Chapter 831: Ten Camps Connection

Xu Han sprouted two lotus leaves on his body, carrying Zhang Wanlong, and flew towards the underground city.

He had assumed Neizhou would guard against Dandelions, but he underestimated Qiao Yi.

Neizhou had changed its approach; instead of attacking White Falcon County, they went directly for the underground city.

But the crucial question was: where did this path come from?

The high-level cultivators of Prozhou knew that Neizhou had a path to White Falcon County, but when did Neizhou open a path to Huantu Island?

Xu Han couldn't find the reason, and now was not the time to ponder it. He didn't know how much longer Qiu Zhiheng could hold out.

Qiu Zhiheng took a needle and thread and sewed up the wound on his chest himself.

The shore was covered with bodies, many of them farmers who had come to the port to exchange soil, and many boatmen who had not yet set sail. However, most were Qiu Zhiheng's and Liao Zihui's subordinates.

Zuo Wugang dragged Zhen Jincheng out of a pile of bodies. Cao Zhida stepped forward to check, and he was still breathing.

The two of them brought Zhen Jincheng to a broken boat on the shore, placing a can of water and a box of biscuits beside him.

"Old Zhen, if you can wake up, find a way to live. If you can't survive, find a way to leave on your own." Zuo Wugang pulled out a dagger, placed it beside Zhen Jincheng, and then returned to the shore with Cao Zhida.

Qiu Zhiheng contacted Luo Zhengnan, who was rushing to the shore with the Innocent Army. Juanzi and the Royal Guard were also heading towards the port.

Liao Zihui said, "I have a few Innocent Army generals under me. I've called them over. Although the Innocent Army isn't under the command of the Border Defense Office, these generals are experienced. If you don't mind..."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head, saying, "What is there to mind now? As long as we can block the enemy, any method will do. You can command the Innocent Army."

Flags were raised deep within the ocean, signaling from the outposts that enemy warships were approaching.

Liao Zihui picked up a steam flamethrower. He had never seen the Dang Kou Army, but he had read their intelligence. "No matter what, we must hold our ground. We absolutely cannot let the enemy land. Once the Dang Kou Army establishes a foothold on shore, their 'Thousand Men United' formation will be complete, and we won't be able to fight them."

Qiu Zhiheng opened his pocket watch, first checking the time, then looking at the photo on the back of the cover: a picture of Zhuzi and a child.

He stared at his wife and child for a long time before closing the watch cover.

"Old Zuo, how many people do we have left?"

Zuo Wugang looked back. There weren't many people; about thirty were still able to fight.

Liao Zihui also asked, "Old Tang, how many people do we have left?"

Deputy General Envoy Tang Huanjie was adding coal to the boiler and didn't hear Liao Zihui clearly.

Liao Zihui didn't ask further. If even Tang Huanjie was shoveling coal, how many could possibly be left?

"I'm close to retirement," Liao Zihui said, pulling open the flamethrower's valve, his finger on the trigger. "I still want to go sing at Xiaoyao Dock. Old Lin, have you ever heard me sing? I sing beautifully, and I dance well too."

Lin Fojiao stood on the shore, wiped the wound on his face, took a fruit candy from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

Liao Zihui hadn't noticed Lin Fojiao's habit before, but today he realized Lin Fojiao had eaten dozens of candies. "Why do you love candy so much?"

"Eating more sweets helps you have good dreams." Lin Fojiao closed his eyes. A warship appeared on the sea.

This ship was from Lin Fojiao's dream. It could fight, but it was hard to say how long it would last.

There was a telegraph machine on the ship, constantly sending telegrams. The signal from this machine could only be received in dreams, and Lin Fojiao was using it to call for help.

At this moment, Zhao Lanmeng was on his way to Santoucha.

Li Banfeng had also received Qiu Zhiheng's message and was eager to go to Santoucha immediately.

But the Peddler stopped Li Banfeng through Yuan Miaoping: "Brother, this is war. Since you chose Suihuangyuan, you must stay in Suihuangyuan. You don't need to, and cannot, concern yourself with matters elsewhere!"

The Peddler sent Ayi to support Santoucha. Whether Qiu Zhiheng and his forces could hold out until Ayi's arrival depended on fate.

