The Aftermath, and a Return to Great Dream Academy! (6K)
Before taking action, Zhao Xing had considered all the possibilities:
First, he was convicted of a serious crime, all his military achievements were confiscated, he was stripped of his Official Rank, and imprisoned.
This possibility is extremely slim, because even if everything is recorded, even if Zhao Xing committed murder intentionally, Qian Shougang was the one who made the mistake first. Ultimately, it was the generals of the powerful army who were abusing their power.
This is not a time of collapse for Dynasty of Fate, so the probability of such a judgment is extremely low.
Second, for minor offenses, the Official Rank remains unchanged, but the merits earned in battle are punished as a deterrent.
The range of confiscated war merits is approximately 30,000 to 100,000.
This was also something Zhao Xing had anticipated.
Because in the previous generation, many players used the title of King to farm 'reputation'.
They deliberately targeted and executed generals under the command of kings and nobles to boost their reputation.
Such behavior usually results in gaining "reputation" but losing "military achievements", "Official Rank", and "Nobility Title".
However, if handled properly, one will not lose their Official Rank and Nobility Title, but will lose some military merits in return for gaining 'reputation points'.
Using the power of princes and nobles to build reputation is also a favorite task for players. This is because weakening the power of princes and nobles is in line with Emperor Jing's strategy during the Renewal Era.
Everyone wants to emulate Cao Cao's assassination attempt on Dong Zhuo and become famous throughout the land. Large guilds especially love to do this kind of thing.
Because in the Pacifying Barbarians War, it is easy to gain merit, but difficult to increase reputation.
Its functions are numerous, including but not limited to 'political prestige', recruiting famous generals, and advancing one's rank.
Liang King is the player's favorite target.
Because the Liang King is powerful, the 'reputation' you get from him will be higher.
However, the cost will be higher.
Zhao Xing estimated that 100,000 battle merits would be enough to warrant a punishment.
He and Long Xiao together have accumulated two million battle merits, so it's not a big deal to punish each of them with 100,000 battle merits.
As he had considered before, they would next join forces with other armies to fight in the Azuresteel War Zone. If a random event like "bullying by a strong army" were triggered today, they would not be able to mount a strong counterattack.
After that, Li Shougang and Wang Shougang will come and devour their spoils.
A single punch can ward off a hundred more.
After such an incident, when other armies encounter friction with each other, the other armies will likely be more restrained.
However, the outcome of neither being convicted nor punished for military merit was something Zhao Xing had not anticipated.
"There's no reason for it. Although I insist that it was a counterattack without knowing the truth, anyone with eyes can see that it's somewhat driven by personal grudges."
"They should at least be punished with some merit."
Zhao Xing pondered deeply.
Not punishing those who had distinguished themselves in battle actually caused Old Master Zhao some distress.
Because some things are beyond one's understanding, or because of certain experiences from past lives, there is no longer anything to draw upon.
"Someone has interfered, but I haven't even touched Tian Yan's three letters. Who could be so powerful as to suppress the Prince of Liang King's influence?"
"Yang An? Is he really that good?"
"Fan Zhaoli? That can't be right. He's just a Fifth Grade, and we're not even that close."
"Liu Tianning? He thinks highly of me, but Old Liu is at most Fourth Grade, right?"
This should have been a good thing, but Zhao Xing felt uneasy.
After evacuating from the vicinity of West String Territory, he immediately wrote to his teacher, Tian Yan, to inquire about the situation.
Not long after, Tian Yan replied to Zhao Xing.
The letter contained only one sentence: The final result shall be jointly decided by Ling De King, Rahu King, and Heaven Derivation King.
"Whoosh~" The burning letter illuminated Zhao Xing's face with flickering light.
After receiving the answer, Zhao Xing finally felt relieved.
Although Tian Yan only said one sentence, it revealed a lot of information.
"I only know the preliminary investigation results, but the teacher mentioned the 'final result,' which means there must have been some changes in between. According to the rules, the Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture will first give the judgment, and then report it to the Military Realm Inspection Department."
"The Pacifying Barbarians War to Pacify the Barbarians was overseen by thirty-three kings. In the most serious cases, the thirty-three kings overseeing the Five Great Grotto Heavens would need to hold a joint meeting."
"But this matter is not yet at the level of 'making the thirty-three kings discuss matters'."
"I belong to the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven of the Military Realm, and am under the supervision of Rahu King, Heaven Derivation King, and Ling De King. Reaching this level is quite surprising," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
But with more information, Zhao Xing felt more confident.
He had little recollection of Ling De King, but he was familiar with the names Rahu King and Heaven Derivation King.
