Patrol Captain

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few, the autumn air was crisp and clear, and a gentle breeze was blowing. The night scene at Yunding Mountain was peaceful and lovely.

On the mountain path leading down from the Heavenly Patrol Hall, Wu Xing and Lei Shan paid no attention to the scenery along the way. Wu Xing of the Heavenly Army walked forward angrily, while Lei Shan followed closely behind.

The Heavenly Patrol Hall is now under the control of the Ninth Mountain troops, so Lei Shan has no choice but to find another place and prepare to follow Commander Wu to the camp at the foot of the mountain.

Upon reaching a deserted plank road halfway up the mountain, Lei Shan called out to Wu Xing.
"Commander Wu, please wait a moment, I have something to say."

"Hmph!" Wu Xing snorted coldly, his steps unwavering.

Lei Shan staggered to the side and whispered, "Now it's just you and me who can discuss this. Commander Wu, please don't hold a grudge."

Wu Xing stopped in his tracks, his face filled with anger. He had something he wanted to say for a long time and couldn't hold back any longer. He said sarcastically without any politeness, "It was Lord Lei who remembered to discuss this with me. After all this time, everyone else knew that Lord Helian had left Yunding Mountain, but I didn't."

"Today, I, Wu, was bullied by that man surnamed Fang and had to bow down to that person from the Ninth Mountain. I was practically a grandson. Although my face is worthless, I shouldn't be treated like this by you all."

In truth, he was the most wronged. He was kept in the dark about everything. He was originally dedicated to his duty, but he was ordered around by Fang La, this powerful "petty man," and he was also trembling under Chen Yuan's pressure, making him a loser both ways.

Who wouldn't be resentful in that situation?

Most importantly, he was caught up in the power struggle within the Sword Mountain Path without any psychological preparation, and he was unable to extricate himself from the situation. This is the fatal thing!
Fang La claimed to be acting on His Majesty's orders to find Grand Preceptor Helian, but Grand Preceptor Helian was not at Yunding Mountain and had gone to the western front. Fang La took advantage of this to seize power in the Fusi and summoned everyone for a meeting. However, the news leaked out, and a Martial Saint-level expert came to Yunding Mountain, almost causing a major incident. Later, the person from the Ninth Mountain stepped forward and executed Fang La on the spot for treason. The Ninth Mountain then took over the Xuntian Hall.

These incidents, taken together, are chilling to think about.

Fang La was acting on an imperial edict, yet the God of Slaughter from the Ninth Mountain executed him for treason. To be honest, he didn't believe it, and I doubt anyone else would either.

Many people present could only think that Fang La's attempt to take over the Ninth Mountain angered General Chen, leading him to take drastic measures and eliminate Fang La.

And if the Ninth Mountain were to take over the Heavenly Patrol Hall, wouldn't that be an attempt to seize power? And if I were dragged into this, wouldn't His Majesty be furious, thinking I'm involved...
After venting his emotions, he was filled with unease and felt increasingly compelled to send the message out so that the Imperial Advisor could handle it.
"I know Commander Wu is wronged, but this matter was instructed by the Imperial Advisor, not something I did."

Lei Shan raised his hands in a fist salute, attempting to reassure the commander. The Heavenly Army commander approached, grabbed one of Lei Shan's arms, glanced left and right, and simultaneously cast a protective aura around them. His eyes gleaming, he said to Lei Shan...
"Enough with the small talk, Lord Lei. I'll just ask you this: what should we do about this?"

"Fang La and a group of officials from the capital have been punished. The Ninth Mountain is now taking over Yunding Mountain, which is suspected of being a power grab. Such a big thing has happened. If we don't report it, we will not escape the crime of dereliction of duty, and may even be suspected by His Majesty."

"The best course of action right now is for you to send a message to the Imperial Advisor, asking him to return and take charge of the situation. Only then can we prevent any trouble from happening."

Wu Xing's voice was hurried, filled with unease about the current situation.

Upon hearing what the commander said, Lei Shan couldn't help but let out a bitter smile.

Is there a suspicion of a power grab at Ninth Mountain? Should a message be sent to Lord Helian, requesting his return to take charge?

To him, these words sounded somewhat absurd and ironic.

He had to state a fact to prevent the commander of the Sky March from making a mistake and causing trouble like today, which would only complicate matters further.

"Commander Wu, the situation in Shu is critical on all sides. Even the Grand Preceptor has been forced to go into hiding to the west to resist the demonic tide. Who do you think would want to take over such a mess?"

He straightened his expression, his tone tinged with self-deprecation, and began to speak.

"This"

Wu Xing was stunned by his words, his face blank, unable to utter a word.

"To tell you the truth, what you call the Ninth Mountain wanting to seize power was actually something the Grand Preceptor personally asked for before leaving, when he went to Qingshan County to ask the person from the Ninth Mountain for a favor."

Commander Wu's eyes widened.

"The Grand Preceptor wants General Chen to take power. Commander Wu, do you still remember that important figure from the Martial Temple who came here a little over half a month ago?"