The Coachman lowered his voice to Li Banfeng: "No wonder I thought Santoucha was more dangerous than here. Qiao Yi's move was too devious, suddenly emerging from the underground city. Who could withstand that? Our situation here is much better. This camp doesn't have many people. We burn their grain, then we run, and they definitely won't catch us."

It wasn't easy for Che Wushang to say this. Fully armed Tufang soldiers were not easy to fight. The Coachman's confidence stemmed from the Tufang army being unprepared for battle; most were in civilian clothes, not even wearing armor.

Li Banfeng hid in a snowdrift, observing the enemy forces in the camp.

This was the first inhabited camp they found. The soldiers of Tufang Kingdom were clearly distinct from people of Shang Kingdom.

People of Shang Kingdom had diverse appearances: birds, beasts, flowers, fish, insects, workshops, factories, machine tools... virtually any life form.

The people of Tufang Kingdom had relatively uniform forms, mostly resembling land animals. This camp had over a thousand people; by Li Banfeng's estimate, over two hundred resembled deer, over three hundred resembled cattle, and around three hundred resembled pigs. The remaining few had special appearances, some like bears, some like tigers. Those resembling fierce beasts generally held higher status.

The highest status was still held by the Three-Headed people, which was exactly the same as in Shang Kingdom.

The camp was built by water, next to a frozen lake. Soldiers were cutting holes in the ice to draw water and catch fish.

The Coachman was still looking for the granary's location. Yuan Miaoping said, "Just burning the granary isn't interesting, and I suspect there are many traps in the enemy camp. A place as important as the granary must be heavily guarded!"

"What's there to fear about traps?" the Coachman puffed out his chest. "No matter who made the traps, they definitely won't hurt me."

Yuan Miaoping brushed her bangs aside. "If you have that ability, then it'll be easier. Look, aren't there about a hundred people getting water?"

Li Banfeng quickly counted. It was indeed cooking time for various camps, and there were indeed around a hundred people getting water.

Yuan Miaoping said, "Take me to the lake's surface; I'll give them a good show. This will require a lot of electricity, so give me all the batteries you have at home. Don't be stingy."

Li Banfeng carried Yuan Miaoping to the lake's surface. Thanks to the Talent of a Dwelling Cultivator, the Tufang soldiers on the lake didn't see the two of them.

Yuan Miaoping winked at the projector, and the projector created a projection, concealing Yuan Miaoping.

Li Banfeng retrieved batteries from his Portable Residence and connected them to Yuan Miaoping.

Yuan Miaoping extended two wires from beneath the television and inserted them beneath the ice.

Gurgle...

The ice surface began to bubble.

Worried about insufficient power, Yuan Miaoping unfolded the solar panels on her back, taking advantage of the good sunlight to charge and discharge simultaneously.

Below the ice, large numbers of fish were electrocuted and floated belly-up, many rising near the ice holes.

Soldiers drawing water saw the ice holes full of fish and quickly started scooping them into their buckets. Soon the buckets were full, and they went back to call others to come and catch fish.

Originally, about a hundred people were getting water from the lake, but now two to three hundred had rushed out.

The soldiers were overjoyed with their bounty. They hadn't brought food with them; the limited transport channels were used for soldiers and weapons, and their grain was bought in Arid Path Town. Usually, even a sip of fish soup was hard to come by, so with so many fish today, they couldn't possibly miss out.

Everyone was focused on catching fish when Yuan Miaoping suddenly exerted her power. The water temperature rose sharply, the ice surface rapidly cracked, and with a rumble, all the soldiers on the ice fell into the lake.

These were Tufang Kingdom's elites; they didn't panic at all in this situation. So what if they fell into the water? Just swim up, and it's over. Some soldiers even remembered to catch fish while swimming.

Yuan Miaoping flew in mid-air, her two wires still in the water. She increased the current again, and the soldiers in the lake trembled all over, stiffening and becoming immobile from the electric shock.

The stunned soldiers in the water were on the verge of dying. The soldiers who were initially on shore were terrified; some rushed into the water to rescue people, while others went to the camp to deliver messages.

Before long, another three to four hundred people emerged from the camp, carrying ropes to rescue people.

Few people remained inside the camp. Li Banfeng looked at the Coachman, who, gritting his teeth, took his wine gourd and slipped into the camp amidst the chaos.

