Chapter Twelve: Arrival in the Northern Wilds!
Chong Houhu was shivering slightly. The aura emanating from Jiang Yuan at this moment was simply terrifying.
Jiang Yuan merely sneered coldly in his heart at Chong Houhu’s demeanor.
“Speak! Why are you silent now? Don’t say later that I didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself!”
Trembling, Chong Houhu explained, “Your Majesty, I believe that the current rebellion of the demon tribe is not yet on a large scale. It must be instigated by some villain behind the scenes. That is why I held back my troops, hoping to lure out the mastermind behind the demon tribe’s uprising... May Your Majesty see the truth!”
“The truth? Hmph! Then tell me, who is this mastermind behind the demon tribe’s rebellion?” Jiang Yuan looked at Chong Houhu with a calm expression.
Chong Heihu, standing to the side, didn’t dare utter a word. When did the King ever possess such a terrifying presence?
“Ji Meng! It’s the great demon Ji Meng! Your Majesty, the one behind this rebellion is none other than Ji Meng, the great demon!” Chong Houhu declared loudly.
“After causing such losses to my people, you tell me you merely uncovered Ji Meng? Do you really think I’m that easy to deceive?! Do you take me for a blind man? Hmm?” Jiang Yuan pressed relentlessly.
He was forcing Chong Houhu to utter that name, leaving him no path but to remain loyal to the Shang Dynasty—there would be no turning back.
Chong Houhu seemed to realize this as well, and his heart was filled with terror. Both sides were powers he could not afford to offend!
On one hand, the Human Emperor blessed by the fortune of heaven and earth; on the other, a Sage who had attained sanctity—he was in an impossible dilemma.
But the King was right in front of him now. In the past, he might have muddled his way through, but the King now exuded the same awe-inspiring presence he had when first crowned.
Behind him stood Yin Jiao and Zhang Kui, both stronger than he. With the King displaying such violent emotion, if his answer failed to satisfy, he would almost certainly die on the spot!
“Your Majesty, according to my inference, the one behind Ji Meng... might be Sage Nuwa.” In the end, Chong Houhu uttered these words.
He couldn’t help it—he feared for his life!
Jiang Yuan’s expression did not soften in the slightest. If anything, his aura only grew more oppressive as he spoke coldly, “A Sage? You call such a demoness, who seeks to plunge my Shang into chaos, a Sage?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, I am but a mortal and dare not speak the Sage’s name directly. Your Majesty is blessed by the mandate of heaven and may speak freely, but I ask you to understand my predicament.” Chong Houhu was nearly driven mad by Jiang Yuan’s relentless questioning.
Now, he truly had no escape—he could only serve the Shang Dynasty with all his heart!
Seeing Chong Houhu’s wretched state, Jiang Yuan finally allowed his expression to ease a little and asked indifferently, “How many troops did I command you to prepare?”
“Your Majesty, it was fifty thousand,” Chong Houhu replied, seeing the King’s expression relax and feeling some relief himself.
Yet Jiang Yuan’s next words quickly unsettled him again.
“Fifty thousand? Did I say fifty thousand?”
A trace of helplessness rose in Chong Houhu’s heart—there was no playing dumb. The King was clearly dissatisfied with a mere fifty thousand troops.
“I misspoke, Your Majesty. It was one hundred thousand.”
Seeing Chong Houhu’s quick understanding, Jiang Yuan stopped pressing him and smiled faintly, “Then is the Northern Marquis ready?”
“We can set out any day—just awaiting your command!” Chong Houhu declared resolutely.
“There’s no time like the present. Gather your forces immediately. Today, I shall personally quell the demon rebellion!” Jiang Yuan proclaimed, his aura overwhelming.
Behind him, Huang Feihu and Zhang Kui were spirited and elated—this was the king worthy of their loyalty!
The Chong brothers were indeed efficient; in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a hundred thousand troops had assembled.
Jiang Yuan stood atop the city wall of Chong City. Gazing upon the sea of black-armored soldiers that loomed like storm clouds over the city, he thought, So this is the cold gleam of iron—nothing more!
A surge of heroic pride filled his chest. A smile tugged at his lips as he called out loudly, “Do you recognize your king?”
“The King is the Human Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Nine Provinces!”
As if rehearsed, all the soldiers shouted this in unison.
“Now the Northern Barbarians’ demon tribe rebels and brings disaster—what should our human race do?” Jiang Yuan demanded in a stern voice.
“Kill!!!” the soldiers roared in perfect unison.
“Excellent. All soldiers, march with me to exterminate the demons!” Jiang Yuan commanded.
The Violet Jade Qilin soared into the air, hovering above the hundred thousand troops.
Jiang Yuan, holding Daji in his arms, simply smiled, saying nothing.
Huang Feihu and Zhang Kui rode up on their own mounts to flank Jiang Yuan, while the Chong brothers commanded the army below.
“Today, Your Majesty’s might is truly extraordinary—you make me admire you all the more,” Daji murmured shyly in Jiang Yuan’s embrace.
“Naturally,” Jiang Yuan replied, not bothering to hide his arrogance.
Zhang Kui, however, spoke up, “Your Majesty is the Human Emperor and the heart of Shang. On the battlefield, you need not fight in person—let us generals do the killing.”
Jiang Yuan frowned, displeased. “If I don’t fight personally, how can it be called leading the army in person?”
“But, Your Majesty, your life is beyond value. This really isn’t appropriate,” Zhang Kui hesitated.
Jiang Yuan waved it off indifferently. “Nonsense—my mind is made up. Besides, with a mighty general like you by my side, what danger could there be?”
Hearing this, Zhang Kui held his tongue. Against ordinary demons, he was invincible.
But the danger lay in the unpredictable Ji Meng. If Ji Meng chose to disregard the consequences and attack the Human Emperor...
How could he stop him? Ji Meng was at least at the Golden Immortal level, while he himself was only a perfected True Immortal. How could he protect the King?
The smallest miscalculation could lead to disaster.
Yet, seeing the King’s current spirit, Zhang Kui said no more. He had heard back in Mianchi County that the King was decadent and negligent of state affairs.
He had been worried for a long time. Nearly a Golden Immortal himself, he could sense that Shang was on the verge of collapse, its fortune spent.
All because the King was losing the people’s trust. Now, with the King finally regaining his ambition, Zhang Kui was determined—he would never let decay set in again.
Even in death, he would protect the King!
Jiang Yuan had no idea what was going through Zhang Kui’s mind. After all, he had a resurrection token—what harm was there in dying once?
The battle had to be fought; otherwise, how would he gain Tyrant Points?
The hundred thousand strong marched rapidly. Before long, they arrived at a stretch of ochre-red, barren land—utterly desolate, with only a few wild beasts and birds.
Farther ahead, a dense primeval forest could be seen.
At this point, Chong Houhu halted and approached Jiang Yuan respectfully. “Your Majesty, this is the territory of the Northern Barbarians. The demon tribe has heard you are coming and ceased all disturbances.”
Jiang Yuan had not the slightest intention of showing mercy to the demon tribe. Raising his sword, he pointed it toward the Northern Barbarians and shouted, “Kill!”