Chapter 564

Inside Anyang City, suddenly the seas are calm and the rivers clear, presenting a scene of peace throughout the world.

Entities: Anyang City - place name. Also maybe "calm seas and clear rivers" is an idiom, not an entity. "Peace throughout the world" is a phrase.

The Linghu clan didn't utter a sound.

Wu Tie also remained silent.

All the scions of military families in the Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army obediently left all their armor, weapons, and personal cultivation resources in the barracks' warehouse, essentially marching out bare-chested, each returning to their own homes.

Under the Linghu clan's direction, the various military families joined forces, selected elite troops to form the Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army, and it easily fell into the hands of the Capital's Military and Horse Administration.

For several days straight, Wu Tie was busy recruiting and reorganizing the Three Palaces' Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army.

Short of men, severely short of men.

As Linghu Jian assessed, 'Duke of Yuzhou Huo Xiong' has too shallow a foundation, the Three Palaces' Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army is too large a burden, and Wu Tie simply cannot find enough suitable personnel to take command of this massive force.

The Huang clan to which Huang Lang belongs, as well as the Huo clan originating from 'Huo Xiong', anyone with even a modicum of ability was transferred by Wu Tie and inserted into the newly organized Three Palaces' Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army.

Even so, they merely barely filled half of the senior officer vacancies in the Three Palaces' Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army, while the other half of senior posts remained empty, let alone the shortages of mid- and low-ranking officers, as well as various auxiliary marching officers such as marching commanders, chief clerks, supervisors, and records assistants.

Short of men, short of men.

Left with no choice, Wu Tie could only select a barely usable batch from the border garrison convicts brought back from Daze Prefecture years ago, and from the families of mid- and low-ranking officials exiled to Daze Prefecture, drafting them into the Forbidden Army.

Even so, there remained a huge shortage of mid- and low-ranking officers.

Wu Tie, truly driven to desperation, could only pick from the Five Elements Spirits those elders with slightly sharper wits, grouping them in threes or fives, each group to serve as a mid- or low-ranking commandant, colonel, or even soldier.

These elders of the Five Elements Spirits, due to their tribal culture, are not skilled at orthodox marching, fighting, or troop deployment, but they can still manage their people and convey orders in a proper manner.

Most importantly, they are utterly loyal and possess sufficient strength.

Loyalty alone is enough.

Having them serve as mid- and low-ranking officers of the Three Palaces' Twelve Guards, combined with the various restraints on the troops, Wu Tie feels confident enough to control this reorganized Twelve Guards' Forbidden Army, unafraid of them causing too much trouble.

After several busy days, having barely put his immediate affairs in order, Wu Tie sat in the newly rebuilt council hall, his face grim, and said to Pei Feng: 'I now realize that the Linghu clan never regarded us as true enemies.'

He patted the newly forged desk before him and murmured: 'Aside from the Four Spirit Warships and the Black Heaven Cauldron, we actually have nothing else that the Linghu clan need fear.'

'But now they possess the Chaos Luo Umbrella and the Five Elements Treasured Artifact… the Four Spirit Warships cannot counter the Five Elements Treasured Artifact, and the Black Heaven Cauldron struggles to suppress the Chaos Luo Umbrella.'

'Give them enough time, they…' Wu Tie looked at Pei Feng, suddenly lowering his voice: 'Feng, if the Linghu clan aims to become Divine Emperor, and they indeed have gained sufficient advantage… what do you mean?'

Pei Feng furrowed his brows and remained silent for a long time.

She slightly turned her head; the lamp light fell upon her cold, austere, strikingly beautiful face with clear contours, her lips as red as cherries, making Wu Tie's heart skip.

After a moment of silence, Pei Feng chuckled: 'Actually, whether it's the Sima clan or the Linghu clan, whoever becomes Divine Emperor, I have no objection… Back when I led the Black Phoenix Army in battle at Daze Prefecture, the Sima royalty gave me no benefit, nor did the Linghu clan.'

'Those two families, love whomever, it's whoever… But you've offended the Linghu clan…' Pei Feng looked worriedly at Wu Tie: 'We may have no choice but to follow the current imperial house to the bitter end.'

Think of Linghu Jian kicked into serious injury by Wu Tie's foot—not to mention the earlier incident in the Eastern Palace where Linghu Jian came to court Wu Tie and was beaten severely. Add to that Linghu Wenwen nearly beaten to death by Wu Tie, and the military headquarters smashed to ruins by the Black Heaven Cauldron.

If we were to say whom the Linghu clan hates most today, besides Wu Tie, who else could there be?

Having offended the Linghu clan, if they truly succeed, Wu Tie's fate is likely to be gravely unfavorable.

Thus, Pei Feng has actually already made up her mind in her heart: she can only follow the Sima clan, follow the current imperial house of the Great Jin Divine State, and go down that road to the bitter end!

Wu Tie, however, smiled indifferently and lightly shook his head: 'That's not really an issue; the Sima clan isn't that simple.'

