Great Victory, Summons, Ambush

Qin Sang, caught up in the excitement, summoned the Ice Silkworm Armor and drew a sharp sword from his side, thrusting it forward with all his might.

To his surprise, the moment the sword tip touched the armor, it automatically veered to the side. This happened several times, yet the armor remained completely unmarked.

Truly a treasure!

Qin Sang couldn't put it down and studied it for a long time. He discovered that when he wore the Ice Silkworm Armor and channeled Spiritual Power with all his might, a thin mist like ice crystals would appear outside his body, enveloping him and seemingly enhancing his defense even further.

Moreover, the Spiritual Power consumption of this Ice Silkworm Armor was nowhere near as terrifying as the Purple Soul Bell, allowing Qin Sang to sustain it for a much longer time.

This greatly delighted Qin Sang. With this armor, he wouldn't have to fear being caught off guard, even when facing Xiantian Masters like Venerable Yuanjue.

"Reporting to the General, there's a person claiming to be a messenger from the County Princess, with a secret letter to present. They wish to see the General!"

Qin Sang, who was cultivating, was startled awake by a soldier outside his door. He frowned and pushed the door open.

As the sun rose, the end of the Lingshui River shimmered with dazzling brilliance. The air within Duyakou was filled with a lingering smell of scorching, which refused to dissipate.

Ten days after meeting the young man surnamed Han, they finally cleared the ancient path. They discovered that the defenses at Duyakou were unusually sparse. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Sang, after a brief rest, immediately led the soldiers of three camps straight towards Duyakou.

The Duyakou garrison had not expected the enemy to appear from their rear. In their panic, they offered only brief resistance before surrendering en masse.

However, the False Emperor's forces reacted swiftly. Just the third day after Qin Sang occupied Duyakou, they had already gathered their forces and launched a naval assault. At this time, General Feng's army had not yet arrived. Qin Sang, with no other choice, held out for several days before being forced to burn all the granaries and retreat into the mountains.

Even so, this did not affect the final outcome. The Guling Pass garrison, short on supplies and with their rear cut off, soon experienced internal rebellion, with a great general acting as an inside informant to open the city gates and surrender.

With the overall situation decided, Qin Sang and General Feng joined forces, mopped up the False Emperor's routed troops, and pacified the region. Their combined forces were now even stronger than the Xuanwei and Xiaoyong Camps combined.

The victory report had been sent back half a month ago. Qin Sang wondered why the County Princess had sent a messenger with a secret letter.

Upon meeting the messenger and carefully reading the secret letter, Qin Sang pondered for a long time.

The letter stated that King Dongyang was greatly pleased to hear of the great victory.

The Xuanwei Camp would be renamed the Victory Camp, and Deputy General Feng would be promoted to Left Commander of the Victory Camp. Qin Sang, meanwhile, would be promoted to Right Commander of the Xiaoyong Camp, taking over the position originally held by Admiral Mu. Furthermore, those who had contributed to the victory report would also receive substantial rewards.

Additionally, the Prince valued Qin Sang highly, and the Heir Apparent had also spoken highly of Qin Sang to the Prince. The Prince wished to summon Qin Sang to Zhaoyang Prefecture, and the County Princess instructed him to meet the Prince there before assuming his new post.

While the letter merely stated facts, Qin Sang could discern many unspoken implications.

Would the Heir Apparent really be so kind as to put in a good word for him?

Qin Sang sneered inwardly. News of his encounter with an immortal had already spread throughout the camp, with various rumors circulating. However, the story of the immortal master gifting him a treasure was consistent across all accounts, detailed and vivid.

He couldn't believe the Heir Apparent wouldn't have spies in the Xuanwei Camp.

With the Ice Silkworm Armor protecting him, Qin Sang was not afraid of any schemes or tricks. If anyone dared to reach out, he would chop off their hand and teach them what pain was!

"Chuanzong, prepare the horses!"

Qin Sang selected generals such as Wu Chuanzong and Water Monkey, who would accompany him to his new post in the Xiaoyong Camp. After bidding farewell to Commander Feng, he rode back to Pingshan Prefecture first, and then headed directly to Zhaoyang Prefecture.

