“Zombies, too, need to eat, and zombies, too, need women. Don't all of these things cost money?” Liang Xiaoke lectured his apprentice while simultaneously rifling through the corpses, sparing nothing from a small copper coin to a large silver ingot—possessing the thoroughness of a landlord scraping the earth bare…

After all, back on Earth, he had made his fortune by looting corpses. How else did he acquire all that conventional weaponry?

“Uh, but Master, even if you need money, must you be like this? These soldiers don't have much on them,” Mu Fei, still merely an Iron Zombie, feared even sunlight without Liang Xiaoke’s talisman. He couldn't fathom why his master sought women while operating under such constraints, especially when he had effortlessly dispensed Gold Particles at the pleasure house just a few days ago. Why bother with such petty cash now?

“Hmph, what do you know, kid? This is called accumulating the small into the large…” Liang Xiaoke rolled his eyes, snatched the loose silver from Mu Fei’s hands, stuffed it into his Qiankun Ring, and barked, “Hurry up, keep going…”

“Yes…” Mu Fei turned away with great reluctance, just about to resume his scavenging, when he suddenly spotted a jade pendant around the neck of one corpse and exclaimed with pleasant surprise, “Master, look, a jade pendant!”

Upon hearing this tone, Liang Xiaoke instantly rushed over and saw the soldier’s neck indeed bore a circular, cyan jade pendant, intricately carved with a dragon… a vivid, lifelike Azure Dragon…

Unbidden, Liang Xiaoke’s heart trembled…

He strode forward and yanked the jade pendant off, holding it in his hand to examine it closely…

“Master, this… this looks like one of our own soldiers? Isn’t it unseemly to loot even our allies’ belongings?” Mu Fei murmured softly, seeing Liang Xiaoke pocket the jade without a word.

Liang Xiaoke glared at Mu Fei, then glanced at the corpse on the ground whose head was barely attached by a sliver of flesh, and declared, “Brother, I’m just holding this for you. If you ever get up, I’ll give it right back…”

“…” Mu Fei, standing beside him, nearly rolled his eyes out of his head. How could a man whose neck was about to sever possibly get up? Being a zombie might allow for shamelessness, but this was excessive. He truly didn't know what to say about his master.

Liang Xiaoke paid no mind to Mu Fei’s expression. After securing the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant in his Qiankun Ring, he bolted toward the city gates, leaping clear over the imposing city wall that soared dozens of feet high.

“Hey, Master, aren’t you going to loot anymore?” Mu Fei asked curiously when Liang Xiaoke stopped scavenging.

His shout immediately drew the attention of passing soldiers, who stared pointedly at him and Liang Xiaoke. In the Douhun Continent, looting the belongings of the dead was considered utterly despicable…

“Hmph, do you have any humanity left, not even sparing the dead? I’ll deal with you later. Your Martial Uncle is waiting for my help right now!” Liang Xiaoke roared, his figure already vanishing without a trace.

In an instant, at least hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on Mu Fei, standing atop the rampart, filled with scorn.

Even though Mu Fei was a zombie and supposedly beyond caring about reputation, he felt intensely awkward. He wanted to explain, but the words wouldn't come, forcing him to swallow the undeserved rebuke.

Lingyan City was massive, comparable in size to Yunjing City. Even with one or two hundred thousand troops clashing within its walls, the entire city had not descended into complete chaos.

Chen Qiying and Xiaoxiao led eight thousand Iron Cavalry, following closely behind the Linjiao Xi battle team. They swept forward relentlessly; the defending city troops who rushed to intercept could barely withstand the piercing thrusts of the Linjiao Xi. Chen Qi and his group’s task was merely to eliminate the stragglers.

Nangong Shang, leading twenty thousand men, entered the city and charged toward the City Lord’s Mansion via a different route. The twenty thousand cavalry swiftly dispersed into the various streets, already engaging the Silver Armored Army that arrived behind them.

Ye Jingyu led the Linjiao Xi battle team in a high-spirited advance, nearing the City Lord’s Mansion when they finally encountered a squadron composed entirely of Silver Armored Cavalry.

The leader was a man wearing a mask, whose cold eyes widened in shock upon seeing the Linjiao Xi. Although his subordinates’ reports had informed him that monstrous beasts had breached the gate, seeing the Linjiao Xi—creatures as tall as a two-story building—with his own eyes deeply shook Yu Wuhen, the Jade-Faced Asura.

These were simply creatures that human strength could not counter. This thought wasn't unique to him; every cavalryman behind him felt the same profound impact.

The warhorses beneath them whinnied in panicked terror, rearing back uncontrollably. In that moment, Yu Wuhen finally understood what had happened to his forty thousand cavalrymen. Against such terrifying Linjiao Xi, no cavalry unit could stand firm, unless they could find forces capable of matching these monstrous beasts…

“Dismount… Enter the houses, provide cover…” For the first time, Yu Wuhen felt the crushing impotence of a cavalry charge. For the first time, before the battle had even begun, he ordered his soldiers to fight on foot.

Immediately, at least three thousand cavalry dismounted, leaping onto the adjacent rooftops with speed, drawing their bows, ready to launch an assault.

But at that moment, they were stunned to discover that atop the massive backs of the Linjiao Xi, besides one towering warrior, there were also archers. These archers barely needed to aim; an arrow was loosed with every raise of the hand, each shot accurately claiming a life.

Such archery skill was truly unparalleled in the world. When had the Shu Yun Kingdom acquired such formidable archers?

Facing the rapidly approaching Linjiao Xi battle team, Yu Wuhen knew that if this continued, his cavalry would inevitably be shattered by the enemy’s charge.

“First Squadron, follow me to meet the enemy. Second, Third, and Fourth Squadrons, flank them on both sides and engage in mass firing. The remaining squadrons, retreat…” Having just issued the command, Yu Wuhen pulled sharply on the reins, desperately controlling his mount as he galloped forward.

The thousand men beside him followed without a flicker of hesitation, plunging headlong into the fray.

Another three thousand circled to the sides, drawing their bows and unleashing a barrage of indiscriminate fire. If our skill cannot match yours, we will compensate with sheer numbers.

In an instant, the sounds of battle roared across Lingyan City, and a sky full of arrows streaked toward the charging Linjiao Xi battle team.

The Linjiao Xi were immune to these arrows, but the Chi Yi warriors and Fox Yan archers riding on their backs were vulnerable. Because they had joined Ye Jingyu directly, their armor was the most rudimentary kind, offering no comprehensive protection. Facing such dense rain of arrows, over a hundred men were either wounded or killed instantly.

Seeing this, Ye Jingyu’s eyes turned blood-red. These were elites, the sharpest warriors who had come from the Southern Barren Forest to fight for him. One less meant one less, and he could not bear to see them suffer such losses.

The true essence in his body circulated wildly as his gaze locked firmly onto the masked man charging toward him…

The Jade-Faced Asura…