Starting as a centurion, he fought his way through the chaos of the world.

Chapter 71 Without any scruples
The moment the pill entered his stomach, Lu Ming felt streams of energy flowing through him.

It nourishes your entire body.

The most noticeable change is in the dantian, where the true qi has become much stronger.

When swimming, it feels very powerful.

The precious blood of the ferocious beast on its skin is also being digested.

The surging internal energy caused a series of sounds to emanate from within the body.

I don’t know how much time passed.

"Phew!" Lu Ming exhaled a breath of stale air.

I felt full of energy.

"At the peak of the True Essence Realm, with the ninth level of the Golden Bell Shield, its essence has already transformed from its rudimentary form to the entry level. Even if I encounter a peak Qi Condensation expert, I can crush them."

Lu Ming muttered to himself.

He stretched out his hand, and a halberd appeared in his palm.

It is entirely black, with blue runes on the handle, which not only increases the friction of the hand but also has other magical effects.

The halberd blade was like a crescent moon, gleaming with a silvery light.

Lu Ming held it in his palm; although it was a bit light, it was just right.

"Buzz!"

With a gentle sway, the sound of blades whistling filled the air.

Then, carrying his weapon, he walked outside.

"Squeak!" The door to the secret room opened.

it's getting dark.

The maids are busy in the kitchen.

Li Xirou's figure, illuminated by the candlelight, was alluring and perfect; she seemed to be wiping something in the room.

When Lu Ming pushed the door open and entered.

He saw his wife polishing his armor.

The dark, ominous light shone out, giving it a somewhat menacing appearance.

Li Xirou stood up only after she noticed Lu Ming enter.

"Dinner is almost ready. After you eat, get some rest."

"when!"

After placing the Great Wilderness Halberd aside, Lu Ming nodded and said, "I'll listen to you."

As he spoke, he pulled Li Xirou to sit down at the table, feeling the softness of his palm.

Seeing the worry in his wife's eyes warmed his heart.

"Don't worry, it's just a small group of rebels. They'll be back in a few days," Lu Ming reassured Li Xirou with a light laugh.

Just then, the maids came in and brought plates of food to the table.

"Don't think about anything else, let's eat first." As he spoke, he started eating.

Lu Ming had been cultivating for a day and had just broken through to the next level, so he was really hungry.

Li Xirou nodded.

She ate very slowly, clearly preoccupied.

After dinner, Lu Ming went to rest.

This time, he was facing rebels, which were completely different from the bandits he had faced in the past.

Therefore, they naturally dared not be careless.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, while it was still dark...

Lu Ming put on his armor and quietly walked out the door.

After glancing back at his wife, he picked up the Great Wilderness Halberd and headed straight for the front yard.

At this moment, the soldiers under his command had already gathered together.

Wang Han and the others looked solemn.

Zhang Mu stood still, holding a long spear.

His eyes flashed with a cold light as they opened and closed.

The Mo Dao soldiers were all equipped with warhorses to carry their armor. After all, the Wu Lin heavy armor was not light, and if they were to run hundreds of miles in full armor, even those with the cultivation level of Bone Forging Realm would probably be quite tired.

The Ironclad Cavalry are not yet equipped with heavy armor, so each person rides two horses.

As for the remaining strongmen, each of them can now be given a horse. Although they are not good at horse combat, it is sufficient for their transportation.

This configuration greatly enhances Lu Ming and his team's mobility.

"General, everyone is here!" Wang Han stepped forward and said respectfully.

Lu Ming nodded, glanced at everyone, and said, "Let's go!"

Then, he leaped onto the horse's back.

The others followed suit. "Clop clop!" Thousands of warhorses galloped towards the border of Fenglei County, their hooves pounding against the night sky.

The county town's border is not far to begin with.

Three hours later, they stopped by a relatively flat roadside.

At the same time, they set up their battle formation.

Zheng Yong, who had set off earlier to gather intelligence, carefully reported to Lu Ming, "My lord, we have found out that the rebels have mobilized 70,000 men, with 50,000 men led by Hua Yong, Lin Futong's eldest disciple, to attack Hongdu Prefecture City."

My second disciple, Xiao Hong, is leading 20,000 men to directly attack my Fenglei County. The two sides have now divided their forces, and Xiao Hong will arrive tomorrow.

