The Heavenly God Palace, having been caught in a quagmire in You Province and suffered setbacks, would surely wish to avoid another disaster in Yang Province. The possibility of them forging an alliance with the Guiyuan Sect was extremely high.
“Although the Heavenly God Palace has several Void Realm experts, they are powerless against this vast, overwhelming swarm tactic,” Teng Qingshan urged. “Xiao Jun… hurry and command your people to send this news to the Heavenly God Palace. Time is short; if we delay, it will be too late.”
The garrison stationed in those three locations was, at most, seven or eight hundred li from the Guiyuan Sect.
“Good.”
Li Jun immediately moved to her writing desk, settling down to take out her brush and paper, while Teng Qingshan stepped forward to assist by grinding the inkstone. In a short while, Li Jun swiftly composed the secret letter, dried it, and rolled it up.
She called out loudly toward the door, “Someone!”
“Creak!” The door opened.
A personal guard rushed in and knelt respectfully.
“This secret letter is of the utmost urgency; deliver it to the Palace Master at maximum speed,” Li Jun commanded. “Go now, quickly!”
“Yes.” The guard respectfully accepted the scroll and shot out like an arrow.
Only then did Teng Qingshan breathe a slight sigh of relief… This letter carried a sliver of hope. However, hope could not rest entirely on the Heavenly God Palace.
“Qingshan, I’ve thought of another way,” Li Jun’s eyes shone brightly.
“Oh?” Teng Qingshan looked toward Li Jun with anticipation. “What way?”
“Qingshan, I can order the new army my Snow Lotus Sect is training at the border of Qing Province and Yang Province to deliberately advance toward Yang Province, ostensibly for drill practice, just to give Qinghu Island a scare,” Li Jun smiled.
Hearing Li Jun’s words, Teng Qingshan couldn't help but have his eyes gleam: “Brilliant.”
“If that blind Sword Saint receives word that the Heavenly God Palace’s army has entered Yang Province territory, he will surely be frightened,” Teng Qingshan said, his eyes bright, but a moment later, he frowned and looked at Li Jun. “Xiao Jun… deploying troops into Yang Province territory without authorization, if the Heavenly God Palace Master finds out, she might punish you, right?”
“It’s fine.”
Li Jun smiled. “I am acting on behalf of the Sect Master, and I inherently have the authority to command the army. As for entering Yang Province territory… Hmph, I know from listening to my master’s conversations that our Heavenly God Palace harbors ambitions in Yang Province, and the Palace Master and the others don’t take Qinghu Island seriously. I am only dispatching the army into Yang Province; I’m not actually attacking. A little scare is a minor matter.”
“If I am truly punished, at worst, I’ll just stop being the acting Sect Master,” Li Jun said playfully.
Teng Qingshan couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke Li Jun’s cheek, a touch of guilt stirring in his heart, while Li Jun gently buried her head in Teng Qingshan’s embrace.
“Xiao Jun, I have to go,” Teng Qingshan released Li Jun.
Li Jun looked up, gazing intently at Teng Qingshan. “Qingshan, you… be careful.”
“Mmm.” Teng Qingshan nodded and headed for the door.
“Remember, once this matter is over, you absolutely must come to Qing Province to see me. I will wait for you here,” Li Jun called out anxiously, a faint trace of tears welling up in her eyes. Teng Qingshan’s silhouette trembled slightly, and then he opened the door and vanished in a streak of rainbow light.
Li Jun walked to the study door, her eyes faintly shimmering with tears, and looked up at the sky.
She knew that if anything happened to the Guiyuan Sect, Teng Qingshan would surely go! She couldn't stop him… In Li Jun’s heart, she cared nothing for the Guiyuan Sect; she only cared that her man would return safely.
“Roar~~” Li Jun roared toward the heavens.
“Roar~~”
A roar echoed back from the boundless night sky.
……
In the night sky, Teng Qingshan stood on the back of the Six-Footed Saber Cicada and heard the creature roar down below, knowing it was because of Li Jun.
