Chapter Forty-Seven: Retreat to Gunzhou

“Yes, Your Highness!”
Marquis Wu Wen responded respectfully, fully aware of Xia Hao’s temperament and not daring to contradict him in the slightest.

“This is the military token. Quickly assemble the troops!”
Xia Hao tossed a golden command token. Though it appeared small, this token alone granted its bearer the authority to mobilize any army within the Grand Xia Empire.

Accepting the token, Qu Wenbei turned and left the imperial study, heading straight for the Ministry of War.
A series of orders followed, and three hundred thousand soldiers began to gather.

Elsewhere, within Guanzhou City—

“Your Highness, relying solely on horseback seems too slow. Why not send a swift-footed cultivator instead?”
Master Xuan Chun quickly suggested. Even by horse, the journey would take a day and a half; should Xia Hao or Marquis Wu Wen, enraged beyond reason, march to destroy Xuzhou City themselves, everyone there would be in grave peril.

Both Xia Hao and Qu Wenbei had reached the Tribulation Crossing realm, though Xia Hao had endured the baptism of heavenly thunder eight times, while Qu Wenbei only thrice. Meanwhile, the strongest cultivator in Xuzhou City’s ranks was only at the Path-forging realm—a whole major realm lower, and the entire city risked being reduced to ashes.

“Very well! The Han Kingdom has just been founded; we cannot afford to lose our three thousand elite soldiers. Which of you cultivators would volunteer for this task?”
King Han, Zhou Hongcai, nodded.

“I will! I have the fastest legs!”
Liao immediately stepped forward.

“Good! Here is my official decree. Take it and go to Xuzhou City at once. Order everyone there to return to Guanzhou without delay!”
King Han produced a scroll of imperial edict and handed it to Liao.

“Yes, Your Highness!”
With the decree in hand, Liao transformed into blazing flames and sped toward Xuzhou City at his utmost speed.

In less than two hours, Liao appeared above Xuzhou City.

By then, the Little Sword Demon had mostly recovered and was celebrating with his men. He regarded Xu Cheng with newfound respect; had it not been for Xu Cheng’s final celestial technique, they might all have perished.

“Oh, someone from the Celestial Way—what brings you here?”
Seeing Liao approach, Xu Cheng instinctively moved aside.

“A royal decree: everyone in Xuzhou City is to withdraw to Guanzhou at once!”
Liao held out the golden silk decree.

“Withdraw to Guanzhou? We just captured this city, and now we’re to retreat?”
The Little Sword Demon’s red beard and hair bristled in anger.

“Listen to me—leave at once! That Martial Emperor, Xia Hao, has been infuriated by your actions and is preparing to personally lead three hundred thousand troops to attack Xuzhou City. If you don’t go now, you’ll all be dead!”
Liao exaggerated on purpose, assuming that even if Xia Hao was furious, he’d send at most a hundred thousand soldiers. Little did he know his wild guess was nearly the truth.
In fact, it was Qu Wenbei leading the army, but to them, it hardly mattered—either man could easily wipe them out.

“Is that true? Three hundred thousand troops? Xia Hao himself is coming?”
The Little Sword Demon looked shocked.

“Why would I lie to you? If you don’t want to die, hurry up!”
Liao urged. He himself was already on Xia Hao’s blacklist and dreaded to think what fate awaited him if captured.

“Pass down the order—we return to Guanzhou at once!”
The Little Sword Demon gave the command immediately. He still recalled how a mere newly advanced Soul Formation cultivator had displayed such terrifying power; if it were Xia Hao, what kind of overwhelming might would that be?

Xu Cheng was alarmed, wondering what could have happened in Guanzhou City to send Xia Hao into such a rage.

An hour later, the three thousand elite troops were assembled, and under the Little Sword Demon’s leadership, they set out at speed.
It was as if a pack of wolves were at their heels—the soldiers pressed forward with even greater urgency than when they had first arrived.

Xu Cheng marched in a daze, the Underworld Imprint’s movement technique making the journey effortless. Suddenly, a voice rang out.

“Liao Wu!”

Xu Cheng answered reflexively, “Yes?”

“I knew it! Liao Wu couldn’t have died!”
Liao drew close, throwing an arm over Xu Cheng’s shoulder.

“You…”
Xu Cheng hadn’t expected to be found out so easily. For a moment, he really considered silencing him for good.

“By the way, since you’re alive, why didn’t you return to the sect? I spent a month locked up in the Ice Prison because of you!”
Liao pressed on.

Xu Cheng gave a helpless smile, dispersing the transformative technique covering his chest to reveal his bones. “It’s not that I didn’t want to return. Look at me—how could I go back like this?”

“That old demon turned you into this?”
Liao stared in disbelief at Xu Cheng’s skeletal form.

“No, perhaps I never should have cultivated the Underworld Fragment.”
A trace of melancholy surfaced in Xu Cheng’s heart.

“Nonsense! If a technique presents itself to you, you take it—cultivate anything you can!”
Liao’s response was immediate.

“And this is what that technique turned me into?”
Xu Cheng pointed to the exposed bones of his chest.

“Well… it’s not the end of the world. Maybe it’s fate you had to learn that technique.”
Liao thought for a moment and continued, “Forget it, don’t dwell on it. Looking like this, I doubt Xuantian Dao Sect will accept you. But no matter what you become, you’ll always be my junior brother. Still, the world is full of hidden dangers—stay cautious out here.”

“I will. I’ll be careful,”
Xu Cheng replied with a nod.

“Good, little brother!”
Liao gave Xu Cheng’s shoulder a heavy pat. He had much more to say, but in the end, all words were swallowed by silence.

Yan Mengdie, listening quietly from the rear, was surprised to discover that beneath Liao’s mischief, there was genuine brotherly affection.

The Little Sword Demon’s thoughts were tangled, though he never guessed that Xu Cheng and Liao were fellow disciples. He only assumed that the Celestial Way had discovered Xu Cheng’s identity as an Underworld Emissary and sought to win him over.

Having the favor of an Underworld Emissary was certainly beneficial; when approaching death, one could seek his aid and purchase extra years of life at a hefty price.

Except for the previous Underworld Emissary, who was universally reviled among cultivators—rumor had it that he was insatiably greedy, not only taking payment but turning around and claiming your life anyway. Both immortals and demons wanted him dead.
But after reaching the Pure Yang Soul realm, not even ancestors who had survived nine tribulations of heavenly thunder could kill him; they only managed to seal him underground.
It was clear that an Underworld Emissary was nearly immortal—so long as they did not provoke someone several major realms above, their life was rarely in true danger.

But leaving aside everyone’s thoughts, nothing else of note happened on the journey except encountering the messenger stationed along the route.
They hurried through the night, and Xu Cheng deliberately kept his distance from Liao, so as not to reveal their familiarity and attract the attention of Master Ling Xu or Liao Zhen.

He returned to his residence with Ju Hua and the others.

Along the way, he noticed a new stone lion at the city’s center. If not for a strange feeling in his heart, he would never have guessed that this statue was no ordinary ornament. Had he, like the Little Sword Demon, tried to kick it, he’d have ended up with a broken foot.

“Hahaha! Little Sword Demon, that’s the guardian beast of the Dragon-Binding, Immortal-Imprisoning Grand Array, crafted by Master Xuan Chun and ten Soul Formation cultivators with their combined magic. If you kick it again, don’t be surprised if it swallows you whole!”
Liao burst out laughing, delighted at the thought of the Little Sword Demon suffering a setback.