Chapter 017: Defeat as Sudden as a Collapsing Mountain

The iron tide formed by the Northern Legion rushed headlong into the armies of the Bauhinia Dynasty. Countless swords, spears, and armor converged into a torrential force that sent people and horses tumbling wherever it struck.
At this moment, the true strength of the First Legion of the Gavin Empire became unmistakable.
Most of the Bauhinia Dynasty’s cavalry were engaged in combat with the Temple Knights and the Black Armored Troops; how could they spare troops to confront the Northern Legion? Even if some of the cavalry who had switched to infantry managed to react, they were utterly useless against such a overwhelming force.
Oscar, guarded by several loyal servants, had retreated to the rear of the army. Several key figures from the remnants of the Bauhinia Dynasty gathered there, their faces turning pale at the sight.
Duke Belinger’s expression was extremely grim as he stared upward at the platform, his face filled with hatred. Brandon, Gabriel, and the others looked terrified, seemingly unable to believe that Oscar, who they had counted on as their greatest hope, would end up stabbing himself at such a critical moment, his life now in doubt. Even if they cut off all the heads of the Gavin Imperial family, it might not be enough to make amends.
After all, with Oscar injured, morale in the army was in chaos.
Moreover, with the Northern Legion charging in unchecked, this carefully planned restoration effort was likely to fail once again.
Duke Belinger was so enraged that his eyes turned red. He had planned to take advantage of the Bauhinia Dynasty’s momentum to kill Duke Du Fan and Duke Green and avenge Aldas. But now, did he really have no hope left?
Looking at Oscar lying unconscious on the ground, he finally couldn’t hold back and stood up, shouting loudly, “Someone! Bring archers! Shoot at the platform! Ignore everything else—just shoot at that platform! Kill those bastards!”
On the platform, Duke Green, holding his long sword, stared in Richtung of Duke Belinger and laughed loudly. “Belinger! Do you really think those so-called remnants of your dynasty can take my life, Old Green’s? Delusional!”
After all, Duke Belinger was a shrewd and cunning warlord. Hearing Duke Green’s words, he immediately realized the situation, and the enthusiasm in his heart turned into cold sweat.

He grabbed Brandon beside him and, without even glancing at Oscar on the ground, shouted loudly, “Hurry! Take people to the city gates to guard them and secure our retreat! Be careful of the Imperial Guards colluding from within—otherwise, we’ll be trapped with no way out! Thousands of our elite soldiers will just be left to die inside this palace! We must secure our retreat at all costs…”

Before he could finish speaking, the chaotic army around them began to look up at the sky. Duke Belinger also turned his head southward and saw countless spells streaking across the sky, as dazzling as fireworks on a grand festival.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Duke Belinger, a man of great insight, immediately understood what those magical fluctuations meant. Cold sweat streamed down his face as he murmured, “This… this is an internal signal. Could it be that Prince Fisher has prepared such a contingency plan…”

With that thought, Duke Belinger became even calmer. He realized that this military rebellion was doomed to failure. If he didn’t leave now, he might soon lose all chance to do so!

With a flicker in his eyes, he pushed Brandon and the others aside and shouted, “Take the young master and prepare to retreat… We’ve lost this time… As long as we reach the North, we’ll still have a chance… Retreat, hurry up…”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Duke Green’s cold laugh: “Duke Belinger, you’ve betrayed your country. It can’t be settled with just empty words like ‘retreat’! All troops of the Northern Legion, hear my order: whoever captures Duke Belinger will be promoted to commander of the Northern Legion and rewarded with 100,000 gold coins!”

Duke Green’s voice was crystal clear amidst the screams of battle. Clearly, he had used his combat energy, and his voice carried a hint of anger and resentment—this great lord of the empire was truly furious now.

Although the armies of the Purple Blossom Dynasty had already reached the edge of the platform, turning what was already a battlefield of carnage into an even bloodier scene, Duke Green’s tone suggested that it was the remnants of the Purple Blossom Dynasty, not the Gavin Empire, who were trapped.

War truly changes in an instant!

