Chapter 580

Time flew by.

The southwest of Great Jin was completely rotted; the Great Wu Divine State's army that destroyed Jin was like a tsunami demon dragon, sweeping through, and AnYang City received military reports daily—another prefectural city fell, another commandery city was slaughtered, and how many cities turned into seas of fire.

The army of the Great Wu Divine State could be called the most barbaric and cruel among the three states.

Those who dare to resist are killed.

Those who dare to flee are killed.

Those who are displeasing to the eye are killed.

Those in a bad mood are killed.

Useless people are killed.

Ordinary civilians are killed.

Only those who possessed a special skill—such as formation masters, talisman masters, alchemists, casters, and so on, even famous blacksmiths, carpenters, tile workers, plasterers, even gelded pig handlers, leather workers, those skilled at raising livestock, and adept farmers—were taken wholesale by the Great Wu Divine State's army and shipped all the way back to the Great Wu Divine State.

The Great Wu forces, in organized units, destructively mined all natural resources along the way; powerful divine ability seals directly shattered mountain after mountain, dug out vein after vein, extracting energy crystals and plundering metal ores.

Furthermore, Great Wu dignitaries sent their trusted subordinates; wherever they saw a breathtakingly lovely small mountain, a crystal-clear enchanting little lake, a proud, twisted ancient pine, a rugged and exquisite rock, and so on, they unfailingly employed great divine abilities, using arts like the universe in their sleeves, to plunder and carry away these wondrous scenes born of heaven and earth.

As for the places they passed through, the beautiful, lovely girls and handsome, tall youths also became spoils of the Great Wu army.

The myriad blood and tears among them cannot be counted one by one.

When the southwest fell to over twenty prefectures, the hearts of the Great Jin people settled; what are a mere twenty-odd prefectures?

When the southwest fell to nearly a hundred prefectures, rumors began to spread in the streets and alleys of Great Jin; the people felt uneasy, some even unable to sleep at night, as if a steel blade pressed against their backs, and many felt apprehensive.

When the southwest fell to over three hundred prefectures, half of the southwest had already sunk into war and smoke, and there was no longer any organized Great Jin force to block the enemy. The main force of the Great Wu Divine State's army that destroyed Jin, together with subsequent reinforcements, marched straight into the Great Jin southwest, unstoppable as a bamboo split, truly no one could stop them.

When the whole of Great Jin was in turmoil and the populace panicked, not knowing what to do, dignitaries began secretly moving their direct-line clansmen into deep mountains and old forests, into the refuges their families had secretly built over countless years.

And the affairs of the court finally spread throughout the world.

Emperor Si Mafei felt his talent insufficient, delegated authority, and appointed Left Chancellor Linghu Qingqing as Grand Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the World, to command all troops, enforce military law to bind the nation, and fully control national war affairs.

And Right Chancellor Gongyang Sanlü served as Linghu Qingqing's deputy, overseeing administration and fully cooperating with Linghu Qingqing's actions.

Linghu Qingqing issued the Grand Marshal's order, temporarily abolishing all current laws of the Great Jin Divine State and placing the nation under military law.

The military department transformed: from the Great Jin Divine State's military department it became the Grand Marshal's Central Headquarters; Linghu Qingqing personally devised the harsh military code of twenty-four beheadings and forty-eight supervisions, ordered a halt to all civilian entertainment and commercial activities, placed all mobile resources under the management of the Grand Marshal's Central Headquarters, and allocated material consumption of all prefectural cities, commandery cities, ordinary towns and villages by headcount.

The warrior clans of the vassal Linghu family mobilized fully, countless clansmen bringing their large private armies left their fiefs, joined the Grand Marshal's Central Headquarters, and became its direct subordinate elite guard.

Linghu Qingqing proclaimed to the world that the elite guard under the Grand Marshal's Central Headquarters was named the "Qiuqiu Army", the headquarters itself was named the "Qiuqiu Platform", and the most elite guards within the Qiuqiu Platform were called the "Celestial Fox Guard"!

