Northern Garrison Commander

The stench of blood still lingered in the depths of the Imperial Prison.

Lin Feng stood within the cell, his eyes as cold as ice, as if looking at a dead man.

Sun Dehai's death throes and despicable actions only intensified his killing intent.

Seeing Lin Feng's silence, Sun Dehai mistook it for helplessness. His thoughts raced, and he managed to suppress his fear, putting on a seemingly sincere expression. He spoke in a low voice from beyond the bars.

"Lin Feng! I admit I misjudged you. You are indeed a rare talent, one in a hundred years! Why confine yourself here and ruin your future?"

He paused, then dangled a bait. "Your little feud with the Wang Family is a trivial matter. If you agree to stop bothering the Wang Family, I will act as your recommender and ensure you join the Wang Family! Do you know how incredibly powerful the Wang Family is? With your talent and the Wang Family's support, let alone this mere Qianhu position, even the Commander of the Northern Garrison Command will be yours in due time! Power, resources, beauties – all within your grasp! What do you say?"

The promise was incredibly tempting, painting a clear path to rapid advancement.

Sun Dehai stared intently at Lin Feng, expecting to see a flicker of hesitation on his face.

Lin Feng finally moved. He slowly raised his head, a faint mockery curving his lips. "Are you finished?"

Sun Dehai froze.

"If you're finished, then be on your way."

Before his words even fell, Lin Feng's aura surged again! The Dragon-Elephant Prison-Suppressing Strength at its peak surged like a tide. He thrust his palms forward, his fingers curling into claws, unleashing a powerful and ferocious tearing force!

Eight Desolations Sky-Rending Claw—Mastered!

The sturdy bars, forged from refined black iron and strong enough to contain a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, groaned and creaked under the pressure of his bare palms!

Then, under Lin Feng's violent strength, the bars were twisted and torn apart, creating a huge gap!

"What?!"

Sun Dehai's blood ran cold. He never dreamed Lin Feng could break through the black iron cage with brute force! He turned to flee, but it was too late. Lin Feng became a blur, like a beast breaking free from its chains, instantly passing through the gap in the bars. A fierce wind struck from behind, carrying a chilling aura of death!

Evil Tiger Heart-Plucking Palm—Mastered!

Sun Dehai felt a searing pain in his back as a sinister and cunning palm strike pierced through his body, instantly shredding his heart. His forward momentum froze. He looked down in disbelief, seeing a hand protruding from his chest, still clutching fragments of his beating heart.

"You... the Wang... Family won't..." Sun Dehai's eyes dimmed rapidly, his words cut short.

Lin Feng withdrew his hand expressionlessly, letting the corpse collapse to the ground.

[Killed Qianhu, gained 50 Slaughter Points]

A cold notification appeared. Lin Feng didn't even glance at it, his gaze sweeping over the terrified prison guards. Upon meeting his eyes, all the guards immediately knelt, trembling, not daring to lift their heads.

Just then, a terrifying pressure, far more powerful and unfathomable than Sun Dehai's, descended upon the entire Imperial Prison like an invisible mountain. The already cold and damp air seemed to solidify. All the guards, including Lin Feng, felt their breath catch, their shoulders burdened as if by a thousand pounds.

Footsteps sounded again, still steady, but carrying the absolute authority of life and death. A middle-aged man, clad in a Flying Fish Python Robe, with a stern face and eyes as deep as an abyss, walked slowly into the mess, surrounded by a group of sharp-eyed Imperial Brocade Guards. His gaze swept over Sun Dehai's body and the corpses of the guards on the ground, finally landing on Lin Feng, whose hand had just been withdrawn and still carried a murderous aura.

"Commander of the Northern Garrison Command, Lord Shen, has arrived!" a nearby Imperial Brocade Guard announced loudly.

The newcomer was none other than the master of the Northern Garrison Command, a titan who struck fear into the hearts of all officials—Shen Mo!

The prison guards buried their heads even deeper, almost embedding them into the floor tiles. This was the true supreme decision-maker of the Northern Garrison Command, who held their lives in his hands and whose strength was unfathomable!

Shen Mo looked at Lin Feng, his voice calm, betraying no emotion. "Lin Feng? I remember you. You defied your superiors and were imprisoned here. Now, you have also killed one of my Qianhus."

Pressure like a mountain enveloped Lin Feng. Yet, Lin Feng took a deep breath, withstood the pressure, and cupped his hands in a respectful salute, his voice clear. "Your subordinate, Lin Feng, greets the Commander! I killed Sun Dehai because he colluded with local magnates, the Wang Family, and intended to rebel! I hold ironclad evidence of the Wang Family's secret communication with foreign enemies, their harboring of private troops, and their treasonous intentions!"

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Mo's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Where is the evidence?"

Lin Feng did not hesitate. He took a blood-stained letter and a seemingly ordinary ledger from his bosom—this was his trump card, which he had held back until now. "The letter is a secret correspondence between the Wang Family and the 'Black Wind Wolf Riders' outside the Great Wall. The ledger records the armor and provisions the Wang Family has been secretly supplying! Sun Dehai was one of the Wang Family's protectors within the Garrison Command. He was about to kill me to silence me and attempted to bribe me with a high position!"

