「Hanyun Valley campsite.」
Jiang Hong sat comfortably in a Taishi Chair before the sand table. He held a purple clay teapot in one hand and played with two shiny iron balls in the other. With his legs crossed and humming a small tune, he was the very picture of contentnt.
He knew that once this matter was handled properly, he would surely receive another promotion.
Rumor had it that the position of Nine Gates Admiral would soon be expanded, creating five positions for the East, South, West, North, and Central commands.
By then, I should be able to secure one of those seats, right? A Nine Gates Admiral!
"Haha..." The re thought made Jiang Hong roar with laughter. When the ti cos, I'll ask for a title, too. The 'Peerage King'… that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
"Report!"
His adjutant, Huo Long, rushed in, frantic. "Commander, there's been a developnt at the front!"
Jiang Hong's brow furrowed in displeasure, clearly annoyed that his subordinate had disrupted his pleasant daydream. "What's all the reckless rushing about?" he demanded in a low voice.
"Commander, Qin Zhiming is dead!"
Jiang Hong froze for a mont before shooting to his feet. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Who... Who did you say is dead?"
"The Barbarian Chief General, Qin Zhiming! He's dead!" Huo Long repeated.
Jiang Hong was speechless.
That Qin Zhiming... He was a fierce general. While his ability to command troops was debatable, his personal strength was astonishingly powerful. Rumor has it he had already broken through to the fifteenth realm. How could such a top-tier expert die just like that, without any warning?
"Was it an illness?" Jiang Hong asked.
Huo Long shook his head. "When our n arrived, Qin Zhiming was already dead. Based on the state of the body and the wounds, it appears to be a suicide."
Jiang Hong fell silent again.
"I know it's hard to believe, Commander, but it's the truth."
Jiang Hong took a deep breath. With his hands on his hips, he paced back and forth, his expression shifting from one mont to the next.
In principle, Qin Zhiming's death should be a cause for imnse joy for both him and the entire Martial Departnt, but... Why would a perfectly healthy man commit suicide? There's definitely sothing more to this story.
After a long pause, Jiang Hong finally ordered, "Investigate! I want to know every detail of this incident and the current status of the Barbarian Martial Guards."
"Yes, sir!" Huo Long complied.
"Wait."
Jiang Hong called out as Huo Long was about to leave. He squinted his eyes into thin slits and revealed a wide grin. "Report this imdiately. And announce to the public that Qin Zhiming was killed by , Jiang Hong."
Killing an enemy's chief general... what an incredible achievent! With such a great honor lying right at my feet, how could I not pick it up?
"Understood!" Huo Long grinned in reply before turning to leave.
Just as he stepped out of the barracks, an ordinary-looking comrcial van pulled to a stop nearby.
As Jiang Hong's adjutant, Huo Long was second only to the commander in Hanyun Valley. He had seen his fair share of great storms and upheavals, but upon seeing the person stepping out of the van, his entire body went rigid.
The figure wore immaculate black military boots. As he fully erged, the Python Sparrow Devouring Dragon battle uniform beca faintly visible beneath a black cape.
That uniform... When the Elders' Court first announced its creation, he had studied its design in great detail. Even so, seeing it in person still sent a shock through him.
The battle robe seed to have been born from the heavens themselves, brimming with spiritual energy. For a man like him, just a few prolonged glances were enough to make every hair on his body, right down to his scalp, stand on end.
Before Chen Yang could speak, Huo Long scrambled forward and bowed respectfully. "Adjutant Huo Long of the Hanyun Valley Second Division pays his respects to the War God of the State!"
Chen Yang took a single step forward.
Acting on pure instinct, Huo Long stumbled back several paces.
This imposing, battle-hardened middle-aged man found his lips trembling. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he kept his head bowed, not daring to et Chen Yang's gaze.
That aura is too powerful! Just how many battles has this newly appointed War God of the State endured? How many n has he killed to possess such a heaven-piercing murderous intent?
Chen Yang's gaze swept across the camp before landing on Huo Long. "The Barbarians are at our border, yet your division turns a blind eye?" he questioned.
Huo Long instinctively raised his head, but the mont their eyes t, he felt as if his own would burst. His heart hamred in his chest like a thunderclap.
"Speak!"
At the thunderous command, Huo Long fell to his knees. "We... we were already preparing to dispatch fifty thousand elite troops..."
"Fifty thousand?" Chen Yang's gaze hardened. "The enemy is bearing down with a million Martial Guards, and you send a re fifty thousand? That isn't waging a war; that's sending n to their deaths!"
Huo Long was at a loss for words.
SLAP!
Realizing his mistake, Huo Long decisively raised a hand and struck his own face. "Commander... it-it's possible our intelligence was flawed."
Even Huo Long knew how flimsy the excuse sounded. He slapped himself again.
"It... It was Commander Jiang Hong's order."
At this point, all Huo Long could do was shift the bla. He now suspected that Qin Zhiming's death was the work of the very War God of the State standing before him.
Just monts ago, they had been scheming to deliberately allow the Barbarians to advance, all so they could fra the new War God for being unworthy of his title. But to their shock, he had gone directly to the front lines and single-handedly slain the enemy's chief general.
This... Was this Creation's idea of a joke? Their clever little plot, the one they were so proud of, had collapsed before it even began.
Chen Yang stared at Huo Long, his silence more terrifying than any accusation.
Feeling as if he were being pierced by countless needles, Huo Long suddenly pointed toward the barracks behind him. "He... he's in there."
"Lead the way," Chen Yang said.
Not daring to delay, Huo Long scrambled to his feet and respectfully led the way.
「Inside the barracks.」
Jiang Hong was perched on the edge of a table, holding his purple clay teapot and gazing out the window. Hearing footsteps approach, he didn't turn around, simply remarking casually, "Has the ssage been sent?"
He continued to talk, but there was no response. "Tell , what kind of shockwave do you think it will create when the world learns that I forced Qin Zhiming to kill himself?"
Sensing sothing was wrong, Jiang Hong spun around. In that instant, he felt as if he'd been plunged into a freezing cavern.
He saw the Python Sparrow Devouring Dragon emblem. Beneath its sharp talons were the vast, rolling mountains and rivers of the state.
"That's..." Jiang Hong slid off the table, his eyes bulging in shock.
"Qin Zhiming was forced to commit suicide by you?" a cold voice asked. "It seems you intend to steal my credit, the credit of the War God of the State."
Instantly, a bone-chilling cold shot up from the soles of Jiang Hong's feet to the crown of his head. As his mind cleared, he was hit by a wave of pure, icy killing intent rolling off the visitor.
"You faced an army of a million with a re fifty thousand n? Are you trying to hand over the very territory built from the blood and bones of countless soldiers? What do you take the good n of our Martial Departnt for?"
Jiang Hong was rendered speechless.
Chen Yang extended his hand. At his side, Yang Hu respectfully handed over the Three-Foot Green Peak Sword.
CLANG!
The longsword slid from its sheath.
Chen Yang leveled the sword at Jiang Hong and said indifferently, "Your last words."
Jiang Hong stumbled backward several steps, his Divine Spirit shattering from the pressure. "What... what are you doing?"
"Those who shirk their duty in war shall be executed."
Jiang Hong's face went blank.
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