Chapter 164 In Broad Daylight, the Power of the Double Pupils

That day and night.

Li Xian summoned the guards and gathered them in the manor's main courtyard, briefly explaining the situation. Some guards sincerely followed him, while others harbored resentment. Yet, all obeyed, forming a neat and orderly array, armored and swords at their sides, exuding a menacing aura.

Last time, when Huanglong attacked the village, all the soldiers were captured and later transferred to the prefectural city. However, weapons, horses, and armor were preserved. Fine armor was stored in the warehouse, and good horses were raised in the horse farm.

The guards were soldiers from the moment they stepped into battle, clad in armor and imbued with internal energy. They were all elite troops, possessing considerable strength. Their daily training had come in handy today.

To boost morale, Li Xian personally gave each person a reward of several tens of taels of silver. All his savings were used for this, and he had even completely emptied his savings.

In this way, the momentum was overwhelming.

They waited until dawn, when the sun was high in the sky, to break into the city.

...

On the other side.

Luo Xia wore fish-scale armor and her long hair was tied into a high ponytail. She lay down on the bed and took out half a mask.

Her face was flushed and contorted, like a demon or a Rakshasa. She covered half of her beautiful face, making her utterly terrifying. Her eyes shone brightly, and she was so excited she couldn't sleep all night.

He disassembled the water-carrying pole and pieced it together to make a long spear. He practiced spear fighting all night long, and mastered the "Red Dragon Spear".

When going into battle, one should drink strong liquor.

Some time ago, Luo Xia earned fifteen taels of silver. She bought half of it with strong liquor, and now she has drunk half a jar of it, sitting quietly in the courtyard, calculating the weather.

Around dawn, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, people were most relaxed and less vigilant during the transition from day to night. Luo Xia hurried to the county garrison camp.

It was said that Cao Kai was suspicious and arrogant, looking down on everything in Qingning. He only employed the local soldiers and Cao soldiers, firstly because they were all elite, and secondly because they were extremely loyal. Although there were many county soldiers in the county, they were idle in the barracks and neglected.

"Who goes there?!"

The soldiers on duty outside the barracks had been standing guard for half the night. As they were drowsy, they suddenly saw a terrifying figure approaching. Instantly, all sleepiness vanished, and their hair stood on end.

Luo Xia raised her hand to command, her voice hoarse, like a ghostly wail, indistinguishable as male or female, "I am acting on the orders of the county magistrate to mobilize the county troops. All of you, assemble within half an hour, and those who surround me will be executed!"

The county military officer, nicknamed "Big-Pork Du," was tall and burly with a thick, fat body. Hearing the commotion, he immediately came over: "Does the county magistrate have a message?"

Luo Xia tossed the token aside. Du Dadu checked it and confirmed it was indeed genuine. He frowned and asked, "What else did the magistrate say? What is the purpose of summoning us?"

Luo Xia swept her gaze over. A murderous aura emanated from her. Even though Du Dadu was already formidable, he was terrified, like a rabbit seeing a tiger, his breath caught in his throat. Unable to spit it out or swallow it, his face turned bluish-purple.

"Are you a captain here?" Luo Xia shouted. "The military discipline is lax. If it were any other time, I would definitely have you commanded for twenty feet. But today the situation is urgent, so I will spare you."

"Yes, yes." Du Dadu felt as if he had been given a new lease on life. He had served in the army for twenty years before retiring from the prefectural city. During his military journey, he had heard many tales and seen many ferocious armies. This man's strange attire and deep aura of menace indicated that he was no ordinary person.

"You don't need to ask any more questions, just follow my orders!" Luo Xia said calmly.

The undercurrents in Qingning County are quite fascinating.

The next day.

Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

As dawn broke, dark clouds lingered. Birds fell silent, and the atmosphere was somber.

The city's commander was about to change shifts when the city gates were opened. Merchants and civilians from outside the city had already lined up in long queues, ready to enter. Suddenly, thick smoke billowed in the distance, and hundreds of men on horseback charged towards them.

The defending general shouted, "Close the city gates! Close the city gates! Close..."

Before the third word was uttered, an arrow flew by. Even from a great distance, it killed him instantly. Li Xian shouted, "Innocent civilians, retreat quickly to avoid being accidentally injured!"

His voice boomed. The common people and merchants queuing to enter the city had never seen such a scene before. In their panic, they fled along any available path, surging into the city. Seeing the situation was not good, the city guards tried to close the city gates.

However, Li Xian was an expert archer, and his skill in archery on horseback was second to none. The surrounding people were in disarray, but he aimed straight for the enemy's throats, and anyone who tried to close the city gate was shot dead on the spot.

