Daqin Zhentiansi

A strange, eerie light flashed in Yu Yangzi's eyes: "That batch of 'Heartfire Beasts' is already on its way! The specially made Blood Boiling Pills they've ingested can make them ignore pain, unleash tremendous power comparable to demons, and are not afraid of ordinary weapons!"

"The demonic poison carried by its claws and teeth will corrode bones and marrow upon contact!"

"No matter how sturdy the Xuanjia shield formation was, it was no match for the hundreds of mindless, bloodthirsty demonic beasts that charged through with their bare flesh and blood..."

"Hehe, I'd like to see whether their halberds are harder, or the bones of the mad beasts are harder! Breaking the formation will only take an instant! As for Zhang Yuan..."

He licked his lips, as if savoring an exquisite delicacy.

"The moment the Xuanjia Army formation collapses, the 'Shadow Poison Guards' mixed in with the beasts will seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack and take Zhang Qingyang by surprise! Even if he doesn't die, he will taste the agony of being devoured by ten thousand poisons!"

Yuwentuo's aura surged, his eyes filled with killing intent, and a hint of blood red appeared.

"well……"

-------------------

The army marched forward.

The bloodshed of Luanshiyu has been left behind.

Three thousand armored guards escorted the two carriages, steadily moving forward on the official road, as if the ambush just now was merely a speck of dust on the journey.

Chen Wu remained on high alert, the Xuanjia Army formation was relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside, every step they took carried a silent killing intent.

Several days later, the group arrived at a key border town at the junction of the three states of Qin, Qi, and Wei.

Tianyu Town.

This town has a special geographical location, attracting people from all walks of life and making it well-connected.

From afar, one could see a number of figures at the town entrance, seemingly some prominent figures from the local martial arts world waiting in advance.

As the carriages drew near, a group of figures dressed in various styles of martial arts attire stood solemnly.

The three leaders exuded a calm and powerful aura, clearly all being Grandmasters.

One of them was a man in blue robes with a long sword with goose feathers at his waist and three strands of long beard. He was the leader of the "Zhenyue Sword Sect," the strongest gang in the area within a hundred miles.

One was a middle-aged man in brocade robes, holding a folding fan, with a smiling face but shrewd eyes. He was the leader of a powerful merchant family who controlled the trade routes and intelligence in this area.

Another was a burly old man dressed in tight-fitting clothes and carrying an iron bow on his back; he was the president of the local "Strong Bow Association".

"Yu Lianshan, the master of the Zhenyue Saber Sect..."

"Meng Jiuyang, the general manager of the trading company..."

"Guo Wei, the president of the Strong Bow Society..."

The three bowed in unison, their voices loud yet exceptionally respectful: "Welcome Princess Yunqin! Welcome Prince Zhengcheng! Welcome Marquis Qingyang to our humble town!"

"Our town has prepared clean water, food, and lodging. Your Excellency and the two princes must be tired from your journey. Please come into town and rest!"

Behind them followed a group of disciples and stewards, none of them daring to breathe loudly, their eyes filled with awe as they stole glances at the silent iron torrent and the imposing carriage.

In the eyes of these local tyrants, the aura emanating from these three thousand black-armored guards was a hundred times more terrifying than any army they had ever seen.

Among the crowd, several burly men who appeared to be ordinary caravan guards quickly scanned the crowd with their eyes, while subtly approaching.

One of them gently pried open the brass scabbard of his waist knife with his thumb, like a cheetah preparing to pounce.

These were Qin Dynasty spies hidden within the caravan.

The seemingly calm welcome masks underlying tensions.

Tianyu Town became the epicenter of the storm.

Inside the carriage.

The bumpy carriage was filled with a subtle aroma of tea and the smell of dust.

Wang Qinian leaned back on the cushion, one foot even unruly raised and stepping on the edge of the opposite seat, only to be forced to move away by Zhang Yuan's silent gaze.

He held the small purple clay teacup, his face still bearing that carefree smile.

