Today's eruption! The fourth update, five thousand words delivered! Fifteen thousand words today, bursting forth! Begging for monthly passes!)

After a long, long while, "Ugh... ugh..." "Ugh... ugh, ugh..." In the direction Jun Moxie was last looking, two figures were first vomiting with agonizing force, as if they might bring up their very intestines. Then, a chorus of retching rose up. It seemed quite a number of people were actually throwing up. "Elder Pang, what do we do? Gag" "What else can we do? Gag The matter resolved itself without our intervention, let's just go back, gack." "Young Master's hidden strength is certainly astonishing, but that particular technique of his... it’s just too..." Cough "cruel! My insides today!" Gag "Shut up! Stop talking! Gag" A low bird call sounded, and dozens of figures emerged from their hidden positions. Almost every single one had a pale, sickly complexion, with residual foam still clinging to the corners of their mouths. It was clear that every single one of them had been violently ill. As if someone had given a silent signal, these people quietly departed. They had never shown themselves from beginning to end, as if they had never even been there. The deep night rapidly descended, enveloping all the sins, sweeping away all the gore. Silence. At the Jun Residence. It was already deep into the night, yet the study of Old Master Jun was still brightly illuminated. Jun Moxie brought his people home silently. Upon seeing the light, a sudden poetic surge overtook him, and he softly sang in his heart: Quiet night, the stars are shining bright, by Grandpa's window, the lamp still burns so bright. Pouring his heart out writing textbooks, his towering shadow etched deep in my heart... Ugh... Young Master Jun contentedly returned to his own quarters to sleep. The two contingents dispersed to rest, reorganize, and treat their injuries. Aside from three hundred and fifty crossbows and seven thousand bolts, the spoils of their raid unexpectedly included twenty to thirty thousand taels of shining silver. Jun Moxie was incredibly generous with this haul, instructing the more than two hundred men to divide the silver equally, with the injured receiving an extra fifty taels each. Immediately, everyone was overjoyed. Under Jun Moxie's medicinal aid, even the minor injuries sustained by the wounded were rapidly recovering, causing no further concern whatsoever. Of course, only Young Master Jun could afford such lavish gestures. Quite a number had been injured in this outing, many suffering considerable internal and external wounds, some severe enough to be fatal. However, with Young Master Jun's array of miraculous elixirs, even the most grievous injuries could be restored to full health within a short period. The Emperor doesn't starve his soldiers; not only were there silver coins to share, but Jun Moxie also distributed one crossbow to every man, as an additional means of offense and defense. Since they would be departing for Tiannan soon anyway, there was no fear of discovery even if they were used en route. Just as Young Master Jun settled in, Old Pang’s contingent also quietly returned to the residence. Every man was pale-faced and walking with unsteady steps.

In the study. "Master... we've returned. Your subordinate nearly vomited to death..." Old Pang gasped with difficulty. "What happened?" The Old Master was quite puzzled. "It was the Young Master... his technique is just too cruel..." Pang choked, another wave of nausea rising. "Cruel? What do you mean? Tell me carefully." The Old Master was even more perplexed. Pang was a veteran of the battlefield, having been by his side for decades, longer in military service than Jun Wuyi. To say he was battle-hardened was no exaggeration; he must have seen every manner of atrocity. Yet, he himself had personally slain at least several hundred men, and that was a conservative count. What could possibly bring him to this state? "Gag" Pang coughed intermittently, finally saying, "Master, I have seen men killed. I've even killed quite a few myself. But to beat a man to death alive, and then have one's own fist punch through the back and work the heart... Truly, truly never seen anything like it. As for the other two, they weren't even recognizable as human; you could practically wrap them up for dumplings, no need for any further preparation! Do I need to elaborate further?" "Gag Stop talking, just shut up now!" Damn it! "Get out! Gag" Before he could finish, Old Master Jun could already visualize the scene, and couldn't help but retch himself, erupting in dry heaves. Pang, his malicious plan successful, chuckled and scurried away. It was better to suffer together than to suffer alone; equal treatment was only fair! Old Master Jun, being superior, managed to regain his composure after only a moment of dry heaving. He couldn't help but smile, muttering to himself, "This little fellow truly brings me continuous surprises. I wonder how many more hidden aces he possesses, with those silent poisons of his?"

