The Calamity of War, Killing Tianshu in the Bud

Xu Laohu was persuaded by Miss Cao and waited an extra day and a half.

By the evening of the following day, another twenty or thirty people arrived and gathered at the foot of the hillside.

Among the newcomers, twelve were dressed as Daoist priests and nuns, all with their hair tied in Daoist buns and wearing Daoist robes. Some carried whisks and ruyi scepters, while others carried triangular command flags and fish drums.

The Five Rampancies Sect, under its leader, holy woman, and deputy leader, also has twelve preachers scattered throughout various regions.

In terms of extensive knowledge of magic and techniques, these twelve people might not be considered masters.

However, their compilation of the Five Rampancies Sect's scriptures, propagation of its doctrines, and holding of sacrifices were all done with great familiarity and skill.

Through prayers to the Five Chang Gods, they received divine blessings, and the spiritual Mind Power of each of them was no less than that of a renowned local sorcerer.

In any battle, if their ordinary curses are broken by the opponent's magic, they will simply fly away in their soul form, sparing no expense to wear down the opposing sorcerer to death.

In any case, their soul foundation can be replenished through sacrifice, which is a huge advantage compared to normal sorcerers.

Xu Laohu had also heard of these preachers.

At this moment, it was clear that the aura of these twelve people was quite different from that of ordinary sorcerers.

Unlike proper Daoist priests who are upright and self-disciplined, or even evil sorcerers, they are not so sinister and eerie.

Even though these twelve people were wearing Daoist robes, they exuded a majestic and fierce aura.

If we hadn't already known that they were preachers and practitioners of magic, we wouldn't have known.

Just by looking at their demeanor, one might think that these twelve are all seasoned veterans of battle, fierce warriors with unparalleled martial arts skills.

The Five Chang Gods were originally, after all, Ghost God symbolizing war, calamity, and premature death.

These preachers, constantly influenced by divine power, all harbored a degree of malevolent intent, ready to bring about war and calamity.

In contrast, there was another group of true martial arts masters, each with their own distinct temperament, who were not all as fierce as the preacher.

Compared to the preachers who wore relatively uniform attire, these martial arts practitioners had a wide variety of outfits.

They were not members of the Five Rampancies Sect, but rather skilled martial artists recruited at great expense by various generals of the Beiyang Army. Along with their relatives and followers, they all enjoyed a life of luxury.

This time, the Cao Family summoned these experts to Luoyang, promising them benefits for their Lineage and sect, demonstrating their sincerity.

However, when they arrived and reunited, they discovered that besides their own group, there were many other experts involved in this operation.

Some people felt a chill run down their spines, realizing that the difficulty of this matter would far exceed their expectations.

Others, however, were simply curious.

"Who in Luoyang could be so important as to warrant such a grand display?"

The speaker was an old man in a tight-fitting outfit with white hair and beard that were slightly yellow. He was tall and had a thin face, but his skin was rosy and glowing.

He seemed to be in a state of slight intoxication at all times, his voice deep and warm.

Xu Laohu had also heard of this person's name; he was none other than Thousand-Drunken Old Man.

This person was a master who had already cultivated the Guanyin Bone and Dragon Coils Around the Body techniques in his prime. Over the years, through drinking medicinal wine and Eating Makes an Immortal, he should have reached about 70-80% mastery of these techniques.

He has the air of a great man, but he is ruthless and unrestrained in his actions.

Back then, only President Yuan could tolerate him and invite him to be his personal bodyguard commander.

After the Yuan family declined, this person disappeared without a trace, and it seems that he was also recruited by the Cao Family.

Even his fellow warriors on this mission, after recognizing his identity, kept their distance from him.

Xu Laohu figured that before he obtained the Origin Canon, he certainly wouldn't be a match for this person in a one-on-one fight.

However, with Xu Laohu's current sharp eyesight, he can see it.

Among the many martial arts practitioners, there are two others whose threat level is no less than that of the Thousand-Drunken Old Man.

One was a chubby old man with thinning hair, wearing a gray cotton coat, with a big smile on his face, and he was sitting on a low stool with him.

The other was a middle-aged man with neatly trimmed eyebrows and a short beard, a serious expression, jet-black hair covered in hair wax, and wearing a long blue cloth robe with the loose cuffs of his hands folded up to reveal the whites of his skin.

Xu Laohu mainly noticed the man's hands; his palms were clean, his skin was smooth, and his nails were neatly trimmed.

"Isn't it General Xu, who was loyal to the emperor back then and now stands alone against Jiangdong?"

The middle-aged man noticed Xu Laohu, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Ma Bucheng, a swordsman from Zhili."

Xu Laohu also cupped his hands in greeting, remembering the man's identity.

It turns out he was the top swordsman in Zhili back then. I heard that Ma Bucheng once received a secret order to assassinate Old Master Sun in the embassy. He didn't use a gun, only a knife, to carry out the assassination.

Although the knife missed its target, it tore the car apart, allowing him to escape unscathed.

Upon hearing Ma Bucheng's two sentences, many people realized that Xu Laohu was also present, and they were filled with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

Even with Miss Cao, the Five Rampancies Saintess, bringing along the ninjas Cao Family to meet with Xu Laohu, the Cao Family in the capital still didn't feel at ease.

They also summoned twelve lecturers and so many experts.

This lineup is truly magnificent.

Let alone killing Sun Feng'an, it feels like a direct assault on Luoyang, utterly crushing the main force of the Song-Pacifying Army, would be a piece of cake.

The words of the Thousand-Drunken Old Man have now become the sentiment of everyone.

Who exactly is this person, worthy of such a grand display?

