Chapter 149 - 126: The Excited 7th Prince
Chapter 149: Chapter 126: The Excited 7th Prince
Lu Yuan, however, paid no mind to these things. As dusk gradually fell, he stood at the stronghold’s entrance, watching the armies rushing in from all directions.
A smile appeared on his face. ’This is the first time I’ve ever commanded so many people in battle.’
’It’s a shame, though, that I can’t use a Military Array, or my identity might be exposed.’
At this thought, a glint flashed in his eyes. ’It seems I need to upgrade the Military Array as soon as possible.’
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the power that tens of thousands of men would wield if they formed an array.
As the sky turned completely dark, the grand army had assembled.
Wu Han jogged over, his armor clattering.
"Village Chief, the eighty thousand brothers have gathered and are ready to depart at any moment."
"Then let’s go," Lu Yuan said faintly. He then vaulted onto his horse, with Zhou He close behind, and headed straight for Prince Lie’s territory.
On the way, Wu Han said as they rode, "I just found out something. The manager in Prince Lie’s territory used to be a manager of an outer courtyard in his mansion."
"He was originally someone from the Jianghu, but later, by a fortunate coincidence, he entered the Prince’s Mansion."
"Hm, someone from the Jianghu is even better," Lu Yuan nodded.
’If he were from the military, a battle between our two armies might have been a bit tricky.’
’But with a Jianghu background, there’s nothing to worry about.’
The massive army attracted the attention of many factions along the way.
Even though it was night, because both imperial courts had tacitly allowed markets to open in the buffer zone, there was a constant stream of merchant caravans.
Planting spies among them was, of course, the easiest thing to do.
No one could hide anything from anyone else.
The nobles, in particular, carried Sound Transmission Stones, allowing them to receive news instantly.
Therefore, as Lu Yuan and his men approached Prince Lie’s territory, the other side also received the news.
On the Withered Leaf Plain stood a massive encampment. This was the territory claimed by Prince Lie’s subordinates.
Next to the camp was a trade route, even busier than the one near the Celestial King Stronghold.
There were also checkpoints set up.
Anyone who passed through had to pay a toll in silver.
At this moment, the entire camp was brightly lit, and a large number of cavalry were gathering.
Inside a tent, Zhang Ke, the manager from Prince Lie’s Mansion, sat in the head seat with a grim expression.
His build was not robust; on the contrary, he looked rather lean and wiry, with dark skin and a scar on his brow bone.
His thin lips gave him a harsh, mean-spirited look.
This man’s cultivation had reached Void Manipulation Minor Achievement.
Although he was only a minor manager in the Prince’s Mansion, on the outside, he was definitely a major figure.
He had never imagined that the Celestial King Stronghold would dare to attack him, nor had he ever taken them seriously.
But he never expected that these people would actually dare to provoke him.
Zhang Ke glanced at his subordinates and said, "If the Seventh Prince hadn’t sent a message saying the Celestial King Stronghold was of great use to him and told us not to go too far, would I have let them last until today?"
"Since the people from the Celestial King Stronghold have come on their own initiative, there’s nothing more to be said. Everyone, prepare for battle."
"We’ll slaughter their men and horses and seize their stronghold."
"I’ve already reported this to the Prince. The Prince said we don’t have to show deference to anyone."
Zhang Ke’s words seemed to galvanize his men. One after another, they shouted: "Finally, we can make a move on them! This time, we’ll make sure none of them make it back alive!"
"Kill that Wu Han! I’ve had it with him for a long time. A mere True Essence cultivator dares to challenge us."
...
A series of shouts rose up.
Zhang Ke nodded. "Good. All of you, go and prepare. In a while, we’ll take the initiative and charge out. Let the people from the Celestial King Stronghold know just how foolish their decision was."
After he finished speaking, the people in the camp instantly dispersed to prepare for battle.
Meanwhile, in the Seventh Prince’s grand hall, Zhao Yu, who had just left, hurried back in.
"What’s happened?" the Prince asked lazily, holding a wine cup in his hand.
He had been quite tired these past few days, mainly because there were too many matters to deal with on the Northern Border.
Sometimes his subordinates couldn’t handle things properly. Although most of the noble factions wouldn’t provoke him, the Yong Emperor had hundreds of children, with dozens of them being adults.
Behind every Prince and princess was the backing of their mother’s clan.
These people showed him no mercy whatsoever.
Therefore, this Seventh Prince was not having as comfortable a time as one might imagine.
He had finally gotten a chance to rest today, but to his surprise, Zhao Yu, who had just left, came running back. He feared something had happened.
Sure enough, just as his voice fell, Zhao Yu spoke up. "Your Highness, we just received news. The people from the Celestial King Stronghold are heading toward Prince Lie’s territory. It seems they’re launching a surprise attack."
"The people on the Withered Leaf Plain are already prepared for battle. Our men are on their way, but even if they arrive, they probably won’t be able to stop it."
The Seventh Prince shot upright with a start and roared in a low voice, "Is the Celestial King Stronghold trying to get themselves killed? They dare to make a move on Prince Lie’s territory."
"Didn’t I have someone warn them not to expand? The surrounding areas are all territories of the nobility. They have no one backing them; they’ll be finished no matter who they provoke."
"But they didn’t listen. They’re just a bunch of unruly Jianghu ruffians. They haven’t even agreed to our terms yet. I say we should just leave them be," Zhao Yu said with a troubled expression.
