Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1536 - 1529: Testing Military Strength

Chapter 1536: Chapter 1529: Testing Military Strength

Cheng Ziang then descended several steps to a position near the main gate, where he could see outer sect disciples on guard and patrolling. Besides taking care of daily tasks, these disciples were also charged with the duty of patrolling and guarding.

Standing on the steps, he saw several people at the gate. Among them, one was dressed similarly to Pojun, likely an elder of the Wuyun Sect, followed by a few disciples. A cloaked and hooded figure stood before them, clasping fists and speaking with the elder.

After a while, their conversation ended, and the elder left with his entourage. The individual in the cloak and hood also turned to depart.

During the turn, the cloaked figure noticed Cheng Ziang standing high on the steps, their eyes meeting briefly. The figure then showed a frightened expression, quickly lowered their head, and tugged the hood down further.

"Who is that?" Cheng Ziang asked curiously.

"Oh, that is, uh, an external, disciple..." Pojun hesitated.

"He’s not wearing the Wuyun Sect’s uniform, is he?" Cheng Ziang noted, eyeing the person’s retreating figure.

He gauged the person’s build and walking posture through the sweeping folds of the cloak, based on the way they moved their steps and swung their arms. This was a compulsory subject for the Advance Team, after all, their primary task is intelligence gathering.

"They often need to move through crowds, naturally, they can’t wear uniforms," Pojun explained.

"Plainclothes, huh... they..." Luo’er pondered thoughtfully, mulling over the implications of Pojun’s words.

The Kyushu language is relatively strict, with logical combinations of words, avoiding unclear statements. For example, ’they’ and ’him’ are completely different terms.

Hence, Pojun’s words confirmed that the Wuyun Sect has a considerable number of undercover disciples hidden within the towns and villages of the area. They must be meant to monitor these people and collect valuable intelligence.

"How much tax do you collect in a year?" Cheng Ziang asked out of curiosity.

"Eh, that, I’m not quite sure, after all, I don’t handle that..." Pojun scratched his head.

"Then where is all the money spent? These buildings have long been completed, it shouldn’t be necessary to invest further funds for construction. Moreover, judging by estimates, the expenditure of the Wuyun Sect’s disciples shouldn’t be too high, there should be a surplus, right?" Cheng Ziang continued.

"What does the Manor Lord intend to do?" Pojun squinted his eyes, clearly sensing Cheng Ziang’s intent.

"Ha ha, don’t misunderstand, as I said before, I am accustomed to calculating these things, so I can’t help but be sensitive, ha ha..." Cheng Ziang chuckled, offering an explanation.

"Manor Lord, please refrain from asking these things, I truly do not know about this matter," Pojun said firmly.

"Alright then, may I ask something else?" Cheng Ziang inquired.

"Eh..." Pojun seemed to have forgotten his own words just now, starting to feel uneasy about Cheng Ziang’s questions.

"How do you maintain contact with the Fengyu Dynasty and undertake the taxation on their behalf? It must be difficult to do so without some connections," Cheng Ziang questioned.

"The Sect Master was once the Duwei of the Military Armament Department in the Fengyu Dynasty," Pojun explained somewhat unconvincingly.

"But after all, he was only a Duwei and even that within the Military Armament Department," Cheng Ziang said, narrowing his eyes.

Cheng Ziang couldn’t be fooled; the Advance Team had already learned from the previous West Outer Heaven War that the number of marshals and generals in the army was entirely disproportionate. In general, the status of a general is considerably lower than that of a marshal.

Even though the Fengyu upholds martial prowess, Dongliang Yu was merely a Ba Path general, and not one of the few Royal Dao generals. So even in Fengyu, a mere Duwei of the Military Armament Department, indeed, is not considered a high-ranking officer.

"Well, that, the Sect Master has been assisted by a person of high status," Pojun inadvertently let slip.

"Oh, my lord, may I ask which lord this is?" Cheng Ziang pressed on with the question.

"I’m not quite sure myself, after all, it’s a private connection of the Sect Master, and I’m just a mere elder." Pojun stammered.