“No matter what,” Teng Qingshan looked south, his eyes faintly blazing, “I must protect the Guiyuan Sect this time!”
Whoosh!
The Six-Footed Saber Cicada tore through the night sky, speeding toward the Guiyuan Sect in the south. ** In the night sky, Teng Qingshan stood atop the Six-Footed Saber Cicada, looking down. Below him, on the vast, pitch-black earth, snaked a continuous ‘dragon of fire,’ formed by countless torches held high by soldiers. Merely looking at the length of the ‘fire dragon’ suggested the sheer number of troops.
“This must be the army from the northern garrison heading toward Jiangning Prefecture City,” Teng Qingshan observed. “The northern garrison is the closest to Jiangning Prefecture City… they are even traveling through the night.”
“It seems Qinghu Island is serious about this matter this time… they must have ordered the fastest possible advance to Jiangning Prefecture City,” Teng Qingshan guessed.
Whoosh!
The Six-Footed Saber Cicada descended swiftly from the high altitude, overtaking the massive army.
With the assistance of the power of Heaven and Earth, the Cicada’s speed was hundreds of times that of the army. In just a few breaths, Teng Qingshan saw the gigantic city below, its walls ablaze with torches—Jiangning Prefecture City.
“Master! I’ve arrived,” Teng Qingshan transmitted telepathically.
“Qingshan,” Zhuge Yuanhong, within the Guiyuan Sect in Jiangning Prefecture City, heard him clearly.
“Master, choose a place; I need the Six-Footed Saber Cicada to land,” Teng Qingshan communicated. The Guiyuan Sect, now aware that the Qinghu Island army was closing in, was in a state of considerable chaos. Usually, many disciples would be asleep at this hour, but tonight, perhaps even the children couldn't sleep.
Lights blazed everywhere within the Guiyuan Sect, and figures moved constantly.
“I am at the Ancestral Master’s residence. Direct your demonic beast here,” Zhuge Yuanhong’s voice was clearly audible to Teng Qingshan.
Whoosh!
Guided by Teng Qingshan, the Six-Footed Saber Cicada became a blur, almost unseen in the darkness, and landed within Elder Wu’s residence.
……
In Elder Wu’s residence, only Zhuge Yuanhong was present when Teng Qingshan descended.
“Cicada,” Teng Qingshan patted the Six-Footed Saber Cicada gently. The creature understood his intention and instantly bored into the earth to rest underground.
“Master, what is the situation now?” Teng Qingshan asked Zhuge Yuanhong.
“The few Law Enforcement Elders learned of the Ancestral Master’s death. When they heard that the Qinghu Island army was pressing down, they all became worried,” Zhuge Yuanhong frowned. “So, the sect is urgently arranging for the transfer of some elite disciples and the sect’s treasures… After all, the Ancestral Master’s death has completely eroded everyone’s confidence.”
Although the Guiyuan Sect had left ‘seeds’ of the sect in many places across the Nine Provinces, many truly precious items were still within the main sect and had not yet been sent out.
Teng Qingshan nodded slightly.
“Whoa!” A sudden clamor erupted from the north.
“Hmm?” Zhuge Yuanhong looked north. “The Qinghu Island northern garrison has arrived.”
“I saw them when I was coming in,” Teng Qingshan confirmed. “They were already quite close to the Prefecture City then.”
“Let’s go, accompany me to the city wall to take a look,” Zhuge Yuanhong took a deep breath. * On the northern city wall, numerous Guiyuan Sect soldiers stood guard, staring intently, or clenching their jaws, toward the army constantly gathering in the distance to the north.
Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the wall, gazing at the approaching army from the north.
“Of the three armies, the Qinghu Island northern garrison arrived first,” Zhuge Yuanhong said with a slight smile. “Qingshan… this is the greatest calamity in the history of our Guiyuan Sect. Tell me, can we survive this and turn danger into safety?”
“We can,” Teng Qingshan stated deeply. “We absolutely can.”
Zhuge Yuanhong smiled faintly and said no more.
