Chapter 1 The Battlefield

Outside the fortress, the lake's surface was dotted with corpses, scattered flags covering the water.

A great battle had just taken place, with both sides suffering losses, leaving the field a complete mess.

Lu Longchuan's armor was stained with fresh blood. He removed his helmet, shook his sweat-soaked hair, and exhaled wearily, utterly exhausted.

This battle had dragged on, leaving him feeling as though he were trapped in quicksand, unable to advance or retreat. He wondered when he would see a turning point.

Without eliminating Chen Feng, the chances of victory were slim. Yu Feng Zhenren (Master Yu Feng) could only force back his opponent but couldn't single-handedly kill the enemy.

Lu Longchuan couldn't help but think of the plan mentioned in the "Imperial Secret Letter": using the lives of the commanders as bait to set an ambush, trapping Chen Feng in a deadly situation...

"This is a villain's trick, how can we fall for it?"

He quickly shook his head, dispelling the thought that had just arisen.

Lu Longchuan, protected by his personal guards, made his way down the city wall. He looked back at the commanders directing their troops to clean up the battlefield, his brow furrowed.

He couldn't fail to notice the subtle changes in the commanders' attitudes, but the cracks had already formed and were difficult to repair. Even though he had interrogated the imperial messenger, who claimed to know nothing, he couldn't dispel the suspicions of some.

With disunity among his subordinates, the hope of defeating Dragon King Fort through military tactics in marching and battle was now slim. He could only think of a way to pull off an unexpected move. This battle still required the Zhenren's assistance.

Lu Longchuan's eyes hardened. He decided to visit Yu Feng Zhenren later to discuss a plan.

However, just as he reached the central army tent, a messenger rushed over in a panic.

"Report! Something terrible has happened! Someone is plotting to harm the Zhenren. The Zhenren specifically ordered me to seek out the commander to speak with him!"

"What?!"

Lu Longchuan was shocked and hurried towards Yu Feng Zhenren's residence, arriving quickly.

The place was already surrounded by Tianji Sect disciples, who wouldn't yield even when they saw him, the commander. Their faces were filled with righteous indignation.

"Commander Lu! My master has repeatedly helped you, yet you poisoned his food! What is the meaning of this?!"

A disciple angrily shouted.

Lu Longchuan said anxiously, "I know nothing of this matter. I will investigate it thoroughly. How is the Zhenren now?"

"Fortunately, our master's Xuan Gong (mysterious skill) is extraordinary and can suppress the poison. He is not seriously injured and is now meditating to circulate his energy."

"It's good that the Zhenren is alright." Lu Longchuan breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

If this favorite of the emperor were to die here from poisoning, then he might as well give up and go back to his old job. He wouldn't have a good ending anyway.

"The Zhenren invited me to speak with him. Please announce my arrival."

Lu Longchuan said quickly.

The Tianji Sect disciple glared at him but still went into the tent to deliver the message. After a short while, he came out and signaled for him to enter.

Lu Longchuan hurriedly entered the tent and immediately saw Yu Feng Zhenren sitting cross-legged on the couch, his brows tightly furrowed, his whole body steaming with white vapor, and the food scattered on the ground.

"Commander Lu, you've arrived."

Zhou Jing retracted his power, opened his eyes, and spoke.

"Zhenren, what exactly is going on?" Lu Longchuan asked anxiously.

Zhou Jing exhaled and slowly said,

"Not long ago, your soldiers delivered food as usual. This poor Taoist didn't suspect anything and took a few bites before realizing something was wrong. Someone had poisoned the food. This poison is colorless and odorless, making it difficult to detect. Its medicinal properties are extremely potent. If an ordinary person were to consume it, they would probably bleed from all seven orifices and die in an instant. However, this poor Taoist has used all his power to suppress the poison, so there is no danger to my life."

"It's good that the Zhenren is alright." Lu Longchuan breathed a sigh of relief, then angrily said, "This must be the work of spies in the army. Zhenren, please take care. I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find the culprit."

Zhou Jing nodded, then shook his head and said,

"This matter is entrusted to Commander Lu. However, this poor Taoist has asked you here to tell you something else... This poison is fierce. Although this poor Taoist is skilled in alchemy, I have not studied the way of poison. I can only slowly clear it. During this time, I may not be able to use my power to fight the enemy. If Chen Feng comes again, I will be powerless."

