All of the Black Robes Cavalry were at least Xiantian Beings. Otherwise, they would not survive the terrifying weight of the armor.
The infantry armor was made up of 1,825 armor plates, typically weighing around 35 kilograms. Adding more plates improved protection but also increased the burden. Crossbowmen’s armor was lighter, at around 30 kilograms; archers at 40 kilograms; and gunmen up to 42 kilograms. On the battlefield, an archer’s gear could be temporarily boosted to 42 kilograms and a gunman’s to 53 kilograms.
That was the pinnacle of armor weight at the time—53 kilograms. In contrast, the Black Robes Heavy Cavalry Armor weighed nearly ten times more.
Ordinary Houtian Beings would be crushed to death under such weight. Only Xiantian Beings with strong physiques could even hope to wear it, let alone move freely in it. That was why most of the Black Robes were Martial Arts Practitioners.
Their mounts were dragon-horse hybrids, also called Dragon Horses. These beasts had immense strength. They bore the weight of the fully armored rider and wore armor themselves that covered even their bellies and hooves. Altogether, they carried nearly one tonne of weight and could still charge forward fearlessly.
Including the Dragon Horse, each fully equipped cavalry unit weighed about 1,500 kilograms. The cost for the rider’s and the horse’s armor alone was nearly 20,000 Taiping coins, not including training a Martial Arts Practitioner fit to take on the role and their salary. So 10 riders meant 200,000 Taiping coins; 100 would be 2 million Taiping coins; 1,000 would be 20 million Taiping coins.
For comparison, Daoist income across the entire realm in one year only totaled about 100 million Taiping coins. This cavalry was the pinnacle of elite forces—an army literally built from gold and silver.
In some ways, even the Spirit Guard’s Armor was not this expensive, since its value came mostly from divine power. The Black Robes Armor relied purely on its material and craftsmanship.
The Great Xuan Court currently maintained about 9,000 such cavalry units. They were not created all at once but accumulated over decades or even centuries. Many sets of armor were passed down from generation to generation. If a rider died, the armor had to be recovered at all costs.
Still, they got what they paid for. The sheer might of the Black Robes Cavalry was unmatched. Their formation charges were like a tidal wave of steel. Any common Jianghu master or Fenglin’s cavalry would crumble on impact. They were mere rabble before a force that could defeat 10,000 men.
For the current Fenglin campaign, the Great Xuan Court had dispatched over 3,000 Black Robes Cavalry, transported aboard the ironclad warships.
Alongside them, nearly 90,000 additional Black Robes would arrive in waves, forming a so-called 100,000-strong army under a single Commander of Land Forces.
The Daoists’ flying ships were unmatched in speed and might, but there were simply too few Spirit Guards to effectively control the ground.
Without control over the ground, they would not be able to truly suppress this rebellion.
To accomplish this, a vast number of ground troops was essential.
Each ironclad warship could carry only 1,000 Black Robes Cavalry, so it took three ironclad warships to transport all 3,000 of them.
The 3,000 Black Robes Cavalry assembled into formation, emanating murderous intent, awaiting inspection by Sage Qingwei.
Behind them stood other Black Robes forces, including the Divine Armory.
Toyotomi Chiyo no longer looked at the cavalry. Instead, she turned her gaze to the elevated platform, where Sage Qingwei had stepped up.
Due to her status, Toyotomi Chiyo had met many prominent figures, yet among them all, Sage Qingwei appeared the youngest and, by far, the most handsome.
Of course, Toyotomi Chiyo knew about the rules passed down by the fifth-generation Grand Master, that Daoists were not to stand out too much. But some people simply looked young by nature. Besides, times had changed. Men were no longer required to keep beards. Sage Qingwei was clean-shaven, which made him appear even younger.
This also tied back to the Li family’s past. The Li family was peculiar. Every few generations, it would produce a stunningly brilliant yet wildly rebellious figure. Strictly speaking, the Holy Xuan was such a man. He had once fiercely clashed with the Li family.
Sage Qingwei had been the same in his youth—unmatched in brilliance, disdainful of his elders, defiant of rules, and always acting in unexpected ways.
