https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-180-He-Deserves-Your-Pride-Second-Update-/13450222/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-182-Sword-Rises-Wolf-Smoke-First-Update-/13450230/
Chapter 181: Reinforcements, Heavenly Sky Banner (Third Update)
Chapter 181: Reinforcements, Heavenly Sky Banner (Third Update)
"Hmm?"
Li Hao was eating a bun when he suddenly felt a familiar taste, as if he had eaten it somewhere before.
Looking up, he noticed that the old man at the Tea Stall seemed familiar. He suddenly remembered that it was the owner of the Tea Stall he had encountered on his way to Qizhou to slay demons.
"It's you?"
Li Hao looked at the old man in surprise.
"Hmm?"
The old man at the Tea Stall looked at Li Hao with confusion.
Li Hao's gaze sharpened as he sensed the old man's aura, but found that he was just an ordinary person.
"Boss, weren't you running a stall at the border of Qizhou before?" Li Hao asked.
The old man at the Tea Stall looked at Li Hao in surprise and said, "You know me, old man?"
"I passed by once and even learned how to make buns from you", Li Hao replied.
Hearing Li Hao's words, the old man seemed to recall and said in realization:
"So it's you. Why are you here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing. Weren't you running a stall in Qizhou for many years?"
"It's just that I heard from some young heroes who came to drink tea that business is better here, so I thought I'd give it a try."
The old man at the Tea Stall smiled and said, "Indeed, business is much better here. Look."
As he spoke, a few young men from the Silk and Jade Sect rode in from Dragon Pass Road and dismounted upon seeing the Tea Stall.
"Old man, a bowl of tea!"
"You shouldn't be so impolite. You should call him boss."
"Hey, you're just too formal. We're people of the jianghu now, calling him old man makes it more stylish."
"My father said that being impolite while traveling can get you beaten up."
"Wow, you're even rhyming now."
The young men sat down casually, laughing and chatting. They glanced over at Li Hao, seeing that he was about their age, and assumed he was also there to see Cangya City.
"Coming right up."
The old man at the Tea Stall smiled and went over to serve the young men, offering them a pot of hot tea. "We also have some buns and pastries. Would you like some?"
"Sure, a few portions, one for each of us."
"Alright, coming right up."
The old man at the Tea Stall smiled and agreed. He busied himself at the stall and said to Li Hao, "Young hero, are you here to join the commotion in Cangya City?"
"I live here."
Li Hao sipped his tea and ate his bun, then asked, "The journey from Qizhou to here is long and tough. Did you come alone? It's not an easy trip."
The young men at the nearby table overheard Li Hao's words and looked at him in surprise. One of the more outgoing young men immediately said with interest:
"Bro, you live here? Did you just buy a place or join the military?"
"Bro, have you met General Haotian?"
"The journey is indeed long and tough, but you can take your time."
The old man at the Tea Stall smiled and said, "As long as you reach your destination, the journey itself is part of the scenery."
Li Hao was interrupted by the young men and glanced at the Tea Stall owner again. Although he found it a bit strange, coincidences do happen, and perhaps he was just overthinking it.
"Boss, I'll be going now."
Li Hao finished his meal, stood up, and said to the owner.
He then turned to the young men and smiled, "This border is quite dangerous. It's better for you to visit other places."
"But what about you…?"
The young men, seeing his mature and earnest advice, felt a surge of youthful defiance and were about to challenge him, but they saw Li Hao step into the air and disappear beyond the Tea Stall.
Fly.
The mark of the Fifteen Li Realm!
The young men's words died in their throats.
This guy, who looked their age, was actually at the Fifteen Li Realm!
But soon, they exchanged excited glances.
It was said that many people were flocking to Cangya City, with countless geniuses eager to challenge the legendary young hero. It seemed to be true.
Geniuses could be encountered anywhere here!
"Brothers, hurry up and eat. Let's go."
The young men quickly sprang into action.
"Such impetuous fellows…"
The old man at the Tea Stall shook his head and smiled.
