Chapter 179: Before the Wind Rises

The night was as dark as ink.

It lay splashed in a remote, deep valley in a spur of the Taihang Mountains, where human traces are scarce.

This place is far from the official road, and miasma permeates the air.

Even the most seasoned hunters would not venture here lightly.

At the valley floor, a few crude stone huts built against the cliff walls seemed to merge with the darkness.

Only the largest of them emitted a faint, unsettling bluish light through its cracks.

Inside the stone house, the air was icy and piercing, as if it had congealed.

A figure stood with its back to the door, looming in the darkness, its outline blurred.

Yet it exuded an ancient, ice‑like stillness and oppressive pressure.

Before him on the stone platform lay several pieces of dark‑blue crystal ore of varying sizes.

That icy light emanated from these crystals.

A leader of the Iron Crow Army, clad head‑to‑toe in black combat garb, knelt on one knee, head bowed low.

He even slowed his breath deliberately, daring not to overstep in the slightest.

He had just finished reporting the recent results of operations directed toward Luochuan.

——Infiltration was blocked, the intelligence network damaged, and the economic pressure strategy had failed.

Zhao Kuangyin's forces were financially strained, making little progress.

"My lord, under Chen Wen's rule, it is as solid as an iron barrel."

"The Inspection Bureau has eyes and ears everywhere; the common folk support it unusually, and our moves are constantly hampered."

"Although Zhao Kuangyin has obtained the 'Tempering' method, his finances are depleted, making it hard to achieve great things."

"In the short term, it is unlikely to pose a substantive threat to Chen Wen."

The leader's voice sounded especially dry and hoarse in the vast, icy stone chamber.

The figure called "Master" made no movement at all, not even a flick of his robe.

Yet the chill permeating the air suddenly deepened, as if even the stone walls might freeze.

After a long while, a cold, emotion‑free voice rang out, like metal scraping, devoid of any human warmth:

"Deviation…… is becoming ever more apparent."

The voice paused, as if processing some complex information.

"The Luochuan node, abnormal data streams continue to intensify."

"Stability…… is under threat. Standard corrective measures…… are inefficient."

The leader lowered his head further, not daring to respond.

He understood the meaning of "deviation" and "node"; they were the core concerns ever on his master's mind.

Chen Wen's existence and his unfathomable "ability" are precisely the root cause of the deviation.

And Luochuan has become the key "node" that must be "corrected".

"Zhao Kuangyin, a pawn…… is nearing the edge of obsolescence."

The icy voice sounded again, carrying a barely perceptible……

perhaps a tone more fittingly called an "evaluation".

"Waiting for its natural growth can no longer meet the deadline of the 'Purge Plan.'"

The leader's heart jolted.

This meant the master had lost patience with the pawn Zhao Kuangyin.

"We must…… raise the intervention level."

The figure slowly turned, but his face remained hidden in deep shadow.

Only a pair of eyes, reflecting in the bluish crystal light, emitted an inhuman, icy gleam.

Like two obsidian stones polished to perfection, they regarded the kneeling leader without emotion.

"Target: Luochuan's core facilities—the artificers' camp and the granary hub."

The voice rang out decisive and final, issuing the ultimate order.

"Deploy the 'Nether Shadow'. Execute the 'Sever Root' operation. Deadline: the night of the new moon."

"Nether Shadow?!"

The leader jerked his head up, a flash of shock crossing his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, returning to absolute obedience.

"The 'Nether Shadow' is the most mysterious and elite squad within the Iron Crow Army, numbering only a handful."

It is said its members are produced as death‑warriors through a special secret method combined with large quantities of Nether Energy Crystal Ore.

Each possesses astonishing combat power and has completely discarded self‑awareness, existing solely to fulfill a given command.

Using the "Nether Shadow" means the operation will shift from intelligence infiltration and economic pressure.

Directly upgrading to a physical‑level devastating strike!

This is already one of the most drastic measures they can take within the allowed rules.

"Yes! Master!"

The leader had no objections and knocked his head heavily to the ground.

"Remember!"

