Origin Paradise!

Jiang He stuffed the sword manual he obtained from Yin of the capital into the little white snake's mouth. This Snake Sword Manual was a high-grade martial art, of decent quality. Black Mountain Tiger could achieve twice the result with half the effort when practicing the Black Tiger Skill, and the same principle applied to snake demons practicing the Snake Sword Manual. Not having player qualifications did not mean there was no room for growth.

"Thank you, big snake," Zhuang Ya said obediently. She would also say thank you when the village aunties fed her eggs before.

"Very high quality." Jiang He praised without reservation.

With the deputy master dead, he took the opportunity to loot the treasure vault of this Treasure Pavilion. Half of the contents were standard swords and bows sold to martial artists, there were many kinds of healing medicines, and more than a hundred ginseng roots remained. By this time, most of the valuable and scarce treasures had been traded. Only two divine weapons remained, one a heavy sword and the other a long saber, both of which were of rare quality according to the item classification.

Jiang He called Wu He over, and the two bags of items were barely half full.

"You can use the greatsword for now."

Zhuang Ya performed a sword-swallowing demonstration. The greatsword is actually not suitable for her petite figure, as it stands taller than her. However, if the target audience were not so small, this weapon would likely have been sold earlier.

[Name: Vietnamese Greatsword]

[Type: Weapon]

[Quality: Rare]

[Effect ①: Intermediate Durability]

[Effect ②: Powerful strike, a round-swing attack can deal 25% armor penetration and 25% shock damage]

[Note: A metal coffin lid]

Outside Jubao Tower, the Embroidered-Robe Envoys from the Northern Military Command, which oversees the night market, arrived. Killing someone in the street is punishable by death according to the law. None of these Embroidered-Robe Envoys went to Black Prison Mountain to participate in the suppression of the bandits.

"Do you need me to give you an explanation?"

Jiang He walked out of Jubaolou with a calm expression.

"You flatter me, Lord." The leading embroidered-robed commander chuckled and stepped aside. How could he dare to stop this man? After the fire at Black Prison Mountain, the military camp sentries discovered over a thousand corpses. What happened during that time was a closely guarded secret. There were only faint rumors that the Duke of Pingluan was strong enough to be among the top five in the world. It was said that the old man with the sword personally made the claim.

Jiang He left the night market and walked back to the Earl's Mansion.

The main street remained bustling, and it looked like it would continue until dawn. As the crowds gathered, opera troupes and brothels also came to join the fun.

As soon as they entered, Steward Wu informed them that the Prince of Anbei's personal guards were waiting in the South Study.

"My lord, the front lines are in dire need of help. His Highness has ordered the camps outside the city to reinforce the Ink Great Wall, and all officers stationed there with a hundred households or more are to accompany him."

The guards found it difficult to speak.

Jiang He took the initiative to hand over the King of Anbei's gold-patterned sword.

"Are there any other orders?"

The guard replied tactfully, "Yes, His Highness wishes to recruit some江湖客 (jianghu ke, martial arts practitioners), but it is not mandatory."

Jiang He waved his hand and refused. The Anbei Governor's Office usually treated Jianghu people like pigs and sheep to be slaughtered. They sharpened their knives at the night market execution site every day. It was already considered moral for these people not to take advantage of the situation. He was too lazy to make trouble for himself.

Chapter 149 The Pain of Dragon Blood

The following day, the army outside the city broke camp and set up camp.

Jiang He was accompanied by two animal companions, while Lao Hei was still leading his wolf pack south.

From Daming Prefecture to the Ink Great Wall, it would take cavalry a day and a half to travel at full speed. However, with an army of 50,000 advancing, the need to transport provisions and weapons forced the speed to decrease considerably.

The Ink-colored Great Wall is the most important defensive barrier in northern Yizhou. Of course, relying solely on the Great Wall is not enough for the Anbei Army to stand up to the Northern Barbarians despite its inferior troop strength and numerous internal troubles.

