Chapter 169: This Man Seemed to Be Somewhat Tough
South County was located in the south. Although it had been winter, it had not snowed there.
Instead, it was raining more frequently.
Outside of Nanjin City…
It had been raining for three days. Dead bodies littered the wet ground of the city.
In a dense rainforest, several pairs of cold and greedy eyes were staring at Nanjin City’s mottled city wall.
The attack had lasted for days. The defending troops in Nanjin City had almost been exhausted.
Standing on the city tower, Tang Yimo looked a little tired.
That tiredness was both physical and mental.
He had been fighting for three whole days. He felt he had been worn out.
He always charged at the head of his soldiers. Although he was a cultivator, it was still too burdensome.
There were not many Nanman people down there. Most importantly, some of those Nanman people had some mysterious ways of attack.
Hiding behind reciting for some time, these mysterious Nanman people could make thorns pierce through the ground to kill the defending troops of Nanjin City.
Only the South Manor Army could subdue these Nanman people who were attacking them in mysterious ways.
But the South Manor Army had suffered many casualties in the battle, and Tang Yimo felt heartbroken, his eyes turning red.
He had put painstaking effort into South Manor Army. They were subordinates he had trained in person.
However, they died tragically before the city.
Horns were blown again.
Nanman people madly charged out of the forest again. Holding their spears, one by one, they were protecting a black-robed man.
Standing on the city tower, Tang Yimo commanded his subordinates to charge again.
War cries filled the battlefield.
The rain seemed to be endless.
******
Nanjiang City.
Tang Xiansheng was sitting in the rocking chair. Tang Guo sat next to him, eating fruit.
He read every word in the letter.
Tang Xiansheng’s face turned pale. He slightly trembled.
“They are not barbarian soldiers…”
“I have been dealing with Nanman soldiers for decades. I know very well what they have and what they are capable of…”
“What on earth has changed?”
Covering his chest with his hand, Tang Xiansheng coughed a little.
The world had changed since White Jade City had called a truce for three months. Tang Xiansheng had been unaware of the intention of the man in charge of White Jade City.
By now…
He was finally aware of it.
“White Jade City called a truce for three months to give the Great Zhou sufficient time for it to rest and recover so that it would be ready for the upcoming war. So the man in charge of White Jade City anticipated this a long time ago?”
Tang Xiansheng continued to cough.
Tang Guo stopped eating. She hurried to pat Tang Xianshengn on his chest.
Tang Xiansheng’s cough was finally alleviated.
“Guard!” Tang Xiansheng shouted out into the yard as he touched Tang Guo’s head.
A strong man from South Manor Army came.
“Have a letter written. Inform the capital city of what is happening in Nanjin City…”
“If I am not wrong, West County, North County, and Dongyang County should be in the same situation… The Five Barbarians have started to harass the Great Zhou once again.”
“The young emperor should be informed of this,” Tang Xiansheng said.
“You send this letter to the capital city in person. And… Send a copy to White Jade City,” Tang Xiansheng said after giving it some thought.
“Yes.”
The strong man from South Manor Army left the manor to fulfil the task assigned by Tang Xiansheng.
Carrying the letter, he left for the capital city on horseback. He kept changing horses at courier stations so that he could maintain his pace and arrive ahead of time.
Ordinary martial arts practitioners might not be able to take such pressure. They might have been exhausted by such a tiring trip.
However, as a cultivator, he recovered from tiredness quickly and continued on his journey, as if he would never get exhausted.
Not only the South County…
But also letters from North County and West Count were sent to the capital city.
******
Zijin Palace.
In the morning meeting…
Sitting in the Dragon Throne, Yuwen Xiu squinted. He heard the old eunuch read the messages from the three counties. A shrewd light flashed in his eyes.
“The Five Barbarians are harassing the Great Zhou? Ridiculous… Xiang Shaoyun, Tantai Xuan, and Tang Xiansheng all have cultivator armies. Their armies are not weaker than our Black Dragon Guard. Why should we be scared of the Five Barbarians?”
“The barbarians didn’t even cause us any troubles in the era of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy. Now since we, the Great Zhou, have cultivator armies, it would even be almost impossible that they would defeat us!”
Sitting in the Dragon Throne, Yuwen Xiu laughed coldly.
