Chapter 494: A man

The Southern Border.

The Great Lan Dynasty borders the grasslands to the east, the wilderness to the north, the ocean to the west, and an endless desert to the south.

In the beginning, there were many small nations and tribes in the desert. Later, they were unified by a legendary king who established a unified empire in the desert named Great Desert.

But following the death of this legendary king, coupled with the calculated sowing of discord by the various Central Plains nations, Great Desert was eventually split into two desert states.

One raised a black banner and was called Profound Desert.

One raised a red banner and was called Red Desert.

Over five hundred years ago, these two desert states were conquered by the Taizu Emperor, who led his troops to force them to bow and submit to the Great Lan Dynasty, becoming vassal states that paid annual tribute.

After the Taizu Emperor passed away, although the two desert states showed signs of unrest, they did not spark many major wars.

History books record two major wars:

First, in the seventh year of Jiaxu, the two desert states of the Southern Border invaded. Great Lan's famous general Ao Yun led troops to quell the rebellion, taking less than a month to defeat the invading army and capturing over twenty thousand prisoners, all of whom were eventually buried alive! (See Chapter 15 of Volume 2 for details.)

Second, in the twenty-seventh year of Emperor Hongguang, the seven-nation coalition of the Western Continent invaded the Great Lan Dynasty. Sensing an opportunity, the two desert states of the Southern Border once again sent troops to invade together!

That year, precisely because the two desert states sent troops, the imperial court, which had intended to mobilize the Red Red Qilin Army stationed at the Southern Border to deal with the Western coalition, was forced to abandon the plan.

Otherwise, had the Red Red Qilin Army gone to intercept them in that battle, the Western coalition might not have been able to fight all the way to the gates of Lanling City.

After crushing the Western coalition, the imperial court was able to free up its hands to deal with the two desert states.

It took only three months to beat the two desert states into surrendering once again.

However, such alien nations, similar to the situation with the Northern Barbarians and the grasslands, could be beaten into submission by the Great Lan Dynasty, but were difficult to conquer and occupy permanently.

Eventually, after signing extremely harsh treaties, the Great Lan Dynasty accepted the surrender of the two nations.

Next, the Great Lan Dynasty ushered in the "Mingxin Reform," which, with the help of Western technology, was equivalent to launching an industrial revolution!

The Great Lan Dynasty, this aging empire, seemed to glow with new life!

Conversely, for the two desert states, internal conflicts were stirred up time and again by the Great Lan Dynasty, and coupled with various famines and epidemics, their national strength deteriorated day by day, making them increasingly unable to pose a threat to the Great Lan Dynasty.

Thus, in the thirty-first year of Emperor Hongguang, the imperial court ordered the Red Red Qilin Army to be transferred from the Southern Border to the west, and officially established the Western Border defense line along the long coastline to guard against the Western Continent.

From the twenty-eighth year of Emperor Hongguang until the current forty-ninth year of Emperor Hongguang, the Southern Border has enjoyed peace for twenty-one years.

Unlike the Eastern Border army facing the Grassland Royal Court and the Northern Border army facing the seventeen Northern Barbarian tribes, where wars occur from time to time and various small frictions never cease, the situation is different.

As for the Western Border army, because it must face the entire Western Continent directly, various daily training exercises are strictly enforced, and the soldiers on the Western Border defense line dare not let their guard down.

As for the Southern Border, with twenty-one years of no war and facing the two desert states that pose almost no threat, the situation of the Southern Border army is completely different from the other three major border armies.

Training is lax, officers embezzle pay, drink the soldiers' blood, oppress soldiers to do private work, trade in military equipment... all kinds of chaos in the army can be found here!

In the seventh year of the "Mingxin Reform," Chief Grand Secretary Ye Ye Zean wanted to equip the major border armies with new types of firearms one after another.

At this time, this Chief Grand Secretary first proposed the idea of "military downsizing," wanting to reduce the quotas of the major border armies, with the Southern Border being the most significant!

But the resistance to the "military downsizing" was too great.

Even with Ye Ye Zean's talent, coupled with the Emperor delegating power to him, he was still stretched thin on this matter, and the results were not very significant.

To this day, the number of troops in the Southern Border army has only been reduced from the original 130,000 to 100,000.

And the actual number of troops in the Southern Border army is certainly less than 100,000.

The evening of July 5th, the forty-ninth year of Emperor Hongguang.

The First Imperial Prince Qin Qin Zihong took a flying magic treasure and arrived at the Southern Border in two days.

This large flying magic treasure was named "Hidden Crane in the Clouds," which had an extremely fast flight speed, could fly at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and came with extremely powerful concealment techniques; it was a true strategic-level weapon!

Unless Yun Shu could immediately chase out from within Lanling City, it was almost impossible for Qin Qin Zihong and the others to be tracked.