With the Great Wall of Ink as its main structure, the Anbei Governor's Office built six garrison cities around it, four inner and two outer, to jointly bear the defensive pressure. Haihun City is one of the inner cities, and now 6,000 soldiers have been transferred to be stationed near the Great Wall.

Along the way, Jiang He fiddled with the strange mechanical box that Wu He had found in Feng Lei Bao Zhuang. This thing was hidden in the study of the previous owner of the manor, the Gray Knight. It was exquisitely crafted and complex. It was not sturdy, but if it was forcibly opened without a key, it would cause the mechanical box to self-destruct.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Daming Prefecture has long since disappeared.

A magnificent city wall stretches for thousands of miles across the land and hills, extending as far as the eye can see. On average, there is a beacon tower every three miles, where a centurion unit is stationed. The commander in charge of guarding this place is General Hao, the sworn brother of the Prince of Anbei, with more than 30,000 elite troops under his command. As the only general who remained silent during the previous conflict between the governor's office and the generals, he has become a master-level expert, and has mastered the Great Millstone Fist in the army.

The 50,000-strong army of the prefectural camp arrived at Anbei City behind the Great Wall. The city was completely like a military town, with a spacious drill ground, military camps and a racecourse. Only the royal palace tent in the center was somewhat impressive.

Inside the large tent, armored soldiers stood in rows.

General Fu, the commander of the prefectural camp, received the order to withdraw.

Jiang He walked in, and the Prince of Anbei was sitting behind his desk.

"How long can you hold out against Longcheng?"

Jiang He sat down and replied, "It depends."

Based on previous observations, Longcheng's four basic attributes should be close to twenty, and he can use various secret techniques at will. He only hastily displayed one of the three ultimate skills. Moreover, the opponent is in the prime of his life, with surging blood and energy, so there is almost no possibility of wearing him down.

Objectively speaking, the odds of a head-on victory are 90/10.

If one thoroughly masters all three gun techniques, the odds are 70/30.

In comparison, the total difference between the two sides in their four basic attributes is at least more than twenty points.

Longcheng almost reached the pinnacle of life in the Bronze Age.

Jiang He did not tell Anbei Wang his prediction, because it was meaningless. In the eyes of most people, Long Cheng was the pinnacle of martial arts besides Grandmaster. It was universally acknowledged that Gun King San could injure Long Cheng, and the speed of the Misty Rain Pavilion Master was comparable to that of Long Cheng. However, once they fought, both of them would die, without a doubt.

In the past, Gun King San and Misty Rain Pavilion Master would have been the undisputed number one in the martial arts world, and the current number five in the world is no match for them.

Unfortunately, a prodigy named Long Cheng has emerged in this generation of martial arts, who has even mastered the Grandmaster's Transformation Realm ahead of time. This alone is enough to make ordinary Grandmasters despair.

Inside the royal tent, the King of Anbei handed over a transfer order.

"Outside the Ink Great Wall are the two fortified cities of Shanhuo. The Northern Barbarians are about to launch an offensive. These two cities cannot be defended, but according to my expectations, a large number of barbarian lives must be lost before the cities fall."

“Longcheng has returned to the borderlands. The Governor’s Office does not yet have any definite news about him. However, he is best at being the first to breach a city, so the defenders must be experts.”

“I have been following the situation at Black Prison Mountain.”

“From the start of the formal offensive, I expect you and the Beihuncheng troops to hold out for at least three days. You may make any requests.”

At the same time, Jiang He heard the notification tone.