“Your Majesty…”
Down there…
Kong Nanfei, in a Confucian robe, came forward. Frowning, he cupped his hands.
“Your Majesty, according to the letters, the Five Barbarians are all using some mysterious methods. They are not weaker than cultivators. Besides, beyond West County, the Maurya Empire and Guifang have allied with each other. West County’s Hurao Gate is in grave danger.”
“All Nanman tribes are invading South County. The line of defense of Nanjin City is threatened too.”
“Xirong army is bearing down on North County’s frontier. The Lord of Xirong is on an expedition in person. All this is enough to prove how critical the situation is. I don’t think the three counties are exaggerating or telling a scare story.”
Kong Nanfei’s speech caused a great disturbance in the ministers in the meeting.
In the Dragon Throne, Yuwen Xiu seemed to be pondering.
“Well…”
“Minister Kong is right. However… We think maybe the three counties are holding back. They just want the Great Zhou to help.”
“The Great Zhou doesn’t have much power nowadays. We are already in imminent danger. The Black Dragon Guard is the only army we can send.”
“Tell North County that if they want the Great Zhou to send the Black Dragon Guard, then they should give General Jiang Li back to us.”
“As to West County and South County, just ignore them,” Yuwen Xiu said.
As soon as that was said…
Kong Nanfei looked up. He stared at Yuwen Xiu with a sharp look.
“Your Majesty, I am afraid this is not the best thing to do!” Kong Nanfei said seriously.
“The Five Barbarians are harassing the Great Zhou. It is Your Majesty’s Great Zhou that they are harassing!”
His determined voice reached every corner in Zijin Palace.
In an instant…
The atmosphere in Zijin Palace was charged with tension.
No minister dared breathe hard.
They looked at Kong Nanfei and then at Yuwen Xiu, who was sitting in the Dragon Throne with a poker face.
The old eunuch bowed, but he said nothing.
He was in no place to air his opinion here.
Leaning on the back of the Dragon Throne, Yuwen Xiu looked at Kong Nanfei.
“We, of course, know the Great Zhou is ours.”
******
Beiluo City.
Lu Changkong was fully armored. He had three letters in his hand.
They were from South County, West County, and North County.
He invited the messengers from the three counties to go into the city to have some water, but they all rejected. They were going back immediately to fight.
Lu Changkong looked very serious. He did not try to persuade them to stay. He just watched them leave on their horses at high speed.
He let out a long sigh after reading the letters.
“The Five Barbarians are harassing the Great Zhou… Is this why Fan’er called a truce for three months?”
Holding the letters, Lu Changkong frowned.
Then he went to Lake Island.
Luo Yue and Luo Cheng followed him.
“Lord… All those counties have cultivators. Can the Five Barbarians be stronger than cultivators?” Luo Cheng asked.
Lu Changkong shook his head. “It might not be so simple as we imagined. If it were just the Five Barbarians, then it would be fine… But according to the letters, the Five Barbarians have some special methods too. They are not any weaker than cultivators.”
“Fan’er issued that Tianji Order. I guess he anticipated this early on…”
Lu Changkong let out a sigh.
He came to the lakeside and then went to Lake Island by boat.
On the island…
It was like another world.
Peach blossoms were tender and beautiful. Chrysanthemums were glorious.
Lu Fan was still in seclusion, with Ning Zhao was guarding the door, so no one could enter.
Lu Changkong did not intend to disturb Lu Fan. He knew it might be for something important that Lu Fan had chosen to start seclusion at this point.
He found Lv Dongxuan.
“No calamity was supposed to happen. However, since the Young Master is in seclusion, calamities have arisen…” Lv Dongxuan said.
Before him, his tea was steaming.
“Lv, any way to eliminate the calamities?” Lu Changkong asked, sitting cross-legged in armor.
Lv Dongxuan touched the gold necklace around his neck. Shaking his head, he said, “I… I have no idea.”
In the distance…
Lv Mudui came with his wooden stick.
He was followed by the teenage girl Mingyue, who was holding her pipa and wearing a veil.
“I will go to West County with Mingyue to help them… Just do something we can do,” Lv Mudui said.
Lv Dongxuan nodded. “Okay.”
In the distance…
Jing Yue, holding Jing Heaven Sword tightly, walked over.
“I will go to South County then.”
Jing Yue said, “I feel my sword spirit is stuck. Maybe I can learn something from this trip.”
