Chapter 312: Three Against Three

The Turtle Bandits—no, the three pillars of the Dawai Chao in Yunzhou—gathered together and took their seats on the cushions outside the camp tent.

Prince Cheng scrutinized this Eastern Pillar of State, his gaze sweeping over his hair and landing squarely on his face, then smiled: "I have long heard that you are the youngest Pillar of State; truly, you are a young man of great promise."

The red-haired Pillar of State replied politely: "Your Highness is too kind. Is there any Pillar of State who is not a Sword Hero? I am but a Sword Guest; 'Pillar of State' is just a nice-sounding title. How can I compare to the senior brothers?"

Prince Cheng thought to himself: It is said that this Eastern Pillar of State is young and hot-tempered, a real firecracker, but looking at him now, he seems quite reasonable.

The old Pillar of State smiled: "With your talent, little brother, isn't becoming a Sword Hero just a matter of time? You won't blame me for pulling you away from your busy schedule over there to assist me, will you?"

The Eastern Pillar of State said: "That's fine. Besides, there's no hope in sight for the big affairs in Yunzhou, not in three days, five days, or even a year or half a year. It's perfect for me to come over and do some real work. Otherwise, wasting away like that, even my bones feel uncomfortable from the idleness. I heard you're going to kill people from the Land Inspection Bureau here? That's great! I've been wanting to deal with them for a long time." Having said this, he bared a mouthful of white, gleaming teeth.

Prince Cheng felt a secret shiver; it wasn't that he thought the people from the Land Inspection Bureau couldn't be killed, but he felt this kid was a bit ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

The old Pillar of State stroked his beard and said: "I knew your heart, little brother. However, we didn't come here just to kill. It's best not to touch the main force of the Land Inspection Bureau. In the end, there will probably only be that small fry from the Land Inspection Bureau left. If you want to take action, I will naturally leave it to you."

The Eastern Pillar of State curled his lip and said: "We'll see. What's the point of bullying a kid? Since I've come, I'll naturally listen to you, old brother. If I really want to have some fun, I have to wait for the moment the great cause succeeds. By then, if I have become a Sword Hero, I will test the Gaoyuan Marquis. I hear this Marquis is the top existence among Sword Heroes, his prestige covering Yunzhou. I wonder how he compares to my Vermilion Bird?"

The Summer Pillar of State laughed loudly: "Good! When that day of Clearing Clouds to See the Sun truly arrives, I will definitely leave that old hag to you, brother."

Prince Cheng felt a faint headache, but it seemed he couldn't find fault with it—could he really hope that such a day would never come? He hurriedly changed the subject: "Minister Zhou, is the progress of the great cause in Yunzhou going smoothly?"

The Zhou Pillar of State straightened his expression slightly and said: "It is acceptable. The progress of the survey of Yunzhou is methodical. It is only that we suffered a setback in Xun City; the defenses of Zhongtian Prefecture are too tight, so we need to find another node. Now it seems it must be in the northern area. We will search slowly. In addition, I was previously ordered to develop our ranks among the refugees, which was initially quite smooth. The hearts of the people there can be used, there is plenty of talent, and it is easy to keep secret. Unfortunately, the Gaoyuan Marquis has recently set his sights on this piece of fat meat. They can openly recruit under the banner of the government and offer very generous conditions. We cannot compete with them when we go head-to-head, so the speed of progress has slowed down."

Prince Cheng said: "These Yin Calamity..." He wanted to say something, but remembered that this Pillar of State also came from Yinhuo Township and seemed unable to hear the words "Yinhuo Township," so he changed his wording: "These refugees were originally good, honest people who suffered disasters and lost everything, yet the pseudo-dynasty treats them like bandits. How could they not be resentful in their hearts? They only submit because they are intimidated by power. Although we cannot recruit openly, how can our treatment be worse than theirs? When I memorialize the Crown Prince, I will increase the funds for Yunzhou specifically for you to recruit the local people; this is also for the sake of the great cause."

The Zhou Pillar of State's eyes had surged with blood-red color when he heard the word "Yin Calamity," but he forcibly suppressed it. Upon hearing the latter part, he was overjoyed and said: "Many thanks, Your Highness. With your support from the rear, we have the people and the money; what is there to fear about the great cause not succeeding?"

