Lin Xiuming replied, "I also can't think of anything that could have caused such a huge crater, but it must have been some kind of special weapon."
"Judging from the distribution of the barbarians' corpses, the fifty thousand heavy cavalry of North City played a significant role. However, without that mysterious weapon that routed the barbarian army of three hundred thousand, it would have been very difficult for the fifty thousand heavy cavalry alone to defeat the barbarian army."
Lin Xiuming, a general and a veteran of battlefields, needed only a glance at the distribution of the barbarians' remains to largely reconstruct the events that had taken place during the barbarians' attack on North City.
The only thing he could not determine was the nature of that mysterious weapon, which was also the cause of his ongoing concern.
At that moment, Lin Xiuming suddenly thought of something else and added, "By the way, I heard that on the day the barbarians attacked Yan County, the common people there heard continuous booming thunder, so I suspect that those craters might be closely related to the sounds heard by the people of Yan County."
Upon hearing Lin Xiuming's words, Situ Ce pondered for a moment.
To create a crater six to seven steps wide, even a grandmaster wouldn't be able to do it—it would require a great grandmaster like himself to exert such destructive force.
With this thought, Situ Ce asked, "Is it possible that a great grandmaster appeared in North City that day, and those craters were created by that great grandmaster?"
Lin Xiuming said, "I had considered that initially, but upon closer examination of the craters, I found they don't resemble the handiwork of a great grandmaster. The craters are very uniform in width, and what's more important, there is a large number of them, scattered from Yan County all the way to Wanning Valley."
"If you were to strike, I believe you could indeed create craters like those, but to create hundreds of them... I'm not sure." Lin Xiuming trailed off, knowing that Situ Ce was a great grandmaster, but not the specifics of his capabilities since Situ Ce rarely showed his power in front of others and had always been enigmatic.
Yet Lin Xiuming still did not believe that Situ Ce could create hundreds of craters the likes of those in the Wanning Valley by human power alone.
At this point, Situ Ce said, "Indeed, the skill within me is insufficient to create so many large craters."
"If these craters were not formed by human effort, then that presents a problem. If North City truly possesses a terrifying weapon with destructive power comparable to that of a great grandmaster, and word of this spreads, it may not be long before the major kingdoms join forces against Great Sum."
Nowadays, a grandmaster serves as the public pillar of each kingdom, and no matter how intense the war between nations becomes, they absolutely refrain from deploying anyone stronger than a grandmaster to the battlefield.
But if a weapon emerged with killing power on par with a grandmaster's force, then the status of grandmasters would be completely undermined, and the balance among the great kingdoms would be disrupted.
Once the other kingdoms learned of this, it was certain they would unite against the nation possessing such a mysterious weapon—it was inevitable.
After hearing Situ Ce's words, Lin Xiuming's expression turned even more solemn, as he naturally understood the implications.
Then Lin Xiuming asked, "I have been troubled about how to report the battle of Yan County to the imperial court. Please advise me, State Preceptor."
As he said this, Lin Xiuming bowed in respect to Situ Ce.
Although the Imperial Army led by Lin Xiuming had not arrived in time for the major battle between North City and the Barbarian Tribe, they had come to North City nonetheless.
As the commander in charge of leading the Imperial Army northwards, Lin Xiuming would inevitably have to report his observations from North City to the imperial court, which made him feel quite uneasy.
The heavy cavalry was less of a concern; the imperial court probably already knew about the North Prince's control over the heavy cavalry. But as for the mysterious weapon in the North Prince's possession, Lin Xiuming truly did not know whether to report it or not.
A weapon with destructive power comparable to a grandmaster's strike—if the imperial court were to learn of it, not only would the court itself be in an uproar, but it was likely that all the great kingdoms would immediately be thrown into turmoil.
While Lin Xiuming was merely a military general, as the son of the Left Minister, he possessed a certain political savvy and realized the gravity of the situation.
Well, now that the State Preceptor had arrived, he surely knew how to report it, didn't he?
After some thought, Situ Ce said to Lin Xiuming, "General Lin, do not mention those craters in your official report. Just state that a great grandmaster may have taken action in North City."
"As for those craters, once I return to the Capital City, I will speak to His Majesty about them personally."
Lin Xiuming's eyes brightened, and he bowed again, saying, "Thank you, State Preceptor!"
Situ Ce nodded slightly and continued, "Has General Lin noticed anything else unusual during your time in North City?"
Lin Xiuming responded, "Not for the moment. I've been cautious not to let the soldiers pay excessive attention to what has been happening in North City, fearing it might provoke the North Prince's displeasure."
Situ Ce stated, "Mm, General Lin's approach is correct. Indeed, at this time, the Imperial Army cannot afford too many small movements."
With that, Situ Ce turned and said, "That will be all for today, General Lin. I must now make my way to the North Prince Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuming felt a jolt in his heart; the State Preceptor was indeed heading for the North Prince."
"Safe travels, State Preceptor!"
Situ Ce quickly left the encampment where the Imperial Army was stationed and went straight to the North Prince Mansion.