Chapter 828: A Man's Heart is Like Iron Until Death! (Large Chapter)

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.

Initially, there were many small states and tribes in the desert, but they were later unified by a legendary king who established a unified empire there, known as the Great Desert.

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

One raised a black banner and was called the Black Desert.

The other raised a red banner and was called the Red Desert.

Over five hundred years ago, these two desert nations were conquered by the founding Emperor, who led his troops to force them to submit to the Great Lan Dynasty as vassal states, paying annual tribute.

After the founding Emperor passed away, although the two desert nations showed signs of unrest, they did not spark many large-scale wars.

Historical records document two major wars:

First, in the seventh year of Jiaxu, the two desert nations of the Southern Border invaded the frontier. The famous Great Lan General Ao Yun led troops to quell the rebellion, defeating the invading army in less than a month 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 Hongguang, a seven-nation coalition from the Western Continent invaded the Great Lan Dynasty. Sensing an opportunity, the two desert nations of the Southern Border once again joined forces to invade!

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

Otherwise, had the Red Qilin Army been there to intercept, the Western coalition might not have been able to fight their 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 nations.

It took only three months to force the two desert nations to surrender once again.

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

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

Following this, the Great Lan Dynasty ushered in the "Mingxin Reforms," utilizing Western technology to effectively launch an industrial revolution!

This aging empire of the Great Lan Dynasty seemed to be rejuvenated!

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

Thus, in the thirty-first year of Hongguang, the imperial court ordered the 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 Hongguang until the current forty-ninth year of Hongguang, the Southern Border has enjoyed peace for twenty-one years.

Unlike the Eastern Border troops facing the Grassland Royal Court, or the Northern Border troops facing the seventeen tribes of the Northern Barbarians—where wars occur from time to time and small frictions never cease—the situation is different.

As for the Western Border troops, because they must face the entire Western Continent, their daily training is strictly enforced, and the soldiers on the Western Border Defense Line dare not lower their guard.

But in the Southern Border, with twenty-one years of no war and facing two desert nations that pose almost no threat, the situation of the Southern Border troops is completely different from the other three major border armies.

Lax training, drawing pay for phantom soldiers, embezzling military funds, bullying soldiers into doing private labor, trading military equipment—all sorts of chaotic phenomena in the military can be found here!

In the seventh year of the "Mingxin Reforms," Grand Secretary Ye Ze planned to gradually equip the major border armies with new types of firearms.

At this time, this Grand Secretary first proposed the "military downsizing" plan, aiming to reduce the quotas of the major border armies, with the Southern Border being the primary target!

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

Even with the talent of Ye Ze, and 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 Southern Border troops has only been reduced from the original one hundred and thirty thousand to one hundred thousand.

And the actual number of Southern Border troops is certainly less than one hundred thousand.

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

The First Imperial Prince Qin Zi traveled by flying magic treasure and reached the Southern Border in two days.

This large flying magic treasure, named "Cloud-Hidden Crane," has an extremely fast flight speed, can fly at an altitude of ten thousand meters, and possesses a powerful concealment technique; it is a true strategic-grade weapon!

Unless Xiang Yunshu could have immediately pursued them from within Lanling City, it was almost impossible for Qin Zi and the others to be tracked.

Without the ability to pinpoint their location, they would not be intercepted along the way.

Xiang Yunshu had first been severely wounded by Qing Xu, and before his injuries had healed, he had killed the top-tier powerhouse Qiming from thousands of miles away.

How could he not have paid a price?

Qin Zi had calculated that Xiang Yunshu would be unable to strike again in the short term, and since Wenren Zheng was skilled at killing but not at other things, he had finalized this escape plan.

Now, he and his people had arrived at the Southern Border smoothly.

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

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

A bald, burly man wearing a full set of armor, accompanied by seven or eight officers, stepped forward quickly and bowed to Qin Zi:

"This subordinate greets the First Prince!"

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

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

Upon hearing this, the officer named Du Jie knelt on one knee and cupped his fists to Qin Zi:

"Everything this subordinate has today is thanks to Your Highness! This subordinate is willing to go through fire and water for Your Highness!"

As he knelt, the several officers he brought with him also knelt together, saying in unison:

"We are willing to die for Your Highness!"

