Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Catastrophe of Monumental Proportions

Just as Sun Feng was riding his tall steed through the bustling streets of the capital, a troop of fierce soldiers suddenly appeared on the main thoroughfare. Their dark iron armor exuded a chilling aura that could be felt from afar. Even the warhorses they rode filled the onlookers with a sense of unease and tension. People who had been lining the streets to witness the grand procession could not help but crane their necks, curious to see what was happening.

The armor of these riders was stained with dried blood, and some even had broken arrows still embedded in their gear. As they reached the very heart of the capital, the man at the lead suddenly unfurled a banner from his pack and shouted with every ounce of his strength, "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! The Xirong army has invaded the southwestern border of Great Qian and has breached Jiameng City!"

In an instant, the expressions of everyone present changed. They had never imagined that the Xirong would dare to be so audacious. Their recklessness stemmed from the fact that the Xirong warriors were the elite among the elite. It was a nation of blood and iron, reigning supreme in the southwest and bordering the Baiyue region. Previously, Baiyue had served as a barrier for Great Qian, and the King of Baiyue had always been submissive, possessing considerable strength of his own. Logically, while the Xirong forces were formidable, the King of Baiyue had unified the surrounding smaller states and led battle-hardened veterans; they should have been able to put up a fight.

That the Xirong could break through this barrier and strike directly at Jiameng City was, to say the least, subtle. If something had not gone wrong with the King of Baiyue, it could only mean one thing: the King had turned a blind eye, intentionally opening a gap in the barrier to allow the Xirong cavalry to invade. Perhaps a more tragic fate had befallen him—that his own royal capital had been the first to fall to the Xirong cavalry. Regardless of which scenario was true, it was disastrous news for Great Qian. The empire’s borders were vast, and the provincial garrisons could not reach the battlefield quickly. In the southwest, there was only the Qianzhou Militia, a force of ten thousand, mostly infantry, with a mere three thousand cavalry.

As Sun Feng sat high on his horse, he never expected these knights in dark iron armor to charge directly toward him. He narrowed his eyes and let out a sharp roar: "How dare you! This is outrageous! Get out of my way!"

At his command, the retainers of the Prince of Western Pacification’s estate, who were part of the wedding procession, immediately surged forward to block the dark-iron knights. "Audacious! Today is the wedding day of our young master! After today, he will be the Prince of Western Pacification! Who in this world dares to provoke him? You dare block his path? Move aside!"

"Our young master is celebrating a joyous occasion; how dare you disrupt it? If the luck is ruined, who will bear the responsibility?"

The severely wounded knights, upon hearing this, gritted their teeth, their eyes burning with fury. They thought to themselves, *We are bleeding and dying for Great Qian, and in the end, we are being hindered by these petty fools. Damn it!*

"Those who obstruct the delivery of military intelligence shall be executed according to the laws of Great Qian!" the lead knight shouted. The men behind him, feeling empowered by these words, drew their sabers. Was there anything more important than military orders and intelligence? Even the Imperial City Guard, responsible for the capital's defense, would not dare to block such couriers!

"Charge through! No matter who they are, the military intelligence must reach the Imperial Palace!"

The sudden turn of events left Sun Feng stunned. What? These people actually dared to charge at him! A surge of blind rage rose in his heart, and his face turned dark. "Do you have any idea who I am marrying? It is Princess Anping, the daughter of the Prince of Northern Pacification! You are finished! You are all finished!"

Unexpectedly, the knight on horseback curled his lip and sneered. It was the height of absurdity! Jiameng City had fallen, its governor had died for his country, and the civilians had been all but slaughtered. Yet here in the opulent capital, a noble was blocking their way?

The knights were consumed by righteous fire and raised their blades. "Charge! Kill anyone who stands in our way!"

The warhorses let out a thunderous neigh. United in their purpose, the soldiers shook their reins, and the horses surged forward like arrows released from a bow, charging straight at the oblivious and arrogant Sun Feng. Sun Feng had never encountered such a formation. In his daily life, as the young master of the Prince of Western Pacification’s estate, he was always the center of attention, whether in the pleasure districts or the military training grounds. Who had ever dared to challenge his authority? But at this moment, Sun Feng was terrified to the point of wetting himself.

Sobbing uncontrollably, he screamed helplessly, "Quick! Block them, block them!" Then, glaring fiercely at the lead rider, he shouted, "I will report this to the Emperor! I will have you all executed!"

This only further incited the soldiers. *Swish!* A powerful, heavy blade slashed past Sun Feng’s scalp, bringing a sudden chill. Before he could react, he felt a violent jolt. Two horses had collided with brute force. As the sound of breaking bones echoed through the air, Sun Feng was utterly dumbfounded.

Suddenly, his own horse stumbled, and he lost his balance, thrown clear from the saddle. He hit the ground hard, face-first. "Ouch..." Sun Feng clutched his head, feeling the pain radiating from within. Just as he prepared to curse his subordinates for their incompetence, he saw a blade swinging down toward him. This was true, lethal intent, accompanied by a biting wind. By the time he felt the chill on his neck, the blade was less than a foot away. He shrank his neck in terror, but it was already too late.

Just as Sun Feng was about to perish at the hands of the knights, an arrow flew from the distance, striking the flat of the blade with perfect precision. *Clang!* The vibration forced the knight to instinctively withdraw his sword. He looked around, his face filled with rage.

Sun Ye sighed deeply. *Worthless, absolutely worthless!* If Sun Feng were not his own son, to whom he owed a lifetime of regret, he would never have passed the title of Prince of Western Pacification to him. Never had he imagined that in a moment of inattention, Sun Feng would cause such a catastrophe.