Chapter 7: Chapter Seven: The Enemy Is Riding Toward Us

The north was like a knife, whipping up dust.

A broad palm, thick with knuckles, held a bronze mirror.

The bronze mirror gleamed golden, its patterns clear—leopard spots—but the surface was blurred, as if smeared with oil; the scene within appeared hazy, distorted to some degree.

He was a short, dark-skinned man, about one meter fifty tall.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at the bronze mirror in his palm, watching Wang Xiong cut down by a single sword.

He sneered: “Another fool.”

“We spoke to him kindly, and he still refused to listen.”

“That Dou Changsheng is just a country bumpkin—how could he possibly cultivate primordial qi?”

“This dossier is real, but the real Dou Changsheng has long vanished somewhere, enjoying himself freely; this one is an impostor.”

A tall figure in a high-crowned robe stood one meter away, gazing into the distance: “There’s no mistake.”

“That primordial qi is unmistakably the Three Yuan Return Qi Scripture.”

“The Wang clan of Xiangzhou has indeed intervened.”

“The Chancellor has issued three orders and five edicts, yet the Wang clan ignores them entirely—not only sending agents, but even their direct heir.”

“At such a young age, to have cultivated primordial qi, he must be regarded as a Dao Seed—destined to compete for rankings on the Human List, gain fame across the land, and uphold the Wang clan’s prestige.”

The short, dark figure sneered: “What a pity.”

“He’ll never have his day of fame.”

“He’s foolishly dragged himself into the northern struggle.”

“Even if he were a Pure Yang Master, he’d be certain death—let alone a mere junior.”

“I, the Earth Walker, despise most those who rely on family status and a bit of talent to act as if they’re above heaven and earth.”

If he had stayed quietly in Xiangzhou, I wouldn’t dare touch him—but now he’s no longer surnamed Wang.

“Wang Xiong, the Iron-Armored Wild Lion, was nothing but a wax-headed spear—still, he served a purpose: he successfully probed Dou Changsheng’s true nature.”

The tall figure in the high-crowned robe said: “Correct.”

“That sword strike just now—its technique was exquisite, beyond ordinary reach.”

“The mastery in that strike required ten years of practice; such flawless fundamentals—no surprise for a scion of a great clan.”

“If all his other sword techniques were equally refined, it would be truly terrifying.”

“Yet he looks no older than twenty.”

“His fundamentals are perfect, but that strike had many flaws.”

“It proves this sword art is brand new to him.”

“To conceal his origins from the Wang clan of Xiangzhou, this Wang heir went to great lengths.”

“But using sword techniques now is not genuine—he hasn’t reached a life-or-death moment yet. When true peril comes, this Wang scion won’t stubbornly cling to his newly learned sword art.”

“He is, without doubt, a primordial martial artist—and his strength is formidable.”

“So we must proceed with caution.”

The Earth Walker said gravely: “Great clan scions train from childhood, taught by senior clan members, never lacking resources—each is a complete martialist: sword, palm, footwork, and primordial qi—all flawless. Their strength needs no question.”

“Therefore, my brother and I, the Wind Wings, must not fight recklessly. We must never do what Wang Xiong did—walk straight into death.”

The Wind Wing chuckled: “Wang Xiong was promoted by you, broke through to primordial martial status—his strength isn’t weak, but has he ever considered what scripture he cultivates?”

“What deep fist arts does he know?”

“How dare he ride out alone to block a Wang clan direct heir?”

“Does he think the Three Yuan Return Qi Scripture is paper?”

“The Wang clan of Xiangzhou has endured a thousand years, weathered countless storms, seen heroes rise and fall—yet their plaque still hangs high above the Dragon-Horse.”

“How many heavenly prodigies, seasoned martial masters, demonic fanatics have fallen beneath the Three Yuan Return Qi Scripture?”

“So we must use these expendables—the Hu Ren have spent years cultivating a force in the north.”

“The Black Horse Gang, which roams three counties, seeks only wealth and never kills, has received Hu Ren funding.”

“This group has been handed to the Chancellor by the Hu Ren; now we can use them as cannon fodder. The Black Horse Gang’s chief, though only a post-heaven peak martialist—less than Wang Xiong—commands a hundred brothers, each mounted on fine horses, wielding curved blades, each a true blade master.”

“No hero can stand against too many wolves; in open terrain, a normal primordial martialist stands no chance.”

“Even if this is a Wang clan direct heir, formidable in strength, the Black Horse Gang can still drain his qi and stamina, and probe his martial arts.”

“Then, when the moment is ripe, my brother and I strike together—we’ll succeed without fail.”

The Earth Walker murmured a few words, then reached into his robe, pulled out a manual, and said: “Wind Wing, you’re the fastest—go yourself.”

“This isn’t a free ride for the Black Horse Gang. These blade masters, swift as wind, seem formidable—but they rely entirely on their horses.”

“With this military manual, the chief can bind these hundred blade masters into a single force, pooling their strength.”

The Wind Wing took the book, flipped through it quickly, then exclaimed in surprise: “This is just an ordinary military manual, a basic battle formation—but it’s still a banned text.”

“It contains no overly complex content, but merely the simple method of circulating qi to unify a hundred men as one—enough to make the Black Horse Gang truly formidable.”

“Now, if they don’t gather and charge head-on in open terrain, a single primordial martialist can easily slaughter them all.”

“But with this manual, the chief will no longer fear primordial martialists—he can briefly borrow their power to resist, and once his blade masters assemble, even a primordial martialist won’t escape.”

“The Black Horse Gang colludes with the Hu Ren—isn’t this aiding the enemy?”

The Earth Walker replied coldly: “Without this precious gift, how could the Black Horse Gang give their all?”

“The chief knows that even if he loses all hundred brothers, as long as he holds this manual, he can rise again—and climb even higher.”

“Is a single military manual not worth the safety of my brother and me?”

“Besides, after we succeed, we can simply kill these traitors who collude with the Hu Ren.”

“And we’ll obtain the Pure Yang blood of this Pure Yang Master—combined with the treasures and martial arts the Chancellor provided, we can break through again.”

“When we can’t survive in Great Jin, we can flee east to Qi or west to Qin.”

“As long as we have strength, where in the world can’t we go?”

The Wind Wing sighed: “Dirty work is hard to do.”

“But for us wandering cultivators, if we don’t do dirty work, how do we rise?”