Moments later, Zhang Yao selected a set of fine iron armor, and with the help of two senior brothers, finished putting it on.
He tried moving around a bit and found it surprisingly easy, the armor plates on his body clanging with crisp "clang clang" sounds.
With his current strength and stamina, wearing these dozens of pounds of armor was akin to an ordinary person wearing a heavy winter coat, hardly affecting his mobility.
"In large-scale battles, having full armor is indeed a life-saving tool."
Zhou An said with a smile, "With this heavy armor, you can generally ignore common blades and spears, and get an early taste of the might of the perfection of the Golden Furnace Technique."
Zhang Yao nodded and curiously asked, "Master, are you also wearing armor?"
"Of course."
Zhou An said as a matter of course, "I might be impervious to blades and spears, but an extra layer of protection never hurts; better safe than sorry."
"That group of rebel soldiers are tough to deal with; they were once elites of the border army, not like ordinary soldiers."
Saying this, he gestured, "Alright, as soon as you're familiar with it, take it off. We need to set off quickly."
Zhang Yao responded, took off the fine iron armor, and packed it into a prepared coarse cloth bundle, tying it securely with a rope.
Soon, Zhou An, Zhang Yao, Meng Zongwei, and Zhang Yannian each carried a large bundle, quietly leaving the martial arts hall through the back door.
By early morning, a light mist still lingered on the streets, with few pedestrians around.
The group quickly left West Main Street, passed through several marketplace districts, and, after meeting up with Xiao Yao, exited Changping City through the South Gate.
Not far outside the city gate, on a spacious plain, a dozen people had already gathered, chatting idly, with over twenty horses tethered nearby, being watched and fed by someone.
"Lao Zhou, you're here!"
"Hall Master Zhou!"
Many people noticed Zhou An and his team, greeting them one after another.
"Old Li, Old Liu, you guys are really quick..."
Zhou An led Zhang Yao and the others, blending in familiarly, and exchanged pleasantries with several old friends.
Meng Zongwei and Zhang Yannian also took the opportunity to introduce Zhang Yao to some familiar peers, all elite disciples from various martial arts halls and escort agencies.
Many were surprised that Zhang Yao would participate in the action, but didn't press further, as it was a matter concerning the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall.
This operation united five forces:
The three great martial arts halls of Golden Furnace, Hong Yun, and Jingtao, along with the Changfeng Escort Agency and Heiqi Escort Agency.
The more than twenty horses were temporarily dispatched by the two escort agencies specifically for this operation.
"The martial arts community in Changping City is truly formidable..."
While engaging in social interactions, Zhang Yao couldn't help but marvel internally.
He was quite familiar with Meng Zongwei and Zhang Yannian, having sparred many times, and knew their strength well.
A Great Success Level martial artist, donned in heavy armor and armed with weapons, could fight ten opponents alone, and this "ten" was not ordinary bandits, but fully armed military troops.
"Every group came with armor, all well-prepared."
"With so many Great Success martial artists, and five perfection-level hall master level experts, no wonder they seemed relaxed and stress-free..."
As Zhang Yao's thoughts flickered, he found an excuse and left the crowd.
On the periphery of the group, he found Qingzhuo, who looked excited and a little bit emotional.
"Qingxu... no, Brother Zhang."
Qingzhuo looked at him, also a bit surprised, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you participating in this battle too?"
"Yes."
Zhang Yao nodded, tersely saying, "I won't miss the chance to personally take revenge."
Upon hearing this, Qingzhuo gave him a complex look, lowering his voice, "Lord Guanlu once said, Brother, you are a hidden gem, though Palace Master was still skeptical."
"Looking at it now, Brother's talent is indeed extraordinary, far surpassing mine..."
He was very aware that if lacking in strength, the hall master of the Golden Furnace Martial Arts Hall would never agree for Zhang Yao to participate in this attack on Qingping Stockade.
This only proved that Zhang Yao's strength had already surpassed his, possibly even approaching that of a Great Success Level martial artist, filling him with mixed feelings.
After chatting a bit more with Qingzhuo, Zhang Yao heard a shout, "Everyone's here, prepare to set off!"
The crowd began to mount their horses; Zhang Yao also chose a chestnut horse, securely tying the bundle containing his armor behind the saddle, and mounted the horse.
Although he had never learned horseback riding, his physical control allowed him to quickly adapt and follow the group.
"Giddy up, giddy up..."
A group of over twenty riders galloped southward.
The sound of hooves was as swift as thunder, like dense drumbeats, kicking up dust as they swiftly left Changping City behind.
......
Several hours later.
The group had crossed several dozen miles, reaching Lotus Village.
Lord Guan Yuan, alone, waited in advance along a necessary route and spotted the commotion from afar.
"Hall Master Zhou, Hall Master Liu, Chief Zhang... please follow me."
After joining the group, he quickly led them to a secluded farmstead.
"This farmstead is owned by Master Huang, about four or five miles from Sishui Town, with many houses and ample supplies of grain and vegetables."
"You can rest here for half a day to replenish your energy before launching the attack at night."
Lord Guan Yuan explained, "That group of rebel soldiers is very alert, having spies in every village and town in Lotus Village, recruiting a batch of ruffians and vagabonds as informants."
"If we show up openly, they'll discover us immediately, which would ruin everything."
Everyone naturally had no objections and temporarily camped at this farmstead.
The three hall masters, two escort leaders, and Lord Guan Yuan gathered to discuss the nighttime raid plan.
Among the rest, some tended to the horses, others lit fires to cook; Zhang Yao was assigned to tend the stove.
After half an hour, the group enjoyed a hearty meal, then retreated indoors to rest, preparing for the night's battle.
They waited until the moon was high, near midnight, when lamps lit up inside the farmstead, and the group gathered again with their bundles.
"Qingzhuo, you stay here!"
Lord Guan Yuan also carried a bundle with a solemn expression, holding a long sword, and instructed.
"...I understand. Uncle Master, you must be careful."
Qingzhuo gritted his teeth in the end, not willfully insisting on participating in the battle.
"Let's go!"
The group didn't light torches, heading towards Sishui Town by the moon's bright light.
As they neared Sishui Town, following Lord Guan Yuan's lead, they shifted directions into a mountain path.
In the night's darkness, Sishui Town was silent, with only a few lights in Huang Mansion, and occasional barking of dogs.
Soon, Zhang Yao recognized a familiar mountain path and looking up, the silhouette of Qingping Palace stood visible in the distance.