Inside the great tent.
After long hardship, the war had finally, for the most part, come to an end.
The Northern Liang generals had rarely had the chance to gather like this for a drink. Yet halfway through their wine, they heard about what had happened in the county city that day.
"Crack—"
"What right do they have?!"
Some of the more hot-tempered generals flipped the tables outright. The smashing of wine bowls and shattering of ceramic jars rang out without end.
"We've fought for nearly 3 years!"
"3 whole years!"
"We fought all the way from Northern Liang to the Miaoshui River!"
"Have we ever eaten a decent meal? Slept a proper night's rest?!"
"And now that the war is over, the Cao family just waves a hand and wants to drive us away?!"
"Since when has there been such a cheap bargain in this world?!"
"That's right!"
"Today they send us back to Northern Liang—tomorrow will they start stripping our fiefdoms?!"
"Remember the Ten Days of Yunzhou! How many frontier brothers died there?!"
"And Guandu! They nearly got the Grand Commander killed!"
"If you carved open the Cao family's hearts and guts, every last one of them would be black!"
"Bastards!"
"I won't agree!"
"Neither will I!"
"What's going on with the Grand Commander?!"
"He can endure this?"
"Junior Brother is being foolish!"
Cheng Wei slowly set down his wine bowl and murmured, "Throughout history, has there ever been a single feudal king who controlled 5 prefectures and could still coexist peacefully with the court? Especially when he bears a different surname. No matter how close they call each other brothers, he still carries the surname Chen."
"Perhaps…"
Ye Fengxiu rested his hand on his sword sheath. "Junior Brother may be worried about the Guiyuan Sect."
"In my view, there's no need to care about any of that!"
Wang Zhi cursed as he spoke, "At this point, we can only advance, never retreat. Once we return to Northern Liang, if we want to head south into the Central Plains again, we'll have to fight it all over from the beginning! How many more brothers will die then?! Isn't that right, Fourth Brother? Where's Fourth Brother?!"
"Where's Old Xu?"
"Weren't the two of them just here a moment ago?"
"No!"
"Find the two of them!"
"We have to get this cleared up tonight!"
The night lay heavy and still, faint light drifting, the cold moon soaking the quiet.
In a corner of Ba County.
Within a courtyard pavilion, beneath countless pear blossoms.
"Cough… cough…"
The intermittent coughing mixed with the soft clack of chess pieces, unusually clear in the silent night.
A scholar in blue robes and an old scholar with feather fan and headcloth sat beneath the trees, playing chess by moonlight.
"About what happened today."
Fang Qingyun spoke halfway before pausing to catch his breath, only continuing after a long moment. "What do you think?"
"We cannot leave."
Xu Wencai said with evident worry, "Once we leave, who knows how the situation will change? At this point, Northern Liang has long had no path but forward.
"Of course, what I understand, the Grand Commander surely understands as well.
"I imagine he has his own concerns. If it has to do with matters of cultivation, I truly have no ability to ease his burden."
"I know what he is worried about. But even without this incident, given his temperament, he might not be willing to go to Chang'an. That's what we discussed last time—when necessary, we must give him a push."
Fang Qingyun set down a piece heavily. "Mr. Xu, I concede."
"Hiss—"
Xu Wencai sucked in a breath. "Mr. Fang's move was truly dangerous—almost like exchanging lives. In the end you only beat me by half a piece. If I had discovered it, you would have lost."
"Winning by half a piece is still a win, isn't it?"
Fang Qingyun concluded the game and said calmly, "This time, the Guiyuan Sect is the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I will be the one to drive away the oriole."
As he spoke, he laid out the entire plan.
"How can that be allowed?!"
Xu Wencai shot to his feet.
"Calm yourself and hear me out."
Fang Qingyun coughed twice. "Right now, Junior Brother's martial prowess is superb, and his troops are plentiful. But in truth, he still lacks 2 things before accomplishing a great undertaking."
"Yes."
Xu Wencai gently waved his feather fan. "These past 2 years, Sixth Son of the Cao family has imitated the Grand Commander in uprooting spiritual grain. After ascending the throne, he declared a general amnesty throughout the realm, and he still carries the golden nameplate of the Cao family.
"No matter how decayed the Great Sheng Dynasty may be, it truly has nurtured scholars for 300 years.
