In the sunny afternoon, a stretch of army marched in the direction northwest of Hojing.

Su Ji was dressed in a gorgeous battle robe and a fierce black-faced god mask, and rode leisurely on his horse.

Yuan Sheng was idle and bored, and asked curiously, "Master, why are you wearing a mask?"

Su Ji replied: "Do you know why most of the generals who lead troops to fight have a straight face and don't like to laugh?"

"Why?"

"Because people are bullying the weak and afraid of the hard, when they see the fierce gods and evil masters, the timid ones are directly frightened. It's a pity that I don't look as scary as others, and I don't want to have a stinky face, so I can only wear a mask. ”

"I see, it looks like I'm going to have to wear a mask, the uglier it is, the scary it is. ”

Looking at Yuan Sheng's innate ugliness, Su Ji was relieved: "No need, you are very talented." ”

It was the first time that Yuan Sheng was praised by his master, but he always felt that something was wrong.

The mountain wind whistled, and suddenly there was a piercing crow.

Quack, quack!

A flock of crows swept through the trees and flew over the marching procession.

The soldiers looked up in unison, and the crows above them gathered more and more, covering the entire sky in an instant. The sky was full of crows, and the cries of coarse sand came one after another, screaming as if they had torn their throats, which was terrifying.

Crows have been regarded as ominous birds since ancient times, especially soldiers who go out to fight, the most taboo to encounter this kind of bird, thinking that if the crow chirps on the head, it is a harbinger of disaster.

The soldiers began to drum in their hearts, and they couldn't help but get goosebumps, and many people lowered their voices and began to discuss:

"Where did you get so many?"

"The crow crows, the disaster has arrived. ”

"Woe to the raven's head, woe to him if there is no plague. ”

"Shut your crow's mouths!"

In the face of the noisy crows, the soldiers used the method of cracking the fire that was circulated among the people, some kicked their feet and scolded bitterly, some spat and spit, and some silently recited the five-character mantra of "Qianyuan Henry Zhen" seven times......

At this time, a crow swooped down and landed on Su Ji's shoulder, "quack" a few times.

Jiang Ling asked curiously, "Can you understand what it's saying?"

Su Ji groaned: "Lu Zhuan Daojun told me that the reincarnation of the golden cicada is in Lishan outside the capital of Hao. ”

Jiang Ling was slightly stunned and muttered, "Lu Zhuan Daojun has been looking for the golden cicada for many years without success, but it appeared in the early stage of the decisive battle. Everything is rushing together, and it must be more than just a coincidence. ”

"Scatter!"

Su Ji gave an order, and the crow flock spread out in all directions like black fragments, each flying in a different direction, passing through the clouds in groups, flying higher and higher, flying into the distant sky, and disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Two hours later, the coalition forces arrived at the border town northwest of Hokyo.

Su Ji originally expected a fierce battle here, but when he led the army to the pass, he found that there was a mess everywhere, the city gate was empty, and there was not even a single soldier guarding the city.

Yuan Sheng scratched his head suspiciously.

It is not the first time that Su Ji has encountered this situation along the way. Usually seeing such a scene, the generals guarding the pass must abandon the city and flee. However, this was originally the place where the army of the Western Sixth Division under the command of the Zhou royal family was stationed. What is going on inside the Zhou royal family, and the army here must be dispatched?

Seeing the murderous army, the people were all terrified.

Su Ji looked around the city and found that most of the people in the city had fled, leaving only a few "gatekeepers" of large families and the old, weak, sick and disabled who "could not give up their homes". He had the number of stoves counted, and reported that there were 12,000 stoves and 400 horse bones, and it was estimated that the army that had left from here was about 80,000.

The soldiers searched the city, found a few civilians from the dwellings, and dragged them to Sujma. In the face of the soldiers' inquiries about the whereabouts of the original garrison, the people looked around and did not say anything.

Su Ji turned over and dismounted, drew his sword and asked: "If you don't say it, you'll die!"

