Chapter 117: A Swift Counterkill

Chen Mu led his army in pursuit, firing cannons as they advanced. Although the accuracy was poor, the narrow pass made the bombardment quite effective. This was the battle plan Chen Mu had agreed upon with the Kingdom of Hua: it would wipe out the combat strength of the Kingdom of Xi in one stroke, remove any future threats, and minimize casualties for the Great Xia army. After all, they were merely there to assist.

As the Xi soldiers fled, they began climbing the mountains on either side. Seeing this, Chen Mu ordered a thousand musketeers to stay behind and sweep the area, while the rest of the army pushed forward. They soon reached Hua-Xi Pass. The gates had not been repaired, so Chen Mu led his troops straight through. The next barrier, the border gate of the Kingdom of Xi, was lightly defended; upon seeing the Great Xia army, the guards turned and fled. Chen Mu blasted the gates open with his cannons and entered Xi territory. Having broken through three barriers in succession, the Great Xia army arrived at the residential districts of the Kingdom of Xi.

One hundred cannons were positioned in the center, aimed at the buildings, while musketeers stood guard on both flanks. Supply wagons carrying ammunition and fuel followed behind. The residents and soldiers of Xi were terrified, scrambling to hide in distant buildings. Chen Mu did not order an attack, choosing instead to wait quietly.

About an hour later, a soldier arrived from the rear to report: the Xi soldiers had been captured, their artillery seized, and the people of Hua would arrive shortly. Chen Mu ordered his men to hold their positions and wait. Before long, the Hua contingent arrived, led by the King of Hua, accompanied by his royal guard and hundreds of Hua soldiers, all traveling in steam-powered locomotives.

Across from them, several steam-powered vehicles emerged and stopped near the buildings, from which someone shouted, "Long Xuhu! How dare you violate our ancestral teachings and summon the Great Xia army across the border!"

Seeing the distinct artillery technology and steam-powered crawler vehicles, and noting the uniforms of the Great Xia troops, the people of Xi had naturally guessed the truth. Besides, the Kingdom of Hua could not possibly have fielded such a large force on their own.

The King of Hua sneered, "It was you who first violated our ancestral teachings by attempting to attack Great Xia! Now, upon hearing of the scientific progress in our Kingdom of Hua, you come to attack our gates again!"

The King of Xi retorted, "Victory belongs to the Snow Mountain lineage! We of the Kingdom of Xi also contributed to the research—by what right do you claim the results for yourself?"

The King of Hua replied, "You were the one who insisted on seceding; why blame the Kingdom of Hua now?"

Chen Mu could no longer watch, and interjected, "Gentlemen, let's set that discussion aside for a moment. The Kingdom of Xi has been defeated. If you both wish to remain in the Snow Mountains, you must come to a resolution. If you cannot solve this peacefully, my cannons can help you reach a conclusion."

Chen Mu’s meaning was explicit: if the Kingdom of Xi did not surrender, he would flatten the place. In any case, he felt no attachment to them. Upon hearing the Great Xia prince speak, the King of Xi immediately softened his stance. "Very well, out of respect for the Great Xia army, I agree to enter negotiations with the Kingdom of Hua."

The King of Hua was not satisfied. "It is not a negotiation; it is a surrender. The Kingdom of Xi must surrender unconditionally and accept our terms. Otherwise..." He looked at Chen Mu and added, "I believe the Crown Prince of Great Xia would be more than happy to help me eliminate the Kingdom of Xi."

Chen Mu replied, "It makes no difference to me, as long as the threat to Great Xia is removed."

The King of Xi shouted hurriedly, "We surrender! We surrender! Unconditional surrender!"

With that, the King of Xi ordered his remaining soldiers and guards to lay down their weapons and emerge from the buildings. The Hua soldiers then moved in to take custody of the prisoners. The King of Xi and his ministers followed Chen Mu and the others to the border between Hua and Xi, where, under Chen Mu's supervision, a treaty was signed. From that day forward, the Kingdom of Xi was forbidden from possessing any firearms or cannons, and prohibited from maintaining a standing army. In reality, most of their soldiers were already dead or wounded, with only two or three hundred remaining, and their weapons had largely been confiscated by the Kingdom of Hua.

After the King of Xi signed the "humiliating" treaty, the war that had nearly brought destruction upon the entire Snow Mountain lineage finally came to an end. Upon returning to the Kingdom of Hua, the three members of the Cheng family were put on trial and immediately executed by firing squad. Chen Mu and the King of Hua observed the execution, and with the death of the Cheng trio, this series of expeditions for Chen Mu was brought to a close.

The King of Hua stood up and said, "Your Highness, the Cheng family, who incited this war, has been executed, which serves as a settlement for Great Xia. From this day forward, our two nations shall not interfere with one another. Unless a major event occurs, we shall not venture out of the Snow Mountains again."

Chen Mu nodded with a smile. "If the Kingdom of Hua ever encounters difficulties, the Great Xia will be happy to assist."

The King of Hua laughed heartily. "Hahaha... then I thank you in advance. Your Highness, let us have a drink to see you off."

The King of Hua was clearly eager to see them off; after all, having such a large army stationed in his kingdom made his people uneasy. Chen Mu, having no intention of staying long, stood up. "Many thanks..."

Just then, someone came running toward them, looking extremely agitated. "We succeeded! We have mastered the power of lightning! The Research Faction has won!"

The expressions of everyone present changed dramatically. Some were genuinely happy, some grumbled at the reckless youth, and others looked at Chen Mu with deep vigilance. Chen Mu understood; when the Hua-Xia lineage had split, there was an agreement that whichever faction first developed an invention more revolutionary than the steam engine would gain the right to rule. They were now worried about Chen Mu's reaction.

Chen Mu smiled and said, "Congratulations to the Kingdom of Hua. It seems your Research Faction has indeed won. If you wish to emerge from the mountains, Great Xia is willing to cede a portion of its territory and treat the Kingdom of Hua as an honored guest."

The King of Hua laughed and replied, "Your Highness is truly generous, but times have changed, and the old agreement is no longer valid. The people of Hua have grown accustomed to life in the Snow Mountains and have no intention of leaving."

Hearing this, Long Xueyao became anxious. "Father, the Crown Prince has offered us such kindness, how can you refuse? If we remain in the Snow Mountains, our population will only continue to dwindle."

The King of Hua looked embarrassed. "This... let us not discuss this now; we can deliberate on it in the future."

Chen Mu looked at the King of Hua. "Please rest assured, the Great Xia will not forcefully seize your technology. We can purchase finished products from the Kingdom of Hua, or pay patent fees to utilize the technology."

The King of Hua was stunned. "Patent fees? What is that?"

As they spoke, the youth reached them. He bowed to the King, breathless, and said, "Li Jing pays respects to Your Majesty. My master has successfully completed the development; I invite Your Majesty to come and witness it."