"And this time—
"Sixth Son Cao neither stripped away military authority nor kept hostages in the capital. He even left behind the Imperial Jade Seal, symbol of the throne, and the Dragon Abyss Sword, claiming they were entrusted temporarily to the Grand Commander's care.
"With this entire process carried out, there is simply no justification for rebellion. It would be rising without cause. Whether the people of the world would accept it is one matter; whether it would affect the mysterious and intangible national destiny is another entirely."
Throughout history, emperors spoke of "orthodoxy," of "legitimacy in founding a state," and there was always a reason for that.
Only now did Xu Wencai suddenly understand why, when he observed the stars that night, even after the old emperor had fallen, the new Purple Star Emperor rising from Northern Liang might still fail to ascend the Seat of the Five Emperors. In the end, something mysterious and intangible was still missing.
"So…"
Xu Wencai frowned. "That is why Mr. Fang intends to kill 2 birds with 1 stone? To ensure we have a just cause for our campaign, to establish the destiny of a new state, and at the same time drive away the oriole so that the Grand Commander will have no more reservations?"
He suddenly grasped the meaning of that final game of chess played by the scholar in blue robes.
A strategist enters the board with his own body as a piece, lifting the chessboard and gaining half a move over heaven.
"No!"
Xu Wencai slammed his feather fan down heavily, narrowing his eyes. "This matter should be entrusted to me! I am nothing more than a commoner from Poyang, and merely a mortal body. If I could use this flesh to forge the destiny of a nation, it would be glory everlasting through the ages."
"Could it be that Brother Wencai also wishes to be an ordinary man doing ordinary things? Cough, cough—"
Fang Qingyun tugged at the corner of his pale lips. "My time is nearly up. To use this dying body to defeat a Tianshui cultivator—would that not be exhilarating? If Brother Wencai brings this up again, I might think you are trying to seize merit and steal the spotlight, making the world believe that Wolong surpasses the Phoenix Chick."
Xu Wencai said gravely, "Sir, have you prepared everything?"
"Back when I was in the capital of Youlan, I heard some things from a cultivator named Qian Qiren. I began making preparations at that time."
Fang Qingyun nodded. "Combined with the intelligence provided by Yunding Palace, if I go, I am 90% certain. And this matter—only I can accomplish it."
Silence fell beneath the pavilion.
After a long while, Xu Wencai slowly sat back down.
"This matter must absolutely not be known to my Junior Brother. Otherwise, it will surely fail. As for this—"
Fang Qingyun took out a letter and left behind a jade flute. Calmly, he said, "After I leave, I trouble Brother Wencai to deliver these to Junior Brother for me."
"Very well."
Xu Wencai carefully accepted the items. "Does Mr. Fang not intend… to speak a few more words with the Grand Commander?"
"No."
Fang Qingyun gently shook his head. "If a matter is not kept secret, it will leak."
As they spoke, noisy voices sounded from outside.
"Sirs!"
Qi Cheng, a disciple of Wolong, hurried over. "Many generals from the military camp have arrived outside. They insist on seeing the two of you. It seems to be because of what happened during the day."
"Let them in."
Before long, the courtyard was filled with a dark mass of people—military generals clad in armor, swords and sabers at their waists.
After consolidation and expansion, the Northern Liang Army now commanded 300,000 troops. That meant at least 30 Battalion Generals alone. Aside from Lü Ji and a few others leading troops elsewhere, nearly all of them had gathered here.
"Have you heard about what happened during the day?!"
"Old Xu!"
"The Cao family wants us to withdraw our troops!"
"Can we agree to that?"
"Of course not!"
"Does the Cao family think they can shit and piss on our heads for the rest of their lives?!"
"Disgusting!"
"Fourth Brother!"
Wang Zhi said bluntly, "We must not forget how Cao Kai treated our master in the past! Now Sixth Son Cao is polite on the surface only because he lacks strength and dares not turn hostile. He's exactly the same as Cao Kai!"
"That's right."
Cheng Wei chimed in, "He has the Guiyuan Sect behind him. Who knows what he's plotting in secret? Even if not for ourselves, we must consider the brothers of Northern Liang."
"Fourth Brother."
Rong Yanqiu spoke up. "Why don't you hurry and come up with a decision?"
"Heh."
Xu Wencai stood. "Generals, please calm yourselves. A plan has already been made."
"It has?"
"What plan?"
"March straight to Chang'an?"
Fang Qingyun and Xu Wencai exchanged a glance, neither speaking immediately.
