Two days later.
Lin Sheng opened the curtain and looked at the huge valley that appeared in sight.
It is said to be a valley but it is not really a valley in the true sense.
It covers an extremely large area and is more appropriately described as a huge plain.
"In front of the general is Hai He Valley. In ancient times, this Hai He Valley was originally a vast ocean. Later, the ocean receded for some reason, and it became what it is now."
Meng Lie, who was driving the bus, noticed Lin Sheng's gaze and immediately explained.
"So this was the bottom of the deep sea before?"
Lin Sheng said lightly, scanning the vegetation around the valley. It can be seen that the color and type of vegetation are obviously different with the valley as the boundary.
"Indeed, in ancient times, the ocean was very vast. Later, the heaven and earth changed and the terrain was reshaped, making it what it is today."
Meng Lie opened his mouth to explain.
"General, our destination is in the hinterland of this valley, where Hai He City is where Crimson Feather Army is stationed."
"I understand."
Lin Sheng nodded, put down the car curtain, and said no more.
Meng Lie also knew what was going on and stopped talking. He just concentrated on driving the carriage.
As the commander of the Guards, he naturally does not need to drive the car himself.
But as Emperor Jing's confidant, before leaving, His Majesty specifically asked him to obey his orders and be responsible for his safety. He introduced Crimson Feather Army's situation to him, so he simply became Lin Sheng's coachman.
When we arrived at Hai He Valley, we were not far away from the so-called Hai He City, only more than an hour away.
A majestic city standing on the plain has appeared in sight.
Although the size of the city is far from comparable to Imperial Capital and Jushi City, it is still no less than the original Linjiang Prefecture city.
You can see many caravans lining up in front of the city gate to enter the city.
Along the way, he also saw large caravans from time to time, nearly half of which were from Hai He City.
Hai He City is adjacent to the Eastern Sea and has an extremely advantageous geographical location. Many islanders on the Eastern Sea or Other Tribe will choose to trade here.
Especially now that Southern Qi and Silo Kingdom have close contacts, which makes Hai He City even more prosperous.
Lin Sheng's group of people were all wearing armor, and the carriage had a dragon-shaped mark symbolizing Southern Qi Imperial Family.
The caravans and common people outside the city gate all gave way after seeing this.
Before he even got close to the city gate, a group of sword-wielding soldiers were already walking quickly inside the city.
Different from the defenders standing on the city gate, this group of sword-wielding soldiers are all wearing red and black armor, with a red dragon-shaped emblem printed on their chests. They all have extraordinary momentum, like dragons and tigers, and you can tell at a glance that they are the elite among the elite.
This group of dozens of soldiers rushed towards the carriage quickly.
The leader is a Sallow Face man with a strong build. The armor on his body is obviously more refined than that of the soldiers next to him, and his aura is more solid and powerful. He is clearly a Divine Form realm warrior.
"Crimson Feather Army Centurion of the Ninth Battalion Xie Kui, respectfully welcome Commander Lin."
While he was talking, Sallow Face man knelt down on one knee and spoke respectfully, while the soldiers behind him also knelt down at the same time and spoke in unison.
"Welcome to Commander Lin."
Seeing this scene, the caravan travelers in front of the city gate stayed away and looked at the convoy with a thoughtful expression on their faces.
Many of these people had large caravans, and they were quite well-informed. Naturally, they had heard some rumors. At this moment, they quickly realized that this caravan was probably the newly appointed commander Crimson Feather Army.
Looking at the Xie Kui crowd kneeling on the ground, Meng Lie frowned slightly and said in a deep voice.
"Since we know that the commander will be here today, why are you the only ninth battalion commander here? Where are the other nine battalions? And where is Gongsun Changhai?"
Crimson Feather Army is divided into ten battalions, each battalion is led by a centurion.
Above the centurion, in addition to a deputy commander, there is the position of commander.
Because the position of commander has always been held concurrently by Gongsun Yue, as the current privy envoy, it is naturally impossible for the Crimson Feather Army to be in charge personally, so currently Crimson Feather Army is actually managed by the deputy commander.
Gongsun Changhai is the deputy commander Crimson Feather Army.
According to the usual practice, when the commander takes office, all generals in the Crimson Feather Army should be waiting here.
But now there is only one centurion from the ninth battalion, which is obviously unjustifiable.
After hearing Meng Lie's words, Xie Kui showed a hint of helplessness on his face and spoke slowly.
"Because there have been pirates in the Near Sea in the past two days, Vice Commander Gongsun and the rest of the battalions of brothers went out on inspection, so they cannot come."
Hearing this, Meng Lie frowned a little tighter.
"It's just a pirate, does Crimson Feather Army need to go into such a big fight?"
"The deputy commander arranged it, and his subordinates don't know the specific details."
Xie Kui lowered his head and replied.
He naturally knew what was going on, but he couldn't explain it clearly.