In particular, when Rahu King Liang King rebelled, it was this king who was the first to react and prevented part of Liang King's army from leaving Lüliang Province.
This man was also the most ruthless in attacking Liang King, and in the end, it was he and Heaven Derivation King who raided Liang King's stronghold.
"Things are different now than they were two hundred years ago," Zhao Xing pondered. "When the Renewal Era had just begun, Emperor Jing relied heavily on his brother, the Liang King, for reforms, granting him considerable power. But New Splendor Era, Emperor Jing had plenty of people at his disposal, so it didn't matter whether he used this little brother or not. He even sent people to keep an eye on his little brother."
"So these are the three who oversee the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven. No wonder..."
Having figured out the key point, Zhao Xing felt much better.
The top level of the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda in the Military Realm.
Ling De King, Rahu King, and Heaven Derivation King gathered together.
"Luo Hou, I didn't expect you to actually sign?" Heaven Derivation King looked at Rahu King. "I thought you wouldn't get involved in this matter."
The Qian Shougang incident was originally scheduled for a second review, but the Liang King faction intervened, and the verdict against Zhao Xing and Long Xiao was to fine them 200,000 merits and demote them two ranks.
However, Heaven Derivation King stopped the verdict and changed it to no demotion for innocent people, and a symbolic fine of 30,000 for their military merits.
When Rahu King learned of this, he changed the verdict again and left his judgment in the archives. "Since he is innocent, why punish him for his merits?"
He also had Ling De King and Heaven Derivation King sign it together, making it the final result.
Ling De King joked, "I also thought Rahu King would support punishing merits, since if Zhao Xing punishes merits, Luo Hou's chances of winning will be much greater."
Heaven Derivation King waved his hand and said, "You underestimate Luo Hou. Why would he care about such a thing?"
Rahu King, "Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. The strong army bullying the weak should not be encouraged in the army."
"Qian Shougang was able to levy fifth-tier Earth Fire Lotus without order and was even killed by the Divine Might Army. This can be used as a typical example to warn those arrogant soldiers and generals."
Normally, Zhao Xing and Long Xiao should also be punished for their military achievements. Heaven Derivation King's approach was quite normal. However, the second round of punishment was a bit too lenient towards Liang King's Black Dragon Army. It seems that the Inspection Department personnel were tailoring their punishments to the individual.
When Rahu King learned of this, he simply decided not to punish the perpetrator.
Heaven Derivation King and Ling De King were also persuaded by Luo Hou, which is why the final result is what it is now.
The news of Qian Shougang's murder quickly spread throughout the major war zones.
Taking the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven as a warning, the powerful generals of the other four Grotto-Heaven were all shaken. Having won too many battles with an easy advantage, many of them had become arrogant and complacent. Many weaker armies had been exploited by stronger ones, but after this incident, they all became more restrained.
Zhao Xing and Long Xiao also became famous along with this incident.
Especially Zhao Xing.
He was originally unknown, and even though he cultivated the Earth Fire Lotus, he was only famous in a certain region and a few armies.
There are only one or two hundred people in the Five Great Grotto Heavens who can cultivate the Earth Fire Lotus to the fifth rank, but this is not enough to make them famous throughout the entire war zone.
However, in this incident, Zhao Xing is much more well-known than Long Xiao.
First, Zhao Xing's military achievements are more than Long Xiao's, exceeding one million. It is extremely rare for Seventh Grade Military Sima Nong to have over one million military achievements, especially among the Cenozoic Era.
Secondly, Zhao Xing was the one who directly killed Qian Shougang. Official Seventh Rank, Lower official, yet he was able to kill Official Sixth Rank, Upper, which intimidated many people.
After this incident spread, Divine Might Army and Zhao Xing both became famous.
"Zhao Xing is amazing! He actually beheaded a Sixth Rank?" In the Tigron Army, Zhuang Ziqing stared wide-eyed at the intelligence report. "And it was Liang King's private army that he was beheaded, yet he was acquitted and not even punished for his meritorious service?"
"He can fight Sixth Rank?" Li Feng Qiu stared blankly at the intelligence report. What they were concerned about was that "Zhao Xing was able to kill Qian Shougang".
Both Feng Qiu and Li Feng had suffered setbacks at Zhao Xing's hands and had always regarded Zhao Xing as their target to catch up with.
It had only been a short time since they last met, yet this man had already accumulated a million battle merits and was even able to slay a martial general at the peak of the Heavenly Star Realm.
They were both in the Tigron Army, in another camp.
Wei Hong was looking at intelligence reports in front of a sand table map.
