Chapter 183 - 137: Moving Out
What a joke. A Saint Master, the White Tiger Saint Master, and an Ancient Fire Qilin.
For Daliang to launch a sneak attack on Qin City with three damn True Spirit Body Realm masters there... wouldn’t that be suicide?
"That was a close call. Fortunately, the Saint Demon Sect revealed the true depth of its power beforehand." The Emperor of Daliang let out a sigh of relief.
He was particularly concerned about the power of the Saint Demon Sect Master, who had slain the old monk of Yunfo Temple with a single slash.
Before launching the attack on Jiangnan Prefecture, Daliang had made ample preparations.
The old monk of Yunfo Temple was, of course, on the list of experts known to the Emperor of Daliang.
In their original projections, Daliang was not expected to confront Yunfo Temple until a later stage. At that time, the Daliang Sword Saint would have faced some difficulty fighting two opponents at once.
But who would have thought that the old monk would be cut down by a single blow from the Saint Demon Sect Master?
"According to our intelligence, that slash from the Saint Demon Sect Master has already reached the Celestial Spirit Body level."
"Until we can devise a suitable countermeasure, we must not make any rash moves against the Saint Demon Sect."
"Furthermore, tell the five Supreme Generals to accelerate their offensive. We must bring Jiangnan Prefecture under our control as soon as possible!"
The court officials below the Emperor of Daliang’s throne all voiced their assent.
This was just another stroke of bad luck for the Martial Arts Army of Jiangnan Prefecture, which had once again become collateral damage in the Saint Demon Sect’s affairs.
...
「Jiangnan Prefecture, Jiangzhou.」
Mansion Master Hongg Ying placed the intelligence report he had just received on the table, his expression grim.
The Demon Sect Saint Master’s recent display of power was like a heavy blow to his chest.
The Demon Sect Saint Master’s power was such that he had wreaked havoc in the Capital Region, killed the True Spirit Body master from Yunfo Temple, and driven the Black Dragon Army back to the capital.
This meant that Jiangnan Prefecture no longer had any chance of receiving support from the north.
Originally, the Martial Arts Army of Jiangnan Prefecture was desperately holding on in the hope that the Black Dragon Army from the Capital Region could defeat the Saint Demon Sect and the Profound Nether Sect, and then continue south to help Jiangnan Prefecture defeat the Daliang Alien Race.
But now, Hongg Ying’s dream was completely shattered.
BANG!
Hongg Ying smashed his fist down on the table in front of him.
Under his fist, the table shattered into splinters.
After venting his frustration, Hongg Ying’s face was etched with sorrow. "This time, Jiangnan Prefecture is in for a hard time."
Not long after Hongg Ying received the news, the five armies of Daliang launched a frenzied offensive.
They pushed forward relentlessly at key strongholds, willing to suffer heavy casualties to advance.
Daliang’s suddenly accelerated tempo overwhelmed the Martial Arts Army of Jiangnan Prefecture.
In this fast-paced martial arts war, Jiangnan Prefecture’s disadvantages were magnified and became even more apparent.
The Daliang Army continued to pursue a policy of extermination.
With every city they conquered, they would unleash a massacre, not even sparing the villages and towns outside the city walls.
The people of Jiangnan Prefecture practically fled at the mere mention of Daliang.
....
「Five days later.」
Lu Changfeng sat with his Demon Sects’ Demon Generals inside a giant carriage, held aloft by clouds and mist.
In front, an Ancient Fire Qilin was pulling the carriage itself!
The Qilin clan possesses the power to control clouds, making it easy for one to pull a carriage.
However, pulling the carriage naturally slowed its flight speed considerably.
This pace, as it happened, matched the marching speed of the Saint Demon Sect army below.
Inside the carriage, the faces of the Demon Sect’s Demon Generals were all lit with excitement!
’A Qilin pulling our carriage! Could we be any more impressive!’
’Once the Saint Demon Sect’s army arrives, who would dare stand against them?’
The Demon Generals of the Demon Sects were all in the Rebirth Realm. Only by being near Lu Changfeng could they maintain their full Spiritual Power, which was why they were all sharing the same carriage.
The Saint Demon Sect army below had been trained by Lin Erfeng over the course of half a year, with the help of the various Demon Sect Demon Generals.
It was an army fifty thousand strong.
It was built with the disciples of the Demon Sects as its core.
They hadn’t had enough time to establish a Crossbow Army, but the complementary Cultivation Techniques of the disciples from the Saint Demon Sect’s major Demon Sects allowed them to form effective Battle Arrays.
The main army departed from Yong City, and four hours later, they had already arrived outside Phoenix City.
The Qilin Battle Chariot slowly descended to the ground.
A scout quickly entered the battle chariot. "Report! There’s no sign of the Yunyang Prefecture Martial Arts Army in Phoenix City. We suspect they’ve abandoned the city and fled."
The news surprised Lu Changfeng slightly, but he found it understandable.
’I am the Saint Demon Sect Master, the number one expert in the world right now.’