The Coachman had not boasted. There were indeed many traps in the camp, especially near the granary, where the Tufang people had established strong defenses.

However, the Coachman not only avoided all the traps but also remained unseen by the soldiers guarding the granary. He ran fast and moved steadily, making his way inside the granary.

The wine gourd emptied its contents, creating a mist of wine. The Coachman struck a match, and a massive fire instantly engulfed the granary.

As soon as the Coachman set the fire, he fled. The Tufang people saw the granary ablaze and immediately fell into chaos. Some were busy rescuing people, others fighting the fire, and many stood confused between the camp and the lake, unsure where to go.

Not knowing where to go, they needed guidance. Li Banfeng sent them to a "good" place.

He pricked his fingertip, and blood fell to the ground. A silent boundary extended from his footline, quickly enveloping the Tufang Kingdom soldiers.

As the boundary expanded and contracted, large numbers of soldiers fell injured. Some realized something was wrong and tried to go to the armory to prepare for battle. Li Banfeng summoned hundreds of shadows, killing anyone they encountered. In an instant, over two hundred people died by Li Banfeng's hand.

Tufang Kingdom's elites were clearly inferior to the Totem Army and Dang Kou Army, but they still possessed basic combat proficiency. A squad of about two hundred soldiers, amidst the chaos, reorganized their formation, donned their armor, and took up their weapons.

Although Tufang Kingdom's weaponry was not as good as Shang Kingdom's, it was far superior to ordinary armaments. Their armor covered them completely, even their fingers, making it difficult for even a Tang sword to penetrate. The armor also came equipped with crossbow bolts, shears, and various other weapons.

Most importantly, the individual combat strength of Tufang Kingdom was not low. While it couldn't compare to the Totem Army, it was much stronger than the Dang Kou Army. They understood techniques; although they didn't have clear Daoist sects, each soldier possessed one or two commendable skills, enabling them to engage in direct combat without relying on formations.

Since a direct confrontation was required, this was less suitable for the Coachman. Yuan Miaoping's electrical energy was largely depleted and she couldn't help either. It was now up to Li Banfeng to handle the rest.

Li Banfeng recalled the Heavenly Stem shadows, first using Path Severance to clear a path and cut off the enemy formation. Then, with the Earthly Branch shadows, he launched repeated surprise attacks within the segmented enemy forces.

Having experienced many battles recently, Li Banfeng found that the techniques created by Touyou Lu were highly deceptive.

Many people believed techniques like "Running East, Rushing West" and "Torchlit Night Walk" were useless and didn't deserve to be "Cloud-Level Techniques."

In a one-on-one duel with a master, these two techniques were indeed lacking. However, in military combat, they were immensely useful. Li Banfeng continuously used "Running East, Rushing West" to take down large numbers of enemies without feeling fatigued.

Once an enemy fell, the shadows immediately finished them off, with efficiency no less than "Trampling Ten Thousand Rivers." Moreover, "Running East, Rushing West" was quick to initiate, making it difficult for enemies to defend against.

Several enemy soldiers resembling tigers continuously shifted their positions, attempting to launch sneak attacks.

These "tigers" were the most skilled in the army, specializing in assassinating enemy commanders. This was one of the Tufang army's most common tactics.

However, Li Banfeng was immune to this tactic. All soldiers with unusual appearances or special equipment were marked by Li Banfeng using "Torchlit Night Walk." Wherever they moved or stood, Li Banfeng saw them clearly. Whenever the opportunity arose, Li Banfeng used his shadows to deal with them all.

Before long, over two hundred enemy soldiers were dealt with by Li Banfeng. The remaining scattered soldiers were directly run over by his Portable Residence.

Over fifty Three-Headed people, relying on their special armor, escaped from the camp. Li Banfeng pursued them, killing fifty, then tying up the remainder with a net and sending them into his Portable Residence.

The Glove still found it strange: "Master, where did you get this net?"

Li Banfeng replied, "Didn't you get it from Tu Yinghong? Didn't I use this net to bring Lin Dexing home back then?"

Lin Dexing was Elder Yao's sworn enemy. When Xu Han defeated the Greenwater Beggar, he severely wounded Lin Dexing, who was then brought home by Li Banfeng using a fishing net. The Glove indeed remembered this incident.

