Chapter 413: I Am Content

Nangong Pushe looked at Yu Liancheng with a pair of peach-blossom eyes, faintly carrying a hint of astonishment.

Is this fellow really not leaving?

That is a bit too arrogant and reckless.

This is Guangling, the territory that the Feudatory King Zhao Yi has painstakingly managed for twenty years.

Among the so-called seven Feudatory Kings within and outside the imperial court, the Guangling King has the strength to secure the third spot and contend for the first.

Besides the waterborne troops that are the most majestic under heaven, Guangling also possesses a considerable number of elite cavalry, among which the eight thousand personal guards of the Beikui Army are the elite of the elite. They are as swift as flying arrows and fight like thunder and lightning. The cavalry commander Lu Shengxiang has illustrious military achievements, and his reputation can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with five of the Beiliang King Xu Xiao's six foster sons, excluding Chen Zhibao.

In the past, the Great General Gu Jiantang broke up his old subordinates; apart from his direct line entering the Ministry of War, all combat power fell successively into the hands of the Guangling King and the Yanchi King, further increasing their strength.

Boom—!!

A sound that shook the earth and mountains arose.

The commoners and the dignitaries watching the tide scattered and fled for their lives, leaving behind a mess. Some spectacles cannot be watched; if one watches, one must pay the price with one's life.

Nangong Pushe looked up; a black tide was surging on the land—that was the Beikui Army's distinct black-maned horses and pitch-black armor.

Seen from afar, the momentum was rolling like thunder, not at all inferior to the Guangling tide. It made one have no doubt that no matter what kind of expert stood before these knights, they would be ground into meat paste in an instant.

Nangong Pushe looked at Yu Liancheng again, and seeing the other party's calm and composed appearance, he secretly guessed in his heart what kind of trump cards the other party still had.

"Young Hero Nangong, don't look at me like that. This kind of look from you is very misleading; I am not into men."

Yu Liancheng looked back and smiled, and under the rendering of the sunlight, it was exceptionally warm and genial: "But you, fellow, are truly handsome, almost catching up to me. If you were truly a pretty lady, I would pursue you no matter what."

Nangong Pushe laughed: "I return these words to you as well. With your appearance, if you were a young lady, I might also fall for you."

Yu Liancheng immediately shouted at the top of his lungs: "Sister, Young Hero Nangong likes you."

Nangong Pushe's peach-blossom eyes widened: "What did you say?"

"My sister and I look so similar; your words clearly show you have special feelings for her." Yu Liancheng touched his chin, a malicious smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "A fair lady is a good match for a gentleman. I find you quite agreeable, so I approve of your marriage."

"Bullshit." Murong Wuzhu had already hurried over, her willow eyebrows standing upright, and her fair hands went to twist Yu Liancheng's ear: "My marriage doesn't need a little brat like you to decide, and besides, I don't like such a sissy."

"Alright, alright, I was wrong." Yu Liancheng dodged Murong Wuzhu's jade hands left and right, hurriedly begging for mercy.

"Sissy..." Nangong Pushe's mouth twitched; if he counted as a sissy, then that kid was no better.

"Stop messing around, let's think about how to deal with those thousands of iron cavalry." The Peach Blossom Sword God shook his head with a wry smile.

He did not feel surprised that Yu Liancheng could kill three hundred knights at will.

But there were three thousand iron cavalry before them.

In the current world, the most famous person to resist an army with individual martial power is, of course, the Sword Emperor of Western Shu, who fought off over a thousand cavalry alone before finally being trampled into meat paste.

After that, it is the Wu Family Nine Swords.

The nine withered swords of the Wu Family Sword Tomb broke ten thousand cavalry.

It is rumored that two hundred years ago, to save one person, the nine Wu Family swordsmen with the highest attainments in Sword Dao left the tomb together, nine horses and nine swords heading to Beimang.

The nine people fought to the death against ten thousand of Beimang's most elite Beikui heavy armor, but most of the nine were killed or injured, and only three finally returned to the Wu Family. Therefore, the Sword Tomb suffered a great loss of vitality and has been depressed for nearly two hundred years, unable to return to its former glory.

Only because the Wu Family Nine Swords could rely on each other and borrow momentum, and were extremely familiar with each other, did they have such a battle record.

Furthermore, even if Deng Taie were willing to join forces with Yu Liancheng to kill these three thousand cavalry, the Guangling King still has five thousand cavalry, as well as tens of thousands of elite waterborne troops.

Yu Liancheng glanced at the three thousand Beikui Army, flicked his sleeves, and his posture was indifferent: "The Wu Family Nine Swords breaking ten thousand cavalry is already the peak of the world's martial artists. Today, I will let the people of the world know that it is not that martial artists cannot contend with thousands of troops and horses, but that they are not strong enough."

"But before that..."

Yu Liancheng swept his gaze toward the fat pig Prince lying on the ground, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and sharp Sword Qi leaked out from his body.