Without the ability to accurately locate them, they would not be intercepted along the way.

Yun Shu was first heavily injured by Qing Xu, and after that, before his wounds had healed, he killed the peak powerhouse Qiming from thousands of miles away.

How could he not pay a price?

Qin Qin Zihong had calculated that Yun Shu would not be able to make another move in the short term, and Wen Ren Zheng was good at killing but not at other things, which was why he had set such an escape plan.

Now he had successfully arrived at the Southern Border with his people.

The large ship landed directly in Green Boat City, one of the nine major cities of the Southern Border.

Inside the military headquarters camp, Qin Qin Zihong brought over a hundred Golden Flying Cavalry off the ship, accompanied by a Martial Arts Master and a True Person.

A bald man wearing a full set of armor, leading seven or eight generals, walked up quickly and bowed to Qin Qin Zihong:

"This subordinate greets the First Imperial Prince!"

Qin Qin Zihong looked calmly at the bald man before him and spoke slowly:

"Du Hua Jie, this is our first time meeting."

The general named Du Hua Jie, upon hearing this, knelt on one knee and cupped his fists to Qin Qin Zihong:

"Everything this subordinate has today is given by the Prince! This subordinate is willing to go through fire and water for the Prince!"

With him kneeling, the several generals he brought also knelt down together and said in unison:

"We are willing to die for the Prince!"

Du Hua Jie, a Regional Commander of the Southern Border army, a level 16 military officer, leading ten thousand troops!

Compared to the other three major borders, the Southern Border had the worst military discipline, the most chaotic internal management, and was the easiest to intervene in.

Therefore, Qin Qin Zihong had "laid his pieces and set up his layout" in the Southern Border very early on, secretly gathering manpower.

Of course, he hadn't planned to rebel long ago, but rather to increase his bargaining chips and his influence in the army.

Now, this move had become his final chance for a comeback!

When Du Hua Jie was still an Assistant Regional Commander, he had been bought off by Qin Qin Zihong.

Over the years, he had been able to rise step by step in the Southern Border army, from Assistant Regional Commander to Commander, and then to Regional Commander.

And being able to go from a Dao Foundation stage martial artist to a Martial Arts Master, all relied on the resources, cultivation techniques, connections, and opportunities given by Qin Qin Zihong!

He had long been deeply tied to the First Imperial Prince's ship, and he felt gratitude toward Qin Qin Zihong.

The investment of a superior never looks solely at an individual's talent and aptitude; it also values a person's character.

To put it bluntly, if you raise a dog for more than a decade, when the master's life is threatened, it will also rush up to bite people regardless of its own safety.

If you cultivate a subordinate, invest many resources, and the final effect is not as good as raising a dog.

Wouldn't that be a complete failure?

Qin Qin Zihong was very satisfied with Du Hua Jie's attitude, stepped forward, and personally helped him up:

"Everyone, please rise."

"Prince, please come inside."

Du Hua Jie led Qin Qin Zihong into the military headquarters building.

"Prince, all the soldiers in Green Boat City are willing to follow the Prince north to clear the monarch's side!"

Inside the room, Du Hua Jie expressed directly to Qin Qin Zihong.

Upon receiving the news, he had immediately arranged for his confidants to start making preparations, and by the time Qin Qin Zihong arrived with his people, the entire Green Boat City was already under his control!

He was very clear about the risks of this move, and he was also very clear about the consequences of failure.

But he did not have the slightest hesitation.

A scholar dies for his bosom friend! From ancient times to the present, the world has never lacked such people.

"If we send troops, Red Ancient City, which is closest to Green Boat City, can be reached in one day, and this subordinate is confident in taking this city within a day!"

"Feng Bo, the Regional Commander of East Tomb City, is a man who values wealth above all else. If the Prince is willing to share some benefits with him, and this subordinate leads troops to threaten him, I am confident I can make him bring his troops to join the Prince."

"Three Hunan City..."

Qin Qin Zihong didn't need to speak; Du Hua Jie took the initiative to explain the various situations in the Southern Border and offered his own suggestions.

He was a man with ambition and was unwilling to wallow in the mire with the other Southern Border generals.

Therefore, the phenomenon of embezzling pay and drinking soldiers' blood under his command was much better than elsewhere, and his daily training was also stricter.

If they were to send troops, he was confident in taking several cities in a short time!

Qin Qin Zihong looked at Du Hua Jie with satisfaction; having such a subordinate indeed made things worry-free:

"As for the other cities and the remaining soldiers of the Southern Border, you don't need to worry; they will all join us."

Du Hua Jie was startled and bowed:

"So the Prince already has arrangements; it was this subordinate who spoke too much."

