As an official, what's wrong with raising a few monsters?

Chapter 209 It seems he's raised this phoenix in the wrong way.
After being kept in the Hall of Mental Cultivation by Xiao Xinyue for a while, Mingchen left with a tender kiss from His Majesty.

"Brother~"

Just as I stepped inside, a figure flashed past and accurately leaped into my arms.

The child had been waiting here for a long time.

"Shy Butterfly, I'm back~"

Mingchen patted the child's hair and said with a smile.

The usually quiet and reserved child unconsciously smiled faintly: "Welcome back~"

The peach blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, the cat on the roof licked its paws, and the mice in the backyard carefully observed the rice stalks...

This mansion harbors many monsters that are not accepted by the world, yet everything is harmonious and beautiful.

Today, the owner of this mansion has returned.

"Shy Butterfly has opened a restaurant?"

Mingchen entered the courtyard, sat down with the child, and asked with a smile.

His mansion was large, but his family was rather lonely.

My older sister is still fighting outside and hasn't come back yet, so there aren't many people I can talk to.

"Did your brother see it?"

"Brother, would you like to sit down for a while?"

Like a child waiting for praise from their parents after getting good grades, the child looked at Mingchen with dull eyes, a rare hint of expectation showing through.

"Okay~"

Mingchen patted her head and nodded with a smile.

The child is a genius; he learns martial arts very quickly, and can even grasp them instantly, as well as magical techniques.

However, Mingchen didn't have any demands on her; he just wanted her to grow up freely.

If you don't have any lofty ideals, then living an ordinary life like this is just fine.

"Then tomorrow! Is tomorrow okay?"

"Okay~"

Mingchen took out a necklace made of animal teeth, put it around the child's neck, and said with a smile, "Here, this is a gift."

"Thank you brother!"

When Mingchen returns from his travels, he always prepares gifts for the well-behaved children.

"Meow~"

A dark shadow flashed by, and the cat, seeing the gift, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto Mingchen's lap. It gently rubbed against Mingchen, its eyes half-closed, looking lazy and content.

"Alright, alright~ Mo Xing, you fat cat who won't get up early for nothing!"

Mingchen pinched the black cat's face: "Even now, you're not going to say a word to me?"

The cat tilted its head, as obedient and elegant as ever, seemingly unable to understand Mingchen's words at all.

"My lord, my lord~ please take me with you next time~"

"I absolutely will not say anything out of line! I will not run around!"

After chatting with the little bird, Little Peach Blossom came over when she saw Mingchen return.

The pollen gathered to resemble a human figure, its fragrance filling the air, but the moment she opened her mouth, it completely destroyed her mature demeanor.

Mingchen: ...

This thing has already taken root in the yard. Does it still need to carry a flowerpot when it goes out?!
"If you can leave on your own, I'll take you with me!"

"Ah~ My lord~"

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you! What did you say to Fuyao?!"

"Huh? You didn't say anything? I don't know what you're talking about, sir?"

Long Lian peeked out from Ming Chen's embrace, surveying the surrounding scenery: "Young Master..."

Mingchen then remembered that he had been playing the story of the farmer and the snake with Long Lian.

He smiled at the little snake and said, "This house is very big, Long Lian can stay wherever she wants."

"This is our own home!"

Long Lian really liked the word "home," and she swayed slightly, saying, "Thank you, young master!"

Mingchen patted the little peach blossom and said, "Yaoyao, take Long Lian to visit our house!"

Little Peach Blossom is very familiar with this house, so she'd be perfect as a tour guide.

Tao Yaoyao sighed and said, "Okay."

The yard was filled with the scent of the old man, and the white wolf in the form of a little white dog trembled with fear.

It raised its head and looked at Mingchen pitifully: "Great Immortal, what about me?"

Oh, I almost forgot about you!

"You can live in the big courtyard! We'll build you a shack sometime!"

It's not that we won't give the white wolf a room, but it can't transform, so it wouldn't be convenient for it to stay there.

The mansion is so big, let it run wild and go wherever it wants!
The little birds don't even have their own rooms yet!

White Wolf frowned, somewhat displeased.

