Reinforcements, the Haotian Flag (Third Update)

"Um?"

As Li Hao ate the steamed bun, he suddenly felt that the taste was somewhat familiar, as if he had eaten it somewhere before.

Looking up, the old man at the Tea Stall looked familiar. Suddenly, he remembered that he was the Tea Stall owner he had met on his way to Qizhou to slay the demon.

"It's you?"

Li Hao looked at the other person in surprise.

"Um?"

The Tea Stall Elder looked at Li Hao with suspicion.

Li Hao stared intently at the person, sensing their Aura, only to find that they were just an ordinary person.

"Boss, were you running a stall on the Frontier of Qizhou before?" Li Hao asked.

The Tea Stall Elder looked at Li Hao in surprise and said, "You know me, an old man?"

"I even learned how to make steamed buns from you when I passed by," Li Hao said.

Upon hearing Li Hao's words, the Tea Stall Elder seemed to recall something and suddenly said:

"It's you! What are you doing here?"

"I'd like to ask you, how did you end up here? Didn't you have a stall in Qizhou for many years?"

"I heard from some young heroes who were drinking tea that business was good here, and they were all rushing over, so I thought I'd bring this old man along, and that's why we came here."

The Tea Stall Elder chuckled, "You know what, business here is definitely much better, look."

As they were talking, several young men in fine clothes rode up from outside Dragon Gate Road. Upon seeing the Tea Stall, the young men dismounted.

"Old man, have a bowl of tea!"

"That's impolite of you to call me that; you should call me 'boss'."

"Hey, you just talk about these things too much. We are all people in the world now, so we only look cool when we call ourselves old men."

"My dad always said, when you're out in the world, don't mistake rudeness for coolness, or you'll get beaten up."

"Wow, you even managed to rhyme with me."

Several teenagers casually sat down and chatted, glancing at Li Hao. Seeing that Li Hao was about their age, they assumed he was also someone who had come to Azure Cliff City to see what it was like.

"Coming right up."

The Tea Stall Elder greeted them with a smile, handing the boys a pot of hot tea and saying, "We also have some steamed buns and pastries; would you like some?"

"Okay, give me a few servings, one for each person."

"Okay."

The Tea Stall Elder smiled and agreed.

Turning back to his stall, he busied himself with tasks, saying to Li Hao as he worked, "Young hero, are you also here in Azure Cliff City to join the fun?"

I live here.

Li Hao sipped his tea and ate a steamed bun, then asked, "The journey from Qizhou to here is long. Did you come alone? Such a long road must be difficult to travel."

The boys at the next table were surprised to hear Li Hao's words and immediately turned to look at him. One of the more outgoing boys immediately said with great interest:

"Brother, do you live here? Did you just buy this place, or did you join the army?"

"Brother, have you ever met that Young General Haotian?"

"The journey is indeed long and the road is difficult to travel, so just walk slowly."

The Tea Stall Elder smiled and said, "As long as you can get to where you want to go, taking your time is part of the scenery."

Interrupted by the teenagers, Li Hao glanced at the Tea Stall owner again. Although he found it a bit strange, he thought that coincidences were common in the world, and perhaps he was just overthinking it.

"Boss, I'm leaving now."

After finishing his meal, Li Hao stood up and spoke to the restaurant owner.

He then turned to look at the boys and chuckled, "This Frontier is quite dangerous; you'd be better off traveling somewhere else."

"Then how did you..."

Seeing his mature and admonishing demeanor, the group of teenagers, all young Blood Qi, were immediately unconvinced and wanted to have a contest. But they saw Li Hao turn around and leap into the air, disappearing outside the Tea Stall.

Sky Traversal.

The marker is Fifteen Li away!

The words that the teenagers were about to say suddenly fell silent.

This guy who looks about their age is actually from the Fifteen Li Realm!

But soon, they looked at each other and became excited.

It's said that many people are flocking to Azure Cliff City, and countless geniuses want to challenge that legendary youth. It seems that it's indeed true.

You can encounter geniuses everywhere here!

"Brothers, eat up, let's go too."

The boys immediately sprang into action.

"What an impatient bunch..."

Upon seeing this, the Tea Stall Elder shook his head and smiled.