’The Thousand Knowledge Sect themselves ranked me first on the Celestial Tier. That’s proof enough of my strength.’
’And on this expedition, I am personally leading the charge, with my Demon Generals commanding powerful troops.’
’It’s understandable that the son of Yinn Zhong, the Mansion Master of Yunyang Prefecture, would flee at the mere rumor of my approach...’
"Then let the army enter the city. Have Lin Erfeng reassure the people of Phoenix City. I hear that old fox Yinn Zhong painted our Saint Demon Sect army as something terrible."
"Tell them not to panic. I’d say our Holy Sect treats the common people better than anyone else in the world today."
Lu Changfeng’s words were actually true. The ones who treated the common people under their rule the best really were the Saint Demon Sect.
For one, the low-level bureaucrats under the Saint Demon Sect were all newly appointed. As the saying goes, a new regime brings a new atmosphere, and there were very few corrupt officials.
Furthermore, the major Demon Sects that formed the Saint Demon Sect’s main fighting force were accustomed to their own self-contained resource systems.
Although they now occupied cities, the various Demon Sects had not yet begun to expand their ranks of disciples, so their demand for resources remained the same as before. Naturally, this meant less pressure on the common people under their rule.
In northern Yunyang Prefecture, on the other hand, the major Martial Arts Powers had already exploited the common people once to form their Martial Arts Army.
Then the Martial Arts Army exploited them again on their way to Phoenix City.
The populace was filled with endless grief and resentment.
Martial Artists come from the common people. When the people are prosperous and multiply, the number of Martial Artists naturally increases, and the appearance of geniuses becomes more frequent.
But the Human Race has never been a unified whole, but rather a collection of fractured classes preying on one another.
...
The Saint Demon Sect army entered the city.
At first, most of Phoenix City’s people had fled, but a small portion remained, unable to leave for various reasons.
Initially, they were terrified, and everyone stayed behind closed doors.
Lin Erfeng began to personally visit them, going from door to door.
After half a day, the people of Phoenix City began to appear on the streets.
A few more days passed, and the people of Phoenix City discovered that the Saint Demon Sect was not as terrifying as they had imagined.
The County Magistrate appointed by the Saint Demon Sect, along with the other officials of the County Yamen, turned out to be even more just and uncorrupted than their predecessors.
Thus, Phoenix City quickly returned to a state of peace.
「Meanwhile.」
After the Yunyang Prefecture’s Martial Arts Army scattered in flight, the force, which already lacked a core leader, simply disintegrated.
The various Martial Arts Families and Sects all returned to their own territories to find their own way forward.
Yinn Zhong’s son, Yinn De, fled home overnight.
Yinn Zhong looked at his son, raised his hand to slap him, but ultimately couldn’t bring it down.
’This son of mine... his Martial Arts Cultivation is inadequate, and his leadership skills are nonexistent. How did he let the Martial Arts Army collapse so easily?’
"Father, please hit me!" Yinn De knelt on the ground and slapped himself across the face.
The sharp crack of the slap pulled Yinn Zhong back to reality.
"Get up. You’re only in the Bone Refining Realm; it’s normal that you couldn’t command a large army."
"But because of this, I’m afraid our Yinn Family can no longer survive in Yunyang Prefecture."
Yinn Zhong was distressed. He had once been a powerful provincial governor, with hopes of elevating his family into the uppermost echelons of Song Country within his generation.
But alas, he was born at the wrong time, just as the world descended into chaos.
Now, not only would the Yinn Family fail to become a first-rate Noble Family, but they would likely fade into obscurity.
"Father, what should we do next?" Yinn De asked.
Yinn Zhong closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "With the collapse of the Yunyang Prefecture’s army, our Yinn Family cannot escape the blame."
"The new Emperor and I have never met face-to-face, so he will certainly show me no mercy. If I go to the capital, I’m afraid I will be thrown into the Celestial Prison."
"So, the path to the capital is not an option..."
"We led the resistance against the Saint Demon Sect. Now that they are powerful, they will certainly not spare us. If we fall into their hands, I fear the entire Yinn Family will have their hearts and lungs torn out and devoured by the Gluttony Demon Sect."
"The only plan now is to pack our valuables, flee into the mountains, and live as mountain folk. Only then can we hope to survive this chaotic era."
Hearing this, Yinn De looked incredulous. "Father, is it really so? Are there no other options?"
’If I had known it would come to this, I would have risked it all rather than listening to that treacherous advice and disbanding the army.’
"Yes. Go and make the arrangements. Pack what needs to be packed, cull the unnecessary clan members, and then we’ll depart."
"There is a great mountain range in western Yunyang Prefecture. We will hide there, preserve our martial arts lineage, and let our family grow for a hundred years. Then, the Yinn Family can re-emerge from the mountains under a new name."
Yinn Zhong was a man who understood the need for sacrifice.
He immediately decided to lead the Yinn Family into the mountains to live in seclusion.
For ordinary people in such chaotic times, fleeing was never a bad option.