Qin Qin Zihong smiled and patted him on the shoulder:

"It's a good thing you can think so much. Prince Li has also arrived at the Southern Border; with him making a move, who in the Southern Border would dare not submit?"

He revealed one of his trump cards.

"Prince Li?!"

Du Hua Jie widened his eyes, finally understanding where Qin Qin Zihong's confidence came from.

It was just that relying solely on the Southern Border army, even with the addition of Prince Li, a Martial Saint, it was still impossible to march north all the way to Lanling City to "clear the monarch's side."

Such comprehensive strength was not even as good as the Western coalition back then; even if they successfully fought to the gates of Lanling City, I'm afraid a single charge by the Sky Blue Iron Cavalry would cause the entire army to collapse!

However, Du Hua Jie didn't ask any more questions; since Prince Li was willing to join Qin Qin Zihong's side, it meant that their side had a certain chance of winning!

Otherwise, why would a Martial Saint gamble his life with Qin Qin Zihong?

When Qin Qin Zihong arrived at Green Boat City, the large ship of Prince Li, Qin Qin Mingli, also arrived at the Southern Border.

This large ship did not come to Green Boat City but went directly to Emerald Water City, where the Southern Border military headquarters was located.

When the large ship emitting light appeared over Emerald Water City, the entire city was alarmed.

Cao Cao Xinghan was the Provincial Military Commander of the Southern Border, a level 18 military officer, and also a Grandmaster of the Spirit Evolution stage.

Unlike others, he felt an aura as vast as the sea, as lofty as the sky, and supremely majestic descend upon him the moment it appeared!

He sat motionless in his seat, revealing a bitter expression.

Because he knew that if he moved, he would die!

"So Prince Li has come to the Southern Border..."

He had also received news that Prince Li had suddenly left the Prince's Mansion with people, and at this moment, sensing this aura that belonged only to a peak powerhouse, he immediately understood many things.

When a Martial Arts Master faces a Grandmaster, all supernatural powers are suppressed by the Martial Arts Domain, resulting in being crushed in all aspects; the two simply cannot fight.

But if the number of Martial Arts Masters increases and the number of supernatural powers cultivated also increases, then it becomes more difficult for a Grandmaster to suppress all supernatural powers with a Martial Arts Domain.

There have been some cases in history, such as a Grandmaster of the Peak stage being besieged by five Martial Arts Masters.

The total number of supernatural powers of these five Martial Arts Masters exceeded fifteen!

Thus, the Grandmaster's Martial Arts Domain could not achieve complete suppression, and the final result was that three of the five Martial Arts Masters died, two were heavily injured, and this Grandmaster of the Peak stage also died!

Judging from such cases, lower-stage martial artists can indeed besiege and kill higher-stage martial artists.

Dao Foundation stage martial artists can besiege and kill Martial Arts Masters, and Martial Arts Masters can also besiege and kill Grandmasters.

Moving further up, Grandmasters or top-tier True Persons joining forces indeed have a chance to threaten peak powerhouses.

But the gap between these two stages is immense; even if a dozen Grandmasters were willing to risk their lives to fight, it would still be very difficult to kill a Martial Saint.

And Grandmasters or top-tier True Persons are already rare powerhouses in the world; it is very difficult to find a dozen such powerhouses willing to risk their lives to besiege a peak powerhouse.

Later, when the Western Continent invaded, the powerhouses of the Great Lan Dynasty learned that there actually existed a "Prince level" between Grandmaster and Martial Saint.

Back then, the "God of War" Wen Ren Zheng fought three Princes of the Western coalition alone, eventually killing two and heavily injuring one.

This record was very brilliant, but it also showed that three Prince-level powerhouses joining forces could at least barely wrestle with a Martial Saint.

Otherwise, back then, all three Princes should have died, and no one would have been able to leave alive.

But the Southern Border side, let alone three Prince-level combat powers, couldn't even produce one.

Ever since the imperial court transferred the Red Red Qilin Army to the Western Border, the entire Southern Border was left with only Cao Cao Xinghan as a Grandmaster-level combat power.

Besides that, there were three thousand-man-level Imperial Camp Armies, equivalent to three Grandmaster-level combat powers.

But Cao Cao Xinghan did not have Bai Yan's military cultivation, unable to elevate the three thousand-man-level military formations to a higher level.

So he knew that facing Prince Li, he didn't even have a chance to run!

This Southern Border Provincial Military Commander sat in his seat, his face revealing a struggle; several times he wanted to force himself to stand up, but he stopped himself.

Eventually, he sighed and decided to wait quietly for Prince Li's arrival.

If it were twenty years ago, he would have stood up to resist without hesitation, not hesitating to die for his country, which would have been worthy of the Emperor's trust and heavy use!

