The applause thundered like a raging storm, unstoppable and overwhelming.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
With a series of loud crashes, in the blink of an eye, all two hundred cavalrymen were knocked off their horses, landing heavily several meters away.
The only one still mounted was General Ryan Qin.
But at this moment, his face was frozen, his eyes wide and round, staring dead at the strange young man atop the carriage.
As for General Bruce Meng, he was left utterly speechless, his eyes filled with shock. Having fought on countless battlefields for years, he'd seen many generals fight against overwhelming odds, but what Ian Song had just done—knocking two hundred men flying in an instant—was something he never dared imagine.
"Is he even human?"
Suddenly, he thought of Ian Song's strange clothing: "Could he be an immortal come down to earth? If this man helps the crown prince, maybe the Qi Kingdom really does have hope of restoration."
With that thought, Bruce Meng's gaze toward Ian Song became burning with hope.
As for the ordinary soldiers of the Qi Kingdom, after being surrounded by Ryan Qin's troops, they had already steeled themselves for death.
But now, Ian Song had single-handedly dealt with two hundred cavalrymen. They no longer had to die—after all, even ants cling to life, let alone people. For a moment, they all felt an urge to kneel and worship Ian Song.
After a brief shock, General Ryan Qin finally regained his composure and stared at Ian Song. "Just who are you? Prince Daniel Jiang of the Qi Kingdom is a designated criminal by order of my king. If you leave now, the Zhao Kingdom will let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, you will become a public enemy of the Zhao Kingdom!"
In fact, he didn't realize that although his tone sounded threatening, his voice was trembling.
"Is the Zhao Kingdom really that impressive?" Ian Song sneered, curling his lip in disdain.
"Impressive?" Ryan Qin looked confused.
"Forget it, we're not even on the same wavelength," Ian Song rolled his eyes. "Anyway, just know this: I, Ian Song, am determined to protect Prince Daniel Jiang of the Qi Kingdom. Now, take your men and get lost. If you keep whining, I'll kill you all!"
"You really want to make an enemy of the Zhao Kingdom? As long as—"
"Scram!" Ian Song interrupted coldly, and at the same time, a terrifying aura surged from his thin body. "Do you really think I won't kill you?"
"Boom!"
Ian Song slapped the ground beneath Ryan Qin's horse. Instantly, the earth exploded, startling the horse. If Ryan Qin weren't highly skilled, he would have been thrown off by the frightened animal.
After finally managing to calm his frightened horse, Ryan Qin saw that, as the dust settled, a pit the size of a water jar and two feet deep had appeared in the ground.
Ryan Qin shivered instinctively. This man's strength was already beyond the realm of mortals—he was unbeatable.
Meanwhile, the cavalrymen who'd been knocked flying struggled to get up from the ground, but their bodies felt weak and limp. Fighting was out of the question—even mounting their horses again would be difficult.
"Let's go!"
Seeing his elite troops in such a state, Ryan Qin's face darkened again.
"Wait!"
Ian Song suddenly called out.
"Do you have any further instructions?" Ryan Qin was startled, wondering if Ian Song had changed his mind and was going to kill them all.
"You can leave, but the horses stay!"
"Aren't you going a bit too far?" Ryan Qin said angrily.
"I know, but I like it this way. Of course, you can choose not to leave the horses, but then I'll kill all of you and take them anyway!" Ian Song said darkly. "Alright, kid, make your choice—your horses or your lives!"
Ryan Qin gave Ian Song a long, deep look before saying, "I will remember your generosity today. We'll leave the horses and go."
Ian Song watched as Ryan Qin retreated in disgrace, then jumped down from the top of the carriage.
As the sun set, Ian Song rode alongside General Bruce Meng on the official road, followed by a carriage, over fifty cavalrymen, and more than a hundred riderless horses. Now, a regular soldier had taken over driving the carriage.
It had been two hours since Ian Song rescued Prince Daniel Jiang and Princess Jade Fox. Thanks to Ian's extraordinary strength, he'd already won over Bruce Meng and the others, so they invited him to travel with them.
As the saying goes, where there's mutual interest, things go smoothly. Ian Song had already planned to travel with them, so when invited, he agreed without hesitation.
He also learned a lot about this world from Bruce Meng.
First, this world is called the Everland Divine Realm.
Second, there are many nations on the Everland Divine Realm, but the five strongest are Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, and Qin. Right now, the Qi Kingdom has already been destroyed by the combined forces of Yan and Zhao.
The vast Qi Kingdom has been carved up by Yan and Zhao, and Bruce Meng has led Prince Daniel Jiang and Princess Jade Fox in a bloody escape toward Edgehaven, the only border city not yet fallen.
Along the way, his force of over a thousand men had dwindled to just fifty-two. If the Yan and Zhao Kingdoms weren't busy squabbling over captured cities, they'd have been caught long ago.
Even so, they'd reached the end of their rope. If not for meeting Ian Song, they would have already fallen into Ryan Qin's hands.
Combining what he'd learned from Bruce Meng with the movies, TV, and novels in his mind, Ian Song was certain this was a world he did not know.
"By the way, General Meng, I heard there are Four Great Beauties of the Realm here. Could you tell me about them?" Suddenly, Ian Song remembered his second mission and asked.
"Young Master Song is interested in the Four Great Beauties too?" Bruce Meng looked at Ian Song in surprise.
Ian Song chuckled, "I'm a man, of course I'm interested in beautiful women."
"Young Master Song is truly extraordinary." Bruce Meng flattered him before continuing, "Each of the Four Great Beauties is stunningly gorgeous. Every man in the realm dreams of winning their favor."
"What about you, General Meng? Don't you want to win their favor?" Ian Song asked with a smile.
Bruce Meng blushed. "You're joking, Young Master. I'm just a rough soldier—how could the Four Great Beauties ever fancy someone like me?"
"As they say, there's someone for everyone. What if one of them happens to like your type?" Ian Song teased.
"Please, Young Master Song, don't tease me. By the way, what are carrots and greens?"
Ian Song was taken aback, then brushed it off. "Let's not discuss that. General Meng, please go on—tell me who the Four Great Beauties are."
Bruce Meng nodded. "Each of the Four Great Beauties has her own unique charm. Let me start with Lady Lila Pearce."
Ian Song interrupted again, "Wait, Lady Lila Pearce? You call her 'Lady'—does that mean she's already married?"
Bruce Meng nodded. "Lady Lila Pearce is indeed married."
Hearing this, Ian Song's face darkened and he cursed inwardly, "Damn this system! Is it really making me seduce a married woman?"