Inner City.
Jiang Ning moved across the rooftops of the inner city like a whirlwind, like a flash of lightning.
He was already pushing his speed to the absolute limit.
In an instant, he covered dozens of meters.
In a single breath, he traveled two hundred meters.
Watching the large signal flares continuously explode above him, he dared not show the slightest negligence.
As far as he knew, such large-scale signal flares rising from the city gates bright enough to illuminate the night sky and alarm the entire county were only launched in situations of extreme urgency.
Furthermore, the sound of war drums meant that something had happened at the western city gate.
And not just any incident it had to be something serious, possibly an attack by an enemy force.
Because the combination of war drums and signal flares was the equivalent of the beacon towers and wolf smoke from ancient times.
Even though he racked his brain, he still couldn't understand why a large army would suddenly attack the western city gate, causing the emergency flares to be launched and the war drums to be sounded.
But since both had already been triggered, it meant that an enemy attack was extremely likely.
This made him recall some of the intelligence he had previously come across.
In the Great Xia's Nine Provinces, sporadic uprisings had been occurring over the past few years.
Although most were swiftly suppressed, these rebel groups kept emerging, like weeds after rain impossible to completely eradicate.
One uprising would be crushed, only for another to rise elsewhere, waving the banner of rebellion.
In the past year, these uprisings have become even more frequent.
Especially last year, the frequency of uprisings and revolts had increased dramatically.
Within Zeshan Prefecture, where Luoshui County was located, the most significant rebellion was the uprising led by the Black Lotus Cult.
When the Black Lotus Cult initiated its rebellion, it started in Daming Prefecture and quickly spread, engulfing two entire prefectures and affecting seven counties.
During that time, within those two prefectures and seven counties, countless towns and cities were captured and turned into living hells.
Within the four prefectures and thirty-six counties of Zeshan Prefecture, the Black Lotus Cult's rebellion was the largest and most widespread.
But that didn't mean it was the only rebellion.
Over the past year, according to the intelligence Jiang Ning had received from the Inspection Bureau, there had been more than a dozen large and small uprisings across Zeshan Prefecture.
"Could this be due to the prolonged drought, forcing desperate citizens into rebellion, and now their forces have reached Luoshui County?"
The thought had barely surfaced when Jiang Ning shook his head.
"No, with the mountains covered in snow, how could ordinary people even survive the journey to Luoshui County?"
He quickly refocused his gaze on the city walls ahead.
At his current speed of two hundred meters per breath, he could already see the towering walls of the inner city in the distance.
Luoshui County was divided into an outer city and an inner city.
If the outer city fell, there was still the inner city to defend.
Thus, the inner city was far more secure, and its residents were all either wealthy or noble.
Because of this, the inner city's defenses were much stronger its walls were taller, its gates were sturdier, and its garrison was better trained.
After all, this was about protecting the lives of the city's most powerful figures.
Naturally, they wouldn't skimp on fortifications.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He could already see soldiers scrambling atop the city walls, and people rushing about carrying supplies in and out.
Seeing this, a thought suddenly arose in his mind.
"Could it be… that the western city gate has already fallen?"
At that moment, he noticed that the war drums from the western gate had suddenly gone silent.
Boom
Boom boom
Boom boom boom
Now, on the towering walls of the inner city, a large, burly soldier had stepped forward and begun pounding the war drums.
The drumbeats thundered like a storm, resonating throughout both the inner and outer cities, growing more intense with each strike.
Seeing this, a heavy sense of foreboding settled in his chest.
"Could it be that the outer city has already fallen?!!"
As soon as the thought surfaced, he pushed his speed even further, accelerating to an even more terrifying pace.
But even though he was now moving faster than a high-speed train from his past life…
There was still no wind resistance.
It was as if the air offered no obstruction to him.
At this moment, he seemed to have merged with the wind itself.
This was why he could reach such incredible speeds.
Although there was still some air resistance, it was several times weaker than what an ordinary person would experience.
As the sound of rushing wind roared past his ears, Jiang Ning rapidly approached the boundary between the inner and outer city.
A few moments later.
With his full speed unleashed, Jiang Ning had already covered over ten kilometers, arriving at the base of the inner city walls.
"Who goes there?!!"
A guard officer immediately shouted when he saw a shadow darting across the rooftops under the bright moonlight, rushing toward the inner city's walls at an incredible speed.
The next moment
Before he could react
That shadow had already reached the sheer wall of the city and shot straight upward.
In the blink of an eye, it soared past his head.
Searching
The officer instinctively drew his sword.
The crisp sound of the blade leaving its sheath, combined with his earlier shout, instantly caught the attention of the other guards atop the city walls.
Several soldiers immediately drew their weapons, eyes locked onto the airborne figure as it rose and then gently descended onto the wall.
