Daoist Monastery
It was situated on top of a small hill, and was quiet and secluded. People nearby would light up incense. Several large trees were planted in front of the monastery, and with the arrival of spring, new leaves had sprouted. From the top of the hill, one could see everything within ten miles.
At this point, it was raining, and the sound of thunder could be heard from time to time. Moss and grass were growing on the walls of the monastery. A ray of light shone into the monastery, and a young lady could be seen retreating from the light. She felt extremely refreshed, but she did not look happy.
Ji Ai Guo opened her eyes and mumbled, "Now that I've reached the tenth level, my cultivation is getting slower and slower. Master has tried so hard to create the conditions for me, but the effects are not great."
"Master said that only Paradise and Caves have Spiritual Qi. Now that we're converting the Spiritual Qi from within our bodies, why do I feel like there's some Spiritual Qi in the air?"
"But I can't absorb this Spiritual Qi, and it's giving me a bad feeling." Ji Ai Guo's eyes were filled with suspicion, and she felt a chill run down her spine.
"Di!" Water droplets dripped from the roof onto the tiles, and landed on the stone floor. A cold breeze blew into the room.
"I've reached the tenth level. I'll be able to open the gates of heaven soon, and catch up to that bastard." Ji Ai Guo heaved a sigh of relief. Every time she thought of that bastard, tears welled up in her eyes. She recalled herself shivering in the bushes, her mother being killed by the pirates, and her father being killed by Pei Zi Yun.
Ji Ai Guo walked to the window, trying to suppress the sudden surge of sadness. Tears were about to fall from her eyes when a bell rang in her hands. Ji Ai Guo was startled, and retrieved her sword to observe.
The bell glowed brightly, and a human figure appeared. Ji Ai Guo heaved a sigh of relief, "Master!"
When the old Daoist saw Ji Ai Guo, he smiled kindly, "Ai Guo, the Sect Leader has agreed to my request and allowed you to enter the Jade Secret Cave. You're already at the tenth level of cultivation, and with your talent, you should only need half a year in the Jade Secret Cave before the gates of heaven open."
When Ji Ai Guo heard the old Daoist's words, she was overjoyed. She then thought for a moment before looking at her master, "Master, didn't you say you wouldn't be allowed? Why did you allow it after you went out?"
At this point, tears rolled down her cheeks, "Could it be that I'm a burden to Master? Is Master going on a dangerous mission because of me?"
Ji Ai Guo's eyes reddened as she guessed the possibility.
The old Daoist didn't expect Qi Ai Guo to be so quick-witted. With just a few clues, she was able to guess what was going on. He then laughed, "Ai Guo, with your intelligence, I'm sure that in the future, you will be much more successful than me. I'm very pleased."
Seeing Ji Ai Guo crying, he sighed, his heart filled with sorrow, "Foolish child, I only have you as my disciple. If I don't do this for you, who else would I do it for?"
As he spoke, the old Daoist looked at the girl in the image. Although she was wearing a simple dress, her eyebrows were like the mountains in spring. She was elegant and quiet, and her skin was as white as snow. It was hard to hide her beauty. In his heart, he sighed, "Such beauty is still acceptable. Although she is a top-notch beauty, she might not offend the sect. After all, there are so many women."
"But his improvement is too fast. In two or three years, he will open the Gate of Heaven. With such a dense amount of Origin Yin energy, if he becomes a cauldron, he will benefit greatly."
"I'm getting old. I can't ignore her."
He then spoke gently, "Don't cry. Breaking through to the gates of heaven is the key. As long as you can open the gates of heaven, you will be a True Disciple. With your talent, the Sect Leader will definitely protect you. When that time comes, nobody will dare to do anything to you."
"Yes, Master!" Ji Ai Guo said as she nodded her head. She knew that several of her senior brothers and senior uncles were spying on her.
"Ai Guo, go and look for the Sect Leader. Master has prepared a magical weapon for you in the room. I've also arranged for your food and lodging. Once you enter the Cave of Secrets, within a year, or until you open the gates of heaven, do not come out." The old Daoist instructed, his expression was solemn.
