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

Chapter 345 Beg me, say a few nice words

"Quick, retreat!"

At night, eight hundred men galloped towards Yueyang City.

Hit and run, that's so exciting.

General Liu Yi'an, following Mingchen's orders, led eight hundred men to launch a surprise attack on the enemy that night.

Avoid close combat with the enemy; if they catch up, run away immediately.

They accomplished their task very well.

When the Northern Fierce Army regrouped and came to chase them, they could only see their backsides.

His Majesty suffered a loss in yesterday's night raid, but has managed to recover some of his losses today.

They have done a great service.

Liu Yi'an led his group back to the city safely and breathed a sigh of relief.

That's Tian Hong, the pillar of Bei Lie, right across from us!
Matching against him is very stressful.

"You may each lead your men back to camp!"

"I'll go report back."

As the night deepened, he glanced at his several squad leaders and issued an order to dismiss them.

He then sped towards the imperial city.

Once the task was completed, he needed to report back to his superiors.

only……

On the way, he seemed to feel something on his body.

He instinctively slapped his own neck.

He stretched out his hand by the moonlight, but could see nothing at all.

"Harmful……"

He shook his head and sighed softly.

You're just scaring yourself!

It must be an illusion. Where would mosquitoes come from in the dead of winter?
The fast horse galloped past the quiet street, but the general had a small, inconspicuous bump on his neck.

Tiny, almost invisible insects lay quietly on his helmet, accompanying him as he sped along.

……

Tonight, Mingchen, unusually, didn't sleep. Standing outside the palace, he felt the cold wind and quietly watched the moon.

Xiao Xinyue had a lot of things to do tomorrow, so Mingchen finally let her go and rest.

He returned to wait for the drama to end tonight.

After all, the action was his decision and approval, and he needed to follow up until the very end.

Whether it succeeds or fails, one must take responsibility.

He was in good health and not tired at all. He didn't want to sleep, so he decided to go out for some fresh air.

"What's wrong? Is Hua Rong missing me?"

A fluffy fox tail hung around Mingchen's neck like a scarf, giving him a bit of warmth even in the cold wind.

Mingchen lowered his eyes and said with a smile.

The little fox was a completely disobedient monster; I only went with him out of curiosity and interest.

Therefore, it does whatever it wants and never listens to Mingchen.

After Mingchen returned to Yueyang, it wandered around aimlessly with nothing to do, and you could hardly see it at all.

It didn't follow us north.

Mingchen didn't know what this thing was thinking, and he didn't really care. As long as its safety was guaranteed, Mingchen adopted a completely free-range approach to it.

Upon his return, Mingchen went to the palace, while he sent the little bird out to fly onto the large map to observe the movements of the armies in various aspects and obtain the most accurate intelligence.

Taking advantage of this lull, the little fox came over and stayed by Mingchen's side.

The little fox rolled its eyes in a very human-like manner upon hearing this: "I don't miss you!"

Mingchen always spoke with a confident and smug air, as if he knew everything, which made it very unhappy.

"What, are you back this time to help defend the city?"

"Can you hold it?"

It wanders around Yueyang City every day, knowing all sorts of gossip and everyday matters.

Naturally, they are aware of the current situation.

Mingchen's return at this critical juncture has an obvious purpose.

Mingchen shrugged: "Whether we can hold on or not, we have to try!"

"If you can't hold on, you're doomed."

This Duke Anguo is a legend of the Qian Yuan era, a pillar of strength for everyone.

In a sense, Xiao Xinyue's failed night raid yesterday should have been a huge blow. The reason Yueyang City remains so high-spirited and united is precisely because of this.

Another reason is that Mingchen came back.

Mingchen represents success and victory.

His arrival brings a sense of security to everyone.

If he fails, this sense of security will collapse.

Mingchen said indifferently, "If we fail, we fail."

"If I had worried about these things, I might have already failed."

The more someone cherishes their reputation, the more likely they are to ruin it.

"Tsk tsk tsk~ Anyone can say nice things~"

The little fox has seen many people become hysterical after failing!
Mingchen grabbed it, ruffled its head, and messed up its soft fur: "Can't you think of me nicely? Have I ever treated you badly?"

