15: The Peerless Emperor (Part 9)

Snow and wind had raged across the Northern Frontier for three consecutive months.

Battle reports flew back to the Imperial Capital like snowflakes.

"The Martial Prodigy Army set an ambush by the Blackwater River. Using three hundred light cavalry as bait, they annihilated five hundred scouts of the Langxu Kingdom. Commander: Wu Yun."

"The Martial Prodigy Army launched a night raid on the Langxu Kingdom's supply route, burning three days' worth of provisions before retreating unscathed. Commander: Wu Yun."

"The Martial Prodigy Army feigned an attack on Eagle's Beak Cliff while actually flanking the enemy to destroy their command post, slaying Batu, a Wanfuzhang of the Langxu Kingdom. Commander: Wu Yun."

Wu Yun's name rose like a new star on the Empire's military map. His tactics were cunning and ruthless, and his intelligence was so precise it seemed as if he could predict the future.

In contrast, Xiang Tian and the other scions of noble families were only capable of armchair strategizing, having achieved not a single merit.

The comparison made the difference in their abilities clear... Late at night, in the central command tent of the Martial Prodigy Army.

Wu Yun stood alone before a massive sand table. His fingers did not rest on the front lines of the conflict but instead traced slowly over an area known as "Ghost Valley."

Drawing upon memories of his past life, he replicated the tactical habits of the Langxu Kingdom's most skilled ambusher, the "Wolf King," and forged a flawless piece of false intelligence.

A secret unit of the Langxu Kingdom would pass through Ghost Valley, transporting components for a new type of Shamanic sacrificial Magical Artifact.

This item was more mysterious and enticing than siege engines, and far harder to verify.

He picked up a brush and marked the route on a piece of discarded hide map. In a corner, he wrote four words in a cipher only he could understand.

"Merit enough to be enfeoffed as a Marquis."

After finishing, he casually crumpled the hide map and tossed it into an inconspicuous document basket in the corner as if it were trash.

A moment later, a young officer named Zhou Ming entered; he was responsible for clearing away discarded documents.

Zhou Ming was an informant planted by the Fifth Prince at Wu Yun's side—greedy and self-important.

When his gaze swept over the crumpled hide map, he picked it up and smoothed it out as if possessed.

When the words "Merit enough to be enfeoffed as a Marquis" caught his eye, his heart skipped a beat.

A burning greed instantly rushed to his head... Imperial Capital, the Fifth Prince's Manor.

Zhou Ming presented the intelligence with much exaggeration, claiming he had risked his life to steal it from Wu Yun's top-secret files. He repeatedly emphasized that Wu Yun likely intended to keep this immense credit for himself.

Naturally suspicious, the Fifth Prince did not fully believe him.

He dispatched a confidant to a gathering place for all sorts of characters on the northern border, the "Gray Sparrow Market."

The confidant quickly sent back word.

In the market, a drunken Langxu Kingdom merchant was complaining loudly. His trade route had been temporarily blocked due to a "Sacred Relic Transport Team," causing him heavy losses.

The confidant then spent a large sum to buy a fragmented map from an information broker.

When the two maps were compared, the routes matched perfectly.

All evidence pointed to one conclusion: the intelligence was absolutely true!

Upon receiving confirmation, the Fifth Prince was ecstatic.

However, believing he lacked the ability to secure such military merit himself, an idea took root in his mind.

Let Xiang Tian go!

If he succeeded, Xiang Tong would owe him a massive favor.

If he failed and Xiang Tian died, Xiang Tong would surely vent his rage on Wu Yun.

Regardless of success or failure, he could use this to suppress Wu Yun's rising fame. It was a guaranteed win!

...Late at night, the Xiang Manor.

The Fifth Prince laid this "god-given opportunity" before Xiang Tian.

"Brother Xiang Tian, look at this."

As Xiang Tian looked over the intelligence, his breathing grew ragged.

