Wife, you didn't really drug me, did you?

As Zhang Shicheng unleashed his blade, the roar of a tiger echoed through the mountains and forests, shaking the heavens and earth, causing everyone to pale in shock.

Looking at this terrifying slash, if it were to come down, it would surely cause heavy casualties. It was uncertain how many soldiers on this mountain would survive.

Seeing this, Xu Da roared, "Charge!"

what!
With a loud bang, the entire mountain forest trembled. The Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, composed of hundreds of thousands of people, was instantly set up. Golden light flashed across the sky, and eight huge chains were interlocked in the air.

Finally, the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation was formed.

Once the formation was complete, everyone saw Zhang Shicheng slash down with his sword, his target the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation below.

boom!
The Tiger Soul Blade's light slammed into the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation, causing the entire formation to emit a dazzling golden light. The golden light flashed, and the blade's light flickered. The collision of the two created an indescribable terror.

Light illuminates the universe, lava boils, golden light fights against the lava, and chains fight against the tiger.

boom!
The enormous explosion caused the entire Wu Mountain to tremble violently.

It's blocked! It's blocked!
That blow was ultimately blocked!

The eight gates, shimmering with golden light, retreated back into the mountain, while Zhang Shicheng stared intently at the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation atop Wu Mountain.

The fact that they could actually block a strike from my Tiger Soul Blade left Zhang Shicheng in disbelief. This world should have belonged to those with the strongest martial prowess, but who would have thought that the opponent could offset that advantage with superior troops?

Zhang Shicheng knew he absolutely couldn't set up such a powerful formation, and his men also felt they couldn't set up a formation that could withstand Zhang Shicheng's attack.

Zhang Shicheng looked at Xu Da going up the mountain and was extremely envious. Chen Jiu Si had Zhang Ding Bian, Zhu Chong Ba had Xu Da, but what kind of people did he have?

Li Bosheng betrayed them on the battlefield, and Lü Zhenzhi was ambitious but lacked talent; he was brave but not a capable leader.

These two guys are really enviable. How did they get so lucky to get two such top talents?
Thinking of this, Zhang Shicheng raised the Tiger Soul Blade in his hand again: "Fine, if my subordinates are useless, then I can only rely on myself. Today, let's see if my Tiger Soul Blade can break your Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation!"

cut!
Zhang Shicheng once again swung his broadsword, heading straight for Wushan. The sheer power of his attack made Xu Da's heart pound with fear.

His personal martial prowess was so formidable; it was fortunate that he had an army of 100,000. If he had fewer men, he really wouldn't have been able to stop him.

boom!
The hundred-zhang-long tiger-shaped blade slashed down fiercely, and a huge golden lock array immediately appeared on the entire Wu Mountain. The golden locks locked each other, eventually forming an invincible defense.

At this moment, Zhang Shicheng's long sword slammed down, and the Golden Lock Formation emitted a dazzling golden light.

It was blocked, it was blocked again.

Boom boom boom!
Zhang Shicheng launched a continuous barrage of attacks, all of which were blocked by Xu Da. No matter how bright or strong the sword light was, it did not appear so dazzling under the Eight Gates Golden Lock.

Xu Da commanded his army to defend Wu Mountain perfectly.

At this moment, Zhu Chongba, who was in the central command tent, looked at the young general guarding the door and asked, "Mu Ying, what is the situation of the battle at the foot of the mountain? Is there any news?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Ying looked at Zhu Chongba and said, "Father, Marshal Xu used the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation to trap the enemy firmly in front of the mountain. Even Zhang Shicheng's Tiger Soul Blade could not break Marshal Xu's Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation."

"Xu Shuai is amazing."

Mu Ying said excitedly, and Zhu Chongba said, "Hehehe, Xu Da's military achievements are almost unmatched. The only one who might be able to compete with him is Zhang Dingbian under Chen Jiu Si!"

Zhu Chongba looked at Mu Ying and asked, "Ying'er, have you thought about what kind of person you want to be in the future?"

Mu Ying said, "I want to learn from Marshal Xu. If I achieve something in the future, I am willing to guard this area for my godfather."

Zhu Chongba nodded with satisfaction. He had many adopted sons, but Mu Ying was the only one who was truly capable of making a difference.

Thinking this, Zhu Chongba asked the outside, "Do you know where Chen Jiu Si and the others are?"

Upon hearing this, the person outside immediately replied, "Reporting to Your Excellency, we should be arriving at the port of Hangzhou Prefecture in another day or two, right?"

Zhu Chongba replied, "Hmm!"

……

At this moment, on the Yangtze River, Chen Jiu Si's ship sailed down the river and should arrive in Hangzhou in another day.

Inside Chen Jie's room, Chen Jie summoned the ship's senior officers.

This included Yuan Sanjia, Zhang Dingbian, Captain Lou, and Chen Hu.

Chen Hu is a member of Chen Jie's clan. He graduated from the Huangzhou Military Academy and is an excellent swimmer, so he was assigned to the navy. He served as a junior officer, centurion, and chiliarch, and has now been appointed as the captain of a warship.

