Chapter Volume 15 53: Facing Death, Beginning, Trial
It was precisely because of this that Purgatory Mountain’s Divine Adjudicators appeared even more divine and dignified.
This type of divinity and prestige already continued for many years, accumulated through many generations of people. Only when Great Mang’s Late Emperor Zhantai Mang and Li Ku, these types of figures appeared, did some people realize that apart from servitude and worship, there was also the word resist.
Only, regardless, in the eyes of Great Mang’s ordinary people, a Purgatory Mountain red robed Divine Adjudicator was far more frightening than an army. Right now, there were over a hundred Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators that appeared at the same time, as well as countless cultivators in chains who pulled a giant carriage that released roiling black smoke.
Great Mang Emperor’s carriage arrived at Thousand Sunset Mountain. Large amounts of Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators and existences like Purgatory Mountain Great Elder also appeared.
Liu Xueqing also saw this troop that arrived.
Several Yunqin black-armored soldiers supported him, walking to a tower that could overlook Yunqin’s borders beyond Thousand Leaf Pass.
Since the journey from Central Continent City to here and the following negotiation were too exhausting, moreover with him unable to adapt to the food here, the conditions in the border far inferior to Central Continent City, that was why he had a severe case of back skin ulcers. Not only was a large part of his back festering, his body was also extremely weak, breaking out into a high fever.
After ascending this tower, Liu Xueqing who always held on firmly regardless of what kind of out of sorts feeling he felt finally released a cry of pain.
He saw a troop that was even more grandiose than the one escorting Great Mang Emperor arrive from within Yunqins’ borders.
These were thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers surrounded by Yunqin soldiers.
Large amounts of Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators and Purgatory Mountain elder carriages arriving together with Great Mang Emperor’s imperial carriage had at least one clear use… Previously, Great Mang Emperor encountered the obstruction of Great Mang’s people along the way, to the extent where there were several instances of rebellions that happened. After Purgatory Mountain’s Divine Adjudicators and Great Elder appeared, the arrival of Great Mang’s Emperor became extremely smooth, saving a lot of time.
If the thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers still didn’t arrive, even if the peace negotiations had been formalized, then Lin Xi and some Yunqin cultivators he respected might not necessarily have to appear here. However, these thirty thousand men already appeared, so no matter what he did, he already lacked all use, already unable to stall for any time.
…
Yunqin military also rushed the advance of the thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers.
Under the strict coercement of the Yunqin soldiers carrying out the emperor’s decree, these Great Mang soldiers already handed over all of their weapons, now only dressed in ordinary cloth clothes. Every day, they advanced at a forced march speed.
Many of their toes were already grinded rotten, many of them were also stricken with illness.
Only, the sick and those who really couldn’t walk would be arranged for in carriages, not holding back their speed of advance at all. In future books of history, there might not be any filth of mistreating these Great Mang soldiers.
However, in a certain jungle not far from Thousand Leaf Pass, there was a troop that two weeks or so ago, rushed their journey at several times the speed of this strictly forced Great Mang army.
Only an army made purely of cultivators had a chance of advancing powerfully at this type of speed.
This organized cultivator army could only be Gu Yunjing’s Black Flag Army.
Right now, everyone in the Black Flag Army was extremely tired. Most of them were smearing medicinal herbs that had soothing effects, preparing to seize this time to rest. Only a few people were still standing guard.
Footsteps entered the ears of this Black Flag Army that was currently applying medicine.
However, not a single one of the Black Flag Army soldiers who were in charge of vigilance released any sounds of alarm.
There were all types of Yunqin people who appeared in this jungle.
There was someone dressed in ordinary porter clothes.
There was someone dressed in the clothes of a certain wealthy family.
There was someone dressed in peddler clothes.
There was even someone who looked like an ordinary hunter, on his back a several month old infant.
This jungle that was difficult for ordinary elite soldiers to enter suddenly became like an extremely ordinary village alley marketplace.
All of the Black Flag Army’s movements stopped.
When they saw these people who continuously appeared, all types of expressions appeared on their weary faces.
A forty something year old Black Flag Army soldier standing guard outside looked at these people. He looked at the one dressed in ordinary porter clothes, shaking his head and saying, “Lu Twenty-Third, why did even you all come?”
The simple and honest looking man who looked no different from an ordinary porter rolled up his sleeves. He wasn’t supporting a carrying pole on his shoulders, instead holding up a long black blade. When he heard this, he chuckled and said, “All of you are about to face death, so how could we not join in?”
If the words of this porter were made a bit more elegant, then it would precisely be if the lord perishes, then I will as well.
Even though his expression was peaceful, revealing a smile, when these words sounded, an unimaginable heroic aura instantly filled this jungle.
“How do all of you know we are going to face death?” The forty something year old Black Flag Army soldier with a bow on his back frowned as he spoke.
