Outside Yecheng.
"Young Lord."
A demon general narrowed his eyes, looking into the distance, and chuckled, "The reinforcements from the Great Shang Dynasty have arrived. It seems to be... the Vermilion Bird Cavalry guarding Shanhaiguan. They are closest to this place and don't seem to be advancing. Should we... probe them a bit?"
"You may."
Yu Feng nodded. "You lead five thousand iron cavalry and charge over. Bring the accompanying cultivators to erect a military protection formation. Humans are mostly sword cultivators; we don't need to take their sword energy for free. If they dare to engage, I will personally lead fifty thousand troops to pursue and annihilate all tens of thousands of their soldiers."
"Yes!"
...
Amidst the rumbling hoofbeats, five thousand demon iron cavalry charged forward.
"They're here."
Han Yetang narrowed his eyes and said, "They only sent five thousand. Do they look down on my Vermilion Bird Cavalry, Han Yetang?"
"It's likely a probe."
Lin Zhao said, "Shoot arrows, prepare to maintain distance, and try not to give them a chance to gauge our strength."
"Good!"
Han Yetang raised his hand and gave the order, "Release arrows!"
Instantly, countless arrows from the cavalrymen shot into the sky. However, when they landed above the demon iron cavalry, they were almost all repelled by a blue light screen with a "crackling" sound.
"Oh?"
Han Yetang squinted and smiled, "It seems they are indeed elite demons, with a protective formation set up by a cultivator in the Mid-Fifth Realm accompanying them!"
"Can you break it?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
"We can try!"
The next moment, Han Yetang soared directly from his horse. Three consecutive sword energies shot out, hitting the protective formation above the demon cavalry with a "boom, boom, boom." The surface of the formation immediately showed countless cracks. The attack of an Eleventh Realm sword cultivator was indeed not something a cultivator in the Mid-Fifth Realm could withstand, even with superior numbers.
"..."
Lin Zhao's heart stirred. The opportunity had arrived. Without a second thought, he reached out, took out two Sword Illumination Talismans, ignited them, and threw them forward to the left and right. Immediately, the brilliance of the talisman cores surged, transforming into two blazing sword energies in mid-air, slashing towards the formation of demon cavalry. They ruthlessly shattered the remaining formation and then plunged into the crowd, sending a flurry of severed limbs and broken bodies flying.
In just two sword strikes, two ravines were carved through the demon cavalry, resulting in nearly 300 demon cavalrymen perishing!
Lin Wanhua's sword energy could not be considered weak!
"..."
Han Yetang was stunned by what he saw.
"What are you waiting for?"
Lin Zhao chuckled. "Everyone retreat. Use scattered arrows to deter the demon iron cavalry from approaching. We don't need to fight them head-on!"
"Good!"
Thus, the twenty thousand Vermilion Bird Cavalry and one thousand Snow Region Cavalry all retreated, shooting arrows from their horses. Streams of arrows rained down from the sky, causing constant casualties among the pursuing demon cavalry.
...
"Recall them."
At the front of the demon formation, Yu Feng's face was ashen. His gaze was fixed on the young sword cultivator igniting the Sword Illumination Talismans within the human army. His intuition told him that this person was by no means simple and was likely his lifelong rival!
"Transmit the order!"
Yu Feng frowned. "The entire army retreats. Withdraw from the territory of the Eastern Wu Kingdom and seek opportunities elsewhere!"
"Yes!"
Soon after, over forty thousand demon iron cavalry retreated, raising clouds of dust.
...
"They just withdrew like that?"
Han Yetang's delicate brows furrowed. "What do they mean?"
"Our reinforcements are about to arrive. If they don't withdraw, they're just waiting to die," Lin Zhao said, looking into the distance. "This Yu Feng is indeed quite capable. We'll have to be careful if we encounter him again."
"Mm."
Just then, the sound of hoofbeats rolled in from behind. Another force arrived, bearing the banners of Great Shang and the royal insignia. A middle-aged man in armor rode at the forefront, with a fierce and imposing appearance. He wielded a battle saber, and tens of thousands of troops followed him. He chuckled, planted his saber into the sandy earth, and cupped his fists towards Han Yetang, saying, "Your subordinate, Wang Jingzhi, greets the Grand Commander Han Yetang!"
"Oh, so the Lingnan Legion has arrived..."
Han Yetang smiled faintly. "Unfortunately, they're a bit late. The demons have already retreated."
"Oh?"
Wang Jingzhi raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "No matter. I will lead the army into Yecheng to discuss counter-attacking the demons with Lord Zhou Yan. Where will the Grand Commander go?"
Han Yetang's expression was serious. "You intend to counter-attack?"
"Precisely!"
Wang Jingzhi said, "The Eastern Wu Kingdom is a vassal state of our Great Shang. Although few people remain, it is still our territory. How can we allow demon cavalry to come and go as they please? If we don't annihilate them, they truly think our Great Shang Dynasty is without capable men."
"As you wish."
Han Yetang said, "I will lead my troops back to Shanhaiguan. My duty is to guard the pass."
"Then, I shall not send you off!"
Wang Jingzhi smiled faintly.
Han Yetang asked Lin Zhao, "Shall we go together?"
"No, I'll stay."
Lin Zhao shook his head. "I still have a feeling something will happen."
"Mm, be careful."
"Alright."
...
After Han Yetang left, Lin Zhao received a message. The hasty skirmish just now had come with a quest reward—
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on completing the quest [First Encounter]. You have received a quest compensation reward: Experience points for this level +35%, Charm +1, Gold coins +1500, Prestige +1200!
