Chapter 2221 - 2224: The First City Captured!

"This is just to be safe."

Upon hearing Immortal Jiu's words, Qin Tian turned to look at Mr. Shenyue and Immortal Jiu, saying, "I was able to invite both of you out of the mountains, but who knows what kind of people Long Tianwu might be able to invite out of the mountains."

"Should we rashly launch a surprise attack on Panlong City and encounter a real opponent, we'd have no retreat, no way out."

"By advancing step by step now, at least we have the option to attack or defend."

"Moreover, I will immediately contact Qin Yan. When we deploy troops to attack the city, I will have him mobilize a large force and assemble at the East Coast of East State. Once we occupy Longling City, I'll have him deploy reinforcements, allowing us to swiftly use Longling City as our base. By then, the Dragon Clan won't find it easy to drive us away."

This was the strategy Qin Tian had previously devised.

You, Dragon Clan, want to attack my East State and South State and invade the Barbarian Clan?

Fine, I'll retaliate and attack your Panlong Island!

My Qin Country is vast and resourceful, we can afford to drag this out.

You, Dragon Clan, have but a small territory. Once I've occupied the cities, I won't leave. Let's see if you're afraid!

Mr. Shenyue naturally saw through Qin Tian's intentions and said to Immortal Jiu, "Since we're here, let's follow Qin Tian's arrangements."

Immortal Jiu took a sip of wine, muttering to himself, "This Shenyue, trying so hard to recruit Qin Tian into the Xuanyuan Immortal Sect that he's even lost his dignity."

According to Qin Tian's plan, eighty thousand troops rested for a day in the desert forest of the northwest.

At dusk the next day, just as the sky was darkening, the large force began to advance stealthily.

Before reaching Longling City, they needed to attack Beimu Town.

This was their first stop out of the forest and a springboard for attacking Longling City.

Beimu Town is about a hundred kilometers away from Longling City, with a small population.

Qin Tian did not know the troop strength, but based on the population size, it definitely could not exceed twenty thousand.

Moreover, they were launching a surprise attack, catching them off guard in a single strike.

When the sky had fully darkened, Qin Tian ordered Qin Family troops to approach Beimu Town first.

Then, closely following, a large force of twenty thousand.

At nine o'clock in the evening.

A signal flare soared into the sky.

While Beimu Town's guard soldiers were still dumbfounded, outside the city gate towers, cries of battle erupted!

Simultaneously, figures accompanied by True Qi directly launched fierce attacks on the gate towers of Beimu Town!

These highly selected soldiers of Qin Tian were no less capable than Dragon Clan soldiers in combat.

The fighting capability of the Qin Family soldiers far exceeded that of the Dragon Clan soldiers.

As the Qin Family troops charged onto the gate towers of Beimu Town, the large force of twenty thousand was also at the city's doorstep.

Beimu Town was a small town, defended by fewer than fifteen thousand soldiers.

Moreover, being inland, they hadn't experienced a major war in years, so the soldiers were completely unprepared.

When the Qin Country soldiers launched their surprise attack, over sixty percent of Beimu Town's soldiers were sound asleep in the barracks.

By the time they reacted, scrambling to don armor and reinforce the gate towers, Beimu Town's North City Gate and West City Gate had already been seized by the Qin Army.

In less than three hours, Beimu Town was captured.

Except for a few thousand who fled early, the Qin Army annihilated three thousand enemies, captured three thousand, achieving a resounding victory.

Qin Tian, Immortal Jiu, and Mr. Shenyue, of course, watched from the sidelines and did not intervene.

For a time, flames of war arose, shaking the whole Panlong Island!

The City Lord of Longling City panicked, immediately hurriedly set out on horseback to meet Long Tianwu at Panlong City.

"Your Majesty, the Qin Army has launched a surprise attack; Beimu Town has been captured. Their next likely target is Longling City. I know nothing about who is leading the Qin Army or how many there are!"

"I'm anxious. Please, Your Majesty, send reinforcements! Longling City is the key pass to stop the Qin Army from reaching Panlong City. It must not fall!"

The Longling City Lord's heart was in chaos.

At noon when Qin Tian seized Beimu Town, he dashed to report the news by dawn.

But many details were yet unclear to him.

Long Tianwu sat on the dragon throne, eyes deep, saying nothing.

After a while, she said, "I know. Go back and hold Longling City well. I'll first give you twenty thousand reinforcements. After you return, defend without attacking; don't let the Qin Army advance a step beyond Longling City!"

"Also, upon return, report back to me within three days on the force of the Qin Army, their commanding officer, and the details of where they landed."

Seeing Long Tianwu utterly unperturbed, the Longling City Lord finally sighed in relief.

The Empress's calmness implies that everything is under her control, and she has strategies to repel the enemy.

He sighed in relief and withdrew.

Over the years, Long Tianwu's prestige in the Dragon Clan has continually risen.

From being opposed by subordinates when she first ascended to the throne, to later being revered by everyone in the Dragon Clan.

All this is due to Dragon Clan's strength brought about by Long Tianwu's reign.

After Long Tianwu ascended, Dragon Clan rapidly developed. Within two years, the nation's economy and military surpassed even those of Long Tianwu's father's generation.

Furthermore, Dragon Clan's western expeditions have nearly been undefeated, even annexing parts of East State and South State of the Tianyuan Dynasty!

This is a glory the Dragon Clan has never attained through its history!

Hence, the entire Dragon Clan trusts Long Tianwu immensely.

This time, as the Qin Army suddenly landed a surprise attack, the Longling City Lord wanted to see Long Tianwu's reaction.

Long Tianwu's expression didn't change a bit.

However, after the Longling City Lord left, she clenched her fist, gazing towards the distance.

"They didn't fall for it, instead counter-attacking me..."

Long Tianwu muttered, "It seems Master Tianji in Qin Country was played by Qin Tian... Hmm, dare to counterattack Panlong Island, have you forgotten your place!"

Long Tianwu immediately convened a meeting with Dragon Clan's generals, ordering Master Tianji to be withdrawn from East Capital.

While withdrawing, Long Tianwu also sent an edict to the twenty thousand trapped Dragon Clan soldiers in East State.

Fight hard, rather die in battle than surrender!

She still doesn't know how many Qin Country soldiers secretly landed to launch a surprise attack on Panlong Island.

If few, then they're not a concern.

If many, it would certainly cause the number of Qin soldiers besieging the Dragon Clan's twenty thousand soldiers to decrease.

It's a matter of relative gains and losses.

Since it's like this, and since Qin Tian seems unprepared to spare the Dragon Clan's twenty thousand soldiers.

Fine, Long Tianwu decides to turn the tables, letting those twenty thousand Dragon Clan soldiers create chaos for Qin Country.

In this way, even if those twenty thousand perish in battle, Qin Country will pay a considerable price.

One of those prices is Qin Country being occupied dealing with the twenty thousand Dragon Clan soldiers, unable to care for the soldiers who landed on Panlong Island.

By then, Qin Tian wins the war in East State, Long Tianwu wins the war on Panlong Island, both sides win one battle, and Long Tianwu can at least account to the Dragon Clan's officials.