Chapter 29: Encounter with the Yuan Demon Sect Once More

With the heavy troops assembled, the war swords and longbows equipped, Su Yi instructed the clerk to lead him to the armor section.

"Young master, these are the Twelve Golden Men Armors. Their design was established during the Southern Campaign by our dynasty's founding emperor. See, the armor is two inches thick, with extra reinforcement at critical areas. Each set is forged and riveted from large plates of fine steel—unmatched for spearheading charges against enemy formations."

Before the group stood full suits of armor, upright on sturdy racks. Each set shared the same basic structure, though the ornamentation and helmets varied: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, python... twelve distinct forms, representing the zodiac. The dragon motif, reserved for the imperial family, was replaced in these armors by the python.

According to the clerk, the Twelve Golden Men Armors offered exceptional protection, weighing over two hundred and twenty pounds. Su Yi recalled that the heaviest European plate armor in his memory barely exceeded eighty pounds—this was truly a suit of humanoid armor.

Clang, clang, clang. Su Yi tapped the breastplate, listening to its clear ring, imagining himself clad in this armor, supplemented by stab-resistant garments, bulletproof vests, and the power of true energy.

How did that popular player saying go?

"Stack the thickest armor, take the deadliest blows."

"This armor is excellent. I'll take a set," he said.

The arsenal had ample stock of the Twelve Golden Men Armors. The clerk quickly found a set that fit Su Yi's build perfectly, choosing the python motif.

Unable to be the dragon, being the python would suffice.

Thus, the trip to the arsenal yielded rich rewards—money spent where needed, relationships properly handled. Finally, the arsenal staff thoughtfully packaged everything and delivered it to Zhou Kui'an's residence, saving Su Yi and his companions any trouble.

Early the next morning, Zhou Kui'an, carrying the letter written by Lu Xiangling and the synthetic diamond, set out. For safety, he brought four men, making five in total, all equipped with the divine crossbows from the arsenal. With one man riding two horses in rotation, they would reach Yuanyang in a single day.

After Zhou Kui'an and his party left, Su Yi did not linger at the Zhou residence. With nothing urgent, he decided to return to the Guanglong Inn to meditate and train. Cultivation must move forward—strong foundations are never wrong.

It was early still. Su Yi thought it inconvenient to use lightness techniques on the main street, so he threaded his way through narrow alleys and high walls. Most of the route from Zhou's house to the inn was ordinary residences. Passing a secluded lane, he suddenly heard the faint sounds of a fight.

Su Yi felt a spark of curiosity. His hearing, already sharpened, was further enhanced by true energy. With a moment's concentration, he caught the voices of both sides.

Hmm, three against one—a case of numbers bullying the lone.

Su Yi considered going over for a look, but then thought better of it. In this sprawling Jiangting City, countless martial disputes unfold daily. Who is right or wrong is rarely clear, and if he involved himself in everything, he'd never accomplish his own goals.

Resolute, Su Yi was about to leave when, just as he turned to step away, the combatants' conversation caught his attention.

"Bi Zhongyou, I advise you to surrender quietly. If you don't resist, for the sake of our decades-long acquaintance, I'll plead your case before Elder Feng Fei and see you spared."

"Xie Lingyuan, Elder Duan Yan has always treated you well, yet you join Feng Fei, that old woman. Aren't you afraid Elder Duan Yan's wrath will strike you?"

"Bi Zhongyou, I might as well tell you: days ago, that old bastard Duan Yan suffered a crushing defeat to Elder Feng Fei and Miss Wen Xiang on Mount Taihuang. He fled wounded and is now hiding somewhere, barely clinging to life. He wouldn't dare trouble me."

"Know when to yield, Bi Zhongyou. Duan Yan's time has passed—what are you still hoping for!"

Duan Yan? Wasn't that the elder of the Yuanmo Sect whom I shot dead in the bandit stronghold? These men are Yuanmo Sect members!

Su Yi's heart trembled—this was a drama not to be missed.

He quietly approached the fighting area with lightness techniques. Three men wielding strange weapons were besieging a swordsman. Su Yi watched for a while and saw that the two leaders were second-rate experts, the other two at the peak of third-rate.

Indeed, top sects of the martial world—encountering experts even in random corners.

During Su Yi's covert observation, perhaps shaken by the news of Elder Duan Yan's defeat, or simply struggling against the odds, the swordsman began to falter.

Soon enough, the man wielding an odd weapon seized the moment, hooking the swordsman's left side. Blood instantly soaked most of his body.

Seeing their foe wounded, the three pressed their advantage, their words piling on pressure. The scales of victory tipped decisively.

After knocking the sword from the wounded man's hand, the hook-wielder struck his left shoulder with a palm, sending him crashing into a wall, coughing blood and utterly losing any ability to resist.

"Take him away!"

"Unwise fool!"

With a wave, the leader ordered the other two to seize the swordsman, seal his acupoints, and prepare to leave.

What should I do?

Su Yi pondered. Since arriving in this world, he'd been entangled with the Yuanmo Sect—first killing Elder Duan Yan in the bandit stronghold, obtaining their sect's secret technique "Whale Devouring Method," then, through the system's foundation and the method's peculiarities, his cultivation had soared like a rocket. Now, by chance, he'd stumbled upon a sect's internal strife.

After a few seconds of inner struggle, Su Yi decided to interfere.

Follow them—perhaps some reward awaits.

Su Yi, skilled and confident, reckoned he could easily handle these men, and even if a stronger foe appeared, he could escape if cautious. If he caught some stragglers, ridding evil and upholding justice, his cultivation would rise even further.

The Yuanmo Sect members moved swiftly, leaping across rooftops. Su Yi followed from a distance, confident he wouldn't lose them thanks to his enhanced senses.

They crossed several districts, finally jumping into a narrow alley and arriving at the back entrance of a courtyard.

After a few knocks, someone inside checked and let the group in.