"The river is rising, and there isn't a single boat on the surface; crossing is temporarily impossible..." Ying Xiaoxiao replied respectfully...

"Then we'll make camp right here..." Ye Jingyu said without a second thought...

"But General, aren't we going to cross?" Ying Xiaoxiao suddenly interjected...

"Cross, cross my foot! Look at that massive water—how can we cross? Are you suggesting the soldiers swim over? Chen Qi, assign men to fell trees and construct a pontoon bridge; you have until tomorrow," Ye Jingyu retorted, rolling his eyes completely...

"Yes..." Chen Qi accepted the order and left. Ye Jingyu, however, concerned himself no further. The maneuvering and deployment were all managed by Chen Qi; he saw no need to micromanage everything...

Ultimately, he was simply a lazy man, a man who loved comfort and ease...

Ignoring how the troops were setting up camp, how many people Chen Qi found to build the bridge, or what the soldiers would eat that night, Ye Jingyu made his way directly to the banks of the Wei River...

Gazing at the surging water and the land of the Tianyuan Empire on the opposite bank, Ye Jingyu's heart slowly calmed...

Currently, only Bing Ming, Hu Yanmeng, Ying Xiaoxiao, and Chen Qi were by his side. Chi Yixiu and Hu Yanqi would take several more days to return. As for the battle reports trickling back from the front lines, King Yan, Xuanyuan Yan, had already returned to Blazing Flame City in Yan Province. He commanded as many as one hundred thousand personal guards, not to mention the entire garrison of Yan Province. Fortunately, these garrisons were currently preoccupied with suppressing the rebels; even a portion of his personal guards had been diverted to quell the insurrections elsewhere, leaving only fifty thousand personal guards and fifty thousand city defense troops in Blazing Flame City...

This intelligence originated from the Hundred Flowers Sect; its accuracy was beyond doubt. Luo Ruofeng, Luo Haitian, and Luo Muyan each held a copy. According to Luo Xiaofeng’s plan, once the three armies crossed the river, they were to strike directly toward Blazing Flame City, disregarding anything along the way...

This was, in fact, a trial for Luo Xiaofeng’s three sons. Whichever army reached Blazing Flame City first would undoubtedly leave the best impression in his mind. If they managed to capture Blazing Flame City, they would very likely become the top candidate for the next ruler...

Luo Muyan’s army had already crossed the river and might be nearing Blazing Flame City. Luo Haitian’s army had also successfully crossed the river a day prior, entering the territory of the Tianyuan Empire. Only their contingent was still en route...

Ye Jingyu felt no anxiety whatsoever. Although the Tianyuan Empire’s various garrisons were busy fighting uprisings, if they learned that two armies from Shu Yun had entered their territory, it would be absolutely impossible for them not to dispatch forces to intercept...

He still remembered the history he had studied: Liu Bang and Xiang Yu vying for Xianyang. The Chu army advanced steadily but was constantly harassed by the Qin army, while Liu Bang managed to slip around their rear and enter Xianyang City first...

Now, Luo Haitian and Luo Muyan were eager to claim merit; let them play the role of the heroes...

Luo Ruofeng, knowing his two elder brothers were already inside the Tianyuan Empire, was naturally a bit impatient. However, after Zhuge Yishi pointed this out, Luo Ruofeng said no more...

The ambush battle half a month ago had also caused Qin Yan to completely pledge allegiance to the Eldest Young Master, Luo Haitian. At the very least, Ye Jingyu knew that Qin Yunxiao was currently within Luo Haitian’s main force...

With Qin Yan's protection in the camp, it was hardly surprising that he had several Grandmasters assigned to his entourage. Such formidable power was indeed terrifying...

However, these were not the issues that worried Ye Jingyu. Facing an imminent, large-scale war, he believed that neither Luo Haitian nor Qin Yan would dare to cause internal strife at this juncture...

He still had ample time to accumulate strength...

As night gradually fell, Ye Jingyu did not return to the camp; instead, he sat cross-legged on a large rock by the Wei River, cultivating...

Every moment, he sought to improve his cultivation, harboring not a trace of past arrogance...

At this time, the main army led by Luo Ruofeng had also arrived—a force of eighty thousand men was encamped along the Wei River. The two thousand soldiers dispatched by Chen Qi to build the pontoon bridge continued their ceaseless work; they were determined to finish construction before sunset the next evening...

Upon learning of Luo Ruofeng’s main army’s arrival, Ye Jingyu halted his cultivation, seized a warhorse led by Ying Xiaoxiao, and headed toward Luo Ruofeng’s camp. A discussion regarding the impending war was certainly necessary...

Along the way, the soldiers greeted him respectfully. Many of their eyes held a tinge of envy. To attain the rank of Great General before the age of nineteen—how many could achieve such glory?

Just as Ye Jingyu was still several li from Luo Ruofeng’s tent, a miserable shriek suddenly erupted from a patch of jungle to the northeast. The soldiers busy felling trees were thrown into momentary chaos...

Ye Jingyu’s heart jolted. He wheeled his horse around and galloped toward the northeast...

When he reached the edge of the jungle, he saw a group of soldiers gathered, holding torches, their faces etched with alarm...

"What is going on?" Ye Jingyu demanded coldly...

"General, there is something strange in the woods; one of our brothers was killed," an officer responsible for the pontoon construction reported cautiously...

The gathered soldiers parted, revealing a corpse within the circle...

At this moment, Nangong Shang, who had been in Luo Ruofeng’s tent, also rushed over upon hearing the news. After greeting Ye Jingyu, he approached the body together with him...

Under the bright light of the torches, the corpse was visible as a desiccated mummy, its appearance utterly terrifying. There were no other wounds on the body, save for two small punctures at the neck—it looked incredibly bizarre...

Upon seeing the full form of the corpse, Nangong Shang’s expression became extremely grim. He stated coldly, "It truly is that thing..."

"What thing?" Ye Jingyu looked up at Nangong Shang and asked with grave concern...

"Whoosh..." Just then, a sound of something slicing through the air suddenly came from within the trees. A glint of hateful light flashed in Nangong Shang’s eyes. Ignoring everything else, his figure shot forward...

Ye Jingyu was startled but said nothing, following close behind Nangong Shang as they plunged into the jungle...