"We certainly cannot move against them directly. After all, many of them were heroes of the rebellion war. How can we eliminate all the meritorious officials?" Luo Xiaofeng said calmly, yet beneath his placid expression flickered an endless, contained madness.

"Father means to use another's hand to strike?" Luo Haitian raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Precisely..." Luo Xiaofeng nodded with satisfaction.

"Father intends to wage war against the Hu Kingdom?" Luo Ruofeng, seeing his elder brother steal the spotlight, immediately jumped in.

"That is precisely my intention..." Seeing his son guess his mind from just a few cryptic words, a faint smile touched Luo Xiaofeng's eternally unchanging face.

The Hu Kingdom lay west of the Tiangang Mountain Range, bordering the Jiang Kingdom and the Tianlan Kingdom. However, the Tiangang Range stretched from the northern continent down to the Southern Savage Forest, segmenting the Tianyuan Empire and the Shuyun Kingdom to the east. Yet, at the border where the Hu Kingdom met Shuyun's Tianjun region, a fault line dozens of miles wide appeared.

If Luo Xiaofeng intended to use another's hand to strike, he naturally planned to send those loyal martial artists off to war. They dared not provoke the mighty Tianyuan Empire; the Jiang Kingdom was separated by the Tiangang Mountains; and the Southern Savage Tribes were shrouded in mystery. The only viable target for action was the Hu Kingdom. (Read the full novel at .1.(1.m.Literature Net))

Moreover, although the Hu Kingdom's territory was comparable to Shuyun's, its population numbered only one million, leaving its national strength far inferior to Shuyun’s. It was the perfect object for a strike.

Having achieved the status of a Martial Saint, Luo Xiaofeng’s ambition had swelled accordingly. He had no desire to remain the monarch of a vassal state his entire life.

Luo Xiaofeng had only spoken a few sentences before Luo Haitian and Luo Ruofeng divined his intentions, which sufficiently attested to their meticulous minds and superior intellect.

Yet, even with their exceptional wisdom, upon hearing Luo Xiaofeng’s affirmative answer, astonishment still bloomed on their faces. How many years had it been since the Shuyun Kingdom had drawn swords for war? This recent rebellion had been an act of last resort. But only a few months had passed, and their father was already planning to conscript troops for an external campaign—this was utterly unbelievable.

Although the primary goal this time was to deplete the ranks of those martial artists, this seemed excessively risky. One must remember that the formidable Tianyuan Empire loomed menacingly to the east of the Shuyun Kingdom. If mishandled, it could provoke a fierce assault from the Tianyuan Empire.

After all, no empire wished to see its subordinate states grow powerful.

"Has Father already settled the matters concerning the Tianyuan Empire?" The one who posed this question was the Seventh Young Master, Luo Xiaoyuan, who had remained silent until now.

"That matter is not difficult. In three months, the Crown Prince of the Tianyuan Empire will visit our nation on behalf of the Emperor. I will have means to deal with him then. Now, I need to find someone to command those surrendered martial artists—someone who must be accomplished in both the civil and military arts, capable of suppressing those martial artists, and above all, utterly loyal," Luo Xiaofeng stated lightly, appearing entirely confident in his planning.

"Finding someone of absolute loyalty is possible, but suppressing those martial artists might prove difficult," Luo Muyan said, his brow tightly furrowed.

They all understood that this army formed by martial artists was, at its core, expendable cannon fodder—albeit extremely potent cannon fodder. The one leading them would face a near-certain death sentence. This commander needed unflinching loyalty to the royal family, willing to die for them, otherwise, this strategy of using another's hand to strike would be meaningless.

Hearing Luo Muyan’s words, everyone fell into deep thought again.

They pondered how to assert dominance over the assembled martial artists.

"Father already has a plan and is deliberately testing the few of us brothers, isn't he?" At this moment, the youngest, Luo Xiaoyuan, spoke with a smile, his expression somewhat playful, like a child playfully teasing his father.

"Heh heh, I am already overjoyed to have such fine sons. Indeed, I have conceived a plan: we will advance the triennial Martial Champion Examination ahead of schedule, and we must publicize it widely, letting every martial artist in the nation know, fostering the subtle impression that becoming the Martial Champion equates to being the strongest under heaven. Those martial artists are obsessed with fame; for mere repute, they will strive by any means necessary to compete. By then, the eventual victor will naturally possess the martial prowess to subdue the other martial artists. Then, we will generate momentum for him, and thoroughly subjugating them will not be difficult," Luo Xiaofeng revealed a faint smile.

"Father’s stratagem is brilliant. However, I worry that the elders of those sects will refuse to participate in such a martial selection. Wouldn't that render our aim of using another’s hand to strike moot?" The less patient Luo Muyan continued to speak.

"I do not seek to eradicate them entirely, merely to extinguish their vital strength. Then, let us see how they dare cause trouble. Furthermore, upon their return after the war, I will personally select some outstanding disciples to send for their tutelage. They will have no time left for sedition," Luo Xiaofeng stated with complete self-assurance.

Upon hearing their father articulate this, the eyes of the four present instantly brightened. What an intricate chain of plots! To use them as a sacrificial strike force against their own disciples, and then to plant loyal, elite trainees within their mountain strongholds to assist the royal family in training the next generation—such means, such intricate planning, was utterly magnificent.

Of course, implementation carried significant difficulty, but merely conceiving such a scheme demonstrated the caliber of Luo Xiaofeng's ruthlessness.

"It seems Father has long since decided on his course. What exactly does Father require of us four brothers?" Seeing his father’s air of unshakeable confidence, Luo Haitian said with a slight smile, his eyes brimming with admiration—though only he knew how much of that admiration was genuine.

"Each of you commands a contingent of young masters. You must select a group of absolutely loyal individuals to participate. I need the Martial Champion to emerge from among them. Beyond that, they must continually build momentum for the Martial Champion, making everyone believe he is the strongest of the younger generation. Can you accomplish this?" Luo Xiaofeng suddenly intensified his tone.

In truth, he possessed even more young experts at his disposal, but he also wished to gauge the capabilities of his sons.

"We can!" The four responded in unison, almost without thinking, their eyes simultaneously flashing with fervent light. This was also a test from Luo Xiaofeng. Whoever achieved ultimate victory would gain greater standing in Luo Xiaofeng’s eyes, drawing one step closer to the throne of the sovereign.