After a series of dazzling maneuvers, Linghu Qingqing had already controlled the vast majority of power in the Great Jin court, and directly replaced the former Great Jin Divine State military department's organization with the military system of his Grand Marshal's Central Headquarters.

On that very day, just after Linghu Qingqing's "Celestial Fox Guard" and "Qiuqiu Army" were publicly displayed to the world and the troops were initially formed, the old acquaintance of Wu Tie, Linghu Wenwen, who had once stormed the Royal City's Military Office alone, led a crack unit out of AnYang and straight to Wu Tie's current encampment at the junction of Hu, Yu, and Mo prefectures.

"Hu Prefecture Marquis Huo Ying receives the edict." Linghu Wenwen held a scroll of imperial edict, the Chaos Luo Umbrella hovered above his head, emitting boundless radiance, forcing the advancing soldiers before him to lose their footing; he led his subordinates straight in, all the way to the front of Wu Tie's central command tent.

Wu Tie let out a low, deep roar; the Black Heaven Cauldron shot up into the sky, releasing thick black air that firmly blocked the Chaos Luo Umbrella.

"Linghu Wenwen, you storm my camp—are you looking for death?" These days Wu Tie had also been busy reorganizing troops; the Four Courts Twelve Guards' numbers were rapidly expanding, and he was well informed about events in AnYang and throughout the Great Jin realm.

Linghu Wenwen's visit this time surely harbored ill intent, so Wu Tie's tone was utterly unsparing.

The curtain of the central command tent was lifted; a heavy-armored elite unit surged out; Wu Tie, surrounded by a group of guard commanders, with the Black Heaven Cauldron hovering above his head, strode out. Upon seeing each other, without a word, Wu Tie threw a punch at Linghu Wenwen.

The Chaos Luo Umbrella and the Black Heaven Cauldron opposed each other, resulting in a stalemate.

Wu Tie threw a punch; Linghu Wenwen snorted coldly, flicked his wide sleeve, and a palm-sized, fish-like agile short sword flew out, bringing a flash of cold light to slash at Wu Tie's palm.

Linghu Wenwen is a spell cultivator; he would not foolishly clash head-on with Wu Tie.

Wu Tie smiled, spread his five fingers, grabbed the short sword sent to his palm, then clenched his fingers—*crack*—the Nine Refined Immortal Weapon grade immortal sword was crushed by him into countless fine powder that drifted from between his fingers.

Wu Tie smiled, opened his five fingers, grabbed the short sword sent into his palm, then clenched his fingers—Crack! —this nine-refined immortal weapon-grade immortal sword was crushed by him into powder, exploding into countless fine powder that drifted from between his fingers.

Behind Linghu Wenwen, a towering, stalwart man over ten feet tall strode out, a faint roar of an angry bear echoing from within him; he likewise threw a punch at Wu Tie.

Their heavy fists collided; Wu Tie's fist suffered no damage and continued to smash down on Linghu Wenwen.

The big man's arm exploded into a mist of blood, a terrible force pierced his viscera; he bled from his seven orifices, staggered backward step after step, knocking over dozens of his comrades, and every bone and tendon was broken, his armor shattered to pieces.

"How heavy, this fist." The big man who had clashed head-on with Wu Tie grunted, then collapsed face up.

Wu Tie's punch shattered his body, even his divine embryo was crushed to powder; this man's breath was faint, and even if saved with a Great Dao Treasure Pill, he would be completely ruined.

Wu Tie's fist gleamed with dozens of strange lights; he activated the Azure Sea Divine Pearl, imbueing his fist with the power of a world contained within one Azure Sea Divine Pearl—this was like a small world directly smashing toward Linghu Wenwen.

Linghu Wenwen's face changed drastically; he raised the imperial edict in his hand to block Wu Tie's fist, and shouted sternly: "Hu Prefecture Marquis, the imperial edict is here……"

Wu Tie's fist struck the edict, shattering it to pieces; the terrifying punch force, like a star moving across the sky, continued toward Linghu Wenwen. The Chaos Luo Umbrella emitted countless streams of splendor cascading downward, blocking Wu Tie's fist. But Linghu Wenwen and many of his Linghu clansmen behind him, in horror, saw that the splendor emitted by the Chaos Luo Umbrella before Wu Tie's heavy punch was breaking apart strand by strand, snapping……

"Imperial edict? This is a chaotic command; I, the Marquis, do not obey!" Wu Tie roared loudly, continuing to smash his fist toward Linghu Wenwen.

