Genmu King Gui Liang!

Sixty-li urgent dispatch.

They raced all the way.

Changing horses but not riders, then changing both horses and riders, they traveled for seven days and seven nights before finally arriving.

The two little warriors had run for a full day and night as well, panting from exhaustion, yet they did not dare rest.

When they saw Lord Chen lower his head to look down—

One of the little warriors pulled out an envelope no larger than a grain of sand from his robes. The little falcon perched on his arm seized it in its claws, flew up into the air, and circled down before Chen Jichuan.

Chen Jichuan held out his hand, and the little falcon placed the letter in his palm.

"You have both worked hard."

"Go rest in the camp first. Fine wine and good meat have been prepared; once you wake up, you can enjoy them."

Taking the letter, Chen Jichuan did not hurry to read it. He first spoke to the two little warriors.

A sixty-li urgent dispatch.

Seven days and seven nights had already passed. A moment or two more would make no difference.

"Yes!"

The two little warriors bowed in their tiny, proper manner, mounted their horses, perched their hawks, led their hounds, and galloped toward a distant corner.

There stood a carefully crafted camp made of earth and wood.

At first glance, it resembled a doghouse, perhaps even shorter than one. Yet though a sparrow might be small, it possessed all five organs; inside were little rooms, little beds, and little quilts. To the two little warriors, it was already an excellent place to stay.

"Hee-hee."

"Ha-ha."

With joy written all over their faces, the two little warriors ran inside laughing and chattering. After some bustle, no more sound came from within.

After settling the two little warriors in—

Chen Jichuan finally looked at the "letter" in his palm, so tiny it would be overlooked without close inspection. Written on the envelope were the words: "For Brother Chen to Open Personally."

The writing differed from that of Great Liang.

In fact—

It was not only the writing. The language of these little warriors who called themselves the "Genmu Kingdom" also differed greatly from the speech used throughout Great Liang. It more closely resembled ancient tongues, obscure and difficult to understand.

Fortunately, Chen Jichuan—

Possessed the Insight Art. Whether language or writing, he could see through it all, making it comparatively easy to learn.

Using Far-Sight to scout the area within forty li of Dai County, he had discovered these little warriors and found them extraordinary. Thus, he used Far-Sight in conjunction with Wind-Hearing, spending time learning about their existence and customs, as well as their language, writing, and culture.

He had also saved them during several "giant beast crises," earning the friendship of the Genmu King. Among the Genmu Kingdom's people and warriors, he had gained considerable prestige and status.

He took out a tiny pair of tweezers, removed the letter from its envelope, and widened his eyes to read it carefully.

Not long after—

Joy appeared on Chen Jichuan's face. "I finally found him!"

In his excitement—

A puff of breath sent the letter flying away out of sight.

Even with Chen Jichuan's eyesight, he could not locate it for the moment.

"Forget it."

He simply did not bother looking.

He went to the kitchen and stir-fried two jin of bedbugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and flies over fierce flames in hot oil. This was food prepared for the little hounds and little falcons.

He then took out fine bean cakes to feed the little horses.

Next, he chopped up premium sauced beef, placed it on tiny plates, paired it with fine wine, and used the tweezers to deliver everything into the Eagle-Hound Army camp in the courtyard.

After finishing all this—

Chen Jichuan changed into a suit of night clothes, leaped out of the city, and headed straight southeast.

Rumble!

He ran forty li in one breath and reached Tang Mountain, not far from Golden Wind Mountain. After winding through several turns, he arrived at a dense forest. Brambles grew everywhere within it, yet hidden clearings had been carved out among them.

The largest were the size of round tables.

The smallest were the size of palm-leaf fans.

This was the Genmu King's Eagle-Hound Army training ground.

Each training ground held several hundred little warriors—some on foot, some on horseback, with hundreds of hawks perched overhead and hundreds of hunting hounds on leashes. Some drilled battle formations, some tempered their strength, some practiced martial arts, while others had just returned from hunting, dragging a centipede as huge as a divine dragon, bound in a net that blotted out the sky and covered the earth.

The centipede was immensely strong.

"Heave!"

"Ho!"

Dozens of sturdy warriors kept shouting in rhythm, clinging to the great net with all their might just to drag it along. They then locked it inside a wooden "dungeon."

Chen Jichuan arrived there.

He stepped carefully.

Lest he accidentally destroy the Genmu Kingdom.

"Lord Chen."

"Lord Chen has arrived."