The icy voice sounded again as the leader turned to retreat, carrying an undeniable absoluteness.

"Ensure the effect of 'Sever Root'. "

"If the 'Nether Shadow' fails…… or is exposed too much…… you know the consequences."

The leader's body trembled imperceptibly, and he whispered in a low voice: "I understand, subordinate! I will not fail the trust you placed in me!"

He quickly rose, stepped backward out of the stone hut, merged into the darkness outside, and his figure vanished like a ghost.

The stone hut fell silent again. That silhouette turned once more toward the azure crystal on the stone pedestal.

He extended a hand, pale and bloodless, and lightly brushed the crystal's surface.

The faint glow within the crystal seemed to sway slightly with his touch.

"Anomaly……Chen Wen……"

The icy whisper echoed in the empty stone chamber, carrying a sluggish, icy killing intent like a program encountering an unparseable error.

"Must……be erased. Trajectory……must return to the proper course."

Luoyang, the study in the Defense Commissioner's residence.

Chen Wen had just finished reviewing the last document on autumn harvest preparations, rubbing his slightly furrowed brow.

Although all affairs proceeded smoothly and his power steadily grew, the string in his heart never relaxed.

Chai Rong's illness, Bian Liang's suspicions, Zhao Kuangyin's hostility, and the Iron Crow Army's watchfulness.

Like layers of dark clouds, they loomed over the seemingly clear sky.

He walked to the window, opened it, and let the night breeze in, bringing a hint of coolness.

In the distance, the artisans' camp had long since extinguished its lights, all was still.

Only the occasional footsteps of the patrol units could be heard.

The granary area was even more heavily guarded, lights blazing, defenses tight.

Everything appeared orderly and solid as a golden fortress.

Yet, for some unknown reason, Chen Wen felt a faint, inexplicable unease rise in his heart.

This feeling did not stem from any definite intelligence or sign; it was more like an instinct honed by long battlefield experience, tempered on the edge of life and death.

It seemed as if something extremely dangerous in the darkness had opened its eyes, casting a cold gaze upon this land.

He recalled Qian Gui's earlier report concerning the captured Iron Crow Army scouts.

Their ruthlessness, resoluteness, and that piece of strange azure crystal.

These fellows would never easily give up after a few setbacks.

They were like venomous snakes hidden in the grass—if they stayed still, all was well; if they moved, it would be a fatal strike.

"The time is nearly upon us……"

Chen Wen muttered softly.

He had previously used economic means to squeeze Zhao Kuangyin, which was both a probe and a coercion.

He wanted to see, if conventional measures proved ineffective, what response the other side would make.

Judging by now, the reaction would probably not be mild.

He turned back to his desk, pondered a moment, picked up his brush, and wrote several orders.

One was for Shi Dun, ordering the Jing'an Army to raise its combat readiness effective immediately.

Especially night patrols and guards, doubling both open and concealed sentries, and inspecting all key facilities for defensive weaknesses.

One was for Zhao Lao Nian, commanding him to strengthen the artisans' camp's own defensive forces.

Especially the Jia Zi Fang workshop and the storehouses holding important blueprints and materials; if necessary, they could be temporarily relocated or dispersed to conceal vital processes.

The last was for Zhang Cheng, demanding a re‑check and verification of the reserves and guard conditions at all major granaries to ensure absolute security.

He had no concrete evidence, but he trusted his intuition.

The Iron Crow Army, or rather the masters behind them, were about to lose their patience.

The next wave of turmoil would likely no longer be mere shadows in the dark and economic soft blades.

But rather more direct and ruthless thunder‑like tactics.

After handing the orders to the personal guard to be sent out overnight, Chen Wen once again stood by the window, gazing into the deep night.

"The wind fills the tower as the mountain rain approaches." He could sense the growing smell of gunpowder in the air.

Peaceful days were probably few and far between.

He must make every preparation to welcome the impending storm.

No matter who the opponent is, whoever seeks to destroy what he has painstakingly built.

They must first ask the blade in his hand, and the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians behind him, whether they agree!