Outside the Nanjiang Royal Court, a massive, wriggling patch of shadow appeared in front of the Nanjiang Royal Court in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t until it stepped under the starry sky that its true form was revealed.

It was no shadow. It was a group of soldiers.

The soldiers wore black masks and black soft armor. They carried short blades and hand crossbows on their waist, and they all sported prodigious aura. They leaked almost no energy and made no noise despite running as fast as the wind, however. One could almost mistake them for a part of the night.

The soft armor the soldiers wore were incomparable to heavy armor in terms of defense, of course. Their weaponry seemed rather simple as well. However, those watching closely would realize that their soft armor and their boots were giving off a dark glow, and their short blades and hand crossbows sported ferocious auras.

Clearly, every single one of their equipment was a Strange Artifact. Not only that, they were Strange Artifacts that any

jianghu

warrior would fight to the death to obtain.

Some might say that equipment was ultimately, just that, equipment. No amount of extraordinary equipment could save a worthless wielder from their own incompetence. That wasn’t the case for these soldiers, however. Their aura was thick and strong, and their spirit was full and complete. It was clear that their cultivation levels were high.

They were none other than the famous, terror-striking army of Chu, the King Slayer Army.

King Slayer was an army that excelled at stealth and covering long distances. They were normally deployed to assassinate or ambush a target. That was why the soldiers were wearing soft armor and wielding short blades and hand crossbows. It allowed them to assassinate their enemies in perfect silence after a successful infiltration.

King Slayer abruptly came to a stop when they reached the edge of the Moon God Lake. Like a black tide, they were thunderous when on the move but maiden-like when they were still.

“Is that the advisor?”

“It’s him.”

“How is this possible?”

Everyone noticed that Profound Spirit Taoist was hanging on the city walls. Such was their shock that some of the soldiers could not help but break out in hushed whispers.

A man from in front of the army, and the hushed discussions and exclamations of surprise all disappeared into silence.

The man was short, slender, and ordinary-looking. His aura was nothing special as well. If not for the fact that he was waving his hand, he was the kind of person who could step into a crowd and just disappear.

He was the great general of the King Slayer Army, Jin Wujiu.

Jin Wujiu’s appearance might be perfectly ordinary, but his reputation was anything but. In fact, he was the kind of person parents used to scare their young into silence at night not just in the Nanjiang Pacification Army, but Chu itself.

“Is that the advisor, great general?”

Standing next to Jin Wujiu, the left battalion commander of King Slayer, Nian Fu, asked gravely.

“It is him,” Jin Wujiu replied in a cold, sharp voice that sounded like a blade being unsheathed. “The advisor’s last message claimed that he would be able to hold out for two hours at the minimum, and yet he was captured long before the promised hour. Something huge must have occurred within the Nanjiang Royal Court.”

“The remnants of the Meng Clan could have other treasures rivaling that of the Eight Divine Armors, or they have other reinforcements. However they managed to achieve victory, it is bad news for us.”

“What should we do now? Do we save the advisor, or…?” Nian Fu asked after a moment of silence.

“The enemy is aware that we’re coming, but we are unaware of what they have in store for us. Now is not a good time to act,” Jin Wujiiu analyzed. “There’s no one on the walls right now, and yet the Meng Clan remnants dared to suspend our advisor on the city gate. Something must be bolstering their confidence.”

“If I’m not mistaken, they are attempting to provoke us into a rash rescue. Once we’re inside the city, they will spring their trap and ambush us.”

“Of course, there is also the possibility that this is just a bluff.”

“Should I send someone to test if it’s a trap or a bluff?” Nian Fu asked.

Jin Wujiu considered this for a moment before shaking his head. “There is no need to risk our men. Remember that time is on our side, not theirs. Barbarian Slayer and Wildland Suppression are right behind us. Once they arrive, the three of us will be able to crush any plot they have in store.”

“Wisely said, general,” Nian Fu echoed in agreement.

“Tell the men that we will be resting for a bit. No one is to move carelessly without my orders,” Jin Wujiu ordered.