King Dongyang's temporary palace was built in Mingcheng, a city bordering Zhaoyang Prefecture and Xitai Prefecture. Qin Sang rode non-stop, taking ten days to reach Mingcheng.

However, upon entering Mingcheng, Qin Sang did not rush to meet the Prince. Instead, he instructed Water Monkey to first report to the County Princess. He then found lodging, locked the door tightly, and went into seclusion to break through.

He had no shortage of Soul Pills and continued his cultivation. He finally felt the bottleneck of the fourth layer of the Netherworld Scripture. Qin Sang was somewhat apprehensive about how difficult this breakthrough would be.

Unexpectedly, Qin Sang did not encounter much difficulty this time, breaking through successfully in just two days. The erratic nature of the Netherworld Scripture's progress made Qin Sang secretly wonder.

"Qin Sang pays his respects to the Prince and the Young Prince."

After his breakthrough, Qin Sang went to meet the County Princess, who then brought him into the temporary palace.

King Dongyang had not yet claimed the title of Emperor and was still referred to as Prince.

"I heard that General Qin arrived in Mingcheng three days ago, yet you only come to see my father now. Did you encounter any trouble?" the Heir Apparent asked, feigning concern.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness," Qin Sang said calmly. "After receiving the summons, I rode day and night, and I was covered in dust and looked rather disheveled. Fearing I might disturb Your Highness, I only came to pay my respects after tidying myself up."

The Prince, around fifty years old, sported a goatee and had the appearance of a scholar. Upon hearing this, he laughed heartily, "I am also a rough man who rides horses and fights battles. Am I afraid of being scared by you? Guards, quickly bring a seat and tea for General Qin. General Qin is both wise and brave, and has repeatedly achieved great merits. With General Qin's assistance, why should I worry about not achieving my great cause?"

Qin Sang bowed, "This subordinate dares not! This humble commoner has achieved what he has today entirely due to the guidance and care of Your Highness and the County Princess. This subordinate dares not claim credit."

After speaking, Qin Sang noticed a fleeting look of displeasure on the Heir Apparent's face and pretended not to see it.

King Dongyang smiled faintly, patted the hand of the County Princess beside him, and said affectionately, "Anning indeed has a discerning eye. However, General Qin, you should not be so modest."

"That's right," the Heir Apparent interjected suddenly. "Even the immortal master values General Qin, which shows that General Qin is truly a rare talent! I heard that before the immortal master departed, he bestowed a treasure upon General Qin. May I ask if you could show it to us, so that my father and I can broaden our horizons?"

Here it comes!

Sensing the greed in the Heir Apparent's eyes, Qin Sang snorted coldly in his heart.

As long as his Spiritual Sense was upon the Ice Silkworm Armor, he could recall it with a single thought. Even if he took it out for viewing, it wouldn't matter. However, he couldn't just hand it over the moment the Heir Apparent asked.

Qin Sang glanced at the County Princess, only to see her lean against King Dongyang and say sweetly, "Father, whenever you bestow treasures, Anning cherishes them dearly and dares not take them out to admire them casually, for fear of scratching or denting them and incurring your displeasure. I've heard that immortal masters are all eccentric and prone to drawing their swords at the slightest disagreement. If they were to become angry because of this and vent their frustration on us, wouldn't that be a loss outweighing the gain?"

King Dongyang hesitated for a moment, then laughed heartily, "Since those things were bestowed upon Anning, you may dispose of them as you wish. They are merely external objects, why would your father blame you? However, Anning is correct. Since it was gifted to General Qin by the immortal master, General Qin must take good care of it and not neglect it."

"This subordinate obeys!"

After attending a banquet at King Dongyang's temporary palace, Qin Sang had a private conversation at the County Princess's residence that night. The next day, Qin Sang mounted his horse with the Tiger Tally and other items, rode out of the city, and headed to the Xiaoyong Camp in Guize Prefecture to assume his post.

He galloped for a full day and then traveled through the night. As he rode into a mountain forest, Qin Sang suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound. He abruptly pulled the reins and said coldly, "Be careful, there are assassins!"