Chapter 160 - 133: Heading North
Chapter 160: Chapter 133: Heading North
At that moment, Lu Yuan sat in the carriage with a calm expression, occasionally glancing outside.
In the past, he had always rushed through his travels.
This time, he could finally take in the scenery properly.
The irony, however, was that it was under these circumstances.
Jiang He was outside on his warhorse, chatting casually with Lu Yuan.
Just then, his expression flickered. He took out a Sound Transmission Stone, and a look of disbelief appeared in his eyes.
He looked at Lu Yuan and said, "General Lu, I never would have guessed. To think you have such deep ties with the Northern Barbarians."
"What is it?" Lu Yuan asked, a little confused.
He didn’t know what Jiang He meant by that.
The man chuckled. "Your life is saved. The Northern Barbarians are trading the Unparalleled Marquis for you. Do you have any idea who this Unparalleled Marquis is?"
Lu Yuan shook his head. "I’m just a minor officer in the Border Army. How would I know any major figures?"
"Heh, the Unparalleled Marquis... Dayong’s most talented commander in a thousand years. He has already been designated as a future Renowned General. A man like that could one day become the pillar of the nation, a sharp weapon for expanding our territory. His Majesty values him far more than the average person can imagine.
The Northern Barbarians have been fighting Dayong on and off for years, and they never agreed to release the Unparalleled Marquis. But now, they’re trading him for you. They’re actually making such a losing deal. It’s unbelievable. If someone had told me this before, I would have slapped them across the face, yet here it is, happening right in front of me."
A flash of understanding crossed Lu Yuan’s eyes. He knew Xiao Hua must have pulled some strings, but he hadn’t expected her to act so quickly.
Or so decisively.
A warmth spread through his heart.
"For the Northern Barbarians to do this is no different from handing a knife to Dayong. What’s so special about you that they care this much?" As Jiang He spoke, the procession had already turned back toward Icefield Pass.
"I don’t know," Lu Yuan said coolly.
"Heh, whatever. My mission is to get the man back. The rest isn’t my concern," Jiang He said, unconcerned.
And so, they continued onward.
「Dusk fell.」
As they neared the vicinity of Icefield Pass.
TAT TAT!
A flurry of urgent hoofbeats rang out as the Marquis of Mucheng appeared on their flank, leading a detachment of the Imperial Guard.
There were about ten thousand of them, each mounted on a Scale Horse. A terrifying aura fluctuated around them.
At their head was the Marquis of Mucheng, a war spear in his hand.
The moment he appeared, Jiang He’s expression turned icy, reverting to his usual demeanor. "The Marquis of Mucheng certainly knows how to make a fuss, bringing so many men."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but grin. ’This guy really has a mouth that’s asking for a beating.’
’But I suppose he’s earned the right to act like that.’
The Marquis of Mucheng shot Jiang He a cold glance. "I am under His Majesty’s orders to escort you out of the pass for the exchange. Otherwise, do you think I’d want to see you?"
After speaking, he glanced into the carriage and asked Lu Yuan, "He hasn’t given you any trouble, has he?"
"No, thank you for your concern, Marquis," Lu Yuan replied.
The Marquis of Mucheng nodded, then turned his head back to Jiang He. "His Majesty has ordered us to leave the pass tonight."
"It makes no difference to me," Jiang He said flatly.
Then, the procession continued onward.
In the latter half of the night, they finally arrived at the gates of Icefield Pass, which led out of the fortress.
Zhou Hongling was waiting outside with Zhou Xiong and Zhou He.
She stared at the imperial troops, her spirited eyes bloodshot and glinting with fury.
Her hand never left the hilt of her blade.
She was clearly struggling to restrain herself.
Zhou Xiong and Zhou He looked equally grim.
They didn’t know why Lu Yuan was being taken out of the pass.
At that moment, the killing intent in their hearts stirred restlessly.
Lu Yuan noticed their state and called out cheerfully, "I’m off to try my luck with the Northern Barbarians! I’ll come back and have a drink with you all when I have the time."
The Marquis of Mucheng knew he had a good relationship with them and simply pretended not to hear. As the gates opened, he led the army out.
