Chapter 420: Chu Family Legacy

The Red-robed Army suddenly parted in the center, revealing a carriage being pushed forward by a group of soldiers, with a large drum standing majestically behind it.

With a light touch of her toes, Qin Wanru leaped onto the carriage. She then raised a drumstick as thick as an arm and struck the drum with a resounding blow.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Waves of resonant drumbeats, penetrating deep into the hearts of listeners, instantly stirred an unstoppable surge of fiery passion.

Liu Yao and other observers noticed visible ripples emanating from the great drum, spreading outwards and enveloping the surrounding Red-robed soldiers. The soldiers roared, their aura and morale instantly doubling.

Liu Yao secretly gasped in amazement. Although his appointment as General of the Guards was largely owed to his status as the Empress's uncle, his long tenure had provided him with considerable knowledge of military matters.

In the past, during the wars between humans and orcs, the orcs' battle songs left a profound impression on humanity. This led to humans developing their own methods, such as battle drums and military music, to boost army morale and enhance soldiers' combat capabilities.

However, such battle drums and musical instruments were meticulously crafted by Rune Masters and required special techniques to activate their powers.

Throughout the empire, only the most elite units typically possessed such equipment; ordinary families certainly would not have access to them.

This demonstrated the Chu family's nearly thousand-year legacy, explaining why so many factions were vying to win them over.

At this moment, another change occurred within the formation. Chu Zhongtian swept his hands in front of him, and a circle of red triangular command flags materialized around him, suspended in mid-air.

He then pointed repeatedly with his index finger, commanding, "Go!"

Each command flag flew to a different position within the Red-robed Army, causing their formation to shift. Simultaneously, where the flags landed, waves of bright blue light emanated, enveloping the nearby soldiers.

The previously somewhat dim "turtle shell" in mid-air instantly brightened, as waves of blue light traced intricate, mysterious patterns across its surface.

Concurrently, phantom images of flags suddenly appeared in the air. Prince Liang's expression faltered, and he frantically attempted to escape the flags' perimeter. Yet, no matter his speed, a flag always materialized to block his path.

"This is..." Witnessing Prince Liang roaring in frustration, utterly unable to break through the flag formation, everyone present was utterly aghast.

To think it could trap a Grandmaster! Did the Chu family still possess such a deadly maneuver?

At this moment, various factions in Mingyue City suddenly recalled terrifying legends about the Chu family from centuries past. For so many years, the Chu family had maintained a low profile, focused on peaceful prosperity, leading everyone to forget their formidable power of yesteryear.

Liu Yao, watching from the side, couldn't help but gloat, thinking, "Good thing I knew when to retreat early. Otherwise, I might have been suppressed to death by these mysterious flags."

Just then, a rumbling sound reverberated as the Red-robed Army slowly split into two sections, revealing a clear space in the middle. Dozens of soldiers then steadily pushed out an enormous siege crossbow.

Though called a crossbow, it resembled a cannon more closely. Its colossal bolt, if fired, possessed enough power to shatter a city gate.

The siege crossbow slowly rose, its arrow tip glinting with a chilling light. Intricate runes flowed across its entire surface, clearly indicating it was the work of an exceptionally skilled Rune Master.

Upon seeing the siege crossbow aiming directly at him, Prince Liang's hairs stood on end. An unprecedented sense of crisis enveloped him; he knew that a direct hit would result in severe injury, if not death.

He attempted to break free and escape, but the strange flags continued to obstruct him, leaving him with no discernible path of retreat.

In desperation, he clasped his hands before his chest, continuously forming an unprecedentedly vast transparent sphere of light, clearly intending to meet the assault head-on.

Just then, a voice rang out: "Both of you, halt your actions for now!"

A contingent of people hurried closer, led by none other than City Lord Xie Yi.

Beside him was Xie Daoyun, her usually beautiful and serene face now etched with tension. She scanned the surroundings anxiously for a particular person, but unfortunately, her gaze swept across the area without finding the one she sought.

Having just departed from the Sang family, she had immediately rushed to find her father for assistance, only to encounter him hurrying towards the scene on her way.

It became clear that Xie Yi, whether for the stability of Mingyue City or the interests of Prince Qi's faction, was unwilling to see any harm befall the Chu family.