...
...
Li Hao quietly returned to Cangya City and went back to the Wattle Yard.
A few patrolling Grandmasters saw Li Hao and immediately saluted. Li Hao waved them off, allowing them to continue their rounds.
Ren Qianqian was cultivating in the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, she opened her eyes and looked over. Upon seeing Li Hao, she immediately stopped her cultivation, stood up, and ran over.
"Young Master, you're back."
"Yep. Has anything happened recently?"
"Nothing on our end."
Ren Qianqian added, "But this morning, Senior Red Makeup received a military report. I don’t know the specifics, though."
Li Hao recalled the strict patrols he had seen upon entering the city. His eyes flickered, and he said to Ren Qianqian, "Get me some clean clothes. I need to ask around."
"Sure."
Ren Qianqian nodded.
Li Hao released his Divine Soul to scan the entire city and quickly located Li Hongzhuang's presence.
In a flash, he disappeared from the courtyard and appeared at the residence of Li Hongzhuang, the city general.
Li Hongzhuang was in a state of deep cultivation, focusing on refining her sword skills. Suddenly, she sensed Li Hao's presence and looked up. Seeing him appear like a clear breeze, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Li Hao, you're back. It should take at least six or seven days to travel from the Heavenly Mechanism Tower, right?"
"Yep, just got back."
Li Hao sat down on a nearby chair, picked up a piece of candy, and popped it into his mouth. "Qianqian mentioned a military report. I noticed the soldiers were on high alert when I returned. What's going on?"
"Demons that were previously wandering outside Liangzhou’s borders have been feigning retreat. They are now gathering in the western region, preparing to attack."
Li Hongzhuang frowned and continued, "This intelligence was provided by my fifth brother. He discovered it last night and sent the military report this morning on horseback."
"These Demons are truly relentless!"
Her eyes flashed with anger and wrath.
Li Hao nodded, understanding the situation. He had his own suspicions about the events beyond the pass.
"How is the situation in the western region?"
"We don't know yet."
Li Hongzhuang shook her head. "My fifth brother only told us to be on guard. The Demons might attack us at any time. He instructed our scouts to stay vigilant and not let their guard down."
"That's why I had all the city's soldiers on high alert and sent several elite scouting teams to the area beyond the pass. The first team has already returned from an eight-hundred-mile reconnaissance mission but found no signs of Demons."
Li Hao hadn’t mentioned much to Li Hongzhuang about his previous cleanup beyond the pass. He had already cleared out all Demons within a five-thousand-mile radius, so it was normal for her scouts to find nothing within eight hundred miles.
However, the Demons gathering to attack Liangzhou’s western border could also mean they might send another force to Heavenly Gate Pass, as it is a key pass on Liangzhou’s southern border.
Just because he had cleared the area before doesn’t mean it’s still clear now.
Therefore, Li Hao didn’t comment and decided to wait for the scouts to return with more information. If the Demons dared to come, he would clean them out again.
Besides, the Demons he had killed previously had provided the city with food for over a month, and they had run out. It would be nice to have some new ingredients, saving him the procurement costs.
Now that he had left the Li Family, he was on his own, earning his own money through the rewards he received and the materials he sold from the Demons.
He had been in debt to Song Qiumo for the expenses she had covered, and he hadn’t had the chance to repay her yet.
"If the other scouts don’t find any signs of Demons, it might mean they are focusing their forces on the western border", Li Hongzhuang said. "We’ll send more scouts there to gather intelligence."
"However, it’s also possible that they have split their forces, and the main army hasn’t reached us yet. I’ll send scouts out every few days."
She wouldn’t underestimate or relax her vigilance. The Demon army could cover a thousand miles in a day, and the Great Demons, acting as vanguards, could travel a thousand miles in less than half a day, launching a surprise attack.
Li Hao nodded, agreeing that this was a sound plan.
"Let me know if anything happens."
Li Hao was about to leave when Li Hongzhuang looked at him and said, "You were in Yongzhou for only five days. Didn’t you take the time to thoroughly examine the Heavenly Mechanism Tower? Or did the Tower Leader Tian Ji not let you stay longer?"