Li Hao quietly returned to Azure Cliff City and went back to the Hedge-Enclosed Courtyard.

The patrolling Grandmaster immediately bowed to Li Hao, but Li Hao waved for them to continue.

Ren Qianqian was cultivating in the courtyard when she heard the noise. She opened her eyes and looked over. When she saw that it was Li Hao, she immediately stopped her cultivation, got up, and ran over.

"Young Master, you're back."

"Hmm, has anything been happening lately?"

We don't have any here.

Ren Qianqian said, "But this morning, Senior Hongzhuang received a Military Report, but I don't know what it was about."

Li Hao recalled the city guards who had been patrolling closely when he entered the city, his eyes flickered slightly, and he said to Ren Qianqian:

"Go find me some clean clothes, I'll go ask."

"Good."

Ren Qianqian nodded.

Li Hao released his Divine Soul to search the entire city and quickly found Li Hongzhuang's figure.

His figure flickered and disappeared from the Small Courtyard, arriving at the city General’s Residence where Li Hongzhuang lived.

Li Hongzhuang was cultivating her sword technique when she suddenly awoke with a start. Looking up, she saw Li Hao appear like a Qing Feng, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. She said:

"Hao'er, are you back? It would normally take at least six or seven days to travel from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to here, right?"

"Yeah, I just got back."

Li Hao sat down on the chair next to him, saw a plate of pastries, casually picked one up and tossed it into his mouth, and asked:

"Qian Qian said there was Military Report. I just got back and the soldiers seem to be on high alert. Is something wrong?"

"The Demon were previously roaming Beyond the Border Liang Prefecture have indeed been feigning a retreat and are now gathering in the Western Border of Liang Prefecture, preparing to attack."

Li Hongzhuang frowned as she spoke of this, saying, "It was Intelligence sent by Fifth Brother. He discovered it last night and sent a messenger with utmost speed; the Military Report arrived this morning."

"These Demon truly have no undying evil heart!"

A murderous glint and rage flashed in her eyes.

Li Hao suddenly realized that he had also guessed about the situation Outside the Pass earlier.

"What's the situation in the Western Border?"

We do not know at the moment.

Li Hongzhuang shook her head. "Fifth Brother only said that we should also be on guard, as Demon could invade at any time. He told our sentries to keep a close watch and not to let our guard down."

"So today I've ordered all the soldiers in the city to be on high alert, and I've also sent several elite scout teams to the Outside the Pass. The first team to set out has already returned from scouting 800 li away, but they haven't seen any trace of Demon."

Li Hao didn't mention much about his previous clearing of the Outside the Pass to Li Hongzhuang; the area within 5,000 li Outside the Pass had already been cleared out by him.

It's perfectly normal that the enemy couldn't detect any Demon within 800 li.

However, now that the Demon have gathered to attack the Western Border of Liang Prefecture, they may also regroup their army and come to Heaven's Gate Pass, since it is a pass on the southern side of Liang Prefecture.

Just because something was previously sold out doesn't mean it's not sold out now.

Therefore, Li Hao didn't say anything and waited for the sentries she sent to return to find out the situation.

If those Demon dare to come, he will sweep them away again.

The Demon that had been slain earlier had been devouring the entire city for over a month, and they had long since been eaten up.

Adding some ingredients would be a good idea, saving him money on purchasing.

Now that he has left the Li Family, he is self-reliant and earns all his money and possessions himself, relying on the rewards he previously received and the materials he sells to obtain Demon.

Previously, when he was short of money, Song Qiumo had paid for everything on his behalf. Li Hao hadn't had a chance to repay her for that money or for that favor.

"If the other sentries haven't detected any trace of the Demon, it means these Demon may have concentrated their forces to attack the Western Border."

Li Hongzhuang said, "Then we'll go and scout out the battle situation in the Western Border."

"However, it's also possible that these Demons have split up, and the main army hasn't reached our side yet. I'll send people to investigate in the next few days."

She would not underestimate or relax her guard. Given the speed of the Demon army, it was not uncommon for them to march a thousand miles in a day. The Great Demon among them, acting as vanguards, could reach a thousand miles away in less than half a day and launch an attack on the city ahead of schedule.

Li Hao nodded; this was indeed a safer approach.

