An Unexpected Person

The cultivators who were collecting spiritual materials outside the formation noticed the commotion before Song Cheng did. Urged on by Song Cheng and the others, they hurriedly returned on their flying Law Artifact.

But as soon as the formation was completed, Song Cheng sensed something strange. Du Qing, who had traveled extensively and had a wealth of experience, also noticed it.

The reason was that the howls of the beasts outside were not as terrifying as they were when they were preparing for an attack; instead, they had a rather mournful quality.

Before long, a tall figure appeared outside the formation, answering the two men's questions.

He was dressed in black, holding a sword in one hand while also grabbing a tuft of fur from a beast's head, and quickly rushed to the front of the battle with the head, which was as big as a gong.

The usually unassuming Copper-Eyed Jackal now seemed to disregard the formidable strength of the sword-wielding cultivator in front of them, relentlessly pursuing him.

When they gathered together, their yellowish-brown fur, though haphazardly mixed together, seemed to form a mysterious rune. With this aid, this First Tier of beasts was able to relentlessly pursue the sword-wielding cultivator, never losing him.

"It was Martial Uncle Jiang!! He beheaded that Second-Tier Lower-Grade Copper-Eyed Jackal leader."

"Don't hold back with the Star-Shooting Crossbow! Let that broken artifact crumble, fire repeatedly!! Repeatedly!!!"

However, the beast horde was still too far away from the great formation, so even if the cultivators were anxious, they could not help Jiang Qing much.

The leader, Copper-Eyed Jackal, was muscular and fierce, with a mouthful of yellow teeth, and was about to bite Jiang Qing was dressed in black.

The latter, however, seemed to have anticipated this, and with a backhand thrust of its sword, the crimson sword light entered the beast's mouth, not only shredding its internal organs into mud, but also bringing the same fate to a long line of Copper-Eyed Jackal that followed.

However, the Copper-Eyed Jackal, having lost their leader, were not alarmed by the sword strike. They did not stop their marching, and after only a few breaths, newcomers filled the large empty spaces left by their fallen kin.

The saliva of these ferocious beasts dripped continuously from the corners of their mouths, glistening like pearl necklaces, yet it did not match their fierce expressions at all.

With just this one opportunity, Jiang Qing was able to distance himself from the beast horde behind him. He threw the Crimson Heart Scorching Sun Sword at his feet, and with a light touch of spiritual light on his toes, his speed far surpassed his previous speed even before he began to move.

The large pack of jackals had no choice but to watch helplessly as the Daoist priest who had killed their leader drifted away.

As soon as Jiang Qing entered the formation, Du Qing and the other Qi Refinement cultivators were greatly excited and crowded in front of him to pay their respects.

Jiang Qing had no time for such formalities. He urged them and the only calm one Song Cheng, to return to their positions. It took a great deal of effort and the loss of three to five lives to repel the beast horde.

This was something Jiang Qing was powerless to reverse; a pack of five or six hundred Copper-Eyed Jackal charged desperately, and he simply couldn't save too many lives.

After this, Song Cheng, who was in charge of the main force, was overjoyed. Jiang Qing had killed the Second-Tier Lower-Grade Demon Beast that they feared the most, and with this elder's help, dealing with the jackals should be no problem.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Qing's next words greatly disappointed the disciple of the Punishment Hall.

"Uncle-Master isn't staying at Bing-Zi Military Stronghold?" Song Cheng exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Qing simply uttered a soft "hmm," then quickly formed his fingers into a sword and gouged out the pair of bronze eyes from the beast's head.

Once the Copper-Eyed Jackal reaches the Second Tier, its pair of yellow eyes becomes a superior spiritual ingredient. Many Second Tier Alchemist like to use it as the main ingredient to refine some Restore Spirit Pills.

Jiang Qing had little interest in any of the arts other than swordsmanship, and the few First Tier Alchemist in the Bing-Zi Military Stronghold who cared for the wounded were also unable to process this spiritual material.

However, taking it raw with Yang wine still has some effect, which is exactly what Jiang Qing urgently needs right now.

After placing the copper-eyed creature into a Storage Bag, Jiang Qing finally had a moment to explain to Song Cheng, "I didn't come here specifically to rescue you. This is the third Second Tier Demon Beast head I've slain since I came all the way from Old Crow Mountain."

There must be a large herd of beasts at Jia-Chou Military Stronghold Brother Sect Leader is struggling to hold them off alone, so I need to hurry back. I suppose once this Second Tier beast is gone, you can all stay here and guard the formation with peace of mind. Once more of those beasts outside die, this predicament will naturally fall apart."

Du Qing listened with great admiration and exclaimed, "So, Uncle-Master has already rescued disciples from three different alliances along the way. You truly deserve to be the first Foundation Establishment cultivator in our sect in the past two hundred years!"

Jiang Qing knew that Du Qing came from a humble background and that his bad habits were hard to change. Considering his seniority, he refrained from reprimanding Du Qing for his obsequious behavior. He merely glanced at him sideways and said in a deep voice, "It's not that we saved three places; even including you, there are only three places where people are still alive."

