parentshiftbook Chapter 67: The Black Abyss Army
Chapter 67: The Black Abyss Army
"What! Attacking Gui Tianhe?" Zhang Ping thought he had misheard and asked again.
Lu Wanrou nodded with a worried expression: "The news just sent by the Demon Extermination Bureau should have been received by the Sitong Martial Arts School as well."
"The Demon Exorcism Bureau wants to save the people of Songping County?"
After a moment's surprise, Zhang Ping quickly understood the purpose of the conscription order. By the time of the evacuation, Gui Tianhe had already been sealed off by the Turtle Prime Minister and his demons, and the road to the east was also cut off, making it virtually impossible for the people of Songping County to escape.
Indeed, the head of the Demon Extermination Bureau of the prefectural city is still in Songping County, along with a large number of powerful individuals. It would be abnormal if they were swallowed up by demons.
The early summer breeze carried a hint of heat. Goldfish swam slowly around the lotus leaves in the pond, blowing bubbles. In the pavilion, a man and a woman sat facing each other, their expressions solemn.
"The Demon Extermination Bureau specifically requested three Body Refining Warriors from the Lu family." Lu Wanrou said with a worried expression. The Lu family originally only had three Body Refining Warriors, but recently they had become financially well-off and purchased a lot of secret medicines, finally managing to gather five. After taking three away, the remaining two simply couldn't keep the business running. Moreover, attacking Gui Tianhe and fighting demons would inevitably result in casualties.
Zhang Ping didn't reply, his face equally grim. Remembering Nangong Feiyan's earlier avoidance, he suddenly asked, "Is the Nangong family also sending someone?"
"All forces within the city must obey the summons of the Demon Extermination Bureau. The greater the force, the more people they must send," Lu Wanrou replied, glancing at him curiously. "Are you related to the Nangong family?"
As expected. Zhang Ping's guess was confirmed; the martial arts school had probably been assigned a quota by the Nangong family for this recruitment.
"The martial arts school is an affiliated force of the Nangong family, so they will probably have to send quite a few people this time."
"Is Brother Zhang going too?" Lu Wanrou hadn't expected this connection, her face paled, and she looked at him with concern.
"Um."
Her expression shifted, and she said, "Ghost Tianhe's place is too dangerous... How about I have a martial artist from the Lu family take your place?"
Zhang Ping was surprised by Lu Wanrou's words and looked at her in astonishment, until her cheeks flushed. He then stood up, walked behind Lu Wanrou, and pressed her shoulder to stop her from standing up.
He bent down and leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear: "Sister Rou has been so good to me, how can I repay her?" Before he finished speaking, his tongue swept across her glistening earlobe.
A tingling, electric-like sensation coursed through her body, and Lu Wanrou trembled: "Brother Zhang, don't do this..."
A pair of large hands slid down her slender shoulders...
Leaving the Lu residence, Zhang Ping looked around. Pedestrians hurried along the street, all discussing the attack on Gui Tianhe.
After crossing two streets, they bumped into a group of demon-slaying soldiers running past. The leader saw Zhang Ping and suddenly called out, "Zhang Ping!"
Zhang Ping stopped and frowned, looking at him: "Captain Xu?"
Xu Rulin, holding a large sword, stood tall and imposing, his square face radiating righteousness. He walked up to Zhang Ping and said, "What happened last time was for official business. Please forgive me if I offended you."
Zhang Ping was quite surprised to hear these words, thinking that he was going to cause trouble.
Xu Rulin paused, then said, "With demons wreaking havoc, it is the time for martial artists to protect the common people. I hope you will participate in this attack on Gui Tianhe. You are already able to condense sword energy at the Flesh Refining Realm, which shows your talent. If you can make contributions in the battle, I can recommend you to join the Demon Extermination Division!" After saying that, he turned and left.
Watching the other person's back, Zhang Ping's lips twitched. He couldn't tell whether Xu Rulin's words were sincere or if he had ulterior motives.
"Strange person." He shook his head and quickened his pace to return to the martial arts school.
