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

Chapter 395 Mingchen's Advancement in Rank

"Oh?"

A few simple jokes were already the limit for Long Lian.

Then, they got down to business.

She told Mingchen in detail about her pursuit of Huang Xingyao and Ji Yuting.

Upon hearing this, Mingchen lowered his eyes slightly: "Did that Taoist really say that?"

"Correct!"

The other party would rather die by self-destruction than fall into Mingchen's hands.

This was quite unusual to Long Lian.

Long Lian paused, then asked Ming Chen with some curiosity, "Young Master, what did he mean by that?"

Did I do something wrong?

Huang Xingyao seemed genuinely concerned for her, even saying that for Mingchen's sake, they should be let go.

Seeing that she was unyielding, he had no choice but to confess. On his deathbed, his expression towards her was as if he were looking at a fool.

Long Lian didn't know if she was wrong.

"wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, "What wrong has my Long Lian done?"

It seems that Ji Yuting must have some kind of background.

Perhaps some powerful figure sent them to join this grand project amidst the chaos, using the momentum to gain prestige.

Huang Xingyao may know many secrets and has done many secret things.

Its ecological niche is probably similar to that of the previous shrimp monster; it may not be able to see the light of day.

Some things cannot be weighed.

The fact that Mingchen went south must have already been known to many powerful and influential people.

Mingchen's status was also significantly elevated during that appearance.

In the past, Mingchen always kept a low profile and his slaying of immortals was also kept low-key. There was no conclusive evidence, and he only displayed his talents in the mortal army.

Although it has gained considerable fame, in the eyes of the higher-dimensional immortals, it may only be considered a fleeting hero of the era.

But this time, Mingchen revealed his true form, directly rebuking the Bodhisattva and killing Maitreya Buddha's attendant.

This can be seen as giving a direct answer to the beings secretly spying: those beings dare to challenge Buddha.

To judge a person's status, one should look at their own influence and their rivals.

No one knows how much power and trump cards Mingchen still has.

Since Mingchen has not yet been eliminated by the Buddha, his rank can at least be ranked in a similar position.

Before this, Huang Xingyao was able to meet with Mingchen and make agreements.

But now, the world has changed, everything is different, and they are now on different social strata.

Compared to the Buddha, whose power is so low that no one dares to provoke Mingchen, even the Buddha hasn't eliminated him yet. How could someone of my own strength possibly be a match for him?

Even if they truly possessed great abilities capable of eliminating Mingchen, they wouldn't take action.

What, you think you're better than Buddha? You're really something! Are you trying to show off?

Those with similar energy to Buddha should also think twice before getting into trouble.

There are very few who are higher than Buddha.

Amidst the undercurrents, as long as Mingchen doesn't fall, he will have the opportunity to sit at the poker table and compete against those at the highest level.

If he is not eliminated, then he will have the opportunity to establish his own power system and become a rising star in the vast world, a supreme ruler.

As a result, neither Huang Xingyao nor Ji Yuting had the right to meet a high-energy person like Mingchen directly.

Their class was below Mingchen.

Ji Yuting has just overstepped his bounds by fabricating Mingchen's death.

Winning doesn't really matter; all's fair in war, it's just a matter of strategy and tactics.

Now that Mingchen's rank has risen, he needs to maintain his dignity and cannot personally use methods that reduce his power to a lower level to attack him.

But losing would be a big problem.

He was brought before Mingchen, and Mingchen would execute him no matter what.

If it were a fair and square contest, with the outcome determined by military tactics and no other means used, then like Tian Hong, death would be the end of that.

But now that they've used certain methods, it's easy to expose the person behind it.

Once it's out in the open, there's no room for maneuver.

In this way, the relationship between the person behind him and Mingchen also ended.

The fighting and killing among those below is like pawns or children playing around; it doesn't represent the will of the important figures themselves.

But if Mingchen were to personally carry out the execution, the situation would be completely different; it would be a slap in the face, and that would be undignified.

In Huang Xingyao's view, this was a lose-lose situation for both Mingchen and the people behind them.

Therefore, after trying to persuade Long Lian to no avail.

He had no choice but to commit suicide, doing everything in his power to help Ji Yuting escape.

His death was used to forcefully put an end to this matter.

He was expressing his loyalty to those behind him, showing his willingness to die rather than utter a single extra word, and protecting the leader's close confidants.