Facing Su Ji's black-faced mask, the people looked frightened, and they honestly told it all. The people really didn't know why the Zhou Chamber suddenly transferred troops, but they only knew that the little food left by the people in the city was all looted by the garrisons who left from here.

After some verification, Su Ji instructed the grain transporter to distribute a part of the grain to the people in the city, and sent them several carriages to send them on the road.

With the sound of horses' hooves, a horse came to report: "There are two roads ahead, one goes south to the Zhou capital Hojing, and the other passes through Lishan to reach the south gate of Hojing; ”

Jiang Ling speculated: "The Western Sixth Division is likely to go towards Lishan. ”

"Where's Mr. Ji?" asked Su Ji.

Yuan Sheng replied, "I'm sleeping in the carriage."

Jiang Ling said angrily: "How long will he sleep? The big war is coming, as a military advisor, he is drunk and dreams all day long, what kind of physique is he? Quickly call him to see me!"

Yuan Sheng got the order, and just about to turn the horse's head, Su Ji shouted: "Wait!"

Su Ji turned to Jiang Ling and said, "Senior sister, let's go with us too." ”

The three of them walked towards Ji Chengshi's carriage, and before they reached the door, they smelled a pungent smell of wine.

Yuan Sheng stood outside the door and refused to enter.

Jiang Lingxiu frowned and questioned, "Third child, is this person credible?"

"When it comes to leading troops into battle, he is more credible than me. ”

After that, Su Ji opened the curtain of the carriage and walked in, only to see that it was dirty and messy, the cups and plates were messy, and the scraps of fruit peels and empty wine jars were scattered all over the ground, and only by spreading these wine jars and fruit peels with his feet could he settle down.

Jiang Ling covered his mouth and nose, feeling that this place stinked like a stable, and immediately shook his head, thinking that the stable should smell better than here, and he would rather smell the horse's ass immediately than stay for a moment longer.

"I can't stand this, you can tell him yourself. ”

Jiang Ling turned around and walked out of the carriage, and saw Yuan Sheng covering his mouth and snickering, Jiang Ling understood why the little monkey refused to go in just now.

Su Ji turned his head to look at Ji Chengshi who was lying in the carriage, knowing that he was still angry, after all, he was forcibly pushed to the position of military division, and he was inevitably a little unhappy in his heart. After glancing at Ji Chengshi a few times, Su Ji turned around and was about to leave, only to hear someone behind him say:

"That's leaving?"

Ji Chengshi asked, turned over, but his eyes were still closed.

Su Ji said lightly: "I can't wake up a coward who pretends to be asleep." ”

"You say I'm a coward?"

"Not bad. ”

"Hmm...... You can say that again. Ji Chengshi sat up, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and said drunkly: "...... What's the matter with cowards?"

Su Ji said: "I promised to help you rescue Xiaolou, and now I know that Gao Xiu led the monks of Kowloon Island to entrench in Lishan, and the person I am looking for is also in Ligong." ”

"Who are you looking for?"

Su Ji dipped his fingers in the wine and wrote the word "praise" on the ground.

Ji Chengshi's face changed slightly, and he lowered his voice and said, "The person you are looking for is the queen?"

Su Ji nodded and whispered, "So, I have to divide the troops into two ways now." Mu Lingyu and I went to Lishan, and you have to assist Jiang Ling, the leader of the alliance, Qinglian holds the banner to make the flower like a wolf, and Ziling holds the flag to make Li Rumei, and leads the troops to surround the Zhou capital Haojing. ”

Ji Chengshi stretched, yawned and said, "Why do you believe that I will help you?"

Su Ji asked rhetorically, "Why did you come to Yunmeng Mountain to find me?"

Ji Chengshi was speechless, bowed his head and was silent, as if he still had some concerns in his heart.

Su Ji took out a bronze bird mask, handed it to Ji Chengshi, and said, "Put it on and do what you want." ”