Chapter 572: The Target of Ten Thousand Men

Black clothes, black boots, black armor, black cloak, black helmet and faceplate, his whole body pitch black, only a blood‑red metal waist belt bearing a xiezhi head at his waist is scarlet.

The Military Department's Criminal Law Bureau dispatched eight hundred elite military law officers, who charged out of the main gate of the Military Department Headquarters, rushed across the square before the gate, crossed a major street, then passed a newly built square, arriving at the newly constructed headquarters of the Imperial City Military Command.

Several dozen guards of the Imperial City Military Command shouted and moved to block them; upon the team leader's order, the eight hundred Criminal Law Bureau military law officers lifted the uniform heavy gold‑plated deterrent sticks, swung them with thunderous crashes, and heavily bombarded those guards.

Muffled thunder rang out, the sound of shattering bones like frying beans.

Several dozen Imperial City Military Command guards screamed, their bodies twisted oddly, lay on the ground twitching, none able to move any further.

The eight hundred military law officers broke through the gate of the Imperial City Military Command, marched straight down the central official road, smashed through two successive halls and offices, ignoring the curses of civil and military officials along the way, and whenever they encountered obstructing clerks or soldiers, they knocked them down with a single stick, thus arrogantly charging all the way to the outside of the council hall where Wu Tie was located.

Here, the Five Thousand Five‑Element Spirits had already laid out their formation, standing ready.

Thirty‑six Four‑Spirit Warships hovered in the void, their bodies gleaming with spiritual light, exuding a terrifying pressure as if a great mountain were crushing the eight hundred military law officers.

Everything was just a repeat of the day when Linghu Jian arrogantly barged in with his household troops.

But today, outside Anyang City's gate there was no rioting army, only ragged, blood‑covered old folk, women, and children. Their wails shook heaven and earth, their indignant fury rising to the heavens. News within Anyang City spreads fastest; the report that the Imperial City Military Command had forced good people to death had already spread throughout the whole of Anyang.

Far and near, many more dignitaries and nobles had gathered on the rooftops of tall towers to watch the spectacle.

On the main street, crowds of citizens, merchants, and idle townsfolk gathered together, looking toward the Imperial City Military Command. Some moved through the crowd, skillfully spreading various rumors detrimental to Wu Tie.

For example, he reformed the prefectural armies merely to satisfy his private desires.

For example, during his reform of the prefectural armies he was corrupt.

For example, he forced a prefectural army commander's concubine to share his bed; when she refused, he ruthlessly killed that commander and coerced the helpless woman into offering herself to him.

For example…… for example, in fact Duke Hu Xiong of Yu Prefecture is of demonic underground origin; he has implicated and slaughtered so many innocent commoners simply to select boys born on yang years, yang months, yang days, and yang hours, dig out their hearts to make pastries, thereby dispelling the innate trace of demonic qi within himself……

One does not know what Wu Tie would think upon hearing this final rumor.

Underground demon — hey, according to the doctrine of the Great Jin Divine State and the other two states, he truly is of underground demon origin.

But he has never liked eating children's hearts…… this is a rumor, an absolute rumor; regarding this, Wu Tie declares himself absolutely innocent.

With his hands behind his back, standing at the entrance of the council hall and watching the eight hundred military law officers surrounded by the Five Thousand Five‑Element Spirits, Wu Tie gave a heh‑heh laugh: "Fortunately, I had the square in front of this council hall deliberately widened; otherwise, with people coming to attack every few days, we couldn't even deploy our formations."

Shaking his head, Wu Tie pointed at the team leader of the Criminal Law Bureau military law officers and sneered: "Who are you, rashly barging into my Imperial City Military Command, intending to rebel? Don't you know the Imperial City Military Command controls the Emperor's Forbidden Army, its status equal to the inner court of the imperial city — how dare you intrude?"

The military law officer pointed at by Wu Tie stepped forward two paces with head held high and chest out, pointing at Wu Tie and shouting a stern rebuke.

"Duke Hu Xiong of Yu Prefecture, you have disrupted military discipline, innocently slain prefectural army commanders, shaken army morale, incited rebellion, your crimes are enormous and heinous; we, acting on the Left Minister's orders, have come specially to seize you, verify your identity, and imprison you in the Military Department Heavenly Prison pending trial."

"Quickly have your followers lay down their weapons and offer no resistance; otherwise the Left Minister will be furious, and your Imperial City Military Command will be nothing he can wipe out with a flip of his hand."

Wu Tie, hands behind his back, looked thoughtfully at the officer: "Oh? It seems the true form of Linghu Qingqing has returned to Anyang? His doppelgänger wouldn't have the guts to do this. Heh, may I ask, does the Left Minister have authority to restrain my Imperial City Military Command?"

That military law officer deliberately shouted at the top of his lungs, broadcasting his words across most of Anyang City.

