“Master, tell me,” Teng Qingshan replied.
Zhuge Yuanhong spoke in a low voice, “Qingshan, you must have seen that compared to Qinghu Island, the greatest weakness of my Guiyuan Sect is a lack of manpower! The thirteen commanderies of Yangzhou have a population of two to three hundred million. Simply controlling the other twelve commanderies requires at least a hundred thousand troops. However, besides the army required for self-defense, the Guiyuan Sect can, at most, deploy the Longgang Army and a hundred thousand regular troops.”
Teng Qingshan frowned and nodded.
This was indeed a difficult problem.
The Guiyuan Sect was, after all, based in only one commandery; its personnel simply could not compare to Qinghu Island, much less the Heavenly God Palace.
“Therefore, Qingshan, you will take a trip to the Tai’a Mountain Range,” Zhuge Yuanhong instructed. “The Tai’a Mountain Range is located in southern Yangzhou, traversing several commanderies! Haven’t you already established a force there, the ‘Fierce Beast Gang’? You are going there this time to expand the influence of this force. Later… when we attack southern Yangzhou, we will need their assistance.”
Teng Qingshan nodded slightly, understanding his Master’s intentions.
“Master, I need five hundred sets of ‘Fire Flow Battle Armor’ and one thousand five hundred sets of ‘Fire Feather Battle Armor,’” Teng Qingshan requested.
“Yes, understood.”
Zhuge Yuanhong smiled and nodded. “Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have arranged for you to take battle armor. With these armors… combined with those two bottles of ‘Spirit of the North Sea’ you have, you can forge an elite army. However, Qingshan, it’s best to use the ‘Spirit of the North Sea’ sparingly. After all, the loyalty of these bandits is not as secure as that of my sect disciples.”
“Understood, Master. I will select five hundred men to consume the Spirit of the North Sea.”
“As for loyalty, Master need not worry. These bandits and thugs are incredibly fierce. The men selected for my disciple’s ‘Fierce Beast Gang’ are all hardy fellows with strong spirit,” Teng Qingshan clarified, knowing that these bandits who lived by the blade were often braver than some city guards.
Once they recognized a leader, they were unlikely to betray him until death.
The following morning, Teng Qingshan left the Teng Family Village with the Undying Phoenix, 'Xiao Qing,' first heading to Jiangning Commandery City. He collected two thousand sets of ‘Fire Flow Iron Battle Armor’ and ‘Fire Feather Battle Armor,’ packed them uniformly into an enormous iron crate. Teng Qingshan held the massive crate aloft with one arm, stood on Xiao Qing’s back, and flew directly toward the Tai’a Mountain Range.
Whoosh~~
High above the clouds, under the brilliant morning sun, Teng Qingshan effortlessly held the giant iron crate weighing over two hundred thousand jin, as if carrying a small parcel.
“Xiao Qing, wait here.”
Teng Qingshan had already sensed the Tai’a Mountain Range below and located the Fierce Beast Gang’s position.
Whoosh! He leaped directly from Xiao Qing’s back, plunging downward like a meteorite at astonishing speed. After his body merged with the power of heaven and earth, Teng Qingshan’s speed increased even more. Only when he rapidly descended to the canopy of the Tai’a Mountain Range’s towering trees did he drastically reduce his velocity.
Hiss hiss~~ The air faintly vibrated.
He crashed directly onto a rock formation, his feet sinking into the stone. Teng Qingshan looked at the massive crate in his hands and smiled slightly, “Carrying over two hundred thousand jin, it’s difficult even to land steadily.” He then raised the iron crate high and, transforming into a blur, swiftly navigated through the forest, arriving at the stronghold of the Fierce Beast Gang in just a few moments.
...
Yang Dong, holding a dark crimson thin sword, was practicing the sword techniques Teng Qingshan had taught him on his unique training ground. For a moment, he seemed utterly unified with the blade, clearly embodying a cold, bizarre artistic intent.
“Hmm?”
Yang Dong’s peripheral vision caught the sudden appearance of a figure in the training ground, startling him. Upon closer inspection...
“Master.” Yang Dong immediately stopped practicing his sword and respectfully approached.
“Ah Dong, your swordsmanship is excellent,” Teng Qingshan said with a smile, gently setting down the iron crate. The huge crate, weighing over two hundred thousand jin, caused the ground to tremble slightly upon landing. “I’m here because you’re about to undertake significant action.”
“Please speak, Master.” Yang Dong’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been itching to do something other than staying here. There are no worthy opponents for me to fight in this Tai’a Mountain Range.”
Whoosh!
A gray shadow suddenly landed beside them. Teng Qingshan turned to see the Storm Eagle, 'Xiao Hui.' Xiao Hui hadn't seen Teng Qingshan in quite a while and seemed quite excited, flying over and affectionately rubbing its head against Teng Qingshan’s arm. “This Xiao Hui eats so much meat from me but rarely shows me respect. As soon as Master arrives, he acts this affectionately,” Yang Dong grumbled.
“Haha.” Teng Qingshan laughed, stroking the Storm Eagle’s feathers, then instructed Yang Dong, “Ah Dong, the main army of the Guiyuan Sect will soon begin attacking the various commandery cities under Qinghu Island’s control. When that happens, especially when attacking southern Yangzhou, your help will be required. I have an order for you—”
“Within three months at the latest, you must become the strongest gang in the Tai’a Mountain Range, and also the largest in number,” Teng Qingshan commanded.
“Ah?”
