Patrol Captain

"Give me the order!"

In the bamboo courtyard, Chen Yuan's figure returned to the pavilion.

A resounding, firm statement, words as weighty as a mountain.

The painting was shaken, causing the ink to ripple.

On the head lotus leaf, Gongsun Yang bowed his head and obeyed orders.

Beneath the pavilion, Chen Yuan's third eye swirled between his brows, shooting out a beam of glazed divine light that hovered three feet in the air before him. The divine light condensed and shifted, and as the glazed golden light continued to pour in, a golden bell about a foot in size slowly condensed and took shape.

Golden light, sacred and holy; clear and bright like crystal.

This process takes about five or six breaths.

After doing all this,
"Order all the officers above the Heavenly Pass of the Ninth Mountain to descend the mountain immediately, wearing this radiant golden bell and carrying the tiger tally, and go to Jiangyou to search the mountains and subdue demons within a radius of several thousand miles."

"All officials, mountain gods, city spirits, and monsters along the way must obey my orders. Anyone who obstructs my path will be killed without mercy!"

"This Golden Bell was formed by my Heavenly Eye. Just now, when my Heavenly Eye shone upon it, there was still a demonic aura descending upon this place and disappearing into the void. Anyone who is touched by it will be marked, and can be sensed if they get close."

"If any evil spirits are nearby, the bell will ring, and I will sense it, slaying them from afar without hesitation!"

Chen Yuan spoke with intense killing intent, and with a slight wave of his hand, the golden bell formed from the essence of divine power flew towards Gongsun Yang.

Gongsun Yang sensed the immense power emanating from the golden bell and knew that the general was truly enraged and determined to expose those evil spirits and quell his anger.

He caught the golden bell that flew towards him with both hands, and accepted the order.

"promise!"

After saying this, his figure slowly dissipated, turning into white mist, and receded back into the pond.

Military orders are urgent, and he didn't give the others a chance to speak. He withdrew his supernatural powers, and the figures of the others slowly turned into white mist and dispersed from bottom to top.

The group bowed respectfully to Chen Yuan under the pavilion, their expressions clearly still showing they hadn't recovered from the shock of Chen Yuan's attack.

"Thank you so much, sir, for saving my master!" Ji Wuming said, tears of gratitude streaming down his face as his figure vanished.

Qin Rushuang clasped her hands in a fist salute to Chen Yuan, her eyes filled with unspoken words, but in the end she only said, "Thank you, Brother Chen," before her figure disappeared.

As the figures on the lotus leaves disappeared one by one, the mist dissipated, and the landscape of the courtyard quickly transformed from a freehand sketch in black and white to a realistic depiction.

The bamboo is lush and green, and the lotus leaves are verdant.
With a "splash," the fish that had been frozen on the surface of the water flicked its tail, creating a splash, and darted into the deeper water, seemingly startled.

The courtyard, which had seemed frozen in time, suddenly came alive.

Among them were those two fellow disciples!

"Whoosh whoosh"

After being unsealed, Chu Yu seemed to have been holding her breath for a long time before she recovered. She bent over, panting heavily and breathing in the air.

Throughout this process, his eyes were filled with horror.

He witnessed the whole thing, which completely shattered his imagination of supernatural powers and left him in awe!

This Martial Saint can, with a flick of his finger, conjure images from afar, teleport through the void, and instantly travel thousands of miles to fight. Moreover, he can trace back to the source, manifest his divine power to kill enemies, giving him a strong visual impact!
Is this the might of the Martial Saint?

Also, what are those strangely shaped, eerily sinister monsters?
Chu Yu took several breaths, her chest gradually calming down, but her heart was still turbulent and she could not find peace.

He suddenly realized that as an outsider who had witnessed all of this, he might have known things he shouldn't have, especially considering that this official had just become genuinely angry...

Suddenly, he felt a little panicked. Could he be silenced?

Thinking of this, Chu Yu didn't dare to straighten up, secretly lamenting her predicament.

In this situation, should I pretend I don't know anything, or just pretend to faint and get away with it?

Waiting online, very anxious!

But before he could think much, his junior brother's voice came from the side, and a small hand patted his back.

"Brother, are you okay?"

"Senior brother, did you see that just now?"

"Uncle is amazing!"

Tiger Cub looked excited and amazed, his little face flushed.

Chu Yu quickly rolled her eyes, winked at her junior brother, and put her finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Tiger Cub noticed this, blinked, and lowered his voice, quickly realizing that something was wrong.

At this moment, the entire courtyard was restored to its original state, becoming vibrant and alive again.

The cicadas began to chirp again, their incessant chirping filling the air. The wind rustled through the bamboo grove, shaking the new leaves at the tips of the leaves, their soft rustling mingling with the cicadas' song, creating a scene that intertwined with the evening glow in the sky. The evening breeze rippled the pond, shattering the reflections of the lotus leaves and the lingering sunlight.

Under the pavilion, Chen Yuan watched those figures disappear, his killing intent hard to subside.

