Volume 9, Chapter 622 – She Alone Slaughters Through Four Nations (Part 9)

“You don’t believe me? Then watch carefully how your so-called five hundred thousand-strong army was annihilated!”

Qi Huang had long known the other party was shortsighted, so she brought out the Shadow-Retaining Mirror and sent her Divine Sense to the Beiling Kingdom’s emperor below. Inside the mirror, it was showing the scene of her casually raising her hand, suppressing hundreds of thousands of troops in an instant. Her world-shattering methods were like the descent of doomsday itself. Hundreds of thousands of lives reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye, not a single soul left struggling to breathe.

“Ah!”

The Beiling Kingdom’s emperor stared in utter disbelief, his eyes widening so far that blood vessels burst from the sheer terror.

The other senior ministers and generals were equally petrified, their souls nearly leaving their bodies. One by one, they trembled like dogs thrown into an icy river in the dead of winter. Some even wet themselves on the spot.

“Right now, you’ve already been completely surrounded by me. I’ll give you one chance, immediately prepare a letter of surrender. I’ll dictate, you’ll write. If you refuse…” Qi Huang’s gaze turned sharp, “…then today, I’ll erase this imperial palace from the map.”

She laid down her demand coldly.

“…”

The Beiling Kingdom’s emperor turned deathly pale, lips trembling uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word. Whether he was simply frightened senseless or still unwilling to yield, no one could tell.

“Your Majesty, please surrender!” Die Pei, one of the senior ministers, pleaded anxiously. “His cultivation has already reached the Heavenly Tribulation Realm. We don’t stand a chance against him.”

“What? Heavenly Tribulation Realm?!”

“This Western Radiance Dynasty was just a small remote kingdom, where did they even find a Heavenly Tribulation cultivator?”

“That’s right! Across the entire cultivation world, there are only six known Heavenly Tribulation experts! Even certain ancient immortal clans don’t have anyone at that realm. Where on earth did this monster come from?”

“Wherever he came from, whether or not he’s truly a Heavenly Tribulation expert, his power speaks for itself! With such terrifying means, we Beiling Kingdom have already provoked a god. If we don’t surrender, our nation will be destroyed!”

“Your Majesty, please! Surrender now! As long as there’s life, there’s still hope!”

No matter how proud they had been before, everyone feared death. The civil and military officials alike began urging their emperor to give in.

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“Sigh…”

The Beiling Kingdom’s emperor let out a long, drawn-out sigh before cupping his fists respectfully. “National Preceptor, on behalf of the Beiling Kingdom, I submit to the Western Radiance Dynasty. Please… instruct me on how to draft the letter of surrender.”

“Good. A wise man knows when to yield. Have your attendants prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.”

Qi Huang smiled faintly, satisfied, before taking out the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to contact Lin Ran.

Lin Ran was still drowning in grief over her master’s death, struggling to figure out how to break the news to Poyun Peak. She wasn’t expecting Qi Huang to contact her so soon.

Nervously, she picked up the communication tube and hesitated before asking, somewhat fearfully, “What is it this time? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me you’ve killed another one of my relatives?”

“Your relatives don’t interest me… for now. But the million-strong armies from those four enemy nations? I’ve already wiped them out.”

Qi Huang sounded helpless; this Lin Ran made it sound like she enjoyed wanton slaughter.

“What?!” Lin Ran’s voice shot up an octave. “How long has it even been? You… you killed an entire million-strong enemy force?”

She couldn’t believe it. In her understanding, Qi Huang’s cultivation was at best in the mid to late Divine Realm. How could she possibly massacre a million enemy soldiers in just a few days?

“Stop wasting time. I’ve already broken into the Beiling Kingdom’s imperial palace. Their emperor has surrendered and is about to draft the letter of submission. If you have any demands, state them now.”

Qi Huang’s tone was curt, impatient.

“You… you stormed Beiling imperial palace… alone?” Lin Ran’s mind blanked. Was Qi Huang insane?

Qi Huang didn’t bother arguing. In a flash, she appeared before the Beiling Kingdom’s emperor, shoved the communication tube into his hands, and ordered, “Express your sincerity to our Western Radiance Dynasty’s Empress.”

“Y-Yes! Of course!”

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The emperor nodded frantically, hands trembling as he clutched the tube. “Th-this… honorable Empress of the Western Radiance Dynasty… I… no, allow me to introduce myself. I am Qu Tianying, Emperor of the Beiling Kingdom. I deeply regret initiating this war and causing harm to the people of your empire. I sincerely apologize and hereby offer my unconditional surrender. Please… have mercy, great Empress, and spare us. Whatever demands you have, speak them freely. I already have my brush and paper ready.”

Lin Ran was completely dumbfounded. In her wildest dreams, she’d never imagined one person could crush an entire nation. It was absurd… and yet, it was a blessing.

