Chapter One: Land of Fierce Evil (Part 1)

"Move! Move! The Great General is arriving—why aren’t you moving already?!"

Two fierce-looking personal guards waved their sheathed military sabers, shouting at the two obvious small-time traveling merchants in the teahouse. The scabbards in their hands banged noisily against the thin wooden pillars supporting the teahouse.

You didn’t need to check their rank to know these two guards were extraordinary just by their attire. What ordinary personal guard wears a silk inner robe? Occasionally, when they swung their arms too wide, you could glimpse chainmail on their arms. The bright, heart-protecting armor on their chests was clearly not ordinary gear. Which Great General could be so imposing that even his personal guards dressed almost like the imperial guards?

The two merchants had already been startled by the large, fully armed military unit on the official road. Now, hearing the two leading guards shout like this, they dared not hesitate. They hurriedly grabbed their bundles, not even pausing to pay for tea, and bolted out like rabbits shot by arrows. One of them, in his panic, stepped onto the ridge by the road, stumbled, and fell flat on his face. Even so, he didn’t dare cry out in pain, scrambling up and limping away as fast as he could.

Their actions made the two guards burst out laughing. After marching for dozens of miles under the blazing sun with no sign of people or shade, everyone was indeed a bit weary. However, judging by the expressions of these soldiers, a fierce aura radiated from them; it seemed the long march hadn’t affected them at all. Strangely, even as the two guards laughed so heartily, the thousand-strong unit behind them maintained perfect formation, and not a single one of them laughed.

"Hey!" One of the guards slammed his sheathed saber onto the table. "I’m talking to you—hurry up and prepare the best tea so our Great General can quench his thirst and cool off!" The soldiers didn’t care about the heat or cold, but the Great General couldn’t be allowed to suffer under the blazing sun; he had to rest well.

They were shouting at the owner of the teahouse, who was also a small-time businessman. The teahouse was simple, just a few tables by the official road, with a thatched roof supported by a few thin wooden poles to provide some shade. The owner was a young man, dressed in a well-worn, faded cotton robe—utterly ordinary. Whether from fright or some other reason, he stood motionless.

"Hey! Kid, aren’t you going to get moving?" Seeing the young man unmoved, one of the guards stopped wiping the tables and chairs, walked over, and was about to give the young man a shove to get him working. On such a hot day, if the guards had to boil water themselves at the scorching stove, they’d be fools.

The young man’s gaze shifted, fixing on the approaching guard. For some reason, the guard suddenly felt a pang of guilt; the foot he’d meant to step forward with seemed bound by something and wouldn’t move.

"The Great General—such authority!" The young man muttered, almost as if talking to himself.

Far at the rear of the soldiers, the general, who had been resting with his eyes closed on horseback, suddenly shuddered and snapped his eyes open. Clad in full armor, his body seemed as light as a feather as he leapt from his horse at lightning speed. The cavalry in front only felt a slight tremor above their heads, then saw the general’s figure touch down on a comrade’s head ahead, moving with incredible speed as he shot forward.

How long had it been since they’d seen the general move like this? Could it be a formidable enemy? This army truly deserved its reputation as a well-trained force. With a loud clatter, they all drew their weapons in unison, pointing them forward, ready to charge at the general’s command.

"Bang! Bang!" The two guards in the teahouse were suddenly struck hard on their backsides by a powerful force, sending them flying onto the two empty horses at the front of the formation. While still in midair, they heard the sound of weapons being drawn, followed by a commotion.

The two guards reacted quickly. Attacked and thrown back onto their mounts, they didn’t panic at all. Their sabers had been left on the teahouse table, but their lances were still on their horses. Grabbing them, they spun around on their saddles, ready to charge.