Chapter 451: Fission Accelerates, Military Power Handover, Remonstrance and Mutiny

The South City Gate appeared to be filled with righteous indignation, but in the end, there were only a hundred or so scouts from the Yellow-Armored Army, so it could only be considered small-scale and couldn't cause much influence.

Helian Ba didn't know what method he used, but he quickly pacified everyone.

The daytime was only two hours, and as night fell, the city gate began to change shifts.

The army that came to change shifts was a large army clad in ordinary thousand-forged iron armor, with about four hundred soldiers. The leader was also a middle-aged silver-armored general. He walked over with a group of soldiers with their heads held high, didn't even say hello, and directly ordered his subordinates to start changing shifts.

Those Town-Defense Army soldiers also left the city gate laughing and joking, and not a single person took the initiative to say hello.

The group of Yellow-Armored Army soldiers saw this, and a bit of anger rose on their faces.

Not to mention the status of the two armies, they were sent to guard the city gate during the day, which was originally doing work for the Town-Defense Army. Now it seemed that the other side didn't appreciate it, but instead treated them as fools.

"Return to camp!"

Helian Ba saw it in his eyes, said nothing, just ordered in a low voice with a gloomy face, and then led his more than a hundred elite subordinates to walk into the city.

"Captain Helian, there were no situations during the day, right?"

But unexpectedly, the other side didn't want him to just withdraw like this.

Duan He, the captain of the second battalion of the third army of the Town-Defense Army who came to change shifts, saw Helian Ba was about to leave the city gate, and deliberately turned his head to mock him.

Helian Ba, who was leading people forward, stopped when he heard this. His already gloomy face added a few more fires of anger.

Several other people beside Duan He, as if they didn't see his face, actually continued to mock him.

"Although the daytime temperature is low and the wind and snow are heavy, you Yellow-Armored Army are, after all, the elite of the town city. The city gate must be guarded well, and there can be no mistakes!"

"Brothers of the Yellow-Armored Army, hurry back and rest well. When dawn comes, this city gate still needs you to guard it."

"Deputy Army Head Duan Yang has already ordered that for the next month, the Yellow-Armored third army will guard the city gate during the day."

The group of Yellow-Armored Army soldiers were so angry that their chests heaved, and soon someone couldn't help but stand out, obviously ready to speak back.

"Go!"

However, before they could speak, they were angrily stopped by Helian Ba.

The group of soldiers saw this, and they all seemed to think of something. After clenching their fists, they suppressed the anger in their hearts and followed behind Helian Ba, continuing to walk into the city.

Seeing that Helian Ba and his group didn't give any response, Duan He and the people beside him suddenly sneered.

"With such a temper, they deserve to guard the city gate every day, humph!"

"What elite troops? They are clearly just the Chui Mountain rebels. The Lord has repeatedly ordered the Huang Jia Three Armies to cut ties with the Mu clan, yet they stubbornly refuse, just like those seven Town Defense Armies. They only recognize the Mu clan, not the Lord. Such mutinous troops should be disbanded early and replaced with our own people!"

"Mu Qinghe's Commander position will be lost soon, and their third army will also be restructured soon. They are all grasshoppers after autumn, and they won't be able to jump for many days."

Chui Mountain, like Great Xia, was also divided into inner city and outer city. As the core elite of the town city, the Yellow-Armored Army's camp was naturally established in the inner city area.

Helian Ba led more than a hundred elite scouts, returned to the inner city camp without a word, and after letting the soldiers return to their barracks to rest, he left the camp alone and walked toward his home in the inner city.

His father, Helian Shan, was one of the three direct disciples of the former Army Head Mu Longhe. The Helian clan in Chui Shanzhen was naturally a proper famous family. The Helian mansion was built in the west district of the inner city, almost adjacent to the Mu clan's territory.

Helian Ba was familiar with the road and soon arrived at his own door. Seeing the mansion gate that used to be crowded with visitors, now only two lonely servants remained, a sneer first rose on his face. He didn't even pay attention to the servants who saluted him at the door, and walked in quickly.

Walking all the way to the main building of the mansion, Helian Ba stopped at the door and cupped his hands with respect: "Father, I am back."

"Come in!"