The little fox raised its head, looking arrogant: "Don't think I've forgotten about Bei Lie!"

Bei Lieshi repeatedly tricked this master of pranks.

She couldn't swallow this insult; she still held a grudge.
This world is a game to her, and her relationship with Mingchen is a journey.

It is neither a little bird nor a dragon.

As the human and the demon chatted idly, a galloping horse came rushing from the empty road, breaking the tranquility of the cold night.

The general, on horseback, spotted the figure standing quietly by the roadside from afar.

He was startled, his eyes widened, and he felt like he was seeing things.

He quickly reined in his horse and strode up to Ming Chen, bowing deeply and saying, "This humble general, Liu Yi'an, greets Lord Ming."

He came to report, and all he asked was to get the information delivered.

The important people would have already been resting by now.

Unexpectedly, even though it was late at night, this esteemed person was actually standing by the roadside waiting for him.

"General Liu, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you!"

"It's so late at night, sir, why aren't you resting? Is there something important that needs your attention?"

"Chen is waiting for the general! How can Chen sleep if General Liu doesn't come and he's unsure of the general's safety?"

Mingchen rarely appears in court, and few people come into contact with him.

In official circles, it is widely rumored that this uncommon Lord Ming is deeply favored by His Majesty, but he is also capricious and unpredictable.

No forming cliques, no accepting bribes, no abusing power...

He repeatedly warned the ignorant younger members of the family not to provoke him.

Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to the tragedy of family ruin and the destruction of the clan.

Back then, a leader in the Ji Qu Armory was executed along with his entire family.

This is a bloody example.

Offending His Majesty might offer some hope, but offending this person means there's absolutely no hope left.

However, in Liu Yi'an's eyes now, this Duke seems kind and approachable, and easy to talk to!
It was utterly unbelievable that the dignified Duke of Anguo would personally wait for him, a general of modest rank, on a cold night, which made him somewhat apprehensive.

This Duke doesn't seem like a noble Duke at all. What is he thinking?
He quickly bowed and said, "This humble general is terrified."

"My lord, the enemy camp is ablaze with fire, and their entire army has been mobilized. A force is pursuing our troops."

"I am fortunate to have fulfilled my mission and returned safely with eight hundred soldiers, without a single one injured."

This is an achievement.

He had already completed all the tasks that Mingchen had entrusted to him.

Naturally, it's important to report this properly at this time.

"Hahaha!"

"Good good!"

Mingchen laughed heartily and gently patted the general's shoulder: "General Liu, you've worked hard. I'll ask for your commendation."

He was clearly too young, yet he seemed more imposing than the elderly men in the court.

Liu Yi'an felt a little apprehensive when he was patted on the shoulder.

"I dare not take credit for my own duties."

"This humble general is only grateful that he has not failed His Majesty or Lord Ming's trust."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while longer.

Mingchen waved his hand at him: "Alright, alright! Go and get some rest!"

"Yes!"

Mingchen clearly didn't want to talk to him anymore.

Liu Yi'an, being sensible, finished his work report and simply took his leave.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually faded into the distance, and the cold night returned to tranquility once more.

Liu Yi'an left, but the things he brought with him remained.

Tiny, imperceptible black dots fluttered their wings and disappeared into the biting cold wind.

Even Mingchen didn't notice that there was a tiny, almost invisible insect in the darkness.

The careless little bird isn't around, and even if it were, it probably wouldn't care.

Unfortunately, there's a monster here.

A demon has noticed.

Nestled in the moonlight, the little fox narrowed its long, narrow fox eyes and flicked its little paws almost imperceptibly.

The insect, which was slowly approaching Mingchen, was suddenly jolted and froze in mid-air.

It immediately fell to the ground.

When it comes, it is so small that it is imperceptible; when it goes, it is like powder that is scattered by the wind.

If you magnify its size countless times, you will see that it has been precisely cut in half.

"Let's go, we should go home!" Mingchen looked up at the moon in the sky and said to the little fox.

General Tian's layered cake is ultimately no match for himself.

Mingchen was very satisfied with the results of tonight's night raid.

The little fox in her arms had its eyes darting around, and she didn't know what it was thinking.

