Chapter 247 - Notorious
Chapter 247: Notorious
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At this time, the world was similar to the Central Plains in China before the emperor unified the entire land.
Would people have familial ties to a country?
There was no doubt about it.
Yan Luoying stood on the city wall. Under the city wall, both sides were locked in a vicious battle.
Compared to when she left Zhou Country, the killing intent on her body was even stronger.
1
The continuous battles and continuous attacks allowed her to grow continuously. The number of troops under her command increased and also strengthened her cultivation.
Especially after the soldiers won consecutively and admired Yan Luoying from the bottom of their hearts.
Yan Luoying’s cultivation speed grew even faster.
The Qi boost provided by the army was clearly related to the loyalty and reverence the subordinates had for the user.
Yan Luoying sighed.
Even if she had already obtained the trust of the Great Chu troops, would she still miss her old Zhou Country?
Of course she would. It was not that she missed the emperors and influential officials of the Zhou Country, but rather the ordinary people of the Zhou Country that she had once fought for.
Yan Luoying felt a little lost when she thought about how she might confront the Great Zhou one day.
1
However, she knew very well that she could never go back.
There would never be a place for her in Zhou Country anymore.
“Yan Shuai, General Li has already come from behind. Let’s attack quickly.”
As Yan Luoying’s thoughts drifted, the situation on the battlefield had changed. Yan Luoying’s ambush had appeared behind the enemy army.
She nodded calmly in response.
The subordinate immediately followed the established plan and left the city to attack the enemy!
As she watched him go, she shook her head, shaking off the messy thoughts.
A smile appeared on her face as she shouted, “Bring my warhorse! Breaking Ranks Formation, attack with me!”
Push back the opponent!
Defeat the opponent!
A general was an indomitable spirit!
Her red robe fluttered in the wind as Yan Luoying led her army out.
It was as if she was born for the battlefield. She always had a sharp battle sense and a calm mind.
Not to mention her decisiveness and bravery!
On the battlefield, a streak of red flashed, the spear leaping out like a dragon.
The Breaking Ranks slogan continued to echo in the air, leading the Chu Country’s troops to slaughter.
It could be said that Yan Luoying’s prestige had even surpassed Yan Ze’s in the entire Eastern Border!
It was all thanks to her father.
Otherwise, if it was an ordinary person, even if she had talent, she would probably be suppressed and unable to display it.
Just like when she was under Wu Kunhu. It was not that Wu Kunhu did not trust Yan Luoying, but he had his own thoughts. He would not be affected by Yan Luoying’s actions.
Most of the time, Yan Luoying only needed to follow orders. Wu Kunhu would handle the large-scale strategic arrangements himself.
Yan Luoying could only show her talent in small-scale military conflicts.
However, Yan Ze trusted Yan Luoying much more than Wu Kunhu. He would naturally give Yan Luoying more power and freedom.
This was the difference between a biological father and an outsider.
However, it had to be said that Yan Luoying still had some gains under Wu Kunhu.
This included Wu Kunhu’s military management, strategic deployments, and commanding attitude. She had learned them all.
Every encounter was a precious experience for growth.
So now, Yan Luoying, who had been well tempered, burst out with a strong radiance.
Furthermore, it had to be said that the Ji Luo Country they were facing this time was not strong at all.
If she really faced Wu Kunhu, or a famous general like Lu Zhen, she might not be able to conduct her military operations so smoothly.
Of course, the current Wu Kunhu was no longer a general.
Meanwhile, in the capital of Yan Country.
The current Yan Emperor was about the same age as the Zhou Emperor, both still in the prime of their lives.
His eyes were shining brightly, his eyebrows were sharp, and he looked extremely fierce.
He was looking at the two Heaven Rank experts in front of him.
The Mu family… chose to join the Yan Country’s Royal Court.
Emperor Yan burst into laughter.
“Good! Good! It’s our Yan’s fortune to be able to receive the Mu family’s help. Men, set up a plot of land for the Mu family in the capital and build a residence for them. Appoint Mu Binsen as Beishan Count. Report all the outstanding disciples of the Mu family to me, and I will arrange seats for them. In addition, I will reward the Mu family with ten thousand taels of gold!”
The rewards were generous.
When the Mu Clan Heaven Rank experts retreated, Emperor Yan looked at the person beside him and smiled. “Minister Cao, do you think these people are trustworthy?”
That person was precisely Cao Jin, who had once gone to Zhou Country.
Cao Jin smiled. “Of course. Once they enter the capital, they will be like birds with their wings broken, tigers with their claws removed. From now on, they will be the dogs of the Yan Country. Your Majesty only needs to look after the direct descendants of the Mu family, and these two Heaven Rank experts will be at our Great Yan’s command.”
