Lin Zhao's feet were bare, his body suspended in the wind, his eyes holding a complex expression. The person before him had once followed him through countless battles, and he hadn't expected them to end up in such a state. He frowned, looking behind Rong Xing at the divine archer girl holding a war bow, and said, "Monster, are you also going to be obstinate like your brother? Do you truly believe what he's doing right now is the right thing?"
"Boss..."
Ai Chi Xin, the monster, furrowed her delicate brows, her voice low. "I don't know... I don't know, but at home... we're almost unable to put food on the table. My brother..."
"I understand."
Lin Zhao frowned and said, "The path you've chosen yourselves, you must bear all the consequences."
Saying that, Lin Zhao subtly raised his eyebrows and continued, "I have no right to interfere if you join the Four Northern Tribes, but I must intervene if you dare to lay hands on the Scarlet Moon Knights. Rong Xing, do you think you'll be sheltered by the Northern Frost after joining them? Just you wait, you'll regret it."
He waved his hand grandly. "Scarlet Moon Knights! Clear the area, leave no one behind!"
"Charge!"
Chen Xue, Ding Chi, Roman, Lu Han, Bu Su Li Ren, and others spurred their horses forward. In mid-air, Shen Xing Chen, wielding the Qian Kun Xuan Huo Pagoda, swept past with Mo Chen Xue, Lu Li, and others. Attacks were launched from both ground and air. The thunder of hooves rolled across the earth. Behind Chen Xue rode the elite Burning Heaven Iron Cavalry, whose steeds' performance and combat strength were far superior to those of the Northern Frost!
"Kill!"
Rong Xing roared, "Every kill is a gain!"
"You die first!"
Before Rong Xing could even take a few steps, a blazing sword light flashed by like lightning, piercing his chest and dealing over 600,000 damage. It was the Ghost Cry strike of the Flying Sword Xin Huo. Rong Xing's body swayed on his horse before he tumbled off and fell, even dropping a sword from his grasp.
Lin Zhao showed no mercy in killing him.
"Damn it!"
A thousand-man legion commander of Northern Frost frowned. "There's no point in throwing ourselves against a rock. Everyone, retreat! Let's save who we can! Rong Xing has a vendetta against the Scarlet Moon Knights, but we don't. There's no need to be dragged into this!"
Everyone began to retreat.
But escape was no longer possible. Behind them, Lin Zhao appeared like a phantom, his Zhan Lu sword slashing fiercely into the snow with a single strike, "Slaying Immortals." A entire mountainside was cleaved in two, cutting off their retreat. As some individuals attempted to take to the sky with flying artifacts, they were immediately met by Lin Zhao's ten immortal swords and twenty-four great barren ancient swords, suppressed to the point where they couldn't raise their heads.
"How could this happen..."
Ai Chi Xin's expression was complex. She didn't want to stay in this place for another moment. She immediately activated her invincibility skill and crushed a town return scroll. Lin Zhao, however, frowned and looked at her, not stopping her. She was just a young girl with little agency. Frankly, the root cause of this trouble was Rong Xing's selfishness and arrogance.
Not long after, Northern Frost's army of over 5,000 cavalry units was annihilated. The airspace was sealed off by Lin Zhao alone; no one could escape. In the front, Chen Xue, Shen Xing Chen, Ding Chi, Mo Chen Xue, and other absolute mainstays of the Scarlet Moon Knights suppressed them with their attacks, defenses, and crowd control. Northern Frost truly had no grounds for complaint in their defeat.
...
After the great battle.
Beneath a ginkgo tree covered in snowflakes, Lin Zhao sat with his sleeves rolled up on a protruding tree root, frowning in silence. Beside him were Chen Xue, Shen Xing Chen, Ding Chi, Lu Han, and others.
"In the eyes of Chang Ye Yu Huo, Rong Xing was nothing more than cannon fodder."
Chen Xue analyzed, "As soon as Rong Xing joined Northern Frost, Chang Ye Yu Huo gave him the position of a 5,000-man legion commander and dispatched him to the Northern Region for 'hunts.' To put it bluntly, they hoped Rong Xing would take the lead and guide the Northern Frost members to PK human players in the Northern Region for experience and equipment. Rong Xing won't just attack once; he'll bypass our Scarlet Moon Knights and target players from other guilds."
"We can't just let this slide."
Ding Chi frowned. "If that old scoundrel Rong Xing is unrighteous, then don't blame our Scarlet Moon Knights for being ungracious."
"Mhm."
Bu Su Li Ren nodded. "Indeed, just killing him once would be too lenient. And boss, our Scarlet Moon Knights are already quite strong now. The total number of Burning Heaven Iron Cavalry exceeds 14,000. In terms of strength comparison, deploying 1,500-2,000 Burning Heaven Iron Cavalry against Rong Xing's 5,000-man legion is more than sufficient."
"Xing Chen, what do you think?" Lin Zhao asked.
Shen Xing Chen pursed her red lips. "I understand the deeper meaning in Li Ren's words. The Scarlet Moon Knights have consumed so much of the national server's resources and acquired all the Burning Heaven warhorses, so we should indeed bear a certain responsibility. As the demon, monster, and ghost players increase in the northern part of Xue Yu Tian Chi, and the major guilds on the national server are struggling to cope, our Scarlet Moon Knights should indeed do something."
"I understand."
Lin Zhao nodded and smiled. "We'll do as you suggest."
"Good."
