Victory

"Continuous Mountain County is mine, Xu Tao's!"

Xu Tao grinned madly and savagely, driving the Military Formation greatsword down at Meng Kuo.

Though Meng Kuo was a Martial Master and could withstand a few blows,

he would still die in the end.

"Everyone, retreat!"

Meng Kuo roared, his eyes bloodshot and his face filled with the resolve to fight to the death.

He prepared to risk his life to hold back the enemy's attacks and buy time for the soldiers behind him. His daughter was dead, the army he led had been defeated, and he no longer wished to live.

"None of you are getting away!"

The Military Formation greatsword slashed toward Meng Kuo.

Just as Meng Kuo prepared to defend himself, the greatsword above his head suddenly vanished.

Everyone on the battlefield froze.

What was happening?

Why had the greatsword disappeared?

Flat Water County's Military Formation had clearly not been broken.

The crowd suddenly realized something and looked toward the rear of Flat Water County's army.

They saw a blood-soaked youth riding a white steed, wildly swinging the sword in his hand amid the ranks.

Fireballs blossomed one after another, while phantom images of corpses filled the sky, staining the area red.

The army formation had been thrown into chaos, and people nearby fled in terror.

"Ping An!!"

"Jiang Ping An!"

Upon seeing the youth's figure, Meng Kuo and Xu Tao shouted at the same time.

One was overcome with excitement; the other with towering fury.

"Father!!" Seeing her father, Meng Jing cried out excitedly.

"Little Jing!" Meng Kuo wept with joy.

"How is this possible?! How are you not dead?!" Xu Tao roared furiously as he watched Jiang Ping An break the army formation.

What the hell was that useless Ma Lin doing?!

Amid a thousand troops, Jiang Ping An charged recklessly through the ranks. The white beast did not have a single drop of blood on its body, holy and immaculate as it raced atop corpses like a furious gale.

Amid a thousand troops, as if no one were there!

"You little bastard! Die!"

Xu Tao was furious. He had been on the verge of killing Meng Kuo, yet Jiang Ping An had shattered his army formation.

Xu Tao mounted his War Horse and prepared to deal with him, but at that moment, a terrifying aura came from behind him. He quickly raised his blade to block.

"Your opponent is me!" Meng Kuo completely abandoned defense and attacked as if his life meant nothing.

His daughter had nearly been harmed, and his army had nearly been destroyed. He had to do something to ease the guilt in his heart.

The two Martial Masters erupted into fierce battle. No one dared approach within several hundred meters.

Even the stones flung out by the shockwaves they created could kill ordinary Martial Warriors.

Jiang Ping An charged through Flat Water County's army and arrived beside Li Yuntian.

"Old Li, take care of her."

Jiang Ping An set Meng Jing down from his arms.

"You..." Li Yuntian looked at Jiang Ping An, covered in blood and radiating killing intent. He wanted to say something, but the words would not come out.

Jiang Ping An fed Little White five Qi Gathering Pills, swallowed two Blood Qi Pills himself, and charged back into the battlefield.

"Kill~"

The Continuous Mountain County soldiers, who had nearly been wiped out, had been holding back a breath of fury. Seeing the youth and their general fighting fiercely, they roared and charged forward after them.

A chaotic battle was on the verge of erupting.

After leaving Jiang Ping An, Meng Jing felt as though something was missing, leaving her hollow inside.

Looking at the girl's expression, Li Yuntian suddenly smiled. "The youth's strides are swift. It won't be easy to catch up to him. You mustn't be so fond of playing around in the future."

"Who wants to catch up to him?! I don't care about him at all! Even if I play around, I'm still better than him!"

Meng Jing bared her little tiger teeth, drew her short blade, and charged into the battlefield.

Li Yuntian smiled and shook his head. Meng Jing's talent was no weaker than Jiang Ping An's, but she was too playful. She trained carelessly every day and was never serious.

His gaze settled on the youth in bloodstained clothes atop the white horse, and Li Yuntian's expression grew distant.

"This child will surely shake Black Wind County."

The clashes of swords and shields, blades and armor, wove together a symphony of life and death. Every slash, every collision, brimmed with the air of a final battle.

The sounds of slaughter, shouting, and screams merged into one.

