Chapter 120: The Fall of Tamon and the State of the World

Tamon knew his time was near; his eyes grew clouded and dull. Gazing up at the bed curtains with a sense of bitter resignation, he gasped for air: "Inuo..."

The burly man with dreadlocks trembled. He crawled on his knees to the bedside, his eyes brimming with tears. "My King! I am here!"

"My life is nearing its end... the remaining chaos... I can only entrust it to you. You..." The sturdy man broke into a violent fit of coughing, leaning sideways against the edge of the bed as he struggled to catch his breath.

"My King, no... this cannot be." Inuo shook his head frantically. The towering, formidable warrior was now a picture of grief, tears rolling down his cheeks one after another, splashing onto the edge of the bed.

Tamon forced himself to suppress his cough, his neck turning a deep, congested red. "You... listen to me finish." He coughed violently again, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

As the crimson mist dispersed, the gathered ministers cried out in alarm: "My King!" They all crawled forward two paces on their knees.

Tamon wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve and waved a weak hand. "It is no matter. Inuo, listen to what I have to say."

Inuo lowered his head, sobbing, and nodded as he bit his lip, falling silent and kneeling quietly by the bed.

The dying man let out a ragged breath and drew in a sharp gasp. "After I am gone, take the brothers and retreat. Head toward Salt City. Now that the two southern cities have fallen, if Tang Chen launches an offensive south from Kangding, the capital will be left isolated. If we retreat to the Salt City region, we can still bide our time and recover."

Inuo looked up, wanting to protest, but ultimately bowed his head and raised his hands in salute. "Your subject obeys your decree!"

Tamon offered a smile of satisfaction, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. "Chu Junhan is masterful in the arts of war and strategy. I heard that five years ago, Cen Song took in a young child in the Tianqing Kingdom..."

"My King, do you mean..." Inuo’s eyes flickered with shock and panic.

Tamon suffered another violent coughing fit, spitting out more blood. After forcing it to stop, he wiped his mouth and sighed, "No matter where that brat learned his craft, waging war requires provisions. The Xiao dogs have cut off his supplies for over a year... You only need to remember one thing: guard the grain! In time, the Chu Army will surely be defeated!"

Inuo kowtowed. "Your subject will strictly follow your sacred command!"

The man on the bed let out a final, ragged breath, coughed up one last mouthful of blood, and slumped heavily back onto the bed.

"My King!"

Grief permeated the entire palace.

...

No sooner had Tamon died than Inuo led the Liao army northward toward Salt City, leaving the capital an empty, undefended shell.

Chu Junhan had captured the Liao capital without losing a single soldier. Such a legendary feat left the world in awe, and her military reputation became thunderous, echoing far and wide.

In the summer of the sixteenth year of Tianwu, the ten-year-old youth was officially conferred the title of the Third Deputy General of the Chu Army, holding rank equal to his mother and Tang Chen.

Her story was adapted into myths and spread through every street and alley. People spoke of her with endless fascination, and many young maidens, their hearts newly awakened to love, began to harbor fantasies of her.

The name Chu Junhan had already become a legendary existence.

Meanwhile, Inuo strictly adhered to Tamon’s dying wish, guarding the Salt City area with unwavering resolve, avoiding all battles, and keeping their grain supplies hidden so securely that the Chu Army found themselves unable to strike a decisive blow.

...

"General, our provisions are running low," Tang Chen reported, bowing with a bitter expression.

Chu Xiong sat upright, his fists clenched tightly on the table as he breathed heavily.

For years, the Tianqing Kingdom had used various excuses to cut off their supplies; this was not the first time. The kingdom could not be relied upon, yet the war had to be fought.

If they did not fight, in the long run, the Chu Army would inevitably face defeat.