Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 124 The Marquis

"gentlemen?"

Ye Ci was somewhat surprised. He felt that a refined and cultured person like Wei Ting should be called "sir".

He was a warrior.

Shen Yixi bowed and said, "Only those who are the first to hear the Way, the first to establish their hearts, and the first to understand the world can be called 'Master.' We do not use men or women, or elders or juniors, as boundaries, but rather use virtue and character as the measure. I have seen in all your actions that you have taken to save the world."

Even if you don't say it, you deserve to be admired and respected by others.

Ye Ci smiled.

He didn't think he had any philanthropic intentions; it was just that when he came into this world, some people helped him and some people died in his place.

That's it.

Shen Yixi left after she finished speaking.

It was late at night, so it wasn't a good time to linger.

******

The moonlight shines brightly over the fields.

The distant mountain waterfall roared incessantly, splashing up bursts of cool water mist, but it could not dispel the heat in the forest.

A swift horse galloped along the official road, its body jet black, kicking up clouds of dust.

The rider was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, with a long sword hanging at his waist. The edges of his clothes were embroidered with dark military insignia. His attire was that of a high-ranking military officer. He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and even when riding and bumping along, he remained as steady as Mount Tai.

I ran to the shallow riverbank, shattered the shimmering moonlight, and crossed straight to the other side.

On the opposite bank, ancient trees towered into the sky, and the surroundings were dark and gloomy. The newcomer raised his hand and waved it lightly. A black iron military tag suddenly slid out from his sleeve. With a flick of his finger, the military tag flew out of the air with a sharp wind and flew towards the lush forest.

"sieve"

Someone caught the military tag in mid-air, and after confirming that it was correct, immediately threw it back.

The man caught the dog tag, cracked his whip and gave a light shout, and the horse galloped off again, stepping in the moonlight, following the forest path, and disappearing into the deep forest.

The moonlight bathed the mountains, and deep within the dense forest lay a magnificent and perilous place, with towering peaks and cliffs, and layers of military fortresses and buildings built on the cliff walls.

The lights are scattered in a continuous line, marking the location of the Jianwu Army's garrison on the border.

"Report"

The newcomer dismounted swiftly and decisively, galloping towards the interior.

In the military camp, a tall figure stood still, his hair tied up in a high crown, his phoenix eyes sharp as cold stars, his nose straight and his lips thin. It was none other than Marquis Jianwu.

Who could have known that this marquis's main camp was actually located within the territory of the Southern Barbarians, where elite troops were hidden, awaiting a major battle.

A somber expression settled between his brows as the Southern Barbarian army suddenly retreated—

Upon hearing the scout's report, his eyes darkened slightly. He turned around and looked at the person who had come, his gaze showing a hint of surprise. He then stepped forward to meet him.

"Captain Chen, what brings you back?"

Unexpectedly, Captain Chen staggered and fell heavily onto the stone steps, coughing up a mouthful of blood with a "pfft".

"My lord, your son has been murdered—"

Marquis Jianwu's expression hardened, and his tone suddenly turned serious: "What happened? Who did this—"

Captain Chen said, "Shi Yuan of the Righteous Army captured Songjiang County, and there has been no news of you since then. We don't know who the murderer is, but some sources say it was done by a young man."

The surrounding air suddenly became somewhat chilly. The Marquis slowly took a few steps, picked up a water pouch, and took a sip.

After hearing Captain Chen's report, he narrowed his phoenix eyes and even curled a smile at the corner of his mouth, but the smile was somewhat chilling.

"Hasn't it been investigated?"

"Did I raise you bunch of useless trash just so you'd come back and say 'I don't know'?"

Just as Captain Chen was about to reply, the Marquis stepped on his shoulder with such force that it almost crushed his shoulder blade.

"My lord, spare my life! I am incompetent. I will take men and investigate again immediately!"

Captain Chen was in so much pain that his whole body convulsed, and his voice became hoarse and broken.

The Marquis slowly bent down, his phoenix eyes fixed on him, his tone sinister: "No need."

He paused, then suddenly raised his foot, and Captain Chen let out a piercing scream as his neck was crushed and his breath died instantly.

