Venezia Giulia was an important region that stood between Italy and the Balkans. Tens of thousands of troops were stationed here to block the Khitans’ invasion.
Days ago, this place was an utter ss. Soldiers dressed in different uniforms paced around. The noise was so great that it reached the clouds. Food, arrows, and weapons were stacked like hills in the barracks. Carriages and people filled the streets.
The military barracks that extended for kiloters gave off the grandeur of a mobile city.
But now…
This ‘city’ had been torched ablaze!
After taking down Milan, Shu Yichao had galloped straight for this barracks, drawn by the sheer number of red dots gathered here.
The troops stationed in Venezia-Giulia didn’t expect such a frightening army to suddenly appear from behind. They were caught off guard when thousands of tal Fortresses charged into their formation under the cover of the night.
“What’s that noise?”
A soldier curiously peeked his head out when he heard loud rumbles.
Bam bam bam!
Fresh blood spurted everywhere. Soldiers scread as they were crushed.
“Charge with , my brothers!”
Shu Yichao was leading the charge as he always did. He relentlessly fired arrows with his Jeweled Bow. No enemy in his line of sight could escape his sniping.
“Bad news!”
“It’s the Scourge of God!”
“The Scourge of God is here!”
The sight of the blood twin-headed eagle flag terrified the soldiers, inducing screams as they attempted to escape. The panic swiftly spread, as the neighboring troops soon descended into chaos too.
Wherever the tal Fortresses charged, death and flas followed.
Tents, army formations, and piers… Everything was smashed up before going up in flas. Thick smoke choked the reddened sky as if hell had been realized in the world of the living.
The Crusade troops stationed in Venezia-Giulia were crushed.
By the ti the gentle rays of the sun erged, the Crusade’s tens of thousands of soldiers were already stone-cold.
“Caesar,” Sophia walked up to Shu Yichao and respectfully greeted him, “the Genoese wish to et you.”
“You can deal with it as you deem fit.” Shu Yichao tapped into his map, and the sheer number of red dots that remained fanned his excitent. “Let see who I should hit next. It’s much more fun when the enemies are clustered together!”
Shu Yichao felt as happy as a hamster diving into a vat of rice. Everywhere he looked, there were mobs for him to beat up. He didn’t have to struggle to find enemies, and he could puml soldiers he encountered along the way.
It was so exhilarating!
“Even speeding the battle up eight tis feels a bit slow,” Shu Yichao murmured contemplatively. “I should further hasten it up.”
…
The Genoese entered the tent with their heads humbly lowered. They dared not to breathe loudly even though Shu Yichao wasn’t in the camp.
But as much as they were afraid, they were also incredibly excited. So of them were even moved to tears.
Support was finally on the way!
The Crusade had been tyrannizing Italy over the past year.
They didn’t think of themselves as outsiders, emptying out every granary and armory along the way. They forcefully occupied many mines and shafts and used the ore to forge more weapons. Steeds, donkeys, and trading ships were all confiscated under the pretext of the Holy War.
They even demanded additional compensation for offering their protection!
Countless villages and towns had been plundered clean. Many were left bankrupt.
On top of that, abled n were forced to serve as coolies, whereas the won were exploited. rcenaries killed anyone whom they wanted to and deprived the vulnerable of necessities…
No one was spared from this brutality. Even the daughter and two sons of Genoa’s ruler had been taken away, and to this day, no one knew whether they were alive or dead.
The Khitan Caesar was practically a saint compared to them. At least he spared anyone who kneeled fast enough.
So, the first thing the Genoese did upon hearing about Shu Yichao’s invasion of Milan was to send scouts over to verify the authenticity of the rumors. Soon, the scouts returned with uplifting news.
The Khitan Caesar was indeed here!
This was the day they would right the rebellion!
What are you waiting for? Grab our finest food and alcohol to welco the Khitans!
What? You’re asking what if the Khitan Caesar loses? You must be kidding ! That man is anything but human!
“O’ great Basilinna,” they spoke with frightful voices, “please relay our insignificant admiration and respect to the most esteed Caesar.”
The Genoese handed the supplies they had gathered under the Crusade’s coercion to Sophia, along with a bunch of exquisite jewels and antiques. On top of that, they had rallied their fleet together and expressed that they were willing to move at the Khitan Caesar’s command.
If the Khitan Caesar wanted to attack Eternal City Ro via water, they were more than happy to lend their aid.
“Another free boat ride? But I don’t need it this ti. I’m planning on slaughtering my way there!”
Looking at the sheer number of red dots along the way made his hands itch. They are all mine!
“Oh? What country is that, to dare approach on their own accord?” Shu Yichao’s eyes lit up. “Brothers, prepare to set off! We’re going to farm so heads!”
…
“Your Majesty, urgent report!”
While King Charles was leading his army down River Po toward Milan, they encountered more deserters and received further updates on the situation.
It quickly struck King Charles and the others that the situation was different from what they had expected.
They assud that Shu Yichao would be trying to conquer Milan after defeating the Duke of Milan’s and England’s troops, so they were hoping to reach there before the troops stationed in Venezia-Giulia arrived.
That would allow them to have an explosive showdown with the Scourge of God.
But to their surprise…
Milan has been breached? The Duke of Milan has been executed? Most of the nobles and knights have been massacred?
And the Scourge of God proceeded to attack the troops over at Venezia-Giulia and crushed them too?
What the heck! That amounts to at least 100,000 casualties on the side of the Crusade!
Are the Khitans that powerful?
King Charles frowned. He started to wonder if he had made the wrong decision.
Maybe I should have remained at the opposite side of River Po to block the Khitans from moving southward?
However, the thought of his 80,000 army made him puff up his chest with pride.
This is an army of 80,000 people! Rarely did any European king get a chance to lead such a terrifying army! If I hesitate here with such a huge army when I’m only faced with 3000 Khitans, even if I’m willing to take the dishonor, my knights will definitely not agree to it.
“Advance!” He ordered his knights. “Send a war declaration to the Khitan Caesar! Tell him that the great King of France will be leading a holy army blessed by the Lord to have a showdown with him!”
…
King Charles never got to deliver the declaration of war, for Shu Yichao arrived first.
A blood twin-headed eagle flag could be seen rushing in his direction from the horizon, and beneath it was a line of gleaming tal.
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