Stellar Transformation-Chapter 90 - 20 Disappearance

Qin Yu returned, and Qin De also had the news relayed to Qin Zheng, who was in ’Wuxue Town.’ The Qin family in Xiyang Town were gathered together, enjoying a warm atmosphere.

At this moment, within the Weiyang Palace of the Imperial Palace in Ba Chu County.

"Issue the command, my Xiang Family’s two hundred thousand Iron Cavalry will move out. Any Qin Family troops found wandering outside the city walls shall be directly crushed, either killed or captured. Do not worry about other considerations," Xiang Yang’s voice emanated from behind the bead curtains.

Mr. Lan expressed his doubts, "Master, are you saying we should deploy our trump card troops to attack the Qin Family’s army?"

"Yes," Xiang Yang said indifferently.

Mr. Lan immediately bowed and said, "Master, the Qin Family currently has their armies surrounding our Ba Chu County from three sides. We’re already short on defensive troops, and now we’re to deploy our most important two hundred thousand Iron Cavalry? This..."

"Lan Xue Mou, how long have you been with me?" Xiang Yang countered.

Lan Xue Mou replied respectfully, "Disciple has followed Master for nearly a hundred years."

"Nearly a hundred years, I originally thought that you were the most intelligent among my few disciples, but now it seems...you have truly disappointed me," Xiang Yang sighed. Hearing the sigh from behind the bead curtains, Lan Xue Mou’s mind turned rapidly.

Suddenly, Lan Xue Mou remembered one thing—Master’s martial strength.

"Could it be that Master has some agreement with that Qin De?" Lan Xue Mou cautiously inquired.

Xiang Yang burst into hearty laughter, "It seems you’re not entirely foolish. Indeed, Qin De and I have reached an agreement. As long as I don’t personally take action against him, his three armies will not attack. We’ll maintain the current balance."

Lan Xue Mou became puzzled, "Balance? Are we just going to keep this stalemate?"

"Of course not!" Xiang Yang’s voice became sharp. "No matter what, the territory of my Xiang Family was conquered by my father and me. For nearly a thousand years, I have watched over this Xiang Family’s land, and no one shall take it from my hands."

Lan Xue Mou asked again, "Then, Master, do you have a plan for the current situation?"

Xiang Yang calmed down and said with a faint smile, "What I need now is just some time, a transitional period. Your fourth junior brother has already been instructed by me to take several dozen talented members of the Royal Family to a secret location."

Lan Xue Mou’s eyebrows furrowed, thinking that his master was already making preparations in case he had to take drastic measures.

"Within a year, I will threaten the lives of the leaders of the various Qin Family’s armies and forces to coerce them to join me. Such tactics are effortless for me. Of course, on the eve of our counterattack, I will boost the morale of my Xiang Family’s troops!" Xiang Yang stated calmly.

Lan Xue Mou nodded silently to himself.

Yes, morale.

The morale of an army is extremely important. In recent times, the Qin Family’s have swept through and seized three counties out of four owned by the Xiang Family with an almost overwhelming momentum. Now, the morale of the Xiang Family’s troops has nearly been depleted, so the priority is to restore it.

"Whether it’s the Mu Family or the Shangguan Family—even if the top brass have defected to the Qin Family—I don’t believe all of their generals, or their deputies, are one hundred percent loyal to the Qin Family. As long as I threaten them with death. Hmph, I trust they will choose to side with my Xiang Family as would be normal," Xiang Yang spoke confidently.

Xiang Yang’s voice turned icy, "At this critical time, I can only use extraordinary measures. The Qin Family’s influence is vast; we must confuse their army’s heart and lower their soldiers’ morale. When my Xiang Family’s great army advances, coupled with the leaders I’ve threatened, why worry about victory over the great army."

Lan Xue Mou now completely understood.

"Now having the Iron Cavalry attack those scattered troops is meant to raise the morale of my Xiang Family. The Qin Family dares not attack, they can only passively defend. Ha ha, Master is indeed brilliant." Lan Xue Mou now also completely understood.

When Xiang Yang had first negotiated with Qin De, it seemed as if he was at a disadvantage, but Xiang Yang was not an ordinary person. Almost in the blink of an eye during their conversation, he had a series of follow-up plans in his mind.

After all, Xiang Yang was in fact the first-generation Emperor of the Chu Dynasty.

Moreover, Xiang Yang had a backup plan. Even if the first wave of attacks failed, the Xiang Family still had descendants who had been placed early in a secret location, together with the Xiang Family’s wealth, the Xiang Family’s secret forces, and with Xiang Yang’s presence, it would not be difficult for the Xiang Family to rise again.

"Alright, Xue Mou, do as I’ve said. For the Xiang Family Iron Cavalry to carry out such trivial matters is like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken," Xiang Yang said with a light smile. The Xiang Family Iron Cavalry, the absolute elite troops of the Xiang Family, each warrior a qualified fighter who had undergone life and death battles.