But twenty-one years of comfortable enjoyment had long since worn away the will of this former iron-blooded general.

He began to fear death, reluctant to part with the dozens of beautiful concubines in his mansion, reluctant to part with the comfort of being a local "earth emperor"...

Soon, a figure descended from the sky and landed in the courtyard outside Cao Cao Xinghan's house.

Cao Cao Xinghan felt the pressure on him lift and immediately stood up and walked outside.

Sure enough, standing outside the door was Qin Qin Mingli!

Wearing a golden python robe, a jade hairpin on his head, and long hair reaching his shoulders, he looked only in his early thirties; his appearance could not be called very handsome, but he possessed an indescribable temperament. Standing there casually, he seemed to be the center of the entire world, making it impossible for people to ignore him.

"Southern Border Provincial Military Commander Cao Cao Xinghan, greets the Prince!"

Cao Cao Xinghan bowed decisively.

Qin Qin Mingli's eyes seemed to have the sun, moon, and stars revolving in them; just a calm gaze brought immense pressure to Cao Cao Xinghan:

"Cao Cao Xinghan, do you know why this Prince has come here?"

Cao Cao Xinghan did not hesitate and cupped his hands: "Willing to listen to the Prince's orders!"

Qin Qin Mingli sneered: "Good, this Prince wants you to lead the Southern Border army to march north with this Prince and the First Imperial Prince to clear the monarch's side!"

Even though he had already guessed the other party's intention, hearing the words "clear the monarch's side" at this moment, Cao Cao Xinghan still felt his body tremble and felt a sense of suffocation.

"..."

He maintained his bowing posture, silent for a few seconds, before saying with difficulty:

"This subordinate... obeys!"

Afterward, Cao Cao Xinghan began to issue orders in front of Qin Qin Mingli, summoning all high-level generals in the city to the military headquarters for a meeting.

Ten minutes later, more than a dozen generals arrived at the military headquarters building.

After entering the door, the first thing they saw was Qin Qin Mingli sitting in the main seat with his eyes closed, and then they saw Cao Cao Xinghan standing to the side.

No one was a fool; seeing this scene, combined with the news received today, they already roughly understood what was going on.

Some were uneasy, some excited, some angry.

After everyone had arrived, Cao Cao Xinghan stepped forward and said sternly:

"The Crown Prince, in order to seize power, colluded with Yun Shu and Wen Ren Zheng to secretly harm the Emperor, intending to deceive the world! The First Imperial Prince saw through the truth, went through all kinds of hardships to escape the capital, and joined Prince Li to come to our Southern Border, ordering us to immediately send troops north to clear the monarch's side!"

His voice echoed continuously in the room, deafening.

The people present changed color one after another, and one of them walked out of the ranks, his gaze like a knife, staring directly at Qin Qin Mingli in the main seat:

"May I ask Prince Li, how are you sure that what the First Imperial Prince said is true? Is there any solid evidence?"

This person was named Yang Ming, a commander of one of the three thousand-man Imperial Camp Armies in the Southern Border, a level 16 military officer, with the cultivation of a Martial Arts Master.

Because he commanded a thousand-man Imperial Camp Army and his military cultivation reached the "General level," he could possess Grandmaster-level combat power in wartime, so Cao Cao Xinghan had always been very polite to him, and they called each other brothers.

But at this moment, Cao Cao Xinghan pointed directly at his nose and cursed:

"Yang Ming, you are presumptuous! The First Imperial Prince saw it with his own eyes, and Prince Li is here to testify; how could it be fake?!"

In fact, everyone present roughly knew whether it was true or false.

But what was important was not the truth or falsehood, but the situation.

If only the First Imperial Prince had run to the Southern Border alone, even with his years of management in the Southern Border, he would never have been able to take away all the troops in the Southern Border.

But now that there was an extra Prince Li, the situation was different.

Even if it was just for the sake of their own lives, they had to bow their heads if they had to.

But there are wall-grasses that move with the wind in this world, and naturally, there are also iron-blooded men who are steadfast and loyal to the monarch!

"Hahahahaha——"

Yang Ming suddenly burst into loud laughter.

He drew the saber at his waist with a swish, the blade pointing directly at Qin Qin Mingli in front:

"For so many years, the Emperor has treated you with constant grace and honor; is this how you repay the Emperor?!"

Everyone present changed their faces, and their eyes looking at Yang Ming also became extremely complicated.

A Martial Arts Master actually dared to point a knife at a Martial Saint!

Qin Qin Mingli slowly opened his eyes, and a brilliant light flashed in them.

He merely glanced at Yang Ming, and Yang Ming felt as if struck by lightning; his face turned pale, and he retreated several steps.