"If you want me to obey the edict, have the Emperor appear in person; otherwise…… I do not follow chaotic commands!" Wu Tie's shout shook the central headquarters; thirty-six Four Spirit warships shot into the sky, countless Five Element spirits in the air formed a great formation, tens of thousands of warships big and small gathered from all directions, near and far, one formation after another—some drilled, some unfamiliar—rose into the air and rolled over toward this side.

"If you want me to obey the edict, please come before me in person; otherwise…… I will not respect chaotic orders!" Wu Tie's roar shook the central army, thirty-six four-spirit warships shot up into the sky, countless five-element spirits in the air formed a great formation, tens of thousands of warships of various sizes gathered from all directions, near and far, one after another, either well-practiced or unfamiliar military formations rose into the air, rolling over toward this side.

The Chaos Luo Umbrella could suppress one side, but Wu Tie had the Black Heaven Cauldron, so he held no advantage.

In personal strength, Wu Tie was as strong as a monster; this suddenly risen fortunate youth's progress exceeded the ordinary, truly outrageous.

Moreover, at this moment Wu Tie was inside the Royal City Military Office's central headquarters, surrounded by hundreds of millions of troops and tens of thousands of warships guarding all sides; even if Linghu Wenwen were a deity, he would be smashed to pulp by the massive military formation.

"Hu Prefecture Marquis, you wait and see…… you refuse to follow military orders, unwilling to integrate the Four Courts Twelve Guards into the Qiuqiu Army to resist the Wu offensive…… you are destined to be a sinner of the Great Jin Divine State!" Linghu Wenwen could only shake the Chaos Luo Umbrella, emitting boundless light to envelop his retinue, then shoot up into the sky and flee at top speed.

"Sinner? Hehe, the collapse of the southwest frontier—how exactly did it happen, you and I know full well!" Wu Tie also did not hold back, directly tore his face and shouted: "Linghu Wenwen, you want to capture the First Army and its officers—did you manage to take any alive?"

Wu Tie laughed "hehehe", and the fleeing Linghu Wenwen's mood instantly turned dreadful.

The southwest collapse, according to Linghu Qingqing's plan, all blame falls on the First Army; this blame can only be borne by the current head of the First Clan, the master of the Divine Might Hall, the commander of the Divine Might Army, and it will also greatly weaken internal resistance within the Great Jin Divine State against Linghu Qingqing.

Yet after the southwest collapse, the people Linghu Qingqing sent to capture the First Army all disappeared.

The First Army, its clansmen, its officers, and those loyal to the First Army—namely, those loyal to the Great Jin imperial house, the warrior clans—all vanished without trace.

Not only were they missing, but their clansmen in AnYang City and their clansmen in their respective fiefs also disappeared.

Hidden danger, a great hidden danger.

Hidden danger, an enormous hidden danger.

Linghu Qingqing knows full well this is a sore that could break out at any moment, but where does he have time to deal with these?

Wu Tie, in Linghu Wenwen's presence, brought up the First Army; he was merely causing trouble for Linghu Wenwen, merely provoking the Linghu clan.

"Heh heh!" Watching Linghu Wenwen flee in panic, Wu Tie said coldly: "An imperial edict whose issuer is unknown, and you want me to lay down my arms and surrender? Heh heh, do you think I'm foolish? Sima Fa, this guy, really..."

Wu Tie produced the Divine Emperor Seal that Sima Fa had flung at him in front of everyone when he left Anyang City under orders to suppress the rebel armies of the various states.

Sima Fa, this guy, wouldn't have prepared in advance, would he?

This is the Divine Emperor Seal; according to law, only an imperial edict bearing this seal can be considered a legitimate and valid edict.

Wu Tie held the Divine Emperor Seal as Linghu Wenwen ran over to tell him to obey the edict—this isn't a joke, is it?