Seeing the way the figure floated down like a feather, several experienced officers with keen martial insight tensed.
The ability to defy gravity with such incredible control meant the intruder was someone with exceptional power.
Had this figure not approached from within the inner city, they would have already swung their swords instead of merely drawing them halfway.
"Commander Jiang!!"
The moment Jiang Ning landed, someone immediately recognized him.
Instantly, they sheathed their weapons and saluted with deep respect.
The other officers quickly came to their senses.
They immediately relaxed their guard and respectfully saluted.
"Greetings, Commander Jiang!"
"Greetings, Lord Jiang!"
"…"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning swept his gaze around, but he didn't see any familiar faces.
"Who is the highest-ranking officer here?" Jiang Ning asked.
"That would be me!" A man clad in partial armor stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute. "Lord Jiang, I am Xiao Chen, a ninth-rank Defense Officer."
"So it's Lord Xiao!" Jiang Ning responded with a slight bow to show respect.
Then he asked, "Lord Xiao, what exactly is happening? Why was a large signal flare suddenly launched from the west city gate, and why are the war drums being sounded?"
As he spoke, Jiang Ning turned his eyes toward the towering war drums on the city wall, which continued to be struck rhythmically.
Judging by the force of the drumbeats vibrating through the air, he could tell that the drummer was no ordinary person most likely a warrior of the eighth rank, possessing immense strength.
Noticing Jiang Ning's gaze, Defense Officer Xiao Chen replied, "I don't know the exact situation either! But based on the signal conveyed by the rhythm of the war drums at the west gate, it indicates an enemy army attacking the city! Moreover, the repeated launch of five large signal flares also signifies an enemy assault."
"An army attacking the city?" Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.
Seeing Jiang Ning's expression, Xiao Chen added, "I don't know the specifics, but since this is the message being relayed, I cannot afford to ignore it or take it lightly. Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, I must treat it as real."
"I admire your diligence!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands. "Lord Xiao, your dedication to duty is truly exemplary."
After offering this polite remark, Jiang Ning continued, "Gentlemen, I won't take up more of your time. I'll head to the west city gate to see for myself!"
With that, he stepped forward and swiftly traversed the city wall.
Then, with a leap, he easily cleared the wall.
His right foot landed on a protruding section of the battlements, which instantly crumbled under the force. Using the recoil, he soared through the air like a great roc, covering over ten yards in an instant before landing atop a rooftop.
In the next moment, his figure blurred into a fleeting shadow, vanishing rapidly from the sight of the defense officers.
"What terrifying agility!"
"Indeed! Commander Jiang's strength is truly remarkable!"
"…"
Meanwhile
Jiang Ning moved with incredible speed, covering a third of the outer city in just a short moment.
Then
Clip-clop, clip-clop
The sound of galloping hooves reached his ears, growing closer by the second.
"Horses?" Jiang Ning's heart tightened, and his figure instantly ascended.
In the blink of an eye, he reached the highest rooftop nearby.
From this vantage point, he looked down and immediately spotted a group of figures riding through the main avenue of the outer city.
Clad in black iron armor, mounted on dark, menacing horses
The Black Mountain Army!
The Black Mountain Cavalry!
Seeing this, Jiang Ning's heart trembled.
His gaze turned serious.
At the far end of his vision, along the main road connecting the outer city to the inner city, he saw more of these Black Mountain Cavalry riders over thirty of them in total.
This confirmed that the west city gate had indeed fallen, allowing the Black Mountain Cavalry to enter the outer city.
It also meant that among the enemy forces, there were at least thirty warriors of the eighth rank, possessing superhuman strength.
And these weren't just ordinary eighth-rank warriors; they were fully armored, mounted on warhorses, organized into a disciplined unit, and trained in military combat.
Such a formation meant that their combined power was far greater than that of scattered, independent warriors.
When fighting together, their strength didn't just add up it multiplied.
A lone seventh-rank martial artist, if they dared to stand in their path, would be slain in an instant.
That's because soldiers trained for war were completely different from lone warriors of the martial world.
They were well-drilled, moved in unison, charged with precision, and supported each other in battle.
Their combat effectiveness was in a league of its own.
Not to mention these Black Mountain Cavalry were mounted warriors, not foot soldiers.
Each eighth-rank warrior had at least a thousand jin (over 500 kg) of raw strength, with the stronger ones reaching two or three thousand jin. On top of that, their armor weighed several hundred jin.
When these cavalrymen charged, they became unstoppable juggernauts.
And the Black Nightmare Horses beneath them capable of carrying such heavily armored riders at full speed possessed explosive power and endurance beyond imagination.
With these factors combined, how could anyone stand against a charge of several dozen Black Mountain Cavalry?
