The Great General Returns

Yue Qianchou smiled noncommittally, offering no comment. He estimated that the fake 'Black Society' might be even more powerful than the real ones. He didn't believe he had any experts capable of killing two late Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators at once. While Bai Suzhen was also at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage, it was uncertain whether she could defeat two at once. Besides, the Qingguang Sect surely had other Tribulation Transcendence stage experts. Otherwise, he would have already gone to Qingguang Mountain to cause trouble for the Qingguang Sect.

"Master's wife, have there been any other interesting developments in the Cultivation World lately?" With a master's wife who was so knowledgeable about the Cultivation World, Yue Qianchou naturally wouldn't let her opportunity go to waste.

"Nothing new, but there's one old story. The Righteous Path's once-every-ten-year 'Newcomer Tournament' will be held on Fu Xian Island in six days. The Qingguang Sect will definitely be absent this year. Alas! It's a pity you've already been expelled from Fu Xian Island, otherwise you could have witnessed the grand event." Hundred Charm Demoness teased.

"It is a bit of a pity," Yue Qianchou shook his head in agreement. He thought to himself, "How do you know I can't witness the grand spectacle? I can go to Fu Xian Island anytime I want." However, he naturally couldn't say this aloud.

The news that the Pillar State General was returning to the capital with ten thousand guards had spread throughout the city. It was said that His Majesty the Emperor would personally go out of the city to welcome him, so the entire capital was being watered and the roads were being cleared. The common people were naturally unwilling to miss this opportunity; seeing His Majesty the Emperor and the renowned Great General of State General was a rare treat, so the streets were packed with people.

Yue Qianchou was usually a lively person and naturally wanted to join in the fun. However, because His Majesty the Emperor was going to personally go out of the city to greet him, the number of servants who could go out to greet him was limited. Therefore, Shi Youtian, who was in charge of this matter, personally arranged for him to be included in the welcoming party. Madam Li, her two sons, and her two daughters-in-law were the family members, and the steward brought four servants, which just met the rule that one master could not have more than one servant. Among the servants, there were three maids, and only the steward and Yue Qianchou were men, naturally so that it would be convenient for them to serve their mistress.

At the west gate of the capital, the Shi family, master and servants, arrived early. Although it was early, the sun was still quite strong. Fortunately, it was the west gate, so the sun wouldn't shine too brightly for a while, and everyone could find shade under the tall city walls. As for the city tower, His Majesty the Emperor was on it. Below, the main road leading out of the City Lord was heavily guarded by the imposing Imperial Guards, who wouldn't allow anyone to approach freely. The family of the Pillar Great General was the only exception, allowed to pass outside the city.

Yue Qianchou stood at the foot of the city wall, glancing upwards from time to time. He had never seen what the legendary emperor looked like and was eager to see him.

"Xiao Tian, is that old guy in yellow clothes on the city wall the emperor?" Yue Qianchou suddenly saw a guy in yellow clothes who looked very powerful walking out from the city wall, so he tugged at Shi Xiaotian and asked.

These words elicited various reactions from the crowd. Li Hongniang looked somewhat embarrassed, yet hesitated to say anything. Shi Youtian quickly glanced at the Imperial Guards in the distance; they were too far to hear, so he wiped the cold sweat from his brow. Bao Wanshi stared at him in disbelief; how dare someone speak of His Majesty the Emperor like that? Situ Hui's gaze also flickered uncertainly. The steward bowed his head, while the three maids were filled with trepidation, wondering how this new servant could be so audacious, not only calling his master by his name but also daring to disrespect His Majesty the Emperor.

Shi Xiaotian didn't look up, but said with a wry smile, "Boss, can you please stop? What you're doing is already overstepping your bounds, and according to the law, you should be beheaded."

Those who came to greet him were all trusted servants of the Shi family. Yue Qianchou spoke without any restraint, disdainfully saying, "Kill my head? You try it and see. If you provoke him, I'll kick him off the city wall right now."

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with fear. What would happen if these words got out? Shi Xiaotian almost pleaded, "Boss, keep your voice down. The emperor is protected by the Imperial Preceptor, and the Imperial Preceptor is no ordinary person; his cultivation is profound!"

Yue Qianchou was slightly taken aback. He remembered something: it seemed that before Bai Suzhen was imprisoned in the Qingguang Sect, she had fought with an Imperial Preceptor. Thinking of this, he actually became a little more restrained.

About half an hour later, there was movement on the city wall, and soon a group of civil and military officials escorted an elderly man in a yellow robe out of the city gate. As family members, they could not go up the main road to greet him, but could only follow on the side protected by the imperial guards.

As if it had been rehearsed, everyone immediately felt a buzzing vibration beneath their feet, followed by the distant neighing of warhorses. When a banner could be seen waving in the distance, a general clad in silver armor leaped onto his horse and rode uphill, followed by a line of armored generals. Suddenly, a dark mass of cavalry appeared, thundering as they charged towards their leader. What would have happened if this troop hadn't stopped and had charged straight at them?

