Dragon Canon

Chapter 88: Peerless (1)

When Sun Chao’en slowly awakened and opened his eyes, he discovered that he was back at the county yamen. He tried to sit up, but did not have the strength to do so. He was about halfway to a sitting position when sudden pain gripped his torso, and he fell back to his bed.

Beside him, the county assistant Ren Youwei said in a hurry, “Stop moving, my lord! You’re going to open your wound again!”

“Have you sent someone to General Lee?”

“Worry not, the messenger is long gone.”

“Has Staff General Liao dispatched reinforcements?”

Ren Youwei hesitated, but ultimately answered, “He refused to mobilize, but we expected this response.”

Once more, Sun Chao’en tried to push himself to a sitting position while growling hoarsely, “Liao Jingwu! I will kill him one day! Support me!”

“You cannot, my lord! You are no match for him right now, not to mention that unauthorized killing of an imperial official is punishable by extermination of the whole clan!” A stunned Ren Youwei tried his best to change Sun Chao’en’s mind.

Seeing that his county assistant would not give him a hand, Sun Chao’en panted, “It’s not like I can go to him right now even if I want to. I remember that there’s a signal arrow in the ancestral hall. Did you retrieve it?”

“I left it in the hall.”

“Shoot it now! Now, I say!”

Ren Youwei hurried away to carry out his orders. Moments later, a signal arrow erupted in the sky and stayed there until a long, long time later. The message read: “Wei Yuan has traveled northward. Reinforcements needed as soon as possible.”

Sensing the fluctuation of Dao energy, Sun Chao’en finally relaxed and fainted once more. At this point, he had done absolutely everything he could have done. It was all up to fate now.

Inside his fort, Liao Jingwu was hosting a banquet yet again. However, the atmosphere felt strangely gloomy, and every attendant seemed preoccupied by their thoughts. A commandant inquired tentatively, “General, this is the third time the county has sent someone to urge us to mobilize. If we delay any longer, we won’t just have to answer to the court—we’ll have to answer to the Palace of Absolute Beginning as well. Why not send a token force at least?”

Liao Jingwu slammed his palm against the table. “That Sun bastard is nothing but a rootless upstart! He may have killed Wang Delu, but just let him try and touch me! Just for killing Wang Delu, he deserves to have his clan executed! If he dares to set foot in my camp, I’ll capture and behead him myself! Forget punishment, I would be rewarded for my deed!”

Another person said, “But the Snow Hawk Cavalry passed right in front of our fort. We didn’t warn the county...”

Liao Jingwu glared at the speaker, and he immediately shut up with a shiver. It was only then he said loudly, “The county isn’t breached, is it? Then it’s not our responsibility. Just look at you cowards! What is there to be afraid of? I said I would end that Fang bastard one day, didn’t I? As for Sun Chao’en, ptooey! I’m a member of the Hsu Clan. How can a wretched scholar like him ever hope to touch me?”

The group relaxed slightly when they recalled Liao Jingwu’s ferocious first wife, teeth and all.

Suddenly, a group of people pushed the door open and stepped inside. The leader of the group was none other than Lee Zhi. He swept his gaze across the room and broke into a smile. “You’re in quite the mood, aren’t you General Liao?”

Lee Zhi hailed from an immortal sect, and he was the most distinguished figure in terms of birth and status in this vicinity. Although they had never met, Liao Jingwu had seen his portrait and so recognized him. The people following Lee Zhi all radiated a distinct and formidable presence as well—they were clearly no ordinary cultivators.

Staff General Liao forced down his anxiety and rose to his feet, greeting, “General Lee! Why haven’t you sent someone to announce your arrival?”

Lee Zhi replied, “I just have a little something to speak with you. I will leave immediately after doing so. Thus, I decided to skip the courtesies and come here in person.”

“What are your orders, General Lee?”

Lee Zhi replied, “One, I would like you to mobilize the troops and venture north right now to support my brother, Wei Yuan.”

Liao Jingwu immediately shook his head. “My deepest apologies, but I have a duty to the people of the county! It would be folly to order the troops recklessly, much less mobilizing many to save one!”

Lee Zhi produced a token and slapped it on the table. He then produced a letter and slapped it in front of Liao Jingwu as well before saying in an indifferent voice, “This is General-in-chief Zhang’s military token, and this is Taishan, your father-in-law’s handwritten letter. I have a feeling you might not like what’s written on it. I can give you a moment to go through it. But before you do that, would you like to reconsider your decision?”

