Chapter 626: The Confucian Grand Master's 'General's Ode'?

How could this be, how could it be like this, this, this, what kind of method is this?

Zhu Xing half-leaned against the carriage, gazing into the distance; his warriors, struck by arrows like a violent rain, fell one after another to the ground, dying unjustly, their faces and eyes filled with shock that could not be concealed.

Faced with the barrage of countless flying swords, the warriors tasked with dealing with the exposed Wang Ping'an, he had already surmised that these warriors might be formidable; otherwise, under a rain of flying swords, they would not have survived without being pierced through the heart like other warriors, but could barely fend off sword after sword.

Just that.

No matter how strong they are, they could not possibly be a match for the mastermind behind his ambush; nine times out of ten they would lose their lives at the hands of that hidden foe.

This is the conclusion he drew from the mutated Ghost Wall technique and the Small Five Elements Sword Formation; even though he had never truly witnessed Wang Ping'an's full abilities, nor even seen his face, he firmly believed that Wang Ping'an's prowess was beyond what these warriors could handle.

He would still send these warriors to deal with Wang Ping'an, unless hoping for a miracle; in fact, he did not value their lives, preparing to use them to test Wang Ping'an's true abilities.

He never expected this.

Just moments ago, there was clearly nothing there, yet a crack elite army appeared; whether the leading commander or the surrounding cavalry, judging by his eyes, they exuded killing intent, like a force that wins every battle.

Zhu Xing's guards, though each one picked from a hundred miles and elite among elites, were ultimately a rabble; under the commander's and cavalry's archery, they lost many lives.

Even if they knew that fleeing like this and abandoning Zhu Xing would bring no mercy from the Zhu clan—regardless of whether Zhu Xing met with mishap—they and their families would come to no good end.

They had wanted to make a last stand, but with the commander leading a host of cavalry charging like thousands of troops, they could no longer suppress their inner fear; without even a greeting, they all reacted the same, scattering like birds and beasts in every direction.

They were not death-defying warriors; they could not fight to the death knowing they were outmatched and doomed.

A beauty beside Zhu Xing stared unblinkingly as the commander and his cavalry pursued the fleeing warriors like birds and beasts; her face showed no trace of fear, but she watched intently, as if observing an amusing play, a flash of inspiration crossing her mind before she instinctively spoke:

"Young master, this seems like a Confucian method!"

"How could that be..."

Wang Ping'an instinctively wanted to rebut; in his guess, the attackers were originally ghost cultivators, but under the Small Five Elements Sword Formation he changed his mind, perhaps they were sword cultivators; now the beauty beside him said it was a Confucian method, which he could not believe no matter what, yet after looking closely, the words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back, and he frowned, saying:

"What you say is correct; this truly is a Confucian method, but the one attacking me is clearly a sword cultivator—why, I don't know; perhaps by accident he cultivated that heretical Ghost Wall technique to such a degree, which I can understand, but why does he now also employ a Confucian method?"

The path of cultivation has countless routes; in fact, as long as one's head hasn't been pinched by a door, most people will follow a single path rather than many, for the old saying goes: 'Greed leads to indigestion.'

The more paths one walks in cultivation, the less benefit there is for oneself, and instead there are many drawbacks.

Another beauty chuckled, saying: "Young master, a Confucian method need not be studied; one only needs to ask a Confucian master to write a piece, and then one can employ a Confucian method."

"You're right, I was mistaken!" Wang Ping'an instantly realized, looking at the commander and his cavalry pursuing the defeated soldiers; he was no longer panicked as before, recalling that he had once learned that many Confucian methods can be written as an article, to be used simply by tearing it up when needed.

Depending on the Confucian article, the Confucian disciple who writes it differs, and the power of the manifested Confucian method varies accordingly.

Judging by his eyes, this Confucian method very likely comes from the hand of a Confucian master; otherwise it could not display such formidable power—his elite guards, amidst the commander and his cavalry, actually had no strength to retaliate, being cut down like common soldiers.

"That damned beast, how bold— to ambush me, he actually dares to casually tear up an article written by a Confucian master!"

Wang Ping'an couldn't help cursing: if one is a Confucian disciple, one can rely on an article written by a Confucian master and use it countless times; but if one is not a Confucian disciple and wishes to employ a Confucian method, one must tear up a Confucian article— an article from a Confucian master's hand is a priceless treasure, he said:

"Do you know which Confucian article this damned beast has manifested?"

The beauty who first spoke to remind Zhu Xing gazed deeply at the warriors, who, even exerting all their strength to drive their warhorses to flee, were now on the verge of losing their lives to the commander and his cavalry; she frowned and said:

"I do have a Confucian article in mind, though I'm not certain; that article does not quite match what we see before us!"

"Which one?"

Wang Ping'an asked.

"Sister, are you referring to the 'General's Ode'?"

This novel you have arrived at.

Another beauty interjected; just as she finished speaking, the third beauty cut her off, saying:

"Besides, this method before us truly resembles the 'General's Ode,' but I recall that invoking the 'General's Ode' summons a commander and his troops through vast righteous qi, yet aside from the commander mounting a horse, his troops are infantry, not cavalry!"

"The 'General's Ode'?"

Wang Ping'an exclaimed in surprise, and at once realized that the commander and his cavalry pursuing the warriors before him indeed resembled that Confucian article; although he had never personally witnessed a Confucian disciple manifest the 'General's Ode,' he had heard of it, and myriad thoughts flashed through his mind as he pondered:

"You say, that damned beast tore up not a 'General's Ode' from a Confucian master's hand, but one from a Confucian grand master's hand?"

The three beauties exchanged glances, their faces and eyes filled only with a strange feeling.

If this 'General's Ode' came from a Confucian grand master's hand, it would explain why, though clearly infantry, they have become cavalry.

Yet the difference in value between a Confucian article from a grand master's hand and one from a master's hand is nothing short of heaven and earth.

(End of chapter)