Changle Commandery boasted a total of three armies and seventeen battalions. Each had its own garrison and was entirely relieved of production duties, fully supported by the commandery. The capital of this commandery was Weiyang City.
Weiyang City was situated on a plain.
Surrounded by rivers in all directions and accessible from every way, it not only possessed a unique waterway transportation system but also irrigated millions of acres of fertile farmland outside the city.
Of the seventeen military battalions in the entirety of Changle Commandery, ten were garrisoned near Weiyang City. The remaining seven were scattered across various crucial transportation routes within the commandery.
It was like an invisible, towering behemoth crouching upon the lands of Central Shu. The flow of people, carriages, and boats traveling in and out of the Commandery Prefecture was its breathing; the black-headed commoners and farmers toiling in the fields were its blood; the various county towns were its internal organs, and the capital, Weiyang City, was its brain.
Screech—!
The sharp cry of an eagle pierced the long sky. Then, the clouds tore open, and a black silhouette plummeted toward a corner of the earth like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
That corner was a military encampment.
The patrolling soldiers outside the camp immediately noticed the falling silhouette but made no move to intercept it. Instead, upon seeing what it was, strange expressions crossed their faces.
“That’s the Commander’s Golden-Eyed Eagle. Has something happened?”
“Impossible. Those barbarian tribes to the north can’t fight their way into Central Shu, and the Yi tribes to the south have been incredibly docile recently. What major event could possibly happen?”
The Golden-Eyed Eagle flew completely unhindered, heading straight into the command tent located in the center of the encampment. Spreading its broad wings, it landed steadily on a raised arm. The gust of wind it kicked up in passing sent the neatly arranged books and scrolls on the tent’s desk fluttering noisily.
“Good boy.”
The person who caught the Golden-Eyed Eagle was a burly man with thick facial hair and bright, piercing eyes. He was Yan Weichuan, the Commander of this military encampment.
“You’re… Little Seven?”
Yan Weichuan patted the Golden-Eyed Eagle. Upon recognizing its tag, his expression shifted slightly: “Sent by Scholar Li. Could there be an incident at the 【Black Armor Battalion】?”
He hurriedly removed the letter tied to the eagle’s talon.
Opening it, his expression instantly turned grave, mixed with a hint of surprise: “The 【Black Armor Battalion】… Wu Xintai deployed troops without authorization?”
As fellow Battalion Commanders, he and Wu Xintai were old acquaintances and old rivals. In his impression, that old fox’s style had always been ‘don’t loose the falcon until you see the hare’—unreasonably cautious and steady.
Although he rarely achieved great merits, he almost never made mistakes. How could he have lost his mind this time?
“Good… Very good!”
Yan Weichuan abruptly grew excited: “It’s good that he lost his mind! I thought that old turtle would stay put, but I never expected he couldn’t hold it in!”
Thinking of this, he immediately handed the letter to the lieutenant beside him.
“Old Liu, take a look.”
The lieutenant took the letter and read it word by word, his brow furrowing slightly: “So this Scholar Li wants our 【Scout Battalion】 to rush to Longxing County?”
“Exactly.”
Yan Weichuan nodded: “The 【Black Armor Battalion】 moving first is tantamount to rebellion. Scholar Li wants us to quell the rebellion immediately, and we are the only ones who can arrive in time.”
Of the three armies and seventeen battalions in Changle Commandery, only three were cavalry battalions.
And his 【Scout Battalion】 was the closest to Longxing County. Once they mobilized and force-marched, they could reach the vicinity of the county town in less than an hour.
“Scholar Li wants to catch the 【Black Armor Battalion】 red-handed.”
Yan Weichuan laughed: “Pass down the order: the entire army mobilizes!”
Hearing this, the lieutenant didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he softly advised: “Commander, perhaps we should consider this further. The commandery hasn’t issued a military order yet…”
The 【Black Armor Battalion】 certainly deployed troops without authorization.
But at this moment, the Commandery Prefecture hadn’t received any reports, let alone issued a military order. If their 【Scout Battalion】 mobilized rashly, they would equally be deploying troops without authorization!
“You, oh you.” Seeing the hesitation on his lieutenant’s face, Yan Weichuan burst into loud laughter: “Relax, Old Liu. Do you think I wouldn’t know the logic you know?”
“Since that’s the case…” The lieutenant looked confused.
“This time is different.”
Yan Weichuan shook his head: “I’ll tell you straight. The Longxing County Magistrate Xu Bingzheng and this Scholar Li are both disciples of the Imperial Academy.
“Their Master is Master Cheng Bochun!”
“Cheng Bochun?” The lieutenant blanked for a moment before realization dawned: “The one from Neo-Confucianism? I’ve heard of him. I think he’s originally from the Commandery Prefecture…”
“Exactly!”
Yan Weichuan nodded slightly: “Master Cheng’s ancestral home is right here in Changle Commandery. From top to bottom, the entire Commandery Prefecture shares a teacher-student bond with this great Confucian scholar!
