Chapter 405: Finally Out, Old Giant

After Emperor Tang Xizong ascended the throne, Prince Jin Li Keyong tripped and killed his imperial uncle-in-law Duan Wenchu, who was then exiled back to the Shatuo State.

Dan Tai Yu, furious at the court's inability to distinguish loyalty from treachery, angrily resigned his office and retreated to the mountains.

Although Dan Tai Yu had retreated to the mountains, he never stopped worrying about his brother Li Keyong, knowing the Tang dynasty would surely employ him; thus, on Iron Cage Mountain he took Li Cunxiao as his disciple, so that he might one day assist Li Keyong.

Because Luo Jian had strictly forbidden Dan Tai Yu and Zhang Churang from passing on the Luo family spear outside, Dan Tai Yu merely transmitted his family's Thirty‑Six Paths Overlord Spear to Li Cunxiao, together with the ancestral Yu King Opening Mountain Spear.

Moreover, Gao Si Ji also had deep ties with Dan Tai Yu.

Dan Tai Yu passed his ancestral secret flying‑dagger technique and his twenty‑four flying daggers to Gao Si Ji, but he also transmitted the art of countering flying daggers to Li Cunxiao.

"Ding! Summoning the fourth person, Invincible Giant, Commander‑in‑Chief 45, Martial 106, Intellect 62, Politics 49."

"Hmm!"

"Again, you, Old Giant!"

"Look, here it comes again."

Su Ye gazed at the Invincible Giant's data, a wave of emotion welling up in him.

"Your obsession is really too deep, damn it."

"How much you long to come out," Su Ye's mouth twitched.

"No doubt, this time the retained single slot must include one of his."

"Being so persistent, not summoning him out."

Su Ye himself felt a bit guilty.

"Ding! Summoning the fifth person, Double Spear Lu Wenlong of Tale of Yue, Commander‑in‑Chief 70, Martial 106, Intellect 72, Politics 68."

Double Spear Lu Wenlong counts as a general whose martial ability ranks among the best in Tale of Yue.

In the Tale of Yue Complete Chronicle, Lu Wenlong was originally the son of Lu Deng, the military commissioner of Lu'an Prefecture in the Song dynasty; after Jin Wuzhu captured Lu'an Prefecture and Lu Deng and his wife had died, Jin Wuzhu took the infant Lu Wenlong as his adopted son and brought him back to the Jin State to be raised.

Lu Wenlong grew into a brave and skilled warrior who wielded twin spears; he once faced Yue Yun, Zhang Xian, He Yuanqing, and Yan Chengfang—the Four Fierce Eight Great Hammers—in a wheel‑battle and did not fall behind.

Later, upon learning his true origins, Lu Wenlong resolutely returned to the Song dynasty and swore to slay the Jin bandits.

After Lu Wenlong returned to the Song, he earned many military merits and, during the Yue Lei Northern Expedition, fought alongside the army and slew the Jin general Lian Er Xinshan.

"Ding! The Primary War God summon card has been used; please discard two people, and the system will randomly summon one for the host from the remaining three."

Just as Su Ye was looking at the five characters the system had given out, the system prompt sounded in his ear.

"Hmm, let's eliminate Jin Tai and Lu Wenlong."

"Actually, there's not much to choose from; the quality of these few isn't really different."

"Except Jia Fu might be a bit better than the others."

"Among the remaining four, the Invincible Giant definitely deserves a chance."

"Of the two remaining slots, Jia Fu takes one."

"Among the latter three, Jin Tai, though barely competent, could serve as a bodyguard or an instructor for the Cangzhou Army."

"But under Su Ye's command, he really isn't up to par."

"As for a bodyguard, Su Ye has Xuan Wu, that guard general, who surpasses all others."

"As for an instructor, under the Cangzhou Army's splendid War God lineup and Commander‑in‑Chief roster…"

"…it's really not needed; it's just icing on the cake, a bit of a spare rib."

