Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Zhou Qingfeng smiled faintly: "Xiao Xiao, though flawed, is still very pleasing. I think this girl can continue to be of good use."

Xiao Hongyun said with an exaggerated expression: "She's not just flawed! She has as many flaws as virtues! She's simply unbearable to look at! But... she's your person, so if you think she's useful, then keep using her. My mission is over anyway, so I'm returning her to you today. If there's anything in the future, she can contact you directly. Just don't come to me again. I can't stand her. This woman is too perverted, too narcissistic, and too greedy."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng looked at Jin Wei.

Jin Wei clasped his hands and said, "What Lord Xiao said may be a slight exaggeration, but it is basically true. Over the years, Xi Hongchen has indeed gone too far in some aspects. Perhaps the young master should give her a warning to prevent her from becoming disrespectful and reckless."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly, then looked at Ye Tingxiu.

Ye Tingxiu spread his hands and said, "I don't know anything. I'm not in charge of this area. All these years I've been fighting on the front lines. I've collected the heads of eighty-four enemy generals. Hehe, let me tell you, I'm awesome. With my left hand in Broken Blade and my right hand in Endless Blade, I slashed from south to north, and then from north to south. I raised my knife and fell, without even blinking, killing the enemy until they cried for their fathers and mothers."

Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng reached out to stop him: "I didn't ask you, you eat yours."

Ye Tingxiu was about to show off when he was ruthlessly interrupted, and could only say "oh" and silently sit down.

Zhou Qingfeng pondered for a moment and said, "Jin Wei, give her a warning on the surface, telling her to restrain herself and not be presumptuous. In secret, prepare some expensive cosmetics, silks, and jewelry to reward her, and also give her three million coins."

Jin Wei clasped his hands in a salute: "As you command."

Zhou Qingfeng hummed in agreement and waved for Jin Wei to go back and sit down.

He wasn't angry with Xi Hongchen, but since this woman had managed to provoke both Xiao Hongyun and Jin Wei to think she had gone too far, she definitely deserved to be taught a lesson. He also wanted to let Xi Hongchen know that she shouldn't be so arrogant just because she had been released; no one could control her.

Only by tightening the dog necklace around her neck from time to time can Xi Hongchen know who her master is.

However, simply reprimanding is not enough. If subordinates are punished instead of rewarded for their merits, it will inevitably discourage them.

Therefore, punishment is necessary, but rewards are also needed.

It's just that the reward has changed from being open to being hidden.

It's like giving someone a slap and then offering them a sweet treat.

Give both grace and power.

One must both respect oneself and be grateful to oneself while living in the world.

Training a dog requires patience and time; eventually, you can train it to become a loyal and capable dog.

What if we can't train them? Then we'll just slaughter them and eat them.

Zhou Qingfeng asked, "Where has the war situation evolved to now, and what are the latest developments?"

Ye Tingxiu raised his hand and said, "I know this, I really know it. No one knows it as well as I do. I have the most right to speak on this."

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head with a smile and said helplessly, "Alright, then begin your performance."

Ye Tingxiu took out a map and spread it out on the ground. He took off a knife hanging from his waist and pointed at the map, saying, "Yumi City has been rebuilt. Fan Li announced the restoration of Yumi City, officially changed the city name to Fan City, and formally submitted to the Sword Tower, paying tribute and becoming a vassal of the Sword Tower."

"The territory of Fancheng spans seven hundred li from north to south. Now, the Sword Tower is carrying out large-scale colonization in Fancheng and has stationed four thousand-man legions in Fancheng. The two legions of the Resistance Army and the Hell Legion, totaling 20,000 troops, have all been transferred to the northern front and the border fortress of Sihai City."

"The Northern Allied Forces suffered a crushing defeat, with only one-tenth of their fifty thousand soldiers surviving."

"The five city lords are meeting to discuss joining forces with Sihai City to launch a counterattack and retake Fancheng."

"The Lord of Sihai City, Zhao Biting, rejected the alliance proposal. With the support of the Vision Sect, he is vigorously cleaning up and suppressing the four major sects, led by the Incense Sect. At present, Sihai City is beset by internal and external troubles, especially the internal strife has not yet been quelled, and he has no time to attend to other matters."