Setting sun, autumn wind, Blade Light Sword Shadow.

Feathered arrows, long spears, life and death in an instant.

The youth rode alone, his long blade splitting armor.

"Insolent Child! Die!" An enemy Great Captain wielding a long spear charged at him.

The spear shot forth like a dragon, its sharpness fully bared.

Jiang Ping An grabbed the spear with one hand. Under the effect of his right eye, the opponent's movements were as slow as a snail's.

With a casual slash, the Great Captain's head fell to the ground.

Several soldiers who had been planning to ambush Jiang Ping An saw this and felt their scalps go numb.

A Great Captain had been chopped apart like a cucumber!

What kind of monster was this youth? He was only fourteen or fifteen!

Just then, shouts suddenly rose from the rear of Flat Water County's army.

"Kill! Kill these bastards who stole our grain!"

"Overthrow the Pingshui County General!"

"Hack them to death! Avenge our families!"

A group of farmers carrying weapons they had picked up rushed onto the battlefield.

They were filled with righteous indignation, their eyes blazing with fury.

This was an opportunity to resist. They had to fight for their future.

In truth, the reason Meng Kuo had wanted to save Jiang Ping An was to win over the hearts of Flat Water County's people.

Flat Water County's soldiers treated the common people poorly. By saving Jiang Ping An and spreading word of his deeds, they could shape public sentiment and let people know they could resist.

However, before Meng Kuo had the chance to mobilize the people over there, the war had broken out.

This was all because of Jiang Ping An. He had dealt with Ma Lin and the soldiers, leaving weapons behind.

These villagers took up the weapons and led people from other villages toward Flat Water County's county seat.

The people in the county seat joined the resistance, and masses of commoners poured onto the battlefield.

Though the commoners were not strong fighters, there were simply too many of them.

Tens of thousands of commoners gathered together were far more terrifying than a few thousand soldiers standing together.

Under the joint slaughter of the commoners and Continuous Mountain County's soldiers, some died while others surrendered.

"Why?! Why did it turn out like this?!"

Xu Tao knew the tide was lost. He roared in fury, his voice shaking the heavens.

His plan had been flawless: kill Meng Jing, break Meng Kuo's Military Formation, and win the war.

Under normal circumstances, events truly would have unfolded as he had planned.

But he had not anticipated the youth he had once looked down upon.

The youth had slain Ma Lin, broken the Military Formation, and changed the course of the war.

Xu Tao swiftly took out a talisman and quickly poured spiritual energy into it.

"My Spirit Terrace Kingdom will absolutely make your Great Summer Kingdom pay the price! Jiang Ping An, you little bastard, you won't have a peaceful night's sleep for the rest of your life! I will kill you!"

Runic light flashed. Xu Tao left behind a furious roar, and his body suddenly vanished from where he stood.

It was actually an exceedingly rare Teleportation Talisman!

Xu Tao did not dare continue fighting and fled at top speed.

It did not matter if the others died. He could not die.

As long as the green mountains remained, there would be no shortage of firewood.

With their general fleeing, the other soldiers abandoned all thoughts of resistance and surrendered directly.

The battlefield fell silent for a moment before cheers erupted.

"Flat Water County's soldiers have been destroyed!"

"Wuu... Child, did you see? The people who starved you to death are dead."

"Mother, these bastards are dead. Rest in peace!"

The oppressed people of Flat Water County wept with joy, many families embracing one another.

Watching the happy commoners, the killing intent on Jiang Ping An's face gradually faded.

He sheathed his blade and, with an utterly exhausted hand, stroked Little White's fur. "Let's go," he said weakly.

Little White shook its head and carried the already powerless Jiang Ping An away.

Seeing that the war had been won, Meng Jing was overjoyed. For some reason, she especially wanted to find that youth and share her joy with him.

Before long, she spotted that conspicuous white horse.

The white horse carried the youth away step by step into the setting sun. That lonely figure stood utterly out of place amid the other joyful soldiers and commoners.

"Hey! Where are you going?! Continuous Mountain County is the other way!"

Meng Jing chased after him and shouted.

"To pay respects to my parents," Jiang Ping An replied calmly.

Meng Jing froze.

Only then did she learn that he had lost his parents.