Chapter 1085  : Crusade (1)

Silence fell outside the Free Valley. The troops from the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon had camped near the Free Valley. News of this had long since reached the bounty hunters stationed outside the Free Valley. They had retreated long ago from the battlefield.

They were afraid to be embroiled in this bloody battle.

The early morning sun shone on the ground, dispelling the darkness and bringing light.

A large troop was streaming towards the Free Valley in the horizon’s direction.

The many soldiers looked like locusts. As the army advanced, the earth shook.

The troop of eight hundred thousand formed a formidable array. These men sufficed to engulf the entire Free Valley like flood waters.

At the rear of the army was a troop clad in silver armor. They silently brought up the rear, their faces filled with discontent.

The Wolf Smoke Regiment that should have been in the vanguard had suddenly received news three days before the ultimate battle that their position in the battle had been changed from the front lines to the rear. Considering the strength of the troops dispatched by the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon, they were afraid they might not even encounter the enemy in this battle.

To the Wolf Smoke Regiment, this news had been disastrous.

They had staked everything for the sake of this battle. But in the end, they had lost their chance...

What made them feel even more helpless was that it had been Xing Lou who had dispatched their orders. This made them lose even their last hope of objecting.

Not only had the men from the Wolf Smoke Regiment been withdrawn, even Liu Kai, in his capacity as deputy general, had been sent to the rear at the last moment.

At that moment, they could only stand in the rear as they saw the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon’s army advance. They gazed afar at the lengthy line, unable to even see its head.

“Advisor Lu! Can’t we discuss matters with the Lord Grand Tutor? If we cannot take part in the battle, then the general’s case...” A soldier ground his teeth and looked helplessly at the grave Lu Shaoqing.

Lu Shaoqing took a deep breath and shook his head. He had already tried to see the Grand Tutor, but could not catch even a glimpse of his face. The Grand Tutor had not yet appeared in this battle, but had remained in the main camp.

Although the Wolf Smoke Regiment had been allowed to follow the main force, Hu Na had strictly forbidden them to fight in this battle. They were only allowed to silently witness events from the rear.

Lu Shaoqing had repressed his feelings towards this decision, but when he saw that Liu Kai had also been kicked out of the troop to stand with them at the rear, a strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

Liu Kai’s previous words, and the idea that had flashed past his mind, now resurfaced.

The Free Valley that had taken in innumerable wanted criminals, the fact that they and Liu Kai had been removed just before the battle, all these events seemed to be pointing at a problem that they had overlooked.

If one were to ask what Liu Kai and the Wolf Smoke Regiment had in common, then there was only one thing...

With that, Lu Shaoqing narrowed his eyes slightly. He could not help but feel that this battle was not as simple as they thought.

As Lu Shaoqing was pondering this, the main army of the Kingdom of the Sacred Dragon had already arrived outside the Free Valley. The awe-inspiring troop engulfed the entrance of the Free Valley. Ten siege weapons towered amidst the troops like ten huge beasts.

Hu Na stood amidst the array, astride a tall horse. He proudly lifted his chin and looked towards the empty entrance of the Free Valley.

...