Chapter 2010: Here They Come

He thought that by withdrawing like this, the Qingwei who had come to serve as military governor would surely speak out in opposition, after all, these Bekans never concealed their arrogance and meddlesome ways.

Who would have thought the military governor simply shut his mouth and went on his way.

Guo Bai Yu fought this battle feeling stifled and couldn't be bothered with him. But as the military governor walked away, he realized his post as "military governor" was essentially over, so he went on his own to find the deity-descended incarnate in the army, as well as that demon puppet master.

Before they set out, the Palace Master had privately told him that to seize the most valuable target, it wasn't necessary to do so on the battlefield—there were other ways.

Timing is very important.

The best timing does not necessarily appear on the battlefield.

……

The Fan couple and the people of Miancheng fled together from the West City Gate.

In the darkness, stepping deep one moment and shallow the next, they were fortunate that the county's road construction had made the westward official road flat and straight. Fan Shuang looked back several times, but saw no sign of Tushan Fang keeping up.

Flames shot into the sky in the city; Guo Bai Yu's army was probably indulging in looting and plundering, momentarily unable to pay attention to these fleeing civilians.

They ran toward the direction of the mine caves, following the winding official road uphill, and soon the city was blocked from view by mountains and forests.

After an unknown amount of time, the sound of horse hooves came rushing from behind, and everyone stared at each other in alarm.

Sure enough, an enemy force leapt out from the rear, brandishing knives and closing in, ruthless and vicious.

"Chase, chase—reinforcements are here!" Lady Wang clacked her upper and lower teeth together, trembling violently.

The couple looked at each other in grim despair, never imagining that after fleeing Guo State in a roundabout way all the way here, they still couldn't escape the disaster of war!

In that moment, Fan's father finally felt the words his son and He Lingchuan had once lamented—"born in the morning, dead by evening, human life as fleeting as grass"—with the most direct intuition.

Was it not speaking of their Fan family's misfortune? Was it not speaking of the destiny of these silver-tinged commoners!

The enemy cavalry's iron hooves trampled two fleeing civilians to the ground, and in the blink of an eye, they were before Fan's father. A fierce wind swept toward them; the couple had nowhere to flee, so they clung together, closed their eyes, and awaited death.

But then came a sharp whistling from behind—a feathered arrow struck down the enemy rider on horseback.

The man fell from his horse, dragging the horse's hooves sideways.

A rustling sound came from the forest ahead as hundreds of elite troops burst forth, their voices like thunder:

"The Black Armored Army is here!"

"Kill! Kill every remnant of Guo Bai Yu's forces!"

Black steeds flashed past—dozens of cavalry thundered by in front of them in an instant. Fan's father slowly slumped to the ground, his heart still pounding wildly:

"We are saved, we are saved!"

At the final moment, reinforcements finally arrived!

Gazing at the black torrent flowing down the mountain, at the flashing cold light of weapons, at blood spraying half into the air, at some being hacked down, others kicked into deep ravines, again smelling the piercing stench of blood, hearing the fierce roars and anguished cries… the fleeing people of Miancheng, somehow, cheered and leapt with joy while tears streamed down their faces.

Not long after, the enemy troops were scattered in disarray, and the Black Armored Army pursued them toward Miancheng.

Several riders halted before the crowd and instructed: "The official road to the mine caves has already been cleared—proceed without hindrance! The frontline fighting is fierce; we must still return to slay the enemy!"

Seeing them tighten their reins to leave, Fan's father urgently asked: "Is it that the Nine Abyssal Great Emperor has come?"

"General Wanqi is currently besieging Miancheng, and Deputy Commander Liao has specially ordered us to come rescue the elders of Miancheng." This soldier answered patiently, then added: "Pursue the enemy with haste—make way!"

Fan's father stepped aside, and they spurred their horses down the mountain to chase the enemy.

Suddenly, a coolness on his face—raindrops drifted down, one, two…

The Imperial Dew has arrived—it is a fine, misty rain.