“No, he said I could look around freely.”
“Then why did you come back so early?” Li Hongzhuang was puzzled.
Because he had finished looking around... Li Hao smiled and waved his hand. “I’ve been traveling for too long and haven’t had a bath in days. I’ll go change into some fresh clothes first.”
“...” Li Hongzhuang was speechless. Could it be that he just rushed back to take a bath?
Before she could ask more, Li Hao had already left the General’s Manor and disappeared from her sight.
“That guy...”
Li Hongzhuang couldn’t help but shake her head, finding it somewhat amusing. She wondered how Li Hao, with his laid-back nature, could cultivate to such a high level, especially when compared to the strictly disciplined disciples of the Divine General Manor. Yet, Li Hao was more outstanding than anyone else.
Back in his courtyard, Li Hao took a quick shower and changed into new clothes. He then sent a message to Old Feng, who was overseeing things in secret. Suddenly, he remembered that he had returned too hastily and hadn’t had the chance to explore Yongzhou and bring back some local delicacies.
However, he was mainly concerned that the Heavenly Gate Pass might be attacked by Demons, given that his departure was likely known to the Demons of the Tianji Hall.
“Surprisingly, they didn’t use this opportunity to attack the Heavenly Gate Pass. It seems their main force has moved to the western border.”
“Perhaps they think that even if they capture the Heavenly Gate Pass in my absence, they would have to retreat once I return, considering the number of war banners here.”
Li Hao knew that the Demons beyond the pass had surely witnessed the power of his war banners, and the Tianji Hall was well-informed about it.
Seeing the war banners lining the city walls of Cangya City, it took a lot of courage for them to even consider an attack.
Shaking his head, Li Hao dismissed the thought. Since the Demons were attacking the western border, it indicated that they truly intended to invade Liangzhou. He needed to guard the Heavenly Gate Pass well.
“The world is starting to become chaotic...”
Li Hao felt he needed to step up his efforts. He asked Ren Qianqian to invite the Little Chess Sage, Xu Zhouyuan.
Li Hao treated these Art Masters with utmost respect.
Ren Qianqian also adopted Li Hao’s respectful attitude and visited the inn where the Little Chess Sage resided, politely inviting him on Li Hao’s behalf.
Xu Zhouyuan was over seventy, with white hair and a frail physique. Due to his average talent in the Martial Dao, he hadn’t cultivated but relied on his reputation to accumulate some wealth, which he used to purchase elixirs to strengthen his body.
However, his mortal body was weak and couldn’t withstand potent medicinal herbs. Therefore, the elixirs he consumed only extended his lifespan by a few decades and made him slightly more robust than the average elderly person.
When the servant boy saw Ren Qianqian, he was flustered and quickly invited her in.
Xu Zhouyuan smiled upon learning that the young man had invited him again. Recalling their previous chess matches, which were intense and evenly matched, he felt an itch to play again and readily agreed.
Ren Qianqian presented ten taels of gold to the Little Chess Sage.
Xu Zhouyuan tried to refuse, but Ren Qianqian insisted it was Young Master’s rule.
Reluctantly, he accepted the gold.
… He had already received over a dozen bags of gold in this manner.
It was hard to refuse such generous hospitality...
With a smile, Xu Zhouyuan followed Ren Qianqian into the carriage, heading for the Wattle Yard.
The young nobles from the surrounding families recognized Ren Qianqian and were surprised to see her so respectfully inviting Xu Zhouyuan, assuming he must be a Fourth Establishment Realm expert.
However, once the carriage had left, they learned from the inn’s attendant that the old man was just a mortal, known as the Little Chess Sage.
“A chess player?”
Everyone was amazed. How could a mere mortal receive such courteous treatment from the Sword Attendant Genius?
…
At the Wattle Yard, Li Hao had prepared snacks and tea, and had even laid out a cool mat.
When he heard the carriage approaching, Li Hao knew the old master had arrived.
