Sword Roaring in the Sky

Chapter 273 Imperial Army

Shi Si stroked the Lingxi Sword. She knew why Sun Yanwan said, "My heart is with Shi Si, and we understand each other perfectly." That meant she no longer had the Lingxi Sword.

Even knowing that Sun Yanwan was the youngest top scholar in Da Lang, a future literary leader, and the most talented poet in Da Lang, Shi Si couldn't help but softly say, "Though we lack the wings of a phoenix to fly together, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding. Truly a beautiful poem. That Miss Sima was just unlucky to be older; she met him too early..."

Shi Si sighed and muttered to herself, "I also suffered because of my age, but I was a step too late. Otherwise, how could Yang Diao'er have had a chance?"

Shi Si is usually indifferent to desires, but when it comes to things related to Sun Yanwan, she can't help but want to fight for them and ask for their help.

Shi Si refused to believe she couldn't win.

After seeing Shi Si off, Sun Yanwan ran into an acquaintance!
Xiximuli, whom he had long forgotten.

This merchant also brought more than two hundred tribal warriors. At the time, Sun Yanwan could only let them fend for themselves. He never expected to see them again.

Needless to say, Yang Wuji protected all these people and even sent them to Songyang Mountain.

These people may not be of much use on the battlefield, but on the vast grasslands of Northern Yan, where they roam for thousands of miles, they are indispensable warriors from various tribes as guides. When encountering the people of Boshi, Xiximuli can at least act as a translator.

This is a nice gift.

When Xiximuli saw Sun Yanwan, he was overjoyed. He finally believed that Sun Yanwan was indeed a big figure in the Great Lang Kingdom. After all, he could protect him and more than two hundred people and send them from Northern Yan to Great Lang. Only someone with extraordinary abilities could do that.

Sun Yanwan comforted Xiximuli and his more than two hundred followers, first feeding them all a pot of chicken soup, then bidding farewell to his master and senior uncle, and taking the lay disciples of Shaochan Temple sent by Yang Diao'er and Kong Chan down the mountain.

The lay disciples of this Shaochan Temple were not particularly skilled in martial arts, nor did they come from particularly good backgrounds. However, they were not the kind of people who were content with a mundane life, which is why they were sent out to seek a better future in the army.

He knew that there would be battles on his way to Beiyan, and that two hundred tribal warriors and fifty lay disciples of Shaochan Temple would not be enough. He recruited skilled fighters from all over the Tianma Gang along the way, selecting two or three hundred men to make up a total of five hundred personal guards.

Sun Yanwan and Yang Diao'er headed south and arrived near Zhoujia Mountain, where the Peacock King, dressed in a white robe, came out to greet them alone.

One of the two kings of the Demonic Sect had a solemn expression on his face. Although the Demonic Sect controlled a region and had many followers, it was still just a small area. It had already done its best to gather this army.

Seeing the Peacock King's expression, Yang Diao'er hurriedly said, "Uncle Peacock, Yan Wan and I will definitely bring all our followers back."

The Peacock King's expression improved slightly, and he said, "We're going to help Northern Yan fight this war. Whether we win or lose is fine. Our Demonic Sect only has this much wealth, so we should leave some behind."

He said to Sun Yanwan, "You and Diao'er, put on the masks of King Harsha!"

"From now on, you must not remove it in front of believers. Underneath King Harsha’s gold and silver mask, you must wear an additional human skin mask to avoid any mishaps."

Sun Yanwan nodded in agreement. He didn't want to have any conflict with the Peacock King over such a detail, so he obediently put on two masks and went with Yang Diao'er to take over the Demonic Sect's army.

The demonic cult's troops were already waiting nearby. The Peacock King led the two into the army and shouted loudly, "Our demonic cult has a new King Harsha!"