……

Who knows if it counts as heaven's favor, but the Dragon Spirit Army had not yet reached Baihao Tower when the Imperial Dew descended.

Spirit rain fell drop by drop on his face, and the spiritual energy concentration in heaven and earth rose rapidly.

The dark, dense forest exhaled a wild, fresh scent; this stretch of road was especially difficult to traverse, the mixed woods' trees thin and slender, yet spaced so closely that not even horses could pass easily—let alone people.

The Dragon Spirit Army could only split into three units, each with a designated person at the front waving a broadsword to hack through vegetation and clear a path.

"Eight li remain to Baihao Tower." He Lingchuan ordered: "Heighten vigilance—this terrain is ideal for ambush."

Just then, the eastern wing's troops suddenly shouted in unison:

The grass roots underfoot and the branches beside them suddenly grew frenzied—either entangling legs or waists, binding them tightly, unable to move.

Many were dragged away, then hung upside down.

"Man-eating tree demons—fire attack." He Lingchuan's order was concise and to the point.

At that moment, numerous tree folk and grass folk leapt down from the trees— the tallest no more than three feet, the shortest only palm-sized, but with both hands and feet sprouting sharp spines; once they jumped onto a person, they would prick.

Being pricked by them hurt more than being stung by a horse wasp.

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Cries of pain rose and fell one after another.

Never having seen man-eating trees employ such tactics, Tao Ran suddenly shouted: "Wood Spirit!"

Then he shot an arrow at the tree trunk not far away.

Before the arrow struck, a hint of green light had already slipped down the branches from the trunk.

He Lingchuan said to Tao Ran: "Take it down!"

If we don't bring this thing down, the army cannot advance.

Tao Ran nodded, then led over a hundred men in pursuit of the Wood Spirit.

Hardly had he left when a sudden shower of arrows came from ahead—urgent and dense.

He Lingchuan flicked his cloak—arrows coming straight at him struck the cloak and slid right off.

This densely wooded long slope is called Tuoyue Slope. At this moment, a familiar voice came from the summit:

"He Xia, dare you fight me one-on-one?"

He Lingchuan looked up, saw torches blazing on the summit, a force having appeared at some unknown time. The lead figure pointed his spear directly at him.

It was none other than the Heavy Martial General.

By the moonlight, He Lingchuan saw clearly two long scars added to his face. It seemed the wars he had experienced in Yao were no easy matter either.

General Zhongwu roared again: "He Xiao, you and I have no grievances, and Puxia has never offended you. Why slaughter to the last man!"

"Precisely because you and I have no grievances, you need only surrender the city and this war ends here, sparing lives and treasure." He Lingchuan also couldn't be bothered to argue any grand principles with him, "Otherwise, the two of you, father and son, won't live to see tomorrow's sun."

"This is your own doing — you've brought ruin on yourself." General Zhongwu gritted his teeth, "Good, then let us settle the account of you framing me!"

Others listened in utter bewilderment, but He Lingchuan knew very well what he meant.

The night Xue Zongwu was killed, He Lingchuan and General Zhongwu were both staying at the Zhuowo Inn. Afterward, the Yao Wang Ting always suspected it was General Zhongwu's doing; were it not for Qingyang stepping forward to vouch for him, this foreigner Zhongwu would have met who knows what fate.

Pushing the deduction further back, General Zhongwu, on the king's orders, pursued the three-tailed fox demon, and was also disrupted by He Lingchuan — not only failing to capture the fox demon and report back, but letting a high official's son who had come to gild his military record suffer heavy injury. After this, the Yao King punished him severely as well.

Now that the fact "the Nine Nether Great Emperor is He Xiao" has surfaced, General Zhongwu, recalling from all sides, can also trace the clues and lay the blame for both these matters on He Xiao's head.

This bastard made him suffer so miserably, and now he even brings troops to destroy his country!