"My lord, the Wei Kingdom has really gone all out this time." He sipped his tea and clicked his tongue. "'Beast of Heartfire,' heh, that old Taoist priest Yu Yangzi has unleashed his most treasured madman."

"All the Wei soldiers who were testing pills at the Heavenly Pill Sect have lost their minds."

"He's been hiding in one of the mule and horse inns in the west of town for three days now, like a hawk being kept in captivity. He's radiating an eerie aura, and he looks terrifying."

He paused, looking at Zhang Yuan's sharply angled profile facing the car window, unresponsive, and continued to speak to himself: "And those old coffin-stuffers in Qi can't hold back either."

"Situ Minglou, the 'Thousand Machine Master' on the Heavenly Ranking who is famous for his 'Nether Cloud Binding,' led seven or eight old ghosts and ambushed them at the restaurant on North Street."

“Look, that window, the one that’s half-open.” He pointed with his chin to a spot outside the car window.

The carriage was so quiet that only the sound of wheels rolling over the road and the distant hustle and bustle of the city could be heard.

Zhang Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the gray street scene flowing past the window, as calm as a deep pool.

Wang Qinian put down his teacup, spread his hands, and said with a relaxed, spectator-like tone, "Judging from this situation, all three streams have been swirled together."

"The mad beasts of Wei are leading the charge, the grandmasters of Qi are seizing the opportunity to strike you unexpectedly, and then there are those desperate fugitives hiding in the nooks and crannies... Tsk tsk, this game is going to be tough."

Although he said it was "not easy to get out," his face showed no worry whatsoever; instead, it revealed an excitement that seemed to thrive on chaos.

Seeing that Zhang Yuan still didn't respond, Wang Qinian leaned closer, lowered his voice mysteriously, and said with a hint of smug satisfaction, "But... you can rest assured when I, Old Wang, handle things!"

He rubbed his fingers together smugly.

"See those people welcoming us at the town entrance? The one leading them, the one with the prosperous-looking face, is Meng Jiuyang, the president of the Chamber of Commerce. And that stubborn old mule carrying the Iron Arm Bow is Guo Wei, the president of the Strong Bow Association."

"Hey, I've been in the Shadow Division for so many years, dealing with local smugglers is a piece of cake for me, right? Those two, and a lot of their men, are all ours now!"

"As soon as I give the order, they'll turn against us immediately, clean up the rat droppings in town for us, and keep us from a lot of trouble!"

He looked at Zhang Yuan with a smile, waiting for this high-ranking marquis to express his appreciation for his skillful trick.

In Wang Qinian's eyes, recruiting Zhang Yuan and Young Master Tao into the Black Ice Bureau was his proudest achievement.

Over the years, watching Zhang Yuan rise step by step to the position of head of the Zhen Tian Si has made him even happier than when Wang Qinian himself was promoted.

Zhang Yuan finally turned his gaze from the window to his face, his voice flat and emotionless: "Have you been registered in the Zhen Tian Si's register?"

Wang Qinian's smug smile froze instantly, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes: "No, not really... it's just that we haven't had a chance yet! Things happened so suddenly! But don't worry, the pledge of loyalty is right in front of us. Once the fight starts, they'll naturally..."

He emphasized the "pledge of allegiance," clearly believing that once these people fought, their identities would be confirmed.

"kill--!"

Before the words were even finished, a deafening roar of battle cries erupted like a dam bursting!

Outside the car window, the ear-piercing sounds of shattering, screams, and the sharp clash of weapons suddenly mingled together!
The "Beast of Heartfire," disguised as a porter and peddler, no longer concealed his true nature; his pupils instantly turned bloodshot.

Like a powder keg that has been ignited, it squeezed out an inhuman roar from its throat, its muscles bulging and twisting, exuding a violent ferocity, and suddenly tore off its disguise to reveal a ferocious face.

