In the northern snow ridge, after a heavy snowfall, the view was one of icy desolation.
In the afternoon, an old general of the Bingshi sect emerged from the Zhenjian Tower closest to the Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake. Though his face was lined with age, his eyes gleamed with vitality, and his complexion was ruddy, like that of a man in his prime. He wore faded golden armor, bearing the marks of time, and a sword hung at his waist. Ever since Huo Piaoyao was gravely injured by Manyuan and returned to the Bingshi ancestral court for healing, this elder had represented the sect in guarding the remaining nine Zhenjian Towers.
The old general was straightforward in nature. He was a sword cultivator of the twelfth realm and one of the seventy-two disciples of the Bingshi Martial Temple, possessing formidable strength.
At this moment, after loosening his muscles, he turned to face the west. A streak of red sword light sliced through the wind, and atop the flying sword stood a young sword cultivator in white robes and silver armor. This was none other than Lin Baiyi, the master of the Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake. Since the elder had taken over guarding the Zhenjian Tower in place of Huo Piaoyao, Lin Zhao often visited personally, bringing some food. After all, he was sent by the third senior brother and could be considered a semi-elder to Lin Zhao.
"Lin Zhao!"
"Yes, Elder General Huangfu!"
Lin Zhao landed gracefully atop the Zhenjian Tower, carrying a bag of spiced beef, a bag of thinly sliced pork hock, a bag of peanuts, and a pot of peach blossom wine. He smiled and said, "Bringing some food for the old general."
"Heh heh!"
The old man patted his stomach and chuckled, "Just in time. I am indeed feeling rather hungry."
He directly sat cross-legged on the ground, placed the food on his lap, and began to devour it with gusto, drinking the wine just as heartily, directly from the pot. The Bingshi sect and martial warriors were quite similar; their eating habits were much the same. As the elder ate, Lin Zhao surveyed the Zhenjian Tower. The Bingshi cultivators within were diligent, some observing movements to the north, others meditating in cultivation. Each was dedicated to their duty, and there was generally no idleness.
After finishing his meal, the old general squinted towards the northeast. He saw a wisp of bloody providence rising into the air. Glancing again to the northeast, he observed that the sky above Ni Chang Tian Xia was also thick with crimson clouds. He then remarked with a smile, "The northern border is about to experience renewed war..."
A Bingshi cultivator of the upper five realms could perceive the subtle and see the hidden, discerning the threads of conflict from underlying signs. With his words, Lin Zhao's brows immediately furrowed. "The demon and devil races are indeed stirring."
"Prepare yourselves soon."
The old general mused, "These nine Zhenjian Towers possess great power, but unfortunately, they cannot be moved. I can only guard this small patch of land. If the four northern races decide to circumvent and march south from elsewhere, I would truly be helpless."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded and stood, gazing towards the north. He said calmly, "No matter. We shall meet force with force, and block water with earth."
The old general looked at the young sword cultivator, his eyes filled with a smile. So young, yet possessing such composure and the bearing of a great general. He was indeed worthy of being the sect leader's junior brother!
Lin Zhao clasped his hands in a salute and departed, returning to the mountain to prepare his troops.
Meanwhile, the old general, clad in his faded golden armor, descended the Zhenjian Tower, sword at his side. He said sternly, "No one slack off! A strong enemy is approaching. All of you, maintain your vigilance! Deploy your formations, and practice all your battle strategies!"
"Yes, sir!"
On the ground, figures of Bingshi cultivators poured out of the Zhenjian Tower and began drilling battle formations on the open ground before them.
Under the sunlight, the old general narrowed his eyes, a broad smile on his face. This renowned old general of the Bingshi ancestral court had once turned the tide of a chaotic era, quelling internal strife and striking fear into the hearts of all. He had once been enfeoffed as the General of the Cavalry. Later, upon entering the Bingshi ancestral court, he had even created a set of solid formation tactics and trained elite soldiers, calling them the "Jianzhu," making him one of the most skilled strategists in the Bingshi ancestral court.
...