Wu Xing nodded blankly, then let go of Lei Shan's hand. He was overwhelmed by the information and felt somewhat dazed.

"After that official who guarded the passage to the lower realm for the imperial court came here, the Grand Preceptor asked me to draft a letter to the court. The letter stated that His Majesty should issue an edict to bestow an honorific title upon him and invite General Chen of the Ninth Mountain to take charge of Cloud Peak Mountain." Lei Shan explained the origin of the matter.

Wu Xing grasped the key point in the question and quickly asked, "Has His Majesty agreed?"

Lei Shan's expression turned somber, and he shook his head. "No! His Majesty forbids it."

Speaking of this, he recalled the events of today and sighed, "I'm afraid His Majesty was worried and sent an oral edict to Fang La afterwards. Fang La saw that the Grand Preceptor had not shown up for two days, so he led his men to force their way in, causing this mess today."

Wu Xing was stunned when he heard this. This was even more troublesome than he had imagined. It turned out that Grand Preceptor Helian had relinquished power without His Majesty's consent.

"This is a crime of deceiving the emperor, openly defying the imperial decree!" His lips trembled slightly. He took a few quick steps forward to calm himself down, then turned back, his face red and his neck thick, and roared at Lei Shan.

"My men and I don't want to die!"

Lei Shan lowered his eyes. "Commander Wu can pretend he didn't hear what you said today. Tell the outside world that everything is done in accordance with the Grand Preceptor's instructions. Continue doing what you're supposed to do."

"The Imperial Advisor and I, Lei, will apologize to His Majesty at that time."

"I am explaining the reasons to you only because I don't want you to be unaware of the truth and do something that would be detrimental to everyone."

Wu Xing's eyes were bulging with anger as he glared at Lei Shan. Lei Shan accepted his anger calmly; he had already made his choice and there was nothing left to hesitate about.

After a long while, the anger in Wu Xing's eyes slowly subsided. He flicked his cloak and let out a long sigh.
"Ugh!"

"The old Grand Preceptor's loyalty to His Majesty is as clear as day and night. I dare not doubt it. It seems that I have no choice but to get involved in this mess. There is no escaping it."

Lei Shan nodded in agreement, “A general in the field may disobey the emperor’s orders. At this time, the safety of Shu is more important. The Grand Preceptor can no longer worry about these things.”

Wu Xing had no desire to continue. He turned away, gave a perfunctory clasped-fist salute, and said, "Farewell."

With that said, he turned and left.

"Wait, Commander Wu, the Ninth Mountain has now taken over the Heavenly Patrol Hall. I have nowhere to stay, so I'll stay in your camp at the foot of the mountain for the night." Lei Shan followed.

"You'd better go somewhere else, sir. We don't welcome you here." Wu Xing was in a state of utter turmoil and quite annoyed.

Lei Shan remained unmoved and followed them.

Now, the entire Shendulai army on Yunding Mountain has been basically wiped out, and the only one who can speak for them is Commander Wu.

Wu Xing could only curse inwardly, feeling utterly helpless.

And so the two went down the mountain, only to arrive at the camp where the Xingtian Army was stationed.

Flames blazed there. On the drill ground, men and horses faced off.

One side was a sea of ​​black armor, like dark clouds pressing down on the city; the other side was a continuous expanse of golden armor, exuding an impressive aura. The firelight heightened the tense atmosphere, making them seem like they were about to clash.

Wu Xing and Lei Shan flew down between the two groups of soldiers.

"What's going on?" His eyes were gloomy as he glanced at the black-armored soldiers and recognized them as the troops of the Ninth Mountain.

"Commander!"

"These guys drove away our men who were stationed everywhere. They're so arrogant!" A subordinate officer rushed forward to report the situation when he saw him arrive, clearly displeased.

At this moment, on the Ninth Mountain side, a military captain at the Heavenly Gate Realm dismounted and respectfully saluted the Heavenly Army Commander.
"Commander Wu, I am under orders from my general to take over the defenses at the foot of Yunding Mountain and to guard the flow of information. Please make way for our troops to relieve you."

This was the same group of soldiers who went to guard the Heavenly Palace. They received the order at the same time. Now that they had taken over, they would definitely arrest people both on and off the mountain.

After listening, Wu Xing felt a surge of anger. He was worried about the Tianxing Army. However, thinking about the conversation they had just had, his anger didn't seem so important anymore.

"Have your men withdraw and hand over the duties to the brothers of Ninth Mountain. Don't let this cause any unpleasantness!" he ordered.

"Commander!" The soldiers under his command were indignant and wanted to argue, but Wu Xing forcefully interrupted them, coldly rebuking them:

"Stop talking nonsense, carry out the order. This is from above."

These subordinates had no choice but to back down and make way.

"Thank you, Commander Wu!" The captain of the Ninth Mountain expressed his gratitude, then leaped onto his horse and led his troops down the mountain in a flurry of activity to set up defenses and relay orders.

