Sha Po Lang

"Kill!"

Five or six riders came hurtling toward them like a gale. When they reached the group, they all shouted in unison.

The soldiers' Qi and Blood and killing intent surged straight at them, making Wu Ming furrow his brow.

"Just five or six men's killing intent, and you think you can break me? Bring on a whole squad first!"

Yu Shaojun laughed wildly. The pearl flashed with an earthy yellow light and sank into the ground.

Rumble!

The ground shuddered, and five or six stone pillars thrust up, like long spears and great halberds, forming a killing formation that waited for the enemy cavalry to take the bait.

"Take this!"

Who knew that the leader of the Fiefdom Fang Soldiers only sneered, then suddenly drew his long saber and slashed at the space before him!

Buzz!

As the blade fell, everything around them seemed to freeze. Among the stars filling the sky, an ominous star as large as a peck measure shone brightly. It drew toward a layer of mysterious light surrounding the Warlord, then descended, transforming into a power that bolstered him.

With one slash, Star Power descended, turning into a fierce blade arc!

"This is... a Warlord whose Destiny Returns to Stars? No! It's similar, but not quite!"

Xiao Di, beside Wu Ming, cried out in surprise.

Whoosh!

As the blade flashed, the stone pillars shattered one after another, turning to dust amid the starlight.

Wu Ming really wanted to complain. Seriously... even some random Squad Leader or squad sergeant is on the same level as Wu Tiehu? Is this a joke?

With his ability to see Qi, he could tell that only wisps of starlight coiled around this Fiefdom Fang Soldiers' commander. His martial arts were merely at the Internal Strengthening level, putting him roughly on par with Wu Tiehu.

Yet the starlight, visible to the naked eye, had strengthened him so much that the power he unleashed now was almost on par with an Innate or even a gang-qi martial artist!

That was because Star Power was simply too abundant in this world.

If Wu Tiehu were brought here, he could do the same as long as his natal star remained. Of course, if this Fiefdom Fang Soldier were taken to Great Zhou, he couldn't do it even if he risked his life.

Is this world so saturated with astral energy that those whose Destiny Returns to Stars—or even people who carry just a trace of its aura—can unleash greater strength?

In almost an instant, Wu Ming grasped the essence of this world. "The power of moonlight is abundant, so there must be all kinds of spirits and monsters everywhere..."

"Die!"

In the blink of an eye, three riders broke through the obstacles, sneering as they raised their hands. Two newcomers' heads flew into the air, blood gushing like springs.

"What are you standing around for? Attack together!"

Xiao Jidu roared. In an instant, he leapt into the air, gliding like a ghost to the back of a rider. He swept out with his right leg. The Fiefdom Fang Soldier was highly skilled and blocked with both arms.

Crack!

With a scream, his arm bones broke, and he fell from his horse.

"Loose!"

The other two cavalrymen immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows. They were both skilled at shooting from horseback!

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two arrows shot toward him at high speed. Wu Ming dodged aside, a flash of light in his eyes, then sprang forward as well. His shadow flickered, his clawed hand stretching out. He seized a Fiefdom Fang Soldier by the neck and lifted him up, then tossed him aside. The man's fate was anyone's guess.

"Ant, you've succeeded in angering me!"

Elsewhere, Yu Shaojun roared. Four golden runes appeared within the pearl in his hand, transforming into the figures of four golden-armored divine generals. They surrounded the commander of the Fiefdom Fang Soldiers.

"You dare rebel? I serve under Lie Shan Commandery of the Nine Mountains Army!"

Clearly, the Fiefdom Fang Soldier had spent a great deal of strength on that earlier move, using a killing technique well-suited to countering evil magic. Seeing Yu Shaojun move only slightly and then calmly resume his stance, he immediately invoked the backing he served.

"Divine generals, obey! Kill him!"

Yu Shaojun waved his hand. The four golden-armored generals roared and brought down their heavy weapons—the golden melon hammer, iron club, and others—smashing the man into a pulp of blood and flesh.