As Xu Zhouyuan walked into the courtyard, Li Hao immediately stood up to greet him, saying, "Elder, you have worked hard."
"General, don't make an old man like me feel uncomfortable", Xu Zhouyuan quickly replied. Although he was known as the Little Chess Sage and had a considerable reputation, the Great Yu Divine Dynasty was fundamentally rooted in the Martial Dao.
The most revered in the world were still these Martial Artists.
Chess Dao? It was merely a minor path, not worth mentioning.
"Where, where, Elder, please." Li Hao led him to a seat and poured him some tea.
Xu Zhouyuan had also been treated with such respect by Li Hao before, but he did not accept it with ease. He remained cautious and courteous, saying, "General, you are too polite."
Being close to a ruler was like being close to a tiger, and scholars accompanying a general were no different.
"Elder, there's no need to be so formal."
Li Hao smiled, waved for the others to leave, and gestured for the Little Chess Sage to begin.
Seeing this, Xu Zhouyuan, who had just taken a sip of tea, immediately put it down and started to pick up the pieces from the Chess Box.
Ren Qianqian knew that Li Hao disliked being disturbed while playing chess. If he was interrupted, he would become furious, just like a Martial Artist whose cultivation was interrupted.
She was already used to this.
She retreated to one side and began her own cultivation, while also keeping watch for Li Hao.
The small courtyard returned to its peaceful state.
Sunlight shone on the veranda, falling on the shoes Xu Zhouyuan had taken off outside. The young grass between the stone slabs was a vibrant green.
One move after another, the two men played their game in silence.
Xu Zhouyuan gradually entered the flow, no longer as restrained, fully engrossed in the game.
After one game, Li Hao managed a narrow victory.
This Little Chess Sage's Go skills were extremely high, at the fifth dan level. Even a slight mistake from Li Hao could easily turn the tide.
Seeing the experience notification on the screen, Li Hao smiled and invited him to continue.
This tranquility continued until a sudden, shrill shout broke through the air.
"Report!!"
Xu Zhouyuan, who was deep in thought, was startled by the vigorous shout. The piece he was about to place fell onto the Chess Board, knocking over a white piece at one corner of the board and changing its position.
Bang!!
A massive, dark hand suddenly descended, the brilliant golden light on the array flashing incessantly. Countless divine patterns whirled rapidly, but they could not hold back the attack. With a loud bang, the array shattered!
The immense Demon Palm slammed down, shattering the defensive foundation outside the array!
As the array broke, a breach was torn in the Great Wall. Instantly, countless Demons surged through the gap, like a tidal wave, pouring in from beneath the Great Demon King and breaking through the Great Wall, rushing toward the city!
Many Mystical Camp soldiers, spewing blood, fell to the ground, unable to hold on.
"Father!"
Li Wushuang saw her father, Li Xuanli, who had been severely injured, flying back and crashing into the city wall, shattering the stone blocks. His entire battle armor was dented, and even his Unbreakable body could not withstand the impact, leaving him gravely wounded.
Li Wushuang rushed over and helped Li Xuanli to his feet.
"Quick, retreat!"
Li Xuanli struggled to his feet, his face flushed with anger as he looked at the three Demon Kings hovering in the air. However, the sight of his daughter calmed his thoughts:
"Consolidate the defenses, retreat quickly!"
"Quick, send out the distress signal!"
He bellowed urgently.
The Deputy General, who had rushed over to help, quickly relayed the order, and the beacon smoke rose into the sky.
"Cover the Governor's retreat!"
The other generals, seeing this, quickly gathered, their expressions solemn, knowing that this was a moment of life and death.
There was no Fourth Establishment Realm expert present, and with the array broken, the three Demon Kings were unstoppable!
"Charge!!"
A Three Eternities Realm general roared, throwing his spear and leading his troops into battle.
Millions of soldiers clashed with the endless Demon Tide, like two mighty rivers colliding. Blood and limbs flew, and the battle lines were clearly defined, just like the black and white pieces on a Chess Board.
