The Legend of Swing Sword and Execution of Demons

Chapter 774 Recruiting Troops Back Home
"Ji Mucheng's vision is particularly far-reaching."

He clearly realized that the most important thing to change the world order was population.

"An extremely large population is required to wage war."

"His status as a member of the royal family had long lost its effectiveness, and could not bring him a population comparable to that of a nation or clan during his limited lifespan."

"If we can't get ideas from the living, we might as well try them on the dead."

"Since he became known as one of the Fourteen Evils, he has never stopped."

He traveled from south to north and from north to south, constantly cultivating and experimenting.

"Successfully turned the human body into the most suitable breeding ground and driving force for the corpse worm to take root."

"He also became the true leader of the undead army."

"The intensity and speed of such an undead army's invasion are far faster and more difficult to prevent than the outbreak and spread of a plague."

"It's not that sewage is poured into clean water, but rather that a source of pollution that can continuously pollute the water body is created in the clean water."

"In the end, as long as we can eliminate this source of pollution and complete the most crucial 'decapitation operation,' everything will be over."

A silvery sound tinkled in the southeast corner tower of Yudu City.

The hundred or so ears inside and outside the corner tower listened carefully, but few eyes turned to Ji Qianlin's bare feet pacing back and forth or her alluring figure that was faintly visible beneath her dirty and tattered clothes.

"Initially, we failed to do our best to eliminate the source of pollution while it was still relatively small. As time went on, most of the clean water became polluted, and the source of pollution became harder to find and even harder to eliminate."

Amidst the alternating red and dark glow of a golden cigarette butt, Ning Xiaoyao's high-pitched yet deep voice rang out.

The head manager of the Red Dust Inn was the leader of Zi Feng's group of one hundred people.

Three hours ago, while they were exploring Yudu City, they were besieged by more than three thousand corpse soldiers.

A group of more than twenty people, led by Ji Qianlin, seemed to have just happened to be passing by and helped them clear away the scourge of corpse soldiers inside and outside Yudu City.

After learning that Ji Qianlin had escaped all the way back from Yunze Realm to fetch reinforcements, Ning Xiaoyao and the others clearly needed to know more details.

Ji Qianlin continued Ning Xiaoyao's words, saying, "That's right. As more and more martial artists are buried among the corpse soldiers, more and more experts are being selected, trained, and refined by Ji Mucheng. The ranks of the Undead Warriors are becoming larger and their methods are becoming more ruthless."

Ning Xiaoyao took the pipe out of his mouth, and two streams of smoke flowed down from his nostrils. He then picked up the pipe and tapped his head lightly, indicating that he had already foreseen the current situation but was troubled by not being able to find a solution.

After exhaling the last smoke ring, Ning Xiaoyao asked, "Then, Miss Ji, could you tell us how large the Undead Warriors are now? Besides Duo Mingze, who joined early on, the vicious demon child Sha Bao who was hidden by Ji Mucheng as a human weapon, and the former Dragon Slayer Swordsman Xiao Xiong who unfortunately perished and was controlled, how many other troublesome figures are there? This way, we can make some preparations in advance."

Ji Qianlin didn't beat around the bush, nor did he intend to hide anything; he simply stated:

"As you all probably know, although it is difficult for a martial artist controlled by the Corpse Gu to reproduce the wonderful skills and moves he had before his death, his freedom of movement, resistance to blows, explosive power, and endurance are greatly enhanced, which is enough to surpass the original lower limit of his strength."

"Therefore, in my opinion, even the most outstanding second-rate experts in life can cause us considerable trouble in their corpse state."

"Before I left Yunze Realm, I was able to confirm that there were 23 members in the Undead Warriors group."

"Of these twenty-three people, two should be alive for the time being."

"Former Deputy Pavilion Master Youxian and Deputy Leader Han Gongjin of Cangfeng Pavilion."

"These two are like brothers with Zuo Feng, but they can't even urinate in the same pot as Yu Le."

"After Yu Le took full control of Cangfeng Pavilion, the two disappeared without a trace."

"Now that I think about it, it was because he saw the decline of Zhongzhou that he sought a new patron and went to Ji Mucheng's command."

"The two are not yet dead, so it is impossible to determine whether they have been infected with the corpse-curing worm."

"In addition to the three undead warriors that Manager Ning mentioned needing to be careful of, there is also Du Ziteng, the Pig God of the Temple of Gods, Ning Kuang of the Listening Rain Pavilion, Yu Shou Nu Pili of the Sky-Supporting Clan, and Hua Qiang Yu Lin, who is said to have been hiding in Tianya Town all these years."

"These ten people are probably the most threatening."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt that the fog in Chongqing had thickened even more, as if shrouded in gloomy clouds.

Ning Xiaoyao lost all interest in smoking and felt a sense of unease in his chest.