"Your targets this time are both in Luoyang City, and there are two of them. One is Sun Feng'an, whose background needs no further explanation."

"There's another one, named Chu Tianshu, who is currently the true ruler of Luoyang. Many of the orders being implemented throughout Western Henan are clearly his doing."

Miss Cao's voice came from inside the carriage.

The Thousand-Drunken Old Man asked in bewilderment, "So it's just a new warlord, still an unknown figure. Is it worth taking such action?"

Everyone present could hear it.

According to Miss Cao, Chu Tianshu is even more troublesome than Sun Feng'an.

"This same person once escorted Cai Shanjun across the river back to Kunming. The moment he appeared in Yu Province, he seized the Song-Pacifying Army, killed my seventh uncle's only son, captured the vice leader of my Five Rampancies Sect, and severely Yuanzai Leader!"

Miss Cao's voice grew deeper.

"Isn't it far more terrifying for someone who is still an unknown person to have done these things than someone who is already famous?"

The setting sun cast a rosy glow, and the mountains turned a warm yellow.

The wind blew across the hillside, rustling the grass.

Those present raised their eyebrows, as if a gust of wind had stirred up a great deal of unease in their hearts.

Cao Ying's son is dead, so what? It's no big deal.

They were well aware of the rampant power of Liu Xueya of the Song-Pacifying Army and the formidable strength of the leaders and deputy leaders of the Five Rampancies Sect.

A person has done all these things, yet remains an unknown figure.

This only shows that he handled everything that happened in Yu Province with ease, never letting the situation get out of control, and therefore did not attract much attention from the outside world.

"And that's not all..."

Miss Cao lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out.

Her black hair fell to the side of her neck, her brow bones were slightly high, and her features were exceptionally clear. Her beauty had a sharp edge to it. Although she was the Five Rampancies Saintess, she was wearing a shirt and trousers, and a pair of white gloves.

"The cult leader has already sensed signs of the gathering of Origin Canon power in this person."

"If we give this person more time to fully utilize the power of the Origin Canon, who can guarantee that he won't appear in the capital next time?"

Miss Cao scanned the crowd. "If the situation truly deteriorates to that point, my Cao Family's important officials in various regions will inevitably be implicated. Among you all, who is confident that they can escape the purge by such a top-tier expert?"

"Or, look at the way the Han Prefecture operates. Do you think that by being servile and obsequious, you can get the Han Prefecture to let you continue to enjoy those riches and honors?"

Some people, some organizations, simply by existing in this world, can make many people feel like they have a thorn in their side.

Before the campaign against Yuan Shikai, the Han Prefecture was only considered a relatively disciplined warlord.

But after the campaign against Yuan Shikai, things became increasingly unacceptable to those present.

Fortunately, there's still the Cao Family.

Everything under the Cao Family's rule, whether it was an ancient city like the capital or an industrial hub like Liaodong, no matter how things changed on the surface, felt so familiar Shangdu its core, still retaining that old flavor.

It's truly difficult to predict how much each member of the Cao family would suffer if the Cao Family were to fall.

"Miss Cao, there's no need to provoke us with your words."

The old Thousand-Drunken Old Man gaze opened and closed his eyes. "None of you here are newcomers."

"Our family fortune wasn't given to us by anyone; it was earned through hard work and struggle, and we have the confidence to fight again."

"If we let Chu Tianshu live, he'll definitely try to take our things in the future. Let's eliminate his future!"

The old man on the bench chuckled, "The Cao Family knows all of us inside and out. Miss Cao, please make the arrangements to maximize our chances of success in this operation."

In order to maintain their power and status, people like Thousand-Drunken Old Man, who have joined the Beiyang Army over the years, have spared no effort in suppressing any emerging talents.

Yet, one Han Prefecture still sprang up, albeit unevenly.

And there's this strange tree, Chu Tianshu, that keeps growing.

So offensive, it stirred a murderous intent within me!

Upon seeing this, Xu Laohu burst into laughter.

"It's quite a rare and grand event to have so many experts gathered together."

"Little Cao, say something! I'm really going to have a good time killing people today!"

Xu Laohu's men, all standing beside their warhorses, raised their guns and shouted as soon as they heard Xu Laohu's impassioned words.

This kind of shouting has no specific words or writing; it is a powerful, resonant force.

They seemed to be able to sense Xu Laohu's intentions; even if Xu Laohu didn't specifically speak to them, these people could still respond.

Xu Laohu's laughter grew even more unrestrained.

Warriors, sorcerers, and ninjas all turned their heads in surprise, as if sensing an invisible, blazing aura emanating from them.

Experts often find it more difficult to unite people than mediocre ones.

Because they are all proud, and they all feel they have leeway and a way out, they are not decisive enough.

However, with the statements from several top experts and the momentum generated by Xu Laohu leading his men, they were able to achieve their goals.

Considering the sheer number and high quality of the formidable opponents present, everyone at the foot of the hill no longer felt any fear.

There was only a murderous intent stirring within them.

Indeed, such an experience of so many masters battling it out is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The twelve preachers sensed the murderous aura emanating from these people, and each of them wore a strange expression, as if they had seen an unparalleled delicacy.

"Please give the order, Holy Maiden!"

The twelve preachers bowed simultaneously to the carriage.

Miss Cao looked westward and ripped off her gloves.

Her hands were covered with red runes that looked like ants crawling on the ground; they crawled even faster when exposed to sunlight.

Inside the carriage, an ancient human skeleton, sitting cross-legged, trembled slightly.

"Then let's make Luoyang lively tonight!"

(End of this chapter)