Copper Mirror Lake.
A fresh snowfall had dusted the ten miles of peach blossoms by the lake, painting them with a layer of light snow. Under the slightly chilly spring breeze, peach branches swayed, and petals danced with them, scattering snow.
In the peach grove, a stunning woman in a pink long dress held a jade-colored jar, meticulously sweeping the accumulated snow from the peach petals into it. Her expression was vacant, as if performing a task like a puppet.
This woman was the Peach Blossom Demon, Han Yurou. After a hundred years, Copper Mirror Lake remained Copper Mirror Lake, and the Peach Blossom Demon was still the Peach Blossom Demon.
Beside her, the maid Lushua frowned and asked, "Miss, are we brewing peach blossom wine again this year?"
"Mm."
Han Yurou pursed her red lips. "Young Master Lin Zhao loves this wine... Perhaps my Xicheng would also love this wine. When spring warms up, Young Master Lin Zhao will pass by Copper Mirror Lake on a white horse. Then, I will entertain him with stir-fried wild boar with asparagus. Even if I can't hold my liquor, I will definitely have a few drinks with Young Master Lin Zhao next time."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened.
Lushua bit her lip, tears welling up. "Miss, please don't be like this... Young Master Lin Zhao is dead... He died in battle at the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool a hundred years ago. Although he was the greatest hero in the world, he is truly dead... He will never come back to life."
Han Yurou's shoulders trembled, and tears streamed from her eyes. She continued to collect snow from the peach petals. "No, no... How could such a good person like the young master meet such an end? I will wait for him... Young Master Lin Zhao will return someday. When he returns, perhaps I will truly see Xicheng..."
Lushua wept, turning to look at the mountains to the south.
The flying fish dispatch that Lin Zhao had sent long ago was gone. It was no use when the people on the mountain were of such high cultivation.
...
As the two women's hearts churned with mixed emotions, heavy hoofbeats suddenly echoed from afar.
"Someone's coming!"
Han Yurou instinctively shielded the jar. "Lushua, let's return to the Mirror!"
"Mm!"
The two figures flashed past, merging into the water of Copper Mirror Lake and disappearing into the depths of a magical artifact. Just as they vanished, a line of cavalry appeared at the edge of Copper Mirror Lake. All of them wore golden armor and white cloaks. Their steeds were exceptionally magnificent and strong, the iron cavalry of the Demon Race.
One dismounted, a handsome man of the eleventh realm. He was the crown prince of the Feather Clan Dynasty of the Demon Race, Yu Feng.
"There's a water source!"
Yu Feng said gravely, "Someone, relay the order to set up camp by the lake and let the warhorses drink. The grass here has already begun to sprout. We'll let the warhorses graze overnight and leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes, Crown Prince!"
A general relayed the order. Another ten-realm ten-thousand-cavalry commander frowned, looking towards the depths of Copper Mirror Lake. He said faintly, "Crown Prince, can this water be drunk? Two spirits are hiding in the lake."
"Hmph, they are just two harmless spirits. No need to make a fuss."
Yu Feng, being of the eleventh realm, easily saw through the mysteries of Copper Mirror Lake and even its origins. He could also see through some of the hearts of the two spirit women. He couldn't help but laugh. "They are pitiable souls of this world. Forget it, no need to kill them."
"Yes, subordinate obeys!"
Saying this, Yu Feng stepped forward, cupped his fists towards the lake, and said, "Yu Feng of the Divine Race, leading the army, seeks rest here. We beg your pardon for any disturbance, ladies. Please rest assured, we will leave tomorrow morning and will not cause any further trouble."
The lake surface remained calm. The Peach Blossom Demon and Lushua Demon in the depths of the copper mirror dared not speak.
...
Late at night.
Campfires flickered by Copper Mirror Lake like countless stars.
This iron cavalry of the Demon Race had not brought any tents, only dry rations and water. Ever since they marched south, they had been on the move and fighting day and night. However, even though the Demon Race's physique was naturally stronger than that of humans, their strength was not inexhaustible. At this moment, everyone was weary, sitting around the campfire with vacant eyes, lost in their own thoughts.
Yu Feng looked up at the starry sky, thinking of many women: the daughter of the Prime Minister of the Feather Clan Dynasty, the daughter of a tailor from Rainbow Street, the tavern singer he had met in a small town before marching south, and the daughter of a hunter from the last village they had plundered. Each was beautiful and enchanting, unforgettable to him.
Born a romantic, what could he do? Compassion and tenderness were innate instincts. Da Feng Novel Network
"Crown Prince."
A nine-realm cultivator of the Demon Race, clad in a white robe, descended with the wind and said respectfully, "A human scout has been discovered six hundred miles to the north. The banner belongs to Li Chunyang's Deer Army. I have also captured one alive. He said that Li Chunyang has indeed marched north, leading thirty thousand elites of the Deer Army, and has now garrisoned Guyao Pass."
"Guyao Pass?"
Yu Feng's gaze was calm. "Li Chunyang is trying to trap us like a turtle in a jar! He thinks too highly of himself and too little of us humans."
Saying this, he looked at the ten-thousand-cavalry commander beside him and smiled. "I have thirty thousand iron cavalry, and Li Chunyang has thirty thousand Deer Army. Tell me, when was our Divine Race's most brilliant victory against the human race?"
"Hundreds of years ago."