Du Jie, a Regional Commander of the Southern Border troops, a level 16 military officer, commanding ten thousand men!

Compared to the other three major borders, the Southern Border has the worst military discipline, the most chaotic internal management, and is the easiest to interfere with.

Therefore, Qin Zi had long ago "laid his pieces" in the Southern Border, secretly gathering his own men.

Of course, he had not planned to rebel long ago; it was merely to add to his bargaining chips and increase his influence within the military.

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

Du Jie had been bought by Qin Zi when he was still an Assistant Regional Commander.

Over the years, he had been able to rise step by step in the Southern Border troops, 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 was all due to the resources, techniques, connections, and opportunities provided by Qin Zi!

He had long been deeply tied to the First Prince's faction and felt gratitude toward Qin Zi.

The investments of those in power never look solely at an individual's talent and aptitude; they also value a person's character.

To put it bluntly, if you raise a dog for over a decade, when the master's life is threatened, it will also rush forward to bite the enemy without regard for its own safety.

If one cultivates a subordinate, investing many resources, and the final effect is not as good as raising a dog,

would that not be a total failure?

Qin Zi was satisfied with Du Jie's attitude and stepped forward, personally helping him up:

"Everyone, please rise."

"Your Highness, please come inside."

Du Jie led Qin Zi into the military headquarters building.

"Your Highness, all the soldiers in Green Boat City are willing to follow Your Highness north to 'cleanse the court of evil'!"

Inside the room, Du Jie expressed this directly to Qin Zi.

After receiving the news, he had immediately arranged for his trusted aides to begin preparations, and by the time Qin Zi arrived with his men, the entire Green Boat City was already under his control!

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

But he did not have the slightest hesitation.

A scholar dies for one who appreciates him! From ancient times to the present, the world has never lacked such people.

"If we mobilize, Red Ancient City, which is closest to Green Boat City, can be reached in one day. This subordinate is confident in taking the city within a day!"

"The Regional Commander of East Tomb City, Feng Bo, is a man who values money above all else. If Your Highness is willing to share some benefits with him, and I bring troops to threaten him, I am confident I can make him bring his troops to join Your Highness."

"Three Rivers City..."

Without needing Qin Zi to speak, Du Jie took the initiative to explain the various situations in the Southern Border and offered his own suggestions.

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

Therefore, the phenomena of drawing pay for phantom soldiers and embezzling military funds under his command were much better than elsewhere, and his daily training was stricter.

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

Qin Zi looked at Du Jie with satisfaction; having such a subordinate truly made things worry-free:

"As for the other cities and the remaining soldiers of the Southern Border, you need not worry; they will all submit."

Du Jie was startled and bowed:

"So Your Highness already has arrangements; it was this subordinate who spoke out of turn."

Qin Zi smiled and patted his shoulder:

"It is a good thing that you can think so much. Prince Li has also arrived at the Southern Border; with him taking action, who in the Southern Border would dare to disobey?"

He revealed one of his trump cards.

"Prince Li?!"

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

It was just that relying solely on the Southern Border troops, even with the addition of Prince Li, a Martial Saint, it was still impossible to march all the way north to Lanling City to "cleanse the court of evil."

Such comprehensive strength was not even as good as the original Western coalition; even if they successfully reached the gates of Lanling City, a single charge from the Great Lan Iron Cavalry would likely cause the entire army to collapse!

However, Du Jie did not ask further. Since Prince Li was willing to join Qin Zi's side, it meant that their side had a certain chance of winning!

Otherwise, why would a Martial Saint risk his life following Qin Zi?

When Qin Zi arrived at Green Boat City, the large ship of Prince Li, 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 glowing large ship appeared over Emerald Water City, the entire city was alarmed.

Cao Xinghan is the Provincial Military Commander of the Southern Border, a level 18 military officer, and also a Grandmaster of the Divine Derivation Realm.

Unlike the others, he immediately felt an aura as vast as the sea, as high and distant as the heavens, and supremely majestic descend upon him!

He sat motionless in his seat, a bitter expression appearing on his face.

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

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

He had also received the news that Prince Li had suddenly left the Prince's Mansion with people, and now, 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 abilities are suppressed by the Martial Arts Domain, leading to a comprehensive crushing; the two simply cannot fight.

