"Why don't we deceive Li Chenggan into coming into the city first, then after he enters, we'll surround and kill him, and accomplish a great feat!" The Wang family head spoke again.
"That's not advisable. I think it's better to block Li Chenggan's army outside the city. When the army of the Xuanfeng Dynasty arrives, Li Chenggan will be dead for sure. This way, we avoid the risks, and we can gain favor with the Xuanfeng Dynasty. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The defending general, Yang Yu, still held a conservative view. After all, he came from a military background and knew just how strong the five thousand Imperial Guards of Shengjing City were. He shuddered to think that a mere thousand of the Tang Blood Guards could easily slaughter those five thousand Imperial Guards. The thought of eight thousand of them arriving this time only made him more anxious. Yang Yu couldn't even begin to estimate the terrifying power of the Tang Blood Guards. What was even worse was that the eight thousand were here now. He didn't believe his ten thousand ordinary soldiers stood a chance against them.
He tried to calm himself by telling himself that Li Chenggan was probably just putting on a show, and that the eight thousand Tang Blood Guards were just paper tigers...
"General Yang, are you afraid of that little Li Chenggan?" Huang Da asked with a mocking smile, displeased.
"It's not about fear, but..." Yang Yu hesitated, his mind filled with an ominous feeling.
"I know what you're worried about, but let me introduce someone to you. After meeting him, you won't have any more concerns."
Huang Da suddenly relaxed his brow, his face breaking into a smile.
"Who is this person?" Yang Yu asked, not understanding.
"Let me introduce the Honorable Yin!" Huang Da bowed deeply, his expression respectful.
Yin? Is it really him? At that moment, everyone present had the same thought. If it really was *him*... thinking about his deeds made everyone break out in cold sweat.
They didn't have to wait long. A gust of cold wind swept in, and amidst it, a person stood proudly in midair, ten feet above the ground. He wore a black Daoist robe, his form gaunt, and his eyes were like those of a poisonous snake—cold and terrifying. No one dared to meet his gaze.
It was him, indeed! The crowd's expressions were complex, but they did not dare to be slow in their actions, all respectfully greeting: "We greet the Honorable Yin."
This man was the State Master of the Xuanfeng Dynasty, his true name known to few. He was simply called Yin by everyone.
Legend had it that he was a figure from two hundred years ago, who personally annihilated dozens of cities of a fallen dynasty, causing the deaths of millions. He was ruthless, cunning, and joined the Xuanfeng Dynasty a hundred years ago, where he was highly esteemed by the Emperor as State Master.
It was rumored that he had reached the point of comprehending the Dao and would soon break through to the *Huashen* realm within fifty years. Now, from his imposing presence, it was clear that he had already surpassed that.
With his presence, everyone could now breathe easy and had no further worries.
"Li Chenggan will arrive within two hours. You all just need to lure him into the city, and I will personally handle him," came a hoarse voice that sent chills down everyone's spine.
"We follow your command, Honorable Yin," no one dared to disagree after Yin spoke.
With that, Yin disappeared amidst a gust of wind, leaving the group to discuss the details of their plan.
...
A scout reported: "General Li, we are approaching Huangfeng City. Should we enter now?"
"Not yet. Order the army to rest in place."
"Understood."
Looking into the distance, Huangfeng City's gates were wide open, and the banner of the Tang army still hung on the city walls. Li Mu's mind was racing.
"Zhou Cang, Guan Ping, where are you?"
"Here, General!"
"I order you two to take three thousand elite Zhao cavalry and guard the King. You must not make any mistakes!"
"Understood!"
"Then what about you, General?" Zhou Cang asked, confused.
"I'll personally lead eight thousand Tang Blood Guards to clear out the monsters and demons in Huangfeng City first!" Li Mu said coldly. With his experiences from a previous life, he had become more sensitive to danger in this life. His instincts told him something was wrong in Huangfeng City, so he planned to enter first. If there were any unexpected situations, at least Li Chenggan would be safe. This was Li Mu's loyalty!
"General Li, are you confident?" Li Chenggan asked seriously, having learned of Li Mu's plan.
"Your Majesty need not worry. I am confident we'll succeed, without any issues." Li Mu was already familiar with the forces in Huangfeng City, and he had no fear. However, what he didn't say was that he suspected external forces were already involved in Huangfeng City, though he didn't want to trouble Li Chenggan with these worries. Even so, he was not afraid of any external intervention!
"Good. I trust you. General Li, go ahead. If anything goes wrong, send a signal, and I will lead the army to support you immediately." Li Chenggan handed him a long object from his chest.
It was a signaling rod, a communication tool used by the Shadow Death Guards under Li Ru's command. Li Chenggan had specially requested a few backups.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please rest assured. Within three hours, I will personally greet you into the city."
"Good. I'll be waiting for your triumphant return!"
Li Mu mounted his horse, and with a command, the eight thousand Tang Blood Guards marched proudly and confidently toward Huangfeng City.
...
"Master Huang, look! It's the Tang Blood Guards. Li Chenggan must be among them. Should we go out and welcome them?"
Yang Yu's face flushed with excitement.
"General Yang, don't rush. As the saying goes, 'No one gives flattery without a reason—if they do, they must have ulterior motives.' If we go out to welcome them now, Li Chenggan will definitely be suspicious. It would be better to wait on the city walls, maintaining a 'we're close but not too close' distance. That way, Li Chenggan will be less suspicious."
Huang Da stroked his long beard, a satisfied look on his face, completely at ease.
"Master Huang, you're right. I almost made a mistake. Thank you for reminding me!" Yang Yu reacted quickly, his face showing fear.
...
"General Yang Yu of Huangfeng City, along with the lords of the various families, respectfully welcome the King!"
"Master Huang Da, the lord of Huangfeng City, along with the heads of the city's families, respectfully welcome the King!"
Li Mu and his army arrived at the city gate. Yang Yu and the others finally spoke to greet them.
"The King is resting in the royal sedan, please allow us to arrange a palace for him."
As Li Mu had left with Li Chenggan's royal sedan to deceive the people of Huangfeng City, seeing the royal sedan at the center of the army, Yang Yu and the others couldn't help but smile knowingly. It was a success!
"Rest assured, General. Everything has been arranged. Please lead your army into the city!"
"Good. The army shall enter!"
Li Mu looked up at the expressions of the people on the city walls, and after a moment of analysis, he silently thought to himself, *As expected!*
Li Mu was now sure that Huangfeng City had set a trap for him. This was clearly a classic *"inviting the king into the cauldron"* scenario!
But once he entered the city, it was still uncertain who would truly be the one caught in the trap.
Just as Li Mu's army entered the city, a massive crash sounded from behind. The city gate was slammed shut. It turned out that in order to prevent Li Chenggan from breaking out, Yang Yu and the others had dropped the Dragon-cutting Stone, completely sealing off the city gates.