Linghu Wenwen would be better off bringing the military order from the Grand Marshal's Central Army Office; perhaps that would be more valuable.

"Never mind them, continue organizing the troops, prepare for battle." Wu Tie shouted sternly: "Now, every grain of rice, every pinch of salt, every stalk of medicinal herb in the territory controlled by our Imperial City Military Command must be watched by me. Whoever dares to steal, I'll break their claws!"

Wu Tie expelled Linghu Wenwen here, while in Anyang City the situation had temporarily stabilized; moreover, Green Hill Terrace began issuing orders, the Green Hill Army started patrolling in all directions, and the Celestial Fox Guard, with Linghu Qingqing now fully formed, directly led six Divine Manifestation Realm elders of the Linghu clan swaggering straight into the Imperial City, without any notice, as layer after layer of palace gates opened before him.

Along the way, the Imperial Guard was sparse, with not a single person stepping forward to stop this blatant disrespect.

Linghu Qingqing led a large force straight in, all the way to the gates of Sima Fa's bedchamber; a Linghu clan elder lightly tapped with his right hand, and the heavy metal gates of the bedchamber silently turned into a wisp of blue smoke.

"Linghu Qingqing, what are you doing here?" Sima Fa was in the bedchamber, posing before a large mirror, admiring his fine physique.

Suddenly seeing Linghu Qingqing barge in with people, Sima Fa, like a startled young maiden, shrieked and leapt up, grabbing a long white silk scarf to wrap around his body.

Linghu Qingqing gave Sima Fa a cold glance, then drew a deep breath.

"Your Majesty, warfare is perilous; the Great Martial God State advances menacingly. I believe… the Imperial City is too conspicuous a target, with Your Majesty constantly residing here. Should an outside assassin strike and wound Your Majesty, would that not be a calamity for our Great Jin?"

Linghu Qingqing smiled gently: "Therefore, I dare to ask Your Majesty to take the numerous members of the imperial family in Anyang City to the hidden manor I have prepared for you outside the city; the spies of the Great Martial God State will absolutely not be able to find it, and Your Majesty's safety will be unproblematic."

Linghu Qingqing said with a gentle smile: "Therefore, I dare to ask Your Majesty to take the many royal family members inside Anyang City and reside outside the city in a secluded manor that I have specially prepared for Your Majesty; the scouts of the Great Martial God State will absolutely not be able to find that place, and Your Majesty's safety will absolutely not be a problem."

Sima Fa looked at Linghu Qingqing like an idiot and began to hysterical cursing: "Linghu Qingqing, do you know how many members of the imperial family alone are in Anyang City? What kind of 'hidden' manor could accommodate hundreds of thousands of imperial family members living in secrecy?"

Linghu Qingqing smiled: "It is sufficiently hidden, Your Majesty; the manor's main structure lies dozens of li underground, and its walls, roof, and floor are extremely sturdy—even a Divine Manifestation Realm expert could not destroy it with a single strike. Please, Your Majesty, set out at once."

Sima Fa stared blankly, then pointed at Linghu Qingqing and exclaimed in sudden realization: "You, you, you mean you want to imprison me in the underground prison? You, you, you, Linghu Qingqing, you have the gall of a dog!"

Linghu Qingqing walked up smiling and slapped Sima Fa across the face.

"Old minister, how could I be a dog? Heh heh, but Your Majesty now looks somewhat like a drowned dog; this old minister can't help wanting to beat you himself." Linghu Qingqing laughed, laughed, and then couldn't help laughing.

Sima Zhengren roared as he charged out from outside the bedchamber; six Linghu clan elders of the Divine Manifestation Realm each grasped an Innate Supreme Treasure, laughing loudly as they went to meet him.

Inside the Imperial City, the heavens shook and the earth trembled.

After a moment, blood rained down from the sky; Sima Zhengren fell, and the Wind and Cloud Trembling Heaven Bell was personally seized by Linghu Qingqing.

After a moment, blood rained down from the sky; Sima Zhengren fell, and the Wind and Cloud Trembling Heaven Bell was personally seized by Linghu Qingqing.