Chapter 84 - A Military Pledge

Yunxiao picked Chen Zhen up from the floor and looked at the three men coldly. “Have you said enough? If yes, continue with what you were doing. But, if I find out that you made him break through his bottleneck by force again, I’ll not be so courteous anymore! Take my words seriously and don’t do it again!”

His words stunned them and utterly shocked Han Bai.

Without saying another word, Yunxiao turned and walked out of the tent while dragging Chen Zhen with him. Han Bai stole a glance at the three stunned men. Not daring to stay with them alone, he quickly left the tent as well.

Han Qianfang was the first to speak. “This Li Yunxiao really does behave a little differently from the past. In recent days, rumors about him have been spreading in the capital, but I can’t believe he has the courage to be so arrogant in front of the three of us.”

While frowning, Chen Lin said, “He’s amazingly gifted. Although he’s the same age as Chen Zhen, he’s already an eight-stars warrior. But, I still have doubts about the fact that he has the ability to defeat Lin Yu and Bai Chengfeng alone, the two top geniuses of Jialan Academy. I’ve closely observed the two boys, and I know how good both of them are.”

“Since Duke Jingguo agreed to let him come out alone, he must have his own fortes,” said Han Qianfang. “It’s just that he’s too boastful, with that claim of making Chen Zhen a Martial Lord in one year. Does he think the Martial Lord stage is something that can be easily achieved?”

Chen Dasheng kneaded the tiny clay figurine in his hand into a ball and said, “Let the boy try. From now on, stop interfering with Chen Zhen’s cultivation.”

Chen Lin was startled, and he said hurriedly, “Dad, don’t tell me you believe his bullsh*t? Becoming a Martial Lord in one year? Does he think he’s…”

“That’s enough!” Chen Dasheng cut him off. “The boy’s a little strange. I know it is kind of absurd, but when he said that, I couldn’t help but believe it.”

With his eyes growing wide, Chen Lin shook his head and said, “Dad, that’s totally a groundless claim.”

“We’ll give him a year to try,” said Chen Dasheng. “With your cultivation base, you can’t feel the feeling I had. It’s a belief that came from one’s instinct. And there’s one thing that you don’t know…the boy is a genuine second-tier Master Alchemist!”

Chen Lin and Han Qianfang’s eyes widened in great astonishment.

After stepping out of the tent, Yunxiao threw Chen Zhen to Jia Rong and said, “Give him a rain pill and stabilize his cultivation level.” Then, he turned to ask a sergeant standing nearby, “What is the next city and how long does it take us to arrive?”

The sergeant saluted him and answered, “My lord, the next city is Yangpu. At our current speed, we will arrive in ten days!”

“Ten days? So long?” Yunxiao frowned as he looked into the distance. In his previous life, he had already forgotten the feeling of traveling on foot, because he could tear through space and reach any destination that was tens of thousands of miles away in just the blink of an eye.

“Why? Starting to feel bored?” At some point, Chen Dasheng had walked out of the tent and stood behind him. “We are already marching at the highest speed. It will take us at least a month if we were marching at normal speed,” he laughed. “War is hard work, not fun.”

Yunxiao glared at him. “Fun? I just wish to arrive faster so I can find Chen Zhen some herbs to temporarily stabilize his cultivation level and negate the negative effects you’ve done on him.”

“Ugh…” Chen Dasheng felt there was something stuck in his throat, and he found that the boy’s aura was somehow suppressing his, which upset him. ‘After all, I’m the commander in chief. I need to tone the boy’s arrogance down a little,’ he thought to himself.

Pointing at the troops, who were marching at the highest speed, he asked, “What do you think of the army, boy?”

Yunxiao answered indifferently, “Mediocre at best.”

“Mediocre at best?” Chen Dasheng scoffed. “You really are a green boy who has never experienced the world. This is an army of four hundred thousand troops. Although they are not the best, they are well-disciplined and well-trained, which can be seen from the details of their marching,” he lectured with a triumphant look on his face. “And look at that cloud of murderous air faintly visible over the army, which can only be produced when an army has gone through battles of life and death. The murderous air can…”

“Alright, I know that,” Yunxiao cut him off. “It’s already noon, time for you to take your medicine. Don’t forget to ask Teacher Yunshang to suppress your cold poison.”

Chen Dasheng stood frozen to the spot and felt extremely embarrassed while the people around tried hard to suppress their laughter by covering their mouths with their hands. In a fit of rage, he said, “I know you are an alchemist, and you might think you are someone great because of that! But marching and warring are…”

Yunxiao furrowed his eyebrows as he interrupted the old man once again, “Murderous air, you said?” He pointed a finger at the student army, which was guarding the various provisions at the rear, and said, “Ten days later, before the army enters the city of Yangpu, the murderous air of these two thousand student troops will suppress your army of four hundred thousand troops! Do you believe it?”

“Haha! Your arrogance knows no bounds! Do you think murderous air is the air we all breathe? Something you can get with just the wave of your hand?” Chen Dasheng burst into wild laughter.

