Shadow felt a breath of foul air finally leave his chest.
This was the smoothest speech he had managed since becoming Marquis Jingyi Pei Wugou’s Shadow. How could he let such a good opportunity slip away?
And so, he shouted louder and louder.
“Strong! Firm! Strong! Firm! Strong! Firm! Strong! Firm! Strong! Firm! Strong! Firm…”
His voice rang clearly throughout the main hall, leaving all the soldiers inside completely dumbfounded.
The soldiers from Iron Gate Pass were especially bewildered.
They looked at one another, each of them seeming as confused as the next.
“What was the Marquis shouting just now?”
“Something about… being strong?”
“Did I hear that right? Why would the Marquis shout something like that?”
“I thought I’d misheard him too, but he’s shouted it so many times. Even if he got it wrong, he couldn’t possibly have gotten it wrong that many times!”
“Hiss! The Marquis is… impressive!”
“Loyalty!”
“No, no, no. You all know the laws of Cloud Capital. If you keep this up, you’ll be punished sooner or later. And when they flay you alive, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
…
The commander of Iron Gate Pass was just as bewildered.
What the hell had he heard?
Was this the brilliant plan Marquis Jingyi Pei Wugou had given him?
Was he supposed to defend Iron Gate Pass with those two words?
Did the Marquis take him for a three-year-old child?
Even a child couldn’t be pacified with such nonsense!
And so…
The commander suddenly drew the saber at his waist with a sharp shing, pointing its edge at Shadow. He said coldly, “Are you making fun of me?”
“Hmph. I now suspect that you aren’t the Marquis Jingyi sent from Cloud Capital at all.”
As he spoke, he turned the blade toward Deputy General Chen Song and said, “You may not be a general from Cloud Capital either.”
“Speak! Who are you people?”
“How did you steal command of the army?”
“Did you murder the army’s commander?”
“If you don’t explain yourselves today, every one of you… will die!”
The commander of Iron Gate Pass clearly wielded considerable authority. With that single gesture, his men immediately drew their sabers, their sharp weapons all pointed at Shadow and Deputy General Chen Song.
Chen Song’s head was about to explode.
What the hell was going on?
He stepped forward and said, “Now, listen, let me explain…”
“Go explain it to my saber!” The commander of Iron Gate Pass had no intention of wasting time. He was about to leap forward and capture the two men before him, after which he could interrogate them at his leisure.
But at that very moment, a stern voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.
“How dare you point a blade at my man!”
At the critical moment, Pei Wugou had hurried over as fast as he could. With a flash, he stepped directly in front of the commander’s saber.
The commander was even more confused now.
He looked at Pei Wugou, then at Shadow. The two men did bear a certain resemblance to each other, but… what exactly was going on?
Forget it. He would capture them first and ask questions later.
The blade rose again, cleaving straight down at Pei Wugou, who stood in the way.
The strike was powerful and heavy, its momentum imposing and fierce.
The flashing blade was razor-sharp.
Yet Pei Wugou was completely unconcerned. In fact, using the reflection on the blade, he even glanced at his own face.
Fortunately, he had tidied himself up before coming.
Very handsome!
He was quite satisfied.
Only then did Pei Wugou make his move.
His body shifted slightly, and in the brief instant between flashes of light and sparks, the commander’s saber missed him entirely.
Before the saber had finished falling, Pei Wugou found an opening and struck out with a palm.
The force of his palm surged forward and slammed hard into the blade.
At that moment, the commander felt an immense power rushing toward him. His tiger’s mouth split open, and his grip loosened involuntarily. The saber flew from his hand.
With a clang, it struck a nearby wooden pillar at an angle. The blade trembled, emitting a harsh metallic hum that set everyone’s teeth on edge.
The commander’s face went deathly pale.
Such martial strength was simply terrifying!
It was the most formidable power he had ever witnessed in his life.
How could this man be so strong?
Who exactly was he?
“I am the imperial-appointed Marquis Jingyi, Pei Wugou!”
Pei Wugou’s voice rang out.
After a pause, he saw that the commander was still standing there in a daze and asked, “What? You don’t believe me?”
