Chapter 1 The News Reaches the Capital

As Zhou Jing hurried on his way, news of the failed campaign to suppress the bandits and the crushing defeat at the front lines was delivered to the capital by fast-riding messengers.

Learning of the devastating defeat at Tianwang Stronghold, which nearly annihilated the entire army, caused an uproar in the capital. All the civil and military officials were shaken and alarmed.

During the court session that day, the ministers engaged in heated discussions, all criticizing Lu Longchuan for his ineffective command.

"Lu Longchuan is mediocre and utterly incompetent! He suffered such a decisive defeat! Bandits are just bandits; they are truly useless!"

"Had we known this, we should have stripped him of his military power and sent a general from the court to command the troops. We wouldn't have suffered such a complete rout!"

The ministers were agitated, criticizing fiercely, their tones indignant, each one acting as if they couldn't wait to take the field themselves.

Although they had never led troops or seen a battlefield, that didn't stop them from thinking they were experts, loftily scolding Lu Longchuan for his inept command, fully embodying the saying, "It's easy to talk when you're not the one suffering."

In their theoretical war games, the ideal outcome was for both sides to suffer heavy losses, successfully suppressing the bandits while also weakening Lu Longchuan's forces, achieving two goals at once.

Once the situation deviated from their expectations and became uncontrollable, they became exasperated.

Lu Longchuan's defeat was too thorough, ruining the court's plan. The court had hoped to reap the benefits of a drawn-out conflict, but now their calculations had failed, and they had not only lost their investment but also strengthened their enemy.

Thinking of this, the ministers were both dissatisfied with Lu Longchuan and uneasy about the situation.

Grand Secretary Pang Hong remained silent, coldly observing the ministers' exposed ugliness, unable to suppress a feeling of schadenfreude.

He had always supported sending troops sooner, but these ministers had dismissed his concerns, thinking the situation was still under control and wanting to please the emperor's desire to save military expenses. So, they always refuted him, believing they could continue to watch from the sidelines and profit.

But warfare is ever-changing, and the current trend had taken a sharp turn for the worse, just as he had predicted. The consequence of greed was a complete failure.

Pang Hong despised these civil officials who were both incompetent and loved to give orders, but the emperor had supported them, so he didn't dare reveal his mockery and remained silent.

On the dragon throne, the emperor listened to the ministers' hindsight opinions, knowing they were passing the buck. His face was extremely unpleasant.

Qin Song coughed and stepped forward, saying:

"Since the campaign failed, Lu Longchuan is naturally to blame, but his current whereabouts are unknown, so it's useless to speak of it. Tianwang Stronghold are merely bandits who were offered amnesty. Even if they are defeated, it won't hurt the court too much. We should prioritize matters based on their importance. What we should be discussing now is how to deal with Chen Feng."

The emperor's expression softened somewhat, and he nodded, saying, "Consort Qin is right. Chen Feng is a scourge to the country. Does anyone have a plan to defeat him?"

The ministers immediately shut their mouths, shrinking their necks and lowering their heads, their eyes fixed on their noses, their noses fixed on their hearts, their hearts fixed on their private parts, as if they had all turned into silent wooden or clay sculptures.

"Is there not a single person in the entire court with a good plan?"

The emperor's tone was dissatisfied.

He then looked at Pang Hong and said in a deep voice, "Secretary Pang, you are knowledgeable about military matters. Do you have any insights?"

Hearing the emperor call his name, Pang Hong spoke, reciting the draft he had prepared:

"Your Majesty, the bandits are sustaining their war effort with spoils of war, using the supplies left behind at Tianwang Stronghold. Their strength is growing. If we allow them to assimilate what they have gained, they will be even harder to deal with in the future. In my opinion, we should immediately mobilize elite troops from the border and conscript soldiers from various prefectures to launch a multi-pronged attack and suppress the bandits. Now that the bandits have just experienced a major battle and have not fully recovered, we should take this opportunity to strike them with a swift and fierce offensive, giving them no chance to breathe."

The emperor frowned and remained silent.

