I wield power with my innate talents, and forge the Heavenly Court.

Chapter 93 Return and the Banquet, Showdown and Invitation

On October 27, Wang Chao led 800 soldiers to rescue the people and returned to Weiyuan County.

For Wang Chao and his men, the defense of Weiyuan County was practically non-existent.

The people were hopeful, and many of the yamen runners were part of the People's Salvation Army, including the county magistrate.

Coupled with the actions of the officers and soldiers, it can be said that the military and the people were becoming increasingly alienated.

That afternoon, Wang Chao and his men blended in with the locals and easily entered Weiyuan County.

When the dynasty entered the county magistrate's office, Wuchang was overwhelmed with official business, mainly dealing with the mess left by the soldiers.

When the dynasty silently approached him, Wuchang was startled.

However, he immediately bowed with a pleased expression.

"Chief, you're finally back! If you hadn't returned, I wouldn't have been able to control the soldiers."

"Yes, host a banquet for Zheng Wanchun tonight, get him under control, and ideally, take down this group of soldiers without bloodshed."

"Yes! I'll have someone arrange it right away."

At dusk, as the lanterns were lit, Zheng Wanchun, dressed in ordinary clothes, arrived at Chunfeng Tower, the largest brothel in Weiyuan County.

However, even when he came to Chunfeng Tower, Zheng Wanchun always carried a long sword at his waist and was accompanied by more than a dozen guards.

After entering Chunfeng Tower, Zheng Wanchun, led by the madam, entered the most luxurious private room on the second floor with loud laughter.

"Brother Wuchang"

"General Zheng, please come in quickly!"

After everyone was seated according to their roles as host and guest, Zheng Wanchun lowered his hand slightly and suddenly looked at Wang Chao sitting next to him.

"May I ask who this gentleman is?"

Upon hearing Zheng Wanchun's sudden question, Wu Chang smiled apologetically and said:

"Oh, look, I forgot to introduce him. This is one of my colleagues."

However, before he could finish speaking, Wang Chao placed his hand on his shoulder.

Feeling the pressure on his shoulders, Wu Chang looked on in bewilderment.

"Hehe, let me speak. My name is Wang Chao."

Hearing Wang Chao speak so frankly, Wu Chang was slightly surprised, as they hadn't said that before.

Wang Chao did not explain, but looked at Zheng Wanchun with a half-smile.

Seeing this, Wu Chang gradually realized that Zheng Wanchun had probably discovered the dynasty's identity.

"Oh? You're from the Dynasty?"

This time it was Zheng Wanchun's turn to be surprised.

He had assumed that the dynasty was merely a lobbyist for the militia.

After all, although Weiyuan County was not captured by the Salvation Army, it was still the place of origin of the Salvation Army. He did not believe that there were no Salvation Army spies in Weiyuan County.

He just hadn't noticed it before.

In addition, Wuchang had always followed his lead, cleaned up many messes for him, and devoted himself to procuring supplies for him. Only then did he gradually lower his guard.

However, the presence of a stranger at this banquet naturally made him wary.

Even so, he only thought that Wang Chao was a lobbyist for the militia.

But unexpectedly, the person in front of him was Wang Chao, the leader of the People's Salvation Army.

"Heh, now that you're standing in front of me, aren't you afraid I'll just kill you outright?"
"By then, your so-called 'Rescue Army' will be nothing but a disorganized mess, easily wiped out."

Zheng Wanchun stared coldly at Wang Chao and said in a chilling tone.

Wang Chao simply smiled dismissively at Zheng Wanchun's threat and said calmly:
"Hehe, you can give it a try."

"Hmph, you think I wouldn't dare?"

"Choke!"

Zheng Wanchun's face turned cold, and he suddenly drew his sword from its sheath, producing a loud clang of metal against metal.

This scene startled Wuchang.

Although he had previously been granted the title of "County Magistrate" by the dynasty, which meant he was in charge of the people's livelihood of the county and could even observe the county's fortunes.

His body also became stronger under the tempering of the magistrate's heavenly status.

Wu Chang felt that his current physical condition was probably not much weaker than that of regular soldiers who constantly trained.

However, he is completely ignorant of martial arts.

If he were to actually fight someone, let alone the regular army of the militia, he wouldn't be confident of defeating even a strong Ming soldier.

Needless to say, Zheng Wanchun, as a military commander, was even less confident.

Therefore, upon seeing Zheng Wanchun draw his sword again, Wu Chang naturally felt nervous and unconsciously activated the power of official rank within him.

In an instant, the national fortune of the surrounding country rippled, carrying the energy of heaven and earth around it, and gathered in strands towards the surrounding area.

In that instant, Wuchang became incredibly majestic, as if ten thousand people stood behind it, and its aura suddenly rose a notch.

At this moment, Wu Chang seemed to have no fear left. He took a step forward and came to Wang Chao's side. His eyes were fixed on Zheng Wanchun, guarding against his every move, as if he was ready to block his attack at any time.

Sensing the change in Wu Chang, Zheng Wanchun's expression changed.

Unexpectedly, Wu Chang, a scholar, was able to unleash such momentum, and it seems that he also possesses considerable power.

It seems this People's Salvation Army is indeed quite extraordinary, managing to recruit such talented individuals.

However, Zheng Wanchun didn't take it too seriously.

After all, Wu Chang was ultimately a scholar and did not carry any weapons.

Zheng Wanchun's attention was mostly focused on the dynasty.

Facing Zheng Wanchun, who had drawn his sword, Wang Chao showed no nervousness whatsoever, simply smiling calmly at him.