Only a scream was heard, and Zhao Biao's wound was bleeding again. This fat pig Prince jumped up at once; it turned out he was just faking a faint earlier.

Yu Liancheng, however, did not care whether it was a fake faint or a real one; words spoken are like spilled water—if he said he would skin him, he would definitely skin him. If he said he would slice him a thousand times, he would definitely slice him a thousand times.

Not even one cut less would do.

Dayanji, on the Yueshi Platform.

A large banner with the character 'Zhao' fluttered in the river wind.

Sitting in the very center was a middle-aged man with a figure even more bloated than Zhao Biao, wearing a Python Robe and jade belt, with golden Western Shu brocade, which complemented the Guangling tide.

The chair under the man's buttocks was three times the size of an ordinary one, as immovable as a mountain; just sitting there, he was already much taller than many civil officials on Dayanji.

Under heaven, who else could wear a specially bestowed golden Python Robe and have such a physique, besides the Guangling King Zhao Yi, who was born of the same mother as the current Emperor?

"Your Highness, the three thousand Beikui Army have been mobilized; whether those Murong siblings live or die depends entirely on Your Highness's word."

Standing beside the Feudatory King Zhao Yi was a monkey-like old man with two rat-like whiskers, wearing a first-class robe from the Su workshop, but his appearance was truly unsightly, looking like a sycophant advisor.

"Hmm." The Feudatory King Zhao Yi nodded his massive head, his expression calm and unruffled.

This fat pig was lustful by nature; the number of Empresses from the fallen states of the Spring and Autumn period he had trampled under him was already two, and as for the princesses and concubines who had become prisoners, they were countless—one might not even be able to count them with fingers and toes.

He looked at the person on his right and asked with a smile: "Shengxiang, what do you think of the success or failure of this move?"

On Zhao Yi's right was a middle-aged general, dignified in appearance, standing with his hand on his sword, which showed the great Feudatory King's trust in this martial general; he was the famous contemporary general Lu Shengxiang.

Lu Shengxiang's voice was heavy and full of majesty, spitting out four words with extreme brevity.

"Ten to one, it is certain."

The rat-whiskered advisor with an aged face laughed cunningly: "General Lu is wrong this time; it is not ten to one, it is ten out of ten. The Sword Emperor of Western Shu back then could only fight one against a thousand; I wonder how many charges of three thousand cavalry Murong Tonghuang can block."

The Guangling King Zhao Yi smiled: "The three thousand Beikui Army cost this King quite a bit of silver; after this battle, even if only one-third are lost, it will make this King's heart ache for a while. This play must not be too boring; you all must watch carefully, and do not squander this King's silver."

The rat-whiskered advisor laughed: "Although the three thousand iron cavalry are important, if we can take this opportunity to take Huishan, it will be worth it. The Murong siblings are a rare pair of twin lotuses with beauty that could topple cities; congratulations to Your Highness for adding two more stunning beauties to your harem."

"Haha, easy, easy. If this matter succeeds, there will be no lack of benefits for you, Zhupo." The Guangling King laughed heartily.

This fat pig was not just a lustful person who would ruin noble women; if he had no real ability and only knew how to suppress with blood without knowing how to win people's hearts, the rich Guangling, where ten parts of the world's taxes came from five or six, would have long been devastated. He appeared lustful and greedy, but in reality, his inner scheming was no shallower than anyone else's.

Besides the Guangling King, the rat-whiskered advisor, and Lu Shengxiang, the most conspicuous person on the review platform was an elderly swordsman with a withered face who radiated sharp Sword Qi.

This person had his hands folded on the hilt of his sword, facing the cavalry and Yu Liancheng's group, closing his eyes and concentrating.

The advisor called Zhupo looked at the swordsman and smiled: "Chai Qingshan, that Murong Tonghuang is famous in the Edo; if you could defeat him, I fear the people of the world would remember you, the Sword Sovereign, once again. Why not make a move? Could it be that you are scared out of your wits by the other party's reputation for 'One Sword Brightens the Heavens'?"

This old man is none other than the last remaining Sword Sovereign of the previous generation from Dongyue Sword Pool, Chai Qingshan.

His Sword Technique is peerless in the southeast of the empire, having blocked countless assassinations and schemes for Guangling King Zhao Yi; the current master of Dongyue Sword Pool, out of concern for the Sword Pool's reputation, had no choice but to expel Chai Qingshan.

Guangling King Zhao Yi glanced at Chai Qingshan, and seeing that he was focused and calm, he said slowly: "Zhang Zhupo, don't be as petty as a woman. Guest Minister Chai merely killed your good-for-nothing nephew, what a big deal. If you keep nagging, be careful that I don't make you and Guest Minister Chai have a fight."

Zhang Zhupo's rat-like eyes darted around, and he slapped himself hard twice, then smirked: "This humble one knows his mistake."