In the main hall of the main building, a yellow-robed old man with gray hair and a face that looked seventy or eighty years old was sitting quietly in the main seat. It was Helian Ba's father, the former Deputy Army Head of Chui Mountain, Helian Shan, who commanded two thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers in the Dongqing camp.

Seeing the signs that his father's vitality was slightly declining, Helian Ba clenched his fists, and a trace of injustice rose between his brows.

Chui Mountain had a total of six Deputy Army Heads, early on separately Duan Chang, Duan Mian, Mu Qinghe, Zhu Ziying, Qiu Sanming, and his father Helian Shan. The Mu clan's influence in the army had always been superior to the Duan clan.

The Duan clan, where Lord Duan Hong was, had been competing with the Mu clan for military power in Chui Mountain for these years, which was not a secret.

But the problem was, the two people who founded Chui Mountain in the early years, the former Lord Duan Zhao had already passed away, leaving only Army Head Mu Longhe. In this way, Mu Longhe was basically equivalent to the spiritual totem of the entire Chui Mountain army. How could it be so simple to take away military power from his hands?

Especially after the chaos of Dajue Temple the year before last ended, Duan Chang led the army to seize Hong Gate but failed, and could only change course to occupy the Fengshan camp. But Fengshan was only taken for one day before it was snatched away by Great Xia, and Duan Chang himself was beheaded by Xia Chuan.

After Duan Chang died, although Duan Sheng replaced him in time, the Battle of Fengshan, Duan Chang not only lost his life, but also buried two thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers, plus four hundred Cold-Resisting Realm experts in the Jiangyan Realm. This undoubtedly made the soldiers in the army have greater opinions on the Duan clan, and the Duan clan's competition for military power naturally became more difficult.

Chui Mountain's military system was similar to that of the towns in Mo Ao. The Army Head and the Lord commanded the entire army together, and also had the authority to mobilize three thousand elite Yellow-Armored Army soldiers; the remaining six Deputy Army Heads separately commanded two to three thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers.

Duan Mian and Mu Qinghe, besides commanding three thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers respectively, also concurrently served as Commanders of the Yellow-Armored first and third armies, responsible for the defense of the town city; the remaining four Deputy Army Heads separately commanded two thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers, responsible for the defense of the four major camps of Jiangyan, Tieling, Dongqing, and Pingkang in the entire Chui Mountain territory.

It could only be said that times have changed. Duan Chang's death in May the year before last did indeed make the Duan clan lose part of their right to speak in the army again, and the Mu clan had a very comfortable time;

But it was only for four months. Also in the year before last, in September, Army Head Mu Longhe had an accident in the Battle of Hong Gate, and the Mu clan faction ushered in a cold winter.

Starting from last year, Zhu Ziying, who was responsible for the Tieling camp, and Qiu Sanming, who was responsible for the Pingkang camp, were successively dismissed from their Deputy Army Head positions and replaced by Duan Yang and Duan Chen. Until January of this year, his own father Helian Shan could not escape the fate of being dismissed, and now he could only be idle at home.

Three Deputy Army Heads were dismissed, which could only be said to be a microcosm.

People at the level of Commander, Captain, and even Squad Leader in the army, anyone who had a deep involvement with the Mu clan, as long as they didn't express loyalty to the Duan clan, or had a deep involvement with the Mu clan and couldn't cut ties, were either dismissed or driven out of the army.

And not just in the army, the Supervisory Court, the Chamber of Commerce, including other institutions in the town city, all carried out a major reshuffle. A large number of people from the Mu clan faction were replaced. At present, the military and political institutions of Chui Mountain were almost all controlled by the Duan clan.

Competing for power was for seizing profit. The core purpose of controlling military and political institutions was, to put it bluntly, to grab more cultivation resources and silver.

Regardless of the individual or the family, strength was always the foundation of standing. And cultivation resources were the only way to improve strength.

Helian Ba was fifty-something this year, and naturally understood this truth deeply.

His father Helian Shan was already seventy-six years old this year. In the past few years, when his master Mu Longhe was there, relying on the position of Deputy Army Head, the cultivation resources he received every year were not mentioned, and the silver he received alone was more than three million taels. This was also the key to the Helian clan being able to rank among the famous families of Chui Mountain.

