Chapter 237 - The Palace Master’s Plan
“A Great Dragon! It’s actually a Great Dragon!”
“To think he has a Great Dragon as one of his castes!”
“Such devastation! This Lightning Great Dragon is terrifying beyond words!”
Everyone stared at Han Wu with a mixture of fear and awe. They had expected Luo Wulei to dominate Han Wu, but now their eyes were fixed on Han Wu with reverence. This was the kind of treatment only the truly powerful could command.
Qin Shuang admired Han Wu’s imposing Great Dragon form so much that her love for him grew stronger. This was the man she had chosen—a powerful figure who dominated all around him.
After effortlessly defeating Luo Wulei, Han Wu sneered, reverted to his human form, and led Qin Shuang away from the banquet. No one dared to stand in their path.
The deputy general who had dared to provoke Han Wu moments before collapsed to his knees, trembling with fear. He prayed Han Wu would forget this slight and spare him any future revenge. When he glanced at Luo Wulei’s charred, lightning-scorched body, he nearly fainted. He wanted to slap himself for foolishly provoking such a foe without cause.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the palace, Tang Xiaohu had just received the report about Han Wu and Qin Shuang. His flabby cheeks twitched as he read it. “Those two bastards are actually the guests my father invited to deal with the corpses!”
He knew better than anyone that he could bully anyone in the palace except for his father. The Palace Master was the one person he couldn’t afford to cross. Since his father had personally invited the two, Tang Xiaohu knew he had to back off. He wasn’t about to risk his father’s wrath over a petty grudge.
After brooding over it for a long while, he let out a reluctant sigh. “Damn, you’re lucky this time. I’ll let you go for now.”
What he didn’t realize was that this decision had just saved his life.
In a quiet house nearby, the Palace Master was sorting through documents related to palace affairs. A subordinate had delivered two reports to him moments ago. As he opened them, his expression darkened. The first one detailed Tang Xiaohu’s little excursion outside that day and his harassment of the ladies. It also recorded how Tang Xiaohu had tried to attack Han Wu and Qin Shuang.
“That foolish boy! He’s utterly useless!” The Palace Master’s anger burned so fiercely he nearly wished to kill his own son for his countless sins. Yet, Tang Xiaohu was his only heir. If he killed him now, the Tang lineage would end with him.
He had no choice but to swallow his frustration and keep it locked inside. Though he could not execute his son, he still held the power to punish him. “Someone, come here. Seal off the house of that stupid boy. Imprison him for three months.”
His subordinates nodded and rushed to carry out the order. Before they could leave, the Palace Master opened the second report and saw it concerned Han Wu as well. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he read the details.
Han Wu had transformed into a lightning-based Great Dragon during Luo Wulei’s banquet and inflicted serious injuries. The Palace Master trusted the men who filed this report. That meant Han Wu had held back earlier that morning when Tang Xiaohu dared to attack them.
To prevent further disasters and stop his son from lashing out at Han Wu again in frustration, he changed his orders. “Wait, hold. Stop. Come back.”
The men halted and hurried back. “Palace Master, what are your orders?”
“Seal off his house for six— No. One year!”
Even that didn’t ease his worry. He stood up and paced toward Tang Xiaohu’s house, muttering to himself. “No... One year isn’t enough. I need to break his legs. That will teach him.”
That night, Tang Xiaohu’s agonized howls never ceased.
...
The next day, Han Wu received the Palace Master’s summons.
Qin Shuang’s expression tensed with worry. “Han Wu, they’re calling for you because of what happened yesterday. If they’re trying to pin this on us, we should leave. Let’s see who dares to stop us.”
Han Wu chuckled. “No. If they planned to frame me, they would’ve done it last night instead of waiting until now.”
Qin Shuang nodded. “You’re right. Still, we need to be cautious. If anything seems off, tell me right away. I’ll back you up.”
Han Wu patted her head. “Alright.”
He then made his way to the palace. The moment he stepped inside, he saw that every official had already gathered. The atmosphere was heavy. This wasn’t just a routine summons—it was serious.
Soon, the Palace Master appeared and opened the meeting. “Everyone, I have called you here to discuss the palace’s current situation. Today, I received a letter from the Thunderfire General. It says he injured himself yesterday while drunk and needs time to recover. But the monsters outside continue their assault. How much longer can our defenses hold without him?”
He sighed and fixed his gaze on Han Wu. Everyone in the room knew the truth. Luo Wulei’s injuries were not the result of drunkenness but from Han Wu’s breath attack. The Palace Master concealed this fact because he needed Han Wu’s strength now more than ever.
Silence fell over the room as all eyes turned to Han Wu, waiting for his response. It was clear they expected him to rise to the occasion.
Han Wu cleared his throat. “Hm... I’m not sure if—”
Before he could finish, the Palace Master stepped forward and took his hand. “I have faith you can do this.”
Han Wu was rendered speechless. I haven’t even said anything! Nevermind, it’s too late for that.
The Palace Master then directed him toward the front line where they battled the mutated beasts. Han Wu was assigned to defend the most dangerous sector, the one Luo Wulei usually guarded. Now that burden had fallen on him, and he didn’t take it lightly.
He summoned his skeleton army and prepared to hold the line. During the fight, he discovered he could now summon skeletons from the mutated beasts’ corpses. Without hesitation, he commanded his skeletal forces to raise as many as possible.
That was how the skeleton army launched their infamous warfare strategy once again. At first, only 10,000 marched under his command, but soon their ranks swelled to 20,000, then 30,000, and finally 50,000. In just three days, the army had grown to a staggering 100,000. What had once been the most dangerous area quickly became the safest on the entire battlefield.
Many officials finally recognized the true power of Han Wu’s army and sought ways to claim the skeletons for themselves. They couldn’t pick new castes for themselves, but they could pass them down to their descendants to nurture and cultivate. They believed such a unique army should not remain hidden from others.
Sadly, Han Wu saw through their intentions and refused to share. His reason was simple: they were not fit to command the skeletons!