Lin Tian's army charged in, signifying the Peacock Kingdom's complete loss of its ability to resist.
Had Lin Tian's army not broken through, they might have had a chance to defend using their city walls.
But now, with the city gates breached, they had no strength left to hold back Lin Tian's forces.
As Lin Tian's army truly began their assault, the Peacock Kingdom's soldiers fell at an astonishing rate.
The heavy loss of soldiers was an immeasurable blow to the Peacock Kingdom.
Consequently, as more of Lin Tian's army poured in from behind, many were so terrified that they simply dropped their weapons.
They didn't know how to protect their capital any longer, and surrender seemed to be their only option.
And so, Lin Tian's army soon stormed into the Peacock Kingdom's royal palace.
The palace was in utter chaos at this moment.
"Your Majesty, disaster has struck! Those people have broken in!!"
"How is this possible? How could they be so fast? What are our soldiers doing? Why didn't they stop them at all??"
"I don't know, Your Majesty! But we must flee this place immediately. If we don't escape, we might die here!!"
"Flee, flee, now!!"
The King of the Peacock Kingdom was not a stubborn man.
At such a critical juncture of life and death, he naturally chose to survive.
Therefore, upon hearing the suggestion to escape, he did not hesitate and prepared to flee.
As these words were spoken, the soldiers of the Peacock Kingdom breathed a sigh of relief.
However, just as they were about to make their escape, the sounds of battle erupted at their doorstep.
"Charge! Break through and capture the King of the Peacock Kingdom alive!!"
"Kill! The King of the Peacock Kingdom is inside, do not let him escape!!"
The people of the Peacock Kingdom could not understand the words of Great Qin.
However, the King of the Peacock Kingdom instinctively felt fear.
His first reaction was to strip off his clothes, to remove anything that symbolized his status as King of the Peacock Kingdom.
Ideally, someone would take his place and impersonate him in front of Lin Tian's army.
This way, he might escape unharmed.
However, as he was halfway through undressing, and before anyone could exchange clothes with him, Lin Tian led his army in.
Seeing the King of the Peacock Kingdom, who was only half-undressed, Lin Tian burst into laughter.
"It seems this King of the Peacock Kingdom is quite clever. He knows to shed his clothes and swap with someone by his side, perhaps to escape unscathed!"
"Haha! Quite clever indeed, but this body is a bit too large and bloated. I doubt many would be able to fit into these clothes!"
"The King of the Peacock Kingdom is truly different, his physique is unlike anyone else's. But that's fine, it makes it easier for us to recognize him at a glance!"
Conquering the Peacock Kingdom and capturing its King alive was a joyous occasion for Great Qin.
Therefore, everyone was joking around, filled with laughter and happiness.
Lin Tian then emerged, carrying the King of the Peacock Kingdom in one hand, and addressed the remaining people of the Peacock Kingdom.
"Lay down your weapons, and you shall live. Otherwise, all shall die!!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
The people of the Peacock Kingdom couldn't understand Lin Tian's words.
However, seeing their King held captive in Lin Tian's grasp, they understood that their kingdom's fate was sealed.
Consequently, many among them, with dejected expressions, laid down their weapons.
They understood that their Peacock Kingdom had been defeated.
Such a defeat meant they might not even have the chance to rise again.
At this moment, surrendering and accepting their defeat was their only recourse.
Many who laid down their weapons were filled with extreme despair.
However, just a few days later, their despair turned into profound relief.
Because a few days later, the additional three hundred thousand troops who followed Lin Tian's army arrived.
The appearance of this three hundred thousand strong army was incredibly overwhelming for the Peacock Kingdom.
The entire Peacock Kingdom did not even possess three hundred thousand troops.
Let alone the fact that they were already no match for Lin Tian's initial fifteen thousand troops.
Facing this additional three hundred thousand soldiers, they would have only one outcome.
That is, to die in regret, with no possibility of a comeback.
Therefore, they were grateful for their earlier decision to surrender.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness we chose to surrender earlier. Otherwise, with their three hundred thousand troops arriving, we would have been doomed!"
"Whew! Their power is terrifying. Such a large army is unprecedented. With so many troops, one can only imagine how powerful their nation must be!"
"We even thought about occupying the country behind them and seizing their land and wealth! Now it seems those thoughts were utterly wishful thinking!"
Upon seeing the Qin army of three hundred thousand, the people of the Peacock Kingdom immediately realized that their previous ambitions were completely unrealistic fantasies.
When a nation can dispatch three hundred thousand troops with just this single force, who could imagine how many soldiers they truly possessed?
Once they reached their country, facing hundreds of thousands, even millions, of soldiers, these people would be walking into certain death.
Therefore, not having attacked them was, in fact, a good thing for them.
At least those who remained here had survived.
At least they were not on the brink of death.
However, just as they were contemplating their good fortune, Lin Tian and his people were already deciding their fate.
"Transporting these soldiers back to our Great Qin would be extremely difficult and require vast amounts of grain and wealth!"
"Therefore, we shall leave them here and make them slaves. They will mine for us and collect wealth for us!"
"However, these people must be controlled. Not only will they be shackled, but all weapons in the hands of the common folk will be confiscated. We will not give them any opportunity to defy the law with force!"
"As for the ordinary citizens, if they are honest, they will be given a chance to live and continue their normal lives!"
"Those who are dishonest will be executed without mercy!"
For the Qin army to rule this territory, they naturally needed to employ decisive measures.
Therefore, anyone who deserved to be killed would not be spared.
...