An unexpected encounter with the sleeping Little Dragon Girl leads to the annihilation of the Quanzh

His indifferent eyes, devoid of any emotion, came into view.

A bone-chilling cold rose from the depths of everyone's heart.

How dare they question such a deity before?

They actually thought it was ridiculous to appoint such a deity as marshal.

Looking back now, they were the ones who were truly foolish! They were truly blind to the truth!

"Where is... Minister Meng?"

Zhao Yun's voice broke the deathly silence.

His voice was also filled with trembling and... a hint of barely perceptible fear.

"Your Majesty, Commander Meng... Deputy Commander Meng is leading an army of 100,000 to pursue the remnants of the Mongol army and has sent back a message asking for the Marshal's next instructions," an official from the Ministry of War replied cautiously.

He no longer dares to address Meng Gong directly, but instead respectfully calls him "Deputy Commander Meng".

"Marshal...where is the Marshal?" Zhao Yun asked again.

"The battle report said... after the marshal repelled the Mongol army, he... took his wife to a scenic hill near Diaoyu City, and went to... went to fly kites again..."

When the Ministry of War official said those words, he himself found it absurd.

But that's what it says in the battle report.

"Fly...fly a kite?"

Zhao Yun and the entire court were once again collectively petrified.

The corpses of 100,000 enemy soldiers were barely cold when rivers of blood flowed.

He actually... had the mood to fly a kite?

This guy's thought process is indeed beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

"Quickly! Go and draft the imperial edict!"

Zhao Yun suddenly jumped up from the dragon throne as if he had been injected with chicken blood, his face filled with ecstasy and excitement.

"No! I want to write it myself!"

He rushed to the imperial desk, spread out a blank imperial edict, picked up the vermilion pen, his hand trembling.

"By imperial decree! Marshal Lin Ye, a god descended to earth, turned the tide and saved the nation, his merits unparalleled throughout history! He is hereby granted the title of 'Grand Marshal Protector of the Nation and Guardian of Heaven'! Bestowed... bestowed..."

Zhao Yun got stuck here.

He realized that he had nothing left to give as a reward to this man.

Money? Beautiful women? Official positions?

Would they even care?

He's even sat on the dragon throne, yet he still complains it's uncomfortable.

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Yun finally gritted his teeth and wrote a few words on the imperial edict.

"...They shall not kneel before me, nor hasten their departure into court; they shall enter the palace with swords and shoes! Within the borders of the Great Song Dynasty, they shall obey my commands without question!"

After finishing writing, he threw down his pen and roared at the eunuch beside him, "Use the seal! Send it to Diaoyu City as quickly as possible! Send it to the Marshal!"

"Furthermore! Proclaim to the world! Say that our Great Song Dynasty is protected by a true god! Let all the people of the land build shrines in honor of the Marshal, and offer incense day and night!"

Zhao Yun was completely excited.

He felt like a destitute gambler who, after losing everything, managed to bet on a leopard on his last bet!

Won!

He's won so much he's completely obsessed!

With such a divine marshal around, what is there to fear from the Mongols?

The recapture of lost territories and the unification of the world are just around the corner!

He, Zhao Yun, is determined to become an emperor who surpasses even the founding emperors Taizu and Taizong!

Looking at the emperor, who seemed to have gone mad, and the generals below him, whose faces were also flushed with excitement.

Shi Songzhi and the other civil officials felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their hands and feet turning ice cold.

They were also delighted by this great victory.

But at the same time, a deeper fear also arose in their hearts.

A deity who could arbitrarily depose and install emperors and disregard imperial power descended upon the Song Dynasty.

Is this really a good thing for the Zhao family's empire?

they do not know.

All they knew was that from this day forward, the world would still nominally belong to the Zhao family.

But in reality, he already has the surname Lin.

……

The news quickly spread throughout the entire city of Lin'an.

At first, the people didn't believe it either.

But then the imperial court's notices were posted all over the streets and alleys.

When those storytellers began to vividly recount the legendary tale of "the divine marshal who slays 100,000 with a single sword" in teahouses and restaurants.

The entire city of Lin'an was in an uproar!

"It's true! It's really true! Our marshal is a god!"

"I knew it! When I saw the Marshal and his wife that day, I knew they weren't ordinary people!"

"Great! The Song Dynasty is saved!"

"Quick! Go buy incense and candles! We'll set up a memorial tablet for the marshal and worship him every day!"