Such a huge figure as Chen Jichuan naturally put the Genmu warriors on alert. Only after the little hounds barked twice and the little falcons circled twice did they realize it was their king's friend—

Lord Chen of Precious Fungus Grove.

One after another, they bowed to Chen Jichuan.

Another warrior slipped into the brambles, vanishing to who knew where.

Before long—

A tiny man in yellow robes, wearing a flat-topped crown, appeared amid the escort of Eagle-Hound warriors.

This was the Genmu King.

He stood atop a little cart, looking imposing and majestic. In the eyes of these little warriors, he was naturally awe-inspiring. Yet to Chen Jichuan, he merely seemed adorable.

Unaware of what this friend of his was thinking, the Genmu King stood atop the cart and shouted, "The villain is twenty li to the southeast. I have already gathered three thousand warriors, who can help Brother Chen join forces and crush the enemy!"

Name: Gui Liang (Genmu)

Age: 24

Level: 3

Talents: Night Vision, Invisibility

Art: Heavenly Saint Art (Third Layer)

Genmu King Gui Liang's voice was thunderous. Chen Jichuan strained to listen and barely managed to make it out. Seeing the king brimming with righteous fervor, Chen Jichuan could not help smiling. "Such a petty villain does not warrant such a grand mobilization. I will first go and probe this man's true colors. If I prove unequal to the task, I will return and borrow troops from Brother Gui!"

The several thousand Eagle-Hound Army soldiers under the Genmu King looked like a vast black sea, exceedingly formidable. When it came to hunting fleas, bedbugs, mosquitoes, and flies, they had it in the bag.

But when hunting little snakes, centipedes, or field mice, they needed dozens, even hundreds, of warriors working together. A moment's carelessness could result in casualties.

Borrow troops from the Genmu King?

Chen Jichuan shook his head. "Better not get them killed!"

After thanking the Genmu King, exchanging pleasantries for a while, and setting a time to trade for venomous snakes, insects, rats, and other poisonous creatures, Chen Jichuan slowly continued southeast.

As he walked—

Far-Sight and Wind-Hearing opened fully as he searched for the place described by the Genmu King.

In terms of combat power—

One step from Chen Jichuan could wipe out hundreds or thousands of the Genmu King's people. But apart from their small bodies, these Genmu warriors were not much less intelligent than ordinary people, and they were numerous.

With intelligence and numbers came usefulness.

Chen Jichuan had befriended Genmu King Gui Liang. He provided food, weapons, armor, and all sorts of supplies. In return, the Genmu King dispatched his Eagle-Hound Army to serve Chen Jichuan: first, to monitor the surrounding area and provide the intelligence Chen Jichuan needed; second, to hunt venomous insects, poisonous creatures, spirit herbs, spirit fruits, and more.

It was a mutually beneficial partnership.

From an ordinary person's perspective, Chen Jichuan was naturally getting the far better end of the bargain.

After all, a single ordinary steel saber or iron sword, once melted down, could equip an entire battalion of the Eagle-Hound Army.

The materials cost very little.

The labor costs were somewhat higher.

But from the Genmu King's perspective, he too had gained every advantage. Over the past half year or so, his personal prestige had already risen among the foremost of all past Genmu Kings.

Their cooperation—

Was a win for both sides.

Over the past half year, the Genmu King's people had been living much better, while through the Genmu King, Chen Jichuan had also found quite a few "suspects" responsible for harming Ban Feifei, the mother of the second Ban siblings!

After parting from the Genmu King—

Far-Sight illuminated the area twenty li ahead.

There, he saw—

On the far side of a mountain ahead, amid a steep cliff filled with jagged rocks, someone had somehow carved out a cave. Stone pillars and boulders concealed it, making it impossible to spot with the naked eye.

Only the Eagle-Hound Army—

With hawks soaring through the skies and hounds racing across the ground, investigating from every angle through sight and scent, could have discovered this place.

Chen Jichuan looked through Far-Sight.

A faint mist seeped from the cave entrance. Well-traveled and experienced as he was, Chen Jichuan recognized at a glance that it was ghostly qi.

"That's it!"

Chen Jichuan's heart stirred.

He peered deeper into the cave and saw white bones scattered everywhere, with skulls and skeleton heads rolling across the ground.

It was nothing short of a living hell.

And it was not only dry bones.

Several bloody human heads were arranged in the five directions. A Daoist sat cross-legged in the center, his expression solemn, yet waves of wicked and ghostly qi rose from his face.