[Hint: Side quests are now available]

[Mission Objective: Defend the city for three days under the onslaught of the Northern Barbarians]

[Quest Reward: Two Skill Points]

[Punishment for mission failure: None]

[The Executive Officer's Exclusive Merit Shop is Temporarily Open]

[Hint: Executor Hunter class detected]

[Hint: The Executor Alchemist class has been detected]

[Common-grade Rubik's Cube Bionic Alchemy Doll: 10 Merit Points/Doll]

[Common-grade Wild Beast Minion: 10 Merit Points/Head]

[Rare Hunter Targeted Skill Scroll - Shooting: 150 Merit Points/Scroll (Maximum 3)]

[Rare Hunter Targeted Skill Scroll - Eye: 150 Merit Points/Scroll (Maximum 3)]

[Superior-grade Wilderness Hunter Armor - Technology: 1000 Merit Points (Unique)]

[Superior-grade Rubik's Cube Doll Alchemy Recipe: 1000 Merit Points (Unique)]

[Hint: Defeating one enemy soldier from the Northern Barbarian faction grants 1 merit point]

A series of beeping sounds kept going off.

Jiang He appeared to be deep in thought with his eyes lowered, but in reality he was browsing the information in the Executive's exclusive shop. This module had appeared when he first became an Executive, but it was only being temporarily activated for the first time now. As for side quests, they could only be activated once per world exploration, and like last time, they still cost two skill points.

"I want your Dragon Blood Blade," Jiang He said bluntly.

The King of Anbei was somewhat surprised. Military supplies, soldiers, and defensive equipment were not unusual, but the other party's demand for the Dragon Blood Sword was truly beyond his expectations.

"The importance of the Prince's military orders during wartime ranks above all other orders. There is no need to use the Dragon Blood Sword as a token. Moreover, Du Chang, the garrison commander of Beihun City, is very capable and has already taken control of those six thousand soldiers, who are now stationed near the Great Wall. You can take up your post directly."

"I just want to know Your Highness's determination to defend against the enemy," Jiang He said calmly.

The Prince of Anbei chuckled, "Let alone a knife, as long as we can defend Yizhou, what does it matter if we abandon the concubines of the royal palace?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Prince of Anbei got up and took a bright red sword from the weapons rack next to him.

"You held out for more than an hour for three days. Even if all your soldiers were wiped out, you would still be the one who made the greatest contribution in this battle."

Jiang He took the Dragon Blood Blade, along with a series of other items including military orders, command flags, and more.

"According to the prince, there should be a change that could affect the course of the battle within three days at the latest."

The Prince of Anbei did not hide anything and replied, "The halberdiers from the capital are on their way along with the winter grain transport. They are the best of the best from all over the country. These 10,000 halberdiers all have basic martial arts skills and can make the Great Wall as solid as a rock. Speaking of which, this support is largely thanks to the approval of Chief Minister Yan. With the death of the eldest son of the Yan family, my old friend has become much more docile."

Jiang He remained silent. He had heard about the fact that the Yan family had two legitimate sons when everyone went out to welcome the princess. The demonic cultivation method was what helped the Yan family produce a Grandmaster. The death of the eldest son did not mean that the second son was completely unqualified. This matter might not be as simple as it seemed.

Jiang He bid farewell to Anbei City and rode straight to the Beihun Army Camp. The executor's exclusive shop was only open for three days while the city was under defense, and two of the items were guaranteed to be obtained.

During the journey, Jiang He fed the Dragon Blood Blade to the Everlasting Hatred Spear, which immediately gained a new ability: the originally not-so-sharp spear tip began to gleam with a sharp edge.

[Dragon's Blood Pain: Attacks inflict a moderate tearing effect, the wound causes persistent excruciating pain, and the spear tip gains moderate sharpness.]

Chapter 150 Frontline

In less than a day, Jiang He first reunited with his headquarters and then arrived at the mountain city beyond the Great Wall. The dark Great Wall was just two or three miles behind him, and they were close together and mutually supportive.

“My lord, the elite cavalry previously stationed in the mountain city were the prince’s direct troops. After several small-scale battles, they lost 4,000 men instead of 6,000. Our Beihun Camp is slightly less elite, and the cost of holding out for three days may be considerable.”

Deputy General Du Chang rode on horseback, carrying a lance, with six commanders following behind them.

"I don't know anything about military affairs. You can arrange the city's defenses. There will be a batch of swords and medicines later. It's better than nothing."

"clear."