Wu Tie's cultivation far surpasses his; he neither shouted nor raised his voice, merely lifting a thread of spiritual power with casual ease, and his voice carried clearly throughout Anyang City, even reaching the weeping, lamenting old folk, women, and children outside the city.

"First, the Imperial City Military Command is the Emperor's Forbidden Army, directly under the Emperor's control; Linghu Qingqing has no authority to restrain me unless he seeks to overturn the state's laws and relies on military might to seize me by force."

"Second, I indeed ordered the killing and capture of personnel in the armies of the seven great prefectures; yet every person killed had earned death, having violated state and military law, each deserving to die; and those exiled to the frontiers, together with their wives, children, and elders, not one among them was innocent."

"In the case‑file room of the Imperial City Military Command, all evidence, testimonies, and documents are fully preserved…… Any commoner who believes in justice and fairness may come to my Imperial City Military Command to peruse them and see whether in my judicial process there has been even a hint of corruption or injustice!"

"Third, I wish to declare before all these people — Linghu Qingqing, you also greatly underestimate me…… even without the first and second points, even if I truly were corrupt and had disrupted state and military law, you, with merely eight hundred men, dare to seize me?"

"Linghu Qingqing, I know you can hear my words; you merely want me to erupt in rebellion and slaughter these eight hundred unlucky fellows, don't you?"

"Heh, you merely want me to give you a sufficient pretext, hand the knife's hilt to you, so you may openly and justly take my sword? Such underhanded tactics, such petty conduct — Linghu Qingqing, that's all you are."

Wu Tie rose slowly into the air, flying higher and higher until he hovered tens of li above the ground.

His whole body emitted black‑white and five‑colored seven‑hued spiritual light; the seven‑colored light condensed behind him into a divine apparition a thousand zhang tall, its radiance spanning ten thousand li, allowing countless commoners to clearly see Wu Tie's appearance and hear his voice.

"Linghu Qingqing, you dare plot treason and rebellion — does anyone in Anyang City not know your thoughts?"

"Why bother with these schemes and plots?"

"If you're a man, step forward openly and fight me fair and square."

"I, perhaps the last loyal subject of the Great Jin Divine State, perhaps its final line of defense…… Linghu Qingqing, you dream of usurping the throne — then step over my corpse!"

Wu Tie's words shocked the hearts of Anyang's inhabitants; countless officials, citizens, and soldiers stood dumbstruck, like quails split by thunder, frozen in place, unable to move or speak.

Linghu Qingqing plotting rebellion?

How much gall must one have to dare utter such words?

No one knows what unimaginable consequences will follow once these words are spoken.

As for Wu Tie's boastful claim that he is the last loyal subject of the Great Jin Divine State, its final line of defense…… such talk, heh heh, just listen and dismiss it.

Within Anyang City not a sparrow stirred; those who had just surrounded the Imperial City Military Command's headquarters, preparing to watch the spectacle, along with itinerant merchants, bold townsfolk, princes and nobles, idle idlers, and the like, each clenched their teeth, shut their mouths, and fled.

Like wind sweeping away scattered clouds, the streets of Anyang City instantly became empty and deserted, only a few stray dogs darted past in joy, and no other sizable living creature passed by.

"Duke, I've heard that a mad dog's bite penetrates to the bone threefold; I once doubted it, but seeing it today I cannot help but believe." Linghu Qingqing rose slowly from the center of the Military Department Headquarters, flying to the same altitude as Wu Tie and taking his stand a few li apart.

Likewise, Linghu Qingqing condensed a divine apparition, enabling people throughout a ten‑thousand‑li radius, regardless of cultivation level, to see his face clearly.

At the same time, he slightly stirred a thread of spiritual power, allowing his voice to carry across tens of thousands of li, so that countless could hear him.

Wu Tie's complexion suddenly shifted!

Within the imperial city, Sima Fa, who was embroidering a descending, variegated fierce tiger on a young man's back, saw his complexion change abruptly.

Outside the imperial city, Sima Wuyou and Sima Xian, father and son, both divine sovereigns, simultaneously lifted their heads and stared in shock at Linghu Qingqing hovering in midair.

Wu Tie held the seal bestowed by Sima Wuyou, which let him ignore the formation restrictions of Anyang City, allowing him to fly freely and move unhindered. But Linghu Qingqing — how did he manage to take flight? How could the city's formation restrictions have no effect on him?

Oh no!

Linghu Qingqing has become so strong that Anyang City can no longer suppress him……

Or perhaps Linghu Qingqing has instead taken control of Anyang City's defensive formations?

Sima Wuyou and Sima Xian's faces turned ashen as paper, their bodies trembling involuntarily.

At the same time, within Anyang City, countless mansions and government offices echoed with cries of alarm.

Wu Tie forcibly steadied his mind, so as not to be affected by this sudden event; he took a deep breath and gazed calmly at Linghu Qingqing.