“And the matter in Longxing County was personally ordered by Master Cheng. Otherwise, how could a Human List martial master like Scholar Li have been sent there? By comparison, although the Extraordinary who mobilized the 【Black Armor Battalion】 to Longxing County is also formidable, she is an outsider, not a native of Changle Commandery.
“As the saying goes, a mighty dragon cannot suppress the local snake.
“That’s why I said Wu Xintai lost his mind. To actually seek refuge with that Extraordinary—no matter how powerful a river-crossing dragon is, they will eventually leave. How can they be relied upon?
“Ultimately, we still have to make our living in Changle Commandery.”
At this point, Yan Weichuan’s tone was full of certainty: “Therefore, regarding this matter, although it is equally ‘deploying troops without authorization,’ if they really nitpick, it can be played up or down.
“Wu Xintai opposing Master Cheng and his faction? That must be played up—it’s rebellion!
“We acting as the assistance to Master Cheng and his faction? That must be played down—it’s quelling a rebellion!”
The lieutenant found this reasonable after hearing it out, yet still couldn’t hide his worry: “But, without the Commandery Prefecture’s military tally or an official document to quell a rebellion, it’s still not secure enough…”
“It’s better if it’s not secure.”
Yan Weichuan shook his head: “If it were completely secure, how would Master Cheng and Scholar Li see my stance? How would they promote me in the future?
“Without risk, how can others trust you?
“Besides, the situation is unlikely to change. Unless Wu Xintai obtained a military tally and moved out under clear military orders, he won’t escape the charge of rebellion!”
“But…” The lieutenant wanted to persuade him further.
However, Yan Weichuan grew a bit impatient and simply waved his large hand: “Hesitation leads to defeat. Say no more. You need to trust my judgment.
“And don’t forget, I am the Commander!”
“…”
The lieutenant swallowed hard. He couldn’t bring himself to say ‘you will regret this,’ nor did he dare storm out. He could only cup his hands in obedience, then turn and leave the command tent.
A moment later, the 【Scout Battalion】 mobilized.
Hundreds of demonic horses lined up in neat formation, forming an arrow-head array. Kicking up clouds of dust that filled the sky, they galloped toward Longxing County as if riding the clouds and mounting the mist.
…
Longxing County, inside the county office.
This should have been the most solemn place in the entire county town, yet it was currently surrounded so tightly by a dense throng of black-armored soldiers that not a drop of water could leak through. Under the curtain of rain, the air was thick with chilling killing intent.
In front of the military formation, Wang Ping stood with his hands behind his back.
He didn’t speak much to the severely injured Liu Ye. He merely offered a few simple words of comfort before having him sent to the 【Black Armor Battalion】’s encampment.
After all, he had nothing left to say.
He and Liu Ye weren’t that close. They merely shared the experience of being colleagues for a few months, chatted fairly well, and had some degree of friendship.
But that was it.
Furthermore, he had no interest in what Liu Ye was thinking, how much torture he endured while captured, or how much grievance and self-blame he felt.
Including his previous solo charge into the county town, spouting nonsense about buying time for Madam Su and trading his life for their safety—it was all bullshit.
He just wanted a quick death to farm a good scripture scroll. His motives were purely selfish, and he originally truly intended to use the opportunity to sever ties with Madam Su.
Because of this—this was merely a personal grudge.
Doing whatever he pleased with the military tally in his hand and besieging the county office was entirely due to his personal grudge against Xu Bingzheng. There was no other motive.
For instance, eliminating a hidden threat for Madam Su.
For instance, venting a foul breath of resentment for Old Liu.
For instance, killing this dog official for the sake of the black-headed commoners outside the county town.
…Thoughts like these hadn’t stayed in Wang Ping’s mind for even a single second. He wasn’t acting for the sake of these noble reasons.
To put it even more directly.
“I just want to kill someone.”
Wang Ping suddenly spoke: “I am besieging the county office entirely out of selfish motives because the dog official inside offended me—the ‘fight to the bitter end’ kind of offended.”
Wu Xintai: “…”
Just as the Commander of the 【Black Armor Battalion】 was at a loss for words, Wang Ping turned his head to look at him and said flatly, “So keep a close watch. Don’t let him escape.”
“…Yes, sir!”
Wu Xintai swallowed hard and nodded decisively, though he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly for Xu Bingzheng inside. It looked like that man had no way out today.
After all, the person himself said this matter was entirely out of selfish motives.
One must know, the most important thing for an official is distinguishing clearly between public and private matters. If it was public business, perhaps they could still negotiate. But since it was a private matter, there was no room for discussion!
Right at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from inside the county office:
“Commander Wu, I don’t know whose promise you received, but deploying troops without authorization to avenge a private grudge—aren’t you afraid the Commandery Prefecture will punish you once they find out?”
It was Xu Bingzheng’s voice.
“And soldiers of the 【Black Armor Battalion】, do you know what you are doing? Besieging a county office is tantamount to rebellion. All of you are now rebels!
“Think of your families, your friends.
“If you become rebels, what consequences will they face? Lay down your weapons now and withdraw from the county town, and this official will let bygones be bygones…”
His voice was loud and resonant, his words echoing with righteous indignation.
