After lunch, a business van drove out of Cangyun City. Once on the highway, it sped up, heading straight for Hanyun Valley.
In the back seat, Chen Yang held Qin Qiu in his arms and said softly, "It will take seven or eight hours. You should get so sleep."
"Mhm."
Qin Qiu nodded, lay down in Chen Yang's embrace, and rubbed her head against his chest, murmuring, "Are you... are you going to war?"
"My Tianwu Country is rich in resources and treasures; there will always be those who covet what we have." Chen Yang stroked Qin Qiu's head and chuckled. "My duty is to protect our borders and not cede an inch of land."
"Don't worry," he added. "It's just a bunch of Barbarians. They are no match for ."
Qin Qiu smiled, closed her eyes, and said no more.
To say she wasn't worried would be a lie. But, no matter where you go or what you do, I want to be by your side.
「Dusk fell.」
The business van entered the territory of Hanyun Valley.
Hanyun Valley's domain was vast. The cities toward the north were relatively more prosperous, but at the mont, they seed to be shrouded by a cloud of gloom. The Barbarians were invading, which was not an entirely unusual event for the locals. However, the Zhennan Prince, whom they had always seen as their guardian deity, was no longer here.
Despite rumors that the War God of the State would personally arrive in Hanyun Valley tomorrow to lead the troops into battle, they didn't have much confidence. For them, only the forr Zhennan Prince could bring them a true sense of security.
As they traveled further south, the looming gloom beca denser, and the air grew so heavy it felt as if it was about to solidify. This was especially true upon reaching a small frontier town. It was only seven in the evening, yet the streets were completely deserted. The doors of every household were tightly shut, and the silent air was suffocating.
Chen Yang lowered the car window and looked at the empty town, his brows suddenly knitting together. "It seems the battle ahead isn't going well."
"According to intelligence, the Barbarians have mobilized almost their entire force this ti, with an estimated one million Martial Guards," Yang Hu said. "Their goal is likely not just to reclaim that lost Empire."
"Who is the lead general?"
"Qin Zhiming."
A gleam shot through Chen Yang's eyes. "So, it's that old acquaintance."
In the last Battle of Great River Bay, Qin Zhiming had also been the commanding general, but for various reasons, he had managed to escape with his life.
Perhaps this will be a continuation of the Battle of Great River Bay?
"Intelligence suggests that Qin Zhiming's strength has improved significantly, but the exact extent is unknown," Yang Hu reported.
Chen Yang nodded and raised the window. "Let's go to Dragon Ridge Village."
"Understood!"
Leaving the small town, the business van plunged onto a mountainous road. After jostling for nearly an hour, it arrived at a small village at the foot of a mountain, finally stopping in front of a two-story courtyard.
WOOF WOOF...
The sound of barking tore through the village's prior silence.
"Dahuang."
After getting out of the van, Chen Yang waved at a fierce-looking yellow dog by the gate. Instantly, the big dog dashed over, leaped up with its front paws to greet Chen Yang, and wagged its tail vigorously.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Chen Yang petted its head, grinning broadly.
CREAK.
The courtyard door opened, and a cautious old man poked his head out.
"The... the Governor?"
Upon seeing the person in front of the courtyard, the old man was stunned for a mont before his face lit up with extre joy. He hurried over. "Governor, what brings you here?"
"Fu," Chen Yang stood up and gripped the old man's calloused hands. "How have you been?"
"Well, very well!" Fu's face was full of disbelief, his body trembling with excitent. "But you, you..."
He trailed off and let out a deep sigh. Obviously, he had heard about Chen Yang being removed from his position.
Yang Hu smiled and removed the black cloak from Chen Yang's shoulders. Embroidered on it was the emblem of a Python Sparrow Devouring a Dragon.
Fu was speechless.
After standing dumbfounded for a long mont, tears stread down his face. "So, the War God of the State... it's you!"
"Now, we border folk have hope." Fu was overwheld with emotion, his body shaking as he clutched Chen Yang's hands tightly.
"Let's go inside."
When Chen Yang had first arrived in Hanyun Valley, he was unfamiliar with the rainforest. He had found Fu to act as his guide, and they had spent a month thoroughly surveying the entire terrain. Afterward, Chen Yang often dropped by for visits, and they had beco very close.
After they sat down in the courtyard, Fu opened up. "Recently, the Barbarians have been aggressively causing all sorts of friction and deliberately starting trouble. But for so reason, our people don't retaliate. They just clean up the ss afterward."
"The rumor going around is that the eighty-mile border line you expanded is going to be taken back by the Barbarians."
Chen Yang's face was expressionless, but his eyes were brooding. To deal with him, those people had really stopped at nothing.
If they wanted to overthrow , they should have just co at directly. Why resort to such roundabout sches?
A fierce aura flared from Chen Yang. He patted Fu's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. They won't take it back!"
"With you here, of course they can't take it back," Fu laughed heartily, brimming with confidence in Chen Yang.
「A night passed without words.」
Early the next morning, Chen Yang and Yang Hu left the small village and headed straight for the border.
Half an hour later.
RUMBLE, RUMBLE.
The thunderous sound of war drums rolled in from the distance like a tidal wave.
"It looks like the Barbarians are preparing to march," Yang Hu said in a low voice.
Chen Yang said nothing, continuing to walk with his hands behind his back.
"Who goes there?"
A fierce shout suddenly erupted from ahead. A squad of fully ard n erged from the tall grass and from behind the trees.
"You... you are..."
When their gazes landed on Chen Yang, their expressions changed dramatically, their faces filled with horror. They would recognize the man before them even if he were reduced to ash! It was he who had beaten them into utter disarray and forcefully carved out an eighty-mile border from their lands.
More importantly, hadn't he been dismissed from his post? This...
"Go. Notify Qin Zhiming that I have arrived," Chen Yang said indifferently, glancing at the squad of Martial Guards.
With a clatter of armor, they turned and fled.
"Boss, what are you..." Yang Hu looked at Chen Yang, puzzled.
I had expected we would sneak up on the enemy camp and catch them by surprise.
But on second thought, he understood. Sneaking around was not his boss's style.
A mont later, the war drums ceased.
Another half hour passed before Chen Yang erged from the rainforest into a vast, open clearing. Before him stood an endless formation of Martial Guards. There were about one hundred and fifty thousand of them, likely the vanguard.
Yang Hu grew tense, his entire body on high alert. Chen Yang, however, seed to ignore them completely, still walking slowly forward with his hands clasped behind his back.
"You've already been dismissed from your post. Can't you let go of this land?"
From eight hundred ters away, from within the heart of the army, an old man with a broad fra and a towering presence sat atop a tall horse. He stared at Chen Yang with great interest and spoke in a haunting voice, "Besides, you've co here only to die!"
This man was, of course, the Barbarian Chief General, Qin Zhiming. Leading a million troops, he was an undeniably fierce general.
"Your eighty thousand Martial Guards from Hanyun Valley aren't with you, yet you've co alone?" Beside Qin Zhiming, his aide craned his neck and said with a chuckle, "I imagine you've co to surrender, haven't you?"
"However, we would never accept a traitor like you! After all, who knows when you might betray us?"
"HAHA!"
A booming wave of laughter echoed across the land.
"So, you will certainly die today!"
CLANG!
The longsword left its scabbard.
SWOOSH.
Like a streak of light, it tore through the air, heading straight for the aide.
THUD.
His body fell to the ground.
Everyone was stunned into silence.
"Qin Zhiming, go back," Chen Yang said calmly, his longsword in one hand and his other arm behind his back. "And retreat another hundred miles."
Qin Zhiming was left speechless.
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