256: I will take you home! (Please give me a monthly ticket)

Chapter 255: A Gentleman Does Not Stand Under a Tottering Wall

On the north side of Fulong Mountain, in the outer forests of the Misty Sea, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe with an eight-character mustache, enveloped in a yellow stream of light, looked back with extreme horror, furiously urging his escape light.

He frantically pulled out a palm-sized Formation Plate from his sleeve, and with a flick, three small yellow Formation Flags, growing to several feet in height against the wind, spun around him. Following this, the middle-aged man quickly plunged downwards, and with a flash of yellow light, he drilled into the ground.

But the next second, a yellow lightning serpent struck down.

“Boom!”

A loud sound.

Followed by a shrill scream.

Earth and rocks tumbled, a large pit appeared, smoke billowed, and in the scorched pit, there were only fragments of broken Formation Flags.

At this moment, in this forest, these scenes were playing out.

In the sky, lightning flashed everywhere, and bolts of thunder struck down, chasing after fleeing figures. Whether they ascended to the sky or burrowed into the earth, they could not escape the calamity.

Shrill screams echoed throughout the forest.

After a dozen breaths, this scarred forest became deathly silent, with a faint smell of blood and a strong burnt odor lingering in the wind.

In the forest, on a cantilevered cliff extending from a mountainside, two others had “escaped the disaster” and were hidden by spells.

A pair of master and Disciple, watching scene after scene of monstrous slaughter, then looking up at the majestic Dharma Idol amidst the rolling clouds and thunder, felt a tremor in their hearts and an uncontrollable chill.

This Ninth Mountain Zhonglang General had killed too many people!

He killed demons, and he killed people, wiping them out completely.

The master and Disciple were none other than Ling Yunzi and Zhao Quanzhen, who had followed him all the way!

Zhao Quanzhen had previously felt admiration and a surge of passion when he saw the projection of the Ninth Mountain Zhonglang General slaying demons, but now, a hint of fear arose in his heart.

So many Heavenly Gate experts from Jinguancheng were killed just like that, with such ruthlessness, even coldness. In his opinion, these people who were killed now had not even tried to contend for the Qi Luck Spiritual Root.

He opened his mouth, his throat dry: “Teacher, Disciple doesn’t quite understand.”

Ling Yunzi, dressed in coarse linen, his ancient eyes sparkling with brilliance as he looked at the Great Sun Dharma Idol, shook his head. He knew what his Disciple was referring to. “It seems your Heart-Nature still needs more tempering. You have benevolence and kindness, but your stance is different. What are these people here for? You and I, master and Disciple, know best. Crossing thousands of miles, they are certainly not here to watch the show. Some went to the battlefield, and some came here, following the traces of this Zhonglang General all the way here.”

“Some people, even if they don’t act, will cause trouble. Now, demons are looking for Ninth Zhonglang, and people are looking for him too. And now, he is in the midst of a great demonic surge. If it were you, how would you choose to act?”

“There’s no need to dwell on it. Everyone handles things differently. If it were me, I might also be swayed by feminine kindness, but that would lead to endless trouble. These people are all problems, and most of them have influence. If you let one go, the news leaks, his whereabouts are exposed, and it could cause endless harm. You must understand this. A person who achieves great things does not bother with trivialities. This Zhonglang General is a man of great spirit!”

As Ling Yunzi spoke, he saw the pair of massive, golden, stern eyes looking in their direction. His beard twitched slightly, and his eyelids jumped.

Although he said that, upon seeing this Zhonglang General kill four Wucang Great Demons, including two clearly having opened a temple, he still had some doubts, as he had not had any direct contact.

Clearly, the other party had discovered them long ago but had not acted.

He composed himself, then spoke, “Let’s go, let’s meet this Ninth Zhonglang.”

Zhao Quanzhen’s expression changed when he heard this. Wasn’t his teacher’s analysis applicable to them? They had personally witnessed this Zhonglang General annihilate so many Heavenly Gate experts from the Central Plains.

Although thinking this felt a bit sordid, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

But then, Ling Yunzi directly enveloped himself in a wisp of smoke and shot towards the giant Dharma Idol standing amidst the thunder.

In a few breaths, the clouds shifted for more than ten miles, then stopped a hundred meters in front of the giant Dharma Idol, revealing the figures of the master and Disciple.

“This old man, Ling Yunzi of Wudao Mountain, greets Ninth Zhonglang!” Ling Yunzi cupped his hands, then lowered them.

“This is my Disciple, Quanzhen.”

Zhao Quanzhen lowered his gaze, not daring to meet the massive eyes that pierced like the great sun. Although he felt a suffocating pressure around him, his expression remained unchanged, maintaining his composure. He bowed his hands, “Junior Zhao Quanzhen greets General Chen!”

Chen Yuan’s Dharma Idol’s golden eyes fell upon the master and Disciple, and the golden light swirled for a moment before he spoke, his voice like muffled thunder, “Fellow Daoist Ling Yunzi, there’s no need to be wary. You and your Disciple helped This General in a few ways, so This General naturally won’t make things difficult!”

In Aicry Mountain and during the subsequent pursuit, these master and Disciple had shown goodwill and helped, which he was aware of.

“I still have some matters I’d like to ask Fellow Daoist. This General is here with his army to recuperate, and we’ve lost contact with the outside world. I wonder what the situation is like outside now, and how these people came to be here.”

As he spoke, those golden eyes looked down at the forest, their gaze indifferent.