"Report!!"
Xu Zhouyuan's gaze shifted from the disrupted chessboard with its black and white pieces, and he looked up at the officer who had announced the news.
The officer had already entered the courtyard and, upon seeing Li Hao, immediately knelt on the blue stone tiles in front of the chess table, presenting the document with both hands. "Young General, there is a military report from the Governor of Liangzhou!"
Li Hao frowned slightly, his mood dampened by the interruption to his game. However, the military report was of utmost importance, so he had no choice but to accept it, gesturing for the officer to hand it over.
Before he could even open it, a figure rushed in hastily. Li Hongzhuang, clad in her bright red armor, burst into the courtyard.
She had spent so much time at the border that she rarely took off her armor, except when bathing or sleeping. Even when sleeping, she wore soft armor, ready to rise and fully arm herself at a moment's notice.
"Did you just hear about the warhorses entering the city? The messenger was covered in blood. Did something happen on the western border?!"
Seeing Li Hao, Li Hongzhuang quickly asked, her voice urgent.
Li Hao's expression changed, and he swiftly opened the military report, scanning its contents with a glance.
"The western border has fallen, led by a Demon King!"
Li Hao's eyes darkened. The western border had fallen so quickly?
He had just heard from Li Hongzhuang that their scouts had detected the Demons gathering last night, and the intelligence had only reached them this morning. It was now the afternoon, meaning the Demons had launched their attack just a few hours after assembling.
The western border was supposed to be protected by an array.
But with three Demon Kings... it made sense.
Li Hao furrowed his brow. He wasn't surprised to see three Demon Kings in the Demon Tide, but the fact that the western border lacked a Fourth Establishment Realm defender was unexpected.
Was the defensive force there so weak?
"Demon King!"
Li Hongzhuang's pupils contracted, and she quickly asked, "What about Fifth Uncle? Is he... is he alright?"
Her heart tightened, and images of her Third Brother and Sixth Brother's battles and their subsequent funerals flashed before her eyes, the mournful cries and the white of mourning filling the manor.
"He's fine for now."
Li Hongzhuang let out a sigh of relief, her heart settling back into her chest. She hurriedly asked, "Is Fifth Uncle asking us to reinforce him? Now that the array is broken, how do they plan to defend?"
Li Hao shook his head, glanced at the military report, and sighed, tucking it away.
"He didn't ask for reinforcements. He just warned us to be cautious and watch out for the Demon King. Additionally, he said they have already withdrawn to the second line of defense."
Li Hongzhuang was stunned for a moment, then understood. Her expression was complex as she asked Li Hao, "Should we go and help them?"
Li Hao thought for a moment. With the Shadow Clone controlling the array, they could manage a slight defense.
As he deliberated, another voice rang out from outside the courtyard.
"Report!"
A Haotian Army soldier rushed in, addressing Li Hao urgently, "Young General, warning signals have been spotted beyond the pass. Some of our scouts have been attacked!"
Both Li Hao and Li Hongzhuang's expressions changed.
The western border had just fallen, and now Demons were coming here too?
"Do you know how many?" Li Hao asked.
"Not yet, we haven't had a chance to investigate."
Li Hao glanced at Li Hongzhuang, who looked increasingly worried.
Li Hao understood her thoughts. She was considering withdrawing their forces to concentrate their strength and delay the Demons until reinforcements arrived.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking, "The military report has taken some time to reach us, so they should have already retreated to the second line of defense. Here's what we'll do: you and Li He will take my battle flag and head over there."
"You are both at the Three Eternities Realm, so you can travel at top speed and reach them as quickly as possible."
Li Hao planned to send them with his marked battle flag to assist in the battle, while he would remain at Heavenly Gate Pass. Once he dealt with the Demons here, he would go to offer further aid if time permitted.
His battle flag contained half of his killing power, a fearsome weapon capable of matching the full force of a Dao Mind Realm attack!
This would help Fifth Uncle fend off many Demons.
(End of Chapter)
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