A trusted subordinate behind Shen Mo stepped forward, took the evidence, examined it carefully, and nodded slightly at Shen Mo, speaking in a low voice.

"My lord, it is indeed ironclad evidence. The amount is immense, and the implications are far-reaching."

Shen Mo fell silent for a moment, his gaze returning to Lin Feng, scrutinizing his mid-Eighth Rank cultivation that exuded an astonishing aura, as well as his composure in the face of crisis.

Suddenly, he spoke, "Sun Dehai colluded with traitors and deserved to die. Lin Feng, your exposé is meritorious, and your strength is more than sufficient for important tasks."

He paused, then raised his voice, which echoed throughout the Imperial Prison, "Effective immediately, Lin Feng is promoted to the position of Qianhu of the Northern Garrison Command, temporarily in charge of all affairs previously handled by Sun Dehai!"

Silence fell over the surroundings, followed by the suppressed gasps of the prison guards. To jump directly from a prisoner to a Qianhu! This was unprecedented!

Lin Feng's heart settled, knowing his first gamble had paid off. He immediately knelt on one knee and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your promotion, my lord! Your subordinate requests permission to immediately lead the Imperial Guards under my command to raid the Wang Family and uproot this entire treasonous case!"

However, Shen Mo slowly shook his head, pouring cold water on his request. "Impossible."

Lin Feng looked up, confusion in his eyes.

Shen Mo's tone remained calm, but he revealed a chilling reality. "The Wang Family is deeply entrenched, with extensive connections in the imperial court. It is not something to be trifled with. Without explicit orders from the central government in the capital, the Grand Secretariat, or the Directorate of Ceremonial, we cannot move against them on our own."

He looked at Lin Feng. "This evidence of yours must be sent to the capital with all haste, for His Majesty's perusal, or at the very least, for the Eunuch Director or the Grand Secretaries to decide upon before any action can be taken."

"Then please, my lord, dispatch someone immediately, with an Urgent Dispatch (800 li)..."

"It cannot be sent out." Shen Mo interrupted him, pointing a finger in the direction outside the Imperial Prison. Though he couldn't see it, a murderous aura seemed to penetrate the thick walls. "Black Rock City has been besieged by the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold for three days."

Lin Feng's pupils contracted. Black Wind Stronghold, the largest bandit group outside the city, led by Li Tianxiong, a peak Seventh-Rank Bandit, with numerous desperate followers.

Shen Mo continued, "The city gates are sealed, and carrier pigeons cannot fly. The few scouts dispatched have all returned without success, or rather... they haven't returned at all. Li Tianxiong's men have surrounded the city like an iron barrel."

Just then, a General Banner official hurried in and whispered a few words into Shen Mo's ear.

After listening, Shen Mo turned his gaze to Lin Feng with an indescribable look. "Just received news. The leader of Black Wind Stronghold, Li Tianxiong, had an arrow shot into the city with a letter."

"What did he say?" Lin Feng already had a premonition.

Shen Mo spoke word by word, "Zhao Family Patriarch, Zhao Tianhao, is his sworn brother. You killed Zhao Tianhao, and Li Tianxiong has issued an ultimatum: unless... you, Lin Feng, are bound and delivered outside the city to him for disposal. Otherwise, he will starve Black Rock City into submission until the city falls, and not a soul will be spared."

As his voice fell, a deathly silence descended upon the Imperial Prison. All the pressure, hatred, and crisis seemed to converge at this moment onto Lin Feng, who had just been promoted to Qianhu. Outside the city was a deadly bandit, within the city were deeply entrenched traitors, and above them was evidence that needed to be delivered but could not be.

Lin Feng straightened his body, his eyes not showing fear, but rather igniting a cold flame. He met Shen Mo's gaze and slowly spoke:

"My lord, it's just a Black Wind Stronghold. Why should we bother with it?"

"Grant your subordinate a contingent of men, and I am willing to go out of the city and quell these troublesome bandits first!"

Facing Lin Feng's request to go out and suppress the bandits, Shen Mo waved his hand. "No rush." His voice was steady, with no discernible emotion. "Suppressing bandits is the shared responsibility of Black Rock City. There's no reason why only the men of our Northern Garrison Command should bleed. The Wang Family has been entrenched here for many years; it's time they contributed."

Saying this, Shen Mo took out a Jade Token, its surface smooth to the touch, carved with a ferocious python pattern, and handed it to Lin Feng. "This is my token. Seeing it is like seeing me in person. Go to the Wang Family and demand five thousand soldiers, and a certain amount of provisions and military supplies. Tell them this is to lift the siege of Black Rock City."

Lin Feng took the Jade Token. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, an invisible authority seemingly contained within.

"Your subordinate accepts the order." Without any hesitation, he turned and left. With this Jade Token in hand, the Wang Family... he would see how they could refuse!