Chapter 911: The Whole Situation

Upon learning that the front line defenses of Yipin Hall had been shattered by the forces of the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate, that they had lost control of over a dozen cities in a short time, and that tens of thousands of people had died, the entire area north of the Yangtze River was thrown into turmoil! Almost all northern factions and players chose to return to the cities to observe this major upheaval among the Central Plains forces.

The series of actions carried out by the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate in the northern regions earlier were merely minor incursions, but this time, they clearly showed their ambition to completely conquer Yipin Hall and even the entire northern region.

It was a reshuffle of the largest forces in the north. Some gangs involved inevitably received notices from Yipin Hall.

Reinforcements! All gangs and allied forces that cooperated with Yipin Hall received urgent messages from them. The messages demanded that they immediately send troops to resist the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate together.

…

In a city near Xuan Cheng, the leaders of several major gangs gathered:

“That Yipin Hall gives us a pitiful share of resources when dividing them, and whenever there’s dangerous work, they expect us to risk our lives for them.”

“They talk about joining forces to fight the enemy, but Yipin Hall’s own territory is in chaos. How can they focus on the front lines? Obviously, they want us to serve as cannon fodder to hold back the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate and buy them time.”

“What do you all think?” one of them asked.

The others had mixed expressions—some sneered, some seemed indifferent, while others remained completely unexpressive:

“I can’t fight this war. I’ve just had a few days of peace. Fighting the Mu Family? Yipin Hall is powerful enough to survive; I’d lose all my men.”

“Exactly.”

“Mu Chong, the head courier, you two were brought up by Yipin Hall, so you’re different from us. Now is the time to show your loyalty.” someone said.

At those words, the two gang leaders hung their heads, helpless, and shrugged:

“We’re willing, but our men won’t agree.”

“That’s right. I only have a few strong men under me. The Mu Family sent their best fighters this time. Compared to them, we’re nothing—three of us might not even be able to beat one of theirs.”

“I’m not crazy enough to fight the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate!”

“Xian Kai is still on Songshan. If he sees my men appearing in front of the Mu Family’s forces, our headquarters might be destroyed soon.”

In the end…

Throughout the north, aside from a dozen gangs under Yipin Hall’s direct control that chose to fight, the rest acted half-heartedly or even simply logged off to avoid the conflict.

And those who agreed to help were also within the vicinity of the capital, unable to rush to the front line immediately. In less than half a day, the troops of Yipin Hall in the north were routed over a hundred miles, and more than thirty cities quickly fell into the hands of the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate.
……
“A bunch of ungrateful wretches!”
By the time Meng Yun returned to the capital, at least a hundred thousand troops at the front line were already trapped in the areas captured by the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate. What angered her even more was the news from the south: more and more troops from the Mu Family, the Xiyi Gate, and allied gangs were entering the occupied areas to seize resource points and city gates, helping the Mu Family block access for Yipin Hall members. At the same time, Meng Yun finally felt a sense of powerlessness and deep despair as if everyone was pushing down a collapsing wall……
She had thought that Happy’s goal this time was to break through. She had thought he wanted to use the Dragon Slaying Sword to regain his influence and intimidate Yipin Hall once again. But what she could never accept was that Happy had directly mobilized a large force to advance northward, with overwhelming momentum—situations completely beyond her control. The situation was spiraling out of control! The hundred thousand troops at the front line were quickly annihilated and monitored, unable to be sent back into battle; meanwhile, tens of thousands of troops in the hinterlands were still searching for the hideouts of the Mu Family, Xiyi Gate, and other gangs. If they were all sent to fight now, those hidden threats would surely strike from behind with a fatal blow, and they might even advance straight toward the capital under Happy’s leadership!
“Happy……”
Meng Yun gritted her teeth, anxious and restless in the main hall of the capital.
“Hall Master!”
“What is it?”
Meng Yun’s voice became noticeably colder.
Xie Lang, who entered, hesitated slightly: “News came from the Seer—they’ve found them. One is Xiao Bei, another is Hong Chen, and the third is Lin Xiao. Their locations are respectively……”
After reporting the three locations, not a trace of joy appeared on Meng Yun’s face. Instead, she took a deep breath and sighed bitterly, “This Happy is far more cunning than I imagined!”
She had heard of the three locations Xie Lang mentioned. They were rarely visited by people but were notoriously difficult to attack. Unless the Three Flower Languages were there, it would be impossible to capture them in a short time. Acting rashly would only lead to heavy casualties, just like before.
“What should we do now? Even if we find them, if we don’t act, the situation at the front line will get worse……”
“Leave a group of brothers to hold them off, and the rest……”

