Chapter 816: The Battle of the Realms (Six Thousand Words)

Chapter 816: The Battle of the Realms (Six Thousand Words)



"Comrade!"

No one could have imagined the weight of these two words echoing through the spiritual world of another realm, including the one who uttered them and the one who heard them.

In this world, words carried weight, but these two words seemed to carry more significance than all the words combined. In the midst of the silent, dark atmosphere, it was as if a silent wave had arisen.

For a long time, a very long time.

Someone sobbed softly, another sighed deeply, and someone else slapped their thigh forcefully, gritting their teeth.

There was also someone who suddenly smiled with relief and then, in an extremely soft voice, gave the most weighty response:

"Okay!"

"..."

At that moment, Hu Ma was also enveloped by a sudden sense of lightness, and even his tense posture relaxed.

It was an indescribable feeling—he wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.

After receiving the gift from Elder Jun Eyebrow, he had already accepted his identity as a person from his previous life and all the memories and beliefs that came with it. However, upon suddenly being informed of his true identity, he felt a sense of estrangement.

Although he knew the power of these two words, when he spoke them, he also felt a hint of shame, fearing that he wasn't worthy of saying them.

The initial determination he had when he left Old Yin Mountain for the Imperial Capital, to lead the people's mandate, confront the State Preceptor, and seize the Ten Pillar Incense, seemed unbreakable. But deep down, he knew that much of it was an act, and he was well aware of it.

He had been repeating the mantra, 'What I see is what I think, and what I think is where I am,' but it was merely a form of self-comfort.

His words were firm, he had seized the mandate, and his path was clear, but to be honest, his heart had been hanging in suspense.

Until now, after saying these two words, no one mocked or ridiculed him, and no one said he was unworthy. Instead, he even received a response.

Finally, his heart felt at ease.

With the help of the most powerful group of people from another world, what was there to fear?

That night passed peacefully, and the next day, as they continued their journey, the atmosphere remained calm. Old Abacus and Little Red Tang had no idea what had happened the night before, and the Grain Guard Army was eager to return home.

As the army resumed its march, Second Pot Head hesitated and dawdled. It was almost noon when he finally appeared before Hu Ma, a rugged old man with red-rimmed eyes.

"You kid..."

He pointed at Hu Ma, wanting to say something but stopping himself, his face filled with regret. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "You're too ruthless."

Hu Ma, feeling slightly apologetic, was about to speak.

"Stop."

Second Pot Head suddenly interrupted him, saying, "Don't say anything personal that might disgrace us."

"Many people will help you; you don't need to get emotional here."

"..."

Hu Ma understood his meaning and simply nodded. The army marched on, heading straight for Bright State.

The day the Grain Guard Army returned to Bright State was also the day the Granary Protection General left for the state. The Six Surnames had made their preparations throughout the realm, setting up countless challenges, but now that they had the promise of the Reincarnate, they felt confident.

Normally, it would take an army more than a month to travel from the Imperial Capital to Bright State, but this Grain Guard Army, bathed in purple aura and with solid foundations, each carried a large bag of Blood Celestial Fiends.

Even a tiny piece the size of a fingernail consumed during their rest was enough to keep them energized for an entire day. With the army's passage, malevolent spirits scattered, and their return journey was smooth.

In less than twenty days, they had already reached Official Province and could see the borders of Bright State in the distance.

Seeing that they could return the Grain Guard Army in a few more days, they noticed a fortune-teller with a divination flag standing by the road. As he saw Hu Ma riding towards him, he suddenly rushed to the side of the road and prostrated himself.

The well-trained Grain Guard soldiers were quick to react, and before the fortune-teller could lift his head, their weapons were pointed at his face, startling the bearded man.

"It's me, it's me!" Old Abacus recognized the man's divination flag and the wooden frame on his back and quickly ordered the soldiers to release him.

"Why are you blocking the road? Do you want to take my place and serve the Chief Priest instead?"

