Chapter 16: The Eastern Sea Coalition Forces

Smelling the fragrance beside him, the sleeping Uncle Fatty immediately rolled over. The curious Lady Dongjun, unable to resist, finally slipped behind the curtains while Lin Jun slept, eager to observe the wonders of the carriage and Lin Jun himself. She pretended to be watching Little Yan’er, forcing herself to approach the bedside, as in the past, Jingni liked to lean there, watching the slumbering pair, one large, one small.

Ah—no—please—

Afraid of waking Lin Jun, she dared not resist and had to let the man pull her over and embrace her. A deadly scent wafted over; Lin Shu’s hands, feet, and mouth became restless.

“Ah—no—stop—” Unable to bear it after only a few moments, Dongjun pushed the man away and fled. Lin Shu was left confused: Was he dreaming? What nonsense!

He stopped overthinking and Uncle Fatty resumed his sleep. Yet, for some unknown reason, upon waking that morning, Lin Shu’s view of Dongjun shifted. He kept thinking about how soft her lips might feel.

Knowing someone was watching her, Yanfei quickly turned over, but still felt a burning gaze scanning her back.

“Hmph! Truly a lustful ghost! Jingni has only been gone a single night, and you already reveal your true nature! But what am I to do?” Powerless to resist, Dongjun trembled slightly.

She swallowed nervously; Lin Shu sighed helplessly. “I’m sorry, wife! Why do I keep having such thoughts? Maybe I shouldn’t let you go out anymore! It’s not even been a day!”

Warmth stirs... Lin Shu did not wish his desire to ruin the hard-won bond between him and Jingni. As an assassin, Jingni rarely gave her heart—he could not let her down.

The terrifying gaze faded, and Yanfei sighed with relief. For several days, Lin Shu avoided talking to her, lest his thoughts wander again. Yanfei deliberately kept her distance, making Lin Shu more embarrassed to look or think. He calmed down, but Dongjun found herself restless at night, anxious even during the day—fearing she might suddenly face the beastly cravings of the Fatty. She thought she could not escape, yet his inaction only made her nerves worsen.

...

Tens of thousands of foreign cavalry thundered across the Northland and East Sea, sending the tribes into panic, hastening them to gather together and gravitate toward the largest settlements.

The southern alliance of the Eastern Sea had plenty of warhorses, and news quickly reached the alliance headquarters at Luo Zhong.

The eastern Outer Xing’an Ridge was the headquarters of the Southern Alliance, also the largest tribe in the Northland East Sea. Their territory encompassed river mouths, coastal forests, and plains—a hundred kilometers of fertile land feeding over twenty thousand of the Jie Nuo tribe.

“King Khan, they aren’t Eastern Hu cavalry, but wildmen from the snowy west!”

The young and vigorous King Jias was no longer satisfied with being the leader of the Southern Alliance; following the titles of the Eastern Hu tribes and the southern Yan Kingdom, he styled himself King Khan, revealing his ambition to conquer more than just this land.

“Hmph! These snow wildmen still have the nerve to come? Well, let’s kill them off.”

The eastern mountains of Outer Xing’an Ridge were not far off, and the feud between the two peoples had lasted centuries.

“Summon all southern warriors to slaughter them. Perhaps we can even invade the snowy lands and join hands with the Xiongnu to encircle the Eastern Hu.” The snow wildmen meant little to Jias; the Eastern Hu were his true rivals for dominance.

The tribes of the Eastern Sea gathered, masses of cavalry appeared. The Southern Alliance was assembling, and Jingni, her mission complete, camped with ten thousand cavalry in the central Outer Xing’an Ridge, awaiting the main force.

Two days later, King Khan Jias led his army, with reinforcements joining along the way, swelling his force to over fifty thousand.

“Grand Commander, the Eastern Sea coalition numbers over fifty thousand, with more than twenty thousand cavalry.” Seeing such a vast force for the first time, Moon Goddess was nervous.

Over fifty thousand! Jingni dared not take them lightly. “Don’t worry, Moon Sister. The king will arrive by sunset; only fifty or sixty thousand are hardly a threat.”

“That’s good!” Moon Goddess smiled, though she was unconvinced. Defending their homeland, they would have to fight fiercely to truly defeat the enemy. Even if the snowy army was well-equipped, their own numbers were few, and casualties would be heavy.

Both armies hurried forward, stopping twenty li apart to camp and rest.

“King Khan, they only have twenty thousand, with just ten thousand cavalry.”

Hearing the accurate report, King Jias laughed. “Ha! Only twenty thousand dare demand our Eastern Sea warriors surrender? These wildmen must be tired of living.”

“Heh, King Khan, let me lead ten thousand cavalry around to encircle them. None will escape!”

“Ah yes, King Khan, their cavalry leader is a stunning beauty—fairer even than the Eastern Sea’s famed beauty.” A tribal chief who had seen Jingni grinned wickedly.

Speaking of beauties, Jias grew more excited. “Excellent, you take ten thousand southern cavalry to block their retreat. Don’t let the beauty escape.”

“Rest assured, King Khan. Await the beauty’s return.”

Laughter erupted among them.

Moon Goddess returned at last, and Yanfei hurried from the carriage to take over the task of scouting the enemy. The Eastern Sea coalition did not conceal their movements; Yanfei followed for a while, then rushed back to the main force.

“Lin Jun, they’ve sent ten thousand cavalry to our rear—they mean to cut off our retreat.”

Lin Jun scoffed. “Ignore them. We’ve no intention of retreating. Tomorrow will be their doom.”

“Yes, Lin Jun!” Yanfei sighed quietly. This Northern King Lin was not particularly talented! Even if they won, it would be a costly victory.

Seeing Jingni’s unconcerned expression, Moon Goddess held her tongue. After all, they were Lin Jun’s captives, not truly his subjects.

Even if they defeated this army, what then? With only twenty thousand, heavy casualties would leave them vulnerable to the Eastern Sea Northern Alliance and the Southern Eastern Hu, who would not miss such an opportunity.

The carriage was formidable, but only for small skirmishes; even the invincible Eastern Emperor Taiyi would not waste himself against thousands on the battlefield.

Battle was not only about skill and tactics—when enemies die, their collective killing intent becomes a deadly force. Moon Goddess, her spirit strong, could resist the murderous intent of dozens, but the shock from hundreds dying could scramble her soul.

Those lacking a firm spirit could be frightened to death by the killing aura alone!

The mood shifted. Lin Shu noticed nothing, but Jingni understood Dongjun and Moon Goddess’s doubts. Had she not witnessed the carriage’s growing power, Jingni would worry too—but she said nothing, for tomorrow they would see. The outcome was already decided; in the desert, nothing could stop her husband’s conquest.

With nothing else to do that afternoon, Lin Shu climbed the mountain to gather minerals. Dongjun and Moon Goddess thought he was simply hunting or wandering.

Before sunset, Lin Shu distributed hand crossbows to ten thousand cavalry. The infantry were equipped with five thousand longbows and five thousand strong crossbows, and an additional hundred thousand arrows for ten thousand infantry—each soldier now had twenty arrows.