He hadn’t expected such a major incident to occur just as he had started taking charge of this area.
Hearing his words, the Seventh Prince’s voice turned grim. "Are you a pig-brain? If we don’t absorb the Celestial King Stronghold, what will I use to get a leg up on my royal brothers?"
"An army of over a hundred thousand men... you want to just throw them away?"
"Immediately have someone connect me to the Northern Border. I want to see what’s happening there."
"As you command!" Zhao Yu replied, then took out the Sound Transmission Stone and began sending a message.
Lu Yuan, however, was unaware of any of this. He was leading his men all the way toward the Withered Leaf Plain.
Due to its favorable terrain, it was one of the most prosperous trade routes. If they could seize it, Wu Han and the others’ income would double.
They would have more silver to train their men.
There was another point: Prince Lie had just had a large batch of supplies delivered. Many of the items within were not available in the Northern Border and were meant for strengthening his subordinates.
’These supplies are crucial. If we can seize them...’
’...it would be an enormous gain.’
「Roughly four hours later.」
The eighty thousand men led by Lu Yuan finally arrived outside the Withered Leaf Plain. At that moment, his gaze was fixed icily ahead.
Because Zhang Ke was already waiting with his men.
Gazing into the distance, beyond the dark, dense crowd of people, a massive encampment could be faintly seen.
Lu Yuan sat on his warhorse. He carried no weapon, wore only black clothes, and had a bronze mask on his face.
Zhang Ke held a longsword. In his younger days, he had a title: Mr. Poison Sword.
Now, he stared at Lu Yuan and barked, "Who are you?"
"How wordy."
Lu Yuan uttered those two words, then waved his hand, ordering the army to charge.
RUMBLE!
Without the slightest hesitation, Wu Han took the lead and charged forward, with the army close behind him.
As for Lu Yuan himself, he leaped from his horse, covered the distance of several dozen meters in an instant, and threw a punch at Zhang Ke.
As the Fist Gang left his hand, it instantly transformed into a black Fist Seal, a full meter in diameter.
Zhang Ke was not afraid. "A good strike!" he declared.
Then, he raised his sharp sword and slashed forward. His sword gleam was emerald green, even exuding a faint green mist.
BANG!
When it collided with the Fist Seal, it actually produced the sound of clashing metal.
At the same time, the Second Prince sat in his grand hall, looking nervously at a mirror in front of him that rippled like water.
This was also a rare item from the Imperial Guard, called a Profound Light Mirror, which could be used to view things one wished to see from hundreds of miles away.
Of course, this required someone on the other end to also be using a Profound Light Mirror to reflect the scene.
On the Withered Leaf Plain, a faction under the Seventh Prince’s command had dispatched a team of Scouts and an Innate Realm expert. The latter’s main purpose was to mediate the fight.
But after arriving, they found that the two sides were already fighting, so all they could do was watch.
The Scouts from other factions were in a similar situation.
When the Seventh Prince saw the two sides clashing, his eyes became bloodshot.
In his plans, the Celestial King Stronghold was a crucial piece.
If he could bring them under his command, they would be a huge asset. But now, these people just had to go and provoke Prince Lie.
’Great,’ he thought sarcastically. ’This army is probably done for.’
He watched the scene in the Profound Light Mirror with frustration, his eyes fixed on the fighting Lu Yuan.
He ground his teeth and snarled, "Idiot! A fool seeking his own death! Zhang Ke is at the Void Manipulation level, and his sword is poisoned. Even a Gathering Pill Realm expert would have to be careful with him."
"You’re just a bandit chieftain, yet you dare provoke him. If you don’t die, who will?"
"Your Highness, is there any way to save them now?" Zhao Yu asked hurriedly.
"Save them? How am I supposed to save them? I already came to an understanding with Prince Lie. I even gave him a pair of priceless Jade Pixiu for this."
"Now look. The Celestial King Stronghold is finished, and my treasure is gone too," the Seventh Prince said, his voice tinged with anguish.
That wasn’t an ordinary pair of Jade Pixiu. It was a gift from his maternal grandfather for his birthday when he was a child.
When placed nearby during cultivation, the Pixiu would automatically absorb the surrounding Spiritual Qi.
It could increase the density of Spiritual Qi around a Cultivator to more than ten times that of the outside world.
This time, he had really paid a heavy price for the sake of the Celestial King Stronghold.
Who would have known it would end up like this?
Zhao Yu said nothing, but beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.
It was the first time he had ever seen the Seventh Prince like this.
After all, the prince usually appeared gentle, refined, and scholarly.
As if he had everything under control.
And at that very moment, in Prince Lie’s Mansion, a middle-aged man dressed in a large, black Python Robe was sitting in his living room.
Below him, an alluring woman in red respectfully said, "My Prince, the battle on the Northern Border has begun."
Prince Lie raised an eyebrow. "There’s no need to keep reporting such trivial matters to me. Since the fight has started, let them fight. It’s just a bit awkward for Qi."
After speaking, he seemed to think of something and continued, "Have that pair of Pixiu from my bedroom sent back to Qi. It’s a shame to part with such fine things."
"But as an elder, I can’t take advantage of him, can I?"
"Yes, my Prince." The enchanting woman responded and cautiously withdrew.
As for Prince Lie, in the next moment, his body began to ripple like water before vanishing from the spot.