The Demon Lords

Chapter 464 59: South_3

"Hand it over."

Yuan Zhenxing was a crude man, a great swordsman who could make a mess of his life, but he always kept the little sword boy by his side, showing how much he valued him.

Zheng Fan could probably guess what a Sword Embryo meant. Similar to the notion of an innate body, it's beneficial in future sword practice, making it more effective.

"Then there's nothing to talk about." Zheng Fan shook his head.

Handing over the boy first was out of the question. Chief Zheng, not having much integrity himself, did not trust others' integrity either.

At that moment, Baili Sword lifted his iron sword. His eyes, once muddled, slowly cleared, replaced by a striking clarity.

From a personal perspective, Zheng Fan wasn't fond of setting the stage for others to show off, but they undeniably had the capital to do so. In this world, there were Martial Cultivators, magic, Battle Qi, and other cultivators, which lent further credence to the saying, "heroes use martial arts to break laws."

The two sides faced each other in silence. Fanli's axe remained pointed at the little sword boy, like a gun aimed at a hostage's temple.

"They are gathering power," Siniang said.

"Charging up a super move?" Zheng Fan asked.

Siniang hesitated. In this atmosphere, such an overly modern description seemed to spoil the mood, but she still nodded and said, "My lord is wise."

Swordsmen valued their Sword Energy. Unlike pure Martial Cultivators who could bathe in a sea of enemies, they focused on the burst damage they could inflict shortly after drawing their weapons.

Apparently, they were preparing to strike. After all, if you were lucky enough to encounter one foolishly strong expert like Yuan Zhenxing, you couldn't expect to encounter another.

What Siniang could discern, Liang Cheng certainly could too. Instantly, fifty of his cavalrymen began to surround Baili Xianglan, while the rest swarmed toward Baili Sword.

The ideal outcome was to eliminate one first before dealing with the other. Of course, the losses would be immense, but that wasn't the primary concern now. Rather, it was whether these three hundred cavalrymen could stop these two top-tier swordsmen, one of whom was arguably the foremost swordsman of the current age.

Just as both sides were poised to clash, a troop of soldiers suddenly appeared from the southwest. Hundreds of cavalrymen led the charge, followed by over a thousand infantrymen.

The leader, with arms as long as an ape's and a long beard, wielded a long spear.

"Master Baili, worry not! Han Wu from Beihe jurisdiction is here to assist you!"

Han Wu?

Supreme Lord Zheng, sitting in his chair, squinted. The man looked strikingly familiar. Then he remembered: wasn't this a general from the Qian army that Li Fusheng had routed outside Chuzhou city? At the time, Zheng Fan had judged him to be a big fish. However, this fish was a bit too fierce, so he hadn't dared to try and reel him in.

Han Wu had arrived, leading nearly two thousand cavalry and infantry under his command.

His luck had been truly abysmal. After his forces were scattered outside Chuzhou, he had gathered some remnants and returned to Beihe jurisdiction, largely because his troops were primarily Beihe stalwarts, and his father-in-law, the Military Governor of Beihe, resided there.

Who would have thought that just as he returned with his battered troops, he would witness his father-in-law's army being crushed by Li Bao? It was a fine turn of events. Han Wu, the dutiful son-in-law, immediately took over from his father-in-law, the Beihe Military Governor, and the two fled south together.

At that time, Li Bao was still racing Li Fusheng, so he pursued them relentlessly. But Han Wu was truly capable. Though the quality of his soldiers couldn't match that of the Yan people, he personally possessed the ability, and with great effort, led his father-in-law across the Bian River to safety.

No sooner had they crossed the Bian River, intending to rest at West Wind Crossing and allow his father-in-law to petition the Emperor, confess his mistakes, and hope for a fresh start, than misfortune struck again. Li Fusheng, on a swift campaign, arrived and immediately attacked West Wind Crossing.

At that moment, Han Wu and his father-in-law were in the encampment at West Wind Crossing. When the Yan people broke in and the situation turned dire, Han Wu once again hoisted his father-in-law onto his back and fled for his life.

This time, however, they were accompanied by a eunuch Military Supervisor and a Vice Minister from the Ministry of War, who was there to deliver an imperial decree.

With the gates of the imperial capital tightly shut, they couldn't enter for the time being. Han Wu led the large group around the imperial capital and continued south.

Leveraging his father-in-law's status, along with the backing of the Military Supervisor and the Vice Minister, Han Wu quickly rallied several armies loyal to the crown, transforming himself once again into a military commander.

Previously, when scouts reported Baili Sword's return, Han Wu had immediately dispatched a contingent of troops to await his orders. After all, Baili Sword was the Crown Prince's martial tutor, a man of esteemed status. Connecting with him would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to his future.

Han Wu had seen through it all. The Yan people's southern campaign wouldn't destroy Qian. However, countless civil and military officials, great and small, would perish in the process. Wasn't this precisely his opportunity to rise through the ranks?

Therefore, he played the sycophant with great diligence.

Yet, when Liang Cheng saw Han Wu arrive with the Qian army, he visibly relaxed.

The momentum Baili Sword and Baili Xianglan had just built up dissipated. Simultaneously, the siblings sheathed their swords and, without hesitation, sprinted towards the imperial capital.

They weren't flying on swords, but the two swordsmen's running speed was still remarkably fast.

Han Wu was dumbfounded. What in the world was happening?

Suddenly, Han Wu realized something and cursed aloud, "Damn it all! I must have had lard clouding my mind to be so stupid!"

The earth began to tremble as figures of the Northern Guard cavalry appeared.

Han Wu's mobilization of Qian army troops naturally hadn't escaped the notice of the opposing main camp. Thus, the Northern Guard reacted swiftly.

And the leader of this Northern Guard contingent was none other than Li Fusheng, who had been itching for action for several days.

"Damn it all!" Li Fusheng roared. "I wasn't going to bother with this rabble, but they actually dared to push their luck and provoke us! If a tiger doesn't show its might, they'll mistake it for a sick cat! Charge! Crush them!"

At this, Fanli lowered his axe.

The little sword boy's expression was grim.

Chief Zheng, who had been on edge, finally relaxed. His body sagged slightly against the armchair, and for a moment, he exuded the distinct, somewhat sinister indolence of a court eunuch.

Zheng Fan pointed ahead.

To the little sword boy, he said, "They've run off."

The sword boy's face was solemn, as if deep in thought. Finally, he spoke, "I suddenly feel..."

"Feel what?"

"I feel that my godforsaken master... is actually quite endearing."

Zheng Fan smacked his lips, nodded, and said, "That he is."