The joy on Du Qing's face vanished instantly upon hearing the news, while Song Cheng's expression turned serious as he said, "After the beasts on my nephew's side retreat, I will lead men to Jia-Chou Military Stronghold to provide assistance."

"That won't work. It would be useless for you people to go. We have to wait until our second senior brother and the others receive the news in the sect and have raised the necessary manpower and supplies before we can go to their rescue."

"If you really go to the rescue alone, it will only make my senior brother and I stand on the stockade wall and watch you children perish."

Jiang Qing rejected Song Cheng's idea, but not because he looked down on their force. He then said, "Ming Zhe is also holding the position at Old Crow Mountain with a caravan and a group of wounded soldiers. If the beasts in front of you disperse and you confirm that there is no danger outside, you can go there and join forces, and wait for my senior brother and the sect leader to come to our aid."

At this point, Jiang Qing's tone became even more serious. "Make sure you're absolutely certain there's no danger outside before you abandon this place and head to Old Crow Mountain to find Ming Zhe and the others!"

"Understood, Junior Nephew!" Song Cheng finally realized the gravity of the situation and bowed in agreement. He then asked, "When will Senior Uncle depart?"

"Check if you see anything listed in my register here. It won't take long."

A pool of foul blood gushed from Jiang Qing's mouth, his pale face becoming increasingly conspicuous, causing the surrounding disciples to pale in shock. The few Alchemist who were not particularly skilled abandoned their work and rushed over.

"It's just a minor injury, don't panic!" Jiang Qing said sternly. The Alchemist who had been brought out to take her pulse looked anxious and said directly, "Elder, your injury..."

"Shut up!" Jiang Qing shouted angrily, then coughed up some more blood. Ignoring his now deathly pale face, he continued speaking to Song Cheng:

"Check if you have any of the items listed in my register here. Pack everything except what you need. I'll rest for another half an hour and then set off. Hurry up, don't delay things!"

"Uncle-Master."

"Go quickly!!"

---- Chongming Sect Hall

Each with their own thoughts, Yuan Jin and Ye Zhengwen returned to their sect hand in hand from the Little Ring Mountain training ground.

Neither of them was in a good mood, because the training of the troops was progressing more slowly than expected. Even though Fei Shuhe had sent over the veterans from Green Lotus Courtyard who had served in the Liangxi Army, it had not affected the speed of the process much.

Fortunately, Kang Dabao wasn't the only key figure trapped in Jia-Chou Military Stronghold; almost all the other leaders of the Double Brightness Alliance were also there. Therefore, everyone was still anxious and did indeed help Yuan and Ye alleviate a considerable burden.

Objectively speaking, this disaster was caused by the decision of the alliance leader, Kang Dabao, and it is unknown whether it will affect the newly established and very fragile Double Brightness Alliance.

Even though this incident has caused Chongming Sect's prestige to plummet, that's something to worry about later. For now, the priority is to quickly send troops out to rescue him.

After the two were seated, it was Ye Zhengwen, who was in charge of all aspects of transportation, who spoke first:

"Sect Leader Xu of the Cold Mountain Sect has urged us several times, saying that after our training these past few days, the cultivators we've recruited from various sects are already considered elite enough, and we can't delay any longer; we need to set off as soon as possible."

After listening, Yuan Jin and Ye Zhengwen sighed in unison. Three of the Four Friends of Cold Mountain were trapped in the Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, their fates unknown. No wonder Xu Liuxian was anxious outside.

But then again, who isn't anxious these days?

Yuan Jin hesitated for a long time before speaking, "As for Senior Brother Ye's situation, if we follow the outcome we predicted, how long will it take for the army to be assembled?"

Ye Zhengwen understood Yuan Jin's intentions and simply said, "The disciples I lead are from various minor families, and their progress is indeed faster than that of the independent Rogue Cultivator under my junior brother's command. But even at their fastest pace, it will still take them five days to become somewhat familiar with the formation positions. If they progress any faster, I'm afraid they will be scattered by the beast horde as soon as battle begins."

Yuan Jin nodded in agreement, saying, "It will take longer for me; I'm afraid it will be another ten days before I can set off. However, more than fifteen days have passed since the incident at Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, and we can't afford to delay any longer."

Ye Zhengwen was more mature than Yuan Jin, and he remained silent after hearing this.

Both of them knew there was no right or wrong between them, so neither knew how to speak for a moment. Just then, Zhou Yixiu walked in again, carrying a gray-white book.

The old man's face was deathly still, and he didn't say a word. He simply presented the registers to the two men as usual. The two men took them one by one and looked at them one by one, but neither of them showed any emotion.

However, the arrival of this register brought the two men's opinions to a head, and Yuan Jin made up his mind, saying bluntly, "Let's set off within five days, or we can't be late."

Ye Zhengwen did not answer, but instead took the military management notes that Kang Dabao had distributed to his fellow disciples before his departure.

"Let my junior brother and I go together."

