By this time, Yangzhou was already quite prosperous. In the entire south, it was considered one of the wealthiest places. Although it still couldn't compare to the two megacities of Chang'an and Luoyang, it was still considered first-rate within the Tang Dynasty's world.
However, Yangzhou's current prosperity is largely thanks to Yang Guang, the incompetent ruler of the Sui Dynasty. It was this incompetent ruler who built the Grand Canal, which made Yangzhou a prosperous city.
However, the situation has changed recently.
"It seems that Yangzhou City has been besieged." Cai Yan said calmly, looking at the camp outside the city.
Although it was still dozens of miles away from Yangzhou, this distance was nothing to Lin Yang and his group.
Everyone here is a third-tier expert, and even the three Zhang brothers are martial arts grandmasters with the cultivation of immortal yang spirit. Therefore, a distance of only a few dozen miles is just a matter of a cup of tea if they really unleash their full power.
kill!
Shouts of battle filled the air as squads of soldiers, their clothes disheveled and armed only with large swords, launched an attack on the city gates.
These soldiers, lacking discipline and proper training, were full of enthusiasm but not much different from a rabble.
Along the way, many soldiers deserted in the face of battle. However, these deserters hadn't gone far before they were dragged out and beheaded in public by the troops supervising them from the rear.
"These troops are nothing but chickens and dogs, not even as good as the militia of the main world. They have no discipline or quality, and are not much different from the peasant army that has just started an uprising." Shi A said indifferently, looking at the troops outside the city.
After all, it had only just begun, so where would they get so many elite troops? Therefore, it was normal to recruit some farmers to make up the numbers.
In war, farmers are sent first, and when these cannon fodder are exhausted, elite troops are sent out to deliver the fatal blow.
In this way, the number of elite troops can be guaranteed, and the troops can be trained to a certain extent. Considering the situation in the south at this time, it is already quite good.
"Alright, after all, it's just the beginning of our rebellion, and we're still in the early stages. Our material conditions aren't great. We're short on clothes and food, our armor is incomplete, and we lack discipline—that's all normal. Besides, this is good news for us, isn't it?" Lin Yang explained.
"The leader of this army is Xiao Xian, the current head of the Baling Gang. The former head, Lu Kangshou, 'passed away' some time ago. And these troops were just a group of gang members a few months ago," Xi Yao explained. As the young master of the Celestial Masters Sect, he naturally knew many things that ordinary people did not.
"Furthermore, Xiao Xian appears to be the leader of the Baling Gang, but in reality, he is a member of the Demonic Sect. His backer is the Yin Kui Sect, one of the two factions and six paths. This sect is the largest sect in the Demonic Sect, and it is currently the leader of the Demonic Sect in terms of both numbers and power."
"Moreover, Empress Yin, the sect leader of the Yin Kui Sect, recently broke through to the eighteenth level of the Heavenly Demon Great Law. Decades of accumulation have been transformed into strength in a short period of time. Now, she is one of the top grandmasters in the world."
Upon hearing this, many questions immediately arose in Lin Yang's mind. Then, he asked, "Wasn't the Empress Yin tricked by the Evil King back then, ruining her health and preventing her from ever breaking through to the eighteenth level?"
Everyone knew about this back then; it was a secret that wasn't exactly a secret. And that was indeed the nature of the Heavenly Demon Great Law.
"That's right. Over the past few years, several groups of visitors from outer space have come here. They seem to be from the same world as you. Most of these people have very advanced cultivation techniques, and in many ways, they are completely different from us."
"What's even stranger is that no matter how we investigated, they seemed to have appeared in an instant. They had no origins, and no one knew them. Later, everyone found out by chance that they were not from our world."
Of course, there's one more thing I haven't mentioned. That is, this is also why Xi Yao believed Zhang Luyi when he said he was from outer space.
"Later, these extraterrestrial visitors would sometimes distribute some martial arts common sense before leaving. To you, this common sense is just common sense. But to us, it's like a guiding light, clearly showing us the way forward," Xi Yao said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded. Indeed, all the characters in the Tang Dynasty, whether it be the three grandmasters, Old Demon Shi, or Song Tiandao, Empress Yin, Wanwan, and others, can be considered exceptionally talented.
