Chapter 164: How to Deal with the Three Hundred Heavy-Armored Troops Blocking the Road?

"General Pang, the mountain gate is the face of a sect; having you personally guard it would surely be more secure, wouldn't it?"

On the way to Wind Thunder Valley, Qin Shuo and Pang Tong rode side by side, voicing their doubts.

"What? Colonel Qin, do you think I, Pang, am deliberately making things difficult for you, which is why I assigned you to block the mountain gate?" Pang Tong teased with a laugh.

"General, you overpraise me; I merely have some doubts." Qin Shuo shook his head.

I've been acquainted with this Flying Star General for a while now, so I naturally know his character.

Leaving aside his upright conduct—he's not the type to secretly trip others—given our relationship, he has no reason to harm me.

"Don't feel pressured!

The mountain gate is indeed the face of a sect.

But precisely because of that, anything shady won't openly come and go through the mountain gate.

Moreover, with such a huge commotion this time, compared to the Suppress Martial Hall, the Divine Constabulary Bureau, and even the four great clans and the prefectural office in the inner city, they'll all send people to watch.

Colonel Qin, you stand in the open; even if Wind Thunder Valley harbors great resentment, they dare not touch you.

But the rear mountain is different.

If Wind Thunder Valley truly colludes with the Ghost Mother Sect, once we seal the mountain, in their desperation they'll have only the rear mountain as an escape route." Pang Tong explained.

"I see! Thank you, General Pang, for your consideration!" Qin Shuo bowed in gratitude.

As they spoke, the two urged their horses across the ancient stone bridge spanning hundreds of meters over the river, arriving before the mountain gate of Wind Thunder Valley.

The mountain range towered, majestic peaks standing tall.

By the great river, beneath the towering peak, a vast expanse of several li was a huge open space tamped with yellow earth.

A towering stone stele stood at the left end of the stone bridge, its surface inscribed in gold lacquer with three large characters:

Wind Thunder Valley.

At that moment, on the yellow earth plaza before the grand mountain gate, disciples of Wind Thunder Valley held swords and spears, wore heavy armor, and exuded a murderous aura, as if facing a formidable foe.

Great Li does not forbid swords and spears, but it does forbid divine crossbows and heavy armor.

However, sects like Wind Thunder Valley are naturally exempt from such prohibitions.

Like the Great Dragon Temple, Wind Thunder Valley, and the Giant Whale Gang—great sects that dominate prefectures and rule a province—each has an quota of eight hundred heavy-armored troops; those who wear heavy armor are invariably the elite among the elite.

The three hundred heavy-armored troops before us are Wind Thunder Valley's sect-guarding elite; each has deep breath and abundant blood and qi, clearly accomplished martial artists, and among them are even strong cultivators at the Meridian Opening and Condensing Truth realms.

"Who are you? Why block my mountain gate with your horses? Leave quickly if you know what's good for you, lest you invite bloodshed."

Before the three hundred heavy-armored troops stood a towering man eight feet tall, wielding a black greatsword pointed forward, blocking Qin Shuo and company's path.

"Ha! Trying to give this general a taste of his own medicine, eh?"

Pang Tong snorted coldly, a chill flashing in his eyes, and said to a Golden Eagle Colonel behind him: "Tell him who we are."

"Yes!"

The Golden Eagle Colonel spurred his horse forward, his voice cold: "Demon Suppression Bureau on official business—idlers, retreat at once; those who dare block the road shall be killed without mercy!"

His resonant voice rang across the plaza, yet not a single one of the three hundred heavy-armored elites changed expression.

It was obvious that, even before arriving, they had already been informed of the visitors' identities.

Thus, even upon hearing the three words "Demon Suppression Bureau," their aura remained solemn and undisturbed.

"Wind Thunder Valley has always taken it upon itself to subdue demons and eradicate evil; this is known throughout the world—how could the Demon Suppression Bureau be unaware?"

"I see clearly that you are merely using the Demon Suppression Bureau's name to cause trouble; once I capture you all and hand you over to Chief Fu for disposition, let's see how you argue."

The leading Wind Thunder Valley disciple brandished his greatsword, and the three hundred heavy-armored troops behind him stepped forward.

In an instant, the clamor of iron armor rubbing together echoed across the plaza, and a mighty, murderous aura spread.

Though only three hundred men, they gave the illusion of ten thousand troops charging forward.

"Combined Attack Formation!"

Among those who followed the Demon Suppression Bureau to watch the spectacle were many martial arts experts, who at a glance perceived the subtlety within the three hundred heavy-armored troops.

