If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 52: Death of Tiger Minister
"Uncle Zhong, please sit down and rest for a while. It's not even noon yet. Marquis Lieyang said he would arrive in the afternoon." Xiao Yu sheathed his sword and persuaded him while wiping his sweat with a white towel.

Now the Yunlai Inn is almost empty, with only the two of them in the front yard and lobby.

The merchants and travelers passing by had already been driven away by Hu Chen.

The inn's waiters were busy in the kitchen, preparing wine and food for the distinguished guests from the Chinese nation.

Hu Chen took all 500 Shu cavalry and went five miles away.

Xiaoyu had breakfast as usual, put on his training clothes and went out to practice swordplay.

Guan Zhong was alone with nothing to do, so he sat on the chair for a while, then hurriedly got up, ran outside to look around, then slowly came back, and before he finished his cup of tea, he couldn't sit still anymore, so he just squatted at the gate, facing the west in a daze.

Xiaoyu didn't care about him.

It was his earnest and anxious concern for Hu Chen that made her, who was concentrating on practicing sword skills, look like an unfilial daughter who didn't care about her old father.

She also has to express her feelings.

"If the herald says it's the afternoon at the latest, it doesn't mean we have to wait until the afternoon," Guan Zhong said with experience.

Xiaoyu walked to the door, stood on tiptoe and looked towards the west.

The loess avenue is covered with a layer of fresh loess, and water is sprinkled on it to ensure that no dust is raised.

The weeds on both sides of the road have also been cleared, making it look particularly clean and bright.

The weather was also very good today, with clear skies, a gentle breeze, and the sweet aroma of ripe peaches wafting down from the northern hillside.

"Uncle Zhong, why don't we walk two miles forward and then find a hill to climb up. We should be able to see our foster father in front of us."

"No!" Guan Zhong shook his head repeatedly. "The military has strict rules and regulations. There are scouts standing guard in front, behind, left and right of the team. If you are considered to be spying on the military situation, you will be punished with death.

Even if we are not really sentenced to death, it will certainly make the master look bad. "

Xiaoyu stopped talking and went back to the lobby and moved two stools to the door, one for Guan Zhong and one for herself.

Guan Zhong continued to stare towards the west in a daze.

On the surface, she was the same as Guan Zhong, with her eyes staring blankly ahead, but in fact she was silently reciting the Tao Te Ching while her consciousness sank into the Purple Palace, practicing "Tiger Soul Seven Kills" at the same time.

At noon, when Xiao Yu was eating with his bowl in hand, a Xisha guard finally rushed into the inn and shouted, "Marquis Lieyang is here, Marquis Lieyang is here! Fill the silver basin with clean water, prepare the best cotton towels, tea, fruit and snacks, nothing can be missing, nothing can be wrong"

The knight talked a lot, making the hundreds of helpers in the inn run around in circles.

Guan Zhong and Xiao Yu didn't even have time to eat.

"Where is it? Where is the army?" Guan Zhong asked repeatedly.

"After meeting Marquis Lieyang's Fire Crow Army, I rode back. Now I don't know where the army is." The knight was sweating, his face flushed, and he looked excited.

Xiaoyu was originally very calm and was still reciting the Tao Te Ching silently, but everyone in the room was busy and anxious, shouting loudly. She was also infected by the atmosphere, and there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes as she looked towards the west.

Marquis Lieyang is not very old, but he is a capable and pragmatic veteran soldier.

Hu Chen and others did not slow down his journey at all. Less than a quarter of an hour later, a team of carriages and horses appeared in Xiaoyu's sight.

"Here he comes, Marquis Lieyang is here. Oh my God, is this the general of the great nation of China? He is so, so, so mighty and majestic." The innkeeper next to him opened his mouth in astonishment.

Xiaoyu also exclaimed in surprise, "So high, so fierce!"

At the front of the team were not the Shu knights such as Hu Chen, but four "pioneers". Each of them was about 15.6 feet tall, or about five or six meters tall, and looked like a giant.

Two of the Giant Vanguard carried the Fire Crow Banner.

The huge fire crow with outstretched wings is wider than a double bed sheet.

The two giants in the middle lagged behind by half a step, covered in steel armor and holding steel spears as thick as bowls. They looked like the gods in the temple coming to life and walking down from the altar.

Behind these four giants, there are still many powerful men, and none of them is less than three meters in height.

Except for a small number of "giants" who walked, more warriors either rode "giant beasts" or stood on chariots pulled by "giant beasts".