"Run!"

The remaining Fiefdom Fang Soldiers finally lost their nerve. They shouted and tried to flee.

"We can't let them get away!"

Wu Ming's eyes shifted, and he immediately called out.

"Haha, don't worry!"

Xiao Jidu turned into a streak of black and raced after them. He unleashed the Wind God's Legs, moving as swiftly as a gale and faster than a galloping horse.

Morning.

The sunlight in this world was not particularly strong; one could even faintly make out the stars.

The group had left the outskirts of the village early and found a small pond where they could rest.

Green grass spread like a carpet, and the lake shone like jade.

Several warhorses leisurely munched on grass. Wu Ming and the others looked at the leather armor, bows, and other items on the ground, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Zhang Lie, a Fiefdom Fang Soldier under Lie Shan Commandery of the Nine Mountains Army!"

Wu Ming toyed with a waist token in his hand, wearing an expression that was almost a smile. "Who would've thought... Our mission is to support Li Rubi, yet we've already killed his Fiefdom Fang Soldiers..."

"We're done for..."

Xiao Jidu clutched his head. "It's a time of war and chaos. What does it matter if a few Fiefdom Fang Soldiers die? No one saw us, anyway. But those soldiers are so unruly, and their discipline is so poor. You can tell a whole lot from a small thing. This mission of ours is practically hell difficulty..."

"We don't have to be so pessimistic... These soldiers are strong, after all..."

One of the newcomers spoke hesitantly. He had performed poorly earlier, and though he now mustered the courage to speak, no one paid him much attention.

Xiao Di explained instead. "The Fiefdom Fang Soldiers are the personal troops of the warlords and their commanders. They're elite soldiers! They cost ten times as much to maintain as ordinary soldiers. Men with this kind of ability are one in a hundred..."

"In other words, there are probably only a few hundred men like that in the entire Nine Mountains Army... If there were really ten thousand of them, the whole realm would be thrown into chaos!"

Wu Ming picked up the thread, and the newcomer's face flushed red. He retreated to the side.

"I'd like to ask Miss Xiao Di: what exactly does it mean for Destiny to Return to Stars?"

Xiao Jidu asked with great interest.

"Destiny Returns to Stars..."

Xiao Di pondered for a moment. "It means that the stars in the heavens answer a person's fate. Legend has it that in times of chaos, ministers and Warlords with Heaven's mandate and destiny returned to the stars are reborn to assist the True Dragon Son of Heaven in bringing order to the realm. The most famous among them are the Left Assistant Star and Right Assistant Star, as well as Wen Qu Star and Wu Qu Star... According to the Classics, the Fiefdom Fang Soldier we just saw had, at most, a trace of star fate. He wasn't a true Warlord whose Destiny Returned to Stars!"

As she spoke, a trace of worry appeared on her face. "They say that the closer these General Stars come to danger, the more their natal stars awaken to protect them. If they possess Stars True Fate, a bizarre sight might even appear, with stars visible in broad daylight. And when they die, a star will surely fall, streaking across the sky like a meteor... Of course, it's even more terrifying here..."

Wu Ming and the others looked up at the stars, whose outlines were almost visible even in daylight, and exchanged speechless glances.

"Hm? Destiny Returns to Stars... Hearing you say that, I think I remember something..."

Xiao Jidu crouched down, gripping his hair. "A long time ago, I think I heard a story like this. It was about Huang Jie, the number-one rebel under Heaven in Great Zhou. I think he was supposed to be the reincarnation of some star or other!"

"Sha Po Lang!!"

Yu Shaojun, who had stood silently to the side, suddenly spoke. "The rebel king Huang Jie had the Sha Po Lang fate! Once he appeared, the world would descend into chaos!"

As he spoke, a trace of fervor even appeared in his eyes.

