Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 358 - 321 Chaos in Qingyang, Attack from Both Inside and Outside

Chapter 358: Chapter 321 Chaos in Qingyang, Attack from Both Inside and Outside

"Third Miss, this cannot go on, once that cavalry unit outside the city starts attacking the countryside... If no one stops them, it’ll even be a problem for the people inside the city to go out and work the fields.

Once the irrigation for the farmland, as well as the temporary shelters, are destroyed, it will inevitably cause mass panic among the people and lead to a collapse and flight."

Tang Lin’er, with a face full of grief and indignation, had come to the County Yamen to seek an audience.

He wanted to lead the troops out to engage the enemy in battle.

But he did not see Zhou Ping’an.

As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, he was again rejected by Lin Huaiyu.

"Keep calm, first summon the people from outside the city into the city to temporarily avoid the sharp edge of the enemy."

Lin Huaiyu sighed, her expression unchanged, "Currently, only the west and north sides are under attack. According to the scouts’ reports, that unit of cavalry isn’t too numerous, just a mere three hundred-odd men.

Order that stockades be established everywhere for self-protection, to hold on as long as possible."

"This is infuriating me."

Luo Hao, who had recently been promoted to Infantry Commander, was anxious like a three-hundred-pound child, pacing in circles in the hall.

He clutched a huge seasoned copper rod in his hand, creaking as he squeezed it tight.

To face the enemy’s provocation without daring to strike back was indeed a little stifling.

"And those child-abducting thieves in the city, we’re not going to catch them and bring them back? Watching them flee the city with my own eyes, just give me fifty men, no, fifty men, and I could capture and kill those thieves..."

This morning, Luo Hao had just bought breakfast and enjoyed a hearty meal with his elderly mother, preparing to hurry to the military camp to train his soldiers when he stepped out of his house and heard a heart-wrenching cry from the neighbouring Zhang Family.

"My son, my poor Bao’er, there’s a thief stealing a child!"

Madam Wang Zhang’s shrill voice clenched the hearts of all who heard it.

Thinking about some recent events that had happened in the city.

Luo Hao reacted swiftly.

Instead of inquiring about the details straight away, he whistled loudly, calling his followers, and rushed to the nearest North City Gate.

Then, he saw a group of people clutching children and breaking through a dozen city guards, rushing out at high speed.

These people were both ruthless and venomous, killing five or six city guards in an instant, and scattering a shower of hidden weapons to hinder Luo Hao’s pursuit.

Luo Hao, though wounded by the hidden weapons, charged forward, shielding his eyes and swinging the copper rod, pounding two thieves into pulp, but ultimately, he still failed to rescue several kidnapped children.

As a result, he had no choice but to return and call for reinforcements.

As for Tang Lin’er.

He had heard the military report from outside the city.

Cavalry harassment took place, with successive attacks on the people outside the West and North Cities.

Striking and then retreating without lingering in battle.

Where the cavalry passed, the hard-working people scattered like rabbits, slaughtered and fleeing in all directions.

Many fled into the city.

Others fled to the mountains.

So much so that there was panic both inside and outside the city, with no one knowing what was happening.

"Fang Buping is still so despicable, no wonder, ever since the Red Lotus Sect began rebelling, his reputation has been appalling. Not only hated by the Official Government and the people, but even the refugees deeply despise this person."

Lin Huaiyu’s expression was as still as still water.

She had a good guess of the enemy’s reasons for their harassment tactic.

It didn’t seem to be a very intense attack and for the hundreds of thousands in Qingyang City, it could not cause any substantial damage.

But the impact on the morale of the people was unmatched.

The enemy’s forces were all elite.

They were striking at the weaknesses of Qingyang City, forcing them to react.

Her two top generals were beginning to lose patience.

One could imagine what the city’s people must be thinking.

"Miss Qing, what do you think should be done about this?"

Before Zhou Ping’an came out of seclusion, Lin Huaiyu had decided to respond to changes with constancy.

Whatever the enemy wanted them to do, that was precisely what must not be done.

The current situation was very clear.

Fang Buping, the Helm Master of the Red Lotus Guangyun Sub-branch, was hiding in the shadows, somewhere unknown, secretly watching.

He was ready to strike at any time with a thunderous assault.

If she were to send out a small group of soldiers to engage the enemy or to have a tough fight with the cavalry, she would be risking the chance of generals being assassinated.

If a large army were to move out, then she wouldn’t worry about the generals being harmed,

But the city might ignite in chaos from within.

The reason for this awkward situation,

Was none other than the lack of high-end combat power.

They were simply not capable of fending off a master with the strength of Martial Intent Second Level like Fang Buping.

To think, as a general commanding an army, he didn’t lead his troops to attack the city, nor did he make any effort to gain momentum with his upright forces. Instead, he sneaked around like an assassin; it’s quite unheard of.

"We wait, we just have to wait for Brother Zhou to come out of seclusion. He said that at the latest it would take a day and a night to complete his seclusion and emerge successfully.

He must have anticipated such a situation before he secluded himself."

Miss Qing also had no solution.

She was more well-informed than Lin Huaiyu and knew more about the masters within the Red Lotus Sect.

She understood that going out of the city to fight in the wild was the worst strategy.

The Qingyang City army was freshly trained, and its combat strength was exceptional precisely because it had a backbone.