The attire of the giant Qin warriors of the Fire Crow Army suddenly reminded Xiaoyu of the Terracotta Warriors.

Not only the armor and attire, but also the facial appearance, demeanor and temperament are somewhat similar, giving a very "rustic" and sturdy feeling.

They came from afar. There was no noise, no one spoke, only the sound of footsteps, the clashing of armor and weapons, and the sound of carriages and horses.

The troops were in neat formation, as if they were one body.

However, although they were so fierce that the people of Western Shu were awed and stunned, their numbers were not large, less than a hundred in total, and the rest were ordinary knights like the Shu cavalry.

Well, in addition to Marquis Lieyang’s Fire Crow Flag, there are also military flags such as Giant Elephant, Blood Scythe, Treasure Ship, Star and Moon behind the team.

Apparently, like Hu Chen, they were all Western military generals who had pledged their services to Marquis Lieyang.

The total number of people in Lieyanghou's entourage exceeded two thousand, all of them were brave and powerful soldiers. They were mighty and well-organized, like a rushing torrent of armored vehicles.

Although the personnel are numerous, the temperaments of the Western soldiers and the Great Qin Fire Crow Army are distinct and the difference is so obvious that ordinary people can tell it with the naked eye.

Xiaoyu felt a little regretful that she didn't meet Marquis Lieyang.

Marquis Lieyang was not riding a horse. He was sitting in a black iron chariot pulled by eight fire-maned horses.

The chariot was surrounded by fiery red gauze curtains to block out dust. One could vaguely see a muscular man leaning on the couch, but his face could not be seen clearly.

"Uncle Zhong, are all the people in the Great Country of China so tall?"

Marquis Lieyang's troops moved into the camp prepared in advance by Hu Chen. Xiaoyu and Guan Zhong watched outside and whispered.

Not only them, but also idle servants, passing travelers, soldiers from Hualong Pass opposite, and residents of nearby villages and towns all came to admire the demeanor of the Chinese figures, with awe and admiration on each of their faces.

“As the saying goes, local climate and soil nurture local people.

China is the most refined and abundant land in the world. The heroes nurtured by such water and soil are of course more powerful and strong.

However, not all the people in Shangbang are big men. There are many ordinary people with the same body shape as us. In fact, most of our Shu nobles are descendants of the Central Plains people who migrated from Shangbang in the past.

They are only eight feet tall.

Besides, these generals from the upper states are not the tallest in terms of their physical appearance.

When the young lady returns to Yingxiang Mansion, she can meet all kinds of people in Tianmen Town.

There are the people of the Land of Dwarfs, who are generally only seven or eight inches tall; there are the giants of the Land of Tall People, who are more than ten or twenty feet tall!"

When Xiaoyu heard this, she felt both yearning and annoyed.

This mythical world was indeed worthy of its name, but she had wasted ten years of her precious time in the barbarian land! After seeing the colorful world outside, she felt that Shaqiu was too unsophisticated and too rustic!

Marquis Lieyang decided to rest in Feixiandu for half a day and set out again early tomorrow morning.

As early as two days ago, Hu Chen led a group of Shu knights to set up camp.

After arriving, Marquis Lieyang went straight into the largest commander's tent in the center and never showed his face again.

The "giants" of the Fire Crow Army were stationed on the first level of the camp fence outside the big tent.

Hu Chen's Shu cavalry and other Western generals were distributed in all directions, surrounding the "Fire Crow Camp" in the middle.

Afterwards, waiters from the Yunlai Inn carried trays and delivered meals to the camp gate like a stream, and then the soldiers in the army delivered the meals to the inner part of the camp.

"Uncle Zhong, as a family member of the Great Shu Cavalry Commander, do I need to go and pay my respects to Lord Lieyang?"

Xiao Yu, like the common people of Western Shu, was watching the strange scene from outside the camp.

"What are you going to do? Without the summons of Marquis Lieyang, no one can set foot into the central camp. Anyone who disobeys the order will be executed." Guan Zhong said seriously.

"It's not that I want to see Marquis Lieyang, it's Marquis Lieyang's people who are looking at me."

Xiao Yu closed his mouth, pulled Guan Zhong and quietly stepped back a few steps, avoiding the sight of the Fire Crow soldiers in the central camp, and whispered: "Didn't you notice? That general with big ears has been looking at me. He probably knows me."

Guan Zhong was confused, so he looked towards the center of the military camp and asked in confusion, "Which general with big ears is this?"

