"Xi lü lü..."
The three treasured colts approached each other as if old friends reuniting, neighing loudly as they sped closer.
"Sigh..."
The three riders gathered and simultaneously reined in their horses.
Yang Ge smiled and complained, "You guys really know how to dawdle. I’ve been waiting so long that the flowers are almost wilted!"
Li Jincheng pointed at Yang Tiansheng, "You can’t blame me for this; I was waiting for this guy!"
Yang Tiansheng spread his hands, "Do you think I like to dawdle? I owed so many favors before, and when people came knocking at my door asking me to repay them, choosing whom to repay first was a problem..."
Yang Ge suddenly became alert, "What do you mean?"
Without answering, Yang Tiansheng merely led the Red Charcoal Fire Dragon Colt, which was nuzzling with Erhei, to the side, "Just take a look for yourself!"
Through the gap between the two, Yang Ge looked out and saw that thirty or forty riders had already emerged from the woods, with no sign of stopping.
"Damn!"
Yang Ge cursed, "Didn’t I say we only needed twenty people? Why are there so many?"
Yang Tiansheng glanced around and pointed toward the White Lotus Sect’s Twelve Branches members who were hurrying over upon hearing the commotion, "Twenty people? Don’t you have twelve right here?"
Yang Ge helplessly said, "Don’t tell me you don’t know what’s up with them."
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Pointing to the troops who had just burst out of the woods behind him, Yang Tiansheng said, "I know what’s up with them; they are exactly that."
Yang Ge, rubbing his temples painfully, asked, "Exactly how many people are there? Are they all from Qi Sea?"
Li Jincheng took over the conversation, "You’d better take a look for yourself..."
He too turned his horse to one side, leaving the open space for those approaching knights.
In front of Yang Ge’s astonished gaze, Xiang Wudi and Zhou Fu emerged from the crowd, each straddling a large horse, one black and one spotted, and rode forward.
Xiang Wudi clasped his fist, "Brother."
Zhou Fu greeted with a bow, "Second Master."
Yang Ge asked, "How did you guys end up here?"
Xiang Wudi laughed heartily, "What are you talking about? The battle at Nansha Bay was fought together by all of us; to take revenge, of course, all of us should go together... My Xiang Family has thirty-three brave men still waiting for me to lead them to Dongying to seek revenge and settle our grudges!"
Yang Ge had no words as he looked to Zhou Fu, "And what excitement are you joining in on?"
Zhou Fu, with an innocent spread of hands, said, "This soldier didn’t want to cause you trouble, Second Master, but a military order is like a mountain, and surely I can’t be insubordinate!"
Though he claimed reluctance, a smile was clearly evident on his face.
The five of them looked at each other, while the five treasured colts that had traveled south together from the grasslands also whispered among themselves.
Yang Ge looked around and said with a scolding laugh, "You guys really know how to make trouble for me!"
He squeezed his legs against Erhei’s belly, urging the horse step by step forward, examining each of the stalwart men who had come from afar.
The troops from four different regions, upon seeing him approach, unanimously clasped their fists in greeting, "Second Master!"
Yang Ge rode Erhei slowly past them, carefully looking at each face.
Nine from the Xiang Family.
Seven from Lianhuan Fort.
Fifteen from the imperial court.
Twenty-four from the Ming Sect.
In total, fifty-five people.
Added to them were the five of them and the twelve members of the White Lotus Sect, making it seventy-two people in total!
Seventy-two people, four giants of the Return to Truth realm, and sixty-eight Qi Sea masters!
If this force crashed into Dongying, not to mention pulling off a big heist, wasn’t it enough even to topple a nation?
After making a round, Yang Ge turned back to look at the four men, his expression a mix of things he seemed to want to say but hesitated...
Yang Tiansheng said, "Stop dawdling, the main force is following behind us. If you dawdle any longer, there will be even more people!"
Yang Ge: ???
Yang Tiansheng wondered, "Don’t you know?"
Yang Ge was even more puzzled, "What should I know?"
Yang Tiansheng’s eyes brightened as he swooped in with his right arm, "Come, come, come. Let brother explain it to you..."
The other three also approached with smiles, surrounding Yang Ge on their horses.
The four chattered away, explaining the ongoing and widely discussed "Eastern Expedition" saga.
After a moment of confusion, Yang Ge recovered and exclaimed angrily, "Alright, alright, alright, Shen, so this is how you play? You just wait, if I don’t break your three legs, you can write my name Yang upside down!"
All four snickered surreptitiously.
Twisting his head fiercely, Yang Ge grabbed hold of Zhou Fu’s lapel and dragged him over, his voice threatening, "Speak, what is your mission for this trip?"
Zhou Fu dared not hide anything, promptly spilling the contents of the Northern Army Commander’s order completely, "Reporting to Second Master, my mission for this trip is to lead them here to participate in the Eastern Expedition."
Yang Ge turned to that group of fifteen Qi Sea experts and called out sternly, "Who are you with?"
A brawny man with a leopard’s head and ringed eyes stepped forward and saluted, "Second Master, I am Liu Tang, a deputy commander of the Northern Pacification Commission subordinate to the Embroidered Uniform Guards."
Letting go of Zhou Fu, Yang Ge spurred Erhei forward and replied, "Oh, so you’re a trusted man of Shen?"
Liu Tang swallowed nervously and quickly pointed at a person beside him, "Second Master, he is Nangong Feiying from the Western Factory."
Yang Ge’s tone lengthened as he said, "Oh, so the Western Factory is also involved..."
Nangong Feiying gave Liu Tang a dark look and hurriedly spoke up, "Second Master, this matter started with the Embroidered Uniform Guards."
Yang Ge held back Erhei and scanned the two men, "Speak, what is your mission for this trip? If you can’t give me a clear answer, I’ll break a leg of yours right now!"
Liu Tang immediately complied, "Reporting to Second Master, my mission is to scout the strength of Dongying and gather relevant intelligence, and if possible to establish a base for long-term undercover operations."
Nangong Feiying delivered a full account, "Reporting to Second Master, my mission is to investigate whether Dongying really has the abundant gold and silver mines as you mentioned, Second Master..."
Yang Ge narrowed his eyes in thought, muttering to himself, ’This seems not to be Shen Fa’s or Wei Heng’s idea, but the Emperor’s... what a good turn of events!’