Yet Yang Ming still did not put away his blade, instead gritting his teeth and saying:

"Traitors and rebels deserve to be executed by all! Are you not afraid of being reviled for ten thousand generations, of your descendants never being able to hold their heads high, by following these people to launch a rebellion today?!!"

The voice was like thunder, falling into the room and also into the hearts of everyone present.

Qin Qin Mingli did not say much; he disdained to waste breath on such a minor character.

He simply turned his head to look at Cao Cao Xinghan.

Cao Cao Xinghan sighed inwardly, stepped forward, and unleashed his Martial Domain, enveloping Yang Ming within it:

"Why bother..."

One minute later, there was one more corpse on the ground.

Cao Cao Xinghan looked around and said in a deep voice:

"Is there anyone else who objects?"

The remaining generals exchanged glances and bowed together toward Qin Qin Mingli in the main seat:

"We are willing to follow the Prince and the First Imperial Prince, to raise an army and march north to clear the monarch's side!"

That night, the sounds of killing in Cuishui City continued until dawn.

Even though all the high-ranking generals had declared their agreement to follow the Prince of Li and the First Imperial Prince, there were still many among the mid-to-low-ranking officers who refused.

Unlike the high-ranking generals, where only Yang Ming stood up to resist, among those lower-ranking military officers, there were actually more who were willing to resist to the death!

Sometimes, the way of the world is just like this: those who receive less are often the ones who know how to be grateful.

It was not until after two in the morning that the entire Cuishui City was thoroughly brought under Qin Qin Mingli's control.

This Prince of Li had been guarded against by the royal family for so many years that he truly lacked much influence externally.

He could slaughter Cuishui City alone!

Yet it was very difficult for him to thoroughly master this city by his own strength.

The reason he could succeed so quickly, besides his martial deterrence, was inseparable from the arrangements made by Qin Qin Zihong.

Several high-ranking generals, plus a portion of mid-to-low-ranking officers, stood up to firmly support him and the First Imperial Prince, claiming that what they said was the truth and that the Crown Prince had indeed murdered His Majesty!

The attitude of these people could influence many, especially those soldiers at the bottom who were unaware of the truth.

After thoroughly controlling Cuishui City, Cao Cao Xinghan used his status as Provincial Military Commander to convey orders to all other towns and cities in the Southern Border, demanding that everyone immediately prepare to send troops!

Subsequently, Qin Qin Mingli boarded the 'Cloud-Hidden Crane' and visited four major cities in succession within a single day!

These four major cities were all places with relatively firm attitudes that were not easily controlled.

With Qin Qin Mingli taking action personally, plus the personnel Qin Qin Zihong had arranged in advance, after a round of coercion, inducement, and bloody slaughter, these four cities were eventually taken successfully!

Nanping Town was one of the twenty-eight military towns in the Southern Border; it had a garrison of over 1,200 men, half of whom were cavalry.

Jiang Jiang Yufei was the Garrison Commander of Nanping Town, a level-10 military officer responsible for managing these thousand-plus garrison troops.

Upon receiving the orders from his superiors, this Garrison Commander—who was usually happy-go-lucky, spent his days drinking and playing cards with his subordinates, took plenty of bribes, and had committed no shortage of prohibited acts—made a decision that surprised many:

"The orders from above are treasonous! Assistant Regional Commander Fang, Commander Wang, and perhaps even the Provincial Military Commander have all rebelled along with the First Imperial Prince!"

"Whether you want to follow them in rebellion is not for me to say. In any case, I won't do such a wicked thing! I don't want my son to be pointed at and cursed in the future!"

"Those who fear death, just stay in the town and wait to be taken over."

"Those who don't fear death, when the time comes, follow me out to kill the rebels!"

This statement left his subordinates stunned.

"Sir, the higher-ups say the Crown Prince couldn't wait any longer, so he usurped the throne and secretly murdered His Majesty. Could it be true? After all, the other side has been the Crown Prince for so many years, this..."

"That's right, Sir, how could we possibly understand the affairs of those big shots above? Why must you do this?"

Several trusted aides tried to persuade Jiang Jiang Yufei.

"Bullshit!"

Jiang Jiang Yufei cursed directly, "The Crown Prince might rebel, but the Grand Marshal is loyal to His Majesty; how could he possibly join in a rebellion?!"

"I was a soldier under the Grand Marshal back in the day; I followed the Grand Marshal to fight the Northern Barbarians and went to the grasslands! I absolutely do not believe the Grand Marshal would rebel!"

He stood up, cursing and swearing, to put on his armor.

As for the common soldiers below who couldn't even recognize a few characters, Jiang Jiang Yufei did not expect them to understand what righteousness was or what was right and wrong.

Therefore, he was unwilling to force these people to accompany him to their deaths.

Most people in this life find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong; they merely follow the crowd, swept forward by the momentum of the times.

