The Demon Lords-Chapter 675 - 130: The Emperor across The Ages_1

Once the Shengle Cavalry successfully entered the city, the outcome of the battle was, to some extent, already settled.

Fengxin City, the so-called new capital of the pseudo dynasty, was in fact a den of bandits. How could these ragtag rebel troops possibly organize a counterattack under such circumstances?

As for street fighting, it was a dreadful prospect. Its brutality wasn't just for the attackers; first and foremost, the defenders had to possess the courage for a desperate, self-sacrificial stand.

Furthermore, with the twin advantages of a long forced march and a night raid, they faced a completely unprepared rabble of rebel troops. If General Zheng's elite forces, painstakingly nurtured by emptying his coffers, could still be repelled in such a situation, it would be an utter waste!

The slaughter within the city was not yet over, but the two military camps outside had already been swept through. Some rebel troops who had discarded their weapons and surrendered were rounded up, but the majority had actually fled during the Yan Army's attack. Zheng Fan had little interest in dispatching troops to pursue these deserters.

These deserters might form groups of three or five, establish small strongholds on nearby mountains, become bandits, and inevitably plague the local area. But what did that have to do with General Zheng?

General Zheng's only responsibility was to fight battles and accumulate military merit. As for long-term peace and stability in the region, he couldn't care less—unless the imperial court had designated this area as his to govern after the war, which was highly unlikely given its extreme distance from Shengle City.

Riding to the edge of the drawbridge, Zheng Fan dismounted and walked over to the Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint was meditating cross-legged. During the earlier capture of the city gate, the Sword Saint had held nothing back. It could be said that without him, they most likely wouldn't have been able to seize the city gate. To hold the line, he had even drawn upon his source energy.

"You've worked hard," Zheng Fan said with concern.

The Sword Saint opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked towards the city's interior.

His meaning was clear: the matter was far from over.

"Rest assured, unexpected developments are always possible."

Some people were skilled at coaxing children, while others were adept at soothing powerful figures. In A Ming's view, My lord belonged to the latter category.

A Ming knew that My lord had never intended to capture Situ Yi and Situ Jiong alive. The value of a former pseudo-emperor had greatly diminished. Hadn't the wild people and Chu people already cast him aside like a spittoon? Would their Yan Emperor truly treasure him?

If a large army had pushed all the way here, then fine. Capturing the pseudo-Emperor along with a host of pseudo-dynasty officials and presenting them as captives at the imperial capital would undoubtedly earn a grand reward. But they were a lone force deep in enemy territory. They couldn't even be bothered with captives now, let alone transport a large group of liabilities on the road.

Besides, the battle wasn't over yet.

So, people were bound to be killed. When it came to decisive action and nipping problems in the bud, A Ming knew My lord was far more ruthless than others.

Yet, My lord had still 'deceived' the Sword Saint. He had exploited the established notion that capturing an emperor was a great merit, then pretended, out of respect for the Sword Saint, to prioritize killing the targets even if it meant sacrificing that merit.

That was how such ploys worked, A Ming mused. It wasn't too dirty, really. After all, the one being coaxed probably felt quite satisfied and happy.

After placating the Sword Saint, Zheng Fan turned his gaze to the Eldest Prince. The Eldest Prince was severely injured, but it was good that he was still alive.

Indeed, if anything untoward happened to the Eldest Prince under his command, it would be a major problem for General Zheng.

In the future, if people were to comment, they might say that while Lord Jingnan was the reaper of princes' maternal clans, General Zheng was the princes' insecticide.

However, Zheng Fan understood the Eldest Prince's mentality. That fellow was eager to undertake the most dangerous tasks in the most perilous places. If he died, so be it. If he survived, he could at least wash away some of his own shame. How others viewed him didn't matter, as long as he himself felt a little better.

Therefore, Zheng Fan hadn't stopped Xue Three from taking the Eldest Prince to help seize the gate.

"You've worked hard." Zheng Fan extended his hand, patting the Eldest Prince's shoulder.

"...." The Eldest Prince remained silent.

To be honest, the Eldest Prince was really unaccustomed to the Shengle Army's shoulder-patting custom.

Yet, it seemed that every officer in the Shengle Army liked this gesture, including Jin Shuke, his nominal superior. Jin Shuke, one might say, was obsessed with this action, patting his subordinates' shoulders multiple times a day.

"Let's enter the city," Zheng Fan said, making an inviting gesture.

The Eldest Prince shook his head. "I still need to return to the camp."

He was a conscientious prince, clearly aware of his current position and responsibilities, with no desire to steal the limelight. Having experienced significant ups and downs in life, he had genuinely learned to let many things go.

Zheng Fan didn't insist. He waited for the Sword Saint to slowly rise to his feet before walking into the city with him.

The slaughter within the city continued.

Since the Shengle Army was small and aiming for the element of surprise, they hadn't deployed troops in advance to block the other three city gates, to avoid alerting the enemy.

However, the first wave of Shengle Cavalry to enter the city did not disperse randomly. Instead, under Liang Cheng's leadership, they headed directly for the "palace" within the city.

Though called a palace, it was merely the former residence of the city's largest paper merchant, refurbished and adorned with carvings and artifacts reserved for imperial use.

Having breached Fengxin City, they could not allow the Situ brothers, Yi and Jiong, to escape in the chaos. Otherwise, this victory would lose its sweetness.