Emperor Yan smiled. “This Feiyan is quite interesting. I didn’t expect her to force a Heaven Rank expert to flee the country in such a short period of time. In a few more days, Chu will definitely be mine.”
1
As he spoke, he looked at Cao Jin and asked, “How is the situation in Zhou Country?”
“Lu Zhen has already sent word of his victory. He has broken through several more cities in Zhou. If he is given some more time, he will definitely arrive at the capital. Your Majesty, please prepare for the Heaven Rank battle.”
A sharp glint flashed across his eyes.
He said with a disdainful smile, “That idiot Zhao Fu has two hungry tigers by his side, but he thinks he’s brilliant. Wu Kunhu and Su Changqing both defected at the same time, and that Su Changqing severely injured the Zhou Country’s capital with his ruthless methods. His Zhou Country is already in decline.”
When he spoke up here, he gritted his teeth and said, “Dammit, Zhang Qian! If he hadn’t made a move last time and blocked the Southern Barbaric Heaven Rankers, the Zhou Country would have been annihilated by now.”
Cao Jin said in a low voice, “That’s right. Wu Kunhu is much stronger than Yan Ze when it comes to leading troops. As for Su Changqing, his wisdom is not something that ordinary people can compare to. Originally, I thought that we could beat him at his own game, stall for time, and take the opportunity to pull out Zhou’s intelligence network. This will definitely make it difficult for Great Zhou to defend against ordinary battles. I didn’t expect him to actually disrupt the money flow of our citizens.”
At this point, he let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. “However, now that the two of them have turned their backs on the Zhou Country, it is the time for our Yan Country to shine. The only thing we need to consider is whether there are any unstable factors once the Heaven Rank War breaks out. For example… that Zhang Qian! Does Your Majesty want to think of a way to rope in the sects in our country?”
“Hmph! It’s not that easy!” Emperor Yan sighed. “Do you think those sects and clans want to see me unify the world? They know too well that once I unify the world, the next step will be to deal with them. What they want to see the most is the various countries standing in front of them, serving their martial arts and respecting themselves!
That Zhang Qian also helped Zhao Fu because of this! It’s fine now, but if it really comes to a crisis, that woman, Yu Shensu, will probably want to be in the same boat as Zhao Fu.”
“Back then, if it wasn’t for me ascending the throne when I was young, the Qi Emperor wouldn’t have disdained me. That idiot also had a conflict with the Divine Sect in his country, if not I wouldn’t have had the chance to exterminate all of them! However, Zhao Fu isn’t that kind of trash!”
At this point, Emperor Yan muttered to himself, “Furthermore, there’s one more thing that I’m very concerned about! According to the Mu family, the current Great Chu’s Nanli King is the son of Su Changqing, Su Wen. This fellow has helped Xiang Feiyan ascend to the throne, and it can be seen that his schemes and methods are numerous. Furthermore, Su Changqing has also arrived in Chu.”
“It’s obvious that these two fellows are plotting against the Royal Family of Chu. From this perspective, it’s beneficial to us. With the internal turmoil in Chu, we will have a better chance of destroying the Zhou Dynasty. But the problem is, where did Wu Kunhu go? Why has this fellow disappeared without a trace?”
Cao Jin shook his head. “I don’t know. Wu Kunhu should be hiding his cultivation as well. He’s probably already broken through to the Heaven Rank. I wonder what kind of technique he has. In the past years, he was actually able to charge through battle formations without being discovered as a Heaven Rank!”
Emperor Yan shook his head in disbelief as well. “What do you think we should do now?”
“Maintain a stalemate with the Chu Country, while going all out to destroy the Zhou Dynasty!” Cao Jin said in a low voice. “No matter what, the Five Tyrant Arts has already fallen into our hands. The Heaven Rank experts in the court have already found some flaws in their cultivation techniques. When we fight another Heaven Rank battle, our Yan Country will definitely have the advantage!
As for whether Zhang Qian will make a move, we’ll see. In any case, from the last time, Zhang Qian will at most be able to protect the Zhou Country from being destroyed. He will definitely not let Zhao Fu control him.”
In the Zhou Country, the Royal Palace, Present day.
There were countless officials present. Emperor Zhou held his forehead and listened to his subordinate’s report!
He lost again! And again!
1
However, at this moment, he had already regained his male form.
1
Emperor Zhou gritted his teeth and said, “Order them to defend the city. Also, organize people to set up defenses at the front line of the Huai River!”
Emperor Zhou felt very uncomfortable!
He knew very well that the current situation was not optimistic.
From the looks of it, after losing Wu Kunhu and Yan Ze, it would be difficult for the Zhou Country to fight against the Yan Country on the battlefield!