First, the generals were killed, leaving the city leaderless. Then, the local guards were killed, spreading terror. In this way, the city gates were wide open, but no soldier dared to risk closing them.

Li Xian, accompanied by three hundred guards, rode swiftly on horseback, moving like lightning. He had witnessed Huanglong's siege and knew that the city gates were like fortresses; even three thousand guards, all skilled in martial arts, would find it difficult to breach them, let alone three hundred.

Disguised entry into the city to create chaos is a good plan, but it would inevitably lead to a situation where there is no way out, and the city is surrounded and trapped. Rather than that, it is better to break through the enemy's defenses head-on and quickly.

Swift and decisive! Powerful and fast!

At this moment, the general on duty arrived and roared, "Close the city gates! Close the city gates for me!"

He grabbed several people and threw them toward the city gate. He then kicked several more to act as human shields. He himself, however, fearing the flying arrows, hid behind cover.

With him in command, even with Li Xian's exceptional archery skills, it would be difficult to stop the city gates from closing. If the gates close, the situation will inevitably reverse.

At this moment, Li Xian was only a dozen or so feet away from the city gate. He thought to himself, "If the city gate closes, we will be at a disadvantage. I must stop it no matter what!" He spurred his horse, and the horse, in pain, thrashed about, moving even faster.

The general, fearing his power, ordered his men to fire arrows at him. Li Xian deflected them all with his sword.

When they were ten zhang apart from the city gate, Li Xian stepped onto the horse's back, gently stroking its head: "Good horse, bear with the pain." With a powerful stomp, the horse leaped into the air with astonishing momentum, landing outside the city gate in an instant.

The city gate was almost closed, with only a half-crack remaining. The general's face lit up with joy, and the soldiers cheered in unison. But suddenly they realized that the last half-step was impossible to pull.

Li Xian's hands were already gripping the city gate. He was single-handedly holding off dozens of people!

"Push harder! Damn it, push harder!" The general himself took to the field, but it was still a drop in the ocean. The gaps in the city gate gradually widened, and he looked horrified, thinking to himself, how could anyone in this world possess such immense strength?

It should be known that the city gate was extremely heavy, filled with saturated silver, and difficult to pull. Moreover, behind the city gate, there were dozens of soldiers desperately trying to pull it open.

Li Xian roared, his double pupils opening instantly. His imposing aura shook the dozens of soldiers, making their legs go weak, and even seasoned generals were thrown into turmoil.

Li Xianli possessed the strength of a dragon and tiger, and the majesty of an immortal or Buddha. The nineteen-zhang-long Qi Lake surged, and he pulled with both hands together.

He used up a full ten zhang of internal energy to widen the city gate, making it passable. Li Xian squeezed through the gap and immediately unleashed a "Yang Yuan Sword Qi". Within three zhang, seven or eight soldiers were swept by the sword qi and died instantly.

Li Xian looked around and thought to himself, "This city gate is so thick and heavy. Just pushing and pulling it has already used up most of my internal energy. I need to use it more sparingly!"

He drew his sword and blade, combining the Great Luo Blade Technique with the "Four Directions Fist," and single-handedly charged into the enemy ranks. It was as if he had four fists, four hands, and four blades. Those who had just seen his double pupils were so frightened that their legs went weak and their backs went numb. They were unable to escape and were immediately killed.

The guards rushed to the city walls, took out iron chains, and tied them to the horses. Ding Hu shouted, "Giddy up!" The horses galloped and pulled on the city gate. Dozens of strong guards pried open the gate with their bare hands.

The city gates were almost unobstructed. Ding Hu charged forward first, shouting, "Commander, I'm here to help you!" He then slashed and killed several people with his knife.

Ding Hu had already mastered the art of solidifying blood and closing the orifices. Li Xian usually entrusted him with many trivial matters. Therefore, he cultivated him greatly, teaching him martial arts, imparting its essentials, and telling him the secrets of "consuming essence."

However, without the lady's permission, he dared not attempt to complete the "Innate Embryo Cleansing Diagram." Ding Hu's killing intent was so strong that he forced several of the guards to stay away.

Three hundred guards filed in, and the two sides were locked in fierce combat. The general roared, "Block them! Reinforcements are on their way!"

But how could they possibly stop him? Li Xian possessed immense strength; his forceful pulling of the city gate had already intimidated the soldiers. His body was two zhang in circumference, and no one dared to approach him. With a single glance, those who were timid and weak-willed almost abandoned their troops and fled.