Who would dare to?
Even Jiang Ning himself, despite his immense power, felt a sense of unease at the sight of these warriors.
For the west city gate to fall so quickly, especially on this significant night, the eve of the New Year it was clear that among these Black Mountain forces, there were warriors far beyond the eighth rank.
For eighth-rank warriors with divine strength alone, breaking through the city gate so quickly would have been impossible.
There must have been a true expert who scaled the city wall, swiftly killed the guards, and then opened the gate from within.
Only in this way could the west city gate have been breached so quickly, allowing the enemy cavalry to enter the outer city.
As for the true strength of the experts among these Black Mountain Cavalry, he had no way of knowing.
Nor did he know whether he could be their match.
The Black Mountain Cavalry were the most elite forces of the Black Mountain Army, and the Black Mountain Army itself served as the militant guardian force of the Black Lotus Sect.
In the past, they had stirred up a rebellion in Da Ming Prefecture that spread across two provinces and engulfed seven counties. It was impossible to believe that the Black Mountain Army did not harbor martial experts.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ning stopped in place and observed the thirty or so cavalrymen approaching from the far end of his vision.
After charging through the west city gate, the Black Mountain Cavalry rode straight along the main road toward the inner city gate.
They showed no hesitation.
Their plan had been set long before they took action.
Enter through the west gate, and upon entry, head directly for the inner city gate without delay.
They knew that on New Year's Eve, when the city's defenses were lax, breaching the outer city gate was relatively easy.
The difficult part was breaking through the inner city gate.
With the outer city already alerted, the inner city's garrison would undoubtedly be mobilizing rapidly.
For them, every second counted.
After all, their entire force numbered fewer than a hundred.
If the defenders were given enough time to prepare, and the inner city's martial experts gathered, then storming the inner city would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
No matter how strong they were, they were still mere flesh and blood. They would eventually tire, and they could not withstand an overwhelming tide of defenders.
Suddenly
As the leader of the Black Mountain Cavalry galloped ahead, a cold female voice rang in his ear.
"Captain Jiang, there's a powerful presence secretly watching us."
"How strong?" Upon hearing this, the leader immediately asked. His voice was quickly carried away by the rushing wind.
"Not sure yet. I haven't pinpointed their exact location, but my intuition tells me they're nearby."
"Then please, Saintess, find this person quickly. If possible, eliminate them immediately."
"Rest assured, with my unmatched techniques of the Black Lotus Sect, once I locate them, I will send them to eternal bliss."
On the other side
Jiang Ning had been observing for a while.
Suddenly, he sensed that someone was watching him from the shadows as well.
It was an instinctive feeling like a cicada sensing the autumn wind before it moved.
A chill ran down his spine, his hair standing on end.
He subtly scanned the direction where he felt the gaze, but saw nothing.
The next moment
He closed his eyes briefly, then snapped them open.
A third eye appeared on his forehead, activating instantly.
With this eye, he gazed again in the direction of the Black Mountain Cavalry.
Immediately, he saw a figure cloaked in black mist a woman dressed in a black robe, her face veiled in dark silk.
"This is…"
As soon as he laid eyes on her, he sensed the aura of a divine-blooded being, as well as lingering traces of divinity.
A member of the Black Lotus Sect!
Jiang Ning instantly concluded.
His gaze sharpened as he saw through the illusions of the black mist, piercing through the woman's veil to observe her true form.
"She looks young, no more than twenty-three or twenty-four. I should give it a try."
"If I kill her, based on the aura I'm sensing, I should be able to absorb divinity points from her."
"She must be the strongest individual among both the Black Mountain Cavalry and the larger Black Mountain Army behind them."
The moment he saw the woman, Jiang Ning understood everything.
The Black Lotus Sect was backed by a god a true deity who wielded divine authority.
Having grasped the situation, Jiang Ning decided to retreat.
Facing more than thirty cavalrymen, all at least of the eighth rank in martial strength, by himself
And not just any cavalry, but the fearsome, battle-hardened Black Mountain Cavalry, alongside an enigmatic woman from the Black Lotus Sect
He had little confidence in victory.
He chose to fall back toward the inner city walls, where he could use the terrain to his advantage.
At that moment, the black-robed woman also spotted Jiang Ning as the distance between them shortened.
As soon as she saw him, she watched as he swiftly withdrew.
In an instant, he vanished from her sight.
"Such a young face!"
"Such incredible speed!!"
"What an extraordinary movement technique!!!"
"Who is he??"
Doubts flooded her mind, and her expression grew solemn.
Meanwhile
The wind howled past Jiang Ning's ears.
He moved swiftly across the rooftops, gliding over the snow like a great roc soaring through the sky.
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