Dream of the Red Chamber: After being exiled, I went on a killing spree in Liaodong.

"Reporting, General!"

"There's someone outside claiming to be Jia Yi requesting an audience!"

Xiong Ke was sitting in the hall, deep in thought, his fingertips lightly tapping the table as he plotted how to get rid of that Jia fellow without anyone noticing. But before he could even warm his knife, the prey delivered itself to his doorstep.

His gaze sharpened, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

"Let him in."

Before the words were finished, the wind lifted the curtain, and a figure stepped in.

Jia Yi, still clad in his iron armor, his boots clattering on the brick floor, exuded a sharp, intimidating aura. His features, his eyes… were strikingly similar to those of the old Duke Jia Daishan!

Xiong Ke's heart jolted, and memories surged like a tide—back in the army, he was just a subordinate general under Jia Daishan, and being scolded was a common occurrence, but he still dared not forget that authority.

A touch of reluctance quietly rose in my heart.

But then he thought of the Rongguo Mansion's immense power, and the warmth in his eyes instantly froze, turning into ice.

"Guerrilla General Jia Yi greets Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief." Jia Yi clasped his hands in salute, his movements crisp and efficient, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Good!" Xiong Ke snapped out of his daze, a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes held a dagger. "General Jia's victory at Zhen'an Fort has truly made our Liaodong Army proud!"

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly exaggerated:

"Looking across the entire Liaodong region, only you, General Jia, can withstand the iron cavalry of the Later Jin!"

Tsk tsk tsk, that's such a blatant compliment, it's practically putting someone on the hot seat.

"If the Later Jin army were to invade in the future—" Xiong Ke's smile deepened, but his voice was like a viper's hiss, "we would still need you to turn the tide."

A smile that hides a dagger—that's the best way to put it.

Once Jia Yi left, he had his trusted confidants spread the word. The whole city would know, and all the generals would be watching with suspicion. At that point, jealousy, distrust, and underhanded attacks would erupt. Jia Yi, a newly promoted general, would be isolated and helpless; even the slightest disturbance on the battlefield could cost him his life.

He died under mysterious circumstances, so it's no wonder he was wrong.

But what about Jia Yi?

Standing below the hall, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

Old man, are you playing the game of flattery to kill me? You're using me as a pawn and trying to make me take the blame?

He suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking as if he had just realized something: "So, what the General means is—all the other generals in Liaodong are useless?"

"puff--"

Xiong Ke spat out his tea, nearly choking to death.

"No, no, no! You've misunderstood!" He hurriedly waved his hands, his face changing color. "That's not what I meant! I meant... including myself, none of us are as good as you!"

"Oh—" Jia Yi drawled, nodding with an innocent look on his face, "So, General, you admit you're a good-for-nothing?"

Xiong Ke felt a lump in his throat, his face turned a deep purplish-red, and he almost fainted.

That kid's a lunatic! His mouth's sharper than a knife!

Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with him. People who aren't clear-headed don't live long.

"Alright." Xiong Ke rubbed his temples, suppressing his anger. "You are now a fourth-rank guerrilla general, commanding five thousand troops. I have already made preparations for you."

"Two thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry are all waiting for orders at the drill ground."

His heart was bleeding as he said these words. Those two thousand cavalrymen were his elite troops, whom he had secretly amassed over many years, and he rarely used them. But in order to make a proper show of force and prevent people from seeing that he was deliberately framing them, he had no choice but to reluctantly part with them.

"Thank you, General." Jia Yi cupped his hands, his smile sincere.

Soldiers are the real deal. No matter how many underhanded tricks you play behind the scenes, as long as you have soldiers, you won't be afraid of even the Heavenly King himself.

Xiong Ke waved his hand, wishing he would disappear immediately.

Jia Yi turned and left, his back straight as a pine tree, without stopping for a moment.

At this moment, it wasn't just Xiong Ke who was having a headache.

When the five thousand soldiers heard that their new commander was none other than Jia Yi, the infamous madman who had single-handedly killed five hundred men, they were all excited and roared with joy, thinking that they had found a powerful and capable leader.