"Okay, get up."
When Meng Lie was about to say something more, Lin Sheng's voice came from the car, interrupting the conversation between the two.
Lin Sheng naturally knows that this situation is obviously a threat given to him by Gongsun family.
According to what Meng Lie said, Crimson Feather Army is 70% from Gongsun family. Now it seems that there may be more than that, otherwise Xie Kui would not be the only one.
"Okay, let's go to the city first and have a look at the military camp."
"Yes, General."
Hearing this, Meng Lie responded and said no more.
Xie Kui, after bowing respectfully, stood up and led the way.
Soon, the convoy drove into the city.
Not long after he entered the city, he saw a man who looked like a clerk walking towards him.
"The chief clerk is in the lower city. By order of City Lord, I am here to welcome Commander Lin."
Meng Lie narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the man, and immediately sneered.
"Why, Sun City Lord is also involved in something important and can't get out?"
Hearing Meng Lie's sarcastic words, a look of embarrassment flashed across the man's face, and then he said with a smile on his face.
"General, you have misunderstood. City Lord does have something important to do, but he has ordered me to prepare a banquet to welcome all the brothers."
"Okay, thank Sun City Lord for my kindness. The banquet will be waived. Lin is new to the city, so he should go to the military camp first."
The voice of Lin Sheng sounded again.
Although Crimson Feather Army is stationed in Hai He Valley, this Hai He City still has its City Lord, but because of the Crimson Feather Army, the power of this City Lord has been greatly compressed.
"Thank you, General. I will go back and report to City Lord. I will definitely pay you a visit someday."
The chief clerk in the city was obviously relieved when he heard Lin Sheng's words. After bowing, he turned around and left.
"General, these people are simply lawless. How about my subordinates go to City Lord's Residence and get those Sun Kaixuan in person?"
Meng Lie spoke softly with anger on his face.
Hai He City Lord In terms of official position, he is only Subordinate Fourth Rank, let alone Lin Sheng, even a third-grade Jinwu Guard like him is much inferior.
"No need, this time is just to control Crimson Feather Army, why cause more trouble."
Lin Sheng spoke calmly in the carriage.
He had no interest in this errand, he just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
He didn't bother to care about anything other than Crimson Feather Army.
What's more, although Sun City Lord didn't greet him personally, he sent someone over. Obviously, neither party wanted to provoke him.
Hearing this, Meng Lie opened his mouth to say something more, but Lin Sheng had been ordered to move on.
He could only sigh helplessly, shaking his head secretly in his heart.
"After all, this future Imperial Son-in-law is still young and has shallow means. Little does he know that the more tolerant he is in the face of these people, the harder it will be to stand up."
Xie Kui, who was leading the way, was also a little disappointed.
I originally thought that the new leader, Crimson Feather Army, could change the current situation of the Crimson Feather Army.
Now it seems 80% impossible.
Crimson Feather Army Tenth Battalion, the higher the ranking, the higher the status and treatment.
Originally, he Xie Kui had been in charge of the third battalion, but it was a pity that he had been secretly excluded for more than ten years and was reduced to the ninth battalion.
There is even a faint tendency to fall to the tenth camp during this period.
I'm afraid if this continues, he might be squeezed out of the centurion ranks.
If he hadn't made a lot of contributions in the past, which made Gongsun family have some scruples, I'm afraid he would have been completely excluded.
Now this opportunity finally appeared, and it was such a young commander who was not familiar with the world.
Sighing in his heart, he led the way forward while thinking about his arrangements after leaving Crimson Feather Army.
The Crimson Feather Army camp is not in the city. Although some Crimson Feather Army are also stationed in the city, the real camp must pass through the Hai He City dozens of miles to the west. The camp is located at the foot of a low mountain.
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of a continuous camp.
A well-armed soldier wearing red and black armor walked neatly among them.
Opening the curtain, Lin Sheng just got off the carriage.
Looking at the Crimson Feather Army camp in front of him, it was quite different from what he had imagined.
It is said to be a military camp, but it is more like a simple fortress.
Although the soldiers among them were well-equipped and their aura was not weak, something seemed wrong.
There were only two soldiers on the tower.
As for the lookout point ahead, it was empty.
There seems to be some gap between the elites as imagined.
"Is this the royal elite Crimson Feather Army?"
Lin Sheng squinted his eyes and shook his head slightly.
Meng Lie and others on the side naturally noticed this, their brows furrowed and their eyes fell on Xie Kui.
Crimson Feather Army in my memory is definitely the most elite person in the royal family.
Especially combined with the royal battle formation, an army of a thousand people can easily kill Divine Form Martial Artist.
Why is it like this now?
Xie Kui coughed slightly and said softly.
"In recent years, many new people have joined Crimson Feather Army, and many people have left, so there are some differences compared to before."
