Chapter 146: Unusual Stirrings

At this moment, the old general spoke slowly, “Gentleman Jingzhan, though Qingyun Gentleman is extraordinarily powerful, he has not yet secured a decisive victory. Otherwise, why would the clan not directly give him the Tianfeng Yunyan Pearl? Why set up a military merit board if they are not worried about failing to convince the people?”

“Moreover, in a few days, the elite teams from the great clans and aristocratic families will also arrive. The benefits at stake are exceedingly tempting, and within the vast Empire, there are always hidden talents. It’s possible that some formidable individuals might emerge. Gentlemen, turbid waters can be a good thing. In my view, we should strive to amass military merits, but needn’t rush back. This way, we won’t have to relinquish our merits.”

“What use is it to just delay for a while?” Li Jingzhan appeared somewhat agitated.

“Delaying for a while could bring unforeseen changes. If you are truly determined and have amassed enough military merits, why not join the Third House instead of being suppressed by the Second House?”

Li Jingzhan’s expression was indecisive, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! Let’s do it!”

Just then, a commotion arose outside the tent. Li Jingzhan raised his head and barked, “What’s all the noise about? What kind of decorum is this?”

Disregarding Li Jingzhan’s furious gaze, a guard rushed into the tent and cried, “Gentleman, it’s bad! A horde of aberrant beasts is charging in!”

Li Jingzhan leapt to his feet and slapped the guard across the face, roaring, “What’s the big deal with a bunch of aberrant beasts? Have I not slain enough of them? Set up the cannons, and kill them all!”

Li Jingzhan had brought over a hundred followers, all elite private soldiers from the Li family, well-prepared and armed with ferocious firepower and ample ammunition. This team’s combat strength had already been proven, annihilating three entire hunting squads of dark races in the past month. At least in terms of numbers, the hunting squads were no less numerous than Li Jingzhan’s force.

As for the aberrant beasts and native primitives, their primary threat lay in their numbers and the highly toxic poisons they used. A well-organized elite army was their nemesis. With sufficient ammunition, large-caliber machine cannons could easily mow them down in swaths.

To deal with the horde of aberrant beasts, Li Jingzhan had brought six rapid-fire machine cannons and a vast amount of ammunition. In the past month, these cannons had obliterated thousands of aberrant beasts and fierce natives.

Hearing the familiar roar of the cannons, Li Jingzhan recalled that whenever the cannons began to howl, long streams of fire would cut down the beast tide like grass.

However, after the slap, the guard’s panic did not fade. He continued to shout, “Gentleman, this time it’s different! You must flee…”

Before he could finish, his expression suddenly froze, and he looked down to see a spear tip protruding from his chest.

It was a wooden spear, common in the Misty Forest. As soon as the natives were born, their first act was to break off the bare branches of giant trees, sharpen them into spears, and coat the tips with a mix of an unknown plant’s sap and their saliva. This was the source of the dreaded poison that plagued both factions.

Li Jingzhan’s eyelids twitched, staring at the spear tip, his mind blank for a moment.

He knew the guard’s strength and the quality of his armor. Even Li Jingzhan himself would have to make a serious effort to pierce the guard’s body. Yet, before his very eyes, the guard had been impaled by a thrown spear!

In the past, the natives’ wooden spears could barely penetrate the chainmail of his guards, far from piercing through.

Suddenly, a whistling sound echoed again, and a thrown spear pierced the tent, heading for Li Jingzhan. With lightning speed, he drew his sword and sliced the spear in two. But the impact made his sword tremble, emitting a low hum. The spear carried enormous force, making Li Jingzhan lean back slightly.

Both shocked and enraged, he cut through the tent and rushed out.

In a short time, the camp was in chaos, with many warriors being pinned to the ground by flying spears. Some even had their heavy shields pierced, followed by the spear tips stabbing into their chests.

The air was filled with sharp whistles as one after another, wooden spears flew from the forest, landing in the camp. Aberrant beasts charged out of the mist, along with human-like figures among them.

“What, what are those things?” Li Jingzhan exclaimed, staring at the advancing aberrant beasts and natives.

The natives still bore a familiar appearance, but they could no longer be called small. They had doubled in size, now about the height of human youths, with skin no longer a plain deep blue, but marked with red stripes and golden spots. The more golden spots a native had, the larger and more robust they were.

The aberrant beasts were also much larger, with red stripes and golden spots on their bodies. Their speed, strength, and size had increased dramatically. Cannon shells now only left bloody holes, rather than blowing off large chunks of flesh as before.

Not far away, a boar-like aberrant beast charged through a hail of bullets, falling only after being hit by dozens of rounds.

Li Jingzhan felt his limbs go cold, unsure of what to do.

Though the number of charging aberrant beasts and natives was not large—just a few hundred—their combat power had changed drastically, enough to overwhelm his forces.

