Chapter 25

Rin targets Jinzhou to cripple the Republic’s resources, deciding the city is expendable. Despite Kitay insisting on fair warning, the magistrate refuses surrender. A decoy assault reveals only opium bombs for defense. Rin commits to using her new shamans, centering the plan on Dulin’s earthshaking power while keeping Lianhua in the rear and Pipaji out of close combat.

Under arrow fire, Rin escorts Dulin to within range. He opens a massive sinkhole that swallows Jinzhou’s wall and artillery, guaranteeing a breach. Rin drives the center assault, incinerating defenders; she wrestles with the shift from vengeance to raw dominance, then embraces it. The city raises white flags, but Rin momentarily continues burning before pulling back.

After surrender, earthquakes continue as Dulin loses control and the Great Tortoise threatens to bury the city. Rin reaches the epicenter, overpowers Dulin, and forces opium down his throat, subduing the god and stopping the tremors. Pipaji stands ready but does not intervene.

With order restored, Commander Miragha reports the magistrate fled east, abandoning family who later die under rubble. Rin orders pursuit to maintain secrecy about her shamans, preferring capture but accepting kills. The Southern Army systematically plunders warehouses for food, medical supplies, transport, and textiles, and Rin commissions brown uniforms from local seamstresses to unify the army.

In Jinzhou’s lavish council chamber, Rin surveys the spoils and the seat of power. She contemplates authority and her growing appetite for it, then steels herself against Nezha, vowing to bring down his Republic.