Borrowing Soldiers from Mingzhou

"Something's wrong. This isn't the Ever-Victorious Army..."

As troops and horses poured out of the depths of the night, the crowd was swept by surprise and excitement. Even the Imperial Capital City's garrison faltered in its formation.

But amid the excitement, some eyes flickered as they suddenly realized something was different.

Quite a few Reincarnators had already dealt with the Ever-Victorious Army. They knew its soldiers all wore Black Armor and were well-trained, with strong horses.

But the army appearing before Imperial Capital City now wore dark red armor. After years beneath the Red Lantern Goddess's protection, the light of the red lanterns had stained it red.

And this army had a different air about it, too. The Ever-Victorious Army's generals were reckless and its soldiers arrogant, plundering like wildfire. But this force carried a deep, steady presence. Every soldier had his eyes shut, and the horses wore blindfolds. They charged at full gallop, yet not a single one fell out of order.

As they emerged from the night, two figures stepped out from the ranks: an Old Woman in blue, smoking a pipe while several sturdy yellow weasels carried her sedan chair, and a village woman wearing coarse clothes, with a strip of cloth tied around her head.

They came to stand on either side of Erguotou, setting off the red lantern planted in the earth between them. Without a word, they lent the scene an entirely different bearing.

Then Erguotou, standing at the front of the ranks, raised a hand.

A drumbeat sounded. The mounted soldiers all opened their eyes at once and pulled the black cloth from their horses' eyes, their movements perfectly synchronized and brimming with force.

That discipline alone revealed an imposing, extraordinary might.

Even the Reincarnators, who had just been cheering at the sight