Chapter 783: The Difficult March
Chapter 783: The Difficult March
"At this pace, how long will it take to reach the Imperial Capital?"
"Another three days."
In the Imperial Capital, the Ten Surnames and the State Preceptor were anxious. Incense was burning at the Ancestral Hall, and Long Victory King, who led a massive army from Yanzhou, was equally concerned. His 30,000 iron cavalry, lightly equipped, marched day and night.
However, strange occurrences kept happening along the way, and Long Victory King's unease grew. "Three days?" he exclaimed angrily.
"When we first crossed the river, they said it would only take three days. Now, I've left the supplies behind and am leading only the elite troops and light cavalry. After galloping for more than a day, you're telling me it will still take three days?"
"There's nothing we can do. When have we ever had a moment's peace on this journey?"
The military advisor beside him sighed, "It seems we've been targeted from the very beginning..."
Throughout the journey, they had no boats when they needed them, no food when they were hungry, and encountered countless strange occurrences.
In the beginning, just after they settled down for the night, the sound of foxes howling and ghosts wailing filled the air, unsettling the soldiers in the camp. They couldn't sleep, and from time to time, a small squad leader would report that when they counted their troops the next day, several were missing.
It was unclear if they had slipped away during the night or simply vanished.
Fortunately, Long Victory King's army had its fair share of capable individuals. Hearing the howls and wails, someone would always stand guard at night, and after a quick patrol, they would return with a few dead foxes.
Upon hearing that there was something in the camp that ate people, they dug up a patch of abandoned graves next to the battlefield. The missing soldiers were found buried in the tombs, their throats torn open, unable to rest in peace.
Long Victory King, furious, performed rituals to subdue the evil spirits and distributed strong liquor to the soldiers, personally rallying their spirits. Such monsters were rarely seen again.
It seemed that the demons harassing them were being controlled by someone, and they didn't dare directly confront the massive army.
They only dared to appear during the long, exhausting journey when the soldiers were at their weakest.
But no one expected that as soon as they put out the fire here, smoke would rise from over there. The military advisor, hearing Long Victory King's angry shout, angrily took out the military map and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, it seems we've been tricked!"
"According to this map and the information from our scouts, we should only need to cross two rivers at most to reach the Imperial Capital."
"But now, after galloping for a day, we've already encountered three rivers!"
"The scout just reported that there's another river ahead, with wide waves and no bridge or boat. There are black shadows swimming back and forth in the water, and we don't know what's causing this disturbance yet!"
"At this rate, forget three days; it might take us three months to reach the Imperial Capital!"
"..."
After a few moments, thunder roared overhead, and torrential rain poured down.
The lightning and heavy rain startled the soldiers, and it was only due to the soldiers' efforts in pulling on the horse reins that they managed to calm down.
But Long Victory King, seeing his soldiers soaked in the rain, their rain gear left behind on the supply carts, relying only on their cloth robes and leather armor, his expression turned grim. He glared at the sky, sensing something amiss, his face filled with annoyance.
"Moving mountains and diverting rivers, turning a thousand miles into muddy land, impressive..."
His troops, with their vigorous blood and energy, could easily defend against the surrounding demons, ghosts, and evil spirits. However, it was clear that those trying to block their army's advance were skilled practitioners.
Not to mention the ability to secretly create a river in the path of the marching army, but this heavy rain alone was enough to give him a headache.
The rain turned the ground into a muddy mess, and the soldiers, in a hurry to reach their destination, galloped ahead. Even the finest horses might slip, further slowing their progress. Soaked by the rain, the soldiers' vitality and energy gradually weakened.
And with lowered vitality, they became vulnerable to evil spirits and demons taking advantage of their weakness, potentially causing unforeseen troubles.
"Brother Donkey..."
Just then, a man in brocade robes, his face shielded by the rain, rode up from behind.
Long Victory King turned and asked, "Leather Brother, can you discern the origin of these demonic techniques?"
The man in brocade robes wiped the rainwater from his face and replied, "This is no small matter. There might be a skilled person hiding in the shadows, deliberately delaying our journey!"
The man was Mountain Stagnant Donkey, a reborn from Mengzhou, known as Five Leather. They had been cautious of each other before the first gathering of reborns, secretly training their troops.
But after the gathering, realizing they were both reborns, they immediately became allies, openly rallying their armies. They pretended to be enemies, constantly clashing, attracting the attention of various factions.
As they fought, they inadvertently eliminated the opportunists and troublemakers. Then, they became fast friends, and Five Leather, a wealthy young master, suddenly submitted to Long Victory King, becoming his loyal second-in-command.
Leaving behind a tale of a wise man meeting a worthy king in Mengzhou.