"No, I'm here to deliver a message."

The fortune-teller quickly waved his hands, revealing his identity. After identifying Hu Ma, he hurriedly bowed again, saying, "A wandering disciple of the Dalaofa Religion pays respects to the Chief Priest."

"Don't kneel if it's not necessary," Hu Ma said, looking at him.

"I have something important to tell you," the man said, standing up and brushing the dirt off his knees.

"Bright State is in turmoil, and I'm afraid the Chief Priest doesn't know about it. I came to inform you."

Hu Ma was taken aback. "Turmoil?"

"Yes," the man replied. "Someone has rebelled within the Granary Protection General's forces."

Upon hearing this, Hu Ma's face paled slightly.

To challenge the Heavenly Mandate and engage in a spell duel with the Six Surnames, they needed an emperor. The Reincarnate couldn't become the emperor, as he wasn't born in this realm. Hu Ma had already accepted that he would shoulder a different responsibility.

Therefore, finding the right emperor candidate was crucial, and he relied on this 'Chang' character to support him in this battle.

Before even encountering the Ten Surnames, his own men had rebelled. How could he possibly face the puppet kings supported by the others on the battlefield with such a shaky foundation?

Upon inquiry, Yang Gong's recent situation was revealed.

Ultimately, it was related to the one-thousand-man army he had borrowed.

The current Granary Protection General, in Mingzhou and the surrounding provinces of Gunzhou, Guazhou, and Official Province, had a renowned reputation and already commanded tens of thousands of troops. If one were to include the White Armor Army he was friendly with and the Iron Gate Army to the south, they could easily amass a hundred thousand strong army.

However, reputation aside, the true elite soldiers and foundation of his forces were only these one thousand men.

With this one thousand-man army, he could suppress tens of thousands of arrogant soldiers and fierce generals, and even control an entire province with its million inhabitants.

But Yang Gong was too generous, and with a wave of his hand, he lent out his personal guard, leaving himself suddenly vulnerable.

Although Second Pot Head had anticipated this and intentionally left many skilled experts from the inner circle to protect him, the newly recruited soldiers, subdued by the Granary Protection General, were a mixed bag of dragons and snakes, including fierce bandits and violent generals, who began to harbor inappropriate thoughts.

Using this opportunity, they rebelled, forcing the Granary Protection General to abdicate and conspiring to take over Mingzhou with an inside-out strategy.

Of course, the emergence of such a situation was also related to Yang Gong's strict military discipline. Grass-head kings who raised armies rarely did so as earnestly as he did, genuinely heeding Hu Ma's words.

He remembered where he came from, enforcing strict laws and orders, not taking a single grain of food more than necessary, and not infringing upon the common people. Alas, the eight characters of 'no abuse of power and strict enforcement of laws' were easy to say but difficult to uphold.

Soldiers were also human, with anger in their hearts and desires in their minds. If their needs were not met, how could they be expected to risk their lives? Looking around, many grass-head kings in the world wanted to train a capable and reputable army, but most lacked the ability to do so.

"A rebellion in Mingzhou?"

Upon hearing this, Second Pot Head was both shocked and furious. "These soldiers are borrowed from me; I can't let anything happen to them."

"I'll rush back to protect him first, and then we can discuss the rest."

"..."

Hu Ma, seeing this, stopped him. "The Granary Protection Army is borrowed with your seal; you should properly return them to him."

"I'll go ahead and protect him in Mingzhou. You just lead the main army there."

"..."

Second Pot Head knew that whether he or Hu Ma arrived in Mingzhou first, they would ensure the safety of the Granary Protection General, so he agreed. Hu Ma, without further ado, turned his horse toward the wild grass on the roadside.

Everyone watched as Hu Ma ventured deeper into the wilderness. When the wild grass completely obscured his figure, a gust of wind howled, darkening the sky and shaking the earth.