One by one, they pulled out poisoned weapons hidden under bundles of firewood and baskets, and charged madly towards the tightly packed convoy formation!
Almost simultaneously, the doors and windows of several seemingly ordinary shops on the street suddenly shattered, and burly men with bloodshot eyes and increased strength surged out like a tide, mixing with the first wave, their target—the carriage in the center!

While the caravan was being escorted, the hidden spies from the real enemy country saw their opportunity and suddenly launched an attack.

They drew their poisoned short blades and rapid-fire crossbows, and rushed towards the soldiers closest to the convoy, attempting to disrupt their formation!

The situation collapsed instantly!

"Woo—" A deep, penetrating horn sounded, drowning out all the noise.

Before the chariot formation, Chen Wu, the commander of the personal guards, sat upright on his warhorse, his eyes beneath the visor as cold as ancient black iron, utterly devoid of emotion.

He didn't even look back at the frenzied crowd surging in like a raging torrent and the gleaming cold light of weapons.

"The Marquis commands!" His voice wasn't loud, but it was like an icicle falling to the ground, instantly resounding in the ears of every black-armored guard above the entire chariot formation, "Anyone within a hundred paces! Kill—no mercy!!!"

"kill!!!"

Three thousand Xuanjia warriors roared in unison!

This roar was not a chaotic shout, but a unified and terrifying aura forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
It was as if a sleeping beast had opened its scarlet eyes.

"Shh!"

"boom!"

"Qiang!"

Without the slightest hesitation, without the slightest confusion.

The Xuanjia Guards switched formations in an instant.

The heavy shields in the front row slammed into the ground like mountains, making a dull, loud noise.

The blood-quenched halberd pierced out from the gap in the shield with the precision of a venomous snake, instantly piercing the chests of the first few "Beasts of Heartfire" that pounced on it!
The second rank of heavily armored soldiers had already dismounted and leaped down, holding powerful bows and crossbows, aiming at the figure that was swooping down from the side eaves and windowsills, and pulled the trigger!
"Om-"

"Shhhhhhh!"

These are not ordinary bows and arrows!

That's a rune-inscribed crossbow that can pierce through heavy armor!

The arrows whistled as they tore through the air, transforming into a deadly storm of metal!

The "Beasts of Heartfire," who were frantically kicking against the wall, trying to use the momentum to leap onto the roof of the car, were pinned to the air or the wall by a barrage of crossbow bolts before they could even change direction.

Black blood flowers exploded on the earthen-yellow stone wall.

"Charge! Charge forward—ah!"

A leader, whose ferocity had just been unleashed and whose strength had doubled, roared, trying to stop the mad beasts behind him from breaking through the shield formation.

Before the words were even finished, a long-handled broadsword, delivered from behind the shield formation at an extremely tricky angle, flashed past like lightning!

With a flash of light, the leader's head and half a shoulder flew off at an angle, and his mangled body took two steps before crashing to the ground.

Frantic?

Double the power?
Before the war machine forged in the East China Sea, capable of reaping even hordes of ferocious sea monsters, and before the tightly packed, ruthlessly operating military formation, their chaotic ferocity and unleashed power were as fragile as a blank sheet of paper!
They didn't even reach the limit of their own strength!

"Enter!"

Chen Wu's cold command rang out once again.

The shield formation has moved!

Like a torrent of steel, it rolled forward!

There was no probing, no detours, only the most direct and efficient destructive push!

"Boom!"

The teahouse doors, counters, tables, and chairs blocking their path were smashed to pieces by the heavy shield!
Several diners hiding behind the counter, who didn't even have time to identify themselves, and a few slow-moving, truly terrified waiters, were all knocked away, crushed, and run over along with the sawdust!
“Crack!”

A wall was smashed down by the heavy shield!
The Qi State "Chenyuan Pavilion" assassins, who were lying in ambush inside, had just drawn their weapons when they were met not with their targets, but with collapsing bricks and stones and a cold halberd thrusting in right after them!

"Help! Sir, spare my life!"

A middle-aged man dressed as an ordinary citizen scrambled out of a nearby alleyway, driven by chaos and fear, and instinctively ran toward the seemingly fortified military formation for protection.