"Me rebel? That's simply laughable to the extreme." Linghu Qingqing looked at Wu Tie with a calm expression, as if his ability to rise from the Military Department Headquarters were as easy as breathing and drinking water: "Duke Hu Xiong, in order to clear your own name, you have employed every possible means; such conduct is utterly base."

Wu Tie looked up to the sky and laughed: "Old thief, to seize Great Jin's realm you've gone to great trouble; all your deeds—truly, it's a shame you could do such a thing."

Linghu Qingqing still spoke calmly: "Lord of Yu Prefecture, don't say such nonsense. My loyalty to Great Jin is evident to heaven and earth; why must I explain myself to you, an upstart and a yellow-mouthed brat? Rather, Lord of Yu Prefecture, look at those citizens outside the four gates of Anyang City, wailing their grievances—how can you bear it in your heart? Can your conscience be at peace?"

Wu Tie said coldly: "As for me, my loyalty to Great Jin is also sincere; my deeds are worthy of heaven and earth, worthy of the sovereign, worthy of..."

Linghu Qingqing interrupted Wu Tie's words: "Under heaven, aside from the Lord of Yu Prefecture, no one speaks ill of me. But now, millions of citizens knock on the gates, crying out their grievances—such a tragic scene; please, Lord of Yu Prefecture, give the people an explanation... Surely it cannot be that you, Lord of Yu Prefecture, claim to be a good person and thus truly are one."

Linghu Qingqing gave a mocking smile: "Millions of citizens cry out their grievances—look at the bloody stains on their bodies, look at the women and children among them... Lord of Yu Prefecture, Lord of Yu Prefecture, what sin have the common people committed? You, you, you with your three-inch unrotting tongue—how could you silence the endless murmurs of the world?"

Wu Tie remained silent.

A military department bigwig rose from within Anyang City, hovered in the distance, pointed at Wu Tie and shouted: "Killing the innocent, throwing Great Jin's military morale into chaos—you deserve death ten thousand times."

Another military department bigwig rose from within Anyang City, pointed at Wu Tie and shouted sternly: "You deserve death ten thousand times."

Streams of light flowed forth one after another from the military department office, continuously rising from the mansions of various great generals; these, some with white hair, some with flowing beards, deep-rooted in the Great Jin military, renowned senior generals, all pointed at Wu Tie and sternly rebuked: "You deserve death ten thousand times."

Though many point fingers and yet die without illness... At this moment, Wu Tie, is it more than just a thousand fingers pointing?

Immediately after, within Anyang City, in all the civil officials' offices, in every hall, department, bureau, and office big and small, one after another, those corrupt civil officials rose into the air, pointing at Wu Tie and loudly denouncing: "You deserve death ten thousand times."

In Anyang City, there's not much else—just many aristocratic families, just many high-ranking civil and military officials.

The vast Great Jin Divine State, the vast imperial court, the vast establishment—civil and military officials of rank three and above number at least a hundred thousand; the mansions of great generals, aristocratic families, royal palaces, and the estates of ennobled clans, together also number at least a hundred thousand.

With so many civil and military officials, and so many members of the great generals' families, aristocratic houses, and noble clans standing in the air, it was like a net of heaven and earth enclosing Wu Tie, who they pointed at and sternly rebuked: "You deserve death ten thousand times."

Within Anyang City, countless common people were also stirred by the appearance of these civil and military officials.

One side was just Wu Tie alone, while the other side almost occupied more than seventy percent of Anyang Court's civil and military officials... Who's right or wrong, need we even say?

Certainly, this Lord of Yu Prefecture, Huo Xiong, is the arch-villain, the number one great treacherous and sycophantic villain.

Those commoners who possessed cultivation also gathered their courage, attempting to fly into the sky; indeed, ordinarily, no matter how they manipulated their magical power, they could not even hope to rise ten zhang high, but today, with just a little effort, they rose into the air with ease.

Thus, thick and dense, from all directions countless citizens rose into the air, pointing at Wu Tie and shouting in unison: "You deserve death ten thousand times."

The clamor was like thunder, like a tsunami, nearly lifting the Imperial City itself.

Sima Fa stood in the garden deep within the Imperial City, his body trembling, his face flushed red as if smeared with chicken blood, his eyes full of angry fire.

Linghu Qingqing raised her arm and cried out: "Officials, follow me to the Imperial City... I have no authority to restrain the Imperial City Army Command; I cannot overthrow the Lord of Yu Prefecture, who brings disaster to the nation and incites mutiny; I ask you officials to accompany me to petition the Emperor..."

A flicker of deep satisfaction crossed Linghu Qingqing's eyes: "Please, Emperor, issue an edict to denounce the Lord of Yu Prefecture, appoint truly loyal and capable ministers to take charge of the Imperial City Army Command, and restore to the Great Jin Court a bright and clear universe."