Chapter 70: Chapter 71: The Great Wind Army Returns to the City
Zeng Feixiong muttered, "Eldest Young Master, did that Deity just yell out the word ’freeze’?"
No one beside him answered. Zeng Feixiong turned to look. Where was he?
Hee Lingchuan was gone.
Zeng Feixiong’s scalp prickled. Their side, led by the Eldest Young Master, was opposing a Celestial God. Now that the Black Flood Dragon was on its last legs, wouldn’t the Celestial God just turn its wrath on them next?
Of course it would. It absolutely would.
He’d never heard of any Deity being good-tempered.
’Don’t tell me the Eldest Young Master ran away?’
Fortunately, Fuzzy Peach spoke up in time. "The Eldest Young Master jumped down below the city wall! He told me to tell Lord Zeng that if the Black Flood Dragon is about to be frozen solid, open fire on it!"
Open fire? A jolt went through Zeng Feixiong, and suddenly, everything became crystal clear.
’Of course! The Celestial God possessing Nian Songyu wants to freeze the Black Flood Dragon solid to avoid fighting it again and again. So all we have to do is open fire on the Black Flood Dragon and help it revive!’
There was no time to lose. He spun around and bellowed, "Brothers! Man the cannons and load the crossbows! Use the biggest cannonballs! Get them!"
The Black Water City Army: "Which ’them’?"
"The Flood Dragon and the man, both of them!" Zeng Feixiong smacked a subordinate on the back of the head. "Get a move on if you don’t want to die!"
The men scrambled to obey.
A pile of cannonballs materialized on the city gate, along with several Blast Crossbow Arrows. Just one look at the amount of gunpowder on the arrowheads made it clear these were not for show.
Evidently, the Grand Square Pot approved of their actions.
The Black Flood Dragon was barely moving, and Nian Songyu had to keep chanting his spell, making them the easiest of targets.
Two Nail Bombs and a Crossbow Vehicle had just been loaded when two soldiers suddenly cried out, clutched their chests, and fell from the city wall. Startled, Zeng Feixiong peered over the edge and saw Sunx Fuping slowly lowering his Magic Staff.
Despite his wretched state, his gaze was still sinister.
’Right. How could they forget about the National Preceptor? How *dare* they forget about him?’
Zeng Feixiong had no intention of getting into a drawn-out fight with him. He ducked his head and yelled, "Fire, quickly! Hurry up!"
A few thunderous booms later, the half-frozen Black Flood Dragon shattered to pieces. The Blast Crossbow Arrow had done its job magnificently; it had burrowed into the ice before exploding, dealing even more damage than a cannonball.
Nian Songyu was also hit. But the Nail Bombs couldn’t pierce his Barrier, only knocking him back several yards.
The look he gave them sent a chill through the Black Water City Army. It was a look that clearly said: ’You just wait.’
The reason he didn’t attack immediately was the sudden sound of hooves from outside the city gates, rushing toward them like a violent storm.
The men rushed to the other side of the battlements to look and were stunned by what they saw:
A vast, dense army approached, their killing intent chilling and their formation immaculate. Banners bearing a large "Zhong" character whipped in the wind. It was the Great Wind Army, returning to the city.
This was their home turf. The Great Wind Army moved more than twice as fast as they did in the outside world. The sound of their hooves had barely registered before the army was already pouring into the city like a river.
There were no challenges shouted, no answers given. With a wave of their spear tips, the leading generals sent several hundred cavalrymen surging forward, charging at Nian Songyu.
Perhaps because the Laws of the Illusion Realm were far more flexible than those of the outside world, the several hundred cavalrymen split into groups and then, astoundingly, began to overlap with one another.
The men on the walls thought their eyes were playing tricks, that they were seeing double. They rubbed their eyes and looked again, only to find that the hundreds of cavalrymen had merged into just five riders.
Each of these riders was clad in Heavy Armor, their eyes glowing red. They no longer looked human. Both rider and steed had more than doubled in size, so that riding a horse was like riding a Giant Elephant. The tips of their Spear Halberds glinted with a dark light.
Their attack method was simple and unadorned. Relying on their superior strength and steeds, they brandished their weapons and came at Nian Songyu with brute force.