Jiang He took the lead and exchanged fists with the valiant battalion commander who had withdrawn from the mountain city. This change of garrison meant that the Northern Barbarians were about to launch a large-scale offensive, which could happen tomorrow or a few hours later. For the Northern Barbarians, the mountain city and the fire city were passes that had to be taken down. The forces required to attack the Ink Great Wall were enormous, and the danger of being attacked from both sides was too high to bear.

Upon arriving in the mountain town, they found it in complete disarray.

Only two small and medium-sized granaries in the corner can be considered complete buildings; most of the other houses have been demolished, and timber used as defensive equipment is piled up under the city walls. A gate-blocking cart stands at the entrance.

This unique defensive siege weapon was cast from pig iron. The front wall of the chariot was equipped with three or four layers of iron blades. The chariot was the same width and height as the city gate. Once the city gate was breached by the enemy, the soldiers would push the chariot to block the gate, blocking arrows and launching a charge at the same time, killing or wounding the enemy.

Jiang He walked up to the pavilion in the north of the city. Before her lay the vast grasslands beyond the Great Wall, the barren land covered with withered, yellow grass, lying haphazardly.

A fierce wind howled past, carrying a chill, rustling the withered grass. Looking into the distance, the barbarian army camps stretched endlessly, with 300,000 horsemen and archers covering the mountains and plains.

Deputy General Du Chang immediately began to deploy troops. The Beihun Camp had two thousand cavalry and four thousand infantry, most of whom were good men from Yizhou.

"Two thousand men will be stationed along the north wall, led by Commander Sun and Commander Ning. When defending the city, cavalrymen should dismount, leaving only five hundred as reserves. The other three walls must not be neglected..."

Jiang He looked back at the mountain city. This city did not take into account economic and residential attributes at all. Therefore, the city walls were thick, but the city area was not large. The 6,000 people stationed there were neither too many nor too few. It was more like a nail driven into the land beyond the Great Wall.

"Hey, help me fill another bag."

"clear."

……

It was late autumn, approaching winter, in the sixth year of the Xuanhe era.

Just as the Jianchi Mountain Sword Tournament was about to begin, the Northern Barbarians launched a large-scale offensive southward.

On the morning of the fourth day after arriving.

Dark clouds loomed over the city, and yellow sand filled the sky.

Two 10,000-strong Northern Barbarian battle formations advanced across the land, driving dozens of loosely organized thousand-man squads toward the mountain city. These thousand-man squads, which were essentially cannon fodder, were all Western Region barbarians, dressed in rags and armed with old weapons.

As Deputy General Du Chang looked into the distance, he saw more than a dozen boulders engulfed in flames hurtling towards him. His own troops defending the city immediately erupted in chaos, with shouts of anger rising and falling. Twenty or thirty years ago, the Northern Barbarians would never have had the technology to manufacture catapults. This was related to a famous case from the time of the late emperor, which led to the northward migration of many impoverished noble families.

A flaming stone fell into the city, instantly creating a large crater. The warhorses were startled and neighed loudly, and the soldiers of the Northern Dusk Camp couldn't help but grip their sword hilts tightly.

boom!

Flaming stones rained down one after another. One hit the city wall, destroying the mottled battlements, while another landed among the crowd, killing more than a dozen soldiers without leaving a trace.

As the Western Region barbarians, who served as slave soldiers, approached, ladders were erected one after another on the city walls. These barbarians, whose homes and countries had been destroyed by the Northern Barbarians, had almost no fighting spirit. Their only purpose was to consume the city's defensive equipment.

"Fall the leaves!" shouted the deputy general, Du Chang.

With limited arrows in the city, he did not intend to leave the barbarians as his targets. Pieces of wood fell from the city wall, striking the barbarian soldiers. Both fell at the same time and were smashed to pieces.

Jiang He stood at the very front of the city wall, with hundreds of iron spears stolen from Jubao Tower beside him, as well as a mountain of stones. He picked one up and carried it on his shoulder, empowered by the Bright and Dark Spiral Force and Tiger Force, which did not require any energy consumption.

Bang!