But since January of this year, when his father's Deputy Army Head position was dismissed, his two younger brothers Helian Cheng and Helian Gang, including the rest of the Helian clan members, were also successively dismissed from their positions in major military and political institutions in the town city. As of this month, the Helian clan could be considered completely marginalized.

Being marginalized was nothing, the key was that Lord Duan Hong didn't arrange new positions for them, and actually treated them as ordinary people.

The Helian clan had more than a hundred people, and life suddenly became tight.

It wasn't that they couldn't eat, and it wasn't that there were no cultivation resources, the problem was that it was easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. The reduction of materials had already made them have great dissatisfaction, not to mention the psychological gap.

Helian Ba remembered very clearly that in the past, relying on the rewards from his master and the cultivation resources he purchased himself, his father Helian Shan could increase his strength by at least one to two bristles every year. But since his master Mu Longhe had an accident the year before last, his father's strength had been stuck at 39 bristles and hadn't moved.

Others didn't know the reason, but he, as a son, naturally understood.

Helian Shan was nearly eighty years old, and of course, he had long been at the peak of the Cold-Resisting Realm.

Wanting to continue to improve strength, relying on cultivation was useless, only relying on medicinal pills.

And the medicinal pills used to improve strength at the peak of the Cold-Resisting Realm, in the Jiuzhen area, there were currently only four types, namely the Tiger Power Pill of Jin Shan Town, the Hu Hu Li Dan of Jiang Xia Town, the Cod Pill of Basha Town, and the Black Evil Pill newly developed by Great Xia.

In fact, in the Battle of Dajue Temple the year before last, when Basha was destroyed, the six town lords who joined forces to divide the Basha treasury had already shared the formula of the Cod Pill.

The problem was, knowing the formula was useless, you also had to have materials!

The Cod Pill, as the name suggests, the main material for refining it was a kind of aquatic cold beast called Cod Bream, and Cod Bream was only distributed in the Ying River basin, and basically all concentrated in that section of the Basha waters.

And this section was now completely controlled by Great Xia. Firstly, Great Xia couldn't let outsiders go into their own waters to fish, and secondly, Great Xia couldn't sell Cod Bream to others. In this way, the formula of the Cod Pill basically had no meaning.

So for medicinal pills used to improve strength at the peak of the Cold-Resisting Realm, Chui Mountain could still only buy from Jin Shan, Jiang Xia, and Great Xia.

The problem was that this kind of top-level medicinal pill had limited production, and plus the three towns would certainly prioritize supplying their own Cold-Resisting Realm experts, so they naturally wouldn't take them out to sell in unlimited quantities. So the number Chui Mountain could buy every year was limited.

Before Great Xia went east, according to the production fluctuations of the three towns of Jin Shan, Jiang Xia, and Basha, the number Chui Mountain could purchase in previous years was about 500 to 800; after Great Xia went east, they increased the production, and Chui Mountain also took some advantage. The year before last, they bought 1,200 in total, and last year it was even higher, a full 1,400.

1,200, it looked like a lot, but considering that Chui Shanzhen City had a total of more than 7,000 Cold-Resisting Realm experts, it was not much at all.

Of course, not all Cold-Resisting Realm experts were at the peak of cultivation, so not everyone needed these medicinal pills. The problem was, the worse the combat body aptitude, the faster they would break through to the Cold-Resisting Realm, so no matter how you calculated it, at least more than a thousand people needed them. If they were divided equally, each person wouldn't even get one, which had no meaning for improving strength at all, so the town city naturally wouldn't divide them like this.

Chui Mountain's past quota rules were that the Lord and the Army Head each took 10% for free distribution; the remaining 80% was given to the military 40%; then 20% was divided into the Duan clan and the Mu clan; the final 20% was placed in the Chamber of Commerce for sale to the outside world.

Of course, the so-called quota was actually giving you an indicator to purchase, not giving it to you for free. Except for the 10% quota of Lord Duan Hong and Army Head Mu Longhe which was free, everyone else had to spend silver to buy it.

Speaking of this, one had to mention the generosity of his master Mu Longhe.