The joy of the people is simple and direct.

They don't care who is the emperor or who holds power.

All they knew was that the one who could drive away the Mongols and allow them to live a peaceful life was a good person, a god.

In no time, every household in Lin'an City began to erect longevity tablets for Lin Ye.

Its incense offerings were so abundant that they even surpassed those of all the temples and Taoist monasteries in the city.

Meanwhile.

In the distant Dali, at Tianlong Temple.

Master Yideng and Liaofan, who was sent by Shaolin Temple, also received this earth-shattering news.

"One...one sword...slaying ten thousand..."

Liao Fan stared at the intelligence report in his hand, his mouth agape, completely dumbfounded.

He had already overestimated Lin Ye's strength as much as possible.

But he never expected that Lin Ye would be this strong!

That's 100,000 Mongol cavalry!

They are not those rabble of江湖人 (jianghu people) on Zhongnan Mountain!

Just like that, he was killed in one sword strike?

"Amitabha……"

Master Yideng sighed deeply and slowly closed his eyes.

His face was unreadable, his expression extremely complex.

"Master...Master Uncle, what should we do now?" Liao Fan stammered.

They had originally planned to ask Master Yideng to intervene and persuade Lin Ye to stop committing further killings.

But now...

What's the point of mediating?

They can kill an army of 100,000 with a single sword strike, and you, an old geezer, go there and talk about compassion?

They're already being kind to you by not slapping you to death.

Master Yideng remained silent for a long time.

Then, he slowly opened his eyes and looked south, towards Lin'an.

"It seems we were all wrong."

His voice carried a hint of bitterness and self-mockery.

"We always think that we can use righteousness and morality to restrain and judge him."

"But we forget how ridiculous and pale our so-called 'righteousness' and 'morality' are in the face of absolute power."

"He is not a demon."

"Not a god either."

"He is just...himself."

"An existence that we will never be able to understand."

Master Yideng stood up and walked out of the meditation room.

"Liaofan, you should go back now."

"Tell Abbot Tianming that he doesn't need to worry anymore."

"With Mr. Lin around, the Mongols will never amount to anything."

"As for us..."

Master Yideng paused, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

"From this day forward, this martial world, this realm, will have nothing to do with us."

"We should also take the time to properly recite our own scriptures."

Xiangyang City.

The wind blowing from the city wall carried a chilling and bloody scent.

Huang Rong stood behind the parapet, looking at the endless Mongol camps outside the city, her brows furrowed. She hadn't had a good night's sleep for days.

Since Guo Jing was besieged by Mongol experts outside Diaoyu City several months ago and was seriously injured, and was rescued by General Meng Gong at great risk and brought back to Xiangyang, the entire defense of Xiangyang City has rested on her shoulders alone.

Guo Jing was severely injured, with multiple meridians ruptured. Although he survived, his once-powerful martial arts skills were temporarily rendered useless. At this moment, he was in the inner hall of the city lord's mansion, where Wu Santong and several Beggar Clan elders were continuously channeling internal energy into him day and night, barely keeping him alive.

Huang Rong knew that Xiangyang City had been able to hold out until today entirely because of Guo Jing's banner of "the greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people." Now that this banner had fallen, the morale and fighting spirit of the soldiers in the city had been greatly affected.

What worried her even more was that the news coming from Diaoyu City was getting worse and worse.

Möngke Khan personally led an army of 300,000 to completely besiege the small city of Diaoyu. Although the defending general Wang Jian was brave, the disparity in troop strength meant that the fall of the city was only a matter of time.

Once Diaoyu City falls, the Mongol army can advance unimpeded and penetrate deep into the heart of Sichuan. At that point, Xiangyang will become an isolated city, with no natural defenses left.

"Rong'er, are you still worried about Diaoyu City?"

A gentle voice sounded behind her. Huang Rong turned around and saw the brothers Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen walking over. They were now both capable young generals, their faces filled with worry.

Huang Rong sighed and remained silent.

Wu Xiuwen couldn't help but say, "Master's wife, we can't wait any longer! Father's injuries won't heal anytime soon, and Diaoyu City is in imminent danger. We must send troops to rescue him!"

"Save them? How can we save them?" Huang Rong's voice was tinged with exhaustion. "Xiangyang City is barely able to defend itself, where would we find the extra troops to rush to the aid of Diaoyu City, a thousand miles away? Moreover, what are we going to use to fight Möngke's 300,000-strong army?"