Unfortunately, both sides on the battlefield were already at the point of no return, their weapons poised to strike, and thus, his words fell on deaf ears.

Xie Yi hastily turned to Liu Yao, saying, "General Liu, please try to persuade them. Otherwise, a major catastrophe will occur."

Liu Yao offered a slight smile. "Don't worry," he replied, "Prince Liang is a Grandmaster-level expert; he'll handle this situation with ease. Let's not complicate things further."

Xie Yi: "..."

"It's not just Prince Liang I'm worried about, but also the Chu family!"

At that moment, Prince Liang, still airborne, heard Liu Yao's words and inwardly cursed incessantly. "Easy to handle? You try it, damn you! There wouldn't even be a speck of you left."

He secretly regretted his overconfidence. Accustomed to a life of luxury, and with no military experience beyond a single battlefield appearance where the outcome was already decided, he had severely underestimated the Chu family's true power.

However, he couldn't entirely be blamed; against any other three-thousand-strong army, his power would have been more than enough to suppress them.

He also understood that neither he nor Chu Zhongtian dared to blindly withdraw their attacks at this point. If one side retreated and the other did not, the withdrawing party would face certain doom.

Just then, another cold voice echoed: "By fighting so fiercely within the city, do you intend to annihilate the people of Mingyue City?"

"Principal Jiang is here!"

Everyone turned to look, spotting a tall figure standing atop a large tree nearby. The treetop branches were remarkably slender, yet she stood upon them with effortless grace, her body gently swaying with the movement of the boughs.

This display of skill truly astonished those around her; even Liu Yao felt his own abilities pale in comparison. While he could fly for short durations, standing so lightly on such slender branches required an incredibly exquisite control over one's power.

For a woman so young to achieve such mastery, her future accomplishments would undoubtedly be boundless.

He couldn't help but steal another glance. Initially, he was marveling at her cultivation, but his eyes quickly fixated, completely captivated by her beautiful legs in black stockings, unable to tear his gaze away.

He wasn't the only one in the field who was captivated; Xie Yi, standing nearby, couldn't help but touch his nose, fearing a nosebleed might tarnish his years of dignified image.

Noticing the vulgar gazes of these men, Xie Daoyun felt both annoyance and amusement. She couldn't resist discreetly nudging her father, chiding him with a soft, "Dad~"

Xie Yi then snapped back to reality, offering an awkward smile.

Jiang Luofu, unfazed by the attention, frowned and intently observed the situation unfolding below.

She quickly grasped the precarious situation both parties were in, understanding that a casual word from an outsider would be insufficient to halt their conflict.

She then removed a jade hairpin from her hair and, with a flick of her finger, sent it hurtling directly towards the magical formation formed by the flags.

The instant the jade hairpin struck the flag formation, a swirling vortex instantly appeared around it, revealing a temporary gap.

Jiang Luofu's figure flickered, and she darted through. No sooner had she entered than the gap vanished, leaving a small piece of her sleeve behind, as if severed by an invisible blade, which drifted to the ground outside.

She merely glanced back briefly before proceeding directly to the center of the battlefield. "I am Jiang Luofu, Principal of Mingyue Academy," she declared. "Both of you, halt your conflict for now. If this fighting continues, regardless of who wins or loses, it is the nearby citizens who will suffer."

The Chu family and Mingyue Academy had always maintained good relations. Seeing her standing in the middle, Chu Zhongtian frowned, but ultimately waved his command flag, pausing the siege crossbow's firing sequence.

Prince Liang, seeing this, breathed a sigh of relief and slowly began to shrink the sphere in his hands.

The Academy was affiliated with the Ministry of Ceremonies, and its alumni were spread throughout the land; no one would lightly offend the institution.

Prince Liang mused, considering that, by all accounts, the Principal of Mingyue City's Academy should only be around Eighth Rank in cultivation. Yet, the combat prowess this woman displayed seemed remarkably erratic and powerful.

Especially moments ago, she managed to infiltrate the formation, despite him expending all his might and failing to breach the flags' blockade. Could that jade hairpin in her hand be some incredibly potent magical artifact?