Who gave you permission to travel through time with Earth?

"Brother Shi is truly impressive... but it seems that being an official isn't simply a matter of who's stronger..."

A woman with peach blossom marks on her cheeks cupped her hands and smiled bitterly. Her name was Tao Shan, and she ranked third in the Golden Cauldron Tournament. She looked as delicate and frail as a willow in the wind... but her methods were quite ruthless.

"Military officers, military officers, and Emperor Gaozu established his dynasty through martial arts. It seems not unreasonable to use duels to determine rank and status within our Xuanwu Guard."

This was a young man carrying a sword box in his arms and with a blade of grass in his mouth. His name was Li Qinglian, and he ranked second in the Golden Cauldron Tournament. His clothing, appearance, and behavior were all quite affected.

After all, everyone who participated in the Golden Cauldron Tournament knew that there was no sword in his sword box, that his cultivation method focused on physical training, and that all his attire was a result of his obsession with the image of a swordsman.

"Old Li, I love hearing that! You're just like me!"

As for this brute... Tiger-style Fist Shi Dahu was the final victor in the Golden Cauldron Tournament. His ferocious fist techniques and beast-like intuition allowed him to overpower all the heroes on the battlefield and win the tournament's top prize.

...It's that his temperament is so unruly and uncouth that most people can't stand it.

"Once I become a general, I will reward you handsomely. I'll definitely give you a command position, no matter what!"

"...But I am now a commander of a thousand households, and my rank is already two levels higher than that of a commander."

"..."

Beneath the ruins of the inn, Fang Jin, her face cold, casually placed the golden cauldron she was holding aside, using the weight to shake off the large amounts of dust and wood chips covering her body.

After their last transaction with the innkeeper this morning, the whole family headed south to get things done, managing to avoid a bit of trouble. Now, Fang Jin is just helping out at the inn.

But this problem arose in the afternoon. The owner was not dead, but the dozen or so traveling merchants in the inn, those vulgar people who had been drinking and gambling with him during the day, were all buried under the ruins.

Small streams of blood seeped from the cracks in the wooden blocks, the wailing gradually faded away, and the golden cauldron was covered with red and white stains... All of this happened in an instant.

He didn't even glance at the arrogant, glaring Shi Dahu, but instead looked at the blue sedan chair held high in the woods behind the fifteen men. He exhaled, suppressing his anger, and spoke coldly:

"Your Highness, what are you doing? My Fang family doesn't seem to have offended you at all. Why are you bringing such a group of elders here so aggressively... Are you rushing to your death?!"

Well, he couldn't hold back, so he grabbed one of the golden cauldron's legs with one hand and tossed it up and down as if throwing it, causing Zhou Bensi, who was originally full of pride inside the blue tent, to freeze in surprise.

However, his eyes quickly turned even more sinister. He had suspected Fang Jin of hiding his strength back at the ancestral temple; otherwise, even if he had the same trump card as his father to avoid the poisonous miasma,

How could he become the only survivor? Now it seems that this young man from the Fang family was hiding something even more exaggeratedly than he imagined; at the very least, he was another elder with forty years of true qi.

He had originally planned to cripple him before taking this puppet north to serve as a shield, but he hadn't expected that his attack would fail. This was the strongest elder in the entire capital and the entire Li Dynasty who had fought his way out of the competition!

Now Zhou Bensi has to change his strategy. After all, heading north is risky, and he can't afford to suffer heavy losses at the beginning... But he has plenty of ways to suppress this guy later.

So he lifted the curtain and stepped down from the sedan chair, holding a scroll of imperial edict in his hands. His face wore the same warm smile as when he was at the ancestral temple, and he bowed to Fang Jin, saying:

"Commander Fang! Congratulations! His Majesty has issued an edict appointing you as the Grand General of Xuanwu and bestowing official titles upon all the winners of this Golden Cauldron Gathering, placing them all under your command!"

"This is an immense favor, and a reward for your meritorious service in the nunnery incident. Commander Fang... General Fang, why don't you accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude? Your Fang family has truly risen to prominence."

"..."

Fang Jin remained unmoved, his face as cold as ice. To place sixteen proud and arrogant top martial artists under his name without knowing his true strength... this was tantamount to openly murdering him.

This year's Golden Cauldron Tournament has opened up sixteen seats. Although not all of them are veterans, only the top three have truly reached the level of accumulating second-tier true qi. In previous years, when have any veteran-level martial artists occupied a seat in the Golden Cauldron Tournament?

"General Fang, it would be best to accept the imperial decree honestly, so that it won't be difficult for either of us."

"Besides the official seal of General Xuanwu, this document also contains your next task: immediately escort that Buddhist nun north back to the Buddhist city. You Xuanwu Guards should do your best and not delay."

Seeing that Fang Jin remained unmoved, Zhou Bensi knew that the former had seen through the truth, but he didn't seem embarrassed much. It was his idea to instigate Shi Dahu to take action, but it was just a small matter of her acting on her own initiative.

The establishment of Xuanwu Guard and the mission to send the Buddha north were the Emperor's will. Unless Fang Jin dared to oppose the Jiazi Grandmaster or even the entire dynasty, he could only obediently bow his head now.

So his voice gradually turned cold.

"Your Highness, are you mistaken about something? There is only a document and edict, but no official seal or insignia. His Majesty seems to have only agreed to appoint me as General Xuanwu, but in reality, my current position is still only a centurion."

"To escort a Buddhist nun with the rank of a centurion... that is extremely disrespectful."

Fang Jin spoke slowly, saying that it was a matter of ceremonial procession. The fourth-rank Xuanwu General escorted the Buddhist nun back to Snow City from the north, which was in accordance with etiquette and law, and seemed to leave no room for outsiders to find fault.

But if official rank is just a facade, and Fang Jin is still merely a centurion of the Jinxiu Army... then what's the point of talking about etiquette and rituals? This is a blatant insult hidden beneath a glamorous facade.

"This hasty appointment is the only way. General Fang's residence and official seal are still being made. Once you return, we will hold a formal ceremony in the main hall to confer the titles... This is also His Majesty's intention."

"Even after this escort mission is over and the mission is accomplished, when rewards are distributed, General Fang's record of merits will be filled with another significant entry. At that time, it seems that this small Xuanwu General's seal will no longer be needed."

Zhou Bensi seemed not to understand his implied meaning, and continued to exaggerate the promises he made. Then, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes narrowed, and a sly smile on his face, he spoke softly.

"How about... General, you open our gifts and take a look? Although you were not invited to the Golden Cauldron Conference, based on your merits and achievements, our dynasty has actually selected you as one of the sixteen Golden Cauldron Masters."

"Should we open it and take a look before making a decision? The fifteen commanders of the garrison here have all received elixirs, precious medicines, cultivation techniques, or divine weapons... Perhaps the gifts inside will make you a little more diligent in the future?"

"..."