Guangling King smiled and nodded: "That's more like it. You are all my trusted aides; conflicts are conflicts, but when encountering matters, you must be united against outsiders."

Zhang Zhupo nodded and bowed: "This humble one understands, I will strictly follow the Prince's teachings."

From beginning to end, Chai Qingshan remained expressionless.

Lu Shengxiang sneered in his heart.

Zhang Zhupo is merely a useless scholar, used to show that the Prince values men of letters, but his practical value is truly pitifully low; how could he compare to a Sword Technique Grandmaster.

However, he does have some petty cleverness and a way of surviving.

Of course, this has nothing to do with him, Lu Shengxiang.

He is a general with a boundless future, destined to build a career on this vast territory, leave his name in history, and perhaps even become the next Beiliang King.

The naval exercises on the river continued as usual, but by the banks of the Guangling River, the winds were already rising and clouds were gathering.

Over three thousand Beikui Army soldiers charged toward Yu Liancheng and the others.

At first, the sound of hoofbeats was like a waterfall crashing down from a distance, muffled and dull.

But before long, it turned into dense drumbeats, thunder rolling across the horizon, charging forward like a wild wind sweeping away fallen leaves, causing one's spirit to tremble violently.

The speed of their approach and the agility of their response were worthy of a powerful army under heaven. The combat strength of this Beikui Army was absolutely not to be underestimated; it was a formidable elite force capable of rivaling any army in the world.

The vanguard general Zhang Erbao took the lead, his physique burly, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, holding a horse lance that whistled as he swung it, tearing through the air.

"Surrender immediately, and you might have a sliver of a chance to live; otherwise, you will be trampled into meat paste and die without a burial ground." Zhang Erbao shouted, his voice like thunder.

The army had long since developed methods to deal with martial arts experts; Three Teachings Saint can borrow the Xuanji of heaven and earth, using Four Ounces Deflects a Thousand Catties.

As for ordinary martial artists, their attacks require the consumption of a large amount of Qi.

Under the flood-like charge of the Iron cavalry, there is simply no room for Ruyi to catch a breath; no matter how powerful an expert is, they cannot withstand the attrition and will ultimately end in death.

Zhang Erbao believed that although there are many experts in this world, aside from that person in Wudi City who is hard to gauge, three thousand Beikui Army soldiers are enough to deal with any Martial Dao expert.

Suddenly, Zhang Erbao's expression froze.

He saw the demonically handsome youth holding something in his hand, fluttering in the wind.

And at his feet lay something like a blood-gourd, groaning on the ground, only it was absurdly fat.

"Prince, Prince... is that you?" Zhang Erbao distinguished the identity of the person on the ground from the fatty flesh and hoarse screams, his pupils dilated, and he shouted sternly: "You madman, how dare you treat the Prince like this."

Guangling King Zhao Yi has three sons and six daughters, but he loves none more than this Prince Zhao Biao, who shares his exact temperament and disposition, yet now he has been skinned alive.

Even if he could take down these few people in this battle, he feared he would not come out unscathed.

"Tsk tsk, what goes around comes around. Since he wanted to skin me, he naturally had to be prepared to be skinned by me."

Yu Liancheng wore a smile, but this smile was full of evil, making one's heart crawl: "I am a very friendly person; when I was skinning him, I even asked him if this was how it was done, but he wouldn't say."

"You..." Zhang Erbao gritted his teeth and looked at Zhao Biao again, light flickering in his eyes. The Prince still has Qi; with the famous doctors supported by the Wang Mansion and the treasures in the storehouse, it might not be impossible to bring him back from the dead.

However, wanting to snatch the Prince back in one piece might not be so easy.

"Do you want this fat pig? Fine, I'll give him to you."

Yu Liancheng seemed to see through Zhang Erbao's thoughts; he flicked his sleeve, conjuring a burst of force out of thin air, and swept the blood-gourd-like Zhao Biao away.

"Quick, quick, catch the Prince." Zhang Erbao looked at the whistling Zhao Biao, feeling anxious, and hurriedly called for several experts among his men.

"By the way, he also said he wanted to hack me into ten thousand pieces; this debt naturally cannot be left unpaid." Yu Liancheng flicked his finger, shooting a strand of Sword Qi into Zhao Biao's body.

Zhao Biao suddenly opened his eyes wide, sharp Sword Qi shot out from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, his limbs stretched to the limit, and his body inflated like a balloon.

Zhang Erbao stared wide-eyed; although he didn't know what was happening, he felt a sense of danger and instinctively reined in his horse to retreat.

Zhao Biao was in extreme pain; in the blink of an eye, he had inflated to the limit, turning into a grotesque giant, before finally exploding with a bang, like a firework of blood.

Countless fine shards of Sword Qi surged out from the blood firework, and the few knights nearby were instantly decapitated.

"I feel refreshed."

Yu Liancheng watched this scene and gently let out a breath.