Lintong and the Yin Soldiers

"What do you mean, 'Dad'? How many times have I told you to use my title when we're at work?"

Most people would have been trembling at the Grand Army Commander's reprimand, or at least felt their stomach knot with nerves.

But the girl didn't care in the slightest.

She frowned as she walked over and picked up the ashtray from his desk. "You've been smoking again?"

Jiang Chong instantly wilted. "Just one cigarette... Hey, hey, hey, girl, don't take them all away... Just leave me one!"

"What do you mean, 'girl'? How many times have I told you to use my title when we're at work?"

Jiang Chong could only laugh helplessly. He was the Grand Army Commander of the Forbidden Army, a man who was every bit the equal of a nation's military chief, yet he was utterly powerless against his youngest daughter.

"All right, all right. Dad was wrong. I shouldn't have said that." Jiang Chong smiled. "You look so happy. What's the good news?"

"I've heard something about my brother!"

Jiang Shaoxu said excitedly, "I just got word that someone saw my brother at the ancient ruins in Jiayuguan. Dad, give me another team. I'll find him this time!"

Jiang Chong looked at his delighted daughter and opened his mouth, hesitating for a moment. "Girl... I can't give you any men this time."

Jiang Shaoxu's smile froze.

"Why?"

Jiang Chong steeled himself. "A-Jun... he's been missing for two years. We've sent out countless search parties, but none of them found anything... You have to accept reality."

Jiang Shaojun was Jiang Shaoxu's biological brother, and Jiang Chong's biological son.

Braving public scrutiny and criticism, he'd sent out the Forbidden Army's elite forces. He'd even asked Old Man Hua and Old Man Ai for help, turning over every inch of land outside the Demon Beast forbidden zones.

They'd found plenty of traces, but Jiang Shaojun had vanished as if he'd never existed.

Deep down, Jiang Chong knew that his son, the one he'd always been so proud of, had probably met with disaster.

But Jiang Shaoxu couldn't accept it. She took two steps back. "I won't accept that! If you won't give me a team, I'll go by myself!"

"Jiang Shaoxu!"

Jiang Chong barked. Jiang Shaoxu froze in place, her big eyes filling with tears.

Seeing his daughter like that softened his heart. No matter how harshly he wanted to speak, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Then, inspiration struck.

"Dad isn't saying you can't search for him. I mean, you're not strong enough yet. Going alone would be dangerous, and you don't have teammates who can watch your back.

"So, find a team you can trust with your life and get used to working together. Once you're all at the Advanced Level, I promise I won't stop you. I'll give you whatever you need!"

Jiang Shaoxu fell silent. She wasn't stupid; she could tell Jiang Chong was just making excuses to keep her there.

But she refused to give up!

"Promise? You won't take it back?"

Jiang Chong hurriedly said, "I promise!"

"Fine." Jiang Shaoxu turned and left. She'd train harder and prove her strength so her father wouldn't have a thing to say!

Night fell.

Lintong Military Region, Third Company camp.

"Come on, move it! Fall in!"

"Quit sleeping! This is a battlefield. We're fighting the Terracotta Army!"

"Are we getting bombs today?"

At the sound of urgent whistles, the Military Mages assembled and climbed onto the city wall.

Xu Fang stood among the crowd. He'd prepared thoroughly today, dressed in a crisp military uniform, with the planet hidden in his sleeve.

In his Spiritual World, the Star Seeds glittered with golden light.

"I've strengthened six Star Seeds already."

Xu Fang stared at the one that shone noticeably dimmer than the rest, planning to take care of it today.

Mo Fan's Little Mudfish could combine seven Remnant Souls into a Spirit Essence, which could then be used to strengthen a Star Seed.

But Xu Fang didn't have a magical treasure like that. He could only absorb complete Spirit Essences.

During the day, Fei Jiao had called to personally tell Xu Fang about his reward. It included the option to choose when he'd go to the Wild Goose Pagoda.

Xu Fang planned to strengthen all his Star Seeds before going, hoping to break through to the Intermediate Level in one go.

But plans never kept pace with change.

When he stood high above the ground on the city wall, the scene before him left him completely dumbfounded.

The Terracotta Army was gone.

Only a handful remained, straggling toward them. Before Xu Fang could even act, someone else's magic shattered them.

"Without the Centurions and the Captains, the army in this pit won't pose a threat for a while."

Qi Lao San stood beside Xu Fang, beaming.

The Terracotta Army's combat strength far surpassed that of ordinary undead, but it had one fatal weakness: it relied heavily on commands from higher-ranking members of its kind.

Just like today. Without high-ranking Terracotta Warriors or the drums and horns that signaled a charge, most of the army had hunkered down underground.

This would last at least half a month. Only after a new General Figurine emerged would they return.

The students from Ancient Capital No. 2 High School were delighted. Yesterday's brutal battle had left them terrified, and they'd climbed the city wall today bracing themselves for the worst. They hadn't expected so few enemies.

Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go, brothers!

All night long, Xu Fang only managed to get two Remnant Souls. Compared with the magic energy he'd spent, it was a terrible deal!

The next day.

"You're saying you want to leave?" Li Yi looked at the young man in front of him, scarcely believing his ears. "Just because there aren't enough Terracotta Warriors?"

"Yes. I hope you can understand, Instructor," Xu Fang said.

Understand? Not a chance!

He'd led plenty of student soldiers, but it was rare to find someone as odd as Xu Fang.

Li Yi wanted to point to the door and tell Xu Fang to go bother someone else, instead of making a spectacle of himself here. But then he remembered Chief Instructor Fei Jiao's earnest instructions...

"The company commander isn't here..." Li Yi tried to stall.

"If the company commander isn't here, then you're in charge, Instructor."

"...At least give me time to report this."

"Take all the time you need." Xu Fang left the office. Li Yi sighed and picked up the phone from his desk. He couldn't help feeling that, in front of a genius, an instructor like him was far too lowly.

At noon that day, Xu Fang had just woken from his nap when he received orders to report to Gaoling Military Region, west of Lintong Military Region.

On the way there, Xu Fang flipped through the guidebook A Pot of Old Wine had written earlier. It mentioned Gaoling Military Region.

The undead here were mainly Yin Soldiers. Unlike the Terracotta Army, which could corrode city walls, Yin Soldiers existed as ghosts and were immune to physical attacks from elements like Wind and Water.

In large groups, they could also harm their opponents through mental intimidation and illusions.

Often, by the end of a battle, the mages who'd fallen victim to them were still alive, but had become drooling, grinning idiots.

That was why Gaoling Military Region favored three kinds of mages: Light Element mages, who countered the undead; Lightning Element mages, who cleansed evil; and Mind Element mages, who served as medics.

[According to historical records, the Yin Soldiers' passageway originated in the late Tang Dynasty, when war engulfed the land and nine out of ten households lay empty.

A great battle once broke out in Gaoling. The two sides fought for three days and nights. Huang Chao, a Curse Element mage, spent half a month casting the Forbidden Curse Magic "Asura Purgatory."

Even in death, the cursed army's souls could find no release. They were imprisoned here for all eternity.

Later, during the Song and Yuan dynasties, a rebellion broke out in the Ancient Capital, and the Afang Magic Palace lost control. Bathed in the Netherglow, the Yin Soldiers advanced together to the next level.]

After advancing, they went from merely frightening children on rainy days to becoming the terrifying creatures they were now.

Xu Fang leafed through history that felt both familiar and strange. Every account had taken an unexpected turn, yet somehow it all made sense...

Lintong and Gaoling were not far apart. By the time Xu Fang had finished reading, he'd arrived at his destination.