Chapter 235 - 233: Sarcastic Feng Wushang

Chapter 235: Chapter 233: Sarcastic Feng Wushang

After listening to Liu Feiyan, Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback. He had never heard the name Hu Yan Tribe before.

In the original story, Ning Province had never fought a major war with the Grassland Tribes. Only when the Zhenwu Hall collapsed did the Nine Swords Alliance summon the Chi Shu Tribe to act as a surprise contingent.

’Now that I’ve destroyed the Chi Shu Tribe before they could even grow, where did this Hu Yan Tribe pop up from?’

"Is this Hu Yan Tribe that strong? The Hall Master gathered the full strength of the White Tiger Hall and still couldn’t hold them back?"

Feng Wushang was a Primordial Pill Realm Martial Arts Grandmaster who had fought alongside Chao Hongtu to establish his domain. Though greedy, his combat prowess was in no way comparable to a phony like Ouyang Xun.

And with all the cities, large and small, under the White Tiger Hall’s jurisdiction, mustering several thousand White Tiger Guards should have been no problem at all.

Plus, the Jianghu forces near the Grassland would feel threatened and would also assist the Zhenwu Hall. It should have been possible to muster nearly twenty thousand Martial Artists that way. It made no sense for them to be suppressed by a Grassland Tribe that had been beaten and sent scurrying in disarray by the Hachal and Lin Khanate.

"The Hu Yan Tribe is fairly strong. They didn’t engage in a fierce battle with the Hachal and Lin Khanate. Instead, the moment they sensed something was off, they immediately migrated inland, so their forces suffered no losses.

The Hu Yan Tribe’s leader, Nihachu, is likely at the Early Stage of the Primordial Pill Realm, so he’s not as strong as our Hall Master.

But the Hu Yan Tribe has a very tricky character with them—an Esoteric Sect monk named Yang Lianzhenjia. He’s known as the Demon Monk on the Western Grassland. The man digs up graves to practice Corpse Refining and has an atrocious reputation.

He’s wanted by the Hachal and Lin Khanate for desecrating the ancestral tomb of one of their nobles.

That Demon Monk, Yang Lianzhenjia, is on good terms with an Elder from the Ten Thousand Demon Sect, so this time, he actually managed to call them in for help.

The Ten Thousand Demon Sect sent a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster and dozens of young disciples to ’help,’ but they’re just using our Zhenwu Hall as a training ground for them.

In a recent battle, Master Feng was wounded by the enemy and forced into a hasty retreat. Our White Tiger Hall lost three Inspectors, and we suffered over a thousand casualties among the White Tiger Guards.

At the same time, the Jianghu forces on the Ning Province border have also suffered extremely heavy losses. More than ten minor factions have been wiped out, and the enemy has occupied three prefectures and nine cities."

As Liu Feiyan spoke, she gritted her teeth, her face filled with resentment.

She was Liu Suifeng’s daughter; to her, the Zhenwu Hall was home.

While she might have been glad to see Feng Wushang suffer a defeat, she didn’t want the Zhenwu Hall to sustain such heavy losses.

"Those lunatics from the Ten Thousand Demon Sect are stirring up trouble again!"

Chen Yuan rubbed his temples. ’This is all rather baffling.’

’Since when did the Ten Thousand Demon Sect get mixed up with these Grassland Tribes?’

Although the Ten Thousand Demon Sect was a major Demon Sect on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings, it was unlike any normal Sect. Most of its members were mentally unstable.

To put it simply, it was a Sect composed of lunatics who couldn’t be judged by common sense.

Ten Thousand Demons... true to its name, the Ten Thousand Demon Sect could probably scrape together ten thousand Demons, each with their own twisted personality.

Other factions demanded unity, mutual support, and camaraderie among their disciples.

The Ten Thousand Demon Sect, however, employed a "Raising Gu" model, encouraging its young disciples to fight and kill one another, as long as the Sect’s own interests weren’t affected.

As a result, if nothing else, Martial Artists from the Ten Thousand Demon Sect possessed absolutely exceptional combat prowess.

