Witch Wind

Chapter 413 Unyielding Spirit (Part 2)

Auspicious purple clouds coming from the east signify great fortune.

Therefore, the envoy post station of Shu Han stationed at Lixing was located directly east of the Lishan Sacred Palace.

Also the work of a certain Master Zhang, the entire envoy's residence is located on the top of a mountain directly east of the Lishan Holy Palace. Every morning, it is bathed in the morning light much earlier than the Lishan Holy Palace. The entire residence is like a giant roc, looking down on the entire Lishan Holy Palace from a high place.

When Huangpu Buming summoned the heads of powerful families for a private meeting behind closed doors, Pang Tong, who had been stationed in the Dali Holy Dynasty for millions of years as an envoy of Shu Han, was baring his chest, holding a wine pot, squatting on a rock shaped like an eagle's beak that jutted out dozens of feet from the cliff, squinting at the Han Guang Palace dozens of miles away.

"Such a small child, yet with such a big mind." Pang Tong stared at him for a while, then chuckled.

Behind him, a white horse with eyes that gleamed with wisdom and looked extremely clear, was burying its head in a huge wine vat, gulping down old wine.

This horse had a special bond with Pang Tong.

It was the same unfortunate fellow who was shot and killed alongside Pang Tong at Luofeng Slope back then.

Pang Tong died in battle and was guided by the ancient immortals left behind in the Nine Provinces by the sages. Because of his outstanding aptitude in the path of cultivation, he met a certain standard set by the sages. The ancient immortals asked Pang Tong if he could make a condition: in addition to his immediate family, he could also guide certain 'creatures with specific conditions' so that they could also have the opportunity to ascend to immortality.

In the past, the conditions proposed by those who were guided were all reasonable.

For example, three old Taoist priests who started the Yellow Turban Rebellion guided all of their Yellow Turban warriors to immortality.

As for Pang Tong, he wanted the horse.

The ancient immortals, also eager to join in the fun, not only guided the horse to ascend to immortality, but also used their methods to search the white horse's body for a long time, activating a tiny trace of white dragon bloodline for it.

And so, the horse ascended to heaven.

Therefore, he had no hope of transforming into human form.

Millions of years have passed... Before this unfortunate white horse fully activated its white dragon bloodline and transformed into a dragon, even though it had already reached the peak of the Great Luo realm, it could only ever be a horse.

Exhaling a heavy breath reeking of alcohol, Bai Luofeng raised her head: "Speaking of which, didn't these little devils think of one possibility? Their array formations and restrictions were all taught to them by you, Master... If you wanted to eavesdrop on these array formations and restrictions, you could definitely have eavesdropped on them?"

Yes, this horse was named Bai Luofeng.

Pang Tong wanted to use this horse to constantly remind himself not to forget the time he was killed by a hail of arrows at Luofeng Slope—be cautious, be careful, think thrice before you act, consider every step carefully, and never be careless!

Hearing Bai Luofeng's complaints, Pang Tong smiled slightly and vigorously stroked his thick, swallowtail mustache: "Stop talking nonsense. This strategist is upright and honest. When did I eavesdrop? Hmph, the embassy is too close, and their voices are too loud. They just wandered into my ears. Who can you blame for that?"

Bai Luofeng chuckled and rolled her eyes at Pang Tong.

Pang Tong smiled slightly and shook his head gently.

As Bai Luofeng said, all the cultivation methods such as formations and restrictions in the Dali Holy Dynasty were taught by Pang Tong. Even though these little people have made countless interpretations and changes to various formations and restrictions.

But no matter how many tricks you use, the fundamental principles of your formations and restrictions were all taught to you by Pang Tong.

Despite the ever-changing forms, the fundamental principles remain the same. In Pang Tong's eyes, all the formations and restrictions of the Great Li Holy Dynasty are transparent.

Therefore, the Dali Holy Dynasty has been making more and more small moves in recent years, but none of these small moves can be hidden from Pang Tong—including the last time, the so-called Zhang Bao's drunken brawl that seriously injured the Ninth Prince.

The Great Li Dynasty wanted to keep Zhang Bao on Li Star so that he could not provide timely reinforcements to Bai Luan Star.

However, now that Pang Tong knows the whole story... not only did Zhang Bao arrive in time, but the brothers Ma Su and Ma Liang also arrived at Bai Luan Xing's front line with reinforcements.

