Watching Teng Qingshan disappear into the ranks of the Black Armored Army, Zhuge Qing’s eyes turned red, glittering with unshed tears. The order to march had been given so abruptly that many were unaware. Zhuge Qing had only just stepped out of her chambers and stumbled upon the news, causing her to gasp in shock and rush toward the training grounds.
By the time she arrived, Teng Qingshan had already departed!
A bloody battle on Green Lake Island?
Zhuge Qing was terrified—terrified she would never see Teng Qingshan again. Watching the mighty Black Armored Army disappear into the distance, Zhuge Qing could hold back no longer, shouting out, "Big Brother Teng, I will wait for your return!"
For a young woman to shout "I will wait for your return" in such a public setting required astonishing courage.
“Qingqing.” Zhuge Yuanhong approached, looking at his daughter and sighing softly.
“Father.” Zhuge Qing instantly threw herself into her father’s embrace, the tears she had suppressed for so long finally breaking free. Since childhood, this was the first time Zhuge Qing had truly loved someone. Seeing Teng Qingshan lead the army away filled her with fear—a stark dread of seeing him again, but only as a corpse!
“Don’t cry. Your Senior Brother Qingshan will return,” Zhuge Yuanhong comforted her.
Zhuge Qing looked up at her father.
“I sent Elder Yan ahead. He is a Xiantian Golden Core expert. Qingshan has also reached the Xiantian realm; he should be capable of protecting himself,” Zhuge Yuanhong explained.
“Are there no Xiantian Golden Core experts on Green Lake Island?” Zhuge Qing asked worriedly.
“There are. However, Green Lake Island is simultaneously engaging two major sects, and they have also kept many experts to guard their stronghold. The first wave attacking Yanjiang City won’t be too large,” Zhuge Yuanhong said. “No sect can guarantee Teng Qingshan will return unharmed. Which true expert hasn't gone through various trials and life-or-death tempering to reach the peak?”
Whether it was Zhuge Yuanhong in his youth or the numerous experts today, life-and-death tempering was an experience nearly every master had to undergo.
Otherwise, no matter how great the talent, it remained mere potential. Without true battles where life hung in the balance, there could be no growth or transformation.
“Brother, Cousin, you both must come back!” Qingyu also watched the northern direction where the Black Armored Army had vanished, biting her lip. Usually carefree, she had actually grown up under Teng Qingshan’s care. In her heart, the most important people were her parents and her elder brother, Teng Qingshan.
...
On the official road outside Jiangning Commandery City. The three thousand Black Armored troops were advancing rapidly southward, with Teng Qingshan, Pang Shan, and Elder Yan riding Black Nightmare Horses at the very front of the army. The Black Nightmare Horse, one of the three great Dragon Horses, was reserved only for the four Commanders, the Law Enforcement Elders, and the Sect Master.
The three Black Nightmare Horses flew ahead of the main force, allowing Teng Qingshan and the others to feel virtually no jolting.
“Qingshan, Qingqing truly cares for you. For a sensible young lady like her to shout ‘I will wait for your return’ in public—that is rare indeed,” Pang Shan laughed beside him. “You mustn’t let Qingqing down.”
Teng Qingshan smiled but said little.
That shout from Miss Qing just now—in that instant—had indeed shaken Teng Qingshan. The tearful gaze, revealing worry and fear, had cracked the ice around his heart.
“Martial Uncle, Elder Yan, are you two familiar with the Silver Jiao Army of Green Lake Island?” Teng Qingshan asked.
The silver-haired Elder Yan replied in a raspy voice, “My Black Armored Army can fight the Silver Jiao Army... but the most powerful army of Green Lake Island is not the Silver Jiao Army. It is the Golden Scale Guard! The most elite contingent, composed entirely of First-Rate Martial Artists.”
“Golden Scale Guard?” Teng Qingshan inwardly started.
Entirely composed of First-Rate Martial Artists? Among the six thousand Black Armored troops, there were probably only a little over a hundred experts who had reached the First-Rate Martial Artist realm.
