"But if we do this, won't Elder Brother and the others suffer terrible losses?" After a moment of contemplation, Luo Ruofeng spoke, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Young Master, even if we relay this news to the two Eldest Young Masters, do you truly believe they would heed the warning? They would attack regardless. Even if they held back their own forces, the assembled rebel armies would press the attack on Lingyan City without hesitation. Ultimately, that throng of rebels are nothing more than desperate bandits," Ye Jingyu remained silent, but Zhuge Yishi, standing nearby, offered an explanation.

"Ah..." Luo Ruofeng sighed deeply after hearing this, realizing the truth of the matter.

"Young Master, you needn't worry overly much. Neither the Eldest Young Master nor the Second Young Master are fools. They certainly won't throw their core troops into a direct assault. The military strength of Shu Yun Kingdom won't suffer too much damage," Zhuge Yishi explained again, seemingly having noticed Luo Ruofeng's unease.

"I understand, Advisor Zhuge. Let us proceed exactly as Brother Ye suggested," Luo Ruofeng nodded, saying no more. Those who strive for greatness cannot afford to be petty; one cannot account for every single detail.

In the days that followed, the eighty thousand troops led by Luo Ruofeng advanced toward Lingyan City with agonizing slowness. A distance of fifty li could ordinarily be covered in a single day, yet they deliberately dragged the journey out for five days and five nights.

During this time, everything unfolded almost exactly as Ye Jingyu had predicted. Both Luo Muyan, who arrived earlier, and Luo Haitian, who arrived later, launched their respective offensives against Lingyan City. In fact, on the day prior, the two armies had even joined forces for a ferocious assault. However, the garrison defending Lingyan City stood resolute, their spirit and strength astonishing. Not only did they offer no quarter to the two legions, but they managed to cut down over thirty thousand enemy soldiers while suffering losses of less than three thousand themselves.

Such an outcome stunned not only Luo Haitian and Luo Muyan, but even Sima Xuan, the City Lord of Lingyan. He knew his own troops' capabilities intimately; why had they fought with such ferocity these past few days? Every soldier on the battlefield seemed utterly unyielding.

Was the enemy truly so weak? Or had his own soldiers, their morale greatly lifted by the threat of foreign invasion, performed beyond their peak?

Not only were the city defense forces buzzing with excitement, but the six thousand Silver Armored Cavalry also grew restless, their will to fight surging. They yearned to burst out of the city gates and clash with the enemy host. Had it not been for Yu Wuhen forcefully suppressing the officers' elation, the Silver Armor Army might already have charged forth.

This high fighting spirit, however, instilled a sense of unease in Sima Xuan, though precisely where this disquiet originated, he could not pinpoint.

Just as Sima Xuan was contemplating whether to send the Silver Armor Army out, the third host of the Shu Yun Kingdom arrived from the southeast, merging with the other two armies and completely encircling the entirety of Lingyan City.

Luo Ruofeng had barely arrived when he received invitations from both of his elder brothers to discuss plans for breaching the city.

He proceeded to the main command tent of the Eldest Young Master, Luo Haitian, bringing Ye Jingyu along.

"Third Brother, you are finally here. Do you have any idea how disastrous our losses have been these past few days... yet we can do nothing about this Lingyan City," Luo Haitian said as he stood up, embracing Luo Ruofeng warmly, only to immediately pour out his grievances into his brother's ear, his face grim.

Luo Muyan, standing nearby, played his part, adopting a facade of sorrow and heartache.

"Eldest Brother, rest assured. Now that the three of us are gathered beneath Lingyan City, breaking it is only a matter of time," Luo Ruofeng replied, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

"Oh? Does that mean Third Brother has a brilliant strategy?" Luo Haitian managed to force a smile in return.

"Heh heh..."

Immediately, they gathered around the main table in the command tent to discuss the assault on Lingyan City. Luo Haitian and Luo Muyan favored having Luo Ruofeng take the primary attacking role, with their two forces providing support. Luo Ruofeng, however, demurred, citing his position as the youngest brother and unwilling to steal their glory.

Luo Haitian and Luo Muyan then pressed for Luo Ruofeng to launch his attack immediately, but Luo Ruofeng pleaded for time, stating that his army needed rest after the recent march.

Finally, after two days of deliberation, they agreed that all three forces would attack simultaneously in two days’ time, launching their assault on three separate gates of Lingyan City. They further stipulated that whoever first broke through a gate would gain sovereignty over Lingyan City.

As for Ye Jingyu, from the moment he entered the tent, he had not uttered a single word. His gaze remained fixed, burning with killing intent, upon Qin Yunxiao, who stood beside Luo Haitian.

Qin Yunxiao’s face was pale. It seemed the arrow shot by Hu Yanqi had not killed him, but it must have gravely wounded him. Ye Jingyu wondered by what means Qin Yan had managed to restore him to full health in such a short span.

In response to the killing intent emanating from Ye Jingyu's stare, Qin Yunxiao met it with an equally icy gaze. Yet, whether it was Luo Haitian, Luo Muyan, or even Luo Ruofeng, none of them seemed to notice the stark difference in the two men's demeanors. They continued their discussion on joint strategy with the warmth and camaraderie of three truly devoted brothers.

Two days later, the autumn wind sighed mournfully, and the golden sunlight streamed down, picturesque in its setting, yet the entire city of Lingyan was suffused with an atmosphere of grim foreboding.

Both the common folk within the city walls and the defending soldiers felt an oppressive weight settle upon their hearts, as if something heavy were pressing down on their very souls.

Outside the city, the three armies observed Lingyan from a distance, while various contingents of rebels continuously converged on the location. All of this was proceeding exactly as the King of Yan had orchestrated. But when City Lord Sima Xuan ascended the ramparts, he sensed that something was amiss.

The soldiers he surveyed looked utterly exhausted, their expressions haggard, entirely lacking the vigor they displayed just days before. His heart tightened. Had they simply overworked themselves in the previous engagements? But he had ensured they rotated in shifts for rest; how could they still be so weary?

The underlying anxiety grew stronger. Sima Xuan turned his gaze eastward toward the slowly rising crimson sun, seeking to use the golden-red light to wash away the shadow of unease in his heart.

At this very moment, the Second Young Master, Luo Muyan, leading his troops, waited four li outside Lingyan City, tasked with attacking the West Gate. He made no move to commence the assault, choosing instead to wait—waiting for his elder brother and younger brother to initiate the attack first. After all, they had suffered heavily against the Lingyan garrison just days ago. They knew how fierce the city defenders were; whoever struck first would undoubtedly face the most intense counterattack from the city soldiers. Such a move would be a net loss, and it was better left to his brothers to take that risk.