Chapter 11 After the War

Zhou Jing's journey north back to the capital was smooth, except for one assassination attempt along the way.

His return to the capital immediately caused a stir in the court and the public. He was summoned to the palace by the Emperor at the first opportunity.

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

Zhou Jing followed the eunuch into the room and greeted the Emperor, who was practicing calligraphy.

"This humble Daoist greets Your Majesty."

"It's good to have you back, Zhenren. You look thinner."

The Emperor quickly put down his brush and sized him up with a friendly tone.

Seeing that Imperial Wind Zhenren was unharmed, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. However, he noticed that the other party's cheeks seemed to be thinner, and his complexion was unhealthy pale.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. This humble Daoist was able to turn danger into safety, but unfortunately, I was powerless to reverse the situation."

Zhou Jing sighed deliberately.

The Emperor comforted him, "Zhenren need not underestimate yourself. I have heard of the spells and supernatural powers you displayed on the front line. This battle was not your fault. It was all due to Lu Longchuan's incompetence in commanding the troops."

Zhou Jing shook his head, "If this humble Daoist had not been harmed by someone and poisoned, making it difficult to use my powers, Chen Feng would not have been able to act so wildly and defeat Commander Lu's troops."

The Emperor's eyes flashed, not surprised.

He had already received reports from secret agents, learning some of the inside story of the defeat, including the poisoning of Imperial Wind Zhenren. However, most of this information came from the defeated soldiers, making it difficult to confirm its authenticity and whether there was any exaggeration.

He summoned Zhou Jing to the palace at the first opportunity, not only to show his importance but also to ask the firsthand information from the person who experienced it.

The Emperor knew what was going on, but he still put on a surprised expression and asked, "Who harmed the Immortal Master? What's the inside story?"

"Someone bribed the soldiers of Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold) and poisoned my food…"

Zhou Jing explained the process of the matter, making it clear that he was here to complain.

Although he wanted to create a detached image, if he was repeatedly targeted without any temper, he would appear too weak and easily bullied, even if he seemed otherworldly.

He had already decided that he would definitely complain this time, express his dissatisfaction, and let the ministers know that he was not a "true otherworldly expert" who was favored by the Emperor but didn't know how to use it.

"Has Zhenren completely detoxified?" The Emperor asked with concern.

Zhou Jing nodded:

"This humble Daoist suppressed the poison with magic power and supplemented it with detoxification pills, which finally eliminated the toxins. However, this poison was fierce. Although this humble Daoist has recovered, I am like someone who has just recovered from a serious illness. My body is still a little weak and needs to be nourished for some time."

"It's good that Zhenren is fine. I will send the imperial chef to cook tonic medicinal meals every day to help Zhenren recover as soon as possible."

After expressing his concern, the Emperor said seriously:

"I will never tolerate this matter. I will definitely find out who poisoned and harmed you and give Zhenren justice."

Zhou Jing interrupted, "Regarding the person behind the scenes, this humble Daoist has some clues. On the way back, this humble Daoist encountered a group of masked men who tried to assassinate me. After subduing the assassins, I learned that they were all retainers raised by Yu Ding Jiao (Jade Cauldron Sect) among the people. This humble Daoist does not know if someone is framing them or if it is true, so I simply brought these assassins back to the capital as witnesses."

He didn't play any tricks or go around in circles, directly showing his cards.

The Emperor was stunned, his brows furrowing, "Is this true?"

"This humble Daoist has no false words."

Bang!

The Emperor slammed the table in anger, knocking down the pen holder.

"What a bunch of treacherous officials, daring to be so reckless! Zhenren, rest assured, I will order these assassins to be thrown into the Heavenly Prison and sent to Dali Temple for interrogation to find out the truth."

He saw that Zhou Jing was going to hold him accountable, so he showed this attitude to appease the other party, but he was indeed angry in his heart.

When Ning Zhongjun used praise to kill Imperial Wind Zhenren and send him to the front line, the Emperor knew that Yu Ding Jiao was targeting him.

However, the Emperor generally liked to see the open and secret struggles between his ministers. Otherwise, how could he sit on the high platform and be the referee?

Yu Ding Jiao's thoughts could not be hidden from his eyes at the time, but he got Zhou Jing's guarantee that he could survive, and after thinking about it, he allowed it. Later, he promoted Imperial Wind Zhenren in the Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation), which was a warning to Yu Ding Jiao.

However, the Emperor did not expect that Yu Ding Jiao would ignore the warning and dare to do so excessively. It was one thing to use praise to kill, but they even used methods such as poisoning and assassination to eliminate their competitors. This really made him angry.

For this personal gain, they disregarded the overall situation of suppressing bandits and insisted on killing Imperial Wind Zhenren, indirectly leading to the failure of this campaign.

It seems that I have been too tolerant of Yu Ding Jiao over the years…

This thought flashed through the Emperor's mind.