Before they could even enjoy themselves, they heard that although this man was brave, he was a bit dim-witted and a "reckless fool."

The entire room fell silent instantly.

The air condensed.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts sinking into a chill.

Only one person was grinning from ear to ear.

It was Wu Sheng, who had just been transferred to Jin County through connections.

"Great!" He slapped his thigh, his eyes shining. "I can work with Jia Mangzi again!"

From boss to subordinate? No problem! In his eyes, Jia Yi was a military merit harvester; following him, promotion and wealth were within reach!

Meanwhile, the four trusted confidants of the commander had already begun to make arrangements.

"We can't let an idiot lead the entire army!"

"When the commander-in-chief is incompetent, the entire army suffers!"

"But the commander-in-chief has already given the order..."

"What's there to be afraid of?" someone sneered. "As long as we stick together, he won't be able to stay and will have to leave on his own!"

Incited by the crowd, public sentiment turned to indignation.

A show of force is quietly brewing.

They grabbed wooden sticks and iron rulers, lying in ambush on both sides of the drill ground, waiting for Jia Yi to arrive so they could teach him a lesson.

Let's see if you dare to be so arrogant again!

In their eyes, getting rid of a fool is a piece of cake.

"Oh……"

Wu Sheng stood at a distance, sneering, his eyes sharp as knives, sweeping over this group of self-righteous fools.

Those who are blind to the truth will suffer a great loss sooner or later.

To avoid being implicated by Jia Yi, he slipped away faster than a rabbit.

But not long after, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly exploded.

Amidst the rising dust, Jia Yi led his personal guards into the camp, his cloak fluttering in the wind, exuding an imposing aura.

"Oh? These bastards are planning to give me a hard time?"

Jia Yi grinned, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

Before he finished speaking, the four commanders exchanged glances, and one of them immediately stepped forward.

"General Jia, we have a rule here—to become a commander, you have to earn our complete respect!"

Five thousand soldiers behind him echoed in unison, their voices soaring to the heavens.

"Fine!" Jia Yi dismounted, grabbed a thick wooden stick, and snapped off the excess branches with a snap. "Whoever knocks me down, I'm out of here."

The next instant, he suddenly sprang up—

"Bang!"

With a sweeping motion, the soldier who had been speaking was sent flying into the air, crashing down on a group of people.

The entire room fell silent.

While everyone was still in a daze, Jia Yi charged into the crowd like a tiger among sheep!

[Ding! Host launches a charge against 5,000 soldiers, unlocking 500 members of the Tang Dynasty Mo Dao squad!]

In an instant, a blood-red light seemed to appear in the sky and earth.

"Go! Go together!!" The four commanders were overjoyed.

You said it yourself! If you slink away like that later, the General won't blame us!

But they forgot—madmen are least afraid of being ganged up on.

The wooden stick in Jia Yi's hand transformed into a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, each move ruthless and deadly.

The Thirty-Six Styles of Guan Yu's Sword Technique were so skillfully executed in his hands that they made ghosts cry and gods howl!

Wherever the stick struck, cries of agony filled the air.

At best, the bones break and the person rolls around; at worst, they are thrown three zhang (approximately 10 meters) into the air, only to land with convulsions.

They fell one after another, as neatly as wheat being harvested.

Five thousand men attacked one man, yet they were driven back in defeat!

"Hiss—Jia Mangzi is a monster!!" Someone's teeth chattered and their legs trembled.

Wu Sheng watched from afar, his fists clenched tightly, his eyes blazing with fury:

From now on, I'm sticking with this madman! Nobody can stop me!

---

An urgent report suddenly arrived at the Liaodong General's residence.

A guard from Xiong Ke stumbled in, his voice trembling: "Sir! Something terrible has happened! There's been a commotion in the camp!!"

Xiong Ke suddenly jumped up from in front of the desk, his face changing drastically.

"Who? Who dares to rebel?"

The Later Jin cavalry pressed in, like dark clouds obscuring the sun. If morale collapses now, Liaodong will be in grave danger!

"It's...it's General Jia Yi..."