However, the 【Black Armor Battalion】 turned a deaf ear to this, and Wu Xintai sneered incessantly. Trying to shake the soldiers he had trained with mere wordplay?
He was the banner of the 【Black Armor Battalion】!
Only if his resolve wavered—and was seen to waver—would the 【Black Armor Battalion】’s morale potentially collapse. Yet at this moment, his resolve was unbelievably firm.
Waver? Don’t joke around.
He had checked that military tally over a dozen times, inside and out. It was flawless, a one-hundred-percent genuine artifact. Since that was the case, whatever Wang Ping told him to do was a military order.
He had a clear conscience!
Even if they investigated later, they would investigate Wang Ping. It wouldn’t fall on his head, as he was merely carrying out his duties loyally… At this thought, Wu Xintai grew even more confident.
He even wished Xu Bingzheng would speak a bit more.
After all, the more he spoke, the more it demonstrated the immense pressure he withstood by deploying his troops. This would show Lord Wang just how much he desired to advance his career.
Thinking of this, Wu Xintai immediately stepped forward:
“Surname Xu, cease your nonsense!
“This General received a tip that you, as the Longxing County Magistrate, colluded with White Lotus Cult rebels and intended to rebel. Open the yamen gates immediately and cooperate with this General’s investigation!”
Me? Rebel? Collude with the White Lotus Cult?
Inside the county office, Xu Bingzheng was so angry he laughed. It had always been him forcing this charge onto others. Since when was it someone else’s turn to condemn him?
“Absurd! I am an official appointed by the imperial court; why would I rebel?”
Right at that moment, Wang Ping spoke up:
“If you didn’t rebel, why are you hiding?
“Open the yamen gates and let us in to search. Rest assured, we will not wrongly accuse a good official. If you truly haven’t rebelled, you will definitely be fine.”
Xu Bingzheng: “…”
Through the doors and windows of the county office, he saw the person who spoke. A young martial general, clearly of high status—even Wu Xintai vaguely seemed to defer to him.
Who was this sacred figure now?
His features weren’t entirely clear, but he felt somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before… Xu Bingzheng didn’t dwell on it, because the 【Black Armor Battalion】 was drawing closer and closer.
Xu Bingzheng also understood that in this situation, he might as well actually rebel. At least then, at worst, it would lead directly to a fight. Right now, he was caught between a rock and a hard place.
At this thought, he couldn’t help but look at Li Yiran beside him.
“Senior Brother… Do you think this Wu Xintai actually has something to rely on?”
“His confidence is a bit too robust.”
On the other side, Li Yiran frowned deeply upon hearing this: “What could he possibly rely on? Without a military order, even if he talked the heavens down, it’s still unauthorized deployment of troops.
“The way I see it, he plans to walk this path until the bitter end, convinced that Extraordinary can protect him.”
After pondering for a moment, Li Yiran calmly said: “Keep waiting.
“Besieging the county town doesn’t quite count as completely tearing face; there’s still room to maneuver. However, if he actually orders a siege, then it truly is no different from rebellion.
“I don’t believe he dares to!
“As long as he doesn’t dare, we’ll drag this out. We’ll drag it out until the 【Scout Battalion】 arrives, reversing the offensive and defensive dynamic. Then it will be our turn to hold him accountable.”
For a time, the atmosphere plunged into tranquility.
Inside and outside the county office, only the sound of pattering rain remained.
“This…”
Seeing this, Wu Xintai felt somewhat apprehensive. He turned to look at Wang Ping, wanting to see his stance. Should they continue exchanging insults, or actually tear face and make a move?
This was no joke.
After all, even with a military tally, directly ordering a military battalion to attack a county town still under the imperial court’s control—anyone with half a brain knew the consequences would be catastrophic.
At the very least, the imperial court big shots behind Li Yiran would not let the matter rest. When they pursued accountability afterward, it would damage one’s official career at best, and cost one’s life at worst.
Thinking of this, Wu Xintai looked at Wang Ping even more earnestly, observing every slight shift in his expression, hoping to catch even the slightest hint of hesitation.
As long as there was a hint, he would stop.
However, he saw no hesitation. He only saw this young Gilded Cavalry Guard curl the corners of his mouth into a brutal smile, then softly say:
“Attack the city.”
As his voice fell, Wu Xintai abruptly sucked in a breath of cold air.
After a split second of silence, he turned around, looked at the soldiers of the 【Black Armor Battalion】, raised his hand high, and then swung it down forcefully, repeating the order:
“Attack the city!”
In an instant, all the black-armored soldiers simultaneously nocked their arrows and drew their bows, aiming high into the sky. The sound of bowstrings snapping merged into one, drowning out even the thunder in the sky!
Rumble!
The shadow of death cast down from the heavens.
A massive swarm of arrows, every single one tipped with an armor-piercing arrowhead, tore through the air as they sped forward, unleashing a ghost-wailing, wolf-howling sound as they instantly submerged the county office.
Submerged along with it were the faces of Li Yiran and Xu Bingzheng, both filled with shock and disbelief.
He actually made a move?
How did he dare!?