The Danger of the City of Thousands of Incense

Thousand Fragrance City.

Outside Thousand Fragrance City, battle flags waved as killing sounds rose.

A ghostly black dragon of illusion danced over the Nanyun Black Cavalry.

With a dragon's roar, it terrified tens of thousands.

This black dragon was the embodiment of the Black Cavalry Army's military soul.

"Kill!"

Empowered by the military soul, the Black Cavalry Army wore black armor as they drove their warhorses, sweeping away all resistance.

The waving battle flags were stained with viscous blood.

"Defend Thousand Fragrance City!"

"Brothers, fight to the death with these Nanyun beasts!"

Before the iron hooves of the Black Cavalry, the Liuyang Dynasty's army retreated steadily.

A general responsible for defending the city, pierced by many blades with blood streaming from his armor, still commanded the remaining 20,000 soldiers at the city gates, weapons in hand, defending to the death.

Facing the peerless Black Cavalry, the soldiers' faces were filled with resentment.

The city gate forces were under King Qi.

Although they had rebelled and followed King Qi,

when the nation was endangered by invasion,

they still stepped forward without hesitation.

Knowing they couldn't win,

they fought to the end.

To buy time for the citizens to evacuate,

they sacrificed themselves without regret.

Before the Black Cavalry, two middle-aged men gazed coldly at the struggling city defenders.

They were Nanyun Kingdom's famous generals Lian Qing and Qi Hui, deputies under Murong Liao.

Today their Black Cavalry Army had already taken ten counties bordering Nanyun under Murong Liao’s leadership.

As the vanguard, they led the Black Cavalry Army to plunge deeper, hoping to seize more Liuyang territory.

"Futile resistance."

Lian Qing coldly laughed at the defending general, nocking his bow to shoot.

A terrifying arrow instantly pierced through the general's skull.

"General!"

"Damn you, brothers, fight these bastards to the death!"

Seeing their commander killed, the soldiers did not retreat but charged suicidally at the Black Cavalry.

On the city walls, Liuyang citizens watched the defending troops with tearful faces.

"Run!"

"Escape Thousand Fragrance City quickly!"

On the walls, Liu Heng, magistrate of Thousand Fragrance County, urged the citizens to evacuate.

With no army left,

the forces King Qi had stationed here were all fighting the Nanyun Black Cavalry outside.

Thousand Fragrance City could fall at any moment.

"Magistrate Liu, we're not leaving. We will stay with Thousand Fragrance City!"

"That's right, Magistrate Liu. At this time of national crisis, we Liuyang citizens will not retreat!"

"This is our hometown, we're not leaving. We would rather die!"

The passionate youth on the walls yelled, weapons in hand.

"You...you all..." Liu Heng was extremely anxious.

"Alright, since this is so, I will stay with you all to the final moment. We shall die with honor!"

Liu Heng was deeply moved by the citizens' loyalty.

Every citizen had a duty when the nation rose or fell!

That even commoners could be so dutiful,

how could he, an imperial father and mother official, abandon them?

Although he was utterly disappointed with the royal court.

"Father!"

At this time, a gentle, refined-looking woman ran up onto the city walls.

She was Liu Heng's daughter, Liu Lingxi, a famous talent of Western Province.

Behind her were some handmaidens carrying luggage.

"Lingxi, why are you here? I told you to leave!" Liu Heng said anxiously.

Liu Lingxi watched the soldiers falling ceaselessly under the Black Cavalry's iron hooves and slowly shook her head.

"Father, I'm not leaving. Since everyone is staying, how can I leave alone?!"

"Lady Liu, you should go quickly!"

"Yes, with your talents, you shouldn't stay here waiting to die with us crude folks."

"That's right, Lady Liu is our city's gifted lady, you shouldn't remain here..."

The citizens began persuading Liu Lingxi to leave.

But Liu Lingxi slowly shook her head. Her mind was set. She would not abandon everyone.

With the nation in peril, the citizens did not flee but defended to the last.

As the magistrate's daughter, how could she alone abandon everyone and flee?!

So she would stay with them all to the final moment.

Even if it meant death, she had no regrets.

Liu Heng understood his daughter and sighed without arguing further.

Now everyone was prepared to fight the Black Cavalry to the death when the city gates fell.

"Roar!"

A dragon's cry drew everyone's gazes. Their expressions turned extremely ugly.

The military soul empowered every Black Cavalry soldier.

Each of them erupted with formidable power.

Their jet black armor emitted an ink-black aura,

like a tide of steel sweeping away the remaining city troops.

"Pfft..."

"You Nanyun...beasts...just you wait... the Beiliang Army...will arrive soon...your arrogance...won't last long..."

The last soldier, leaning on his weapon, gave a final mocking laugh at the Black Cavalry before him.

Hearing "Beiliang Army", Lian Qing's eyes narrowed as a cold look flashed across them.

Drawing his blade, he moved to finish off this soldier.

"No!"

"Damn you...charge out and fight them!"

"Don't be rash!"

Seeing the last soldier about to be killed, the citizens on the walls roared furiously, tears flowing ceaselessly.

Some enraged youths grabbed weapons, ready to charge out, but were stopped by Liu Heng.

Although Liu Heng was also furious, he could not let the citizens charge to their deaths in vain.

Beside him, Liu Lingxi's eyes were red as hatred toward the incompetent royal court welled up in her heart for the first time.

If not for the court's uselessness and the emperor's ineptitude,

how would their troops have been reduced to this?

How would their territory have fallen into enemy hands?

"Hmph!"

Lian Qing gave a cold snort. The more furious the Liuyang people were, the more delighted he felt.

Liuyang would sooner or later become Nanyun's territory.

But just as Lian Qing's blade was about to fall on the soldier,

an arrow shot with extreme speed suddenly shattered his sword.

Lian Qing was shocked and quickly looked in the other direction, his expression instantly turning grim.

In the distance, amidst rolling dust, terrifying bloody killing intent shot into the sky.

The previously clear horizon was instantly shrouded by black clouds under this horrifying aura...

Lian Qing and Qi Hui beside him waved their arms.

The Black Cavalry turned, the ink-black dragon rising again, seemingly responding to the terrifying aura.

On the city walls, Liu Heng and the citizens were also shocked by this sudden development.

All eyes turned towards the billowing dust.

Amidst it, battle flags waved heroically in the wind.

The fluttering banner clearly bore the words "Beiliang Army"...