Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 508: Yue Ruyan: I Suspect Wanyan Xiaji Is a Second-Grade Martial Artist
Yu State.
December 7th.
The Chen Army ultimately failed to hold Shuofei County, which was captured by the Jin Xia Army.
Knowing they were outmatched, the Chen Army did not resist to the death but withdrew from Shuofei County in advance, thus suffering minimal casualties.
Li County, a hundred miles away from Shuofei County.
The Chen Army, retreating from Shuofei County, arrived at Li County to fortify their position.
When the Jin Xia Army first attacked Shuofei County, Li Yunzhang had already planned a retreat. With Zuo Lianglun’s cooperation, they built a defense line in Li County.
Currently, Li Yunzhang’s strategy is clear, which is to delay.
The battles in the north have concluded, and Chen Mo is leading his troops back. As long as they can delay until Chen Mo returns, victory in Yu State is assured.
Therefore, after stationing at Li County, Li Yunzhang also arranged for a defense line to be built fifty miles away in Cyan Mountain Town.
If the defense line at Li County is breached by the Jin Xia Army, he will immediately lead his troops to retreat to Li County.
As for the civilians along the route, they were urgently escorted to the rear after the Chen Army and the Jin Xia Army began to clash.
In Yue Ruyan’s military tent.
The tent was filled with a strong medicinal smell and a faint scent of blood.
Yue Ruyan sat on a master’s chair, wearing armor only on her lower body. Her upper body armor had long been removed, with only a thick white band wrapped around her chest. Her sun-kissed skin, though not as fair as white skin, exuded a unique allure.
However, Yue Ruyan’s left shoulder was blue and purple, with a thumb-sized, cross-shaped bloody wound.
The maid was applying medicine to the wound at her side.
When the medicinal powder touched the wound, Yue Ruyan didn’t even knit her brows. Instead, she looked at the victory report that had been delivered earlier.
The phrase "If the enemy can advance, so can I" on it was much to Yue Ruyan’s liking. From this sentence, Yue Ruyan could feel how imposing and powerful Chen Mo must have been at that time.
Just as the medicine was almost applied, the voice of Yue Ruyan’s personal soldiers sounded from outside: "General, Lord Zuo and General Li request an audience."
Yue Ruyan put down the victory report and said in a clear and cold voice, "Wait a moment."
The maid quickly brought a robe to put over Yue Ruyan.
A quarter of an hour later.
Zuo Liang Army and Li Yunzhang entered one after the other and cupped their fists, "Is General Yue alright?"
Yue Ruyan shook her head, "Penetrating wound, the arrowhead didn’t stay inside, and the bones in my left arm were dislocated. It’s nothing serious."
As for the dislocated bones, she could fix them herself.
"Who would have thought Wanyan Xiaji’s strength would be so formidable..." Zuo Lianglun said with a heavy expression.
Yue Ruyan’s shoulder injury was caused by an arrow from Wanyan Xiaji.
Moreover, it was shot from over a hundred meters away, with Wanyan Xiaji hitting her with an arrow from outside the city.
It was precisely for this reason that the Chen Army gave up on the idea of defending Shuofei County completely.
"He should have been aiming for my head. If I hadn’t dodged in time, that arrow would have pierced my head." Yue Ruyan frowned and said, "I suspect he is a Second-Grade Martial Artist..."
"Second Grade..."
Zuo Lianglun raised an eyebrow.
In the early days of the founding and during prosperous times, Second-Grade Martial Artists numbered more than two handfuls.
But now, Second-Grade Martial Artists are extremely rare and have not revealed themselves to the world, it’s just speculation.
The late Xu Guozhong was suspected to be Second Grade.
Lu Sheng was also suspected to be Second Grade.
The reason why it is said they are suspected is that it’s very difficult for ordinary people to see it.
Even if the opponent uses Divine Power, it’s hard to determine if they are Second Grade or Third Grade.
Second Grade is also known as the Divine Transformation Realm.
They can conceal their aura and transform godly powers into matter.
As the name implies, they can transform their divine powers into anything.
Of course, these transformed objects are easily distinguishable from real objects.
Therefore, it is very difficult to discern the difference between Second-Grade Martial Artists and Third-Grade Martial Artists when they are not using this ability.
After all, even among Third-Grade Martial Artists, there are differences.
Some Third-Grade Martial Artists are ridiculously strong, but they still fall under the category of Third Grade.
Yet whether they are Second Grade, Third Grade, or even First Grade, they are still ordinary people who, aside from a longer lifespan, cannot escape birth, aging, illness, and death, and can still be suppressed under the siege of thousands of soldiers.
General Zuo sighed, "Whether he’s Second Grade or not, what matters is General Yue is fine. No matter how strong he is, he’s just one person. We’ll hold our ground, wait until the Marquis returns."
"Exactly, if Li County cannot be held, we’ll retreat to Cyan Mountain Town," said Li Yunzhang.
"That’s all we can do," Yue Ruyan nodded.
...
Somewhere in Gaozhou.
On an official road, the sound of horse hooves thundered like a muffled drum, kicking up dust behind them.
In the middle of this "cavalry," a young armored man rode a white steed, exhaling white mist in large breaths.
"Marquis, it’s really cold today. The soldiers’ hands are nearly frozen. Shall we stop, light a fire, and rest a bit?"
Shao Jinneng rode up beside Chen Mo, breathing heavily.
To Martial Artists, this wintery weather has little effect on themselves.
But for ordinary people, it was really tough.
The cold made their hands red and swollen, even cracking.
Chen Mo glanced and said, "We’ll soon reach Yao’er City. We’ll rest once we get there."
"Understood."
This time, in returning, Chen Mo did not bring the entire army back, but only brought back the Brave Cavalry Guard, the Personal Guard Battalion, the Vermilion Bird Guard, and the Jiangdong Army.
The Divine Courage, Divine Martial, and Xianzhen remained in Youzhou, with Chang En, Cui Shuang, and Song Shiming, who also stayed, in charge of commanding them.
After all, the North had finally been reclaimed, and without troops stationed, the Jin Xia Barbarians could charge in effortlessly.
At the rear of the "cavalry" were thousands of riderless warhorses, and cattle and sheep connected with ropes, followed by the Vermilion Bird Guard and the Jiangdong Army.
These riderless warhorses were naturally captured steeds, and the cattle and sheep were looted from Haiyan Pass.
Initially, there were also carts full of wealth and grain.
But along the way back, Chen Mo ordered to distribute them to the nearby civilians.
These things, after all, were what the Jin Xia Army looted from the northern civilians of Great Song during their invasion.
Of course, Chen Mo’s generosity wasn’t for nothing.
Now, all the civilians in the North knew who Chen Mo was, remembering his good deeds, and revered him.
Countless civilians clamored to join the Chen Army and serve the country.
...
When dusk was falling.
The army arrived at Yao’er City.
The surviving civilians of Yao’er City, upon learning that Chen Mo had driven away the Jin Xia Barbarians and avenged them, braved the piercing winter winds to go out of the city and welcome them back.
Seeing the civilians coming to welcome them, Chen Mo dismounted a few feet away and quickly walked over.
Seeing that Chen Mo was lightly dressed, a civilian endured the cold and took off his cotton coat, offering it to Chen Mo, "Marquis, it’s cold, put on some more clothes."