"Master!" Ji Ai Guo replied, as she looked at the old Daoist worriedly.
The old Daoist stretched out his hand, wanting to rub Ji Ai Guo's head. He then realized that it was just an image. He then sighed, "Go, it's alright. This task isn't too difficult."
The image of the talisman disappeared as the old Daoist looked out of the window. It was drizzling, and he didn't speak for a long time.
The heavy rain continued to fall. Under the dim light of the sky, troops of soldiers in their raincoats marched through the rain. At this point, it was impossible to say that they were in a battle formation.
Pei Zi Yun was also dressed in a raincoat as he rode through the rain.
At this point, someone was riding on the back of a horse. The old Daoist steered the horse as it leapt through the mud. When he was about a hundred steps away, he dismounted from the horse and approached. He saw that it was a squad leader who looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had a cold expression on his face as he knelt down and reported, "Dao Master, Huai Rou County has received a document of surrender. They immediately raised the white flag and surrendered. The County Magistrate is waiting for Dao Master's arrival."
The scout squad reported loudly. There weren't many of them, but they were resolute and cold. They were also adept at riding horses.
"Good. Pass down the order. We shall have dinner in Huai Rou County." Pei Zi Yun instructed. Chen Yong, who was following behind him, said, "Dao Master, our army hasn't even arrived and they've already surrendered. This is the might of the Dao Master."
"This is the might of the Imperial Court." Pei Zi Yun sighed. This wasn't a lie. Just relying on his own ten thousand troops was a little difficult. However, the might of the Imperial Court was evident in a single victory.
Huai Rou County
The rain continued to pour as Pei Zi Yun led his troops to the city gates. The gates were wide open, and the Magistrate and the guards were kneeling before the gates.
The Magistrate lowered his head and took a few steps forward. He then shouted, "This guilty official is terrified. I have been coerced by the traitors. This is a crime. I only hope that the Heavenly Ambassador will have mercy on me."
The Magistrate raised both his hands, as though he was a knife. He was terrified.
The rain continued to fall, and water splashed onto the Magistrate's face. Seeing the Magistrate in such a state, Pei Zi Yun laughed, "You have been coerced by the traitors, and refused to die defending your land. This is a crime."
Seeing the two of them trembling, but not resisting, Pei Zi Yun laughed, "But you were able to collude with the Imperial Court and betray them. This can be considered a small merit. You can atone for your crimes."
"Thank you, Heavenly Ambassador."
Hearing Pei Zi Yun's words, the Magistrate's tears flowed down his cheeks, mixing with the rainwater. He couldn't tell the difference between his tears and the rainwater.
"Rise. My army has ten thousand men, and we are marching in the rain. You don't have to pay for our rations, but you have to make arrangements for everything else."
The Magistrate stood up and said, "Don't worry Dao Master. There's an army camp within the county. Although ten thousand people are cramped, we can still accommodate them temporarily."
"I've also instructed the farmers to boil water and prepare rice. Once the army enters the county, other officials may not be able to cook, but rice balls will be available. As for the wet clothes, please hand them over to us. We will wash them overnight. As long as the weather is good tomorrow, they will be dry."
The army entered the city, and the cavalry headed straight for the Magistrate's office. Before Pei Zi Yun could enter, everything had been arranged.
When Pei Zi Yun entered, he noticed that the entire yard was quiet. Along the corridor stood a dozen of his personal guards. They were all his personal guards, and had already set up a defensive perimeter. Several serving maids carried a small wooden bucket of hot water, and walked in quietly without making a sound.
When Pei Zi Yun entered, he saw that the wooden bucket was filled with hot water. This was the ancient way of bathing. He took off his wet clothes and washed them, before putting on a new set of clothes.
The rain gradually lessened, and water droplets dripped from the roof tiles onto the ground.
A Daoist official stepped forward and bowed to Pei Zi Yun, "Dao Master, Yuan An County has seven counties. News has come that Dao Master has surrendered, and five counties have surrendered. How impressive."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun took several steps forward and ordered, "They're all within the same county, and are only a few days away from each other. Order the surrendered troops to meet up with us."