"Hey!"
"What are you two being mysterious for?"
"If you don't hurry up and tell us, we're going straight to the Grand Commander."
"No matter what, we're not withdrawing!"
"Xiao Cheng."
Xu Wencai waved his hand. "Go fetch the item from my study."
Qi Cheng immediately complied. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he returned to the courtyard carrying a wooden chest secured with a bronze lock.
"That damn chest again."
Feng Yong muttered, "You've been dragging that thing around everywhere for the past 2 years. Who knows what treasure's inside? What does it have to do with this matter?"
"It has everything to do with it."
Xu Wencai lightly shook his feather fan. "And it will solve the problem once and for all. From this day forward, no one will ever dare trouble Northern Liang again."
"So mystical?"
"What's inside?"
"Why didn't you take it out earlier?"
"You'll know once you see."
As he spoke, Xu Wencai tossed out a key.
"So secretive."
Wang Zhi caught the key and said dismissively, "Let me see whether it's really that miraculous!"
Click.
The key opened the bronze lock. With a creak, the lid lifted, revealing what lay within.
"My heavens."
Wang Zhi's tiger-like body trembled.
"What is it?"
The generals crowded forward, craning their necks to look. Anyone who saw clearly immediately stiffened in expression and shut their mouths obediently.
The once clamorous courtyard fell utterly silent within just a few breaths.
In the end, Xu Wencai broke the silence. "Generals, what do you think?"
"Good! Excellent!"
Wang Zhi slapped the table first. "This truly is a good method!"
"That's right!"
Zhao Kang shouted loudly, "Only this way will the Northern Liang Army never be bullied again! The Cao family—damn them all!"
"This should have been done long ago, long ago!"
The generals who had risen from Poyang were the first to voice their approval.
"I agree as well."
Cheng Wei said thoughtfully, "If no matter who sits on the throne will always be suspicious of Northern Liang, then that throne might as well be taken by Junior Brother himself."
"Mm."
Rong Yanqiu nodded. "Indeed, it should be Little Junior Brother who takes it."
After careful deliberation, the senior and junior brothers also expressed their willingness to support it.
Finally, the remaining Northern Liang generals—both veterans and newcomers alike—raised no objections.
No matter how one looked at it, if this matter succeeded, it would be an enormous benefit for them as well.
Was it better to serve as soldiers under the King of Northern Liang, or as the personal guards of an emperor? Which choice would offer greater prospects for the future? Everyone understood the answer clearly in their hearts.
Not to mention, this would be the merit of aiding a dragon's rise.
"It's just—"
Ye Fengxiu, who was usually taciturn, spoke up. "Junior Brother himself may not be willing."
"That's true."
Cheng Wei stroked his chin. "In today's discussion with Sixth Son Cao, it was actually Junior Brother who took the initiative to withdraw from the Central Plains. If he refused to withdraw, who could do anything to us? Since he agreed to pull back the troops, he likely has no intention of vying for the great position."
"How about—"
Ninth Senior Sister Rong Yanqiu pondered, "We go speak with Junior Brother?"
"The Grand Commander will not agree."
Xu Wencai interrupted. "That is precisely why I waited for all the generals to gather here today. And in such a matter, how can we let the Grand Commander take the initiative himself?"
"Reasonable, reasonable."
"I've heard it requires three refusals and three entreaties. Isn't that how it's always written in the history books?"
"Mr. Xu, Mr. Fang, then tell us—what should we do next?"
After a brief moment of thought, Xu Wencai slowly said, "Seven days from now, before we withdraw the troops, we will host a victory banquet in Ba County. At that time—"
County yamen.
Chen Sanshi was temporarily residing there, circulating his Internal Force day and night to recuperate, continuously expelling the residual sword qi within his body, striving to recover as soon as possible.
After this, he still had many matters to attend to, including cultivation, the Guiyuan Sect, and the large and small administrative affairs awaiting him upon returning to Northern Liang.
Waging war was a complex discipline—was governing the realm any less so?
The memorials and official documents from the 5 prefectures of Northern Liang piled up like small mountains. Who knew how much cultivation time they would consume?
For him, 5 prefectures were already the limit he was willing to accept. There was absolutely no possibility of wasting more time on such matters.
The vast territory of the Central Plains was boundless—he truly could not manage it all.
After returning to Northern Liang, he also intended to cultivate several capable and conscientious civil officials to properly rectify official governance.