‘If not for Junior Sister Qi, the Western Radiance Dynasty would’ve been doomed. She’s the greatest hero of our entire empire.’

Lin Ran knew this well. But the problem was, this “hero” was also her father’s killer, her master’s killer, and her brother’s killer. Should she laugh or cry? Her heart was an absolute mess.

“Now do you believe me? Quickly state your conditions; I still need to march on the other three nations!”

Qi Huang urged again.

“You’re… you’re going after the other three countries too?” Lin Ran’s voice trembled, as if she were dreaming. One person waging war against four nations, who would believe such madness?

“Of course. I promised you, and I promised the Western Radiance Dynasty’s refugees that within ten days, all four nations will sign their surrender.”

Qi Huang reaffirmed her vow with unshakable certainty.

Lin Ran was left speechless, her emotions tangled in a storm. Her eyes grew red as tears welled up. Choking slightly, she whispered, “On behalf of the people of the Western Radiance Dynasty… thank you.”

“Save your gratitude until after you finish listing your demands. They’re waiting to go home.”

Qi Huang reminded her flatly.

“…Alright.”

Lin Ran steadied herself and began laying out a series of terms for the Beiling Kingdom’s emperor. Most involved reparations for the war and a formal promise never to invade the Western Radiance Dynasty again.

Qu Tianying exhaled in relief; if that was all, the price of defeat wasn’t as unbearable as he’d feared.

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But Qi Huang wasn’t satisfied. Lin Ran was still far too merciful, this wouldn’t achieve the goal of “killing one to warn a hundred”.

“She’s done talking. I haven’t.”

Having seen the refugees’ suffering over the past few days, Qi Huang had no intention of being lenient. She declared coldly, “The two southernmost states of the Beiling Kingdom will be annexed into our territory. Every civilian there must relocate within one month.”

Thud!

Qu Tianying collapsed to the ground as if struck by lightning.

“What’s this? Too little for your taste? How about three states?” Qi Huang threatened lightly.

“N-no, no, no! Two is fine! I agree! Write it down immediately!”

Qu Tianying understood the simple truth: might makes right. Scrambling up, he ordered the scribe to add Qi Huang’s demand into the surrender document.

“One more thing,” Qi Huang’s voice turned ice-cold. “During the Western Radiance Dynasty’s former emperor’s sixtieth birthday celebration, you sent an envoy from your Ministry of Rites, correct?”

Qu Tianying froze. He hadn’t expected Qi Huang to bring this up and suddenly didn’t know how to answer.

Around them, ministers and generals exchanged confused looks.

“That envoy was quite the character,” Qi Huang’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “In the Western Radiance imperial palace, he flaunted his so-called sophistication while mocking our people, belittling the citizens of Huangtian Prefecture as worthless trash. I’ve always remembered him fondly… Tall, thin, pale-faced, no beard, and… a pair of protruding ears, right?”

Qi Huang smiled faintly, then suddenly turned her gaze toward a short, round-bellied minister with nearly invisible ears. “You there. Tall, thin, a pair of protruding ears… that must be you, yes? You’re the Ministry of Rites envoy, aren’t you?”

“N-no, Immortal Master! Absolutely not! Look at me, my ears are tiny, practically invisible! How could I possibly have a pair of protruding ears? And tall? I can barely see past my own belly, does this look ‘tall and thin’ to you?”

The fat minister stammered desperately, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. Even a fool could hear Qi Huang’s murderous intent.

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Everyone nearby was dumbfounded. ‘You call that a denial? That’s blatant nonsense…’

“No matter,” Qi Huang’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll just kill you all, one by one. Eventually, I’ll get the right man, won’t I?”

With a flicker of intent, the Cicada Wing Sword appeared in her hand.

The short, round minister stared at the corpses littering the floor, his mind breaking instantly. With a scream, he collapsed to his knees and begged, “National Preceptor, have mercy! I’m not the envoy! I swear I’m not! He—he’s the Ministry of Rites envoy, Hou Qing! He’s the one you want!”

Sobbing, he pointed to a tall, pale-faced, beardless man with unmistakably large, protruding ears.

The real envoy, Hou Qing, immediately lowered his head, pretending he didn’t exist.

“Is he telling the truth?”

Qi Huang approached deliberately, raising her sword, and asked a nearby bearded general for confirmation.

“N-no, Immortal Master, spare me! He’s right! I’m not the envoy—he is! Hou Qing is the Ministry of Rites envoy!”

The general nearly jumped out of his skin, pointing a trembling finger at Hou Qing, who was trying to shrink into himself.

“Let me see your identity plaque.”

Qi Huang strode forward, snatched the man’s waist token, and examined it casually. Sure enough, the words “Beiling Kingdom Ministry of Rites Envoy, Hou Qing” were carved clearly into the surface.

“You spineless cowards! How dare you betray me?!”

Hou Qing finally snapped, roaring in humiliation and rage.