However, within the Jun family, there was another highly frustrated master. This master was none other than Jun Wuyi, who had just been conferred the title of General of Tiannan! He had personally led men to the Yishang Pavilion, intending to capture the celebrated Yue'er and eliminate her outright! After all, the crossbows had arrived, the operation was underway, and this Yue'er naturally held no further significance! This was precisely Jun Moxie's pre-arranged plan! But upon arriving, he found the place utterly empty. Inquiries revealed that Miss Yue'er and a few of her attendants had vanished early that morning, as if evaporating from the earth, leaving no trace whatsoever! Jun Wuyi was greatly disappointed! He had essentially tried to smash an egg with Mount Tai—a textbook case of using a boulder to hit a pebble—but ultimately failed to make contact! Frustration, deep frustration! Where exactly had the information leaked from? Jun Wuyi puzzled endlessly!

The very next morning, Jun Moxie immediately summoned all relevant personnel. They were due to depart with the main army that afternoon. Jun Moxie was truly racing against the clock now. "Fatty, I will be away. You must take good care of the Noble Hall. Take full responsibility. Also, those pills from the batch... hold auctions for them periodically, small quantities released often. Pay close attention to keeping your intelligence channels confidential. As for the silver earned from the auctions, spare no expense in acquiring the high-grade medicinal herbs I listed. As for the ordinary herbs, don't bother deliberately collecting them. Don't search for herbs as aggressively as before; it draws too much unwanted attention!" Jun Moxie handed Fatty a bottle of Baijie Dan, a bottle of Xuanyang Dan, and a bottle of Shaoyin Dan. He intended for Fatty to use these to reap enormous profits. The Ten-Year Elixir that increased internal power, naturally, would not be sold. But these three types of pills alone were more than enough to cause a sensation! "Little Yang Mo, you do not need to interfere with the Noble Hall's routine business operations! However, if anyone from the Imperial Family comes to the Noble Hall with a request, no matter how excessive or trivial, reasonable or unreasonable, you are to handle everything. After all, it would be inconvenient for Tang Yuan's status to deal with such matters, understand?" "But... but..." Little Yang Mo hesitated. "No 'buts'! It is settled!" Jun Moxie stated decisively, making the final call. "If you feel you cannot handle something, go back and consult your father, Prince Pingdeng. Yes, it is settled. We will discuss this no further!" Having cleanly finalized the arrangements, Little Yang Mo left with a heavy heart. Jun Moxie turned to Tang Yuan: "All dealings concerning the Imperial Family are to be handed to Yang Mo. Don't worry about taking a loss, and certainly don't concern yourself with losses. Understand?" "I don't understand. Why is that? If someone from the Imperial Family comes here to cause trouble, and the kid can't handle it, we just accept the bad luck?" Fatty Tang looked utterly bewildered by Jun Moxie's decision. "I don't require you to understand; I only require you to execute!" Jun Moxie glared fiercely at him. At the Tianxiang Golden Autumn Scholars' Banquet previously, Prince Pingdeng’s family had not attended. However, they had also not opposed the subtle provocations aimed at Jun Moxie. It seemed everything was in a state of equilibrium. It had to be admitted that Prince Pingdeng was capable of holding his peace. But this tactic would not work on Jun Moxie. You can remain composed? Fine. I will simply add more fuel to the fire. Just thinking about contributing a few taels of silver for a passive stake, letting the Young Master earn money for you—is that such an easy deal? Unless you bind yourselves to my Jun family on the same chariot, why would this Young Master willingly spend his money for you? Doing this, although perhaps slightly underhanded, and seemingly too despicable to bully a child, if they perform well, this Young Master might just help you create an emperor! What more could one ask for? Although Fatty still didn't grasp his meaning, seeing Jun Moxie angry, he immediately fell silent, nodding repeatedly. Even he himself didn't realize when his childhood friend, this notorious rake, had acquired such a commanding and awe-inspiring aura when angered. Jun Moxie turned to Song Shang: "Song Shang, during this period, focus on brewing wine for our household use only; no need for too much, understand? Also, you will be responsible for the Noble Hall's security