"Jiang Jun, where are your cavalry?" I asked Jiang Jun.
"Assembled and waiting below the city walls."
"Open the city gates, and charge out for a pursuit!" I said excitedly.
"But, sir... we don't know if the enemy has retreated yet. Charging out rashly might lead us into an ambush!" Jiang Jun said with concern.
"Trust me once," I said seriously, patting his shoulder.
Jiang Jun hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, then we'll listen to you, sir. However, sir, these 2,000 cavalry are all we have in our 54th city. You must act within your capabilities when you take them!"
"...I won't be taking them. I can't ride a horse. You lead the charge," I said awkwardly. He thought I was going to lead the charge myself!
"Okay, then... until when should we pursue?" Jiang Jun asked again.
"You decide," I said. After he left, I wouldn't be able to contact him, so he'd have to decide when to advance and retreat himself.
Jiang Jun took the order and left. Not long after, I heard the creaking sound of gates opening from the city gate tower below. Then, a cavalry troop clad in gray armor filed out of the city. They didn't form ranks; speed was of the essence. They immediately formed a line and pursued.
Soon, the cavalry disappeared into the mist. Using the Qi sensing technique, I could only see the cavalry catching up to the enemy's infantry. Then, the auras from both sides began to entangle and gradually receded. This indicated that the enemy hadn't stopped to fight but was in a state of rout, collapsing like a mountain. Both sides eventually disappeared from my Qi sensing view.
"They've pursued too far; there's no movement anymore," Bing Bing said worriedly.
Just as I was about to send the reserve cavalry to support them, the auras in the yellow mist reappeared, moving quickly. It was the cavalry returning.
A few minutes later, the cavalry appeared within my line of sight. I also looked behind them; there were no pursuers. It was a triumphant return, not a retreat under duress.
From within the city, the sounds of jubilant citizens reached my ears, deafeningly loud.
I descended the city wall and went out to greet them personally. Jiang Jun dismounted and ran over, kneeling before me. "Sir, you are truly a divine being! This battle, the pursuit was perfectly timed, and we returned having killed three thousand enemies!"
"That was because you fought well. Get up," I said with a smile.
The entire city was celebrating. Bing Bing and I were invited to an institution resembling a county yamen. The ghost officials of the underworld lined up to welcome us, offering fine wine and food. However, Bing Bing and I were living people. We tried it, and it was like chewing wax. We couldn't taste any of the delicacies. Only the underworld wine had a taste, like sour swill!
After the victory feast, I inspected this mountain city, keeping my Qi sensing technique active, hoping to discover some powerful individuals to take back to the living world.
There were none. The ghosts in the city with any significant Qi had already been conscripted into the city guard. The highest among them was only at the yellow Qi level, which was not weak, but completely lacked any exploitable value. I asked the accompanying ghost official how far it was to other Fengdu city gates and how to get there.
The ghost official said it was closest to the 53rd gate, only two hundred li away. However, the path went through a forest, and a guide would be needed, otherwise, we would get lost in the woods.
The county yamen could provide a carriage, but it wasn't fast. I calculated that at 200 li, it would take about ten hours to reach, which wasn't too far and could be attempted. As for the return journey, to be honest, I had no idea how to get back now. That train station had long since disappeared.
Furthermore, I discovered that there seemed to be no sun in the underworld. Although the sky was clear, I couldn't find any light source in the sky. From our arrival to the end of the victory feast, it felt like six or seven hours had passed, yet the sky remained the same.
I made a casual excuse and quietly asked the accompanying ghost official, "Isn't it safer to travel at night? When does it get dark in our 54th city?"
The ghost official was startled. "Dark? It'll probably be half a year from now."
Half a year until dark? Could this 54th city be in the polar region of the underworld?
Never mind, it had nothing to do with me. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Then, let's depart immediately," I said.
"Alright, I'll go and report to you immediately, sir!" The accompanying ghost official galloped away to fetch the carriage from the county yamen.
Bing Bing took the opportunity to ask me, "Brother, what about your cannons and guns? Are you leaving them for them?"