However, Pang Tong never expected that the villains of the Dali Holy Dynasty could be so ruthless and insane.

In their efforts to strike at Shu Han, they even went so far as to involve Cao Wei and Sun Wu in the conflict, in addition to the Sima Jin dynasty. This resulted in Zhang Bao's reinforcements being blocked by Dian Wei, and the reinforcements of the brothers Ma Su and Ma Liang being surrounded by the large army under Lü Meng's command.

"You've certainly gone to great lengths," Pang Tong said with a cold smile, shaking his head slightly.

Interesting, interesting.

Really interesting.

If it weren't for the sudden intervention of the extremely interesting junior Taoist Xing Tianli, who used extremely violent methods to scare away the disruptive armies of the Sima Jin Dynasty, Cao Wei, and Sun Wu... well, Pang Tong's side would still be in a great state of shock, waiting for those three armies.

Among the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han, three generals had already taken command of a large army and were quietly lurking in the chaotic nebula outside the White Phoenix Star.

Unfortunately, Xing Tianli ruined everything.

However, it wasn't a complete loss—Sima Ping was actually captured alive? And he's already been sent to the capital of Shu Han?
That's quite interesting.

I imagine the Sima clan's envoys have already scurried off to Prime Minister Zhuge to haggle and negotiate, haven't they? How much territory can one Sima Ping exchange for? A thousand habitable planets? Probably not too far off.
A sharp glint flashed in Pang Tong's eyes.

For many years, Shu Han was trapped in the Dali Holy Dynasty. Over all these years, Shu Han helped the Dali Holy Dynasty develop into such a vast and powerful empire, yet the Dali Holy Dynasty only granted Shu Han a mere hundred or so habitable planets as its territory.

Such a thing...

If not...

If not...

However, instead of targeting the Dali Holy Dynasty, using Sima Ping's head to exchange for a thousand habitable planets from the Sima clan is reasonable and in accordance with the will of Heaven... Surely the lord wouldn't object?

Pang Tong raised the wine jug and gulped it down.

"My lord, when will you be able to break through that barrier and truly survive the calamity?" Pang Tong frowned and patted Bai Luofeng's big head hard: "Little Bai, Little Bai, you have to work hard, pamper a few more mares, and leave more bloodlines... Many juniors are watching you."

Bai Luofeng looked at Pang Tong with a deep gaze: "But, old Pang, I really don't have any emotional foundation with those little mares... Tell me, tell me, when my bloodline is pure and I take human form... will I be a human or a horse? Will I still be able to look at those little mares then? When that time comes, will my aesthetic sense change to that of a stunningly beautiful woman?"

"This is such a serious and frightening topic."

Bai Luofeng was very distressed: "Back then, the moral and ethical relationships between me and those little mares, and those great beauties..."

"You son of a bitch!" Pang Tong roared, slapping Bai Luofeng's head repeatedly. "Do I care what happens after you transform? You're a horse now, so you go and have lots of puppies and foals... The foals with your bloodline will run fast, jump far, and their cultivation will be incredibly fast... All the little guys in the family are eyeing your foals!"

"Let me tell you, if you honestly go and mate with those little mares now, you can still maintain some semblance of dignity... There are a few ruthless little bastards who are planning to drug you..." Pang Tong's face twitched.

Bai Luofeng's face was contorted in pain.

His clear eyes were filled with horror—drug him? Just to make him pamper more of the mare?

"I have dignity." Bai Luofeng looked haggard and sad. A faint sadness permeated his heart. Although he knew that his little pony was extremely talented and popular wherever it went, why did it have to come to this?

“Times have changed, my lord… Don’t you think that the young generals of all the generals’ families should no longer be fighting on horseback? There are warships flying everywhere, and warships are exchanging blows everywhere. Battle formations, bows and crossbows, armor, and mounts are all outdated!” Bai Luofeng said, distressed.

Pang Tong stroked Bai Luofeng's big head, about to say something.

A soft jade chime rang out. Pang Tong paused for a moment, smiled slightly, slowly got up, and leisurely straightened his clothes. He changed into a proper official robe of a high-ranking official of the Han Dynasty, with a golden seal hanging at his waist and a staff in his hand. He then slowly walked into his own envoy's post station.

