Book 9: Chapter 45: Undercurrent
Book 9: Chapter 45: Undercurrent
The guards made a path for Lin Xi, An Keyi and the others.
Lin Xi knew that Gongsun Quan, this type of person, even when he truly became a corpse, was definitely not someone he could touch. That was why he took the initiative to follow behind An Keyi, maintaining two steps of distance behind her.
“How is this possible… just who are you exactly… how could you possibly know I…”
Even Gongsun Quan’s tongue was twitching, a strange voice sounding from his throat. Only when one listened extremely carefully, could they have a chance of telling that he was always repeating these words.
The moment she heard this voice, An Keyi was already sure that this person was the true Gongsun Quan. Then, she saw this person’s curved fingernails that were different colored from normal, becoming even more certain. However, her brows were still frowned slightly.
It was because she understood extremely clearly just what kind of medicinal force the poison applied to Lin Xi’s arrow contained. According to normal reason, Gongsun Quan shouldn’t even be able to speak, even his breathing impossible to control, instead quickly going into shock.
Her outwardly bookish, but actually incredibly intelligent self immediately understood why this was.
Someone like Gongsun Quan and herself would naturally test some medicine’s properties on themselves, so they would have resistances higher than normal cultivators. Moreover, if it was her, she would also most likely wish to understand why Lin Xi could uncover his existence before her death.
“What a pity it is that you are formidable, but the type who does things that cross my bottom line… also, if I told you the real reason, everyone under this sky would think that I am a monster… I fear that the entire world might make me their enemy. So you can only die here without knowing why, this is what you deserve.”
Lin Xi also heard what Gongsun Quan was saying, but he only remained silent, inwardly saying these things.
Right now, he saw An Keyi turn around to look at him. He could tell the meaning within An Keyi’s eyes. He quickly shook his head.
Gongsun Quan, this type of person really was too dangerous, moreover someone who crossed his bottom line too far. Someone like Gongsun Quan, Lin Xi didn’t believe he would suddenly change his ways, become the type of person who is truly benevolent. Even if Gongsun Quan was willing to surrender and research some things for Green Luan Academy, it wouldn’t be able to offset the things he did before at all.
That was why Lin Xi didn’t give him any chance to continue living.
An Keyi nodded. She treated Gongsun Quan who was still muttering to himself as a corpse, starting to carefully search his body.
Gongsun Quan knew that he would never receive an answer. He looked at An Keyi with unwillingness and resentment, his voice slowly fading, body slowly becoming ice-cold, truly becoming a corpse.
…
Behind Lin Xi were Gao Yanan, Bian Linghan, Jiang Xiaoyi and Meng Bai. Further back was the troop who was going to enter Jadefall City with them.
In this troop, there was a middle-aged scholar whose face was like white jade.
This middle-aged scholar with a rather refined aura was precisely Deer Seeking Prefectural Magistrate Bai Yulou.
In the past, when Lin Xi dealt with the dam burst in Swallow Descent Town, the final decision was made in Deer Seeking Prefectural Manor. At the time, Prefectural Military Commander Hong Shenwu, because of some relations to the military, spoke out, accusing Lin Xi of misconduct, arguing with Government Sector’s Statesman Liu Xueqing. In the end, he was directly suppressed by Bai Yulou. Hong Shenwu was suppressed to the point where he no longer even had any footing in Deer Seeking Prefecture, demoted to Dragon Snake Border Army.
It was precisely Bai Yulou who went against the intentions of some of the higher ups, acted with preference towards Lin Xi. After Gao Yanan found out about these things, became aware that he was one of the important individuals she was previously escorting, someone who carried an important mission, a ‘general’ who was going to replace an officer in Jadefall City, she always remained extremely respectful towards this middle-aged scholar.
In the idle time between last night until today, she already told Lin Xi about Bai Yulou’s identity.
Bai Yulou didn’t have the authority to know Gao Yanan and Lin Xi’s identities, not knowing Gao Yanan’s true identity even now. However, judging from the archery Lin Xi displayed and some details, together with the information he grasped, he already guessed at Lin Xi’s identity.
According to normal reasoning, when one saw a young officer one cared for, seeing a youngster he admired greatly grow up like this, someone like him should feel gratified. However, at this time, what no one knew was that his heart was instead filled with a feeling of absurdity.
No one knew that the reason why he went against the intentions of some higher ups, drawing the negative reactions of the military and some great families by promoting Lin Xi, was all because he could become a member of the troops to replace an official in the west.
Later on, it was proved that this type of forethought was effective, so he used extreme methods to successfully draw the backlash of some people, thus ultimately ending up being transferred over to carry out this type of mission.
For most high-ranking military officers, being transferred to the western border army didn’t mean a glorious promotion, instead meaning possible death. However, he instead greatly looked forward to a meeting with Wenren Cangyue’s higher level figures, because he carried an even more important mission on his back.
It was because there were two blades in his bag, because he was the one who passed on the Thousand Devil Nest cultivation method to Xu Ningshen.
Towards the things Lin Xi, this youngster did, it was just a small trick in achieving his objective. However, he didn’t expect that this young official from East Port Town would actually possess this type of background and identity. Moreover, this type of growth speed made even him feel terror and danger.