He planned to pretend to be poisoned, using it as a ploy to withdraw from the war. Using the excuse that he knew alchemy but wasn't skilled in poison, whether true or false, was a great advantage to the imperial court.

Moreover, even if he had the power to summon wind and rain, he would still be controlled by poison like ordinary people. This would reassure the emperor and his ministers even more. He hoped that the secret enemy would really think this trick worked and continue to use poison against him in the future.

As for how long he couldn't take action... he reserved the right of final interpretation.

"Ah? This..."

Lu Longchuan's heart trembled, and he immediately panicked.

Without Yu Feng Zhenren to restrain Chen Feng, not to mention the opponent's strength in destroying cities and strongholds, the morale of his own army would inevitably waver.

These days, Chen Feng and the Zhenren had fought, each time in a shocking manner, which had already frightened the soldiers and made them unable to muster the courage to fight him.

For a moment, Lu Longchuan was so furious with the internal traitor who poisoned him that he wanted to cut him into pieces.

At this moment, Zhou Jing closed his eyes again and said,

"This poor Taoist has done all that I can. Commander Lu, please leave. Allow this poor Taoist to adjust my breathing and focus on expelling the poison."

Seeing this, Lu Longchuan had no choice but to take his leave.

Leaving the camp, he could no longer suppress his anger. He immediately ordered all the soldiers who cooked in the kitchen to be controlled, and the people who delivered the food were also arrested and interrogated.

It wasn't difficult to investigate this matter. Soon, the people who had handled the Zhenren's food were screened out. After carefully interrogating them several times, someone finally couldn't withstand the torture and confessed.

It turned out that before the expedition, someone had privately bribed the logistics soldiers with money, gave them poison, and asked them to harm the Zhenren secretly.

The lackeys couldn't be said to be loyal. When they were offered money they couldn't earn in a lifetime, they naturally didn't want to refuse, so they did things for others.

As for the mastermind behind the scenes, they hadn't stayed long enough to reveal their origins to the lackeys, so their identity was unknown.

But being able to do things in that time frame was obviously impossible for Dragon King Fort. Lu Longchuan knew with his ass that this was mostly done by people in the imperial court.

In order to avoid military unrest, Lu Longchuan wanted to suppress this matter and say that Dragon King Fort had poisoned him.

However, the Tianji Sect disciples didn't belong to his command and spread the truth everywhere, fighting for justice for their master.

Before long, the commanders also learned that someone in the imperial court had bribed soldiers to harm the Zhenren. First, they were shocked, and then they were furious.

--We are fighting and risking our lives on the front line, but the lords in the rear want to take this opportunity to eliminate dissidents, and they don't care whether it will affect the war! Such selfish people who disregard the overall situation are truly traitors of the country, and their faces are extremely hateful!

But being angry was one thing, but as bandits who had been recruited, they couldn't do anything about those lords who were taking the opportunity to fight for power. The commanders all felt a sense of powerlessness.

And when they learned that Yu Feng Zhenren had to suppress the poison and couldn't take action for a while, the commanders were all panic-stricken, and the morale of the three armies wavered.

In fact, even if Lu Longchuan wanted to hide it, he couldn't hide it at all.

Because the next day, Dragon King Fort attacked again, and Chen Feng invited him to fight in front of the battle. Yu Feng Zhenren changed his past behavior and chose to avoid the fight.

Seeing that no one came out to fight, Chen Feng didn't hold back and directly led his troops to attack.

On this day, the Heavenly King Fort soldiers finally experienced Chen Feng's terror firsthand.

Even with fortifications to protect them, they were destroyed by the opponent's great spear as easily as crushing dead weeds. They were as fragile as rotten wood and clay sculptures.

Seeing the opponent charging back and forth in the midst of thousands of troops, unstoppable, the Heavenly King Fort's already scattered morale collapsed even more directly.

The stalemate situation quickly took a turn for the worse. The Heavenly King Fort was defeated like a landslide, retreating step by step, and had to move around the Huyang area, being chased and killed like dogs, exhausted.

The Heavenly King Fort's huge military force was like a plate of loose sand, collapsing step by step under Chen Feng's unstoppable charge.

