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

Chapter 359 What would a Duke of Ming, a dignified ruler of a nation, steal from you?
"gone!"

"In three more days, we'll attack the city!"

They watched as the floodwaters rushed into Chengjin City, the floodwaters soaring to the sky, and the city walls collapsing.

In the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities, cities built by humankind are insignificant compared to the power of nature.

Mingchen finally put away the magical artifact in his hand and nodded in satisfaction.

That's how war is; human ambition is always adept at destroying everything.

Thank goodness he was more skilled.

With the city of Chengjin successfully flooded, the rest was much simpler.

Once the rain stops, we can send out troops immediately.

Either Tian Hong runs away quickly, or he stays here forever.

"Yes!"

The others around him naturally followed Mingchen's lead and responded.

However, they had only taken a few steps.

"Master Ming, be careful!"

Several cultivators seemed to sense something and stood guard around Mingchen, looking very wary.

The next instant, magical power flowed.

A figure flashed by in the misty rain.

An old man dressed in an indigo Taoist robe came to Mingchen's side.

He seemed a little anxious, his face flushed. He didn't use any magic to avoid the rain, and his otherworldly appearance was dampened by the rain, which also made him lose some of his ethereal aura.

The positions are opposing.

The magical artifacts were also taken away by Mingchen.

However, the old Taoist bowed to Ming Chen with a respectful expression: "This humble Taoist, Xuan Li, greets Lord Ming."

"So it's Daoist Xuanli!"

Mingchen looked him over with interest, then pretended not to understand and asked, "May I ask which immortal mountain Master Xuanli attained enlightenment on? And what brings you here to see me?"

"Do you wish to serve my Qian Yuan dynasty and help our Emperor achieve great things?"

Xuanli twitched the corner of his mouth, cast a spell to repel the water, tidied himself up, and then said to Mingchen, "This humble Taoist is merely a recluse, and has no power to participate in the affairs of this world."

"What brings you here to see me, Taoist priest?"

Mingchen held an umbrella, looking every bit the playboy.

She looked at him with a smile: "Are you going to enjoy this spring rain with Chen?"

"Forehead……"

"Lord Ming is joking."

Xuanli said, "Some cultivators have damaged the irrigation canals, causing floods that have destroyed the city. I have come here to uphold justice and save the country and its people."

Whatever you do, you must conceal your true purpose.

Give an impeccable reason to shift the blame onto someone else.

Mingchen smiled and said, "Oh? Is that so?"

"Then why doesn't that Taoist priest go and seek out that evil cultivator? What is he doing here looking for us refined gentlemen who appreciate the rain?"

Seeing Mingchen's nonchalant demeanor, Xuanli knew he wouldn't admit it, so he simply stated, "This humble Taoist has something that Lord Ming took away. I earnestly hope that you will return it to me."

"Return it to you?"

"what?"

"What evidence do you have, Taoist priest?"

"Why do you need to ask me for your lost possessions, Taoist priest, since you didn't take good care of them?"

You think you can just spit it out and give it back to me after you've already eaten it?

You're dreaming!
"If I really take your things, call him and see if he answers."

You can't even get your things back, so what are you asking me for?
Ming Chen narrowed his eyes, his light smile fading as he looked at the old Taoist priest, his gaze suddenly turning dangerous: "Would I, a Duke of a nation, steal anything from you?"

"Or are you saying, Daoist, that you think I'm just a weak scholar and no match for you?"

Mingchen has never been morally upright or shameless; he can even turn black into white with his mouth.

Let alone an old Taoist.

Several of Mingchen's subordinates around him gave awkward smirks upon hearing his speech.

That's why they're able to become leaders!
This level of shamelessness is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Meeting Mingchen's gaze, the old Taoist gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Ming, please don't joke. My magic weapon is in your hands."

"Please return it to me, sir, so as not to spoil the harmony."

The old Taoist priest glanced at the people present out of the corner of his eye and made up his mind.

If they refuse to give it to us, we might as well have a little battle of wits.

"No means no!"

"How can you slander me?"

Mingchen smiled and said, "It seems that you really want to cause trouble for me, Daoist?"

next moment,
"Wow~"

A loud cry of a divine bird came from afar.

The old Taoist priest trembled slightly, his expression changed, and he quickly changed his words, saying, "I wouldn't dare!"

Suddenly, a red light flashed by.

Birds soar in the rain without getting wet.

Landing in Mingchen's arms, the little elf looked at the old Taoist priest with a hint of threat in her eyes.

"Since that's the case, and you don't wish to travel with me, and you have nothing else to do, please go back and find the real culprit who stole your treasure."

