Young White Horse: I, Ye Dingzhi, offer sacrifice to the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Page 59

The once peaceful and prosperous Beili has become turbulent and unstable.

Fortunately, Nan Jue has now been destroyed, which has relieved Bei Li of some pressure.

All you need to do is focus on dealing with the pressure from the north.

at this time.

The demonic cult in the north was growing stronger. The righteous people of Beili Wushuang City gathered to resist them, but they suffered repeated defeats and heavy casualties. It was not until people from another city suddenly appeared that the decline was reversed.

That city was already quite famous, but only on paper. Before the martial arts rankings were discontinued, the city's name frequently appeared on both the Fine Jade Ranking and the Champion Ranking. When it first appeared, no one had ever heard of it.

Later, when people went there because of its reputation, they found it to be just a peaceful and quiet ordinary city.

·· ···Requesting flowers· ········

This city only truly became famous after the battle against the evil cult began.

There was a wanderer wielding a long spear, with his hair casually tied up. When he first appeared, he defeated two elders of the Demonic Sect. He even fought Ye Dingzhi in the end, becoming the only person from Beili to face Ye Dingzhi head-on without being seriously injured.

Rumors circulated in the North that this gun-wielding wanderer, in terms of age, attire, and marksmanship, closely resembled a legendary figure. The man claimed his name was Sikong Changfeng and that he came from Snow Moon City.

"Just because he wasn't seriously injured, is that amazing? Has Ye Dingzhi become that terrifying now?"

There was another girl, who looked to be no more than sixteen years old. She was stunningly beautiful, no less so than the noble ladies of the royal palace in Tianqi City. However, when she made a move, she was far more powerful than any of the noble ladies in the royal palace.

Those ruthless masters of the demonic sect fell one after another at her hands, to the point that they would turn and run away at the mere sight of her. The demonic sect even gave her the nickname "Little Sword Demon".

According to legend, the sword in the girl's hand, emanating a chilling aura, is the Iron Horse and Ice River, the coldest sword in the mortal realm, left behind by the Kunlun Sword Immortal who was famous throughout the world more than sixty years ago.

........ . ...

This girl also came from Snow Moon City, and called herself Li Hanyi. She was Sikong Changfeng's senior brother.

"Hahahaha, yes. Master first took Junior Sister Li as his disciple, and then took Sikong Changfeng as his disciple. In terms of seniority, Sikong Changfeng is indeed the third among the three of us. I never expected that Junior Sister Li, who looked so cute when she was little, would grow up to be such a competitive person."

In addition, there were some people who were already famous in the martial arts world, who also claimed to be allies of Snow Moon City and came to assist.

This includes three of the Eight Young Masters of Beili: Young Master Mo Chen (Mo Xiaohei), Young Master Liu Yue (Liu Yue), and Young Master Qing Ge (Luo Xuan), as well as the disciples of the Wen Clan led by Wen Hujiu, the next head of the Wen Clan, and the disciples of the Lei Clan led by Lei Jing, the deputy head of the Lei Clan.

"The Wen family and the Lei family have both come? And three senior brothers have also come to lend their support, all claiming to be allies of Snow Moon City. It seems this was a scheme that Master had laid out long ago before his departure. Master is indeed Master; he can even do this."

As Baili Dongjun traveled north, the two of them kept hearing news from the disciples of Snow Moon City. The battle against the Demonic Sect in the north was indeed not optimistic at first. Even with the later addition of Snow Moon City, it was only thanks to the victories of Sikong Changfeng and Li Hanyi that morale was boosted.

In his first duel with Sikong Changfeng, Ye Dingzhi injured Sikong Changfeng and broke his Silver Moon Spear. He then leaped down and severely injured all the elites sent by Wushuang City. To this day, Ye Dingzhi has never been defeated.

It wasn't until the Lei and Wen families arrived that the Demonic Sect ceased its activities and temporarily retreated.

However, this is also because Ye Dingzhi has not yet made a move.

"Brother Yun's power has become so vast?!"

Baili Dongjun was secretly shocked. According to rumors, Ye Dingzhi had gathered all thirty-two sects from beyond the realm in less than half a year.

Individually, none of the thirty-two sects in the Northern Region are particularly strong; at most, they are only at the level of second-rate sects in the martial arts world.

No one was willing to submit to anyone else, and no one had ever been able to unify these scattered sects.

However, when these thirty-two sects were unified, they became an extremely powerful force.

and.

Baili Dongjun also considered another possibility.

The northern barbarians could invade at any time!

Chapter 58: Ascending the Dragon Throne, Establishing the Demonic Sect, Becoming the Demon Emperor!

As Ye Dingzhi led the Demonic Sect, they gradually invaded Beili.

Many reclusive masters from all over the world also emerged.

Nan'an City.

This small southern town has entered its annual rainy season, with a continuous drizzle that has been falling for over a month. Few pedestrians are on the streets, except for the most famous Yanliu Tower in town, which is packed with people.