All around, rows of towering Shu Han soldiers, each over ten feet tall and clad in armor, silently patrolled the area, hovering three feet above the ground, their feet treading on flowing clouds. Upon seeing Pang Tong, these soldiers, whose cultivation was at least at the Golden Immortal realm, all descended from their clouds, pounded their chests with their right fists, and saluted Pang Tong. They continued in this manner until they reached the depths of the inn. Pang Tong activated a mechanism, and a secret door opened silently, revealing a passage to an underground palace.

Pang Tong followed the long, winding passage for more than ten miles, and they were now deep inside the mountain. Two strongmen, each about two zhang tall, panted heavily as they slowly pushed open a giant bronze door that was twelve zhang high and three zhang thick. A palace, with a round roof and a square floor, its ceiling inlaid with colorful pearls that resembled a glittering starry sky, suddenly appeared. The entire palace was filled with starlight.

If Xing Tianli were here, he would see that the star map on the roof is the Zhou Tian constellation of his hometown in his previous life, with the Big Dipper and the Southern Dipper shining brightly and quite conspicuous.

Ye Kai, the current head of the Ye family, a top clan of the Dali Holy Dynasty, who was just in the Lishan Holy Palace discussing matters with Huangpu Buming, was now smiling broadly as he hurried towards Pang Tong with small, quick steps: "Lord Pang, Military Advisor Pang, Immortal Master Pang, it's been so long, I've missed you dearly!"

Pang Tong smiled.
He casually pulled out a thumb-sized, vermilion-colored elixir that emitted a faint fragrance and was surrounded by wisps of smoke, and handed it to Ye Kai: "A few days ago, I opened my furnace and produced another batch of Three Elements Rejuvenating Pills of good quality... One pill can allow an ordinary child to directly possess the cultivation of a Celestial Immortal."

Ye Kai was stunned.

Pang Tong squinted: "The mistress you keep outside is indeed a beauty of unparalleled grace and charm, but her status is rather awkward... She is your thirteenth-generation granddaughter's best friend from the same school, and you actually took her as your mistress. It's certainly not something you can talk about with others."

"However, since that little girl has already given birth to your child, but he is born with a deficiency and lacks the aptitude for cultivation, this Three Elements Fire Returning Pill is just right to fill the gap in his innate talent, allowing him to directly possess the cultivation level of a Celestial Immortal, and his future cultivation will be smooth."

Ye Kai's forehead was visibly covered in cold sweat.

Because the affair with the mistress was indeed something that couldn't be made public, Ye Kai boasted that he had kept it extremely secret—he had used the most powerful secrecy measures he could within the scope of his authority and power.

He thought that only he and a few trusted henchmen knew about this matter.

However, Pang Tong actually knew very well that the child was born with deficiencies and lacked the aptitude for cultivation, and even prepared a Three Elements Returning Fire Pill in advance to serve him.

"The wisest among all are you, Master Ye!" Ye Kai smiled broadly, but beneath that bright smile lay a deep shock and fear that he tried desperately to conceal but could not hide.

It has been a million years since the Shu Han dynasty came to power.

Even though Shu Han did not deliberately do anything to the Dali Holy Dynasty under the control of Liu Bei, over time, Shu Han naturally developed an extremely terrifying infiltration and control over the Dali Holy Dynasty.

Not to mention, according to Ye Kai and others' calculations, and the information they obtained from various channels, Pang Tong is more likely the head of Shu Han's intelligence network, and he controls an invisible net!

After taking their seats and being served tea, Ye Kai sipped the fragrant tea and gave Pang Tong a detailed report on the many matters that the high-ranking officials of the Great Li Dynasty had discussed in the Lishan Holy Palace.

"So, Little Jiu'er got thrown into the trash?" Pang Tong smiled, "Small in stature, but big-hearted, but her strength can't match it..."

Ye Kai also smiled broadly.

He raised his teacup, his gaze lingering on the rim, carefully observing Pang Tong's smiling face: "However, it is said that the Yellow Turban rebels who breached the Heavenly Horse Nebula shouted the slogan—'Li Tian is dead...'"

Pang Tong smiled: "Should the Han Dynasty be established?"

Shaking his head, Pang Tong smiled and muttered to himself, "Youngsters, you're quite interesting... Cough, whether you believe it or not, you must believe that the Yellow Turban Army has absolutely nothing to do with us!"

Pang Tong laughed with extreme joy and radiance.

He looked up at the dazzling star map inlaid with jewels on the roof.

I wonder where in the starry sky the three brothers, the true Great Teachers, are doing with their former followers.