"Father should have tried harder back then and snatched him into the Tigron Army," Wei Hong sighed.
He knew that Wei Yuan had gone to the Earthly Advantage Institute to snatch people back then, and he almost succeeded. "He's much more useful than Shi Yong."
Shi Yong is currently working under Wei Yuan, but judging from his performance in various aspects, Shi Yong is far inferior to Zhao Xing.
Yes, Shi Yong no longer has any advantage in combat strength. After all, Shi Yong can't kill a Sixth Rank general of the Black Dragon Army. You should know that Qian Shougang is a one-in-a-million martial artist.
"Hahaha, awesome, awesome!" Cao Shuang burst into laughter upon seeing the letter in the Black Armor Army.
"What's wrong? Why are you laughing so happily?" Jiang Tianming asked, leaning closer. "Let me see."
Jiang Tianming and Cao Shuang were both members of the Black Armor Army, but they did not go to Fire Dragon Pass with Xia Jing. Instead, they worked in the main force in the north.
However, both of them were Grade A geniuses at the Earthly Advantage Institute and had a close relationship with Zhao Xing.
"Hiss, he killed Qian Shougang?" Jiang Tianming finished reading the letter. "He and Long Xiao only had five hundred men, while Qian Shougang was Sixth Rank official with a thousand Black Dragon Guard. How could he be killed like that?"
"I wish I could go to Fire Dragon Pass with Xia Jing!" Cao Shuang slapped his thigh.
This letter made him so excited that he wished he could find a Sixth Rank to chop him up.
"What are you getting so worked up about?" Jiang Tianming said. "The Black Armor Army is a powerful army. If you appear in this kind of intelligence, you'll be the villain."
"..."
The Blazing Sun Army, camp.
"It's him?" Helian Lie recalled the scene when he first met Zhao Xing.
"We first met at the Li Fire Dao Academy two years ago, and now they're almost catching up with me."
Helian Lie.
He was ranked twentieth on the Seventh Rank Merit Rankings, but now Zhao Xing is already sixty-ninth.
Helian Lie also selected a new recruit named Zhuo Li at that time, but now, Zhuo Li is only Official Eighth Rank.
They are completely incomparable to Zhao Xing.
The northern part of the Fire Demon Tribe's territory.
Beginning Origin Army 'Qi Yuan Army', Yuan Primal Glory Army 'Yi Yue', Illusory Nether Army 'Nangong Ye', Beginning Origin Army 'Pang Zheng'.
The four generals were discussing matters in the Military Hall.
"Zhao Xing of the Divine Might Army killed Qian Shougang in West String Territory, which attracted tens of thousands of troops from Liao Rulong's army to confront the Black Dragon Army."
"Our allied forces originally retreated 300 li of the battle line in order to attack the Fire Demon Tribe's garrison commander at West String Pass."
"Now look what's happened, the commander of West String Pass is scared half to death and has retreated into hiding."
Qi Yuan Army, who ranked first on the Seventh Grade battle merit list, pointed at the map with a somewhat speechless expression.
Yi Yue, ranked second on the Seventh Rank Merit Rankings, was also furious. "What kind of money is this 'tribute'? Is there something wrong with it? Why would they go and rob the Divine Might Army of their provisions?"
"I held back from attacking West String Pass for a month or so, hoping to lull the garrison commander into a false sense of security. I was even ready to make my move... Damn it, that Qian guy couldn't have chosen a better time to die!"
Yi Yue slammed his fist on the table, making a loud bang.
I'm so angry, so incredibly angry.
It's like when Zhao Xing and Liao Rulong's troops went to attack Fire Dragon Pass, an army suddenly appeared, causing the garrison commander of Fire Dragon Pass to strengthen the defenses... If it were Liao Rulong or Zhao Xing, they would be furious.
"We have no choice but to give up on attacking West String Pass." Pang Zheng looked at the Qi Yuan Army. "This man is like a frightened bird; we can no longer launch any surprise attacks. Even if we take West String Pass, the passes behind it will be heavily defended."
"If we don't remove this thorn, our supply line will be stretched too thin." Nangong Ye's voice was somewhat unsteady.
"The cost of fighting now is much higher than before, and my superior will not agree to it."
"Lieutenant Li has sent word that I should consider entering the pass from a different direction, otherwise I will not be able to keep up with the main force of the Illusory Nether Army."
"Could we ask the Divine Might Army to let us pass through Fire Dragon Pass?"
"How is that possible? We just said that a strong army must not bully a weak army. How could the Divine Might Army let us pass?"
"Yes, Liao Rulong's Divine Might Army already has a considerable number of troops cooperating with them, so it's impossible to add anyone else."