Stepping through the vermilion gate, shouts of "Hey! Hah!" echoed from the newly built training ground on the left. A group of young men and women were sweating profusely, laying the foundation for their martial arts training. On the right, in the pavilion, craftsmen were busy going in and out, with stone and timber being continuously brought in through the side door.
After establishing the reputation of "Ghost Blade," the martial arts school's fame spread far and wide, and the number of apprentices surged. The original location was insufficient, so after consulting with Zhang Ping, Wang Dashan purchased surrounding land to expand. Now, it finally resembled the grandeur of the Lingchuan Sitong Martial Arts School.
Zhang Ping glanced at Wang Dashan, who was teaching his disciples to practice standing on the mountain stance in the training ground, composed himself, walked around the crowd, and didn't go over to greet him.
In the study in the backyard, Fu Huiying stood in front of a map, studying it intently. The map outlined the terrain of Lanjiang Prefecture, with the Guitian River running through its center.
"Madam." A pair of large hands wrapped around her voluptuous waist from behind, groping up and down her lower abdomen. Hearing that familiar voice, Fu Huiying rolled her eyes and pulled his hands away.
"What time is it? How can you still be thinking about this!"
"In the battle against Gui Tianhe, the Demon Extermination Division specifically requested two Flesh Refining Warriors from the Martial Arts Academy," Fu Huiying said gravely. The Martial Arts Academy currently only has three Flesh Refining Warriors: Zhang Ping, Wang Dashan, and an older disciple who was injured years ago. His cultivation level is only at the early stage of Flesh Refining, and his strength is lower than that of ordinary Flesh Refining Warriors.
"Also, the Nangong family just sent someone to assign a meat refining position."
Therefore, once the war begins, even if all the martial arts school's elite forces are deployed, the strongest remaining will only be at the Body Tempering Realm. If someone attacks, they will be powerless to resist.
Zhang Ping had obviously thought of this as well, and comforted her, "Madam, please move to the Lu family's residence temporarily in a few days." He was not comfortable leaving Fu Huiying at the martial arts school, so sending her to the Lu family's residence was the safest option.
The Nangong family is certainly safer, but sending them there would be tantamount to handing over a handle against them.
"I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about you, you little guy." Fu Huiying sighed, pursed her lips, and asked in a low voice, "Just how strong are you? You know Zhang Ping is hiding his abilities."
"Strength to withstand bone forging."
In just one day, the prices of secret medicines in the shops of various families in Lanjiang City more than doubled, and the prices of various materials also rose sharply!
Even so, it couldn't dampen the martial artists' enthusiasm for buying. Especially the independent martial artists, almost all of them were conscripted. Their skills were rudimentary, and they were like drowning people, desperately trying to seize any opportunity to improve their strength.
Outside Lanjiang City, a black-armored army halted in orderly steps. Passersby quickly made way for them, fearing to offend them.
"The Black Abyss Army of the Imperial Capital!"
"The imperial court actually sent the Black Abyss Army!"
Those who recognized the black-armored soldiers gasped in surprise. A bystander asked, "What is the background of the Black Abyss Army?"
A vigorous martial artist standing nearby glanced at him disdainfully:
"The Black Abyss Army is the Imperial Guard of the capital, practicing special military formations. Once in formation, they are a unified whole, possessing overwhelming power! Even our Chief Commander must avoid their sharp edge; they are the court's unparalleled weapon!"
Within the territory of the Great Wei, the Demon Extermination Bureau guards the land, slaying demons and monsters, while the national army is responsible for external wars.
A century ago, the Black Abyss Army decisively defeated an enemy nation on the southern frontier, forcing them to cede territory and sue for peace! After a brief respite on the border, they were ordered to expand into the Western Poison Forest and defeat the last remaining dragon species in the world! Although they were later dismantled due to unforeseen circumstances, their main force remains intact and they are still the sharp sword protecting the capital.
The fact that the imperial court has now sent him to Lanjiang Prefecture to assist in the fight demonstrates the importance they attach to this demonic disturbance.