Just now, he overheard a conversation among several members of the Holy Sect. These guys were taking advantage of the current chaos in Shu, with all eyes focused on Chengdu, to secretly harvest souls for sacrifice.

These beings can possess people and transform into others, hiding themselves very well. They also selectively harvest souls, which is why news of the disappearance of some Heavenly Gate experts or sects hasn't spread. Even if it did, major events are happening in Shu every day, making these kinds of news seem insignificant in comparison, so they are drowned out and go unnoticed.

He suddenly realized that the land of Shu was probably riddled with holes by now.

In this turbulent time, with order broken and the sky crumbling, a dark cloud descends. All sorts of demons and monsters emerge from the shadows, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws.

In the cities and countryside, licentious shrines sprang up everywhere, their appearance bizarre and absurd, some sculpting ferocious ghosts with bloody mouths and fangs; others creating evil monsters, twisted and grotesque.

A glint flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes as information about the monsters he had just killed surfaced in his mind.

"Blood Demon Eye: Born in the Ruins of Gods, it was originally an eyeball of a certain god. When the god fell, it fell to the mortal world. It was corrupted by ten thousand years of resentment and evil power in the Ruins, losing its divinity and only having boundless evil. Being looked at by it will pollute you, drive you crazy, and eventually make you a servant of the evil god. You will be controlled and can communicate with the power in the Ruins of Gods."

"The Human Skin Tree: In ancient times, tribes would perform sacrifices to the heavens, often erecting banners made of human skin on ancient trees atop mountains. Back then, the human skin still retained the warmth of fresh blood, and the tribal priests would sew rows of them together with bone needles, hanging them among the branches. When the wind blew, the human skin would gently rub against the tree trunk, making a soft, mournful sound. The priests would then observe the swaying arc to divine, praying for divine blessings and predicting good or bad fortune for their people. Later, it became an omen of misfortune, and the tribe mysteriously perished, but the tree on the mountaintop survived. The dried human skin had long since grown into the branches, the patterns on the skin becoming the tree's annual rings. It gradually developed its own territory, a boundary of death..."

As Chen Yuan processed the information from these strange objects, he felt a chill that sent shivers down his spine. These things all exuded an eeriness and carried an ominous aura.

Spirit Hall, Holy Altar, Divine Ruins...

Chen Yuan muttered to himself that the Western Region Holy Sect would be a scourge to him, An Ge, and his daughter sooner or later. It was time to take action. He needed to get the brothers of the Ninth Mountain moving and make those guys think twice. Ideally, they should find out where their stronghold was and wipe them out completely. Otherwise, having such an evil force lurking in the shadows would be a thorn in anyone's side.

Thinking about it this way, the land of Shu is now teeming with demons and monsters, celestial beings, Arhats from the Western Lands, immortal kings, and all sorts of old monsters... truly a place where undercurrents are surging.

Chen Yuan felt somewhat agitated. The sudden incident shattered the peace he had finally achieved, reigniting his murderous intent within him.

These guys killed their former comrades, they deserve to die!

His face remained clouded with gloom, his eyes filled with a sinister glint, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a figure on the other side of the pond.

Oh right, I forgot about the two fellow disciples in the courtyard.

Seeing Chu Yu avoiding him, Chen Yuan waved his hand, showing no interest in speaking further with the two fellow disciples.

"Go back!"

After saying that, Chen Yuan turned and left, returning to the inner room and closing the door.

Only then did Chu Yu feel the suffocating feeling in the air disappear in the courtyard. She quickly straightened up, watched the door to the inner room close, and then let out a long breath.

He wanted to leave the courtyard quickly, but still gave a respectful bow towards the inner door from a distance.

Then, he pulled his junior brother away from the courtyard. *Snap*

Close the gate.

The two fellow disciples left the courtyard.
Chu Yu then realized that her back was soaked with sweat.

Outside the door, someone was already waiting for them, looking anxious.

"Third Senior Brother, Junior Brother, you've finally come out. Just now..."

Fifth Junior Sister Qiong Le looked anxious and quickly came forward, unable to resist asking a question.

She was originally in the next courtyard, watching her senior and junior brothers' comical farming antics, when suddenly she noticed fog had rolled in, obscuring everything. Seeing the fog persist, she went to the courtyard gate to knock, only to find she couldn't get close at all.

Suddenly, I felt inexplicably anxious!
Chu Yu quickly raised her hand, signaling the other person to stop, and shook her head at her with a serious expression.

Don't ask!

…………

Meanwhile, eight thousand miles away, in Chengdu, on the ninth mountain of Yunding Mountain, an urgent order was sent from the army.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out from the Ninth Mountain, which had been silent for a long time!

"Pass on the general's order!"

"Pass on the general's order!"

The Ninth Mountain recognizes only one general! This is an unspoken understanding among all the soldiers.

"All captains of the Heavenly Gate rank, assemble at the command platform!"

"All the Heavenly Gates..."