But that net had been thrown away long ago.

"Master, how pungent was that net? Would I dare keep it?"

Li Banfeng examined the net in his hand. It truly wasn't the one he had used before.

This net could become large or small at will, and it could even disappear when clapped in the palm.

Indeed, the "All Wishes Fulfilled" technique had advanced considerably.

Back at the camp, the Coachman dealt with all the enemy soldiers who had fallen into the lake and weren't completely dead. Yuan Miaoping unfolded her solar panels to charge quickly. Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence, released the few officers, and interrogated them one by one.

After about ten minutes of interrogation, these officers revealed everything they knew. Li Banfeng had the Bronze Lotus dispose of the bodies, marked the locations on his map, and quickly set off for the next camp.

According to the officers' confessions, Tufang Kingdom had sent a total of ten camps. The largest had over eight thousand people, while the smallest had just over five hundred. Each camp had different responsibilities. They planned to launch a surprise attack within two days, with each camp performing its duties and cooperating to defeat the Suihuang Iron Cavalry and capture the entire Suihuangyuan in one battle.

Simply dealing with these smaller camps held little significance. Li Banfeng checked the location and troop deployment of the main camp and discussed with the Coachman, "We need to call in more help."

The Coachman also considered this. "I'll go back to town and bring back Sea-Eating Old Che. Old Seven, I was right to come to Suihuangyuan. Fighting with you, I never lose out!"

Upon reaching Arid Path Town, the Coachman picked up Sea-Eating Old Che and brought along people from the He family, Ma family, and Three Heroes Gate. People from the Lu family, Chu family, and Hundred Flowers Gate remained behind in town.

Hong Ying and Jiuer followed Sea-Eating Old Che to meet Li Banfeng, and together, they arrived at Tufang Kingdom's largest camp.

The camp contained over eight thousand people, possessing the best weaponry and the most formidable warriors.

After observing the camp's layout, Hong Ying devised an ingenious tactic: "Che Wushang, you feign defeat first, then lure the enemy into an ambush."

Che Wushang immediately became anxious. "Why do I have to feign defeat? It's not only dangerous but also undignified and bad for my reputation."

Hong Ying patiently explained, "Your feigned defeat will look so real, they definitely won't see through it."

Li Banfeng took out over a thousand sets of armor collected from the previous camp.

These armors were noticeably larger. Li Banfeng had his Portable Residence and the Bronze Lotus improvise adjustments. The group reluctantly wore them, preparing to take down this largest camp.

Jianren Ridge, Huai'en Village.

In a civilian house, Qiao Yi reviewed the battle report from Santoucha, dissatisfied with the overall progress: "Still haven't captured the underground city?"

Nian Shangyou explained, "The Human Market and Earth Market are putting up fierce resistance, but the Sea Market has been completely taken."

Qiao Yi slightly shook his head. "Since the navy was deployed, taking the Sea Market is to be expected. Yet, the port remains uncaptured, rendering the Quenching Camp useless. Inform the Navy Commander that the port must be captured within three days. Inform the Quenching Camp Commander that after capturing the port, the underground city must be taken within five days, and Santoucha within ten days."

Nian Shangyou quickly wrote the reply, encrypted it with a candle stand, and immediately sent it to the underground city via candle smoke.

"My Lord, there's still no word from Tufang Kingdom, and the situation in Suihuangyuan remains unclear."

Qiao Yi wasn't concerned about this. "Tufang Kingdom will undoubtedly capture Suihuangyuan. The Demon Lord has been planning in Suihuangyuan for a long time; popular sentiment has long been decided. It's wishful thinking for Li Qi to change the situation overnight. Inform the Third and Fourth Armies that they can now attack."

Nian Shangyou feared he had misunderstood. "My Lord, are these two armies you speak of here?"

Qiao Yi frowned. "Certainly not the forces here. These forces will remain stationary for now, to be decided upon when the time is ripe. The Third Army will go to Ink Fragrance Shop, causing Qunying Mountain to be attacked from front and back. The Fourth Army will go to New Land, collecting old debts with interest, and striking directly into the heartland of Prozhou."

This time, Nian Shangyou understood.

