Someone Has to Scout Ahead

Everyone was stunned.

Could a nameless commander of the Great Wind Army truly be this ferocious?

However, they did not know that over a hundred years ago, the Zhong Family's military doctrine emphasized moving as swiftly as the wind and invading like fire, using a thunderous initial strike to seize the initiative before calmly proceeding to slaughter.

Nian Songyu's facial muscles twisted in pain, yet he shouted, "It can attack physical bodies! It's the water—the pool water is the cause!"

Could these vengeful spirits inflict physical damage just by touching the pool water?

Hearing this, He Lingchuan snatched the Soul-Fixing Banner from the attendant Bai Shan, took two steps to the edge of the pool, and thrust the white cloth flag directly into the water.

The white flag soaked up the bloody water instantly, but fortunately, the runes on it did not fade.

Immediately after, he raised the white banner and shook it vigorously at his companions.

Water droplets sprayed across everyone's faces.

Yet no one dodged; instead, they wore expressions of gratitude.

At this moment, the ghost soldiers spurred their horses and charged again.

Zeng Feixiong wiped his face fiercely, grabbed his waist saber, and leaped into a strike: "Brothers, charge!"

Clang. Metal clashed against metal.

His broadsword struck the tip of the opponent's spear, and both were deflected; neither side gained the upper hand.

But everyone else was overjoyed.

It worked. They were finally no longer passively taking stabs—or being skewered.

Although the opponents were cavalry, his side had ten times the numbers; surely they could win ten-on-one?

Their spirits soared, and they drew their weapons to engage the enemy.

As long as they weren't untouchable, it was fine! They were all elites; the gap shouldn't be that massive.

Situ Han did not forget to flatter He Lingchuan: "The Young Master is brilliant, turning the tide in one move!" But he kept silent about Nian Songyu being the first to discover the pool water's mystery.

Actually, thinking about it, it made sense. This pool of blood connected the realms of the void and reality, so it should be effective against both the living and spirits. But... the vengeful spirits had originally surged out from the pool and wells, so why couldn't they harm physical bodies when they first appeared?

He Lingchuan stared at the Great Wind Army commander, who was hacking away with abandon, and felt that this was exactly the scene the enemy wanted.

They preferred blood and gore, not silent, bloodless kills.

In the blink of an eye, the commander had executed two men and assisted in a third kill, making even Zeng Feixiong afraid to get close.

He smiled bitterly at He Chunhua: "Father, we don't have enough men."

The two sides appeared evenly matched, but He Lingchuan felt that his side would likely struggle to win.

A vengeful spirit wounded three enemies before being dragged off its horse by several soldiers, and Nian Songyu, having dipped his blade in the water, rushed up and hacked off its head.

Casualties finally appeared on the opposing side.

However, the Great Wind Army commander noticed this as well; with a flick of his hand, a cold light shot through the air like lightning.

This time, the spear was thrown, and the target was He Chunhua!

Earlier, when the Void Barrier shattered, the beast-headed staff had spat out a dim orb covered in cracks. Then, Sun Fuping reached out to He Chunhua: "The State Decree!"

The latter immediately handed over the Kite Coin that represented the office of the Governor.

The light from that Kite Coin was gentle, yet it immediately drew the commander's attention, and the lethal strike followed.

The spirits of Coiling Dragon City surely loathed the State Decree of a foreign land appearing on this soil.

At this moment, Sun Fuping was secretly gathering his power, Nian Songyu was far away, and Zeng Feixiong and the others were locked in combat, leaving He Chunhua's defense completely vacant.

Fortunately, He Lingchuan was standing beside his father. Seeing the cold light hurtling toward them, he didn't think twice and instinctively swung his blade to intercept.

With a loud clang, the Hundred-Refined Blade snapped in two, and He Lingchuan was sent flying by the force of the spear.

He felt as if a giant hammer had struck his chest, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, and then—

He flew a distance of ten feet and fell directly into the pool.

Logically, the pool water was only a thin layer, not even covering his ankles, but as he fell in, it was as if he had dropped into a deep abyss; with a thud, he vanished without a trace!

However, his interception had been effective; the commander's spear was deflected, grazing past He Chunhua's armpit.

A difference of an inch or two was the distance between a pierced heart and being unscathed.

He Chunhua was shocked and rushed to the edge of the pool: "Chuan'er!"

No matter how he peered, the pool water remained shallow, with only the surface rippling incessantly.

Nian Songyu arrived, fearing he might jump in after his son, but the Governor immediately turned around and hurriedly shoved the State Decree into Sun Fuping's hands:

"Is Chuan'er alive?"

"We will know soon enough." Sun Fuping looked around, pointed to the nearest sand bandit, and said, "Come here!"

"Me?" The man obeyed and walked over.

Sun Fuping brought him to the edge of the pool, took out a candle, reached out, and grabbed the man's shoulder, actually pulling out his pale blue Life Fire and pressing it onto the candle wick.

The candle lit up, the flame burning a pale blue.

The sand bandit was momentarily stunned: "This?"

"This is your Life Fire. As long as you live, the flame burns; when you die, the candle goes out." Sun Fuping nodded. "Go." With that, he gave a sudden, forceful shove.

The strength behind it was not that of a sixty-year-old man.

Before the sand bandit could react, he was pushed backward, falling into the pool and following in He Lingchuan's footsteps.

"Hey!" Situ Han turned his head just in time to witness this. Dodging a thrust from the Great Wind Army, he rushed back. "What are you doing!"

They were willing to risk their lives for the authorities, but they did not want to be "sent to their deaths."

"Shh!" Sun Fuping waved a hand, a burst of force pushing Situ Han back two steps, while he himself kept his eyes fixed on the candle flame. "Someone has to scout the path."

He Lingchuan's entry into the pool had been too sudden; he had no choice but to send another person to test the waters.

At this moment, He Chunhua's subordinates swarmed forward, struggling to entangle the Great Wind Army commander.

Ten breaths later.

Twenty breaths later.

The blue candle flame burned steadily.

"He is still alive." As soon as Sun Fuping confirmed this, He Chunhua let out a long sigh of relief. Since the sand bandit was still alive, it meant there was air beneath the pool water, which meant He Lingchuan was likely still alive as well.

"There is even better news," Sun Fuping laughed. "No more vengeful spirits are emerging."

He Chunhua then remembered that since those dozen or so Great Wind Army soldiers, no new vengeful spirits had appeared from the pool.

In other words—

Sun Fuping signaled to Nian Songyu, who understood, turned, and leaped into the pool.

He, too, vanished.

"This is the only way to seize the Great Square Pot." Even as their own casualties continued to mount, Sun Fuping was in high spirits. He shoved He Chunhua's Kite Coin into the Staff Beast-Mouth, and the beast immediately clamped its jaws around it.

"Back to the formation, quickly return to the formation to defend!" Sun Fuping struck the ground with his staff three times in succession. "I need you all to work together and boost morale!"

The entire squad immediately retreated toward the rune formation on the ground.

In this short span of time, their own forces had already suffered twenty percent casualties, while the opposing Great Wind Army had lost only four soldiers.

These things fought with a ferocity that didn't seem human—well, they weren't human anymore, to begin with—and once they realized their injuries were too severe, they would immediately try to drag an enemy down with them, killing as many as they could, taking two for every one they lost. One cavalryman had been brought down by the group, its hands severed and its chest shredded, and everyone thought it had no strength left to fight back. Who could have known that before it died, it would leap up, bare its white, jagged teeth, and bite through the throat of a sand bandit!