The ten-thousand-cavalry commander smiled slightly. "A human feudal king led a 250,000-strong army on a northern expedition. They encountered our Divine Race's 20,000 iron cavalry. After a day and a night of fighting, the human race suffered 160,000 casualties, while our Divine Race lost less than 6,000 men!"
"What our Divine Race ancestors could do, we can also do."
Yu Feng smiled. "Tomorrow, you will take two thousand injured Divine Race cavalry as bait to explore north, luring Li Chunyang's main force south. We will draw them near Copper Mirror Lake and fight on open terrain. Is the Deer Army not called the strongest army in the north of the human race? We will slaughter them ruthlessly!"
"Yes, Crown Prince!"
Several ten-thousand-cavalry commanders showed confident smiles. The Demon Race, calling themselves the Divine Race, seemed to possess this confidence innately. They believed they could fight against humans with fewer men!
...
Two days later.
Outside Guyao Pass, a ten-thousand-cavalry commander of the Deer Army led a large group of cavalry back to the camp. Among them, the group of cavalry in front had a demon's head hanging from the neck of almost every horse, and some even had two. The ten-thousand-cavalry commander, with a look of joy, rushed into the commander's tent and cupped his fists. "Great General, when we were on a patrol to the south, we encountered a demon iron cavalry of about two thousand. I decisively ordered an attack. After fighting for nearly half an hour, we beheaded over 500 and returned with a complete victory!"
"Oh?!"
Li Chunyang was slightly surprised. "Let me see!"
Outside the commander's tent.
Li Chunyang carefully inspected all the demon cavalry heads. They were indeed freshly deceased, not fake. He frowned. "General Song is indeed heroic, but these two thousand demon iron cavalry seem too easy to defeat, making it hard for me to believe."
"Great General, you may not know!"
The ten-thousand-cavalry commander said gravely, "When we encountered them, these demon cavalry were listless, as if they hadn't eaten for many days. Their warhorses ran weakly as well, and these demons were almost all injured, likely battle wounds from the battle in Dongwu Kingdom. Although these northern barbarians fought back desperately, the blades of our Deer Army are not made of dough!"
Beside him, Yu Rang narrowed his eyes and said, "Great General, forgive me for speaking frankly. Although the five-thousand-strong demon iron cavalry that marched south alone repelled our Lingnan Army and Border Garrison Army in Dongwu Kingdom, their own losses were definitely not small. Moreover, after nearly half a month of hardship, these demons are injured and sick, and have likely reached their limit."
A supporting cultivator said gravely, "Not long ago, reconnaissance by spirit eagles detected that the remaining thirty thousand main forces of the Demon Race are camped around Copper Mirror Lake. They have no tents and can only sleep in the snow. Furthermore, it has been five days since the Demon Race last plundered a village. Deputy Commander is right, this demon iron cavalry should be at its wit's end."
"Hmph..."
Li Chunyang smiled faintly. Who was he? A famous general of Western Shu who had once contended with the great demon Yu Zhi and won. His many years of military experience had naturally honed his extremely keen senses. His intuition told him that this small victory might just be a bait cast by Yu Feng. Of course, there was another possibility, which was that the Demon Race had indeed exhausted their fighting strength. These two possibilities were fifty-fifty.
"Send out the troops!"
Yu Rang cupped his fists and said gravely, "I am willing to lead the Deer Iron Cavalry to battle Yu Feng!"
"No rush."
Li Chunyang turned and looked at the army strategist Qin Shang, cupping his fists. "Elder Qin, what do you think?"
"Yu Feng is known as the Divine Cavalry Commandant, talented and accomplished among the younger generation of the Demon Race."
Qin Shang stroked his beard and smiled. "We should not be too careless. If we underestimate them, we might be on the verge of a crushing defeat. In my opinion, we should advance cautiously, dispatch the spear and archery battalions south, with the Deer Iron Cavalry providing support. Whether Yu Feng's troops are truly weak or not, we must devour him piece by piece!"
"Good!"
Li Chunyang nodded and smiled. "We will follow Elder Qin's arrangements. Tomorrow at dawn, the entire army will march south, targeting Copper Mirror Lake!"
"Yes, Great General!"
...
Two days later, a hundred miles north of Copper Mirror Lake.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In a snow-covered forest, thirty thousand demon iron cavalry stood in formation. In front of the crowd, Yu Feng rode a fine horse, looked up at the sky, and suddenly smiled. "Since Lord Yu Shi has arrived, why not reveal yourself?"
A figure in dark green python robes descended from the sky. It was Yu Shi Yue Ling.
"Yue Ling greets Crown Prince."
Yu Shi Yue Ling smiled slightly. "Crown Prince called, what instructions do you have?"
"Could you make it snow again?"
Yu Feng smiled. "Just enough to conceal our tracks from the human cultivators' spirit eagles."
"This..."
Yue Ling's face showed difficulty. "I, Yue Ling, am the Yu Shi of a ten-thousand-mile territory, controlling frost, wind, rain, and snow over that distance. If the Crown Prince asks me to help you conceal our heavenly secrets, wouldn't that put me in a difficult position? Moreover, I was human in life."
"Oh?"
Yu Feng took out a heavy money bag. "Three hundred gold fish coins for a snowfall from you. Will you sell it?"
"..."
Yue Ling's expression immediately showed contemplation.