A brilliant plan usually ran into trouble on its very first step.
That was precisely what happened to Zhang Xing and Xiong Bonan.
The two men at the very top of the Exorcising the Dragon Gang had been brimming with enthusiasm. They decided to cross the river overnight and personally scout the military situation and strategic dispositions in Hebei, only to encounter a problem at the crossing-unlike Xiong Bonan, whose skill was so polished that he could practically skim across the water,
Zhang Xing, who had lacked training in the finer techniques of true qi since Condensing the Core, simply could not release his true qi as steadily as an engine.
But Heavenly King Xiong could hardly carry Great Dragonhead Zhang, now his leader, across the river like a little chick, the way Bai Yousi had.
And so, after the great dragonhead fell embarrassingly into the water twice and made floating ice to get himself back, the two men had no choice but to have Sikou Pass send out a small boat. It carried them, the yellow-brown horse, and Heavenly King Xiong's mount across the Great River in thoroughly conventional fashion.
Nothing else went awry this time. Once they crossed, it was already dark. They obediently switched to riding, lending their horses a little true qi. With no one on the highway at night, they traveled astonishingly fast.
Soon, they saw the first large city on their route. In the twilight, torches and braziers lit its vital positions, from the gateways to the corner towers. The moat had been thoroughly repaired, and the ferry crossing south of the city was almost ablaze with lights. Guards could be dimly seen making their rounds everywhere, and they could hear the watch calls and the rustle of the patrols' armor.
This was Ping