338: Who are those people? (asking for monthly tickets)

“Charge!”

“Faster!”

“Speed up the progress; arrange what can be arranged first.”

“Clang, clang, clang”

It was night, and the wind and snow continued without stop.

In the Southern City, on the ruins after the great battle during the day, torches were like dragons, crackling and illuminating the cold night. The Divine Works Department of the Tianxiong Pass Sky Patrol Division was carrying out the rapid “post-war” reconstruction.

A group of people used earth and stone Divine Abilities, each performing their duties. Temporary buildings rose from the ground, providing shelter for the innocent civilians affected, as the common people could not endure any hardship in such snowy weather.

In the distance, the white snow illuminated the night. On the collapsed Southern City Gate, the snow crunched underfoot with a “creak, creak” sound, accompanied by the flapping of canvas in the wind.

At this moment, on the city wall, three figures walked along the Southern City Wall, looking at the busy soldiers in the Southern City and the flickering lights, their expressions shifting in the firelight.

It was Chen Yuan, along with Wei Zhong and General Wu Sheng, the two Zhonglang Generals.

The biting cold wind whipped their cloaks behind their armor, making them flutter loudly, and also unsettling their minds.

The matter had settled. The Zhenmo General stepped forward, forcefully transferring all the imperial army sent by the court, resolving the trouble, but no one felt any joy.

Because in this incident, there were no winners.

The situation in Shu Land was now grim, with undercurrents surging, turning into a chaotic mess.

To the south, the Ten Fiends might fully unseal and emerge at any time.

To the west, the Zhenmo General only mentioned that there was a problem, but for this Great General to appear and say such words, the trouble must be significant, and it was unknown what would happen.

In addition, with the revival of Luck in Shu Land, various forces surged into Shu, a mixed bag of people, and conflicts were inevitable.

The imperial court, which should have been the backing of their local Fushi, remained silent at a critical moment, yet now they were causing trouble. Who wouldn't be angry?

Killing was simple, but swords clashing between armies ultimately brought no joy.

“Alas!”

A sigh.

“This incident has caused quite a stir. Counting it, it was caused by me, and it will likely shake the imperial court. I have implicated the two of you.”

Wei Zhong leaned his hands on the city wall, looking at the distant firelight, exhaling a long puff of white breath. His gaze was somewhat lost, his chin beard was frosted with ice, and there was a scratch on his face.

He knew this matter had escalated, even involving the Zhenmo General and Dragon Tiger experts, which would surely shake the imperial court. This matter was not over, but the consequences were not something a Dao Soldier Zhonglang General like him could bear.

He had been humiliated by Military Commander Yang Jianshan of the Vanguard Army at the time, and in a fit of rage, he thought, 'To hell with it,' and then things turned out this way.

Chen Yuan turned his head and saw the forty-something Zhonglang General looking lost and bewildered. It seemed this incident had a considerable impact on him as well, making him feel somewhat dispirited.

Fighting to the death, with no good outcome, and still having to worry about the subsequent impact—wasn't that true?

However, Chen Yuan knew that it was ultimately because of him.

He pondered for a moment, “It’s not your fault. Strictly speaking, you were implicated by Chen, or rather, it’s no one’s fault.”

As he spoke, his eyes shimmered with bright light, “You cannot blame others’ mistakes on yourself. The root cause of this matter was originally the three families trying to scheme, wanting to establish their own territory as soon as they arrived.”

“Before Chen left Jinguancheng, he learned intelligence about the three families from a woman in the Imperial Capital. At that time, he already expected this trip might not be peaceful.”

“Since this matter has been personally resolved by General Qitian, General Wei, please rest assured.”

After he finished speaking, General Wu Sheng, the Zhonglang General of Jiange Pass on the other side, spoke up with a hint of curiosity,

“Ninth Zhonglang, did the Great General give any instructions before he left?”

The Zhenmo General Qi Tian, the highest commander of Jiannan Road, appeared very fiercely this time, which gave General Wu Sheng and the others a shot in the arm.

Wei Zhong, who had just sighed, also turned his head, his gaze filled with inquiry.

The Zhenmo General Qi Tian only appeared for a short while; they had no chance, or rather, no qualification, to go forward and pay their respects.

Chen Yuan nodded, not hiding anything from them, “The Great General’s appearance this time was actually due to trouble in the west. The General’s original intention was to take these troops sent by the imperial court away.”

As soon as these words came out, General Wu Sheng and Wei Zhong’s expressions changed simultaneously.

General Wu Sheng somewhat lost his voice, “Is there a problem at the Magic Kingdom Border as well?”