Every thrust carried a ferocious power that seemed to stir the very air, making the onlookers on the wall feel a chill run down their backs.
’Could I dodge an attack like that?’
Nian Songyu didn’t dodge. He met the charge head-on with his saber.
At that very moment, a strikingly familiar voice suddenly called out from outside the city: "Chuan’Er!"
"Chuan’Er" wasn’t on the wall, but Zeng Feixiong heard it. He spun around in delight and exclaimed, "It’s the Lord Governor!"
The men crowded against the battlements and looked down. Hee Chunhua was standing right below the South Second Gate!
The current Panlong City had a three-gate system. Nian Songyu and the Black Flood Dragon were fighting inside the city, while Hee Prefect had appeared within the second, outer gate. A barbican gate still separated him from the battlefield, leaving him in a relatively safe position.
He was surrounded by a dozen or so personal guards, who were all waving to their comrades on the wall.
Overjoyed, the men grabbed rope ladders and threw them down for them to climb.
As soon as Hee Chunhua made it up, Zeng Feixiong rushed over to salute him. "My Lord, are you alright? We heard about National Preceptor Sunx’s dirty work!"
"Not dead," Hee Chunhua replied, looking around anxiously. "Where’s Chuan’Er?"
"The Eldest Young Master jumped off the wall. Said he had something to take care of," Zeng Feixiong said, pointing south of the city.
Hee Chunhua let out a long sigh of relief. "That’s good to hear." ’My son isn’t dead, and it sounds like he’s okay. That’s good, that’s good.’
"How did you escape? And why are there so few of you?" Zeng Feixiong was still confused. "And what about this Great Wind Army?"
"It’s a long story. After we entered the Pool Well, dozens of men went missing. They haven’t regrouped with us yet." Hee Chunhua surveyed the battle, frowning. "Is Nian Songyu really this powerful?"
Facing the enhanced Great Wind Army, the strength Nian Songyu displayed was far too tyrannical, far exceeding his expectations. ’If the Royal Court has such a talent, why didn’t they send him to Woling Pass to fight the rebel army?’
"That’s not Nian Songyu anymore!" Zeng Feixiong quickly explained. "National Preceptor Sunx summoned a Celestial God to descend and possess Captain Nian. That’s why his power has skyrocketed. So right now, it’s the Celestial God fighting the Black Flood Dragon. The rest of us can’t even get involved."
Fuzzy Peach squeezed through to add, "The Celestial God tried to possess the Eldest Young Master first! It failed, and only then did it choose Nian Songyu!"
Hee Chunhua’s face fell. "What? Such a thing happened! Where is Sunx Fuping?"
"He was right there—" Zeng Feixiong pointed to the ruins below, then let out a surprised "Huh?" "He was there just a moment ago."
The ruins were empty. National Preceptor Sunx was also gone.
Down below, Saber Qi flew in every direction. The fight was evenly matched, though Nian Songyu seemed to have a slight upper hand. If any of the humans on the wall were to jump down directly, they would probably be ground into paste.
Hee Chunhua’s expression flickered—first hesitation, then a clenching of his jaw, followed by firm resolve. "Let’s go! We’ll go down the side!"
***
「Fifteen minutes earlier.」
The empowered Nian Songyu quickly discovered that these silent cavalrymen were no easy opponents.
No matter how mighty the Celestial God was, the vessel containing its Clone was subpar, which directly limited its power. After taking just three direct hits, Nian Songyu felt his strength drain away. The tiger’s mouth of his right hand burst open, and he couldn’t lift his arm for the trembling.
This was not good. The battle had barely begun, yet he already felt a weariness he hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Worst of all, the Black Flood Dragon had revived once more.
After being shattered by the Blast Crossbow Arrow, the Black Flood Dragon’s regeneration should have been slower than before. However, tens of thousands of Great Wind Army soldiers charged toward it, suddenly transforming into red light and pouring into its wounds.
Nian Songyu’s expression finally changed.
Seizing an opportunity created by an earth-shattering cleave that forced his enemies back, he leaped to Sunx Fuping’s side. "Why are you here, when the sacrificial Array was set up outside?"
