Chapter 117: The Flying Dragon Soars in Heaven

Jiaofang Si, third-floor private room.

Laughter from a woman echoed inside the room.

The top courtesan, Lüzhu’er, sat on Cao Wei’s lap, covering her mouth with a string of delicate giggles.

Jiaofang Si was a refined establishment; as its top courtesan, she rarely received guests, and serving like this was even rarer.

All because the man before her was the future lord of Qinghe!

A true upright magistrate—county magistrates were nothing before Cao Wei.

“General Cao, you’ve traveled far—thank you for your efforts.”

Zhang Hao raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.

“Brother Zhang, you’re too kind.”

Cao Wei held Lüzhu’er with one arm and lifted his cup, taking only two symbolic sips.

These past few days,

he had attended many welcome banquets; Zhang Hao was merely one among them.

Though he was Assistant Regional Commander of Anning Guard, his roots lay in the capital, and he had few trusted allies in Yunzhou.

No matter how capable he was, he couldn’t handle every matter himself—he needed to cultivate a circle of loyal men.

Not just within the Anning Guard, but beyond it too.

Many tasks the Anning Guard couldn’t handle directly needed to be entrusted to others.

Zhang Hao and his kind were perfect for this.

“My family Zhang will forever follow General Cao’s lead!”

Zhang Hao quickly pledged loyalty, downing three cups in rapid succession.

His throat burned.

His face flushed crimson.

But that was exactly the effect desired.

Defection demands sincerity, doesn’t it?

Cao Wei’s lips curled slightly—he was short on men, and he’d heard Zhang Hao was decisive and ruthless, a man who got things done.

“Good. I’ll remember the Zhang family.”

“Select three Zhang disciples to join the Anning Guard for training. Tell Feng Garrison Commander—it’s my order.”

“Yes, General.”

Zhang Hao’s eyes blazed.

Without doubt, Cao Wei had accepted his token of allegiance and intended to build the Zhang family into his faction.

Of course, this was only the beginning—if he proved unreliable or failed to carry out Cao Wei’s orders, he’d be discarded swiftly; these powerful men were utterly heartless.

“You may go.”

Cao Wei patted Lüzhu’er’s plump buttocks, making them tremble.

Lüzhu’er giggled again, exiting with perfect discretion, closing the door behind her.

Zhang Hao’s gaze sharpened.

This meant business was about to begin.

Indeed, Cao Wei narrowed his eyes toward the door and said:

“I’ve heard the Ghost Ming Sect has some beast-taming heretics still at large. Go capture them for me.”

“Remember—alive.”

“Don’t tell a third soul about this, or—”

Zhang Hao felt the room’s temperature plummet, a chill gripping his heart.

This wasn’t psychological—it was real. The room had genuinely grown colder.

To alter the environment with sheer personal power!

Zhang Hao silently drew a sharp breath.

Many civil officials in Yu State were martial powerhouses; this General Cao, holding a fifth-rank post, clearly rose not merely through connections.

“Yes.”

Zhang Hao dropped to his knees, forehead touching the floor.

Ancient saying: a man’s knees hold gold—he kneels only to heaven, earth, parents, and sovereign.

To do this was to abandon all dignity.

Cao Wei nodded approvingly: “Clever man. Go. If you succeed, I’ll grant the Zhang family a Platoon Leader post.”

He had first given Zhang Hao a club; now it was time for the honeyed date.

“Thank you, General Cao!”

Zhang Hao was overjoyed.

If the Zhang family secured a Platoon Leader post in Annan Guard, their status would instantly eclipse the other three families—something he’d long sought in vain.

Then his heart turned icy.

This General Cao’s ruthlessness was terrifying—he was impossible to please. If Zhang Hao ever revealed tonight’s conversation, his family would be exterminated. “Truly, serving a lord is like serving a tiger.”

A mere Assistant Regional Commander was this hard to please—how much worse would the Emperor be?

As for why this Assistant Regional Commander wanted to capture the Ghost Ming Sect’s heretics alive—

Who cared? Did he want to die?

He had no intention of asking. He’d simply do as Cao Wei ordered.

Qinghe New City.

Anning Guard barracks.

“Feng Garrison Commander.”

Li Rui bowed respectfully to the middle-aged martial officer approaching him.

“Hmm.”

=9+book_bar

Garrison Commander Feng Xi merely nodded indifferently, ignoring Li Rui entirely as he strode away.

Li Rui took no offense.

Anning Guard had five Shoubeis; Feng Xi was merely one.

Two were loyal to Assistant Regional Commander Cao Wei, two to Military Advisor Jiang Lin, and one, it was said, was a political appointee—just passing through, never staying long.

Though Jiang Lin hadn’t arrived yet, the factions were already sharply divided.

But these were struggles among superiors—gods clashing.

Li Rui, a mere Grain Officer, smiled politely at every official he met.

To treat Feng Garrison Commander as an enemy would be foolish.

Didn’t Wei Ming, though nominally aligned with Jiang Lin, still never slack off on Cao Wei’s orders?

That’s what called clever.

Li Rui was the same.

He only needed to fulfill his duties as Grain Officer.

Soon, he arrived before a seven-story elegant wooden building.

On its massive plaque: “Anning Guard Ding.”

Anning Guard maintained seven armories, storing vital supplies: elixirs, weapons, martial arts scriptures, and more.

They were labeled A, B, C, D, and so on.

No ranking among them.

Li Rui oversaw the Ding Armory, where the seven-story building held only martial arts scriptures and various books collected by the imperial court.

Annan Army called itself an army, but functioned more like an imperial sect—combat ability was only one aspect; holistic cultivation mattered too.

Of course, the ideal was noble—but in practice, at the guard battalion level, it twisted.

Most soldiers were crude men; who would waste precious time reading classics? Most just went through the motions.

The miscellaneous books in the building were nearly pristine—clearly untouched for years.

As for higher-level martial arts scriptures—

Besides Li Rui, specialized experts guarded them; he had no access whatsoever.

To freely take any scripture from the armory? Pure fantasy.

Of course, ordinary martial arts could still be accessed—so the Grain Officer’s perks were substantial.

“Hall Master.”

As he entered, Liang He stepped forward to greet him.

“A new shipment of books arrives today. Record them carefully—no omissions.”

“Yes, Hall Master.”

Good.

Besides Li Rui and Ge Hong, a few disciples from the Qinghe branch had also joined Annan Army—as ordinary soldiers.

Li Rui lacked the power to place his own men in Annan Army; Liang He had earned his position through superior roots and martial skill during selection.

His assignment to the Ding Armory came only after Li Rui had lobbied Wei Ming.

Feng Xi needed trusted men; Li Rui needed them too.

Lianghe is an excellent candidate.

The hour of Yin.

It’s nearly time for shift change.

Li Rui flipped through the ledgers organized by Lianghe, his eyes slightly narrowing.

“The Diagram of the Flying Dragon in Heaven!”

(End of Chapter)