One sentence silenced everyone.

Yes, 300,000 troops, what does that mean? Even if all the troops in Xiangyang were put into it, it would still be a drop in the ocean.

The atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Just then, a seven-bag disciple of the Beggars' Sect came running in, looking flustered. He was covered in dust and his lips were chapped, clearly having traveled a long way.

"Master Huang...Master Huang!" The disciple knelt down with a thud as soon as he entered the room, his voice trembling violently with excitement and exhaustion.

"What's all this panic?" Huang Rong's heart tightened, thinking that the Mongols had made some new move.

"A great...great victory!!" The disciple shouted these two words with all his might.

"A great victory?" Everyone in the hall was stunned.

Huang Rong frowned: "Where did you get this great victory from? Explain yourself."

"Diaoyu Fortress! It's a great victory at Diaoyu Fortress!" The disciple was so excited he was almost incoherent. "The siege of Diaoyu Fortress is over! Möngke's 300,000-strong army has been routed!"

"What?!"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding loudly in the hall!

"Impossible!" Wu Dunru was the first to jump up. "This is absolutely impossible! It's only been a few days! Diaoyu Fortress was surrounded like an iron barrel, how could it suddenly be relieved? Did you hear the wrong news?"

"Yes! Could it be a trick by the Mongols? Deliberately spreading false information to lure us out of the city?"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, and no one believed it.

This news is utterly absurd. Just a few days ago, I heard that Diaoyu City was on the verge of collapse, how could it have been such a great victory in the blink of an eye? And even a 300,000-strong army was routed? Even Guo Jing, at the height of his power, could never have accomplished such a thing.

"Absolutely true!" The disciple was sweating profusely with anxiety. "The news came from Lin'an, transmitted via our Beggars' Sect's fastest carrier pigeon! The imperial court's urgent battle report has already been announced to the world!"

Huang Rong's heart skipped a beat.

The Beggars' Sect's carrier pigeons are the fastest intelligence system in the world, and they could never make a mistake. The imperial court's battle reports are even less likely to be falsified.

Could it be... true?

She forced herself to calm down, looked at the disciple, and asked, word by word, "Explain yourself clearly. How was Diaoyu City relieved from siege? How did General Wang Jian defeat the Mongol army?"

"No...it's not General Wang Jian." The disciple swallowed hard, his eyes revealing a fanaticism and awe that he himself could not understand.

"Yes... he is a newly appointed marshal by the imperial court."

"Marshal?" Huang Rong was even more puzzled. "When did our Great Song Dynasty gain another marshal? Isn't General Meng Gong in Lin'an?"

"It was General Meng Gong who brought him back from Zhongnan Mountain!" The disciple's voice trembled as he said this, "That marshal... he... he's not human! He's a deity!"

"immortal?"

The people in the hall exchanged bewildered glances, wondering if this disciple had gone mad. They'd won the battle, so why was he bringing up deities?

"Tell me everything you know, without exaggeration or omission!" Huang Rong shouted sternly. She knew that the key to the matter lay with this mysterious "Marshal."

The disciple was intimidated by Huang Rong's imposing presence. He composed himself and began to recount the news he had heard.

"It is said that... that marshal only brought his wife with him, just the two of them, when they arrived at Diaoyu City."

"Then, in front of the two armies, he walked alone towards the Mongol army of 300,000."

"The Mongols first rained arrows on him, but all those tens of thousands of arrows stopped in mid-air before reaching him, and then...then flew back and killed all their own men!"

"hiss--"

A collective gasp filled the hall.

What myth is this about?

The disciple didn't stop; he became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

"And then! That marshal, facing the Mongol army, just... waved his hand!"

"And then?" Wu Xiuwen asked anxiously.

"And then...and then the Mongol vanguard of 100,000 cavalry were...and all of them were cut in half at the waist!"

"boom!"

Everyone's minds went blank.

With a wave of his hand, 100,000 iron cavalry were cut in half at the waist.

Is this something a human could say? This is more outrageous than the most absurd supernatural tales!

"Nonsense!" A hot-tempered elder of the Beggars' Sect slammed his fist on the table. "Do you think we're listening to your stories? If you dare spout any more nonsense, I'll tear your mouth off!"

