Chapter 430: White Clothes Fight Black Clothes, White Head Kills White Head

After the barefoot woman, who called herself the "Charcoal Girl," rode an ox cart into the city and helped the grandfather and grandson sell all their charcoal, she turned and walked towards the city gate. Relying on her feminine intuition, she was convinced that the "Human Cat" was waiting for the white-haired man who had caused the Youyan Mountain Manor to suffer a setback.

Instead of leaving the city directly, she climbed onto the city wall, sat down, and dangled her feet.

For a Qi practitioner seeking to achieve apotheosis and ascension, there has been an unchanging shortcut for a thousand years: slay an evil dragon, swallow its ink pearl, and nurture it for sixty years. According to historical records, one would then grow horns, becoming half-dragon and half-human, capable of passing through the Heavenly Gate and later becoming the master of a river and sea dragon palace.

She felt that an opportunity had arisen.

Lu Song, the cavalry commander of the Hundred Light Cavalry, had an impeccable background. His career had steadily advanced over the years, with his resume, submitted layer by layer from local prefectures to the Ministry of War in the capital, showing no irregularities. He was in the prime of his life, and with the grand ceremony in Tai'an City and the turbulent movements across the land regarding Western Chu, he had recently received a secret imperial edict from the Ministry of War. It ordered his promotion by one rank, and he was soon to personally lead over a thousand elite cavalry in a covert encirclement operation against several severely rebellious areas in the former Western Chu territories. Lu Song was handsome and refined, possessing a cultured air. His only widely criticized habit was his fondness for consuming "cold-food powder" elixirs, which made him walk barefoot in clogs even in bitter cold, with long, wide sleeves, moving like the wind.

In stark contrast to the scholarly general Lu Song, Wang Lin, the cavalry commander of the Three Hundred Heavy Cavalry, was arrogant and unruly. He hailed from a rural clan that had only established itself towards the end of the Spring and Autumn period. His three hundred elite cavalry were all Wang family kinsmen, notoriously insubordinate. They rarely engaged in internal strife or bullied their own, instead focusing solely on causing trouble for neighboring counties. In previous years, they had proven to be an immense headache for the prefect, whose advisors eventually suggested a strategy: pacification! The prefect shamelessly begged the imperial court for a miscellaneous general title, barely managing to appease Wang Lin, who had only been crowned for a few years. The Wang clan of Kaixiang County, as newcomers with unstable roots, had to rely on deploying five hundred armed young men for bloody skirmishes to forcefully subdue the powerful neighboring clans. Wang Lin's father was a veteran of a hundred battles who had survived the Spring and Autumn period. After disarming with several of his subordinates, eight out of ten had passed away over the past two decades, yet they left behind a not-insignificant family fortune. Unfortunately, Wang Lin was a spendthrift, chivalrous and impulsive. He would often engage people in theoretical military discussions even when there were clearly no wars to fight, yet he poured at least two hundred thousand taels of silver from his substantial family wealth into that cavalry unit. Buying and raising horses, acquiring weapons and ordnance, and establishing training grounds were all massive drains on funds. Fortunately, once the three hundred armored cavalry were formally established, they no longer caused trouble for the prefectures. The Wang clan's three hundred cavalry, armored and mounted, would train their charges on quiet, deserted plains. When dismounted and unarmored, they would retreat to deep mountain forests, often staying for months before reappearing. The authorities had always assumed that when the Wang clan's wealth inevitably dwindled and their family declined, Wang Lin, this hot-headed youth, would finally settle down. Little did they expect that this time, the three hundred heavy cavalry would gallop for hundreds of miles, heading directly for Shenwu City. People privately speculated whether some young master in Shenwu City, driven by jealousy, had again provoked this infatuated lunatic who often raged for the sake of a beautiful woman.

