Patrol Captain

On this day, in Chengdu, the sun blazed down, and the air was thick with heat and stuffiness.

At the foot of Yunding Mountain, in Daofusi, the sounds of war were sparse, yet a sense of impending doom pervaded the air. On both sides of the mountain path, sentries were densely packed, their eyes as sharp as hawks'. On the mountain path, galloping hooves flew up and down, the sound of flying stones colliding with the sound of armor plates clashing. In the sky, flashes of silver light occasionally broke the silence of the mountains.

Outside the council hall, banners fluttered in the wind. Inside, some generals stood below, bowing and clasping their hands, their heads bowed and faces showing embarrassment, obediently receiving instruction.

In front of the main seat, Helian Shan paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his demeanor somber and his expression showing a hint of impatience.

This Grand Preceptor, who has assisted three rulers and weathered countless storms, rarely shows himself like this.

"It's been a whole day!"

"We can't find a single person."

"I really don't know what you guys are good for."

Helian Shan flew into a rage, flung his sleeves and shouted angrily, his imposing manner intimidating.

Below, a Skywalker commander in charge of guarding the mountain, with a bitter expression, cautiously spoke.

"My lord, I went to Qingshan County myself, but I couldn't find any trace of General Chen. It's quite strange that the people there don't even recognize him. I had to return empty-handed."

The other general clasped his hands and raised his head.

"We also went to look for Qin Rushuang, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Qin, who is currently staying in the south of the city, and Dugu Jialuo, the legitimate daughter of the Divine Marquis. These two women were acquainted with General Chen in the past. When I asked the two ladies about General Chen's whereabouts, they said they did not know. When I asked them how to contact General Chen, they said that there was an urgent matter that my lord needed to contact. The two ladies said they did not know either and that they had to go to the Ninth Mountain."

At this point, Helian Shan turned his head, glared, and snorted coldly, "Do you need to tell me that? Do you think I don't know?"

"Gongsun Yang of the Ninth Mountain was Chen Yuan's messenger, but you don't even know when he came down the mountain."

"How dare you say that!"

Helian Shan grew increasingly angry as he spoke. After receiving news yesterday that the deputy commander of the Northern Liang Pacification Office had been beheaded remotely at the Eagle's Beak Cliff camp in the west, he guessed that Chen Yuan was behind it and quickly tried to clean up the mess. He then immediately sent someone to Gongsun Yang of the Ninth Mountain to inquire about the cause of the incident.

Through several encounters, Helian Shan guessed that this Musashi was Chen Yuan's messenger on the Ninth Mountain, and that he had a secret method to contact Chen Yuan, allowing Chen Yuan to keep abreast of the situation of the Daofu Division.

But the men he sent out reported back that Musashi had been ordered to secretly leave before the incident occurred, and there was no record of him going down the mountain; the people of the Ninth Mountain were unaware of it.

Whose orders were they acting on? The answer is self-evident.

The Ninth Mountain has now become General Chen's private army!
Now, Helian Shan was getting a little anxious. He couldn't contact Chen Yuan and didn't know what he was up to.

This man is a dangerous individual. Given his ruthless and unscrupulous ways, he even dares to disrespect His Majesty. How could Helian Shan be at ease, especially at this critical juncture? Therefore, he dispatched troops in several groups to search for information about this man.

Some went to Qingshan County, the place where this man was hiding, some went to the western front, and Helian Shan guessed that this man might take action against the Demon Suppression General of Beiliang. Others went to the south, where the elite of the Ninth Mountain had been dispatched to search for and kill the disciples of the Western Regions Holy Sect.
But there has been no news.

Helian Shan was seething with anger. He had cleaned up the mess for the other party, only to have them disappear without a word. Anyone would be upset in that situation.

The longer time passed, the more uneasy he felt.

"Go down and keep searching until you find the person!"

With a gloomy face, he ordered his generals to continue searching. The generals bowed their heads in agreement, took a few steps back, and then turned and left.

They had only taken a few steps when they heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by a soldier urgently reporting from outside.