Yang Dong’s eyes widened, and he forced a bitter smile. “Master, my Fierce Beast Gang is already one of the top factions in the Tai’a Mountain Range, but we only have eight thousand strong men currently. The largest gang in the Tai’a Mountain Range has nearly a hundred thousand members. Master, you mean for me to maintain quality over quantity—finding ninety thousand more genuinely capable heroes will be difficult.”
“Clang!”
Teng Qingshan forcefully wrenched open the lid of the huge iron crate, revealing numerous items, including armor and helmets.
“Inside are five hundred sets of Fire Flow Iron Battle Armor and one thousand five hundred sets of Fire Feather Battle Armor,” Teng Qingshan stated solemnly.
“Fire Flow Iron?” Yang Dong’s eyes grew round; he certainly knew the power of Fire Flow Iron.
Teng Qingshan then took out a black jade bottle from his robes. “Ah Dong, this jade bottle contains about a thousand drops of ‘Spirit of the North Sea.’ Each drop can create a first-rate martial artist! Select the five hundred men among your current eight thousand heroes whom you trust the most, have them consume the Spirit of the North Sea, and equip them with the Fire Flow Iron Battle Armor!”
“Master, I wouldn't complain even if you asked me to conquer a commandery city,” Yang Dong exclaimed involuntarily.
Five hundred first-rate martial artists equipped with Fire Flow Iron Battle Armor.
They would absolutely be invincible.
“These five hundred riders are the elite. As for the remaining five hundred drops of ‘Spirit of the North Sea’ and the one thousand five hundred sets of Fire Feather Battle Armor, you decide how to use them,” Teng Qingshan instructed. “With this, consolidating control over the entire Tai’a Mountain Range shouldn't be a problem, right?”
“No problem. My Fierce Beast Gang is already one of the top forces here. With these resources… my one gang could wipe out every other faction,” Yang Dong chuckled. “But I won’t be so hasty to eliminate them; they are my subordinates. Master, don’t worry, just watch how I bring the entire Tai’a Mountain Range under my control.”
Teng Qingshan smiled and nodded.
The Tai’a Mountain Range spanned several southern commanderies, hosting nearly a million bandits. A force could certainly be carefully selected from them, which would serve a critical purpose, as the Guiyuan Sect was currently most lacking in regular troops.
**
Currently, many sects across the Nine Provinces were closely watching Yangzhou. Since the burning of Qinghu Island, they knew—a war between Qinghu Island and the suddenly rising Guiyuan Sect was inevitable!
“Charge!” “Charge!” “Charge!”……
Aside from the two thousand Longgang Army soldiers left for defense, the remaining ten thousand Longgang Army soldiers, along with the hundred thousand regular troops, were marching mightily northward!
At the northern border of Jiangning Commandery, the Qinghu Island army previously stationed there had been redeployed to a small city named ‘Feng’an City.’ This small city normally housed barely a hundred thousand residents, but now, including the Qinghu Island troops, the total population exceeded two hundred thousand.
“If we fight, we fight the strongest,”
Thousands of feet high in the clouds, Teng Qingshan sat on the back of the Undying Phoenix, maintaining a speed roughly matching the army’s pace, heading toward Feng’an City. “Feng’an City holds twenty thousand Silver Flood Dragon Army soldiers and a hundred thousand regular troops—the strongest force restraining my Jiangning Commandery City. The goal now is to eliminate it cleanly and swiftly!”
Accompanying the army were Teng Qingshan and the Undying Phoenix, as well as the battle-hungry War God of Mengmeng, ‘Mu Tao.’
Mu Tao was currently mixed in with the main army; he was really hoping the Blind Sword Saint would show up.
...
Records from the Myriad Manifestations Sect books state: On the third day of the ninth month, the Guiyuan Sect army set out. In the early morning of the fourth day of the ninth month, the Guiyuan Sect army launched a fierce assault on Feng’an City. Leading the charge were elite warriors clad in blood-red battle armor, dense and countless, simultaneously surging towards the city walls. They leaped over the walls twice with ease, and wherever they passed, there was no enemy capable of stopping them.
The battle ended in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
The twenty thousand Silver Flood Dragon Army soldiers and the hundred thousand regular troops were completely routed. In this battle, the Guiyuan Sect’s strongest force, the 'Longgang Army' composed entirely of first-rate martial artists, revealed itself to the world. Before them, no army, no city wall could impede their advance.
...
That battle in the early morning of the fourth day of the ninth month completely stunned the various sects across the Nine Provinces.
The high command of Qinghu Island, along with the other commanderies still under its control, were stunned to learn that the twenty thousand Silver Flood Dragon Army and one hundred thousand regular troops defending the city had collapsed in the time it took to drink a cup of tea. This was not a fight between equals! It was comparable to an adult fighting a child.
One-sided!
For a moment, Qinghu Island, which had hoped to suppress the enemy with its elite and regular armies, experienced a collapse in morale as their hopes were dashed. Several commanderies even saw high-ranking officials send secret letters to the Guiyuan Sect, expressing their willingness to defect.
This news naturally reached the Heavenly God Palace, which harbored ambitions for Yangzhou, immediately.
“Father, the Guiyuan Sect surprisingly possesses an army of first-rate martial artists,” the Snow Lotus Sect Master observed Pei San, who was still calmly sipping tea. “And according to intelligence—the Silver Flood Dragon Army soldiers’ armor cannot even be pierced by this army of first-rate martial artists. Clearly, this army is stronger than even our Tu Yuan Guards. This—”
“Since the Guiyuan Sect is so powerful, conquering Yangzhou will be much harder, Father. What should we do?” the Snow Lotus Sect Master anxiously inquired.
“Stronger is better, is it not?” Pei San replied with a faint smile.