"Once the Tang army marched out of Guanzhong, it swept forward like a shattered bamboo stalk. Even with a great Turkish army bearing down from the north, it still had room to maneuver, winning ground in Hedong, Henan, and Jingxiang. Three fronts advancing at once, with power none could match! From the look of things, I'm afraid I won't be able to return to Guanzhong. But if I can take Luoyang, I can still secure a foothold."
A map of All Under Heaven lay spread across the table, displaying the entire situation in the Central Lands before Yuwen Huaji.
Yet as Yuwen Huaji studied it, his brows drew tight.
"If I don't pick up the pace, even reaching Luoyang may leave me a step too late. But the situation in All Under Heaven is already ablaze. One step slow, and every step after it will be slow..."
Just then—
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Brahma Sound suddenly rose in waves over the canal.
Yuwen Huaji, seated inside his cabin, heard it and felt his heart lurch. He rose and went to the window. Outside, he immediately spotted a hazy layer of Golden Light enveloping a large ship nearby.
At the mere sight of that radiance, the irritation in Yuwen Huaji's heart subsided, and his brow eased a little.
"Things may not be going smoothly in the open, but I still have a few moves in reserve. With an Arhat descended from the Upper Realm to help me, I can take that hidden Legalism. I may yet have a chance to fight for it!"
"At last, the situation has grown a little clearer."
Inside a cabin, the Scarred-Face Monk opened his eyes from where he sat cross-legged.
At once, all the Golden Light filling the space gathered toward him, as though his whole