Afternoon.
The soldiers from Hitsu no Kuni did not rest.
After grabbing a quick bite to eat, they silently slipped into the lake.
Hitsu no Kuni bordered Inari Lake, so naturally their swimming skills were excellent. A team of soldiers dove underwater without even producing a single bubble.
Their homeland soldiers failed to notice.
"Lord Matsushita, there's no movement from Suzaku's side!" The aide approached, his voice filled with lingering frustration, the mark of a slap still visible on his face.
Ichiro Matsushita's expression changed slightly.
"They've already made their move! Quickly, order the soldiers to pull away from those nearby woods. As soon as the ambushers rise from the water, we'll intercept and slaughter them on shore."
"Yes, Lord Matsushita." The aide replied calmly. As he turned to leave, a faint sneer flickered across his face.
The soldiers quickly lined up in formation.
Exactly as Ichiro Matsushita predicted.
No sooner had they finished forming ranks than enemy ambushers burst from the forest.
Ichiro Matsushita's pupils narrowed. "Don't rush, everyone. Wait until these men charge forward, tiring themselves out, then we'll counterattack at the perfect moment."
Strike when the enemy tires!
Recently, he'd been chatting casually with Ye Liang and picked up some military strategies.
"Understood!"
Several officers responded, quickly ordering their men to prepare carefully.
The ambushers charged closer.
Just as Ichiro Matsushita had said, they were already exhausted from sprinting through distant woods. Worse, separated from their main force, they lacked sufficient food supplies.
They were hungry and cold.
Ichiro Matsushita judged the timing right.
He immediately waved his hand.
The well-prepared soldiers launched a counterattack.
The two forces clashed.
The aide approached Matsushita happily. "Congratulations, General! Victory is practically in our grasp."
"Not yet." Pleased with the advantage he held, Matsushita pointed toward the lake. "Inoue, take men right now and block at the lake's mouth. As soon as those swimming soldiers surface, eliminate them immediately!"
"Yes!" The aide acknowledged and departed.
In the forest, the battle was about to decide its outcome.
Although both sides had equal numbers, the soldiers from Hitsu no Kuni were so weak from hunger and cold that the battle became a one-sided slaughter.
Ichiro Matsushita feigned stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Once this is settled, we can turn back and ambush the soldiers in the river. Then this battle will be resolved."
He wore a confident smile, as though victory were already his.
However!
Just then, the ambushers from Hitsu no Kuni, who should have been trapped in the river, suddenly surged forward from the distance. They looked perfectly fine, showing no sign of having been ambushed whatsoever.
"What's going on! Didn't Inoue ambush them? Why are they appearing now!" Ichiro Matsushita looked utterly confused.
According to his plan, the aide should have had geographical advantage. Although he couldn't completely eliminate the ambushers, he definitely could have delayed them for a while. Now the enemy's ambush force had emerged.
This completely defied his expectations.
As he was thinking,
several ragged soldiers from the ambush squad came running back. "It's terrible, Lord! Inoue has defected. He's taken a group of axe fighters and headed south!"
"What!"
"Fuck! Ichiro Matsushita cried out. "No wonder those Hitsu no Kuni soldiers arrived so quickly! Inoue didn't offer the slightest resistance!
Shit, I misjudged him!"
The hidden troops from Hitsu no Kuni had already arrived, forcing Ichiro Matsushita into battle.
The situation changed again.
The soldiers of the Ancestral Nation thought they had victory in their grasp. Now, they were suddenly trapped between two opposing armies in a deadly pincer movement. Even worse, their numbers were nearly half that of their enemies!
"We're finished! All is lost!"
Ichiro Matsushita shouted as he realized their defeat was inevitable.
Soon enough, only a few Ancestral Nation soldiers remained alive.
Ichiro Matsushita and the remaining handful of wounded soldiers were surrounded.
He glared angrily at someone beside Minister Suzaku: "F***! You bastard, you actually dared to come back!"
The defected vice-commander stood there.
Seeing Ichiro Matsushita captured, the vice-commander walked over smugly. He raised his hand and slapped Ichiro Matsushita across the face, hard!
"Aren't you scared now after acting so tough this morning? Where's that arrogance gone?"
Ichiro Matsushita's face turned bitter—he now finally got it. This was why the deputy had defected.
At this moment, Suzaku Minister, who had been watching dispassionately from the side, waved his hand.
An arrow shot from behind him straight toward the conceited vice-commander.
"Thud!"
A hole pierced through the man's neck.
Blood splattered all over Ichiro Matsushita's face as the body ceased moving.
Ichiro Matsushita remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to life or death.
"You Ancestral Nation people really are tough! Cold-blooded too!
I like it!" Minister Suzaku gave a mocking clap. Then he signaled the archers around him forward.
They drew their bows, released their arrows—and yet, the expected pain never came.
Opening his eyes, Ichiro Matsushita saw a tall figure standing before him, with every arrow suspended midair.
[Sage Art - Shinra Tensei!]
The arrows reversed direction and shot back.
Cries erupted among the archers as they were struck down by their own arrows. After blocking several arrows with his katana, Minister Suzaku stared coldly at Ye Liang standing before him.
"Who the hell are you! Don't you know this is Hitsu no Kuni's business!"
"My name is Ye Liang." Ye Liang replied coldly.
"Ye Liang? You're that false god who usurped the throne!"
"A fake god? That title doesn't please me. I am the true god—the one and only Creator God!" With a wave of his hand, weapons lying on the ground rose into the air, controlled by Sage Chakra.
[Iron Sand Body - Magnet Release!]
Weapons flew rapidly at the surrounding soldiers, killing hundreds within moments. Only Minister Suzaku remained.
Scared...
He literally shat himself.
Ichiro Matsushita was stunned! He'd previously witnessed Ye Liang's divine resurrection technique.
And seen him heal the crippled with godlike abilities!
But deadly divine powers?
This was his first time seeing such might.
He swallowed hard, overwhelmed with awe!
Minister Suzaku trembled visibly. He'd heard rumors about Ye Liang long ago, but which ruler ever truly believes in gods anyway?
Gods were just tools used to control ignorant commoners!
"Just who... exactly are you!" he still refused to believe Ye Liang was divine. The next second, a fireball materialized above his head.
[Fire Release - Great Fireball Technique!]
His eyes widened!
"This world... truly has gods?!"
Everything quieted down.
Ye Liang clapped his hands, straightened his clothes, and walked over to Ichiro Matsushita.
"What are you still standing there for? Let's go home."
Ichiro Matsushita looked stunned.
He just nodded blankly.
"Okay."
The two of them headed toward the Ancestral Nation.
When they reached the outskirts of the Ancestral Nation, Ye Liang frowned.
In the distant village, flames were everywhere.
A few villagers were running for their lives.
Ye Liang casually stopped a nearby villager.
"I'm Daimyo Ye Liang. What's going on here? Who attacked you?"
The villager was startled and quickly knelt down.
"Lord God, please save us! Just now, many soldiers attacked us from outside."
"Soldiers? What unit are they from?"
"Too many to count!"
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