Patrol Captain

Just one hour after the Grand Preceptor Helian Shan of the Great Qian Dynasty announced the northward expedition, causing a stir throughout the palace,

At 3:45 PM, on Mount Yunding, leaden-gray clouds churned among the mountains, and a fierce wind, accompanied by thunder, howled through the mountains, shrouding the world in a chilling atmosphere.

Suddenly, the void above Yunding Mountain trembled violently, as if a huge rock had been thrown into a calm lake, and invisible ripples spread outward from the mountaintop.

The next second, with a thunderous boom, several beams of azure light shot into the sky from the Heavenly Patrol Hall. Within the azure light, four ancient bronze mirrors, each the size of a bowl, flew out, carrying an ancient and rustic aura, and then rushed towards the four cardinal directions of Cloud Peak. Once they occupied the four corners and hovered in mid-air, the bronze mirrors suddenly expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the cloud patterns carved on the edges of the mirrors gleamed with a dark azure luster under the lightning.

Immediately following, a beastly roar, like the sound of metal, echoed through the sky. The bronze carvings around the mirror, resembling tigers but not quite, seemed to come alive. First, a hint of blue light appeared in their eyes, and then the lines of their limbs seemed to undulate, as if a sleeping creature had been awakened.

In an instant, the carvings on the four ancient mirrors came to life. They transformed into translucent phantoms, moving around the enlarged mirror bodies; some pawed at the ground as if about to pounce into the void; others roared with their heads raised.
This is the legendary Zouwu, a true spirit born from the void!

As the illusory image of the true spirit circulated repeatedly around the bronze mirror, the mirror surface trembled, the void emitted a buzzing sound, and spatial fluctuations arose. At this moment, the mirror surface in the center of the bronze mirror began to change. At first, it was just a milky white glimmer, like ripples, then the light quickly intensified, carrying an indescribable suction force that drew the surrounding clouds towards the mirror surface.

A moment later, a series of rapid buzzing sounds emanated from the four ancient mirrors simultaneously. The milky-white mirror surface suddenly shone brightly, followed by a loud "boom," as if a violent tongue of fire was tearing through the void. A milky-white beam of light shot into the sky from the bronze mirror, tearing through the leaden clouds and creating a narrow strip of light in the sky. Violent spatial ripples spread out, connecting heaven and earth, transforming into four spatial teleportation arrays.

The moment the formation was completed, the mountains below trembled.

A sharp "neigh" pierced the sky, followed by the neighing of thousands upon thousands of warhorses, which resounded like thunder on the mountaintop, suppressing the drumbeats.

"send troops!"

The scene zooms in from the wind and rain outside to the Heavenly Patrol Hall. The Grand Preceptor of the Great Qian Dynasty, Helian Shan, has a captivating gaze. With a wave of his sleeve, the four bronze mirrors outside Cloud Peak tremble, and the teleportation beams surge upwards from the mirrors and then downwards, crashing into the four directions of Cloud Peak.

With this command given, the general who was chosen to lead the troops bowed forward, then flicked his cloak behind him, turned around and strode out of the hall.

Among them was Qi Tian, ​​the Demon Suppression General who had not been assigned any missions and was instead stationed in Daofu Division with Helian Shan!
Following behind were Pei Yanhu, and the sixth, seventh, and eighth lieutenant generals!
With several fronts being fought in Shu, the deployment of troops is stretched thin. The imperial court has not yet received the news, and troop deployment will also take time. Time is of the essence, and speed is of the essence. The resources of the Fusi Mountain Expeditionary Army need to be put to the rescue.

Fortunately, after a year of rest and recuperation, the remaining mountains have slowly regained their vitality.

Just as the generals were about to be ordered to leave, their gazes turned to the outside as they followed the messengers rushing down the mountain.

Under the vast, windy sky, amidst the mountains, banners fluttered, and soldiers and horses stood in square formation. The warhorses, clad in jet-black armor, pawed slightly with their forehooves, exhaling white steam. The cavalrymen on their saddles had long swords hanging from their waists and flags planted on their backs, their eyes as cold as frost.

Generals received their orders and descended the mountain, arriving at their respective training grounds. They clashed weapons against armor, their gazes fierce, and roared...
"send troops!"

"."

Then came a horse's neigh, like a horn sounding in the sky, and thousands of horses thundered forward, rushing towards the light array like a flood bursting its banks. The wind and rain were split apart, and raindrops falling on the armor were instantly shattered into fine mist, transforming into a white line. Countless figures spread across the sky and earth, like a black dragon, winding its way towards the light array.

The moment the warhorses stepped into the four-directional light array, the milky-white light pillars began to hum and tremble. The true spirits and phantoms within the light array suddenly became restless, and the light became even more dazzling. In the blazing light, the figures became blurred and transformed into streaks of starlight that shot into the sky.