Li Xian declared loudly, "Magistrate Cao Kai is plotting a rebellion! I, Wu Wei, am acting on behalf of Heaven to punish this official!"

He charged into the crowd, and with a powerful kick, sent more than ten men sprawling to the ground. The enemy soldiers, witnessing this, felt a chill run down their spines; how could they possibly withstand such divine might?

A county magistrate rebels, acting on behalf of Heaven to punish officials... This is the only such case heard of in thousands of years!

The guards, however, were filled with excitement and boundless enthusiasm, their morale soaring. Taking advantage of this, Ding Hu shouted, "Slay the corrupt official! Uphold Zhuang's might!"

They then stormed into the city.

"You audacious traitor, your crimes are heinous, you shall be executed at once!" Suddenly, the sound of galloping hooves rang out, and Cao soldiers, clad in black armor and carrying Cao family swords at their waists, arrived as reinforcements.

There were dozens of men, followed by hundreds of soldiers. The battle at the city gate was fierce and intense.

Meanwhile, inside the yamen, Cao Kai suddenly heard the news. After his initial shock, his face turned grim.

"This Li Xian is incredibly powerful! I was merely trying to accuse him of a crime, and he... he dares to claim he's acting on behalf of Heaven to punish officials and wants to kill me?!"

“Cao Nuwu, go to the military camp immediately and draw up county soldiers. We have a large number of men and a strong force. Let him know what it means to be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating his own strength.”

"Hmph, today it is not him who is acting on behalf of Heaven to punish the officials, but me who is slaying the traitor! I will display the divine might of the Cao family!"

Cao Kai spoke up. His attendant, "Cao Nuwu," immediately rushed to the military camp. However, half an hour later, he returned with a grim expression: "Your Excellency, the military camp is empty!"

"Is it empty?" Cao Kai asked. "Could it be that the county garrison commander has already led his troops to intercept the rebels?"

"No..." Cao Nuwu exclaimed in terror, "I just saw that the camp was empty, so I took the opportunity to check around. I found... I found..."

"What exactly did you find?" Cao Kai demanded angrily.

"We've spotted county soldiers; they seem to be heading towards the yamen!" Cao Nuwu said.

"What?!" Cao Kai stood up from his chair, terrified and filled with a sense of foreboding. "They've rebelled! They've rebelled! I am the magistrate of Qingning County! Why are they sending yamen runners instead of resisting them? Are they going to rebel too?!"

"I...I don't know," Cao Nuwu stammered.

Cao Kai roared, "I'm not afraid of him! Fine, fine, this is really outrageous! You immediately gather the three halls and two factions, and tell them to send their men. I'll put on my armor, grab my weapon, and fight him to the death! Let's see who loses!"

...

On the other hand...

Cao Cao's troops and the government troops had arrived as reinforcements and stormed the city gates. A fierce battle ensued, swords clashing, sparks flying and blood splattering.

Li Xian showed no fear and charged at Cao's soldiers with his sword. He hated the Cao family, so he killed Cao's soldiers first. These Cao soldiers actually knew formations and tried to surround and kill Li Xian.

Li Xian was already on guard and dared not venture too far. After killing four or five Cao soldiers, he immediately withdrew, refusing to re-enter the battle. In this way, the Cao soldiers could not stop him and thus could not do anything to him.

"The county soldiers have arrived!"

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves rang out again, and another troop of soldiers arrived. The county garrison commander, Du Dadou, wielded a Guan Dao (a type of halberd) and slashed at the garrison soldiers.

The Cao and Fu troops were caught off guard and their morale was already low. They only managed to hold on because of their superior numbers, but they were all hoping that reinforcements would arrive quickly so that they could join forces to fight back and break the deadlock.

However, when reinforcements arrived, they found themselves killing their own men. Their morale collapsed instantly, their fighting spirit dissipated, and they crumbled completely. Although Cao Cao's troops were elite, they were hardly effective in this situation.

They were quickly all killed.

Li Xian was filled with a bloodthirsty aura and was incredibly ferocious. He charged straight towards the government office, and as he passed by a house, he vaguely heard the cries of a child.

I felt apologetic; this sudden action must have frightened innocent civilians.

Li Xian said loudly, "Fellow villagers, I am Li Xian, the military officer. My purpose in coming here is to target Cao Kai, and I will not harm you in the slightest. You need not be afraid, and I would like to trouble you to stay indoors for a day."

Upon hearing this, the crying gradually subsided. Some people even opened their windows to look, and upon seeing that it was indeed Li Xian, they smiled and said, "It really is Lord Wuwei."

No longer afraid.

(End of this chapter)