But if the number of Martial Arts Masters increases, and the number of supernatural abilities they have cultivated also increases, then it becomes much harder for a Grandmaster to suppress all those abilities with a Martial Arts Domain.

In history, there have been cases, such as a Grandmaster at the Peak Realm being besieged by five Martial Arts Masters.

The total number of supernatural abilities of these five Martial Arts Masters added up to over fifteen!

Consequently, 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 severely injured, and this Grandmaster at the Peak Realm also died!

Looking at such cases, it is indeed possible for lower-realm martial artists to besiege and kill higher-realm martial artists.

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

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

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

And since Grandmasters or top-tier True Persons are already rare powerhouses in the world, it is very hard 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 was actually a "Prince-level" between Grandmasters and Martial Saints.

Back then, the "God of War" Wenren Zheng fought three Princes from the Western Allied Forces alone, eventually killing two and severely injuring one.

This record was glorious, but it also showed that three Prince-level powerhouses joining forces could at least barely go toe-to-toe with a Martial Saint.

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

But here in the Southern Border, let alone three Prince-level combatants, they couldn't even produce one.

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

Besides that, there were three thousand-man Imperial Guard units, equivalent to three Grandmaster-level combatants.

But Cao Xinghan did not have the military cultivation of Bai Yan and could not elevate the three thousand-man military formations to a higher level.

Therefore, 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, a look of struggle on his face; he tried to force himself to stand up several times, but stopped himself abruptly.

In the end, he sighed and decided to wait quietly for Prince Li's arrival.

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

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

He had begun to fear death; he could not bear to part with the dozens of beautiful concubines in his mansion, nor could he bear to part with the comfort of being a "local emperor."

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

Feeling the pressure on his body lift, Cao Xinghan immediately stood up and walked outside.

Sure enough, standing outside the door was none other than Qin Mingli!

Dressed in a golden python robe, wearing a jade hairpin, with long hair reaching his shoulders, he looked to be only in his early thirties; his appearance was not particularly handsome, but he possessed an indescribable temperament. Standing there casually, he seemed like the center of the entire world, impossible to ignore.

"Southern Border Provincial Military Commander Cao Xinghan, pays respects to Your Highness!"

Cao Xinghan bowed decisively.

It was as if the sun, moon, and stars were revolving in Qin Mingli's eyes; just his calm gaze brought immense pressure to Cao Xinghan:

"Cao Xinghan, do you know why I have come here?"

Cao Xinghan did not hesitate and cupped his hands: "I am ready to listen to Your Highness's orders!"

Qin Mingli sneered: "Good, I want you to lead the Southern Border frontier troops to march north with me and the First Imperial Prince to purge the court of evil!"

Even though he had already guessed the other party's intention, hearing the words "purge the court of evil" at this moment, Cao Xinghan still trembled, feeling a sense of suffocation.

"..."

He maintained his bowing posture, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said with difficulty:

"This subordinate... obeys!"

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

Ten minutes later, over a dozen officers arrived at the military headquarters building.

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

No one was a fool; seeing this scene and combining it with the news received today, they already roughly understood what was going on in their hearts.

Some were uneasy, some were excited, and some were angry.

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

"The Crown Prince, in order to seize power, colluded with Xiang Yunshu and Wenren Zheng to secretly harm His Majesty, intending to deceive the world! The First Imperial Prince discovered the truth, overcame all difficulties to escape the capital, and came to our Southern Border with Prince Li to order us to immediately march north to purge the court of evil!"

His voice echoed continuously in the room, deafening and thought-provoking.

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

"May I ask Your Highness, how are you certain 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 Guard units in the Southern Border, a level 16 military officer with the cultivation of a Martial Arts Master.

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

But at this moment, 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 has Prince Li as a witness, how could it be false?!"

In fact, everyone present had a rough idea of whether it was true or false.

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

If only the First Imperial Prince had run to the Southern Border alone, even if he had operated in the Southern Border for many years, he would never have been able to take all the troops of the Southern Border with him.

But now that there was a 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 fence-sitters who move with the wind in this world, and naturally, there are also iron-blooded men who are steadfast and loyal to their country!