At the training ground below the Seventh Mountain, the troops were ready. General Qi Tian received his orders and, leading Pei Yanhu, the Seventh Mountain Lieutenant General, and several other generals, prepared to assemble and take command at Tianxiong Pass.

As a strategic pass connecting Sichuan, Northern Liang, and Guanzhong, Tianxiong Pass naturally required a large garrison.

Just then, a figure flew down from the sky, followed by a powerful voice.

"General Qi, please wait!"

Then, the old general Gongsun Yang, with his graying temples and wearing blue armor, flew over and landed on the reviewing stand, bowing to the Qitian general opposite him.

At this moment, Qi Tian was dressed in flying cloud purple-gold armor, his eyes shone like cold stars, his eyebrows were as black as if painted with lacquer, and his chest was broad, showing the courage to be able to fight ten thousand men.

Qi Tian saw Gongsun Yang and knew his special identity. He knew this old general represented Chen Yuan, and that this old general had disappeared from the Ninth Mountain these past few days. He had heard that Grand Preceptor Helian was searching for him, and seemed very anxious. Connecting this to the bombshell news from earlier, his expression changed, and he whispered:
"I heard that Master Gongsun has not been at the Ninth Mountain these past few days, so I assumed he was not there. Why was he not seen in the main hall during the meeting just now?"

Gongsun Yang truthfully replied, "Before the meeting, I had already met with Grand Preceptor Helian. However, during the meeting just now, the Grand Preceptor did not allow me to attend. I think that firstly, he was angry, and secondly, he was worried that I would say something inappropriate and cause unnecessary trouble."

"Are you angry?" Qi Tian's cold, starry eyes revealed a hint of inquiry.

"My general went to Beiliang. The King of Beiliang harbored another Celestial Being who disappeared in the last battle of Chengdu. The general killed the Celestial Being, and the great battle turned the entire Liangzhou into wasteland. The King of Beiliang fled and is about to raise an army. That's all I know from the general so far. My general is on his way back to Shu now, and I expect the news will spread soon." Gongsun Yang didn't keep anyone in suspense and told them the whole story, what he knew.

Upon hearing this, Qi Tian and the others' pupils contracted, and their expressions changed several times before they recovered.

The King of Beiliang fled, the Celestials were killed, Liangzhou City was reduced to ashes, and the King of Liang raised an army. Each word contains a considerable amount of information.

It turns out that the source of the problem was Chen Yuan.

Thinking about it this way, all of this seems abrupt, yet strangely reasonable. For someone capable of such an act, there must be some twists and turns involved.

"Sir, did you call me back with any instructions?" Qi Tian didn't have time to process the information, but he knew that the prince of Beiliang would probably fight a desperate battle and completely break off relations, which might be worse than he imagined.

However, there's no use saying all this now. Gongsun Yang has come here, so he must have something to say. Thus, his eyes gleamed, and he began to inquire.

Gongsun Yang straightened his expression and nodded.

"Indeed, General, you have led the soldiers of the mountain-climbing army northward this time. Out of camaraderie, I naturally hope that you will all return safely and in triumph. There are some things I would like to say only to you and your colleagues, so that you may be prepared."

As he spoke, Gongsun Yang lowered his voice.
"First, the Northern Liang King Xiao Zhongtian has already entered the Martial Saint realm, but he has been hiding his true level so that the world is unaware of it. Second, the Northern Liang Pacification Bureau has a deep connection with this King, so do not easily believe the words of the people in this bureau. Third, and this is also my heartfelt advice, when a general encounters trouble, he must prioritize the safety of his soldiers. There is a teleportation array of my general in the city, so you can rest assured. If you encounter any force majeure, I have a brocade pouch to give you, which can be used in times of crisis."

"General, please do not refuse!" With that, Gongsun Yang flicked his sleeve and held up a light green brocade pouch.

Upon hearing this, General Qi Tian's expression turned somewhat solemn. His cold, starry eyes lowered slightly as he reached out and put the brocade pouch into his hand.
"Then thank you very much for your kindness, Mr. Gongsun and Chen Jun!"

Gongsun Yang bowed to him.
"The message has been delivered, so I will take my leave now."

After saying that, Gongsun Yang leaped into the air and quickly disappeared from the spot.

General Qi Tian and Pei Yanhu raised their heads and looked down at the army formation below.

"Let's go too!"

"set off!"

As the sound faded, the wind howled, and the soldiers moved in unison, transforming into a torrent rushing towards a teleportation array.

Thus, a large number of troops soared into the sky along with the teleportation array and marched north.

Inside Chengdu, people watched as the teleportation beam shot into the sky, and a large number of soldiers transformed into shooting stars, disappearing in a whoosh.

Soon after, news came from Yunding Mountain that the Northern Liang army had rebelled and the King of Liang had started a rebellion. The Daofu Division urgently dispatched troops northward!

This news, like a magnitude 10 earthquake, shook Chengdu. It spread throughout the city's taverns and shops, drawing much concern and causing quite a stir.