Without that backbone, this military force wouldn’t be utterly ineffective,

But compared to the battle-hardened, blood-soaked cavalry of the Red Lotus Army, it might still be somewhat inferior.

Having seen much, one understands.

Miss Qing had long been curious as to why the soldiers directly commanded by Zhou Ping’an would rise in strength by one or two levels.

Even someone as skilled as herself, once joining the army, felt immediately much stronger.

Not only was her True Qi more abundant, her Qi-Blood more vigorous, even her neural reactions were much faster...

This situation warrants no further contemplation.

Every time she thought of Zhou Ping’an leading the troops, the whole army was Blessed and invincible.

Her whole body would shake with excitement.

But now she felt none of that urge to grow stronger in her body.

So, it was certain that Zhou Ping’an was not in the city.

It was very likely that he was far from her, so far that he could not take care of all his troops.

"Given Fang Buping’s past history, if we stay inactive, he will definitely press on step by step.

Not only will he stir up bloody slaughter outside the city, but he may also cause trouble inside, forcibly creating an atmosphere of panic," said the Green Lady, full of concern.

"Are you talking about the Blood Shadow Sect?"

As for what could break the hearts of the city’s citizens, undoubtedly, it would be the Blood Fiend and Blood Demon’s bloodsucking, "This isn’t good. Having shown weakness before, the enemy will surely become more aggressive. Tang Lin’er, Luo Hao, dispatch a large army to lay an ambush at the Guangji Institute; we cannot afford to lose this place."

With this thought, Lin Huaiyu immediately gave the order.

What was the Guangji Institute? Actually, it was where Tang Lin’er and the Blood Shadow Cultists had scuffled several times, saving those children.

Zhou Ping’an, upon returning from Floating Cloud Mountain, saw the hardships of the citizens inside and outside the city, the difficulty in raising children.

He also could not stand the sight of those toiling hard, letting their few-years-old children work in the fields to the point...

Where they were so exhausted and malnourished that their growth was stunted.

Therefore, he immediately issued an order.

An institute named Guangji was established in the city, where children from the age of one to twelve could come...

Not only did it provide free meals, but there were also dedicated teachers to impart simple knowledge in literature and arithmetic.

After the policy was implemented, within just three days, it had gathered four hundred children.

Of course, there were still some families waiting and watching.

Fearing deceit.

However, as the daily lives of these children were exposed... and every seven days, they could be taken home for a day by their parents for a family reunion,

there was a dramatic change in the situation.

Seeing their children well-nourished and learning a lot, word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred.

Almost every citizen in the city knew

That the Guangji Institute was a very good place.

They would even want to pay to have their children sent there.

Let alone the fact that General Zhou didn’t charge any money but actually provided food and grain...

There was nothing to hesitate about.

So, on the eighth day, the city’s citizens sent many more children to the Institute.

Until Zhou Ping’an began his closed-door cultivation, this nursery and elementary school of Another World had already housed more than nine hundred and thirty children, with five hundred of them under the age of six.

As a result, Lin Huaiyu even specially allocated a large commercial building connected to five stores to settle these children.

Having been reminded just now,

She thought that Fang Buping’s actions would only become crazier.

And it seemed that he was also collaborating with the Blood Shadow Sect to plot something.

So, what could deliver a fatal blow to Qingyang City and stir everyone to action?

Naturally, it would be to create a major incident.

The best way would be to target these children.

If disaster struck this place, it would be unthinkable.

The promising situation in Qingyang City might be ruined in an instant.

...

Let’s not mention the battle of wits within the city between Lin Huaiyu and the secretly lurking Fang Buping.

When Zhou Ping’an appeared from beneath the tree shadows on the city wall,

It was at the time when the setting sun shone obliquely, and the evening breeze was gentle.

As soon as he appeared, his figure flinched, and his face underwent a subtle change, turning into a young man with sunken cheeks, a pale complexion, and slightly shorter stature.

He looked like a scholar who had spent years clutching a scripture, coughing up blood in strenuous study.

The originally neat and spruce robe now hung loose and inelegant on his changed body due to the Bone Shrinking Skill.

Not only that, his hair also became slightly yellow and disheveled.

It appeared he usually went hungry, hardly receiving enough nutrition.

He had gone to such lengths because he already felt that something was off in the city’s atmosphere.

Usually at this time,

The four gates would be wide open, with countless civil laborers singing various tunes, returning to the city in high spirits.

Life, once directed towards a goal, even if hard and tiring, felt sweet.

Zhou Ping’an sometimes secretly went to watch by the city wall, observing the thin smiles on the faces of emaciated refugees.

He would think that some of his actions, though not intentional acts of kindness, indirectly helped many people.

Being satisfied with just one full meal.

But what about now?

Countless low cries of mourning reached his ears.

Along with whispered words, laden with thick negative sentiment, impossible to ignore even if he wished.

"General Zhou is such a good person, could something have happened to him?

If it were the usual times, with such a big incident happening inside and outside the city, he would have already led troops to kill the bandits, but now, there’s no movement at all."

"Yes, the Blood Demon has come again.

I heard that a child from the Zhang Family was found outside the city, drained of blood and reduced to a human skin and bones.

Why has Heaven turned a blind eye? Why doesn’t it take away such demons?"