The members of the Demon Cult cheered in unison. The Peacock King pointed and shouted, "This time, the Heavenly Demon has bestowed a blessing, and we have once again seen the appearance of the Harsha Twin Kings. They will lead you to Northern Yan to expand our territory and secure a land for our Demon Cult to live freely."

Every time the Peacock King spoke, the followers of the Demonic Sect cheered loudly. Sun Yanwan gradually realized that something was wrong and secretly asked, "Diao'er! Why do I feel like we've really turned into some kind of evil King Harsha?"

Yang Diao'er chuckled and said, "Do you really think it's fake?"

"These gold and silver masks were originally the symbol of Harsha. Anyone who wears this item is Harsha of the Demonic Cult."

"Our Demonic Sect is located at the border of Da Lang and Nan Xia, and is often attacked by the armies of the two countries. Therefore, it is common for members of the Two Kings, Four Envoys and Thirty-Six Demon Generals to die, and for high-ranking members to be killed in battle. It is also common for new members of the Two Kings, Four Envoys and Thirty-Six Demon Generals to be selected from among the sect members."

Sun Yanwan asked in a low voice, "Where did the Demonic Sect get so many experts?"

Yang Diao'er replied, "Our Demonic Sect has more members than your Songyang Sect, Shaochan Temple, and even Longzang Temple. Moreover, we don't hold back in teaching martial arts, so it's normal to have more experts. Besides, there aren't always experts. Sometimes too many people die, so the selection of the Two Kings, Four Envoys, and Thirty-Six Demon Generals is based solely on aptitude. We select people first, and their martial arts can be improved gradually. If their martial arts don't improve, they'll die sooner or later anyway, and then we can select new people."

Sun Yanwan felt a chill run down his spine. Only then did he understand why Yang Wuji, despite having several demon generals killed by Yin Bailian, and King Harsha killed by Zhang Yuanqiao, and severely injured by him, still sought cooperation instead of seeking revenge.

Although the Demonic Sect is powerful, it is located between two great powers and faces numerous crises. The pressure to survive is much greater than that of the three great martial arts holy lands.

That's why Yang Wuji sought cooperation with the Songyang Sect, the Shaochan Temple, the Northern Yan Royal Court, the Longzang Temple, and even the Southern Xia. After all, he was the leader of a sect and couldn't act arbitrarily.

After the Peacock King spoke, he winked at Sun Yanwan.

Sun Yanwan and Yang Diao'er took a step forward side by side. When Sun Yanwan spoke, Yang Diao'er also spoke at the same time. The voices of a man and a woman mixed together, forming a strange resonance, which was quite mystical.

Sun Yanwan said a few words and completed the handover, thus becoming the commander of this demonic cult army.

Although the Peacock King was reluctant to leave, he still had to stay at Zhoujia Mountain to handle countless religious affairs and was simply unable to spare the time. He could only suppress his distress and turn to leave.

Sun Yanwan had never tried commanding such a large army before. Fortunately, Yang Diao'er had grown up in the Demonic Sect and received the most rigorous training. With just a dozen or so orders, the entire army was mobilized.

This large army needs to pass through Nanxia to reach the grasslands. Beiyan will be responsible for some of the food and supplies, but such a long journey is still a great challenge for the generals.

What Sun Yanwan could do was try not to cause trouble for Yang Diao'er, and secondly, to keep trying to select people from this army who looked simple-minded and not very bright to join her personal guard.

Three days after the Demonic Sect's army left Luojia Mountain, the scouts ahead reported that a cavalry force from Southern Xia was blocking their way, preventing them from passing.

Sun Yanwan and Yang Diao'er arrived at the front of the army. He saw an extremely elite cavalry force and his heart stirred slightly. He said to Yang Diao'er, "It should be the Imperial Army of Nanxia!"

Da Lang has the Imperial Guards, the Northern Yan royal court has the Fierce Horse Cavalry, and Southern Xia also has a powerful army directly under the Southern Xia royal family, known as the Imperial Heaven Army.

(End of this chapter)