Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 132: Breakthrough
Sizhou, Jingbian Division.

While the entire southwest was engulfed in flames of war, Sizhou remained unchanged.

This area was not within the sphere of influence of the three chieftains and was not affected by the war.

These past few days, Lin Xuan has been staying at the Jingbian Division in Sizhou, living a very leisurely life.

He has done all he could for the court.

With his sixth-rank cultivation level, he wouldn't be of much use on the battlefield.

Therefore, he returned to his old profession, helping Lu Feng collect, summarize, and categorize the intelligence that came from various places every day.

Just as idle as him was Wenren Yue from the Jingbian Division.

The other fifth-rank experts were all sent to the front lines.

Like Lin Xuan, Wenren Yue was stationed at the Jingbian Division in Sizhou, where she spent her days cooking and cultivating.

Lu Feng seemed to be deliberately protecting her, which Lin Xuan could understand.

War is not child's play; even a fifth-rank expert may not be able to protect themselves.

Since the start of the war, all three chieftain families have lost a fifth-rank expert.

The number of those who died, especially those of the sixth and seventh ranks, was countless.

Lin Xuan had no objection to Lu Feng's arrangement.

He wouldn't risk his life on every mission unless absolutely necessary.

He preferred clerical work to fighting.

Moreover, he learned the art of intelligence assassination, which is rarely useful on the battlefield. When thousands or tens of thousands of troops press forward, there is only one way to advance and no way to retreat. Even a fourth-rank martial artist may run out of true energy and die from exhaustion.

Judging from the battle reports coming from the front lines in various places, the Yang family has slightly reversed its decline.

After all, the Yang family was the head of the three chieftains, and its strength far surpassed that of the An and Song families. As the two families penetrated deeper into the Yang family's territory, the Yang family's strength grew stronger. The Bozhou Yang family, which boasted 100,000 mercenaries, was not so easy to fall.

Currently, the three parties have reached a stalemate.

With the Yang family sending out more elite troops, the battle lines have become increasingly difficult to advance, and occasionally the Yang family even manages to push them back.

The battle reports from all sides show a large number of casualties every day.

Lin Xuan had vaguely realized that the imperial court's target seemed to have been more than just the Yang family from the very beginning.

First, the new salt law was handed over to the Song family, which stirred up conflict among the three families. Then, the conflict was intensified. Using the Yang family as bait, the An and Song families joined forces to attack the Yang family. Even if the Yang family was destroyed, the other two families would still suffer heavy losses.

At that time, the imperial court's control over the southwest will be further strengthened.

It's likely that before long, the An and Song families will also face the iron fist of the imperial court...

……

Banshu.

Longya Fort.

In front of Yang Yingtian were also a series of battle reports.

After the arrival of reinforcements from the Western Regions, the Yang family reversed their decline, and good news kept coming from the front.

But he felt no joy whatsoever.

If he still can't see the strangeness of this matter by now, he is not worthy of being the head of the Yang family.

This dispute originated from the Southwest Salt Industry.

Initially, the Song family suddenly introduced a new salt law, which severely damaged the salt industry of the Yang and An families. However, as the conflict intensified, the An and Song families suddenly joined forces, showing a determination to fight the Yang family to the death.

Even if the two families joined forces, the Yang family would not have been unable to cope.

According to recent intelligence, both sides have gained many mysterious experts.

Moreover, their weapons were also very sophisticated.

The Yang family has the same spirit-patterned weapons, and they have none of those either.

The An family suddenly became like secret agents of Nanzhao, extremely skilled in assassination. The fifth-rank experts recruited by the Yang family were frequently assassinated by them.

The Song family's expert possessed top-tier defensive techniques, and the Yang family also had an expert skilled in defensive techniques. However, after a head-on clash, the Yang family expert lost an arm immediately, while the opponent remained unharmed.

Both are at the fifth rank of cultivation, but the other party's strength is even slightly inferior.

Only the Zhenyue Merit of the Yong Kingdom's military possesses such domineering power.

Clearly, Nanzhao and Yong have directly intervened in this war against the Yang family.

This finally made him sense a crisis.

The Yang family, based in Longya Fortress, is not afraid of any enemy. However, if they were to face the An and Song families, the Yong Kingdom, and the Nanzhao court at the same time, they would have no chance of winning except to stay in Longya Fortress and not come out.