This caused an uproar in the Ninth Mountain military camp.

"It's a general's order!"

"Finally, a job has arrived!"

Everyone on Ninth Mountain, from veterans to greenhorns, felt their blood boiling with excitement.

Today, their Ninth Mountain is renowned throughout the country, serving as a spiritual totem for many, and its soldiers are all proud of it.

The Ninth Mountain troops now hold a special position, which, in effect, means they obey orders but not proclamations!
Although the Grand Preceptor of the Great Qian Dynasty, who was stationed here, was appointed by the imperial court to take charge of the troops in Shu, since the last rebellion against the Heavenly Beings, not a single soldier of the Ninth Mountain troops had been mobilized, and all frontline tasks were handled by troops from other places.

Other families had their complaints, but they dared not voice them openly, because many people knew that even the Grand Preceptor Helian, who was in charge of the Pacification Office, dared not easily mobilize the troops of the Ninth Mountain!

Others might not necessarily buy it!

This army only listens to that general!

In the Ninth Mountain Camp, as the urgent order rang out, figures in blue armor rushed from the drill ground and tents toward the command platform, their armor clashing and making rapid, clanging sounds.

A short while later, more than twenty tall figures clad in heavy armor stepped into the pavilion hall behind the command platform.

Now, after years of tempering in iron and blood, and digesting numerous spoils of war, the number of experts at the Ninth Mountain has exploded, increasing from a few to twenty-seven!

They are mostly elderly people from the Ninth Mountain!

These two officers, with their imposing gait and solemn expressions, entered the hall, where three cavalrymen were already waiting.

About half an incense stick later, a series of neat, clanging sounds came from the hall.

Then, the gates opened, and a group of Heavenly Gate Captains, their faces flushed with excitement, rushed to the command platform, roaring in unison.

"Third Battalion on the right flank, assemble!"

"Sixth Battalion of the Central Route..."

"Fourth Battalion on the Left Route..."

"........."

Shouts and whistles instantly filled the air above the battlefield.

At this moment, the setting sun, like molten gold, spilled across the battlefield, and fiery clouds illuminated the sky.

Soon, a cacophony of sounds—the clatter of armor, the neighing of horses—suddenly arose in the four military camps.

A line of black-armored warriors charged out, their hooves shattering the twilight. The heavy thuds of their horses crushed the sand, raising clouds of dust that mingled with the afterglow of the setting sun, surging into crimson waves.

The neighing of horses pierced through the wind curtain, sometimes high-pitched like tearing silk, sometimes deep and muffled like thunder, intertwining with the crisp sound of armor plates colliding, shaking the ground slightly.

The black armor gleamed coldly in the setting sun, the beast heads on the shoulder armor swallowed the last rays of light, and the engravings on the breastplate were inlaid with sand and grit, gleaming with a cold light as if quenched with blood.

The Ninth Mountain warriors rode into the battlefield, and, as if tempered by fire, quickly formed ranks without any disorder.

As the horses pulled back to a halt, the dust settled, and the formation spread out from the center to the flanks, the black armor forming a line as sharp as if cleaved by a knife and axe, reaching the setting sun beyond the horizon.

The wind whipped up swirling dust and sand as it swept past the ranks, the mountain-chopping banners on the backs of the armored soldiers fluttering in the wind. Each soldier stood tall and imposing, exuding the ferocity of tigers, leopards, and wolves.
Next came the troop mobilization!
One by one, the officers of the Heavenly Gate summoned swift horses, leaped onto their backs, and galloped through the ranks of soldiers, patting their horses and shouting commands.

"First, third, and fourth flag bearers, follow me out!"

"Go straight down the mountain!"

"Second, fifth..."

"Just go with me!"

With shouts as strong as iron, and spurring of horses, the captain of the guard, after mustering his men, charged straight out of the training ground without the slightest hesitation.

Those soldiers who were called upon did not hesitate at all. They pulled on their reins and stepped forward, their horses neighing as they turned around and followed their captains, rushing out into battle.

"drive"

"drive"

"drive"

.........

As the setting sun bathed the Ninth Mountain in molten gold, the main camp gates roared open, and a torrent of black-armored soldiers surged forth, rolling down the mountain path.

The crisp sound of thousands of warhorses crushing stones with their iron hooves mingled with their neighs, their black armor gleaming coldly in the afterglow, and the mountain-chopping banners fluttering in the mountain wind.

The horses' hooves pounded the mountaintops, dust and sand were swirled into a yellow mist, and a torrent of black armor rushed down the mountain. The setting sun was like blood, and the horses' hooves thundered.

As this torrent of black armor rushed down the mountain.

From the Ninth Mountain camp behind, a series of shrieks and howls rose up, followed by streaks of silver light shooting into the sky.

This action startled the Golden Armored Heavenly Army guarding the mountain.

The pupils beneath the masks trembled with shock and disbelief.

They did not receive any instructions from above.

But no one dared to stop them! (End of Chapter)