Seeing this, Pang Hong paused and continued, speaking loudly:

"For the commander of the three armies, I recommend Ma Zhen, a descendant of Duke Yi, Ma Cheng. He is currently the Defense Commissioner of Puzhou and the Pacification Commissioner of Yi and Luzhou. He has studied military books since childhood, is skilled in both archery and horsemanship, possesses outstanding strategies, and commands troops effectively. He is a talented commander."

The emperor's eyes lit up. "Since he is a descendant of a founding general, he must be extraordinary!"

The ministers immediately began whispering and discussing in low voices.

Ma Cheng was a general who helped found Daxia, known for his martial prowess. His courage and military strategy were also top-notch. The Ma family had always been a family of generals and nobles in Daxia.

Pang Hong bowed, seizing the opportunity to press on, saying, "I also recommend two people to assist the commander. One is Huang Ping, a descendant of Marquis Jiyang, who serves as the Military Commander of Qizhou. He is extremely strict in governing his troops and possesses extraordinary martial strategies. The other is Yuwen Yan, a descendant of Marquis Shandeh, who serves as the Commissioner of the Hongwu Army. He excels in unorthodox tactics and understands Yin and Yang. Both of these men are renowned generals of the court, not comparable to the likes of Lu Longchuan."

The emperor stroked his beard and nodded, feeling pleased to hear that there were talented generals in the court.

But he immediately realized that he hadn't agreed to send troops yet, so why were they already discussing the selection of commanders?

"The matter of sending troops, I have not yet decided. Let's discuss it further..."

Sending Tianwang Stronghold to suppress the bandits was within an acceptable range of expenses, so the emperor didn't object. But the court personally launching a large-scale campaign would involve astronomical military expenditures, making him hesitate.

However, before he could finish speaking, Pang Hong knelt down directly, exclaiming:

"Chen Feng is an ambitious wolf who disregards the law. One day, he will endanger the nation. We must never tolerate him any longer. Now that Lu Longchuan has suffered a major defeat, only by sending troops from the court can we suppress him and eliminate this threat once and for all! Otherwise, if the banditry spreads to various regions and gains popular support, it will shake the foundation of the nation, and the world will fall into chaos!"

Hearing this, a minister immediately jumped out and rebuked:

"How dare you spread alarmist rumors before His Majesty?! His Majesty governs the country wisely. Chen Feng is just a temporary skin rash; how can he endanger the nation? Are you implying that His Majesty lacks popular support? What are your intentions?"

The emperor frowned, reprimanded the minister to be quiet, and comforted Pang Hong:

"Secretary Pang, please rise. I know you are wholeheartedly devoted to the country and are loyal."

Pang Hong thanked the emperor and stood up, but he still bowed deeply.

The emperor pondered for a while, then endured the pain and nodded, saying, "Secretary Pang is right. Chen Feng is a major threat to the court and cannot be allowed to run rampant. We should send troops to suppress him. I approve of this matter."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Pang Hong quickly bowed, feeling relieved.

Without war, there would be no military merits or military expenses. After so much persuasion, the emperor finally agreed to send troops, and it was finally his turn to profit.

He couldn't help but grumble inwardly… Now you know to send troops? Why didn't you do it sooner? It would have been easier to win with Tianwang Stronghold.

You only take action after your teammate is defeated. This is the result of greed and shortsightedness!

In his eyes, the entire court was full of incompetent people!

Of course, Pang Hong knew he wasn't a loyal minister concerned about the country and the people, but at least he knew his limits. He could make money, but the war still had to be won.

Therefore, Pang Hong spoke again, saying solemnly:

"Chen Feng is incredibly brave. If the court wants to win by sending troops, we still need someone to assist."

"Who?"

"Naturally, it is the Feng Ling Zhenren (Wind Spirit Adept) of the Shenxiao (Divine Firmament) sect."

Pang Hong answered honestly.

After reading so many battle reports about Chen Feng, he still couldn't figure out how to defeat him. He wasn't confident that commanding with famous generals could solve this extraordinary number one expert in the world.

So, naturally, Pang Hong set his sights on the Yufeng Zhenren (Riding the Wind Adept), whose performance in this battle had been shocking, believing that only by bringing this "weapon" could they restrain Chen Feng and prevent the opponent from using a rapid decapitation strategy.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers looked at each other.

