The weather was bitterly cold, and by dusk, there were hardly any people on the roads of Pingzhou City, except for the occasional patrol of soldiers.
Even around the mansion of Aliyah, the defender of Pingzhou, the guards on duty were huddled in corners, seeking shelter from the wind.
The Lotus Cult Master and Shen Ziyan made a circuit, and seizing an opportunity, located Aliyah's mansion.
Aliyah was inside his room, drinking wine. On such a cold day, a drink and a good sleep were incredibly comfortable.
The Lotus Cult Master and Shen Ziyan listened for a while from the rooftop. The room was chaotic and crowded, making it difficult to act. The group had to change their target and found a woodshed in the backyard to hide in.
It was truly a woodshed, filled with firewood.
Although there was no fire lit, it was relatively warm, much more comfortable than lying on the rooftop.
The Lotus Cult Master and Shen Ziyan decided to take a nap.
They were drowsy when, past midnight, they heard the sounds outside gradually subside. They figured Aliyah must have drunk his fill and was ready to sleep.
The Lotus Cult Master, feeling restless, said to Shen Ziyan, "You rest here. I'll go and chop off Aliyah's head and bring it back."
With that, the Lotus Cult Master turned and left the woodshed, striding directly towards Aliyah's master bedroom.
The cold wind howled, and the weather was freezing. There wasn't a single guard in the courtyard. The Lotus Cult Master walked openly, yet no one noticed. Aliyah's bedroom ahead still had a light on. The Lotus Cult Master listened intently and heard snoring from inside.
He was asleep!
The Lotus Cult Master rejoiced secretly. She arrived at the door and gently knocked twice. There was no response from inside.
It made sense. This was a border town. There were no women to attend to Aliyah; only his subordinate soldiers served him. Since he was asleep, the soldiers had naturally left.
The Lotus Cult Master pushed the door open, then extinguished the oil lamp. She then stepped forward, her hand swiftly descending, and decapitated Aliyah.
Shen Ziyan waited for the time it took half an incense stick to burn, and then saw the Lotus Cult Master return, carrying Aliyah's head.
"Senior Sister, that was too fast."
The Lotus Cult Master chuckled, "They never expected us to get in. They had no defenses at all."
Then, she looked at the sky outside. "The sky is still early. Why don't we go kill a few more?"
Shen Ziyan smiled and nodded. "Alright, then we'll split up and meet back here before dawn."
That night, Pingzhou was plunged into a living hell. Shen Ziyan and the Lotus Cult Master split up. They entered any respectable-looking residence they saw, injuring and killing over a dozen leaders, big and small.
It wasn't until dawn that they returned to Aliyah's mansion.
"It's almost time. Let's open the city gates to welcome Miss Liu into the city."
The two, with Xiao Hua and Moli, rushed to the South Gate.
The guards at the gate, still groggy, were swiftly cut down by them.
Both were peak martial arts masters, and the enemy was completely unprepared. Who would have expected anyone to stab them in the back on such a freezing morning?
With a creak, the drawbridge was lowered, and the city gate rumbled open. Chu Han and others waiting outside quickly rushed in and secured the gate.
The Lotus Cult Master climbed the city gate tower and lit three piles of fire.
In the distance, Liu Rumei, who had been waiting in anticipation, saw the signal fires on the city walls and waved her hand, charging forward.
Some of the defending soldiers in Pingzhou City discovered the enemy and rushed to report to Aliyah. Upon opening the door, the messenger was stunned. The bed was covered in blood, and Aliyah's head was nowhere to be found.
After searching several other generals, they found them all slain. The leaderless soldiers had no fighting spirit and surrendered within half an hour.
Pingzhou was captured in just one night, marking a victorious first battle. This greatly boosted Liu Rumei's confidence, and she immediately set her sights on the next city of the Great Earth Kingdom.
Liu Rumei employed the same tactic: at night, the Lotus Cult Master and Shen Ziyan would infiltrate and assassinate leaders, followed by an attack on the city in the morning.
In three days, they captured three cities and advanced five hundred li.
They were now only four to five hundred li away from Qingguang City, the capital of the Great Earth Kingdom. Liu Rumei could now spread news of their advance.
Early one morning, Liu Rumei ordered a grand, forward march.
She instructed her men to lengthen the marching formation and fill it with captured carts and horses, making it appear vast and mighty. Branches were tied to the tails of the horses, and on the dry road, the galloping steeds stirred up dust that obscured the sky.
News soon reached Qingguang City.
Jopson, the Emperor of the Great Earth Kingdom, was greatly alarmed upon reading the report.
He slammed the table and shouted, "Idiots! All of them are idiots! They've attacked five hundred li into our territory in three days, and the news only reaches me now."
Someone beside him quickly advised, "Your Majesty, there are three hundred thousand troops from the Great Cang Kingdom less than five hundred li away. It would be best to have the Crown Prince withdraw his troops to reinforce us."
Jopson shook his head. "Immediately send a message to Qiao Na. Tell him to attack Wansui City immediately. We must capture Wansui City before they reach our Qingguang City."
Crown Prince Qiao Na received the carrier pigeon message from his homeland. After reading it, he also felt a bit uneasy.
His homeland had been attacked, and it was no wonder the other side had gone to such lengths, setting up formations and trying to deceive him. So that was the reason.
Now, there was only one path left for him. That was to attack Wansui City as his father had ordered.
With a single command, the forty thousand strong army of the Great Earth Kingdom launched a fierce assault on Wansui City.
Unfortunately, Wansui City's defenders, under Liu Xiangnan's deployment, were much better organized. They launched a coordinated counterattack against the enemy's assault.
The siege battle lasted from morning to noon, and from noon to night. By the end of the day, the Great Earth Kingdom had lost twenty to thirty thousand troops, but Wansui City still stood firm.
Seeing that darkness had fallen, Baza Khan stepped forward and clasped his fists in salute. "Your Highness, it is dark. Let us withdraw our troops and let the soldiers rest."
Crown Prince Qiao Na shook his head. "No. The pressure on our capital is too great. We must take Wansui City within two days, or our homeland will be besieged, and we will be in a passive position."
Baza Khan clasped his fists again. "Your subordinate understands. I will lead the troops myself."
Baza Khan assembled his own men and, holding torches, attacked again.
On the city walls, Liu Xiangnan saw that the enemy had not retreated even after nightfall. He immediately understood that Liu Rumei's efforts must have been exceptionally effective, and the enemy was anxious. The more they were like this, the less he could let their schemes succeed.
He looked down again and saw Baza Khan busily directing the assault. Liu Xiangnan smiled slightly, picked up a bow and arrow, and aimed at Baza Khan, shooting an arrow.
Baza Khan, who was directing the siege, was caught off guard. By the time he realized an arrow was flying towards him, it was too late to dodge. In desperation, he twisted his body hard, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow.
With a thud, the arrow struck his chest.