"puff!"

A cold light flashed.

He hadn't even gotten twenty paces away when a vigilant crossbowman pierced his back with an arrow, causing him to collapse and convulse.

Amidst the chaos of battle, the Xuanjia Army's "Hundred-Pace Kill Order" no longer distinguishes the identity of the target, but only whether they are approaching a lethal distance!

No difference!
Destroy everything that stands in your way!

Meng Jiuyang and Guo Wei were also dumbfounded!
Some of the guards from the Chamber of Commerce and the men from the Strong Bow Society they brought were just preparing to cooperate with the Xuanjia Army to "clean up" the surrounding small fry, as Wang Qinian had previously hinted, while others were still hesitant or observing.

However, once the Xuanjia Army's killing machine is activated, it doesn't distinguish between friend and foe!

"Stop! I'm one of them! Meng..."

Meng Jiuyang watched as several cold halberds mercilessly pierced through his two capable subordinates who were blocking his way. His eyes were bloodshot, and he waved his arms, trying to call for a halt.

"Pfft!"

His response was a relentless thrust of a black-armored soldier's halberd!

Meng Jiuyang looked down in disbelief at the halberd blade that had pierced his chest, blood spilling from his mouth. He looked at the emotionless eyes beneath the armor, then looked with difficulty at the carriage that was quietly parked in the center of the formation not far away.

Finally, his gaze settled on Wang Qinian, who had just rushed out of the carriage and witnessed the scene with a look of astonishment on his face. His eyes were filled with incomprehension and final resentment as he collapsed to the ground.

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

Guo Wei reacted quickly. Seeing Meng Jiuyang dead, he screamed in terror and tried to lead his men away.

But it's too late!
The rolling steel army was like a millstone crushing everything, mercilessly grinding over the panicked disciples of the Strong Bow Society!
The bowstring snapped, the sound of bones cracking echoing incessantly. Guo Wei attempted to resist, swinging his giant bow at a shield, only to have his hand split open. The next moment, several halberds pierced him from different angles, tearing him to shreds.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

The smell of blood was so strong it was pungent.

The clamor of battle and collisions subsided quickly, like a surging tide abruptly receding.

Instead, a chilling silence descended, broken only by the sound of heavy armor clashing over rubble, the occasional dying groan emanating from a pile of corpses, and the scraping of metal and heavy breathing.

The main street, shops on both sides, and even part of the alley near the entrance of the convoy in Tianyu Town have been turned into a scene of carnage!

The building collapsed, leaving behind ruins and flames crackling and burning among the fallen beams.

The corpses were piled up like mountains. There were "Beasts of Heartfire" with hideous and twisted faces and unusually tall statures; there were desperate criminals dressed in black or Wei and Qi spies' attire; and there were members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Strong Bow Society who had not had time to escape or try to do anything but were caught up in it...

More often, it was ordinary townspeople who were caught up in the killing vortex without having time to escape or without knowing why.

Blood soaked the soil and rubble, flowing and converging into streams, and the air was filled with the smell of rust and burning.

Inside the carriage, Wang Qinian's face was deathly pale, his lips were trembling, and his fingers were gripping the window frame so tightly that his nails were almost digging into the wood.

Looking at the horrific scene outside, and then at Meng Jiuyang lying dead in the pile of rocks, his eyes wide open in death, he felt a chill run through him, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

He never imagined that Zhang Yuan's methods would be so ruthless!

This is no longer just about breaking the deadlock, but a cleansing that destroys everything!
His carefully laid "sleeper agents" were wiped out by his own comrades, along with the enemy and civilians!
Jiang Zhengcheng hid in the back of a car, his fingers digging deeply into the edge of the rosewood window, his knuckles turning white, his face devoid of color, his eyes filled with extreme horror and disbelief.

Is this the iron-blooded military might of the Qin Dynasty?
Is this the method of the Marquis of Qingyang?
This...this is practically a reincarnation of a demon from hell! (End of Chapter)