"Moreover, if we're talking about an instructor, Old Ancestor Silver Spear Dan Tai Yu could certainly do the job."

"This is none other than the master of Li Cunxiao, except for the Li!"

"As for teaching disciples, he definitely has some experience."

"As for Lu Wenlong after that, there's no need to say more."

"He has no advantages at all, just sheer martial power."

"But among those present, whose martial power isn't at War God level?"

"Ding! After eliminating Jin Tai and Lu Wenlong, the system will summon one for the host from among Jia Fu, Invincible Giant, and Dan Tai Yu; please wait."

"Ding! Congratulations, host, you have obtained the Invincible Giant, Commander‑in‑Chief 45, Martial 106, Intellect 62, Politics 49."

"Accompanying weapons and mount: God‑Cutting Shears, White‑Forehead Tiger."

"His implanted identity is that of a mountain wild giant whom the host met while hunting with the Second Princess Si Luo Ying in Cangzhou, who kept jackals as companions; the host, feeling inclined to recruit him, subdued him, and he is now traveling together with fellow giant Ruan Zhongweng and the Halberdiers who have come from Cangzhou."

As Su Ye's summoning ended, shortly thereafter a clamor arose.

Afterwards Su Ye looked up and saw, on the distant horizon, a unit of heavy armored infantry marching slowly; though still far off, their murderous aura already swept over him.

Clad in heavy armor, they gleamed with a cold light in the sun; their halberds resembled the grim reaper's scythe on the battlefield, exuding a fierce killing intent.

This was precisely the Halberdier Corps that Su Ye had long awaited—like warriors stepping out of the river of history, each of their steps steady and strong.

As the Halberdier Corps drew nearer, Su Ye could clearly sense the formidable battle spirit emanating from them.

It was an aura of fearlessness toward life and death, of pressing forward relentlessly—as if no obstacle could halt their advance.

With the arrival of the Halberdier Corps, a blood‑iron storm seemed to well up on the horizon.

The heavy armored infantry's orderly footsteps rang like war drums, stirring the heart; their silhouettes in the sunlight grew ever more indomitable.

And at the very forefront of this steel torrent, two giant‑like figures loomed, as towering as mountains, their aura overpowering.

One of them wielded a huge weapon, the God‑Cutting Shears, whose blades flashed with a cold light, as if they could sever any obstacle.

Beside him stalked a silent White‑Forehead Tiger, its deterrent power immense, like a true king of the mountains and forests.

The tiger's eyes glowed, mirroring its master's gaze, revealing an aura that brooked no contempt.

The other giant held a gold‑lacquered, one‑leg‑high bronze statue about a zhang tall, which glittered in the sunlight, appearing solemn and mysterious.

The statue's visage was solemn, as if it could suppress all evil.

With each step the giant took, steady and strong, his bronze statue seemed to move with him, exuding an ancient, mysterious power.

These two figures, like the soul of the Halberdier Corps, led the heavy armored infantry elite corps forward.

Their presence not only added a touch of dignity and menace to the Halberdier Corps, but also made the entire corps exude an unmatched oppressive feeling.

As the Halberdier Corps gradually approached, Su Ye also gradually made out the face of the leader, and it turned out to be Zhang He, one of the Five Excellent Generals of Cao Wei!

This surprised Su Ye greatly, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

He had thought the system merely summoned the Halberdier Corps, but he didn't expect that even Zhang He, this leader, would also be summoned by the system.

Previously, when balancing the Martial Emperor of Wei Cao Cao, Zhang He, who was one of the Five Excellent Generals, had actually already been brought out.

However, according to the information transmitted from Su Ye's network, among the figures brought out by Cao Cao.

Besides his own family's Cao clan and the Xiahou clan's members.

Under his command, there was no trace of any other Five Excellent Generals.

Su Ye originally thought they had all been balanced off to some unknown corner.

He didn't expect that this time the system summoning the Halberdier Corps would directly bring Zhang He over.

(End of chapter)