Book State Seoul was a modern metropolis where the Hanju Military Command was established on a prime piece of real estate within the city. Unlike the Command structure in Shengjing, the Hanju Military Headquarters resembled a vast, opulent mansion; within its not-too-lofty walls lay sprawling gardens and manicured lawns. Sparse clusters of trees occasionally allowed shadows to flicker, and the walkways were spotless, utterly devoid of any trace of military austerity.

This very estate was the former mansion donated to the Hanju military by the Martial God of Hanju, Pei Chengjun, and it now served as the Command’s operational center.

Though the Martial God Pei Chengjun was long dead, this mansion remained the pride of the Hanju military. Pei Chengjun was no ordinary figure in Hanju; his Xin Pao Quan Dao controlled much of the state’s economy and politics. Almost every well-known faction and enterprise in Hanju had some direct or indirect link to Pei Chengjun’s Xin Pao Quan Dao.

At the peak when Xin Pao Quan Dao became the source of Hanju's national pride, major corporations voluntarily gifted shares to the martial arts master who had brought such glory to their people. Furthermore, many prominent entrepreneurs became his disciples, bowing at his feet to learn from him.

Because of Pei Chengjun’s influence, those disciples who had previously been economic rivals gradually transformed into strategic partners. People who had never met before found connections through him, causing their businesses to expand exponentially.

At some point, the Martial God of Hanju, Pei Chengjun, had become the very center of life for all the people of Hanju. If an industry or matter held no connection to him, it was widely understood that the venture was doomed to fail.

Even after his death, his lingering influence and residual energy remained potent, holding significant sway in Hanju.

In the central hall of the mansion, a super-long conference table was flanked by several men and women in military dress uniforms. A dozen more grim-faced soldiers stood silently around the periphery, their aura so contained they seemed to merge with the room's shadows.

The leader of the Hanju military faction, Li Mingzheng, sat at one end of the table. His expression was placid as he surveyed the others, his middle and index fingers tapping out a steady rhythm on the tabletop.

It had been over a month since Qin Fen last entered Qilin Mountain, and he had seemingly vanished into thin air, his fate lingering in a perilous unknown for a long time.

While the military’s influence could expand throughout the state, it dared not penetrate the core sanctum of the Qilin Gate. Li Mingzheng lacked the audacity to infiltrate the Qilin Gate with branches of the Fuzhou military; provoking the wrath of a Divine Beast martial artist would surely result in a catastrophic end.

The Qilin didn't even need to act personally. Simply dispatching a message to the Federal President and the Council stating that someone had offended its divine majesty would be enough to cause immense trouble for any military body.

Now, Qin Fen had emerged alive from Qilin Mountain! While this didn't confirm the Qilin’s approval of Qin Fen’s marriage, it at least indicated that the old Divine Beast had, for the moment, no intention of killing him.

No killing Qin Fen! Li Mingzheng felt a flicker of disappointment. He had expected Qin Fen’s visit to Qilin Mountain this time to be a one-way trip. He hadn't anticipated that this young man’s luck would be so incredibly stellar as to walk out alive.

The rhythm of Li Mingzheng’s tapping fingers began to accelerate with his shifting mood. A decision rapidly crystallized in his mind: If the Qilin wouldn't kill him, then he would go all out to promote Qin Fen, elevating him to a status that even Zuo Lin could not afford to ignore—the power of the Zuo family was at stake.

“Mingzheng, why have you called us all here?” Beside the table, Zhang Zaihe, a stern-faced, ramrod-straight young general from the Hanju Military Region, stared at him with the same fury shared by the other officers.

Those in the upper echelons of the Hanju military knew that if Li Mingzheng hadn't been constantly sowing discord, the Martial God Pei Chengjun might never have challenged Qin Fen, and thus Hanju’s pride would not have fallen.

After Li Mingzheng’s nephew died, Li Mingzheng repeatedly contacted his nephew’s fellow disciples, desperate for revenge. Because of this connection, Qin Fen had brutally beaten and killed two of Pei Chengjun’s favorite disciples who were training at the Sacred Martial Hall, turning the grudge involving the Xin Pao Quan Dao into an unresolvable, bloody feud.

“I know none of you favor me,” Li Mingzheng admitted, spreading his hands casually with a calm expression. “But today, I want to discuss Qin Fen with you.” Before the words were fully spoken, the temperature in the entire meeting hall instantly plummeted. Li Mingzheng could feel the sharp killing intent emanating from every general present, as well as the bodyguards.

Yes! Li Mingzheng curved his lips into a confident smile. Though he was disliked among them, he was still far preferable to the name Qin Fen.

Pei Chengjun’s death had plunged all of Hanju into a sorrowful silence. Countless people had joined the ranks of martial arts practitioners, their sole objective being to kill Qin Fen and wash away the national shame.

As the Hanju military, they too harbored a deep-seated hatred for Qin Fen.

Li Mingzheng’s personal grievances were one matter; the issue with Qin Fen was an irreconcilable, deadly blood feud! They would fight until the last drop of blood in the nation was spent to kill Qin Fen!