The emperor's expression also darkened.

Seeing this, Qin Song, sensing the emperor's thoughts, quickly put on a worried expression, as if empathizing with the monarch, and said helplessly:

"Lu Longchuan was badly defeated, and the entire army was scattered. The Feng Ling Zhenren of the Shenxiao sect is also missing. It's too early to talk about this now. But the Zhenren is highly skilled and should be able to turn danger into safety."

Hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but sigh, and his face also showed concern.

Before the expedition, Yufeng Zhenren (Riding the Wind Adept) had assured him that no matter how the battle went, he had the ability to retreat safely.

But now that the front lines had really been defeated, the emperor was still uneasy, afraid that the alchemy master would not return. Subconsciously, he resisted letting Yufeng Zhenren take any more risks, wishing he could keep him in the capital forever, like a caged bird.

If the Zhenren was a woman, he would directly bring her into the harem, and everything would be solved.

At this time, Ning Zhongjun suddenly stepped forward, frowning and saying:

"Your Majesty, I think this matter is suspicious."

The emperor was stunned: "What do you mean, Consort?"

Ning Zhongjun asked with a puzzled tone: "Chen Feng is an evil Jiao (mythological dragon) who has transformed into a human. The Feng Ling Zhenren of the Shenxiao sect has been using immortal methods to contend with him, which is why the two armies have been stalemated. But how could he suddenly be defeated?"

The ministers frowned and whispered to each other.

They had already heard about the scenes of the battle between Yufeng Zhenren (Riding the Wind Adept) and Chen Feng from the battle reports, and they were naturally shocked.

In fact, they believed that one of the reasons the two sides could remain in a stalemate for so long was that Yufeng Zhenren's immortal methods could prevent Tianwang Stronghold from being quickly captured by the enemy.

But unexpectedly, Lu Longchuan suddenly lost, and Yufeng Zhenren (Riding the Wind Adept) suddenly became silent for some reason.

Because the battle report had not yet been sent back, the people in the court had doubts in their hearts.

At this time, a scholar spoke coldly: "This matter must be thoroughly investigated. If the Feng Ling Zhenren of the Shenxiao sect neglected the war and caused the defeat on the front lines, then he must bear the responsibility for the failed campaign."

The emperor frowned and scolded:

"Nonsense! The Zhenren has repeatedly fought against Chen Feng. I think he has merit, not demerit. How can he be held responsible?"

Seeing the emperor clearly supporting him, the scholars immediately stopped speaking ill of him and maliciously targeting him behind his back.

Hearing this, Ning Zhongjun immediately echoed:

"Although the Feng Ling Zhenren of the Shenxiao sect failed to suppress this evil Jiao (mythological dragon) and break this calamity, he has made great contributions and should indeed be rewarded."

The emperor's expression became better.

Leaving this topic aside, the ministers discussed the matter of the court sending troops for a while before dismissing the court.

Ning Zhongjun followed the ministers out of the hall, secretly calculating in his mind.

Although he hadn't seen the battle report, he could basically determine that something must have happened to Lingfeng Zi, which led to Lu Longchuan's sudden defeat. Most likely, the person he had bribed had successfully poisoned him.

It would be best if Lingfeng Zi was directly poisoned to death. Even if that didn't happen, Lingfeng Zi might be defeated and fall into the hands of Dragon King Stronghold, allowing him to use Chen Feng to kill Lingfeng Zi.

If that didn't work, he had also sent a group of assassins as a backup. He didn't know if they had taken action.

In Ning Zhongjun's opinion, the chances of Lingfeng Zi returning to the capital alive were very low, so he didn't mind praising Lingfeng Zi's merits in the court to cover things up.

"Heh, there's no chance for Lingfeng Zi to survive. A great enemy has been eliminated."

Ning Zhongjun's lips curled slightly, feeling pleased.

However, he didn't have a chance to be happy for long.

Only half a month later, that Yufeng Zhenren (Riding the Wind Adept) returned to the capital unscathed, immediately shocking the court.

And that Lu Longchuan, leading his remaining brothers, trudged back to the capital in a miserable state.