He was well aware of the implications.
However, once they requested aid from the Great Yi Dynasty, it would likely mean that Xiaoyao City would no longer be his to rule freely. Becoming part of the Great Yi's territory was almost inevitable. The Great Yi military was not something that could be mobilized casually. Were it not for the fact that they were all human race, the dynasty would have likely annexed Xiaoyao City long ago.
How could he not know that the citizens of Xiaoyao City had long admired the Great Yi? To them, the people of Great Yi lived lives that were enviable, even awe-inspiring. Were it not for his suppression, they would have rushed to become subjects of Great Yi.
The truth was, the Great Yi's appeal to the surrounding human cities was overwhelming.
Not only were their livelihoods secure, but everyone had the right to become a cultivator—a world where "all men are dragons." Within Great Yi, every citizen could live with dignity, and even die with dignity. They were truly respected.
If this had been a Great Yi Immortal City, any werewolves that dared to besiege it wouldn't have even gotten close to the walls before being obliterated.
This request for aid... would change Xiaoyao City's surname to "Yi."
"The tides of history cannot be stopped."
An Lushan fell silent. Over the years, he had come to understand Great Yi deeply and knew well that the free and easy days of Xiaoyao City were numbered. Great Yi would never allow a city to remain autonomous indefinitely. Though they would not treat fellow humans as brutally as they would foreign races, public sentiment was the key. Without the people's support, guarding a city meant nothing.
Moreover, he too harbored ambition.
He, An Lushan, was no mediocre fool. Compared to Great Yi, Xiaoyao City was a dead end. The path was clear. But City Lord Wang Chen had always clung to his petty kingdom, reluctant to give up power. His own reputation was far from spotless, and that made him cautious. Yet now, even the utterly disgraced Heshen had found renewed glory and high status within Great Yi.
Compared to that, what was his own bad reputation?
Naturally, he was also drawn to Great Yi.
"City Lord, I believe that this time we have no choice but to seek aid from Great Yi. Moreover, we may as well seize this chance to actively offer submission. With the Yi Emperor's character, he certainly wouldn't be stingy with those who make meritorious contributions. There are many precedents—human city lords who surrendered to Great Yi were not only allowed to retain their positions, but saw their territories thrive like never before. But first, we must protect the 600,000 citizens of Xiaoyao City."
An Lushan took a deep breath and spoke again.
"At this point, we have no other choice."
Wang Chen smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Send a message to Great Yi immediately. Light the Beacon Tower. Release the wolf smoke."
"Light the Beacon Tower! Release the wolf smoke!"
An Lushan smiled and issued the order swiftly.
Soon after, soldiers arrived at a special structure on the city walls—an ancient and simple high platform, resembling a chimney. They placed specially prepared fuel into it and set it alight.
At once, a plume of blood-red smoke rose into the sky like fire, emanating an intense crimson glow. It hovered in the air, visible for thousands of miles, unmistakable from any direction. As time passed, its influence continued to spread.
This was no ordinary signal—it was a treasure-class structure, known as the Beacon Tower.
As a rare treasure building, the Beacon Tower was anything but simple. When its wolf smoke was ignited, it transformed into bloody light and mist, shooting into the heavens. Within the smoke, it could manifest visions and warnings, and its range could eventually reach even tens of millions of miles.
As the smoke climbed, a vivid image appeared within it:
Xiaoyao City—surrounded by hundreds of thousands of werewolf cavalry, an overwhelming force intent on slaughter.
Then, in bright blood-colored characters, a message appeared in the sky:
"Xiaoyao City is under siege by a werewolf army intent on massacre. We plead for aid from the Great Yi Dynasty. Xiaoyao City is willing to submit and join Great Yi."
These glowing words could be read even from ten thousand miles away, instantly and clearly understood.
Great Yi Dynasty The Iron-Blood Great Wall
The wall was guarded day and night by well-trained troops, constantly patrolling to prevent any breach or ambush.
Now, every soldier looked to the sky.
The wolf smoke was everywhere, displaying the scene of Xiaoyao City and its urgent plea for help.
"What? Xiaoyao City is under siege by werewolves? Tens of thousands of cavalry? What are they trying to do?"
At the wall, Yang Yanping was the current commanding general—part of a rotating defense schedule so each general could rest in turn.
Seeing the scene in the smoke, Yang was first stunned by the Beacon Tower's mystic ability, and then burned with rage.
A city massacre?
Were they provoking the entire human race? Since Great Yi's rise, such a thing had never happened. If it did now, it would mean war to the death.
Every human, every citizen of Great Yi, would rise in fury.
Across the entire territory of the Great Yi Dynasty—In every Immortal City—The citizens saw the same scene.And their blood boiled.
"Beastmen... werewolves... what are they thinking?!"
"Are they tired of living? Do they really think we're the weaklings we used to be? Kill them all!"
"Xiaoyao City may not be an Immortal City of Great Yi yet, but the smoke clearly states they wish to join. That makes them one of us now. We must save them!"
"Any fellow Hunters out there willing to join me in killing these beasts for the sake of our people?"
Many in Great Yi had once suffered under the yoke of beastmen, surviving only by luck. Hatred burned deep. The call for vengeance now swept through the land like wildfire.
If this were a mere conflict, perhaps the response wouldn't be so intense. But this—this was a planned massacre.
And that… was unforgivable.
"A massacre… Xiaoyao City… Looks like this is the spark that will light the war."
Yi Tianxing stood in the royal palace, looking up at the sky, eyes fixed on the smoke.
He had long expected a confrontation with the Beast King Court and the surrounding races. What he hadn't expected was that they'd choose massacre as the opening move. They had touched his deepest fury.
"This Beacon Tower is... intriguing."
He had anticipated the Beast King Court would act—he just didn't know how. Now it was clear: Xiaoyao City was the fuse.
But more than that, he was intrigued by the Beacon Tower itself. A strategic treasure with powerful communicative abilities, it could project real-time visuals and messages over vast distances—a game-changer in wartime.
"Transmit my order—summon all generals of the War Council to court."
Yi Tianxing gave the command.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Cao Zhengchun quickly acknowledged the order.
Yi Tianxing then proceeded to the Hall of Heavenly Judgment.
Soon, generals and ministers alike—Jia Xu, Huang Chengyan, and others—arrived in droves.
Something as dramatic as the Beacon Tower's signal couldn't be missed by anyone with functioning eyes.
"We greet the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"At ease."
Yi Tianxing nodded and said, "You all saw the wolf smoke from the Beacon Tower. What should be done? Do you have other opinions?"
His voice was calm, without emotion.
"Fight. We must fight. If the werewolves want to provoke us, they can be buried outside Xiaoyao City!" snarled Zhang Fei, eyes blazing with fury.
"Your Majesty, I request to lead the army!" said Yang Ye, stepping forward with a bow.
"I request to join the battle. Not a single werewolf shall escape!" added Qi Jiguang firmly.
One by one, commanders requested to join the battle.
To soldiers, war was not just duty—it was destiny.
"There's no need to rush," said Jia Xu with a smile. "This war will be long. Everyone will get their turn. The Beast King Court is planning a full-on confrontation with us. The werewolf cavalry… they're just the vanguard."