The sheer force of the stampeding horses was astonishing; even the ground trembled. Yue Qianchou glanced at the civil and military officials on the main road; many of them had paled, clearly terrified. Looking at the Shi family, however, their faces were filled with delight—the joy of seeing the patriarch of the family, and a very powerful one at that.

Yue Qianchou shook his head and sighed softly, "Alas! I say a few words and someone accuses me of overstepping my bounds, but Great General Shi has made such a commotion. Doesn't he know that the Emperor is coming to personally greet him? Is this just a show of force to intimidate the old Emperor, or is he here to attack the capital?"

Though his voice was soft, it was loud enough for the masters in front to hear, and it was unclear whether he was speaking to himself or to someone else. Upon hearing this, the Shi family members were immediately startled and turned to look at the emperor.

An elderly man carrying a sword, who had been behind the emperor, suddenly stepped aside and stood beside him, seemingly acting as his protector. The Shi family was no longer pleased; they had clearly been genuinely frightened by the emperor.

Yue Qianchou only noticed it now, and was immediately stunned when he saw the man's clothes. Wasn't that the clothing of Fu Xian Island? He couldn't help but ask, "Who is that old man carrying a sword?"

"He is the current Imperial Preceptor," Shi Youtian sighed. Yue Qianchou had pointed it out, and he realized his father had been a bit reckless today. Yue Qianchou nodded secretly. No wonder people said the Li family dynasty was built up by Fu Xian Island; it was indeed true.

The silver-armored general, leading the charge, was nearly a hundred meters from the welcoming procession when he suddenly raised his hand and waved. The entire dark mass of cavalry behind him abruptly reined in their horses, displaying remarkable discipline. The general himself slowed, riding alone to within ten meters of the procession. He dismounted, tossed aside the reins, and someone rushed to hold them for him.

The Pillar State General, clad in full armor, strode up to the emperor, knelt on one knee, and bowed, saying, "Your subject, Shi Wenguang, greets Your Majesty." As soon as he knelt, the entire army a hundred meters away dismounted and knelt as well, shouting, "Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!" The shouts were deafening, and even the onlookers felt their blood boil at the sight. It was truly a battle-hardened elite army.

Only then did the emperor reveal a smile. With a wave of his hand, he signaled all the soldiers to rise. Beside him, the Imperial Preceptor announced loudly, "By order of His Majesty, rise!" His voice boomed like a loudspeaker, instantly showcasing the Imperial Preceptor's skill.

What followed was a scene of affection between the ruler and his subject, Yue Qianchou had no interest in that. What he cared about was just how deep the Imperial Preceptor's cultivation was, though it was clearly higher than his own, since he couldn't see through it.

Finally, the Great General's ten thousand guards set up camp outside the city, while the Great General himself was granted the honor of riding in the same carriage as His Majesty the Emperor, going directly to the palace where a welcoming banquet was prepared for him. The Great General's family members only had a brief encounter with him, and that was considered their welcome.

For Yue Qianchou, he was just there to watch the excitement, and he would go back to his usual routine once he returned. He planned to stay for a few days, and after Hundred Charm Demoness reported the fake 'Black Society', he would go to Fu Xian Island to see if he could catch a glimpse of the Cultivation World's once-in-a-decade 'Newcomer Tournament'.

Two days later, Yue Qianchou was on his way to find Hundred Charm Demoness when he saw Shi Xiaotian walk in with a displeased expression. He couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

Shi Xiaotian shook his head and said, "It's nothing much. This morning at court, someone criticized my father, saying that he was too powerful and had Qian Jun with him at every turn. They wanted His Majesty to take back the military power from my father..."

Yue Qianchou smiled and took over the conversation, saying, "Then the old emperor rejected that person's criticism of your father, reprimanded that person, and praised your father."

Shi Xiaotian asked in astonishment, "Who told you that? This just happened recently. My older brother told me about it when he came back. How did you know?"

"Damn it! I've seen it all the time in TV dramas in my past life." Yue Qianchou, with an air of profound mystery, laughed and said, "I don't need anyone to tell me this. I guessed it as soon as you mentioned it." He then paced around the hall with his hands behind his back and sighed, "If I'm not mistaken, this is just the beginning. There will be more people coming to criticize your father. Alas! It seems your Shi family has reached a point of life and death."

His words were so alarmist that Shi Xiaotian was startled and his expression twitched as he said, "Boss, you're joking!"

"A general who can command millions of troops in battle can't be stupid!" Yue Qianchou patted his shoulder and sighed, "Please pass on a message to your father for me. I think he will understand."

"What are you saying?" Seeing that his boss didn't seem to be joking, he also became a little nervous.

"Peace is established by generals, yet generals are not allowed to witness peace!" Yue Qianchou sighed, saying, "Tell your father what I mean, and he'll understand. I have some business to attend to." He then swayed out, shaking his head as he went, muttering, "It's all because of military power!"

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