Will Qian Yuan win, or will Qian Yuan perish?
Will the Northern Fierce win, or will the Northern Fierce perish?
Yueyang City has fallen, and its inhabitants are suffering immensely.
These things mean nothing to it; it doesn't care about any of them.

History changes, tides rise and fall.

Countless people have died, countless people have been born... It has seen it all.

However, it was very interested in Mingchen's attitude.

Should I tell him about this?

What would we need to offer in exchange?

"Mingchen~"

The little fox's voice suddenly rang in Mingchen's ears.

The little fox leaped out of Mingchen's embrace, sat on the snow, gently swayed its big tail, and looked at him with a smile: "If you beg me and say a few nice things, I'll tell you something interesting."

"Oh?"

Mingchen was taken aback upon hearing this.

He didn't know what the little fox was going to say, but he immediately changed his expression, leaned forward, squatted down in front of it, and hugged it in his arms, with a fawning look: "Our beloved, stunningly beautiful, and incomparably adorable Lady Hua Rong. I have never seen a fox as beautiful as our Lady Hua Rong, so clever and mischievous, she is simply an elf on earth..."

It touched on his area of ​​expertise.

The little fox didn't tell him anything, and he was happy to play with it anyway.

Emotional value, you know!

Mingchen is the best at giving!
It's not like you'll lose much flesh just by talking.

Mingchen is most adept at using things that have little value but are effective.

I'm begging you!

"What do you know? Tell me. The value of intelligence lies in sharing."

Huarong: ...

Damn, I've entered this guy's comfort zone.

Why are you getting more and more engrossed in talking about it?!
I've forgotten what kind of person this is, whose words are as nonsensical as farting.

It seems it selected the wrong criteria.

"Who is our Lady Hua Rong?!"

"That's a great demon who has roamed the world for thousands of years. He's a man of his word, so he can't possibly be some lowly person who talks big, is faithless, and doesn't keep his promises, right?"

"They certainly wouldn't make things difficult for someone as insignificant as me."

"A promise made will certainly be kept."

"You're right, aren't you?"

Huarong: ...

A nobody?
Are you a nobody?
My damn pride.

To beat Mingchen, you have to be even more shameless and have no bottom line than him!

It's clearly in control, but I feel like I'm being held back.

If Mingchen were to act like a chaste and virtuous woman, even a slight bite of her lip and a moment of hesitation would make the little fox feel satisfied.

However, this guy had a shameless, rotten-cloth-like appearance and spoke in a vulgar way, making the little fox feel that he had tainted her by his praise.

You are the Duke of Anguo!
Can't you have any professional ethics?!

You scoundrel!
"Is that enough? If not, I'll praise you some more!"

"stop!!!"

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, inside the Northern Fierce Army's tent.

"Forehead……"

A group of people of varying heights and shapes, who looked quite strange, surrounded them.

The person in the very center sat cross-legged, then suddenly opened his eyes and let out a muffled groan.

This man was rather thin, his body was dark, and he wore tattered clothes that only covered his vital parts in the cold night. He was filthy and looked like he hadn't washed in years. His fingernails were black and covered in mud, and his legs and feet were covered in black, filthy pus. He was surrounded by flies and mosquitoes, and the stench was overwhelming. He was no different from a beggar, and the kind of dirty beggar that was not allowed to appear in Yueyang City.

His eyes were grayish-white, with dim pupils, and he held a broken wooden stick in his hand; he was clearly blind.

However, his brothers around him showed no contempt whatsoever, and waited expectantly for his news.

Even Tian Hong, who was standing to the side, glanced at him a few more times with great interest.

"Sixth brother, how is it?"

A burly man asked him.

This is the same person who just acted mysteriously in front of Tian Hong, and then introduced himself on behalf of his brothers.

Song Hu is the eldest of the six brothers.

Qin Lou knew that there were some extraordinary people in the world, and he also knew that Ming Chen had special methods.

Although these methods are useless in open warfare, their power will be wiped out and suppressed by the overwhelming momentum of the army formation.

However, they can secretly compete against each other.

This is now part of the war.

Qin Lou had already dispatched these people.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, and the most eccentric people against the most eccentric people.