Li Qingnu’s adoptive mother, Li Tianyue, had often been bullied by Sage Qingwei in their younger days simply because he disapproved of her conduct. Even Li Minghuang’s adoptive father had not been spared such torments.
Yet that was nothing compared to Sage Qingwei’s greatest act of rebellion—changing his own name. In the Li family, generational names followed the order Chang, You, Tian, and Ming. Sage Qingwei belonged to the You-generation, just one below Li Changgeng. But, emulating the Holy Xuan and Donghuang, Sage Qingwei discarded his birth name and called himself Li Wugou, which meant unblemished. His chosen courtesy name was Zhi Qing, which meant utmost clarity.
At the time, many Li family members gossiped in private, saying that Sage Qingwei’s name change aligned him with the Zhang family’s Wu-generation, corresponding to the Li family’s Chang-generation. Some even mocked that he might as well change his last name to Zhang while he was at it.
Madam Qi, Sage Qingwei, and Sage Donghua were all part of the Daoist Order’s seventh-generation disciples. Madam Qi had been a rebellious one too, so she and Sage Qingwei had once shared a kindred bond. Her assessment of him was that he was a man who was always at odds with the world and even more with himself.
A man born into one of the top prestigious Daoist families insisted on carving his legacy on the battlefield with his own hands. He would often join the Black Robes in war zones, openly looking down on other scions of noble families. In this regard, he was much like Qi Xuansu. Both held contempt for the nobles, yet both ultimately could not do without the power such families wielded. They could not truly overturn the old order.
At the age of thirty, Sage Qingwei finally saw things clearly. He reined in his temper and sharp edges, choosing to reconcile with his family. With their support, he rose rapidly, eventually becoming the second-in-command of the Taiping Sect and the Second Omniscient Sage of the Golden Tower Council.
Though he eventually yielded, traces of rebellion still lingered with him, such as his refusal to grow a beard. While the others kept facial hair, he remained clean-shaven, marking him as an outlier among the Omniscient Sages.
As for his appearance, Sage Qingwei was undeniably a striking man, with refined and elegant features.
In terms of charisma alone, Sage Qingwei could win over hearts effortlessly, especially those of women.
However, Sage Qingwei was already married and settled. Among the Three Daoist Heirs, he was the only one with a Daoist companion. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, he wed a noble daughter of the Qin family just a year after reconciling with the Li family. It was unclear if this drastic change of course was tied to that marriage.
Toyotomi Chiyo, like so many young women, gazed upon Sage Qingwei as he addressed the crowd. Yet in her eyes was not admiration, but hope for vengeance.
Her elder brother had been the Regent Kampaku, yet he died under suspicious circumstances. In her view, it was likely the work of the Sonno-joi faction. After all, if those so-called patriots dared attempt an open assassination on Sage Qingwei, they would surely be capable of murdering the Kampaku.
Though her status was lofty, Toyotomi Chiyo had no rights of succession. Thus, if she wanted revenge, she had to rely on the Daoist Order, specifically, the Sage Commander Li Wugou.
Sage Qingwei spoke in a resounding voice. “The traitorous rabble dare cloak themselves in false loyalty, shouting empty slogans of reverence for the emperor while turning their blades upon the Dao. Do not be fooled! They are but jesters playing at war, desecrating the land with chaos and pride.
“The Daoist Order burns with righteous fury at their insolence, and we grieve deeply for the fall of Fenglin’s peace and glory. Now, by the decree of the Fenglin Court and in the name of Heaven’s mandate, we ride—not for conquest, but for justice. We march to purge rebellion, restore order, and reclaim a future worthy of the people!
“Warriors of Fenglin! Let your blades swing with purpose! Let all noble hearts rise at the call of justice! From the lowliest retainer to the proudest commander, those who cast aside treachery and return to the path shall be rewarded beyond station. Past sins shall be forgiven in full.
“But to the stubborn and the defiant, know this—when the Celestial Army descends, mercy will no longer be given. The judgment of heaven will fall swiftly and resolutely. Regret then shall come, but it will be far too late.”