Mountain Patrol Military Officer
Chapter 253 - 226: Lord Chen, Take Care (Seeking Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 253: Chapter 226: Lord Chen, Take Care (Seeking Monthly Ticket)

"Creak"

"Creak"

Gou Zhi paced back and forth. Perhaps due to the continuous rainy days, the floorboards underfoot had become damp, emitting some piercing noises.

Up ahead, seated on chairs to the left and right, were Thunder Mountain’s Taoist Yuan and Fulong Temple’s Taoist Li. Both were resting with closed eyes, and the tea on the table had already lost its steam.

Outside, the sounds of neighing horses and clashing iron armor from the training ground added a hint of a stern atmosphere.

Another pot of tea’s time passed, and the sound of a door creaking open came from behind.

Following that, the sound of footsteps "thump thump thump" approached.

Gou Zhi stopped pacing, and the two people sitting in the chairs also opened their eyes.

The first to appear was Sect Master An from the Su Nu Sword Sect, whose pale face now showed a flush of health.

The second was Qin Rushuang, her body draped in the dazzling Divine Light of the Five-colored Treasure Clothes.

The third... better left unsaid.

Lastly, was Chen Yuan dressed in green clothes.

He had just finished treating the injuries of the three, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever. After all, it was all thanks to the Dragon Qi Mother Tree. However, among the three, Miss Qin from the Capital was the most severely injured, not something that could be dealt with in a short time.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan, Gou Zhi was about to step forward and ask, but Chen Yuan spoke first: "Brother Gou, no need to rush, have a seat."

Then he looked towards his own three Leading Military Officers, stepped forward, and with a serious gaze inquired, "Have you made any progress with the Array Plate I entrusted to you the day before yesterday?"

The day before yesterday, he had spoken in the barracks about taking his brothers home when he suddenly remembered the Array Plate he obtained in a cave outside Tianxiong Pass while pursuing a guest from the Beiliang Sect. Stepping into this Array could transport someone to Washing Sword Mountain within the city, two hundred li away. If utilized properly, this could prove to be very useful.

He had retrieved it from his Heaven Pot Sleeve and handed it over to them for study, after all, he had imparted the Divine Skill of "Array" to these three.

The ever-leading Liu Qing immediately responded with bowed head, "Lord Chen, we three have made some progress. This Array is called the Mountain Flipping Formation, belonging to the Earth Escape Array of the Five Elements. Since we have the actual Array, replicating it is feasible. It requires special and rare spiritual materials, rich in Essence Qi, as well as durable to withstand the operation of the Array. The Essence Qi contained in these spiritual materials determines the transmission distance and the number of uses of the Array."

Liu Qing spoke confidently about this Array, showing that they had indeed made significant progress.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan’s brows first furrowed then relaxed, "Would the bones of the Heavenly Pass Demon be suitable?"

The body of the Heavenly Pass Demon was a treasure trove; its skin could be forged into Armor and Treasure Clothes, its flesh could nourish Essence Qi and expedite cultivation, and its bones were harder than gold and iron, possibly carrying some Divine Skills. They could be used as spiritual materials in medicine, and even in Artifact Refining, including for Taoist Soldiers.

Liu Qing, hearing this, forthwith said, "General is wise. We also thought of this, but since such materials are precious and required in large quantity, we did not dare to make the request."

Chen Yuan’s face showed little emotion, "As long as this item can be crucial when needed, everything is worth it. Later, accompany me, refining Demon bones is difficult, I will help you. You engrave them, let’s get this done sooner."

"Yes!"

"Go now, pass down my orders, command the Troops to set off first towards Weiyuan Pass."

"Understood."

The three immediately bowed and backed away, quickly passing down the command.

Soon, amidst the faint wind and rain outside, sharp whistle sounds could be heard.

Followed by the shouts of the Orderly Officer and the neighing of horses.

Quickly, the rumbling of horse hooves spread, shaking the ground thunderously.

Meanwhile, within the hall, Chen Yuan quietly watched the moving Troops before turning around to look at Gou Zhi, "Colonel Gou, it’s time for your task now!"