At the same time, it also preserves the leader's right to interpret and has room for maneuver.

He knew a lot of information and that death was not the end of life.

It may seem like he lost his life, but in reality, it was the best solution he could have chosen.

The world is vast, and the world is a place where the best are sifted out. There are many people at his level, but some are not even qualified to be pawns!
"Oh……"

Long Lian nodded, somewhat bewildered.

These intricate details are clearly beyond the comprehension of a dragon that has been nestled in the water for over two thousand years.

"It's alright, Long Lian!"

Mingchen smiled at her, without explaining anything, and said, "Thank you~"

Mingchen saw and learned a lot on his journey south, and could roughly guess some of the reasons.

The world is vast, and the further you go, the more you can feel the terrifying forces lurking within.

However, newcomers who recklessly enter established tracks will always face many challenges.

Essentially, he was plundering.

Mingchen's journey forward is destined to damage the interests of many established forces, touch upon the rules of many interest chains, and inevitably face many challenges and enemies.

For example, right now, there are always many conflicts between him and Bei Lie, between him and the person behind Qin Lou, and between him and that revered Buddha...

He waded through it all, and that was it.

If you can't get through it, you'll fail.

The other party cherishes their reputation, while Mingchen is wallowing in the mud.

He didn't care much; even if Long Lian offended the other party, it wouldn't matter.

Long Lian gently shook her head: "Why must you be so polite to me, young master?"

"Hahaha~"

Upon hearing this, Mingchen couldn't help but smile: "Alright, alright! You're welcome, you're welcome. Then I'll certainly be very polite to you..."

The two stood side by side at the door, quietly feeling the breeze caressing their faces.

Long Lian enjoyed this time very much.

The sun shone brightly, the sky was azure, and auspicious clouds dotted the sky.

Yesterday's bloodshed seemed to have come to an end at this moment.

but……

"It's about time someone came to meet me."

Mingchen looked up at the sky and murmured softly.

That great battle that resulted in 100,000 deaths and injuries was actually the least noteworthy part.

Behind the general trend of war lies the division and equalization of interests.

A pointless fight is meaningless. Huang Xingyao is dead, and Ji Yuting has escaped.

These people behind the scenes should probably meet with Mingchen and give each other some leverage.

Long Lian was about to ask Ming Chen who he was when, at that moment...

"Whoosh!"

The light and shadow flashed by at an incredible speed.

Long Lian's eyes narrowed, and she instinctively wanted to draw her sword to protect Ming Chen's side.

However, the next moment, he relaxed.

The little fox landed precisely on Mingchen's shoulder, its soft red fur exceptionally lustrous, and it sat gracefully.

It's one of our own.

"Fellow Daoist, congratulations!"

When Hua Rong saw Long Lian for the first time, her eyes flashed and her heart was shocked.

She knew that Long Lian's cultivation had reached perfection, but she didn't expect that he would actually succeed so quickly.

Mingchen is indeed quite a special person.

Phoenixes, dragons... these rare and precious spirits, so rare that they are only found once every thousand years, all underwent transformations around him.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and then he nudged her with his little paws.

It still looks like a little fox, and its clasped hands seem to be acting cute and charming, which is quite adorable.

Long Lian returned the greeting politely.

Her time together as a couple seemed to have been interrupted, which left her somewhat disappointed.

The fox claimed to have only a few hundred years of cultivation, but Long Lian could never fathom its true extent.

It is profound and ethereal, without any boundaries.

Even if this feeling isn't as good as that of one's own teacher, it's not too far off.

The relationship between the two demons is so-so.

It was only because Mingchen was the link in the middle that they were connected.

Mingchen wasn't so polite. He grabbed the little fox off his shoulder, held it in his arms, and asked, "Why did you come here?"

The little fox raised its head, quite arrogantly declaring, "I can go wherever I want!"

"What, you won't let me come?"

For thousands of years, the people on this land have basically never come up with any new ideas.

War, peace, war, peace... People are always caught in a vicious cycle of desire.

I've seen plenty of little foxes; I didn't find anything new about them.

At Zhenling Pass, Qian Yuan's soldiers fought valiantly, eager to achieve merit and reclaim their homeland.