Seeing his embarrassment, Cheng Ziang knew that further questioning would likely provoke annoyance, so he simply smiled and stopped asking. Although he had many more questions, he decided to ask someone else to get to the bottom of it.

His gaze drifted toward the external disciples who were training and an idea occurred to him; thus, he turned to Pojun and asked, "Elder Pojun."

"What can I do for you, Manor Lord?" Pojun, who was wiping away his sweat, quickly turned around to respond upon hearing Cheng Ziang’s words.

"I am quite curious about how strong the combat capabilities of your external disciples really are. Since we have the opportunity today, could you arrange for us to have a friendly competition? You see, my White Tiger colleague here is eager to try." Cheng Ziang spoke, glancing towards Feng.

Because she didn’t quite understand the conversation between the two men, she was focusing intently on the training of the external disciples some distance away, completely unaware that Cheng Ziang had mentioned her.

"Our lord wields divine weapons, how could we, the common folk, stand against her?" Pojun said with a forced smile.

He still vividly remembered the scene where Feng instantly cut through everyone’s weapons, as well as the tearing sensation when she placed her blade against his neck, and especially the impression left by her ferocious tiger mask.

"Don’t say that. She can just use the flat of the blade to spar, that’s all. After all, I also want to know which martial arts are more formidable – those of the East Continent or the West Continent," Cheng Ziang said.

"If the Manor Lord insists on a test of skill, then I shall make the arrangements," Pojun replied, somewhat unclear about Cheng Ziang’s intentions, and so, he nodded in agreement to his request.

"I appreciate it, Elder Pojun," Cheng Ziang said respectfully.

"No, no, you are too kind, Manor Lord. It is part of my duties," Pojun waved his hand and then stepped forward.

Then, he stopped the external disciples who were training and announced the news of the competition. Upon hearing this, the external disciples looked at each other, eventually clearing a space over ten meters in diameter as the venue for the competition.

After making the arrangements, Pojun approached Cheng Ziang and said with a bow and a somewhat worried tone, "Manor Lord, let me clarify first..."

"I understand, I understand the rules," Cheng Ziang waved his hand and said, "Don’t worry. She won’t use the techniques of the Royal Dao, but rather our Western Continent’s swordsmanship. It’ll just be a simple exchange, stopping at the first touch. What do you think?"

"That’s perfect," Pojun immediately relaxed and replied joyfully upon hearing Cheng Ziang’s promise.

"Hehe, then shall we begin?" Cheng Ziang too revealed a smile, although it was hidden by the mask.

His intention was very clear. He wanted to test the strength of the Wuyun Sect’s external disciples. After all, even though it was a Cultivation Sect, most of the fighting was carried out by the external disciples, with the internal disciples mainly playing a supportive role, almost exactly like the combat model of the Dongsheng troops.

"Feng, go and have a match with them using the flat of the blade," Cheng Ziang called out to Feng. Since he was speaking in the Tasta language, he didn’t bother to change his manner of address and just directly called her by name.

"Got it!" Feng nodded and then leaped off the steps with the blue-and-white porcelain long saber strapped to her waist, walking into the center of the cleared area among the crowd.

In actuality, the mask greatly limited her vision, as she was not accustomed to wearing it at all times. However, in terms of her combat effectiveness, the impact was minimal because she relied mostly on her perception rather than pure eyesight during battles. Even if her eyes were covered, she could still fight, although with reduced precision in offense and defense.

The external disciples watching were amazed by the beautiful long saber in her hand, but none dared to step forward to challenge her, as the previous battles had already spread through the sect, and everyone knew that this little one with the tiger mask was not to be trifled with.

"It seems your external disciples are somewhat timid," Cheng Ziang said smilingly, intentionally stoking the fire.

Hearing his comment, Pojun’s face flushed red, and he marched over to the railing, bellowing angrily, "What are you all waiting for? Who wants to prove themselves, go on up! With so many watching, aren’t you afraid of losing face for the Wuyun Sect?"

At his roaring, the external disciples became restless, and after a short while, a young external disciple stepped forward voluntarily. After greeting Feng, he immediately raised his sword and thrust at her.

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