King of Liao, his face pale and devoid of his usual spirit, was filled with regret. "Grand Tutor, tell me, if I had heeded King Jin's advice and ceded cities to stop the war, would I be in this situation today? Would Liao have come to this?!"
"Your Majesty, you are not at fault. Even if there were fault, it cannot be admitted. The Han have risen too quickly; it's not as simple as ceding a few cities to achieve lasting peace. That would only be prolonging the agony!!"
Grand Tutor Yelü Baoji was filled with regret. He shouldn't have incited the King of Liao to war with the Han. Otherwise, how could he have ended up like this!
"Hmph, I refuse to believe that the Han are not afraid of the Lingyin Sect! My master is at the seventh level of Guiyuan realm, and few in the various sects can match him. I refuse to believe that the King of Han can truly suppress the Lingyin Sect!!"
Thump, thump, thump~~
A soldier, holding a wooden box, ran over quickly. "Your Majesty, Zhang Jiao outside the city has a gift for Your Majesty!!"
"And he... he..."
"Speak!"
Grand Tutor Yelü Baoji roared. The army was besieging the city, yet they did not attack, instead surrounding it daily. This had caused the morale of the soldiers in the capital to plummet, their might diminished.
"He said that after Your Majesty sees the gift he sent, he will surely come out of the city to welcome him!!"
The soldier finished speaking and quickly pressed his head to the ground.
"Presumptuous! Zhang Jiao is merely a minor officer under the King of Han, and he dares to look down upon Your Majesty, even demanding that Your Majesty come out to meet him! How can this be tolerated?!"
"Your Majesty, give the order! Let us go out and face him in battle!!"
A group of officials eagerly requested the king's command, their faces full of fierce intent.
"Good, good, good! With all of you, my life is complete, and Liao is complete!!"
King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao laughed hurriedly. To have such loyal subjects willing to die by his side was truly worth it!!
Grand Tutor Yelü Baoji placed the wooden box before the King of Liao and gently opened it!
Clang!!
Grand Tutor Yelü Baoji's face was filled with terror, his complexion turned ashen, and he slumped to the ground, staring incredulously at the wooden box.
"Grand Tutor, what is wrong?"
King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao asked, his voice laced with concern. Seeing the panicked and horrified Grand Tutor, he suddenly had a bad premonition. Could it be?
He hastily looked into the wooden box before him. His pupils contracted sharply, his body trembled, and his right hand, shaking, pointed at the box. "This... this... this, it's impossible, impossible! My master cannot be!!"
King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao's eyes were vacant as he gazed at the sky outside the hall. "My master is at the seventh level of Guiyuan, Xianyun Zi of the Xianyu Sect. Who in this world could have killed my master? Impossible, impossible!!"
Clang~~
King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao's buttocks lost their support, and he rolled off the throne, landing sprawled on the floor, his eyes blankly staring at the hall.
The officials dared not make a sound, nor did they dare to help the King of Liao, fearing for their own lives. After a long time, King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao slowly stood up, surveyed the hall, and slowly straightened his robes.
"Everyone, follow me to the ancestral temple!!"
As the words fell, the King of Liao's body instantly relaxed, a faint, bitter smile on his face, and he walked towards the ancestral temple with vacant eyes.
The officials lined up on both sides, following closely. They could tell from the King's demeanor that he no longer had any will to fight, and Liao was likely doomed.
In front of the ancestral temple, the officials were dressed neatly, their faces serious, with a hint of tragic solemnity, lined up on both sides.
"Gentlemen, the ancestors of Liao honed their arms and fought on the battlefield, creating this vast territory. Successive kings governed with diligence and meticulousness, developing Liao step by step into a powerful northern nation. Which of the other kingdoms did not show us utmost respect!!"
"But today, the Han have risen powerfully. I failed to assess the situation, and it is my fault that I have led Liao into an irreversible abyss. Of this vast territory, only a single, isolated city remains. For this, my master has also met a tragic end. Today, I abdicate my royal authority, present the national treasures, and surrender to the Han!!"
King Yelü Zongzhen of Liao spoke softly, looking weakly at the spiritual tablets of the past Liao kings.
"Your Majesty!!"
"Your Majesty!!"