On a rainy day like this, you need to drink some wine to warm yourself up, and it would be even warmer to have a sweet and gentle girl to hold you.

"I heard that the great demon Ye Dingzhi is leading thousands of his demonic sect members to suppress the border, and has captured a city in just a few days! Fortunately, Snow Moon City is there to stop them, otherwise the demonic sect army could have marched all the way south."

A middle-aged man with a small mustache, slightly drunk, tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine. "This is truly worrying!"

“Isn’t it enough that it’s blocked? Besides, our Nan’an City is so far from the border and the capital, why should the General have any worries?” A young man next to him immediately poured a glass of wine for the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man, addressed as the General, took a sip of his drink, smacked his lips, and said:

"Every citizen has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation. Although we are in a peaceful city like Nan'an, we cannot... we cannot be careless! We must be ready to draw our swords and ride into battle at any time! Today I will submit a letter to the Governor-General, requesting that he send me with 10,000 troops to Nanjue!"

"No, no, if the General really goes, who will we entrust the safety of our Nan'an City to?" The person next to him waved his hand to stop him.

"That's true, that's true." The middle-aged man was about to stand up, but then sat down again.

"The garrison commander of Nan'an City has only six hundred men under his command, and they are all garrison soldiers. You shout and demand ten thousand soldiers to fight the enemy. Even if you dare to agree, your governor might not dare to grant it, right?" "August 13," a voice, unhurried yet full of sarcasm, rang out.

This immediately shattered the solemn atmosphere created by the general and his subordinates.

"Who are you?" the young man said, displeased.

"My name is Xie Xuan, a scholar. I was passing through Nan'an City when I was stranded here by a rainstorm." A young man dressed in white, sitting upright there, put down the book in his hand and took a sip of the yellow wine in front of him.

The general put down his wine cup, sat up slightly, and looked at him: "What did you mean by what you just said?"

"The words are simple and do not contain any profound meaning. What they mean is what they are literally meant," Xie Xuan said respectfully.

"You mean our soldiers in Nan'an City are no good?" the general asked, frowning.

"There was once a famous general in the Northern Kingdom named Han Xuan. He was highly skilled in martial arts, adept at leading troops, and had a good temper. So his brothers often borrowed troops from him when they went to war, and once they borrowed them, they never returned them. Therefore, he often had to recruit new soldiers, and his army was never stable."

“New recruits are difficult to manage, fearful of battle, and inexperienced, so no one is willing to lead them. But this Han Xuan was invincible in every battle. On the battlefield, the enemy was terrified at the sight of his army and fled in panic, so much so that later the world called him ‘General Han Wudi’.”

Xie Xuan popped a peanut into his mouth.

The general and his attendant exchanged a glance. The general angrily said, "What nonsense! This person is so famous, how come I've never heard of him? There's no general with the surname Han in the Northern Expedition."

"You haven't heard of him because this General Han Wudi later rebelled. He was stripped of his title and his entire clan was exterminated. His entire army was massacred at Molangpo. Grand Tutor Xie Zhi then deleted all records about him from the history books, so you haven't heard of him." Xie Xuan shrugged.

"Then how do you know so much?" the general asked.

"Because of me, I've read a lot of books." Xie Xuan smiled slightly, somewhat proudly.

"What nonsense!" The general slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Why are you arguing with me about this? What does General Han have to do with what I just said?"

“General Han may have brought new recruits, but he is invincible. So what I mean is…” Xie Xuan stretched out a hand and gestured, “It’s not that your soldiers are incompetent, it’s that you are incompetent.”

"How dare you!" The general grabbed the longsword at his waist. "You dare to provoke me, brat."

"The Northern Demonic Sect is at its peak, and there are still experts from the Northern Li to hold them back. But if the barbarian cavalry from the north were to march south, they would truly be heading straight for Tianqi City. If this General is so inclined, why not lead your troops north? Perhaps you could even earn some military merit." Xie Xuan spoke calmly and eloquently.

The general was taken aback: "How do you seem to know everything?"

"Because I've read a lot of books, I understand the world's affairs." Xie Xuan nodded proudly as before.

"My lord, don't pay him any mind. This stinking scholar has probably gone mad from reading too much." The attendant smiled obsequiously and pressed the general's sword down. "It's not good to make a scene. We told the lady we were going to the barracks to take care of some business, not to this brothel."

The general sneered and stepped forward, saying, "They say scholars are useless, but I think you're just all talk. You say you're incompetent, but are you really? Can you fight on the battlefield? Do you even know how to use a sword?"

With a "smack," the general slammed a sword onto the table in front of Xie Xuan.

"I've read many sword manuals," Xie Xuan said softly, looking at the sword.

The general snorted coldly, "I've even read Sun Tzu's Art of War."

“These are all peerless sword manuals.” Xie Xuan stretched out his right hand, hesitated for a moment, and then pressed it onto the hilt of the sword.

"I've always wondered what kind of sword I would wield if I ever actually held one."

