428: Various troops (asking for monthly tickets)

“Orders!”

“Orders!”

“The front line situation has changed!”

“All Ninth Mountain Army, unload your heavy equipment, travel light and fast, march a thousand li, and be sure to reach outside Zhennan Prefecture by midnight the day after tomorrow!”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry!”

“...”

Sharp whistles, combined with the urgent shouts of the dispatch riders in the wind and snow, pierced the night, indicating extreme urgency.

This urgent order meant that the Ninth Mountain Army needed to abandon all non-essential military equipment and supplies, march over two thousand li without rest, and rush to Zhennan Prefecture at the fastest possible speed!

As the red signal flags moved upstream, passing through the roaring iron torrent galloping through the Black Mountains and snow, these shouts quickly spread throughout the dark night.

Soon, amidst the iron torrent, armored soldiers in heavy armor, their helmets gleaming with cold light, shouted and drew their sharp long sabers from their waists with a single motion.

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

“...”

Flashes of cold light appeared as sharp long sabers were drawn.

The armored soldiers drew their sabers in unison, striking the hinges on both sides of the heavily armored exotic horses beneath them.

“Clatter!”

As the hinges were cut, the heavy armor on the horses clattered and slid off through the openings in the armor. The pieced-together heavy armor fell like beads from a broken string, scattering one by one as the horses galloped.

Other armored soldiers cut down supply wagons carrying heavy military equipment and tents.

Soon, the speed of the horses beneath them visibly increased. Their bodies passed through the cold wind, emitting white sweat vapor that billowed like cloud-like hair. Amidst the neighing of ten thousand horses, it was a magnificent sight.

On both sides of this black torrent, where the red signal flags moved upstream, there were three other forces, several li to the rear, crossing the frozen river.

These were the three Fa Shan Army forces that had departed from Chuanzhong Pass with the Ninth Mountain’s Right Flank Divine Might Army, serving as the army’s flanks!

Seeing the sudden change in the main army, three streaks of light, by prior agreement, streaked through the night from the front of the three flank forces, rapidly rushing towards the main army’s direction.

The three streaks of light quickly arrived at the forefront of the Ninth Mountain Army. There, Right Flank Piaoji Lu Ming had changed mounts. He was now riding a Bo, a creature covered in black scales, shaped like a horse, with a single horn on its head, and eyes like red fire. It galloped as if soaring through the Void Realm, its four hooves off the ground, with flames flickering beneath its feet!

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

“Whoosh!”

With several sharp whistles through the air, the three streaks of light arrived beside Lu Ming, moving abreast with him!

The Zhonglang Generals of the Seventh, Eighth, and Twelfth Mountains appeared, treading the Void Realm, flying close to the ground. Their Protective Auras tore through the oncoming cold wind, forming dazzling arcs of light. Among them, the Seventh Mountain Zhonglang General’s face was solemn; he had already guessed something and turned to ask Lu Ming:

“Cavalry General Lu, are you planning a forced march? Has there been news from Ninth Zhonglang?”

Lu Ming’s brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes beneath the red helmet flickered with fire as he broke through the oncoming wind and snow, which felt like knives scraping him. He said urgently:

“The General’s latest message!”

“The situation in the mountains has changed. Those demons have detected the General’s intentions and have closed the teleportation array there!”

“Our army is ordered to reach Zhennan Prefecture at the fastest possible speed to slaughter the demons there and force those beasts to open the teleportation array.”

Lu Ming’s voice was filled with Evil Qi, carrying a ruthless determination, as if he couldn’t wait to rush to Zhennan Prefecture and wage war on the demons there!

The General’s order, relayed to him by Gongsun Yang, made him vaguely guess the seriousness of the matter, because the General’s order contained the words “must.”

So now, they had to abandon all unnecessary heavy equipment and march rapidly for a thousand li, day and night, at full speed!

“Then let’s launch a thousand-li surprise attack and kill our way through!”

“However, the battle plan will likely have to change. With a forced march of several thousand li, the demons won’t have much time to react, and neither will we.”

“The further we advance, the faster the demon scouts will discover us. Our scouts won’t have buffer time. By then, it will likely be a face-to-face bloodbath!” The Eighth Mountain’s Zhonglang General, with his long, sharp eyes beneath his helmet, quickly responded without hesitation, then pointed out the problem.

Commander Pei’s original plan was for their three Fa Shan Army forces, totaling sixteen thousand cavalry, to cooperate with the Ninth Mountain’s Right Flank Divine Might Army for flanking maneuvers and ambushes, hoping to achieve a brilliant victory.

Now, plans couldn’t keep up with changes. The Ninth Mountain had to make a forced march to reach Zhennan Prefecture as quickly as possible and engage the demons stationed there. No strategies or military tactics could be used; it would only be a direct, head-on fight, a bloodbath.

“Then let’s kill!”

Bloodshot veins appeared around Lu Ming’s eyes. The military situation was urgent, and speed was of the essence, leaving him no time for excessive thought. He confirmed the order.

This was his first time leading an army, and the burden on him was as heavy as a mountain!

Thus, the four quickly reached an agreement.

The previous battle plan was canceled. A few thousand cavalry were left to guard the rear, and all other forces discarded non-essential heavy equipment and began a forced march!

For a time, there was the sound of human voices and neighing horses.

With that, over twenty thousand cavalry, lightly equipped, galloped like a cloud, facing the howling wind and snow, crossing black mountains and white waters, heading straight south, raising a trail of dust.

In the distance, the mountain ranges hidden in the wind and snow of the night looked like wild beasts waiting to be conquered!

“The military situation has changed. Go and deliver this news to the other supporting comrades; they should have already departed!”

In that trail of dust, soon, a clear eagle cry sounded.

Several silver lights swiftly rose from below, flying separately to the east and west, rushing away, and soon disappeared into the vast night sky.

Just as tens of thousands of Fa Shan Army forces roared through thousands of li of wind and frost, rushing towards Zhennan Prefecture, on this equally vast and snowy horizon, several other forces also roared, marching south from different directions.

Less than half a day after the thirty thousand cavalry exited Chuanzhong Pass, on the Southwest defense line, at Pingyu Pass, three thousand li from Chuanzhong Pass, eight thousand prefecture soldiers left the city and headed straight for the midpoint between Huxia Pass and Zhennan Prefecture. Their mission was to ambush in advance in the mountains between Huxia Pass and Zhennan Prefecture to block enemy reinforcements.

On the Southeast defense line, two thousand li from Jingyuan Prefecture, there was a rumble of iron cavalry. Over ten thousand iron cavalry traveled through the wind and snow day and night. At the very front, a figure in red fluttered, wearing light armor, carrying a three-foot green peak sword on her back, and holding a red-tasseled spear!

Beside her, there were four burly, fierce-looking men in armor. Their eyes occasionally flashed with reddish-green light, faintly revealing a hint of demonic light, unlike human eyes.

And behind the woman in red, three teams of soldiers in different styles of armor followed her, galloping on horseback.

Suddenly, the woman in red raised her spear, and the red-brown horse beneath her let out a long neigh. The troops gradually came to a halt.

“How far is it to Luo Tian Gorge from here?”

“Reporting to General Lian, it’s about seventeen hundred li!”

Behind her, an officer in green armor rode his horse forward and said to the female General.

This woman was Lian Nishang, who had been ordered to lead troops to the Southeast defense line. She had also received the order from Chuanzhong Pass to block enemy reinforcements at Luo Tian Gorge outside Jingyuan Prefecture.

And in that order, she had been conferred the title of Red-Tasseled General and given a long spear! (End of this chapter)