Chapter 744: The "Hero" is No Longer Free (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
After the warhorses bathed in the river, the river surface was completely frozen.
The banks of the Miao River were silent, with only the sound of wind and rain mingling in the air. Those who witnessed the scene were so shocked that they remained speechless for a long time.
The soldiers of both armies were mostly ordinary people, and natural disasters and man-made calamities intertwined their relatively short lives, with natural disasters being the most terrifying. They never imagined that a river that frequently caused floods could be frozen solid by human intervention.
"Blessed by Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon us!"
At this moment, a soldier under Wu Xian raised his arm and roared, his eight words seemingly venting all the pent-up frustration in his chest. The surrounding soldiers seemed to awaken from a dream, initially responding only in twos and threes, but soon the sound spread like a plague throughout the entire army.
"Blessed by Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon us!"
"Blessed by Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon us!"
"Blessed by Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven has been bestowed upon us!"
This slogan surged towards the opposite bank like a mountain roaring and a tsunami crashing down, its high morale gathering into clouds overhead, creating a powerful and imposing force.
It subtly exudes an aura of power that can swallow up vast distances.
The soldiers on the opposite bank, already stunned by the maneuver, were now even more terrified. But before panic could truly spread, a vast and majestic aura descended, forcefully dispelling the gloom in their hearts. Once the soldiers regained their composure, looking at the frozen river under the rain, their previous awe was completely gone, replaced by the condescension and disdain of the strong towards the weak.
Zhao Feng glanced at his old friend.
The latter was smiling and waving the knife fan in his hand.
While others conserved their spiritual or martial energy by wearing raincoats and hats, or simply getting soaked, my old friend used his spiritual energy as a barrier to avoid getting wet. In his own words, his family was impoverished, and he had very few decent clothes. He would be heartbroken if they were torn by the rain. He could mend his spiritual energy when it ran out, but he couldn't afford to buy new clothes.
Zhao Feng: "..."
He almost believed the guy's nonsense.
Noticing Zhao Feng's gaze, his old friend turned around with a smile and asked, "Why is Da Yi looking at us like that?"
"...That was really unlike you."
After the Miao River was successfully frozen, the old friend tapped Zhao Feng's personal guard lightly with his fan, signaling the guard to come closer. This led to the guard shouting at the top of his lungs, "Blessed by Heaven, the Mandate of Heaven is ours!" Zhao Feng considered this too ostentatious.
My old friend immediately turned the tables and accused me.
He joked, "What's wrong? Can't you order your people around?"
Zhao Feng was taken aback by these words. His usually stern and upright demeanor softened with a hint of helplessness as he said, "Isn't it because I'm worried about what Alliance Leader Huang might think? The nail that sticks out gets hammered down..."
His old friend laughed indifferently, "Old Zhao, you're not happy that I called you a reckless man. Look at the situation now, what difference does it make whether we step forward or not?"
Previously, we needed to bide our time and conceal our strength, but now that Zheng Qiao has personally led the expedition here, if we can seize the opportunity to reach the other side in one fell swoop, or even capture Zheng Qiao alive, this long-running dragon-slaying saga will be completely over. It is an end, but also another beginning.
In situations like this, you should naturally be as assertive as possible.
Zhao Feng sighed, "Alas, but our lord..."
He worried that his lord was becoming increasingly distant from his old friend.
My old friend remained calm and composed, his sword fan swaying lightly, his eyes unwavering. "The greater good is beyond question. Relationships depend on fate. When fate brings people together, they meet; when fate takes them apart, they part. Accept what comes, and troubles will naturally disappear. Isn't that right?"
He and Wu Xian really had no connection.
Hearing his friend's words, Zhao Feng knew his old friend was determined to leave, and for a moment, he felt a pang of resentment towards his lord, Wu Xian. Remembering his friend's admiration for Shen Jun, he sincerely hoped for a good outcome. However, it was too early to discuss such things; the most pressing issue was the enemy on the other side. Only by overthrowing the tyrannical ruler Zheng Qiao, eliminating all worries about the rear, could they then discuss the future.