After writing the military order, Nian Shangyou presented the intelligence sent by the spy to Qiao Yi: "News from Wuyouping states that the Eighteen Wheels hold high prestige in the army. If they act first, how should we respond?"

Qiao Yi chuckled. "If the Eighteen Wheels advance first, our army, well-rested, can annihilate their entire force. Shangyou, do not wish for such good fortune again. The enemy's movements are all under the Peddler's control. We cannot expect the Peddler to make a mistake. If we want to win this battle, it depends on my own planning."

Nian Shangyou walked out of the civilian house, looking towards Sage Peak, then towards Wuyouping.

He couldn't even clearly see which direction Qiao Yi intended to advance.

Murong Gui lay in the attic hall, wrapped in a quilt, staring up at the clouds in the sky.

Yesterday, Murong Gui had just received news from Zhou Badou that the enemy might attack Qunying Mountain directly from Sage Peak.

If Qunying Mountain fell, Ink Fragrance Shop would be in grave danger. How long could this Willow Garden last then?

Murong Gui turned to look at the Brush Scholar. "Can you still fight?"

The Brush Scholar had just finished filling a blank sheet of paper. He turned to glance at Murong Gui and scoffed, "Hmph!"

Murong Gui was furious. "I'm discussing serious matters with you!"

Just as the two were about to argue, several cracks suddenly appeared on the frozen lake surface.

The Brush Scholar's face drained of color. There was an entrance at the bottom of the lake. Ge Junma had once used this entrance to break in, almost seizing the Ink Fragrance Shop territory.

Later, this entrance was sealed by the Peddler. Now, changes on the lake surface indicated that someone had reopened it. Who could possess such power?

"Keep writing!" Murong Gui gestured for the Brush Scholar not to move. He pushed aside his quilt, picked up his Judge's Brush, and went to the lakeside, quietly observing the water.

The ice surface continued to break, the lake water supporting floating ice, creating ripples.

The ripples grew more intense, quickly forming a vortex in the center of the lake. From the center of the vortex rose an island, a hundred feet in diameter, made only of bare stone. The Blood-Toothed Monster stood in the island's center, revealing two sharp fangs, smiling as she looked at Murong Gui.

Behind her stood four men. Their skin, clothes, and even their hair were all gray. Concealed by the floating ice, they looked like four stone statues standing beside the Blood-Toothed Monster.

Murong Gui was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "You are the Four Stone Cultivation Sages."

The Brush Scholar was very surprised.

In his view, these four men, who resembled stones, had no distinguishing features, yet Murong Gui could identify them.

The Blood-Toothed Monster nodded. "You have good eyes. From now on, follow me. Officially, you'll remain the local deity of Ink Fragrance Shop; all the popularity in this territory will be yours, as long as you don't interfere with my affairs."

"Good!" Murong Gui actually agreed. "Come closer, let's draw up a contract."

The Blood-Toothed Monster chuckled as she looked at Murong Gui. "I'm a straightforward person; don't try to deceive me."

"I won't deceive you, come!" Murong Gui waved at the Blood-Toothed Monster.

The Blood-Toothed Monster glanced back. A Stone Cultivator threw a small stone, which exploded in front of her.

"You're lying!" The Blood-Toothed Monster licked her sharp fangs. "I hate being deceived the most. I could have spared your life."

Murong Gui twirled the Judge's Brush in his hand. The clear lake water suddenly turned as black as ink.

In fact, it was ink, and this ink was Murong Gui's weapon.

This was his territory, and he was still within his own body—a body with the finest talent among all Literary Cultivators.

Even if the Blood-Toothed Monster was truly Hate Without Reason, Murong Gui still had the confidence to fight today.

Ink rose from the lake, intertwining to form a rain of ink that flew towards the Blood-Toothed Monster.

The Blood-Toothed Monster remained motionless. The Four Stone Cultivation Sages around her all rose into the air, blocking the ink for her.

The four gray men turned completely black. As Murong Gui touched the tip of his Judge's Brush, the ink rapidly permeated the bodies of the Four Stone Cultivation Sages.

He knew Stone Cultivators were tough, capable of fighting and enduring. But the Four Stone Cultivation Sages had long been dead; these four must be puppets. If they were fully saturated with ink, these four puppets could instead be controlled by Murong Gui.

The Four Stone Cultivation Sages suddenly exploded.

