noffsinger Chapter 113 Arrival in the South
Chapter 113 Arrival in the South
The southern border of Longhua State.
Dalang Mountains.
This is the dividing line between the central and southern parts of Longhua State.
The mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles. One side leads to the flat, wide and high central part, while the other side is extremely steep, with a drop of thousands of feet. Walking along the official road that winds around the mountainside, you can directly reach the eighteen cities in the southern border.
Standing on the top of the mountain and looking south, you can see dense stone forests. If it is not a clear day, you cannot see the depth of the stone forest at all.
It is rumored that there were thousands of giant pythons in ancient times. Because the leader of the python demon tribe offended the immortal, the entire tribe was imprisoned here.
The giant pythons, dissatisfied with the way of heaven, raised their heads all year round, venting their anger towards the sky, and eventually turned into huge stone pillars, forming the stone forest we see today.
Before the official road was built, countless travelers rashly entered the Stone Forest in order to take a shortcut.
However, most people disappeared.
Even if someone passed through the stone forest, they would become like crazy, their temperament would change drastically, their energy and blood would gradually be depleted, and they would die unwillingly.
Gradually, this stone forest was called "Fallen Desire Stone Forest" and no brave warrior dared to set foot there easily.
"Uu——"
On the official road on the mountainside, two old and decrepit donkeys carried their masters to the top of the mountain.
Huff…
The two old donkeys were so tired that their tongues turned outward and drooled from their mouths. Their four legs were like wilted eggplants, and their gray donkey skins were wrinkled and trembling constantly.
The old man in green clothes on the donkey's back fiddled with it for a long time, and finally got off the donkey, staggering from side to side. He turned around and pointed at the old donkey's nose and started cursing.
"You toothless bastard, you're really useless! I'll kill you and burn you to death when I get back!"
"They are all animals that are about to be buried in the ground. Lord Dou, please be kind in your words, otherwise they will go down and tell the King of Hell about your bad things."
The speaker was another middle-aged man.
Although he was also wearing blue clothes, he seemed more at ease compared to the decadent look of the official surnamed Dou.
The old man surnamed Dou said dissatisfiedly: "I am not a cultivator, unlike you, Master Mei..."
Lord Mei listened to his complaints slowly, stroked his beard, smiled and said nothing.
The old man surnamed Dou's mouth was dry from talking, so he pulled down the bamboo tube hanging on the old donkey, opened the lid and drank it all.
"Let's not talk about that anymore. The southern expeditionary force sent by Kyoto should be arriving soon, right?"
"It should be about time."
"Then why is there no sign of him?"
"Master Dou, how about we go up a little further?"
The old man surnamed Dou shook his head repeatedly in fear.
He held his waist and said, "Just climbing up here took half my life. I don't want to die here."
"It seems that Lord Dou is still not in a hurry," Lord Mei said slowly, "But it's also true that Mengcheng is the farthest from Nanzhou, so there's no need to worry."
When the old man surnamed Dou heard this, his face immediately fell.
"Master Mei, what you said is really meaningless," Old Man Dou's sparse beard swayed immediately. "What's there to worry about? We're all preparing to resist the demonic cultivators. Why should we distinguish between you and me?"
"Hey, Lord Dou, that's wrong."
Lord Mei shook his head and gestured in the air with his hand in a mysterious manner.
"Look, if Yaocheng falls, you can still escape unscathed."
"you you!"
The old man surnamed Dou was so anxious that he couldn't breathe. Half of his old face was flushed red, and from a distance he looked like a shriveled persimmon peel.
Seeing this, Lord Mei stopped talking. If the old man died before he could catch his breath, he would have to be carried down the mountain.
"Master Dou, if you're feeling unwell, please stay here for now," Master Mei said slowly. "I'll climb up a bit more. Maybe I can greet the Crown Prince first."
After Lord Mei finished speaking, he rolled up his sleeves, bent down and climbed up.
"Welcome the Crown Prince?" The old man surnamed Dou's eyes rolled, and he immediately shouted at Master Mei's back, "You are so good, Mei Yun, so this is what you are thinking!"
Mei Yun turned his head and looked at him and said, "If Lord Dou also wants to, why not try harder?"