Mingchen waved his hand: "I'm tired too."

It seems that using a hard approach won't work.

The old Taoist priest sighed helplessly and then said to Ming Chen, "To be honest, Lord Ming..."

"This treasure was bestowed by the upper realm. I believe that the divine being, out of compassion for my sincere heart, sent down auspicious omens and bestowed the treasure upon me in a dream, enabling me to walk the Great Dao and achieve great deeds."

"If you take this and do not return it to me, I fear the gods and immortals will be angered and punish you..."

They clearly wanted their things back, yet they went through such a long and roundabout way, acting as if they cared about Mingchen.

"Oh?"

Mingchen smiled upon hearing this: "Is that so?"

He simply said, "I have said it several times already, I have never taken your things."

"The treasure bestowed by the gods is extremely precious. Daoist, you should hurry up and find your treasure. If you are too late, trouble may arise."

Old Taoist: ……

You can never wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.

Mingchen's amused smile was glaringly irritating, but the old Taoist priest could do nothing about it.

He's not as strong as others, and he doesn't have any trump cards, so what can he do?
He finally sighed, "I earnestly hope that Lord Ming will be careful."

"I am located on Xiangyun Mountain, five hundred li south of here. If Lord Ming changes his mind, please come here to find me..."

Mingchen smiled and said, "If you wish to serve Qianyuan, you may come and find me."

Mingchen refused to give it to him, and Xuanli had no choice.

He knew that forcibly starting a war with Mingchen would be like throwing an egg against a rock.

It would have been pointless except for costing him his life.

He smiled helplessly, cupped his hands towards Mingchen, and said, "Thank you, Lord Ming. I'll take my leave now."

"Farewell!"

The old Taoist priest disappeared into the torrential rain.

Mingchen, who had been all smiles, also stopped smiling.

She lowered her eyes slightly, quietly looking at the small bowl in her hand.

Dong Zhenghong's method seems very simple.

But in reality, this is a very powerful ability.

Steal the enemy's magical treasures and use them for my own purposes.

This can reduce the enemy's energy to the greatest extent possible.

This old Taoist priest is not worth mentioning, but there is something worth investigating behind him.

He was different from his brother Ku Xing, who acted impulsively and wanted to serve the king and achieve great things.

This person clearly received instructions, and their purpose was very clear.

And they don't have much of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) mentality; they know how to assess the situation and know when to back down.

The other party was polite and did not resort to violence.

Mingchen wouldn't kill him, otherwise he would be trapped on the road.

The art of gaining power lies in dialogue, in transactions, and in concessions.

Mingchen can now be certain of one thing.

That means there must be some being who knows that has the ability to absorb magical artifacts for my use.

As the pieces repeatedly clash and probe each other, information will gradually be revealed.

But... it's nothing.

This is an ability that can enhance his energy; the sooner he uses it, the sooner he can enjoy it.

Mingchen lowered his gaze and looked up at the sky, which was covered with dark clouds: "Let's go!"

"Let's go back to the city!"

"Yes!"

The Immortal Jade Record once again turned to the chapter of the Sickly Emperor, and an imperceptible streak of light flew above the layers of dark clouds. The torrential rain that had been falling for several days could now stop.

……

"General, this..."

They were saved, but not completely.

The savior arrived, but then immediately collapsed.

After giving Tian Hong a message, the old Taoist priest vanished in a flash.

They didn't even leave a name.

The soldiers looked at the flooded city and felt a sense of despair.

These vast waters may not kill many people, but they can paralyze all their military equipment.

When the enemy attacks, they will be finished.

"..."

Tian Hong stared at the raging floodwaters, his eyes bloodshot.

He knew that the situation was hopeless.

His isolated army is finished.

All the plans laid out in the east have come to naught.

He could no longer wait for support and an alliance from the Southern Qi.

Before those troublemakers could even stir up any trouble, they were washed away by a stream of urine.

He looked at the sky and finally sighed, "Retreat!"

Several generals fell silent upon hearing this, knowing what Tian Hong's decision represented.

It seemed as if they deliberately wanted to challenge Bei Lie.

After the Qishui River breached its banks and flooded Chengjin City.

The rain stopped the next day.

The sky is clear and the sun is shining.

Horse hooves pounded the muddy ground as a group of soldiers gathered on a hillside outside Chengjin City, gazing at the city as it stretched out into a vast expanse of water.

The floodwaters submerged Chengjin City, a strategically important city, which is now a desolate wasteland with its walls collapsed.

"Report!"