Cold sweat seeped out again on Ye Kai's forehead.

He raised his sleeve and vigorously wiped his forehead: "Yes, yes, yes, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Han is benevolent and would never do such a thing... cough, wherever the Yellow Turban army went, almost all the nobles and officials were slaughtered. It was really too brutal."

Pang Tong looked at Ye Kai thoughtfully, and after a long while, he asked in a low voice, "Is he really cruel?"

Ye Kai raised his teacup and held it for a long time.

After a long, long time, he finally sighed softly and took a sip of tea.

No one spoke.

After drinking two more sips of tea, Ye Kai got up and, led by a waiter, pushed open a secret door in the wall. Ye Kai entered the secret door and walked along the long, winding corridor for several miles, turning corners for a while, before finally arriving at a small secret room.

On the floor of the secret room, a small teleportation array with a diameter of about ten feet was set up.

Ye Kai stepped onto the teleportation array, took out a jade talisman and shook it lightly. The teleportation array flashed with a faint light, and he disappeared instantly. When he reappeared, he was already on the custom-made warship exclusively for the Ye family head.

This warship, surrounded by a large group of warships, is rapidly departing from Lixing.

Pegasus Nebula.

The border defense line had been breached several days ago. The governor of Tianma Nebula, Shangguan Zheng, a powerful figure from the Shangguan clan, a top aristocratic family of the Dali Holy Dynasty, was inexplicably infected with the plague on the battlefield. He and a large group of his advisors and generals were vomiting and suffering from diarrhea, and were completely unable to fight.

The Tianma Nebula's garrison fleet was completely overwhelmed by the Yellow Turban Army's massive fleet, which was superior in both quantity and performance. More than 100,000 of its main warships were wiped out in one battle, and countless sailors were captured by the Yellow Turban Army and, within a few days, were completely transformed into fanatical supporters of the Yellow Turban Army.

Of the more than 1,500 habitable planets, most are now under the control of the Yellow Turban Army.

The same old tactics were employed—public trials of nobles and officials, mobilizing the common people, dividing up land and wealth, and selecting new grassroots officials from among the people to expand the Yellow Turban Army with terrifying efficiency.

A large amount of floating wealth was taken by Xiao Li and his group to the Tongtian Trading Company and exchanged for a large number of powerful warships.

Thus, the Yellow Turban army continued to advance through the void, breaking through the defenses of planet after planet, while the sickly Shangguan Zheng, with only a small group of trusted subordinates, retreated in defeat.

Retreat, retreat, retreat...

Along the way, officials of the Dali Holy Dynasty on many planets retreated, handing over planets to the Yellow Turban Army.

Finally, just as the Yellow Turban Army was about to conquer the entire Tianma Nebula, the Great Li Holy Dynasty's suppression army, the Holy Dynasty's directly subordinate Imperial Guard Corps, which was mobilized directly from the vicinity of Lixing, finally arrived.

Two massive fleets faced each other across a million miles in the void.

Before long, a swarm of cultivators, like locusts, clad in various immortal robes and armor, and wielding all sorts of immortal artifacts and weapons, surged out from the massive fleet. Leading the charge was none other than the Ninth Prince, his hair disheveled, clad in scarlet heavy armor, wielding a heavy halberd, and displaying a desperate look.

He was appointed as the supervisor of the pacification army, and a directly subordinate imperial guard was placed under his command.

Before he set off, his father, the current Holy Emperor Huangpu Buming, had clearly told him that if he succeeded in suppressing the rebellion and eliminated the Yellow Turban Army in the shortest possible time, the Ninth Prince could retain his title of Prince.

Of course, even if he retained his title of prince, the Ninth Prince would still have to go to Shu Han to apologize for some reason, especially to Zhang Bao. However, Shu Han was benevolent, so he would not be severely punished and could still enjoy a life of honor as a prince.

Of course, the throne of the Holy Emperor was no longer relevant to him, completely irrelevant.

But if he is unable to quell the rebellion—then let the Ninth Prince die on the battlefield. Huangpu Buming said that if he cannot eliminate the Yellow Turban Army, then let the Yellow Turban Army eliminate him. There is no other choice!

The Ninth Prince was furious. He brandished his heavy halberd and roared in a fit of rage.

"Where are the three great traitors: Heaven, Earth, and Man?"

"I and you are sworn enemies, to the death... Come and fight, fight!"

(End of this chapter)