Moreover, the Ten Thousand Demon Sect recruited without discrimination. It didn’t matter what sect or school you came from—even if you were a Monk from the Vajra Prajna Temple, as long as you expressed a desire to join, they would take you in.

This incident wasn’t part of the original story, and Chen Yuan couldn’t figure out what was happening.

’But the White Tiger Hall’s territory isn’t just Feng Wushang’s; it’s also mine. I can’t let the region descend into such chaos.’

Just then, another message arrived from the White Tiger Hall’s Main Hall, transmitted via an Array.

Chen Yuan took the message and read it. Reinforcements from the Celestial Martial Guard and the Po Jun Guard had arrived. Feng Wushang was summoning all Inspectors and Guardian Envoys from the prefecture cities under the White Tiger Hall to lead their White Tiger Guards and assemble at the Main Hall, leaving only a small force behind to defend their respective cities.

"Feiyan, how about you and your people stay here to defend the city?"

"I’d rather not. Don’t think I’m the same person I used to be."

Liu Feiyan lifted the Heavy Sword at her side, looking slightly displeased.

She knew that because of who she was, Chen Yuan wanted her to stay behind where it was safe.

Yangshan Prefecture was in the central region of the White Tiger Hall’s territory, so the Hu Yan Tribe and the Ten Thousand Demon Sect couldn’t reach it for the time being.

But she didn’t want to be a mere figurehead. The essence of the Martial Dao could only be honed in the heat of battle.

Seeing Liu Feiyan’s insistence, Chen Yuan said no more. He left about twenty people to guard Yangshan Prefecture and led the remaining White Tiger Guards toward Lujiang Prefecture, where the White Tiger Hall’s Main Hall was located.

When they arrived before the gates of the Main Hall, the area was already teeming with a dense crowd of White Tiger Guards.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan, some of the Inspectors and Guardian Envoys proactively greeted him, regardless of their prior relationship.

They could all see that Chen Yuan’s future was truly limitless.

Chen Yuan had just made a trip to Qin Province and, incredibly, made a huge name for himself there, seizing the Divine Artifact Fragment, the Seven Kills Stele. He was now ranked thirteenth on the Hidden Dragon Rankings and looked to be on the verge of breaking into the top ten.

After all, those ranked in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings were the top prodigies of their generation, and nearly every one of them came from an extraordinary background.

Due to their weaker foundations, not a single prodigy from the Seven Alliances of the World had managed to enter the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Rankings in all these years.

If Chen Yuan could break into the top ten, he wouldn’t just be bringing glory to the Zhenwu Hall; more accurately, he’d be bringing glory to the entire Seven Alliances of the World.

"Lord Chen, you’ve finally returned!"

Seeing Chen Yuan’s return, Yu Yousong was both excited and ashamed.

"This old man failed to defend Kaiping Prefecture. I have let you down, my lord."

Kaiping Prefecture was the prefecture hit hardest by the Hu Yan Tribe’s assault. The majority of its territory had been occupied, the Prefecture City itself had fallen, and Yu Yousong had been injured in the fighting.

"The enemy attack was too sudden, and they had the Ten Thousand Demon Sect backing them. The blame for the loss does not lie with you, Elder Yu. You needn’t dwell on it."

Chen Yuan offered a few words of comfort to Yu Yousong before following the other Inspectors and Guardian Envoys into the Main Hall’s Council Hall.

The Council Hall was already crowded. Three figures were seated in the seats of honor at the head of the hall.

Feng Wushang was in the center. To his left sat a man in his fifties dressed in the Profound Armor of the Celestial Martial Guard, his expression solemn and chilling.

To his right was a man in his early forties, clad in the crimson Battle Armor of the Po Jun Guard. He had a sharp, fierce look about him, tinged with a hint of untamable arrogance.

Yu Yousong whispered at his side, "The one on the left is Li Tiancheng, Commander of the Celestial Martial Guard. He’s considered a protégé of the Grand Commandant and originally served in his Personal Guard.