At this time, Zhou Jing said with a sullen face, deliberately, "This humble Daoist asks myself that I have not made any enemies in the court. Such targeting, I don't know if it's simply to get rid of me, or if there is another purpose."

He didn't say it too clearly, stopping at the point, but the subtext was also expressed - the mastermind wants to kill me, maybe he wants to hinder me from recuperating Your Majesty's body to prolong life, with ulterior motives.

The Emperor naturally understood, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

Of course, he understood that Zhou Jing was using the topic to play up the issue, but these words still hit his sensitive point, and he couldn't help but be suspicious.

After complaining fiercely, Zhou Jing did not continue to pester him and turned to talk about other details of the battle.

After listening for a while, the Emperor couldn't help but ask, "Zhenren, what do you think of Chen Feng after fighting with him this time?"

Zhou Jing paused and shook his head:

"Ning Zhongjun's statement that Chen Feng is a transformed evil dragon is really absurd. In this humble Daoist's opinion, this Chen Feng is an ordinary mortal, but he is gifted. In the field of martial arts, he has reached the realm of the number one person in ancient and modern times, which is why he has the courage of ten thousand men."

The Emperor was a little worried when he heard this, "Can martial arts really reach this point?"

In his impression, martial arts were crude skills, at most able to fight dozens of people alone, and the skills would decline with age. It was impossible to have the level of fighting against thousands of troops.

Zhou Jing paused and said, "This humble Daoist is not very clear, but since this Chen Feng can surpass the vast majority of martial artists in the world, he must have his own unique features. With the supernatural powers taught by the immortals, it is not easy to compete with him. I don't know if there is anyone in this world who can match him."

The Emperor's expression changed, and he was silent.

After a while, he opened his mouth and said slowly:

"Lu Longchuan was defeated, but Chen Feng cannot be ignored. The imperial court has decided to send troops to conquer him. Grand Preceptor Pang has named you to go on the expedition to contain Chen Feng. I wonder what Zhenren thinks?"

After this battle, Imperial Wind Zhenren has proven his combat power, enough to match Chen Feng, so the Emperor is not as worried as last time.

Moreover, this time the imperial court is sending troops personally. He is worried about Chen Feng's bravery and fears that the imperial army will follow in the footsteps of the previous army, so he can't help but have the idea of letting Zhenren go on the expedition again.

After all, at present, only Imperial Wind Zhenren has a record of fighting Chen Feng to a draw, so he has to continue to rely on him.

Zhou Jing was stunned, then pretended to be calm and said, "This humble Daoist was poisoned this time, which damaged my Dao cultivation. I originally needed to recuperate for a year and a half, but if Your Majesty has an order, this humble Daoist will naturally obey."

This trip showed his combat power and was regarded by the imperial court as an important weapon to deal with Chen Feng. It was within Zhou Jing's expectations that he would be sent on an expedition again in the future, but he didn't expect it to be so soon.

He had just returned, and suddenly he had to go out again. He was not very happy in his heart, but he still stated that as long as the Emperor sent him on an expedition, he would not disobey the order.

After all, the Emperor took the initiative to insert enemy spies into the army, so how could he mind?

But the Emperor hesitated and shook his head, "I'm too impatient. Zhenren should take good care of your injuries. Let's discuss this matter later."

After a pause, he softened his tone and said:

"You have made great achievements, and I will naturally reward you for your merits. Regarding the assassination, I will also order people to investigate it thoroughly. Zhenren should go back and rest first."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."

Zhou Jing bowed politely, calculating in his heart.

He was not sure how the Emperor would punish Yu Ding Jiao, but considering that the Emperor's behavior of building the Temple of the Son of Heaven required the theoretical support of Yu Ding Jiao, the punishment would probably be reserved and would not directly kill Ning Zhongjun and his gang.

But it didn't matter. Complaining was just a convenient move. The counterattack still had to be used on Chen Feng.

Violent solutions were the most direct. What if Yu Ding Jiao had a good mix in the court? I'll just pull out your mountain gate directly, and smash it every time you build it.

There was also a reason for Chen Feng... Your Yu Ding Jiao leader publicly declared that I am an evil dragon, so you are discrediting me. Is it justified to deal with you?

……

Inside the Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation).

Ning Zhongjun's face was gloomy, and Yin Nan's face was frightened.

"That Ling Fengzi actually survived, which is not good... Headmaster, what should we do?"

Yin Nan said anxiously.

Ning Zhongjun did not answer, his face becoming more and more gloomy, secretly annoyed that his subordinates were not doing their job well.

Several killing moves in a row failed to kill this Ling Fengzi, and he even brought back intelligence. This was bad news for Yu Ding Jiao.

Ning Zhongjun didn't know what to do at this time.

Under the feet of the Son of Heaven, he didn't dare to continue to act excessively.