The warriors of Beilie did not want to betray the emperor's kindness, so they resisted stubbornly, gritted their teeth and persevered, and were willing to die for their loyalty.

Human spirit and will clashed within it, blood was spilled, and life vanished...

However, in the eyes of the little fox, she was somewhat drowsy. She had no intention of helping either side, but after observing the new weapon with great interest, she came to find Mingchen.

The monsters around me each have their own unique personalities.

Hua Rong is like that; she likes to argue, she likes to fight, she likes to play pranks, and she likes to go against Ming Chen.

Ming Chen had the magnanimity to tolerate her, and simply patted her head gently: "Yes, yes~ How dare I refuse! This is our esteemed Lady Hua Rong! Unparalleled beauty, unmatched in the world, our Lady Hua Rong can do whatever she wants~ How dare I say a single word of dissent?"

Huarong: ...

Mingchen of the trench!
This guy always finds ways to annoy her.

His shameless and despicable manner shows he has absolutely no bottom line.

Although the words were all kind and the speaker was clearly yielding and going along with her, they still sounded sarcastic and unpleasant to her.

I felt incredibly uncomfortable being praised by him.

How could such a shameless and unreliable person have been born in this land that advocates the hierarchy between ruler and subject and promotes propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame?
Putting everything else aside, just in terms of words alone, Hua Rong has never gained the upper hand over him.

Despite repeated defeats, they fought on, only to be defeated again!
Hua Rong couldn't help but glare at him fiercely: "You'd better be!"

Mingchen teased the little fox and then asked, "What's the situation at Zhenling Pass?"

The little fox's eyes flashed, but it sighed and said, "Tsk tsk tsk~ Forget it! You've failed this time."

With a gloating look, she said to Mingchen, "Although the Qian Yuan army broke through the north wall of Zhenling Pass, the Bei Lie garrison was very tenacious and was quickly repelled. The Qian Yuan army did not gain any advantage at all."

"The Northern Lie forces have reinforcements, and they arrived very quickly. Tens of thousands of reinforcements have been sent from the north, completely cutting off Qian Yuan's retreat."

"Now the Qian Yuan Army's ships have all been destroyed, and the entire army is almost wiped out."

"Why else would I come to see you?"

"Your general, what was his name again... anyway, he asked me to come and deliver a message to you, telling you to hurry back and make important decisions."

"Any later, and it might be too late to save the situation."

Upon hearing this, Mingchen's smile vanished instantly, his brows furrowed, and he looked extremely nervous, which was exactly what the little fox wanted.

"what?!"

But before Hua Rong could even laugh, he stroked his chin with a serious expression and sighed, "Sigh~"

"It looks like we've taken Zhenling Pass!"

"It is time to send a message to Yueyang to request a reward for General An."

He spoke of the great news with a solemn expression.

Little fox: ?

"Mingchen!!!"

"I'm telling you, Qian Yuan has lost, and Bei Lie has won!!!"

She raised her head and glared fiercely at Mingchen: "Who told you that Zhenling Pass has been captured?!"

Mingchen nodded repeatedly, saying, "Oh... so Bei Lie was defeated! My Qian Yuan Army was truly outstanding!"

"Mingchen!!!"

The little fox isn't stupid. If she can't see that Mingchen is teasing her, then all these years of her life have been for nothing.

Grooves!
How come this thing can't offer any advantage at all, no matter how hard you try?!
She dramatically feigned tears, saying, "You don't believe me! It doesn't matter if you don't believe me, the soldiers outside Zhenling Pass are still waiting for your news! You must put the greater good first!"

"how come?"

Mingchen looked at her with a beaming smile: "Of course I believe you!"

He had too much faith in how mischievous this guy was.

If the little fox were truly so kind and genuinely cared about those soldiers, he would gladly rip his head off and let her kick it around like a ball.

"Mingchen!!!"

To truly understand a man, don't listen to what he says, but observe what he does.

The little fox glared at him fiercely, then bit his arm.

"Ah~"

"Hua Rong, what are you doing? Why did you bite me for no reason?"

Not this time!

Until next time!

"Humph!"

"Let's wait and see!"

The little fox glared at him fiercely, then darted out of his arms and disappeared somewhere.

As always, Long Lian stood quietly to the side, watching Ming Chen and the little fox laugh and play.

She was naturally reserved and wouldn't interrupt.