After a while, Zhang Yao selected a pair of fine iron armor and put it on with the help of his two senior brothers.
He tried moving and found that he was surprisingly relaxed. The armor plates on his body kept colliding with each other, making a crisp "crash..." sound.
With his current strength and physical ability, wearing dozens of kilograms of armor is equivalent to an ordinary person wearing a heavy winter coat, which does not affect his movement much.
"In large-scale fighting, full-body armor is a powerful weapon to protect yourself and save your life."
Zhou An said with a smile: "With this heavy armor, you can ignore ordinary swords and guns, and experience the perfect power of Jinding Gong in advance."
Zhang Yao nodded and asked curiously: "Master, do you also want to wear armor?"
"certainly."
Zhou An said matter-of-factly: "Although I am invulnerable, it is always good to have an extra layer of protection. Just be careful and sail the ten thousand year ship."
"That group of rebels is not easy to deal with. They are all elites of the former border army, and they are not comparable to ordinary soldiers."
With that, he signaled: "Okay, take it off when you get familiar with it, we have to set off as soon as possible."
Zhang Yao responded, took off his fine iron armor, put it into a coarse cloth package prepared in advance, and tied it tightly with ropes.
Soon, Zhou An, Zhang Yao, Meng Zongwei, and Zhang Yannian each carried a large package and quietly left the martial arts gym through the back door.
In the early morning, there was still mist that had not dissipated on the streets, and there were not many pedestrians.
A few people quickly left West Street and passed through several streets and markets. After meeting Xiao Yao on the way, they left Changping City through the south gate.
Not far outside the city gate, on an open flat land, more than a dozen people have gathered, chatting with each other. There are more than 20 horses tied next to them, and there are dedicated people to look after and feed them.
"Old Zhou, you are here!"
"Master Zhou!"
Many people noticed Zhou An and his party and said hello.
"Lao Li, Lao Liu, you guys move really fast..."
Zhou An led Zhang Yao and others, blended in familiarly, and chatted with several old friends one by one.
Meng Zongwei and Zhang Yannian also took the opportunity to introduce some familiar peers to Zhang Yao, all of whom were elite disciples from major martial arts schools and escort bureaus.
Many people were surprised that Zhang Yao was also participating in the operation, but they did not inquire into the details. After all, this was Jinding Martial Arts School's own business.
In this operation, a total of five forces joined forces:
The three major martial arts schools, Jinding, Hongyun and Jingtao, as well as Changfeng Escort Agency and Black Flag Escort Agency.
The more than twenty horses were temporarily allocated by the two escort agencies and were used exclusively for this operation.
"The martial arts in Changping City are really strong..."
While dealing with social interactions, Zhang Yao couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
He is relatively familiar with Meng Zongwei and Zhang Yannian. He has competed with each other many times and has a clear understanding of their strengths.
If a Dacheng-level warrior wears heavy armor and holds weapons, he can defeat ten of them one at a time. Moreover, these "ten" are not ordinary rural bandits, but a fully armed army.
"Every family comes with armor and is prepared."
"There are so many accomplished warriors, and there are five perfection-level gym masters. No wonder they look relaxed and stress-free..."
As Zhang Yao's thoughts flashed, he found an excuse and got away from the crowd.
At the edge of the crowd, he found Qingzhuo, who looked excited and slightly excited.
"Qingxu... no, Senior Brother Zhang."
Qingzhuo looked at him, a little surprised, and couldn't help but ask: "You also want to participate in this battle?"
"right."
Zhang Yao nodded and said concisely: "Of course I won't miss the opportunity to take revenge with my own hands."
Hearing this, Qingzhuo glanced at him with a complicated expression and whispered: "Master Guanlu once said that my senior brother is a lost pearl in the ocean, but the master of the palace still believes it with suspicion."
"Now it seems that senior brother's talent is indeed extraordinary, far better than mine..."
He knew very well that if he was not strong enough, it would be impossible for the owner of Jinding Martial Arts Hall to agree to Zhang Yao's participation in the attack on Qingping Village.
This can only show that Zhang Yao's strength has surpassed him, and may even be close to a Dacheng level warrior, which makes him feel mixed.
Zhang Yao and Qing Zhuo chatted for a few more words, then heard a shout: "Everyone is here, ready to go!"
Everyone got on their horses one after another. Zhang Yao also selected a group of maroon horses, tied the package with the armor firmly behind the saddle, and got on the horse.
Although he had never learned to ride a horse, with his control over his body, he quickly adapted and kept up with the team.
"Drive, drive..."
A group of more than twenty people galloped southward on horseback.
The sound of horse hooves was as fast as thunder, like a dense drumbeat, and the smoke and dust spread away, quickly leaving Changping City.
…………
A few hours later.
The group had traveled dozens of miles and arrived in Lotus Township.
Master Guanyuan was alone, waiting on the road he had to pass in advance, and noticed the movements of everyone from a distance.
"Master Zhou, Master Liu, Head Guard Zhang... please come with me."
After he met everyone, he quickly led them to a hidden farm.
"This farm is Mr. Huang's property. It is still four or five miles away from Sishui Town. There are many houses and there is no shortage of grain, rice, vegetables."
"You can rest here for half a day and recharge your batteries before launching a raid in the evening."
Master Guanyuan explained: "The rebels are very vigilant. They have spies stationed in every village and town in Lianhua Township, and they have also subdued a group of gangsters to act as their spies."
"If we show up in a big way, they will find out immediately. That would be a bad thing."
Naturally, everyone had no objections and temporarily settled in this farm.
The three museum owners, the two bodyguard leaders and Master Guanyuan gathered together to discuss the plan for the night's raid.
Among the remaining people, some went to take care of the horses, some made fires to make food, and Zhang Yao was also assigned the task of taking care of the stove fire.
Half an hour later, everyone had a full meal and went to take a rest in the house to prepare for the battle in the evening.
It wasn't until the moon was at its peak and it was almost midnight that the lights came on in the farm, and the group of people gathered together again carrying large packages.
"Qingzhuo, you stay!"
Master Guanyuan was also carrying a package, holding a long sword, and giving instructions solemnly.
"...I understand, uncle, you must be careful."
Qingzhuo gritted his teeth, but after all, he had no willful request to join the battle.
"let's go!"
The group of people didn't have any torches, so they took advantage of the bright moonlight and rushed toward Sishui Town.
When they were approaching Sishui Town, everyone, led by Master Guanyuan, turned around and dived into the mountain forest trails.
At night, Sishui Town was silent. Only Huang Mansion still had some light, and occasionally the barking of dogs could be heard.
Not long after walking, Zhang Yao saw a familiar mountain road. He looked up and saw the shadow outline of Qingping Palace in the distance.