Although Qinghu Island had attacked once several years ago, the blind Sword Saint did not participate then, and furthermore, the Guiyuan Sect still had Elder Wu. Now? The blind Sword Saint had killed Elder Wu and immediately dispatched the army—clearly intending to annihilate the Guiyuan Sect in one swift blow.
What the blind Sword Saint intended was difficult to reverse.
“Master, I’m going to see my parents,” Teng Qingshan said.
Zhuge Yuanhong turned. “The Qinghu Island army has only just arrived on one front, and since they rushed here, they will need rest… They probably won't attack the city until tomorrow. There’s no rush; go ahead.”
……
“Father and Mother are at the Clan Residence,” Teng Qingshan sensed their exact location through his domain—a sprawling manor filled with the familiar auras of many Teng Clan members.
A streak of shadow landed within the Teng Clan Residence manor.
Teng Qingshan stood concealed in the shadows, gazing at a nearby household.
“Son, don’t worry, everything is fine! When Qinghu Island came last time, didn't they flee in disgrace? Nothing will happen this time. Your old dad is the spear technique master of Teng Family Village and a Centurion in the Black Armored Army! These little thieves from Qinghu Island—your dad will take them one by one. Come, give your dad a kiss.” A tall man in heavy armor, holding his helmet with one hand, was embracing a young boy.
Beside them, a woman stood with faint tears in her eyes.
“Wife, where is Xiang’er?” the man asked.
“Father.” A voice called from nearby, and a girl, quite clear and lovely in appearance, ran over and tightly hugged the man in the Black Armored Army uniform. “Father, don’t go, don’t go.”
“Xiang’er, your father is a distinguished hero of Teng Family Village; how can I be a coward and cherish life? Your Uncle Qingshan killed several Xiantian masters from Qinghu Island when he was just seventeen. Which man from our Teng Family Village, once he steps out, isn't a hero?” The man in the Black Armored Army wiped his daughter’s face. “Don't cry; your father will be back soon.”
Saying that, he set down his pair of children.
“Wife.” The man in the Black Armored Army hugged the woman, who clung tightly to her man, unable to stop her tears from flowing: “Brother Qinghao, I will wait for your return.”
“Mmm.”
The man in the Black Armored Army picked up a large iron spear leaning nearby, held his helmet in one hand, and turned to leave.
“Father, Father.” The young boy and girl tried to chase after him, but their mother held them back.
“Qinghao,” Teng Qingshan watched the receding back of the man in the Black Armored Army.
That was Teng Qinghao, the son of Teng Yongxiang, the spear technique master of Teng Family Village, who now carried on his father's legacy, serving not only as the clan’s spear technique master but also as a Centurion in the Black Armored Army. With the help of the ‘Tiger Fist’ that Teng Qingshan had taught and the ‘Vermilion Fruit Wine’ he left behind, the Teng Family Village had indeed produced many masters.
……
Teng Qingshan moved soundlessly through the Clan Residence. Not many from the Teng Clan had joined the Black Armored Army, perhaps a dozen families in total. In a short while, Teng Qingshan reached the residence of the Old Clan Chief, his maternal grandfather, Teng Yunlong.
“Yongfan, this is the great calamity for our Teng Family Village,” Teng Yunlong’s aged voice was clearly audible to Teng Qingshan.
“When Qingshan caused the deaths of so many Xiantian experts from Qinghu Island back then, those experts belonged to various powerful families within Qinghu Island. The descendants of those families… will certainly seek revenge for their ancestors. Once they conquer Jiangning Prefecture City, they will definitely search for our Teng Clan to exterminate us and avenge those Xiantian masters.”
Hearing his grandfather’s voice from inside, Teng Qingshan’s body trembled.
That’s right…
His feud with Qinghu Island was too deep. Even if the blind Sword Saint didn’t destroy the Teng Clan, the families of the thirteen Xiantian masters killed in the Great Yan Mountain battle would surely seek vengeance!
“No matter what…” Teng Qingshan clenched his fists. “No matter what, I cannot let Qinghu Island break through Jiangning Prefecture City!”