“You are aware of the Federal Military Command’s stance on Saturn, aren’t you?” Li Mingzheng looked around as the others slowly nodded, then continued, “Since the Command wishes for a change in management there, I personally hope that all of you will join me in supporting Qin Fen to become the head of the Saturn Military Command.”

“What?”

“What did you say?”

Sharp, cold shouts immediately flooded the meeting room, filled with chaotic noise and the sound of hands slamming on the table. Glances as sharp as knife blades locked onto Li Mingzheng. The surrounding middle-aged guards silently closed ranks around him, giving the clear impression that they would enact justice upon him at the slightest provocation.

Li Mingzheng felt the gaze that seemed to cut his skin, and he slowly raised his head with a smile, glaring back at them. “I want to ask, which one of you—”

The clamor in the meeting room quieted down considerably, but the looks directed at him were even angrier and sharper. Even if they couldn't kill Qin Fen, they certainly shouldn't let him prosper, much less support him to become the governor of Saturn.

This wasn't due to his youth, nor was it due to insufficient strength; it was because Qin Fen had killed Pei Chengjun. That made him an enemy of the entire Hanju nation, a blood feud that demanded vengeance!

“And if you stop Qin Fen, does that mean he won't have a chance to reach Saturn?” Li Mingzheng spread his hands lightly, surveying the room. “Then he leaves. But none of you can guarantee with a hundred percent certainty that Qin Fen can’t reach Saturn.”

“We can support Zuo Lin! The East Asian Military Region has not only Serpent King Du Hen, but also the Zuo family! Sleeping Lion Zuo Dongting!”

“That’s right, we can support Zuo Lin, Zuo Dongting’s grandson.”

“Exactly! Zuo Lin!”

Li Mingzheng slightly shrugged as he watched the incensed crowd, his fingers tapping the table slowly and rhythmically. He asked faintly, “If you support Zuo Lin, the most you can achieve is preventing Qin Fen from going to Saturn. But will Qin Fen die because of your obstruction?”

Silence descended upon the room. The people who had managed to climb to this level weren't fools. Even driven by rage, they maintained clear heads.

Supporting Zuo Lin could only stop Qin Fen from going to Saturn this time; it couldn't kill him. But if they supported Qin Fen, then the Zuo family, who also coveted Saturn...

Indeed! People from Zhongzhou had a terribly bad habit: they loved infighting. Even in a company of just three people, Zhongzhou natives could maintain endless internal conflict.

The Zhongzhou penchant for internal strife was an established tradition. If it weren't for the drain caused by these continuous fights, Zhongzhou, with its vast territory and resources, would have long ago dominated the entire East Asian Military Zone, never needing to concern itself with the opinions of generals from other states.

“Let the Zhongzhou people fight amongst themselves, isn't that better?” Li Mingzheng slowly spread his hands, looking at the others. “The Zuo family has been patient and latent for so many years. They might not be tempted by other interests, but Saturn—an entire planet—is a different matter.”

The now-calmer assembly slowly resumed their seats, nodding in agreement. Currently, there was no one in all of Hanju who could single-handedly fight and kill Qin Fen. The only viable strategy left was to borrow a knife to kill.

A brief silence followed. Zhang Zaihe spoke with deep resentment, “Li Mingzheng, we trust you one more time! We hope this time we can kill Qin Fen, otherwise—”

“There is no ‘otherwise.’”

The conference room doors opened smoothly, revealing Qin Fen standing there, hands clasped behind his back, blocking the exit completely. His slightly raised chin surveyed everyone present, his calm yet powerful voice echoing through the chamber.

Several generals instinctively reached for the firearms holstered at their waists, simultaneously shouting loudly, “Guards! Where are the guards?”

Qin Fen slowly brought his hands from behind his back to the front, wiggling his fingers lightly. “No need to shout. They’re all asleep.”

At that moment, the generals recalled that Qin Fen was not just a martial arts master. He had demonstrated extreme individual combat capability during the New Recruit Competition—whether in stealth, assault, or sniping, he had mastered nearly every military skill, truly an all-around soldier.

The generals slowly withdrew their hands from their holsters. Setting aside the fact that his Master-level martial arts prowess rendered ordinary firearms useless against him, even based on the raw skill he displayed in the Recruit Competition, no one in the room could likely hit him with a bullet.

Li Mingzheng sat steadily at the end of the long table, his fingers lightly tapping the surface, watching Qin Fen with a composed expression. “This is the Hanju Military Command. You need to think carefully about what you are doing. This is the highest echelon of the entire Hanju military!”

Zhang Zaihe’s tense heart finally relaxed. Correct! This was the Hanju Military Command! Qin Fen might be able to kill a single general without much issue, but wiping out an entire Command structure would cause a massive shockwave. Even the Serpent King wouldn't dare attempt such a thing, or he would have done it long ago.

A joke? Zhang Zaihe quickly dismissed his previous assumption, staring intently into Qin Fen’s eyes and seeing only genuine conviction. This meant the young man truly intended to kill everyone present.

“If you don't die, I die. There is no middle ground in this situation,” Qin Fen sighed, taking half a step into the hall. “Therefore… you can try to run. If you escape, you live. Otherwise—”