Chapter 437: The Infiltrator

The city suddenly became bustling. Dozens of small families in Water Curtain City formed a temporary army of eight thousand men at that moment—each one a skilled fighter, no less capable than those in the opposing faction. These were all martial artists chosen to protect the city, so one can imagine their strength.

The second and first princes were naturally overjoyed by the arrival of these men. After all, the pro-war faction was in dire straits, on the verge of failure. Their help at this critical moment was like a lifeline; what more could they ask for? To demand more under such circumstances would be ungrateful.

Thus, upon meeting the representatives sent by these families, the two princes welcomed them with smiles. They praised these men repeatedly and offered great rewards, such as compensation after the battle and various benefits, which left everyone deeply tempted.

But would things really turn out that way? No one knew.

…

Morning passed, and it was noon. The sun hung high in the sky, casting dazzling light, and the temperature gradually rose as the earth heated up under its rays. The birdsong faded as the morning wore on, leaving a somewhat dull atmosphere. Occasionally, a cool breeze blew by, refreshing the air and making people feel refreshed and relaxed.

“As planned, everything is ready. We can start!” Merck said to Rod with a smile, looking relaxed. Clearly, he felt no pressure about this battle—he was almost certain of victory. All that remained was to decide how much effort it would take to take control of Water Curtain City and minimize losses.

Hearing this, Rod and the Wolf King exchanged a glance and nodded at each other. “We can begin. My wolf clan will hold back the enemy!” the Wolf King said firmly. They would hold back not because they feared war or death, but because they had more important tasks to carry out. They needed to seal off the outside of the city during the chaos of the attack, ensuring no one could break through their encirclement.

Of course, their main goal in sealing off the city was to deal with that demon soul, that troublesomefellow.

“Attack them!” Taking a deep breath, Rod coldly spat out those words. Though seemingly light, with the help of combat energy, they strangely spread across the entire battlefield, reaching every ear with crystal clarity.
In an instant, the war cries erupted, and everyone charged at the city walls with fierce shouts of battle.
“Hold them back! Don’t retreat—kill them!” Chaos ensued on the city walls. As the battle began, under the overwhelming pressure, the soldiers started to back down.
Below, Rod and the Wolf King, along with their terrifying strength, led the charge like sharp blades at the forefront of the army.
Reaching the base of the walls, they launched themselves upward like eagles in flight, landing swiftly on the walls. Their arrival caused even greater chaos and turmoil. These men were renowned powerhouses from the Source of Darkness, and their mere fame shattered the soldiers’ confidence.
With their terrifying strength, they advanced relentlessly, leaving trails of blood and screams in their wake. In just an instant, the city walls were in complete chaos and fell.
“Bastards! Don’t retreat—kill them! Finish them!” Seeing Rod and the Wolf King mercilessly slaughtering their enemies without any resistance, taking multiple lives with each move, and seeing blood spill with every attack—their large-scale assaults were like slicing through lives as easily as cutting cabbage.
The enemy mages were also unprecedentedly powerful. Lucy, a lady from the Black Phoenix clan and at the Yin Yellow realm, displayed terrifying magical prowess, unleashing fireballs everywhere. The mages on their side were quickly overwhelmed, unable to do anything to stop the enemy’s advance. Gradually, the enemy troops set up ladders and climbed the walls under the cover of magic.
The soldiers began to flee and retreat. The second prince roared in anger. Though he knew this battle would be tough, who could have imagined such a one-sided outcome? In just over ten minutes, defeat became evident—a situation no one could have predicted. The power of these strongmen exceeded their imagination!

Slaying a deserter at his side, the Second Prince shouted loudly, hoping to boost the soldiers’ morale and urge them to fight forward. Yet it had no effect; the number of deserters kept increasing. His tactics and words were completely ignored. At this critical moment of life and death, the instinct to survive outweighed everything else. All they cared about was getting out alive—who would pay attention to the Second Prince or the First Prince?