Shen Xing Chen subtly raised her delicate eyebrows. "From now on, every day, the Scarlet Moon Knights will deploy two 3,000-man cavalry legions to patrol the north. The legion commanders will rotate, with Chen Xue, Ding Chi, Lu Han, Roman, Bu Su Li Ren, and Zhang Jun taking turns. We need to ensure that there is always a Scarlet Moon Knights cavalry legion active in the northern territory, forming a strong deterrent against players from the Four Northern Tribes and protecting the northern lands."
"Mhm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Let's do that. Inform me anytime when large-scale PK is needed."
"Okay~~~"
After arranging everything, Lin Zhao returned to Xue Yu Tian Chi to continue his fist training.
...
Northern Region.
With the stabilization of Xue Yu Tian Chi, the permanent stationed troops at Gu Xia Guan, and the continuous patrols of countless human cultivators along the Fusù Great Wall, the world's martial arts in the demon ancestral mountains had in fact become a mere formality. The Great Shang Dynasty enfeoffed various deities in the northern lands, incorporating large tracts of land into the dynasty's territory. In reality, the areas south of Xue Yu Tian Chi and Gu Xia Guan were almost settled, completely becoming human territory.
Along both banks of the Xi Jian River, more and more farmlands appeared, and a large population flocked to the Northern Region. People brought seeds and hopes to the northern lands, engaging in slash-and-burn agriculture, experiencing spring's bounty and autumn's harvest. Human footprints continuously appeared in the northern mountains and wilderness. Just north of the Xi Jian River, in the Tong Jing Lake area alone, dozens of small towns emerged like mushrooms after a spring rain.
Simultaneously, with the large-scale migration of people, trade and commerce in the Northern Region became increasingly prosperous. The Great Shang Dynasty only enfeoffed mountain and water deities in the Northern Region, without establishing any government offices. Therefore, the grains produced by the people were tax-exempt, and merchants enjoyed free trade in the Northern Region without paying any taxes, thus creating a prosperous scene in the Northern Region.
A few days later.
A large contingent of Great Shang Dynasty cavalry marched north, comprising the Lin Lu Army from the three northern states. Nearly 100,000 Lin Lu Army soldiers established a camp north of the Xi Jian River, stationing 100,000 troops, personally overseen by Deputy Commander Yu Rang. Shortly after their stationing, this Lin Lu Army continuously dispatched small detachments into the villages and towns of the Northern Region, compiling population registers and counting farmland.
...
In the evening, in a border town, the hooves of the Lin Lu cavalry shattered the local tranquility. As night fell, a large number of Lin Lu cavalry drove all the nearby residents together, compiling population records.
In the wind, two figures stood, Lin Zhao and Wu Zhi.
Overlooking the Lin Lu cavalry and clusters of torches on the ground, Lin Zhao frowned and said, "It's the Lin Lu Army... something's not right. The Lin Lu Army has always been cowardly. When did they dare to station troops beyond the Xi Jian River?"
"Hmph, it's driven by profit."
Wu Zhi sneered and explained, "My lord, the lands of the Northern Region are fertile, and the people are prosperous. Now, they've finally attracted attention. The Lin Lu Army marching north privately is for this immense potential profit. To put it plainly, they still want to prey on the common people and line their own pockets. With the arrival of the Lin Lu Army, the agriculture and commerce of the Northern Region will suffer a fatal blow."
"..."
Lin Zhao remained silent.
Wu Zhi continued, "My lord, if our Xue Yu Tian Chi intervenes in this matter, it would be perfectly justifiable. After all, the Northern Region is the land we conquered, not Li Chun Yang's Lin Lu Army."
"Don't rush."
Lin Zhao shook his head. "We still need the Great Shang Dynasty's supplies, warhorses, and manpower, etc. It's unwise to antagonize the Lin Lu Army over this matter."
"Yes!"
...
The next day.
In Ting Ma Town, two figures arrived from the north. One was a young woman in an apricot-yellow dress, radiating spiritual charm. The other was in a red dress, holding a fan, her entire being shimmering with golden light. They were Dong Cang and Liu Li Ying, who had arrived to purchase some wild mushrooms from the mountains to make soup for their young master.
The market in Ting Ma Town was bustling with merchants.
But in the afternoon, heavy hoofbeats echoed from outside Ting Ma Town. Immediately, countless Lin Lu cavalry surrounded Ting Ma Town. At the town entrance, an old general, a precious sword hanging from his waist, led a group of cavalry into Ting Ma Town and directly kicked open the door of an inn, dragging the innkeeper out onto the street.
"From today onwards, Ting Ma Town will be taken over by the Great Shang Dynasty's Lin Lu Army."
The old general frowned and said to a group of merchants on the street, "Those who don't abide by the rules will have to start learning. Please pay all the taxes you owe from last year. Don't be foolish, or you'll face the consequences!"
As he spoke, the old general's gaze swept to the distance and landed on Liu Li Ying. His eyes were instantly captivated.
What a beauty!
The old general frowned and said to the captain of ten thousand cavalry beside him, "Take that woman back to my marshal's tent. If this matter is handled well, there will be generous rewards!"
"Marshal Yu Rang!"
The captain of ten thousand cavalry frowned. "This is the Northern Region. Should we first investigate the background of that woman? After all... the Northern Region is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; some people are not to be offended!"
"Shut up!"
Yu Rang raised his eyebrows, his eyes filled with ferocity. "I am the Deputy Commander of the Lin Lu Army and have jurisdiction over everything in the Northern Region. Who dares to disobey?!"
"Yes, sir!"
The captain of ten thousand cavalry frowned and said, "Brothers, follow me."
A column of cavalry headed directly towards Liu Li Ying and Dong Cang.