Lv Dongxuan looked at Jing Yue in surprise.
“Okay.”
Jing Yue smiled. He inserted Jing Heaven Sword into the sword box forged by Gongshu Yu. His eyes were shining.
Ning Zhao did not say anything.
She did not want to leave the island to help those counties.
She only wanted to protect Lu Fan.
Yi Yue and Ni Yu did not intend to leave the island either. They were Lu Fan’s maids. They would not go anywhere without the Young Master’s permission.
Holding her baby chicken in her arms, Bai Qingniao looked worried. Running up to Lu Changkong, she asked, “Uncle Lu, is Uncle Jiang in North County? Will he be in danger?”
Lu Changkong was stunned. He nodded slightly. “Jiang Li is in North County indeed. But his safety is not threatened. Tantai Xuan will, in no way, kill Jiang Li. As long as North County is not taken, Jiang Li will be safe.”
“Anyways, I will still go to North County!” Bai Qingniao said seriously.
Lil Phoenix One popped its chicken head out of her clothes. It kept calling.
Nie Shuang, walking over from the distance, said, “Sister Qingniao, I will go with you!”
His upper body was naked. He was sweating heavily.
Bai Qingniao nodded.
After hesitating, Lu Changkong nodded and said, “Luo Cheng, you go with them. Keep Qingniao and Shuang’er safe.”
Luo Cheng cupped his hands. “Yes.”
Bai Qingniao ran away. She came back very soon with a basket, in which two baby chickens were looking around with curiosity.
******
On the second floor of White Jade City Pavilion.
It was snowing. Everything was white as if the earth and the sky were both wearing a white fur coat.
The quiet Beiluo Lake was a little misty.
Lu Fan, sitting in the wheelchair, seemed to have invisible energy flowing in his body. The falling snowflakes bounced before they could fall directly on Lu Fan.
Buzz…
Lu Fan opened his eyes slowly.
A warm crane cloak was draped over his shoulders. Lu Fan knew it must be Ning Zhao who had been taking care of him.
He turned his head and then waved his hand.
The bronze liquor cup on the nanmu table flew into Lu Fan’s hand.
The cup felt cold. The coldness spread from his fingertips to all over his body.
Lu Fan shifted his consciousness.
The wine in the cup boiled automatically. It kept tumbling.
A smile tugged at the corners of Lu Fan’s lips. “It seems elements can be produced now.”
The green plum wine in the cup was warm and steaming. He took a sip. A sour taste filled his mouth. Then the warm current flowed into his stomach.
He looked at Beiluo Lake.
At the bottom of the lake, the Origin of the world was growing. It was already as big as a basketball.
The energies of five colors seemed to be accumulating slowly.
Lu Fan leaned on the back of the wheelchair. He did not seem to be in a hurry.
Lines fluctuated in his eyes. Instantly, he saw everything that was happening in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
“Wanderers?”
“They are good for practice.”
******
West County.
Outside of Hurao Gate.
With black Demonic Qi surrounding him, the Overlord waved his axe—also wrapped in black demonic energy—and then swiped it toward the center. Several Guifang warriors who could not feel pain at all were killed right away.
The Overlord, holding his axe and his shield, was leading the charge.
He was like a powerful demon. No one could stop him while he was waving the axe and shield.
Behind him, Xiang Family’s Army and Western Liang’s armored horsemen were all flushed because of the killing. Led by the Overlord, West County’s army, which had been at a disadvantage suppressed by the allies, surprisingly got the upper hand!
In Guifang’s army, the blonde man sitting in the sedan chair looked at the bald Buddhist monk who was sitting atop a giant elephant.
Both of them wanted to act.
Looking at each other from far away, they seemed to be asking each other.
Who would act first?
The blonde man smiled. He bowed elegantly and waved his hand…
As if he was telling the bald Buddhist monk, “After you.”
The bald Buddhist monk from the Maurya Empire said nothing.
Sitting cross-legged atop the giant elephant, he recited the Amitabha.
Instantly…
The giant elephant started to advance. Its heavy footsteps even made the ground shake. With every step, a resounding boom echoed throughout the battlefield, sounding as if the earth was going to crack.
Some numb old monks wrapped in a piece of red cloth were walking ahead of the giant elephant.
