Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 270 - 9: Arithmetic Progression
January 12, 2018, evening
Outside the East City Military Camp, in front of a barbecue shop deep in the alley, dozens of diners sat around with their small stools, enthusiastically watching two groups of people glaring at each other, then cheering with mouths full of food.
"Go, Lord!"
"The glory of Shen City relies on you to protect it!"
"Stand up for the gays around the world!"
"Don't lose, outsiders!"
"Overthrow the iron-fisted rule of the military government!"
Among the noisy shouts, the sounds of belching and bursting out food were continuously interspersed.
The people of Shen City love to drink, and a meal without alcohol is incomplete. Among the side dishes, sandstone barbecue is undoubtedly supreme, but even better than the barbecue is a hearty, blood-pumping battle.
Although most people didn't actually understand what the conflict between the Shen City Patrol Team and the few outsiders was about, as soon as both sides drew their swords, they just cheered them on.
Real men speak with their fists, whether there's reason or not, fight first and talk later; that's the belief the people of Shen City hold dear.
Of course, if there truly is anyone being unreasonable and bullying the weak, then don't blame the numerous hidden masters and heroes of Shen City for drawing their swords to help when they see injustice.
——
Enthusiastically watched by dozens of diners, Hong Yu and a few other patrol members felt their blood boiling, their fighting spirit soaring. The few of them formed a battle array, and their shining weapons were glittering like stars in the night, and the hot breath exhaled from the warriors' noses and mouths looked imposing.
"Bring it on, outsiders!"
As the direct instigator of the conflict, Shen Qingming was utterly shocked by the scene before him.
"Hey, don't you have any shame!? So many of you against one!?"
Hong Yu had brought out eight patrol members for the gathering. Now densely arrayed, the eight strong men were like a prehistoric beast, nearly double the number of Shen Qingming's side, and nearly three times their weight; any way you looked at it, it was not a fair fight.
Hong Yu remained expressionless, speaking coldly, "We eight form a battle array. Whether we're up against one person or thousands, we always meet the challenge with this eight-person formation! We are soldiers, not lone fighters!"
"Damn, how can you shamelessly justify that!?" Shen Qingming turned his head, only to see the diners nodding in agreement, once again shocked by the worldview of the people of Shen City.
Li Wanqing, however, carelessly waved her hand, "Eight people, so be it. Fewer people wouldn't be interesting. Qingming, Chaolu, sit back, I can handle this alone."
As soon as these words were out, the diners cheered even louder, some even blew whistles, yelling crazily under the influence of alcohol.
Regardless of her personality, Li Wanqing's external appearance was excellent: her looks were bright and generous, her figure tall and slender, which, for the people of Shen City who cherish martial prowess and straightforwardness, appeared somewhat superficial and insubstantial.
And yet, this slender girl dared to declare she would single-handedly challenge the eight-person battle array of the Shen City Patrol! If she wasn't crazy, she must be a genius disciple of some prominent sect.
A talented cultivator from outside facing the battle-hardened lords of Shen City, such a spectacle is always appealing, and no matter which side wins, it would certainly be worthy of opening three more jars of wine!
Hong Yu's side was not careless in the slightest, after all, they had previously clashed in Yulin Village. These War Elephant soldiers were well aware that the strength of this bright and beautiful girl was unfathomable, even Hong Yu, a mid-stage Cloud Surge Realm cultivator, was like a child in front of her.
But they were soldiers, skilled in formation fighting, not lone dueling. Coordinated battle with 8 people, relying on their Divine Weapons, Heavy Armor, and the Marching Pills already dissolving in their mouths, at least they had a fighting chance.
That was enough. For the soldiers of Shen City, even against an opponent with no chance of winning, they would unhesitatingly charge when needed, let alone now when it wasn't so dire.
Moments later, seeing Li Wanqing already poised and beckoning them to bring it on, Hong Yu hesitated no more, silently thrusting his azure spear forward.
A crescent arc of light illuminated from above, blue light spread throughout the alley. The moonlight, like a hook, quietly yet swiftly reached for Li Wanqing's shoulder.
Meanwhile, Hong Yu's seven comrades, like stars beside the crescent moon, silently sealed off all of Li Wanqing's possible paths of retreat. Among them, three wielded Divine Weapons, special hooks meant to counter Flying Swords. During the attack, all eight, including Hong Yu, activated Petrification Talismans to defend against piercing damage from Flying Swords and Flying Needles. Their targeting was meticulous and thorough.
Among the alley's diners, quite a few with good eyes couldn't help but shout approval.
This is Shen City's military!
No matter how many issues or quirks they have privately, they are absolutely reliable and flawless in a fight.
The training of Shen City's army is extremely strict, even harsh, and any soldier who grits through the new recruit period will master combat techniques to handle various situations. Whether facing Demon Essence, Mountain Spirits and Wild Beasts, Sword Cultivators, Magic Cultivators, or Body Cultivators, these soldiers knew what to do.
