SWNOVELXO Chapter 322: 322. Dihua City
The message arrived, and everyone immediately gathered to discuss it.
Li Pei quickly summarized the situation:
After the Rakshasa launched their attack, the Western Frontier became deadlocked.
Currently, General Zuo and the Vampire Duke are in a standoff in the Ili region and cannot easily extricate themselves.
Yu Yanmei took over the heavy responsibility of commanding the forces, confronting Agubai's bandits in a stalemate near Turpan.
Among the enemy's leaders is an Innate Realm giant bandit—the White-Eyed Tiger.
This man is sinister and vicious, extremely skilled in ambushes. It was his cunning plan that seriously injured Yu Yanmei!
...
Separated by over 3000 kilometers, it was inconvenient to communicate the details, and this was all they knew thus far.
But there was no need for further details. Lu Yao waved his hand decisively and said, "We set off at once. With the Spiritual Sparrowhawks, we only need one day to reach the Western Frontier, and we will certainly make those bastards pay!"
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Li Pei, worried about her master's safety and somewhat beside herself, immediately felt relieved at his response.
In a soft voice, she asked, "My lord, do we need to bring anything else?"
Lu Yao replied, "Just pack simple personal items, nothing else matters."
The three women understood; their man was clearly planning to use the magical "Mustard Seed Treasure."
But what they didn't know was that the contents of the "Space-Time Bubble" were beyond imagination. It didn't just contain planes, tanks, and cannon—it even had an entire supermarket.
And the energy of the Star Key was fully charged up!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Yu Yanmei had helped everyone a great deal and was an absolute insider, as well as Li Pei's master.
Upon hearing she was in trouble, the family's fighting spirit soared, and they quickly assembled in the yard.
Three Spiritual Sparrowhawks dived down like lightning, deftly alighting beside them.
Their feathers, sharp beaks, and talons glinted with a metallic chill in the sunlight, their stature now nearly two meters tall.
This time they had to carry four people across more than 3000 kilometers. Even with Wing-Suit Flight Suits, it was a substantial burden for the Spiritual Sparrowhawks.
Lu Yao swallowed six Ten-Complete Immortal Pills and extended his hand to pass on Innate True Qi to nourish them.
The Spiritual Sparrowhawks particularly loved this high-level life energy, and the benefits were truly immense. They excitedly raised each feather, calling repeatedly, their bodies filled with vigor.
Ru Yi, the strongest, took both Liao Ya and Liao Qe simultaneously, Ji Xiang carried Li Pei, and Ping An took Lu Yao.
Their powerful wings flapped vigorously, and amidst their high-pitched calls, they stirred up a strong current of air.
Gripping their passengers, the Spiritual Sparrowhawks ascended and flew towards the northwest.
~~~~~~~~~~
At this time in Korla, Western Frontier,
within a palace topped with onion domes, Agubai convened his officers for a meeting.
He was not one of the Shunchao People, but an Uzbek, thus he had high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, the appearance of a foreigner.
Agubai was particularly sensitive about his background as a "Dancing Boy" and so he wore a full, aggressive beard to appear more masculine.
Now, everyone waited for Agubai to speak, but he was lost in thought, stroking his Spirit Pet.
This was a shorthaired mastiff, five meters long. The beast was so big it resembled a truck, making the already vast palace feel cramped.
It was a rare Blood-Exchange Realm Spirit Pet!
Laying on the ground, it gnawed on the corpse of an Innate Realm being, crunching sounds echoing clearly.
The body was that of the former lord of the palace, a local king of the Western Frontier.
After a while, once the Spirit Pet had completely devoured the body and began to lick its paws, Agubai spoke with authority:
"The Vampire Duke has ordered us to attack Dihua to create an opportunity to kill Zuo Jicun."
"Mobilize all the troops and enlist the commoners as cannon fodder. We launch the assault in three days!"
Upon hearing these words, a very burly young man stepped forward and knelt, saying, "Father, I wish to serve as the vanguard and shatter the enemy for you!"
This was Agubai's son—Haigula.
His body was covered in thick hair, his yellow pupils were like wolf's eyes, and his mouth sported two prominent canine teeth. After letting out a howl akin to that of a wolf, he said excitedly,
"That female swordsman has been seriously injured, and no one can stop us now! We'll tear Dihua City apart, and countless treasures, beauties, and slaves will be ours to enjoy!"
The other generals in the hall agreed with these words, letting out howls like wolves, which echoed throughout the entire palace and frightened the maids to the point of shivering.
These were the werewolves from the Otherworld.
In front of the "Werewolf Generals," plates held rows of human legs and arms. Compared to vampires, they preferred the taste of living human flesh and bone.
After listening to his son's request, Agubai agreed,
"Go then, pave the way for the army as the vanguard! However... I must find you a good teacher and friend to tame your wild nature."
Agubai turned to look at the only "normal person" present, and said,
"Brother White-eyed Tiger, it was thanks to your wisdom that we were able to severly injure that detestable female swordsman. Now, would you accompany my son once more?"
This person had the appearance of an Asian, quite conspicuous among the foreigners.
His forehead was narrow, and he had a pair of triangle-shaped eyes. Those with such features are often narrow-minded, suspicious, and cruel.
White-eyed Tiger, with a hand on his chest, replied calmly, "Honored by the Great Khan's trust, I will accompany the prince!"
Agubai nodded in satisfaction. With one being brave and the other cunning, it seemed like a foolproof plan.
However, the "Werewolf Generals" looked down on White-eyed Tiger, snorting in disdain.
White-eyed Tiger had been a scourge in Qingzhou for many years, a brutal and bloodthirsty killer who often massacred the young and old, and enjoyed disturbing graves.
From nobles to commoners, he would dig up anyone's ancestral graves to see if there were any valuables hidden within.
Such actions, as expected, incited great public outrage and led to him being collectively attacked.
After a difficult escape to the Western Frontier, he took refuge with Agubai, willingly serving as a lackey and even disguising himself as a foreigner.
"Agubai's bandits" were, after all, foreign invaders, and White-eyed Tiger's actions were undoubtedly that of a "traitor to his country."
A scoundrel of his kind would be despised wherever he went!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lu Yao and his family, after a 15-hour flight, finally arrived at Dihua City.
The beautiful city at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains was the base camp for the Western Expedition Army, where Yu Yanmei resided.
The family proceeded on foot after landing. When they were still two miles from the city walls, the city guard shouted, "Who goes there?"
The guard was only at Blood-Exchange Realm, his voice sounding weak as a mosquito.
Lu Yao, mustering his Innate True Qi, called out loudly, "Yunzhou Lu Yao, here to visit an old friend!"
His shout was like thunder, audible throughout a good part of Dihua City.
Such a display clearly signaled to anyone with the slightest common sense that the visitor was none other than an Innate Grandmaster!
After a short wait, the city gates opened.
Zuo Xiaowei, whom they had met previously during a "fundraising" event, came out to greet them, looking unmistakably haggard and tired but with joy on his face, "Lu... Grandmaster Lu! You've ascended to Innate!"
Lu Yao greeted him with a fist salute, "Merely a fortunate breakthrough. We've come rushing here upon hearing of Grandmaster Yu's injury. How is she now?"
Zuo Xiaowei, of course, knew the relationships between these individuals and quickly led them inside,
"Grandmaster Yu's life is not in danger, though her meridians are damaged and require some time to recover. However... I worry the thieves might take the opportunity to scheme."