Half a day later.
Outside the city.
A desolate land.
Groups of bandits escaped out of the city, fleeing all the way to this place. Each of them was bloodied and their breath chaotic, looking very disheveled. Almost everyone had injuries.
But fortunately, they had successfully rescued the three leaders.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
The third master, with his long hair disheveled and body covered in blood and filth, grabbed a large wine jar and frantically poured it into his mouth.
It seemed as if his entire stomach was a bottomless black hole.
The twenty-pound sorghum liquor was downed in one go.
The large wine jar was smashed hard onto the ground, cracking with a loud noise.
"The brothers who died, didn't die for nothing. You offend Erlong Mountain, no one shall gain any advantage!"
The third master shouted with reddened eyes, filled with anger.
"Old Six died a horrible death, crushed into minced meat by a skinny young kid, this is an irreconcilable hatred!"
The leading bandit spoke coldly.
His body was similarly tall and huge, about 2.2 to 2.3 meters tall, with bulging muscles and an imposing aura. His eyes were not normal either, with yellow pupils that intensely oppressed people.
"Boss, that fellow seemed to be wearing Zhenwu Temple's disciple attire, he is someone from Zhenwu Temple!"
A bandit spoke through gritted teeth.
"Zhenwu Temple!"
The leading bandit's eyes flashed with a ferocious light, terrifyingly saying, "No wonder, with such skills, Erlong Mountain won't let this go with you."
"Zhenwu Temple is the strongest martial arts sect within a few hundred miles. Trying to target it, I'm afraid it's not that easy."
A middle-aged man dressed as a scholar strategist frowned and spoke.
"Heh heh... If we rely on our own strength alone, naturally we can't contend with it. But... if other forces join in, Zhenwu Temple will be nothing."
The Eldest Master grinned fiercely.
"Oh?"
The scholar's eyes flashed.
The other bandits also looked at their leader.
"I have received news that the Red Turban Army has already captured Yunzhou, their forces are now point directly at Desolate Province. All the powerful figures in the Desolate Province's green forests have started to respond; the fall of the entire Desolate Province is only a matter of time. Once it completely falls, it will be the end of Zhenwu Temple!"
The Eldest Master said with a cold smile.
Now, the Great Xuan Dynasty is teetering, with warlords dividing the land and uprisings springing up everywhere. Near our Desolate Province, the largest rebel army is the Red Turban Army.
The Red Turban Army has already developed into a force of 300,000 people, filled with experts and many fierce generals.
Within tens of thousands of miles, it is undoubtedly a top-tier force.
"Great, with the Red Turban Army's help, Zhenwu Temple will surely be nothing!"
"Hehehe, the days of the corrupt officials and those martial arts sects are numbered, hahaha..."
A group of bandits all laughed heartily.
···
Half a day later.
Jiang Shi had already successfully escaped back to Zhenwu Temple, changed into clean clothes, and never left the house again.
Until midnight, he vaguely heard the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance.
Feeling suspicious, he opened the door to look.
He saw Liu Si, Li San, and a few others, covered in blood and looking panicked, quickly fleeing towards him.
"Boss, boss, are you alright?"
Liu Si spotted Jiang Shi and hurriedly rushed over.
"I'm fine, how about you guys?"
"We're also fine, we escaped by pretending to be dead."
Liu Si said with a shiver.
"It's good you're fine, just go back to sleep. Don't talk about this to anyone, just pretend it never happened."
Jiang Shi replied.
"Okay, okay!"
Liu Si and the others nodded repeatedly, still shook up, and continued heading towards their residence.
Jiang Shi closed the door again and returned to his room.
Time passed.
Another seven or eight days went by continuously.
In seven or eight days, Jiang Shi's strength increased daily, reaching the level of 3800 jin, swinging an adult waist-thick tree with great vigor, swooshing with the wind.
But the biggest regret was that Dragon and Snake Force still hadn't been mastered.
Moreover, for martial techniques, he also knew absolutely nothing.
Now, besides his brute force, he had nothing else.
This made him frown and ponder.
Should he find another time to go into the city again to see if he could buy a martial technique that suits him?