Pang Shan, beside him, added solemnly, “Green Lake Island commands nine commanderies, so they naturally have many experts. Their Golden Scale Guard numbers two thousand, the most terrifying army they possess. If those two thousand Golden Scale Guards truly charge in... they could wipe out all six thousand Black Armored troops of our Guiyuan Sect.”
“Two thousand?” Teng Qingshan sucked in a sharp breath.
No wonder the other Guiyuan Sect higher-ups were so tense in the great hall; the disparity was indeed too great.
“The Golden Scale Guard must keep many back to defend their stronghold. Only a portion will be sent out for the actual campaign,” Elder Yan noted.
Teng Qingshan’s expression grew serious.
“Martial Uncle, Elder Yan,” Teng Qingshan began.
“Hmm?” They both looked at him.
“There is one thing that concerns me most,” Teng Qingshan stated grimly. “The army sent by Green Lake Island might use the Golden Scale Guard as vanguards, arriving at Yanjiang City ahead of us. Given the speed of the Golden Scale Guard, they will likely move much faster than our Black Armored Army. If that happens, can the City Guard possibly hold them off?”
Pang Shan and Elder Yan shared a look of concern.
The Yanjiang City Guard, while the largest garrison among the nine cities of Jiangning Commandery, numbered only ten thousand. These ten thousand City Guards, capable of lifting five hundred jin, were considered decent.
“A mere few hundred Golden Scale Guards might be enough to rapidly breach the defenses, slay the commanding general, and take Yanjiang City,” Pang Shan observed.
“Elder Yan, why don't you and I hurry to Yanjiang City first,” Teng Qingshan proposed.
“Just the two of us?” Elder Yan pondered for a moment before nodding. “Very well. With both of us there to assist the ten thousand City Guards, as long as the Golden Scale Guard force isn't too large, they shouldn't pose a major threat.” This Elder Yan was a 'Xiantian Golden Core' powerhouse. If he and Teng Qingshan went, it would be like having two pillars of support; Elder Yan alone could kill hundreds of Golden Scale Guards if they were to fight slowly!
“Martial Uncle, you lead the Black Armored Army and travel quickly,” Teng Qingshan instructed.
“Yes, be careful,” Pang Shan nodded.
“Giddy-up!” “Giddy-up!”
Teng Qingshan and Elder Yan lightly urged their horses. The speed of the two Black Nightmare Horses instantly surged.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two dark blurs flashed past, vanishing a hundred zhang away in the space of a single breath, leaving only faint hoof prints on the vast expanse of snow.
The Black Nightmare Horse, one of the three supreme Dragon Horses in the world, could travel five thousand li in a day; their speed was self-evident.
...
Da! Da! Da!
The sound of hooves was urgent. Magnificent warhorses, each standing over eight chi tall, galloped along the official road, kicking up sprays of accumulated snow. The armor worn by the warriors on these horses was made of overlapping scales, entirely black, with only golden stripes lining the edges of shoulder guards and arm guards. This scaled armor was far more complex, requiring greater expense and craftsmanship than the unified heavy armor of the Guiyuan Sect.
Naturally, it offered superior protection for the joints.
“Only thirty li remaining until Yanjiang City,” said the elderly man with graying temples, clad in dark gold armor, riding at the very front. He surveyed the north with sharp, penetrating eyes. “Elder Hu, I suspect the Guiyuan Sect still doesn’t know my Green Lake Island forces are attacking...”
Behind him, a middle-aged man in a gray robe spoke calmly. “We must take Yanjiang City as quickly as possible. The main army will follow closely. Once Yanjiang City is secured, our forces can follow in an endless stream. Eliminating the Guiyuan Sect will be a certainty.”
