Chapter 137: The Yun Family

The jolting carriage, the dim light, and the monotonous sound of the wheels. This journey to the front lines was somewhat different from what Yun Shang had imagined.

"How much longer until we arrive?" Yun Shang asked impatiently, punching her stiff shoulders.

The man sharing the carriage with her opened his eyes, glanced at her slightly, and replied, "Soon."

The convoy transporting military funds moved silently through the newly annexed territories of the state of Cai.

There was a vast amount of military funds—enough to pay half the salaries of the frontline soldiers for six months.

This was a perilous task, with countless bandits waiting to plunder this fortune. Leading this five-hundred-strong transport escort was Li Chenggang, a military commander of the Eagle-Searing Army's Sharp Blade Battalion. In terms of military rank, he was only one step below Commander Yu Dingyuan, the lord of Sha County. Yet at this moment, he was holding a thoroughly baked sweet potato, treating the little girl currently sitting inside one of his carriages like a formidable deity who dared not be offended.

Mention the Yun family of the state of Cai, and the citizens of Cai would first gasp in astonishment, followed by a surge of profound reverence.

There was only one Marquis in the state of Cai, and that was Marquis Yun Yiyang.

The Marquis and the Duke of Cai were childhood playmates who had shared life-and-death bonds. Years ago, when the late Duke passed away, his sons engaged in a bitter struggle for succession. The Marquis took three sabers for the Duke to secure his throne and peacefully resolve the crisis, earning immense merit as a kingmaker.

Today, supreme military command over the state of Cai rested in the hands of the Marquis. Without him, the state of Cai could never have achieved its current prosperous and formidable military strength.

The Marquis was none other than the current Supreme General and Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies. He was Li Chenggang’s superior's superior's superior. A higher rank could crush a man to death, and being three ranks higher meant that if the Marquis so much as breathed, Li Chenggang would find it unbearable—let alone the fact that the Marquis's daughter was currently sitting inside his carriage.

Young Miss Yun Shang was a restless spirit, but she was deeply beloved by the Duke of Cai and had been thoroughly spoiled and indulged. One day, upon accidentally learning that military funds were being transported to the front lines, the young maiden, dreaming of bravely facing arrows and stones for her country, insisted on going to the front and demanded to tag along with the convoy.

This placed immense pressure on Li Chenggang. This little ancestor was a master of creating chaos; if she threw a tantrum, he wondered if his mission could still be completed on time. Yet, if he brought her along and any mishap befell her on the road, ten heads would not be enough for him to lose.

Fortunately, however, there was someone else in his convoy.

If the Yun family's young miss was a hot potato, the other person was a grand deity. This man was no mortal, but an immortal.

He was a venerable master invited by the Duke of Cai from the Primordial Origin Temple on Mount Wuji, using a connection of immortal affinity. Because the journey of transporting the military funds was long and arduous, the Duke feared evil spirits might stir up trouble along the way, so he had invited this venerable master to take charge.

Immortals were extremely particular about titles. Not every cultivation practitioner could be called a "Venerable Master"; only those in the Core Formation stage were entitled to that designation. Those in the Foundation Establishment stage could only be called Daoists, while those in the Qi Condensation stage were merely Daoist boys. Even if you were a hundred or eighty years old, as long as you remained in the Qi Condensation stage, you were still a Daoist boy.

Therefore, the person sitting inside his carriage was a genuine Core Formation stage cultivator.

With this venerable master guarding them, their party was safer than being at home.

Actually, the Marquis was well aware of Yun Shang's little maneuvers. If it weren't for the presence of such a venerable master guarding the convoy, he would never have allowed his daughter to approach the front lines.

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine, nothing will go wrong," Li Chenggang muttered to himself while riding on horseback, attempting to calm his nerves.

With a venerable master watching over them, absolute safety was guaranteed. Besides, his only mission was to deliver the military funds, escort them across, and bring the personnel back. Once that was done, his mission would be accomplished.

Nothing could possibly go wrong. Li Chenggang continuously reassured himself.

As they pressed on, they entered a hilly region, and the road grew uneven. Passing through a stretch of forest along this section shielded them from the blazing sun, prompting his soldiers to loudly praise the comfort.

Yet, as they walked, a faint, ominous premonition gradually welled up in Li Chenggang's heart, though he knew not whence it came.