At this moment, Zheng Qiao sat on the throne.
He leaned against the armchair, indifferent to the morale and slogans of the allied forces, and simply looked at the men under his tent and asked, "Who dares to fight?"
Upon hearing this, everyone understood that Zheng Qiao was preparing for a duel.
"Your Majesty, this is giving them far too much face."
The one who spoke was Qi Cang, a 16th-rank Grand Master.
His statement was echoed by many military generals.
Indeed, it's giving those people on the other side too much face. Our side doesn't need any morale boost to rout them; choosing to duel means our side is being cautious. Qi Cang clasped his hands and said, "When this humble general makes his move, he will surely capture Huang Lie."
Zheng Qiao said, "I want to see."
There was no particular reason; I just wanted to watch.
One-sided killing has no aesthetic appeal.
Qi Cang revealed a bloodthirsty sneer and said, "It's rare for the King to have such refined tastes, so naturally we cannot disappoint him."
He was prepared to take the lead and kill a few people to warm up, but Zheng Qiao disagreed and instead pointed to a highly experienced general. This general had dark brown skin, a tall and burly build, and an overall appearance that was slightly different from ordinary people.
When he stood up, he looked like a mountain of flesh.
His height was actually half a head taller than Qi Cang's.
"Your humble servant obeys!"
He strode forward, leaping into the air and soaring onto the river's surface. His size was enormous, his weight terrifying, yet he landed as lightly as a feather. His hands conjured a demon-faced axe. The axe blade was as wide as two strong men, yet it felt weightless in his hands.
when--
He slammed the axe into the ground, sending ice shards flying from the ice.
He looked contemptuously at the dense swarms of ants on the opposite bank, gathered his strength in his dantian, and shouted, "Who dares to come and die!"
The sound waves crashed down, and the rain seemed to pause for a moment.
Raindrops, suspended in mid-air, transformed into sharp weapons, propelled by sonic booms, bursting forth as countless rain arrows hurtling towards the allied forces. Just as they were about to reach them, a general charged out from within the allied ranks. His weapon, a light blade, retaliated with earth-shattering force, shattering the rain arrows.
Rain splashed and splattered onto the ice.
The general who led the charge belonged to Wu Xian's forces and was one of Wu Xian's six renowned generals, ranking among the top three in strength. He had only recently broken through to the fifteenth level of the Lesser Upper Realm. He desperately needed a life-or-death battle of equal strength to solidify his cultivation.
Seeing this, the old friend smiled at Zhao Feng and said, "See?"
Lord Wu Xian was no longer prepared to conceal his abilities.
If the Dragon Slaying Alliance didn't have some real strength, how would they dare to act so arrogantly in front of Zheng Qiao? Wu Xian's actions drew the attention of the alliance leader, Huang Lie, who said enviously, "Prefect Wu has many talented men under his command. This must be one of the famous Six Valiant Generals?"
"Outsiders give me a false reputation, but how can my meager wealth and resources compare to Leader Huang's?" Wu Xian spoke humbly on the surface, but what he really thought was known only to heaven, earth, and himself.
Huang Lie said, "Prefect Wu is joking. Everyone knows that I come from humble origins and have no family background to speak of."
The two seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation.
On the other side, Gu Ren looked helplessly at his sixth brother.
"Sixth brother, could you please release your elder brother?"
Gu Ren originally wanted his brothers to fight, not because he was being reckless, but because most of his brothers had a blood feud with Zheng Qiao. However, the moment he raised his hand, his sixth brother firmly pressed it down. He was willing to bet his arm was bruised.
Upon hearing this, the sixth brother released his grip.
Gu Ren rubbed his arm, looking at the two military generals facing off on the river. Both men exuded an imposing aura, and their strength seemed to be roughly equal. Seeing this, he couldn't help but smile wryly: "Sigh, our allies are really... hard to say, hard to say."
