The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 294 Stop here!
A dim lamp illuminated the surrounding area. The antique shop was originally very elegant, with a cool and beautiful shopkeeper sitting inside. It didn't feel cramped or empty. But now it was different.

Zhou Yan and his group filled the place to the brim.

Ao Xuantao was a dragon. Dragons sleep and awaken much more slowly than humans. He barely managed to transform into human form and leaned against the wall, feeling drowsy. Shen Cangming, Pei Xuanniao, and Li Zhenyue had all awakened.

Xuan Zhuzi was preparing simple elixirs here, and he also picked up a stick of incense.

The fragrant aroma invigorated everyone.

Xuan Zhuzi was a disciple personally trained by the Medicine King Sun Simiao. He had a legitimate lineage, but his impetuous nature prevented him from reaching the sixth rank. This dream was an incredible opportunity for him.

"I have already opened the altar and chosen the [Awakening Incense], which can calm my mind and soothe my spirit."

"Zhou Yan, how are you?"

Xuan Zhuzi also brewed a medicinal soup for Shen Fei and Xu Zhilan to drink. Since the two of them had no cultivation or magic power, they were already unable to resist the changes in the formation. Zhou Yan then used a similar method to awaken Li Pingyang.

Li Pingyang was originally a guardian deity awakened through a secret technique, a sword spirit.

With a sharp sword aura protecting him and Li Taibai's sword in hand, his resistance to the dream was strong enough. Zhou Yan explained the general situation to everyone, and then looked at the last person.

The petite girl, Li, lay there quietly, breathing evenly, showing no signs of waking up.

Consort Shen looked somewhat worried, reached out and stroked Li Zhiwei's hair, and asked:
"Master Zhou, why hasn't Xiaoyun woken up yet?"

She now values ​​this youngest daughter more than her own life. Seeing Li Zhiwei asleep, she was filled with worry. Zhou Yan looked at Li Zhiwei and said, "Don't worry, I'll give it a try."

"Uncle Shen..."

He looked at Shen Cangming and said, "I'll leave this to you, Uncle Shen."

Shen Cangming's response was as concise as ever.

"it is good."

Zhou Yan squatted down and looked at Li Zhiwei, who was sleeping peacefully. He had never seen her so quiet since they met. Li Zhiwei had always been full of energy and had a strong drive to act. She was never quiet.

Zhou Yan placed his palm on Li Zhiwei's shoulder and closed his eyes.

They entered Li Zhiwei's dream.

………………

After Zhou Yan entered his dream, the young Taoist's breathing also calmed down, and the atmosphere in the antique shop became somewhat solemn. The female shopkeeper tapped her slender fingers on the abacus, and a bronze mirror was placed on the table next to her.

The little fox Lingxi has also been awakened. The female shopkeeper just told him about Qingzhu and Hu Erniang's departure. Lingxi felt both relieved and a little lost. He was relieved that his sister and grandmother were safe, but he also felt like he had been left behind.

He was probably the least thoughtful of them all.

After inquiring about the problems in Langzhong, Xuan Zhuzi's expression became serious: "Out of 300,000 people, about 120,000 to 130,000 are in a coma, and some may have even starved to death in their dreams?" As a Daoist physician, he felt a surge of anger and anxiety.

Pei Xuanniao noticed that most of the items in this antique shop were from the Qin and Han dynasties.

And they are all rare treasures.

Even with his money, Young Master Pei couldn't buy much here.

Shen Cangming's eyes swept over Zhou Yan, then looked at Ying Yinman. His fingers were spread out, hovering over the hilt of his sword. As a battle-hardened warrior, he sensed the difference between the cold and beautiful woman before him: "Your Excellency is not human."

Pei Xuanniao paused, and Li Zhenyue had already taken the shield down.

Ying Yinman's fingers moved across the abacus. She raised her eyes, her eyes tinged with gold eyeshadow and rouge. Her gaze shifted slightly, and her voice was calm: "However, in the matter of Langzhong City, our positions are the same."

Shen Cangming didn't say anything.

Zhou Yan chose to believe Ying Yinman, while Shen Cangming did not believe Ying Yinman but trusted Zhou Yan's judgment. Even so, he would still be somewhat wary of this unfamiliar place and unfamiliar people.

The atmosphere in the antique shop quieted down, with only wisps of smoke dissipating and the sound of even breathing. In this silence, vigilance, apprehension, confrontation, and worry were dissipating, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Suddenly——

The sound of galloping hooves broke the solemn atmosphere.

A strange light flashed in the eyes of Shen Cangming, Pei Xuanniao, and Li Zhenyue.

Pei Xuan Niao said, "They are cavalry, but judging from the sound of their hooves, they are not top-tier elites, and their warhorses are not the expensive kind."

Li Zhenyue said, "There are heavily armored and shielded soldiers."