……

At the same time, the capital city, Ziji Hall.

It was another morning court session, and the ministers were discussing another request for help written by Lu Longchuan some time ago.

"Your Majesty, Lu Longchuan is forced to take a defensive position, and the bandit suppression campaign is difficult to continue. The imperial court should quickly send troops to support him."

Pang Hong bowed, his tone solemn.

A minister said with a smile, "Oh, Grand Secretary Pang is overthinking it. Lu Longchuan is deadlocked with Dragon King Fort, which is good for killing more bandits. When they are almost dead, we will send troops. This is the way to reap the benefits of a fisherman. Why act rashly?"

Pang Hong said in a deep voice, "Opportunities are fleeting. If we wait for Lu Longchuan to retreat before sending troops, the enemy's momentum will be like a rainbow. How can we win then?"

"Grand Secretary Pang, don't exaggerate. Lu Longchuan has at least hundreds of thousands of troops under his command. How can he be easily defeated?" Another minister didn't think so.

The emperor nodded and slowly said, "Ministers, you all have your reasons, but I have sent True Person Shenxiao Fengling (Divine Firmament Wind Spirit) to assist him. I think Lu Longchuan can still hold on for a long time. Now is not the time to send troops."

He also wanted to continue to watch from the sidelines, waiting for both sides to suffer heavy losses before picking the peaches.

Of course, he would be even happier if the Heavenly King Fort could directly pacify Huyang, which would save a lot of military expenses.

The ministers agreed, all thinking that this plan was safe and profitable, and still waiting for both sides to suffer.

Pang Hong sighed helplessly and had to remain silent.

The Left Prime Minister, Lu Wenzong, said with a smile, changing the subject:

"Speaking of which, True Person Shenxiao Fengling is truly a strange and extraordinary person. According to the reports from the front line, his spells and supernatural powers can change the color of the world and make tornadoes soar into the sky. He is evenly matched with Chen Feng. Your Majesty is wise and martial, attracting immortal masters to serve, which is truly a blessing for the country."

When the emperor heard this, he smiled and stroked his beard, seemingly enjoying it.

But in his heart, he actually had a little more fear. The performance of Yu Feng Zhenren on the front line was too shocking. It was really scary.

The way of checks and balances emphasizes restraint and balance. The emperor now didn't know what things he could use to restrain Yu Feng Zhenren. The people of the Department of Heavenly Affairs seemed to be no match for Yu Feng Zhenren.

The ministers didn't discuss the battle of Huyang too much and planned to continue to wait and see. Court was adjourned quickly that day.

Ning Zhongjun returned to the Department of Heavenly Affairs and closed the door with Yin Nan to conspire.

"I wonder what the current situation is. Has the Heavenly King Fort lackey we bought already attacked Ling Fengzi?"

Yin Nan muttered in a low voice.

Ning Zhongjun pondered: "Judging from the time, it should be about the same. It would be best to directly poison Ling Fengzi to death."

"...Ling Fengzi is proficient in alchemy. Will he really be tricked?" Yin Nan was a little skeptical.

Ning Zhongjun raised his eyebrows and smiled:

"The Nine-Insect Heart-Piercing Sand is my secret. It was originally a partial prescription obtained by one of the hall masters outside, derived from Xiqiang witchcraft. After generations of improvement, it is even more hidden, colorless and odorless. Even if a silver needle is used to detect it, it cannot be measured. Only after eating it will you know that you are poisoned. It can make people's hearts and bodies invert, and their eyeballs explode, and they will die on the spot... Unless that Ling Fengzi is immune to all poisons, it is absolutely impossible for him to be unscathed."

"Our sect has such a poisonous thing?" Yin Nan was surprised. Even he, a high-level member of the sect, had never heard of it.

"This prescription is too evil, so the ancestors of our sect rarely used it. This time, in order to eliminate a great enemy, I made an exception."

Ning Zhongjun nodded, paused, and continued:

"Even if that Ling Fengzi is not poisoned to death, he will probably suffer a great loss of vitality. I have sent out secular disciples who are hidden around the Huyang area. No matter how the war goes, as long as there is an opportunity, they will kill him while masked. If there is no opportunity, they will wait and see... In short, this time, we must let that Ling Fengzi die on the road and never allow him to return alive after making contributions!"