The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 181 General Yingtian

On the upper reaches of the Wulin River, a water fortress stands on both sides of the dam.

If someone familiar with military affairs were to look at it, they would find that this village was built quite cleverly.

The watchtower is deeply embedded in the riverbed. With its stone frame and iron reinforcements, it is not afraid of the current trickle of water, or even the most likely flood after a severe drought.

The firing port is wide at the outside and narrow at the inside, making it easy to shoot but difficult to hit; the gate guards the throat of the river, and the underwater hidden stakes are as dense and menacing as spears.

The most ingenious part is the slanted design of the crenellations. At first glance, it seems to be just for the convenience of archers, but upon closer inspection, it is revealed that it is also to prevent the impact of the river ice after winter.

Even those who aren't experts can tell at a glance that this village was not a hastily constructed temporary structure, but rather one designed for long-term defense, even taking into account potential future floods and winter ice.

Logically speaking, such a fortified village, as long as its food and provisions are continuously supplied, should be able to withstand an attack from an enemy force several times its size without wavering.

But nowadays...
Although there were constant patrols in the village, a closer look revealed that everyone was tense, walking hurriedly, their anxious eyes constantly searching around, and even their breathing seemed to carry a hint of melancholy and worry. The entire water village was shrouded in a sense of unease.

On the watchtower of the embankment, several soldiers were also whispering among themselves.

"Did you hear that?"

A man, who was not wearing any armor but was carrying a crossbow to indicate that he was not a disaster victim but a soldier, nervously spoke to his companions.

A man standing nearby, wearing only a few haphazardly strapped iron plates to his legs and hands as armor, said disdainfully:

"Do you even need to hear about it? I saw it with my own eyes! A pillar of fire, a pillar of fire that you could see from far away, shooting straight into the sky!"

These words made the others even more uneasy.

After a long pause, a man covered in armor, though it was only leather armor, continued:

"Then, does that mean the imperial court really has immortals helping it?"

These words made the already oppressive atmosphere even more oppressive.

Only the man with the haphazardly wrapped iron sheet glared at them and said:

"What nonsense are you spouting? Who said immortals would help the imperial court? He's a Taoist priest! He's family with our General Yingtian!"

The title "General Yingtian" was the self-proclaimed name of the Taoist priest who stirred up chaos in the southwest.

He declared himself to be born in response to Heaven's will, vowing to quell the wicked and establish a new dynasty to bring peace to the world.

As soon as these words were spoken, others echoed them in agreement:

"Yes, yes, yes, the higher-ups all said that he is of the same ilk as our General Yingtian, and that he was even a celestial being personally invited down from heaven by our General Yingtian!"

This statement only added to the confusion of those around them: "Who said this?"

"Who else could it be? It was General Luohan who said it!"

Upon hearing that it was the new leader—the Arhat General who would occasionally show off his "real skills"—the others immediately perked up.

"What did he say? After all, that immortal was refining elixirs for the government troops!"

Because Du Yuan was also a Taoist, many people on the rebel side said that he was with their General Yingtian.

However, many people have heard that Du Yuan refined the elixir behind the government troops' lines, but few believe it.

The man recalled General Luohan's words and said:
"Because General Luohan said that the person our General Yingtian invited was a true immortal. The immortal only cares about whether he can successfully refine the elixir to save the people. He doesn't care about anything else. That's why we chose Hansong Mountain, where that divine furnace is located."

As he spoke, he became even more excited:

"Therefore, the government troops didn't have any divine assistance at all; it was just a coincidence!" These words were like a powerful stimulant, invigorating those around them. They were engaged in a life-or-death business, so naturally they didn't want to believe that their side wasn't protected by a true immortal, and were even more afraid of losing their lives because of it.

The atmosphere inside the arrow tower grew increasingly lively, but with the arrival of a new man, the atmosphere that had been so hard-won instantly vanished.

The newcomer is their squad leader, and he is said to be exceptionally well-informed.

Just as the group was about to greet them, they saw the squad leader look around, then bend down and gesture for them to come closer:

“You guys have been with me for so long, we’re practically brothers, so I won’t hide anything from you. After your rotation, make sure you hide all your valuables on your person! And you, Bo Lao Er, come with me to the kitchen later and get some dry rations to hide!” He paused, emphasizing his words, “Remember, this is absolutely forbidden to anyone else!”

These words caused everyone's expressions to change drastically: "Boss, could it be that the government troops are about to attack?"

Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that the immortal lord from Cold Pine Mountain disapproved of our Arhat General's improper conduct and came here specifically to punish us?"

The sergeant sighed repeatedly, first looking at the first soldier who had spoken: "Even more dangerous than that." Then he turned to the second man, "But a little better than what you're describing."

"Then what exactly is it?" The crowd grew increasingly anxious.

The sergeant gestured towards the northwest with his lip, lowering his voice even further: "I heard that our General Yingtian is on his deathbed!"

"what?!"

The crowd gasped in shock. General Yingtian was the foundation of their united rebel army. If something were to happen to him at this critical juncture, even they, the common soldiers, could guess that the rebel army was doomed!
This was especially true when the government troops seemed to have the help of a true immortal!
The sergeant quickly glanced out the window and behind him, and seeing that no one seemed to be paying attention, he muttered a curse under his breath:

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Can't you keep your voice down? This could be fatal!"

The others quickly fell silent, then asked:
"Boss, really?"

The sergeant sighed:

"Why would I lie to you? I overheard this when I was packing things for that bandit Luohan."

Everyone was stunned into silence. If that were the case, then it must be true!
-
Deep within the water fortress, a burly, bearded man, eight feet tall, stood with his hands on his hips in the courtyard, watching his group of equally bald-headed personal guards load gold and silver treasures onto the carriage.

After all that fuss, with a lot of unpacked valuables still piled on the ground, he irritably rubbed his bald head and cursed gruffly:

"You bunch of little brats, can't you be a little quicker? Whether we brothers can still eat well and live a carefree life from now on depends entirely on how fast you move now!"

A soldier, panting heavily as he carried a heavy box, had barely put it down on the carriage when he couldn't help but ask, "Brother, are we really going to run away with all this stuff?"

The words had barely left his mouth when the burly man glared at him fiercely: "What big brother? I'm General Luohan! Call me General!" As he spoke, he kicked a half-open silver chest next to him and continued to curse, "Enough nonsense, hurry up and move it! If you delay the time, you'll be in big trouble!"

But after only a short while, a bald bodyguard rushed in, shouting, "Brother, there's a guy outside who specifically wants to see you!"

The bald, burly man frowned and cursed again, "I already said to call him General!"

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but then deflated like a punctured balloon. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, we're going to run away soon anyway, so just call me 'Big Brother' then. By the way, who's here?"

The guard pointed towards the outside of the camp, panting, and said, "It was a guy in a blue robe! He seemed to have some skill. We went over and questioned four or five of us, but he took us all down with one hand!"

"Wearing a blue robe?"

"Yes, dressed in a blue robe, no doubt about it," the guard confirmed.

Upon hearing this, the burly man breathed a sigh of relief and reached behind him to grab an incredibly heavy, nine-ringed, broad-backed broadsword, the rings clanging incessantly as they clashed.

"As long as he's not a Taoist priest. I have nothing else to do anyway, so let me go and meet him! You guys, get to work and don't slack off! If I come back and the stuff hasn't been moved, you'll see if my nine-ringed broadsword recognizes anyone!"

Having said that, he shouldered his knife and strode toward the gate of the village. The copper rings on the blade jingled with each step, giving him a somewhat fierce and valiant air.

(End of this chapter)