"Crimson Feather Army are all carefully selected elites. They are all soldiers on the roster of Imperial Court. If you want to enter, you need to pass various assessments. How can we easily expand the number!?"
Meng Lie frowned a little tighter.
Xie Kui shook his head slightly and lowered his voice.
"Of course, the expansion was only carried out after the approval of Commander Gongsun."
Although they had already thought of this answer, Meng Lie and others were still filled with anger.
You must know that Crimson Feather Army has excellent benefits and ample training resources. The conditions for entry are also extremely strict and you need to meet the qualifications and Bloodline requirements.
Wouldn't wanton expansion be a waste of resources?
Lin Sheng raised his brows and didn't bother to speak. He took the lead and walked towards the military camp. Everyone followed immediately without saying anything.
However, after entering the military camp and seeing Lin Sheng, many soldiers looked at them strangely.
Only some soldiers bowed and saluted everyone.
The rest just stayed away.
This scene made Meng Lie and other generals frown more and more.
Lin Sheng walked in front with an expressionless face.
"Xie Kui, when will the other centurions and Vice Commander Gongsun come back?"
Xie Kui was stunned and quickly spoke.
"Come back to the commander, my subordinates don't know."
"So where are they now?" Lin Sheng continued to ask.
"This... my subordinates don't know either."
Xie Kui shook his head hesitantly, but his eyes swept towards several obviously exquisite and luxurious tents in the camp.
As soon as he saw the number of these soldiers in the military camp, he knew that those colleagues had never left the military camp at all.
While he was surprised, he also understood that Gongsun family clearly did not take the new commander seriously.
At the same time, he also knew in his heart that this was a collision between Gongsun family and the royal family, and the water inside was not something he, a little centurion, could mix.
At this time Meng Lie and others also noticed something was wrong.
As the masters of Divine Form realm, their perceptions are not weak. At this moment, they can clearly feel that there are many auras in the military camp that are not weaker than their own.
Apparently he is also a Divine Form level warrior.
After realizing this, Meng Lie could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.
"These damn bastards are so disrespectful!"
"Xie Kui, inform them that the commander is going to have a meeting and ask them to come over."
Lin Sheng just said calmly with a calm expression.
His eyes fell on a red dragon-shaped sculpture in the camp. Different from the ordinary Dragon Beast, its body surface was not scales, but more like long and narrow diamond-shaped feathers.
The stone sculpture is more than ten feet in size. It is said to be a stone sculpture, but it exudes a majestic and wild power.
It really looks like a demonic dragon.
Lin Sheng can even feel a strong dragon-like aura from it, causing his Sea Sacrifice Demonic Blood talent to react.
"This stone sculpture..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly and walked closer.
"General, this is the Crimson Feather Dragon Statue built by the late emperor when the Crimson Feather Army was founded."
Meng Lie seemed to recognize this sculpture and explained from the side.
"Red Feather Dragon?"
Lin Sheng stretched out his palm and placed it on the stone sculpture.
Instantly, he felt a powerful counterattack surge out, knocking his palm away.
"General, be careful, this Crimson Feather Dragon Statue is not just a sculpture, it is also a tyrannical formation."
Seeing this, Meng Lie quickly issued a warning.
"Is it a formation? I see, it's quite powerful."
Lin Sheng nodded, understanding in his heart.
At this time, Xie Kui came back with a somewhat ugly expression.
"Have you informed them?"
Lin Sheng looked at him.
"Notified, but several centurions in the camp said they were sick, so..."
"Sick?"
Lin Sheng raised his eyebrows and immediately smiled.
"Interesting."
As he spoke, he had already taken steps towards the nearest breath of Divine Form he sensed.
Seeing this, Xie Kui's heart tightened for no reason, and he quickly followed.
Soon, Lin Sheng had arrived in front of a wide camp.
Before he even got close, a strong smell of alcohol hit his nostrils, and he could faintly hear a few women's cries.
"Whoever is there, stop immediately. This is Centurion Gongsun..."
Several well-equipped soldiers in front of the camp immediately yelled at Lin Sheng and others.
Lin Sheng didn't stop for a moment, he just raised his hand and slapped the soldier who had just spoken away, and the man turned into a ball of minced meat in mid-air.
"What's going on? Didn't I tell you not to disturb..."
The movement outside the tent seemed to disturb the people inside. A rough voice mixed with a bit of anger sounded, and then the tent door opened, and a shiny head poked out.
Click!
Unable to finish his words, Lin Sheng's sharply articulated palms reached out and pinched the man's head.
The palm of his hand instantly embedded into the skull and pressed down.
The bald man didn't even have time to react, and his head had already hit the ground hard.
"I..."
The severe pain in his head made the bald man curse subconsciously.
Just as he uttered these two words, a black riding boot stepped down.
Snap——
There was a crisp sound.
The bald man's big head and his entire upper body shattered into pieces, and everything except red and white splashed to the ground.