Chapter 704: Elite Heavy Armored Cavalry

The riverside dock!
A vast crowd of soldiers gathered around the dock, filling every corner!
These people came from various factions and gangs—large and small groups, as well as temporarily formed teams. There were experts from different schools, skilled lone wolves, and some novices hoping to take advantage of the chaos. In short, the dock was a mix of all kinds of people!
Yet, everyone was eagerly staring at the official road not far away…
“They’re coming!”
A heavy roar came from the end of the official road. The ground trembled slightly, and dust could be seen rising from the road.
“Get ready!”
“Be careful! Stay alert! What’s coming isn’t just an ordinary army—it’s the elite heavy armored cavalry of the Young Marshal’s army. They excel at continuous archery, sword formations, and spear attacks. Their heavy armor offers extremely high defense; no ordinary attack can penetrate it… Even warhorses find it hard to harm them. Stay focused and give it your all!”
“Brothers with shields, move to the front…”
“Archers, hide behind! Don’t shoot the wrong people!!”
The roar grew louder as it approached rapidly, turning the noise at the dock chaotic. People called out to their companions, voices rising and falling.
“Look at the river!”
“There are ships coming to support them…”
The cries of those with sharp eyes woke many others.
Looking back, the river behind them was shrouded in fog, but faintly, the silhouettes of a fleet could be seen slowly approaching the dock under the dim light…
“Don’t worry. Since they’re here to support us, they can’t carry many people. We won’t be caught in a pincer attack!”
Someone quickly reassured the crowd.
Indeed!
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the ships on the river had few people on board and were shallow-draft—likely empty, with only the crew steering them!
Everyone’s attention turned back to the heavy armored cavalry carrying Lord Yang’s treasure, now visible on the official road…
Experts wielding sturdy shields and long spears were positioned at the forefront of the dock!
Crouching down, their spears pointed outward like a forest.
Rows of shielded and spear-wielding experts gave those behind them confidence. Archers nocked their arrows, aiming ahead, ready to shoot at any moment!
A tense atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire dock.
Everyone held their breath, staring at the cavalry fleet approaching along the road, its oppressive presence growing clearer by the second!
…

In the sparse woods across the dock, the people from Lingxiao Palace had been lying in wait there for a long time. Nearly a thousand experts from Lingxiao Palace, led by Qin Qing, hid carefully, crouching over a hundred meters away from the main road. No one made a sound, nor did they show any intention of joining forces with those at the dock to attack the Young Marshal’s army.
“Second Palace Master! A large group of troops is approaching from behind.”
“Whose people? How many?” Qin Qing, who was concentrating intently on the armored cavalry and caravans speeding along the road, glanced back upon hearing someone coming from behind but paid little attention.
After all, this was Yangzhou City.
The person behind replied, “It seems to be Yipin Tang. Meng Yun herself has come too…”
“Is it her?”
Qin Qing’s brows immediately furrowed.
“Is she here for Master Yang’s treasure vault as well?”
“There are eighty chests in the caravan… Eighty million taels of silver isn’t much, but eighty low-grade demonic artifacts—anyone in Meng Yun’s position would surely be tempted, I doubt otherwise.” Li Qing, who had remained silent until then, spoke up.
Shangguan Lian nodded slowly. “Eighty demonic artifacts. If our Lingxiao Palace could seize them all at once, it would be a huge leap forward for us. But it seems Yipin Tang is determined to get them too, unwilling to miss out.”
“…”
The elders around nodded in agreement.
“How many people have arrived?”
Qin Qing’s tone turned grave. “Nearly a thousand…”
As they spoke, a loud female voice came from afar: “I am Meng Yun! I wonder which Palace Master of Lingxiao Palace is here!”
“Qin Qing!”
Announcing her name, Qin Qing rushed out from among the crowd.
“So it’s Palace Master Qin leading the team personally. Meng Yun pays her respects.” Meng Yun appeared in the woods dressed in a magnificent and elegant gown, looking extremely graceful.
But the people from Lingxiao Palace watched Meng Yun’s back with extreme vigilance, noticing the large group of troops behind her!
Yipin Tang had quite a number of experts on the Dragon Ranking as well.
“Meng Tang Master, please don’t be modest. Her purpose for coming here must also be the treasures in Master Yang’s vault. But we need to hurry— the caravan is about to enter the dock! If we delay any longer, those at the dock will take everything.” While responding, Qin Qing kept a steady gaze on Meng Yun.
This woman had long held the top spot among the greatest fighters on the Phoenix Ranking. The Yipin Tang she founded became famous earlier than Lingxiao Palace and was almost one of the most powerful factions in the Central Plains martial world!
As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Yun smiled slightly:

“The Young Marshal’s army is invincible in the Jiangnan region! Two hundred elite heavy cavalry have come this way, killing well over two thousand martial artists… Fighting one against ten—there’s truth to that; they’re not easy to deal with… Isn’t it precisely because Master Qin saw this that she stayed inactive?”
Qin Qing smiled faintly but didn’t respond.
“People in the martial world have calculated everything, yet they never expected that Master Yang’s treasure vault would not open at all, but appear in this form… Sister Qin, I’ll be straight up—I came here to seek your alliance with Yipin Hall and Lingxiao Palace to seize the convoy protected by the heavy cavalry and split Master Yang’s treasures equally.” As she spoke, Meng Yun’s tone shifted: “With the strength of our two factions, taking Master Yang’s treasures would be a breeze. What do you think?”
“Split equally?”
“That’s right—forty treasure chests each, with no one else considered.”
Meng Yun nodded.
Before she could finish speaking, Qin Qing sneered: “Master Meng speaks so casually, but it seems you’ve forgotten this is Yangzhou! The headquarters of Lingxiao Palace. You’ve brought so few people from the north to Yangzhou, hoping to cooperate with us on Lingxiao Palace’s territory to plunder Master Yang’s treasures and split them equally—don’t you think that’s underestimating Lingxiao Palace?” If they truly allied, other factions would surely pay attention to Lingxiao Palace’s reaction. No one would take the hard-coming forces from the north, Yipin Hall, seriously. It was indeed inappropriate for Meng Yun to expect half of the treasures with just a few words.
“Then let’s follow Sister Qin’s suggestion—Yipin Hall gets thirty chests, and the rest all go to Lingxiao Palace. What do you say?” Meng Yun wasn’t angry; she still smiled and readily conceded.
Qin Qing was tempted and about to agree when her sister Qin Yun’s voice came from behind the crowd: “Master Meng speaks so nicely, but what if our two factions together get less than eighty chests, not even half? Won’t Lingxiao Palace have worked hard for nothing?”