"Let me know anytime if anything happens."

Li Hao immediately prepared to get up and leave.

Li Hongzhuang glanced at him and said, "You only went to Yong Province for five days and you're back already. Didn't you have a good look through the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, or did the Heavenly Secrets Grandmaster not let you have much time to look at it?"

"No, he told me to look around as I pleased."

"Then why are you back so early?" Li Hongzhuang in surprise.

"Because I've finished reading..." Li Hao smiled, waved his hand, and said, "I've been traveling for too long and haven't showered for several days. I'll go change my clothes first."

"..." Li Hongzhuang was speechless. "You weren't in such a hurry to come back and take a shower, were you?"

Before she could ask any more questions, Li Hao had already stepped out of the General's Residence and disappeared from her sight.

"This guy..."

Li Hongzhuang couldn't help but shake her head, finding it somewhat amusing. She wondered how Li Hao, with his carefree nature, could cultivate to such a level, a stark contrast to the disciplined disciples of the Divine General Residence. Yet, Li Hao was more outstanding than anyone else.

Back in the Small Courtyard.

Li Hao quickly washed up, changed into new clothes, and sent a telepathic message to Old Feng was secretly overseeing things. Then he suddenly remembered that he had returned in such a hurry that he hadn't had a chance to explore Yong Province or bring back any local specialties.

However, his main concern was that Demon might invade Heaven's Gate Pass, since the news of his departure was unlikely to be kept secret from the Demon Heavenly Secrets Hall.

"They didn't take this opportunity to attack Heaven's Gate Pass. It seems the main army has moved to the Western Border?"

"They probably think that even if they break through Heaven's Gate Pass while I'm away, they'll have no choice but to retreat when I return, since there are just too many Battle Flag here."

Li Hao knew that these Demons from Outside the Pass must have witnessed the power of his Battle Flag; at the very least, the Tianji Hall was aware of it.

Seeing the Battle Flag flying all over the walls of Azure Cliff City, it takes courage to still come here.

Shaking his head, Li Hao stopped thinking about it. Since the Demon attacked the Western Border, it meant they really intended to attack Liang Prefecture. He also had to guard Heaven's Gate Pass.

"The world is starting to fall into chaos..."

Li Hao felt he needed to work harder, so he asked Ren Qianqian to invite the Little Chess Saint Xu Zhouyuan.

Li Hao treated these art masters with extreme courtesy.

Ren Qianqian followed Li Hao's lead and arrived at the inn where the Little Chess Saint was staying. She was very polite and explained Li Hao's invitation.

Xu Zhouyuan over seventy years old, with white hair. Due to his mediocre Martial Dao talent, he had not cultivated himself. He had only used the wealth he had accumulated through his reputation to buy some health-enhancing pills.

However, he was of mortal body and weak constitution, so he could not take strong Precious Medicine. Therefore, the pills he took only made him live about ten years longer than an ordinary mortal old man and made his body a little stronger.

His attendant was flattered to see Ren Qianqian and hurriedly invited her in.

Xu Zhouyuan learned that the boy had become temperamental again, he smiled. Thinking of his previous battle with the boy, where they fought fiercely and were evenly matched, he felt itching to join in and readily agreed.

Ren Qianqian presented ten taels of gold to the Little Chess Saint.

Xu Zhouyuan declined, but Ren Qianqian said it was the young master's rule.

He had no choice but to accept it.

... I've already accepted more than ten bags like this before.

I can't refuse such kindness, I can't refuse such kindness...

Xu Zhouyuan followed Ren Qianqian into the carriage with a smile on his face, heading towards the Hedge-Enclosed Courtyard.

The young men from the surrounding Aristocratic Clan recognized Ren Qianqian and exclaimed in surprise. Seeing her so humble and respectful in inviting Xu Zhouyuan, they assumed that the old man was a senior at the Four Establishments Realm.

However, after the carriage had gone some distance, they learned from the innkeeper that the old man was just an ordinary person, nicknamed the Little Chess Saint.

"A Chess player?"

Everyone was surprised. How could someone who was just an ordinary mortal be treated so politely by that Sword Attendant Heavenly Prodigy?

In the Hedge-Enclosed Courtyard, Li Hao had already prepared snacks and tea, and wiped the bamboo mat clean.

