The yellow light landed at a certain place in the city. Under the overcast dark clouds and fine rain, even if the people outside the city could see some faint yellow light, they couldn’t see what exactly the yellow light was, even more so unable to see who exactly was on that yellow light.
However, as the Divine Wooden Flying Crane got closer and closer to the ground surface, more and more Yunqin people in the city realized who it was that arrived… Under the restrictions passed on through the orders of some officers, these people all knew that they had to do everything they could to prevent Great Mang’s army from knowing this. They retained absolute silence, not releasing a single cry. However, because of their excitement, many people’s bodies even began to silently shake.
Jiang Xiaoyi was still making his way through the city’s streets and alleys, giving commands.
He knew that the enemy Great Mang army was just one opportunity away from attacking. With just a single order, a great slaughter could begin at any time. For the sake of preserving his own mental state and stamina, he held up a piece of dried cloth, wiping the rainwater that landed on his face and trickled down his neck. However, he also saw the Divine Wooden Flying Crane descending from the sky. “It’s been a while.” Just like when Qin Xiyue realized it was Lin Xi who was coming, he smiled, rather solemnly and indescribably moved as he said this to himself.
“He’s here?”
Within Natural Course Temple, Tang Chuqing who received the news also opened a yellow oil paper umbrella, walking out from the wooden building, welcoming Lin Xi’s arrival in a vacant area within the temple.
Even though there weren’t many traces of age on his face, he was actually just like Gu Yunjing, an existence within Yunqin military who was most qualified and possessed true strength.
Only, during this scene of decisive battle, there were too many inspiring and moving figures, so Tang Chuqing felt like even if it was before some ordinary soldiers, he didn’t have much right to act proud. Meanwhile, now, this person who was arriving through the rain from East Scenery City was even more so someone who was worth him lowering his stance to show respect, and even reverence towards.
…
Lin Xi didn’t waste any time.
Under the lead of a high ranking Yunqin officer, the Divine Wooden Flying Crane directly flew into Natural Course Temple, landing before this elder who had experienced Meteor City’s defense, his eyes forever seeming to carry more experiences than ordinary people.
Lin Xi was the first to jump off of this Divine Wooden Flying Crane.
Gao Yanan and Bian Linghan followed behind him.
Li Wu directly opened an umbrella, bowing in greeting towards Tang Chuqing. Then, he directly propped up the umbrella handle against the Divine Wooden Flying Crane, he himself starting to rest under the umbrella.
Lin Xi showed Tang Chuqing a respectful greeting, showing him the greeting of a Yunqin disciple.
Tang Chuqing didn’t show any expression of shock. He first showed Gao Yanan and Bian Linghan behind Lin Xi a greeting, and then he gave the chest on Bian Linghan’s back a look, solemnly showing that great chest another bow of respect.
It was because he could sense the aura of Big Black in that chest.
Only in this way could he show his inner respect for Principal Zhang.
“Is there anything you wish to say, wish to ask?” After the solemn bow of respect, when his body straightened again, he calmly looked at Lin Xi and said this.
“I came with Jinte Town’s garrison army and military equipment transport army. The military equipment didn’t suffer much damage, and there are more than four thousand soldiers who can join the battle. They are currently taking a roundabout path towards East Scenery City… The following rain will wash away some of their traces. They will eventually arrive near Five Willow Town. Currently, there is no way they can break through Great Mang’s army and enter the city, so I previously made arrangements to use fire beacons as the signal. When they see the beacon I light, they will start an attack towards East Scenery City.” According to the secret report he previously obtained from Green Luan Academy, Lin Xi long knew about Tang Chuqing’s identity[1], he also knew that he was the Yunqin personnel who knew the most about how to defend a city. That was why he didn’t exchange conventional greetings about identity, only asking about the situation, first saying these things.
“Previously, we learned that there was a heavy cavalry fleet that already left to intercept our men in Jinte Town, but the situation outside the city had already been completely controlled by Great Mang. Now that you were able to preserve this amount of their military strength, placing them near Five Willow Town, this type of place, this has given me another share of confidence.” Tang Chuqing sincerely said in praise, “Your arrangements are excellent, they should be able to display quite the use when they join the battle at a crucial time.”
Lin Xi nodded. “When I watched the situation from above, it seemed like Great Mang’s army wasn’t in a rush to launch an attack, your respected self also didn’t waste the strength of soldiers to plug up the openings in the city wall. You wish to directly carry out an alley battle?”
