The Demon Lords

Chapter 481 7: Castle Guard_1

"That's good. We are going to Jin State next, right? If we are assigned to a city bordering the north of Jin State as city guards, it will be quite close to the Skybreak Mountain range. With this thing, there might be some opportunities."

Everything seemed too good to be true, as if in a dream.

However, Zheng Fan quickly realized something was wrong.

"Wait, Blind Man, don't seal it yet."

Zheng Fan saw the scene in front of him change. The previous scene of worship had turned into a frenzy of wild people and demonic beasts. It seemed they were in the middle of some war, and it was not an external one.

Because Zheng Fan's current viewpoint was consistent with the memory of the Jade Order's viewpoint. If it were an external war, the holder of the Jade Order should have been rushing towards the enemy with the wild people and demonic beasts. But now, they were charging towards the Jade Order.

One after another, the wild people died in battle, and one after another, the demonic beasts exploded. Around them, a fog of blood filled the air, and howls shook the sky.

The memory image became chaotic at this moment, like an old VCD machine skipping due to disc wear.

「Suddenly, the scene changed again.」

All around, there were still wild people and demonic beasts. However, the number of wild people seemed to have decreased significantly, and they were all wounded. The demonic beasts were also very weak, their horrifying wounds visible everywhere.

They seemed to be praying for something again, but this time, there was no reverence in their voices, only a sense of relief.

Then, the black iron door was lowered, and the vision of the Jade Order fell into darkness.

"My lord?"

"It's fine now. Seal it."

"Alright."

Blind Man stimulated the remaining array on the Jade Order with his spiritual power. The array activated again, forcibly capturing the consciousness of the spirit within the Jade Order.

「The next moment,」

Zheng Fan fell to the ground, returning to reality.

However, to his surprise, perhaps because he hadn't experienced a fight, the physical exhaustion was almost negligible. Other than a little soreness, there was no other discomfort.

Moreover, his mind was not fatigued but rather exceptionally sharp.

The influence of the Jade Order on people was mostly on the spiritual level. Mo Wan had blocked these effects with his own power, so this time, it was the least painful experience Chief Zheng had had since Mo Wan possessed him.

Blind Man held the Jade Order in his hand. The reason this jade pendant was called the Jade Order must be related to the woman carved in the jade. However, it's challenging to gauge the woman's beauty from a piece of jade.

It was only a jade pendant, not as large as a sculpture. Even the most skilled craftsman would find it difficult to carve stunning beauty on such a small surface.

Moreover, Zheng Fan and his companions came from an era when beauty filters on selfie cameras were rampant. When ancient people looked at a painting or a sculpture, their minds would add to it, imagining its spirit and charm. Zheng Fan and his companions, however, would subtract—first removing the face-slimming effect, then the filter, then the skin-smoothing...

Nevertheless, the woman on the Jade Order seemed to have a chubby face. It was quite adorable.

"Blind Man, we might have made a bit of a mistake this time. Luckily, I didn't rush to quit and watched for a while longer; otherwise, I wouldn't even know how I died."

"My lord, what do you mean?"

"This Jade Order might have once been a sacred object of the wild people and demonic beasts of the Skybreak Mountain range. But then, the person holding it might have encountered some problems and was attacked by the wild people and demonic beasts. Finally, the Jade Order was sealed.

The reason it later appeared on Tianhu Mountain was probably because the people of Jin State attacked the wild people many years ago, plundered their temple-like places, and dug this thing out."

Blind Man frowned slightly. He was somewhat disappointed, yet also somewhat relieved.

Otherwise, if they foolishly took this thing to the Skybreak Mountain range to 'make friends'... HISS... Imagine what could have happened.

"Should I give this thing to you for disposal?" Zheng Fan asked.

"Let's seal it for now. With my current strength, attempting to control it would be risky."

The cleverness of a clever person lies in his self-awareness.

Zheng Fan nodded and said, "Then let's put it in Shatuo Queshi's coffin?"

"My lord is wise. This arrangement is very appropriate."

The safest place in Green Willow Fortress was Shatuo Queshi's coffin. Placing this thing there was like asking Shatuo Queshi to guard it. They wouldn't have to worry about thieves at all.

"After being busy all night, I feel like I've wasted my efforts," Zheng Fan lamented.

"My lord, even if this thing can't be used to command wild people and demonic beasts, once your power progresses further and my strength has recovered more, it can have a greater effect in my hands. At the very least, my spiritual strength can be significantly amplified with its help."

"Alright, consider it a treasure I found for you."

The others went to join the cavalry on the outskirts, publicly claiming that the 'thing' had escaped. Meanwhile, they sent men to pass a message to the Spy Bureau agents in Yinlang County. After leaving a few people to guard the bodies, the rest returned directly to Green Willow Fortress.

As soon as Zuo Jiqian had tied up his horse, he saw Blind Man walking towards him.

"Mr. Bei."

"Captain Zuo, could we talk?"

"I'm no longer a captain, Mr. Bei."

"You will be again soon."

"Thank you, Mr. Bei!"

"I have some wine and snacks over there. Let's chat."

"I wouldn't dare refuse!"

Actually, Zheng Fan wasn't particularly fond of such shrewd and perceptive individuals, as they tended to be capricious. Coupled with the fact that Zuo Jiqian bore a striking resemblance to Lv Bu from the classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it was even more disconcerting.

However, there was no other way, as they urgently needed people at the moment. The barbarian soldiers were undoubtedly more loyal, but their inherent limitations were significant. They indeed needed people like Zuo Jiqian to help with the work.

Luckily, Blind Man was in charge of delivering both the carrot and the stick, so Zheng Fan didn't need to worry about it.