The Fifth Prince leaned in, his voice like a devil's whisper: "Do you remember how Wu Yun humiliated you at the banquet? Do you really want to live in his shadow forever? This is your only chance to prove yourself and wash away all your shame in a single battle!"

A trace of hesitation flashed in Xiang Tian's eyes; his first instinct was to report this to his father.

Seeing this, the Fifth Prince gave a cold laugh and played his trump card.

"If you report it, by the time it goes through the military's bureaucracy, the merit will belong to your father. What would that have to do with you? Do you think Wu Yun will let you take this credit easily? He is now the commander of the Martial Prodigy Army; with one order, he could beat you to it! Only a surprise attack can firmly grasp this merit in your own hands!"

"Wu Yun..."

A roar exploded in Xiang Tian's mind as Wu Yun's contemptuous gaze surfaced once more.

Why!

Why should a piece of trash be able to step on my head!

Fury completely consumed his reason.

Bang!

He slammed his hand onto the table, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a man possessed.

"Do it! Let's do it!"

"I want Wu Yun to see with his own eyes how I achieve unparalleled merit without relying on the military department!"

He didn't just secretly mobilize some of the Martial Prodigy Army; he also used the Xiang family's private soldiers and gathered a group of noble scions who were equally dissatisfied with Wu Yun. Under the pretext of "scouting military intelligence," they quietly left the camp... Ghost Valley.

The group entered the valley in high spirits.

But it was terrifyingly quiet; not even a single bird's cry could be heard.

"Brother Xiang Tian, isn't this place... a bit off?" a slightly more experienced noble scion whispered.

"Shut up! You're as timid as a mouse!"

Xiang Tian barked sharply; he was already impatient to see that immense credit.

When they reached the bottom of the valley and finally saw the shadowy "supply team" ahead, everyone's faces lit up with ecstatic joy.

In that very instant—

Whiz—!

A cloud-piercing arrow shot into the sky.

On the cliffs on both sides, countless torches suddenly flared up, dense and flickering like ghost fires.

Rumble!

The ground began to tremble.

Heavily armored cavalry of the Langxu Kingdom, like two black tides of death, surged from both ends of the valley, instantly sealing off all their paths of retreat.

"An ambush! There's an ambush!"

The ecstatic joy on the faces of Xiang Tian and his group of Geniuses instantly froze, turning into endless terror.

This was not a battle.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

The light of Spells flickered haphazardly a few times before quickly dying out. Screams and the sound of weapons tearing into flesh rose one after another.

Under the protection of his personal guards, Xiang Tian charged left and right, but it was all in vain.

Several cold spears thrust from different directions, violently piercing through his body.

Intense pain washed over him, and his life force drained away rapidly.

There was no resentment or regret in his mind, only a blank void and endless confusion.

"Wh... Why..."

He rasped out his final words, dying without ever understanding how he had lost... The Langxu Kingdom's army began to clear the battlefield, cheering for this easily won victory.

Just then, a new army, like divine soldiers descending from the heavens, launched a charge from the most unexpected rear.

The Martial Prodigy Army!

Facing a tired force with fresh troops, the battle proceeded with overwhelming force.

Wu Yun sat on his horse, watching everything coldly.

He walked to Xiang Tian's corpse, knelt down, and personally closed the eyes that had refused to shut in death.

He stood up and said to his lieutenant:

"Give Young Master Xiang Tian a grand burial."

"Draft a battle report. Say that... Young Master Xiang Tian, in order to cover our main force, acted as bait and ventured deep behind enemy lines, dying heroically for the country!"

...Imperial Capital, the Marshal's Manor.

Marshal Xiang Tong looked at the battle report in his hand. The words "Xiang Tian mobilized the Martial Prodigy Army without permission, fell into an ambush and died; Wu Yun turned the tide and achieved another miracle" stung his eyes.

Pfft—!

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell straight back.

When he woke again, the old man seemed to have aged twenty years in an instant. Only a hatred that wished to devour someone alive remained in his eyes.

He stared fixedly at the battle report, squeezing out two words through his teeth.

"Wu... Yun..."