Chapter 57: The Commandant Himself

Giddyap, giddyap, giddyap…

On a hill outside Jianning City, a helmeted horse’s head suddenly appeared, followed immediately by a heavily armored cavalry soldier whose only visible feature was a pair of eyes. One, two… more and more cavalry soldiers emerged behind him, a dark mass that stretched as far as the eye could see. All were clad in heavy armor, brandishing sharp scimitars, silent, emanating a heavy, murderous aura.

The lead cavalry soldier was tall and burly. The black heavy armor he wore weighed at least several hundred pounds—hard, ice-cold, shimmering with a black gleam, giving off a pressure as immense as a mountain. He raised his right hand, and the thundering cavalry behind him reined in their horses in unison, obeying the command as if it were an unshakeable mountain.

Jianning Commandant!

After receiving the carrier pigeon message, Jianning Commandant, who had been fighting barbarians on the front lines, immediately led a squad of personal guards and galloped back at full speed.

“Report…”

A scout rode swiftly forward on a fast horse. Before his words even finished, he suddenly reined in his panting steed, leapt from the saddle, and landed on one knee before the imposing Jianning Commandant. “Sir, the southern camp only has a few hundred crossbowmen left! The rest of the garrison has already marched into Jianning City!”

“What about my son?” Jianning Commandant’s voice was hoarse as he sat astride his tall horse, his eyes growing colder.

“According to the military physician, the young master’s spine is shattered, and he has been poisoned. Though he is conscious, he has lost all sensation in his body. I’m afraid… I’m afraid…” The scout lowered his head and fell silent, not daring to continue.

“Mu Manor disciple, Mu Feng…”

Jianning Commandant’s breathing grew heavy as he struggled to suppress his rage. He sharply dug his heels into his horse’s flanks and charged down the high hill on his massive steed. Behind him, his battle-hardened personal guards followed closely, heading straight for the crowded city gate.

“The Com…mandant… has returned! Make way…!”

“Everyone, move aside! Anyone who disobeys will be killed!”

…

From afar, the cavalry shouted and yelled as they spurred their horses onward. At the city gate, the people waiting in a long, snaking line to enter scattered in panic to both sides. A few elderly individuals, too slow to turn, were suddenly sent flying by the galloping horses.

Seeing their murderous intent, not only the commoners waiting to enter but even the soldiers guarding the gate scattered in fear, dropping their weapons and armor as they fled to the sides.

“Strange, wasn’t the Commandant fighting in the Southern Borderlands? Why has he returned so suddenly?”

“Nonsense, are you really clueless or just pretending? His only son has been crippled—who could just sit back and do nothing?”

“This is bad. Mu Feng, that Jianning First Scholar, is incredibly talented and has a limitless future. But now he has no power or influence. How can he face this pack of wolves?”

…

Watching the heavily armored cavalry sweep past, raising clouds of dust, people murmured anxiously.

For thousands of years, Jianning had finally produced a scholar of extraordinary talent. But it seemed that before he could even attain high office and show the world his true abilities, he might die with bitter regret!

With the Commandant’s rage, the whole city trembled!

As a frontier military commander, Jianning Commandant was undoubtedly the local despot. His only son had been publicly crippled—who could quell his fury?

Sensing the danger, many quickly left, shutting their doors and windows, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

After stopping briefly at Shangling Terrace and learning that Mu Feng had already left, Jianning Commandant and his group rushed away, heading straight for Mu Manor in the eastern part of the city. Among them, besides a weeping beautiful woman, was the villainous Lin Zhengde, lying motionless inside a carriage. The group, radiating overwhelming murderous intent, sped toward Mu Manor.

Deep within Mu Manor, while chaos reigned outside, Mu Qingyuan was kneeling outside a secret chamber, wailing loudly.

“Grandfather, I’ve suffered so much, beaten so badly…”

Touching the wound over his left eye, the once-arrogant Mu Qingyuan now resembled a pitiful, helpless young girl who had been humiliated.

An eye—just like that, gone forever, making him a one-eyed man. How could someone who had always considered himself dashing and handsome bear this?

Silence!

There was no response from within the secret chamber. The Elder of Inheritance, who was in secluded cultivation, seemed to be Soul Roaming a Thousand Miles, oblivious to Mu Qingyuan’s pleas.

“Grandfather, I’ve suffered so much… Mu Feng, that villain, punched my eye out!” Mu Qingyuan wept, tears streaming down his face. “Grandfather, I’ve been bullied like this, and you won’t even intervene? What about Chuangong Hall? Must it wait until it’s torn down before you emerge?”

Mu Qingyuan wailed and begged bitterly, without a trace of his former elegance. Now, to him, money, status, power, and women meant nothing. Only hatred remained—a deep, burning hatred for Mu Feng. He swore he would not rest until Mu Feng was dead. For this, he had broken through all barriers to kneel outside his grandfather’s secret chamber, pleading desperately.

“Sigh…”

After a long while, perhaps out of pity or annoyance at the disturbance, a sigh finally came from within the chamber. The Elder of Inheritance, still in seclusion, coldly said, “If your skill falls short, blame no one else. Qingyuan, you have disappointed me. Greatly disappointed. You… step back now.”

“No… Grandfather, I can’t accept this! Are you just going to stand by and watch me be bullied like this?” Mu Qingyuan cried out despairingly, his heart shattered. If even his grandfather refused to help, who could avenge this Blood Sea enmity? In desperation, he crawled forward on his knees and banged his head fiercely against the heavy stone door of the secret chamber. “Open the door, Grandfather, open it! If you don’t open it, I’ll smash my head right here and die!”

“Here is a Messaging Talisman. Go find your older brother, Mu Tie.”

From within the chamber came another long sigh, followed by deathly silence. Outside, the air twisted and shimmered, and then a talisman appeared before Mu Qingyuan.

A Messaging Talisman?

Mu Qingyuan’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope for revenge amidst his despair.

By crushing the crystal-clear Messaging Talisman, he could instantly notify someone even millions of miles away. As the Chief Transmission Disciple, his brother Mu Tie’s cultivation was hundreds of times stronger than his own. Though the brothers had never gotten along, if he was bullied to this extent, even if Grandfather said nothing, Mu Tie would not let it slide. If Mu Tie took action personally, he could probably crush Mu Feng with just one finger!

“Young Master, Young Master…”

Just as Mu Qingyuan was lost in thought, a Personal Guard rushed in, panicked. “Second Young Master, something terrible has happened! Jianning Commandant has charged in with a squad of heavy cavalry and killed all the guards at the gate. Run, run quickly!”

Jianning Commandant?

Mu Qingyuan was startled, then burst into laughter. “Get out! What do you mean, something terrible? This is clearly excellent news! That brat Mu Feng is finally done for. Hahaha, with Jianning Commandant personally storming in, let’s see how he dies this time! What are you staring at? Hurry up and lead the way for them!”

After the initial shock, Mu Qingyuan couldn’t help but laugh heartily. He picked up the Messaging Talisman from the ground, turned, and strode off.

He had been wondering how to get his revenge, and now, unexpectedly, the opportunity had come so quickly. Overjoyed, he ran faster and faster, afraid he might be too late to witness Mu Feng’s agony and struggle in his final moments!