This sounds... like raising a dog. It's just a little white puppy right now, which doesn't mean it's actually a dog!

"That leads directly to the kitchen, where someone will take care of your meals."

"Alright! Thank you, Master! I'll guard the door for you!"

Good, good! Now that it can eat well, the white wolf is getting better too!
It will live here until it dies!

……

Night falls, and a cool evening breeze seems to carry one's thoughts to distant places.

I'm finally home today.

Mingchen and the child had a semi-reunion dinner, and even drank a little wine, which was quite unusual. After the meal, the child obediently went to sleep.

Mingchen stood under the eaves, quietly watching the sky.

The moon is crescent-shaped, adorned with a cluster of stars.

Home and the outside world are always different.

Back home, the tension from days of battle gradually eased. But I wondered how my beloved, so far away, was doing.
What is his wife, who is unlike any other woman, doing? Is she also thinking of him?

Amidst a surge of various emotions, suddenly...

"Squeak~"

A warm breeze blew in from behind, and the door opened by itself.

Red feathers adorned the flawless white palms, and a figure emerged from the room, gently wrapping his arms around Mingchen's waist.

Mingchen was in front, and his familiar black sleeves could be seen.

These are the clothes that Ling Yu usually wears.

The clothes were familiar, the scent was familiar, but the two didn't match at all.

"Cough cough~"

"Brother Chen..."

The person behind him coughed twice, deliberately lowering their voice to imitate someone else's tone. This instantly disrupted Mingchen's concentration.

Mingchen: ...

He said he hadn't seen the guy since he came back!
So that's where they've been hiding and doing big work!

He turned around and, as expected, met a pair of bright eyes.

The elfin-like girl stared at him intently with a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Brother Chen, what are you thinking about?"

"Snapped!"

The next moment, a crisp sound rang out.

Mingchen glared at her, feigning fierceness as he asked, "Where did you learn all this?!"

"Yeah~"

A slight stinging sensation came from the fasting process, and the little bird cried out in surprise, but the sound changed twice in the air.

It felt like tiny claws scratching at my heart, so agonizing.

It doesn't hurt at all!
She did it on purpose!
The little bird puffed out its chest, swaying gently with its plump plump body, looking quite proud and declaring, "Self-taught!"

Mingchen: ...

I'm sorry, this world.

It seems he's spoiled this phoenix.

Why are you wearing Ling Yu's clothes?

"Since we're after excitement, let's go all the way!"

"My lord~ come here~"

The little bird winked at Mingchen, then came closer and breathed softly in his ear.

"Squeak~"

The door closed again.

A crescent moon hangs high, peach blossoms sway, and the night returns to tranquility.

But inside the house, it became even noisier.

"Fuyao! You seem quite smug lately!"

"You keep provoking me, do you really think I can't bring myself to do it?!"

"I'm telling you, you're finished! Not even the Heavenly King himself can save you, I'm telling you!"

"Humph!"

The little bird snorted, its face full of innocent charm. Even though it was pinned down, its almond-shaped eyes widened, and it pretended to be fierce, continuing to provoke, "How dare you! Don't talk nonsense! I'm not some delicate empress; I have plenty of strength and methods!"

Mingchen: ...

This guy knew he had gone to see His Majesty and had dragged Xiao Xinyue into it again. He was shocked to discover that he had never actually said anything suggestive about that little bird before!

Damn it!
What's going on in this guy's head right now?!

What exactly did Tao Yaoyao do to the little bird?!

But this person... he didn't mention a single word of what he had said.

The moon is hidden behind layers of clouds; a storm is brewing tonight, and the two armies are engaged in fierce fighting.

Even the birds that had been caught three times that day, with their strength and skill, were exhausted.

She lay limply to one side, smiling dreamily, as if she were having a beautiful dream.

"Young master, I like you~"

She grabbed the arm of the person next to her and mumbled incoherently in her sleep.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen lowered his eyes, gently stroked her face, and whispered, "My Fuyao, I love you too..."

Luzhou, located in the north-central part of Qianyuan, is separated from Dongchen by the Shenjiang River. It is a vast and prosperous land. It was also a territory that Mingchen needed when he planned the new dynasty for Xiao Xinyue.

