Han Shaobai thought he had finally grasped a lifeline, but the outco was not what he expected. As he was shouting for Tian Ling to administer justice, the veteran general asked a single question. "Why was your deputy executed?"
Han Shaobai dodged the question and offered all sorts of excuses, but Tian Ling wasn't having it. He relentlessly focused on the core of the issue. He refused to believe that the Supre Martial Commander was petty enough to execute a comrade-in-arms over a few insignificant words, as Han Shaobai claid.
Han Shaobai was left speechless. That's right, why was he executed? The law was clear: The punishnt for insulting the Supre Martial Commander is death!
In the end, the Patrol and Arrest Team arrived and took away the Peerage King, the man who believed he would soon beco the new War God of the State.
Tian Ling's public statent threw the vast Cangyun City into turmoil, stirring up colossal waves. The atmosphere hanging over the city grew increasingly tense. Hanyun Valley had always been loyal to Chen Yang. Now, with Tian Ling making his stance clear, the already tilted scales of power shifted significantly back toward equilibrium.
Of the five Martial Districts, two remained silent, clearly intending to stay out of the fray. With the Qingteng Martial District taking a stand, only the Chenlong Martial District was left isolated, unable to stand alone.
"Now, the Boss of the Chenlong Martial District has been pushed into the eye of the storm, becoming a public target. That Peerage King will probably just end up as the scapegoat."
"Ultimately, he has only himself to bla. He's a man of the Martial Departnt, yet he sided with the imperial family. Soone like that can't be trusted with any real responsibility."
This single incident caused the dissenting voices against Chen Yang to diminish significantly. The powerful aristocratic families that had banded together felt as if they had been dealt a heavy blow. The tide of events seed to have turned overnight.
As news spread that Zhang Zhi's entire family had been arrested and their assets seized, a tremor went through Cangyun City. Dark clouds gathered over the heads of certain powerful individuals. A sharp knife was slowly being drawn. It was as if black clouds were pressing down on the city, threatening to crush it.
At this point, anyone who wasn't a fool could see the truth. The turmoil had been sparked by the War God of the State and his followers launching an offensive against certain factions, which in turn caused those groups to lash out in their death throes. The conflict was now out in the open, tearing a huge rift in the city's power structure. Though so had been executed and others intimidated, there were surely those who would not simply sit by and await their doom. The storm had been great, but it was rely the opening act. The true, large-scale confrontation was likely to unfold in the near future.
The violent storm arrived as quickly as it dissipated. When the clouds dispersed, the long-absent sun once again shone brightly in the sky.
「Two days later.」
Chen Yang paid a visit to the Elders' Court to see the Great Elder, who had temporarily regained consciousness. After a lengthy conversation, they finally settled a long-overdue matter.
「Before long.」
The Elders' Court issued a docunt announcing that Chen Yang was relinquishing his position as the War God of the State. These few simple words sent shockwaves throughout Cangyun City.
"Ultimately, he threatened the interests of certain people!"
"Alas, what he achieved was already remarkable! I hope that for the rest of his life, he can be free of care and travel the vast lands he guarded for more than a decade."
"From now on, he's the only War God of the State we'll ever acknowledge!"
Countless people were filled with emotion, both outraged and helpless. In a world like this, how can one person change anything? But others had a different perspective. His dismissal must have been carefully considered. Perhaps, freed from this title, so things will be easier for him to handle? These people believed that an even bigger storm was about to make its forceful debut.
Subsequently, the Jingnan Prince was sent back to Hanyun Valley. The Peerage King, Han Shaobai, was formally detained, which kicked off a sweeping investigation that enveloped the entire Chenlong Martial District. Cangyun City, for its part, returned to a state of normalcy.
But what no one knew was that among the Barbarians, whose foundations had recently been destroyed, a new tyrant had risen from the ashes. This man had ascended to the highest position among his people with the force of a thunderclap. However, he did not focus on rebuilding his shattered holand. Instead, he led his own forces and the remaining Barbarian tribes to tear through several neighboring nations with the speed of lightning.
He expanded his territory, seizing fertile lands and valuable assets while frantically bolstering his own forces. Through these aggressive maneuvers, the Barbarians, who had struggled for a decade, rapidly regained their vitality in just a few short months. Given more ti, they were certain to reach a new height of power.
「One particular night.」
A young man of only thirty-five sat cross-legged on the rooftop terrace of the new capital building. A pitch-black long spear stood upright beside him. His hawk-like eyes stared intently north. He knew that to the north lay a vast and bountiful land, one that could support hundreds of millions of people in prosperity. It was a land where a single tribe had maintained its heritage for thousands of years. Of course, it also possessed an incredibly formidable Martial Guard. And the commander of that Martial Guard...
The young man picked up a portrait. The figure in the image wore a martial uniform and held a battle saber. His solemn face was far too young. Yet it was this very youth who had trampled upon the dignity of his entire tribe!
The nation lay in ruins. Above the grand capital building, the war banner of another country now flew!
The young man exhaled sharply, and the air before him seed to ripple and burst.
"When I have rebuilt my strength, I will seize your resources, occupy your lands, and slaughter your people to the last man!"
The young man slowly stood, gripping his long spear. An unprecedented killing intent erupted from him, and his eyes were as deep as a river of stars. "I, Heiqi, swear this oath!"
「...」
「That night.」
As evening descended, the city ca alive with bright lights and loud music—a scene of bustling prosperity. But who could truly understand that behind this splendor lay an iron wall forged from the blood and bone of countless people along the nation's vast border? These people were sons, fathers, and husbands. It was they who shouldered this great responsibility.
"Do you... do you have any regrets?"
In the courtyard, Qin Qiu lay in Chen Yang's arms, toying with a strand of her hair as she suddenly spoke. She was asking if, after all his years in the Martial Departnt and everything that had happened, he regretted his choice.
After all, there were too many selfish people, too many parasites. Even now, with the War God of the State retired, sporadic insults could still be heard. So sneered that he had stepped down because he couldn't face the consequences, that he was hiding. The most outrageous were those clamoring for Chen Yang to be publicly executed.
Qin Qiu sighed. These people are truly heartless. If it weren't for my husband and those iron-willed n, would they still be here raising a fuss? They'd probably be living in constant fear, just trying to survive from one day to the next. Perhaps this is the dark side of human nature?
Chen Yang smiled, gazing at the moon in the night sky. "In all my life," he said, his lips curling slightly, "the thing I'm most grateful for is joining the Martial Departnt."
"Why would I ever regret it?"
Qin Qiu nodded, her gaze also turning to the moon.
Moons rise and fall, seasons turn, and a thousand years of wind and frost may pass. The only thing that remains unchanged is this city's myriad lights, as nurous as the stars in the sky.
Qin Qiu snuggled closer in Chen Yang's arms and said softly, "I know it's wrong to say this, but I can't help but hope that one day, when war breaks out again and the nation is left without a general to defend its gates, those wretches will be scared out of their minds. Maybe they'll even defect to the enemy."
"That's a petty thought," Chen Yang said, holding her close, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.
"I just can't swallow this anger!"
They didn't know that her words would prove to be a prophecy.
However, even as a commoner, Chen Yang would still throw himself onto the front lines without a second thought. He would do it for no other reason than to protect the precious land that had birthed and raised him from being trampled by iron hooves.
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