Defeat and the Imperial Express Dispatch

"If you don’t pull out the roots, the grass will grow again in spring. I just hope Linden Ling knows how to be pragmatic and doesn’t cause us more trouble, or it’ll be another huge headache." Serena was frustrated that they hadn’t killed Linden Ling, but she understood: if everyone in Skyvault Fortress was wiped out, there’d be no way to clean up the aftermath, and she and Ninth Royal Uncle couldn’t just walk away.

There were still plenty of die-hard supporters under Skyvault Fortress. If the fortress was completely annihilated, those loyalists would dig deep to investigate. If they really uncovered something and it implicated Ninth Royal Uncle, all the reputation he’d worked so hard to build would be ruined.

"There’ll be plenty of chances in the future. The martial world is in chaos right now—it’s not wise for us to show our faces." If they went too far, it wouldn’t just be the martial world turning against them; even the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities would step in.

Skyvault Fortress held a special place in the martial world. If it was truly wiped out, it would shatter the balance—and that would be a disaster in itself.

"You can’t ever go too far, I get that. But Linden Ling isn’t the type to keep quiet. Once he recovers, I bet he’ll go after Jason Lan. Those two together? Nothing good will come of it." They’d always been birds of a feather, and now, with Ninth Royal Uncle as their common enemy, there was no telling what the future held.

"Jason Lan? Don’t worry—even if he goes back to Liancastle, he won’t be able to stir up a storm." Soon enough, Liancastle won’t even exist in the Nine Provinces Realm. Ninth Royal Uncle would never let Liancastle and Jason Lan join forces against him.

Serena disagreed: "You know how much trouble Jason Lan can cause. Even without Liancastle, there’s still Moonvault Palace Sect—and that mysterious aunt of his. We didn’t get a single clue about her this time."

Just thinking about it made Serena even more annoyed. That aunt from Moonvault Palace Sect had left before they even descended the mountain, and they hadn’t gotten any useful information at all.

"No rush. We’ll find out sooner or later." Ninth Royal Uncle stroked Serena’s hair to comfort her. Serena snuggled into his arms and mumbled, "Who’s anxious? I’m just worried you’ll get anxious."

She’d seen for herself just how much influence that aunt had over Ninth Royal Uncle. Every time she was mentioned, Ninth Royal Uncle would never take advice.

Ninth Royal Uncle’s hand paused, and Serena grew even more annoyed. "See? I told you—you’re the one who’s anxious."

Ninth Royal Uncle sighed softly and gave a bitter smile. "Serena, I’m just being cautious about that woman."

"She has way too much influence over you. What’s your relationship with her?" Serena pushed herself up and looked at Ninth Royal Uncle, who just pressed his lips together and said nothing. Serena grew uneasy and pressed further: "Is there something you can’t tell me? It’s not like I’d betray you."

"It’s not that…" Ninth Royal Uncle still refused to answer. Serena stared at him for a long moment, but he acted like he didn’t see her, closing his eyes to rest.

Serena’s nose stung—suddenly she felt utterly aggrieved. She sat up straight, pulled away from him, and turned her head, refusing to speak.

Ninth Royal Uncle glanced over, then turned to look out the window. He didn’t say another word. The two of them each claimed a side of the carriage, and for the next few days, it was the same—full-on cold war.

It was misery for the personal guards and imperial troops assigned to protect Serena and Ninth Royal Uncle. The couple had excellent self-control and never took out their tempers on the staff, but the oppressive atmosphere around them scared the guards so badly they wished they could disappear.

The whole convoy felt lifeless, not a hint of energy anywhere. Every soldier was on edge, forcing themselves to stay alert. Even when they finally got their long-awaited, mouthwatering canned beef, nobody dared smile—they just secretly rejoiced, wondering if they could save a couple pieces to bring home for their kids.

The cold war between Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena dragged on and on. Both of them seemed determined to make the other yield first, but neither would back down.

Serena thought they’d keep this up all the way to Eastlyn—until an urgent express dispatch, eight hundred li in a day, shattered the deadlock.

"Urgent express dispatch—General Warren Yu has been defeated." Ninth Royal Uncle strode into the room, holding the letter.

"Defeated? Warren Yu lost? Was it the battle with Night City?" Serena shot to her feet, snatched the letter from Ninth Royal Uncle, and skimmed it quickly—her expression grew darker with every line.

"How is this possible? Warren Yu had so many men, and he still couldn’t beat Night City’s iron cavalry?" Serena couldn’t believe it.

Warren Yu wasn’t some rookie—he was a veteran who’d led troops for years. Even if he lost, it shouldn’t have been so disastrous.

"Night City is short on food and supplies—how could Warren Yu lose so badly?" Serena just couldn’t accept it. They’d done so much prep for the campaign against Night City; even if Warren Yu fought blind, he shouldn’t have lost.

"It’s connected to those overseas freaks." The letter didn’t mention it, but Ninth Royal Uncle had his own sources.

"Even so, the defeat shouldn’t have been this bad. It was just a small-scale battle—tens of thousands involved, but thirty thousand dead and over twenty thousand wounded? That’s basically total annihilation. These casualty numbers are insane. What on earth did Warren Yu run into?" Serena wasn’t clueless; she knew that no matter the context, those casualty figures were a disgrace. With Warren Yu’s ability, if it had been a normal fight, there’s no way things would’ve turned out like this.

"We’ll only know if we go see for ourselves." Ninth Royal Uncle said gravely. Serena looked up at him: "You’re going to Night City in person?"

"Yes." This battle was Eastlyn’s first war to unify the Nine Provinces Realm. Only victory was allowed—defeat was not an option.

"You’re personally leading the campaign against Night City, but what about Northlyn, Southlyn, and Lyndaria after that? Are you planning to lead every campaign yourself? Can you even handle it all?" Serena didn’t approve of Ninth Royal Uncle’s decision. Leaving aside the risks, just the sheer workload—could he really manage everything by himself?

A true ruler knows how to use people, not do everything themselves. Serena couldn’t fight battles, but she had Phoenixfield’s Victor for that.

"This battle is different." Ninth Royal Uncle replied.

"How is it different?" Serena demanded. Losing worse than usual was still losing—a battle always had winners and losers.

"Jianghu forces are involved. Warren Yu couldn’t handle it." If the fighting continued, losses would only grow, and every soldier under his command was precious—he couldn’t afford that kind of attrition.

"Is that really all?" Serena thought of Warren Yu’s background and gave a mocking smile. "More likely, you’re planning to use this chance to take away his military command."

Warren Yu betrayed the Former Dynasty and the Taishang Emperor. To put it bluntly, he was a classic three-surnamed slave. It was only natural that Ninth Royal Uncle was wary of him.

"Exactly." Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t deny it. "He’s the general with the most troops in Eastlyn—he controls half the army."

Eastlyn’s million-strong army—Warren Yu commanded five hundred thousand of them, openly and in secret. If he ever wavered, or if some prince convinced him to rebel, Ninth Royal Uncle would be trapped in endless civil war.

A general with so much power and no absolute loyalty—Ninth Royal Uncle had no choice but to be on guard. Warren Yu’s defeat was the perfect opportunity to seize his command…