"General, the Northern Fierce Army has abandoned a large amount of grain and supplies and is retreating eastward in disarray."

A scout rode up at full speed and reported to Mingchen and his soldiers.

The city was submerged, and all the grain and armor were washed away.

Staying here any longer is tantamount to waiting to die.

Tian Hong had clearly given up.

"The enemy general is now a defeated dog; soldiers, the time has come to make a name for yourselves!"

"Who is willing to hunt down the enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen smiled and then turned to ask the generals behind him.

To be honest, for most people, this war was fought in a rather confused manner.

They came with the main army to resist Tian Hong.

After being stationed there, the troops underwent daily training, reconnaissance, and patrols.

Then, a sudden downpour occurred, and the city of Chengjin, which was guarded by the Northern Lie, was flooded in a confused manner, forcing them to retreat.

They only had eight thousand men, but now they were chasing after the Northern Lie people, who outnumbered them several times over.

Their goal was simply to stop Bei Lie and prevent him from causing further destruction.

Unexpectedly, the defensive battle suddenly turned into a war of annihilation.

At this moment, the generals around Mingchen all felt somewhat dazed.

This has even gone beyond the realm of simply winning by doing nothing, hasn't it?

Is this Duke a man or a god?
"General Ming, this humble general is willing to go!"

"General, leave it to me!"

"General Ming, this humble general is willing to go!"

Although the Northern Lie had a large number of people, their food and supplies were running low.

Having experienced the devastating flood that swept through the city, morale was completely shattered.

Now that they're fleeing in a sorry state, they have no chance to fight back. It's clearly time for them to make a name for themselves.

Several generals came to Mingchen one after another, hurriedly bowing and pleading.

The continuous torrential rains were a sign of divine mercy.

Having enjoyed a period of easy success, if we don't seize this opportunity to make a name for ourselves now, when will we ever get the chance?

Whether it's due to favorable timing or human intervention.

Mingchen has once again created a miracle of winning with fewer troops.

These people naturally wanted to seize the opportunity and write their names in this achievement.

"it is good!"

"General Wang, you will lead two thousand troops to pursue the enemy head-on via the Zhenghe Road."

"General Liu, you shall lead your 1,000 men along the Liyang Road to provide support and protection for General Wang."

"General Bai, you..."

Should we not pursue a cornered enemy?

If not now, when?

Mingchen methodically assigned tasks to the generals.

All eight thousand men were assigned to different units.

Only two thousand men were left to hold the rear.

"Yes!"

"The last general takes command!"

"As ordered!"

The generals who received the orders were excited and accepted their commands.

"Gentlemen, Tian Hong is a formidable general; do not underestimate him."

"They might set up an ambush along the way, so please be extra careful."

"Yes!"xn
……

A large army marched eastward in pursuit.

Mingchen simply stood there, quietly watching the bright sun overhead, and let out a soft breath.

This matter can finally be put to rest.

……

"General, leave quickly!"

"The enemy pursuers have caught up!"

Several large ships were moored on the coast.

A group of disheveled soldiers arrived at the dock.

Tian Hong stopped, looking back at the vast Qian Yuan Mountains and Rivers, his eyes filled with lingering affection.

At this moment, he had a strange feeling that if he left this time, he would never be able to come back.

"General, let's get on the ship quickly!"

Mingchen isn't even going to act anymore.

The Qi River had just breached Chengjin City, and the floodwaters had submerged the city.

The next day, the sky cleared, and Qian Yuan launched his attack.

What exactly is the purpose of this rain?

If you say that all of this has nothing to do with Mingchen's methods, even a fool wouldn't believe it.

The current resources are insufficient to allow Bei Lie's isolated army to remain here any longer, so they have no choice but to retreat.

Seeing Tian Hong's stunned expression, Cheng Xinqing anxiously urged, "Our ambush can only hold off the enemy for a while, General, let's go..."

Mingchen is right.

Even when Tian Hong was utterly despondent during his retreat, he still carefully set up ambushes in several key locations.

These soldiers who had been lying in ambush will never be able to return to their hometown.

But they still chose to die a heroic death.

"General, let's go quickly!"

"move!"

Beside Tian Hong, the other deputy generals also came forward to persuade him.

"Go... go..."

Tian Hong's eyes were red as he gritted his teeth and looked at everything in front of him.

He swayed slightly, then finally nodded and replied, "Let's go!"

"withdraw!"

"withdraw!"

The large ship hoisted its sails, recalling how spirited and ambitious they had been when they arrived.

When they left, they were filled with dejection, dejection, and helplessness.

(End of this chapter)