Marquis Jianwu withdrew his foot, disgustedly wiping the bloodstains on the sole of his boot, and shouted into the shadows, "Guards!"

Two black-clad warriors stepped forward in response, standing with their heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

"By order of the Marquis, return with troops tonight and launch a surprise attack on Songjiang City, leaving no one alive—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps outside the door.

A moment later, a figure rushed in, the goldfish pouch hanging from his waist clinking.

"Convey His Majesty's oral decree!"

"Oral Decree"

The murderous aura emanating from Marquis Jianwu suddenly solidified. The bloodstains beneath his feet were still wet. His phoenix eyes swept over the messenger, and his tone was as cold as frost: "Speak."

"His Majesty has decreed that although the barbarians on the border of Jiaozhou have temporarily retreated, their remnants have not been eliminated and the hidden dangers remain. He orders Marquis Jianwu to immediately rectify military discipline, withdraw from the southern barbarians, and defend Jiaozhou. He is not to use troops without authorization."

The surrounding air froze instantly.

Marquis Jianwu stood frozen in place, his eyes blazing with fury.

"My son is gone—"

The messenger was a young man in his twenties, and he had no expression.

"The Grand General asked me to convey a message to you: you are Marquis Jianwu, not Duke Jianwu. Besides the Zhang family, there are also the Li and Fang families in Wucheng. Since Duke Shengwu's defection to the Southern Barbarians, there are many people who want to rebuild Shengwu—"

That's all I wanted to say.

Marquis Jianwu closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He is very uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the young man who delivered the decree didn't even look at him, turned around and left, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

At that moment, a figure emerged from behind the tent.

"My lord, please calm down."

The man who spoke was dressed in a blue long robe, with a thin face and a calm demeanor. He was Chen Quan, his chief strategist.

Marquis Jianwu glanced at him sideways: "Calm down? My son is dead—"

Chen Quan said calmly, "I am heartbroken by your death, young master, but anger is useless at this moment, and acting impulsively will only bring disaster upon ourselves."

He paused, and seeing that Marquis Jianwu did not interrupt, he continued, "The General's words were not a threat, but a reminder. Since the Duke of Shengwu's defection, Wucheng has not been a monolithic entity. There are many families that want to become one of the four pillars."

The four pillars he referred to were the four dukes of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Following the Martial Saint, his four disciples formed the Four Pillars of the Martial Saint lineage.

Zhenwu is in the east, Chongwu is in the north, Shenwu is in the west, and Shengwu is in the south.

The direct descendants of the Duke of Shengwu almost all came from Wucheng.

"How could I not know?"

Marquis Jianwu snorted coldly, walked to the desk, and slammed his fist on the table: "This is outrageous! What kind of troops did the Duke of Shengwu lead back then? What kind of troops did I lead? We used these useless people to deal with the Southern Barbarians for more than 20 years. How can such achievements only be granted the title of Marquis? Qin Lie was just a centurion under him back then, but now he has given me the title of commander of a unit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Quan stepped forward and lowered his voice: "But everyone knows that the Holy Martial Duke Duizi of the Southern Barbarians fought with all his experts and finally reached the Black Emperor City. Now, the Southern Barbarians have very few experts left."

Marquis Jianwu remained silent. What he really wanted to say was that if Qin Lie hadn't changed Zhang Guan, his son wouldn't have gotten into trouble.

But when the topic of military strength came up, an inexplicable rage rose within him: "Leaving aside the Chongwu Army, just look at the Shenwu Army in the west—is there anyone in His Majesty who doesn't trust the little military power I hold?"

Seeing this, Chen Quan continued, "Such a great power is accumulated step by step, and there are still many forces in Wu City that are in a wait-and-see state. These are the forces that the Marquis can win over."

"Besides that, the most crucial thing right now is to strengthen our own power. Be patient—to gain a foothold in the court, we need an influx of fresh blood. If Your Excellency's wings are fully grown—"

At this point, Chen Quan lowered his voice even further.

The two black-clad warriors also withdrew from the scene.

Gradually, only whispers remained in the tent.