Wu Tie recalled the Imperial Seal that had passed through his hands and been returned to Sima Wuyou.

Although that Imperial Seal appears to be an ordinary, later-forged secret treasure, Wu Tie always feels that it hides great secrets on its surface, and could even become the Sima clan's true trump card hidden at the bottom of the chest.

Moreover, regarding the former crown prince incident of years past, Wu Tie harbors many suspicions; linking it to his mission of being dispatched and secretly infiltrating the Great Jin Divine State, he feels that the affair from six thousand years ago has not yet truly settled.

There's plenty to play with in this matter.

Furthermore, Pei Feng doesn't know that Wu Tie left a hidden move on that Five Elements Secret Treasure… If Pei Feng knew that the Five Elements Secret Treasure in the Linghu clan's hands consists of five components, all of which Wu Tie has secretly rigged with ambushes, he would actually love to see Pei Feng's splendid expression.

'Have Old Tie carefully drill those newly organized troops… the army, weapons are also such; they must not be idle, they must be drilled until their minds are blank each day, leaving no time or energy for idle thoughts.' Wu Tie said coldly: 'Let Old Tie wear them out; he's an expert, a true expert.'

'Hmm, we can't be idle either… What time is it now?'

Wu Tie rose to his feet, walked out of the council hall, and glanced up at the sky.

A bright moon hung high, its clear light like flowing water, pouring over AnYang City; layer upon layer of overlapping tiles took on a veil of mist as the moonlight flowed, giving the whole city a feeling of extreme tranquility and extreme harmony.

'Bring enough men, plus all the Four Spirit Warships. Feng, we're going to a place. Then you will hold that spot; whoever tries to approach will be killed on sight.' Wu Tie weighed the Divine Emperor's Command in his hand and said in a deep voice: 'That place must absolutely be under our control; we cannot let the Linghu clan occupy it.'

A few days ago, Linghu Wenwen used the Chaos Luo Umbrella and the Black Heaven Cauldron to counterattack, leaving the Capital's Military and Horse Administration office in ruins.

Although the buildings were rebuilt in the following days, Wu Tie couldn't be bothered to arrange formations and wards, since with him personally in command and the Black Heaven Cauldron suppressing, if even that couldn't guard the Military and Horse Administration, any formations would be meaningless.

Such a war asset as the Four Spirit Warships should not be left here to guard the home; it should be put to greater use.

Thirty-six Four Spirit Warships activated, followed by a mighty throng of over a thousand large warships, each deck packed with Eastern Palace troops and Five Elements Spirits; Wu Tie and Pei Feng personally led the fleet as it raced toward the northeast of AnYang City.

Openly and secretly, who knows how many eyes and ears in AnYang City were fixed on the Capital's Military and Horse Administration.

As soon as Wu Tie and Pei Feng set out, urgent reports were delivered to the desks of every court official; moreover, some officials who were indulging in pleasure were startled awake by their subordinates, hastily taking the reports and carefully pondering the purpose of Wu Tie and Pei Feng's sudden sortie.

AnYang City erupted in chaos; after just a few days of calm, Wu Tie's sudden sortie stirred up wave after wave of shock and turmoil.

The massive fleet had barely left AnYang City's urban district when dozens of small flying craft of various shapes, only a dozen zhang long, exquisitely built and smooth, clearly built for speed, came up and trailed behind at a distance.

Those dozens of small flying craft represented dozens of different court factions, and they might not even belong to any side of the Great Jin Divine State.

Anyway, once Wu Tie moved, the undercurrents surged, and every turtle and crawdad came out of the woodwork.

The fleet sped northeast, skirting the eastern border for tens of thousands of li, then turned straight east.

After traveling most of the night and then a whole morning, the fleet halted above a deep mountain range right next to the Eastern Palace.

Wu Tie raised the Divine Emperor's Command in his hand; the secretly forged Divine Emperor's Command, activated by his magical power, caused the small one-chi-two-cun tall figurine of the present Divine Emperor Sima Fang, oddly shaped, to emit a spray of misty jade light.

Below, the lofty mountains burst into vast clouds of smoke; as the jade light intensified, faint thunder rumbled within the mist.

Then, within a radius of a thousand li, the great mountains became distorted and blurry, undulating and twisting like a mirage, then fading away. One illusion after another shattered, finally revealing a majestic palace complex and, around it, vast workshops and factories.

Except for the central area of several li occupied by traditional palace halls, the workshops and factories surrounding the palace were all pure metal constructs—metal foundries, metal pipes, metal roads, metal towers—everywhere belching flames and thin smoke, the air filled with the scorching scent unique to hot metal.

Hundreds of floating platforms, each a hundred zhang square, hovered above this vast industrial zone, each bearing a thousand fearsome-looking giant god-warriors standing in perfect order.

As Wu Tie activated the Divine Emperor's Command to open the outer illusion formation of this mountain range, thousands of platforms saw millions of giant god-warriors simultaneously lift their heads, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light, like countless beasts staring straight at Wu Tie.

