189 - Outside Ye Sect (1)At the first sign of communications being cut off, the army that was resting in the palace of the territory lord of the Northern Mei was mobilized towards the Ye Sect of the first-tier Leaf City.Although there was no order coming from the Purple Plumed General, her subordinates were competent and decisive enough to act on their own, willing to shoulder blame and responsibility in her absence.And that decisiveness proved to be a correct decision.“The Hua Troop, deal with the first and second sector! The Namgoong Troop, follow behind me! The rest, advance!”For Rao Aimin, the vice-leader of the battalion under the Purple Plumed General, her advantage was in her technique, experience, and c

191 - Outside Ye Sect (3)Tapping on the four gates surrounding the walled city as marked on the map, Rao Aimin quickly started delegating tasks. She knew that time was of great essence at this point, as the faster the army moved, the more innocent lives would be spared from the wanton slaughter of the enemies.“We have three main objectives: first, to stabilize the situation by rounding up the demonic practitioners with the help of the local cultivators fighting within the city. Two, to get the main troop to enter the Ye Sect with utmost efficiency, and three, to secure the safety of the Purple Plumed General and her party.“The captains, lead your squadrons to pierce through the enemies scattered within Leaf City so that the main troop can head towards the Ye Sect unimpeded. As communication talismans wo

193 - Outside Ye Sect (5) With communication cut off, there was no way of knowing how other places were faring, but it was to be expected that it would not be better than the current Leaf City. War cries and explosions could be heard here and there, and traces of fights could be seen everywhere.‘How about the imperial capital? How bad is the damage there? Surely, the enemies would not advance without a certain confidence they’re able to take down the powerhouses in the capital.’However, there was no way to know the current situation. The entire network built by the Qing Clan was paralyzed, and at most, people could only send out their fastest runners or depend on flying spiritual beasts to deliver messages, which could take hours or several days.As of now, i

195 - The Power of Decay (1)“Vice-general, we have escorted the guest.”The soldiers standing behind Rao Aimin parted without a word as one of her subordinates brought in an old man Ye Hua would recognize if he was present. The soldier saluted, while the old man with a lazy expression immediately turned humble as he cupped his fists.“This Old Ma has seen Vice-General Rao Aimin of the Imperial Army’s Third Battalion,” he said in a low, hoarse voice.It was exactly the innkeeper who played middlemen between the underground network composed of the shadow guild, the employers and the hired assassins. “You recognize me?” Rao Aimin said in surprise. And then she laughed it off, &ldquo

197 - The Power of Decay (3)Despite being unaware of the deteriorating situation of the reinforcements waiting outside the sect, the powerhouses trapped within the Main Peak gradually felt their initial agitation turn into despair.A minute ago…“Huh? Did you feel that?”“It is not just me, right? Wait… my hand passed through! Ah! I stepped past the barrier!”“Yes, we are out! We can finally leave this damned pavillion!” The red-faced crowd cheered when they suddenly felt a violent fluctuation come out from the barrier. “Let’s head down and find our disciples!”“Qiu’er, Mao’er, your master will sa