Prince Cheng said: "That is exactly it. The great cause in Yunzhou cannot afford any mistakes. If the Dazai does not return, what will become of the common people? It is just that if we want to Clear Clouds to See the Sun, it will take three to five years at most, or one to two years at least. With the setback in Xun City, it will cost a few more months, and if the next node is not smooth, it is inevitable that it will be dragged out again and again..."

The old Pillar of State said: "That will not happen. We are acting cautiously now for the sake of the overall situation and to ensure fewer commoners die in Yunzhou; this is the benevolence of the Imperial Court. But once we truly find the next node, it will be the critical game of victory or defeat; how could we still be stingy with the pots and pans? At the most crucial moment, we must prioritize the overall situation and sacrifice a few; we will succeed in the end, and at worst, we can clean up the aftermath after we succeed."

The Zhou Pillar of State went "Huh?" and said: "Didn't Prince Cheng just say 'what will become of the common people'?"

Prince Cheng and the old Pillar of State paused simultaneously. Prince Cheng sighed immediately after: "Unless it is a last resort, we must still cherish the people. In the future, these will all be our..."

Before he finished speaking, the sky suddenly darkened.

Countless iron bars rose from the ground, instantly surrounding the three of them. Immediately after, a suffocating pressure descended from the sky, making one's whole body feel heavy.

Prince Cheng was stunned, and a thought suddenly struck his heart: It's over!

He didn't even have time to distinguish what was happening; this was the first thought in his heart. The high-spirited and surging mood he felt when seeing the two great Pillars of State join forces fell to the bottom in an instant; he even lost heart and had no reaction.

Fortunately, he was not alone.

At the critical moment, a great force swept over, swinging him out like a swing.

Prince Cheng floated out of the darkness, the top of his head brightened, and he returned under the great sun. Where the sky was bright, the previous oppression and coldness receded at once, and his brain immediately began to turn.

Someone is launching a sneak attack!

It was just that his brain was turning, but his body couldn't move; he staggered and fell downward, and then someone beside him supported him.

Prince Cheng looked to the side and saw a head of red hair, breathed a sigh of relief, and said: "The Pillar of State is still here, that's great—ah, where is the old Pillar of State?"

That red-haired Pillar of State pointed forward and said: "He is inside."

He saw that just a few steps away, a prison had stood up out of thin air, the steel bars connecting heaven and earth, airtight and impenetrable. Looking inside from the bars, it was pitch black and unfathomable, like looking into an abyss, and there were clumps of gloomy and twisted moldy air blocking the view. In the center of the bars, a tiger-headed stone carving was lifelike; Prince Cheng immediately recognized it as the prison-guarding beast, Bi'an.

It is Sword Art... no, it is Sword Technique!

Prince Cheng's heart sank. If it were Sword Art, with the realm of a Pillar of State Sword Hero, he would naturally not be afraid. If it were Sword Technique, it might not be the case; a sneak attack by someone of the same level might not be something one could protect oneself against. He said with a trembling voice: "Was the Pillar of State trapped because of me? I... I have failed the old general."

The Zhou Pillar of State was speechless at his appearance—he wasn't dead yet, so why was he in such a hurry to mourn? Although he had been in the outer counties before, he had vaguely heard of this Prince Cheng's reputation. Since the battle of Xun City, this person's reputation could be considered "heard for a hundred miles." He had originally thought he was a decent person when he met him face-to-face, but he didn't expect him to reveal his true colors so quickly. He said patiently: "Your Highness, do not worry. The old Pillar of State chose to stay inside himself."

Prince Cheng asked in surprise: "Is that so?"

The Zhou Pillar of State said: "Yes, he stayed inside to hold back that Sword Hero himself, and left the rest to us."

Prince Cheng said: "The rest..."

His gaze shifted, and he saw two people standing opposite: a decadent older youth and a sunny, flower-age teenager, each carrying a sword, also looking toward this side.

When he saw these two, his heart jumped, and he felt a sense of panic as if he had seen them before. Although he clearly didn't recognize either of them, it was as if he had faced them before.

The Zhou Pillar of State said: "There shouldn't be any Sword Heroes among these two. Your Highness, pick one?"

Prince Cheng felt a shiver and said: "The two of us take one each? Fighting separately?"

The red-haired Pillar of State said: "There are exactly three people, aren't there? This is my first time meeting Your Highness; our coordination might not be as good as fighting separately. How about this: Your Highness, pick the young one; his strength should be a bit weaker." After thinking for a moment, he exhorted again: "It doesn't matter if you can't hold him off; try to delay as much as possible. After I finish this person off, I will go to help you."