As for Jiang He, he acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
His expression remained cold and detached.
However, a flicker of hope appeared in the eyes of Zhou Hongling and the others.
From what Lu Yuan said, it seemed he wasn’t going to be punished by the court but was heading to the lands of the Northern Barbarians, though they didn’t know for what purpose.
But since he said he would come back to find them, it meant his life wasn’t in danger.
Although he was going to the Northern Barbarians, making it harder for them to meet in the future...
...as long as he was alive, that was all that mattered.
Zhou Hongling breathed a sigh of relief.
Her vision blurred as she watched the carriage disappear into the distance.
After leaving the pass, the procession didn’t stop. It entered the buffer zone directly, heading for the designated location.
However, just as they had passed the fortress’s perimeter...
BOOM!
A thunderous roar echoed as a black mass of cavalry, seemingly endless, bore down on the Imperial Guard detachment.
A fierce aura emanated from these men.
Their individual strength wasn’t exceptionally high, but they exuded a resolute willingness to fight to the death.
Their numbers totaled well over a hundred thousand.
Leading them was a bald figure in black armor—Wu Han, of course.
He wielded a dark-gold battle-axe the size of a millstone, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
The 180,000 cavalrymen behind him were the source of his greatest confidence.
Looking at the surrounding force...
Jiang He’s expression changed. Faced with so many troops, even if he could escape, his men would likely be surrounded and annihilated in the Wasteland.
"It’s the men from Celestial King Stronghold. What are they doing here?" Jiang He said in a grim tone.
A thoughtful look appeared in the Marquis of Mucheng’s eyes. He turned to Lu Yuan. "Are they here to save you?"
"Yes." Lu Yuan didn’t hide it, nodding directly.
’I’m no longer a General of Dayong anyway. My hand is basically revealed, so there’s nothing left to worry about.’
’As long as I don’t admit I’m the Village Chief, everything will be fine.’
HISS! Even though the Marquis of Mucheng had already guessed, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
’This kid, Lu Yuan, really has a few tricks up his sleeve. Not only are the Northern Barbarians rescuing him at any cost, but even the most prominent power in the buffer zone, the Celestial King Stronghold, has shown up at a time like this.’
However, the Marquis of Mucheng quickly composed himself and said to Lu Yuan, "Tell them not to be reckless. As long as the hostage exchange with the Northern Barbarians is completed, you can leave safely. But if these men from the Celestial King Stronghold charge..."
"...perhaps only Jiang He and I would survive. But the Celestial King Stronghold would surely be finished, and I have no desire to see things come to that with you."
Lu Yuan knew he wasn’t bluffing. With his cultivation at the Divine Origin Realm, he could indeed escape from an army of hundreds of thousands.
Moreover, if the Celestial King Stronghold really did attack them...
...the harmony of the buffer zone would likely be shattered.
And regardless of who started it, both the Marquis of Mucheng and Jiang He would attack him at the first sign of trouble.
With that in mind, Lu Yuan stared outside and said calmly, "Everyone, don’t be reckless. The court is only using me for an exchange. My life is not in danger."
His voice wasn’t loud, but Wu Han and his men weren’t far.
They could hear him clearly.
At that, Wu Han’s eyes sharpened. He bellowed, "Everyone, follow the court’s procession! No one is to attack without my command!"
As the command rang out, the Marquis of Mucheng glanced at the massive, dark army.
He looked utterly helpless.
He never imagined Lu Yuan could cause such a commotion after leaving the pass.
Drawing an escort of over a hundred thousand troops.
He could sense that if Lu Yuan hadn’t spoken just now...
...those men from the Celestial King Stronghold would have charged forward in a frenzy to fight him to the death.
’Such a powerful Jianghu faction is actually this close with Lu Yuan.’
’I’ve truly underestimated this young man.’
Then, a strange scene unfolded.
On the vast plain, the Marquis of Mucheng led his ten thousand Imperial Guards forward.
Behind them, an army of over a hundred thousand followed slowly.
It was enough to make one feel like they had thorns in their back.
Even for a Marquis who had seen it all, the situation was a bit nerve-wracking.