After calming down, he said in a deep voice, "Bring the telescope that can contact the An family and the Song family..."

……

settle down.

Having just received a message from the Yang family patriarch, the An family patriarch and several powerful family members gathered in the council hall.

The three major chieftain families in the southwest have always maintained close communication with each other.

This telescope might not be used even once every few decades.

Its purpose is to preserve a last channel of communication in the event of a family's peril or a major upheaval in the southwest, thus preventing misjudgment of the other family's intentions and avoiding unnecessary losses.

The three major families have been engaged in open and covert struggles for hundreds of years, and it is common for them to be friends for a few years and enemies for a few years.

No matter how fiercely they fight, they will not completely wipe out the other side.

This is certainly not kindness.

Rather, they all knew very well that if they forced one side into a corner, even if the other two sides won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, and they would no longer be able to resist other forces.

This marks the first direct communication between the Yang family and the An family during this incident.

Actively using a telescope often signifies yielding and making concessions.

The Yang family did indeed make a rare concession this time. The Yang family will not reclaim the territory that the An family has already occupied, but on the condition that the An family will stop here and cease its attacks on the Yang family.

An Chongyue, the head of the An family, looked at everyone and asked, "What do you think of Yang Yingtian's message?"

A refined-looking man sitting to his left pondered for a moment before speaking, “So far, the benefits our An family has gained have far exceeded our expectations. I believe it is indeed time to stop here. In recent days, the family has already suffered considerable losses. If we continue to fight to the death, the Yang family may fall, and our An family will likely be severely weakened, becoming fish on someone else's chopping block…”

Another man beside him nodded and said, "I agree with what Third Brother said. The Yong Kingdom court has ulterior motives. They say they want to eliminate the Yang family, but they don't put in any effort at all. They're making our two families charge ahead and fight the Yang family to the death. If the Yang family falls, our two families will be the next ones to be eliminated..."

Someone else spoke up: "The Yong Kingdom court is indeed sinister. Before this, they had already taken in many small and medium-sized chieftains who had lost their livelihoods due to the new salt law. This time, however, they did not spare any effort in suppressing the Yang family. They obviously want to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. We must not fall into the trap they have dug!"

At this moment, a plump woman sitting to the right of the An family patriarch finally spoke up: "I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Yang family has held onto the strategic advantage of Longya Pass for hundreds of years. Once they recover, the benefits we've swallowed this time will be returned with interest. This has happened many times before..."

She paused, then continued, "The Yang family must be eradicated. If we miss this opportunity, we may never have another one. We can't just stand by and do nothing, but we can't go all out either. The Yong Kingdom court wants to sit back and watch, so let's see how much patience they have. If we can take down half of the Yang family by then, all the sacrifices we've made will have been worthwhile..."

After deep thought, the refined man nodded and said, "I agree with what Fourth Sister said. If we don't eliminate the Yang family this time, we may never have another chance. But we also cannot be used by the Yong Kingdom's court..."

An Chongyue nodded and said, "Then it's settled."

Almost at the same time.

Song family.

The head of the Song family looked at the contents of the telescope, took a sip of tea, and said in a low voice, "Although the imperial court has played a clever game, Yang Yingtian, if you think this time is no different from the past, you are being far too naive..."

The person next to him looked at him and asked, "Brother, how should we respond to the Yang family?"

The head of the Song family thought for a moment and said, "Tell him that this is the imperial court's suppression of the Yang family. The Song family has no intention of wiping out the Yang family. Afterwards, we'll just go through the motions and avoid unnecessary casualties..."

……

Sizhou.

Lin Xuan sat in the centurion's office, looking at the battle reports in front of him.

The battle reports these past few days have been strange.

Although there are new developments every day, when the battle reports from the past few days are combined, it seems that the An and Song families have done almost nothing.

Battle reports can be deceiving, but the front lines can't.

The An and Song families may make some progress today, but the Yang family will push them back tomorrow.

The key point is that there are almost no more casualties on either side.

They were clearly acting.

Lu Feng also noticed this phenomenon and shook his head with some regret: "I originally wanted to take this opportunity to weaken the An and Song families, but I didn't expect them to realize the court's intentions and start putting on an act with the Yang family..."

Lin Xuan said, "The three great families have been able to last for hundreds of years, so they must not be so easy to manipulate. Surely the imperial court has other plans in store?"