Pointing at his own head, Yunxiao said coldly, “I now make a military pledge with my head, that if I lose ten days later, I’ll cut my head down and let you kick it like a ball! But if I win, I will replace you as the commander in chief, and I want you to run errands for me!”

Chen Dasheng’s expression changed drastically, and all the people around them were astounded. “A military pledge is not a game. As the commander of the student army, you should know that you are held accountable for every word you say!”

Yunxiao chuckled and cocked his head. “Of course, I know! But, I have to hand the task of guarding the provisions back to you. I’ll make them march faster now. See you ten days later at Yangpu!”

By the time he had finished, he leaped into the air and fell lightly on another chariot, followed by Ji Meng, Jia Rong, Meng Wu and her brother, Chen Zhen, and Han Bai. Standing on top of the chariot, Yunxiao cried out at the top of his lungs, “Boys and girls of the student army, listen up! Put down all the provisions now and march at full speed behind my chariot!”

The sergeant lashed at the horses, making Yunxiao’s chariot rumble past the rest and soon leading the army. Soon, the two thousand students increased their speed and caught up with him.

These students were warriors with extraordinary strength. No matter it was their stamina or cultivation base, they were at least several times stronger than ordinary soldiers, so it did not take them too much effort to begin running. Soon, led by Yunxiao, the student army overtook the army and marched into the distance.

Chen Dasheng’s face flickered as he watched the cloud of dust that obscured the sky ahead.

“Dad, how could you let him go?” Chen Lin said shockingly. “He’s talking nonsense! Do you really believe he can make the student army produce a murderous air stronger than the Central Army in just ten days while they need to march along the way?”

“Of course not!” said Chen Dasheng with a cold snort.

That confused Chen Lin. “Then…then why did you…and he has made the pledge with his head…If he really…”

Chen Dasheng suddenly slapped him on the back of the head and snapped, “Anyone here heard his military pledge? Do you really want me to kill that boy with military law? When the time comes, I’ll just tie him up and give him a beating!” After saying that, he turned and started toward his own tent while muttering to himself as he walked, “Aye, my body has started to ache again. It’s really time to take my medicine…”

As he turned, he caught the sight of Xiao Qingwang and Luo Yunshang, who at some point had come onto the chariot. The tiny beads of sweat covering Luo Yunshang’s forehead clearly showed that she had just exhausted a significant amount of Primordial Qi.

“Teacher Luo, can you continue?” Chen Dasheng asked.

Luo Yunshang smiled and said, “No problem. I wonder where Li Yunxiao found the healing method. When I suppress the cold poison in you, I can feel my pure Yang energy growing as well, and the result seems to be better than cultivating in seclusion!”

Chen Dasheng said angrily, “Don’t mention that boy again. See if I don’t tie him up and beat him into a cripple!”

Xiao Qingwang, who had been quiet, smiled and said, “Oh? I don’t think you will have the chance to do that.” His voice suggested that he was eager to see Chen Dasheng run errands for Yunxiao.

Chen Dasheng paused for a moment, then put on a look of disbelief.

…

For a moment, everyone around Yunxiao was silent. It was after some time that Chen Zhen smiled wryly and said, “Young Master Yun, you’ve gone too far this time. With that military pledge of yours, my grandfather will surely give you a severe beating if he decides to not cut your head…”

“It’s nothing but producing some murderous air. Do you think it’s very difficult to achieve?” Yunxiao smiled.

Han Bai said seriously, “It’s nothing but producing some murderous air? I can’t believe you would say that. Do you know what murderous air is? It can only be accumulated in the body after a soldier has fought with real weapons on the battlefield. Once the soldier returns to the battlefield, it will be released to boost the soldier’s fighting strength. It can’t be trained in ten years if the soldier did not go to the battlefield in person, let alone ten days!”

Yunxiao did not seem to worry. “Well, that can be easily solved by letting them experience battles of life and death.”

Paying no mind to the astounded expressions around him, he shouted loudly, “I want the army to march at full speed and arrive outside of Yangpu in four days!” He smiled, and then said in a voice that could only be heard by those near him, “I’ll send you to hell in the remaining six days!”

He turned and walked into the tent, his sleeves waving.

Not daring to disturb him, the rest of the people sat outside the tent and began to meditate.

Along the way, the sergeant rode the chariot as fast as he could. As the two thousand students were all warriors, they could run even faster than those horses, but no one had dared to overtake Yunxiao’s chariot, and they just followed closely behind.

On the third day, the spirit of the students had completely collapsed. The column was dragged to a few miles long as they ran along the road with pale faces. Many of them were looking at the chariot ahead with hatred in their hearts. ‘Why do we have to run like cows for three days when those good-for-nothings can sit comfortably in the chariot?’

But, there were two figures that still followed closely behind the chariot and did not show any weariness, who were once the idols of many students. Clenching their jaws, Lin Yu and Bai Chengfeng did not complain as they ran behind the chariot, and their eyes were burning with determination!