In the evening, on the north mountain of the Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the land. Lin Zhao stood on a cliff edge, opening his stance for the "Nine Fists of the Farmer," his expression solemn. Beside him, Ding Chi leaned on his sword, resting it against the cliff. In front of them sat Shen Xingchen and Leng Yan by the cliff's edge. The two young beauties were as carefree as ever, their long legs kicking idly at the cliff face, drawing the attention of many players who ascended the mountain to complete quests.
"Hoo..."
Ding Chi took a deep breath and said, "It's been a bit too peaceful lately. So peaceful it's almost unsettling. The system hasn't refreshed any large maps, nor are there any legendary version quests. Even the demon and devil races are unusually quiet. This situation is quite unnerving, makes my backside feel cold."
"Well put."
Lin Zhao chuckled. "Lawyer Ding's choice of words is quite apt."
Ding Chi scratched his head. "Learning from the wise. Following the mountain lord, I've become a scholar, gradually becoming more eloquent."
Lin Zhao rolled his eyes, wishing he could kick him.
"Lin Zhao."
Leng Yan turned and looked at Lin Zhao, smiling. "Second realm martial warrior already?"
"Mhm."
Lin Zhao nodded, a hint of excitement in his smile. "It's not difficult to upgrade one's martial warrior realm. Just keep practicing punches and accumulating fist intent. There's a progress bar. I estimate that before the middle five realms, I can upgrade through this kind of arduous labor. No big problem."
"That's good."
Leng Yan lightly raised her willow-leaf eyebrows and smiled. "In this life, we must at least reach the Rebirth realm!"
Lin Zhao looked a bit awkward. "That... I'll do my best!"
A short while later, Huang Tingyu walked over, his sword on his back, his eyes grave. He had important news to tell Lin Zhao. However, upon seeing Shen Xingchen and Leng Yan sitting by the cliff, Huang Tingyu immediately stiffened. These two women seemed familiar, and somehow even more radiant. He then said solemnly, "Lin Zhao, these two young ladies?"
"What is it?"
Leng Yan recognized Huang Tingyu.
"Nothing... nothing..."
Huang Tingyu grinned. "It's just that such exceptionally beautiful and graceful ladies must surely be confidantes of our Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake's Lin Baiyi. Anyone else would not be worthy of our mountain lord!"
Leng Yan couldn't help but chuckle. Elder Huang had been imprisoned for a century, but his silver tongue had not dulled one bit.
"What is it, Old Huang?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
Huang Tingyu said sternly, "Just received a flying fish dispatch from a scout. The demon race has mobilized troop strength from five encampments from the plains south of their ancestral mountain and are marching south. The commander of the three armies is reportedly Yu Zhi, and their target might be our Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake. Furthermore, over at Yunxi Grassland in Ni Chang Tian Xia, they are said to be mobilizing troops. The devil race has at least two hundred thousand elite cavalry about to march south."
"What is bound to come will eventually come."
Lin Zhao frowned and said, "Send this news to Han Yetang via flying fish dispatch. As for what the Great Shang Dynasty will do, that is beyond our control."
"Mhm."
Huang Tingyu nodded. "What about our army?"
"Prepare our troops, strengthen the defenses of the Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake, and prepare to face the enemy."
"Yes!"
Old Huang turned and left.
Leng Yan also pulled Shen Xingchen up and asked, "Is it going to war again?"
"Most likely."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. "I wonder how many troops the demon and devil races will deploy this time. Everyone should prepare themselves mentally. The war might begin soon."
"Mhm!"
...
Evening.
The scruffy man, Tang Guangjun, lay on a rock outside the back street, a nascent foxtail grass in his mouth. He turned his gaze to a small vegetable patch nearby. Tender young garlic had just sprouted, and several speckled chickens were scratching for food. On the roof, bundles of noodles were drying on a bamboo sieve. Widow Wang had forgotten to bring them in again today. Should he help?
Tang Guangjun peeked around furtively. No one else was around. If he helped, it should be fine. Perhaps he could also conveniently take down a speckled chicken and pick some garlic shoots to make a chicken noodle soup. That should be fine too, right?