Tang Chuqing looked at Lin Xi, calmly and patiently explaining in a slow manner, “This Great Mang army of eighty thousand, since it has the confidence to take down my East Scenery City, then they are definitely still hiding some formidable methods that will only be displayed during the battle. For me, the more dense the armies fighting, the greater the risk. A battle of this scale will definitely be a decisive battle. Most of the people here will die, regardless of whether it is Yunqin or Great Mang. I will do everything I can, use the deaths of a portion of soldiers as the price, use up all of the military equipment on the city walls… the significance of the city walls in this battle is only limited to this. East Scenery City is extremely large. The greater the battlefield, the more one could arrange more traps. Even if this Great Mang army has some formidable trump cards, on such a huge battlefield, we will also obtain more variables. I didn’t hide anything, I didn’t try to repair the city walls. On one hand, the following battle definitely won’t end quickly, it will definitely be extremely difficult, so I must do everything I can to preserve the soldiers’ strength. On the other hand, by allowing Great Mang’s army to clearly see my intentions, they will definitely weigh the pros and cons as well, draw up many plans… It has already shown effectiveness. Right now, they didn’t attack, meaning that they are hesitating, considering different things, making arrangements… This way, we can use up quite a bit of their time. We are the defending side, we have enough time, more than enough time, defending for two weeks, half a month, that is something we can even do, but they only have three days of time. This means that the more time they waste… the less they would have in the end, the more irritable they will be, the fewer choices they will have. It is to the extent where they might take on huge losses to buy more time. For us, there will instead be more opportunities.”
After a pause, Tang Chuqing gave Lin Xi a deep look and said, “For those defending the city, for our Yunqin people, the city is actually not important. All of these homes, all of these buildings, even if they are destroyed, they can be rebuilt. As long as our people remain, this city will be held on to. In the future, these things will return. To defend a city, what is most important is willpower. If we forget the city walls right from the start, whether the walls exist won’t matter much for us, but for the enemy… Taking down this wall wouldn’t bring much joy, instead making them lose more and more confidence while fighting in the streets afterwards.”
There was some reasoning Lin Xi didn’t think of and some reasoning Lin Xi originally already understood. There were some words that made Lin Xi understand even more reasoning. He thought to himself for a bit. While looking at this terrifyingly peaceful city under the rain, he looked at the extremely distant and blurry city walls, asking, “Do you need me to do anything right now?”
“In the past, when Meteor City faced Nanmo Country’s great army of three hundred thousand, my father was this city’s highest commander, but the chief commander of everything was actually Principal Zhang. Right now, in East Scenery City, I am the highest level commander of the army, but the chief commander is naturally you.” Under the overcast rainy weather and the fluttering yellow leaves of Natural Course Temple, Tang Chuqing smiled. He produced a scroll from within his sleeves, handing it to Lin Xi. “I have already set up the chessboard that is East Scenery City for you, every horizontal and vertical line, the patterns on the board, all of the powers in this city are recorded here. What you need to do now is to use the shortest amount of time to read through the contents of this scroll, and then begin this chess match, command this battle. Starting from now, I will also be a chess piece in your hands, waiting for the moment when you place me in the place you need me to be at.”
Lin Xi became silent. His expression remained calm, not showing much changes, but he knew the weight behind this. When he received the scroll, his hand began to tremble slightly, his eyelashes jumping.
“I know that this is extremely difficult for you, even for the past Principal Zhang… when making many decisions, experienced great difficulty.” Tang Chuqing looked into Lin Xi’s eyes, saying with a smile, “From your eyes, I can only see the same reluctance and weight, but not a lack of confidence in your own strength. That is why this isn’t only because I understand Vice Principal Xia… I trust my own eyes. You are indeed the same type of person as Principal Zhang. That is why you should also understand that only you could undertake this type of responsibility.”
After a slight pause, this elder who experienced Meteor City’s battle at the age of thirteen slowly put away his smile. He turned around, starting to look towards East Scenery City’s walls under the hazy rainy weather in the distance, saying solemnly, “Back then, Principal Zhang and seventeen academy experts faced Nanmo’s great army… Right now, even though you aren’t as powerful as Principal Zhang and we don’t have as many powerful cultivators as back then either, we have so many Yunqin soldiers here, while our opponent isn’t as powerful as the past Nanmo Country either. We will make them pay the price they ought to pay.”
Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly, but this was only because he was thinking extremely quickly.
Lin Xi took a deep breath, no longer saying anything. He walked up to the closest wooden building and then unfolded the scroll in his hands, unfolding this city, unfolding the people in this city.
…
Streaks of rainwater trickled down along the eaves, scattering across the banana tree leaves.
Several ordinary daoists in Natural Course Temple began to quietly play the zither. The other people in the observatory calmly held cups of hot tea and soup.
In the very first orders Lin Xi gave, two high ranking military officers brought the highest level Brass Hawkeye and Bian Linghan onto a Divine Wooden Flying Crane.
Some order transmitting officers in the military, men in charge of flag signals and beacons also began to start making preparations in the city again.
Lin Xi first saw Jiang Xiaoyi’s name in the scroll in his hands, and then he saw the names of some other familiar Self Defense Department students. When he thought about how they were all in this city, the corners of Lin Xi’s lips produced a bit of a smile.
Then, he saw many names that had just made an appearance in Central Continent City not too long ago.
The strength these names represented, the attitudes they represented, it all left him in deep veneration, making the flames within his chest also begin to burn more and more fiercely.
1. Son of Meteor City City Defense General Tang Jiren who specialized in city defense