Cold sweat rolled down Liao Jingwu’s head when he saw the two items. General-in-chief Zhang was his direct superior, and his father-in-law was the source of all of his confidence. He could not possibly fail to understand what Lee Zhi was implying by producing these items.

Liao Jingwu abruptly gave Lee Zhi a deep bow. “This general has eyes, but failed to recognize Mount Tai! This general humbly requests Lord Lee to punish him! If Lord Lee does not mind his mistake, this general pledges to serve you faithfully starting today and follow you through fire and water!”

Lee Zhi cracked a small smile and said, “You’re a smart man, General Liao. From now on, you only need to serve me. Anyway, you will mobilize the troops right away.”

Liao Jingwu immediately roared, “Rally the troops! All must appear in half an incense stick! Leave no one—no, leave fifty behind to guard the base! If anyone is late, behead them!”

The commandants attending the banquet hurriedly rushed out to rally the troops. They did not forget to salute Lee Zhi prior to their departure.

Moments later, a long horn blew from the military fort, and iron cavalry rode out in droves. Squad after squad of elite border infantry rushed out into the open and marched north en masse.

While marching, Liao Jingwu urged his horse over to Lee Zhi’s side and said anxiously, “Lord Lee, we left behind only fifty men to guard the base. What if—”

Lee Zhi replied indifferently, “There is no what if.”

Startled, Liao Jingwu abruptly realized exactly who was more important to Lee Zhi, Wei Yuan or the many people living in the county. This worried him even more, though. He said cautiously, “Lord Lee, this general had offended quite a lot of people in the past including Lord Wei. Do you think...”

Lee Zhi understood his concerns, of course. He said, “I will keep you safe as long as you serve me faithfully. But all that messy business from the past has to stop. Got it?”

Liao Jingwu nodded again and again, so much so it was a wonder that his spine hadn’t snapped in half. “This general understands! This general understands!”

A hundred and fifty li away to the east of Quyang, a flying vessel was slowly rising to the air. It was dragging the destroyed flying vessel behind its back and slowly moving southward.

Inside a pavilion in the middle of a stronghold, Bao Yun was hosting the many young and talented cultivators who had come to her rescue. They all boasted prodigious backgrounds and handsome countenances. Right now, they were conversing and laughing animatedly as they discussed the Western Jin’s governance and the current state of the war. All of them spoke with remarkable eloquence, clearly demonstrating their profound knowledge.

Bao Yun needn’t utter a word. Simply sitting at the seat of honor was enough to drive the young men to speak without end. How they spoke held great significance. They had to have a good grasp of the current situation, be incisive and concise, avoid rambling, and ideally make every word a gem to be remembered. Not only that, they must ensure that not a single word they had said would require revision if someone were to record their words. It was an exhausting banquet to say the least, more tiring than even the major exam itself.

Suddenly, an old servant walked into the room and stopped beside Bao Yun. He whispered something only she could hear.

Whatever he said, it caused the young woman’s composure to crack slightly. She immediately rose to her feet and said apologetically, “My sincerest apologies, gentlemen, but something has happened to my friend. I must go assist him. Please continue without me. I must take my leave now.”

The group hurriedly rose to their feet and responded, “We’ve all brought our troops with us. Since your friend is in danger, it is only natural that we come to his aid! Allow us to join you, Miss Bao!”

Bao Yun looked hesitant. “I will need to venture deep into Liao territory. It will be a very risky endeavor. I see no need to endanger you all. I alone will suffice.”

“What are you talking about, Miss Bao? Your business is my business!”

“Is there anyone who came to the frontlines to be cowards?”

“Hahaha! What would be the point of this Dao Foundation if I do not probe the Liao realm at least once?”

Bao Yun gave a simple bow and said softly, “Thank you all in advance. The situation is critical, so please depart alongside my troops at once.”

Moments later, the gates of the stronghold opened, and thousands of armored crossbowmen marched out into the open. They were moving in the direction of the Liao realm with a flying vessel in tow. Behind the Bao Clan’s force were various groups of all shapes and sizes. They numbered over three thousand in total.

