A moment later, all two hundred and fifty-four people had completed their advancement without a single failure. They rose from the ground one by one, quickly reforming their lines, their eyes fixed on Jun Mo Xie, filled with gratitude and, and, fanaticism!

!

All two hundred and fifty-four knelt simultaneously, bowing their heads to the ground, producing a resounding crash that shook the surroundings!

"Many thanks, Young Master, for this fulfillment!" more than two hundred voices roared in unison.

"I give you two days. Use the most brutal methods to adapt to the changes in your bodies, the fluctuations of Profound Qi, the use of your skills, and your coordination with each other. Then, on the morning of the third day, proceed to the Armory to collect your weapons!"

Jun Mo Xie nodded slowly, his tone cold. "Furthermore, this matter is classified as our top secret! No one is permitted to divulge it. Any violation will result in collective punishment for all! No exceptions!"

"Yes! Your subordinates would rather die than leak a single word!"

On the high tower, the Old Master’s eyes held both relief and worry. He sighed slowly. "Mo Xie has sufficient means, powerful techniques, and the charisma to lead the masses. By combining grace and severity, he is truly a prodigy. However, he is not suited to commanding troops."

"Why? Father, when Mo Xie leads soldiers, orders are absolute; discipline is enforced to a severe degree. Such leadership is precisely what makes a general! It is perfect for leading the strongest legions. Why do you say he is unsuited to commanding troops?" Jun Wuyi was greatly perplexed.

"Mo Xie’s heart is too ruthless!" The Old Master Jun snorted, sighing with a hint of regret. "Mo Xie can lead a team of experts, but he is utterly unsuited to managing ordinary soldiers. Although his words just now seemed ordinary, did you notice that final sentence: Any violation will result in collective punishment for all! No exceptions!"

The Old Master sighed again. "When Mo Xie spoke those words, there was no hesitation, not the slightest ripple of emotion. I could tell perfectly, and I could guess, that if even one of those two hundred and fifty-four men leaked the news, Mo Xie would likely follow through on his threat, truly without exception."

"That doesn't prove anything, does it? If he can cultivate this batch, he can cultivate the next," Jun Wuyi was unconvinced. "Father, both you and I are generals. We know the importance of military discipline. While the law of collective punishment is harsh and cruel, it is undoubtedly the most important means to maintain military discipline to the maximum extent! Under such a grave matter, how can one afford to be sentimental? Even if it were to happen, it would be the natural consequence."

"That is why you can only be a general, but never a commander-in-chief!" Jun Zhantian sighed. "A general commands at most ten thousand men. In emergency situations, reinforcements might be dispatched, but that is wartime. Normally, a general’s personal guard—his core unit—is limited to a quota of ten thousand. A general knows his own core troops; they are well-trained; nothing untoward would happen among them. Just like your personal guard and this unit of Mo Xie's. But a commander-in-chief must oversee the entire strategy. They handle forces numbering in the hundreds of thousands, even millions. If they maintained such severity, they might... just kill off their own entire army."

"When armies are stationed near each other, friction and conflict are inevitable. And most men in the army are passionate and impulsive. If a hundred thousand soldiers are garrisoned for a single night, there will be at least several hundred instances of friction between them occurring during that night. If you and Mo Xie used your methods, those men would likely all face execution. The approach of a commander-in-chief is entirely different."

"You are too rigid; and Mo Xie is too ruthless. While these are both merits for you two, they are also flaws simultaneously," Jun Zhantian said deeply. "Mo Xie's ruthlessness, though heartless, is enough for self-preservation. But your rigidity will only lead you to suffer losses. This is the difference between you two."

Jun Wuyi stood silently, contemplating his father's words for a long time before moving.

On the training ground, the life-or-death brutal training had already resumed, and this time, the intensity was clearly more than ten times greater than before!

Jun Mo Xie returned to his small courtyard and let out a long breath. Everyone else had advanced; only he remained. The pills he refined himself, he hadn't even tried yet.

He had just advanced to the Middle Stage of Jade Profound Realm; taking this next pill, would the effect be even better?

Jun Mo Xie did not know. But he did know that even the slightest benefit would be a pure gain for him.

So, without hesitation, he took out one Ten-Year Pill and swallowed it.

Jun Mo Xie did not take the Heart Demon Pill concurrently.

Using the Heart Demon Pill would certainly be safer, but it would also mean missing an opportunity to temper his state of mind. This would have a negative impact on the improvement of his spiritual realm.

Feeling the surge of Qi suddenly filling his Dantian, Jun Mo Xie's heart leaped with joy.

It really was effective.

Calming his spirit, he instantly entered a state of complete detachment, the power of the Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong coursing through his meridians like a mighty river surging forward.

The next day, the Imperial Edict indeed arrived. Jun Wuyi was appointed General of Tiannan, commanding twenty thousand troops, authorized to mobilize and dispatch forces immediately to set off for Tiannan to assist the major noble families in quelling the Profound Beast Tide!

Aside from Jun Wuyi, His Majesty the Emperor also named several individuals from the major noble families. Among them, Jun Mo Xie's name was conspicuously listed; besides him, there were several acquaintances from the Meng family, Murong Qianjun and Murong Qianli from the Murong family, and three selected from the heroes among the Dugu family. The Song family also had someone on the list.

