Chapter 121: Shameless Defection, The Desolate Grave and Earthen Den

The massive, snake-like army broke apart like a collapsing dam, fleeing in sheer, desperate terror. These forty thousand soldiers, who only moments ago were lost in the arrogant dream of sacking Anxi Prefecture and slaughtering its people, were suddenly cast into a hellish graveyard where they were consumed by a million insects.

Each of these desert monstrosities possessed razor-sharp mandibles and hideous countenances, their flight speed rivaling that of top-tier masters in the Heaven-Transformation Realm. Often, three or five would swarm a soldier’s back, and in the blink of an eye, they would strip the man bare, leaving not even a scrap of bone behind. Their ferocity was absolute.

In the span of a single incense stick's burning, the forty-thousand-strong army had vanished into the vast Western Desert. As far as Han Chong could see, only the white-robed man and the two marshals had managed to escape through quick thinking; all others were annihilated.

Taking out a piece of Ancient Chicken-Wrath Wood and slinging it over his shoulder, the million-strong swarm sensed the scent of the wood. The insects instantly halted their advance and scattered in every direction.

The following evening, fifty miles outside the Anxi Protectorate, in the central command tent of the Southwest Shule military camp.

Inside the sprawling tent sat only four marshals, bedecked in golden armor with feathered helmets. The white-robed man was nowhere to be seen.

"Well, well, Xile and Bilu, what a state you two are in. Even two pigs leading forty thousand men could have razed Beiting Prefecture to the ground. Yet now, you two grand marshals have become commanders without an army, fleeing here in such a sorry plight. I truly don't know what to say to you." The speaker, a long-faced marshal with bronze-colored skin, sneered.

"Hmph, Molun, it is easy for you to talk while you're standing. Are you happy to see us in such a miserable state? What benefit does it bring you?" Marshal Bilu retorted, seething with anger.

"Heh, if you weren't of royal blood, you would be a dead man now for losing twenty thousand troops. How dare you put on airs before me?" The former showed a hint of restraint, choosing not to argue further.

"Enough. Marshal Molun, let us hear why these two ended up in such a state. If we follow in their footsteps, we will be torn apart by five horses upon our return to the empire," another marshal with a tiger-like face and a murderous aura said in a low, admonishing voice. The two fell silent, both showing signs of wariness.

"Marshal Penglu is wise. Our two armies, twenty thousand each, surrounded the small city of Beiting from the north and south. Though we met resistance, after a month of siege, the city was starved of grain and water. However, one day, a squad of Demon-Slaying Captains from the Great Feng Dynasty was escorted into the city, followed by a night raid. Our grain supplies were looted, and I had to send scouts to the southern villages to forage. Who could have known a black-clad swordsman would appear and slaughter my men, including several strong warriors of the Heavenly Realm? It was then I learned that this swordsman was the very person who had discovered our hidden stockpiles of grain and water!"

"Oh? So this boy is one of the Great Feng Demon-Slaying Captains? I have heard that these captains are mostly Qi practitioners. Your army has countless strong warriors; how could he have broken into the camp alone and killed your commanders without the use of essence-based techniques?"

"Don't remind me. I am equally baffled. And that was not all. I had to summon Fellow Daoist Xiao Ling, but even he could not capture the black-clad youth. Later, Xiao Ling secretly ordered an insider within the garrison to assassinate the Great Protector of Beiting and a dozen other commanders, allowing Xile and me to launch a night assault. The plan was moving smoothly and should have been a guaranteed success, yet the Demon-Slaying Captain killed the insider and held the city gates with desperate resolve. We were thwarted once again."

"Hiss!" Molun and Marshal Penglu exchanged looks, unable to hide their shock.

"What is the cultivation level of this boy if even Fellow Daoist Xiao Ling could not take him? This Beiting campaign is truly a battle rarely seen in decades!"

"Alas, it is true. And it gets even more bizarre. We combined our forces, intending to abandon Beiting and come here to assist you two in taking Anxi Prefecture first, intending to settle scores later. But halfway here, that same black-clad youth led a million desert insects straight toward our ranks! The entire force of forty thousand was reduced to bones in an instant. Only the two of us escaped. I am too ashamed to face the King; I feel like dying from the humiliation. But I thought I should come to warn you both to be on guard."

Molun and Marshal Penglu remained stunned, left speechless for a long time.

"...This, this is impossible. Is the boy insane? By inciting a million-strong insect swarm, does he not fear his own death?" Molun muttered to himself.

"Hmph, I suspect it is not the boy who is mad, but we who have underestimated him. Perhaps he has some bizarre method of escaping! By the way, where is Fellow Daoist Xiao Ling?"

"I do not know. When we fled, that man ran faster than anyone. I suspect he was scared out of his wits by the swarm," Bilu shook his head.

"Two marshals, what is the situation in Anxi City? Why has it not yet been taken?"

"Hmph, the Anxi Protectorate is not like Beiting. It was built by the Great Feng Dynasty at a massive cost. The walls are solid, with two auxiliary forts providing mutual cover, and the city sits upon steep slopes. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack. We have been attacking daily for weeks, losing tens of thousands of men. We have reduced it to a dead city, and I estimate their grain and water are exhausted; it cannot last many more days. Why? Are you two, having lost your armies, looking to share in our credit?"

"Not at all, not at all. We are now alone, so how could we have such thoughts? We only wish to assist you. Once you take Anxi Prefecture and then proceed to take Beiting, it will be easier for us to answer to our own kingdom."

"Hmph, I knew you two were after a share of the glory. Very well, if we succeed, we will grant you some troops. As it happens, Beiting will need strong commanders to hold it."

"Haha, thank you, Marshal Penglu!"

...

In a wild, rugged mountain range in the south, a mound of earth, shaped like a giant grave, stood abruptly within a ravine. Dozens of pitch-black, unfathomably deep caves riddled the mound.

The white-robed man of the Feng clan showed a flicker of disgust. Having no choice, he found a cave in the center and entered, drawing a long, green jade flute from behind his waist and playing as he walked.

From the interconnected caves within the mound came the chilling sound of squeaking, reminiscent of rats. He ignored it, his brows furrowed as he tried his best to avoid the thick spiderwebs on the walls and the sticky, white slime dripping from above.

He descended deep into the mound, reaching a gloomy earthen hall littered with the bones of humans and beasts. Grim-faced attendants holding forks stood guard, but the bone throne at the head of the hall was empty.

"Is your Spider Mother in the manor?"

"Reporting to Master Xiao Ling, the Spider Mother is bathing in the back garden."

"Oh? Very well."

The white-robed man curled his lip and walked straight into the rear hall, entering a green garden cave with a ceiling riddled with glowing holes.

A pool of pearly-white water lay in the center of the garden, and a stunning beauty was bathing within, the sound of splashing water echoing through the chamber.