They were walking barefoot toward the Overlord.
The Overlord killed a soldier from the Maurya Empire with his axe one after the other. However, the dead bodies on the ground disappeared like an ebb tide.
With his eyes narrowing, the muscular Overlord looked forward from where he was standing.
The giant elephant was stomping over. The monks kept walking.
“Mayor!” Xu Chu said with his eyes narrowing.
“Where is Xiang Family’s Army?”
The Overlord turned his head. His blood vessels stood out, clearly visible.
“Fight!”
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Behind him, Xiang Family’s Army was snarling in anger, striking their swords against their shields.
The Overlord led Xiang Family’s Army to charge without hesitation.
The ground seemed to be cracking under their stomps.
Holding his axe in one hand and his shield in the other hand…
Their low profound war cries filled the battlefield.
The Overlord jumped. He stepped onto the head of one of the old monks wrapped in red cloth, smashing that monk’s head into pieces.
Springing from the monk’s head, the Overlord went toward the giant elephant.
Waving the two giant spiked iron balls, Xu Chu charged into the crowd of old monks wrapped in red cloth together with Xiang Family’s Army.
Those old monks were reciting the Amitabha with a dull face. They and Xiang Family’s Army met in the battlefield and started to fight.
In Guifang army…
The blonde man was watching with interest.
He did not have to join attacking that man in Qi Condensation Realm, because it was a sure win.
It would only be a good start.
Since subduing demons was the bald Buddhist monk’s thing, he, the Lord of Brightness, would save the monk face.
Oh?
All of a sudden…
The blonde man was shocked.
He looked up at the sky out of instinct.
He vaguely felt a pair of indifferent eyes was watching the battlefield from the sky.
Feeling being watched, the blonde man tensed up.
“This is just a Low Level Martial World… I am probably just being too sensitive,” the blonde man murmured.
On the battlefield…
The Overlord’s heavy stomps cracked the ground. Holding his axe and his shield, he charged forward.
The giant elephant lifted its trunk.
The Overlord stepped on the giant elephant’s trunk and jumped up to the bald Buddhist monk.
At this moment…
The bald Buddhist monk in Kasana—whose hands were pressed together—was looking at the sky in a daze.
The Overlord’s eyes narrowed. While the enemy was in a daze, he seized the chance.
He threw his axe over hard.
The sharp edge of the axe hit the bald Buddhist monk’s throat.
“Crack…”
The sound of bones breaking resounded in the battlefield.
But his bones did not break. Instead, the monk’s neck started to distort, which was a very weird scene.
The Overlord’s powerful force sent the monk’s body flying like a bomb. He flew out of the chair atop the giant elephant and fell on the ground of the battlefield, hard.
The Overlord did not stop.
He felt this Buddhist monk was not any weaker than the ancient Internal Organs Realm cultivator in the Central Palace in the Dragon Gate.
So he could not be too careful.
Since he had seized the chance, he had to give full play to his advantages.
He waved his axe and his shield.
The Overlord jumped off the giant elephant.
He intended to give the bald Buddhist monk, who was staggering to his feet, a hard kick.
The bald Buddhist monk seemed to come to himself finally.
“Demon?”
The bald Buddhist monk showed a spooky smile.
He let go of his hands that were pressed together.
He closed his fists.
A punch was thrown over.
Dong!
The untraceable punch was like a vague shadow in the shape of a giant fist. It was thrown over with a huge force.
Facing this punch, the Overlord, who had just jumped off the giant elephant’s back, narrowed his eyes.
He put the thick, heavy shield before him to repel the punch.
The Buddhist monk’s fist punched the shield.
A blast came.
And the shield was shattered to pieces.
The Overlord was sent flying. He tumbled ten-odd times after falling on the ground.
Holding a horse stance, the bald Buddhist monk was waving his fist. The smile on his face was mysterious and evil.
This punch…
It would absolutely kill a man in Qi Condensation Realm.
However…
Soon, the bald Buddhist monk’s eyes narrowed.
Because…
He found the Overlord was getting to his feet slowly after being punched by him.
“Internal Organs Realm…”
The Overlord stood up. He wiped the blood off the corners of his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot, but he was extremely excited. His muscles slightly bulged.
“I finally feel pressured.”
The bald Buddhist monk was stunned.
This man seemed to be somewhat tough.