Chapter 4

Whether it was the eight thousand troops of the Cangshou Army or the officials of Taicang, everyone held their breath, staring intently at the mist.

The mist obscured the area, concealing the vague figures within.

Almost from the moment the mist appeared, a chill and ominous feeling arose in everyone's hearts, as if a powerful and savage beast was hiding within, about to pounce and tear them to pieces.

Ji Qianqing was also watching, but unlike the others, as a powerhouse of the Ninth Heaven, she could clearly sense three powerful auras within the mist.

These three auras gave her a feeling of coldness, dampness, and decay.

Yet, the power emanating from these auras was incredibly strong, so strong that even she had to be cautious.

In the small country of Taicang with only sixty thousand people, Ji Qianqing had never sensed such a powerful aura, which made her feel a bit nervous.

"Is Ji Xia colluding with the Jougou, inviting the wolf into the house? Are the figures in the mist the evil dogs?"

A thought popped into Ji Qianqing's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

"To collude with the Jougou, one must have the brains. He probably doesn't even know how to contact them."

It wasn't that Ji Qianqing was underestimating Ji Xia; it was just that the Crown Prince's previous performance had been too poor.

The mist began to dissipate slowly, and the cold aura started to fill the entire arena. People with weaker constitutions were already shivering.

Finally, three figures slowly emerged from the mist, revealing themselves step by step.

Three slender armored soldiers, each wearing a long sword at their waist, with bloodshot eyes visible under their helmets, as if they had come from an ancient hell.

They wore black armor, but the armor was rusted, with brown rust spots covering the entire suit, even the helmets that covered their entire faces.

But no one underestimated them, for when they stepped out, a cold wind suddenly blew, and everyone sensed a terrifying aura.

This aura was something they had never felt even when facing the Jougou.

"These three are very strong!" Ji Qianqing said.

"I can't sense any life force from them. Where do they come from?" Taicang's Zhaocu asked slowly.

More people were shocked and disbelieving. Right before their eyes, a mist had brought three powerful figures?

And even more surprising things were to come.

When the three armored soldiers were fully revealed, the cold wind intensified, dispersing all the mist.

Everyone looked and saw a thousand soldiers, also slender and wearing brown armor, standing neatly in formation.

The Cangshou Army turned around with a loud noise, drawing their weapons, ready for battle.

These thin soldiers gave them immense pressure.

Even Ji Qianqing had drawn her sword halfway.

When the thousand Yin soldiers and the three Yin generals were fully revealed, Ji Xia finally breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't tell how strong the Yin soldiers and Yin generals summoned by the Yin nest were, but seeing the reactions of Ji Qianqing and the officials and soldiers, he knew they must be powerful.

The three Yin generals approached, and in no time, they were in front of the palace tower.

"Who are you? Stop!"

A middle-aged general of the Cangshou Army shouted, trying to stop the three Yin generals, but they ignored him and continued forward.

Ji Qianqing suddenly burst with a powerful aura, pushing Ji Xia back a step.

The three Yin generals saw this, their eyes turning even redder. They let out hoarse breaths, and their long swords were suddenly drawn, leaping high into the air, heading straight for Ji Qianqing!

Ji Qianqing showed no fear, her sword glowing with a dark red light, and she stepped onto the wall of the palace tower, ready to fight.

Ji Xia instantly understood. The three Yin generals suddenly attacked Ji Qianqing because they thought she was attacking him!

He quickly shouted, "Stop!"

The three Yin generals, hearing Ji Xia's voice, showed no hesitation, twisting their bodies in the air and landing on the ground.

Seeing the three Yin generals obey Ji Xia's command, Ji Qianqing hesitated, thinking, "Could it be that he's telling the truth?"

The three Yin generals knelt on one knee as soon as they landed, one of them shouting, "Yin General Hei Ding, Yin Ding, and An Ding, paying respects to our master!"

The thousand Yin soldiers, who had been standing still like statues, also knelt on one knee, shouting, "Paying respects to our master!"

Ji Xia was stunned. The Yin soldiers and Yin generals from the Yin nest actually had intelligence?

He had thought they were just puppets, but they could speak and think!

This was a pleasant surprise!

He cleared his throat and glanced at the stunned officials, even Ji Qianqing and Lu Yu, who looked clearly disbelieving.

"Rise, all of you!"

Ji Xia tried to hide his elation, facing the arena and shouting.

"Understood!" The Yin generals shouted in unison, rising first, followed by the Yin soldiers, the rusted armor making a synchronized sound as they moved.

Lu Yu, seeing these powerful armored soldiers, finally relaxed his brows, his voice trembling, "Your Highness, they recognize you as their master?"

Ji Xia nodded, smiling, "They are the gifts of the Great Wind. From now on, as long as I am here, they will fight for Taicang."

He was explaining his value to Lu Yu, for he had no doubt that these people, who loved the Taicang emperor so much, would execute him, the unfilial son who had angered the emperor.

But now, with the Jougou army at the city gates, if he had a powerful force under his command, both the officials and the common people would have to carefully consider whether to abandon this formidable power.

Lu Yu nodded, his eyes welling up with tears. He looked at the impressive Yin soldiers and murmured, "Perhaps this is the way out for Taicang?"

Zhaocu, seeing that some officials still looked hesitant and doubtful, sighed inwardly, "The Great Wind's envoy descends, the earth shatters, and the rivers flow backward. How could it be so calm?"

But now, with Taicang in grave danger and everyone's hearts filled with anxiety, perhaps the 'Great Wind's envoy' could help calm their minds.

He seemed to have made up his mind, stepping to the front of the palace tower and bowing to Ji Xia, who was facing away from him.

Amid the puzzled looks of the officials, he slowly said, "Zhaocu divined a month ago and saw that Taicang still had a glimmer of hope. I thought the glimmer of hope was a humiliating peace, but it turns out the true glimmer of hope lies in Your Highness!"

He slowly knelt down, shouting, "May the Great Wind protect us."

Ji Xia turned around and looked at Zhaocu deeply.

The officials, seeing Zhaocu kneel to Ji Xia, were shocked. In Taicang, Zhaocu, as the chief of sacrifices, did not kneel to anyone, not even the emperor.

The reason for his kneeling was clear: Zhaocu recognized Ji Xia as the Great Wind's envoy!

The officials were still in shock when Lu Yu took a step back, spreading his arms wide, and then folding his hands, kneeling down. The other officials followed suit.

On the palace tower, only Ji Qianqing stood straight, looking at Ji Xia with a puzzled expression. Ji Xia met her gaze, showing no sign of backing down.

Finally, the confusion in Ji Qianqing's eyes faded, turning back to coldness, and she knelt on one knee.

Ji Xia's face was unusually serious and solemn. He ignored the kneeling officials and turned to pull out a bag from his waist.

He looked around at the still kneeling officials, breathing a sigh of relief, thinking, "That idiot did hide something good. If he hadn't hidden it well and they found it, I might have woken up in a dark prison."

He was about to ask the officials to rise when he caught a glimpse of Ji Qianqing.

He noticed that Ji Qianqing was looking at him, her index finger raised, pointing at the small bag. Ji Xia looked down and saw that the pattern embroidered on the bag was the Great Wind totem!

He coughed awkwardly, quietly taking out the Taicang imperial order from the bag and hiding the bag in his wide sleeve.

"Rise, all of you," Ji Xia said solemnly and authoritatively.