Upon hearing the sound of the carriage, Li Hao knew that the old senior had arrived.

As soon as Xu Zhouyuan the courtyard, Li Hao immediately stood up to greet him, saying, "Senior, you've worked hard."

"Young General, please don't flatter this old man." Xu Zhouyuan. Although he was nicknamed Little Chess Saint and had quite a reputation, the Great Yu Dynasty was, after all, based on Martial Dao.

The most respected people in the world are still these Warriors.

The Chess Dao? It's nothing but a low-class, unorthodox Outer Dao.

"Not at all, please, senior." Li Hao led him to a seat and poured him tea.

Xu Zhouyuan had been treated similarly by Li Hao before, but he didn't accept it readily. He still said cautiously, "Young General, you're too kind."

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; this is also true of scholars and poets accompanying generals.

"Senior, please don't be so formal."

Li Hao laughed, waved for the others to step back, and gestured for the Little Chess Saint master to proceed.

Seeing Xu Zhouyuan immediately put down the tea he had just taken a sip of and began to pick up pieces from the Go Box.

Ren Qianqian knew that Li Hao didn't like being disturbed Chess, and if he was disturbed, he would definitely get angry, just like Warrior being disturbed while cultivating.

She was already used to it.

He stepped aside and began cultivating on his own, while also keeping watch over Li Hao.

The Small Courtyard has returned to tranquility.

Sunlight shone through the eaves and corridors, falling on the shoes Xu Zhouyuan had taken off outside the corridor, and the tender green grass between the cracks in the Greenstone slabs.

You place one piece, I place one piece, and the two of us Chess quietly.

Xu Zhouyuan gradually got into the zone, no longer as restrained as before, and devoted himself entirely to placing the pieces.

At the end of the game, Li Hao narrowly won.

This Little Chess Saint has extremely high Chess, at the level of Fifth Dan. Li Hao can easily lose if he makes a mistake.

Seeing the experience tips appear on the Panel, Li Hao smiled slightly and gestured for the other party to continue.

The silence continued until a piercing shout suddenly broke through.

"Report!!"

Xu Zhouyuan in thought about his move, was startled by the loud and Qi and Blood roar, and the piece in his hand fell onto the Go Board.

It just so happened that it destroyed White Stone in the corner of the board, causing it to switch positions.

BOOM!!

A gigantic, pitch-black hand slammed down, the Magic Array flashing with brilliant golden light and countless Divine Runes spinning rapidly, but ultimately it couldn't withstand the pressure and shattered with a bang!

The enormous demonic hand crashed down, shattering the foundation of the defensive line outside the Magic Array!

As the Magic Array shattered, the Great Wall was torn open, and in an instant, countless Demon Tide surged in, pouring through the gap beneath the Great Demon King like a tidal wave, breaking through the Great Wall and rushing towards the city!

Many soldiers of the Mystic Unit collapsed to the ground, spitting blood, unable to stand.

"Father!"

Li Wushuang watched the figure flying back. Li Xuanli was seriously injured. He crashed into the city wall, shattering the Stone Block. His Battle Armor was dented, and even his Indestructible Treasure Body could not withstand the impact, resulting in serious injuries.

Li Wushuang rushed over and helped Li Xuanli up.

"Quickly, retreat!"

Li Xuanli got up and looked at the three Demon King standing suspended in mid-air. His face was Qi and Blood red with Anger, but the presence of his daughter beside him calmed his mind.

"Contract your defenses and retreat immediately!"

"Quickly, send out a distress signal!"

He roared in anger.

Upon hearing this, the deputy general who had come to provide assistance quickly relayed the order, and at the same time, Beacon Smoke rose into the sky.

"Cover the governor's retreat!"

Seeing this, the other generals quickly gathered around, their eyes solemn, knowing that this was a matter of life and death.

Without the Four Establishments Realm Masters guarding this place, once the Magic Array is broken, none of the three Demon King can stop them!

"Kill!!"

A general at the Three Immortalities Realm roared and swung his spear, leading his troops in a charge.

Millions of Daoist and countless Demon Tide clashed together, like two torrents crashing together, blood and limbs flying everywhere. Yet, the battleground was clearly divided between them, like White Stone on Go Board.