He halted the convoy, sent out his scouts once more, took a long time to reorganize the ranks, and made sure all his soldiers were fully alert before resuming the march.

Sitting inside the carriage, Yun Shang listened with utter boredom to the reprimands outside and remarked, "This military commander is so unbearably long-winded. I really feel like beating him up."

Faced with the young girl, the venerable master maintained no airs at all. He smiled slightly and said, "That benefactor acts with caution, and this poor Daoist admires him. However, this female benefactor carries rather heavy baleful energy, and this poor Daoist does not admire that."

Yun Shang split her mouth in a wide giggle.

After taking these precautionary measures, Li Chenggang's heart settled slightly. When the scouts returned and reported all clear, his mind grew even more at ease, though he still faintly felt as though something was missing.

He pondered on horseback for a long while before suddenly snapping back to his senses. Surveying his surroundings, he realized the terrain was wrong!

The road passed right through the middle of two hills, both flanks lined with deep, gloomy woods—an ideal spot for an ambush!

"Stop for a moment!" Li Chenggang shouted, but before the soldiers could hear him, they advanced a little further.

This movement brought them precisely to a halt right in the narrow gap between the two hills, the most perilous location possible. Yet, apart from Li Chenggang, not a single person recognized the danger of this place.

"Release!"

A thunderous shout echoed through the forest, followed by several whooshing sounds of feathered arrows piercing the air. Several soldiers beside Li Chenggang collapsed to the ground.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Form ranks quickly!" Li Chenggang roared.

However, the enemy's arrows showed no obedience, continuing to strike the soldiers relentlessly. These arrows seemed to possess eyes, aiming straight for the soldiers' necks and flying toward their heads and faces; to be hit meant forfeiting one's life right there.

In this moment of crisis, Li Chenggang's first thought was not to reorganize the troops, but to protect the young lady of the Yun family.

Li Chenggang squeezed up to the carriage and shouted inside, "There is an enemy attack! Please stay inside the carriage and do not come out!"

The carriage curtain was pulled aside to reveal an eager face—none other than the worldly-unwise Yun Shang. She cried out, "Which petty thieves are these, daring to attack the carriages and horses of the state of Cai?"

What could Li Chenggang do with this ancestor on his hands? Helplessly, he looked toward the other occupant inside the carriage. He saw the venerable master sitting there with neither sorrow nor joy, as if nothing at all had happened.

"Venerable Master, this humble one is so bold as to ask you to protect Miss Yun," Li Chenggang said, summoning his courage.

The venerable master slowly replied, "When this poor Daoist came, I was given two instructions: first, to protect your convoy from being harassed by demons; and second, to safeguard the safety of this female benefactor."

Li Chenggang nodded. With a promise from the immortal, he could put his worries to rest.

While the Yun family's young miss could be kept safe, his own side was hardly secure. The enemy's numbers were unknown, and arrows rained down relentlessly from the hills on both sides, throwing his soldiers' formation into complete disarray. Moreover, the enemy's archery was dreadfully accurate; his soldiers weren't even thinking of counterattacking, only of dodging the enemy's arrows.

"Raise your shields! Everyone, raise your shields!" Li Chenggang shouted. The dodging soldiers finally snapped back to their senses and raised the rattan shields in their hands. Some soldiers had barely lifted their shields when two dull thuds rang out as arrows embedded themselves deeply into the wood—a narrow escape from death.

"Form ranks! Form ranks! Find a way to charge up there, damn it!" Li Chenggang yelled loudly. An arrow flew past his helmet, breaking him out in a cold sweat. His commanding posture had already been spotted by the enemy, and he was now in extreme danger.

He hurriedly dismounted, borrowed a shield from a nearby foot soldier, covered his head and face tightly, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Form ranks! Move faster!"

With a soft *squelch*, he felt as though he had been bitten by some insect on his abdomen. Looking down, he saw an arrow shaft protruding as if it had grown right out from above his navel, piercing his armor while its tail feathers still trembled slightly.

He was wearing chainmail with a heart-protecting mirror on his chest, but the arrow had found the exact weak spot just beneath the mirror, slipping right through the interlocking rings.

Li Chenggang knew that all was lost.

Yet, he still held onto one last shred of hope.

"Venerable Master... Venerable Master, save us..." Li Chenggang knelt before the carriage, pleading with the immortal cultivator inside.