"In my judgment, the situation is gradually stabilizing. The five northern cities have suffered a major defeat and will not dare to launch a counterattack for the next three to five years. The Lord of the Four Seas City, Zhao Biting, is in a complete mess, with his internal affairs in utter chaos. As long as the Sword Tower does not take the initiative to provoke a war, the Lord of the Four Seas City will definitely not come looking for trouble at this time. Therefore, I predict that there will definitely be no large-scale battles in the next three to five years."

Zhou Qingfeng stroked his chin and raised an eyebrow: "Wow, you've changed a lot in just a few days. I never expected you, Lao Ye, to be so capable. You can now analyze the war situation so clearly."

Ye Tingxiu raised his head: "Absolutely!"

Zhou Qingfeng said, "Okay, is there anything to add?"

Xiao Hongyun and Jin Wei shook their heads, there really was nothing to add. Ye Tingxiu had been fighting on the front lines for many years, and war had tempered him. At this moment, Ye Tingxiu might not have any great experience in leading troops into battle, but he could certainly explain his theoretical knowledge of warfare clearly.

Zhou Qingfeng clapped his hands: "Now that we've finished discussing the important matters, let's talk about something interesting, something about the Dragon Bone Scripture, you all know about it, right?"

Ye Tingxiu nodded, took out a scroll of the Dragon Bone Scripture and said, "I know, I have one."

A green light flashed in Xiao Hongyun's palm, and he said with a grin, "Sorry, I have one too."

Ye Tingxiu stared at him and asked, "Where did you come from?"

Xiao Hongyun chuckled: "I stole it. A wealthy businessman was holding an exhibition to flaunt his wealth. I saw it and stole it that very night. Where did you get it?"

Ye Tingxiu: "I killed someone and robbed them. I happened to kill a high-ranking enemy general and looted him from his storage ring."

"Wow~~~ Impressive, impressive!" Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun simultaneously gave each other a thumbs up, praising each other's skill with mischievous smiles.

Zhou Qingfeng stared at the two speechlessly, shook his head and chuckled, then took out his Dragon Bone Scripture: "I have one too."

"Holy crap, where did you come from?" Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun exclaimed in unison.

Zhou Qingfeng raised an eyebrow: "If it's a gift from someone, I won't let them force me to accept it, so I just took it."

Ye Tingxiu: "..."

Xiao Hongyun: "..."

Zhou Qingfeng casually tossed the Dragon Bone Scripture onto the tea table with a smile, not taking it seriously: "Are you planning to ascend to the dragon?"

Xiao Hongyun said, "Of course, this is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, I must seize it."

Ye Tingxiu held the Dragon Bone Scripture in his hand, his eyes burning with fervor: "Once I successfully ascend to the dragon, I can retrace the Investiture of the Gods Ancient Path. The Investiture of the Gods Ancient Path is the road to the pinnacle of power. I must participate. Even if it means death, I will not miss it. Old Zhou, do you want to ascend to the dragon?"

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head and said, "No rush, I haven't made up my mind yet, and I advise you not to make a decision so quickly either. Once you ascend to the Dragon Realm, there's no turning back. We still need to gather more detailed intelligence."

"I summoned you here today partly for this matter. I want to know all the information about the Dragon Bone Scripture. You two should investigate it thoroughly, at least to know what dangers we will face and what kind of competitors we will be dealing with."

"Otherwise, even if an incredible opportunity were presented to you, you might have the life to seize it, but not the life to enjoy it."

Ye Tingxiu hissed, "That makes sense. I acted impulsively. Old Zhou, you're the one who thinks things through."

Xiao Hongyun said thoughtfully, "Old Zhou, you make a good point. Old Ye and I will go and investigate this further right away, and we'll let you know later."

"Let's go, let's go!" the two said excitedly as they ran out.

Seeing this, Jin Wei stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Young Master, I'll go too."

Zhou Qingfeng slowly reached out his hand and smiled faintly: "Jin Wei, in addition to investigating the information about the Dragon Bone Scripture, prepare five more poisonous hearts for me to use when I ascend the steps."