"I remember that Yu Shou Nu Pi Li was a rather unruly girl. She drank twenty jars of aged wine in our inn and got more than ten martial arts heroes drunk. She loved to wander around and meddle in other people's business. Later, she was subdued by Jun Chi, who was in a wheelchair, and joined the Qingtian Clan. However, she always acted alone and stayed outside the organization. If she had followed Jun Chi and the others, even if she died on the battlefield, she would not have died without peace."

Ji Qianlin didn't know much about Yu Shou Nu Pi Li, and just hearing the sighs didn't evoke any more sadness. He only added, "Yu Shou Nu Pi Li is indeed very righteous and extremely brave. When I saw her last time, she single-handedly blocked a path of zombie soldiers and plucked no less than fifty heads with her bare hands. Perhaps that's why she was targeted... When we left the front line, she had only been dead for less than three days, but her combat power far exceeded You Xian's and was comparable to Tathagata Saint Hand."

The atmosphere in the corner tower seemed even more frozen, not entirely because the enemy was too strong, but also because of the shared grief of kindred spirits.

Regardless of whether they were familiar with or unfamiliar with these names before today, whether they were friends or enemies, from today onwards, they must eliminate each other, or they may very well become one of them.

To become, in the eyes of others, a nameless, but in reality, dead warrior.

After a moment of silence, Ning Xiaoyao still felt it necessary to deepen his understanding of the situation on the front lines, and asked three or four questions in succession.

"Before you leave, how many combat-ready troops do we have left? What is the status of our supplies? How many undead soldiers have we encountered along the way? Do we have a rough estimate? How much more combat power do we need to replenish our forces to hopefully resolve the current problems?"

Ji Qianlin returned with a heavy mission to seek reinforcements, and he was well-prepared for such problems.

"There are still more than 50,000 soldiers ahead, but they are mostly stationed in the city or responsible for supply dispatch and tactical support."

"The main fighting force consists of nearly a thousand people from the martial arts world, mainly former members of the Temple of Gods, Phoenix Cry Pavilion, and the Stone Mansion of Tianya Town, as well as members from more than twenty other gangs such as Listening to the Rain Pavilion and A Song of Flowing Years Pavilion."

"When people were evacuated from various places, not all the supplies could be taken away. More than 50% of the supplies were left behind. The difficulty was that manpower needed to be allocated for transportation, and of course, appropriate protection was also required."

"We formed a team of thirty men to retreat from the front line. On the way, we encountered six groups of a hundred-man zombie soldiers. We fought them twice and lost six men. We avoided them the remaining four times."

"The intelligence that the front line can find out is that Ji Mucheng currently has at least 200,000 corpse soldiers under his control, of which 50,000 are divided into smaller groups of 100 people each, infiltrating into the inland heart of Zhongzhou through the dense forests and marshes of Yunze.

"Their purpose is obvious: in addition to the main battlefield, they also try to directly pollute and transform the rear of Zhongzhou into more zombie soldiers as a fresh force."

"The last question is one that I doubt anyone can answer definitively."

The consensus among Ghostly Demoness, Tathagata Saint Hand, Yue Jingyun, Jin Fengyu, and others was that the culprit Ji Mucheng should be executed as soon as possible.

"With the current fighting force at the front, most of them are in a passive defensive posture. We need more highly skilled martial artists to penetrate deep into the enemy's territory and strike at the heart of the enemy."

Ning Xiaoyao shook his head and smiled bitterly. His slightly plump face was covered in beads of sweat, perhaps due to the immense pressure he was under.

"In that case, our manpower of a hundred is far from enough."

Ji Qianlin said, "In my personal understanding, the more the better. The good news is that the Oirat forces have suffered a three-pronged defeat. If those three allied forces can be freed up and arrive as soon as possible, they can at least stop the further infiltration of the corpse soldiers."

Ning Xiaoyao said, "That's true, but we can't just wait for them to come."

“That’s right, nobody wants to sit and wait to die.” As Ji Qianlin spoke, he looked around and finally found his target under a corner of the wall outside the corner tower. “Just like the three friends I met on the way back. At first, they were also hiding in the cave, thinking it was none of their business and they didn’t want to get involved. But now that they see they can’t avoid trouble, they’ve joined us.”

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to where Ji Qianlin was looking.

I saw three people. A woman with long hair, dressed in red, and with a graceful figure.

A tall, slender man in a black robe, wielding a broadsword.

And the white-robed gentleman who had just put away his folding fan.

The three were none other than the Netherworld Sect's field team of three—Ku Niangzi, Ye Shang, and Ye Lingfeng—who had been opportunists and on the opposite side just over half a year ago.

Such "uninvited guests" are certainly not something that has only recently come to the attention of the public.

If it weren't for the fact that everyone had just fought a fierce battle with the corpse soldiers, making them a bit more tired and less irritable, and that the three of them had all helped in the previous battle, plus Ji Qianlin's endorsement as a "friend," the three of them would probably have been torn to pieces.