Also present was Chen Jie's adopted son, Sun Yong, who was listening in from the side.

Chen Jie then spoke up, "After we arrive in Hangzhou, we will split into three groups."

The first group of thirty men I led went to Wushan to meet with Zhu Chongba and relieve his siege of Wushan.

The second route to Dingbian, you lead troops to attack Hangzhou Prefecture, put on the clothes of the traitor Zhang that we prepared, and sneak into Huangzhou Prefecture. Over the years, the traitor Zhang has plundered a lot of the people's wealth, and I will take it all away. We can't let Zhu Chongba get it. Do you understand?

"Yes."

Zhang Dingbian nodded.

Chen Jie then looked at Chen Hu and said, "Chen Hu, you are my and Dingbian's backup plan. You lead five hundred sailors to guard this warship. If I succeed in defeating Dingbian and retreat, but we don't have a ship, my life will be in danger. So Chen Hu, your task is very important."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hu immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "My lord, rest assured, we'll stay on the ship as long as we're alive."

Chen Jie nodded and said, "Alright, then, let's proceed according to plan."

Chen Jie gestured to Yuan Sanjia and said, "Mr. Yuan, do you have anything to add?"

Yuan Sanjia said, "Yes, it's nothing."

Chen Jie said, "Let's disperse. Oh, and Sun Yong, you stay."

"promise!"

Sun Yong immediately agreed. At this moment, Yuan Sanjia had not left either. Chen Jie looked at Yuan Sanjia and said, "Mr. Yuan, what do you want to teach me?"

Yuan Sanjia pondered for a moment and said, "I just cast a divination, and the result is ominous, not an ordinary divination. This time, I'm afraid there will be a great crisis."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "I understand what Mr. Yuan is saying, but a great crisis is also a great opportunity. We must find out the location of the Shennong Staff this time."

Yuan Sanjia said, "It shouldn't be a big problem. With the Three Sovereigns gathered, their aura is so strong that I can calculate the location of the last Shennong Staff. The gathering of the Three Sovereigns is something that has not happened in almost a thousand years. This time, we can finally bring the Three Sovereigns' things back to the world!"

As Yuan Sanjia spoke, he looked at Chen Jie and said, "But you must be careful. I have placed all my hopes on you. Don't let me down."

Chen Jie said, "Mr. Yuan, rest assured, I will never let you down."

After saying this, Yuan Sanjia got up, tapped his cane, and left. Sun Yong immediately waved and opened the door. Yuan Sanjia smiled at Sun Yong and said, "You're lucky, kid."

A seemingly random sentence left Sun Yong completely bewildered; he couldn't understand what Yuan Sanjia meant by it.

Yuan Sanjia remained silent, then left, gesturing nervously. Chen Jie then said, "Yong'er."

"Godfather".

Sun Yong immediately came over, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "What are your orders, Godfather?"

Chen Jie asked, "What are your orders? How have you been doing by Commander Zhang's side lately? Have you learned anything?"

Upon hearing this, Sun Yong immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Yes, I have learned a lot. Commander Zhang's use of troops is simply divine, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie said, "Hehe, then you should study hard. Once you've mastered it, you can protect this land for your godfather in the future!"

"Yes!"

Sun Yong immediately agreed, and Chen Jie said, "You know Zhu Chongba, right? He has an adopted son named Mu Ying, who is very brave and valiant. I hope you are not inferior to him."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yong said, "Father, rest assured, I will never be inferior to others and will never bring shame upon you."

Chen Jie patted Sun Yong on the shoulder, smiled, and said, "Okay."

He then added, "That's ambitious. Alright, go and get busy."

Sun Yong immediately agreed.

As Chen Jie watched Sun Yong's retreating figure, he thought to himself, "This kid is good. He's honest and kind, but not stupid either. I asked Zhang Dingbian about him, and Zhang Dingbian said that Sun Yong has the talent of a commander."

Therefore, Chen Jie thought of Zhu Chongba's adopted son.

Among Zhu Chongba's adopted sons, Mu Ying was probably the most successful.

He was good at leading troops and fighting battles. Later, he was appointed as the governor of Yunnan and quelled the local chieftain's rebellion. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title of Prince of Qianning. After that, the Mu family guarded Yunnan for the Zhu family for generations until the fall of the Ming Dynasty. The Mu family also actively resisted the Qing Dynasty and tried to restore the Ming Dynasty.

By the way, this Mu family is the Mu Royal Mansion that is often mentioned in Jin Yong's martial arts novels.

Mu Ying was the ancestor of the Mu family, and the current Mu Ying was a junior general under Zhu Chongba, about the same age as Sun Yong.

These two men were of similar age, both adopted sons, and both studied under the renowned masters Xu Da and Zhang Dingbian. Their lives were certainly something to look forward to.

Another day and night have passed.

The ship docked at Huangzhou Prefecture. Chen Jie disembarked first, and with fifty men, he joined Liu Bowen and Tang He to head north to Wushan to meet Zhu Chongba and jointly suppress the bandits.

