Chapter 485: His Backer Is Here Too?

Yang Ling calmed himself down, then thought of something else.

“My attributes still have room to grow. I haven’t truly reached the peak of the Upper Fifth-Rank.”

“The same goes for my three Internal Techniques. They still have tremendous room for improvement.”

“The Vajra Bright King Technique is a bit troublesome. I’d have to go to a Buddhist temple and meditate on it... But the Great-Grade Azure Dragon Force and Heavenly Will Hundred Battles Diagram are only at Flawless Proficiency!”

“If I raise these two Internal Techniques to Skilled, or even Transcendent, my strength will get another tremendous boost!”

“When that happens...”

Yang Ling drew a deep breath.

Only then would he truly be a fully realized peak Upper Fifth-Rank!

“If I encounter a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster then...”

He thought of Yun Tianqing’s methods and the test from earlier.

He couldn’t help but nod to himself. He still probably wouldn’t be able to win.

Yang Ling wasn’t discouraged. In fact, he was rather pleased.

The power of a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster had always been just as immense as he’d imagined. Only that kind of strength could live up to the title of Grandmaster.

It was an utterly unreasonable kind of domination, the merciless suppression of those below by those above!

Four hours later.

The Vermilion Iron Falcon slowly descended into a camp.

Soldiers were everywhere in the camp, each exuding a fierce, battle-hardened air.

Some of them spotted the Vermilion Iron Falcon carrying Xie Langzhong and even brought out powerful crossbows, keeping them trained on it.

More than a hundred archers, their hands all callused, joined in and trained their weapons on the falcon.

Only after they recognized Xie Langzhong did they gradually put away their weapons and resume their duties.

Lin Zhen and the other two had never experienced anything like this. As soon as they dismounted from the Vermilion Iron Falcon, they immediately stood behind Yang Ling, warily scanning their surroundings.

“This time, Vice Director Hua has mobilized ten thousand elite troops and completely sealed off every route out of Wuheng Mountain.”

As Xie Langzhong led Yang Ling and the others toward the enormous tent in the center, he gave them a brief introduction.

Yang Ling and the others looked up. Sure enough, they saw a strangely shaped mountain in the distance.

“Every year, the Startling Owl Bandits commit several major crimes in Rong State. Their schemes involve the Mining Guild, the Pharmacy Guild, the Water Transport Guild, and even some Third-Rate and Second-Rate sects. Their crimes are innumerable!”

“But they operate in secret. Their ordinary members are little more than cannon fodder and know nothing. Capturing them alive is useless. There’s no way to learn the true identities of their leaders, let alone where they live.”

“But this time, we received reliable information and finally pinpointed the Startling Owl Bandits’ hideout: Wuheng Mountain!”

A sharp glint flashed in Xie Langzhong’s eyes.

“We have only one goal on this operation: wipe out the Startling Owl Bandits’ leadership!”

These Startling Owl Bandits were pretty formidable, weren’t they? They dared to target the Mining Guild, the Pharmacy Guild, and even the Water Transport Guild?

Yang Ling was a little surprised. No wonder the Ministry of War had sent a Vice Director in person to handle the case.

Based on his limited understanding of the office of Vice Director, he could more or less tell that it was a very high-ranking position, one that only a Third-Rank Grandmaster Supreme could hold.

Throughout the entire country, there weren’t many people who could stand above them.

“Langzhong Xie, since you’ve already surrounded this place... why not send the troops straight up the mountain? Why wait for us?”

Lin Zhen spoke slowly, his tone unmistakably displeased. He made sure the other man could hear it.

Xie Langzhong was patient, though. He simply smiled and said, “Wuheng Mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even flying Spirit Pets that approach are shot down by their archers. We suspect they have a Fourth-Rank Grandmaster skilled in archery.”

“As things stand, we still can’t make out the terrain above, how their people are distributed, or exactly how many experts the Startling Owl Bandits have.”

“The higher-ups have decided that simply keeping the mountain surrounded isn’t a solution, so they’re planning a decapitation strike.”

“That’s why we need to call in a Lesser Master and several Sixth-Ranks each from your Devour Heaven Palace, Arhat Temple, and Extreme Flame Sword Manor.”