Shen Cangming said, "...The coordinated legion, with a number of three to five hundred, has come with a purpose. We have been 'discovered,' so there is no need to take any chances. Put on your armor immediately."

"Xuan Niao, go to the left and prepare to open the door. Zhen Yue, your giant shield is on the right. Wait for my command and charge forward."

"promise!"

"Yes."

The two reacted instantly.

Their packages were made light by the Taoist Feather Flight Technique.

When the package was opened, Xu Zhilan held her breath, her face turning pale.

Inside is armor.

Shen Cangming's armor was blessed by the Xuanxiang Bureau, and he wore a full set of mountain-patterned armor.

They represent the elite charging generals of the frontier.

Li Zhenyue wore mountain-patterned armor, which complemented his other heavy armor; Pei Xuanniao wore a set of fine-scale armor. The three of them silently donned their armor, the sound of the armor plates clashing carrying the natural killing intent of the battlefield.

Pei Xuan Niao removed the crossbow from his waist, unloaded the normal crossbow bolts, and inserted the mechanical crossbow bolt engraved with fire talismans into the bolt slot. He then secured a round shield to his wrist guard and, with a rhythmic movement of his five fingers, gripped the horizontal sword.

Li Zhenyue took out a heavy shield that could cover half of his body and placed it in front of him. He then took off the pouch he was carrying with his right hand and assembled it into a long spear for foot combat.

The three remained silent, with only the sound of steel echoing through the air.

Along with all this, a chilling and fierce aura, unique to the elite Tang Dynasty military officers, slowly spread out, giving people a great sense of security. Shen Fei's pounding heart calmed down considerably as she looked at Xu Zhilan, whose face was somewhat pale.

Consort Shen reached out and pressed Xu Zhilan's hand, feeling that the latter's hand was cold. Although Xu Zhilan was naturally intelligent and had taken Su Xiaoshuang as her teacher, she was, after all, from a village and town, and had never seen such a top-notch elite general of the Tang Dynasty in front of her.

Consort Shen comforted her, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."

Xu Zhilan said, "Outside, there are three or five hundred people? There are only the three of them."

Consort Shen watched as the three donned their armor and picked up their weapons. Shen Cangming's mountain-patterned armor and slanted battle robe could offer some protection against arrows. His crimson battle robe was the color of blood stained on the battlefield, representing his illustrious achievements.

Consort Shen felt disgust, fear, and dread towards the royal family, yet she also held such a fervent belief in the Tang Dynasty. She whispered, "Nothing will happen."

"They are the fierce spirit of the Tang Dynasty."

"It is the iron and fire of the Tang Dynasty."

"It is the dignity, the pride, and..."

The arrogance of such warriors was also the force that destroyed the Tang Dynasty hundreds of years later.

This also led to the extreme emphasis on civil affairs and suppression of military affairs in the Song Dynasty.

But at this moment, this was precisely the backbone of the Tang Dynasty, standing tall in the world. Shen Cangming gripped his knife, glancing back at Zhou Yan with his eyes closed, then at the enigmatic shopkeeper. He withdrew his gaze and slowly bowed. Ying Yinman watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

"...In later generations, there were even people similar to Lord Wu'an."

"However, this Taoist priest..."

Ying Yinman looked at Zhou Yan with his eyes closed, then glanced at Xu Zhilan. She felt a certain envy for the Taoist priest, but not a deep affection for him. She then looked at the petite Miss Li and Li Pingyang, who was holding a sword and protecting the women.

The shopkeeper's fingers brushed against a tuft of white hair in his hand.

"It is what you value."

"...If you were truly like that, you would surely cause countless women heartbreak in the future."

Ying Yinman thought for a moment and then pulled back the tuft of white hair.

………………

The sound of hooves was rapid, then it suddenly stopped.

Old Liu and Yuan Yufeng stared blankly at the approaching horde of soldiers. Langzhong's garrison was divided into several types: there were outlaws dealing with ordinary thugs and local soldiers, like Yuan Yufeng and Old Liu.

There are also city guards who produce during busy farming seasons, train during slack seasons, and are conscripted to defend the city or assist in combat during wartime; the most elite are the garrison troops who were stationed here because of the An Lushan Rebellion.

At this moment, heavy cavalry, infantry, and crossbowmen from the rear pressed forward.

The streets ahead were packed with people. Unlike the descriptions of battles involving hundreds of thousands of people in many texts, in reality, five hundred people were a terrifying number in street fighting, and they were all fully armored and exuded a menacing aura.

Old Liu and Yuan Yufeng stood in front of the antique shop, their legs feeling a little weak.

At this moment, Yuan Yufeng was caught off guard and couldn't react.

Old Liu was different. He immediately realized that there was definitely something wrong with the people who came in. Normally, given his personality, he would have chickened out and stepped aside, but looking at his lame leg, he gritted his teeth and shouted:

"Ah?! Gentlemen, this is..."