He had always known that the strength of the allied forces varied, but people like Wu Xian, who seemed unassuming, had fifteen junior officers under their command, and he guessed there were more than one. This made the early difficulties and predicament of the Dragon Slaying Bureau seem rather ridiculous.
So these people were all holding back. Come to think of it, if one of Zheng Qiao's sixteenth-rank Grand Masters attacked, even several fifteenth-rank Junior Masters would suffer losses. Losing members of another faction is one thing, but if it were their own, wouldn't they be heartbroken?
His gaze was bitter: "Sigh, I've been a fool for nothing."
"And what about Shen Jun?"
The sixth brother patted his eldest brother on the shoulder to comfort him.
It wasn't just my older brother who put in the effort and acted like a fool; wasn't Shen Youli from Longwu County also kept in the dark? The difference is, Shen Youli is young and impulsive, while my older brother, who has seen the world, was still tricked. It sounds even more foolish.
Gu Ren gazed intently at his sixth brother.
The other party's way of comforting me was quite novel.
Shao Chong paid no attention to what his two sworn brothers were saying, and watched the fierce battle below with great interest. Martial energy clashed with martial energy, weapons clashed with weapons, and flesh fought flesh. Accompanied by flying frost, it was a dazzling spectacle.
On the throne, Zheng Qiao admired everything below.
He tapped the table rhythmically with his fingers, humming an unfamiliar tune that rose and fell, sometimes soothing, while swaying his head.
Anyone with eyes can see that he's in a good mood right now.
clang--
Both generals simultaneously retreated and released their respective Martial Spirit Totems. Zheng Qiao's general was a lithe black panther, while the allied general was three hyenas with sharp teeth and drooling. Although the three hyenas were smaller than the panther, the panther displayed a cautious demeanor. The three hyenas had greedy and venomous eyes, each eyeing the panther's weaknesses, their movements perfectly synchronized.
A flash of sword light appeared on the ice.
The sword's edge transformed into a rainbow, slashing fiercely at the opponent.
The latter simply used the axe blade to withstand the impact, and the ear-piercing sound of their clash caused the ice beneath their feet to crack inch by inch. However, the ice was too thick, and it soon recovered under the support of the incantation's spiritual energy. The two warriors exchanged over a hundred blows in an instant.
Three hyenas attacked the black panther, and the battle was fierce and evenly matched.
Suddenly, a general under Wu Xian shouted, his eyes burning with fervor, and three figures of himself materialized before everyone's eyes.
After some probing, he realized the enemy general relied on brute force, and that even a single direct hit from him would leave him with bulging veins and numb hands. Therefore, he avoided a direct confrontation. Instead, he fully utilized his superior agility, techniques, and speed—a strategy the enemy general was well aware of.
"Hmph, you're courting death!"
After he finished speaking, the weapons of Wu Xian's generals fell to the ground.
The opponent before him was nothing more than an afterimage.
He had a bad feeling in his heart.
He dodged to the side, leaping away as a beam of light, dozens of feet long, cleaved by a giant axe, crashed into the river with a deafening roar. The explosion, accompanied by flying ice shards, obscured the surrounding view. Before Zheng Qiao's generals even landed, two hyenas attacked from the left and right.
He scoffed, "You worthless beast!"
When one of the hyenas swung its claws down, it struck the axe head precisely, producing a metallic scraping sound that made one's eardrums throb and itch.
Another hyena opened its blood-red maw, its stench filling the air. But before it could bite its target, it was blasted away by a dark shadow.
It turned out to be a black panther that had escaped the hyenas.
The three hyenas huddled together again, the one in the middle bearing a glaring wound—a bloody gash running from its back to its abdomen, revealing the stark white bone beneath the flesh. However, with the surging martial energy emanating from the wound, it began to heal and close at a visible speed. Now, the situation had returned to its initial state. At first glance, it seemed that none of them could gain the upper hand.
but--
General Jiang watched for a while.