Lu Feng nodded and said, "That's right. The imperial court didn't expect the An and Song families to really fight the Yang family to the death. The chieftains under the Yang family and most of the Longya army have already been tied down by the An and Song families, leaving Longya Fort undefended. This time, the imperial court actually secretly sent ten fourth-rank officials and one third-rank official. With the help of the Jiuli tribe, plus the strongmen from the Nanzhao and An and Song families, attacking Longya Fort will be a piece of cake. Since the An and Song families have realized the imperial court's intentions, there's no need to wait any longer..."

"Third rank?" Lin Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Has the Commander come to the Southwest?"

Lu Feng shook his head and said, "No, the commander is extremely busy and cannot get away. The one who came here this time is the Prince of Zhennan..."

Lin Xuan was startled. The Prince of Zhennan had also arrived?

At this moment, Lu Feng looked at him and said, "I didn't want you to come with me to attack Longya Mountain, but when it comes to understanding the Nine Li Secret Techniques, no one can compare to you. After much consideration, I decided to let you come along. This way, not only will your resume be further enriched, but if any unexpected situation arises, you can also consult with me... Don't worry, I will arrange for people to protect your safety."

Lin Xuan nodded without hesitation and said, "Chen Yuyi will not shirk her duty."

Lin Xuan wasn't worried about his safety. With the spirit-patterned armor given to him by Youmeng, he could remain unharmed even if a fourth-grade martial artist attacked with all their might.

The number of fourth-rank martial artists mobilized by the various forces this time is several times that of the Yang family, making it almost impossible for him to fight against a fourth-rank martial artist.

Just then, a figure walked in from outside and said, "I'm going too."

Lu Feng glanced at Wenren Yue and smiled, "Miss Wenren, you have an even more important mission. You don't need to go to Longya Mountain this time."

Wenren Yue asked, "What mission?"

Lu Feng thought for a moment and said, "I need you to stay in Sizhou to prevent any villains from attacking..."

Wenren Yue remained expressionless and said coldly, "Lord Chen, with his sixth-rank cultivation, is still able to personally go to the front lines, while I am left behind. Wouldn't that make me a laughingstock? Commander Lu, rest assured, I can take care of myself and won't cause you any trouble."

Lu Feng simply didn't want her to take any risks. After all, Old Master Wenren was one of the nine cabinet ministers, and if she made even the slightest mistake, he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Wenren family.

Moreover, a prodigy like her is destined to reach the upper three ranks and become one of the pillars of the Great Yong Dynasty, so we cannot allow her to take any risks.

Wenren Yue's attitude was firm. After a moment of contemplation, Lu Feng nodded and said, "Alright then, but on this trip, Miss Wenren, you must not act on your own. You must stay by Lord Chen's side and obey his orders in everything."

Although Lin Xuan's cultivation level was lower than hers, he had a thorough understanding of the Nine Li Formation.

Miss Wenren is skilled in both martial arts and magic, and is almost invincible among those of the fifth rank. The two of them can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses and support each other.

Wenren Yue glanced at Lin Xuan and nodded slightly.

She knew Lu Feng didn't want her to take risks, but there was a grudge she wanted to avenge herself.

Lu Feng let out a soft breath and instructed the two men behind him, "Send messages to the An family, the Song family, and Nanzhao. The operation is about to begin!"

……

The night is deep.

Banshu.

At the foot of Longya Mountain.

More than a hundred figures appeared silently in a dense forest on the left side of the mountain path.

The hidden sentries that the Yang family had placed here have long been eliminated.

The vast majority of the Yang family's power was tied down by the An and Song families, leaving Longya Fort undefended. Only the core members of the Yang family and a small number of elite Longya soldiers were present. Once they were eliminated, the chieftains who were attached to the Yang family would be nothing more than a disorganized mess.

In this operation, all the powerful figures from the An and Song families, Nanzhao, and the Dayong Dynasty were mobilized, including eighteen fourth-rank experts and three third-rank experts hidden among the crowd.

Qianjun Pass.

Most of the original thousand-strong garrison were transferred to the front lines, leaving only three hundred guards inside Qianjun Pass.

However, with the spirit pattern array below, even if three hundred people guard this place, they can hold the pass against ten thousand.

At night, the spirit pattern array will be fully activated, and with the help of the power of heaven and earth, even a third-rank martial artist would not be able to climb these short two hundred stone steps.

It was past midnight, and the guards patrolling the city walls of the pass were already dozing off.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed before his eyes.