Mu Longhe had Manifestation-level cultivation and didn't need this kind of medicinal pill. According to reason, he should have handed it to the Mu clan disciples like Lord Duan Hong.

But Mu Longhe didn't. Every year, he directly divided his 10% share equally among the four families of Mu, Zhu, Helian, and Qiu. From this, it could also be seen that his master Mu Longhe treated his three direct disciples like sons. This was also the key reason why the Mu clan's influence in the army could always suppress the Duan clan.

Not only that, even the 10% share originally exclusively occupied by the Mu clan, his master Mu Longhe also made the decision to let the three families of Zhu, Helian, and Qiu participate in the distribution. For this matter, Mu clan disciples had many conflicts with their three clans' disciples in the early years, but they were all suppressed by his master in the end.

Of course, these were all in the past.

The year before last, when Mu Longhe had an accident, Lord Duan Hong changed the original rules. The four types of medicinal pills purchased from the three towns every year were directly taken away by the Lord for 20%, and the remaining 80% were all placed in the Chamber of Commerce for sale to the outside world, letting people in the town city buy and sell freely.

This sounded quite reasonable, free competition, buy if you have money.

But the actual situation was not like this at all.

Chui Mountain's master was after all the Duan clan. All the silver mines in the town were controlled by the Duan clan. The Mu clan's influence in the army was great, but the money bag was always held by the Duan clan. Just this one item destined that in terms of financial resources, the Mu clan couldn't compete with the Duan clan.

The pill quota the year before last, the Mu clan faction, relying on the silver reserves saved in previous years, could still compete with the Duan clan and snatch a part back; last year it was basically a total collapse, the entire Mu clan faction only took less than 10% of the pill quota.

Over the past two years, people from the Mu clan faction were squeezed out of the military and political institutions of the town city in large numbers, and the silver income was getting less and less, which was undoubtedly worse. This year's pill quota, almost didn't need to be looked at, never mind 10%, it was estimated that they couldn't even snatch 5%.

The reason why his father Helian Shan's strength had no progress was here.

The entire Mu clan faction couldn't snatch the pill quota, where did his father get the pills to cultivate?

Of course, not only his father, Helian Ba himself was also at the peak of the Cold-Resisting Realm, and his own strength was also stuck at 23 bristles and hadn't moved, and he was also a victim. However, compared to himself, he was more worried about his father.

Helian Shan was nearly eighty years old, and his vitality was about to enter the decline period. As long as his strength stopped improving, the decline period would arrive faster. As a son, he naturally didn't want his father's decline period to arrive so early.

"Why? Seeing your old man's vitality is not good, you feel sorry for him?"

No one knows a son better than a father. His son entered the room and looked at him, and revealed such a posture. Helian Shan immediately guessed what he was thinking, and while feeling gratified in his heart, he couldn't help but tease him.

Helian Ba didn't have his father's carefree personality. Hearing this, his expression immediately became heavy. He first nodded, and then remembered to talk about business, leaned forward and said in a deep voice: "Father, the two hundred brothers of the third army scout camp, I have already asked people to cooperate with the test, and there is no problem!"

"The third army is our Mu clan's direct line. It has been suppressed too hard in the past two years, and the resource supply is so little. It is normal to have this emotion."

Hearing his son's words, although Helian Shan's expression was slightly solemn, he didn't show much surprise, obviously having expected it long ago.

Helian Ba heard this, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he continued to ask in a low voice: "Are the master uncle and master uncle over there ready?"

Mu Longhe, besides three disciples, also had two sons. The five were ranked by age, separately Mu Qinghe, Zhu Ziying, Helian Shan, Qiu Sanming, and Mu Qingyu. Helian Shan was ranked third. By seniority, Helian Ba had to call the other four master uncle and master uncle.

"Already ready..."

Helian Shan answered and paused, then continued: "Duan Hong just entered the night and dismissed your eldest master uncle's position as Commander of the third army of the Yellow-Armored Army. Guess who the new Commander was replaced with?"

Eldest master uncle Mu Qinghe's position as Commander of the third army had already been dismissed?

Helian Ba heard this news from his father, and a look of shock appeared on his face. This was the last Commander of the Mu clan faction in the army. This dismissal was equivalent to completely purging the Mu clan from the Chui Mountain military.