Lu Ming nodded; it was indeed similar to what Bai Yan had said.

This person does indeed possess some talent.

Both its domestic affairs and military capabilities are quite strong.

It seems I'll have to find a way to keep him by my side from now on.

"How do the strengths of Lin Futong's two disciples compare to those of his soldiers?"

"Hua Yong's strength is said to be at the peak of Gang Qi, but I don't know if it's true. Xiao Hong is weaker, at the middle stage of Gang Qi. However, both of them have comprehended the power of the Qi, so their soldiers are not very strong. Of the 20,000 men led by Xiao Hong, 2,000 are armored elite soldiers with cultivation at the Body Tempering Realm."

No one else entered the country.

Hua Yong's condition is still unclear.

"With this strength, breaking through an ordinary county town would be a piece of cake, but they're still a bit short of being able to break through from here. Tell the brothers to hide and recuperate, and then we'll catch them off guard tomorrow," Lu Ming said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" Zheng Yong replied and then went to relay the order.

A moment later, the army entered the woods by the roadside.

At the same time, inside the Prime Minister's residence in the capital, Li Yan sat in the living room.

The wrinkles on my cheeks have increased.

To his left stood a middle-aged man, who, judging from the aura emanating from him, was a master who had reached the Qi Refining Realm.

But now he's all meek and submissive.

Large beads of sweat dripped continuously from his forehead.

"Your Excellency, it is my incompetence that is to be punished!"

"Thump!" The man said as he knelt down on the ground.

His strong back was trembling slightly.

Li Yan waved his hand weakly, "Huai Lie, your teacher knows you did your best, but I didn't expect that the Prince of Yong would be so outstanding. He broke through to the Gang Qi Realm in just one winter, and with the cultivation of the early Gang Qi Realm, he defeated you, a fierce general at the peak of Gang Qi Realm. Although it was only a very slight advantage, it was still beyond my expectations."

It's a pity that he stole the opportunity to lead troops to Yunzhou. If he returns after suppressing the rebellion, this prince's influence will surely rise even higher. At that time, our already limited voice in the army will likely be even less."

“The Prince of Yong’s power is already great. I am no match for him and cannot share my teacher’s burdens. This is my fault,” the man named Huai Lie said in a deep voice.

"You've already done very well. We don't have the background of a powerful family, so I know how hard you've worked to get this far. It's easy to find experts, but it's hard to find generals. You're now the deputy general of the Wind Cavalry of the Imperial Guards. I'm very proud of you."

Don't blame yourself. Now that things have come to this, you can only leave it to fate.

Li Yan waved his hand, signaling the man to step back.

When he was left alone in the hall, a hint of loneliness appeared in his eyes.

"Thump thump!" A moment later, crisp footsteps rang out.

Butler Fu walked in, carrying a gift box.

"Master, a gift from the Imperial Preceptor's residence."

“Throw it away!” Li Yan said expressionlessly.

From the moment when the Imperial Advisor He Song rejected him and took the Prince of Yong's heir as his disciple, the two had already become political enemies.

He was certain that He Song harbored ill intentions.

Uncle Fu turned to leave.

But Li Yan seemed to have thought of something else, and said weakly, "Wait, let me take a look first."

After he finished speaking, Uncle Fu carefully turned around again.

The box was placed next to Li Yan, who opened it and found a flawless, emerald-green Ruyi (a type of scepter) inside.

The note attached read, "Prime Minister Li, it seems my judgment was correct."

"Pfft!" After seeing it, Li Yan's face first turned red, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Bang!" He smashed the jade ruyi on the ground.

"Cough cough!" A violent coughing sound rang out, and Uncle Fu's expression changed. He immediately stepped forward and gently patted Li Yan's back.

Clearly, He Song believed that the apprentice Li Yan had wanted to find for him was Zhang Huailie, the middle-aged man who had just left.

After all, in his lineage, the other party was the only one who could be considered a skilled military strategist.

"He Song! My friend of many years, how could you do this to me? I am furious!" Li Yan said in grief and indignation.

Even though he was used to the coldness of human nature, he still didn't expect He Song to use such despicable means to provoke him.

It's just that his lifespan is nearing its end, his vital energy is depleted, and he has no successor, which is why the other party is now acting so recklessly, ruthlessly, and without any mercy.

(End of this chapter)