Chen Yuan exhaled a puff of white breath and shook his head, “I don’t know yet. The General didn’t say much, but Chen feels that the trouble is probably not small, and his words made me feel uneasy.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhong cast aside his dejection, frowning, “The Great General has guarded the Magic Kingdom Border for many years without any mishaps. It’s hard to speculate on the situation he mentioned this time. However, if even the Great General cannot suppress it, it means the situation has reached an extremely dangerous point. We have only heard that the Demon Country is like a purgatory, but we have never witnessed it.”

“Alas, it’s truly a time of many troubles. It’s a pity that our cultivation is low, and we can’t help much. Even with the current revival of Shu Land and various forces entering the pass, we are still being troubled. Ninth Zhonglang, now that this matter is settled, what are your plans?” General Wu Sheng on the side also sighed.

He was right. In the current situation in Shu Land, the cultivation of these Fu Gate Zhonglang Generals was no longer enough to control the situation. Heroes from all over the world entered the pass, and those with powerful cultivation were like carps crossing the river. Wherever there were people, there was Jianghu, and there would be disputes. They had already experienced the troubles of the current situation.

Chen Yuan naturally understood the difficulties in General Wu Sheng’s words and said faintly:

“Before the Great General left, he authorized me to mobilize the armies of various prefectures and command the southern front of the Ten Thousand Mountains. As for today’s incident, Chen is probably on the imperial court’s blacklist. The Great General didn’t indulge them either, so future assistance from the imperial court is probably out of the question. We can only rely on ourselves.”

“The Great General once told Chen that I should think more about the Fushi’s sworn brothers. If someone makes things difficult for us, then no one should have an easy time. Don’t be burdened by reputation.”

“So, from now on, let’s unite as one. Chen also needs the support of you two.”

As Chen Yuan spoke, he bowed his hands.

Wei Zhong and General Wu Sheng, seeing this, became serious and returned the bow.

The Zhenmo General spoke like this, which meant he placed great hopes on Ninth Zhonglang. In the future, Chen Yuan would be able to mobilize the armies of various prefectures, and there would be many more things he could do. Whether he had that superficial title or not was no longer important!

“Hmph, I suppose after today’s battle, those disloyal and ungrateful fellows should behave themselves!”

Wei Zhong’s eyes flashed with coldness as he snorted angrily.

“Is Zhonglang Wei referring to those colleagues?” General Wu Sheng, hearing the tone, took over the conversation thoughtfully.

“Who else could it be? Some people recognized their mother even before they were weaned.” Wei Zhong said these words with considerable anger.

During the day, several Fu Gate Zhonglang Generals jumped out and followed Military Commander Yang Jianshan to capture him. Such eager behavior was disgusting.

And even his own subordinates, whom he had personally promoted, betrayed him, which was infuriating and disheartening.

As for these clowns, after the matter ended, they had long since vanished without a trace.

Chen Yuan, hearing this, recalled what he had seen and heard on the way, and his gaze deepened,

“Zhonglang Wei, Chen will pay attention to those few individuals you mentioned.”

At this point, he changed the subject, glancing sideways, “However, the most urgent matter right now is for the two of you to improve your strength and break through to the Dao Fruit stage as soon as possible. Chen will lend a hand!”

“Additionally, train more troops and actively prepare for war. I have already analyzed the current situation with you two. It’s better to be prepared.”

“Good!”

Half an hour later, in the Southern City of Tianxiong Pass, about seven or eight li from the original site of Tianxiang Pavilion, there was a Soap Mountain, not high, only about two hundred meters.

This mountain was privately owned. Tea plantations and medicinal herbs were grown inside, and it was off-limits to others.

There was a manor in the mountain, rarely visited by people, located in a secluded part of the mountain.

In the night, the glistening white snow in the mountain illuminated the silhouette of a courtyard, with white walls and black tiles, built along the mountain wall. The entire courtyard was silent, with no candle light visible, as if it were an empty courtyard.

At this moment, suddenly,

“Woof!”

A dog bark erupted in the courtyard.

Immediately following, a black shadow, like a flash of lightning, shot out like an electric current, transforming into an afterimage, rushing from the back courtyard towards the front courtyard.

And in the front courtyard, on the white snow just inside the gate, a figure silently materialized!

The black afterimage rushed towards the snowy ground where this figure appeared!

And as this dog bark suddenly sounded in the silent courtyard, it was like a large stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the tranquility of the place.

In an instant,

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

Sounds of rushing air rang out.

Streaks of sharp light suddenly appeared in the cold night, shooting towards the direction where the figure materialized, determined to pierce this uninvited guest like a beehive.

At the same time, shadows, accompanied by low shouts, leaped out from surrounding rooms, rooftops, or the snowy ground, pouncing towards the newcomer.

And just as a dozen cold lights approached within a foot of the figure, they suddenly stopped, as if there was an invisible wall of air in front, holding them in place.