"Outside the tent of Marshal Lieyang, the shortest man seems to have a very high position. He has spoken to my adoptive father before. My adoptive father's attitude towards him--" Xiaoyu's heart tightened and he lowered his eyes slightly.

The crowd in front parted, and the big-eared general of Qin came out and seemed to be coming towards her.

Guan Zhong also noticed it and felt confused and surprised.

The general with protruding ears is not tall and strong, but rather short and fat.

But a fat face does not affect his majestic and imposing manner at all.

"Greetings, General." Guan Zhong immediately knelt down and bowed deeply.

Before kneeling down, he gently touched Xiaoyu with his hand.

Xiaoyu knelt down and said, "Greetings, General."

"Are you Miss Guan Yu?" The general with big ears looked her up and down with a friendly smile for a long time before saying, "Everyone, get up. I just came here to take a look."

After saying this, he put his hands behind his back and walked away.

Guan Zhong got up, his mind was in a mess, but his expression was serious. Without saying a word, he pulled Xiaoyu and walked away.

Xiao Yu suddenly stopped and whispered, "Uncle Zhong, Grandmaster Qingsong is here."

"Master Qingsong." Guan Zhong followed her gaze and saw Qingsong with a shining star crown, fluffy black hair, feathered clothes tied with embroidered belts, and cloud shoes decorated with yellow and brown. He was as graceful as a banished immortal, walking lightly on the loess road.

"Greetings to Taoist Qingsong!"

"Greetings to Grandmaster Qingsong."

Guan Zhong and Xiao Yu immediately went forward to meet them.

Qingsong nodded gently, then stopped, looked up and pointed at the blue sky in the east, and said with a smile: "It's better to come at the right time than to come early. Look, the Nine Revolutions Bone Changing Pill is here!"

Xiaoyu opened his eyes wide and looked carefully, vaguely seeing a dazzling green light streak across the sky at an extremely fast speed.

If it weren't for the flickering, brilliant blue light, it would be almost indistinguishable against the clear blue sky.

It was approaching them rapidly.

Soon the green light suddenly stopped above the military camp, and the light dispersed, revealing a pair of green wings.

It is a "blue bird" with gorgeous feathers and an elegant and huge body.

"What kind of magical bird is that?" Xiaoyu exclaimed.

She didn't know what it was called, but just by its appearance and scent, she could tell that it was definitely not an ordinary bird.

"It is the divine bird Qingluan that is kept in the Afang Palace."

Taoist Qingsong had a smile on his face, but there was a flash of doubt in his eyes.

I'm just helping to deliver a pill. Do you need to send a Qingluan messenger over?

"Boom!" A muffled sound like an explosion suddenly came from the general's tent in the center of the camp.

The sound was very loud, like thunder, but also very muffled, and sounded like a huge and thick wooden table being smashed by a giant palm.

The conversations of the Shu people who were eating melons outside the camp suddenly stopped, and the atmosphere became quiet and depressing.

"Guan Huchen, you are so brave!" followed by another angry roar.

"Master" Guan Zhong's face was pale, and his body and voice were shaking.

"What did your master do? I have never seen Marquis Lieyang so out of control and so angry." The Taoist boy Qingsong said with a smile.

He smiled with gloating expression, but there was also deep doubt in his eyes.

In his memory, Marquis Lieyang had always been taciturn and indifferent, and even when he was alone, he rarely showed any emotion.

Not to mention that there were thousands of people present, but he didn't restrain himself at all.

“clang clang~~”

The blue phoenix let out a clear and loud cry and dived into Marquis Lieyang's tent.

Then, the world seemed to have pressed the pause button, Marquis Lieyang stopped roaring, and everyone was silent, motionless and silent.

The soldiers in the camp were all pretending to be dead, keeping their eyes straight and sticking to their posts.

Even the Taoist boy Qingsong stopped and did not move forward, nor did he speak to Xiaoyu and Guan Zhong.

"No, impossible!" It was Marquis Lieyang who broke the silence again. This time there was only one part of anger in his roar, and the remaining nine parts were shock and fear.

That’s right, it’s fear and anxiety!
"Ang~AoWu~~~" accompanied by a dragon-like roar, a bright red column of fire as thick as a bathtub suddenly broke through the curtains and fences, rushed out of Marquis Lieyang's tent, and plowed a charred earth ditch more than 30 meters long on the ground.

At the end of the ditch was a twisted and deformed, raging iron-clad body.

"Ah, Master~~~~" Guan Zhong's knees went weak and he knelt on the ground, howling in pain.

(End of this chapter)