"Hahahahaha—"

Yang Ming suddenly burst into loud laughter.

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

"For so many years, His Majesty has showered you with grace and honor, and this is how you repay His Majesty?!"

Everyone present changed their expressions, and the looks they gave Yang Ming became extremely complex.

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

Qin Mingli slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashing through them and then vanishing.

He just glanced at Yang Ming, and Yang Ming was struck as if by lightning, his face turning pale, and he took a few steps back.

But Yang Ming still did not put away his sword, instead gritting his teeth and saying:

"Traitorous villain, everyone has the right to kill you! If you follow these people to rebel today, are you not afraid of leaving a bad name for ten thousand years, and that your descendants will never be able to hold their heads up?!!"

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

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

He just turned his head and looked at Cao Xinghan.

Cao Xinghan sighed in his heart, stepped forward, and unfolded his Martial Arts Domain, enveloping Yang Ming within it:

"Why bother..."

One minute later, there was an extra corpse on the ground.

Cao Xinghan looked around and said in a deep voice:

"Is there anyone else who objects?"

The remaining officers looked at each other and cupped their hands together toward Qin Mingli in the main seat:

"We are willing to follow Your Highness and the First Imperial Prince to march north and purge the court of evil!"

That night, the sounds of killing in Cuishuicheng lasted until dawn...

Even though all the high-ranking officers expressed their agreement to follow Prince Li and the First Imperial Prince, there were still many among the middle and low-ranking officers who refused.

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

Sometimes things in the world are just like this; those who have received less are instead more capable of gratitude.

It was not until after two o'clock in the morning that the entire Cuishuicheng was completely under the control of Qin Mingli.

This Prince Li had been guarded against by the royal family for so many years, and indeed did not have much influence externally.

He could slaughter Cuishuicheng by himself!

But it was very difficult to completely control this city by his own strength.

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

Several high-ranking officers plus a portion of middle and 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 harmed His Majesty!

The attitude of these people could influence many, especially the soldiers at the bottom who did not know the truth.

After completely controlling Cuishuicheng, Cao Xinghan, in his capacity as Provincial Military Commander, conveyed orders to all other towns in the Southern Border, demanding that everyone immediately prepare to send troops!

Afterward, Qin Mingli rode the "Cloud-Hidden Crane" and visited four major cities in one day!

These four major cities were all cities with relatively firm attitudes that were not easy to control.

With Qin Mingli personally taking action, plus the personnel arranged in advance by the First Imperial Prince, after a round of coercion, inducement, and bloody slaughter, these four cities were all successfully taken in the end!

Nanping Town was one of the twenty-eight military towns in the Southern Border, with over 1, 00 garrison troops, half of whom were cavalry.

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

After receiving the order from his superiors, this Garrison Commander, who was usually happy-go-lucky, drank and played cards with his subordinates all day, took no shortage of bribes, and did no shortage of forbidden things, made a decision that surprised many people:

"The order issued from above is a treasonous order! Assistant Regional Commander Fang, Commander Wang, and perhaps even the Provincial Military Commander have all rebelled with the First Imperial Prince!"

"Whether you want to follow in rebellion or not, I can't control that. 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 are afraid of death, just stay in the town and wait to be taken over."

"Those who are not afraid of death, when the time comes, follow me out to kill the rebels!"

This series of remarks left all the subordinates stunned.

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

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

Several trusted aides tried to persuade Jiang Yufei.

"Bullshit!"

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

"I was a soldier under the Grand Marshal back then, 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 while grumbling and went to put on his armor.

Jiang Yufei did not expect those common soldiers, who could barely recognize a few characters, 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 actually find it hard to distinguish right from wrong; they merely follow the crowd, swept forward by the momentum of the times.

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

He was just a small person.

However, even small people have their own persistence!

More than two hours later, Jiang Yufei, clad in armor and holding a spear, with a rifle on his back, rode a first-grade Flying Ferry Beast out of Nanping Town.

Thirty-four soldiers followed him as they left; these people were all riding ordinary warhorses, and only five of them were martial artists.

Outside Nanping Town, the yellow sand filled the sky.

In front, a cloud of dust was sweeping toward them rapidly like a yellow dragon!