However, the governor of the state was loyal to the old dynasty and considered Xiao Xinyue and Mingchen's faction to be remnants of treason.

Even after Dong Zhuo usurped the throne and changed the country's name to Chen, Xiao Xinyue repeatedly tried to persuade him to surrender, but he still refused to change his allegiance.

Left with no other choice, the two sides went to war.

Ling Yu's army of 70,000 pressed on, using various tactics such as persuasion to surrender, espionage, incitement of the populace, and forceful attacks... In just three months, they occupied most of Luzhou's territory.

In other words, Xiao Xinyue and Mingchen instructed them to try to conquer the city through appeasement; otherwise, Ling Yu would have already taken over the state.

Now, only one fortified city remains to defend Luzhou. Its military strength is already insufficient, and the imperial court's reinforcements are also stretched thin. Furthermore, the hearts of the people have been stirred up, and they are eager to join the new dynasty and enjoy peace.

With no favorable timing, location, or popular support, there was absolutely no hope.

The signs of defeat are already evident; within a month, Ling Yu will be able to completely occupy Luzhou.

At this moment, the black banners with gold scales of the new Qian Yuan dynasty fluttered in the wind amidst the military formation.

The woman, dressed in military uniform, was heroic and valiant, with a resolute and determined expression, displaying the demeanor of a great general.

Compared to the clueless martial artist she was just starting out a year ago, she has grown so much.

At this moment, she looked at the three people in front of her, old, middle-aged and young, and asked, "Have you three come to the front line to help me defeat the enemy?"

The three people in front of them were sharing a long rope.

The old man had white hair but a youthful face and was in good spirits.

Middle-aged people have a calm and composed demeanor.

The young man, on the other hand, had deep, sinister eyes that exuded a sinister aura.

Judging from their appearance and demeanor alone, these three people are clearly distinguishable from ordinary mortals.

Recently, Chen State has seen repeated resistance from headless soldiers, which may be backed by the mysterious decapitating ghost king from the northern border.

Ling Yu was very cautious in his military campaigns.

She was a general, responsible for leading troops into battle.

Strange and bizarre events are left to be dealt with by people who are also strange and bizarre.

These three people have come from Ji, clearly to help her defeat her enemy.

The three men bowed to Ling Yu and said respectfully, "Reporting to General Ling, my name is Zhong Sixue (Zhong Siyi) (Zhong Sicheng). I have come here on His Majesty's orders to help you subdue the ghost."

Ling Yu exclaimed with delight, "Excellent! Excellent!"

"Thank you for your help, three lay Buddhists!"

"General, you flatter us. We are at your service!" "May I ask, gentlemen, what assistance do you require of me?"

"The general need not do anything. If anything is unexpected or beyond common sense, the general can simply summon us!"

"Very well! With your help, our army is truly like a tiger with wings. Please, everyone!"

"Yes!"

Ling Yu signaled to his deputy to lead the three away.

After everyone had left, Ling Yu opened the letter in her hand.

Besides bringing these three people, the messenger also brought information about the Kito side.

"Has Mingchen already returned to the capital?"

After reading the information above, he was shocked, his eyes sparkled, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

She didn't care what achievements that person had made; she knew that the person she loved had returned home safely.

She could finally relax a little.

Unexpectedly... that bad guy was even faster than her.

So, she needs to step up her efforts now...

She has a home now, and she misses home!
Winter is coming soon, and she still wants to spend the New Year with that person!

The night is exceptionally quiet tonight, with no wind.

For some reason, it exuded a slightly ominous aura.

Ling Yu was reviewing intelligence reports in the main tent and did not rest.

And at this moment,
A soldier ran into the tent and shouted to Ling Yu, "General, he's appeared!"

"Appeared!"

"The city gates of Nonda have been opened, and a large number of headless cavalry have appeared. I estimate there are about eight thousand of them. They are deploying troops and are heading towards our army."

"It was accompanied by eerie winds and the howling of ghosts."

Ling Yu raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

"Let the three lay Buddhists go to the battlefield and see for themselves!"

"Order all units to be alert and prepare to defend against the enemy."