Some even fought against the two princes. Unfazed, they wondered if Water Curtain City would still belong to them after this battle. It would surely change hands, and the best outcome for those two would be to become prisoners, with no chance of revenge. If they managed to escape, that would be their luck—who would care otherwise?

Under the massacre by Rod, the Wolf Emperor, and others, along with the relentless attacks from the enemy forces below the city walls, they were utterly defeated.

“Surrender! I surrender!” There was no turning back anymore. Finally, some soldiers began to shout, dropping their weapons and kneeling on the ground. Faced with death, they chose to live—after all, even ants strive to survive, let alone humans.

“I surrender too! We’re done fighting! We surrender!” In the face of overwhelming force, surrendering seemed the wisest choice.

……

Surrender cries rose one after another, out of control, spreading like lightning in a chain reaction. The two princes stood in the middle, their faces growing increasingly pale. They could no longer take control. Though they had killed a few, it hadn’t changed the situation. Panic set in as they realized they had no forces left to deploy or control, let alone resist the enemy’s advance.

“Hurry up and go face the enemy! Quick! The conditions I offered earlier still apply—just stop their advance, and everything else can be discussed!” Their own soldiers were useless. The Second Prince and the First Prince were now in complete panic. They pleaded to the forces brought by the smaller families around them, completely losing their earlier haughty demeanor. All they could think about now was stopping this collapse as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, if Water Curtain City fell, they would be the first to suffer! Neither of them would escape unscathed. Under any circumstances, they urgently needed an army willing to fight for them.

“Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Go and fight!” Seeing that these people remained indifferent, the First Prince also urged them anxiously, his face pale. He was desperate, with an unreadable look in his eyes.

Unfortunately, despite earlier vows to help these people, he now took no action at all, watching the two princes with a mocking gaze.
“What’s the matter? Do you also want to rebel? Have you forgotten that Water Curtain City is a stronghold of the pro-war faction? Have you forgotten how you yourselves rose to power?”
Seizing that something was wrong, the second prince shouted loudly. Memories of the words he had ignored before and the faces of those he had scolded flashed through his mind. Could it really be true what he said? He suddenly felt utterly lost.
“Hehe, my apologies, princes. In the past, we benefited greatly from your dominance as the pro-war faction, but you’ve also taken a lot from us. We’re merchants—both sides just use each other. Cooperation exists only when there’s profit. Now that you’ve failed, do you really think you can turn the situation around? I think it’s best to give up. We didn’t come here to help you! Do you really think our families would still side with you at this moment? To be honest, we’ve already chosen to support the Black Phoenix clan. Our family head made it clear before we left—we just need to block your escape routes and, if necessary, assist the Black Phoenix clan in ending the battle as soon as possible!”
With a sinister laugh, the man at the forefront stepped forward and said coldly.
“Come on… block all the exits! No one is allowed to escape!” Then he turned and shouted at the people behind him.
“Roar! Roar! Roar!” Instantly, the crowd behind him responded with deafening roars. They quickly reorganized their formation, their momentum overwhelming, intimidating anyone trying to flee.
All possible escape routes were sealed off at that moment, leaving no way out. The pro-war soldiers fleeing were stunned—they never expected this to happen. With people starting to surrender from behind, these soldiers lost even the desire to fight and chose to surrender outright!
Clank… after clank… the sound of people kneeling filled the air, along with the clattering of weapons falling to the ground—a chaotic scene indeed.
“You… you guys! Great… really great!” The second and first princes were so enraged they couldn’t speak. Their faces turned pale, and their bodies trembled with anger.
“Tie these people up!” The middle-aged man at the forefront ignored them and coldly gave orders to those around him.

“Well, princes, shall I come or will you walk by yourselves?” She then turned around and asked the two princes with a hint of amusement, her meaning clear: either surrender on your own or I’ll have someone tie you up! She said this to spare them some face, but unfortunately such face was unnecessary for them.