"I'm not making this up! That's exactly what the battle report says!" The disciple shrank back in fear, but still insisted, "Later, that marshal walked up to Möngke, said a few words to him, and Möngke... he went mad! He started hacking at his own men with his sword! The remaining 200,000 Mongol soldiers were terrified and threw down their weapons to run away!"

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

Everyone looked at the beggar gang disciple who was making such a solemn vow with the eyes of someone looking at a madman.

If they didn't know that the Beggars' Sect had strict rules and that spreading rumors was a serious crime, they would have dragged this disciple out and beaten him to death long ago.

Only Huang Rong remained silent.

Her expression shifted and changed in the candlelight.

Others might find it absurd, but she caught a glimpse of familiarity in this utterly absurd description.

Zhongnan Mountain...

Waving...

massacre……

A name that had been suppressed for a long time and almost forgotten by the entire martial arts world suddenly jumped out from the depths of her memory.

She looked at the disciple and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "What is that marshal's name?"

The disciple paused for a moment, then said, with utmost reverence, enunciating each word clearly, "His name is Lin Ye!"

Lin Ye!

When those two words echoed in the hall.

Everyone was stunned.

They felt they had heard the name somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it.

Only Huang Rong's body swayed suddenly, and her face turned deathly pale instantly.

It's him!

It's really him!

That peerless demon who slaughtered hundreds of Taoists of the Quanzhen Sect and thousands of martial arts masters on Zhongnan Mountain!

The instigator of the "Jiazi Demon Slaying Incident" as privately known among martial arts practitioners!

Didn't he disappear? How could... how could he suddenly become a marshal of the Song Dynasty?

Huang Rong felt as if her heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Others might not know, but she did. The rumors about the Zhongnan Mountain incident were definitely not unfounded. She had sent people to investigate, and although the Quanzhen Sect had blocked the news, some clues had still leaked out.

Those descriptions are so similar to what this disciple just said!

They are all the kind of overwhelming, god-like power that cannot be understood by common sense!

Now, this demon has become the Marshal of the Great Song Dynasty?

Is this a blessing or a curse?

"Master's wife, what's wrong?" Wu Dunru asked with concern when he saw that Huang Rong's expression was not right.

Huang Rong didn't answer him. She just stared intently at the Beggar Clan disciple and commanded in an unquestionable tone, "You, go and investigate again immediately!"

"I want to know everything about this Lin Ye! Everything! From his appearance to his trip to Diaoyu City, every single detail of what happened in between!"

"Also, check on what's been happening in Zhongnan Mountain lately!"

"Go quickly!"

Huang Rong's voice trembled slightly, a tremor she herself was unaware of.

She had a strong premonition.

This world, no, this entire realm, is about to change.

Late at night.

The inner hall of the Xiangyang City Lord's Mansion was brightly lit.

Guo Jing lay half-reclined on the bed, his face still pale, but his eyes were much clearer than during the day.

Huang Rong sat by the bed and fed him a bowl of freshly cooked ginseng soup, spoonful by spoonful.

"Brother Jing, how are you feeling today?" Huang Rong asked softly, her voice full of concern.

Guo Jing shook his head, indicating that he was alright. After finishing the ginseng soup, he remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice somewhat hoarse: "Rong'er, I've heard about what happened during the day."

His room was not far from the council chamber. He had heard the commotion during the day clearly.

"Lin Ye..." Guo Jing murmured the name, his brows furrowing deeply. "Is he really the one who massacred the people of Zhongnan Mountain?"

Huang Rong nodded, her expression grave: "It's almost certainly true. I've already sent the Beggars' Sect disciples to verify it, and at the latest, we should have more detailed information coming back by tomorrow."

Guo Jing's eyes became incredibly complex.

There was shock, there was doubt, but more than anything, there was a deep sense of bewilderment.

"Rong'er, tell me... do such people really exist in this world?" He looked at his hands and murmured to himself, "With a wave of his hand, he can... slaughter an army of 100,000?"

Guo Jing's martial arts skills had reached their pinnacle. The Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the Nine Yin Manual, and the Ambidextrous Technique—any one of them would have been enough to make him stand out among all heroes.

He once charged into and out of the Mongol army seven times, causing the entire army to retreat in terror.

But he knew that there were limits.

He can kill a hundred people, a thousand people. But after killing them all, he will be exhausted and drained of his inner strength.

Like Lin Ye, he slaughtered 100,000 iron cavalrymen with ease.

