Chapter Sixty-Five: Hostility from the Four Commanders! (Please vote for recommendations!)

“A fifteen-year-old Town General—if I possessed such an astonishing talent for martial arts, who would dare to bully me?” Once Chen Yunlong and Liu Xiang had withdrawn, the smile vanished from Huang Ningbing’s face, replaced by deep exhaustion.

She was the second young lady of the Baozhi Workshop, yet her mother was but an ordinary woman whom the master of the workshop had favored on a whim, with no influential background to speak of. From the moment she was born, she had been subjected to endless bullying.

She had tried earnestly to practice martial arts, but her talent was lacking; after more than twenty years of cultivation, she had barely reached the Energy Refinement stage and had yet to step into the Realm of Guardianship. Such cultivation might allow her to dominate in a small town, but within Baozhi Workshop, it was far from enough.

It was only after she revealed an exceptional talent for business that her and her mother's status improved considerably.

...

“Save him for this king!”

“Remember, even if you cannot bring him back to life, you must at least rouse him.”

“Otherwise, you will all be buried with him.”

King Qi Xuanbei of North Martial, his expression fierce and furious, roared these words.

Below him, a dozen renowned physicians knelt, trembling with fear under his oppressive gaze.

“What exactly happened?”

“Could it be that another power has intervened?”

Qi Xuanbei returned to his chambers, his face clouded and terrifying. His meticulously laid plans had failed, and he had lost three Town Generals; only one, the sole survivor, had been rescued.

Hai Mingzhun, though brought back, was grievously wounded, teetering on the brink of death, unconscious and liable to die at any moment.

...

“What? The Prefect intends to appoint you as Deputy Commander of the Guard Corps?”

Inside a tavern, Qin Feng conversed with Lin Xiaozhong. Upon hearing Qin Feng’s words, Lin Xiaozhong exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s right. The Prefect has indeed expressed his intention for me to assume the post of Deputy Commander,” Qin Feng replied. “Of course, he also warned me that I will face suppression if I take the position. Commander Lin, could you tell me who is behind this?”

Draining his cup, Qin Feng fixed Lin Xiaozhong with a steady gaze, his voice low and serious.

“The Zhao family in the city,” Lin Xiaozhong replied. “Word has spread that Zhao Hongzhong, one of the Zhao family’s three Town Generals, was to become Deputy Commander. The Zhao family has greased many palms, so his appointment was considered a certainty. Now that the Prefect has chosen you for the role, it’s a direct interference.”

“The Zhao family does not dare offend the Prefect, so they are likely to vent their anger on you,” Lin Xiaozhong continued, swirling the wine in his cup, his eyes flickering as he pondered. After a moment, he drank and spoke in a low voice.

“So that’s how it is. The suppression I will face comes from the Zhao family,” Qin Feng nodded, feeling the weight of pressure from a family boasting three Town Generals. He realized he must redouble his efforts in cultivation.

“That’s not all,” Lin Xiaozhong added. “There’s also Qian Yun’gao, the Commander of the Guard Corps. He and the Zhao family’s patriarch, Zhao Weichuan, are sworn brothers. Zhao Hongzhong’s appointment was orchestrated by Qian Yun’gao. You must be extremely careful, Commander Qin.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not made of clay,” Qin Feng replied, nodding, though he felt heavy at heart.

Indeed, Yuntian Prefecture was nothing like Xuanzhou City; it was teeming with the strong and cunning. He had only just arrived, yet he had already drawn the ire of four Town Generals.

“Brother Qin, you must not be careless. The families that survive in Yuntian Prefecture are all extraordinary, with deep ties to the imperial court. They will not be deterred by your status as a court official. Besides, the court has been unstable for nearly a century,” Lin Xiaozhong cautioned again, worried that Qin Feng’s early fame would make him proud and dismissive.

“Thank you for the warning, Brother Lin. If you ever need my help in the future, I will do everything in my power,” Qin Feng said with cupped fists, his tone grave.

He was glad to have chosen to befriend Lin Xiaozhong; the man was indeed worth knowing.

“Brother Qin, I still have duties to attend to and must take my leave,” Lin Xiaozhong said after half an hour. He needed to carry out the Prefect’s orders and inform the commanders of the Tiger Guard, Wolf Guard, and Guard Corps.

“Please, Brother Lin,” Qin Feng replied. After Lin Xiaozhong left, Qin Feng too departed the tavern and headed back to his inn.

“My body has grown much stronger,” Qin Feng noted after closing his door and sitting down to cultivate. He could feel the toughness of his physique.

In the previous battles, his body had been repeatedly torn and then healed by his formidable regenerative power, tempering his flesh.

“Time to begin cultivation.”

Qin Feng placed a precious herb into his mouth and activated the Ninefold Surging Heaven Technique, channeling energy to assault the acupoints within his body.

Lin Xiaozhong relayed the news to Gao Yunxiao, Chen Donghai, and Qian Yun’gao, instructing them to go to the Prefect’s residence the next day before noon. He did not elaborate on the reason.

Out of consideration for Qin Feng, Lin Xiaozhong refrained from telling Qian Yun’gao the details, fearing that Qian Yun’gao and the Zhao family might seek out Qin Feng that very night to cause trouble.

“Whew!”

It was not until dawn of the next day that Qin Feng finally opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of stale air.

He had cultivated through the entire night, using cultivation to replace sleep.

“This progress is far too slow,” he muttered. “But millennium spirit herbs are too expensive for me right now.”

Qin Feng sighed. Back when he was at the Guardian Realm, training with century-old herbs, his cultivation speed had already slowed considerably.

Now, having reached the Town General Realm, using century-old herbs made progress excruciatingly slow.

By noon, Qin Feng had familiarized himself with the city of Yuntian Prefecture and then made his way to the Prefect’s residence.

“Prefect, Commander Lin,” Qin Feng greeted as he entered, seeing the Prefect and Lin Xiaozhong chatting nearby. He stepped forward, cupping his hands and speaking in a clear voice.

“I heard you spent the morning touring the city. Well? How does it compare to Xuanzhou City or Tianyang City?” Zuo Taoming looked at Qin Feng, nodding with a smile.

“There’s no comparison—it’s a world apart. Yuntian Prefecture’s prosperity far surpasses that of Xuanzhou or Tianyang,” Qin Feng replied, unfazed that Zuo Taoming kept track of his whereabouts.

“Yuntian Prefecture governs fourteen cities; Xuanzhou and Tianyang are but two among them. When you become Commander of the Guard Corps, I can appoint you to oversee Xuanzhou and Tianyang. What do you think?” Zuo Taoming smiled, doing his utmost to support Qin Feng and win his goodwill.

“Thank you, Prefect. I will not disappoint you,” Qin Feng replied, his face lighting up with delight as he cupped his hands in gratitude.