Prince Cheng gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Three against three."

On this side, Chi Deputy Envoy also said to Tang Zhao: "Just now, Lao Xing was dragged away by that old brat and won't be able to come over for a while. However, he took the initiative, so he has the home-field advantage now; I expect it will be fine. You pick one?"

Tang Zhao pondered and said: "There is an acquaintance. The one dressed very gorgeously, I have seen him before."

Chi Deputy Envoy nodded and said: "Then that one is yours. I also feel the red-haired brat is a bit harder to fight; a Sword Guest should definitely be dealt with by a Sword Guest. You deal with that one; I don't think he looks like a Sword Guest, he is mostly likely a Spirit Official. You must be careful of his sneak attacks and interference. If you can win, finish the battle quickly; it would be best to capture him alive. This brat seems to have an unusual status and might be worth some money. If you can't win, just drag it out; I will go help you after I finish this one."

Tang Zhao nodded. Anyway, he was the youngest, and he had to listen to Chi Deputy Envoy's arrangements. As for who he was against, he wasn't persistent. He reminded Chi Deputy Envoy: "That red-haired one might be infected by Yin Qi; his sword might be biased toward the fire element. The sword of the Northeast Pillar of State among the Turtle Bandits should be Li-Fire; you must be careful."

Speaking of this, he suddenly paused, thinking of the fire-element Demon Prison nearby. Could he be a victim of Li Huo Prison? Li-Fire, could it be that Li-Fire?

It was just that the opponent had not yet drawn his sword, and he could not see if that sword was the one he imagined.

For a moment, he actually had the intention of fighting this brat, but Chi Deputy Envoy beside him didn't give him the chance. He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a breath of wine, raised his sword as if he were drunk, pointed crookedly at the red-haired Pillar of State, and said: "Follow me, let's fight over there."

This was exactly what the Zhou Pillar of State wanted. He followed by flicking his sleeve, and a heat wave rolled over. With a 'whoosh', the fire energy met the wine vapor and exploded, blooming into a large burst of sparks in the air, just like a street performance. The two glared at each other, gave their respective teammates an encouraging look, and simultaneously rose and pounced into the dense forest.

Only Tang Zhao and that Prince Cheng were left in the field, staring at each other. Both had solemn expressions, but Tang Zhao was more relaxed, while Prince Cheng was a bit nervous in his bones, but could still maintain his composure on the surface.

Although Chi Deputy Envoy told Tang Zhao to finish the battle quickly, Tang Zhao had plenty of combat experience and knew deeply that he should not let external factors interfere with the battle. Whether he could finish quickly still needed to be judged according to the situation, so he was not impatient. Instead, he asked politely: "Have we met somewhere before?"

It would have been better if he hadn't said that; once he did, Prince Cheng was both sad and angry, and roared: "The ghosts have met you!" After saying that, with a 'Boom—', a Spirit Image rose from behind him.

Tang Zhao immediately raised his full attention. He knew at a glance that this person was a Spirit Official, but he didn't know what kind of Spirit Official he was. These days, he had seen many Spirit Officials and knew that their branches were numerous and their methods were varied, some of which were no less strange than Sword Art, so he had to be extra alert.

As soon as that Spirit Official appeared, it looked real yet illusory; its facial features could not be seen clearly, but its clothing was extremely gorgeous. The hem of the skirt puffed up like flower buds, layers of skirt hems opened like petals, and flowers bloomed at the ends of the skirt hems.

Immediately after, the flowers on those skirts seemed to come alive, flowing down from under the skirt and onto the ground, one after another, extending all the way to the distance.

In just a few breaths, Tang Zhao found himself in a large Huayuan, surrounded by bright purple and red flowers, the prosperity dazzling to the eyes.

"Is this... an illusion that charms the spirit? A Heart Spirit Official?"

Tang Zhao closed his eyes and rotated the Great Sun Divine Carriage Scripture to forge his Spirit.

A short while later, he opened his eyes; the Huayuan remained, only it had transformed into flowers of black and blue, the color palette eerie and ghostly, the atmosphere very oppressive.

Immediately following, ten thousand fresh flowers withered all at once, countless black petals Dancing with the wind, dancing into the air to transform into ghosts, wailing and weeping.

A hundred changes in a single breath, like a nightmare.

"It is not just the mind, but also a portion of illusion art that distorts light."

"Ssh—"

Tang Zhao began to laugh.

"Isn't that a coincidence?"