At this moment, Ji Qianlin's sarcastic remarks made them the focus of everyone's attention. Fortunately, the three of them had strong mental fortitude and neither stood still nor made any provocative moves.

Led by Ye Shang, the three stood up straight and bowed to all sides with a very chivalrous air.

Ye Shang, representing the sect, said, "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. The Netherworld Sect is willing to temporarily set aside our grudges and fight against the Corpse Soldiers together."

"I agree."

A gruff voice came from afar, accompanied by a tall, thin man slowly approaching.

Even Ye Shang himself didn't expect to receive a response so quickly.

The tall, thin man who walked over was Zifeng.

After everyone helped bury Xi Xia's body next to the ruins of the Stone Mansion, Zi Feng knelt down in front of the tomb and remained motionless, and it was unknown when she recovered.

Beside the ruins of the Stone Mansion and in front of Xi Xia's tomb, Zi Feng thought of many things.

When Zifeng first heard about the two great victories in the Northwest and Central North, and the steady recovery of lost territory in the Northeast, he felt that everything was getting better.

But soon he heard that the situation in the southwest was out of control and that the undead soldiers were becoming rampant.

After he and his entourage went to Luzhou City, bad news followed one after another.

Along the way, he saw Chongqing fall, and the entire city become a city of death and ghosts.

He lived in Chongqing for nearly ten years.

These ten years have been an important part of Zifeng's life.

Six years ago, the Shi family was murdered and destroyed overnight.

He and his fellow students escaped by sheer luck, and he stayed away from this place of trouble for six years.

He didn't know if anyone else had returned to Yudu over the years to take one last look at the ruins of the Shi family mansion.

He only knew that he had approached Chongqing time and time again, but had never set foot there.

He considers himself a nostalgic person, but also an emotionally fragile one.

Every time something unexpected happens around her, Zifeng instinctively tries to escape.

Only after realizing that he would always end up in a dead end and couldn't escape those troubles and worries would he force himself to face the problems head-on.

The upheaval at the Shi residence caused Zifeng to overeat and drink excessively, and he dared not go out at night.

Thanks to Xi Xia's tireless efforts in taking him everywhere, he finally managed to leave Jiangning County for the first time in three years.

The death of Second Senior Brother Ruan Gu, Junior Sister Weiwei, Xiao Yan'er, and Mu Shang in the Battle of Ninglu Terrace plunged Zi Feng into a state of regret and self-blame. He spent his days in a daze, gradually becoming listless and emaciated.

If Jiang Yichen hadn't shown timely concern and sounded the alarm, he probably wouldn't have picked up a weapon so quickly, much less started practicing swordsmanship again.

The two sisters, Lian Die and Ni Die, ultimately left only one soul behind, which nearly caused Zi Feng to become depressed and stay at home.

It was Lian Die's own encouragement that helped him regain his spirits and continue his journey.

Looking back on these past years, Zi Feng realized that he, a big and burly man, was actually so sentimental.

No wonder he was completely devastated when he saw his best friend's corpse rushing towards him.

But this time there was no more time for him to wallow in despair. The longer he remained in this state of despair, the more relatives and friends he might lose.

He couldn't stop there, so he stood up and went to the corner tower, where he overheard most of Ji Qianlin and Ning Xiaoyao's conversation.

He was also surprised by the arrival of the three judges of the Netherworld Cult.

But that's not important; what's important is that they need to take action as soon as possible.

Zifeng is the person in charge of Tingyu Pavilion.

"Given the current state of the Netherworld Cult, the three judges have all come out, which means 70% of their combat strength is in place. They have shown great sincerity. We need more friendly forces like them right now."

As the mortal enemy of the Netherworld Sect, Tingyu Pavilion was able to set aside its disputes and unite against the common enemy with such magnanimity, so other sects followed suit.

Next, about a hundred people had a more in-depth and detailed discussion on the situation on the front lines and the allocation of tasks.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus.

Some personnel are still needed to go to the rear to request reinforcements and bring more help, while also being responsible for delivering intelligence to the front lines.

This part of the responsibility was mainly undertaken by the twenty people who came back with Ji Qianlin.

Ten of the original hundred-person team that came to explore Yudu were reassigned to supplement the team's combat strength.

The other three who came with Ji Qianlin expressed their willingness to retrace their steps and act as guides for everyone.

This newly formed group of nearly 100 people will begin their journey southwest from Chongqing.

The destination is Yunze Realm, and Poisonous India.

We must eliminate as many of the undead soldiers as possible that have infiltrated inland, and prevent the source of pollution from spreading further!
……

……

The next day, after some rest...

The two groups of people, heading in different directions, parted ways outside Yudu City.

During the journey, Ning Xiaoyao asked Ji Qianlin a question.

"Miss Ji, why are you also willing to take this dangerous path back and fight your way back with us?"

Ji Qianlin smiled slightly and simply said, "Yunze Realm is my hometown."

She didn't want to see her hometown get worse.