Leaving aside the various supernatural abilities he possessed and the true essence he could unleash at will, just considering his body, tempered by all those supernatural abilities, his innate status, and his true essence, he suspected that if Zheng Wanchun were to strike him with his blade, it would at most only scratch the skin, while Zheng Wancun's goose-feather saber might shatter completely.

Of course, he had no intention of testing the knife on himself.

Seeing the dynasty so calm and collected, Zheng Wanchun became suspicious and unsure whether to sheathe his goose-feather saber or launch a direct attack.

Since the dynasty had met with him, it must have been well-prepared. Without knowing the dynasty's trump card, he would not easily make a move.

He drew his long sword, but it was more of a deterrent.

Another reason is to attract the attention of people outside.

After all, the crisp, clear sound of the long sword being drawn could be clearly heard by the guards who were just a door away.

In this way, when the guards rush into the room, he will have more confidence whether he fights, flees, or makes other choices.

However, after a while, there was no sound from outside the door, and no one even asked a question.

Without warning, Zheng Wanchun's heart sank, and his face darkened to the point of being dripping with gloom.

However, the gloomy look on Zheng Wanchun's face vanished instantly, replaced by a bright smile.

"Haha, so you are Wang Chao, the leader of the People's Salvation Army. I have long admired your name."

Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary!

"Haha, I've long admired General Zheng."

Wang Chao laughed heartily, cupped his hands in a gesture of flattery, and then gestured with his hand.

"Today we are hosting a banquet to entertain General Zheng, to fulfill our duty as hosts."
General Zheng, please!

"it is good!"

"Choke!"

Zheng Wanchun's eyes flickered slightly, but he finally nodded with a smile, twirled his sword, and swiftly sheathed it, producing a crisp metallic clang.

Seeing this, Wang Chao couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. It seemed that Zheng Wanchun was not entirely a fool. At least, his swift and decisive action of sheathing his sword was something that ordinary people without long-term training could not do.

This time, Zheng Wanchun seemed to have completely let go, casually slamming the knife on the table, grabbing the wine glass in front of him, raising a toast to Wang Chao, and then drinking it all in one gulp.

Immediately afterwards, they began to eat and drink without any restraint.

Wang Chao didn't seem to care, just watched with a smile, occasionally picking up some food or taking a sip of wine.

Wu Chang, who was standing nearby, had also stopped unleashing the power of his official position and sat down to sit aside.

His face was inevitably pale, a result of the pressure and backlash from activating the power of official positions and mobilizing the power of national destiny.

If it hadn't been just a short time, his condition would have been more than just pale.

A county magistrate is at least a seventh-rank official, which is four or five ranks higher than the ninth-rank "Regular Soldier".

If it weren't for the national destiny bearing some of the pressure for him, he wouldn't even have been able to integrate with it, and the pressure and backlash caused by actually using its power would be unimaginable.

At most, he can only mobilize and use the nation's fortune for a quarter of an hour.

Moreover, he will need to rest for several days afterward to recover.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Zheng Wanchun finally stopped eating and drinking, and simply wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Alright, now you can say whatever it is. At least you can die with a full stomach."

As he spoke, Zheng Wanchun looked calmly at Wang Chao.

If the dynasty hadn't been able to clearly see the spiritual power of fear, tension, and unease emanating from him, they would have truly believed that he was fearless in the face of death.

At least Wu Chang, standing to the side, looked at him with a hint of admiration.

Maintaining composure and calmness in this situation is not something everyone can do.

Yes, official positions can reveal the fate of the nation and the grievances of the people, as well as a rough glimpse of power and spiritual energy, but they cannot directly see spiritual power, much less perceive the consciousness information within spiritual power.

"General Zheng, what is your view of the world today?"

"Hehe, I'm a rough man, Chief Wang, you don't need to beat around the bush with me."
The world is pretty much rotten now.
Outside the Great Wall, the Mongols and Jurchens constantly raided the borders, and domestic rebellions broke out everywhere.
Chief Wang didn't kill me outright, probably because I'm still somewhat useful, or maybe he wants to recruit me.

"Snapped!"

Ignoring Zheng Wanchun's words, Wang Chao slammed his hand on the table and laughed loudly, saying:

"Hahaha, good! General Zheng is a man of few words, and his words are succinct!"
"I wonder if General Zheng would be interested in joining my militia?"

Zheng Wanchun did not answer directly, but instead asked in return:
"What benefits will I get if I join? What will you do to me if I don't join?"

"If General Zheng is willing to join us, that would be wonderful. He could join the General Staff as Deputy Chief of Staff, or serve as the chief instructor for the future 300,000 new troops."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Wanchun frowned slightly.

Rioters are just rioters; they're too petty.

He was a military officer in the Ming Dynasty, and a fourth-rank commander of the Imperial Guard. How could he be given such a position?
The chief of staff was probably a position like a secretary or advisor, and a deputy one at that.

As for the chief instructor of the 300,000 new recruits...
That sounds nice, but isn't he just a coach?
And these are the 300,000 new recruits to come.

That's true. The entire People's Salvation Army doesn't even number 300,000, let alone 300,000 new recruits. It's just empty promises.

Just as he was about to say something, Wang Chao spoke again.

"besides."

Wang Chao placed his palm on the table, his true energy slightly circulating.

The moment he raised his hand, the table beneath his hand instantly turned into dust and scattered.

Zheng Wanchun's eyes narrowed at the sight.

He had naturally heard the legends about the celestial beings of the dynasty descending to earth and possessing various supernatural powers.

However, like most high-ranking officials and dignitaries, he didn't really believe it.

At this moment, however, he began to believe it.

Some of the tricks and methods used in the martial arts world can also achieve this.

(End of this chapter)