The Xiang Family Iron Cavalry had a formidable reputation since the time of the Overlord of Western Chu, and over the years, with Xiang Yang’s unwavering support, the training of the Xiang Family Iron Cavalry had not slackened in the slightest.

Within the territory of Thunder Blood County, as the Xiang Family Iron Cavalry attacked far and wide. Practically no army dared to wander from city to city; any stray troops would be destroyed by the Xiang Family Iron Cavalry in one fell swoop. The armies within Thunder Blood County were all hunkering down within their cities.

The morale of the Xiang Family surged for a time, their armies roamed between cities, often challenging outside the city walls, yet the Qin Family’s troops could only hang white flags in frustration. The Xiang Family’s army became increasingly arrogant.

Although the Qin Family’s warriors were furious, military orders were as immovable as mountains, and no one dared to disobey.

However, there was still one force that dared to move from one city to another. That was the Fierce Tiger Army. With fifty thousand troops, the Fierce Tiger Army, although only fifty thousand strong, its warriors were the elite of the Qin Family’s forces.

In terms of quality, the soldiers of the Fierce Tiger Army were a cut above the Xiang Family Iron Cavalry. And the attack power of the Fierce Tigers far surpassed that of warhorses. The soldiers of the Fierce Tiger Army, combined with the Fierce Tigers, formed a formidable alliance. Moreover, just the roar of the fifty thousand Fierce Tigers alone was enough to intimidate the warhorses of the Iron Cavalry.

Fifty thousand Fierce Tiger Army, even two hundred thousand Xiang Family Iron Cavalry would not dare to attack.

But it was only the fifty thousand Fierce Tiger Army that had the courage to do so; the rest of the forces in Thunder Blood County could only cower because of military orders. And it was unclear how much longer such days would continue.

Inside Xiyang Town.

"Big Brother, Second Brother, cheers."

Qin Yu, Qin Feng, and Qin Zheng, three brothers, gathered around the stone table, drinking merrily under the willow trees in the courtyard. Qin Zheng, upon receiving news of Qin Yu’s return, immediately rushed with great excitement from Wuxue Town to Xiyang Town.

The reunion of the three brothers this time led to much sentiment as they recounted their experiences to each other.

Looking back on their childhood in Cloud Mist Villa, the three brothers used to frolic in the hot springs, a scene that seemed as though it was just yesterday. But over a decade had passed, and each of the three brothers had achieved their own successes.

Qin Feng, a commander of an army, the first to breach Thunder Blood County. Now at only twenty-eight years old, he had already reached the Late Innate Stage.

Qin Zheng, the evident next Family Head of the Qin Family, was even poised to become the Emperor of a new Dynasty in the future.

Qin Yu, although the youngest and previously inconspicuous, now drew everyone’s attention. A youngster just 20 years of age had already surpassed an Upper Immortal like Feng Yuzi, and could even contend with Wood.

The three brothers of the Qin Family were indeed extraordinary.

"Just as we were about to unify the entire Chu Dynasty, who would have expected the Xiang Family to produce an old fellow who reached the early-stage of the Nascent Soul, a super expert?" Qin Feng downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and then slammed the cup down, visibly infuriated.

Qin Zheng said with a sigh, "Father said that Xiang Yang is ridiculously powerful. Even if Father and Uncle Feng joined forces, they couldn’t withstand even one move from this Xiang Yang."

Qin Feng looked at Qin Yu and said, "Little Yu, remember, the hope of our Qin Family lies on your shoulders. You must remember, no matter what, we cannot afford to lose. Our Qin Family cannot afford to lose. Once you fail, the Qin Family is finished, so you must endure, endure, endure until you are completely sure before you make your move."

Qin Feng’s gaze at Qin Yu was filled with expectation.

"Little Yu, you must endure," Qin Zheng also looked toward Qin Yu.

"Big Brother, Second Brother," Qin Yu thought of many things at that moment, but faced with his brothers’ expectations, what could he do? He could only nod.

...

Night, in Qin De’s room.

"Your Highness, the Xiang Family is now brazenly attacking our scattered military forces everywhere. Some cities are short of food and even need the Fierce Tiger Army to personally transport supplies, which is really..." Xu Yuan said with a sigh.

Having the absolute trump card, the Fierce Tiger Army, transport food, obviously made Xu Yuan feel helpless.

Looking out the window, Qin De’s brow was deeply furrowed.

"Xu Yuan, the current situation is very unfavorable for us, extremely unfavorable. Although it seems that Xiang Yang is intimidated by our massive army and dares not do much, but... who is Xiang Yang? How was the Chu Dynasty established? How did the Chu Dynasty become the most powerful among the Three Great Dynasties?" Qin De said pensively.