This is the last city in Luzhou, and it is only natural that it will suffer the fiercest counterattack.

The other side has the help of a mysterious figure and may act at night.

This was all within Ling Yu's expectations.

The timing was quite coincidental; these three people had just arrived when they encountered a job that directly related to their expertise.

How can they live without a head? This is obviously beyond reason, so naturally they should be called upon.

If they can handle these leaderless cavalry and reduce their own casualties, that would be ideal.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Burning torches illuminate the night sky.

On the battlefield, war drums thundered, and the Qian Yuan army stood in solemn formation, raising their weapons and shouting.

Even the eerie howling wind and the strange, headless figure they were facing did not cause them any confusion, and no one whispered among themselves.

Fight, fight, fight!
They would only obey their superiors' orders and fight the enemy.

A black curtain fell from the sky, enveloping the battlefield.

"Hoohoo!"

A strange, eerie wind began to blow, accompanied by the wails and cries of vengeful ghosts.

Not far ahead of them, dust billowed, horses neighed, and the leaderless cavalry charged forward, launching a final desperate counterattack.

The two armies faced each other.

And at this moment,
"The evil spirits that bring disaster to the country are unforgivable!"

A bright light suddenly shone, and an old man with white hair and beard appeared directly south of the headless cavalry. His face was solemn, his hair and beard were flying, he was holding a scepter in his hand, and he held the end of a rope in one hand.

"Without a head, there is no life; go back quickly."

The rope seemed to come alive, suddenly springing from the ground into the air and extending northward from the old man's direction.

Suddenly, a blue light flashed, and a middle-aged man appeared again at the northernmost part of the group.

With his eyes closed, he grasped the end of a long rope, his hand forming a mudra, and invisible magical power flowed out.

"drink!"

Just then, in the very center of the headless cavalry regiment.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.

A petite figure descended from the sky, landing perfectly in the middle of the long knot.

"Heavenly Venerable, help me annihilate the Nine Netherworlds!"

He emanated an eerie purple light, and his voice was low and sinister, even more so than the howling ghosts.

As the three took their places.

"Boom boom boom!"

A violent burst of magical power roared, spreading outwards from the center of a rope.

The knot broke apart, revealing countless eerie, tentacle-like threads that reached out towards the soldiers.

In an instant, as if a pause had been drawn, the surging, headless cavalrymen stood still, no longer moving.

The strange child in the center had glittering points of light in his hand, seemingly absorbing something from the headless soldiers around him, before suddenly slamming his hand on the ground: "Break!"

The galloping horses let out a series of chaotic neighs, lost control, and ran away in all directions.

The headless soldiers lay on the ground, seemingly out of control, and remained motionless.

After all... they were already dead.

On the city wall of Nonda, a general dressed in military uniform anxiously looked out at the battlefield shrouded in darkness.

Every now and then, he would turn to the strange man beside him, dressed in a black robe and with a pale face, and ask, "Lord Tong, how is the battle going?"

He is Wan Hui, the governor of Luzhou.

In this time of great chaos, they chose to side with the old dynasty.

But now it seems... he made the wrong choice.

One step wrong, step by step wrong.

All that's left of Luzhou is Nongda City, which lies beneath our feet; any further back lies the surging river.

Ninety percent of the garrison in Luzhou had already been defeated.

The last hope lies with these mysterious people who are providing support from the capital.

A strange darkness enveloped the battlefield, with only a faint light visible emanating from within.

As soon as Wan Hui finished speaking, the strange man in black robes beside him seemed to have noticed something, his hands calculating and his brows furrowed.

Behind them, a huge headless, vengeful ghost statue trembled.

"Destiny does not reside here."

"Luzhou will not return to the underworld."

"Let's go!"

A harsh and authoritative voice came from behind.

Before the two could respond, he transformed into a black shadow, sank into the ground, and disappeared.

Sensing the magical artifact in the distance that was specifically designed to subdue evil spirits, the Executioner King decisively chose to give up.

"This this……"

This bizarre headless demon is the city's last trump card.

The original plan was clearly for this Lord Tong to use his supernatural powers to send headless soldiers charging into the enemy ranks, creating chaos, and then for this decapitation king to launch a counterattack.

