White Waters and Vast Desolation Encircle the River City

“The tyrant is without Dao, placing all faith in slander; the court is filled with sycophants, and loyalty has been forsaken.”

“From the northern capital to the southern lands, the sacred grace of the Heavenly Dynasty no longer exists.”

“Today we gather here, not to seize power, but to save the common people from fire and water, and to rescue the mountains and rivers from peril.”

“Generals, hear my command.”

“Slay the dim-witted and the violent, save our land—it begins here!”

On the high martial arts stage, Luo Bai raised his arm and shouted. Below him, hundreds of thousands of soldiers responded in unison, their spears rhythmically striking the ground with a thunderous roar.

This was the first time Long Miaoming had seen Luo Bai like this. Though she didn’t fully understand the political rhetoric, she felt… he was incredibly handsome. At the thought, she couldn’t help but steal another glance upward at him.

“Victory!” a general below shouted at the top of his lungs.

The soldiers took up the cry, their voices shaking the sky.

“Victory! Victory! Victory!”

Luo Bai surveyed the sea of soldiers.

“March!”

Today’s White River City no longer possessed its former prosperity. Although restoration work was underway, it was an era of chaos and labor shortages. Progress was slow, and there was simply no helping it.

Meanwhile, in the White River adjacent to the city, things were not so peaceful today.

Beneath the river lay a surface as clear as a mirror; passing through it revealed the majestic Dragon Palace. Within those halls, the inhabitants were in a state of frantic agitation.

“Where is the Little Princess? Has she been found yet?” an attendant asked a panicked shrimp soldier.

The shrimp soldier shook his head violently in terror.

“What are we to do? The King is about to awaken!” The maid was pacing in circles, frantic. But it was of no use; what was destined to come was arriving.

An inexplicable pressure descended upon the entire Dragon Palace. The faces of every living creature present turned pale.

The Dragon King had awakened.

The moment Long Heng opened his eyes upon the throne in the Great Hall, his divine sense swept through every corner of the palace. Everything was much as it had been before his slumber, except…

Long Heng froze. He could not find Long Miaoming.

“Someone, come here!”

“My King, I am here!” Prime Minister Turtle came rolling over in haste.

“Where is Ming’er?”

Prime Minister Turtle’s heart thudded. He knew the first thing the King would ask upon waking was about his precious daughter. Now, things were truly going south.

“Has she snuck out to play again?”

Seeing the Prime Minister’s expression, Long Heng had already guessed the truth.

“Yes… yes… yes!”

Long Heng sighed. He should have known. “How long has she been gone?”

“Five… five years…” Prime Minister Turtle wiped the sweat from his forehead as he answered.

“Five years?!” Long Heng roared in disbelief.

In the past, Long Miaoming had skipped out on home, but she usually just went to the nearby White River City for three or four months. She’d return once she got bored. This time, however, did not look like a simple case of “running away.”

Long Heng grew worried. His mind flashed through various folk tales of romances between immortals and mortals… he couldn’t be blamed for this, as he himself was a practitioner of such a romance. Knowing the hardships involved made him all the more uneasy.

“This won’t do. I am going to the mortal realm,” the Dragon King declared. He struck the armrest of his throne, and a massive dragon shadow soared into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, another year passed. During this year, Luo Bai continuously captured cities and seized territory. Because his movements were so swift, the Heavenly Dynasty had no time to gather an effective resistance.

Now, he had arrived at the gateway to the Imperial Capital: the foot of Tianyuan City.

“Commander, Tianyuan City is just ahead.” A general pointed toward the distant, formidable pass.

“Tianyuan City…” Luo Bai murmured the name.

The city was heavily guarded, well-provisioned, and boasted high, sturdy walls. To be honest, it was not suitable for a frontal assault. But this was the closest road to the Capital. Once they crossed Tianyuan City, the path ahead would be flat plains, and the Capital would have no more natural defenses to rely on.

Inside the command tent, the generals were still locked in a fierce debate over whether to attack head-on or bypass the city. A frontal assault would surely result in massive casualties. Bypassing it, however, carried the risk of being flanked if they stayed too close, or running out of supplies and giving the Imperial Army time to react if they took a wider route. If they delayed too long, they might face millions of reinforcements instead of the 300,000 currently before them.

Luo Bai returned to the tent.

“Attack head-on.”

With those three words, the generals fell silent. If they had harbored doubts about Luo Bai at the beginning, they now trusted him implicitly. Luo Bai always seemed to make the wisest choices.

“Commander, we only have 500,000 men. Isn’t a frontal assault too sudden?” a general ventured to ask.

Luo Bai frowned. “Do not worry. Just attack. Everyone, go and prepare.”

“Ziyue, come with me for a moment.” Luo Bai suddenly called out to Sun Ziyue, who was about to leave.

The two walked outside the tent.

“Big Brother, if you have something to say, just say it,” Sun Ziyue said helplessly.

Luo Bai smiled. “By rights, you are now a man with a family. I shouldn’t send you on such a dangerous mission again.”

Sun Ziyue froze, then immediately understood what Luo Bai meant.

“Ha! I thought it was something serious!” Sun Ziyue laughed and slapped his chest. “I’m the best at causing trouble. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with this. Leave it to me, Big Brother.”

Luo Bai nodded. “Go then. Be careful.”

“Orders received!” Sun Ziyue cupped his fists mockingly, then left with a grin.

Luo Bai watched him go. Logically, he shouldn’t be worried; he knew Sun Ziyue’s capabilities well. Yet, for some reason, he had a nagging feeling… that once he left, there would be no seeing him again.

Night had quietly arrived.

The last team of soldiers returning from patrol entered the city. They showed their tokens and were granted passage. The guards didn’t look closely at the leader’s face—it was pitch black, after all.

“Fine, fine, get inside quickly,” the guard waved his hand impatiently. “I still want to get some sleep.”

Sun Ziyue smiled and signaled his men. “Enter the city!”

Inside the City Lord’s manor, an elderly man watched a general pointing at a map. He seemed somewhat distracted.

“City Lord, this is my deployment,” the general said confidently. “Tianyuan City is currently ironclad. If the rebels dare to attack, I’ll ensure they never return.”

“Mm.” The old man suddenly remembered something. “And inside the city?”

“Inside?” The general was confused.

“Guard against them working with people inside the city,” the old man said slowly. “Go and check the patrol teams that went out today. Make sure there are no mistakes.”