Chapter 165 - A Town Under Siege (1)

In this world, cultivation was not everything, but it did a fine job of representing a person’s status. A third rank Grandmaster might not amount to much in a place like the imperial capital, but in a small frontier town like this, one was more than worthy of being called an honored guest among honored guests.

Thanks to Ran Qingmo, Xu Yuan had little trouble securing a meeting with the current highest ranking military and civil authority of Sageridge.

Under the night sky, a young garrison officer of about twenty led the young man and woman toward the inner hall of the county office. His manner was neither servile nor arrogant.

“Young Master Zhou, this way, please. General Wang is waiting for you inside.”

As Xu Yuan walked, he took in everything inside the county office. Rather than a government office where some lordly magistrate handled official business, this place felt more like a military camp. Everyone in the entire compound wore the standard uniform of the Great Flame Empire’s frontier army.

The only other style of clothing he saw belonged to the taxation office.

Though judging by the calluses on the hands of those few tax officials, thick enough at the tiger’s mouth to strike sparks, they were clearly just frontier soldiers wearing a taxation office skin.

All of Sageridge was a frontier town completely controlled by the border army. Yet even with both military and civil authority over the region in their hands, these frontier troops did not seem to be living well.

In the huge county office, there was not a trace of formation work, not even the most basic light-rune lamps. Everything relied on firelight for illumination.

If one were to compare it to modern society, it would be like a local government office and military district headquarters being so poor they had to use kerosene lamps.

And things like food, clothing, housing, and transport were still secondary. The real problem was that most of the frontier soldiers’ sabers were ordinary iron.

The reason the Great Flame Empire was so overflowing with martial virtue was that its armies were made up almost entirely of cultivators and martial apprentices.

Aside from certain clerical positions, there were almost no ordinary mortals in the regular army.

The logic was simple. Against a low level cultivator like Xu Yuan, an army of mortals could still barely win through sheer numbers. But once they ran into a Grandmaster like Ran Qingmo, all she needed was one powerful sword skill. After that, there would be nothing left to do but watch the mortal troops break and run.

An army of cultivators was completely different. Cultivators could form battle arrays.

According to the Sage’s remnant soul, the most important reason the world of sects had become a world of dynasties was not just the changes in the world’s source qi. More than that, it was because people had researched and developed things like military formations.

Xu Yuan had never seen a large-scale military formation before, but according to the Chancellor’s Manor’s internal reports, large formations seemed to be terrifyingly powerful.

Before a formation of ten thousand soldiers, a third rank Grandmaster would basically be killed in an instant.

Of course, no third rank expert would be stupid enough to clash head-on with a military formation either.

The official military establishment here in Sageridge consisted of two battalions. At full strength, that should be around ten thousand men. But judging by the town’s current state, there was no way it was at full strength.

Xu Yuan did not know exactly how many troops they had now, but after walking through the compound, he could tell that at least two-thirds of these frontier soldiers were carrying nothing more than ordinary iron weapons.

Cultivators using mortal weapons.

Ordinary iron could indeed kill, but it would cut their combat strength by at least half.

Because cast iron weapons could not bear source qi.

Back in the Xu residence of Stillwater, the weapons used by those musclebound brutes were all mixed with at least some darksteel or iron essence to ensure their strength. Looking at things now, the court really was broke.

The young garrison officer leading the way seemed to notice Xu Yuan’s gaze.

“Young Master Zhou, pardon the poor showing. Most of the silver the court allocates to our Sageridge every year is used by General Wang to repair the town walls and the town’s formation patterns. Against those beasts, cast iron weapons are just about enough.”

As he spoke, the garrison officer pointed at the blade hanging from his waist.

Xu Yuan glanced at the blade and smiled faintly. “Make the blade thicker and heavier. Simple, crude, but I suppose it is one solution. Still, now that Sageridge’s trade routes have reopened, things should improve after next year.”

The young garrison officer grinned. “General Wang said the same thing. Barring any accidents, our Shengshan Army should be able to replace a batch of equipment next year. And that is all thanks to Miss Xu’s formation.”

When he mentioned Xu Xinyao, a trace of yearning appeared in the young officer’s eyes, but he quickly restrained it.

The group continued until they stopped before the gate of a courtyard. Two sixth-rank Body Fusion soldiers stood guard outside. The young garrison officer cupped his fists toward Xu Yuan.

“Young Master Zhou, General Wang is inside.”

Xu Yuan looked at the courtyard before him. For once, he sensed a faint ripple of formation power. A soundproofing formation and a soul sense blocking formation to prevent others from prying. This place was probably the most important area in the entire county office.

“Open the gate.” The young garrison officer gave the order to the two soldiers on duty, and the soldiers promptly opened the doors for the three of them.

Inside the courtyard was an open space that looked like a martial training platform. Burning bonfires rose around it, lighting the whole stage, and a broad road stretched straight inward. At the far end of the courtyard stood a great hall, where a group of people sat gathered together, seemingly discussing something.

Xu Yuan could see that they were all dressed in military uniforms as well. Compared with the ordinary soldiers he had seen earlier, however, the people in the hall were clearly officers.

The young garrison officer lowered his voice and explained, “General Wang should be discussing military and political affairs with Mr. Liu and the others right now. Young Master Zhou, please follow me to the side room and wait for a moment.”

Xu Yuan was not in any hurry, so he nodded.

After leading Xu Yuan and Ran Qingmo to the side room, the young garrison officer left to report their arrival.

Once he was gone, the room fell quiet for a while.

Xu Yuan glanced at Ran Qingmo, who had not said a word this entire time, and laughed softly. “Why do I feel like you’re a little uneasy?”

Ran Qingmo removed her veiled hat and laid it flat across her lap. After thinking for a moment, she said in a low voice, “Once the formation here activates, the fluctuations in source qi will be very strong. Tian Yan might follow the source qi and find her way here.”

Xu Yuan heard this and chuckled softly. “We spent over a month lost in the Myriad Ascents Mountain Range. We didn’t even know where we were supposed to end up. If she can still follow us all the way here, then I’ll just accept my fate.”

After a pause, Xu Yuan sighed and glanced at the mist hanging over the sky outside. “And besides, Tian Yan isn’t the urgent problem right now. The urgent problem is hoping that prodigal girl doesn’t make me wipe her ass for the mess she made.”

“Prodigal... girl?” Ran Qingmo tilted her head.

“Xu Xinyao.” Xu Yuan smiled. “My dear, foolish little sister seems to have been used by the Myriad Manifestations Sect.”

“Oh.” Ran Qingmo seemed to understand, and also not understand. After hesitating slightly, she still asked, “Xu Yuan, then are we not running?”

Xu Yuan sounded helpless. “If we could run, of course we would. The problem is that we can’t break this formation, so we can’t get out.”

Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan, her voice very serious. “That teleportation sword technique of yours should be able to break through the formation and get you out.”