Chapter 1028: Thunderous Storms in All Directions! (1/2)
The border generals were not the only ones to receive news about the major shift in Talas. While everyone was focused on the movements in the court, few noticed that several carrier pigeons had been mixed in with the eagles of the military as they flew into the capital.
Unlike the other letters, these were all letters meant for the Wang Clan.
In the northeast of the Imperial City, within the Imperial Army Academy's buildings of glazed tile and ceramic glass, a middle-aged man sat cross-legged on the floor. From his gorgeous armor, one could see that this man was a commandant of the Imperial Army.
The room was quiet, but the middle-aged man exuded a powerful aura that continued to rise like bamboo after a spring rain. White steam billowed copiously off the top of the man's head, and his forehead was caked in cold sweat. It was obvious that he had reached a critical juncture in his cultivation.
Heart as calm as the abyss, heart as deep as the lake…
As this mantra flashed through his mind, he instantly calmed down. Bzzzz! Not long after, the steam rising from his head began to fade away, and the sweat on his brow began to dissipate. Finally…
”I've broken through into Imperial Martial Tier 7!”
Li Lin opened his eyes and gave a long sigh as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
Ever since Wang Chong had given him that technique, Li Lin had cultivated it day and night. The technique Wang Chong had gifted seemed to be extremely in tune with him, almost like it had been personally made for him. With this technique and a few opportunities in the outside world, Li Lin had made leaps and bounds in his cultivation to reach today's level.
Clap!
He took a violet silk box from next to the bed and gently opened it, removed a white pill that was about the size of a quail egg, and swallowed it down. Boom! As the pill dissolved, enormous medicinal power erupted within Li Lin's chest, rushing into his meridians. The power of this medicine made Li Lin's aura swell, firmly placing him at Tier 7 of the Imperial Martial realm.
”Chong-er, thank you. If not for you, your uncle-in-law would have never been able to make a name for himself in the Imperial Army.”
After some time, Li Lin finished digesting the medicinal power of the pill and raised his head, a look of gratitude in his eyes.
After three generations, the Wang Clan finally had another Qilin son, and he had even been titled as the Young Marquis and made the Son of Heaven's disciple. Everyone in the capital knew his name, and as his uncle-in-law, Li Lin had managed to receive quite a few benefits.
Li Lin had not been bestowed with much natural talent. With just the technique, he would have found it very difficult to reach his current stage so quickly. However, Wang Chong had also left behind many pills and medicines that had allowed Li Lin's strength to soar and completely firm up his status in the Imperial Army.
Li Lin was no longer the insignificant officer in charge of the gates. He now commanded a significant number of soldiers in the Imperial Army. Before, he had relied only on the Wang Clan's prestige, but now, he could rely on his own formidable strength to win the respect of his men.
Flapflap!
As he was silently thinking, the flapping of wings came from outside the window. Li Lin turned toward the sound and saw that it was a white pigeon beatings its wings at his window. However, Li Lin had shut the doors and windows while he cultivated, so the pigeon was unable to get in.
”Mm?”
A questioning look flashed through Li Lin's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and opened the window with a faint smile. With smooth proficiency, he removed the letter from the carrier pigeon's leg and gently opened it. Glancing at the contents, he was immediately struck dumb.
The letter was almost completely empty, with only a few words written in the very middle.
'Xuanwu Army'!
There was no specific address nor the name of any sender on this letter. As Li Lin stared at it, his brow slowly began to crease.
”Already?” he muttered to himself.
This was a signal that he had agreed on with Wang Chong that no one except them knew the meaning of.
Li Lin quickly left his room with the letter.
Zhao Fengchen!
If he wanted to complete the matter Wang Chong had hinted at with this letter, he would need the assistance of this marshal of the Imperial Army. Right now, Zhao Fengchen was the Wang Clan's staunchest and most powerful ally in the Imperial Army.
In a rush of wind, Li Lin vanished into the enormous Imperial City.
……
Several hundred li away from the capital, an enormous mountain stabbed into the sky like a mighty sword.
Imperial Heaven Pillar Mountain!
This was one of the four holy mountains that the Great Tang's Imperial Army used for training. It was rumored that several hundred years ago, the young Emperor Taizong had made an offering to the heavens and earth and reviewed the troops at this place. From that point on, this mountain became one of the primary camps for the Imperial Army.
”Hey!”
”Ha!”
The shouts and cries of training echoed over the mountain. A group of reserve imperial soldiers dressed in black clothes was running across the lush mountain via a steep road. Higher up the mountain, amidst the cloud and fog, thousands of imperial soldiers were training on the summit.
At the highest point of the summit, a thin middle-aged man was seated cross-legged on a round stone, silently observing the scenery below. Hwoooo! The wind tossed the man's hair about, and he gave a relaxed and carefree smile.
Coocoo!
At this moment, a carrier pigeon flew down from the skies, breaking out of the clouds as it flew straight at the man's location.
”Mm?”
The man's brows shifted, and a hint of surprise flickered through his eyes as he stood up from the rock and received the pigeon. As he glanced at the letter it had delivered, his smile faded and his expression turned serious.
”Chong-er, as expected, you spoke up. Is the situation at Talas so grim that you already need to mobilize that force?”
A complicated look flickered through Wang Mi's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he began to stride down the mountain.