Chapter 380 - Before A Fierce Battle
Thousands of feet high in the sky, snow clouds gathered, and snowflakes like goose feathers scattered over the
Golden Scales City
below, but they did not cover the solemn glory of the city.
In the sky above the
Cold Moon City
, there was a crescent-shaped floating stone. On the top of the stone sat a row of jade-tiled buildings. Countless palace attendants dressed in silk were busy running errands between the various buildings.
This place was the
Heavenly Supervision Department
of the
Cold Country
, which was in charge of astronomy and calendars. It was also the headquarters of the
Northern Region
Snow Guard
.
At the top of the
Stargazing Platform
, a white-robed man who looked like a twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old man stood in front of a floating sand table, moving his fingers while assessing the troops' progression.
The man's name was Chen Yin. He was in the middle stage of
Deification
and was the Imperial Advisor of the
Cold Country
.
About a month ago, they received an urgent letter from Li Longling, the Young Lady of the
Dragon House
, warning them that demonic cultivators might have penetrated deep into the
Northern Region
.
Because of the lack of efficiency of the five departments and three hubs of the
Cold Country
, this letter was stuck in the
Letter Department
for a few months.
By the time Chen Yin saw the letter, the
Snow Guards
from various cities had already sent reports of "sightings of demonic cultivators".
Since the demonic cultivators infiltrated the
Northern Region
, as the leader of the
Snow Guards
, Chen Yin had to manage the clean-up operations.
But the problem now was that he didn't know how many people the demonic cultivators had sent, nor what cultivation level they were, let alone where these demonic cultivators were.
If he knew that there was a
Core Formation
stage demonic cultivator somewhere, he would send two
Core Formation
Snow Guards
to eliminate them.
However, if he sent two
Core Formation Snow Guards
over and discovered that there was only one
Foundation Building
stage demonic cultivator there, it would be like killing a chicken with a machete.
There were only so many
Snow Guards
in the
Northern Region
, and wasting even a little combat power in this situation would give the demonic cultivators a chance to win.
Moreover, he was not sure what the demonic sects were trying to accomplish by sending so many people to infiltrate the
Northern Region
.
"..."
Chen Yin closed his eyes and let out a breath. He tried to deduce this matter with the
Star Reading Art
, but with his cultivation, he was unable to see through the meaning of the stars like the Immortal Matriarch.
He asked the heavens, but the heavens did not respond.
If he asked the people, they were too understaffed to provide him with information.
Just as he was thinking hard, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
A palace maid in a snow-white gauze skirt, holding a parchment scroll, walked up the stairs of the
Stargazing Platform
and bowed. "Imperial Advisor, Commander of the
Heavenly Wind City
Snow Guard
, Xu Mulan has sent a jade slip."
"
Heavenly Wind City
..."
Hearing this, Chen Yin's gaze swept across the sand table in front of him and located the
Heavenly Wind City
at a glance.
Then, he used his spiritual energy to lift a black flag beside him, placing it in the position of the
Heavenly Wind City
on the sand table.
"Demonic Cultivators have also appeared in the
Heavenly Wind City
?"
"Yes, according to the jade slip, it's a
Nascent Soul
demonic cultivator. Commander Xu hopes that
Cold Moon City
can send a few
Snow Guards
in the
Nascent Soul
stage to take him down."
Chen Yin frowned and said directly, "No."
Now, all the cities in the
Northern Region
wanted
Cold Moon City
to send them people, but where would
Cold Moon City
have so many combat forces to mobilize?
There were a total of forty-six
Nascent Soul
cultivators in the
Snow Guard
. Except for the seven who stayed in
Cold Moon City
, the rest had been assigned to guard the immortal cities with important spiritual veins.
Although
Heavenly Wind City
also occupied a spirit stone vein, its importance was far less than that of the pass and the spiritual vein point of the
Frozen River City
, for example.
Hearing this, the palace maid was also somewhat helpless. "Imperial Advisor... then, how should I reply to Commander Xu?"
"What is Xu Mulan's current cultivation level?"
"...Late stage of
Core Formation
."
"Then, let her hold the city for at least four months. After four months, I will send the
Snow Guards
of the
Flowing Snow City
as reinforcements."
"Understood..." The maid nodded but did not leave. Instead, she stepped forward and handed over the parchment scroll. "Imperial Advisor, this map was also sent by Commander Xu."
"Map?"
Chen Yin frowned slightly, turned around again, and took the map with his spiritual power, spreading it out in front of him.
He didn't quite understand. What was the purpose of sending a map?
But when he saw the densely packed marks drawn on the map of the
Northern Region
, especially the places highlighted in red ink, Chen Yin's originally cold face instantly showed a look of astonishment.
Not only did this map clearly mark twelve of the eighteen formation knots of the
Northern Region
Protective Formation
, but it also seemed to mark all the demonic cultivators' hidden lairs.
Chen Yin couldn't believe it, and he quickly looked at the sand table in front of him, comparing its contents with the map.
All the demonic cultivators' locations marked on the sand table were also marked on the map.
Moreover, the map also marked some locations from which he had not received any information yet...