“A Fourth-Rank Grandmaster, possibly skilled in archery? Can I go home?”

Yang Ling’s steps involuntarily slowed.

Lin Zhen frowned. “A decapitation strike? That’s too reckless. Since we’ve already surrounded the place, we should just keep them trapped until they die.”

Huo Yunzhu and Chi Ling also thought that made sense. If they stayed here and kept the place surrounded, could the people up there really grow wings and fly away?

And if they did fly away, all the better. They could just shoot them down!

Sending them on some kind of decapitation strike was sheer foolishness!

A hint of contempt flickered in Xie Langzhong’s eyes, so subtle it was almost imperceptible. Then he spoke gently.

“Feeding ten thousand soldiers and their horses every day is no small expense. If we don’t starve the bandits out first, our provisions will run out.

“We only have fifteen days this time. After fifteen days, whether the mission succeeds or not, we’ll have to withdraw.”

Lin Zhen and the others were still doubtful. They could only hold out for fifteen days? That was different from what they had imagined.

Yang Ling said nothing more. He had already accepted the mission. Now he just had to see how these bastards planned to use him.

If they assigned him to a suicide mission, it wouldn’t matter if the mission failed. He wouldn’t go.

Just as they were nearing the tent, a hearty laugh suddenly rang out from inside.

“Hahaha! I’ll thank Vice Director Hua on my son’s behalf for granting him a courtesy name. Yuanlong, Yuanlong. What a fine name! What a fine name!”

Yang Ling’s spirits lifted. Wasn’t that his master, Zhao De, King Zhao?

What was he doing here too?

A flash of excitement crossed Yang Ling’s eyes, and all his earlier worries vanished.

His master was the strongest below Third-Rank! In other words, he was widely recognized as the strongest of all Fourth-Rank Grandmasters!

With such a powerful backer here, what could Star Observation Academy do to him?

“Even if the Vice Director is one realm above my master in martial strength, one is a Vice Director and the other is a Different-Surname King!

“However powerful the civil officials may be, the two of them should still be on equal footing!”

Xie Langzhong arrived at the tent. A soldier went inside to announce them, then came out and indicated that they could enter.

There were about twenty people inside, and even the weakest among them was Sixth-Rank.

Yang Ling quickly swept his gaze around, then suddenly paused.

What did he see? A player!

There was a Sixth-Rank with a Level from Arhat Temple. Yang Ling didn’t know which Server Region the player came from.

Judging by his Status Panel, he genuinely had the strength of an Upper Sixth-Rank. He had to be Number One on the Ranking in his Server Region.

The Fifth-Ranks from Arhat Temple and Extreme Flame Sword Manor were both rather old this time. Only the Sixth-Ranks they had brought along were younger.

Besides them, there were four generals clad in silver-white armor, each a Fifth-Rank.

There was also a group of tough Sixth-Rank soldiers who had clearly fought their way up through the ranks. Their eyes constantly radiated a murderous aura.

“Fine generals! Fine soldiers!”

Yang Ling praised them silently.

Two figures were seated in the middle. One was Zhao De.

The other looked close to fifty, with very regular features. He had the sort of ordinary, pleasant-looking face that would naturally make people feel favorably toward him at a glance.

“So this is Vice Director Hua.”

Yang Ling felt a slight chill in his heart. He would have to be careful on this trip and avoid offending him.

“Reporting to Lord Hua, I have already invited one Fifth-Rank and three Upper Sixth-Ranks from Devour Heaven Palace.”

Then he introduced them to everyone.

“This is Yang Ling, the Lesser Master of Devour Heaven Palace and the Palace Master’s personal disciple.”

The Fifth-Ranks from Arhat Temple and Extreme Flame Sword Manor both changed expressions, their eyes filled with surprise.

Devour Heaven Palace actually had a younger-generation disciple... who had advanced to Fifth-Rank?

Hadn’t he gotten ahead of them!?

Zhao De instinctively sat up straighter and carefully examined Yang Ling.

Seeing how young Yang Ling was, the Arhat Temple player couldn’t help feeling envious. Natives really were incredible, he thought.

Then he studied the three people Yang Ling had brought with him, trying to figure out whether any of them might be players.