At that moment, the old general grabbed Li Jingzhan and dragged him in the opposite direction of the advancing aberrant beasts.

“No, let me go! My warriors are still in the camp…” Li Jingzhan struggled.

“They can’t escape! Gentleman, save your life now, and you can fight again later!” The old general pulled Li Jingzhan away without further ado.

Soon, the once noisy camp fell silent.

On the edge of the Misty Forest, a human force moved silently. They were heading to cross the forest, bound for the Song Clan’s war zone. The majority of the force was made up of the Li family’s private soldiers, with nearly half being mercenaries and adventurers.

In the center of the group was a fierce-looking man, his electric gaze scanning the almost identical giant trees on either side.

A middle-aged, smooth-faced man beside him laughed, “Sir Li is too cautious. This area is very peaceful, with few dark races appearing. Even if they do, there are no strong ones. If they dared to show themselves, wouldn’t that just add to your military merits?”

The man relaxed a bit, nodding, “True, but we can’t be careless. I heard that a noble of the demon race is active in this region.”

The middle-aged man snorted, “Just a rumor. Besides, our forces now are not comparable to before. Those two dark barons who attacked the bases haven’t shown up again. After such a long time, if there were any strong ones, how could the young masters have returned safely? In my view, the dark race overseeing this area is probably just a lazy, insignificant baron, not worth mentioning.”

The man smiled, “Indeed…”

Before he could finish, the middle-aged man suddenly leaned back, half his skull flying off.

Even with the man’s strength, he was momentarily stunned, then reacted, reaching for his gun and shouting, “Enemy attack!”

As he shouted, he was struck by an invisible hammer, flying and crashing to the ground, his chest armor shattered, his chest a bloody mess.

Struggling to rise, the man was about to be thankful for his thick chest armor when he felt something wrong. He looked down and saw black blood flowing from his wound, and his primordial energy rapidly dissipating.

Black titanium!

Just as the word flashed in his mind, a figure moved gracefully and calmly through the line of warriors, approaching him. Wherever the figure passed, the warriors, regardless of rank or strength, froze in place and then fell.

The man’s vision blurred, and he couldn’t see how his seasoned warriors died.

In moments, the figure stood before him.

The man struggled, “Who… are you?”

The figure removed its hood, revealing a handsome, inhuman face. The corner of his mouth curled in a mocking smile, “I am the so-called lazy magi, Aiden of the Dark Abyss, whom you mentioned.”

That name became the man’s last memory.

The Li family base was becoming increasingly lively, with teams from various clans and aristocratic families pouring in. These forces seemed to compete, each more lavishly equipped and more formidable than the last.

The leaders were key figures from the major families, all here for the same reason: the Tianfeng Yunyan Pearl. Before leaving, the heads of all the families had given strict orders to obtain it at any cost.

For several days, Li Tianquan had been overwhelmed with work, feeling both troubled and happy. Having managed such a significant event, he could foresee his influence in the council expanding after the conflict. As the host, and with the Tianfeng Yunyan Pearl originating from the Li family, all the visitors were polite and gave him plenty of respect. This made Li Tianquan feel like he was in a dream.

With each new arrival, accommodations and supplies had to be arranged, keeping Li Tianquan busy. Fortunately, these forces didn’t stay long, and after a brief rest, they departed for the Misty Forest. Once most of them had left, Li Qingyun gathered his team and entered the Misty Forest.

The real competition for the military merit board was just beginning. No matter how experienced the free hunters were, they were no match for the well-trained private armies of the great families.

Even Qian Ye, with his thousand-strong army, could only skirmish and harass, but such attacks didn’t earn military merits. It was simple; even if he killed the target, he couldn’t obtain the proof of merit.

Many of the great families sent core teams, which could swallow up smaller forces of a few hundred easily.

Despite having only a little over a month left until the first three-month period, the great families, including the Li family, paid little heed to the high-ranking free hunters on the original merit board.

Among the major clans, only the Zhang and Zhao Clans did not send teams. Both clans prided themselves on their status and never participated in such personal treasure hunts. Moreover, with the urgent situation, the Zhang Clan was already on its last legs, recently retreating, with most of their territory falling to the dark races.

The Zhao Clan, however, reportedly sent a mobile unit to support the Xuan Guang War Zone, their attention focused on the main battlefield, ignoring this area.

Li Tianquan was naturally displeased, feeling that the two clans were arrogant and disregarding the Li family. However, expressing his dissatisfaction with the Zhang and Zhao Clans was beyond his position. The family head, Marquis Haishi Li Tianshi, showed no reaction to the complaints in his reports, leaving a small thorn in his otherwise blissful time.

One morning, Li Tianquan had a rare moment of leisure, brewing a fine tea and browsing through recent battle reports. He had just turned a page when an urgent knock interrupted him.