Murong Gui was not surprised. This must be the Blood-Toothed Monster's doing; she would rather destroy these four puppets than allow Murong Gui to use them.

Looking closer, Murong Gui realized his judgment was incorrect.

The Four Stone Cultivation Sages were not destroyed; they were still standing, just a bit smaller in stature. The ink-saturated stone exploded off their bodies, leaving the remaining stone as clean and new as before.

Next, the techniques of the Four Stone Cultivation Sages surprised Murong Gui even more. The碎 stone from the island continuously replenished their bodies, and their forms quickly returned to normal.

These were not puppets.

The Four Stone Cultivation Sages were alive again?

Murong Gui's expression became solemn.

The Blood-Toothed Monster waved her hand. The Four Stone Cultivation Sages used their techniques to erect a stone bridge, one end on the island and the other at Murong Gui's feet.

"Are you coming over, or shall I go over?" The Blood-Toothed Monster licked her fangs and stepped onto the stone bridge.

He Jiaqing walked across the territory, checking the progress of reclamation.

He should have gone to Wuyouping long ago, and Granny Ku had urged him several times, but he simply couldn't bear to leave these thirteen territories.

He called Shen Rongqing and Zou Guoming over and gave them individual instructions. Suddenly, he heard an argument in the distance.

This "distance" was over ten miles away. Shen Rongqing and Zou Guoming heard no sound, but only He Jiaqing heard it.

He quickly walked to the edge of the territory, only to see a group of reclaimers besieging Duan Shuqun.

Duan Shuqun shouted, "You must have heard of the He family's reputation, as well as the Brotherhood Alliance's. We will absolutely not default on wages; we will certainly deliver them to you within three days."

The reclaimers shouted in unison, "We don't trust you!"

"Three days left, three days right, how many days has it been in total now?"

"This is our blood money; we must see real gold and silver today!"

He Jiaqing scanned the crowd. He recognized a few people who had indeed reclaimed land in the territory. Some looked unfamiliar, and he wondered if they were just trying to stir up trouble.

Regardless of the reason, He Jiaqing didn't want to escalate the situation. He cupped his hands towards the crowd and said, "I, He, guarantee on my honor that the wages will certainly be delivered within three days. Please rest here in the territory for three days; all food and lodging expenses for these three days will be borne by me."

A middle-aged man stepped forward and said to He Jiaqing, "You can't even afford wages, yet you talk about covering food and lodging? Isn't that pure nonsense? We don't want to listen to your rambling. How about this: we'll forgo the wages if you hand over the deed to this territory to us. Consider it payment for the debt."

He Jiaqing was taken aback.

Duan Shuqun's face darkened. "Friend, watch your words. Some jokes are not to be made."

"Who's joking with you?" The middle-aged man looked at Duan Shuqun, then suddenly swung a fist, striking out.

Duan Shuqun chuckled inwardly.

Recently, the He family had been financially strained and indeed owed wages to many reclaimers. Some angry reclaimers had even laid hands on Duan Shuqun before.

Duan Shuqun had followed He Jiaqing for many years, and his cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Earthskin. How could these few reclaimers be a match for him?

However, since they owed wages, Duan Shuqun was in the wrong. He couldn't kill them; a lesson would suffice.

Duan Shuqun pivoted on his foot, dodging the opponent's fist with a dance step. He then turned and pushed, intending to knock the opponent to the ground and show him the disparity in their strengths.

Unexpectedly, the reclaimer demanding wages suddenly shifted his fist in mid-air. Duan Shuqun dodged in the wrong direction and was hit squarely on the cheekbone.

With that punch, Duan Shuqun's cheekbone caved in, and he lay motionless on the ground.

The reclaimer stepped forward to deliver another kick, but He Jiaqing intervened, rescuing Duan Shuqun and casually slashing the reclaimer's arm.

The reclaimer quickly dodged and smiled at He Jiaqing, "Young Master He, were you trying to cut my hamstrings just now? Your move was still too slow."

He Jiaqing glared at the crowd. "Who exactly are you people?"

The reclaimer chuckled, "We're debt collectors. This territory was never yours to begin with. Hand it over to us."

He Jiaqing asked, "May I ask your name, Senior?"

The reclaimer said, "I am He Shengdong, your great-grandfather!"