…
While Bai Yulou was quietly looking at Lin Xi, feeling that this was extremely absurd while standing in the shadows, to the north of Jadefall City, an intense battle was currently happening within a long and secluded ravine.
That good friend Li Kaiyun who Lin Xi was always worried about was also in one of the troops.
On the other side were mounted soldiers whose mounts were covered in layers of bronze armor.
These mounted soldiers and horses’ metal armors weren’t standard military armor. This type of armor covered them layer upon layer like lotus petals, even if a weapon entered through the gap, they would still immediately hit another sheet of metal. This type of armor was called ‘Bronze Lotus Armor’, originating from River Province’s Luo Weapon Workshop.
Because Yunqin attached great importance to military might, not only did they not restrict the people from making weapons, they instead encouraged some workshops to produce items worthy of the military using as reference. That was why the skill of some civilian weapon craftsmen was also extremely high, to the extent where they might even make some items of breakthrough qualities. This ‘Bronze Lotus Armor’ was precisely something that far exceeded the military’s scaled armor. The reason it wasn’t treated as standard weapon by the military wasn’t because the defensive properties weren’t great or because of the restrictions on mobility, but rather because the use of this type of armor was a bit awkward from the start.
It was because this type of armor was much heavier than normal light armor, but compared to normal heavy armor, it was much weaker regardless of whether it was defensive strength or force of impact.
Normal full body light armor could be used by ordinary elite soldiers, forming light cavalry or light armored infantry. Heavy armors with runes carved on them were extremely straightforward, one needed to be a cultivator to use them, forming a terrifying iron stream, a heavy armored troop.
However, this type of Bronze Lotus Armor was right in the middle. When cultivators wore it, it seemed like it was a bit of a waste, yet normal elite soldiers found it a bit too heavy, unable to endure the weight. It was only suited for outstanding warriors with constitution and strength in between that of ordinary soldiers and cultivators.
In a normal local army or border army, where would one be able to find enough warriors like this to form an entire army?
That was why there was no way this type of Bronze Lotus Armor could become Yunqin standard armor.
However, in the past decade or so, they trained large amounts of warriors like this. Even so, In all of Yunqin, only Great General Wenren had a chance of forming this type of army.
Lin Xi’s good friend Li Kaiyun was already much darker and skinnier than when he was in the academy, but he seemed more determined and mature. Right now, he was currently charging through the enemy lines while relying on each other to cover their backs.
Even though the warriors dressed in Bronze Lotus Armor outnumbered Li Kaiyun and the others by close to three times, because there were several individuals on Li Kaiyun’s side who could send at least one or two Bronze Lotus armored soldiers flying with a swing of a blade, right now, Li Kaiyun’s side already seized absolute advantage. There were already more than thirty Bronze Lotus armored corpses lying on the ground.
However, right at this moment, on a level weed covered slope, large amounts of turf that didn’t seem abnormal at all burst.
An extremely cold faced cultivator dressed in Green Wolf Heavy Armor and several dozen warriors pushing Moon Slicing Crossbows and Mountain Penetrating Crossbows seemed to have walked out from a cave dwelling, appearing on the overturned turf.
The Green Wolf Heavy Armored cultivator raised his hand. In his hand was a golden triangular command flag.
In this cultivator’s eyes, as long as the command flag was waved out and the Moon Slicing Crossbows and Mountain Penetrating Crossbows were fired, this entire battle situation would immediately change.
However, right at this time, his eyes were widened in disbelief. He saw a rather bloated and fat body run over.
Before the command flag in his hand was waved, that somewhat bloated and fat body already reached his face.
“How can there be anyone who can run this fast in this world?”
This thought appeared in this cultivator’s mind.
It was because it really was too fast… even faster than some arrows, so he couldn’t even see the other party’s face clearly. He only felt that apart from the other party running inconceivably fast, he didn’t seem to really understand how to fight. It was because even though the short blade in this incoming individual’s hands was aimed at his face, it didn’t aim at his vital parts, only stabbing into his cheekbone.
However, this thought only remained for an instant.
It was because the other party’s speed really was too fast, the powerful impact making his cheekbone release a crack noise. The back of his neck immediately shattered, his head also fracturing limply backwards.
…
Hiding behind Sanskrit Passage, in the endless desert depths, within Ghost City’s severely eroded ancient palaces, were more than ten Xiyi cultivators whose bodies were covered in tattoos, as well as two Sky Wolf Guards dressed in Sky Wolf Armor that covered their entire bodies in steel, making them look like soldiers from the future. It was about time.
These Xiyi tribes’ top experts and Sky World Guards were waiting for that tender faced but powerful female Sacred Expert.
The long red banner in the hands of a Xiyi cultivator was rhythmically fluttering as if it was breathing, as if already impatient to trap the flying sword of a Sacred Expert, absorb that girl’s blood.
These individuals had already remained hidden for a long time. Now, they finally saw that woman’s figure.
However, walking at that tender faced Sacred Expert’s side was a bald monk who wasn’t that tall, but still gave off an extremely sturdy feeling.