at night; you must ensure nothing goes wrong!" "Understood, Master." "Hai Chenfeng, while I am away, you absolutely must forge the capital's underworld into a single, solid entity! What I require is not the extent of your combat power, but the degree to which you can gather intelligence! Do you understand what I mean? For example, the beggars at the city gates, the idlers at street corners, the bartenders in taverns, the pimps in pleasure houses, the informants stationed outside every noble estate—these people must have their latent potential fully utilized to excavate valuable intelligence. Remember, intelligence is paramount; only after establishing the intelligence routes should you then consider combat strength. Do you comprehend?" A cold light flickered in Jun Moxie's eyes as he spoke these words, almost syllable by syllable. This speech contained the ultimate goal of his governance over the underworld; therefore, Hai Chenfeng had to understand it completely! "Understood, Young Master, rest assured. I, Hai Chenfeng, will forge the underworld of Tianxiang City into an all-pervasive intelligence network!" Hai Chenfeng completely grasped Jun Moxie's meaning and replied solemnly. "Good, very good. One final matter, and the most important one, the one that weighs most heavily on my mind: the safety of the Jun family. This task falls primarily to Hai Chenfeng and Song Shang. I will only offer one decree: no incidents! No accidents! I mean absolutely no circumstances! Do you understand?" "Young Master, rest assured! If anyone intends to harm the Jun family, they will have to step over our corpses first!" Hai Chenfeng and Song Shang agreed simultaneously. "Good, then I can finally rest easy." Jun Moxie nodded slightly, producing a porcelain bottle as he spoke. "There are three pills inside this bottle for each of you. Take them together; they can increase your pure profound energy cultivation by ten years! Tang Yuan, you may have Hai Chenfeng assist you! Furthermore, this matter is designated as top secret; no one is to divulge it!" The three agreed at once, fervent excitement blazing in their eyes. To instantly increase one's profound energy by a decade was an almost magical occurrence. Even Fatty Tang, who wasn't overly focused on martial strength, became excited, let alone Hai Chenfeng and Song Shang, both Sky Profound realm experts. "You may all dismiss for now; go attend to your duties. We set off this afternoon, so you do not need to come see us off." Jun Moxie waved his hand, a strange look in his eyes, and slowly said, "If this journey goes smoothly... when we return, it will be..." He gave a meaningful smile, though his eyes held the cold glint of a blade! Seeing this, everyone present couldn't help but tremble inwardly. What scheme was this Young Master brewing now? Why did that look of his feel so terrifying?

As the sun began to dip slightly in the west, the rallying drums in the Grand Training Ground thundered, shaking heaven and earth! Military expeditions usually chose the morning or sunrise to harness the auspicious energy of the rising sun, but this deployment was scheduled for an afternoon ceremony. This was unusual for the Ice Sect, and the omen was not favorable—the sun was already setting; how could things go well? However, this was the decision of the Emperor of Tianxiang, and no one dared to question it. The autumn wind was biting, whipping dead leaves in low whistling gusts across the field. Hundreds of large banners stood on the parade ground, crimson like fresh blood, billowing like a sea of crimson waves. Jun Wuyi, clad in full armor, sat slowly ascending the platform in his wheelchair. Despite being seated, his sharp gaze and chiseled features still conveyed a sense of dominating majesty to everyone present. The Blood-Clad General, silent for ten years, finally returned to the military formation today! Ten years of hardship, ten years of torment from his disability, had not worn away the stalwart integrity of this Blood-Clad General! The moment he appeared on the command platform, all the generals who had served with him before excitedly realized: the Jun Wuyi before them was still the Blood-Clad General of ten years ago! Still radiating the sharpness of a heavenly sword, still proudly defying the winds and dominating the world! Within this seemingly broken body still resided earth-shattering, fierce resolve and fearless, heroic fighting spirit! Once again taking command of thousands upon thousands of troops! Once more to ride across the battlefield, displaying the iron-blooded heroism of the Jun family men! Suddenly, in the absolute silence below the