"The Black Tiger Army has already entered the city. Currently, the only news we can get about the Barbarian Clan is from those deserters, so obtaining accurate intelligence will still take some time. However, Jincheng is definitely a place the Barbarian Clan won’t ignore. Last night, Demon Evils attacked the Yamen; their intentions undoubtedly included annihilating the Yamen to create panic within the city. If that attack failed, I believe they might try to incite further chaos. The Black Tiger Army is already focusing on this and conducting thorough inspections, but with Lord Shen’s assistance, things should be much better."
By the end, Nie Xu brought the topic around to Shen Changqing.
Regarding Shen Changqing’s strength, he valued it highly. Truth be told, Nie Xu wasn’t sure whether Shen Changqing would stay in Jincheng or return to the Demon-Subduing Division to report on his mission. After all, Shen Changqing had only come to Jincheng for a mission; if he truly needed to report back to the Demon-Subduing Division, Nie Xu could do nothing to stop him. Moreover, he didn’t have the right to dictate actions to someone from the Demon-Subduing Division.
Shen Changqing said, "Although the Demon-Subduing Division is committed to eradicating Demon Evils, it also has a duty to protect the Human Clan. Now that the Barbarian Clan has invaded the Great Wilderness Prefecture, it’s out of the question for me to stand idly by."
"Such nobility, Lord Shen!" Nie Xu bowed slightly in respect. "Now that the Barbarian Clan and Demon Evils are collaborating, their purpose is to throw Jincheng into chaos. Although the Wanhua Building stronghold of the Eternal Alliance has been uprooted, I believe there are still places within the city where Demon Evils are hiding. Therefore, I hope Lord Shen can join forces with the Black Tiger Army to conduct a sweep through the city. After all, Demon Evils are incredibly adept at hiding, and ordinary people can hardly detect them."
Demon Evils excel at hiding. In his opinion, people from the Demon-Subduing Division should have methods to find where Demon Evils are concealed. If nothing else, even their techniques for sensing Yin Evil Aura are unmatched by ordinary people.
Ever since the Black Tiger Army entered the city, news of the Barbarian Clan’s attack on the Great Wilderness Prefecture hadn’t caused panic among the citizens of Jincheng; instead, it had united them. In less than half a day, the Black Tiger Army had already taken control of all locations in Jincheng that required military defense. Simultaneously, they promptly established their main camp where the Wanhua Building once stood.
"The Black Tiger Army’s headquarters is set up at the Wanhua Building; it seems they don’t take the Eternal Alliance seriously!" Shen Changqing mused with a slight smile as he looked at the tents erected before him.
The Eternal Alliance used to have a stronghold at the Wanhua Building. Now, the Black Tiger Army had directly pitched their tents on its ruins, clearly aiming to slight the Eternal Alliance. Of course, if it were him, he might have done the same. Given the limited space within the city, this was undoubtedly the best place to set up camp. As for the Eternal Alliance, frankly, the Black Tiger Army had no need to fear them. As one of the renowned strong armies of Great Qin, the Black Tiger Army was confident in its ability to slay even the Demon Evils of the Eternal Alliance.
Soldiers clad in black armor stood guard in front of the tents. After Shen Changqing identified himself, he was led by the soldiers into the Central Military Tent.
Inside, a bulky, middle-aged, robust man sat like an iron tower, creating a strong visual impact. A faint scent of blood hung in the air, a scent Shen Changqing was all too familiar with.
"Shen Changqing of the Demon-Subduing Division, here to see General Chu!" he announced, clasping his fists with a formal expression.
The man before him, Chu Ding, was a general of the Black Tiger Army, commanding only 12,000 Black Tiger soldiers. His rank might not be much higher than Nie Xu’s. But in reality, if one were to compare their true status, Chu Ding’s position was, strictly speaking, a cut above Nie Xu’s. The simplest reason was that one held actual power, while the other had scarcely any strength at his disposal. Therefore, although Shen Changqing hailed from the Demon-Subduing Division, he had to show Chu Ding a certain level of respect. Not to mention, the man before him was not only a general of the Black Tiger Army but also a Martial Artist of the Innate Realm.
As Shen Changqing spoke, Chu Ding’s sharp, tiger-like eyes turned to him. Then, a deep voice sounded, "So, Lord Shen from the Demon-Subduing Division has arrived. No need for such courtesy, please take a seat."
"Thank you, General Chu." Shen Changqing nodded and sat down in the seat to the lower left.
After he was seated, Chu Ding said, "I’ve long heard of Lord Shen’s renown. Among the Martial Artists currently in Jincheng, none can compare to you. Seeing you now, it’s clear your reputation is well-deserved."
"General Chu is too modest," Shen Changqing replied, his expression unchanged. "I hear that General Chu is also a Martial Artist of the Innate Outer Gang Realm."
The room seemed to quiet for a moment. Then, Chu Ding gazed at him and smiled. "To be honest, I’d very much like to have a proper sparring match with you. Not for any other reason than to test myself against a top-tier Martial Artist of the Innate Realm. Perhaps through that, I could touch the threshold of the Grandmaster Realm.