"Report!!"

Xu Zhouyuan White Stone his gaze from the disrupted chessboard and looked up at the officer who had given the report.

The other party had already arrived in the courtyard. Upon seeing Li Hao, he immediately knelt on the Greenstone in Chessboard and presented the report with both hands, "Young General, there is Military Report from the Military Governor of Liang Prefecture!"

Li Hao frowned slightly. He was somewhat displeased that the game of chess had been affected, but the Military Report was of great importance, so he didn't have much of a temper and simply waved for the Military Report to take over.

Before he could even look through it, a figure rushed over. Li Hongzhuang, dressed in bright red armor, charged in.

Having spent so long at the Border Pass, she never removed her armor except for bathing and sleeping.

Even when sleeping, they wear soft armor, ready to get up at any time and go into battle fully armed.

"I just heard that warhorses have entered the city, and the messenger was covered in blood. Has something happened in the Western Border of Liang Prefecture?!"

Upon seeing Li Hao Li Hongzhuang, Li Hongzhuang hurriedly asked...

Li Hao's expression changed slightly. He quickly opened the Military Report, glanced at it, and read it all.

"The Western Border has fallen, and Demon King is leading the charge!"

Li Hao's gaze darkened slightly. The Western Border had fallen so quickly?

I just heard from Li Hongzhuang that their sentries detected the Demon gathering last night, and the Intelligence was delivered this morning. It's afternoon now, so it's only been a dozen hours since the Demon gathered and launched their attack.

The Western Border is protected by Magic Array.

However, the three Demon Kings... well, that's understandable.

Li Hao frowned. He wasn't surprised that three Demon King appeared in the Demon Tide, but he was surprised that the Western Border didn't have any Four Establishments Realm experts in charge.

Is the defense in the Western Border really that weak?

"Demon King!"

Upon hearing Li Hao's words, Li Hongzhuang's pupils contracted slightly, and she hurriedly asked, "What about Fifth Brother? How is he?"

Her heart was pounding, and images of her third and sixth brothers dying in battle flashed before her eyes, along with the numerous funerals she had attended, the somber wails filling the mansion, and the white mourners in their white coats.

He's alright for now.

Li Hongzhuang breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back into her chest. She quickly asked, "Is Fifth Brother sending us to reinforce them? Now that the Magic Array is broken, how do they plan to defend it?"

Li Hao shook his head, glanced at the Military Report, sighed, and put it away.

"He didn't order us to send reinforcements, but instead warned us to be careful and wary of the Demon King. He also said that they have already consolidated their defenses and retreated to the second line of defense."

Li Hongzhuang was stunned for a moment, then she understood. Her expression was complicated as she asked Li Hao, "Then... should we go help?"

Li Hao pondered for a moment. There was Dark Side Clone controlling the Magic Array here, which could also provide some protection.

As he weighed his options, another voice rushed in from outside the courtyard.

"Report!"

A soldier from the Haotian Army rushed in and hurriedly said to Li Hao, "Young General, we've spotted warning beacon fires Outside the Pass! Some of the scouts have been attacked!"

Both Li Hao and Li Hongzhuang changed slightly.

The Western Border has just fallen, and now Demon are coming here too?

"Do you know how many there are?" Li Hao asked.

"Nothing has been detected yet."

Li Hao glanced at Li Hongzhuang, Li Hongzhuang expression also turned ugly.

Li Hao saw through her thoughts; she wanted to shrink the defensive line and concentrate her forces, just like Li Xuanli, to delay until reinforcements arrived.

He paused for a moment, then said, "This Military Report has arrived here. Judging by the time, they should have already retreated to the Second Defense Line. Here's what we'll do: you and Li He, take my Battle Flag and Past."

"Both of you are at the Three Immortalities Realm; if you travel at full speed, you can arrive in the shortest time."

Li Hao planned to have them carry their own battle Battle Flag to assist in the battle, while he himself would remain at Heaven's Gate Pass.

If he has time after dealing with the Demon here, he can then go and provide assistance.

His Battle Flag contains 50% of his destructive power, making it an extremely terrifying killing move, comparable to a full-force strike from the Dao Heart Realm expert!

This also helped protect Uncle Wu from many Demons.