Outside the boundaries of Qingzhou, wild grasses grow luxuriantly.
An army of several thousand men was slowly advancing along the rugged official road toward Qingzhou.
At the front of the group, a middle-aged man with shifty eyes and a face covered in pockmarks was bowing and scraping as he pointed the way to the general who appeared to be the leader.
This man was none other than Lin Genzhu.
At this moment, his heart was filled with endless resentment and malice.
"It's all that bitch Ning Xiangqiao's fault!"
Lin Genzhu gritted his teeth silently, making a grinding sound.
"If she hadn't provoked that wicked Lin Anniang, how could I have been beaten half to death?"
"If it weren't for them, how could I have ended up having to leave my hometown and go to that godforsaken place like Danzhou!"
The more he thought about it, the more he hated it. The few pockmarks on his face became congested with blood, and his appearance became even more ferocious.
"Just you wait! Once I've conquered Qingzhou with the Prince of Guang, I'll tear you all to pieces!"
Beside him stood a middle-aged man dressed in ornate armor with a sinister face.
The man, riding a tall horse, was none other than the leader of the Guang family army, the self-proclaimed King of Guang in Danzhou.
King Guang squinted, gazing at the blurry outline of Qingzhou in the distance.
"King Guang, we are about to reach Qingzhou. I, Lin Genzhu, am from Qingzhou. This place is exceptionally prosperous. Even the granaries in a small county town are overflowing with grain, and there are so many rats that you can't count them all. They are eating with their mouths dripping with oil!"
"If we can seize the opportunity to take Qingzhou, then the whole world will belong to you, Prince Guang!" Lin Genzhu said with a fawning smile, even taking the initiative to pull his clothes to wipe the hooves of the tall horse that Prince Guang was riding.
King Guang nodded, very satisfied with his description.
The generals around sighed, feeling that the Prince of Guang had been deceived by this despicable fellow, which was why he insisted on traveling all the way from Danzhou to Qingzhou!
In reality, how could someone who could control the entire Danzhou in a short period of time, and even proclaim himself king, be so easily deceived?
On the surface, King Guang was easily swayed by Lin Genzhu's few words, who claimed that Qingzhou was prosperous and that the Mountain Goddess was just a facade that could be easily exposed.
In reality, he had other plans in mind.
His younger brother, Guangping, the brother on whom he had placed his hopes, died in the desolate mountains of Qingzhou!
He will not be able to eat or sleep if he does not avenge this grudge!
"The desolate mountain, the mountain goddess..."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Guang Wang's mouth.
"I'd like to see just how much real skill you, this so-called god, actually possess!"
"Once I have razed this desolate mountain and avenged my brother, Qingzhou, and indeed the entire Liang Kingdom, will be mine!"
Among the ranks, an old general with a weathered face and a history of countless battles sighed.
He rode up to the Prince of Guang, his face showing some worry.
"King Guang".
The old general cupped his hands and said in a deep voice.
"I have heard that Qingzhou is the territory of the Mountain Goddess."
"Now this mountain goddess has a very high reputation in Liang Kingdom. It is said that she can not only summon wind and rain and quell the raging flood, but also recently took action to get rid of the terrifying plague demon in Yunzhou."
"The people were all grateful to him and regarded him as a god."
"If our army attacks rashly, it may incite public anger, and even..."
"It will cause unnecessary trouble!"
Upon hearing this, King Guang snorted disdainfully.
He pointed his whip forward, his voice arrogant.
"How dare a mere mountain demon claim to be a god?"
"Deputy General Li, you overestimate her!"
Lieutenant Li frowned, wanting to offer further advice.
"But, King Guang..."
King Guang waved his hand, interrupting him.
"No need for further words!"
"I was well prepared to deal with this so-called Mountain Goddess!"
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
"I have already made contact with an even more powerful divine kingdom, and they have long coveted this land of Liang!"
"The envoys from those divine kingdoms have promised that as long as we invade Qingzhou, they will send real divine soldiers and generals to help us!"
"By the time our troops reach the gates of Qingzhou, their reinforcements should be arriving soon!"
King Guang's voice was full of seduction.
"At that time, we will be attacked from both inside and outside..."
"Let alone a small Qingzhou, the entire Liang Kingdom will belong to my Guang Family Army!"
Lieutenant Li was terrified, and the worry on his face deepened.
"King Guang, please reconsider!"
He said urgently.
"To negotiate with a tiger for its skin is probably..."
"Furthermore, if the Mountain Goddess is truly as easy to deal with as rumored, why would the imperial court choose to cooperate with her? Even the Grand General and the Left Prime Minister treat her with great courtesy!"
"Even the Chen family army, which has recently gained considerable momentum in the south, is said to be avoiding the desolate mountain area and dares not provoke it in the slightest."
King Guang's face darkened, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.
"shut up!"
He shouted angrily, his voice booming like thunder.
"Lieutenant General Li, you're getting more and more cowardly!"
"With the strong support of the Divine Kingdom behind us, our army is strong and our supplies are plentiful. If we don't even dare to fight a small Qingzhou, how can we talk about making great achievements and establishing a hegemony?"
Prince Guang suddenly cracked his whip and shouted sternly.
"I think you're all a bunch of good-for-nothings! Cowards!"
Upon seeing this, Lin Genzhu, who was standing nearby, immediately stepped forward obsequiously, bowing and scraping.
"What the Prince Guang says is true! Your Highness is wise and mighty, your divine power is unparalleled!"
He shouted in a high-pitched voice.
"How could a mere country god be a match for King Guang and the heavenly soldiers of the divine kingdom!"
"I am willing to serve Your Highness as your vanguard. I will surely flatten that barren mountain and capture that mountain goddess to present to Your Highness!"
Upon hearing Lin Genzhu's flattery, the King of Guang's expression softened slightly, and he let out a heavy snort.
"Pass down the order!"
"The army advances at full speed! Target: Huangxian!"
"promise!"
The messenger rode off on horseback.
The massive army, billowing with dust, continued its advance towards Qingzhou, the air thick with a chilling atmosphere.
However, none of these menacing soldiers noticed.
The few ordinary birds circling above their heads occasionally flashed with an extraordinary glint in their eyes.
Pairs of small eyes were fixed on their direction of movement and formation.
Further out at the edge of the forest, amidst the swaying shadows of the trees, several faint shadows, almost blending into the environment, flashed by like ghosts.
I followed the group quietly, at a distance that wasn't too close or too far.
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