Previously, the sneak attack in Yulin Village by the enemy caught us off guard, leaving no chance to employ numerous strategies. Now, with the opportunity for revenge so close, these War Elephant Soldiers will not let it slip by.
In the next moment, the moonlight and starlight dimmed simultaneously, as if the splendid night sky was shrouded by dark clouds. The sudden alternation between light and dark made the onlookers blink, and when their sight returned, they saw eight soldiers from the patrol team silently lying on the ground. Li Wanqing, on the other hand, had donned a grim and black armor at some point, and was slowly removing her helmet, revealing a smiling face.
"Haha, I won!"
Li Wanqing made a victory gesture, and without glancing at the few big-headed War Elephant Soldiers on the ground, she called Qingming and the others to sit back down, merrily drinking and eating meat.
Her relaxed demeanor amazed many onlookers, and cheers and laughter filled the air.
"The outsider did a good job! Successfully tore away the cover of Shen City's army thugs!"
"Exactly! They take so much tax money every year but can't even beat a young girl!"
"Losing is one thing, but now they're lying on the ground taking a nap as if it's okay! Simply shameless!"
Objectively speaking, those patrol soldiers did a great job with strategy and adaptation, setting everything up so perfectly in just one encounter. If it were those soldiers from Cyan Cloud City, they wouldn't even achieve a third of that level.
However, when the gap in strength is too vast, all tactics become empty talk. Moreover, in terms of experience, Li Wanqing is no less than the War Elephant Soldiers of Shen City. She's a seasoned hero from a young age in Cyan Cloud City, fighting various formidable foes.
If such a master were to be taken down by eight ordinary War Elephant Soldiers, then the Cyan Cloud Tournament's value would be a joke.
With a carefree and joyful mood, Li Wanqing responded casually to the surrounding spectators' clamor, while continuing to eat meat and drink wine, and attempting to get Shen Qingming drunk.
But before she'd eaten much, a large burly man staggered over, saying, "Outsiders, better finish eating and leave quickly, Shen City's army never accepts defeat."
Li Wanqing curiously turned her head, about to ask what he meant by not accepting defeat when a cold voice echoed from the alleyway behind her.
"Indeed, Shen City's soldiers never accept the word defeat!"
As they spoke, a black-uniformed officer, boots tapping on the stone slab, walked under the moonlight.
The moment he appeared, the diners in the barbecue shop felt a chill, hurriedly eating more meat, drinking more wine, and making the sandstone burn even hotter.
Li Wanqing firmly locked her gaze on the black-uniformed officer, her True Essence gradually gathering, orderly and unhurried.
A strong enemy, undoubtedly a strong enemy, even from the perspective of the second place in the Cyan Cloud Tournament, this black-clothed person walking under the moonlight is an indubitable formidable opponent.
Appearance-wise, around thirty-something, his True Essence Fluctuation showed faint traits of the Cloud Flipping Realm, likely between the Cloud Surge Realm and Cloud Flipping Realm. His robe-like black uniform was intricately decorated with fine talismans, and in the True Eye's view, the magical treasure brilliance was dazzling, an unequivocal exquisite product. He had a pair of short swords at each side of his waist, also top-grade magical weapons.
In terms of strength, magical treasures, and mental state, this person is an undisputed elite. From Li Wanqing's perspective, even if she gave her all, her winning chance was at most seventy percent.
More importantly, he didn't come alone; following the moonlight, another person was hidden in the shadows behind him!
In a one-on-one duel, Li Wanqing had a seventy percent winning chance, but facing two opponents at once made her chances much trickier, so... she decided to encourage Wang Jiu to fight these people.
As she pondered, the man approached Li Wanqing, cupped his hands, and said, "I am Shen Wu, captain of the first squad of the Outer City Patrol Team, please enlighten me."
In the next moment, a shadow stretched out from Shen Wu's feet and transformed into a graceful woman in black clothing.
"I am Shen Lan, vice-captain of the first squad of the Outer City Patrol Team, please enlighten me."
Li Wanqing couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the elegant woman's delicate face, "Can I ask, is your team's vice-captain more beautiful than you?"
Shen Lan expressionlessly replied, "Defeat us, and you'll naturally see."
—
A few minutes later, Li Wanqing, panting heavily, retracted the slightly metal-fatigued Yuqing Moral Armor and returned to the table.
This fierce battle was even tougher than she anticipated. Without Wang Jiu's outside guidance, she really might not have been able to win a two-on-one fight.
However, before Li Wanqing could catch her breath, another figure walked from the end of the alley, and even in the night, the bright silver full-body Heavy Armor and the emblematic talisman of a captain's position on the chest were visible.
Li Wanqing was impressed; she turned to ask Shen Qingming.
"Is it true that after defeating the small ones, the older ones come out? Do you think by just fighting all the way through, we'll see your grandfather ahead of time?"