The six men arrived with Qin Lou's imperial edict. Qin Lou had previously told Tian Hong about this, so Tian Hong accepted them.

"Get a pen and paper."

The blind beggar raised his head, his lifeless eyes sweeping over the crowd, his voice like a broken gong, which was rather unpleasant to listen to.

Before Song Hu could speak, Tian Hong waved his hand, signaling the guards to do as the blind beggar asked: "Wang Er, bring him paper and pen."

The blind beggar took the paper and pen, smeared a large mark on the white paper with his dirty hands, and began to casually write on the banknotes.

At first, Tian Hong just watched with great interest.

He was a pillar of the nation, holding a high position and wielding great power, and made outstanding contributions on the battlefield.

He has his own pride.

Victory through cunning and strategy in battle is ultimately just that—victory through unorthodox methods.

Military formations are the great way, while unorthodox methods are merely minor tricks.

He acknowledged the power of this strategy, but ultimately, the way of military formations is the true path.

However, upon seeing what this dirty blind man had casually drawn and painted, he couldn't help but pause in surprise.

This blind man, though clearly unable to see and appearing disheveled and filthy, holds a pen in his hand and draws very steadily and realistically.

Soon, the layout of Yueyang City appeared clearly on the paper.

"General Tian, ​​this is the current defense deployment for Yueyang City."

"If we wait a little longer, I can gather more information and also slightly weaken the enemy's fighting strength."

"I am not knowledgeable in military strategy, and can only offer this limited intelligence."

"You may use this opportunity to mobilize troops to attack the enemy's weak points and reduce our casualties."

The old blind man pushed the paper and pen in his hand towards the outside of the tent and spoke towards the door.

Tian Hong, standing in the opposite direction: ...

It was only at this moment that it could be proven that this person was indeed blind.

His hearing seemed to be failing him; Tian Hong had just spoken, but he still couldn't find the person.

"Brother, there's one more thing."

"Mingchen... is in extreme danger."

In the world of cultivators, everyone has a trump card.

They are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining; no one dares to claim invincibility.

No matter how unpredictable you are, how strange your supernatural powers are, or how powerful your magical treasures are.

Once your vital points are breached, death is the end of you.

Once a fight to the death begins, it's a fight to the death, a single blow that kills, a one-shot deal. Magical treasures and supernatural abilities must not be easily revealed to others; the more mysterious they are, the less information people have about them, the better. A great reputation is never a good thing.

People don't know much about people they don't know.

The news spread, and everyone knew that Mingchen had the help of demons, divine birds, and white wolves.

The divine bird can travel ten thousand miles a day, soaring straight up and blotting out the sun.

The white wolf roams the battlefield, ferocious and ruthless, captivating all who behold it.

But the specific details, just how powerful it is, what strange and mysterious techniques it possesses, and how to break it are all unknown.

Nobody knows at all.

No one has ever forced Mingchen to use his full strength.

The cultivators' highest guess about Mingchen was that the divine bird was most likely the legendary phoenix, which was skilled in using strange fire.

The blind man looked up at Song Hu: "He discovered my eye worm."

"what?"

The brothers knew each other inside and out; they all knew what level of skill the Blind Dirty was.

The insects were carefully trained, and the insect-controlling techniques required very little magic power.

Their direct combat capability might not be considered particularly strong.

In terms of investigating secrets and carrying out attacks covertly, it is very difficult to be detected. Even those with extremely profound and pure magical power would find it difficult to see through the deception of a thousand-year-old demon.

I sensed it and realized it was an ordinary insect.

At most, people are just surprised to see flying insects in winter.

However, the meaning of "dirty blind man" is quite clear.

He meant that Mingchen discovered he was using supernatural abilities to spy on the other party.

Discovering the insect and discovering the spellcaster are completely different concepts.

"He also has a fox."

"I can't tell the depth."

Fortunately, they didn't find any birds, but unexpectedly, the ordinary little fox turned out to be even more strange.

Upon hearing this, Song Hu frowned: "Fox..."

The Northern Emperor told him that Mingchen had lured away a special fox from his service.

Perhaps this is it.

(End of this chapter)