Yuan Jin shook his head and refused. "No, my family is indeed different from the newly established Cold Mountain Sect. The disciples of the Nurturing Qilin Hall cannot come yet. My family needs to be well taken care of by Senior Brother Ye, Senior Brother Pei, and Fourth Junior Brother."

Ye Zhengwen offered another suggestion. "According to the pre-arranged plan, it should be Junior Brother Yuan who stays behind while I lead men to provide reinforcements."

Yuan Jin, however, was determined and wouldn't listen to any advice. "Senior Brother Ye, please don't try to persuade me. When it comes to handling sect affairs, I am indeed far inferior to you and Senior Brother Pei. Even our sect leader is still in danger. Let's all do what we are good at. Besides, there are still important matters to attend to at home."

Unable to find a reason to argue with Yuan Jin further, Ye Zhengwen could only remain silent in agreement.

After sitting there for a while, the three of them parted ways in perfect unison.

In the days that followed, the Chongming Sect's Rogue Cultivator ground was filled with constant noise. Among the later batch of rogue cultivators who had come because of the Fei Household's reputation and their desire for Spirit Stone, there were quite a few who were used to committing crimes and offenses. How could they withstand such training?

Many fled, but very few were truly capable of escaping from the training grounds overseen by several True Cultivators.

Thanks to their selflessness, not only were there a few more well-preserved heads on the gate tower of the drill ground for decoration, but the morale of the entire team was also improved.

What pleased Yuan Jin even more was that, in addition to keeping the two younger sisters-in-law completely under her thumb, his sister-in-law also sent the news back to the Fei Household that she was going to the Cold Crow Mountain Range to lead an army to rescue her husband.

Because of this connection, the higher-ups at the She Mountain Hall, whom Fei Shuhe had pleaded with several times before, were finally moved.

After hearing what Nanny Sun had to say and learning the news, Granny Liu, who was temporarily in charge of the household, finally couldn't contain herself. But she had no reason to interfere; she couldn't very well capture Fei Shuhe to save her husband, and keep her under her control—wouldn't that ruin the Fei Household's reputation?

However, the old woman was genuinely worried about the noblewoman's life, so she had no choice but to send Fei Wen and Fei Nanben, who had interacted with Sect Leader Kang Da during the Fei Household's competition, over.

The primary objective was not to help Kang Dabao out of his predicament, but simply to do everything in our power to rescue Fei Shuhe from danger in this critical moment.

Just half a day after Nanny Sun mentioned this matter, Yuan Jin met the two Fei Household True Cultivator she had mentioned.

However, after reading it, I felt that what Nanny Sun said might have been somewhat exaggerated.

Of the two who came, Fei Wen was considered a promising young man, and his age and abilities were probably similar to Yuan Jin's. But no matter how promising he was, Fei Wen was only an early-stage cultivator. He might not even be able to protect himself in such a dangerous situation, let alone save Fei Shuhe from danger.

As for Fei Nanben, he was indeed a genuine Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator, but judging from the tone of Nanny Sun when she mentioned him back then, he probably didn't have much of a future in the She Mountain Hall.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent out on a mission with Fei Wen, a descendant of a noble family who didn't even have a generational name.

It's strange, though. If the Granny Liu of the She Mountain Hall really cared for Fei Shuhe, she wouldn't have only sent these two people to help her.

Regardless, it was still a great help that two capable Foundation Establishment had come to assist them. Even though the two Fei Household True Cultivator didn't seem very enthusiastic about the trip, Yuan Jin was still extremely grateful.

Five days later, Yuan Jin, dressed in military attire, stood beneath the banner on the high platform of the training ground. The training ground was filled with cultivators from various sects, who had been somewhat organized and were now quite numerous, numbering over two thousand.

The proportion of Rogue Cultivator is much smaller, probably less than half.

It's not that there aren't other independent Rogue Cultivator, but there aren't many around who have the guts to volunteer for this kind of risky money; almost all of them have already joined the Chongming Sect Rogue Cultivator.

This number is already quite large. When Fei Nanying first came to Cloud Horn, he only had about a thousand men to serve him.

This is because the prestige of Cloud Horn Prefecture Court has far surpassed that of the past; it's not that these few families of the Double Brightness Alliance have overshadowed the prestige of Sima Fei back then.

Then, counting the True Cultivator on the platform, there were already eight of them. So even if the Rogue Cultivator' team was not yet fully organized, as long as this reinforcement force could reach the Jia-Chou Military Stronghold, it should be able to overshadow the beast horde's might.

Ye Zhengwen watched the army depart, then returned to his own courtyard and sat there for a long time, his worries undiminished. Just as he was about to go and find Pei Yi to take a look at the Nurturing Qilin Hall, a letter arrived.

Having seen the mark on it, Ye Zhengwen's expression turned solemn. He immediately unfolded it, glanced at it quickly, and then left the sect's grand formation alone.

As soon as the group arrived at the cliff mentioned in the letter, Ye Zhengwen saw a familiar, graceful figure.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, do you still remember me?"