Wu Tie raised his left hand holding the Divine Emperor's Command; the misty jade light flickered, waves of strange spiritual undulations mixed with vast amounts of information riding the light pulses, transmitting into the minds of those giant god-warriors.

The red light in the eyes of the giant god soldiers dimmed, they lowered their heads in deep respect, with a "thud" they knelt on one knee in unison.

Here is the Ancient Arms Bureau workshop directly under the Works Palace of the Divine State of Great Jin, and it is the only workshop in the Divine State of Great Jin capable of producing giant god soldiers.

In the Divine State of Great Jin, the reason Right Minister Gongyang Sanlü can directly oppose Linghu Qingqing and separately control the government is not only because his civil officials manage the normal operation of the entire Divine State of Great Jin and hold its finances and grain economy, but more importantly, Gongyang Sanlü directly controls the Ancient Arms Bureau workshop.

These giant god soldiers are the trump card with which Gongyang Sanlü opposes Linghu Qingqing.

Assuming Linghu Qingqing lacks a national divine artifact, as long as the Divine Emperor of the Divine State of Great Jin does not intervene, Gongyang Sanlü, relying on his vast legion of ancient god soldiers, is sufficient to match the General's Gate controlled by Linghu Qingqing and the troops under its command.

Otherwise, what gives Gongyang Sanlü the courage to clash openly with Linghu Qingqing in the Nine Heavens Palace?

Just counting on his low-born disciples and grandchildren, daring to spray a torrent of hot blood at Linghu Qingqing to fill the hall with red?

Might, overwhelming and peerless might—only might can secure a foothold in the court.

Dozens of Works Palace officials wearing official robes, tall caps, and golden seals at their waists stepped on flowing clouds, slowly rising from the palace at the center of the workshop.

After all, they are civil officials; the Works Palace officials' cloud-soaring technique, though somewhat slow, is quite graceful and unrestrained, bearing the air of immortals.

By comparison, the generals of the Great Jin General's Gate, when they rush, become streaks of lightning and long rainbows; from hundreds of miles away one can hear the muffled thunder of their swift passage tearing the sky.

Just looking at the style and momentum of their evasion light shows that the General's Gate are ultimately a bunch of rough men who only care about speed, disregarding bearing.

Dozens of Works Palace officials broke through layer after layer of defensive formations, smiling as they approached the Spirit Warship where Wu Tie was stationed. One official, his waist bearing a gold-inlaid jade seal, obviously a second-rank high official, a handsome middle-aged man with a jade-like face and refined elegance, laughed as he flew forward ten or so zhang, clasped his hands in greeting toward Wu Tie standing at the prow.

"Sir, you are so mighty and valiant, and your troops are all like dragons; I suppose you must be the Duke Huoxiong of Yuzhou, the most talked-about figure in Anyang City lately?" The middle-aged man laughed brightly: "I am Gongyang Shenxing, Director of the Ancient Arms Bureau of the Great Jin Works Palace. May I ask what brings Your Excellency here?"

Gongyang Shenxing shook his head and smiled: "The Ancient Arms Bureau is a forbidden zone of the dynasty; successive Divine Emperors have ordered that outsiders who enter without permission die… Please, Your Excellency, restrain your subordinates from coming within a hundred li of the bureau's outer defenses, lest any mishap occur—then both you and I would be unable to bear the blame."

Wu Tie clicked his tongue in admiration toward Pei Feng: "Look, look—this is the true bearing of a gentleman. See how he speaks: gentle, pleasant, giving us full face in his wording, even offering us a soft nail; if anything goes wrong, all the blame is pre‑assigned… Heck, compared to the Linghu clan's brutes who shout to fight at first sight, this is truly someone who knows how to speak and how to conduct himself!"

Wu Tie shook his head and gave a grimacing grin to the smiling Gongyang Shenxing: "But today we will also learn from the Linghu clan… to reason? I, Wu Tie, am not prepared to reason. I have come here to take over the Ancient Arms Bureau."

Raising his left hand holding the Divine Emperor's Command, Wu Tie suddenly changed his expression and shouted sternly: "The Divine State of Great Jin is now at war with Wuguo. By the Divine Emperor's sacred edict, the Capital Garrison Command takes over the Works Palace Ancient Arms Bureau; please, Lord Gongyang, lift the formation restrictions so that my Capital Garrison Command's troops may be stationed there."

"Furthermore, please, Lord Gongyang, complete the handover with my Capital Garrison Command as quickly as possible—officials, artisans, technicians, blueprints, talisman seals, and so on… If there is the slightest concealment, under wartime military law I may deem Lord Gongyang suspect of colluding with Wuguo."

With a "clang", Wu Tie drew a longsword flashing with cold light, flicked the blade with his finger, and shouted loudly: "Lord Gongyang, do not deceive yourself, nor doubt… this sword of mine is extremely sharp!"

Gongyang Shenxing's smile froze, his eyes deep and icy, staring coldly at Wu Tie.