In an instant, Li Hongbo felt his scalp tingle as if it might rip away from his skull. Even though he, as the territorial supervisor, held an innate geographical advantage, the thought of opposing one hundred and fifty thousand Martial Guards filled him with a dread he couldn't suppress. Most crucially, what kind of ordinary person could summon one hundred and fifty thousand Martial Guards in a flash?
THUD, THUD, THUD.
Suddenly, a series of heavy footsteps approached.
"Commander, everyone downstairs has been detained." Two young figures in Martial Guard uniforms strode forward with agile steps. Standing before Chen Yang, they bowed respectfully.
Li Hongbo's mind went blank. Commander? Throughout the entire empire, there was only one Commander.
"The... the War God of the State!" Li Hongbo shot up as if his pants were on fire, his eyes bulging as he stared at Chen Yang like he'd seen a ghost. His lips trembled, unable to form words or even close.
Chen Yang gave the young n a slight nod. They were Martial Guards from Hanyun Valley, so it was no surprise they recognized him. After bowing again, the young n turned and left.
Chen Yang raised his eyes, his gaze landing indifferently on Li Hongbo. "As the Commander of my troops, my jurisdiction extends to wherever the mountains and rivers reach, wherever the sun and moon shine. Why would I need to inform you beforehand?"
Li Hongbo was speechless.
"And who might you be, storming in here and aggressively demanding an explanation from ?" Chen Yang continued.
Li Hongbo remained silent. The mighty War God of the State... mobilizing a re one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers? Even if it were one million five hundred thousand, would he need to report to a re territorial supervisor like first?
Chen Yang slowly stood up and lit a cigarette, his movents unhurried. Yet sohow, every small detail was utterly terrifying.
HISS!
It was just the act of lighting a cigarette, but it caused Li Hongbo and his subordinates to stumble back in unison, as if assaulted by a tangible, suffocating wave of killing intent.
"I-I'm sorry! I was blind and failed to recognize Your Lordship! Please, don't be offended," Li Hongbo stamred, bowing his head quickly and clasping his fist in a hurried salute.
"Ignorance is no cri. You're not to bla," Chen Yang said, patting Li Hongbo's shoulder. Before Li Hongbo could even breathe a sigh of relief, Chen Yang's voice, sharp enough to make his scalp tingle, cut through the air again. "So no matter who issues a directive, you ignore it? Is this a case of following military orders but ignoring official summons? Or are you saying that a command from , the Commander, becos a worthless piece of paper the mont it reaches you?"
Li Hongbo was speechless once more.
"I... I was only joking, Commander! Please don't take it seriously! I deserve to die!" Li Hongbo slapped himself hard across the face twice, forcing a wretched smile. Suddenly, as if rembering sothing, he changed the subject. "By the way, Mr. Li Chenfeng of the West Sea royal family is waiting for you at the Martial Association Headquarters."
"Waiting for ?" Chen Yang understood instantly and chuckled. "It seems you, the territorial supervisor, really did co to back up the Martial Association. You heard a large contingent of troops had arrived and rushed right over?"
Li Hongbo froze. That's the West Sea royal family we're talking about! Is the War God of the State really going to put on airs with them?
Chen Yang withdrew his gaze and asked Yang Hu, "Is the coffin for the Martial Association President ready?"
"It's ready," Yang Hu replied.
"Have another one prepared," Chen Yang said coolly. "Since soone from the West Sea royal family is here, I can't show favoritism."
His words were deliberately shocking. Is he really planning to cause an earth-shattering slaughter at the Martial Association's tenth-anniversary celebration today? But... but that's soone from the West Sea royal family! This…
GULP.
Li Hongbo swallowed hard, but he couldn't stop the bone-deep chill from spreading through his body. Is he going to tear a hole in the sky today?
"S-Sir! I know the area well! Let lead the way for you," Li Hongbo said, his attitude flipping completely as he eagerly volunteered with a fawning expression.
Chen Yang glanced at him but said nothing.
CLANG!
His right hand blurred, sliding past Yang Hu's waist to unsheathe the Three-Foot Green Peak Sword. It flashed like a bolt of lightning, and a head tumbled to the ground. Blood fountained from the neck like an arrow.
"Insubordination is t with death!"
「Martial Association Headquarters.」
Inside the VIP reception hall, a young man of about thirty-one or thirty-two sat in the seat of honor. His features were plain—the kind of face that would disappear in a crowd—but the aristocratic air he exuded, cultivated by his family from birth, made him utterly exceptional. No one could ignore his presence as he sat there. Dressed in a long green robe, he casually toyed with a delicate, three-inch-long sword covered in exquisite carvings. As a status symbol of the West Sea royal family, this small sword was far beyond anything a commoner could possess.
This was Li Chenfeng of the West Sea royal family.
Although he was not from the direct line of descent but rely a relative through marriage, he was treated like a king within the Martial Association. Even the Association President, Shang Bai, treated him with the utmost respect, fawning over him at every opportunity.
Li Chenfeng didn't deliberately project a sharp aura, but the innate Bloodline Power that radiated from him was so imnse that Shang Bai and the others felt as if they were gazing up at a colossal mountain. In their hearts, they were filled with profound admiration.
People from the royal families are superior from the mont they are born. How can anyone else possibly compare? Shang Bai sighed inwardly. The idea that all n are created equal is utter bullshit!
"I hear a contingent of Martial Guards has surrounded the entire Martial Association Headquarters," Li Chenfeng said idly, his attention still on the small sword. "Is it him?"
"It must be," Shang Bai nodded, his voice low. "It seems that bastard is planning to put up one last struggle."
"And he brought a coffin, I'm told?" Li Chenfeng asked coolly, tossing the small sword into the air.
THWACK.
The blade fell and embedded itself deep into the tabletop.
Li Chenfeng picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and asked with a smirk, "Who do you suppose that coffin is for?"
Shang Bai fell silent.
"You, or ?"
Wiping a bead of cold sweat from his forehead, Shang Bai stamred, "It's for , of course! With your status, Mr. Li, I'm sure he wouldn't dare disrespect you."
Li Chenfeng smiled faintly. "But he knows I am here. To put you, the Association President, in a coffin in my presence... wouldn't you say that is a sign of disrespect toward ?"
"Yes, yes, of course! That bastard has no respect for you at all, Mr. Li!" Shang Bai exclaid, overjoyed as he seized the opportunity to fan the flas.
"It's just a few Martial Guards," Li Chenfeng said, setting down his cup. His gaze swept past the people in the hall and settled on eight burly figures standing ramrod-straight outside like sentinels. Though unard and silent, the overwhelming killing intent they emanated was still deeply unsettling.
The Eight Great Iron Guards.
This was a force that, by rights, only the direct royal lineage was permitted to command. Yet this ti, in an unprecedented move, Li Chenfeng, a re relative by marriage, had been allowed to bring them to the Martial Association. The implication was obvious.
Shang Bai's gaze also fell upon the Eight Great Iron Guards, and a triumphant smile spread across his face. These eight were all peak experts, sowhat analogous to the Chen Clan's Twelve-winged Iron Cavalry.
SHING!
Li Chenfeng pulled the small sword from the table. He rose to his feet first and started walking outside. "Co. Let's go and have a look."
With Shang Bai in the lead, the rest of them hurried to follow.
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