Shortly after they left, Zhang Dingbian led 1,500 soldiers straight to Hangzhou.

Five hundred elite soldiers were left on the warship to guard it.

These were all things that Tang He and Liu Bowen were unaware of. Thus, Chen Jie, Liu Bowen, and Tang He headed straight for Wu Mountain.

Wushan has been under attack by Zhang Shicheng for a day and a night, which has made the Wushan defense line extremely vulnerable. Although Xu Da's Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation is very strong, Zhang Shicheng's martial prowess is even more unpredictable. What's even more frightening is that Lü Zhen and others frequently launch surprise attacks on the Wushan defense line, making it often very passive. If Zhang Shicheng attacks again at this time, the Wushan defense line will be very vulnerable.

On this day, Lü Zhen once again succeeded in a sneak attack, and it was Zhang Shicheng who cooperated with Lü Zhen to unleash the Tiger Soul Slash.

At this moment, a corner of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation shattered, causing the entire Wushan defense line to collapse. It was at this moment that Zhu Chongba made his move.

He had no choice but to take action. If Wushan collapsed, then no one would be spared under such circumstances, and Zhang Shicheng would be able to take whatever he wanted.

It was under these circumstances that Zhu Chongba made his move, and he also felt that Chen Jiu Si should be arriving at Wu Shan soon.

At this point, Zhu Chongba went directly out of the mountains to confront Zhang Shicheng at Wushan.

Zhang Shicheng then looked at Zhu Chongba and said, "Hehe, Zhu Chongba, you've finally decided to come out. I thought you were going to be a coward for the rest of your life!"

Zhu Chongba looked at Zhang Shicheng and said, "Zhang Shicheng, you colluded with the Japanese traitors and harmed my Chinese compatriots. Of course I have to deal with a traitor like you."

Zhang Shicheng chuckled coldly, "You people always make your despicable and shameless behavior sound righteous. I am a thief, and what are you, the King of Wu who accepted the rewards from Bao Qian?"

"Hahaha, you dog of the Mulan people, how dare you talk to me like that!"

Zhu Chongba frowned and said, "That was just a temporary measure!"

"A stopgap measure, hahaha, a stopgap measure is cowardice. Since you're a coward, don't try to sound noble, like you're some great person. You're just a coward. Let me tell you, today we will settle this with a decisive battle. After I kill you, I'll kill Chen Jiu Si, and this world will be mine!"

"Then I'll see who dares to say anything bad about me. This world is written by the victors, and I am the victor!"

Zhang Shicheng's voice rang out, carrying an undeniable authority. Zhu Chongba frowned and said to Zhang Shicheng, "You certainly have a lot of official arrogance. Come on, since that's the case, let's fight!"

As he spoke, Zhu Chongba raised his hand and unleashed a move called "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor," striking Zhang Shicheng fiercely. Zhang Shicheng swung his Tiger Soul Blade and slashed, annihilating the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Paying Homage to the Ancestor."

Zhang Shicheng said, "Zhu Chongba, stop using these underhanded methods to deal with me."

"Hurry up and use your Xuanyuan Technique. I want to see which of the three divine arts of the human emperors is more powerful, your Xuanyuan Technique or my Jiuli Demon Art."

After saying that, he directly slashed at Zhu Chongba with his sword.

With this slash, the Tiger Soul Blade unleashed a ten-zhang-long purplish-black blade of light.

The blade slashed down, and Zhu Chongba quickly dodged. The blade pierced the mountain ridge, and the entire Wu Mountain trembled violently.

The cliff face crumbled and the mountain collapsed. Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers were filled with fear. Xu Da's eyes narrowed and he immediately shouted, "Retreat! Retreat!"

The army withdrew from Wushan like a flood, turning the entire Wushan into a battlefield for the two.

The battle between the two was truly fierce; any soldiers caught in the aftershocks were instantly killed on the spot.

The entire mountaintop was now covered by the two men's fierce battle, and the scene was utterly devastating.

The mountain collapsed, soil and rocks flew everywhere, and trees fell in large swaths. It looked so tragic and desolate.

Meanwhile, outside Wushan, Tang He, who witnessed this scene, was greatly shocked.

"Oh no! Zhang Shicheng has captured Wushan! Our lord is fighting him!"

Liu Bowen's expression also changed slightly, and he said, "The Nine Li Demon Art combined with the Tiger Soul Blade is so powerful that even my Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation cannot completely stop it."

Seeing this scene, Chen Jie's gaze narrowed slightly. On Wu Mountain, he saw that one side of the mountaintop was filled with pitch-black demonic energy, while the other side was filled with golden Xuanyuan righteous energy. The two energies were colliding wildly.

The struggle for central control.

Seeing the scene before him, the Four Seasons Celestial Phenomenon Technique within Chen Jie's body began to stir restlessly, as if it couldn't wait to join this carnival.

Chen Jie looked at the mountaintop, suppressing his Four Seasons Celestial Phenomenon Technique, and muttered, "Don't rush, don't rush, your time will come!" (End of Chapter)