Storming the Golden Palace! Fury Slays Cao Xuan!

"Duan Qingcang! You led the entire Heavenly Army Division in openly defying the Imperial Will and rebelling against the National Policy established by the court! This shakes the very foundations of the state—a crime deserving ten thousand deaths! Do you understand?!"

Li Yuanfu pointed a trembling finger at Duan Qingcang and roared.

Duan Qingcang frowned at his words. Meeting Li Yuanfu's furious gaze, not only did he refuse to back down, he instead took another step forward.

"A crime that blots out the heavens? Duan knows nothing of it! All I know is that this so-called 'National Policy' of ceding land, abandoning the people, and selling out the nation for peace is absurd beyond measure—outrageous beyond belief! You may make others submit, and let those greedy for life and afraid of death drift with the tide, but I, Duan Qingcang, and the soldiers of the Heavenly Army Division will never submit! What we defend is Da Gan's territory, and whom we shelter are Da Gan's people—not sacrifices to fill the bellies of demons!"

At this point, Duan Qingcang's gaze suddenly sharpened as he questioned Li Yuanfu.

"Furthermore, Lord Li, the matter of the Yun Tian River has been resolved! The Scarlet Abyss Dragon Lord was slain beneath the riverbed! The dozens of demon saints entrenched along the Yun Tian River have all been executed! This is a momentous victory! The Five Continents need not be ceded, and hundreds of millions of common people have been spared from becoming blood food! The soldiers of my Heavenly Army Division fought in bloodshed and survived near-certain death to avert this catastrophe for the court and the people! Yet I would like to ask you: why have we heard no reward, only this interrogation and condemnation? What does this mean?!"

"A victory? What a