Jiang Yufei squinted his eyes and watched for a while, his hands and feet feeling somewhat cold:

"Damn it, there are actually Imperial Camp troops too!"

There were over three hundred armored cavalrymen coming to 'take over' Nanping Town, half of whom were exotic beast cavalry, along with fifty Imperial Camp cavalry!

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

Regretting it at this moment would actually still be in time.

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

"Everyone! Follow me to slay the rebels!"

"Kill—"

Jiang Yufei squeezed the horse's belly with force and charged out first.

"Kill!!!"

The soldiers behind him all had firm gazes as they charged out with him.

Thirty-five cavalrymen 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 unfolding in every corner of the Southern Territory.

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

This speed made Cao Xinghan, as the Provincial Military Commander of the Southern Territory, feel surprised.

He had been in charge of the Southern Territory for over twenty years; not to say he knew the situation of the border troops like the back of his hand, but he was generally clear about the situation.

He was aware of the infiltration and solicitation of the Southern Territory border troops by various parties in the imperial court.

Although the First Imperial Prince had made moves long ago, with the personnel the other party had arranged, it shouldn't have been possible to control the entire Southern Territory so rapidly.

Even with his own surrender added to Prince Li's military deterrence, this speed still seemed too fast!

"Could it be..."

A guess flashed through Cao Xinghan's mind, and he suddenly felt that the chances of success for this 'clearing of the emperor's side' might be higher than he had imagined!

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

"Greetings, Imperial Grand Uncle!"

After meeting, Qin Zihong immediately bowed and saluted Qin Mingli.

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

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

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

The two were currently at the highest point of the Military Department headquarters building; Qin Zihong followed him and stood with Qin Mingli in front of the railing, looking down at the city below.

"Zihong, we are taking the Southern Territory border troops north, leaving the gates of the Southern Territory 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 years."

Qin Mingli looked at the distant lights and said so.

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

"A person lives once; in life, one should be a hero, and in death, a ghost among heroes! Being reviled for ten thousand years is better than living a mediocre life until the end!"

Qin Mingli was not surprised by Qin Zihong's thinking; the other party was very similar to himself when he was young in many aspects, which was why he valued this descendant so highly.

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

Qin Mingli smiled indifferently.

Qin Zihong turned his head to look at him, his eyes firm:

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

Qin Mingli glanced at him and nodded.

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

Only the First Imperial Prince, who jumped out directly and stood in opposition to everyone, would truly need his support and, after ascending the throne, would likewise need his military power.

At that time, he would be equivalent to the 'Retired Emperor' and would then have the opportunity to sweep across the Western Continent with the way of the sword, or use other methods to take that final step.

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

Because only when the other party comes to 'clear the emperor's side' is there righteousness; if only Qin Mingli jumped out by himself, that would be starting a rebellion!

Having righteousness on one's side versus being cursed as a rebel—the morale and the hearts of the people would be two completely different results.

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

If Qin Mingli, Qin Zihong, and the others win in the future, Qin Zihong ascending the throne as emperor would face much, much less resistance than Qin Mingli being emperor.

Qin Zihong needs Qin Mingli's military support, while Qin Mingli needs Qin Zihong to provide him with righteousness and legitimacy, and also needs to utilize the forces the other party has cultivated for many years.

This is the foundation of their cooperation.

"Zihong, look."

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

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 spread toward the distance.

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

"This world..."

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

Golden spears and iron horses, contending for the world!

The evening of July 5th.

On the day before Qin Mingli and Qin Zihong had just arrived in the Southern Territory and officially made their move, Lu Wenzheng had a late-night talk with Xu Jing inside his mansion.

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

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

"The combat power of the Southern Territory border troops is the weakest among the four major border armies. Counting the slots for empty pay and the losses from this internal strife, calling it an army of one hundred thousand—how many people are there actually? How much combat power is there?"

After listening, Xu Jing was quite dismissive.

"Of course, they couldn't possibly rely on just this bit of military force to go north and clear the emperor's side; the cards in the First Imperial Prince's hand are not limited to the Southern Territory. The route they are taking north has already been planned; along the way, they will pass through several provinces that the First Imperial Prince has managed for many years, and they will sweep up more people to go north together."

Lu Wenzheng said.