Meanwhile, the Seventh Prince’s envoy, who had remained at the Celestial King Stronghold, watched this scene in disbelief.
He had been preparing to rest for the night when he heard the sounds of a large-scale military assembly within the stronghold.
So he had followed them out. At the time, Wu Han and the others had paid him no mind.
Who could have imagined that such a powerful force would rush out of the stronghold just to save Lu Yuan?
Without hesitation, he immediately relayed the news to the Seventh Prince.
Wu Han was indifferent to all this. He only cared about Lu Yuan’s safety.
As time passed, the night went by. When dawn began to break...
...the Marquis of Mucheng raised his hand, signaling the procession to halt.
They looked ahead and saw a dense black line in the distance.
A massive force of Northern Barbarian cavalry stood in a standoff with the Marquis of Mucheng’s troops.
At the forefront was a gilded, aromatic carriage pulled by eight Barbaric Beasts, a species unique to the Northern Barbarians.
These Barbaric Beasts were similar to Scale Horses, but their bodies were more robust, with bulging muscles covered by hard, cold scales.
Golden curtains hung down from the carriage.
They swayed gently.
Revealing a faint silhouette within.
Surrounding the carriage were the Northern Barbarians’ most elite force, the Beast Riders, who were comparable to Dayong’s Imperial Guard.
In the past, they were even considered superior.
But now, due to civil strife within the Northern Barbarians in recent years, too many Beast Riders had died in battle, and their numbers had been cut by nearly half.
Yet they had brought this very force out today.
This showed just how much importance the Northern Barbarians placed on Lu Yuan.
The Marquis of Mucheng stared at the opposing army and called out in a deep voice, "May I ask which Northern Barbarian General has come?"
As his voice faded, a formidable general in bronze armor, carrying a Wolf-toothed Club, stepped forward from the Northern Barbarian side.
"Xiao Li of the Northern Barbarians. Let’s begin the exchange."
As he spoke, a figure was pushed out from the crowd.
The man’s hair was disheveled, and his clothes were filthy and tattered.
He was bound in chains, and his scapulae had been pierced, making for a miserable sight. It was none other than Dayong’s Unparalleled Marquis.
A Northern Barbarian warrior lifted his hair, revealing his face for the Marquis of Mucheng to identify.
In that moment, a venomous hatred showed in the eyes of Dayong’s Unparalleled Marquis.
A dozen years ago, he had been so proud. He never thought he would return in such a state.
Moreover, over the years, his resentment toward the Northern Barbarians had accumulated to its absolute peak.
’In the future, I will have my revenge for this.’
After confirming it was the Unparalleled Marquis, the Marquis of Mucheng nodded to his Vice General behind him.
CLATTER!
The door to Lu Yuan’s carriage was opened.
He leaped down effortlessly.
The Marquis of Mucheng looked at him. "Go on. We’ll meet again if there’s a chance."
Lu Yuan nodded and started walking toward the Northern Barbarian army.
Then, as if remembering something, he turned his head to look at Wu Han and his men, then waved his hand for them to disperse.
This was not a wise time for the Celestial King Stronghold to clash with Dayong.
Seeing that Lu Yuan was safe, Wu Han didn’t hesitate and immediately ordered his army to pull back to the side.
This cleared a path for the Marquis of Mucheng and his troops.
As the two hostages passed each other...
Lu Yuan could clearly feel the aura of resentment emanating from the Unparalleled Marquis as the man looked at him.
His eyes were filled with cruelty and a hint of contempt.
Then, without a backward glance, he continued toward the Dayong side.
Lu Yuan, meanwhile, had reached the Northern Barbarian ranks.
From within the aromatic carriage, a silvery, bell-like voice called out, "Yuan, get in my carriage."
Xiao Hua was a little nervous and also excited. After all, it had been a long time since she had seen Lu Yuan.
If not for her status, she probably would have already rushed out of the carriage.
At that very moment, on the other side, the Seventh Prince in the Dayong Imperial City had just woken up to see his Sound Transmission Stone glowing.
When he picked it up and read the message, his expression changed drastically.
It was a message from his envoy stationed at the Celestial King Stronghold.