After a while, the wind subsided, and the horse slowly returned, but Hu Ma's figure was nowhere to be seen.

Various sorcery techniques were somewhat affected when performed in front of others, so it was customary to perform them behind people's backs or under the cover of night. However, Hu Ma's current abilities were no longer as effective as they once were.

He merely glanced away from the crowd and, using his Cosmic Steps, demonstrated his skill of shrinking the ground into inches.

In an instant, the vast wilderness ahead was crazily pulled closer, and the towering mountain in front seemed to shrink like a small hill as he passed by, its energy dense like a giant sprinting across the earth.

From here to Mingzhou, a journey that would normally take several days, he arrived in less than half a stick of incense's time. He could already see the Mingzhou government city in the distance, and there were signs of chaos and disorder with soldiers and horses everywhere, flags waving and shouts echoing.

Perhaps fearing that the Granary Protection General would send his trusted men to seek reinforcements, the rebels had tightly surrounded the Mingzhou government city. No matter which direction one took, they would have to pass through the rebel soldiers.

This could affect the effectiveness of sorcery techniques, and even those with genuine abilities would need to find a less crowded area and then look for a suitable method to enter the city in such a situation.

However, Hu Ma paid no heed. Using his shrinking technique, he reached the city gates and revealed himself to the surrounding rebel soldiers. With a single step, he saw the towering walls several dozen zhang high in front of him. With a light tap of his toes, he leaped onto the city wall and entered the city.

The rebel soldiers behind him didn't even have time to react. They only saw a figure in a cloth robe briefly appear in their midst before disappearing again.

Inside the city, Hu Ma's figure became more subdued, straddling the line between life and death. With a few flashes, he arrived at the city wall.

From a distance, he saw that Yang Gong was currently sitting under a large flag on the city wall.

Red Lantern Society experts and several thousand soldiers surrounded and protected him. For the moment, the city gates were secure.

Hu Ma considered whether to first observe the situation, but before he could, his figure flashed, and he passed through the soldiers protecting Yang Gong and arrived on the nearby tower. He heard a sudden cry of surprise from Yang Gong's side:

"Blessings upon Hu Lord, may Hu Lord be prosperous and safe, may Hu Lord have six smooth paths, may Hu Lord's golden spear never fall..."

"..."

"This little thing sometimes makes me feel embarrassed..."

Hu Ma was speechless. He wondered where this little ghost, Yang Gong, had learned all these new phrases.

And upon hearing the little ghost's cry, Yang Gong and the others were all startled, then immediately turned around in surprise and saw Hu Ma walking up the steps from the side.

As the cheerful little ghost rushed forward to kowtow, Hu Ma also paused slightly, reaching into his pocket and taking out an oil paper package. He pulled out a blood offering weighing at least a pound and gave it to the ghost...

...Fortunately, he had just cut a large piece in the Imperial Capital.

Otherwise, this time, he would have had to borrow blood offerings from Red Tang's sister to reward it.

"Ah yo..."

The experts from the Red Lantern Society beside Yang Gong were all old acquaintances of Hu Ma, and they naturally recognized him.

Before they could greet him, they saw the large blood offering that Hu Ma had given to the little ghost, and their eyes widened in surprise.

This motherfcker, is he living a normal life?

After rewarding the lame little ghost, Hu Ma smiled and walked forward, saying, "You haven't even been crowned king, and yet you can't even hold on to the position of General? After becoming a king, or even an emperor, leading thousands of troops, what will you do then?"

"Brother Hu, you've come at the right time."

Yang Gong also smiled and welcomed him, his face filled with joy.

When he had borrowed the troops earlier, he knew that Hu Ma had encountered trouble. Now that he saw him, his heart finally felt at ease.

Looking around, he hugged Hu Ma and then said, "I was just about to see who was not being honest, and who could sit steady."

"This is also because we have taken in too many people here, and we need someone to establish authority for a while."