"Damn it..."
The four generals glared at each other, utterly disgusted.
Zhao Xing thought West String Pass was useful, which is why City No. 98 was built. These military elites naturally had vision. The four of them joined forces in the northern army, broke away from the main army, and had long been eyeing West String Pass, intending to use it as a starting point to enter the pass and enter the Fire Demon Tribe's territory.
Now look what's happened.
It's all that damn Qian Shougang's fault!
Zhao Xing was unaware of the chain reaction he had caused.
After the standoff was lifted, he returned to City 98 with the army.
When Liao Rulong returned, he was also filled with doubt. He spoke with great bravado, but in reality, he was extremely panicked. If he were to engage in a large-scale armed conflict with the Black Dragon Army, his position as captain would be over.
"Since Zhao Xing came, I've accumulated more military achievements, but I've also been living in constant fear," Liao Rulong said.
"It's fortunate that it was Zhao Xing who did the work," Pu Zhong said. "If it had been Long Xiao, things would have been a bit precarious by now."
From clarifying the situation in City 98 to eliminating Qian Shougang's team, Zhao Xing's handling of the situation was impeccable. He managed to avoid providing the investigation team with any incriminating evidence. He was capable of both stirring up trouble and settling matters.
If it were the Long Xiao in charge, it would probably be labeled as "deliberate revenge after the fact".
"In any case, from this incident onwards, our Divine Might Army is now a powerful force," Pu Zhong said. "Anyone who tries to bully us again will have to think twice about whether they can withstand our counterattack."
"Yes," Liao Rulong laughed, "We've finally gotten our revenge."
Return to City 98.
Zhao Xing was greeted by Han Bing, Che Shihai, Wang Ji, Yuan Yang and others.
When he stepped off the airship, the eyes of the people below seemed to burn with fervor.
News has spread that Zhao Xing and Long Xiao have killed Qian Shougang.
They felt incredibly honored to have such a caring superior.
"Boss, you're back!" Che Shihai ran over excitedly.
"What do you mean 'boss'? I've told you so many times, in formal settings you should use your official title," Zhao Xing cursed.
"Yes, Commander." Che Shihai quickly corrected himself.
"Wang Ji, how are you injured?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Commander, if you had come back any later, I'm afraid I wouldn't have recovered," Wang Ji said with some melancholy.
"What's going on?" Zhao Xing asked, puzzled.
"Wasn't it the commander's order?" Yuan Yang was also a little puzzled. Had he forgotten so quickly?
Upon closer questioning, it was discovered that Yuan Yang had carried out his orders, and every time Wang Ji woke up, he would immediately knock him unconscious.
Despite the minor injuries, Wang Ji remained unconscious for a full seven days.
It was only after the investigation team left that things improved.
Wang Ji was suffering. His injuries should have healed on the same day, but his own people suppressed his recovery, and he had to play the victim on the stretcher for several days.
Zhao Xing didn't know what to say. Yuan Yang was too obedient. He could cure Wang the Engineer after playing the victim.
The group entered the hall, Zhao Xing addressed Wang Ji and Han Bing, saying, "You must learn a lesson from this incident."
"Wang Ji, Han Bing, one of you is too impulsive, and the other is too calm."
"Wang Ji, you shouldn't have tried to stop them and got yourself injured. A fifth-tier Earth Fire Lotus, how can it be more important than your own life?"
"Han Bing, you're overthinking things. Even if it's the Black Dragon Army, you shouldn't be so subservient. If you had organized a fight outside the city and put up a resistance, our subsequent pursuit would have been more reasonable, coherent, and justified."
"There's no need to wait for me to arrive before trying to fix it."
Han Bing and Wang Ji nodded quickly, indicating that they had learned something.
"Alright, I'm tired these past few days. You two can go now, let me rest for a while." Zhao Xing knew that these two didn't need much instruction; they were just inexperienced.
"Yes."
After clearing everyone out, Zhao Xing used his Divine Swift Guard and sank into the ground.
The temple has not yet been built in City 98, and now that the investigation team has left, Zhao Xing plans to risk entering the Great Dream Academy once.
The intervention of the three kings eventually made Zhao Xing wary. He felt that he could not rely solely on his past life's experience and needed to make himself stronger.
With greater strength, one can cope more calmly with changes.
Previously, Zhao Xing had been wary of being monitored, but now Zhao Xing had become familiar with the battlefield and gained a deep understanding of the Yin Spirit surveillance system of the Great Zhou.
He felt he could try to enter the Great Dream Academy again.
The Octagonal Underground Palace descends two thousand meters.
