Book 14: Chapter 2: Intention
Book 14: Chapter 2: Intention
Night shrouded South Tomb Province and then silently withdrew.
The massive Yunqin Empire welcomed a new dawn.
A Great Mang ruined army of fifty-three thousand slowly moved through South Tomb Province’s wilderness.
This army of more than fifty thousand, in this world, was already a terrifying force. They remained within a certain province’s strategic pass, perhaps even an army of hundreds of thousands would be at their wits end. However, right now, this massive army that followed Zhantai Qiantang was a true ruined army.
After the effects of the Devil Eye Flower passed, most of these people already not only felt fatigue, they already entered a state of extreme weakness. After a night of rest, some of them had unresponsive expressions. Only after shouting at them for a long time would they wake up from their half drowsy, half unconscious state.
They were weak to the point where they mutually supported each other, even using some things to support themselves, and only then could they slowly walk.
All of the weight they carried, even the armors they wore were thrown away. All of these Great Mang soldiers only carried the most lightweight blades, swords and other weapons.
Many soldiers even began to burn a low fever, starting to mutter and mumble to themselves.
In this type of situation, this type of more than ten thousand membered Great Mang army, when facing a several thousand elite army, even if it was just a mix of ordinary cavalry and infantry, they might be completely wiped out.
Perhaps after a few weeks, most of them could slowly adjust back to their usual selves. However, the key laid in that right now, their army was naturally an enemy army for Yunqin. For Great Mang and Wenren Cangyue, they were also a rebel army. Would they even have these few weeks of time in South Tomb Province?
Even if they had a few weeks of time, they didn’t have enough food at all.
All of these Great Mang soldiers only brought military provisions that could last them for two or three days.
After two or three days passed, what would they eat?
Would they steal food from Great Mang army or Yunqin army? With the strength they currently had?
Many Great Mang officers whose brains were still clear, despite knowing the route of march Zhantain Qiantang was leading them through, that they were doing their best to avoid Yunqin and Great Mang military’s movements, right now, they only felt weaker and weaker, the more they walked, the darker the sky became.
Many people began to wonder if there was any meaning to this.
They wondered if they could avoid suffering so much before dying if they just died in Meteor City.
“Why did we choose this path?”
At the very front of this army, the walking Shi Qian[1] looked at a military map in his hands, quietly asking the similarly walking Zhantai Qiantang next to him. “If we continue like this, we’ll easily run into Yunqin’s military.”
“I want to see Yunqin military’s attitude.” Zhantai Qiantang gave him a somewhat weary look. “To be more precise, I want to see Gu Yunjing’s attitude. After all, this entire South Tomb Province Yunqin military acts according to his wishes.”
Shi Qian said with shock, “You did this on purpose?”
Zhantai Qiantang nodded. “The lives and deaths of these people behind us are no longer within our grasp, but rather within the grasp of the victorious Yunqin military. To put it more simply, it will depend on whether Gu Yunjing wishes for our military to continue living.”
While looking at Shi Qian who still didn’t really seem to understand that much, Zhantai Qiantang gave the path in front of him a look and said, “Within Yunqin’s fort, there might be some provisions that can last us a few more days.”
“What you are trying to say is that Gu Yunjing might just directly let us have this type of fort?” Shi Qian finally fully understood what Zhantai Qiantang was trying to say, now saying this in shock.
Zhantai Qiantang gave him a look, the corners of his lips producing a bit of a bitter smile. “This will completely depend on Gu Yunjing.”
…
That same early morning, outside Meteor City, not all that far from Great Mang’s ruined troops, a carriage appeared in Yunqin sentry’s line of sight.
When they heard the sound arrows and the following distant shouting, an old civil officer dressed in gray robes, his hair grizzled white, who looked too weak to even stand up to the wind appeared at the front of the carriages.
While looking at this great city that completely changed Great Mang’s history, both past and present, endless sorrow appeared within this elder’s muddled yellow eyes.
He pulled back his neck in a bit of a cold fearing manner, and then after a light cough, he said, “I am Great General Wenren’s emissary. I have come to meet with Lin Xi.”
His voice was calm, not all that loud and clear, but it transmitted far into the distance. It was to the extent where it could vaguely be heard even in the city gate towers several li out.
This type of voice even made the pupils of several cultivators among Yunqin’s high ranking officers contract.
…
“It’s a Sacred Expert.”
Gu Yunjing used his Brass Hawkeye to look at this old civil official like Great Mang cultivator for a long time. He turned around to look at Lin Xi, saying, “However, it is a Great Mang Sacred Expert that has never been recorded in the military department’s records.”