"There's nothing going on here, what brings you all here?!"

He deliberately made a loud noise to alert the people inside, but this little trick was immediately discovered. The leading general, also wearing mountain-patterned armor and holding a long spear, roared, "You slick-haired bastard, I think you want to break your other leg too!"

This general was the one who had been offended by Old Liu back then.

The military officer who ordered his men to break his legs.

Coming here now is just like before, when I received orders from the prince and the prefect to deal with those Taoist priests from Qingcheng Mountain.

Those Taoist priests are good at exorcising demons and performing rituals, but when faced with spears and arrows, they're not much better off than ordinary people.

I just treated it as a simple task.

Unexpectedly, Old Liu dared to provoke him. Enraged, he spurred his warhorse, which, though not heavily armored, still possessed several thousand kilograms of strength, and galloped towards Old Liu.

They planned to break Old Liu's other leg as well.

For some reason, Yuan Yufeng's heart was pounding. Suddenly, she felt the flow of time around her slow down. She could see the angry and ferocious look on the military officer's face, the fear on Old Liu's face as he fell backward, and the way he waved to her, telling her to leave.

Yuan Yufeng was moved.

He sprinted forward at a speed even faster than when he used to practice.

He swung his knife at the horse, which caused Old Liu's expression to change drastically.

Your superiors have broken your legs, and you have nowhere to seek justice.

But if you dare to resist.

But they will take it back very hard!
Sure enough, even if Yuan Yufeng didn't know why he entered this state, how could a commoner soldier like him compare to a general who had grown up eating meat and practicing martial arts?
In a single strike, the military officer's spear deflected Yuan Yufeng's knife, and with another thrust, he was about to impale him when the officer roared like thunder: "You mere soldier from the prefecture, I'm just punishing you by breaking your leg. Instead of guarding it properly, you dare to resist?"

When Old Liu saw the military officer about to break Yuan Yufeng's leg, his eyes turned red. He was old and muddled and had nothing to say, but seeing that Yuan Yufeng was about to follow in his footsteps, he got angry and rolled over, grabbing his knife and slashing at him.

The military officer roared in anger: "You've all rebelled!"

With a pull of the reins, the warhorse reared up, its hooves as big as large bowls, and slammed down on the chests of the two soldiers. With the weight of the horse and its full force, the men were sure to die.

The officer's cruelty was unbearable to those behind him, but they were powerless to stop him.

boom! ! !
Just when Yuan Yufeng was in despair, the door opened.

A gust of wind arose, and a figure burst forth like a black wind, stepping over Yuan Yufeng. Old Liu's eyes widened as he saw a giant shield, behind which a tall man concealed his entire body.

Hold the shield up with your arms and shoulders.

Step forward, rub your feet, stomp your body, and explode.

All the strength of his body was focused on a single point on the shield.

The so-called Iron Mountain Lean, a deadly move in terms of fists and feet, was originally meant to be a killing move for heavily armored shield soldiers.

In close combat, offering your shoulder and head to your opponent is suicidal, but if the person performing this move is wearing heavy armor and carrying a shield, the move will be executed perfectly.

boom! ! !
Li Zhenyue collided with the heavily armored horses.

The next moment, accompanied by the neighing and screaming of the warhorse, the military officer and the warhorse were both thrown away and crashed heavily to the ground.

A dead silence.

Beyond the heavy shield, a man clad in full mountain-patterned armor slowly stepped out, his sword planted beside him. He raised his hand and grabbed a seven-foot-long hilt and a three-foot-long blade. With a sudden jerk, the blade whistled, like the low roar of a tiger.

Yuan Yufeng, Old Liu was so excited his hands were trembling.

Mo Dao!

The Mo Dao, capable of slaying both men and horses!

The pinnacle of martial arts in the Tang Dynasty!
With his sword bowed low to the ground, a man standing approximately 2.2 meters tall in full armor stood before them. His voice, as always, was calm and collected, yet as imposing as a heavy shield, impossible to cross. Facing these hundreds of armored soldiers, Shen Cangming spoke slowly and deliberately:
Stop here.

........................

Zhou Yan opened his eyes and saw Li Zhiwei's dream. He saw a place with carved dragons and painted phoenixes. He pushed open the window and saw an extremely magnificent palace, brightly lit, with guests chatting and laughing.

He found Li Zhiwei, pushed open the door, and saw the girl sitting on the bed.

She was wearing a dark blue hairpin-adorned formal dress.

This is the wedding dress worn by noblewomen of the Tang Dynasty.

Zhou Yan looked down and found himself in Li Zhiwei's dream, dressed in a scarlet robe, with men in scarlet and women in green, in a Tang Dynasty wedding ceremony.

Am I the groom?
The girl opened her eyes and looked at him, her voice gentle:
"You're here."

"Zhou Lang?"

bar:"???"

(End of this chapter)