As soon as he finished speaking, the sky-filling thunder dissipated, and the giant Dharma Idol rapidly shrunk, transforming into Chen Yuan in a green robe.

Chen Yuan flicked his sleeve, sweeping up the yellow sand in the mist, and condensed a ball of mist into a stone table and two stone stools. Then, with a blow from his other sleeve, he caused the mist to engulf the area.

Chen Yuan extended his hand,

“Sit!”

Then he sat down on one of the stools.

Ling Yunzi also sat down, while Zhao Quanzhen stood to the side.

“General Chen, this old man knows a few things about what you wish to ask, so I won’t waste words.”

“Actually, this matter is somewhat related to this old man. I came this time to assist General Chen. This General will surely laugh, as I am truly shameless, haha.” Ling Yunzi stroked his beard, shaking his head with a self-deprecating smile, then fixed his gaze and continued: “This actually starts with a military report!”

“Five days ago, the news of the front line’s collapse caused panic in Jinguancheng. That day, in front of the South City Gate, some defeated and retreating soldiers returned to Jinguancheng.”

Ling Yunzi began from the urgent report of the Ninth Mountain recapturing Weiyuan Pass, speaking of the book “Qingshan Demon Subduing Chronicle,” then to his own realization that this storybook was written by a novelist, who was using this wave to transform, so he lent a hand. As a result, Chen Yuan’s incense projection condensed, projecting the entire process of Chen Yuan facing the Six Mountains demons at Weiyuan Pass, slaying Dao Fruits and Great Demons, until the people of the entire city saw his Dharma Idol shatter and dissipate into the heavens and earth, only then did it end.

“This General, it was during this projection that you released that tree, which was detected by many Central Plains experts from the projection, so these people flocked here to try their luck.”

When Ling Yunzi spoke of the Qi Luck Spiritual Root, his voice paused, and he subtly pointed, so there was no need to say more naturally.

Chen Yuan heard the whole story and was surprised by such twists and turns. Everything became clear. Then, he raised an eyebrow and sneered, “It seems these people hoped I wasn’t dead, but This General made them die.”

“How ironic!”

As he spoke, he placed an arm on the table, leaned forward, his eyes blazing with golden light as he looked at Ling Yunzi, “Fellow Daoist, isn’t that right?”

The Ling Yunzi master and Disciple suddenly felt a monstrous killing intent. Their eyebrows twitched, and their hearts jumped. Zhao Quanzhen, beside them, felt his Dao soldiers hum, about to burst out of his body, but at that moment, he was held down by a hand.

His teacher, Ling Yunzi, held him down, then looked at Chen Yuan, regaining his composure: “This General, please don’t be offended. That’s why my Disciple and I came, hoping to remedy things a bit. It’s just that This General’s Divine Ability is extraordinary, and this old man couldn’t help much.”

As soon as he spoke, the terrifying killing intent receded like a tide.

Chen Yuan glanced at Zhao Quanzhen, then looked at Ling Yunzi, straightened his body, and his voice became much softer, “Nothing is set in stone. The exposure of the Qi Luck Spiritual Root is indeed troublesome, but This General will not blame Fellow Daoist. Even if you hadn’t interfered, this would still have happened.”

“It’s just,” his tone became drawn out,

“From now on, you and your Disciple need to stay by This General’s side until we return to Jinguancheng.”

Ling Yunzi immediately understood what this Ninth Zhonglang meant. He was afraid that the master and Disciple would leak information and expose his whereabouts.

However, he was not annoyed. Instead, he felt a sense of calm in his heart, as it seemed this Ninth Zhonglang acknowledged their good intentions.

“It is as it should be.”

Ling Yunzi nodded, “My Disciple, that day watching the projection, developed respect for This General and his soldiers. Traveling together this time will surely be beneficial for him.”

Then he turned his head and said to Zhao Quanzhen beside him:

“Quanzhen, why don’t you thank This General!”

Zhao Quanzhen made a move, but Chen Yuan, with a calm expression, spoke, “There’s no need for such words.”

“Follow This General!”

Chen Yuan rose, then a golden light erupted from his body, forming a golden streak that shot into the mist, plunging downwards.

Ling Yunzi and his Disciple exchanged glances, then urged their feet. Cloud Qi rushed into the Misty Sea, transforming into two streams of light that followed closely.

In seven or eight breaths, the group reached Fulong Mountain, concealed by the Misty Sea. At this moment, a towering, mountain-like, crimson spear stood amidst it, humming and trembling with brilliant, flowing fiery light, parting the surging mist and wind blades from the Misty Sea, protecting the Ninth Mountain Army’s formation.

A golden light landed in front of the army, revealing Chen Yuan in his casual clothes.

As he appeared, a clamor of voices arose. Large numbers of armored soldiers dismounted, their expressions uplifted, and quickly saluted, kneeling in unison.

“Congratulations, This General, on your return!”

“This General, you’re finally awake.”

“...”

Chen Yuan quickly stepped forward, supporting an armored soldier in the front rank who had only one leg, pulling him up. Then, looking at the faces, stained with blood, dust, and so blackened as to be indistinguishable, his throat became choked.

Of the more than two thousand men who set out, only over a thousand remained. Some had, after all, stayed in a foreign land, without even a burial place.

“Everyone, rise!”

“This General will take you home!”

Behind him, Ling Yunzi and his Disciple saw this scene. All their doubts and tension vanished upon witnessing this, and they even felt a little ashamed.