Chapter 963: The Incomparably Loyal Feng Lintao

Feng Lintao felt a surge of emotion in his heart!

The fate between people is sometimes so fickle and unpredictable!

But Feng Lintao was no ordinary person; just as Lanyao had described him back then, he was selfish and cold, cruel and suspicious, yet he was also skilled at enduring. Therefore, ever since he chose to defect to the human race, he had already simulated every possible scenario in his mind. Although seeing Xu Qing now stirred up some complex emotions, he quickly set them aside!

He did not hide his thoughts during this process, but instead revealed them openly on his face and in his expression!

This was something he excelled at. Being able to cultivate step by step to the Divine Repository realm in the Demon Feather Sacred Land as a half-blood Demon Feather, he naturally had his own way of surviving!

And utilizing everything around him, including his own emotions, was something he had done since he was a child!

Today, here, he wanted to use this to prove his sincerity!

After all, in the few months since his defection, he had been left on the sidelines, and the Empress had not made any arrangements for him!

This made him somewhat uneasy!

He knew this was a sign that the Empress had not fully accepted his defection!

She was still taking a wait-and-see attitude toward him!

Thus, he needed to use this opportunity to increase his sincerity!

With these thoughts, Feng Lintao’s bow to Xu Qing actually carried a hint of genuine submission!

Xu Qing looked at the Feng Lintao before him, his expression calm, saying nothing!

No joy or anger could be discerned, and there was no emotion contained within!

Although he did not speak, Erniu, who was playing with the Sacred Heaven Divine Vine in his hand, smiled and spoke up!

"Kid, long time no see!"

Feng Lintao turned, his expression still filled with emotion as he looked at Erniu, and he bowed with cupped hands!

"Greetings, Great Tiangang. The matter from that day was Feng’s fault. I hope the Great Tiangang and the Grand Tutor will not take it to heart. This time, my defection to the human race, while a helpless move, is sincere in heart,"

"from the bottom of my lungs!"

With this sentence, Feng Lintao chose to lower his head, expressing the respect due from someone in a weaker position, while also indirectly pointing out that he was indeed acquainted with Xu Qing and Erniu!

However, Xu Qing understood this intention at a glance, and with Erniu’s sharp eyes, how could he not see it?

At this moment, hearing this, Erniu raised the Divine Vine in his hand, his smile carrying some joy: "How could that be? You sent me and little A-Qing so many good things last time; I haven't properly thanked you, you great person, yet?"

”

Feng Lintao wore a bitter smile on the surface, but his heart could not help but churn!

When it came down to it, he didn't actually hate Xu Qing much; the focus of his hatred was Erniu!

It was Erniu who had tricked him and made him carry him the whole way!

It was Erniu who, while on the verge of death the entire time, caused him to make rare lapses in judgment!

And it was Erniu who, at the critical moment, bit off the Divine Vine, causing his trump card to collapse directly!

That was why the subsequent pursuit by Lanyao and Yuedong had occurred!

And originally, if not for Erniu, he could have turned defeat into victory!

The root cause was right before his eyes!

Yet he could not show his hatred!

So Feng Lintao took a deep breath, trying to suppress his churning thoughts, but just then, Erniu continued with his snide remarks!

"Come, good vine, say hello to your uncle!"

Erniu triumphantly raised the Divine Vine!

The Divine Vine turned its head, its leaves swaying slightly!

Feng Lintao remained silent, struggling not to break his composure!

Seeing that Erniu still wanted to speak, the Grand Chancellor standing not far away coughed, interrupting Erniu’s interest, and looked at Xu Qing!

"This time, His Majesty summoned the Grand Tutor back; besides military matters, there is another thing that needs verification!"

Hearing this, Xu Qing looked at this human Grand Chancellor!

"Is it regarding the identity of this Feng Lintao?"

The Grand Chancellor nodded!

"Not only that. The specific details are inside this object; please take a look, Grand Tutor!"