With the support of great arrays and Dao spells, the large force moved deceptively fast. They had reached the dividing line between the human realm and the Liao realm in just an hour’s time. When the main force officially started crossing into Liao territory, an exquisite treasure tree emerged from the flying vessel flying atop the army and sprinkled motes of light, pushing back the yellow clouds.

The army advanced tens of li into Liao territory when suddenly, an unstoppable sword intent erupted from the southern horizon. A flying sword was approaching as swift and ferocious as lightning! Wherever it went, the yellow clouds were cut in two and pushed aside like mere waves!

Zhang Sheng was standing atop the flying sword, but he wasn’t unarmed like he used to. Instead, he was wielding a blue sword and brimming with unbridled killing intent!

The scholar cast Bao Yun’s army a glance as he passed them by. Then, he sped toward the north at incredible speed.

A bugle call sounded across the flying vessel, signaling the entire army to advance at full speed. The armored crossbowmen immediately sped up to a jogging pace. Suddenly, the exquisite treasure tree doubled in size, radiating a dazzling light that enveloped the entire army. Instantly, the army of three thousand became twice as fast as before!

Before long, Zhang Sheng came into the army’s view once more. He was standing motionless in the air as if waiting for something. The bugle call sounded again, and thousands of armored crossbowmen spread out laterally and assumed battle formations. They advanced steadily forward.

A black, seemingly riderless, warhorse appeared on the distant horizon, galloping southward like the wind. It wasn’t until it came closer that the people saw that a man was sprawled across its back. Several arrows were embedded in his back, and it was impossible to say if he still lived or died.

The next moment, the earth trembled unnaturally. Then, a line of yellow dust clouds rose from behind the unknown rider, climbing taller and taller by the second! Heavens-know-how-many Liao riders were galloping amidst the dust clouds, whipping their warhorses like crazy and trying to catch up to the black warhorse with all their might. The line quickly grew into a terrifying wall at least tens of zhang tall in just the blink of an eye!

Behind the wall-like dust clouds, there was also a humongous, snow white hawk that seemed big enough to bridge the sky and the earth itself. Despite missing most of its feathers, it was flapping its wings furiously and chasing the rider as well. For the keen eye, they would notice that tendrils of blue droplets and wisps of black qi still clung to the tip of its wings.

The black horse kept galloping until suddenly, it let out a long whinny and spat out one last puff of mist. When the last vestiges of fire enveloping its hooves went out, its forelegs buckled, and it flung its rider high, high into the air.

It looked like he would crash against the ground, but at the last moment, a lump of blue sword qi caught him firmly. It also cut all of the arrow shafts. Then, an exceptionally warm yet somewhat slender arm embraced Wei Yuan.

Kneeling on one knee and embracing Wei Yuan with one hand, Zhang Sheng looked up at the titanic eagle hovering above his head. He also saw the wisps of rain still clinging to the hawk’s feathers.

The dust clouds were just a thousand zhang away from them now. When the Liao cavalrymen at the forefront saw Bao Yun’s army, they began to slow down gradually. Despite their best efforts, they could not avoid their fellow riders pushing against them from behind. There had to be thousands of them at least.

It was at this moment a bugle call rang from the west, and an army numbering a little over a thousand troops showed up in tight formation. They were slowly but steadily marching toward the Liao barbarians. Though not as renowned as the heavy crossbowmen, every single one of them was a battle-hardened elite of the Western Jin border forces. The two formations, one to the east and one to the west, formed a mutually supporting angle that finally halted the advance of thousands of pursuing Liao cavalry.

Hovering high in the sky and looking down on Zhang Sheng like he was an ant, the hawk said coldly, “Surrender the human in your hands, and I may let you live out of respect for your master!”

Zhang Sheng’s response was, “Who the hell do you think you are?”

The titanic hawk was ready to fly into a rage, but the scholar acted first. A serpentine-shaped sword light appeared between heaven and earth—it was gloomy, slender, and faint. It traversed from the lower left side of the horizon to the upper right, connecting earth and sky. The sword light was edgeless, but everyone who saw it felt indescribably sad. It felt like a woman waiting under the moon for a man who would never return. Day after day, year after year, until her once vibrant black hair had turned as white as snow, and still she failed to reunite with him.

The sandstorm weakened under the sword light. It felt as if the very world was lamenting in sorrow.

Immortal Sword—Parting Sorrow!