At the hour of the Dragon, beneath Jinling City's gates.
Two hundred members of the Black Armored Army had assembled and stood at attention, solemn and still.
Xia Qi'an appeared right on time, one hand resting on the saber at his waist.
He strode forward with the gait of a dragon and tiger, heading toward the front of the Black Armored Army's formation.
A member of the Black Armored Army led over a pure-black steed of exceptional quality and respectfully said to Xia Qi'an, "My lord! The journey to Black Wind Stronghold is a long one. Please ride there!"
"You've been thoughtful." Xia Qi'an nodded.
Wearing the uniform of Wei Dao Si, even the Black Armored Army, famed for its cold-bloodedness, treated him with utmost respect at this moment.
The feeling pleased him.
After all, he had won it all with his fists!
In the army of this secular dynasty, martial artists held an exalted position.
Even someone with only the strength of the Early Blood Refining Realm could secure a fairly high-ranking post in the military.
Yet among the Black Armored Army sent to suppress the bandits this time, there was not a single martial artist.
Thus, to be safe, the government of Jinling City had chosen to invite a martial artist from Wei Dao Si to oversee the operation.
As for the extent of Xia Qi'an's strength, they had no doubts whatsoever.
After all, Wei Dao Si's reputation was simply too formidable.
Black Wind Stronghold stood on Tianfeng Mountain, at the edge of the Burial Ridge Mountains.
Even on horseback, it would take half a day to reach it from Jinling City.
The mountains were high, the forests dense, and the roads rugged and difficult to traverse. It was truly a thankless task.
Still, Xia Qi'an could not understand why the government of Jinling City had chosen this moment to suppress the bandits.
Not far outside the city, thousands of refugees from Lishan County were still gathered there, having yet to receive any effective relief.
Presumably, the government of Jinling City was reluctant to spend the relief funds, and had therefore chosen to suppress the bandits, intending to use the spoils they seized to provide aid to the disaster victims.
A month ago, Xia Qi'an had still been one of those refugees.
Now, however, he was dressed in fine clothes and openly following the government troops into the mountains to suppress bandits.
Such a turn of fortune could not help but make him sigh at the fickleness of fate.
As for the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold, Xia Qi'an had heard plenty about them long ago.
He knew that suppressing bandits had never been a lucrative affair. Yet once the government was willing to mobilize its forces on a grand scale, it meant that the bandits had certainly amassed a great deal of real gold and silver—enough for the government to profit from the operation!
Black Wind Stronghold had been built atop a precipitous peak. Three sides were sheer cliffs, forming a natural fortress of bronze walls and iron ramparts.
Its only entrance and exit was the gate of Black Wind Stronghold, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Starting from the old forest at the foot of the mountain, the Black Armored Army shot down bandits who repeatedly harassed them along the way.
It seemed that the people of Black Wind Stronghold had received word long ago.
Xia Qi'an guessed that scouts stationed along the route had likely passed on the news.
After a rapid march, the Black Armored Army finally reached the gate of Black Wind Stronghold.
Seeing this, the commander of the Black Armored Army immediately ordered them to prepare for a frontal assault.
However, Xia Qi'an shouted and stopped him. "No! There's an ambush behind the gate!"
Xia Qi'an activated his Crimson Pupils and clearly saw the defensive walkway above the stronghold's gate.
More than twenty bandits were hidden in the shadows.
Each one held a fire striker, with his feet planted atop a barrel of fire oil, waiting in battle formation.
The moment the Black Armored Army drew near, they would roll down the ignited barrels of fire oil.
When that happened, casualties among the Black Armored Army would be unavoidable.
This was Xia Qi'an's first official mission, so he would not allow the slightest mistake.
It concerned his future prospects for promotion within Wei Dao Si.
After thinking for a moment, Xia Qi'an said, "Wait here for my command! I'll go scout the way first!"
The Black Armored Army's commander did not dare question a martial artist from Wei Dao Si in the slightest.
Before they departed, the city lord had instructed him to follow the lead of the lord from Wei Dao Si in all things.
Inside Black Wind Stronghold's gathering hall, the atmosphere was extraordinarily tense.
The second-in-command, Li Feihu, had a face covered in savage knife scars. At this moment, his expression was panicked, and he sat on tenterhooks. "Big brother... Two hundred members of the Black Armored Army have arrived outside. What are we going to do?"
"It seems the government of Jinling City is serious this time..." The third-in-command, Li Wen, was also filled with worry, his face clouded with sorrow.
The government had suppressed bandits several times before, but those campaigns had merely been for show.
This time, however, they had actually deployed the Black Armored Army. Clearly, they had made up their minds to wipe out Black Wind Stronghold.
The stronghold's chief, Luo Bingzhong, sat in a grand chair, his face dark and gloomy, saying nothing.
"Big brother... The Black Armored Army is truly formidable! We only have a hundred or so men under us. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold them off... Why don't we..." Li Wen let the words die in his throat.