He smiled and looked towards the city, and there, besides the chaotic army surrounding the city, there were several main attacking troops, each with several thousand soldiers. They seemed formidable, already displaying the signs of an impending siege.

In comparison, the troops inside the city were pitifully few, but at this moment, Yang Gong showed no panic of being forced out of the palace. Instead, he wore a disdainful expression and said, "You've come at the right time."

"I wanted to show you that the things you taught me, I've truly learned them well."

"..."

As he spoke, he slightly raised his arm and said, "Prepare some good tea, let my brother sit down, and I'll go out and meet them."

The people around were startled, and someone wanted to advise him, but Xu, the Grand Manager, asked them to listen.

Indeed, someone brought tea and invited Hu Ma to sit and drink, while Yang Gong descended from the city wall, donned his armor, strapped on the treasure sword given by Hu Ma, and wore a demon-red cloak. Then, with the city gate wide open, he walked out without a single soldier.

Outside the city, chaos reigned. Some were shouting for food, some for troops, and some for the Granary Protection General to come out and uphold justice.

The clamor continued, but when they saw Yang Gong actually coming out, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

"You guys are being unruly in the middle of the night, causing trouble, shouting to enter the city, and wanting to see me."

Yang Gong rode out of the city, slowly moving forward, getting closer and closer to the chaotic troops, his voice growing sterner:

"Now that I'm out here, what do you want?"

"..."

"Huala..."

In response to his shout, there was an eerie silence all around, but it was clear that some were slowly lowering their weapons. The people on the city wall were already tense, fearing that the chaotic troops would charge forward and chop the Granary Protection General into mincemeat.

However, Yang Gong seemed to ignore them and instead spurred his horse, continuing to move forward.

It seemed that his aura alone was enough to suppress the four or five troops brimming with killing intent.

His gaze swept coldly over the troops, and he shouted sternly, "I am the Granary Protection General, from the mountains, leading this group of men to protect the grain in our mouths."

"I'm not like those grassroots kings, leading you into battle to seize others' grain. I'm here to prevent others from taking our grain, not to steal others' wives, but to ensure your own wives aren't taken by others!"

"From the first day you joined my camp, you knew what kind of person I, Yang Gong, am, and you knew the temper of the Granary Protection General."

"Now that we've finally gained some reputation and a foothold, you're dissatisfied."

"You want to slaughter the city and divide the gold, you complain about the hardship of daily training, and the strict discipline..."

"Do you think you're bandits?"

"Come, come, come, after listening to a few words from others, you've led your troops right to my city. Well, that's great. You wanted to see me, and here I am."

"You have arrows in your hands and swords at your waists. I'm right here, so if you want my head, come and take it!"

"..."

By this time, he was only a few dozen zhang away from the chaotic troops, well within arrow range.

The opposing troops were in disarray, and a single shower of arrows could turn him into a porcupine. It was impossible not to feel tense.

But Hu Ma just watched with interest.

Yang Gong wasn't stupid; he was cunning. He hadn't gone down earlier because he knew that as long as he was there, he could protect himself from harm no matter what.

Under Yang Gong's intimidating shout, everyone's hearts trembled in fear. But when they looked forward, the chaotic troops that had been shouting and yelling just before Yang Gong's departure were now surprisingly quiet.

Many of the soldiers lowered their heads quietly, as if afraid to look directly at him. Even some of the leaders seemed startled and angry, their horses restlessly shifting beneath them.

"Good!"

After waiting for a few breaths, seeing that no one was making a move, Yang Gong's face suddenly darkened. "Since you won't kill me, I'll have you kill for me. Cut off the heads of those who incited you to rebel and throw them before my horse."

"I'll spare you the death penalty, but you'll be punished with thirty days without wine!"

"..."

At this shout, the soldiers became even more chaotic.

Suddenly, some soldiers raised their heads and looked towards the front, at the leaders of the rebellion. These leaders were also startled and secretly cursed their misfortune.