However, this also increased the credibility of this map.
Chen Yin frowned. This map was undoubtedly a timely gift to him, but it also followed the question: Where did Xu Mulan get the information?
"Where did she get this map?"
"According to the jade slip, it was inferred based on information from the black market. It is also said that the demonic cultivators' target is likely to be the main knot of the
Northern Region
's
Protective Formation
..."
Inferring the information from the black market?
She had inferred the location of so many demonic cultivators and even the knots of the
Northern Region
's
Protective Formation
?
Although Chen Yin was a bit skeptical, this map was proof of Xu Mulan's outstanding ability of collecting intelligence.
He looked at the maid, frowning. "Huh... why is someone with such abilities stationed in a small place like
Heavenly Wind City
? Xu Mulan... what is her background?"
"Commander Xu is not from an aristocratic family. She has a younger sister in the
Qi Refining
stage, named Xu Xiyue. The two sisters grew up in
Heavenly Wind City
. Her scores in the gun test and written test of the
Snow Guard
were only B-level..."
Chen Yin was even more puzzled when he heard this, but he let it go. "The answer remains the same, let her protect
Heavenly Wind City
, and she doesn't have to take the initiative to fight that
Nascent Soul
demonic cultivator."
"Yes, sir..."
After giving the order, Chen Yin picked up the map and summoned his flying sword. He stepped on it and headed toward the
Celestial Palace
floating under the moon.
...
In the jade-tiled main hall of the
Celestial Palace
, music was played, and a woman wearing a double dragon crown sat on a wicker chair, lazily propping her cheek with her hands and yawning.
In front of her, dozens of dancers waved their sleeves vigorously, but they didn't seem to arouse her interest at all.
Empress Sun Juehu's gaze slowly shifted from the dancers to the bright moon in the sky. For some reason, she suddenly thought of that old woman, Si Xuanji, and gritted her teeth in anger.
She then remembered that at the
Bright Star
Sect meeting, Si Xuanji cursed
"Idiot!"
and then left abruptly in the middle of the debate.
She didn't know why Si Xuanji had left, but this was the first time she saw some frustration and worry on the old woman's face...
Why was she so frustrated?
And who was the old woman worried about?
Who in this world would make her look like that? Who could make her lose her composure?
Who was it?
Thousands of years ago, Si Xuanji broke the moon and killed her master.
She had been thinking about it for a long time, looking for a way to make Si Xuanji pay for her blood debt with blood, but how easy was it to kill Si Xuanji?
However, when she saw Si Xuanji losing composure in the
Bright Star
Sect at that time, she had a vague feeling that the person who made Si Xuanji so flustered might be the one who could pay for her blood debt with blood.
The more Sun Juehu thought about it, the more curious she became, although she was clueless.
At this moment, a golden flying sword entered the
Celestial Palace
from the side. Chen Yin walked from the palace gate and came to Sun Juehu, then knelt and respectfully cupped his hands.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Sun Juehu glanced at him with raised eyebrows, and she nodded faintly. Then, she gestured to disperse the dancers. "What's the matter, Imperial Advisor?"
"I have just received a map sent by the Commander of the
Snow Guards
from
Heavenly Wind City
. Apparently, she used the black market information to deduce the current location of the demonic cultivators in the
Northern Region
."
Sun Juehu raised her finger slightly, and the map in Chen Yin's hand flew through the air and fell into her hand.
She opened the map and narrowed her eyes.
"Oh? Did you already fill in the positions of these
Heavenly Cold Formation
knots?"
"It wasn't me." Chen Yin cupped his hands. "This is what the
Snow Guard
speculated. This should be the goal of the demonic cultivators' invasion."
"So, the demonic cultivators invaded the
Northern Region
at this time to break the
Protective Formation
? Do they want to attack us?"
"According to that
Snow Guard
Commander, that should be the case."
Sun Juehu glanced at the map again. "That's why you came?"
"I just wanted to tell Your Majesty about this matter, and also give credit to that person. If this map isn't wrong, that
Snow Guard
Commander will be making a great contribution. After this matter is settled, I'd like to transfer her to
Cold Moon City
."
"...You can do that."
"Thank you, Your Majesty..."
Rumble--!
The moment Chen Yin finished speaking, an ice-blue beam of light suddenly appeared in the northern sky, breaking through the dark clouds below and shooting vertically into the sky.
Sun Juehu and Chen Yin's gazes were instantly drawn to it.
The two of them understood immediately that one of the main knots of the
Heavenly Cold Formation
had been broken.
Chen Yin clenched his fingers slightly. "This is the knot of the
Heavenly Cold Formation
of the
Frozen River City
."
Sun Juehu's face remained calm. She dismissed the two maids beside her and stood up from the wicker chair. "That group of demonic cultivators from the
Eastern Region
... are they for real? Do they think I'm as easy to bully as Nangong Cheng?"
"Your Majesty, leave this matter to me. You don't need to get personally involved."
"Hmph!"
...
Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away in
White Moon Town
, on the second floor of the
Wanderer's House
.
