In this chaotic world of vying for power, I can become stronger by marrying a wife.

The lobby was deathly silent.

Wu Yong's face, which had been full of schadenfreude, was now as stiff as a frozen pig liver.

He stared wide-eyed at the bright yellow imperial edict, making gurgling sounds in his throat, but unable to utter a single word.

Fifth rank, General Zhaowu.

To take control of the defenses of Jing'an City.

This means that from this moment on, all the troops, provisions, and even the power of life and death over Prefect Wu Yong in Jing'an City are all in his hands.

"Lord Wu, shall we receive the imperial decree?" Li An, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, put away the imperial decree and looked at Wu Yong with a half-smile.

Wu Yong shuddered, then knelt on the ground with a thud, his voice trembling: "Your subject, Wu Yong, receives the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude. Long live the Emperor!"

Su Ming stood to the side, not kneeling.

He merely bowed slightly and accepted the imperial edict from Li An's hands.

It felt heavy in my hand; that was the weight of power.

"General Su, congratulations." Li An lowered his voice and said to Su Ming, "His Majesty said that Jing'an City cannot be lost. He will keep the Crown Prince in check, but you need to produce results that will silence the entire court."

Su Ming stroked the scroll handle of the imperial edict, his eyes calm: "Please thank His Majesty for me. The results will be in tonight."

A hint of surprise flashed in Ang Lee's eyes.

"Tonight? With 50,000 Northern Barbarian troops still lurking outside the city, where does Su Ming get his confidence?"

But he didn't ask any more questions; the rule of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was to observe more and speak less.

"Now that the decree has arrived, I will linger in the city for a few days and wait to witness the general's divine might." Li An cupped his hands and stepped aside.

Su Ming turned his head and his gaze fell on Wu Yong.

Wu Yong had just stood up when he met Su Ming's gaze, and his legs went weak again.

"General Su, I was blind and misled by Li Wenyuan's slander. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Lord Wu," Su Ming interrupted him.

"Here!" Wu Yong stood ramrod straight.

"Supplies, weapons, laborers—I want to see all the rosters within half an hour." Su Ming's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "If you're short even a single bushel of grain or an arrow, I'll make up for it with your head."

Wu Yong broke out in a cold sweat and repeatedly replied, "Yes! Yes! This subordinate will take care of it immediately!"

Watching Wu Yong scramble out of the lobby, Su Ming felt no emotion whatsoever.

This kind of fool, who's only good at bullying his own family, doesn't even deserve to be asked to do anything himself.

"Wei Lang!"

"Mo is here!" Wei Lang strode in, his face filled with ecstatic joy.

Their own centurion was promoted to a fifth-rank general in the blink of an eye, and the status of their personal guards also rose accordingly.

"Pass down the order: expand the Shenji Battalion to five hundred men. Select the toughest men from the original three battalions of the Jing'an Army. Those who are disobedient should be kicked out."

"Also, gather all the blacksmiths in the city and have them make what I need overnight."

Su Ming issued a series of instructions.

He knew very well that the emperor's reward was a death warrant.

If he cannot defend Jing'an City, this imperial edict will be his shroud.

[Ding! Host's official rank has been promoted, gaining 500 points of luck!]

[The system shop has been updated. Due to the host's promotion to general, the "Basic Industrial Module" has been unlocked: Black Powder Enhancement Recipe and Simple Landmine Blueprint.]

Su Ming's lips curled into a cold smile.

……

child time.

The wind howled fiercely over the walls of Jing'an City.

Su Ming stood alone in the shadows, holding the Great Archer Bow in his hand, his eyes slightly closed.

In his mind, the golden dots of the tracking symbol were flickering slightly.

That direction wasn't towards the Northern Barbarians' camp, but rather towards the chaotic rocky forest thirty miles north of the city.

"High Priest, you really didn't return to camp." Su Ming opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

Chen Xiu said that the High Priest was a remnant of the Demonic Cult, and the Demonic Cult was best at blood sacrifices and insidious methods. Why would he leave his 50,000 troops unused and hide in the Chaotic Stone Forest? He must be plotting something bad.

"My lord, everyone is here." Murong Yan approached softly. She had changed into a set of light black armor, her long hair tied up, looking heroic and dashing.

Behind her were fifty elite soldiers from the Shenji Battalion.

Each person carried two muskets on their backs, and hung Su Ming's newly developed "Thunderbolt" on their waists, which was an enhanced version of the clay pot bomb with added sugar and iron scraps.

"Lieutenant Murong, are you scared?" Su Ming glanced at her.

Murong Yan gripped the long sword at her waist, her eyes resolute: "From the day I joined the Divine Machine Battalion, I never intended to return alive. Since the Northern Barbarians want to destroy my Great Zhou, they will first step over my dead body."

Su Ming nodded, without saying anything sentimental.

"Let's go. Destination: the chaotic rocky forest north of the city. Full speed ahead, stealth. Anyone who makes a sound will have to slit their own throat."

The shadowy figures darted through the wilderness like a swarm of ghosts emerging from their nest.

Half an hour later, the rocky forest came into view.

The stone pillars here reach for the sky, and the rocks are strangely shaped, shrouded in a light mist all year round.

Su Ming waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

He smelled blood, an extremely strong, even slightly sweet, pungent smell.

"System, scan for life forms ahead."

[Scanning in progress... High energy fluctuation point detected.]

[Rank 6 Martial Artist: 1 (in a weakened state).]

[Seventh-Rank Martial Artists: 12]

[Live sacrifices: Approximately 300 people.]

Su Ming's heart sank.

Three hundred sacrificial offerings? These beasts!

He pushed aside the weeds in front of him and, with the help of the system's night vision function, saw a scene in the middle of the rocky forest.

A huge, dark red altar stood in the open space, its sides covered with twisted runes.

The high priest was kneeling before the altar, his black robe tattered, revealing skin covered with eerie red patterns.

Around him, twelve men in black were wielding long knives, pushing people bound by ropes toward the edge of the altar.

The people were filled with terror, their mouths stuffed with rags, and could only whimper in despair.

"The cult leader has manifested his divine power, and the bloodline returns to its source!"

The high priest roared and suddenly grabbed a child, lifting him high into the air.

"You beast!" Murong Yan's eyes widened in fury, and she made as if to rush out.

Su Ming grabbed her shoulder, his voice icy cold: "Don't be impulsive. Musketeers, find your positions. Prepare the thunderbolts."

He slowly drew back the Great Archer Bow.

This time, instead of tracking symbols, the arrows were covered with three overlapping burst symbols.

"Since you enjoy sacrifices, then sacrifice yourself."

Su Ming released the bowstring.

A meteor streaking across the moon!

The arrow pierced the night sky with a sharp whistling sound, instantly penetrating a stone pillar at the center of the altar.

boom!

The violent explosion shattered the top of the altar, and the high priest was thrown to the ground by the shockwave. The child in his arms was then accurately caught on a crooked tree by an arrow shot by Su Ming. Although frightened, the child survived.

"Who!" The high priest scrambled to his feet, roaring angrily.

"The one who will take your life."

Su Ming's figure emerged from the darkness, the Shura Blade gleaming a chilling red light under the moonlight.

"Release the arrows!"