Xu Jing shook his head.

Even if they could sweep up the power of several provinces to go north together, in his view, it was still far from enough.

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

"What we need to do is to control the entire Feng Province in advance, and when the main army arrives, go north with them!"

Lu Wenzheng narrowed his eyes and said so.

After determining that Li Fei could not reconcile 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 Zihong's; both were in a position where, if they continued to wait, they would likely not escape death.

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

Previously, Li Fei borrowed the strength of the Lu family, causing various parties to 'swallow the elephant like a pack of wolves,' constantly nibbling away at the power of Lu Wenzheng's faction.

And Lu Wenzheng then took the opportunity to treat the forces outside of Feng Province as bait, throwing them out to divert the attention of all parties.

He, meanwhile, began making preparations in secret in Feng Province, where his control was strongest, and did his best to liquidate his operations outside of Feng Province, exchanging them for cash and various resources.

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

The Imperial Prince had operated in the Southern Territory for over a decade and had generals willing to follow him in rebellion.

The Lu family had existed for hundreds of years, so naturally, they were not short on death warriors.

Once the move was made, with the Great Grandmaster Xu Jing providing martial support, Lu Wenzheng was confident he could quickly seize control of all military and political power in Feng Province, with the exception of Datong Prefecture!

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

Lu Wenzheng smiled at Xu Jing.

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

Xu Jing said in a chilling tone.

He originally did not have to go down this dark path with Lu Wenzheng; after all, he was a Great Grandmaster, and his value was different from Lu Wenzheng's.

If Lu Wenzheng lost his official position and status as head of the family, he would have only a dead end.

But he, Xu Jing, was different.

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

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

But he could not accept that his own life would stop here, destined to be 'mediocre'!

If, while everyone was climbing upward, Li Fei could surpass him from behind, 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 Wenzheng said viciously, "To deal with him, the Imperial Prince has also sent another Great Grandmaster to help us handle Shi Caiming."

"Very good!"

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

Even if he might be doomed in the end, he would take the gamble, and he would never regret it!

Under the same night sky.

Datong Prefecture, Xingcheng.

Li Lei walked out of the government office building with a look of exhaustion.

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

"My lord."

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

"My lord, something seems wrong!"

"Hmm?"

Li Lei sat up straight abruptly.

At this moment, several figures suddenly rushed out from a small alley ahead, holding weapons and charging toward them!

Behind the car, several more figures also darted out.

"Oh no!"

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

"My lord, I will try my best to hold them off for a while, 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 sidearm 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 holding swords charged into the Marquis Mansion!

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

After the founding of Hongyi University, most of the Green Mountain Sword Sect joined it and used the university's resources to continuously strengthen themselves.

This Martial Dao sect had originally been the number one Jianghu faction in Feng Province, and now its strength had reached a new level.

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

The old man was named Wan Xuesong, the Great Elder of the Green Mountain Sword Sect.

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

Together with the Sect Master Nalan Zhi, the Green Mountain Sword Sect now had two Martial Dao Masters.

"It is a pity that Feng'er died too early."

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

Gu Yuefeng, who died under the Green-Faced Ghost's blade, was the most talented disciple in the history of the Green Mountain Sword Sect!

If Gu Yuefeng had successfully broken through his realm back then, the Green Mountain Sword Sect would now have three Martial Dao Masters and might even have its own Great Grandmaster in the future!

Alas, everything was ruined by that one strike from the Green-Faced Ghost.

And now, all of the Feng Province Jianghu knew that the Jing'an Marquis Li Fei was the Green-Faced Ghost from back then.

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

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

On the long street, over a dozen martial artists were locked in combat, the lowest realm among them being a martial artist.

After the dozen or so assassins suddenly appeared, another dozen of Jing'an Marquis's martial artists rushed out to protect Li Lei, and the two sides clashed into a chaotic battle!

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

The signal flare had already been fired; the experts from the Stop-Conflict 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 ongoing battle.

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

For this operation, the Green Mountain Sword Sect had sent almost all of its elite forces.

In a mere Xingcheng, two Martial Dao Masters had arrived!

Swish—

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

Under the night, the raging waves had already risen.

This chapter is 10, 00 words, requesting monthly tickets~

(End of chapter)