After the Victor King swallowed Yanzhou, his power surged, and this time, as they led their army to the Imperial Capital, they encountered numerous troubles along the way.
The Victor King cursed angrily, "They're all damned underground martial artists who can't stand the light of day. Not a single one dares to face our army head-on. They only hide in the shadows, using dark arts to hinder our journey."
"I see that the Ten Surnames, having originated from the martial world, are now noble lords, but their methods are despicable."
"..."
"Stop cursing. Who told us to spend our efforts on this army?"
Five Leather said, "We agreed to bring the troops to the Imperial Capital within three days, even using the secret longevity elixir to enhance the vitality of the horses, rushing the journey. But the Ten Surnames' methods are so cunning that there's no way to guard against them."
"Elite soldiers and fierce generals, from the perspective of those in the know, are not only living deterrents but also possess surging vitality, capable of breaking through the opponent's techniques and strengthening our own presence."
"The Imperial Capital is not only the stronghold of the Dalaofa Religion, but many talented individuals from the Ten Surnames have also gathered there. With the city defense army, if our troops don't reach the Imperial Capital in time, our people will suffer a great disadvantage when facing off against them in a battle of magic."
The Victor King anxiously said, "Quickly go to the Spirit Temple... and ask if there are any fellow practitioners who can come to help."
"Break their dark arts!"
"..."
The two were not weak, but this was a battle of magic separated by a thousand miles, something they were not skilled in, leaving them helpless.
At this time, among the reincarnates, many had grown impatient with following the Victor King's army and instead used secret techniques to travel from various places. Some rode in sedan chairs, some walked the nether path, and others rode divine horses, covering a thousand miles in a day.
Although the reincarnates' movements were secretive, this time, perhaps due to the deployment of the army, the Imperial Capital was already on high alert, and countless anomalies had occurred in various places.
Some followed the official road, disguised as merchants, but as they walked, they inexplicably found themselves in a valley, wandering aimlessly, unable to find an exit. Reaching the bottom of the valley, they discovered countless dead bodies.
Someone had anticipated their arrival and set up a trap along the official road, trapping and killing those who had traveled there in the past few days.
There were also those who were carried in sedan chairs by small ghosts, moving swiftly, when they heard a voice from ahead, laughing loudly:
"Friend, please wait."
"Since you're in such a hurry, why not rest for a moment and have a cup of tea?"
"..."
Looking up, they saw a group of incense burners gathered before the Governor God Temple, coldly blocking the road.
One or two might be manageable, but when many encountered such a situation, they realized the immense power of the Ten Surnames, who had secretly issued an order, causing officials of all ranks to scurry about, busily executing their tasks.
With the Imperial Capital at the center, a vast net was cast in all directions, and the closer one got to the city, the denser the net became, making travel difficult.
Of course, many reincarnates had already crossed the bridge, and even those who hadn't were not weak. Few were hindered by such situations, but nevertheless, their journeys were delayed. Only those with supreme skills managed to arrive in the Imperial Capital ahead of time.
However, as they approached the Imperial Capital, their faces turned slightly grim, and their eyes narrowed.
These travelers, moving at incredible speeds and appearing and disappearing like ghosts, had borrowed the Netherworld Path to hasten their journey. They had intended to go directly to the Imperial Capital but became lost in the Netherworld, unable to find the city's location.
Thus, they had no choice but to materialize near the Imperial Capital and proceed on foot, only to see rows upon rows of defense armies stationed before the city.
"Haha, a few cats with armor and swords think they can block my path?"
Immediately, someone coldly laughed and called out, "Brothers, I'm going into the city first! Follow me quickly!"
As he spoke, a talisman was lightly burned, and black smoke enveloped his figure, suddenly blending into the night. The night wind blew, carrying him towards the Imperial Capital.
"Ouch!"
But after a few breaths, they heard commotion from the dense army, and a figure dashed back, covering their head.
Only when they were far enough away did they start cursing loudly, "Those bastards are too strong! Not only are there too many people, making it easy to break through our techniques, but there are also hidden experts inside..."
"..."
Before the curses could finish, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air. From the dense defense army of the Imperial Capital, various uniquely shaped sacrificial canopies emerged, and among them, a group of people dressed in martial attire appeared.
Some sat in sedan chairs, some walked, and others rode horses, all wearing fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary aura. Smiling, they looked towards the depths of the night:
"We've long heard that twenty years ago, the demon forces were numerous and powerful, turning heaven and earth upside down. We've always admired them but never had the opportunity to meet them."
"We know you wish to enter the city, but hiding won't be of much use. Why not come out and test your skills?"
(End of Chapter)
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