“A consecrator who has never appeared in the military, an expert from either Purgatory Mountain, or a Great Mang Imperial Palace expert.” The stern dark red masked high ranking officer added.
“Even if it was Wenren Cangyue who personally came, if he came alone, especially in this type of daytime, then there is no way he can get away.” Gao Yanan’s brows furrowed as she looked at Lin Xi. “I think it is better if you don’t get close to him.”
“Then let’s just directly ask him what he wants.”
Lin Xi understood that what Gao Yanan was trying to say was that with the Divine Wooden Flying Crane, in this type of daytime where they had such great visibility, there was no need to try to first cut off this Great Mang Sacred Expert’s path of retreat at all. As such, he nodded and slowly said, “I am Lin Xi. The one sent by Wenren Cangyue, what do you wish to say?”
Since he had the ten halt rewind ability, when facing some dangers, even if it was in a situation of life or death, he would be more calm than most people in this world. Only, when he saw this elder in front of that carriage speaking with this kind of voice, his palms already produced a layer of sweat.
After seeing Shentu Nian’s methods in East Scenery City, he began to understand even better why Vice Principal Xia and Green Luan Academy always attached such great importance to Purgatory Mountain.
Right now, when he looked at this carriage, he didn’t have a single good thought. He just felt like there were some terrifying Purgatory Mountain methods within this carriage.
“Wenren Cangyue brought over a friend of yours to you.”
The grizzled haired, old civil official like Great Mang cultivator gave the distant city gate tower a faint smile. He didn’t speak any nonsense. After saying this, he moved aside the carriage curtains behind him.
The carriage and the city gate tower were several li apart.
However, even without borrowing the Brass Hawkeye, with just a single look, Lin Xi’s expression paled slightly.
He thought of many terrifying things that could have appeared here from Purgatory Mountain, but he never expected that what he saw would be this scene.
Gao Yanan’s hands also began to tremble slightly.
She only felt liked there were already enough things that happened during these few days.
There were already enough unforgettable scenes of sorrow.
Originally, in her opinion, the heavens already returned some things to Lin Xi after making him suffer so much bitterness. At the very least, he went from someone who had extremely poor cultivation aptitude to becoming someone with ordinary aptitude, this might help him suffer a bit less in the future.
She believed that this battle had already passed. However, she didn’t expect that right now, Wenren Cangyue would send over this type of carriage.
“Is that a Green Luan student you recognize inside?”
Gu Yunjing lowered the Brass Hawkeye. He looked at Gao Yanan and Lin Xi, asking this.
Gao Yanan was always an extremely strong girl. However, during this battle, there were many times where she was extremely weak. Right now, after just hearing Gu Yunjing say this, she really wanted to burst into tears.
“She’s Hua Jiyue… a Self Defense Department Student. After returning to Green Luan Academy, she left the academy earlier than us…” Gao Yanan replied to Gu Yunjing. When she spoke up to here, she couldn’t continue.
“She is wearing Great Mang’s Etiquette Official clothing, she most likely left to become a spy in Great Mang.” The red masked stern high ranking officer said coldly, “This Great Mang cultivator has used Thousand Devil Nest’s methods to restrain her. He should be one of the very first of Thousand Devil Nest to defect to Purgatory Mountain.”
When Lin Xi heard all of these words, his expression became even more pale. However, his expression instead remained calm.
“What does Wenren Cangyue want?” His voice sounded from the city gate tower again.
The old civil official like Great Mang cultivator gazed at the Green Luan female student who didn’t move at all, she only looked at the city gate tower with a complicated expression, while he laughed and said, “Great General Wenren wants Big Black.”
Everyone in this city who heard this voice suddenly became horrified, their eyes couldn’t help but look towards the direction where Lin Xi was.
Lin Xi’s voice sounded without the slightest hesitation, calm and cold. “That is impossible.”
The old civil official like Great Mang cultivator still had a smile on his face, raising his head to look towards Lin Xi’s figure on the city gate tower, saying, “I fear that you might have misunderstood Great General Wenren’s intentions. Great General Wenren doesn’t wish to obtain a perfectly intact Big Black. To put it simply… as long as I personally see you destroy Big Black, I can return this Green Luan female student to you.”
“Something like Big Black isn’t something that should exist in this world.” Even before the city suddenly entered a state of silence, this old civil official like Great Mang Sacred Expert then slowly said this with a sigh.
1. Core disciple of Thousand Devil Nest, loyal to Li Ku