The stage is all set up.

However, the other party left without making a move?

Tong Wuchang glanced in the direction where the King of Execution had disappeared, and with a wave of his hand, the figure vanished amidst the howling wind.

He never spoke another word to Wan Hui from beginning to end.

Wan Hui stood there dumbfounded, completely stunned.

How did this happen so suddenly? The main characters have all left the stage?

Has he... become a pawn?

As the pitch-black sky descended, the obscured scene came into view.

From a distance, the three radiant figures looked like three stars adorning the night.

The headless soldiers, their fates unknown, all lay motionless on the ground.

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

The enemy's shouts of battle were deafening.

"Brothers, heed my command!"

"Vanguard, charge! Attack the city!"

The one who should have been attacked at night is now in a position to easily attack and defend.

The shouts of the soldiers pierced the cold night, and the dark army, with unparalleled momentum, launched a final charge towards the isolated city with no reinforcements.

it's over!
Wan Hui stood on the city wall, staring blankly at the approaching army.

If he had joined the new dynasty from the beginning... would his fate have been better?
By waiting for the highest bidder and choosing the wrong side, they ended up in this predicament.

"Puch!"

Just then, the sound of a knife tip piercing flesh rang out.

A sharp pain shot through him, and his eyes widened as he stared blankly at the blade that had pierced his chest and abdomen. The guards around him had shown no mercy, cleanly and decisively stabbing him through the heart.

He immediately kicked him to the ground: "The governor is incompetent and has betrayed his country by serving a traitor!"

"I've already killed him!"

"Gentlemen, follow me and open the city gates! Let's welcome General Ling and join the new dynasty!"

"Let's go and join the new dynasty!"

"This war should never have been fought!"

A single spark landed on the dry grass and quickly turned into a raging fire that engulfed the entire city.

Listening to the shouts of the army in the distance.

The new dynasty was the will of the people, and the entire city was instantly abuzz with excitement. Crowds of people pushed past the stubbornly resisting defenders, opened the city gates, welcomed Qian Yuan's army, and embraced the new dynasty.

……

Time flies by, the first ray of sunlight pierces the darkness, and dawn breaks.

The black banner with gold scales of the Qian Yuan dynasty fluttered high above the city walls. Wan Hui, lying on the ground with his eyes wide open in death, watched silently…

The war is over.

The bright sun rises from the east, casting its light upon the earth.

As the highest-ranking general of the three armies, Ling Yu did not go to the newly captured city to investigate. Instead, she stood in the center of the battlefield, amidst countless eerie headless men, her eyes slightly lowered, quietly watching the motionless corpses.

The campaign, which was neither long nor short, was a victory.

The final battle was won without expending any troops; it was a breeze, and they even captured some of Chen's warhorse resources.

But she didn't seem to feel very happy.

She knew very well why these soldiers died!
They came to serve her, they came to trust her.

However, now, his head cannot be found; he died far from home.

After a while, a figure flashed by: "General, we have found out that there are no traces of evil spirits in the city."

The three men, old, middle-aged, and young, who had displayed their prowess last night, had already packed up their magical treasures and came to Ling Yu's side, bowing and reporting.

I didn't encounter the legendary King of Decapitations.

Ling Yu looked up and clasped her hands in greeting to the three of them: "Thank you for your trouble."

Strange and bizarre matters should indeed be entrusted to strange and bizarre people.

Under the eerie, dim sky, she had no idea how many more casualties she would suffer facing these headless soldiers.

"Reporting to the general, the body of Wan Hui, the governor of Luzhou, has been discovered. It has been determined that he was killed by the surrendered troops of the city."

The lieutenant returned on horseback and reported to Ling Yu.

"kindness……"

Ling Yu nodded slightly: "Lu Yi has led a thousand men and is stationed in Nongda City, awaiting orders."

"Zhang Hansheng led five hundred men..."

"Liu Mo..."

One instruction after another was issued, and the post-war work was handled in an orderly manner.

Finally, pointing to the headless corpses on the ground, she shouted to the soldiers around her, "Take our warriors, regroup, and go home!"

(End of this chapter)