Hope you all enjoy this chapter :) a familar face is back :D
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“My lord! Our scouts reported that over this ridge, there is a small encampment with the flag of Aurora visible.” A soldier reported to Zhang who was riding his Inferno Wind Walker.
“Right away my lord.” The soldier replied as he sped off on his horse.
“What is it Ai?” Zhang asked as he looked back toward the carriage while slowing down his horse and pulling up alongside the carriage trying to see if something was wrong.
“Hey there.” Yuying said, waving to Zhang as she caught him glimpsing on her snow white skin beneath the nearly transparent dress.
Ai could be seen inside the carriage sticking her tongue out at Zhang as he tried to open the door.
Luckily, the carriage was elevated and none of the soldiers marching beside it could see what was going on inside.
“One day indeed.” Zhang murmured as he rode back to the front of the army with a smile on his face.
Once Zhang jumped off his horse, an elderly soldier ran up towards him and kneeled on one knee.
“Green Clover City?” Zhang asked with a startled voice.
“Any news on the lord of Green Clover City or his family?” Zhang asked as he remembered the lonely girl who sang on the edge of the pond, Lu Lingqi.
“So we are going to invade the Green Clover Province?” Zhang asked.
The Red Mist Province, Green Clover Province, Aurora Province, Silver Wing Province, and Clear Sky Province were geologically located in a way where if someone was able to control all five of them, that person would be able to cut off the southern tip of the Warring States Region. But of course there was a downside to this, if the provinces from north and south both attacked at the same time, those who ruled in between would be attacked from two fronts.
After hearing Zhang’s command Lu Xun rode off to issue his orders.
The moon hung high over Green Clover City while the stars glimmered above. Tonight, unlike any other night, everyone within the city was still wide awake. News of incoming enemy forces had been spread throughout the city and everyone was on their wits end.
“Fear not people of Green Clover City! Our new provincial lord, Lord Chang Chao, had requested reinforcements from the Heavenly Sword Province.” A soldier dressed in purple armor announced as he rode through the city. Squads of soldiers roamed throughout the city constantly announcing of the reinforcements.
While the soldiers of the Heavenly Sword Army patrolled the city, a lone figure of a young woman wearing a long black cloak could be seen weaving through the back alley streets.
However once the woman heard his words, she began running at full speed with her cloak floating in the wind as she ran.
After running through the back alleys for a long time, the young woman’s cloak was caught on something which caused her to slip and tumble onto the ground.
Once the cloak was pulled off, a startled face of a beautiful young woman could be seen. As if blessed by the heavens, this girl possessed enough beauty to bring the downfall of a nation. She had small delicate lips, large round eyes and long flowing black hair up to her waist. The instant the fat soldier caught a glimpse of her beautiful face, his heart began to beat rapidly. Had Zhang been around, he would have instantly recognized this beautiful young woman as Lu Lingqi.
“Little lady are you trying to get away? I’m not going to hurt you. We’ll just have a bit of fun together and then we can go our separate ways.” The fat soldier said with a lustful grin on his face as he began disrobing himself.
“Wha-what is this!” The soldier yelled as his skin continued to rot until pure white bone was visible under the moonlight. Moments later, the screams died out, only a pool of black blood and a pile of bones were left on the ground; while Lu Lingqi could be seen donning her cloak and disappeared into the back alley streets once more.
“What the fuck is that!… Who did this?” One soldier said as he looked at the pool of blood and the white skeleton on the ground with horror in his eyes as his legs shaked and buckled due to fear.
“I heard that she was a skilled doctor who was skilled at using poison. When our general Chang Chao beheaded the old fart, I heard, his only daughter escaped.” He added.
“You didn't hear the news? It turns out that General Chang Chao had secretly arranged for one of his concubines to infiltrate the city. That concubine was able to poison the first wife of the old fart who was the lord of the city and became his new wife. Of course, after marrying him, she kept having relations with the general secretly, when he sneaked into the city. From their secret affairs, the general’s two daughters were born.
“No wonder the soldiers in the city surrendered readily and everything has been going so smoothly. To think, I thought that the heaven is favoring us and allowed us to take the entire province without spilling a single drop of blood.” The young soldier said.
Soon the group of soldiers left the back alley streets to report the death of one of their comrades. Once they left, Lu Lingqi could be seen emerging from the shadows.
“After I had my revenge I’ll go find you brother.” She murmured as she disappeared into the shadows once more.
Little did she know that a familiar face was currently riding at full speed towards Green Clover City.
“How much longer until we reach the Green Clover Province?” Zhang asked as his Inferno Wind Walker galloped under the moonlight.
“Good. Once we reached the borders I want you and Gan Ning to splinter off and begin securing the villages and towns in the northern region of the province. Keep a close eye on him, if he doesn’t change his ways and reverts to how he was when he was still a pirate kill him.” Zhang ordered.
Ever since they received orders from Jian Wei to attack the Green Clover Province, Zhang and his men had rode day and night to make it in time for the start of the war. Along the way, they had been able to acquire large amounts of horses for their army which allowed most of their soldiers to have mounts. Which allowed them to increase their matching speed exponentially.
“Brother are we there yet?” Ai asked while poking her head out of the carriage's window.
“That means two more days to cultivate in here.” Ling said while poking out her head beside Ai.
Zhang and the three beauties had all reached very high levels of cultivation. If one were to consider that an average person stops at around level four. If Ling was left out then their cultivation speed could be considered monstrous compared to regular cultivators. They did what took cultivators, who were considered geniuses, decades for them to do within months. This was thanks to the brand new bodies that the Underworld Heart had granted them. Which allowed them to cultivate many times faster than those at their age and with much less effort. This meant that Zhang, Ai and Yuying did not have to focus on cultivation as much as everyone else to progress.
But for most of the duration of the trip from the Black Wind Province toward the Green Clover Province Zhang and the three beauties have been using every moment they could to cultivate; because after facing the heart burrowers and giant undead, they felt they were lacking in strength. Had it not been for the Underworld Heart, then, they would have most likely died.