How could the commander possibly dare not believe him?
With martial arts of this caliber, such imposing presence, and that clean, polished appearance—he was exactly like the legendary Marquis Jingyi.
Therefore, this man really was Pei Wugou.
Then…
Who was the man standing before him?
Deputy General Chen Song saw that there was no longer any point in keeping it secret. He stepped forward and quietly explained the whole situation to the commander of Iron Gate Pass.
The commander’s brows drew tightly together as he listened.
“What do you mean, you found a Shadow for the sake of a woman?”
“What do you mean, you had no choice but to resort to this because you couldn’t acknowledge that woman?”
“This is a confrontation between two armies!”
“Ren Tianye is about to attack. Can Marquis Jingyi really lead us in defending Iron Gate Pass with this kind of conduct?”
Deputy General Chen Song had his doubts as well, but at a time like this, he could only praise Pei Wugou to the heavens. He slapped the commander on the shoulder and laughed.
“What are you afraid of, brother?”
“Didn’t you see the Marquis’s martial prowess?”
“How powerful was he?”
“With him here, how could a mere Ren Tianye possibly break into the pass?”
Those words gave the commander a little more confidence in Pei Wugou. After all, he had personally witnessed Pei Wugou’s strength just now. It was terrifyingly powerful.
At that moment, Pei Wugou ordered Shadow to withdraw, then took the seat of honor and began making arrangements for the defense of Iron Gate Pass.
Iron Gate Pass stood at the vital passage leading into the hilly terrain along the river. Its walls were high and thick, and it also possessed a beacon tower ten zhang tall. It was a fortress that could serve as a firmly embedded nail.
Pei Wugou’s arrangements were naturally tailored to the terrain.
“When resisting Ren Tianye, you must not leave the pass to fight a field battle. Simply hold Iron Gate Pass.”
“Most importantly, the moment Ren Tianye’s forces arrive, light the beacon. I will certainly be in Zhenjiang City by then and will immediately send reinforcements.”
…
Pei Wugou made one arrangement after another, and the commander’s restless heart gradually settled.
This Pei Wugou had real ability.
That was, until Pei Wugou issued a warning.
“I will also remind you of this: Iron Gate Pass is the gateway to the fortresses of Jiangbei. You must guard it well. If anyone grows careless and allows Iron Gate Pass to fall, the sword in this Marquis’s hand is not merely for show!”
Before his words had even faded, Pei Wugou suddenly exerted his strength.
The armrest of the chair shattered on the spot.
The movement startled everyone in the hall, and they gained an even deeper appreciation of Pei Wugou’s formidable power. The commander immediately led the others in kneeling.
“We will guard Iron Gate Pass for you, Marquis!”
Pei Wugou nodded in satisfaction.
After making a brief inspection of Iron Gate Pass, the army set out once more, heading toward Zhenjiang City, the heart of the fortresses of Jiangbei.
Naturally, Pei Wugou did not forget to send men to bring his beloved Wen He along.
Only then did the army depart in grand fashion.
The commander of Iron Gate Pass watched the army disappear into the distance. Only then did he feel the immense pressure on his body slowly lift.
“Pei Wugou is far too fierce. It seems that from now on, I’ll have to work hard under him. Otherwise, if he disciplines me even once, I’ll lose a layer of skin at the very least.”
The commander of Iron Gate Pass was thinking this when a man came running rapidly from the distance. It was one of their men stationed at Lotus Flower Lake.
“G-General! General…”
“This is bad! This is bad!”
“Our army provisions are gone!”
…
transmigrates into the role of a villainous rich second-generation kid in an urban fantasy novel, and gets bound to a god-tier choice system. Right at the start, he catches the female lead stealing exam papers! This triggers the villain's choice options! [Choice 1: Pretend you didn't see anything] [Choice 2: Loudly call her out, drawing everyone's attention] [Choice 3: ...] And thus, a twisted villain is born. To avoid getting killed by the protagonist, he has no choice but to take down all the protagonists first. Jiang Che: Nobody understands being twisted better than me!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