Wang Lin led the way with his three hundred elite cavalry, who held official status, while behind them, over two hundred burly men also galloped on horseback, their swords and blades wrapped in cloth. Wang Lin had a long-standing relationship with these bandits camped in Jinfeng Mountain. Whenever he entered the mountains to train his soldiers, the two sides would often set up formations and engage in intense unarmed combat in the dense forest, alternating between attack and defense. These skirmishes would last for five or ten days, or even a month, allowing injuries but strictly forbidding fatalities, until one side was symbolically annihilated. Originally, Wang Lin, who governed his troops with strict military law and possessed considerable combat power, naturally won more battles than he lost. However, this year, dozens of unfamiliar faces arrived in batches at Jinfeng Mountain. They were not easily befriended, and only occasionally, when their hands itched for a fight, did they join the fray. Even with just twenty or so individuals, they consistently gave the Wang clan's kinsmen a hard time, especially the woman named Ren, whose attacks were exceptionally ruthless. Over time, a mutual understanding developed, as they say, "no discord, no concord," forging a genuine and substantial friendship. After all, at their core, both groups were connected, their subtle ties extending a thousand li away—to Beiliang!

This expedition, launched without warning, saw the elite forces fully deployed. Several concealed leaders, who had not yet revealed themselves, unanimously gave a cold, blunt ultimatum to the three factions: success meant glory and wealth; failure meant their heads would be smashed outside Shenwu City. Wang Lin had no major concerns about this. As the saying goes, "Raise an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour." The Wang father and son's current standing seemed to be due to his father's painstaking efforts, sparing no expense and meticulously handling every detail. However, Wang Lin knew the true reality better than anyone. For instance, the Wang family steward was the truly hidden mastermind, and Wang Lin's martial arts skills were entirely from that seemingly pedantic tutor. In this world, ancestral heirlooms could be sold, talent and knowledge could be sold, a woman's body could be sold, and favors and reputation could be sold. But one's life—only a fool would sell that. Wang Lin valued his life and feared death, but he was willing to take a gamble. If he was going to gamble, he would bet big; small ventures would only condemn him to the life of a minor general.

Ren Shanyu and over a dozen others were the last group of Beiliang "hawks and hounds" to secretly infiltrate Jinfeng Mountain from Beiliang. Despite her alluring appearance, like a renowned courtesan from the county city, with every gesture exuding captivating charm, she possessed a truly rustic, untamed spirit deep down. However, Ren Shanyu was not tall; even approaching thirty, she seemed like an undeveloped young girl, petite and exquisite. Yet, she insisted on wielding a pair of "Flower-Displaying" battle axes, hacking at people as if chopping pork, never holding back. After years of evolution, Jinfeng Mountain had become a melting pot of various characters. After she settled in the mountain bandit stronghold, several clueless individuals trespassed into her dwelling at night. The next day, the members of the stronghold saw a ground full of chopped meat outside her courtyard, and several wild and domestic dogs had eaten their fill. Later, after Ren Shanyu had several fits of rage and hacked people, her favorite action was to lift her battle axe and wipe the blood off on her ample bosom. Heaven knows how a woman with such a youthful face could possess such a magnificent figure.

Previously, when the three forces converged, their eyes widened as they finally saw the main figure. Whether it was Lu Song, Wang Lin, or the desperate Ren Shanyu, they were all somewhat surprised: it was actually Beiliang's next chieftain? This left Wang Lin utterly perplexed. What kind of mortal enemy would require the Beiliang heir to need a thousand cavalry for protection? Ren Shanyu's beautiful eyes darted around. Usually, it was lecherous men staring at her intently, but the tables had turned today; it was her turn to gaze. The martial artists nurtured by Ren Shanyu in Beiliang were only barely second-rate, still quite a distance from second-grade grandmasters like Great Sword Lu Qiantang and the Southern Border Witch Shu Xiu. They could only lick blood from knife-edges in the shadows; they had no chance to personally witness this young man who was once famous in Beiliang and now renowned throughout the world. Along the way, she had kept a distant eye on the white-clad heir riding alongside Lu Song. During the capital's grand ceremony, two extraordinary feats were rumored: tearing apart a hundred zhang of the imperial path with a single blade, and beating Gu Jiantang's adopted son like a dog outside the great hall.