The Bauhinia Dynasty troops pressed against the edge of the platform, but under the resistance of the imperial guards, they couldn’t advance an inch. They had learned their lesson—facing these madmen, they spontaneously formed a united front, thrusting their long swords and spears forward. They didn’t seek glory but only to avoid blame; they wouldn’t take another step until they had torn their enemies to pieces. Some officers among them, under Duke Belinger’s orders, shouted loudly to mobilize the archers to launch a frontal attack on the platform.

At this moment, even an ordinary soldier understood that they were no match for those powerful fighters in the sky, who could retreat at the first sign of trouble. On their side, if they didn’t capture the platform, they might never survive again.

In the rear troops, the Bauhinia Dynasty officers who had been sent to deal with the generals of the Gavin Empire now struggled their way out of the sea of corpses. It took them immense effort to reach the rear, and being able to break through the chaos was already a feat in itself.

These officers all had grim expressions as they reached Oscar’s location. Seeing him severely injured, their faces turned as pale as paper.

At this moment, among the Bauhinia Dynasty forces, Duke Belinger held the highest rank, and he had planned most of this strategy. Most of the officers recognized him, and upon seeing him there, they rushed over. Some pointed at the platform, others at the escape routes, shouting chaotically, their words indistinct.

The sounds of battle inside the imperial city grew louder. What had once been a one-sided advantage for the Bauhinia Dynasty had now turned into a situation of being attacked from both fronts. Yet the shouting grew even louder. The chaotic streams of troops collided everywhere in the city, each collision sending blood flying and heads rolling. All kinds of noises and countless scenes of blood seemed to converge together before expanding infinitely.

By then, almost all the officers had gathered around Duke Belinger. Even the twin girls who had rushed into the crowd returned. Though covered in blood, they rushed to Oscar’s side and protected him amidst the chaos, refusing to back down.

“Your Highness, retreat quickly! If we wait any longer, it will be too late!”

“Your Highness, send troops to charge ahead! Once we wipe out the nobles of the Gavin Empire, their army will surely scatter! This is a rare opportunity! Our Plum Blossom Dynasty has been lurking for a hundred years just for this moment!”
Duke Belinger’s hands and feet were ice-cold. All his plans had seemed foolproof, but now everything had changed because of one variable… Du Fan! Damn Du Fan!
If not for him, he would have already be beheading those scumbags from the Austin family and sitting on the throne, laughing heartily! But what was the point of this situation now?
Defeat came swiftly!
Although he knew that if he could organize an effective counterattack, he might not lose, the chances of success under such circumstances were practically zero.
He thought he had everything under control and would never suffer defeat, but even all his calculations couldn’t overcome a single variable!
What should he do?
Retreat immediately to preserve what little strength remained in the Plum Blossom Dynasty, or send the troops to charge recklessly toward the high platform, willing to die to take others with them!
But if that happened, the last remnants of the Plum Blossom Dynasty’s lineage would be utterly destroyed. What meaning would such a “victory” then have?
Duke Belinger gritted his teeth, unable to speak a word. Oscar was unconscious, and the high-ranking officials of the Plum Blossom Dynasty stared at him. The fate of their dynasty could change because of him, but could such an order really be given so easily?
At that moment, the vanguard of the Northern Legion charged into the rear troops. The first two cavalrymen rushed in like a gust of wind, slashing wildly with their swords. The royal guards were thrown to the ground in chaos, with countless heads flying into the air. The officers on the periphery exchanged glances, then suddenly rushed forward. With a flash of combat energy, the two cavalrymen fell to the ground and were instantly torn to pieces by the guards.
But just two cavalrymen had scattered the elite guards—what more of the vast army behind them?
Duke Belinger let out a long cry and finally made the most correct decision of his life.

He grabbed an officer’s coat casually and shouted, “You take those who are already trapped and resist here! Whatever it takes, hold off the Northern Legion’s troops. The rest of you, follow me and protect the young master as we charge forward! As long as we return to the North, we still have a chance! As long as the young master lives, the Azalea Dynasty will not perish! Will you dare?”