"That's right! Huang Jie, who plunged Great Zhou into chaos and threw the realm into turmoil, gathered the true fate of the Seven Killings, Army Breaker, and Greedy Wolf stars. With the Purple Star enthroned as his natal star and the Four Cardinal Directions shining upon him, he formed the 'Sha Po Lang' configuration and ultimately wreaked havoc across Great Zhou!"

Xiao Di drew a deep breath, then continued. "The Seven Killings is a traitor who stirs up the Nine Provinces, Army Breaker is a general who conquers the realm, and Greedy Wolf is a treacherous, deceitful schemer. Once these three stars gather together, the realm is bound to change hands. There's no reversing it!"

Wu Ming, hearing this secret for the first time, couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.

Army Breaker, the Seven Killings, and Greedy Wolf—any one of them could produce a general who dominated the realm. Even a trace of star fate was enough to remake an ordinary person from the ground up.

How terrifying would it be for the true fate of all three ominous stars to gather in one person?

Even the True Dragon Son of Heaven would probably have reason to fear him.

"Now I'm hoping Li Rubi really does have the Sha Po Lang fate and is Huang Jie reborn!" Wu Ming's eyes flashed as he spoke with a smile.

"Impossible!"

Xiao Di immediately replied. "If he really had the Sha Po Lang configuration, then in this world, no one could stand in his way. The entire realm would descend into chaos, not merely one province. But there's no doubt that this man's Destiny Returns to Stars!"

"A general with a true ominous star as his natal star, as long as he commands a great army and is protected by military Qi, killing intent, and star fate, is almost impervious to all methods. Unless..."

Xiao Di murmured a few more words, but her final ones were nearly inaudible. Only Wu Ming's ears twitched.

"All right! The mission requires it, so let's go enlist in the Nine Mountains Army!"

After resting a little longer and eating some dry rations, Wu Ming clapped his hands and made the suggestion.

"How do we enlist?"

Xiao Jidu asked with interest.

"It's simple... The Nine Mountains Army claims to have tens of thousands of soldiers, but it's really just a band of mountain bandits. They also have to deal with the imperial court's campaigns against them. Do you think they enforce strict rules? We can just show up and say we want to join!"

Wu Ming smiled.

"Bandits? Join them?" Xiao Jidu's eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh. "Exactly! That's the way to do it!"

"But..." Wu Ming glanced at Yu Shaojun, then said nothing more.

The meaning was clear. If Yu Shaojun kept wearing such flashy clothes, walking into a bandit den would be asking for death.

Yu Shaojun's face twitched. He casually flicked his sleeve. "This place is as good as any. Let's split up here!"

With that, he stepped forward and left. It was as if he had Shrunk the Ground into an Inch; in an instant, he vanished from sight.

"Hey... Wait!"

Xiao Jidu got up and chased after him for several dozen paces, then returned in frustration. "Good heavens! With a teammate like that, this mission is over for us..."

Wu Ming's eyes flickered.

In the last mission, the difficulty was lower, but Tu Yanghao, Zheng Qian, and even Shan Lan and Ling Guhong were all skilled in their own ways.

But this time, even among the newcomers, only Xiao Di offered any real promise. He couldn't help drawing a connection.

Could the share of strong characters that would normally have been assigned to the team have been taken up by Yu Shaojun—or someone else among them?

"Then let's get going!"

The newcomer from earlier, Yuan Tai, went to lead the horses.

"Wait!"

Wu Ming flicked a finger. Several pebbles flew out, stinging the warhorses. They whinnied and galloped away.

"What are you doing?"

These were fine warhorses, worth more than a hundred taels of silver apiece. Yuan Tai was very fond of them, and now he shouted in dismay.

"You want to ride them to join the army?"

Wu Ming looked at him as if he were some kind of monster. "Didn't you see the brands on them? We stole the army's horses, then ride them to enlist? We'd better be careful, or we might die without knowing why..."

Hearing this, Yuan Tai's old face reddened. He looked ready to dig a hole and bury himself in it.