Even if he regretted sending someone to harm Ling Fengzi now, it was just hindsight to realize that the matter had not been done.

If he did it again, Ning Zhongjun would still try to get rid of this competitor for favor.

'I don't know how much inside information Ling Fengzi knows...'

Ning Zhongjun couldn't help but feel regret, fear, anxiety, and other emotions. Everything stemmed from the uncertainty of whether Ling Fengzi knew the mastermind behind the scenes and how much information this person would reveal to the Emperor.

But even if he was worried, he could only wait for the result now.

At this moment, his subordinates reported that a palace eunuch had arrived, bringing an imperial edict.

Ning Zhongjun and Yin Nan quickly met him and led a group of subordinates to greet him at the gate of the Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation).

The eunuch looked at the two of them leisurely, with a fake smile on his face, and said:

"The Holy One has an edict. The Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation) has the responsibility of observing the celestial phenomena and has a heavy task. Director Ning, His Majesty thinks that you are busy with official duties, so you don't have to go to court every day in the future. The Shao Jian (Vice Director) of the Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation), Divine Firmament, Wind Spirit Zhenren, will attend court for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present was stunned and looked surprised.

In fact, the Si Tian Jian (Directorate of Celestial Observation) did not need to go to court every day. Because the Emperor favored him, Ning Zhongjun had always had the qualification to attend court every day.

Now that the Emperor took back his power and gave it to Imperial Wind Zhenren, the signal was already very clear.

It was a sign of disfavor!

Ning Zhongjun's eyes went dark, and he gritted his teeth and held on: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern!"

……

On the other side, Lu Longchuan and his party walked into the city gate, all looking dusty.

"I wonder what the situation will be like when we return to the capital this time..."

Lu Longchuan looked desolate and uninterested.

Since he was betrayed and abandoned by Chen Feng, he had always been in this depressed state, with only Sun Rong and a dozen other loyal pro-amnesty old brothers by his side.

Because there were too many defeated soldiers from the Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold) who were not all captured, Lu Longchuan and others slowly gathered some of the defeated soldiers on the road and re-established a team of three to five thousand people. They were the only remaining troops, waiting for orders in the camp near the capital.

Compared with the peak period, the scale was undoubtedly greatly reduced, not even comparable to some slightly larger mountain strongholds. Where was the former scenery of traversing the northern region?

Whenever he thought of Chen Feng taking away a group of leaders, leaving only a few big cats and kittens in the Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold), Lu Longchuan felt sad and disheartened.

Sun Rong sighed and said slowly, "We have been fighting bandits for the imperial court and have lost our family business. The imperial court will probably punish us. Alas, I only hope that His Majesty will show mercy and give us a chance to redeem ourselves. This time we have lost our troops. We will probably become abandoned sons in Prime Minister Qin's eyes. Fortunately, we heard on the road that Zhenren is fine and has returned to the capital. We should attach ourselves to Zhenren, or we may be able to leave a way out."

They had no choice but to bite the bullet and return to the capital. As an example of being recruited, if they returned to banditry again, they would only die. Although there was a crime for defeat, there were still some opportunities.

In Sun Rong's opinion, without a family fortune, he became a toothless tiger... But it was not necessarily a way out.

If Zhenren was willing to say a few good words to the Emperor, it would be more stable.

Sun Rong knew very well that although this battle was defeated, Imperial Wind Zhenren had made great contributions and had no faults. Moreover, his supernatural powers were so amazing that he would definitely become an important figure worshipped by the imperial court in the future.

And everyone had fought side by side this time, at least they had some friendship as comrades-in-arms. They might as well use this to hug Zhenren's thigh and find a backer for themselves in the court.

Anyway, everyone could only go down the road of being a running dog of the imperial court, so it was better to be a running dog under Zhenren's command.

With Zhenren's temperament, the chances of accepting them were not low, since everyone had a friendship.

It's just...

Sun Rong looked at Lu Longchuan's depressed and walking dead appearance, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

After a series of blows, being completely compared by Chen Feng, he was not sure if his boss could cheer up.

If he couldn't... then don't blame the brothers for jumping ship.

Sun Rong's eyes flickered slightly.

He had always supported being recruited, and his intention was very simple. His goal was to be an official.

Sun Rong felt that Lu Longchuan no longer had the foundation of the Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold), and continuing to follow him would not bring much help to his career.

Although he was also recruited, and he had the mark of the Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold) on his body, he didn't have to always be limited to this identity and always follow the old boss.

Countless successful green forest predecessors who had been recruited had already used their examples to show that as long as they found the right backer and mentor in the court, they could jump out of this identity and rise to the top.

Sun Rong felt that he was the same. He might as well find another way out, get rid of Lu Longchuan and the mess of the Tianwang寨 (Heavenly King Stronghold), and change a development route in the court.

And Imperial Wind Zhenren, in his opinion, was a suitable object and one of the few choices at present.