Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 1086 – Where the Dust Falls

The black armor was covered in dust, but it did not seem old. On the contrary, it exuded an aura of extreme terror.

But none of the subjects of the Great Zhou Dynasty would be afraid. When the peasants in the fields by the road heard those thunderous hooves and saw the black armor of those horsemen, they would halt their labors and kowtow while the children playing on the trees would yell out in excitement.

Because they knew that these cavalry were the Great Zhou Army’s finest troops, their mounts the strongest Dragonhorses. Equipped in that gloomy black armor, they were the Great Zhou Dynasty’s, even the entire Human race’s, greatest pride, the invincible army created by Emperor Taizong: the black-armored cavalry.

The heavy cavalry of this black-armored cavalry were currently making their way to the capital.

The black-armored heavy cavalry had the most powerful and lethal weapons on the continent.

Divine General He Ming was the leader of these heavy cavalry.

Back when Chen Guansong had just taken on the post of Principal of Star Seizer Academy, he was the vice principal.

In that period, the Tianhai Divine Empress and many other people had regarded him as Chen Guansong’s most exceptional comrade, his most reliable aide.

Ten years ago, he had been transferred to lead the black-armored heavy cavalry. His performance remained superb, but his taciturn and inconspicuous personality meant that the common people did not hear of his deeds, and he had been obscured beneath the brilliance of Xue Xingchuan and others.

Two thousand heavy cavalry were rushing to reinforce the capital. In terms of strategy, this was an extremely risky action, an unwise decision. It was certain that many Dragonhorses would die under the dual pressures of a long journey and heavy armor, and the troops themselves would shed some of their numbers. But after receiving the urgent message by Red Goose from the capital, the long-prepared Divine General He Ming did not hesitate. He ordered his subordinates to break camp, because the capital needed two thousand black-armored heavy cavalry to guard it.

Only this way could those cultivators be more obedient, could the Great Zhou Dynasty be at peace, could the northern expedition proceed without fail!

As Divine General He Ming pondered these matters, his gaze pierced through Mount Mo before him, descending on an even farther place.

Mount Mo was the last barrier of the foothills to the south of the capital.

One could already faintly make out the capital.

The capital had no city wall, and the Imperial City itself was not very tall, so when he saw the capital, he was really looking at the Mausoleum of Books to its south.

He already knew through the message of the Red Goose that Xu Yourong had brought many southern experts and trapped the venerable Daoist, and that the Li Palace could move at any time.

Divine General He Ming did not know the specific details, but the fact that the venerable Daoist had been trapped was shocking on its own and made him think about many things.

He rather admired Xu Yourong, even though he had never been able to stand Xu Shiji in these last ten-some years.

He felt that if she were a man, she could have become the general of a generation.

As he thought about these matters, his mood became more complicated.

Many years ago, he had participated in a full moon banquet at the Xu Estate, where he had held that little girl who seemed to be carved from jade.

He had already reached Mount Mo. Just a little longer, and he and his two thousand heavy cavalry would reach the Mausoleum of Books, where they would assault the traitors.

The once-little girl would probably die today, no?

And just how many of the cavalry he led that should have been killing their way into Xuelao City would die today?

Suddenly, several shrill cries came from the sky as a Red Goose flew like a bolt of lightning to the ground. It was warning that a strong foe was attacking.

The black-armored heavy cavalry truly deserved their reputation as the strongest force on the continent.

With a clattering of metal, the two thousand cavalry quickly came to a stop, a sea meeting a dam.

This black tide of cavalry, ordered through waving banners, quickly set up an array.

A forest of spears aimed at the sky, unleashing a Qi of iron and blood that seemed to physically attack the sky.

This Qi of blood and iron concealed many terrifying ballistae and a dangerous array.

These were truly lethal techniques. Even a Divine Domain expert would find it hard to gain any sort of advantage.

But the array and lethal techniques of these two thousand black-armored heavy cavalry were all ultimately useless.

Because the target of the enemy’s attack had never been the cavalry, but the nearby Mount Mo.

A streak of light drew out a straight line in the sky that quickly disappeared.

At the front of this line was a little black dot.

This little black dot had used an incomprehensibly terrifying speed to reach the peak of Mount Mo.

At that moment, everything in the world went still, whether it was the puffs of steam rising from the nostrils of the Dragonhorses or the spring breeze curling around the black armor.

The entire world was so still that it did not seem real.

And then, a rumble shattered the stillness.

A boom like both thunder and the roaring of thousands of monsters came from deep under Mount Mo.

The ground fiercely quaked. Both the hardy rocks and the soft meadows of grass began to visibly ripple.

As the rumbling rose from the ground, countless cracks began to appear on Mount Mo.

In an extremely short time, countless rocks had broken off from the mountain, shooting through the sky and then crashing down in grandiose plumes of dust.

The quaking intensified, and the addition of the massive rocks flying through the air threw the entire place into even greater disorder.

The neighs of Dragonhorses could be heard within the dust, but they had all been personally raised by Qiushan Jun at Sloping Cliff Horse Farm, so even in these circumstances, they did not panic. Coupled with the protection of the array, the two thousand cavalry did not suffer a destructive blow, but were thrown into disorder by the uneven ground and the terrifying boulders.

The soldiers quickly waved the banners in their hands to communicate with the troops, their expression concerned, but the veil of dust blocked their comrades’ visibility.

The array masters shouted and worked together while experts of the army began to launch attacks on the massive rocks that had made it past the array. Even Divine General He Ming acted, but the ballistae in the center of the army did not. They still pointed at a certain area in the dust, while lethality still remained concealed behind strict discipline and the will to unflinchingly face death.

After some time, the dust gradually settled and the cavalry were finally able to see the scene in front of them.

Those cavalry who had remained extremely calm in the face of such a chaotic situation were finally shocked.

The Mount Mo that had been in front of their eyes just a moment ago had disappeared.

……

……

Mount Mo was not tall, only a hundred-some zhang, but it was still a mountain.

Who could convert an actual mountain into a field of rubble and collapsed cliffs in such a short time?

As the dust settled, a girl dressed in black appeared.

Her exquisite face featured an absolutely cold visage.

That cinnabar birthmark of hers seemed to give off a monstrously fiendish air.

Her feet were bare.

Because the moment her foot landed on the summit, the chain on her feet had been pulverized into the smallest of existences.

The cavalry were stunned as they thought, was it really just this seemingly immature girl in black who knocked down all of Mount Mo?

Suddenly, innumerable neighs filled with a terrible fear rose from the cavalry.

The Dragonhorses that had managed to remain calm while the mountain collapsed and stone rained down had suddenly begun to move restlessly in panic.

After a while, they began to kneel toward the black-clothed girl, expressing their servitude.

The cavalry were cast onto the ground, causing even greater chaos.

As he looked at the black-clothed girl, Divine General He Ming slowly raised his right hand, his mood rather gloomy.

Accompanied by a white light, a divine Qi rose from the middle of the army.

The black-clothed girl gave him an indifferent glance.