Ren Shanyu was skeptical of this.

Finally, they approached Shenwu City.

The frontline elite forces, including Lu Song, Wang Lin, and Ren Shanyu, instantly knew that even if there was only one person opposite them, it would be a battle of life and death for everyone.

The old man in black possessed a formidable aura.

His power could uproot mountains and shatter cities.

Outside Shenwu City, the atmosphere was grim. The ground was wide and flat, suitable for a hundred cavalry to charge in formation, which allowed Lu Song and Wang Lin, both adept in cavalry combat, to see the relief in each other's eyes after exchanging glances.

However, when both men realized that the heir was inexplicably charging alone ahead, they became panicked. If this person were to die, their lives would be completely ruined. By conventional wisdom, Lu Song and Wang Lin, skilled military commanders, should have seized the opportunity to surge forward in a single coordinated effort. But for some unknown reason, as they watched the old man in black outside the city and the white-clad figure on the white horse almost simultaneously engage in a direct, head-on struggle, they forgot to issue commands. Not only did they and the eight hundred cavalry behind them show a slight moment of absentmindedness, but Ren Shanyu and the more than two hundred fierce bandits also stared in astonishment, especially the Jinfeng Mountain's top bandit, who, despite her girlish appearance and innate allure, found her eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

Outside the city, killing intent suddenly flared.

Inside the city, an unassuming scholar in a green robe, with a slender build, perhaps due to his handsome face, gave off a delicate impression. His fingers gently twirled a willow branch.

It was a Beimang Willow Branch.

"Plant a willow, and it will cast shade." If one were struck in the heart by a piece of its sword energy, it was rumored that even a first-grade master, unless a terrestrial deity, would obediently face death.

He smiled, looking languid. He had failed to kill his target within Xiamawei in Tai'an City, causing unrest for Liyang and Beiliang, but that was fine; fishing in troubled waters outside Shenwu City was just as good.

To the north of the city, a young girl, carrying a withered sunflower stalk that had long lost its petals, skipped along the outer perimeter of the city wall towards the east.

Occasionally, early morning pedestrians who encountered the little girl felt a sense of pity. She was quite pretty, but her mind seemed a little off.

To the east of the city, Xu Fengnian galloped on his horse, perhaps due to his impetuous nature and eagerness for battle, he was no longer satisfied with the warhorse's speed.

The warhorse's front legs suddenly buckled and it stumbled forward. Xu Fengnian's figure swayed, and his white robes rapidly darted ahead.

A moment later, they were just ten paces apart.

Xu Fengnian extended one palm outward and twisted the other inward, his footwork light and fluid, exuding an indescribable effortless grace.

He raised an elbow, precisely deflecting the probing arm of his mortal enemy, Han Diaosi. His hands abruptly twisted around the "Human Cat's" left arm. With a full-circle swing, Xu Fengnian, who had reached the peak of the Heavenly Phenomena realm through unorthodox means, hurled this great demon of the Spring and Autumn period towards the city wall!

It was a seamless movement!

One could vaguely see the black-clad figure, like a boulder from a catapult, smash into the city wall, then lightly tap his feet against the surface, rebounding with even greater speed.

What was but an instant to onlookers felt like a century of slowness between the two combatants.

Han Diaosi pushed a palm against Xu Fengnian's forehead.

The black-clad figure directly pushed the white-clad figure backward, sliding him over twenty zhang.

Only then did the crowd realize the city wall was shaking, and countless accumulated snowflakes were falling at its base.

Xu Fengnian not only had the "Cold Blade" hanging at his waist but also carried "Spring and Autumn" on his back.

Han Diaosi waited for Xu Fengnian to steady himself, then slowly rolled up a sleeve, revealing his arm covered in red threads.

What a battle between white and black.

What a scene: white hair killing white hair!