Meng Yun originally wanted to say that everyone else had returned and were ready to gather and head to the front lines. But as the words were on her lips, she hesitated again, suddenly realizing that the forces of the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate were divided into dozens of groups, not just these few. Many more were still outside sight. Unless everyone was under surveillance and counterbalanced with double the troops, these tens of thousands of soldiers couldn’t leave—once they did, the hinterland would lose its power to deter them. It was at this moment that Meng Yun truly understood the true strength of Kaixin’s strategy: breaking them into smaller groups and then being able to reassemble them at any time. After achieving significant victories, it had also tied down most of the Yipin Hall’s forces, leaving Meng Yun with very few usable people. In the vast northern region, with so many branches scattered, not many troops could be deployed to deal with the numerous battlefields. What worried Meng Yun even more was that since Kaixin left Songshan, he had been heading straight for the capital, his intentions obvious. Meng Yun felt as if her hands and feet were tied, and she couldn’t breathe! From launching surprise attacks and splitting forces to waiting in silence; to appearing in person, establishing dominance on Songshan, and pressing toward the capital; and now, leading a large army northward… The Yipin Hall couldn’t focus on both ends while also being trapped in this situation. Meng Yun was filled with hatred! It wasn’t until this moment that she realized Kaixin’s true intentions. Without accident, within a single day, at least fifty cities would be lost! Once night fell… the actions of the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate would become even more rampant! The forces hidden deep in the hinterland would have better opportunities to act, and the entire north would once again become a battlefield. At this point, Meng Yun had to face a severe problem—annihilation! Under the combined strength of the Mu Family and the Xiyi Gate, the Yipin Hall was likely to be devoured bit by bit. Fewer and fewer troops, shrinking territory! “Hall Master.” Just as Meng Yun was lost in deep remorse and contemplation, Xueyi suddenly rushed in from outside. Her usual gentle demeanor was gone, replaced by anxiety and profound unease: “Kaixin has entered the capital!!” “So fast!” Meng Yun immediately stood up. “According to the prophet’s intelligence, Kaixin has replicated and simulated the ‘Unity of Troops’ technique used by the Twin Dragons of Yangzhou, allowing him to move much faster than us.” Xie Lang stopped speaking and stared at Meng Yun and Xueyi, waiting for them to make a decision—fight or retreat!

Although it seems incredible that Yipin Tang has reached this point, it is indeed the case. After repeated setbacks, coupled with Happy’s seemingly long-planned large-scale operation, the once-mighty Yipin Tang is now like a withered tree in the storm, on the verge of collapse at any moment.
…
After several seconds of silence, Meng Yun suddenly stared at Xueyi with blood-red eyes:
“What exactly happened this time?”
“The person you placed beside Happy didn’t even get the slightest hint about such a major operation?”
“I don’t know either. She hasn’t answered her phone all day, hasn’t played games. When calls were made to her dorm, her classmates said she took sick leave. I think she’s mostly turned against me by now.”
Xueyi said through gritted teeth.
“Hmph!”
Meng Yun’s expression turned cold:
“It’s no wonder. The Mu family is at its peak now, and she’s in charge of an area. Their ability to win over people is truly remarkable. The efforts we’ve made are already inadequate.”
“Don’t worry. Once this is over, I’ll make her understand the consequences of betraying me…”
A cold glint appeared in Xueyi’s eyes:
“Everything she has will soon disappear.”
“…”
Meng Yun knew what Xueyi intended to do and didn’t ask further. Impatiently, she said, “The most important thing now is to find a way to calm this disaster. Do you have any ideas?”
“At this point, the possibility of making peace with Happy is zero. Besides, we offended the Xiyi Gate too severely back then. Even if the Mu family agrees, the Xiyi Gate and those from the Xifeng Tower, who have long coveted this territory, will surely try to continue their efforts.”
Xueyi said gravely, “There are only two options now. Either retreat to the Western Regions, completely give up the north, and develop there. After all, there are deserts as barriers, along with desert wolves and storms. Happy can’t possibly send a large force to confront us there. Moreover, people from Persia have already gone there.”
“The other option…”
“Use a diversion tactic—transfer the remaining people to the south and land along the coast… The Mu family and the Xiyi Gate have sent many troops this time, so their rear will surely be weak. We can try to reduce their strength there. Although the chances of success are low, with the Life and Death Fist in Vietnam backing us, it might still throw Happy into chaos.”
“It’s not just low— it’s completely impossible.”
Meng Yun smiled bitterly: “The reason the Xifeng Tower and the Wind and Rain Alliance haven’t joined in is surely because Happy has already made arrangements to defend the rear for those two gangs. And as you saw during the Baokang incident, the gangs in the south are very loyal to the Mu family. They probably won’t stand by idly. No matter how powerful the Life and Death Fist is, there’s only one person…”

“Then we have no choice but to abandon the capital and fight in the Western Regions.”
“……”
After hearing the analysis and conversation between Xueyi and Mengyun, Xie Lang realized that Yipin Tang had truly lost this time.
Mengyun was already tempted and considering moving elsewhere.
Retreating to that desolate place thousands of miles away!