Who was the new Commander replaced with?

Helian Ba lowered his head and thought for a moment. Seeing the teasing in his father's eyes, he immediately realized something, and revealed a look of disbelief: "It wouldn't be Duan Ming, right?"

Seeing Helian Shan nod to confirm his guess, Helian Ba's eyes were also full of astonishment. His expression froze for a full ten breaths. After recovering, he shook his head repeatedly, his expression helpless to the extreme, as if he didn't even want to say more.

But after a while, he still couldn't help but speak:

"The Duan clan really has no one to use!

Duan Sheng, Duan Yang, Duan Chen, these three people only had the strength of 30 bristles, but were forcibly pushed to the position of Deputy Army Head, causing complaints in the army. Duan Hong can already be considered to have committed public anger;

Ziheng has 31 bristles of strength. According to the rule of the two families taking turns, he should have been promoted from Deputy Commander of the second army of the Yellow-Armored Army to Commander last year. Duan Hong directly suppressed it and didn't change it, continuing to let Duan Xian be the Commander, and even directly dismissed Ziheng's position as Deputy Commander, driving him out of the Yellow-Armored Army;

Now it's even more excessive. He doesn't use the eldest master uncle's 42 bristles of strength, but pushes a Duan Ming with only 28 bristles of strength to be the Commander of the third army!

Acting perversely to this point, Duan Hong is appointing people by favoritism to this point, he really intends to make Chui Mountain completely become his one-man show..."

"If he really had this ambition, I could still look up to him a bit!"

Helian Shan suddenly interrupted his son's words with a sneer, and then a look of disdain appeared on his face: "Chui Mountain is currently a ship full of holes. If he really had this ambition, twisting the whole town into a rope, seeking Chui Mountain to continue to stand in the Jiuzhen area, it wouldn't be in vain for the former Lord to pass the position to him!

What kind of bullshit one-man show, this waste suppresses dissidents, lets Duan clan disciples control all military and political departments, just to better surrender to Beishuo, and hand over the entire Chui Mountain. If the former Lord knew in the underworld, I'm afraid he would get up and slap this waste a few times!"

Helian Shan calling the Lord by his name was already considered a great disrespect. Now he was directly scolding Duan Hong as a waste, which showed how deep the anger accumulated in his heart was.

Helian Ba's emotions were also stirred up by Helian Shan's words, and he asked angrily: "Father, then what are the eldest master uncle and the others waiting for? Directly lead the army to rebel against them. With Great Xia's support, we can't lose! Instead of being coerced by the Duan clan to surrender to Beishuo like this, it's better for us to take the initiative. In the Jiuzhen area, who doesn't want to be a Great Xia person?"

"No need to rush, it's almost time. Master uncle and master uncle just came to notify. At dawn, Duan Ming is going to the inner city barracks to find your eldest master uncle to hand over. That will be the time when the earth shakes. You go back to the inner city barracks and prepare first, I also have to prepare!"

Helian Ba heard this and was stunned for a moment. He had a certain understanding of the situation in the town city, but he only received Helian Shan's order last night. Now he suddenly learned that the big event that had been planned for several months was going to start at dawn, and his heart was somewhat flustered. For a moment, he forgot to answer his father.

Helian Shan saw his son's expression, his face sank, but thinking that his son knew very little, he soon relaxed his brows, and a look of self-confidence appeared on his face: "Don't worry! When dawn comes, our Chui Shanzhen is going to change completely, and it will only change in the direction we want, there is no other possibility!"

Hearing this, Helian Ba looked up at his father suddenly, his eyes full of curiosity and confusion, and even couldn't help but want to ask, but seeing Helian Shan waving his hand to signal him to leave, he held back, turned and returned to the inner city barracks.

Helian Ba returned to the inner city barracks from the mansion, seeing the barracks of the first and second armies next door along the way, his eyes were full of gloom.

"The first army is the Duan clan's direct line; the second army's reshuffling is almost done, basically all Duan clan people; we only have the third army left. However, the eldest master uncle still has three thousand Town-Defense Army soldiers under his command..." ===== CHAPTER 452 =====