The one on the right is Yang Yanxing, Commander of the Army-breaking Guard. He’s the sworn brother of the late ’Breaking Army Divine General’ Xie Wenyan. He followed Xie Wenyan from the very beginning, charging into the fray with peerless valor."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly.

With experts from both the Celestial Martial Guard and the Po Jun Guard dispatched, it seemed the Main Hall was taking the White Tiger Hall’s situation quite seriously.

"So, Chen Jiutian is back? You certainly reaped quite a few benefits on your little trip. I hear you even got your hands on a Divine Weapon Fragment.

But while you were away, our White Tiger Hall suffered disastrous losses, with countless dead and wounded!"

Feng Wushang’s lip twitched as he looked at Chen Yuan, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

At that moment, he felt more than just displeasure toward Chen Yuan; it was outright jealousy!

’How does all the good fortune fall into this Chen Jiutian’s lap?’

’A single trip to Qin Province, and he comes back with a Divine Weapon Fragment and a Celestial Soldier. That’s an astonishing stroke of luck!’

’Even if it’s just a fragment, it’s still part of a Divine Weapon.’

’In his entire life, the closest he, Feng Wushang, had ever gotten was seeing Chao Hongtu use the Divine Soldier ’Divine King’s Array-Breaking Technique’ up close, but he never even had the chance to touch it.’

’And now this Chen Jiutian already has a Divine Weapon Fragment in his possession. How could anyone not be consumed with jealousy?’

’And what’s more, he, Feng Wushang, the Hall Master of the White Tiger Hall, was still using an Earth Soldier, while Chen Jiutian, a mere Inspector, was already wielding a Celestial Soldier! It was preposterous!’

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and replied coolly, "What do you mean by that, Hall Master? Are you suggesting all of this happened because I wasn’t present in the White Tiger Hall?

I am the Inspector of Yangshan Prefecture, and Yangshan has not been breached by the Hu Yan Tribe. My subordinates have not suffered any losses whatsoever.

Or does the Hall Master believe that the White Tiger Hall suffered such great losses simply because I was gone?

I never realized I was so indispensable."

Feng Wushang’s expression darkened instantly.

He had subconsciously blamed Chen Yuan for the loss of Kaiping Prefecture, forgetting that Chen Yuan’s official post was Inspector of Yangshan Prefecture. The losses in other prefecture cities had nothing to do with him.

Xu Feizhou, standing right behind Feng Wushang, heard this and immediately roared, "Chen Jiutian! Don’t forget your place! How dare you talk back to the Hall Master? Do you really think that just because you’ve made a name for yourself outside, you can return to the Zhenwu Hall and disregard all hierarchy?"

"And who the hell are you to lecture me about hierarchy?"

Chen Yuan shot him a look, and the killing intent condensed in his eyes was like a sharp blade, causing Xu Feizhou’s face to turn pale instantly.

Now in control of two Seven Kills Stele Fragments, the killing intent emanating from Chen Yuan was astonishingly potent.

The sheer force of that single glance made Xu Feizhou’s heart pound wildly and his face flush.

He even felt as if Chen Yuan might erupt at any second and cut him down with a single slash.

Seeing this, Feng Wushang snorted coldly, shattering the oppressive killing intent.

To the side, Commander Li Tiancheng of the Celestial Martial Guard folded his arms, watching the commotion in the White Tiger Hall with a smirk, as if enjoying a good show.

’Feng Wushang has really gotten old,’ he thought. ’A washed-up old fool. He can’t even control his own Inspector.’

’And from the looks of the other Inspectors, none of them seem surprised. This clearly isn’t the first time this has happened.’

’A good-for-nothing like that, with no strength and no ability... it’s really time for him to retire.’

Just as Feng Wushang was glaring at Chen Yuan, about to say something else, the Commander of the Army-breaking Guard, Yang Yanxing, suddenly let out a heavy cough.

"Master Feng," he said, "the Hu Yan Tribe and the Ten Thousand Demon Sect are pressing their attack. Your White Tiger Hall has already lost several cities, and you still have the mind to waste time on this?

The Grand Commandant sent the Celestial Martial Guard and the Po Jun Guard to support you, not to listen to you lecture your subordinates!"