A rain of light descended from the sky. Finally, level 99.
"Sir."
Beside him, Chu Yu frowned. "Where do we go from here?"
"Let the Snow Region Cavalry set up camp outside the city. Shall we two go into the city and have a look?" Lin Zhao asked with a smile.
"Mm-hmm..."
Chu Yu revealed a smile.
Lin Zhao and Chu Yu were humans, and they had just clashed with demon iron cavalry, so they were not stopped from entering the city. As the two walked side-by-side to Zoumala Lane, they found it to be a place of great change. The entire lane had been nearly emptied, and it seemed to have been set ablaze. Most of the residential houses were already burnt down, leaving only scorched earth.
"..."
As Lin Zhao and Chu Yu stood and stared into the distance, a troop of cavalry from the Border Defense Legion passed by behind them.
"Wait."
An old general dismounted from the cavalry, rode forward, and respectfully cupped his fists towards Lin Zhao, saying, "Your old subordinate, Xu Sheng, greets the White-Clad Lord!"
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao was taken aback, a mixture of surprise and joy. "Xu Sheng, is that really you?"
"It is I."
Xu Sheng showed a hint of embarrassment. He waved his hand towards the soldiers behind him and said, "I am meeting an old friend, the White-Clad Lord. I wish to chat for a while. You may return to camp first!"
"Yes!"
After the cavalry left, Xu Sheng took out a flask of wine and threw it to Lin Zhao. He then took out another flask. Chu Yu shook her head. So, Xu Sheng uncorked it himself and sat with Lin Zhao on the stone steps in front of the gate of a mansion in Zoumala Lane. This renowned general of the Eastern Wu Kingdom took a hearty swig of wine and said, "The Eastern Wu Kingdom is truly about to disappear from the face of the earth."
"It's alright, the people of the Eastern Wu Kingdom are still here,"
Lin Zhao said with a smile. "Just like our Great Chen Dynasty. Xu Sheng, how are you doing now? I see you... seem to be serving in the Border Defense Legion?"
"Mm."
Xu Sheng gritted his teeth. "What's the point of these surrendered soldiers from vassal states being able to fight and conquer? In the end, we are still closely guarded by the Great Shang Dynasty. Now, I'm just a cavalry captain in this Border Defense Legion. It's still a death sentence eventually. What kind of damn Border Defense Legion is this? To put it bluntly, it's cannon fodder composed of criminals and refugees. No weapons, no armor, even food and supplies are deducted. Our warhorses are getting thinner and thinner. Now that the demon iron cavalry has appeared, the time of death is drawing closer~~~"
He seemed to have come to terms with it and chuckled, "It's fine. I surrendered to protect the city's people back then, losing my integrity. Now, I will die fighting for humanity, and when I reach the underworld, I won't be too ashamed to even lift my head when I see His Majesty and the Prime Minister."
Lin Zhao gave a wry smile, understanding the old general's sentiment.
"White-Clad Lord."
Xu Sheng suddenly lowered his voice. "There is one matter that this old subordinate hopes you can tell me truthfully, and allow this old subordinate's heart to be at ease."
"What is it?"
"I have heard some unofficial rumors, saying that the daughter of the Eastern Wu Kingdom's Prime Minister, Lu Su... Lu Tong, was secretly taken by you to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool? Is this rumor true, and if so, how is she now?"
"Rest assured."
Lin Zhao patted the old general's shoulder and said with a smile, "She is living very well now, much better than you."
Instantly, Xu Sheng was relieved. A joyful smile spread across his wrinkled face. He and Prime Minister Lu Su, one military and one civil, were originally good friends. Now that he learned his old friend's daughter was safe and sound, while the country was broken and mountains and rivers shattered, what better news could there be?
He lightly raised his wine flask. "To you!"
Lin Zhao lightly clinked his flask and said, "It was just a small matter."
After taking a large gulp of wine, the strong liquor burned his throat. Lin Zhao looked at the old general beside him and said, "Have you ever considered leaving the Border Defense Legion? Since the Great Shang Dynasty intends to treat you as cannon fodder, why continue to sell your life to them? If you are willing, you can come with me to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. You can kill demons to your heart's content and live freely, die freely, without having to face the political machinations of the Great Shang Dynasty, and without your life and death being beyond your control."
"Ah?"
The old general frowned. "If it were only me, this matter would be easier to handle, but I still have thousands of old brothers from the Eastern Wu Kingdom behind me. I'm afraid they..."
"It's alright, we'll take it one step at a time."
Lin Zhao smiled. "I'm just showing you a path. If you truly reach a dead end, the Snow Region Heavenly Pool can be an option."
"Good!"
Xu Sheng nodded. "I will keep this in mind!"
...
Soon after, the sound of horns "wuwu" echoed from afar. Armored soldiers on horseback galloped through the main avenue of Yecheng like thunder, shouting, "All soldiers of the Lingnan Legion and the Border Defense Legion, prepare to march out of the city and head north to suppress the remaining demon forces!"
"We're leaving!"
Xu Sheng stood up and smiled. "I hope we can meet again alive."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded and watched Xu Sheng mount his horse and ride away.
The Border Defense Legion had around 50,000 men, and the Lingnan Legion brought by Wang Jingzhi had around 150,000, totaling 200,000. However, did Wang Jingzhi and Zhou Yan truly believe that these 200,000 troops could defeat over 40,000 elite demon cavalry?
Lin Zhao frowned and led Chu Yu out of the city.
Yu Feng's appearance with 50,000 elite cavalry had directly stirred up the waters in the northern part of the human domain!