platform, one voice shouted out: "Blood-Clad Heart—" Everyone roared simultaneously: "War God!" "Blood-Clad!" "War God!" The mountain-like roar of celebration continued for a long time. Jun Wuyi straightened his back exceptionally rigidly, his expressionless eyes sweeping over the perfectly aligned troops below the platform! Wherever his gaze landed, the cheers erupted even more fervently. After surveying the entire assembly, Jun Wuyi slowly raised both hands, and then lowered them! The cheers around him abruptly ceased as if cut by a knife! Countless rough faces and eager eyes looked upon this idol in their hearts. In the vast field holding tens of thousands, there was no sound except the neighing of warhorses and the rustle of the great banners whipped by the wind! "My brothers! My comrades!" Jun Wuyi slowly began to speak, his clear voice amplified by robust profound energy, audible in every corner of the Grand Training Ground! "After ten years apart, I, Jun Wuyi, stand here once more!" Jun Wuyi’s gaze swept slowly, grave and solemn: "I will once again fight side-by-side with you brothers! I will once again join you, our battle robes stained with blood! Even though this time, we face Xuan Beasts—creatures far more savage and terrifying than any enemy army..." "But, through countless battles, we have always survived! Facing enemies a hundred times our number, we have always emerged victorious! Now, facing Xuan Beasts, these beasts who employ no trickery or cunning, I, Jun, ask you three times: Are you afraid?" The final sentence gathered all of Jun Wuyi’s power, bursting forth like a clap of thunder! A chorus of bold laughter erupted from below: "Nonsense! If we don't fear the enemy, how could we fear mere beasts?" Jun Wuyi swept them with a cold glance: "Say it again. Is anyone afraid?" "Not afraid!" Tens of thousands roared in unison, their shouts so vigorous that the resulting shockwave shook heaven and earth! "Good! Whether facing cunning enemies or savage beasts! Whether facing Heaven or the firmament! I, Jun Wuyi, give you all one message!" Jun Wuyi’s cold, sharp gaze shot out beams of divine light, and he suddenly roared: "Fight! Without Fear!" "Fight! Without Fear!" Tens of thousands roared simultaneously; the scene had reached a fever pitch! Jun Wuyi's words had ignited the passion of every soldier to its maximum extent! Dugu Wudi, standing nearby, and the other generals of the Kingdom, showed expressions bordering on fervent envy and jealousy! This kind of scene, capable of pushing emotions to such an extreme, had only ever been orchestrated by members of the Jun family since the founding of the Tianxiang Empire! Even though the Jun family had been dormant for ten years! Yet, this kind of momentum had reappeared, and perhaps even surpassed its former glory! The men of the Jun family were truly the War Gods of the military! The Iron-Blooded Battle Souls! For a moment, a feeling arose in the hearts of the assembled generals: what regret could a commander have in this life if they achieved such an accomplishment? To make thousands upon thousands of troops boil with me! Let the past drift away, caring nothing for life or death! Amidst the sound of celebration like tidal waves, Jun Wuyi manipulated his wheelchair, suddenly turned, and solemnly clasped his fists: "Your Majesty! Your subject, Jun Wuyi, requests leave!" "Granted!" The Emperor's face flushed crimson, and he boomed his assent! "Play the music! Send the Empire's hero off to battle!" Old Master Dugu Zongheng stepped forward, letting out a magnificent shout! The passionate drums of departure sounded forth with maximum enthusiasm! Riding on eight fine steeds, eight knights in immaculate attire and shining armor, each holding a large banner, led the way! The sharp autumn wind made the enormous banners fly high in the sky, their color like fresh blood, with a single, large, golden character in the center: "Jun"! Some of the veteran soldiers of the Tianxiang Army actually shed tears! The Jun family war banner! This symbol of invincible victory, this emblem of iron-blooded heroism, reappeared after a decade of absence! Still so soul-stirring! Still capable of stirring the winds and clouds! The orderly sound of hooves rang out. Lines of knights in polished armor formed up one after another, gradually coalescing into a torrent like steel, surging mightily and galloping into the wind! Great Heaven rushes to the firmament, long swords point toward Tiannan; Heroes return from a hundred battles, the warriors' blood is not yet cold! Tiannan! I am coming! (To be continued)

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