“I have to think of a way as soon as possible. Otherwise, if I’m forced to start the Heaven Rank Battle, it doesn’t matter if I win or lose. Fighting from within the Zhou Country will be disadvantageous to me!”
Emperor Zhou was very annoyed!
No, he had to think of a way!
“Your Majesty, I have a plan!” Wu Qiuhan stood out.
Emperor Zhou was instantly delighted and said, “Minister Wu, quickly tell me.”
Wu Qiuhan smiled and said, “As the saying goes, those afar are friends while those close are enemies. We have a feud with the Yan Country, but the Yan Country and the Chu Country have been fighting for many years. We can send envoys to the Chu Country to discuss with Emperor Chu and invite him to attack the Yan Country from the rear. This way, the pressure on our Great Zhou will decrease.
1
You have to know that in recent years, the Yan Country has become more and more powerful. They have destroyed the Qi Country, and if they sweep through our Great Zhou, the next one will definitely be the Chu Country!”
“As the saying goes, when the lips are gone, the teeth will feel the cold. As long as the Emperor of Chu is not an extremely stupid idiot, he will agree!”
Wu Qiuhan was very confident.
Emperor Zhou fell into deep thought.
This was quite a good idea.
But the question was, who should be the ambassador?
“Are any of you willing to travel to Chu?”
No one spoke.
After all, the Chu Country and the Zhou Country were extremely far apart. Who would be willing to go there, especially since they didn’t know the situation of the Chu Country?
At this moment, Wu Qiuhan looked at the Zhou Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, since they are unwilling to go, I am willing to go. As long as I can obtain reinforcements for our Zhou Country, I will die without regrets!”
1
The old fellow was still quite loyal to the country.
Emperor Zhou couldn’t help but sigh. Compared to Su Changqing, he was a little less scheming, but it was really a lot more loyal.
“Alright, then you will be the official ambassador and head to the Chu Country. The Fifth Princess, Zhao Xuanxuan, and the Sixth Prince, Zhao Bin, will accompany you. Hmm… Feng Baichuan will be in charge of protecting them. You must definitely convince the Emperor of the Chu Country to send troops to attack the Yan Country!”
Soon, the court session ended. Emperor Zhou brought Wu Qiuhan to the inner palace. Accompanying them were the Fifth Princess Zhao Xuanxuan and the Sixth Prince Zhao Bin.
When he entered the chamber, he took out two jade star disks.
He handed one to Wu Qiuhan and said, “It’s best if you can convince the Royal Family of the Chu Country during this trip. If you can’t convince the Royal Family, you can hand the star disk to the Emperor of the Chu Country. As long as there’s a Heaven Rank expert controlling it, they can speak directly to me!”
Wu Qiuhan nodded.
Emperor Zhou looked at Zhao Xuanxuan and Zhao Bin, before saying in a deep voice, “There are two reasons why I asked the two of you to come along this time. The first is that if possible, I am willing to let Zhao Xuanxuan marry into the Chu Country. Xuanxuan, when you go, you can find someone in control of the Chu Country or a member of the Royal Family to be closer to them and think of a way to influence the outcome of the negotiation.
1
The second person will be Zhao Bin. If the Royal Family of the Chu Country doesn’t trust me, you can stay in the Chu Country in exchange for their trust.”
Hearing Emperor Zhou’s words, Zhao Xuanxuan and Zhao Bin were shocked.
This… was a marriage alliance and also a hostage. It seemed like the situation in Great Zhou was indeed not too good.
Emperor Zhou sighed and said, “You’re all descendants of the royal family. At the crucial moment, I can only rely on you guys.”
That was right! He had to use pull out all his cards now.
He needed time, more time.
Only by doing so would he be able to slowly recover and find reliable people to replace the void Wu Kunhu and Su Changqing left.
Furthermore, from a long-term perspective, once the Yan Country and Chu Country fought, it would be of the greatest benefit to the Zhou Country.
At that time, he could attack or retreat.
Originally, Emperor Zhou had been ambitious. He had been a hero of the court, and a Heaven Rank expert. He had been on the verge of confronting Yan Country, but he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way overnight.
They were completely at a disadvantage now!
“Su Changqing, Wu Kunhu, you two bastards! And that brat, Su Wen! I won’t let you off!” Emperor Zhou hated them in his heart.
And in the capital of Chu, another strange scene appeared!
The entire city was burning newspapers!
1
All the newspapers were burning!
Furious curses resounded through the capital.
“Dragon Knight Scholar, f*ck your entire family!”
“I want to kill this bastard!”
“Has he had enough! Is this Dragon Rider Scholar crazy?”
“What a lad, no matter who’s the author, it’s always him behind the scenes!”