"I never expected it to be such an ordinary and unremarkable sword."

"But this is for the best. The world has never lacked famous swords, but it has never lacked famous swordsmen."

Xie Xuan suddenly closed his eyes. Over the past ten years, the thousands of sword manuals he had read suddenly transformed into a swordsman in his mind, wielding the peerless swords in the manuals in one continuous motion.

Finally, there was a flash of sword light.

Xie Xuan suddenly drew his sword and swung it at Yu Shi outside the window.

The sword broke, the rain stopped.

The once arrogant general was dumbfounded.

What kind of sword could cut through this endless rain?

Xie Xuan dropped the sword in his hand, picked up the wine on the table, drank it all in one gulp, and then put the wine cup down.

The rain fell again.

Xie Xuan sighed and slung his book box over his shoulder: "Your sword hasn't been used in too long; it can't even withstand this one sword aura."

"You...you are a sword immortal..." The general was covered in sweat.

"Becoming a sword immortal with a single sword strike? That's not up to you." Xie Xuan ignored him, walked down from the Yanliu Tower, opened the oil-paper umbrella he always carried, and stepped into the pouring rain.

"Turbulent times are like rain; when they fall, no one can escape them. So, I will enter the world."

...

........

The wind grew even colder and stronger.

The atmosphere of the entire world seemed to have changed overnight.

The people still went about their daily routine of working at sunrise and resting at sunset.

However, his movements subtly quickened.

Everyone knows it.

There's going to be a war.

This wasn't just any ordinary battle; it was a major one.

War means death, famine, and separation.

"Why am I suddenly being ordered to lead the army north? Why so suddenly? And why me? I'll freeze to death over there!" General Lei Mengsha, clad in silver armor, muttered to himself as he rode his horse.

"Alas, there's nothing we can do! Ever since the battle of Tianqi City, the entire city has been severely weakened, and there's hardly anyone left who can stand alone. If only Xiao Ruofeng were still here..." The general in golden armor sighed deeply.

Lei Mengsha in silver armor and Ye Xiaoying in golden armor were both promoted to generals during this period.

After the battle of Tianqi City, all the experts in the imperial palace were wiped out.

Emperor Tai'an promoted many promising individuals, breaking with precedent.

Lei Mengsha and Ye Xiaoying are the most famous among these promoted geniuses.

In just over six months, he was promoted to general.

There were naturally northern troops, but Emperor Tai'an sent both of these promising generals to the north in one go.

"Just what kind of people are these Northern Barbarians? Isn't it said that the land there can't grow crops, only grazing livestock, and that they can't even get enough to eat in winter?" Ye Xiaoying touched the golden sword on his body, quite disdainfully...

"Yes. Because they were starving, the one who survived defeated many of those who tried to steal his food. That's why the Northern Barbarians were truly a fierce and ruthless army!" Lei Mengsha said with a wry smile.

However, although the two were ordered to set off, they were still skeptical about the Northern Barbarians leading their army south, especially since more than a month had passed on the road and there had been no news of battles from the front, making the matter seem more and more like a fantasy.

After all, the barbarian kingdom seemed to keep its distance from Beili. How could a country that couldn't even afford porridge invade the powerful and prosperous Beili?

On the contrary, the demonic cult army in the northwest needs the army to defend against them.

"We might just go and see the grasslands of the Northern Barbarians, have a few roasted whole lambs, and then come back..." Lei Mengsha laughed.

"I still want to eat roast whole lamb. If you slow down any further, the emperor of Tianqi City might be roasted." A voice with a hint of mockery rang out.

Lei Mengsha was shocked. With his martial arts skills, he hadn't detected anyone approaching at all. He looked down and realized that a disheveled middle-aged scholar had appeared beside his horse.

The middle-aged scholar wore a long robe whose original color was gray or had become gray from dirt, with a wine gourd hanging at his waist. He walked as if he were stepping on a shooting star, easily keeping up with the speed of his horse.

Ye Xiaoying placed his hand on the hilt of the golden knife, his eyes wary.

Lei Mengsha shook his head slightly at Ye Xiaoying, then respectfully asked, "May I ask who this gentleman is?"

"The Book of Rites says that the order of officials, whether noble or lowly, should be appropriate, so as to show future generations the proper order of seniority and rank. Seniority and rank should not be disordered. You are the senior brother, and he is the junior brother. You cannot let him order you around like this." The middle-aged scholar, however, gave an irrelevant answer.

Lei Mengsha was not angry. He watched as the middle-aged scholar took a sip of wine from the gourd at his waist, then deliberately extended a finger and gently touched it.

"Thunder Gate Divine Finger." The middle-aged scholar extended a finger, deflecting Lei Mengsha's finger strike. "I can do that too."

Lei Mengsha's finger was easily deflected, and he exclaimed in surprise, "You're from the Lei Clan? So all these years, although the Lei Clan has refused to acknowledge me as a disciple who joined the army, they've still been silently watching over me!"