He opened his eyes and was instantly dazzled by the blinding lights along the mountain path.

Countless points of light were flashing wildly on the stone steps.

They are moving extremely fast, rapidly approaching Qianjun Pass.

More than a dozen of them were particularly swift; with the great formation fully activated, they appeared on the walls of Qianjun Pass in just a few breaths.

The same thought simultaneously crossed the minds of the guards.

"Could it be that the grand formation was forgotten to be activated tonight?"

This was also their last thought.

They didn't even give any warning before their necks were easily snapped.

The dozen or so fourth-rank experts didn't even need to open the city gate below; the fifth-rank experts who followed later leaped one by one onto the city wall, which was several meters high.

Lin Xuan stood in front of the city gate, watching them easily fly up the city wall one by one.

The true energy of a fifth-rank martial artist is powerful enough to support them in flying up.

Lin Xuan had only just advanced to the sixth rank. He could easily leap over a wall that was about ten feet high, but when faced with a wall that was at least five feet high and had no foothold in the middle, he could only watch helplessly.

Soon, only four figures remained at the foot of the city wall.

Lin Xuan, Wenren Yue, and two other women in black.

Lin Xuan glanced back and immediately felt a little better.

He had assumed that no one else, except himself, had a cultivation level below the fifth rank.

It turns out there was another person like him who couldn't fly over the wall.

Black Lotus glanced at Mandala and said, "I told you not to come, but you insisted. With your cultivation level, you can't even cross this city wall."

Mandala lowered her head and said, "I have a reason why I had to come."

She turned her head to look at Lin Xuan and said, "Besides, I'm not the only one who can't fly over this wall..."

Hei Lian didn't speak again. She grabbed her shoulders, and with a light leap, she carried her up to the city wall.

Lin Xuan sensed a powerful fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from her.

This head of the intelligence department was no ordinary person either.

Her martial arts cultivation level is probably around the mid-stage of the fifth rank.

However, her spiritual power was already at the peak of the fifth rank.

No wonder she was able to assassinate that Nanzhao traitor so easily.

As Lin Xuan was pondering, Wenren Yue grabbed his shoulder and flew with him to the city wall.

Not a single member of the remaining Longya Army inside Qianjun Pass survived.

Although the number of people participating in tonight's operation is small, apart from Lin Xuan and Mandala, each of them is a strong person capable of taking on a hundred opponents.

These Dragon Cliff soldiers, the strongest of whom were only at the sixth rank, were mostly killed silently while still asleep.

Wang Qianhu was not among them, and Lin Xuan did not see his original subordinates either.

They must have been transferred to the front lines. Those who remained here were the most loyal troops to the Yang family. They thought this place was the safest, and they probably never expected that so many powerful individuals would easily break into the pass...

From beneath the pass, one can enter the interior of the mountain.

There was indeed more to this place than met the eye; intricate spiritual patterns were carved into the mountain wall, forming the gravity array of Qianjun Pass.

No one broke the formation.

If we leave this formation intact, it will be blocked at the foot of the mountain if the Yang family's reinforcements return to defend.

With the help of the spirit pattern mirror, the group easily passed through the first three checkpoints.

However, when they were passing through the fourth pass, they were noticed by a commander stationed there. In an instant, a muffled horn sounded throughout the entire Longya Mountain.

Within a few breaths, fires immediately broke out at several passes behind.

mountain top.

Inside Longya Fort.

Yang Yingtian suddenly opened his eyes, his face extremely gloomy!
"Enemy attack!"

A strong sense of unease welled up within him, and he hurriedly got up, put on his outer robe, and went outside the hall.

One by one, the powerful members of the Yang family emerged from their respective rooms, all with expressions of surprise.

"what happened?"

"The sound is coming from the mountainside. Could it be that someone has already passed through the previous passes?"

"impossible!"

The nine passes of the Yang family were personally arranged by the Holy Maiden of the Jiuli tribe, and for hundreds of years, no one has successfully passed through them.

At this time, the three major families were in conflict, and most of the Dragon Cliff Army guarding the pass had been transferred to the front line. It also happened to be a pass warning. All of this was probably not a coincidence!
Inside Longya Fortress, a series of muffled horn sounds rang out.

Yang Yingtian, already donning his armor, strode out and said coldly, "Prepare to meet the enemy!"

(End of this chapter)