Ye Anping, dressed in white and carrying the
Snow Jade Spirit Sword
on his back, stood in front of the window as he looked at the light column that shot straight into the sky from the southwest. "One of the formation's knots has already been broken..."
Feng Yu Die, who was eating roasted chicken at the table next to him, heard what he said and tilted her head. "Braided knot oooh...?"
Ye Anping turned his head with a dark face. Seeing Feng Yu Die's glib appearance, he almost felt depressed.
In the past few days, Lianxue and Xiao Yunluo seemed to have been preparing to deal with Jiang Mojiao, searching for pills and talismans all around
Heavenly Wind City
.
Xu Mulan also returned to
Heavenly Wind City
, summoning all the
Snow Guards
she could mobilize.
Only Feng Yu Die...
Other than sneaking over to his place to eat roasted chicken every day, this rascal had nothing else to do.
However, Ye Anping gave up on talking to her. He simply took out the ten roasted chickens he had prepared yesterday from his storage bag and threw them on the table.
"Here, your roasted chicken."
"Oh~~~"
Seeing so many roast chickens specially made by Master Ye on the table, Feng Yu Die's eyes lit up instantly, but after thinking about it, she frowned again and looked at him in suspicion. "Why are you giving me so much all of a sudden?"
Because you will most likely run into Gu Mingxin later, and you will most likely have a few more heavy wounds later, and you will most likely not be able to eat roasted chicken properly for the next few months...
Ye Anping gave a small smile. "No? If you don't want them, then I'll take them..."
"I do, I do, I want them!" Feng Yu Die quickly leaned protectively over the ten roasted chickens wrapped in oil paper on the table. "What do you want me to do again?"
"Nothing." Ye Anping shrugged slightly. "There must be supplies before a fierce battle. This is your supply."
"Hmm? Isn't it just a
Nascent Soul
stage cultivator?" Feng Yu Die had a puzzled look on her face as she added, "I might be able to handle him all by myself!"
Ye Anping shook his head, and after a while, he asked, "...I asked you a question last time."
"Huh?"
"If you meet Gu Mingxin alone, what are your chances of winning?"
?!
"Will we meet her?"
Feng Yu Die was startled, and she suddenly straightened her head.
Ye Anping was speechless. Didn't she tell him last time that she had a 100% chance of winning?
He sighed. "I just have a hunch. I think there's a good chance we'll meet Gu Mingxin after we take out the
Nascent Soul
demonic cultivator."
Feng Yu Die pursed her lips, frowning. "If you say there's a high probability of encountering them, then we'll most likely encounter each other."
However, after glancing at Ye Anping, she wiped the troubled expression on her face.
"But... it's okay. Didn't I beat the crap out of her last time? This time, it'll be the same! And I'll definitely chop her up now."
Ye Anping came closer, then picked up a piece of roasted chicken on the table and stuffed her mouth with it. "I won't be around this time. Longling and I will deal with other demonic cultivators. Don't underestimate the enemy."
Hearing that Ye Anping would not be around this time, Feng Yu Die lowered her head and frowned. "...You won't help me?"
"I'll try to help, but don't count on me too much. We won't be able to get there in a short time."
"...Oh."
At this time, Xiao Yunluo's voice came from outside the window. "Second idiot!! Second idiot!! Stop eating your stupid chicken and come down quickly. Commander Xu has sent someone to pick us up."
Feng Yu Die paused for a moment and shouted back toward the window. "...Oh! Coming~~"
Then, she looked at the roasted chicken on the table, hugged all ten of them in her arms, and jumped out the window. She turned her head to look at Ye Anping, seeming reluctant to leave, but said nothing.
Ye Anping sighed and comforted her. "Don't worry."
"Alright!"
Only after hearing these words did Feng Yu Die nod her head, and then let herself drop from the window.
In the next moment, Xiao Yunluo's voice came to Ye Anping's ears again. "Why did you buy so many? Speaking of which, why do you run here every time to eat roasted chicken these days? Isn't the roasted chicken at the
Traveler's Pavilion
the same?"
"The roasted chicken here tastes better, and it's just across the street..."
"Sigh... Forget it, let's go! Later, we will meet up with Commander Xu in the
Heavenly Wind City
. After that, we will head straight for that demonic cultivator's cave abode."
...
After their voices faded away, Ye Anping walked to the window and looked at the
Traveler's Pavilion
across the street.
At this time, the door opened with a creak behind him.
Li Longling had also changed into a fleece coat and put on a wrist guard. The Fire Phoenix stood on her shoulder, staring at Ye Anping with its piercing eyes.
"Anping, Commander Xu has sent someone to pick us up to meet up at
Heavenly Wind City
."
After a moment, Ye Anping turned around and saw an unfamiliar
Snow Guard
beside Li Longling.
"Greetings, Senior Ye."
"No need to be polite. Please go back and tell Commander Xu that Miss Li and I will go over to investigate the situation first. When the time comes, we will meet in front of the demonic cultivator's cave."
"...Yes, sir."
Ye Anping let out a long sigh. He took the
Snow Jade Spirit Sword
from his back and wrapped it in bandages again. He then picked up Li Longling, and they both flew north through the back door of the
Wanderer's House
.