If they had broken through the city's defenses or if Yang Gong had led his troops to pressure them, they would have already started the slaughter, regardless of whether it was the Granary Protection General or not. But this fellow's solo departure from the city had changed the situation.

There was a reason for this. The Granary Protection General's reputation in Bright State was simply too good.

The common folk in the countryside trusted him, and even the families of those under his command believed in him. This rebellion didn't dare to openly target the Granary Protection General, instead using reasons like insufficient food and clothing or being wronged to create chaos and add to the turmoil before the city.

"Ignore his nonsense!"

Seeing the situation turning sour, someone shouted, "This dog thief hoards gold and silver for himself but won't let us get rich..."

"Let's chop him up and take his place as the Granary Protection General..."

"..."

Not wanting to let the panic spread, someone yelled and led a group of soldiers forward.

But as he charged, only a few of his trusted followers followed, while the large army behind remained unmoving, still in disarray, looking around in confusion.

Some of the leaders, sensing something amiss, had already drawn their swords and aimed them at the necks of the rebel leaders.

These leaders were obviously not truly rebellious; they had infiltrated the rebel forces and were Yang Gong's inside agents.

Hu Ma could tell at a glance that one of them was Zhao Zhu.

Seeing this rebellion about to be suppressed so easily, the rebel leaders panicked. But at that moment, a loud voice rang out from within the army: "The Granary Protection General has committed many injustices. Today, we come to eliminate the scourge for the people of Bright State!"

Before anyone could react, a group of black-clad soldiers burst out from the army, having hidden themselves among the rebels.

They weren't noticeable before, but now, acting in unison, they appeared extremely strange. While the others were still in a state of panic and confusion, these soldiers had already reached Yang Gong's side, and as they rode their horses, they simultaneously removed their robes.

Underneath, they all wore crimson belly wraps, each adorned with strange talismans.

With a shout, they each grabbed a chicken-claw-like weapon from their horses and aimed them at Yang Gong.

"..."

"The Red Girdle Army?"

On the city wall, Xu Wensheng was startled. "They're the men of the Lake State Three-Headed Dragon Demon King!"

"I knew there was someone behind this rebellion!"

"..."

"Brothers, kill these demons!"

Below the city walls, Yang Gong was filled with heroic spirit. Seeing these people appear confirmed his suspicions. As the Granary Protection General, instead of fleeing, he charged forward on his horse.

From the rear of the rebel forces, a voice shouted, "There are demons here deceiving us. Come quickly and protect the General!"

With that shout, several soldiers rushed out, including Zhao Zhu, Bald Old Zhang, and a few unfamiliar faces.

They had sensed the change early on and had pretended to be dissatisfied with Yang Gong, following the rebels to await their opportunity. Now, with a loud shout, they convinced many to join them, rushing towards the group in red belly wraps, weapons and arrows at the ready.

But to their surprise, these tall and robust men in red belly wraps exuded a powerful demonic aura.

Weapons clanged harmlessly off their bodies, and arrows fired at their backs bounced off.

Each one was impervious to blades and spears, their eyes red and faces filled with demonic energy. They rushed towards Yang Gong, their chicken-claw-like weapons ready to bind him and his horse, their intentions unclear.

In this moment of crisis, those on the city wall stood up in shock. Although they had anticipated the rebellion, Yang Gong's actions were too dangerous, and he had fallen into a perilous situation.

"Using demonic spells in the army, these men in red belly wraps must have a powerful master..."

Sitting on the city wall, Hu Ma frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "I was hoping for a spell duel, but they're even more impatient than I am. They're making their move already!"

Finding it intriguing, he slowly exhaled.

With his ten pillar incense worth of cultivation, he only slightly stirred, but the heavens and earth suddenly changed color. The horses' manes turned dry and curled, as if a giant furnace descended from above.

True Yang Arrow!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end