As Wu Xing watched the line of soldiers pass by, the horses were plump and strong, the soldiers were fully armored and armed, and full of energy. He sighed inwardly.

Just as the riot on Yunding Mountain was gradually subsiding, countless eyes in Chengdu, outside the mountain, were watching the situation closely, with many anxiously awaiting news.

In the past, Chengdu, as the capital city, was a magnificent sight at night, with the Milky Way hanging over the ground. The streets were lined with lanterns as bright as day, adorning the eaves of restaurants. Warm light spilled over the bluestone pavement, making the sleeves and hair of passersby glow. In the depths of the willow lanes, the melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, singing and dancing filled the air with cheers.

However, in the past two weeks, a large number of people and forces fled the city when they saw that things were not going well. Later, a demonic tide rose, the news was bad, rumors spread, and more and more disturbances occurred. Public order was on the verge of collapse, which led to the city being sealed off and the people were in a state of panic.

At present, although the city of Chengdu still has its share of sensual pleasures, the night view of the entire city is much more desolate than before.

At this moment, in inns, restaurants, brothels, and even private residences, some people stayed up all night, discussing the terrifying scene that had occurred at dusk.

"That mysterious and powerful cultivator launched a surprise attack on Cloud Peak Mountain, claiming that the current imperial advisor was not in the mountain. He unleashed his divine power to break the formation, but then a golden light appeared on Cloud Peak, and the cultivator was so frightened that he retreated. What exactly was that golden light?"

"Who knows? At that time, the world was filled with immense power and countless lights and shadows, making it impossible to see anything. However, before the mysterious powerful figure retreated, he said, 'Since you resigned from your official post, your spirit still lingers.' I thought that someone else must have made a move."

"Are you talking about the legendary Martial Saint General who supposedly resigned from his post and returned to his hometown?"

"Indeed, in the Shu region today, who else can frighten away such a powerful figure without even lifting a finger?"

"If only it were really this person, everyone would be in a state of panic, fearing that demons might attack one day. With this person as a deterrent, Chengdu would be safe. It's just a pity that the imperial court is so short-sighted."

"Who knows? I'm just wondering, where did the Imperial Preceptor go? Did he abandon this city and run away? Has the court abandoned this place? This is really keeping me up at night."

"Oh dear, what am I going to do? This is agonizing!"

"Wait a little longer, until news comes from Yunding Mountain."

"."

As night fell, whispers echoed throughout Chengdu. From the foot of Yunding Mountain, messengers rushed out, carrying three command flags on their backs. At the same time, a hawk transformed into a silver streak and flew off in all directions.

These soldiers, carrying orders, galloped towards the east, west, south, and north of the city, their horses thundering through the streets, their hooves echoing through the night-covered city of Chengdu.

Someone opened the window and recognized the armor.

"It's the Ninth Mountain!"

"The troops of the Ninth Mountain!"

A low murmur arose.

Whenever the people in the city mention the Ninth Mountain, they can't help but feel a sense of awe and think of the Martial Saint General of the Ninth Mountain!

These messengers from the Ninth Mountain, taking advantage of the night, rushed to the magistrate's office of the four cities and the city gate guard post to issue orders.

Aotianjun then headed out of the city!
And this order is only given once—from this moment forward, the Ninth Mountain shall take over the Guanfu Division!

When the governors and garrison commanders of the four cities received their orders, they were invigorated, and the familiar feeling returned.

This order was no secret and quickly spread like wildfire.

From the magistrate to the constable, from the garrison commander to the soldiers under his command, and then passed down the story by word of mouth.

In a grand mansion, someone scaled walls and rooftops, disappearing without a trace. Then, they knocked on a hidden room in a study and whispered:
"I just received news that Ninth Mountain has begun to take over Cloud Peak Mountain. Notify the others to keep a low profile recently."

Inside a restaurant, someone stepped through the curtain and excitedly announced, "News has just come in: Ninth Mountain has begun taking over Cloud Peak Mountain!"

The restaurant gasped in surprise, followed by a clamor and cheers.

"it is good!"

"The Ninth Mountain is finally going to make a move. It's been so frustrating! We're so happy today, let's drink three big cups!"

"Waiter, bring the wine!"

"."

The news spread quickly, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and some people even excitedly announced it on the streets, spreading the word and making a ruckus in the night.

In the bustling city of Xicheng, there is a small house with a courtyard.

Gongsun Wuji strode into the house from outside, went into his bedroom, lit an oil lamp, placed the sword box on his back, then walked to the desk in the room, put down the oil lamp, spread out a piece of paper, ground the ink, picked up a brush, and stood up to write down the next exciting news.

"Brother Yue, it has been half a month since you and your friends left the city. Are you well? Good news just came from Chengdu: the Ninth Mountain has begun to take over the Guanfu Division. It was nighttime, and the people on the street were spreading the news. I could even hear the echoes outside the window." (End of Chapter)