He stroked his white beard and said, "The battle is about to be decided."
Kang Shi turned around in surprise upon hearing this.
How come he didn't notice anything amiss?
Who won and who lost?
General Jiang touched his mouth and said, "We."
He shook his head regretfully and said, "We're going to lose."
Kang Shi was astonished: "...Why is that?"
General Jiang glanced at Chu Jie, who was pretending to sleep with his arms crossed and eyes closed, and said, "Because of the martial artist's will, having this thing is a completely different matter. If it had been Zhao Feng who went into battle just now, our chances of winning would probably have been higher."
The difference between the fourteenth-rank Right Gentleman and the fifteenth-rank Junior Upper Gentleman is not as significant as the difference between the fifteenth-rank Junior Upper Gentleman and the sixteenth-rank Grand Upper Gentleman. Zhao Feng's martial arts intent is also quite unique, giving him a higher chance of winning against opponents of higher ranks than the one below him.
As if to confirm General Jiang's words, the situation on the field instantly turned one-sided. Zheng Qiao's general suddenly unleashed an aura nearly equivalent to a sixteenth-grade Grandmaster, his martial energy blades instantly engulfing three hyenas and dragging his opponent dozens of feet along the ground before stopping. The thickness of the ice layer was reduced by nearly half.
The mixture of ice shards and blood created a strange and beautiful effect.
On the shore, Wu Xian, who was watching the battle, suddenly widened his eyes.
General Jiang smacked his lips for a moment.
"What a ruthless person."
If they had struck harder, Wu Xian's six elite generals would have been reduced to only five. General Jiang sincerely hoped that Wu Xian's forces would be weakened; after all, a weaker enemy meant a stronger enemy, right?
Unfortunately, fate was unkind. Realizing his life was in danger, the general dragged his heavily wounded body back to his formation. The enemy, unwilling to let him go easily, gave chase. But the battlefield was too close to the riverbank; he could only inflict a fresh wound on his opponent at most.
We lost the first match.
The allied forces looked grim. The defeated general, his face filled with shame, said, "This humble general was no match for you; I beg your lord to punish me."
Wu Xian's facial muscles were somewhat stiff.
He didn't expect to lose the first game so easily.
Faced with the strange looks from his allies, he suppressed his emotions, raised his hand to help the general up, and gently comforted him.
Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; who dares to claim invincibility?
One loss is all that matters; as long as you're alive, that's all that matters.
But who will be sent to the second match?
They had gathered some intelligence on the enemy general, and sending someone who could counter him should have secured victory. However, they hadn't anticipated Zheng Qiao's actions. He immediately recalled his own general and sent out a completely unfamiliar one, and—
General Jiang clicked his tongue, expressing both envy and jealousy: "...Another fifteenth-rank junior master. When did martial artists of this level become so worthless? When we were young, a fifteenth-rank junior master could walk around with impunity..."
Chu Jie said, "There's something fishy going on."
General Jiang nodded in agreement: "There's definitely something fishy going on."
o(^｀)o
We absolutely must make sure Zheng Qiao gets her boxed lunch on time.
PS: Don't worry too much about combat strength for now. The Northwest of the continent is a fiercely competitive arena where martial artists who don't improve might die. Therefore, martial artists as a whole are like they have a training acceleration buff, making them very strong overall.
Other mainland countries with relatively stable political situations and comfortable environments are not necessarily that strong in terms of power.
As for using national fortune to boost it, firstly, without war, the ruler is too busy guarding against those who are too powerful to actively enhance their strength; secondly, it is really, really difficult to avoid a deficit in national fortune.
It's not easy for a military general to accumulate military fortune when there are no battles.
If Tang Mei manages to gain a foothold in this major battle (a major battle in every sense of the word), she can basically take over the Northwest.
(End of this chapter)
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