However, recalling the incident days ago, his face turned serious, and he gently shook his head.
"Forget it, the city is not safe at all right now. It's better to continue laying low, since there's no immediate danger anyway."
Jiang Shi murmured to himself.
Rumble!
Suddenly, from the distance came a deep rumbling sound, like a surging tide, causing the entire outer sect area to vibrate slightly.
Immediately, all the outer sect disciples rushed out, looking around.
"Army, oh heaven, it's the army!"
"That's... the Red Flame Army, it's the Red Flame Army guarding the Desolate Province!"
"Why would the Red Flame Army come to Zhenwu Temple? Are they heading towards the inner sect?"
Many people exclaimed in shock.
Jiang Shi also walked out of his room and looked.
He saw not far away, a large swath of red appeared, about a few hundred cavalry, imposing and mighty, filled with killing intent, all wearing identical red battle armor. The horses beneath them were also covered in iron armor, galloping with rumbling, roaring sounds.
Their glances were cold as lightning, seemingly unaffected by any emotions.
"Red Flame Army."
Jiang Shi murmured.
According to the original owner's memory, the Great Xuan Dynasty had seventy-two provinces, infinitely vast, each with its own guarding army, directly under the Court's jurisdiction.
The guarding army of their Desolate State is the Red Flame Army!
Like its name, the army is like a blazing flame sweeping across the earth, destroying everything!
"Boss, the sudden entry of the Red Flame Army into Zhenwu Temple, could it be something happened?"
Liu Si's face changed and he whispered, "I heard some time ago that the front line was tight, the Red Turban Army had already started a major invasion of Desolate Province, capturing four territories of Desolate Province. Maybe the Red Flame Army is here to conscript troops."
"Is that so?"
Jiang Shi spoke, watching the distance, "Forget it, let's just farm well, the matters above have nothing to do with us."
Liu Si and the others nodded repeatedly.
The red crimson Red Flame Army soon disappeared in the distance, entering the inner sect area.
···
In the inner sect of Zhenwu Temple.
The Observatory Master, the Red Sun Daoist, along with six Elders, three Guardians, and a group of Inner Sect Disciples, without exception, all hurried out, their faces solemn, coming to the martial arts field, looking at the large red mass of Red Flame Army in front of them.
The Red Sun Daoist clasped his hand in greetings, solemnly said, "General Wu, coming from afar, please forgive us for not welcoming you properly. May I ask for what reason General Wu has come?"
In the Red Flame Army, the one leading was particularly fierce, with a large body, strong arms, wearing red armor, a face full of a bushy beard, and eyes as cold as knives and swords.
"Conscript order!"
His tone was icy, a large hand swung, a red token instantly flying out.
The Red Sun Daoist's face subtly changed, grabbing the token in his hand, his mind quickly turning.
"Order: Zhenwu Temple must immediately dispatch experts and disciples, to Profound Dragon Pass to support, ten thousand urgencies, no delay, violators shall be executed without mercy!"
The leading man, Wu Tianqing, spoke coldly.
"General Wu, has the front line really reached such a dire state?"
The Red Sun Daoist couldn't help but ask.
Wu Tianqing glanced coldly at him, said, "Yes, the General said, draw over ninety percent of your people from Zhenwu Temple."
He turned his horse's head, immediately leading his people away, issuing another low rumbling noise.
The faces of the Red Sun Daoist and others immediately changed.
Draw over ninety percent?
Is this not emptying Zhenwu Temple?
"Observatory Master, what should we do?"
An elder spoke with a changing expression, in surprise.
The other elders and guardians all gathered, looking at each other.
"With the Red Flame Army's conscription order out, all Jianghu sects must heed its call, troublesome, troublesome, is the Red Turban Army really about to break through Desolate Province?"
The Red Sun Daoist said solemnly.
"Conscript over ninety percent of the disciples, this is to sever our foundation."
The Grand Elder spoke seriously, "Otherwise... send more outer sect disciples to make up numbers?"
"Hmm? Feasible!"
The Red Sun Daoist nodded.
Anyway, once the war breaks out, most are destined to be cannon fodder, there's no need for Zhenwu Temple to send all true disciples to die.
Others nodded one after another.