“Elder Hu, I don’t understand why the Island Master is so cautious about the Guiyuan Sect? First, a surprise attack on Yanjiang City, then a slow, methodical approach—eliminating the Iron Robe Gate first, gathering experts, and then surrounding them to crush the Guiyuan Sect. Why not just charge in directly, like we dealt with the Iron Robe Gate?” the white-templed elder asked.
“Hmph, Elder Tie, do not underestimate Zhuge Yuanhong! Underestimating Zhuge Yuanhong will have dire consequences,” the middle-aged man warned. “When we are five li away, dismount and use your Qinggong to approach quietly.” The sound of hooves easily alerts the enemy.
...
Winter. Darkness fell early.
The battlements of Yanjiang City were densely packed with numerous soldiers, with many more patrolling back and forth. The atmosphere was unprecedentedly tense. Earlier that morning, the City Lord of Yanjiang and the Captain of the City Guard had received word to seal the gates and maintain vigilance against a potential attack from Green Lake Island.
And just a short while ago, another order arrived from the Guiyuan Sect—
The forces of Green Lake Island might strike at any moment.
“Keep your eyes wide open and endure a little longer. The Black Armored Army will arrive by nightfall, and then everyone can relax,” said a lean man in black armor, walking along the wall, followed by several elite guards.
The sky was dim, but thanks to the snow, the guards could clearly see the distance.
“Enemy!” A piercing cry suddenly erupted.
Every guard on the battlement flinched, staring wide-eyed toward the distance below. “Where?” The Captain of the City Guard also pressed against the parapet to look. Upon seeing them, his face changed, and he roared, “Archers, prepare!!!”
In the distance below the city, vague figures were rapidly closing in.
These people had wrapped their armor in a layer of white cloth, their entire bodies, from helmet to boot, entirely covered in white. Against the snow, these all-white warriors were hardly noticeable.
By the time the Yanjiang City soldiers spotted them, the figures were already fifty zhang away.
“Kill!”
A loud shout rose from among the snow-white warriors below, and instantly, all the entirely white soldiers increased their speed, discarding any thought of stealth.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
They moved like agile leopards, covering two to three zhang in a single leap, flashing toward Yanjiang City.
“Experts, they are all experts.” The City Guard Captain, ‘Wu Hao,’ was stunned by the speed of the snow-white warriors running below. He immediately glared and bellowed, “Shoot! Shoot for me!!!” On the battlements, the dense ranks of guards raised their heavy bows and fired fiercely at the white figures below.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Arrows rained down like locusts, covering the area!
Thwack! Tear!
Various sounds echoed. The white cloth on the snow-white warriors tore and fell away, revealing that they were all clad in black battle armor. The arrows from these guards could not harm them in the slightest.
When Captain Wu Hao saw the armor revealed, his face drastically changed: “Golden Scale Guard!” Though the ordinary guards did not recognize the armor.
“Boiling water, hot oil, quickly!” Wu Hao roared.
The Golden Scale Guards quickly reached the base of the mountain. However, the city wall, standing ten zhang high, was impossible for First-Rate Martial Artists to leap in one go. Many Golden Scale Guards suddenly stamped the ground, leaping four or five zhang high, then violently plunging their daggers into the city wall, hanging themselves there.
In an instant, dozens of Golden Scale Guards were ‘hanging’ on the wall, preparing to use the leverage to leap higher.
“Over!” Captain Wu Hao roared fiercely.
Whoosh! Boiling water and scorching oil poured down from above. This water and oil penetrated everything; no matter how strong the armor, it could not defend against boiling water and hot oil.
“Ah!” “Ah!” Many Golden Scale Guards managed to jump away and dodge, but quite a few were scalded, though these were, naturally, only minor injuries.
“Fire!” the Captain roared again.
Many torches were thrown down from the battlements. The ground below was already slick with spilled oil. When the torches landed, a raging inferno immediately erupted beneath the wall, and flames climbed the wall itself. Clearly, they intended to use fire to halt the Golden Scale Guards. Unfortunately, the first elite troops of Green Lake Island, the 'Golden Scale Guard,' were not so easily stopped.