After the death of Chu the Overlord, the Xiang Family became the target of public criticism. Under such circumstances, Xiang Yang was able to lead the Xiang Family to establish the Chu Dynasty, and even made it the strongest among the Three Great Dynasties. The cunning strategies employed by Xiang Yang in the early days were even recorded in books and passed on to later generations.

The wisdom of Xiang Yang should absolutely not be underestimated.

Moreover, which of those old immortals isn’t extremely sly? This thousand-year-old genius of the Xiang Family has ruthless methods that should never be taken lightly.

"We can’t make a move, and we have no idea what methods Xiang Yang is using. Moreover, this Xiang Yang... is just too strong. In the early-stage Nascent Soul, we pose no threat to him." Qin De sighed.

Xu Yuan said, "Little Yu and that Black Hawk, aren’t they both capable of dealing with Golden Core Late Stage experts? Together, they might be able to contend with that Xiang Yang."

Upon hearing Qin Yu’s name, Qin De smiled relievedly and said, "Fortunately, we have Qin Yu. The son I paid the least attention to, the one I cared about the least, has now become the person our Qin Family’s future depends on."

"But... we absolutely cannot let Yu’er act now. You are not a Cultivator, so you can’t imagine the gap between the two levels, the difference in realms; it’s truly hard to bridge." A firm light shone in Qin De’s eyes.

"Why? Your Highness, we can’t keep dragging this on. The longer we procrastinate, the more dangerous it gets. Who knows what kind of tactics that Xiang Yang is preparing." Xu Yuan also had some fear of Xiang Yang, this nearly thousand-year-old elder who not only had formidable means but was also personally powerful, indeed difficult to deal with.

Qin De slowly shook his head and said, "Ten, or twenty years. With Yu’er’s current cultivation speed, just wait another decade or two. By then, if Yu’er is a hundred percent certain to kill Xiang Yang, that’s when we can let Yu’er make his move. Our Qin Family cannot afford to fail!"

"A decade or two? How many things can happen in a decade or two? A span of a decade or two is enough to let Xiang Yang turn the tables," Xu Yuan said anxiously.

"Turn the tables?" Qin De said coldly, "The current situation can’t last long, and I, Qin De, am not so incompetent as to allow Xiang Yang to turn the tables under such circumstances. At the very least, I need to maintain the power of the army. Xiang Yang can only threaten the military commanders personally. Fine, then I will reduce the influence of the military commanders and increase the influence of the Qin Family."

After all, Qin De was also an exceptional figure and was not someone to be kneaded and molded by Xiang Yang at will.

"Prince, once it reaches a certain point, when the Xiang Family stabilizes, Xiang Yang might even assassinate the members of the Qin Family," Xu Yuan expressed his concern.

"Assassinate?" Qin De sneered, "How many can he kill? If I die, I die. As long as Little Yu doesn’t die, he can kill Xiang Yang later. The Xiang Family will not be a concern. Otherwise... even if we gain control of the world, with Xiang Yang’s existence, our Qin Family will not sit securely on the throne."

Xu Yuan sighed, but he had to admit it was the most helpless method.

Inside Qin Yu’s room.

Qin Yu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes, as if a layer of mist shimmered in his eyes.

"Father..." Qin Yu’s Spiritual Sense was completely aware of everything that had just happened, a flash of brightness crossing his eyes, "Father, rest assured. No matter what, I will not let you down. A decade or two is too long, long enough for many events to happen; I can’t bear the pain of losing you and my brothers."

A sly smile suddenly appeared on Qin Yu’s lips: "Master, this time I might need to use that move of yours."

...

These few days, Qin Yu was very happy in Xiyang Town, often gathering with his two brothers. Qin De also spent time with his three sons. For so many years, it had been rare for the father and sons to come together like this.

One morning, just as Qin De got up and walked out of his room, suddenly—

"Father, Father, Little Yu is gone, and here’s the Jade Box he left behind. I can’t open it," Qin Zheng ran over with a Jade Box in hand.

"Gone!" Qin De’s expression changed at once, and he immediately took the Jade Box. He saw at a glance that it was sealed with the most basic Restriction Technique, something any Cultivator could unlock, of course, unless one was not a Cultivator, in which case it would be impossible to open.

Qin De easily opened the Jade Box, which contained a letter and three Ancient Books. The letter was addressed ’Respectfully to Father.’

A sense of foreboding shook Qin De’s heart. He immediately opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

"Father, by the time you open this letter, I estimate that I will already be in Ba Chu County. You are surely aware of my speed. I can only guarantee that in this battle, no matter what, Xiang Yang will undoubtedly die.

’Ancestor Dragon Technique’ was left by Emperor Qin; it’s a Cultivation Technique up to the Golden Core Stage only. The three Secret Books I left behind are top-level Cultivation Techniques, containing detailed descriptions for every level from the Golden Core Realm to the Great Achievement Realm. This Cultivation Technique, unlike those from the Overseas Immortal Island, does not need to worry about causing trouble from others. That’s all I can do.

Yu’er leaves this letter!"