“Isn’t this too much?! What does this bastard want? Does he want money? I’ll give it to him! Can’t he write properly?”
“I’m going to kill him!”
The commoners were cursing everywhere.
The reason was simple. Su Wen’s new book, Battle Through the Heavens, had undergone countless small climaxes and layouts.
In the latest chapter, it ushered in one of the book’s biggest climaxes.
The three year promise.
Then… Su Wen overthrew everyone’s expectations… There was no success in taking revenge, no act of slapping others in the face, only… the protagonist was defeated!
1
He was being humiliated!
Ridiculed!
His woman was snatched away!
His cultivation was crippled!
Four limbs broken!
Extreme humiliation!
This was not all. At the end of the chapter, Su Wen wrote an emotional speech. “Hello everyone! I’m the Iron Mask Scholar, but let me tell you an exciting piece of news! My other pen name is Dragon Knight Scholar! How is it? Are you very angry? You didn’t expect this, right? Haha, I was the one who wrote this book! However, this book will end here! I just want to ask if you guys feel good? Does it feel good? Does it feel good? Answer me loudly, I might be hiding beside you!”
1
This cheap tone, coupled with a bunch of low blows such as snide remarks, schadenfreude, and taking the initiative to expose his past identity…
Su Wen had completely let the citizens of Great Chu experience the dangers of the world.
Then, the furious Great Chu citizens began their riot!
Burning the newspapers to vent their anger!
Once… a newspaper was worth several taels of silver.
Now, it was like a piece of trash that everyone hated.
They were all being burned in the streets.
The entire Great Chu’s capital was filled with smoke.
Many of the previous newspapers were collected by those who liked the novel Battle Through the Heavens.
In the end… all of them were taken out now.
Burn! Burn to death!
Their resentment towards Su Wen soared.
Was this something a human could do?
Wasn’t this deliberately feeding someone shit?
1
In this world, were there any tragic books? There were such things!
But how were they written? Most of the time, it was through the promotion of the protagonist’s feelings, describing the tragic injustice of fate that resonated with people.
Even if they were sad and cried, it was often difficult for them to show too much hostility towards the author.
However, Su Wen was really too disgusting.
It was clearly a refreshing novel. When it reached the best part and then was thrown down into hell, it was akin to the reader being stabbed three times consecutively and then dunked into a bucket of feces. That kind of difference, that kind of resentment.
It was something that no readers could accept.
The newsstand… was deserted.
There were no guards present either.
This time, he had offended too many people.
It must be known that many of the guards and the people who sold the newspaper were also loyal readers of this book.
Seeing that there was no one there…
They directly smashed the stand.
The citizens vented their anger crazily.
In the palace, a person was kneeling in front of Xiang Feiyan.
He wailed, “Your Majesty! You have to save me! I can’t live anymore!”
This person was the editor-in-chief of Great Chu Newspaper, Wang Dechao.
He was about 30 years old, and his eyes were filled with tears.
His howls were truly abysmal!
“Your Majesty! I’ve already been beaten up three times today. From the moment I came out of my house, rotten eggs were thrown at me! The entire city of children chased after my carriage and scolded me!”
Xiang Feiyan was furious. “Who dared to beat you up?”
“Duke Wen… General Guo Si, and His Highness Xiang Sheng…”
Xiang Feiyan :”…”
These three people were all influential officials of the current dynasty, and their statuses were extremely high.
Especially since… Xiang Feiyan’s son was included.
Xiang Feiyan asked in confusion, “Why did they hit you?”
Wang Dechao cried, “It’s all because of that novel, Battle Through the Heavens… It’s the last draft that you insisted on publishing. Now, the entire city has gone crazy! Who knows how many newsstands have been smashed?”
“Someone even pasted a note at my door, cursing my entire family to die!”
“Your Majesty! I beg of you, I really can’t take this position anymore. Please find someone else!”
“Why don’t you announce who that Dragon Knight Scholar is so that I can give these people an explanation!”
Xiang Feiyan smiled and comforted him, “Dechao… I trust you. You still have to continue holding this position… you need to endure the beatings. Men, bring ten thousand taels of silver to Lord Wang for medical expenses. Also, get the Royal Guards to send a few people to protect Lord Wang day and night!”
Wang Dechao wanted to cry but had no more tears left.
“Your Majesty, this isn’t just about getting beaten up and getting paid. Now, wherever I go, people will poke my backbone and scold me…”
Xiang Feiyan looked at Wang Dechao and said coldly, “Minister Wang, I advise you to reconsider your words…”
Seeing Xiang Feiyan’s stance…
Wang Dechao immediately cowered.
The person in front of him had killed all of the royal bloodline a while ago. If she could be so ruthless to her own family, then what about him?