Surrounded by a group of Demon Kings, all of whom were individuals with profoundly cunning minds, it was unlikely they would be outmaneuvered. That would indeed be quite shameful.

After instructing Siniang to prepare his bath, Zheng Fan, carrying the Jade Order and some wine and food, went alone to the room where Shatuo Queshi lay.

He pushed the room door open and then closed it.

The room's temperature was noticeably colder than outside, sending an involuntary shiver down Zheng Fan's spine.

Items like coffins and corpses often evoke people's inherent fears. However, when the person lying within is someone familiar, perhaps one wouldn't feel as scared.

After arranging the few small dishes and pouring two cups of wine, Zheng Fan started conversing with Shatuo Queshi.

He chatted about his battles in Qian State, described how the Yan State military had blasted through South Gate and wiped out Jin State's hundred-thousand-strong army, and also talked about how stunning Princess Consort Fu looked…

Shatuo Queshi, of course, could not respond, but he would listen quietly.

Everyone has the desire to pour out their hearts, yet few find a suitable confidant. Some words were inappropriate even to share with Siniang, let alone the other Demon Kings.

As he chatted on, Zheng Fan got up and said,

"In a while, once the imperial edict comes down, we'll be heading to Jin State. You'll be joining us then. To be honest, I feel very assured having you stay here at home. However, I sincerely hope you can wake up someday. If you choose to stay, I'll definitely welcome you. If you decide to go, you're always welcome to come back for visits. Good food and drink will always be on offer. I'm just worried you won't be keen on vegetables after becoming a Zombie, haha."

Having said this, Zheng Fan opened the coffin and placed the Jade Order inside.

Afterwards, Zheng Fan closed the coffin back up.

After cleaning up the dishes and cups, Zheng Fan left the room.

「The next day,」

A man from the Spy Bureau arrived and asked about some matters. Blind Man easily brushed him off. It seemed this incident wouldn't have any follow-ups, or at least, it wouldn't inconvenience Green Willow Fortress any further.

Although Chief Zheng was merely a Commander at the moment, those in the know clearly understood that Zheng Fan's promotion was only a matter of time and would certainly offer him due respect.

Nearly ten calm days passed.

During the day, Zheng Fan would practice martial arts, sometimes with A Ming, sometimes with Xue Three, and other times with Liang Cheng. It was like choosing a consort; he had all sorts of training partners.

However, there was still no progress in his martial arts realm. He always felt he was just one step short. The Demon Kings didn't urge him, fearing that the pressure might be counterproductive.

「Finally, one day,」

A messenger from Nanwang City arrived, bearing a document from the Ministry of War. However, it wasn't delivered in the form of an imperial edict. After all, Zheng Fan's current rank, and this not being an appointment to a position like General, wasn't high enough to warrant the Yan Emperor issuing a personal decree.

While he unsealed the document, all the Demon Kings were seated nearby, with a map of Jin State spread out in the middle. The map understandably couldn't compare with modern electronic ones, but for this era, it was already considered quite good.

"My lord, where is it?" Xue Three eagerly asked.

"Shengle," Zheng Fan replied.

Everyone immediately started looking for Shengle City on the map.

"Holy Crap! It's here!"

Xue Three's eyes widened as he pointed at a spot on the map.

Shengle City was indeed on the map, but its location was somewhat remote.

It was at the northernmost line of Jin State. Heading further north would take one into the Skybreak Mountain range. Moreover, it was located at the easternmost edge of the territories that once belonged to the Helian Family, meaning it was adjacent to the Situ Family.

And Li Tian City, where Lord Jingnan was stationed, used to be the Wenren family's old stronghold. This meant that Zheng Fan would be quite far from Lord Jingnan's main army base.

A Ming chuckled. "The saying goes, 'The vast sky is for birds to fly, the wide sea for fish to leap,' but isn't this place a bit too remote?"

The Situ Family hasn't submitted yet. There were even rumors of them sharpening their swords, preparing to make some moves. If a war broke out, Shengle City would undoubtedly be on the front lines.

Liang Cheng, on the other hand, said, "This place isn't bad. It's perfect for training soldiers and capturing slaves."

Siniang laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, and said, "I've heard there are quite a few hot springs in the Skybreak Mountain range."

Zheng Fan, by comparison, was relatively calm. This place wasn't exceptional, but one way or another, they finally had a real home, unlike Green Willow Fortress, which was too cramped and only suitable for garrisoning troops.

"Oh, right," Zheng Fan said, tapping his forehead.

"I almost forgot. I received a letter from Ji Chengjue. The day after tomorrow, Emperor Jin Yu Ciming's tribute procession will pass by Yinlang County on their return journey. We can join them and act as their escort."

Upon hearing this, Blind Man asked, "So the Sixth Prince really managed this?"

Zheng Fan nodded. "Yes. Life hasn't been easy for the Sixth Prince."

The relationship between the Sixth Prince and the Yan Emperor could be described as inherently star-crossed. Regarding other princes, the Yan Emperor might be indifferent—for example, when Zheng Fan crippled the Third Prince, the Yan Emperor didn't seem angry. But when it came to the Sixth Prince, the Yan Emperor was particularly vigilant.

"Indeed. All his businesses and trades were decreed by the Emperor to be taken over by the Ministry of Revenue."

Zheng Fan couldn't help but laugh and said,

"He even asked if I could send someone to lend him a few thousand silver taels; otherwise, he'll hardly be able to support all the concubines and servants in his Royal Mansion."

Blind Man asked, "Should I arrange for someone to deliver the silver to the capital tomorrow, then?"

Zheng Fan replied, "What for? Can they eat silver? Send someone to deliver him several carts of cornmeal instead. That'll keep them fed."