These heavy-armored elites had their breath fused as one; as they stepped forward, it was as if mountains shifted, their aura mighty and terrifying to the extreme.

"Oh? I didn't expect Valley Master Nie to have such ambition, actually laying out the Wind Thunder Formation to meet us—this is clearly intended to crush the prestige of our Flying Star General."

In the crowd, Bai Li Jingtao gloated with schadenfreude.

The Demon Suppression Bureau—a pack of mad dogs—has recently been driven to desperation by the Ghost Mother Sect, arresting whoever they can and biting whoever they catch.

Even some branch halls of the Suppress Martial Hall have not been spared; they've all undergone thorough investigation, which naturally fills Bai Li Jingtao, the Vice Hall Master, with resentment.

Now seeing the other side suffer a setback before the Wind Thunder Valley gate, he feels immensely relieved.

"Without that crazy woman's overwhelming martial power to suppress them, the Demon Suppression Bureau is just a bunch of brainless brutes. Running into Nie Jinfang, that famous hard nut, they can only end up with a swollen head."

Lu Dingzhou spoke indifferently, clearly not optimistic about the Demon Suppression Bureau's mountain-sealing operation this time.

"Haha, if Pang Tong can't even enter Wind Thunder Valley's main gate, then the Demon Suppression Bureau will never be able to lift its head in Yunzhou again."

Bai Li Jingtao spoke lightly, entirely at ease watching the show, no longer as eager as before.

Earlier, upon hearing that the Demon Suppression Bureau would move against Wind Thunder Valley, he had thought that crazy woman had returned.

Now it seems they were just too hasty.

Who is Nie Jinfang?

Before attaining the rank of Grand Master and serving as Valley Master of Wind Thunder Valley, he bore the epithet Eight-Armed Evil Dragon.

In the Yunzhou region, the clans and sects he has personally destroyed are too many to count on two hands; he is a true slaughter-loving ruthless man.

For the Demon Suppression Bureau to gain any advantage from him is hopeless, even if that crazy woman herself came.

Amid the surrounding jeers, mockery, and belittlement, Pang Tong's face darkened to the extreme.

Even on the way here, he had anticipated that Wind Thunder Valley would surely act, not simply wait for death.

Yet he did not expect Nie Jinfang to be so unyielding, directly dispatching the valley's heavy-armored elites to block the gate.

Any one of these three hundred heavy-armored troops, he would not fear.

But the enemy's combined attack technique fused the qi and blood of the three hundred heavy armor into one, integrating offense and defense, yet it made him feel threatened.

It was obvious that Nie Jin Feng had long prepared for the Demon Suppression Office's visit.

This Heavy Armor Wind Thunder Formation was meant to give this Flying Star General a show of force upon dismounting.

If he couldn't even enter the enemy's mountain gate, he would become the laughingstock of all Yunzhou martial artists, and the authority of the Demon Suppression Office would also be provoked.

Such an outcome was absolutely unacceptable to Pang Tong, who had slaughtered across battlefields for decades.

Thus, his face darkened and he bellowed in a low voice:

"What a villain who turns black and white upside down and reverses the heavenly order!"

"Today, this general will see who dares to obstruct the Demon Suppression Office's law enforcement!"

Boom—

His qi surged forth like a floodgate bursting, overwhelming all noise on the plaza.

Pang Tong exerted force with both legs, leaping into the air from his horse's back.

Whoosh!

His black robe snapped in the wind, like a giant python soaring to the heavens!

Pang Tong pulled one hand to his waist and thrust the other palm forward.

Halfway through the palm strike, the wind howled wildly, yet he drew it back, as if grasping the entire plaza's airflow in his hand.

Then, amid a grating mechanical whir, he clenched his fingers into a fist.

Roar!

It was like a flood dragon's angry roar, or a Bright King's wrathful glare!

Just as he threw the punch, the sky over the Yellow Mud Plaza seemed to sink for an instant, heavily slamming into the unified three hundred heavy armor formation.

Ferocious!

Overbearing!

Powerful!

Everyone present held their breath, as if the very air were being swept away by that punch.

Under the punch's ferocity, Qin Shuo, who had thought his Majestic Dragon Divine Palm was already the ultimate in fierceness, now seemed lacking by a third.

"Flood Dragon Subduing Demon Fist!"

Someone outside the battlefield shouted oddly, exposing the name of Pang Tong's fist technique!

"Break!"

Pang Tong's tongue burst like thunder; with a single punch he forcibly shook the three hundred heavy armor!