The land of Shu is now in dire straits, besieged on all sides. To the south, a chasm has appeared, spied upon by celestial beings and haunted by a skeletal king. Countless dead creatures occupy the seven prefectures and passes, like ticking time bombs, causing widespread unease. To the west, demons from the Demon Kingdom are invading, and the frontline troops are still locked in fierce battle. Right now, the neighboring Northern Liang is about to rebel. It is foreseeable that this will be a widespread upheaval, and if things go wrong, the whole world may descend into chaos.

At that time, Sichuan will be caught in the middle, and the situation looks really not optimistic.

As a result, rice in rice shops in Chengdu was snapped up by the people, and all kinds of daily necessities and cultivation supplies were also snapped up, causing prices to soar.

Amidst the clamor and chaos, it was the early hours of the next day, around 1 AM. In the deep darkness, outside the tightly closed North Gate, a middle-aged man dressed in a crimson official robe, who identified himself as the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, arrived. Xiao Sheng, the garrison commander of the North Gate, recognized Xu Liang and quickly led his men to inform Yunding Mountain.

At the Xuntian Hall on Yunding Mountain, the Imperial Preceptor Helian Shan, his eyes slightly red, saw Xu Liang, who had returned from Beiliang, and quickly walked down as if he had seen a long-lost "family member".

He was in a fit of anger today and only learned some superficial information from Gongsun Yang, not the whole picture. He wanted to know the full story to assess the current situation.

"His Majesty and I already know about the matter that Xu Shaoqing was sent to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace to investigate not long ago. It was at my request that I received the news of the Liang Prince's uprising from the Ninth Mountain today, but I do not know the full picture. Shaoqing's arrival is just in time."

"By the way, this place is tens of thousands of miles away from Liangzhou. How did Xu Shaoqing get here?"

Helian Shan's tone was relatively calm, but when he suddenly thought of this question, a glint flashed in his eyes, and his voice unconsciously deepened.

"General Chen brought me here," Xu Liang bowed to Helian Shan and answered truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Helian Shan lowered his eyes. This fellow has finally returned, putting on such a grand show that the entire court was caught off guard.

He had seen many storms and remained calm in most situations, but what really annoyed him was this General Chen, who had grandiose ideas and no scruples, and hadn't even informed him beforehand.

We made a promise back then, but things turned out this way. How can I not be furious?

"He came but didn't come to see me. It seems he knows what he's done and doesn't want to confront me face to face!" Helian Shan snorted coldly, his words carrying an unfriendly tone.

Xu Liang sensed the old national advisor's resentment, opened his lips, but didn't know how to speak.

Meanwhile, while Xu Liang and Helian Shan met at Yunding Mountain, Chen Yuan carried the entire Northern Liang Royal Palace across tens of thousands of miles to the Langdang Mountain region.

His enormous Dharma body directly split mountains and rocks two hundred miles away from Qingshan County, carving out a relatively flat area to house this mansion. Then, he concealed the secrets of heaven, summoned clouds and mist to cover the area, and temporarily placed it here amidst the clouds and mist.

Chen Yuan carried this palace all the way here, not without purpose or because he had nothing better to do, but because he had a plan!

The Northern Liang Royal Palace, nurtured by a thousand years of fortune, has become a place of great destiny. With years of accumulation, it contains countless precious plants and array patterns, and is rich in the essence of heaven and earth. The grand array is both offensive and defensive, and possesses considerable power. This can be seen from the effect of Xiao Zhongtian activating the Royal Palace's grand array before. It can withstand the aftershocks of the war between heaven and man and remain unscathed when the surrounding area becomes a scene of purgatory.

He planned to spend some time refining this mansion, which covered several miles, into a portable miniature world, since it was a ready-made treasure and a top-quality material in his eyes. With the addition of the techniques of the Pot Heaven and the blessing of formations, it should be able to shine brightly.

At the very least, once it's mastered, it's equivalent to having a large array diagram and an armory of troops. The troops can cultivate within it with peace of mind and preside over the array foundation, which is the most suitable path for Chen Yuan.

After all, he had troops under his command who only obeyed his orders, and even the emperor couldn't mobilize them.

Moreover, with the Northern Liang army rising up and war imminent, the task of suppressing the rebellion should be left to others. The imperial court is too large for him to concern himself with. He didn't think he had done anything wrong. He had put in so much effort by killing the Celestial Being, and the imperial court should be grateful to him. Otherwise, once Xiao Zhongtian's army and the Celestial Being joined forces and were fully prepared, things would be much more troublesome than they are now.

Thinking about it this way, it's time to recall my own soldiers!

In chaotic times, having soldiers and land is the foundation for survival!
After Chen Yuan finished doing all this, his body returned to normal size, he stood tall in the sky, his third eye between his eyebrows opened, and his mouth moved slightly.

Not far away, nestled in the mountains and forests, the Nu River roars and surges eastward, its waves washing away the past! (End of Chapter)