"Bah, you shameless villain!" The old man surnamed Dou spat on the ground and cursed at Master Mei, "How could I, Dou Yuanliangju, have a colleague like you?"
"I'll sue you when I get back!"
But when he saw Mei Yun climbing up step by step, he became so anxious that he kept slapping the old donkey's butt.
"Get down, you stubborn donkey! Get down, get down, and let me get on!"
The old donkey trembled and bent its legs, and finally it could not bear the weight and fell to the ground with foam at the mouth.
"You toothless bastard!"
Dou Yuanliang was so angry that he stamped his feet and almost fell down.
He didn't care about Lao Lu's life or death, turned around to look at Mei Yun, and walked upstairs with his pants picked up.
By the time he caught up with Mei Yun, he had already reached the peak.
"Mei Yun, when you return to Kyoto at the end of the year to report on your work, I will definitely report you—"
"Old man, how much resentment must you have to actually report to the court?"
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Dou Yuanliang quickly looked up.
A huge crowd of people were arranged in neat rows, and tens of thousands of troops were lined up here in a mighty manner. Standing at the front of the army were Li Yue, Li Chonglin and Li Chongjiu.
"Old man, are you scared?"
Li Chonglin couldn't help but sneer.
Dou Yuanliang was so frightened that his face turned pale and his knees slammed to the ground uncontrollably.
thump--
"Your Highness, I, Dou Yuanliang, Chief Clerk of Mengcheng, come to see the Crown Prince!"
Mei Yun also knelt down and said, "Your servant, Mei Yun, the chief clerk of Yaocheng, pays homage to the Crown Prince!"
"Trouble you two for coming all the way to greet us. Please get up quickly." Li Chonglin said.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The two of them quickly stood up.
Seeing the two men sweating profusely, Li Yue ordered the soldiers next to him, "Go get some water and some towels to wipe the sweat off."
"Thank you, General!"
Dou Yuanliang leaned forward in fear and trepidation, as his old waist was about to fall apart.
Li Chonglin looked at the two men and said, "Since you are officials from the Southern Territory, why are only the two of you here?"
Mei Yun stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Crown Prince, Your Highness, you may not be aware that there have been significant personnel changes in the eighteen cities of the Southern Territory. Many officials have left the Southern Territory for the central region."
"I remember that the current officials should not be replaced until the beginning of next year. Why are there changes now?" Li Chonglin asked.
"This……"
Mei Yun wanted to say something but stopped himself.
Seeing that Mei Yun didn't dare to speak, Dou Yuanliang stepped forward to explain, "Your Highness, with the demonic cultivators now approaching, many officials are afraid for their lives, and many have returned home on sick leave."
"What?" Li Chonglin said coldly, "They are all cowards. With so many transfer applications, the Ministry of Personnel agreed to their relocation so easily?"
"Royal brother, I remember the Ministry of Personnel...it was Minister Bai Zheng, right?" Li Chongjiu said suddenly.
Bai Zheng?
Isn’t that Lu Yuguan’s father?
Li Chonglin glanced at the carriage behind him and his heart tightened.
"It's indeed Bai Zheng," Li Yue interrupted, frowning. "With so many transfer orders, His Majesty would never approve them so easily. Could it be the Ministry of Personnel..."
Li Yue didn't dare to say more. The things involved were definitely not something a military general like him could casually speculate.
"We'll discuss this matter later. The most urgent task is to reach the Eighteen Cities first and settle the soldiers down." Li Chonglin said in a deep voice.
Li Chonglin knew that he was boring, and seeing that Li Chonglin was avoiding the question, he didn't say anything more.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is right. Let's go to the city first and talk." Mei Yun said.
Li Yue immediately ordered the generals behind him, "Listen carefully, lead your troops firmly and deploy according to the plan."
"The general will obey your orders!"
All the generals said in unison.
Li Yue waved his hand, and all the troops quickly reorganized. In just a stick of incense, they formed into different formations and set off in the designated direction.
Dou Yuanliang had never seen such a scene before. He was so scared that he swallowed his saliva and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Soon, the only people left in the open space were the armies of the three cities, Bai Xiao's guerrillas and the monks from the northern border.