But contrary to Jun Mo Xie’s expectation, Li Youran was not on the list. This meant that Li Youran would not be part of this expedition to Tiannan.

How could His Majesty the Emperor leave such a source of trouble lingering in the empty capital? Jun Mo Xie would never believe the Emperor couldn't see Li Youran’s ambition. If he could see it, then the matter concerning the Old Man of Huan Ying’s sect must be complicated.

Descendants from all the major noble families had their representatives on the list. Therefore, the major families would inevitably send experts to protect them throughout the journey. Although His Majesty’s Edict did not explicitly demand anything, it effectively drew away a portion of the strong forces from the major noble families.

Upon receiving the Edict, Jun Wuyi immediately rushed to the Ministry of War to handle the necessary procedures. Although His Majesty demanded immediate departure, it was impossible for the army to be fully assembled within one or two days! It would require at least five days of preparation time!

Before the army moves, provisions must go first.

Old Master Jun Zhantian’s Marshal’s Order swept like a hurricane through the prefectures and counties along the route, arranging the necessary supplies. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of War cooperated with lightning speed, and within a single day, all items required for the army’s expedition were dispatched.

Such efficiency was enough to astound anyone!

There had been instances of troops setting out before, but in those times, preparing supplies required several back-and-forth trips before things were grudgingly ready? Even when campaigning abroad, there were often issues with supplies not arriving or provisions being delayed—a pile of vexing matters that were incomparable to this instance.

Yet, no one dared to object.

Who was Jun Wuyi? Although currently unemployed, he had always been a legend, an idol in the official circles of the Tianxiang Empire! The reputation of the Blood-Clothed General was still famous even ten years later!

Now that he had finally returned, the military was filled with jubilation, especially his old comrades and subordinates, who were beside themselves with excitement. Whether the military department was managed by the Dugu family or the Jun family, Jun Wuyi was given a clear path; not a single official in the entire court dared to raise any objection regarding this matter!

The soldiers in the army eagerly awaited Jun Wuyi to select his troops for the expedition, hoping that this illustrious great general would call upon them, upon their specific units.

Although the army had not yet marched, their morale was already soaring!

Palace Archives

"Are you perhaps wondering why I sent Jun Mo Xie away while keeping Li Youran here?" This time, His Majesty the Emperor did not play chess, instead taking a sip of tea, a smile spread across his face.

"Yes. Jun Mo Xie harbors no desire for power, but Li Youran is clearly ambitious. I do not understand why Your Majesty would keep Li Youran and release Jun Mo Xie." Mister Wen sat opposite him, expressing his confusion.

"Li Youran has desires, which means he has weaknesses. He is easy to control! And under my watch, he cannot stir up any major trouble. I want to observe this man and see if he can truly be of use to me. That is why I am deliberately keeping him here this time—to gauge him more accurately," the Emperor said with a light chuckle. "As for Jun Mo Xie, he is free of desires, like a casual wanderer; he can leave when he pleases, stay when he wishes, carrying the air of a carefree cloud. He is therefore harder to control. That is why I am letting him go this time. Whether he lives or dies amid the Profound Beast Tide is up to him."

"I still do not understand. Since he has the nature of a carefree wanderer, why must you..." Mister Wen frowned.

"A carefree wanderer is naturally not a concern, but a carefree wanderer backed by such a massive base of support is the most worrying thing," a cold glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes, and he sighed faintly. "Great merit can shake a sovereign, and great influence can attract trouble."

Mister Wen sighed and remained silent.

"There should be movement from the Second Prince, right?" The Emperor suddenly smiled strangely.

"Yes, the crossbows should reach the southern suburbs of the capital in the early morning of the fourth day," Mister Wen sighed inwardly again.

"Very good. I will not allow a single one of these crossbows to fall into the wrong hands." The Emperor gently tapped the table, his fingers spread apart, his gaze fixed as if admiring the perfection of his own slender hands.

"Your Majesty, rest assured," Mister Wen promised. "Since... why didn't Your Majesty simply issue an Edict?"

"If I did that, my second son would have to be deposed," the Emperor smiled somewhat bitterly, his gaze drifting distantly as he murmured, "In that case, it would cause a massive upheaval, whether in the court, across the land, or even in my own harem. The undercurrents swirling now cannot withstand such a shock."

Mister Wen lowered his eyes, saying nothing.

He had initially assumed the Emperor refrained due to paternal affection, but now he realized he had been utterly mistaken... He gave a self-mocking smile: the thinking of a Profound Practitioner truly differed vastly from that of such an Emperor...

"Send word, order the Blood Sword Hall: allow no one from the Zhao family of Jiangnan, no one from the Jiangnan Guild, nor any of the Second Prince's men to escape! This matter must be executed cleanly!"

The Emperor took a deep breath. "The Second Prince sought to hire assassins back then, but found no avenue; the Blood Sword Hall nearly threw themselves at his door. Yet, the Second Prince still harbors no suspicion to this day... My disappointment in this son's intelligence is immense."

Mister Wen remained silent.

It was not a lack of suspicion, but rather... who would suspect that His Majesty, who ruled over the four seas, secretly commanded such an extremely dark and bloody force?

Even if it were stated plainly, a majority of people would likely refuse to believe it!

Mister Wen looked at the Emperor before him and a question, even a flicker of fear, rose in his heart: Just how many unknown trump cards did this Emperor hold in his hand?

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