At this point, the Magistrate walked over, "Dao Master, the banquet has been prepared. Please enter."
Pei Zi Yun did not speak further, and waved his hands before leaving.
The Lieutenants and above followed him. Although this was a temporary residence, the patrols were strict. Every ten steps, there was a personal guard standing guard. They were extremely satisfied. When they reached a place, they saw a large hall and many rooms. There were ten of them, and the lights were on. There were already chefs and serving maids preparing the dishes.
The Lieutenants entered the rooms according to their ranks. Only Generals of the fifth rank and above were allowed to enter the main hall. The Magistrate led them to their seats and explained, "Dao Master has instructed us to not be extravagant in welcoming guests. This humble official will obey. Furthermore, the county is in dire straits, and the surplus rations have been given to the bandits. I hope that the Generals will understand."
Although this was what he said, the roasted pig, twice-cooked pork and beef were not considered extravagant. However, the aroma of the food was enough to make one salivate. Pei Zi Yun sat down, surrounded by Chen Yong and the other Generals. The Magistrate was seated as well.
"Generals, you've worked hard. Huai Rou County has finally been saved from disaster." The Magistrate toasted.
Just as the Generals were about to toast, Pei Zi Yun raised a hand to stop them, "Although we've won a battle, the crisis has not been resolved. You can only drink three cups, no more. Whoever causes trouble will be dealt with according to military law."
"Yes!" The Generals acknowledged. Pei Zi Yun then revealed a smile, "Generals, please eat your meat. We've been fighting for so long, and haven't had such a feast in a long time."
"Yes, Dao Master!" Since they were only allowed to drink three cups, the Generals started to relax. They've been fighting for so long, and usually only had dried meat and dried rations. They hadn't even had a single bite of rice to eat for the past few days.
Today, during the feast, everyone ate heartily. After Chen Yong had eaten and drank to his heart's content, he asked, "Dao Master, now that all the Counties have responded to our call, are we going to attack the County City?"
Pei Zi Yun thought for some time before replying, "It's the same as planned. We'll mobilize our troops and attack the other two Counties. Then, we'll gather at the County City with another twenty thousand soldiers. There are only seven to eight thousand soldiers in the County City, and only a few hundred old soldiers. I don't believe that Dong Man would be so stubborn as to resist to the end."
"When that time comes, there might even be spies who would betray us and hand over the County City." Pei Zi Yun then instructed, "While there's still some time, send someone to communicate with the County City."
"Yes!" Someone stood up and hurriedly relayed the order. At this point, a Daoist stepped forward, his face was filled with anxiety as he whispered.
"What? The enemy has three thousand soldiers moving towards Bao Yang County. They're about to reach Bao Yang County, and the County Magistrate of Bao Yang County has requested for Free Cloud Sect's disciples to move into the county to protect them?"
Pei Zi Yun frowned, and the entire banquet fell silent. After thinking for some time, Pei Zi Yun turned to Chen Yong, "Command the troops, and follow the plan to attack the other two Counties. After that, we'll attack the County City. I'll go to Bao Yang County."
"Dao Master, please bring your elite troops." Chen Yong hurriedly stood up and said, "Dao Master is the commander of the army, and your safety must be ensured."
Pei Zi Yun thought for a moment before waving his hands, "There's no need. Ji Bei Hou has sent his troops to Bao Yang County, and he's trying to restrict my troops. If I let him do as he wishes, I'll be forced into a passive position. I'll bring eight hundred cavalrymen with me, and we'll be able to catch him off guard."
As Pei Zi Yun spoke, he mounted his horse and rode off into the rain.
The County Magistrate looked at each other for some time before asking, "Please forgive me for not understanding. What kind of important place is Bao Yang County?"
"Bao Yang County isn't an important place, but Dao Master's mother and family are there." Chen Yong replied. Seeing that the banquet was almost over, he shouted, "Men, let's return to the camp."
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