This is no longer martial arts.

This is a miracle.

Or rather, it's a miracle.

Throughout his life, Guo Jing was upright and honest, always striving to act with a clear conscience. The martial arts he learned were all for the purpose of "the great hero, serving the country and its people."

But now, the appearance of one person has shaken the beliefs he has upheld throughout his life, making them teeter on the brink of collapse.

If a person possessed godlike or demonic power, they could easily decide the life or death of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people.

Then, does his insistence on "chivalry" still have any meaning?

"Brother Jing, don't think too much about it." Huang Rong held his hand and gently comforted him. "Whether he is a god or a demon, he has, after all, helped our Song Dynasty repel the Mongols. Diaoyu City was saved, and the people of Sichuan were spared from the ravages of war. In the end, it's a great thing."

"But...that process..." Guo Jing's eyes were filled with pain. "Rong'er, that wasn't war, that was slaughter! It was a merciless, one-sided massacre! Those Mongol soldiers, although they were our enemies, were also human beings. They also had parents, wives, and children..."

"Brother Jing!" Huang Rong interrupted him, her tone turning serious. "I know you're kind-hearted. But don't forget, if it weren't for Lin Ye, hundreds of thousands of people in Diaoyu City would be slaughtered right now! Those Mongols should have been prepared to be killed the moment they set foot on our Song Dynasty soil!"

"I...I understand." Guo Jing sighed. "I just...I just feel that this power is too terrifying. It shouldn't exist in this world."

Huang Rong remained silent.

How could she not find it terrifying?

One person's joy or anger can determine the fate of a country and the life or death of millions of people.

This sword hanging over everyone's heads is far too sharp and far too dangerous.

"Rong'er, tell me... why did the court appoint him as marshal?" Guo Jing asked again. "How could the emperor dare to entrust military power to such a morally ambiguous, no, even demonic figure?"

A knowing glint flashed in Huang Rong's eyes.

She understands people's hearts and political maneuvering better than Guo Jing.

"I'm afraid it's not that the Emperor wants to bestow this title upon him, but rather... he dares not refuse," Huang Rong said with a wry smile. "Think about it, would someone who can easily slaughter an army of 100,000 care about an emperor's reward? If he wanted to be emperor, it would probably only take a word for him. The Emperor's appointment of him as marshal is merely a convenient move, an attempt to bind him to the Song Dynasty."

"Moreover, I suspect that General Meng Gong played a key role in this. General Meng is a loyal and brave man, and since he dared to invite such a person back, he must have had his reasons."

As Guo Jing listened to Huang Rong's analysis, the fog in his mind gradually dissipated.

Yes, he had met General Meng Gong before. He was a truly patriotic and iron-willed general. His decision must have been for the sake of the Song Dynasty.

But in Guo Jing's heart, there was still a knot that he couldn't untie.

The next day, even more detailed intelligence, like snowflakes, converged on Xiangyang from all directions.

This time, not only the Beggars' Sect, but also the martial arts practitioners who escaped from the battlefield of Diaoyu City, as well as the merchants and travelers along the way, all brought all sorts of news.

All the news points to one fact.

That man named Lin Ye, really, isn't human.

Some people say that he can fly, that he can fly in the sky like a bird.

Some people say that he can conjure things out of thin air and make inanimate objects obey his commands.

The descriptions of that war have been embellished with fantastical details.

"One finger shatters the sky!"

"One thought and the city is slaughtered!"

"The Demon God has descended!"

"A true immortal has descended to earth!"

All sorts of bizarre titles were bestowed upon Lin Ye.

The old story of the "Jiazi Demon Extermination" at Zhongnan Mountain has been brought up again.

This time, it's not just baseless rumors.

Instead, it's a detailed description with specific details.

Legend has it that on that day, blood flowed like a river on Zhongnan Mountain. Six of the Seven Masters of Quanzhen were cut in half at the waist by him with a single move. The remaining one was so terrified that he went insane.

Thousands of martial arts masters who went to participate in the "Demon Slayer Assembly" were turned into a bloody mist with a wave of his hand, and not even a complete corpse could be found.

These news caused a great uproar at the heroes' gathering in Xiangyang.

"My God! So the rumors about Zhongnan Mountain are true!"

"I knew it! How could the Quanzhen Sect have closed its mountains for no reason! Turns out they were crippled!"