Jiang Jiang Yufei did not consider himself a very smart person, nor did he think he was particularly great.

He was just a small person.

However, even small people have their own persistence!

Two hours later, Jiang Jiang Yufei, clad in armor and holding a spear, with a rifle on his back, rode a level-1 Flying Crossing Beast out of Nanping Town.

Thirty-four soldiers followed him as he left; these men rode ordinary warhorses, and only five of them were martial artists.

Outside Nanping Town, yellow sand filled the sky.

In the distance, a cloud of dust was sweeping toward them like a yellow dragon!

Jiang Jiang Yufei squinted for a moment, his hands and feet growing cold:

"Damn it, there are even Imperial Camp troops!"

Coming to 'take over' Nanping Town were over three hundred armored cavalry, half of whom were exotic beast cavalry, plus fifty Imperial Camp cavalry!

Jiang Jiang Yufei was only a peak Qi-Transformation stage martial artist, not even at the Dao Foundation stage; facing these Imperial Camp troops, he would die in a single exchange.

At this moment, it was actually not too late to regret.

He steadied his slightly trembling hands, took a deep breath, and suddenly raised the spear in his hand:

"Everyone! Follow me to execute the rebels!"

"Kill—"

Jiang Jiang Yufei squeezed his horse's belly hard and charged out first.

"Kill!!!"

The soldiers behind him, each with a firm gaze, charged out with him.

Thirty-five riders launched a charge against three hundred!

A moment later, fresh blood stained the yellow sand red, and dozens of corpses lay on the ground.

The setting sun was like blood, and the wind and sand buried everything.

Betrayal and resistance, blood and slaughter.

All of this was playing out in every corner of the Southern Border.

In just two days, the nine major cities and twenty-eight military towns of the Southern Border all fell under the control of the Prince of Li and the First Imperial Prince!

This speed surprised even Cao Cao Xinghan, the Southern Border Provincial Military Commander.

He had governed the Southern Border for over twenty years; while he couldn't say he knew the situation of the border troops like the back of his hand, he generally understood the situation.

He was well aware of the infiltration and wooing of the Southern Border troops by various factions in the imperial court.

Although the First Imperial Prince had made moves early on, with the personnel he had arranged, it shouldn't have been possible to control the entire Southern Border so rapidly.

Even with his own surrender and the Prince of Li's martial deterrence, this speed still seemed too fast!

"Could it be..."

A guess flashed through Cao Cao Xinghan's mind, and he suddenly felt that this 'clearing of the monarch's side' might have a higher chance of success than he had imagined!

That night, the First Imperial Prince Qin Qin Zihong arrived in Cuishui City with his men and met with Qin Qin Mingli privately.

"Greetings, Grand-Uncle!"

After meeting, Qin Qin Zihong immediately bowed to Qin Qin Mingli.

Qin Qin Mingli helped him up with one hand, a smile appearing on his face: "Qin Zihong, you have done very well."

Qin Qin Zihong also smiled: "It is thanks to Grand-Uncle being here; otherwise, how could this have been accomplished?"

Qin Qin Mingli nodded and turned to walk toward the balcony to the side.

The two were currently at the highest point of the Military Headquarters building; Qin Qin Zihong followed, standing with Qin Qin Mingli before the railing, overlooking the city below.

"Qin Zihong, we are taking the Southern Border troops north, leaving the Southern Border gates wide open. If the two great desert nations take the opportunity to invade... if we ultimately fail, you and I will likely be reviled for ten thousand generations."

Qin Qin Mingli looked at the distant lights and said this.

Upon hearing this, Qin Qin Zihong's gaze turned cold and sharp:

"A man lives but once; in life, one should be a hero, and in death, a ghost among heroes! Being reviled for ten thousand generations is better than living a mediocre life!"

Qin Qin Mingli was not surprised by Qin Qin Zihong's thinking; the other party was very similar to himself in his youth in many respects, which was why he valued this junior so highly.

"I hope I will not be the second Qingxu."

Qin Qin Mingli smiled indifferently.

Qin Qin Zihong turned to look at him, his gaze firm:

"Grand-Uncle, rest assured; once I ascend the throne, I will definitely support you with all my might in climbing to the peak of the Martial Dao!"

Qin Qin Mingli glanced at him and nodded.

A monarch who ascended the throne normally, no matter who it was, could never allow him to go any further.

Only by the First Imperial Prince jumping out directly and standing in opposition to everyone would he truly need his support, and after ascending the throne, he would similarly need his martial power.

At that time, he would be equivalent to the 'Retired Emperor' and would have the opportunity to sweep across the Western Continent with the Way of War, or take that final step in some other way.

As for becoming Emperor himself, at least for now, 'clearing the monarch's side' could only be led by the First Imperial Prince.