"That's right... Big brother! As long as the green hills remain, there will never be a shortage of firewood!"
Luo Bingzhong's brows knitted tightly together, and he roared angrily, "What do you two brothers mean? We've worked painstakingly for years and only just managed to build up a bit of a foundation. You want to flee in the face of battle?"
"Big brother!... We..."
The third-in-command, Li Wen, had just begun to explain when a commotion broke out outside.
A lackey stumbled in, shouting in exasperation, "This is bad! This is bad... Chief... Someone sneaked into the stronghold and opened the gate! The Black Armored Army has charged in!"
Luo Bingzhong sprang to his feet with a sharp "clang," both shocked and furious. His roar thundered like a clap of thunder. "What? What are you useless bastards good for... You can't even guard a gate!"
Originally, he had intended to rely on Black Wind Stronghold's easily defended, difficult-to-attack terrain to stalemate the Black Armored Army for a while.
Yet this sudden turn of events, like a boulder dropped into water, instantly disrupted his plans.
"There was a man dressed in an official uniform who sneaked in. He was incredibly capable—the more than twenty brothers guarding the gate couldn't stop him!"
Luo Bingzhong forcibly suppressed the urge to smash the messenger lackey to death with a palm, then gritted his teeth and said to the other two chiefs, "It's too late to leave now! Brothers, are you willing to go out and fight alongside me?"
Li Feihu and Li Wen both knew they had no other choice. Only by fighting the Black Armored Army to the death would they have a thread of hope.
Li Feihu and Li Wen gritted their teeth, picked up their weapons, and followed Luo Bingzhong out of the gathering hall.
On Black Wind Stronghold's drill ground, more than a hundred members of the Black Armored Army formed a battle formation of blood and iron. It was as impregnable as an iron wall, packed tightly together as they advanced step by step toward the depths of Black Wind Stronghold.
Throughout the advance, the Black Armored Army in the center of the formation repeatedly drew their bows and fired arrows. The arrows flew like locusts, cutting down bandits in the distance.
The enemies nearby were dealt with by the soldiers on the formation's perimeter, who wielded halberds and axes.
In this battle, the Black Armored Army swept forward with overwhelming force, scattering the bandits like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Black Wind Stronghold was nothing more than a rabble. How could they possibly compare with a regular army?
Earlier, Xia Qi'an had climbed the sheer cliffs like a gecko and infiltrated Black Wind Stronghold, enduring the encirclement and slaughter of more than twenty bandits.
After forcibly breaking open the stronghold gate, he had slipped into the center of the battle formation.
His purpose in coming was clear: he wanted only the three martial artists of Black Wind Stronghold. As for the other minor lackeys, he did not care about them in the slightest.
Before long, the chief, Luo Bingzhong, and the other two encountered the Black Armored Army head-on in a narrow passage.
The instant Xia Qi'an saw the true culprits appear, he stepped forward, left the battle formation, and faced the powerful enemies directly.
"People from Wei Dao Si? They've actually started meddling in the affairs of the secular government?" Luo Bingzhong's pupils suddenly contracted. He naturally recognized the official uniform of Wei Dao Si.
However, his lackeys knew nothing of the matter.
"You three are martial artists. Since you are martial artists, Wei Dao Si naturally has the authority to intervene!" Xia Qi'an's voice was cold as ice, and he put on the air of someone merely carrying out orders.
Li Feihu cut in, "Big brother, why waste words on him... He's only in the Early Blood Refining Realm! Let me deal with him!"
With that, Li Feihu drew out the mace strapped to his back. It towered over a man and smashed toward Xia Qi'an with the force of Mount Tai crushing an egg.
"Perfect timing!" Xia Qi'an roared, his voice like thunder, deafening to the ears.
Like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey, he charged forward eagerly.
"Vajra's Fury!"
Xia Qi'an's first move was one of the killing techniques of the Great Strength Vajra Fist.
Infused with the power of qi and blood, the phantom of a gigantic golden fist appeared as if a war god had descended, carrying an unrivaled might.
The golden fist struck the oncoming mace head-on.
"Bang!"
The thunderous crash made everyone's eardrums ache.
The refined-iron mace in Li Feihu's hands exploded on the spot, transforming into countless fragments that scattered in every direction like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers.
Yet the golden fist did not slow in the slightest. Like dry twigs and rotten wood before a crushing force, it continued forward.
The punch was as swift as lightning and as fierce as a raging gale, as if it meant to tear the void apart.
"Pfft!"
Li Feihu's chest was pierced straight through, leaving a clear passage from front to back. The scene was like a sharp spear effortlessly stabbing through a block of tofu.
A wave of revulsion surged through Xia Qi'an's heart, and he quickly pulled out his arm.
He had originally intended to test his true strength, but he had never expected Li Feihu to be so fragile, utterly unable to withstand a single blow.
At the same time, however, he gained a clear understanding of his own strength—it was powerful enough to make the heart tremble!
He was also satisfied with the results of his arduous cultivation during this period!
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