Chapter 432: Most of Them Have Jumped Out

Henwell flicks his sleeve, releasing the blood he’s been gathering. “Nangong He just got lucky running fast! Give me another five thousand cavalry, and he wouldn’t have stood a chance to escape!”

It’s already night. After a full day of battle, Nangong He suffers nearly thirty thousand casualties, losing about thirty percent of his forces.

On the other side, Nangong Ying’s thirty thousand elite troops suffer just five thousand casualties and capture more than ten thousand enemy soldiers.

Nangong Ying approaches, “Henwell takes the lion’s share of the credit today! Let it be recorded!”

Henwell hands over a symbolic military token. “Your Highness, this humble soldier is honored to have fulfilled his duty, driving back the pretender emperor’s forces. It’s a pity the pretender emperor himself escaped!”

Everyone praises Henwell’s bravery. His fierce performance during the day is undeniable.

Many had reservations about Nangong Ying’s heavy reliance on Henwell, an outsider.

But today, Henwell’s ferocity on the battlefield silences all doubts.

Nangong Ying grabs Henwell’s arm, “Come on, come on! Today the god of war walks among us, he shattered the enemy’s morale and sent them fleeing.”

Earlier that day, Nangong He pulled a low move on Henwell.

Seeing Henwell’s ferocity breaking through his right flank, old grudges and new hate combined, Nangong He wanted nothing more than to tear Henwell apart.

He sent three of his own Fourth Rank Martial Warriors to the front lines, aiming to kill Henwell amidst the chaos.

But Henwell responded with an impressive move, skewering one Fourth Rank Martial Warrior who charged into the formation.

Just when Henwell thought that warrior was lost, another Fourth Rank charged in.

Unsurprisingly, Henwell’s war spear skewers him on the spot, stunning everyone.

This became the spark that ignited the imperial army’s collapse!

To everyone, these Fourth Rank warriors were top-tier figures, yet Henwell dispatched them as easily as chopping chicks.

People began to believe Henwell must be a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior, only a Fifth Rank could so effortlessly kill Fourth Rank opponents.

Seeing this, the last Fourth Rank Martial Warrior panics and flees the battlefield, not even returning to Nangong He’s side but vanishing into the distance.

This means Nangong He lost three Fourth Rank Martial Warriors in a single battle.

In truth, those two Fourth Rank fighters were courting death.

Elsewhere, they might have held their own against Henwell for a while.

If all three had attacked together, they might have stalled Henwell longer.

But they chose to charge at Henwell directly in the thick of battle, where Henwell commands his troops.

With Will Lock pushed to the limit, the spiritual pressure from the army’s fierce aura halves their combat effectiveness.

Caught off guard, they were swiftly killed by Henwell.

It’s also because this isn’t Henwell’s own army or territory. Even with official rank, the effect of his civilized aura is limited here.

If this were Peace Haven, with his own Lord Iron Guards and the First Cavalry Legion,

Henwell wouldn’t just kill a Fourth Rank warrior equivalent to an Iron Knight.

He’d even take down a Fifth Rank Martial Warrior representing the Glory Rank!

After the crushing defeat, Nangong He, furious, executes several officers who showed cowardice in the heat of battle.

Now, the imperial forces retreating north of the Fengyue River suffer from low morale. Nangong He tries to stabilize the troops by handing out gold and silver rewards, and treating the army to feasts of roasted pigs and lamb.

Finally, the soldiers’ spirits begin to steady. Nangong He also starts reflecting on his mistakes, stepping back from direct command and delegating military affairs to trusted generals.

At this time, six major families sense an opportunity and immediately approach the Nangong Family to negotiate terms.

On Nangong Ying’s side, under strong advice from Henwell and others, they show no leniency toward these opportunistic families.

With no choice, the six families turn to Nangong He for support. Fortunately for them, Nangong He, desperate for backing, offers fairly generous terms.

To maximize their returns, these opportunistic families even recruit two more large families to join Nangong He’s camp.

Nangong Ying receives news that eight families have collectively raised an army of two hundred thousand troops, rapidly marching toward the capital.

In reality, these forces set out several days ago but have recently increased their pace.

They are expected to arrive gradually within half a month.

Nangong Ying grows so anxious he starts losing hair, only calming down after Lucy’s reassurance.

Lucy promises him that soon, thirty thousand troops will come to their aid.

Most of these forces are ones Lucy has cultivated, with the remainder coming from the Yuwen Family’s reserves.

After settling those matters, Lucy comes to meet Henwell and the others. “So, what are your plans next? Now’s the time to say it! You made the prince reject the six major families’ offers, which was really unwise. It only strengthened Nangong He.”

Henwell counts on his fingers. “It’s about enough.”

Lucy frowns. “Enough? You mean troops?”

Nathan replies, “Enough families to eliminate! Nangong He has allied with one family, and now eight have jumped ship. Once the rebellion is over, Nangong Ying can wipe out these nine families. After all, they rebelled against the throne, it’s justifiable to confiscate their lands and erase their clans.”

Lucy shakes her head. “That won’t work! These families are deeply rooted. Even if their armies are wiped out, it’s only a flesh wound, not enough to let them be slaughtered at will.”

ZhangChe says, “Their strength lies mainly in the Fifth Rank Martial Warriors hidden deep within their clans. Afterwards, we’ll split into four teams to hunt down these families’ pillars of strength.”

Fang Yuan adds, “Once the backbone of the nine families is removed, their armies won’t pose much threat. Then Nangong Ying can reorganize the court, and you can lead troops to crush these families. With half of the eighteen families eliminated, you and the Yuwen Family can take over half their territories.”

Lucy looks surprised. “I’ll be Empress by then. How can I personally lead troops into battle? That’s against protocol!”

ZhangChe replies, “That’s when you set the rules! Anyone who objects gets branded a rebel supporter and eliminated. Only you leading the army in your husband’s stead makes you a special Empress, it sets a precedent for your future control over the empire.”

Henwell adds, “You see, the real power over the empire is decided on the battlefield. We’ve trained some troops for you, and though it’s done under your name secretly, you should lead them yourself. Soldiers only respect comrades who share life and death with them. This is your rare chance to secure the empire’s foundation. “

”In the coming days, you’ll learn marching and combat tactics with us. When we leave, you’ll carry the momentum of clearing the land for Nangong Ying and become the continent’s most powerful Empress.”

Lucy stays silent for a long moment, then bows deeply to everyone. “Thank you all. I have no way to repay you in this life.”

Henwell waves his hand. “Enough of that! We’re all in the same boat, risking our lives for survival. Helping you is our honor. Like I told you before, you’re the only woman in the chat group who truly connects with us. Many members have fallen along the way, and none of us want your name to one day become a forgotten epitaph.”