The Emperor's edict, proclaimed by an expressionless eunuch right within the Can Thanh Palace, set an entirely new path for Tran Kien.
It was not a lofty position within the court. Nor was it a reward for his monumental deeds of stirring the southern seas and shaking the imperial capital.
It was a "banishment."
"By the Grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees," the sycophantic voice of the eunuch echoed through the empty grand hall. "The New King of Flood Dragon Island, Tran Kien, is young and highly talented, possessing extraordinary strategy. Now, at the northern borders, rebel forces have risen, harassing the common people. Tran Kien is hereby specially appointed as the 'Army Inspector of the Northern Borders'. He is to set out immediately for the city of Tran Bac to assist the General of Tran Bac in pacifying the rebellion. Thus endeth the decree!"
Army Inspector. A title that sounded majestic, capable of overseeing an entire legion. But in reality, it was a title possessing name but no actual authority. Arriving at a blood-soaked battlefield where generals believed only in strength and military merit, a "greenhorn" like Tran Kien would merely be a thorn in their sides—someone to be pushed out as a human shield.
This was an incredibly masterful chess move by the Emperor. He did not kill, nor did he reward. He was borrowing the hands of the enemy, borrowing the cruelty of the battlefield, to test, to temper, and also to eliminate this uncontrollable chess piece. If Tran Kien died at the borders, it was due to insufficient talent. If he could survive and return, perhaps even establishing merit, only then would he truly earn the acknowledgment of the Nine-Five Supreme Sovereign.
Tran Kien, standing in the middle of the grand hall, showed no signs of panic or indignation. He merely silently dropped to one knee—a kneel not out of fear for authority, but in accordance with the rules of the chessboard.
"This commoner... accepts the decree."
News that the New King of Flood Dragon Island, the very person who had just shaken the imperial capital, had been "banished" to the borders quickly spread throughout the city, eliciting varying reactions.
The Marquis of Vinh An's Estate gloated. In their eyes, Tran Kien taking this trip meant nine chances of death and only one chance of survival.
Duke Dinh Quoc's Estate was worried. They wanted to intervene, but this was an imperial decree; it could not be defied.
Only Uncle Sword, upon hearing the news, sat quietly in his meditation room, silently wiping his wooden sword, the corners of his mouth curling into a profound, unfathomable smile. "Leaving is good. This capital is too small a pond. Only a true battlefield can temper a dragon."
And Tran Kien, the person at the center of it all, was the calmest of them all. He had three days to prepare.
He did not pack luggage. He was preparing for the chessboard.
On the first night, he used the "Thousand-Li Voice Transmission Talisman" given to him by Uncle Sword to send two messages. One to Old Whale at Flood Dragon Island, ordering him to continue consolidating their forces, expanding the intelligence network across the northern seas, and standing by for orders. The other to Barbarian Bull, who was leading the elite forces concealed on the mainland; it contained only a single sentence: "The north wind rises; the dragon prepares to fly."
On the second night, he was not in his manor. Disguised, he quietly went to a small temple on the outskirts. There, he met a person.
It was Uncle Sword.
"This journey is incredibly perilous," Uncle Sword said, his tone solemn.
"I know," Tran Kien replied. "I did not come here to bid farewell. I came to ask a favor of you."
He handed Uncle Sword a sealed letter. "These are some of my conjectures regarding the military situation at the borders. I must trouble you to find a way to deliver it into the hands of General Ly Tin."
"There is one more thing," he said, his voice dropping deeper. "Lady Lam Vy is within the palace; I must trouble Uncle Sword and Duke Dinh Quoc's Estate to look out for her. The Marquis of Vinh An will not pass up this opportunity."
Uncle Sword solemnly accepted the letter. "Rest assured. As long as I am alive, I will not allow anyone to harm the young lady. Take care!"
The two men, one old and one young, quietly forged an alliance in the shadows.
On the morning of the third day, a simple horse-drawn carriage—bearing no banners and no guards—quietly left the northern gates of the Thang Long Imperial Capital. Inside the carriage sat only a young "Army Inspector," his eyes closed in rest.
A journey of ten thousand li, once again, had begun.
But Tran Kien knew this road would not be peaceful. Sure enough, after three days of travel, upon reaching a desolate forest, a pitch-black arrow shot out from the underbrush without a sound, aiming straight for the coachman's heart.
The coachman, a common soldier of the Imperial Court, only had time to let out a miserable shriek before collapsing. The carriage, having lost its driver, staggered and came to a halt.
From the woods on both sides, dozens of black shadows clad in assassin garb lunged out, their killing intent soaring to the heavens, completely surrounding the carriage. Leading them was a man whose cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"Tran Kien," the leader sneered. "Our Marquis sent us to see you off on your final journey!"
The curtain of the carriage was slowly lifted.
Tran Kien leisurely stepped down. He showed absolutely no signs of panic. He merely brushed the dust from his robes, then looked at the assassins surrounding him and let out a soft sigh.
"Is it only you lot?" he asked, his tone somewhat disappointed. "The Marquis of Vinh An looks down on me far too much."
"Arrogant! Kill him!"
The assassins roared, lunging forward.
But Tran Kien did not move. He merely stood there.
And he smiled.
At that exact moment, from the treetops above and from beneath the earth, dozens of other black shadows—wearing the lightweight armor of the Sea Dragon Guards—silently materialized, forming an even larger encirclement that trapped the assassins within.
Leading them was none other than Barbarian Bull.
"You..." the lead assassin was horrified. "Who are you?!"
Barbarian Bull did not answer. He merely looked toward his Exalted Lord, awaiting the command.
Tran Kien looked at the assassin, the smile on his lips growing even colder.
"Did you think," he said, "that I wouldn't know you were coming?"
The stratagem of "Luring the snake out of its hole" wasn't always used just to lure the snake. Sometimes, it was used to kill the snake.
"Kill," he uttered a single word.
A slaughter, utterly devoid of suspense, began.