"Grand Preceptor, Lord Gongsun of the Ninth Mountain has appeared and is here to request an audience!" As soon as the words were spoken, several generals in the Sky Patrol Hall stopped in their tracks, their faces filled with surprise. Speak of the devil and he appears. They exchanged glances and looked at each other in disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Helian Shan immediately turned around, his eyes fixed on the door, a sharp glint in them.

The palace doors suddenly opened, sending in a gust of wind. Everyone inside looked out and heard a roar rising from the sky.

Above the Cloud Peak Mountain, a ferocious beast descended from the sky, its feet shrouded in demonic energy, majestic and menacing, landing on the plaza in front of the Heavenly Patrol Hall.

It resembled a red leopard, its entire body covered in crimson fur, its color as vibrant as a burning flame. A single horn grew from the center of its head, as if forged from divine metal. It had five tails behind it, its fangs were ferocious, its eyes were piercing, and it stood three zhang tall. A terrifying demonic aura emanated from its body. It was a Musashi demon!
This is a fierce beast, originating from the Ten Thousand Mountains, and on its back, an old general with a goatee leaps down.

Gongsun Yang, dressed in blue armor and holding no position in the Ninth Mountain, leaped down from above. He looked up at the main hall in front of the steps, his eyes gleaming with black, his face solemn and weathered. His footsteps were like the pounding of a drum as he quickly ascended the steps.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers guarding the main hall dared not be negligent and readily allowed them to pass.

Gongsun Yang went up to the main hall and saw the open doors and the people inside looking at him, especially the Grand Preceptor Helian, whose gaze was the most piercing.

There was discontent in it!

Gongsun Yang remained expressionless, walked into the hall, and bowed with his hands clasped.
"This humble general has come on the orders of my general, bringing a message!"

Before anyone could react, Helian Shan, who was narrowing his eyes, heard Gongsun Yang's next words, which were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.
"The King of Beiliang is about to raise an army!"

"The general instructed me to tell you, sir, that we need to make preparations as soon as possible!"

These words caused initial astonishment among the crowd, followed by a surge of shock.

The generals' expressions changed drastically. Helian Shan, sitting before the main seat, raised his aged face, his narrowed eyes flashing with a terrifying light. The next second, he appeared instantly before Gongsun Yang, his voice trembling with alarm.
"Your general went to Beiliang?"

Its immense aura emanated from it, like a gust of wind blowing against Gongsun Yang, causing his sideburns to fly back and his blue armor to hum and tremble.

"Today is the investiture ceremony for the newly appointed heir of the Northern Liang King. The general traveled yesterday to attend the banquet with congratulatory gifts!"

A faint golden light emanated from Gongsun Yang's body as he withstood the sudden oppressive force emanating from Helian Shan. He lowered his eyes, cupped his hands, and...

Upon hearing this, Helian Shan's wrinkled eyelids twitched slightly. Could that "gift" be the human head that flew away from Eagle Beak Cliff?
His guesses grew stronger, and a fire ignited within him. With Chen Yuan's actions, the Northern Liang Royal Palace would certainly not let it go easily. Had he provoked them to the point of forcing them to raise an army?
"I know you bear General Chen's mark. Let your general manifest himself and speak!"

"I need to know the whole story. Without His Majesty's permission, it's not the right time to take action against the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion!"

Helian Shan's face twitched, his voice couldn't help but become fierce, his eyes gleamed, his clothes fluttered, and his aura was overwhelming.

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, my lord. My general is currently on his way back to Shu and has no free time."

"Moving mountains to travel? What kind of mountains are you moving?" Helian Shan looked surprised and suspicious.

"The entire Northern Liang Royal Palace!"

Gongsun Yang answered in a firm and resounding voice.

Upon hearing this, the air in the hall suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Helian Shan's face twitched, his eyes looked like he wanted to devour someone, and his expression was rather ugly. This is bad!
The other generals stared in disbelief, their pupils dilating in shock.

What?! General Chen raided the hometown of the King of Northern Liang?! (End of Chapter)