He then dug a hole in the ground, pasted many talismans around it, and then sat cross-legged, as if he were cultivating with his eyes closed.
In reality, he silently recited a spell and quietly entered the Great Dream Academy.
"Whoosh~" Zhao Xing stepped into the misty gate.
One step forward, and the scene changes.
Before them appeared magnificent palaces, each enveloped in a semi-circular light shield.
These palaces flashed before our eyes, and then most of them disappeared, leaving only three behind.
First is the "Heavenly Craft Hall," which is where Zhao Xing obtained the Sixth Level Soul Armor last time. There is a mechanical Law Beast Xie Zhi, guarding it.
Secondly, there is the "Heart Questioning Platform," the place where one obtains the Dao Embryo Pill, which has now reappeared.
Third is the "Heavenly Mystery Pavilion," a new palace.
"Let's try the Heavenly Craft Hall first." Zhao Xing entered the Heavenly Craft Hall.
He had previously passed the three trials of the Heavenly Craft Hall.
The First Stage is the Mysterious Machine Gate.
The Second Stage is a puzzle box.
The third level is Mechanical Maze.
The first two levels reward you with pills.
The third challenge is Sixth Level Soul Armor.
Upon seeing the Mechanical Beast Xie Zhi again, it asked the same familiar question, "Student Zhao Xing, you have reached the threshold for passing the fourth level, the 'Six Harmonies Yin Yang Formation'."
"The minimum reward for the fourth level is a Lower Fourth Tier treasure, and the maximum reward is a high-grade sixth-tier treasure."
"Would you like to proceed?"
Zhao Xing nodded. "Reporting to the Guardian, I choose to attempt the challenge."
"Please enter through that door."
The Mechanical Beast Xie Zhi blew a breath, and the surrounding clouds and mist dispersed, revealing a portal ten meters in front of Zhao Xing.
As Zhao Xing stepped through the gate, the surrounding scenery changed, and he found himself at the foot of a Gao Shan.
"The Six Harmonies Yin Yang Formation is a formation formed by the Yin and Yang forces of the Earthly Fiend and the Heavenly Dippers. The entire mountain is composed of this Magic Array."
"To climb the mountain, the minimum requirement is to reach the Earth Fiend Realm and begin to cultivate the body with Earthly Fiend. To reach the summit completely, one must achieve the Heavenly Star Realm and cultivate the body with Celestial Qi."
"To achieve a perfect victory and obtain the highest reward, you must be fearless in the face of four trials: earth, wind, fire, and thunder."
Not every level can be solved by tricks. Unlike the Mechanical Maze in the third level, the fourth level is a pure test of skill.
"However, I possess nine high-level spells. Now, when I pass the trial, the spells I know in reality will still be usable here."
"My strength cannot be judged by normal standards for the Earth Fiend Realm. I wonder if I can reach the top?"
After a short preparation, Zhao Xing began climbing the mountain.
Within the first quarter of an hour of starting the ascent, the ground shook violently, the mountain cracked open, and boulders tumbled down, relentlessly crashing down on Zhao Xing.
Each boulder carries a strong amount of Earthly Fiend energy. If Zhao Xing were to be hit by one of those large boulders, the impact would be far beyond his ability to withstand.
Therefore, the Law Beast Xie Zhi said that Zhao Xing only met the basic requirements for passing the test.
"The evolution of Yin and Yang in the universe, the Earth Tribulation is just like a high-level Mountain Sealing Spell."
"However, this Mountain Sealing Spell is aggressive; anyone who climbs the mountain will be attacked by it."
Zhao Xing has entered the trial, and his current "body" is a replica of the real-world situation, so the spells he knows are also the same as in reality.
"Divine Swift Guard!"
Zhao Xing immediately sank into the mountainside, instead of directly carrying the boulder. His Divine Swift Guard was now a high-level spell at the Fourth-Turn.
Traveling through the mountain, he quickly passed the "Earth Tribulation" and reached a quarter of the way up.
The escape slowed down at this point because Zhao Xing's Yin Yang Six Harmonies Formation underwent a second change: [Six Harmonies · Wind Fiend].
Not only did the cave and mountains shake, but also incredibly violent winds blew towards the Octagonal Underground Palace.
"Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss~"
The Octagonal Underground Palace was blown so hard it was on the verge of collapse. Although the wind didn't blow inside, Zhao Xing was inside, felt an unbearable chill, a chill that came from the very soul.
"Netherwind of the Fiend!" Zhao Xing immediately used the second high-level technique, Netherwind of the Fiend, using wind evil against wind evil to envelop the Octagonal Underground Palace and continue to break through the mountain.