Even in the main world, it would probably be easier to cultivate to the fourth rank. With the right circumstances, even the fifth rank wouldn't be impossible.
Therefore, it's perfectly normal to make breakthroughs after acquiring knowledge of the main world. From this perspective, it's estimated that the overall martial prowess of the world will improve.
“Now, apart from the Flower Sect and the Heaven-Mending Pavilion where the Evil King resides, and the Demonic Appearance Sect where Zhao Deyan from beyond the realm resides, the remaining Laozi Temple, the Evil Extreme Path, the Heavenly Lotus Sect, and others have all been unified,” Xi Yao said with some seriousness.
Empress Yin was a true genius, a genuine prodigy. If she hadn't been betrayed by the Evil King, she would have cultivated the Heavenly Demon Art to the eighteenth level forty years ago.
Keep in mind, that was forty years ago!
However, even so, with his cultivation at the seventeenth level, he became the number one person below the Grandmaster level (excluding the Evil King and Song Que).
In addition, now that the Demonic Sect has been successfully unified, Xi Yao is somewhat worried about the many experts in the Demonic Sect.
Such power would have been unmatched even by the Celestial Masters Sect in the past. However, looking at his own side's lineup now, Xi Yao felt relieved.
"The Yin Kui Sect? How interesting! The leader of the underworld in this world, also known as the Demonic Sect, is the Yin Kui Sect, whose leader is the Yin Empress, and it is a female-dominated society. The leader of the righteous path in this world is the Cihang Jingzhai, whose leader is Fan Qinghui, and it is also a female-dominated society. Not bad, not bad, I must take a good look at it when the time comes." Cai Yan said with shining eyes.
Hearing this, Lin Yang shook his head helplessly. He felt that even if his brain evolved a hundred times, he still might not be able to keep up with Cai Yan's thinking. Her thought process was truly extraordinary.
"Very good, very good. This time, the outcome of the battle for Yangzhou will determine the fate of the entire South. Therefore, it's not just the Demonic Sect that's coming, nor is it just the Yin Empress. I estimate that the Cihang Jingzhai people will also be here. You'll be able to meet and see them all then," Lin Yang said.
Soon, everyone entered the city. Although the city gates were closed and a battle was still raging, there's always a solution. A simple invisibility talisman solved everything.
...
Yangzhou City, Shilong Taoist Temple.
This is where Shi Long usually lives, and it's also where the leaders of many gangs in Yangzhou usually gather.
In recent years, since Shi Long broke through to the Grandmaster level in martial arts, the power of Yangzhou City has been increasing.
Shi Long, remembering Lin Yang's instructions, was to never cause trouble. No matter what happened or what promises others made, he only needed to guard his own territory. When the situation became clear, he would then pledge allegiance to the Emperor and seek rewards from dukes and marquises.
Shi Long had always done this. As a result, without realizing it, the power of Yangzhou City grew stronger and stronger, and its population increased more and more.
Now, without anyone realizing it, Yangzhou has become the leading power in the entire south. On the chessboard of the world, it can be considered a player.
In terms of population, it has a total of over three million. In terms of military strength, it has an army of one hundred thousand. Moreover, Shi Long kept in mind Lin Yang's instructions to recruit more honest farmers, more miners, and more local people for this army of one hundred thousand.
In this way, although there are only 100,000 of them, their combat power is among the best in the world.
Therefore, Shi Long was not intimidated by Xiao Xian's 200,000-strong army outside the city. "Let them come," he thought, "who's afraid of whom? Even in open battle outside the city, the outcome is uncertain!"
The problem is that in this world, the imperial court and the martial arts world are closely intertwined. Lately, the entire city of Yangzhou has been abuzz with undercurrents. The number of martial arts practitioners has increased far more than ever before.
Messengers from the Taoist, Buddhist, and demonic sects, as well as the four major clans, would openly visit almost daily. Their intentions were clear: to recruit or support them in their attempt to seize power.
"Master, the people from the Demonic Sect have come to visit again," the butler said.