As he spoke, the Grand Chancellor took out a jade slip and sent it floating toward Xu Qing; it contained all of Feng Lintao’s statements!

Xu Qing took it, pondered for a few moments after checking it, and spoke slowly: "My first encounter with this person was on the way back to the human race from the Yan Yue Profound Heaven. The specific experiences were previously reported in"

"a jade slip that recorded the cause and effect!"

"As for the entanglement between this person and the two women, Lanyao and Yuedong, from what I saw back then, there was indeed mutual murderous intent. If not for the help of myself and my Senior Brother that day, this person would likely not have escaped with his life!"

”

"And the appearance of myself and my Senior Brother, judging by the situation, was a coincidence."

"Furthermore, if the Demon Feather Sacred Land had chosen to use this Feng Lintao as a secret agent before they descended to carry out this current defection, the possibility is not high!"

"As for the final decision, it still requires His Majesty’s determination!"

After Xu Qing finished speaking, he said no more!

The Grand Chancellor nodded upon hearing this!

Xu Qing’s words served as corroboration for Feng Lintao’s defection!

This made Feng Lintao feel a sense of relief in his heart!

In the subsequent morning court session, the officials mostly reported on the war, and Xu Qing also gained a general understanding of the current situation of the war and the losses!

Overall, it was not optimistic!

The entire hall gradually became filled with a stifling atmosphere!

Listening to this, Feng Lintao dared not make any small moves in his heart; in fact, in his view, if he could choose, it would be better not to listen to these war reports!

An hour later, the court session ended, and Feng Lintao hurriedly left respectfully!

Xu Qing did not move!

Until everyone in the hall had left, the only ones remaining were Xu Qing, Erniu, and the Empress Ning Yan!

Xu Qing stood up and bowed to the Empress!

"Your Majesty kept Xu here; I wonder what instructions you have?"

”

The Empress’s gaze fell on Erniu!

Erniu pretended not to see!

After a moment, the Empress spoke indifferently!

"Xu Qing, you will do one thing for me!"

Hearing this, Xu Qing’s face showed no change as he waited for the rest!

"I want you to find a way to capture Lanyao alive. If you cannot capture her alive, you must bring her corpse back!"

Doubt appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes!

"Lanyao?"

Xu Qing had an impression of this woman, and from his memory of the conversation between her and Feng Lintao in the Liaoxuan Cave, he could judge that Lanyao seemed to have a very powerful background in the Demon Feather Sacred Land!

But even so, she shouldn't be important enough for the Empress to pay special attention to her alone!

Ning Yan was also surprised; he did not know why his mother would say this!

"Lanyao’s identity is not simple!"

”

Facing the doubts of Xu Qing and Ning Yan, the Empress spoke expressionlessly!

"The Demon Feather Sacred Land has two Great Emperors!"

”

"One is suspected to have fallen!"

"Lanyao is a descendant of that suspected fallen Great Emperor. According to my intelligence, her bloodline is pure within her family!"

"By bringing her back, I can use her bloodline to fully determine whether that Great Emperor has truly fallen, and there are other uses as well!"

After the Empress finished speaking, she raised her hand and took out a white jade cylinder!

The material of this jade slip was special; it seemed to exist, yet it had a sense of illusion, as if it were formed by condensed light, which was incredibly wondrous!

"If you encounter irresistible force on the way, Xu Qing, you can crush this light jade, and I will arrive in person!"

The Empress waved her hand, and this light jade flew straight toward Xu Qing!

Xu Qing caught it and immediately felt a thick"

pressure emanating from within the light jade!

Xu Qing pondered for a while, and after accepting the order, he put the light jade away!

"Your Majesty, to capture Lanyao alive, I need to use Feng Lintao. Only by using him as bait will Lanyao appear!"

"However, this person is cunning. Since it involves life and death, it will be difficult for him to cooperate fully; he will definitely leave himself a way out. If I hide it from him, then ordinary methods will also be detected by him. Once he knows he has become bait, I fear other complications may arise!"

Xu Qing spoke slowly!

