The Supre Martial Commander, Chen Jian, who had been in position for less than a year, was deeply dejected and ultimately died sitting in his barracks.
「Three days later.」
In a certain neighborhood in Nann City, Chen Yang stood alone in the courtyard. He maintained the sa posture from morning until noon, a bleak and solitary figure.
In life, eight or nine tis out of ten, things don't go as planned. Of those troubles, one can speak to others of barely two or three.
Ever since Qin Qiu entered his life, Chen Yang, having shed his military uniform, had made perfect plans for their future. It was a life not to be rushed, filled with poetry and distant horizons. But an unexpected war had sent everything he so carefully planned spinning off its intended path.
"What are you thinking about?"
Qin Qiu, who had been watching from the doorway for a long ti, finally walked over and gently embraced him from behind.
Chen Yang took her hands and said softly with a laugh, "Nothing in particular."
By now, Qin Qiu was more than two months pregnant, adding yet another layer of anticipation for the future.
May these tranquil years be worthy of the one I cherish.
"Did the little rascal kick you today?" Chen Yang turned, placing his hand gently on Qin Qiu's belly and asking with a beaming smile.
Qin Qiu lowered her head, her face already overflowing with maternal radiance despite being less than three months along. She laughed softly. "It's too soon. How could the baby kick?"
"But I think, even when the ti cos, this little rascal won't have the heart to kick ." Qin Qiu gestured with her hands, her smile blooming like a flower.
Chen Yang smiled knowingly and pulled her into his embrace.
Yet this world seems unwilling to grant the slightest foothold.
The state of the nation today… With each new king co new ministers.
Wu Xing and Jin Zheng had reached the end of their terms and officially retired. The entire nation was experiencing a sweeping change of personnel, with a host of new faces rising to power. It was said to be a normal rotation, but upon closer examination, it felt anything but. The newly appointed cared only about achievents—seeking fa in life, fighting over rits in death.
But before that, purging the institutional frawork left by their predecessors was the absolute priority. If soone could be of use, they were kept. If not, they were t with a brutal cleanse. The new officials were not concerned with the past contributions of these individuals, but only with the security of their own positions.
And in all this, Chen Yang stood out as the most dazzling figure.
Although he had declined the position of Supre Martial Commander, his influence on this vast land was imnse and unprecedented. As long as he existed, he was a huge threat.
Outside the courtyard, the wind suddenly picked up.
"How about you go back to Lingjin City?" Chen Yang asked, his head lowered as he sought Qin Qiu's opinion.
Qin Qiu nodded. "I happen to miss Grandfather and my friends, too."
Most importantly, Qin Qiu didn't want herself or the child in her womb to beco a burden to Chen Yang.
"After this is over, I'm not going anywhere," Chen Yang promised, caressing her face. His voice was tender, his expression full of adoration.
In reality, Qin Qiu, Chen Yang, and even the retired Jin Zheng and Wu Xing all understood that this ti was different. It was destined to be a path fraught with hardship, a defiance of fate itself.
"Alright, I'll wait for you."
Qin Qiu waved as she boarded a car with Wu Xing and Jin Zheng, which then drove off into the distance.
Liu Wu was stationed in the barbarian territories. Now, looking back, the familiar face standing with Chen Yang was the sa as ever.
"Boss, shall we set off too?" Yang Hu asked.
"Let's go."
A comrcial van slowly left the neighborhood, departing Nann City and heading straight for Cangyun City.
The scenery along the way was picturesque. Resting his head on one hand, Chen Yang gazed out the window. His indifferent eyes swept over the beautiful landscape, a smile occasionally touching his lips, only to be followed by a deep sigh.
I used to hear the elders say that the years before eighteen are fleeting and can be spent however you please, in whatever joyful way you want. But the dozen or so years between eighteen and thirty… those years are a person's entire life. In the past, I would just smile and dismiss it. Now, I suddenly understand the profound truth in those words.
He had led troops into battle at eighteen. This year, he had just turned thirty. Tis had changed, and the world had moved on.
But he could never forget the oath he once made, the faith that had seeped into his very marrow. He would rather have his bones shatter in the open sky and his blood stain the heavens than sit guarding a coffin, his soul aimless. At the very least, when his path ended and his ti ca, he could stand amidst the vast lands of the nation, look back, and know this: I, Chen Yang, have a clear conscience toward others, toward myself, and toward the world.
「Cangyun City.」
「Elders' Court.」
A young man in a green robe sat before a coffee table, one leg casually crossed over the other. He held a folding fan and possessed sharp, narrow eyes and an insidious smile. As his right hand lifted a teacup, his left picked up a list.
The robe was lavish and exquisitely crafted. On its chest was an image of a flying falcon, its sharp claws grasping an Azure Dragon with two horns and five claws. The aning behind such a design was perfectly clear. After half a month, one didn't need to see the man's face; the robe alone was enough to identify him as the new Falcon Master in charge of the Elders' Court.
At thirty-one or thirty-two years old, he had a fresh, handso face. The hint of a smile on his lips made him seem like a friendly boy next door, making it easy for people to like him. But at this mont, his gaze was icy cold, radiating a sharp chill.
With a flick of his left wrist, the list of core mbers of the Hanyun Valley Martial Guard unfurled. He swept a casual glance over it and said indifferently, "So this Ning Kun is the one who carries the Commander's flag?"
"That's right!" a middle-aged man in his forties responded respectfully from beside him. "He was the one who personally planted the Commander's flag in the Barbarian Capital."
"It's said that the flag has never once fallen while in his hands."
The Falcon Master tossed the list aside. "He'll do."
"They say a new official must light three fires. For the first, we'll execute a few of these tough characters. Otherwise, the world might still think the Hanyun Valley Martial Guard is soone's personal army."
The Falcon Master, whose real na was Tu Huan, slowly lifted the teacup and took a sip. His movents were gentle and refined, the very picture of contentnt. Hailing from a top-tier noble family, his style was a stark contrast to Luo Yunhai's. With bold and decisive strokes, he clearly intended to make every organization under the Elders' Court bear his family na, Tu. In terms of ruthless efficiency, the veteran Luo Yunhai couldn't compare to a tenth of his.
In just half a month, his reputation had soared like the blazing sun in a clear sky. He beca a superstar, his fa rising in tandem with Chen Yang's after the national war. What a thrill that must have been.
Everyone knew this Falcon Master had been promising from a young age. At fifteen, he was already acclaid by a group of elders as a True Dragon, one who would remain silent only until he could make a move that would astonish the world. In this glorious age, he was very likely to beco the most dazzling star.
And now, he was beginning to show his fangs.
The arrest warrant, personally issued by Tu Huan, had already been passed down the chain of command. The main purpose was nothing more than a warning—killing the chicken to scare the monkey. He would force this army, nationally recognized as the Kings' Army, to change its colors and submit to a new master. Tu Huan was particularly skilled at striking a snake's weak point.
"In reality, it's not I who wants you dead," Tu Huan lit a cigarette, a faint smile spreading across his lips. "It's that this world no longer has a place for you. You simply have to die."
The reason such power was so coveted, so relentlessly pursued, was that it gave one the authority of life and death over the masses. When he pointed his finger and demanded your death, you had no hope of survival.
User Comments
0 comments from readers