Because only with the other party coming to 'clear the monarch's side' was there righteousness; if only Qin Qin Mingli jumped out, it would be an act of rebellion!

Having righteousness on one's side versus being cursed as a rebel would lead to two completely different results in terms of morale and public sentiment.

To contend for the world, righteousness is indispensable, because it involves the hearts of hundreds of millions of people!

If Qin Qin Mingli, Qin Qin Zihong, and the others succeed in the future, Qin Qin Zihong ascending the throne as Emperor would face much, much less resistance than Qin Qin Mingli becoming Emperor.

Qin Qin Zihong needed Qin Qin Mingli's martial support, while Qin Qin Mingli needed Qin Qin Zihong to provide him with righteousness and legitimacy, and also needed to borrow the power the other party had cultivated for many years.

This was the basis for their cooperation.

"Qin Zihong, look."

Qin Qin Mingli suddenly raised his hand and pointed toward the sky.

Qin Qin Zihong looked up.

The moonlight was bright, and the night sky was clear as if washed.

Stars hung high, converging into a brilliant Milky Way that stretched toward the distance.

Qin Qin Zihong opened his arms, revealing a look of intoxication.

"This world..."

The night wind roared like a tiger, whipping up the yellow sand of the desert; one could faintly smell the scent of blood and rust within it.

Golden spears and iron horses, contending for the world!

The night of July 5th.

The day before Qin Qin Mingli and Qin Qin Zihong arrived in the Southern Border and officially took action, Lu Lu Wenzheng had a late-night talk with Xu Jing in his mansion.

"The First Imperial Prince and the Prince of Li have already arrived in the Southern Border."

Inside the study, Xu Jing used his internal energy to form an invisible barrier to ensure their conversation would not be overheard, while Lu Lu Wenzheng directly provided the intelligence he had just obtained.

"The combat power of the Southern Border troops is the weakest among the four border armies; counting the empty payroll slots and the losses from this internal strife, they are called a hundred-thousand-strong army, but how many people are there really? How much combat power is there?"

After listening, Xu Jing was quite dismissive.

"Of course, they couldn't possibly rely solely on this bit of military strength to march north and clear the monarch's side; the First Imperial Prince has more cards in his hand than just the Southern Border. Their route north has already been planned; they will pass through several provinces that the First Imperial Prince has managed for many years, and they will sweep up more people as they march north."

Lu Lu Wenzheng said.

Xu Jing shook his head.

Even if they could sweep up the strength of several provinces to march north, in his view, it was far from enough.

However, he knew the other party must still have hidden cards, just that they wouldn't show their hand to him right now.

"What we must do is control the entire Feng Province in advance, so that when the main army arrives, we can march north with them!"

Lu Lu Wenzheng narrowed his eyes and said this.

After confirming that Li Fei could not be reconciled with him and was determined to kill him, he began to plot this game of chess with the First Imperial Prince.

His situation was similar to Qin Qin Zihong's; both were in a position where, if they continued to wait, they would likely be unable to escape death.

Since that was the case, why not fight to the death?

Previously, Li Fei had borrowed the power of the Lu family, causing various parties to 'swallow the elephant,' constantly eroding the strength of Lu Lu Wenzheng's faction.

And Lu Lu Wenzheng had taken the opportunity to treat the strength outside Feng Province as bait, throwing it out to divert the attention of all parties.

Meanwhile, he began making preparations in secret within Feng Province, where he had the strongest control, and liquidated his operations outside Feng Province as much as possible, converting them into silver and various resources.

Once everything was ready and the First Imperial Prince and the Prince of Li made their move, he would be able to act as well!

The First Imperial Prince had managed the Southern Border for over a decade and could have generals willing to follow him in rebellion.

The Lu family had existed for hundreds of years, so naturally, they were not lacking in loyal followers.

Once they made their move, with the martial support of Xu Jing, a Grandmaster, Lu Lu Wenzheng was confident he could quickly control all military and political power in the entire Feng Province, except for Datong Prefecture!

"I have already made arrangements; I am just waiting for Li Fei to walk into the trap."

Lu Lu Wenzheng smiled at Xu Jing.

"I want to kill him with my own hands."

Xu Jing said in a chilling tone.

He originally didn't have to follow Lu Lu Wenzheng down this path of no return; after all, he was a Grandmaster, and his value was different from Lu Lu Wenzheng's.

Once Lu Lu Wenzheng lost his official position and status as head of the family, he would have no way out.

But he, Xu Jing, was different.

However, after successfully devouring the 【Evil God】 with the 【Black Water】 divine ability and discovering that the problem with his Martial Domain still couldn't be solved, Xu Jing's mindset changed completely.