And beneath the flashing cold light, a tall and slender figure was revealed!

Wearing silver armor and a black cloud-patterned cloak!

“Stop!”

A startled voice rang out.

“Ninth…”

One of the pouncing figures recognized the newcomer at a glance, and the rushing figure quickly stopped, his voice so surprised that he stammered.

And under the flickering spiritual light, the figures that had pounced were all Western Region people, with blue eyes and yellow curly hair and beards.

And just at this moment,

“Hehehe, welcome, Master!”

A slightly fawning voice rang out.

The black shadow that had rushed over first arrived near Chen Yuan, revealing itself to be a large black dog.

It held its head high, its mouth was agape, its eyes squinted, and it even wagged its tail.

“Clatter, clatter”

The weapons that had been fixed around Chen Yuan fell to the ground. His gaze fell upon the black dog, and a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes as he spoke.

“You’ve rendered meritorious service this time. This is your reward.”

Chen Yuan shot out a beam of green light, which entered the Heavenly Dog’s glabella.

The Heavenly Dog’s body stiffened, and the next second, its dog eyes widened, and its tail wagged so hard it seemed it would fly off.

“Dragon Lord Silver, ahahaha, from now on, this dog will follow you through hell and high water…”

This dog had received a reward, and even its voice changed, seemingly very satisfied.

Chen Yuan got goosebumps; this Heavenly Dog was truly exceptional.

However, this Heavenly Dog had rendered considerable service this time, so he let it be.

At this moment, the five or six Western Region people who had fallen on the snow and surrounded them were somewhat at a loss, their eyes wide open.

This fierce god in front of them had turned Tianxiong Pass upside down during the day. How could he appear here?

They thought it was an enemy who had come to their door and made a move. Now, they couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. Weren't they poking a tiger in the eye?

Just as these people were too terrified to recall some details from the daytime, a constrained female voice sounded at the opportune moment.

“Son-in-law!”

As the words fell, the lights in the main hall of the snowy front courtyard lit up one by one.

A woman with a golden nose ring and dressed in golden gauze walked out, shyly and timidly calling out to Chen Yuan.

Saying that,

“The Princess is waiting for you, please come in, Son-in-law!”

After speaking, the delicate Western Region woman lowered her head, quickly turned, and hurried into the brightly lit front hall.

This woman was Miyi, An Ge’s maid, and the Princess was naturally An Ge.

“What?”

Hearing this address, the others were stunned, and immediately after, a cacophony of sounds erupted from other parts of the courtyard.

They were all Hu people who had evacuated from Tianxiang Pavilion.

And this was a secret stronghold of Tianxiang Pavilion.

The people of the Western Region’s Holy Sect had, by chance, found An Ge, the former Lou Lan Princess, and a conflict ensued.

Tianxiang Pavilion was no longer safe, so An Ge decisively ordered a transfer that night. Then, thinking that she had already been exposed, she rushed into the Inner City with the Heavenly Dog that night, preparing to take Miyi and others away. What happened afterward was the subsequent events.

At this moment, Chen Yuan ignored the shock and confusion of those Hu people. With a flicker of his feet, he stepped into the front hall, then with a “thud,” he closed the door, shutting out the wind and snow.

Upon entering the front hall, it was deserted.

“Son-in-law, over here!”

A voice came from behind the screen, still a bit timid.

Chen Yuan remembered this Western Region woman. He had probably left her with some bad memories, making her somewhat fearful of him.

His figure flickered, and he arrived behind the screen. There, he saw a carved wall. Miyi opened some Restriction, and a creaking sound of metal mechanisms echoed from inside.

Then, she pushed open the wall from the middle, revealing a passage.

Chen Yuan followed her in.

Inside, it immediately became warm.

Soon, Chen Yuan arrived at a secret chamber and saw An Ge.

The former Lou Lan Princess was currently stewing soup over a fire.

“Miyi, you may go now.” An Ge said.

Miyi looked up slightly, glanced at her Princess, then cautiously looked at Chen Yuan, lowered her head, said “Yes,” and then left the secret chamber, her footsteps light.

At this moment, An Ge scooped a bowl of soup from the fire, stirring it with her delicate hands. Her watery eyes looked at Chen Yuan, her long eyelashes trembling,

“General, you’ve come through wind and snow. This is what your concubine prepared to ward off the cold!”

Chen Yuan sat down and took the bowl from An Ge’s hand.

He took a sip of the soup. A warm current flowed into his stomach, bringing a very warm sense of satisfaction.

Then, he slowly finished the bowl of soup in a few sips, gently put down the bowl, and then pulled An Ge onto his lap, stroking her belly with his hand,

“It’s good that you and your child are safe!”

“Who were those people?” (End of Chapter)