The porter gave this Black Flag Army soldier and all of the remaining Black Flag Army soldiers a look, saying with a sigh, “The graves of those dead brothers are all filled with incense, endless ritual money burned, the entire place solemn like not a single person would return. If you all weren’t prepared to face death here, would all of you go that far?”
The Black Flag Army soldier with the bow on his back remained silent for a moment. He no longer spoke with this porter, instead turning to look at the hunter with the infant on his back, quietly saying, “Chen Seven, why did you even end up bringing your son here?”
“She’s my daughter.” The hunter laughed and said, “Her mother had a difficult birth, I am the only one who can raise her now. I am someone from Black Flag Army, so she is naturally a Black Flag Army person as well. I thus also brought her with me.”
“What number are we up to now?” At this time, the peddler-like person walked over. He looked at the sleeping baby girl with tender affection, and then laughed as he asked the forty something year old Black Flag Army soldier. “Is she Chen Thirty-Two or already Chen Thirty-Three?”
“Chen Thirty-Seven.” The forty something year old Black Flag Army soldier didn’t reply. It was instead a seated Black Flag Army soldier who spoke up.
Then, most of the Black Flag Army soldiers walked over to look at this sleeping girl.
More and more Yunqin men dressed in ordinary common people clothes appeared here. These were all Black Flag Army soldiers who, due to various reasons, originally all completely loathed the slaughter of the battlefield, hoped to live like ordinary people in retirement. However, the day before the entire Black Flag Army completed their preparations to face death, these Black Flag Army people who originally already left this army instead appeared again one after the next.
…
Great Mang Emperor’s carriage officially passed through Thousand Leaf Pass.
Over a hundred Purgatory Mountain Divine Adjudicators dressed in blood-like divine robes as well as over a hundred cultivator slaves dragging carriages stopped outside Thousand Leaf Pass.
Those cultivators and slaves bound in chains, while using soul force to carry the heavy carriages, their soul force would release black smoke through the runes on the chains and carriages.
Since heading up a mountain needed even more strength, that was why they poured in even more soul force, the black-red giant imperial carriage’s black smoke even stronger, even more so magnifying the might and terror of the figure hidden within.
Inside this giant black and red imperial carriage that didn’t have any wheels, only a flat and smooth bottom, sat a Purgatory Mountain Great Elder.
However, this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder who even made many Yunqin soldiers and high ranking officers inwardly feel fear didn’t feel any sense of pride right now, instead always feeling a hint of unease.
Unconsciously, his perception swept through Purgatory Mountain’s fleet from time to time.
Towards the back of this fleet were two other black and red giant imperial carriages. These two black and red giant carriages didn’t release surging black smoke, but just their long banners and black imperial canopies covered in many flame runes already completely covered them, making them look like two volcanoes that were always erupting.
There were no auras coming out of these two giant imperial carriages at all.
Not even perception could enter inside.
No one knew what was inside those two giant imperial carriages, what kind of people were inside.
Even this Purgatory Mountain Great Elder didn’t know whether Purgatory Mountain Patriarch was inside those two giant imperial carriages or not.
That was why there might be a Purgatory Mountain Great Elder in one of the two carriages, as well as Purgatory Mountain Patriarch in the other. However, no one knew for sure if there was only another Purgatory Mountain Great Elder or if there wasn’t anything inside.
…
A pair of eyes that looked like they were burned through from the outside, but inside as if frozen, looked at these two giant imperial carriages from a large tree in Thousand Sunset Mountain.
These eyes belonged to Ni Henian.
Not a single person knew that he came to Thousand Sunset Mountain.
Even if there were people who did, there wouldn’t be anyone who could truly read and understand his thoughts, know why he came here.
His sight was extremely blurry, only seeing large amounts of blurry shadows.
There was no way for him to be certain whether Purgatory Mountain Patriarch came or not. Right now, he was only a bit curious as to how this huge show was going to unfold. Also… These thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers represented Green Luan Academy and Zhantai Qiantang’s attitude to fight. These thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers were brought away by Zhantai Qiantang to begin with, so according to normal reasoning, Zhantai Qiantang should have appeared together with these thirty thousand Great Mang soldiers. Only, Zhantai Qiantang wasn’t with these Great Mang people right now, so where was he?
…
In the distant Purgatory Mountain, inside an extravagant but foul smelling cave, Zhang Ping was also waiting.
He didn’t have any way of knowing if Purgatory Mountain Patriarch really left Purgatory Mountain or not either.
Moreover, even though he wasn’t sent to Thousand Sunset Mountain by Purgatory Mountain Patriarch, he also understood extremely clearly that his own fate was now closely linked to Thousand Sunset Mountain, and he had no control over it.
He who was covered in the most precious Purgatory Mountain Great Elder divine robes didn’t know whether what he would be greeted with would be bliss or disaster, survival or death.
It was as if he was waiting for a trial’s verdict.