"What do you intend to do?"

The Empress looked at Xu Qing!

Before Xu Qing could speak, Erniu, who had heard everything from beginning to end, had eyes that had long since lit up, and he suddenly interjected!

"I have a way."

As he spoke, his lips moved slightly, and he transmitted his voice to both Xu Qing and the Empress!

After a moment, Xu Qing’s expression was strange, while Erniu was incomparably smug!

The Empress, meanwhile, had a profound look in her eyes and spoke indifferently!

"Granted!"

Xu Qing stood up, bid farewell to the Empress, and left the great hall together with the spirited and expectant Erniu!

Inside the hall, Ning Yan gazed longingly at Xu Qing’s departing figure, wanting to go follow them or perhaps ask what they had just been discussing... but with his mother the Empress nearby, he dared not leave without permission!

"Yan'er, write an imperial decree!"

While Ning Yan was yearning for the outside world in his heart, the Empress’s calm voice echoed out!

Ning Yan immediately became solemn, lowered his head, and agreed!

Just like that, five days passed!

After Xu Qing and Erniu found Wu Jianwu, who had remained in the Human Imperial Capital the entire time, and retrieved the two little golden mice that had been hatched with his expertise...

An imperial decree was issued from the Human race, informing the entire Eastern World of Wanggu!

It conferred upon Feng Lintao the title of Human Race’s Heavenly Marquis of Slaughtering Feathers!

It also listed his meritorious deeds!

"He has abandoned darkness for light, and by reporting secret intelligence of the Holy Land, he has saved our Human race from massive losses."

"He is brave by nature, shares an irreconcilable hatred with the Holy Land, holds deep-seated hatred for all members of the Demon Feather race, and has personally slaughtered over a hundred infiltrators from the Demon Feather Holy Land."

Once this imperial decree was issued, the Eastern World of Wanggu was immediately stirred!

Feng Lintao was instantly brought under the spotlight of the entire Eastern World of Wanggu, and all races began to launch investigations!

Yet this was clearly not what he wished for... this sudden brilliance and becoming the center of attention made him very uneasy!

And what made him even more uneasy was that in the month that followed, the development of events became increasingly astonishing!

In the many small-scale battles between the Human race and the Demon Feather Holy Land over this month, the number of victories for the Human race suddenly increased, and it even seemed that the Human race had gained some understanding of the Holy Land’s war layouts!

And every time, the Human Emperor would reward Feng Lintao!

He even had him protected, arranging many personal guards to show how much he was valued!

With such behavior and such news, it was impossible for the Demon Feather Holy Land not to know!

Yet only Feng Lintao himself understood that he did not know the intelligence regarding those war layouts, so how could he have reported them...

However, as time passed, a scene that shocked Feng Lintao even more soon appeared!

It was the conferral of a King title.

Under the projection of the peerless array in the firmament, and clearly visible to the Holy Land side...

In the wilderness outside the Human Imperial Capital, all the prisoners of war from the Holy Land side captured by the Human race were kneeling there in dense crowds, numbering no less than ten thousand!

Feng Lintao stood in his Heavenly Marquis robes in front of these prisoners of war!

The Empress’s voice echoed through heaven and earth!

"Minister Feng, although you are not of the Human race, you are loyal and devoted to the Human race, full of sincerity, and have achieved great military merit; therefore, today I confer upon"

"you the title of Heavenly King of Slaughtering Feathers."

"I know you hate the Demon Feather Holy Land to the bone; this conferral of a King title shall be celebrated with the blood of the Demon Feather. Minister, you may slaughter them at will."

All eyes were upon them!

The Holy Land side was watching, the Human side was watching, Xu Qing and

the various races were gazing in fury!

And there was Erniu, the expectation and excitement in his eyes incomparably intense!

Feng Lintao’s heart trembled, but he dared not show the slightest bit of it on his face; instead, he brimmed with immense excitement, as if completely moved, and bowed deeply toward the direction of the Imperial Palace, speaking loudly!

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."