Chapter 700

"This impersonation of the Qinglong Society was truly out of sheer helplessness.

The Yuan army suddenly attacked, and the Great Tang was caught unprepared.

If Yanmen Pass were lost, the Yuan army would likely go on to occupy the entire Northwest Erzhou.

Then the Great Tang's common folk in the Northwest Erzhou could only fall beneath the Yuan army's iron hooves and groan."

"What does that have to do with the Qinglong Society?"

Yi Tianxing was utterly indifferent — in this world there were countless dynasties, countless martial artists, countless common folk.

Since its founding, the Qinglong Society, with Ximen Wudi at its head, had already stood above many other powers.

For all the lands of the Nine Provinces to surrender at the mere rumor of their coming was, in the eyes of Yi Tianxing and the others, no difficult feat.

If that were so, then what did the so-called Tang-Yuan struggle matter, or the so-called trampling of Tang's people by the Yuan army — what did any of it have to do with the Qinglong Society?

Sikong Yuchi Zhen fell silent at those words, then said again,

"This time it was indeed Sikong Yuchi being rash, but we know the Qinglong Society truly posts tasks to the outside.

So long as one can afford the Qinglong Society's appearance fee, one can summon Qinglong Society people to come help.

Di Gong has indeed already sent people to make contact with your society's Third Month Hall.

The Third Month Hall has also agreed and will send people to assist.

Only your society's people had not yet arrived, so we took a desperate gamble.

Every fault and punishment stems from me, Sikong Yuchi Zhen.

If the Qinglong Society wishes to punish, I, Sikong Yuchi Zhen, will take it; even if you want my life, I have no complaint."

Saying so, Sikong Yuchi Zhen channeled his true essence and shattered his upper garment outright.

He lifted his chin, squared his chest, and aimed his vital points straight at the treasured sword before him.

His meaning was plainly that he was willing to stretch out his neck and await the killing blow.

Pei Xingjian grew anxious too — he and Sikong Yuchi Zhen were close friends; how could he watch a friend die before his very eyes?

He immediately added,

"Hall Master of the Twelfth Month, though it was Sikong Yuchi Zhen who made the call,

it was I who proposed the plan.

If you mean to kill, you may kill me along with him."

Ba Fenghan's face flickered between shadow and light; then he too flung the treasured sword in his hand to the ground,

"Count me in!"

"Very well! You think the Qinglong Society dares not kill?"

Yi Tianxing watched them speak thus without the slightest change of expression, merely continuing his faint smile.

"No! It's just that for a misstep we must accept the punishment — we will take it, so long as it does not implicate other people of the Great Tang."

Sikong Yuchi Zhen said again.

Pei Xingjian and Ba Fenghan immediately nodded in assent — clearly they shared Sikong Yuchi Zhen's meaning.

"I've seen no few who do not fear death, but those who can die for another — I've seen precious few."

Yi Tianxing at last broke into a smile, then actually recalled the two treasured swords,

"The Twelfth Month Hall does not handle external punishment. I will report this matter to the Hall Master of the Fifth Month and let her decide personally.

As for your dealings with the Hall Master of the Third Month, that is your own affair.

However, here is a piece of advice for you — hold Yanmen Pass, and you may yet have a chance at survival.

Otherwise, death…"

After Yi Tianxing finished speaking, his form flashed and he vanished without a trace.

"This… Sikong Yuchi, what are we to do?"

Ba Fenghan watched Yi Tianxing disappear, immediately picked up his treasured sword, then turned to Sikong Yuchi Zhen and asked.

"Why does the Hall Master of the Twelfth Month demand that we hold Yanmen Pass?"

Sikong Yuchi Zhen was somewhat puzzled, muttering to himself, and forgot to answer Ba Fenghan's words.

While the great battle at Yanmen Pass raged, the Yuan's Central Army and Eastern Army likewise began to move.

The Eastern Army was led by Borj, but its main role was containment and feigned attacks, so its gains were small.

The Central Army, on the contrary, was not only led personally by Mu Huali —

it had also gathered a great number of the Yuan's top experts.

The Undying God of Eternal Life, Long Xiang Seng, General Zhebie, and others — together with many retainer experts.

Moreover, ever since the attack on You Prefecture began, the Tang Army's resistance had been extremely feeble.

It could almost be described as collapsing at the first touch.

Thus the great battle one had expected never materialized.

The advance of the Yuan's Central Army could almost be described as a long, unopposed march straight in.

In just a few days, the Central Army had taken the entirety of Great Tang's You Prefecture.

The Tang Army scattered in defeat and withdrew from You Prefecture outright.

Even Great Tang's Chancellor Di Renjie never once showed himself.

According to scouts' reports, he had already left the Imperial Commissioner's traveling headquarters in You Prefecture before the fighting began.

After taking You Prefecture, Mu Huali and a host of experts gathered within the city of You Prefecture and began discussing their next step.

"Since the Great Tang is so brittle a single blow, I think Master Changsheng need not go south — just come with us to Beizhen."

The one who spoke was Long Xiang Seng.

His physical body had been destroyed outright at Long Yin Cave, when Ximen Wudi left his form within sword qi.

At this moment, however, his physical body was that of a young man.

It was only after his spiritual body was infused and the tribulation was transferred that this body gradually returned to its former appearance.

"Impossible! The Great Tang must have some trickery this time."

General Zhebie was now not only one of the Thirteen Wings, but had also once been a great general of the Great Yuan.

He had clashed with the Great Tang's armies countless times.

Naturally, he knew far more than Long Xiang Seng.

"The Great Tang's strength is absolutely not limited to this."

"Perhaps our feint forces on the left and right flanks did the trick."

Though Long Xiang Seng was not well-versed in the art of war, he had dabbled in it a little, so he guessed,

"This western-route army, with its laborers and main force combined, numbers as many as a hundred thousand.

And it is personally led by the famed general Borhu, with experts like Seeing Meng Chixing and Watching Bi Xuan holding the line.

Our Great Yuan has attacked the northwest countless times; perhaps the Great Tang misjudged this time, thinking that side was the main attack.

Therefore they shifted most of their strength to the northwest."

"Report…"

Just at that moment, a messenger outside announced in a clear voice.

"Enter!"

Mu Huali immediately paused the military council and said to the outside.

Before long, the messenger brought a military dispatch and delivered it to Mu Huali's desk.

Mu Huali did not avoid the others; he opened it right in front of them, and after reading it could not help but furrow his brow.

Then he said,

"Master Long Xiang, I'm afraid your guess was wrong."

Saying so, Mu Huali handed the military dispatch directly to Long Xiang Seng.

Though Long Xiang Seng was not a man of the army, since Mu Huali gave him the dispatch, he could naturally read it.

Unfolding it, he could not help but cry out in surprise,

"How could this be? The Great Tang's two northwestern prefectures — military and civilians alike — have all withdrawn south?

What does the Great Tang mean by this?"

The You Prefecture in the middle put up little resistance; one could almost say the Tang Army collapsed at the first touch.

The two northwestern prefectures to the west were even more direct — virtually all the soldiers and civilians of the two prefectures withdrew south.