knife

Chapter 566 The sky is falling and the earth is falling
Li Dachui's guess was absolutely correct.

That was exactly what Xiang Ying was planning.

Xiang Ying and Jiang Chong were both hidden within the naval force led by Chen Yan.

Having captured Danyang City and also taken control of the young emperor, Jiang Qian's confidants, such as He Han, were either captured or beheaded, while Lin Yunqi and others fled. Xiang Ying and Xiong Yi had completely taken control of Danyang City.

Even a master like Jiang Chong, with his innate talent, had no choice but to make peace with Xiang Ying and his group under the circumstances. To protect his entire family, betraying Jiang Qian was the only option.

Of course, words alone are not enough to gain people's trust, so Jiang Chong also needed to offer a pledge of allegiance.

Joining Xiang Ying in a cloud-based pursuit of Jiang Qian is naturally the best way to sever ties with the Demon Queen.

With Xiong Yi in control of the situation in Danyang City, and with the assistance of Na Wei's southwestern wolf soldiers, Xiang Ying was able to leave Danyang City with peace of mind.

Xiong Yi's years as Grand Secretary allowed him to cultivate deep connections in local areas, eventually winning over all sides and gaining their respect. He recognized that overthrowing Jiang Qian and returning power to the young emperor was a righteous act, something Xiong Yi excelled at.

Xiang Ying, on the other hand, wanted to eliminate any future troubles.

The best solution, of course, is to kill Jiang Qian.

In Xiang Ying's initial plan, the best outcome would be to take down both Jiang Qian and Li Dachui in one fell swoop.

Secondly, he wanted to kill Jiang Qian.

Xiang Ying believed that when news of the Danyang City upheaval reached Yunwu Mountain, Jiang Qian and Li Dachui would inevitably turn against each other. If the two were to fight and both were to suffer heavy losses, that would be an even better outcome.

Of course, if the two of them formed an alliance at this time, and he brought Jiang Chong along, it would be enough to deal with them.

In the naval battle on the river, Wang Pu's defeat was actually quite unjust.

Upon receiving news from Chen Ting and Puning, Wang Pu led his men up the mountain, but he was naturally helpless against the resealed medical ship.

They could only hold out in the cave.

In their view, Li Dachui would eventually have to come out.

There was no food or water on the hospital ship.

You can't stay inside for too long.
Even if they are all innate masters.

But they did not hold out for long before Chen Yan led his navy from downstream.

At this point, everyone naturally realized that something was wrong; something must have happened in Danyang City.

However, since Jiang Qian is not coming out, all they can do is deal with whatever comes their way, and defeat the attacking enemy first.

The navy that Chen Yan brought consisted of only fifty main warships and a little over a hundred auxiliary warships, which was not much stronger than the navy currently stationed at Yunwu Mountain.

Wang Pu was confident that he could defeat his opponent by using his extensive experience in naval warfare and his knowledge of the complex hydrogeography around Yunwu Mountain.

But what he never expected was that there were actually two innate masters hidden in the opposing naval warships.

Chen Yan was also unusually familiar with Wang Pu.

Shortly after the battle began, they quickly identified the opposing navy's command ship. After locking onto Wang Pu, the two innate masters set out together.

Poor Wang Pu was merely a technically skilled naval commander with only a mere eighth-grade Xuan Yuan martial arts cultivation. Under the simultaneous attack of two innate masters, he had almost no chance to retaliate and was killed on the spot.

In a highly technical battle like naval warfare, without a leader to command and everyone fighting individually, Chen Yan quickly routed them, resulting in a complete rout.

After Xiang Ying and Jiang Chong dealt with Wang Pu, they handed over the battle on the water to Chen Yan, while the two of them flew across the river and headed straight for Cloud Mist Mountain. There were many experts on Cloud Mist Mountain, and they were confident that they could handle just one Innate Realm expert.

After years of operation, the Yunwu Mountain is riddled with traps and mechanisms.
Don't be fooled by the seemingly peaceful journey Li Dachui and Jiang Qian took up the mountain; in reality, countless deadly dangers lurk from the foot of the mountain to its summit.

These mechanisms, hidden under the control and command of the master of the Giant Wood Banner, are extremely powerful.

The problem now is that the other side has two innate masters.

This is truly beyond the capacity of Yunwu Mountain to cope with at present.

Upon discovering Xiang Ying and Jiang Chong, the members of the Demonic Cult knew they were doomed.

In their minds, Li Dachui had colluded with the enemy, with Li Dachui responsible for trapping Jiang Qian, while Xiang Ying and Jiang Chong would arrive later.

The tide is gone.

They made a decision immediately.

Led by their leader Puning, the experts of the Giant Wood Banner operated the mechanisms to block the enemy, while the rest of the people immediately retreated along the secret passage, and whoever could escape did so.

During the years of being hunted down, the members of the Demonic Sect had accumulated a wealth of escape experience, and there were also many secret passages on Cloud Mist Mountain for them to escape.

Within these secret passages, disciples of the Giant Wood Banner remained to provide cover for those attempting to escape.

Of course, the disciples of the Giant Wood Banner who remained behind were unlikely to fare well.

However, members of the Demonic Cult have never lacked a spirit of sacrifice.

Inside the cave, Xiang Ying coldly stared at Puning, who was dozens of meters ahead.

At his feet, Puning's axe lay quietly, twisted like a pretzel.

The flag lord of the Giant Wood Banner, a peak ninth-rank Xuan Yuan cultivator, was lying half-reclined behind a large rock, his two bloodied legs dragging outside. He was barely able to rest his head on the rock, and blood was still gushing from his mouth.

"Why bother?" Xiang Ying looked at the other man and said, "Puning, you have devoted your life to technology and have not done anything that harms the world. As long as you are willing to surrender, the court will not treat you unfairly. Are you willing to risk your life for that wicked empress?"

Puning gave them a disdainful look: "People like you are the most shameless. Back then, if it weren't for the Holy Maiden's intervention, it's uncertain whether the Chu Kingdom would even exist now. You're truly adept at crossing the river and then burning the bridge. You think you're safe now, so you're going to get rid of the person who saved you from your predicament? In my life, what I despise most are two-faced people like you who spout benevolence and morality while harboring wicked intentions. Surrender to you? Dream on!"

Xiang Ying was furious. "Where did the Empress go? Tell me where she is, and I'll give you a quick death!"

Puning turned his head and looked into the dark depths of the tunnel behind him, saying, "The Empress Dowager is down here!"

Where is Li Dachui?

"It's down here too! Down here, there are countless rare and precious treasures of our sect, accumulated over hundreds of years. Xiang Ying, do you dare to go?"

"How dare this scoundrel deceive me!" Xiang Ying sneered, waved his hand, and the government troops behind him surged in. "First, drag this scoundrel out."

Puning laughed loudly and fell down onto the boulder. A rumbling sound could be faintly heard inside the cave, and the ground seemed to begin to shake. Xiang Ying suddenly looked up, and dust and pebbles fell from above. His expression changed drastically, and he quickly retreated.

"Everyone out!" he roared.

Unfortunately, he was fast enough to retreat from the cave in a few flashes, but the soldiers who followed him in did not have the same skill. With a loud bang, the entire cave collapsed.

Xiang Ying stared at the pile of rubble in front of him, his face ashen.

(End of this chapter)