He entered seclusion to heal, and in the blink of an eye, 7 days passed.
For ordinary mortals, injuries to sinew and bone required at least 100 days to heal. For cultivators whose meridians were damaged, recovery also demanded a long period of rest.
Although Chen Sanshi's injuries had not yet fully healed, they no longer affected his combat strength. For now, that was sufficient. The remaining hidden injuries could only be slowly nursed back to health.
"Haa…"
He exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly opened his eyes.
This great war had lasted nearly 3 years, from Northern Liang to the Miaoshui River. He had yet to take stock of many of the spoils—various techniques, artifacts, and the like.
Of course, among all these, the most important were the Dragon Abyss Sword and the Imperial Jade Seal.
Within the Dragon Abyss Sword, the national destiny of the Great Sheng Dynasty had already dissipated completely, and its bloodline connection to the Cao family had been entirely erased. It was now truly his weapon.
As for the Imperial Jade Seal—
Chen Sanshi had examined it carefully. Within it indeed lay a mysterious and intangible power, capable of resisting the suppression of the Heaven-and-Earth Seal. In ordinary times, it could also be used as an artifact.
Both were supreme treasures.
Yet one thing was worth noting.
Neither the Dragon Abyss Sword nor the Imperial Jade Seal had been forged by the Great Sheng Dynasty.
The Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword originated more than 4,000 years ago, during the Great Zhou, about which historical records were exceedingly sparse.
The Imperial Jade Seal, on the other hand, dated back more than 2,000 years to the Great Qin.
These two objects had existed on the Eastern Divine Continent for ages, circulating through successive dynasties and passing through the hands of countless emperors.
Yet never—
Had anyone wielded them as Cao Kai did, fully unleashing their true function. The Dragon Abyss Sword and the Jade Seal had seemed to serve merely as symbols of "orthodoxy."
Their true utility appeared to have been rediscovered only by Great Sheng Taizu Emperor — Cao Xie. What secrets lay hidden within, no one knew.
Especially the Seven-Star Dragon Abyss Sword.
Cao Xie had actually been able to refine half the realm's national destiny into "a single sword," sealing it within the blade.
National destiny was an intangible and mysterious existence—ordinary people could neither see nor touch it, much less refine it.
Was Cao Xie truly only a Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivator?
If not, why had he died so early?
Or was it that—
"My lord."
Lost in thought, Chen Sanshi was interrupted by a voice from outside.
"My lord, it's about time. Everyone is waiting for you."
Chen Sanshi looked toward the bright daylight beyond the window and only then remembered that today was the victory banquet.
This war had lasted nearly 3 years. Now that it had finally reached a pause, by all rights it was time to celebrate a little—
To drink heartily with the brothers.
After tidying up briefly, he made his way to the military camp outside Ba County.
A victory banquet for more than 80,000 men was truly a grand spectacle. As far as the eye could see, wine, meat, and dishes covered the ground. The soldiers were jubilant; the atmosphere was lively.
"Greetings, Grand Commander!"
"Greetings, Grand Commander!"
Wherever Chen Sanshi passed, the soldiers rose and saluted.
He did not linger, walking straight toward the central command tent. More than 80% of the core generals had gathered there. Even from several hundred paces away, the fragrance of wine and meat could be smelled.
"Greetings, Grand Commander!"
"Brothers, no need to stand on ceremony."
Chen Sanshi said calmly, "This victory banquet will last 3 days. Drink to your hearts' content and eat your fill! If there's not enough meat, I'll personally lead men to hunt for you. If you want tiger meat, you'll have tiger meat. If you want bear hearts, you'll have bear hearts!"
"Grand Commander!"
"You must drink with us until we're all drunk!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Junior Brother, look! This is spiritual wine I seized from a cultivator of the Shengyun Sect. Damn it, one sip knocked Old Second flat. Looks like only you can handle it!"
"Good."
Chen Sanshi readily agreed. "We drink until we drop!"
He took his seat of honor in the central command tent, lifted the bowl filled with spiritual wine, and drank boldly together with everyone.
Xu Wencai, Fang Qingyun, and the others were all present as well.
Fourth Senior Brother was in high spirits too, though his complexion was growing increasingly poor.
Chen Sanshi's expression turned slightly solemn. He made a mental note to set out soon, secretly traveling to Heavenly Water Isle to see whether he could find a method of treatment.
