Chapter 11

Xiao Hen looked at the magnificent structure, ninety percent similar to the Great Wall in reality yet even more spectacular and majestic.

This was the Great Wall, a great construction that had taken over eighteen hundred years to complete.

From afar, it resembled a Giant Dragon lying across heaven and earth in slumber, grand and imposing, ancient and solemn.

Xiao Hen headed straight for the Great Wall. This was the first line of defense against the Taotie.

To reach Gouwu Mountain, where the Skyfall Meteorite was located, he had to pass through the Great Wall. It was a necessary stop for completing the Main Quest. As for the Side Quest, helping the Shadowless Imperial Army defeat the Taotie also required him to come to the Great Wall. Xiao Hen looked at the token in his hand, intending to use it to join the Shadowless Imperial Army.

"Who are you?"

When Xiao Hen approached the Great Wall, patrol soldiers from the Shadowless Imperial Army were indeed making their rounds. They quickly spotted him walking over.

"I've come to join the Shadowless Imperial Army. This is my token!" As Xiao Hen spoke, he took the token from his robes and handed it to the soldier questioning him.

"Wait here!" Although the soldier recognized the token, he did not know whether it was genuine. He had two other soldiers keep watch over Xiao Hen while he left alone. Before long, he returned with a general.

"General Chen, it's him. He brought a token and wishes to join the Shadowless Imperial Army!" the patrol soldier said, pointing at Xiao Hen.

Xiao Hen raised his head to look at General Chen. Sure enough, he looked very much like the actor from the movie, except his presence was far more fierce and heroic. This was the aura of a man forged on an actual battlefield, something no actor could ever portray.

"What is your name?" General Chen asked in a deep voice.

"Xiao Hen," Xiao Hen said. "I heard that, after sixty years, the Taotie are once again bringing calamity upon the world. I deeply believe that every common man bears responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation, so I have come to aid in battle. I ask that General Chen permit it!"

A cold gleam flashed through General Chen's eyes. "You actually know of the Taotie?"

"My ancestral home lies on the frontier. Later, because of the Taotie's evil, my ancestors moved the family to the Central Plains. Therefore, I have known of the Taotie since childhood. From childhood to adulthood, I diligently trained in martial arts so that I could help the Shadowless Imperial Army fight the Taotie. This time, upon hearing that the Taotie calamity that comes once every sixty years had arrived again, I made up my mind to come and aid the battle. I ask that General Chen give me a chance."

Xiao Hen cupped his fist and requested it once more.

He had no choice. The Taotie army was enormous; he could not deal with it alone. He had to rely on the Shadowless Imperial Army and the Great Wall's defenses to hold them back.

Besides, at the end of the Plot, the Taotie had grown smarter. While repeatedly launching feint attacks, they secretly dug beneath the Great Wall, bypassed its defenses, and directly attacked the capital, Bianliang.

"I have inspected it. There is nothing wrong with your token; it is indeed a token issued by our Shadowless Imperial Army. You may join us with it, but you will also be subject to some supervision. I hope you understand."

With a wave of his hand, General Chen led Xiao Hen and the others back to the Great Wall.

Once atop the Great Wall, Xiao Hen truly witnessed the power of this fortress of war. The entire Great Wall had become an enormous war machine, with deadly dangers lurking everywhere.

At the same time, he saw Ballard, the European who had come to steal Black Powder and been captured. Yet he did not see William or Thorva. At that, Xiao Hen finally let out a breath of relief. It seemed the Plot had not officially begun yet.

"Marshal Shao is inspecting!"

Suddenly, a messenger's loud shout rang out. Xiao Hen, clad in armor and holding a spear, moved aside with the other soldiers in his unit, making way for Marshal Shao and several generals to pass.

Xiao Hen looked up and saw a burly, stern-faced man with a full beard leading the way. Several young generals followed behind him, their tiger eyes sharp and wolfish, their bearing imposing.

Among them was a beautiful woman in blue armor, her expression cold and frosty.

Seeing the woman, Xiao Hen's heart stirred. General Lin, Lin Mei, was even more beautiful than she had been in the movie. Without realizing it, Xiao Hen looked at her several more times.

"Hm?"

General Lin frowned, seemingly sensing Xiao Hen's gaze. She abruptly turned her head and looked at him coldly.

"Who is he?" General Lin asked icily.

General Chen, walking beside her, turned at her words. Seeing that it was Xiao Hen, he answered, "He joined the Imperial Army two months ago. He possesses a veteran's token and is quite capable."

Indeed, Xiao Hen had revealed a little of his strength. With a Combat Power as high as twenty, he far surpassed even these elite Shadowless Imperial Army soldiers. The Imperial Army's strength was not weak to begin with—at the very least, they were stronger than modern special forces. Their average Combat Power was around seven or eight points. A few exceptional figures, such as General Lin, General Chen, General Wu, and even Advisor Wang, possessed Combat Power of around ten. As for William, the male lead who had not yet arrived, Xiao Hen estimated that his Combat Power was no lower than ten. At the very least, William's skill with a bow was stronger than Xiao Hen's.

Xiao Hen's combat instincts allowed him to quickly master any weapon, including cold weapons.

Over the past month, after adapting during the early stage and becoming familiar with the Shadowless Imperial Army's combat methods, Xiao Hen had displayed exceptionally formidable fighting strength. His immediate superior, General Chen, was greatly delighted and valued Xiao Hen highly.

"Hmph!"

The faintly unusual meaning in Xiao Hen's gaze made General Lin somewhat uncomfortable. After snorting coldly, she followed Marshal Shao and left.

General Chen watched General Lin's departing figure, then glanced at Xiao Hen. He smiled faintly and shook his head. This young man who had newly joined the Imperial Army had probably been captivated by Lin Mei. Then again, it was only natural. As the general commanding the Crane Army, Lin Mei was more beautiful than any female Crane Army soldier, and her ability to lead troops was equally formidable. Among the generals, she was the one Marshal Shao valued most. Several generals, including himself and General Wu, had tried to pursue General Lin, but all had returned unsuccessful.

"Hey, Xiao Hen, you've got some nerve. That was General Lin!"

A young soldier beside him bumped Xiao Hen's arm with his shoulder and chuckled. "Don't tell me you've taken a liking to General Lin?"

"What? Is that not allowed?" Xiao Hen smiled faintly, though a strange feeling lingered in his heart as he recalled the peculiar sensation he had felt upon seeing Lin Mei.

"Hahaha, then I really have to say you've got guts!" the soldier said with a laugh. "So many generals in our Imperial Army have pursued General Lin, but she hasn't taken a fancy to a single one. You? Heh heh, I don't want to discourage you. Forget it, I won't say any more!"

"You brat, you actually know how to keep someone in suspense. Fine, don't say it," Xiao Hen said with a helpless laugh. His expression calmed as he looked beyond the Great Wall, where mountains rose one after another amid drifting clouds and mist.

Time passed bit by bit. Another month later, two horses came riding in from beyond the frontier, each carrying a blond man.

From afar, Xiao Hen stood atop the Great Wall and watched the two men arrive. He murmured, "The Plot is finally about to begin!"

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