“As you command.” Nian Fu left to carry out his orders.

“The remnants of the Meng Clan, huh? Hmph. They have no idea about the disparity between our strength.” Jin Wujiu stared at Profound Spirit Taoist on the city gate with a steely expression.

Inside the city, Zheng Shan licked his dry lips and asked nervously, “Hey… do you fall for the bluff, or…?”

“I don’t know.” Zheng Rong shook his head and said seriously, “Whatever the case, we obey the Miss’ orders. If the enemy doesn’t make a move, then we won’t either. If they do, then we will fight them to the death.”

“Don’t worry. Worst comes to worst, I won’t allow them to set one foot inside the Nanjiang Royal Court,” Zheng Shan growled viciously.

Suddenly, Zheng Rong’s eyes lit up. “They stopped. I think they’re resting.”

“They really are! The Miss’ prediction is spot on!” Zheng Shan looked overjoyed. “She truly is one of a kind!”

“Still, we mustn’t be careless. Send the word and remind everyone to be on high alert. Just because our enemies are reacting as we predicted doesn’t mean that we should lower our guard,” Zheng Rong ordered.

“Righto!” Zheng Shan replied and turned to leave.

“I hope things are going smoothly for the Miss as well…”

Zheng Rong whispered hopefully as he stared at Zheng Shan’s departing back.

……

“Is this the acclaimed Wildland Suppression Army? They definitely deserve their reputation.”

On a cliff, Ye Qing was looking down on an army wearing dark armor, wielding long sabers, and riding strange horses with admiration in his eyes.

Normally, Nanjiang’s tall mountains and thick jungles rendered all horses and cavalrymen useless. This was not the case for the Wildland Suppression Army. Their strange mounts were navigating through the treacherous terrain like it was the flat plains, moving nimbly like fishes and swiftly like lightning.

Wildland Suppression was the one and only cavalry squadron in the Nanjiang Pacification Army. However, they were famous not just in Chu, but throughout the the four nations.

Over a decade ago, the ten thousand strong Wildland Suppression Army covered five hundred kilometers in a single night to stab Nanjiang’s army of over a hundred thousands in the back,intercepting their army provisions and supplies. It was a battle that shocked the world and paved the way for Guo Ximian to trample over Nanjiang.

So, how did Wildland Suppression manage to travel five hundred kilometers in one night? It was all thanks to their strange mounts.

A Hatred-class Stranger, Black Wind was shaped like a horse but shorter than one. It was also covered in dark gray scales. Not only did it excel at navigating mountainous and jungle terrains, it was as swift as the wind. That was why it was named Black Wind, and why the Wildland Suppression was able to cross five hundred kilometers of mountains and jungles like it was the flatlands and pull off an impossible attack.

Of course, Black Wind wasn’t without its flaws. Black Wind was native to Nanjiang, and it could be artificially raised and bred after taming as well. However, its reproduction rate was pretty low, and its lifespan was extraordinarily short. An adult Black Wind could only live for a year. As a result, it was difficult to breed and raise them en masse, nor was it easy to introduce them to other regions. That was why the entire Nanjiang Pacification Army only had ten thousand or so Black Winds.

Ye Qing took a moment to observe the Wildland Suppression Army and gauge their movement speed. Then, he leaped off the cliff.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

At the bottom of the cliff was a river valley. It was long and narrow and surrounded by sheer cliffs.

From his earlier observations, Ye Qing judged that the Wildland Suppression Army must pass through this river valley to reinforce the Barbarian Slayer Army. They could circumvent it, but it would add an entire hour to their travel time, so they wouldn’t do that.

Naturally, this was the best spot for him to stall Wildland Suppression.

After circling around the river valley and observing the terrain a little while longer, Ye Qing began arranging the stuff he had prepared earlier. Then, he leaped into the air, waited until his momentum was spent, grabbed a protruding rock with his right hand, changed his breath, and leaped into the air once more. Like an agile spirit ape, he reached the top of the cliff in just the blink of an eye.

“Phew…”

Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief and cracked a small smile. “It’s up to Qingyou now.”