He could accept Li Fei becoming stronger and stronger, even potentially threatening his life in the future.

But he could not accept that he would stop here for the rest of his life, destined to be 'mediocre'!

If, while everyone was climbing upward, Li Fei could surpass him as a latecomer, then even if he died at Li Fei's hands in the future, Xu Jing would have no complaints.

But Li Fei had blocked his path forward!

Therefore, Xu Jing made up his mind that he must eliminate this inner demon!

"Rest assured, as long as Li Fei dares to come, he will undoubtedly die."

Lu Lu Wenzheng said viciously, "To deal with him, the First Imperial Prince has also sent another Grandmaster to help us deal with Shi Caiming."

"Very good!"

A bloodthirsty killing intent appeared in Xu Jing's eyes.

Even if he might end up in total ruin, he would fight for it, and he would never regret it!

Under the same night sky.

Datong Prefecture, Xingcheng.

Li Lei walked out of the government building, his face full of exhaustion.

Since becoming the Chief of Xingcheng, he had been busier than before, and tonight he had worked overtime until 11 PM once again.

"Sir."

The driver opened the car door for Li Lei.

Soon, the black car drove away from the street.

A few minutes later, the driver suddenly felt a faint sense of danger.

He was both a driver and a bodyguard, a peak Qi-Transformation stage martial artist who possessed the core-level extraordinary ability 'Danger Perception.'

After 'Danger Perception' was triggered, he immediately said in a deep voice:

"Sir, something seems wrong!"

"Hmm?"

Li Lei sat up straight abruptly.

Just at this moment, several figures suddenly darted out from an alley ahead, holding weapons and charging toward them!

Behind the car, several more figures darted out.

"Oh no!"

The driver's expression changed drastically; he could sense that those coming were all experts:

"Sir, I will hold them off with my life in a moment; you find a way to escape!"

Upon hearing this, Li Lei clenched his fists.

He took a deep breath and quickly calmed down.

Then he reached for the pistol at his waist, a flash of determination in his eyes!

Jing'an Marquis Mansion.

When Li Lei was ambushed on the road, more than thirty people charged into the Marquis Mansion with swords!

These thirty-plus people were all disciples of the Qingshan Sword Sect.

After the establishment of Hongyi University, most of the Qingshan Sword Sect joined it and used the university's resources to constantly strengthen themselves.

This great martial sect had originally been the number one sect in the Jianghu of Feng Province, and now its strength had reached a new level.

An old man with the appearance of an immortal, wearing a white robe and carrying a sword on his back, walked straight toward the main gate of the Marquis Mansion.

The old man's name was Wan Su Xuesong, the Great Elder of the Qingshan Sword Sect.

Previously, he had been stuck at the peak of the Dao Foundation stage for over twenty years; later, with the help of Hongyi University's resources, he finally succeeded in taking that step and became a Martial Arts Grandmaster!

Including the Sect Master, Nalan Zhi, the Qingshan Sword Sect now had two Martial Arts Grandmasters.

"It's a pity Feng'er died too early."

A flash of grief appeared in Wan Su Xuesong's eyes.

Gu Yuefeng, who died under the blade of the Green-Faced Ghost, was the disciple with the highest talent in the history of the Qingshan Sword Sect!

If Gu Yuefeng had succeeded in breaking through back then, the Qingshan Sword Sect would now have three Martial Arts Grandmasters and the potential to have its own Grandmaster in the future.

It was a pity that everything had been ruined by that one blade from the Green-Faced Ghost...

And now, the Jianghu of Feng Province knew that the Jing'an Marquis, Li Fei, was the Green-Faced Ghost of those years.

Wan Su Xuesong looked up at the plaque of the Marquis Mansion, deep hatred appearing in his eyes!

He strode forward and charged into the Jing'an Marquis Mansion head-on!

On the long street, more than a dozen martial artists were fighting together; the lowest realm among them was a martial artist who practiced internal strength.

After the dozen-plus assassins suddenly appeared, another dozen-plus martial artists from the Jing'an Marquis Mansion rushed out to protect Li Lei, and the two sides fought into a melee!

The car Li Lei was riding in stopped in the middle of the long street, temporarily unable to move.

A signal flare had already been fired; the experts from the Zhige Academy and the City Guard would arrive soon!

A middle-aged man wearing a white robe, with long hair draped over his shoulders and a sword at his waist, suddenly appeared at the street corner, walking calmly toward the fighting group.

His name was Nalan Zhi, the Sect Master of the Qingshan Sword Sect!

For this operation, the Qingshan Sword Sect had sent almost all its elite forces.

For a mere Xingcheng, two Martial Arts Grandmasters had come!

Swish—

At a certain moment, sword light illuminated the long street.

Under the night sky, the raging waves had already risen.

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(End of chapter)