"We are preparing to head for Weiyuan Pass, and you will stay in Guang’an Prefecture to arrange for the evacuation of the civilians. The north is not feasible; we can only move east. This task is arduous and concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands; only you are up to it. Additionally, the main force of your Government Army cannot withdraw; before receiving our signal, this will remain so. It will serve as a reserve force. Further, deploy as many men and horses as possible to be vigilant against any developments from the northwest that could seal off our escape routes."

"You need to start right away, so many people to coordinate, there’s a lot to do."

Upon hearing this, Gou Zhi opened his mouth, his expression somewhat bitter, "Are we really retreating?"

He had heard about the breach by the Devil Race before Chen Yuan’s arrival and considered evacuation, but now that the moment had arrived, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Having experienced so much, my mindset has changed, and this feeling is a bit uncomfortable, considering I’ve spent so many years here.

"With the situation as it is, maybe one day when you and I reach a higher level, we can feel a bit more at ease."

Chen Yuan reached out his hand.

Sitting in the chair, the "tiny person," Gou Zhi, leaped down from the seat, patted his "small hand" onto the large one, and gave it a squeeze.

His body crackled, and his stature expanded, revealing his original Great Han appearance, and his voice became deep, his eyes slightly swelling with emotion: "Lord Chen, take care!"

As he said this, he shook the hand strongly, then let go and quickly left the hall.

Chen Yuan heard these words and was momentarily in a daze, as his hand stretched out emptily. He remembered the misty mornings in Qingshan County, where there was always a hunchbacked old man waiting for him in the alley filled with the fragrance of wine, who would also tell him to take care upon his departure.

I somewhat miss that little old man!

Chen Yuan then turned his gaze back to the five remaining people in the hall, the nostalgic look in his eyes disappearing, "Gentlemen, if you have any instructions for the disciples, or if there’s anything you need to prepare, please go ahead. Sect Master An, do some more scouting towards Chishui Prefecture, calculate the time; your disciples should also be arriving soon. Once we finish up, we’ll meet at West City’s gate."

"As for Miss Qin, please feel free to leave first. I still have some matters to attend to, my apologies!"

"Alright."

The others got up and left the hall.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan glanced at the empty courtyard outside, feeling a tinge of regret, and then he transmitted his voice with a few movements of his lips.

Soon, Liu Qing and the other two who had received the orders quickly arrived, entered the hall, and followed Chen Yuan into the quiet room behind the other courtyard.

Before long, there was a series of crackling sounds from inside, and a strange fragrance wafted out.

.......

In Guang’an Prefecture, in the morning, thin lines of rain fell, creating a persistent drizzle and leaving the streets cold and deserted.

"Boom boom boom"

Outside the stationed location of the Sky Patrol Department, the sound of horse hooves thundered, charging into the rain curtain.

Instantly, as the sound of hooves spread in all directions, the entire Prefecture began stirring to life.

The local people, already on edge from the demon disasters, heard the hooves outside and gingerly pushed their doors and windows open a crack, and seeing that it indeed was the Government Army, their hearts skipped a beat, and unease quickly spread across their faces.

Damn it, whenever there’s a stir within the Government Army, it means something is happening.

At such a critical moment, who wouldn’t be afraid?

Is another demon disaster coming?

In a Horse Market near to the Sky Patrol Department’s location in the city, business was scarce. The city had been closed off for more than ten days; it was a wonder if there was any business at all. The shopkeeper was worried about both business and livelihood.

However, today they were visited by a troop of soldiers!

The shopkeeper was startled and hurried out to meet them with a smile, "Military Sirs, honored guests, honored guests. What sort of horse would you like? I’ll offer you a fair price."

The leader of the soldiers presented an official document.

"Shopkeeper, by order of the Colonel, all the horses in your market are being conscripted."

"Ah?"

And the same scene unfolded in various other carriage stores across the city, as well as in wealthier households that owned carriages and horses.

Soon, notices and official documents were posted in the streets and alleyways.

Any household with carriages and horses were conscripted, to be coordinated and recorded on the rolls.

By now, many people sensed something out of the ordinary in the air.

For a while, the entire Prefecture City started buzzing with noise.