Chapter 261: Give Them a Little Shock with Old Silver Coins
The next morning.
As soon as the sky began to lighten, Young Master Sang was already all packed up.
Before leaving, he carefully covered Hua Jianglian, who was sleeping like a little kitten, with a blanket, and made his way to the first floor of Fusa Pavilion.
In the hall, Meng Qiyan, Tang Yubbing, Yan Rouwan, and other Demon Cult transportation personnel were already geared up and ready to go.
Also present were the familiar Sad Frog-suited Bai Ming and the head of Fusa Pavilion.
“Are we all set?”
Before heading out, Young Master Sang reminded everyone one last time: “This upcoming battle might be the most pressure we’ve faced as the Demon Cult.”
“Thank you all for trusting me to lead this entire operation.”
“I guarantee everyone will return home safely.”
Facing the countless gazes in the hall, Young Master Sang took a deep breath, his eyes sparkling with determination.
“Let’s go!”
“Understood!!!”
The furious roar of the Demon Cult shattered the tranquil morning of Linzhou City.
——
——
The first line to set out was the Western route.
Led by Meng Qiyan, Tang Yubbing, and Yan Rouwan, the cargo convoy comprised almost more than half of the Demon Cult’s main force, including elite Heavenly Punishment Department employees.
Taking advantage of the still-dark sky, the cargo team headed down a forest path west of Linzhou City.
Inside Fusa Pavilion, Young Master Sang closely monitored the map on the communication device, pinpointing the red dots that represented Tang Yubbing and the others.
“Brother Sang, what’s the strategy for the Western line?” Bai Ming, standing beside him, asked.
“The Western line is a probe,” Young Master Sang explained. “It’s a test for both us and the Holy Kingdom.”
“We’ve deployed our Vice Sect Leader, the head of the Heavenly Punishment Department, and the most elite staff—almost all of our luxurious combat power that isn’t the Sect Leader herself.”
“So, we need the Western line to gauge the Holy Kingdom’s strength. Plus, it’s a shorter route, so we can respond quickly to any incidents.”
Not only that.
In fact, Young Master Sang had already spent a hefty amount of points behind the scenes to equip Tang Yubbing and the others with survival gear and had borrowed plenty of magical items from Floating Splendor Commerce.
Moreover, he confirmed with Nian Nian that the Holy Kingdom’s deployment on the Western line only had one Crossing Tribulation Stage expert—and a novice at that.
With Tang Yubbing’s and Meng Qiyan’s skills, along with ample resources, they shouldn’t be outmatched by a rookie Crossing Tribulation cultivator.
Of course, that was the ideal situation.
What would actually happen would depend on real combat.
Young Master Sang was also prepared for the worst. If Tang Yubbing and the others truly couldn’t hold their ground, he planned to activate rescue mode in an instant and delay the other two routes.
Let’s hope sister Yubbing and the others can smoothly overcome this first hurdle, Young Master Sang silently prayed.
Soon, the red dot representing Tang Yubbing’s team entered the dense forest west of the city.
After about half an hour, the red dot abruptly stopped.
Here it comes.
Everyone’s hearts tightened, including Young Master Sang’s.
During a battle, no one could know what was happening on the front lines. The frontline personnel had no time to send back intel.
All those in the hall could do was wait anxiously, sitting on pins and needles.
However, just as Young Master Sang was about to inquire about the situation from Nian Nian, the red dot suddenly started moving again.
At almost the same moment, Young Master Sang received a message from Tang Yubbing.
“…Passed smoothly. The enemy’s Crossing Tribulation expert saw that they couldn’t gain ground and retreated without hesitation.”
Upon seeing this good news, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.
Young Master Sang nodded appreciatively at Bai Ming, then declared firmly, “The Northern line and the official road are to set out simultaneously!”
Under Young Master Sang’s command, two massive cargo convoys, like long dragons, started their journey outward from the east and north of the city.
Young Master Sang mounted his horse and rode at the forefront of the Eastern route convoy.
He knew that the Western line was merely an appetizer.
What came next would be the main course.
——
——
Meanwhile, at the eastern gate of Linzhou City, Luo Ying Mountain Pass.
Luo Ying Mountain was already a considerable distance from Linzhou City. The travelers and vehicles along the official road were sparse.
By a roadside tea stall, the young tea seller was shivering in fear, head bowed and sweating profusely.
In front of him, three people sat across from each other, drinking tea.
“…Yuck. So bitter.”
A young and handsome long-haired boy with starry eyebrows wrinkled his face as he spat the tea onto the ground.
“Full of dirt! Is this even tea?”
The frightened tea seller hurriedly collapsed to the ground.
“Of course, this is the first time the Young Master has gone out, right?” a robust, dark-skinned general in golden armor laughed heartily. “He’s used to the celestial tea from the National Teacher’s mansion, so naturally, he finds the common folks’ beverage lacking.”
“Haha, after all, not every village bumpkin can live the carefree life of a Holy Kingdom citizen,” said another slightly older but kind-faced general with a strong physique. “Young Master should empathize with the suffering of the people.”
“I’m just a novice in this world and still need both generals to guide me along the way.”
The young man, Xiang Zimo, held a low stance in front of both generals.
Because he knew.
He, as the Young Master of the National Teacher’s mansion, was the most valued disciple of the National Teacher.
In this battle, he had to make an impression; otherwise, he would disgrace the name of the National Teacher’s mansion.
Though he believed himself talented, in terms of real combat experience, he was naturally no match for the two generals who had served the Holy Kingdom for over a hundred years.
Thus, building a relationship with the two generals to ensure a flawless performance in his debut was essential.
“General Niu, General Huang, where did these demon cult rascals get the guts to oppose us in the Holy Kingdom?”
During their idle waiting, Xiang Zimo posed the question to the older general.
“Talents emerge in every generation; they all have their time to shine.”
The old general stroked his beard and remarked, “The Holy Kingdom hasn’t interfered with worldly matters for years, and the cultivation world outside has shifted many times. It’s normal for some clueless young fools to rise.”
Beside him, General Niu snorted angrily. “Hmph. They mistake our Holy Kingdom’s compassionate nature for weakness!”
“Isn’t it true that our Holy Kingdom has stood tall for a thousand years? We’ve never endured such humiliation! Those demonic creatures truly deserve to die a thousand deaths!”
The three chatted idly.
Unbeknownst to them, at the summit of Luo Ying Mountain, two pairs of sneaky eyes were fixated on them.
At the mountaintop, Elder Yongning and Yuanming Daoist carefully concealed themselves, scanning the area with all their sensory powers while murmuring to each other:
“Golden armor…young Daoist…that’s them.”
Elder Yongning asked in a hushed voice:
“Yuanming, did you hear what they said?”
“I caught a bit. They mentioned the Holy Kingdom…deserving the most severe punishment…”
“Gasp…only the reckless fools of the demon cult would dare insult the Holy Kingdom like that!”
Yuanming Daoist and Elder Yongning exchanged glances, both seeing the mischievous glint in each other’s eyes.
“Hehe.”
“Let’s give these young pups, who aren’t afraid of tigers, a little surprise with some old silver coins.”
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