"It’s a pity the current situation isn’t suitable. We can only wait until the matter with the Barbarian Clan is settled."
"I await that day," Shen Changqing readily agreed.
Chu Ding wanted to spar with him, and he likewise wished to spar with Chu Ding. To be honest, from the moment he first saw Chu Ding, he had felt an overwhelming pressure from the man, an indication that Chu Ding’s strength was far from that of an ordinary Innate Outer Gang practitioner. For Martial Artists seeking a breakthrough, besides secluded cultivation, the most effective method was to compete with experts of the same Realm. Battles were often the most beneficial. However, as Chu Ding said, the current situation was not conducive to fighting. The reason was simple: if the two of them were to fight and either one was accidentally injured, it would have a significant impact.
The pleasantries were brief. Shen Changqing then said, "Now that the Black Tiger Army has fully entered the city, I wonder what General Chu’s plan is? With the strength of only 12,000 Black Tiger Army soldiers, defending Jincheng will be quite difficult, I fear!"
As the topic shifted, the atmosphere in the tent immediately grew heavy.
"The Barbarian Clan’s onslaught is ferocious; they were able to break through the Great Wilderness Prefecture’s gates overnight. The force they’ve dispatched this time should not be underestimated. According to messages from the border, the attacking Barbarians may number up to 1,000,000. However, Jincheng isn’t a particularly important city, so it’s unlikely that 1,000,000 Barbarians will all come to attack it. It’s more probable that their main army will split up to conquer the entirety of the Great Wilderness Prefecture. Therefore, the Barbarian forces Jincheng might face would, at most, be around 100,000."
One hundred thousand Barbarians! Shen Changqing’s brow furrowed. "Even if it’s 100,000 Barbarians, with Jincheng’s current state, it may not be able to hold out!"
"Indeed," Chu Ding nodded. "The Barbarian Clan survives in the Barbarian Desolation, where conditions are harsh. Those who live there have developed a fierce, death-defying character. The power that 100,000 such Barbarians can bring to a siege is more terrifying than that of a regular army of 100,000. Once the news gets out, it will still take some time for Imperial Court reinforcements to arrive. For now, I have already begun to seal off the city and consolidate our strength in preparation for battle."
"The forces that can be integrated within the city probably aren’t substantial," Shen Changqing remarked.
"Indeed, not much," Chu Ding replied, his expression calm, his deep voice resonating. "But now, we have no retreat. If the Barbarian Clan attacks, we can only defend the city to the death. We absolutely cannot allow them to break through, or the Great Wilderness Prefecture will suffer even more severe losses. Moreover, I have already ordered the integration of all Jianghu forces in Jincheng. Although those Martial Artists are not skilled in military strategy, their individual combat strength is not weak. With their assistance, they can be of some use."
"Jianghu Martial Artists!?" Shen Changqing was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood.
Indeed, as a large city, it was normal for Jincheng to have Jianghu Martial Artists. Yet he often overlooked this fact. Jianghu Martial Artists, when compared with the Demon-Subduing Division, were still greatly lacking. At Shen Changqing’s level, unless they were top-notch Jianghu Martial Artists, ordinary practitioners simply wouldn’t catch his eye. After all, in the Jianghu, those who could reach the Innate Realm were almost qualified to establish their own sects, and those who could reach the Grandmaster Realm were considered top-tier existences.
Chu Ding continued, "With the great battle ahead, I have already integrated all the Jianghu Martial Artists. Last night, Demon Evils attacked the Yamen, and Demon Evils also targeted civilians in various places, only to be intercepted by the Black Tiger Army. But it’s said that while you can be a thief for a thousand days, you can’t guard against one for a thousand days. Instead of passively waiting for Demon Evils to make a move, it’s better for us to take the initiative and eradicate all hidden threats within Jincheng. This way, we can focus on battling the Barbarian Clan with peace of mind."
He paused briefly before adding, "Even if Lord Shen hadn’t come to the Black Tiger Army today, I would have sought you out. After all, you’re from the Demon-Subduing Division and naturally possess methods for dealing with Demon Evils. With your help, I believe no Demon Evils within Jincheng will have a chance to escape."
Outside the tent, unnoticed as to when they had started to arrive, a group of Jianghu individuals had gathered. There were men and women, old and young, each with distinctly different attire and expressions.
"The Black Tiger Army summoning us this time... it’s no trivial matter," remarked an old man dressed in brocade, looking at the surrounding Black Tiger Army guards with a sneer. "Heh, I heard the Barbarian Clan is about to attack. Looks like there’s no backing out now!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the nearby Jianghu individuals turned sour. They all understood the meaning behind his words perfectly well. With the Barbarian Clan attacking and the Black Tiger Army summoning them, the purpose was all too clear.
Watching the expressions of those around him, Tang Hong secretly shook his head but chose not to say anything further.
At this moment, the most important thing for him was to figure out how to survive this situation. It was obvious that confronting the Black Tiger Army was impossible. Not just for him; even the Pill Sect backing him didn’t have the resources to challenge the Black Tiger Army.