"Grand Commander."
After several rounds of wine, a few civil officials spoke up. "Are we truly preparing to withdraw our troops?"
"Yes, Grand Commander."
The military generals followed up. "Back then, the brothers fought their way south from Northern Liang with great difficulty."
Chen Sanshi had long been mentally prepared for such questions from his subordinates.
On the contrary, if they had not asked, that would have felt strange.
"Brothers."
Chen Sanshi said in a deep voice, "When we first raised our banners, it was to 'execute the immortals and eliminate the traitors.' Now the spiritual grain throughout the realm has been completely eradicated. The Yan faction and the other treacherous marquises have all been thrown into the imperial prison and will soon face execution. We have accomplished our mission. The common people of the realm have suffered from war for far too long. It is time for the land to recuperate and regain its vitality. You brothers may also return to Northern Liang and reunite with your families. This is a good thing."
His view remained unchanged.
At present, nothing was more important than cultivation.
Chen Sanshi had to remain the strongest in Shenzhou to deter all threats. After that, he still had to deal with the ancestral vein and the Guiyuan Sect.
When he traveled to Heavenly Water Isle to seek medicine, he would also pay close attention to these two matters.
"Today is a victory banquet—no talk of military affairs!"
Xu Wencai stood up, signaling the generals to change the topic. "Drink, drink! Normally our military discipline is strict, and alcohol is forbidden. If we don't drink our fill today, once this village is past, there won't be another inn like it!"
"Hahaha!"
"The strategist is right!"
"Indeed, drink!"
"Grand Commander, I toast you a bowl—will you drink it or not?"
Chen Sanshi held his spiritual wine and accompanied them to the end. Before he realized it, he had drunk 7 or 8 full jars, from morning until deep into the night.
This spiritual wine was of the highest grade among first-tier brews. Even for him, it carried some strength.
Of course,
Chen Sanshi could at any time circulate his Internal Force to refine it away. But after fighting wars for so many years, rare was such a brief period of leisure. He wished to rest properly, so he maintained a slight drunken haze and kept them company until the latter half of the night.
Only when the brothers inside the tent had eaten their fill and drunk themselves senseless, collapsing in all directions upon the ground, did Chen Sanshi set down his bowl. He left a thread of awareness to sense danger, guarding against any potential sneak attack, then sank into deep sleep.
It had been a long time since he had slept well.
Ever since arriving in this world, Chen Sanshi had walked as though treading on thin ice—scraping together tax silver by any means necessary, then training in martial arts, then waging war—never resting for a single day.
In his dreams,
Everything around him was quiet—so quiet it felt as though all disturbances had vanished forever.
Yet he knew clearly that upon waking, countless matters would still await him. For once, he deliberately allowed himself to wake a little later.
"Where is everyone?"
Chen Sanshi did not know how long he had slept. In any case, when he finally raised his head, the central command tent was empty.
The Battalion Generals from each camp, as well as his senior brothers and sisters, had all disappeared, leaving behind only the mess from the banquet.
"Hiss—"
Chen Sanshi slowly rose to his feet. The movement tugged at his sword wound, and he could not help but frown slightly.
"So be it.
"For the next 2 days, I won't accompany them again.
"I'll finish healing my injuries. Once that's done, I'll head to Heavenly Water Isle."
With that in mind,
Chen Sanshi walked toward the tent entrance. Suddenly, through the Qi Observation Technique, he saw dense clusters of figures outside.
It appeared that the soldiers were standing in neat formation beyond the tent.
Ordinarily, during a 3-day banquet, gathering together was nothing unusual. Yet outside, it was eerily silent—almost deathly still.
An uninformed observer might think there was an ambush.
But to the present Chen Sanshi, no matter how many ordinary ambushers there were, they could not harm a single hair on his head.
What were they doing?
Swish—
The King of Northern Liang lifted the tent flap. A cool breeze brushed past, carrying a faint chill. The high-ranking officers of the Northern Liang Army were all fully armored, kneeling on one knee in solemn formation.
"Grand Commander, it's cold. Put on an extra robe."
The moment Chen Sanshi stepped out of the tent, two men draped a cloak over his shoulders from behind. He did not refuse their goodwill, but as he looked at the neatly aligned generals, he could not help asking,
"What is this—"
His words halted halfway.
Chen Sanshi froze in place.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed that the robe resting upon his shoulders was bright imperial yellow.