After doing all this, Yun Fei, feeling secure, looked at Zhao Tieshan below him.
"Didn't you say you could kill a hundred men and retreat calmly?"
"Then why were you brought here with your hands and feet broken after killing only a dozen?"
"You wouldn't be feigning defeat to take my head, would you?"
After saying this, Yun Fei retreated a few more steps, just in case this guy suddenly exploded and started killing.
Hearing this, Zhao Tieshan's face immediately turned red as he said:
"Go to hell!"
"I said I could kill a hundred ordinary soldiers and retreat calmly."
"Are those ordinary soldiers? Each of your soldiers, with their fearless spirit and Innate Divine Power-like strength, is equivalent to a third-rate Martial Artist."
"The fact that I could kill a dozen already shows my superb martial arts."
"And I'm feigning defeat?"
"Have you ever seen anyone feign defeat by first breaking their hands and feet, and then being tied up?"
"Even an Innate Martial Artist can't reattach severed limbs, can they? I'm not playing your sister's beheading game."
"Go to hell!"
Yun Fei listened to these insults without paying too much attention.
Instead, he was even more excited when he heard that each of his Dead Soldiers was equivalent to a third-rate Martial Artist.
He hadn't expected the Dead Soldiers given by the System to be so powerful.
As for the guy still cursing him...
Yun Fei waved his hand.
The other Dead Soldiers understood the command, and all raised their great sabers and brought them down.
Zhao Tieshan's curses stopped abruptly, blood splattered, and his head rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide open, as if he died with grievances.
But there was no need for grievances; in the next second, he was chopped into pieces by more sabers.
Yun Fei looked expressionlessly at the mosaic, then looked up in the direction of Qingshan City.
At this time, the battle within the city was nearing its end. The Dead Soldiers had completely occupied the city walls, the city gates had been rammed open, and large numbers of Dead Soldiers were pouring into the city.
"Lord!"
Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming rode over in a hurry, his face filled with excitement.
"Qingshan City has been captured by us!"
Yun Fei nodded and asked:
"What are the casualties?"
Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming hesitated for a moment, then whispered:
"Not many died, only 137, but nearly 2,000 were injured."
"Most of them were wounded by the first volley of arrows during the charge, and the rest were scalded by boiling oil and water."
Yun Fei was slightly surprised to hear this, not expecting only 137 deaths.
This was much lower than he had imagined.
However, considering that each of his Dead Soldiers was equivalent to a third-rate Martial Artist, this didn't seem like much.
It even seemed a bit high.
"Uh... Lord."
Just then, Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming spoke again.
"The prefect of that city wishes to surrender to us. I wonder if Lord will accept him."
Yun Fei raised an eyebrow upon hearing this:
"Oh? Bring him to me."
Before long, several Dead Soldiers escorted a middle-aged man in official robes, his face full of fawning, over.
As soon as Zhou Wende saw Yun Fei, he immediately knelt on the ground with a "thump" and kowtowed repeatedly:
"This humble official, Zhou Wende, greets Lord! Lord's Divine Might is unparalleled; this humble official is willing to serve as a loyal dog!"
Yun Fei looked at this spineless prefect and waved his hand.
The surrounding Dead Soldiers immediately understood their Lord's intention and raised their great sabers.
Under the prefect's terrified gaze, a saber was brought down.
A bloody head rolled to the ground.
Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming, standing by, was completely stunned, not expecting his Lord to kill the prefect directly.
Yun Fei looked at the prefect in front of him without concern, and instead ordered the entire army to enter the city.
As the city gates crashed down, the vast army of Dead Soldiers surged into Qingshan City like a tide.
On the streets, the common people fearfully closed their doors and windows; occasionally, a bolder one would peek through a crack in the window, only to see the two-meter-tall strongmen marching in silent formation, the ground trembling slightly.
Yun Fei said to Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming:
"Go and post a notice in the city, stating that our Da Fei Dynasty is recruiting strategists. Those who wish to can come forward."
Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, Lord!"
...Inside the Qingshan City government office, Yun Fei sat on the main seat, with the city's household registers and granary ledgers spread out before him.
And a most important item, which was a map of the Great Wu Dynasty.
Yun Fei hadn't expected this prefect's home to have a map of the Great Wu Dynasty, and it looked very detailed.
The Dead Soldiers stood silently on both sides, like statues.
"Report—"
A Dead Soldier strode in.
"Lord, we found 30,000 shi of grain in the granary in the west of the city, 50,000 taels of silver in the treasury, and 300 taels of gold."
Yun Fei nodded; this was more than he had expected.
It seemed that although Zhou Wende was afraid of death, he was quite skilled at extorting wealth from the people.
While he was pondering, a commotion came from outside.
"Let go of me! I can walk by myself!"
A clear voice came.
A moment later, two Dead Soldiers escorted a young man, about twenty years old, in.
The man was dressed in a green scholar's robe, with a lean face, and although he was being escorted, he still held his back straight.
"Lord, this man claims to be a scholar from the city and says he wishes to see you."
The Dead Soldier reported.
Yun Fei looked at the young man with interest:
"What is your name? Why do you wish to see me?"
The young man bowed neither obsequiously nor arrogantly:
"This student is Liu Ming, courtesy name Ziqing. Hearing that the General is recruiting strategists, I have come to offer my services."
"Oh?" Yun Fei raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Do you know who I am?"
Liu Ming looked directly at Yun Fei:
"Lord claims to be the ruler of the Da Fei Dynasty, so you must intend to replace the Great Wu Dynasty."
"You are a scholar; why do you wish to join a rebel army?"
Yun Fei asked deliberately.
Liu Ming gave a bitter smile and replied:
"Although this student once passed the imperial examination, I was stripped of my title for offending the county magistrate."
"Now the Great Wu Dynasty's government is corrupt, and the common people are suffering immensely."
"If Lord truly has the ambition to change the world, this student is willing to contribute my humble efforts."
After hearing this, a smile appeared on Yun Fei's lips, and he decisively waved his hand, giving the order:
"Good!"
"Since that is the case, Liu Ming, hear my command: from today onward, you shall be the first military advisor of my Da Fei Dynasty, responsible for military deployment and grain allocation."
Liu Ming was stunned for a moment, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Lo... Lord, do... do you truly mean this decision?"
His voice trembled, almost unable to form a coherent sentence, completely not expecting to be entrusted with such an important task so easily.
Yun Fei nodded in confirmation, walked slowly to Liu Ming, and patted his shoulder:
"Indeed. Employ people without doubt, and do not employ people you doubt."
"You are the first strategist to voluntarily join me, and I will naturally not treat you unfairly."
Liu Ming stood rooted to the spot, his expression dazed, his fingers trembling slightly beneath his green scholar's robe.
He had only come to apply with a 'let's try' mindset, never imagining he would be given such heavy responsibilities so quickly.
He hadn't expected that this Lord would so unhesitatingly entrust him with such a crucial and important duty.
The position of military advisor not only oversaw the entire army's grain and supplies but also managed the governance of the city. The extent of this power far exceeded Liu Ming's expectations.
"Lord..."
Liu Ming took a deep breath, trying to calm the tremor in his heart, and with a solemn expression, knelt on one knee.
"This subordinate is willing to exert all my strength and pledge my loyalty unto death!"
Yun Fei nodded in satisfaction and reached out to help Liu Ming up.
He noticed the fleeting glint in the other's eyes—
It was the excitement and longing of long-buried talent finally being able to be displayed.
Yun Fei smiled slightly, then with a grand wave of his hand, he handed the freshly organized grain reserves, silver accounts, and the map of the Great Wu Dynasty, all at once, to Liu Ming.
He then beckoned, calling Grand Marshal Zhang Lieming to enter with him:
"Good, with you two, one civil and one military, working together with one heart."
"I presume capturing Chang'an within a month will not be a problem."