He took a deep breath and pushed his twelfth-realm sword intent to its limit.
Just then, a figure appeared in the courtyard. It was a woman, around thirty years old, wearing a floral dress. This was Widow Wang from the small town. Widow Wang ran an oil and grain business in town and also fried dough sticks and sold steamed buns for breakfast. She was attractive, and for the sake of earning a living, she was quite bold, constantly using suggestive jokes when talking to the men in town, which contributed to her booming business. Moreover, Widow Wang was beautiful, with a particularly voluptuous figure. Especially the way her hips swayed unconsciously when she walked, it possessed a unique charm. Immediately, Tang Guangjun's eyes were fixed, and the noodles, speckled chickens, and garlic shoots were no longer of interest.
"Oh my, she's no less stunning than a fairy from the mountains!"
Not far away, the sound of horseshoes could be heard. On horseback sat the old general Huang Tingyu. Upon returning to the town, Huang Tingyu had resumed his position as deputy commander. However, most of the military duties were handled by other generals, leaving him with little to do. He rode his horse around the town as if patrolling his own territory. Looking at the Tianchi Town now, there were so many beautiful widows!
"Such a figure, she'll surely bear many children."
Huang Tingyu rode forward, staring intently. Soon, he noticed another pair of eyes also gazing fixedly at the pretty widow who was now gathering the noodles.
"Oh?!"
Huang Tingyu stiffened. The gazes of two twelfth-realm sword cultivators met.
"Old Brother Huang?"
Tang Guangjun's heart tightened. He spoke with his mind, "Could you also be...?"
"What are you thinking?"
Huang Tingyu chuckled. "They are all women from the town. I, Old Huang, am a man of character, I cherish beauties. It's only natural for me to help these weaker women occasionally, right, Brother Tang?"
"Hahaha~~~"
Tang Guangjun said, "Brother Huang speaks wisely. Come over to my humble abode for a drink sometime!"
"Indeed, it is a humble abode."
Huang Tingyu looked at the dilapidated hut. "Here we come, here we come. I just happened to bring some wine!"
Soon after, their warhorses were tethered to trees in the nearby woods. The two great sword immortals of the twelfth realm, each with a pot of wine, ate peanuts, and commented on the women coming and going in the town. In an instant, they became bosom friends, feeling as though they had known each other for ages!
...
In the evening, a cavalry soldier from the Great Shang, belonging to the White Deer Iron Cavalry, entered the town and went straight to the Mountain Summit Villa.
Upon arriving at Tianran Ju, he cupped his hands and said sternly, "Mountain Lord, His Highness asked me to convey a message: the first batch of northern mountain and river deities will be officially enfeoffed in one hour. Zhang Xicheng, the Mountain God of Ziyun Mountain, is among them. After the investiture ceremony, Zhang Xicheng will possess a golden body and be able to establish himself on Ziyun Mountain."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao's face lit up slightly. "Please convey my thanks to His Highness for me, Lin Zhao!"
"Yes!"
"Wait, don't go yet."
Lin Zhao smiled. "We have a batch of apricots in the plum and apricot grove of our Mountain Summit Villa that have just ripened. They are very sweet. I'll pick a basket and have you take it to Her Royal Highness the Princess as a taste?"
The cavalry soldier cupped his hands and said sternly, "Yes, as you command!"
He secretly chuckled to himself. What was the Princess's status? Such a noble status, and to receive a basket of wild apricots from a mountain in return for enfeoffing a Mountain God of Ziyun Mountain for your Snow Ridge Heavenly Lake? This mountain lord was truly amusing. He wondered why the Princess would favor someone like this.
...
A short while later, in Zhao Shutong's command tent.
"So sweet."
Zhao Shutong, who normally dined on fine delicacies and rarely ate fruit, ate two apricots in succession and smiled. "The Feng Shui of the Mountain Summit Villa must be good. The apricots grown here are exceptionally sweet."
The cavalry soldier who delivered the gift knelt on the ground, wishing he could slap himself.