"Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an rebelled?" Shang Chaozong was greatly startled, but even more than that, he found it hard to believe.
Meng Shanming's expression suddenly changed. He swiftly reached out for the intelligence report in the messenger officer's hand. The more he read, the more uncertain and alarmed he looked.
The report stated that Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an, the northern and southern commanders of Zhao Kingdom's western defensive line, had suddenly joined forces. While each was convening his generals for discussion, they had abruptly struck down a number of officers at the meetings. This had clearly been premeditated for a long time. Outside the meeting grounds, troops under the slain officers' command had been placed under urgent control in various locations almost simultaneously.
If that alone was not enough to prove that Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an had rebelled, then another matter was. There were many Zhao Kingdom cultivators within the two armies, especially disciples of Zhao Kingdom's three great sects. Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an would naturally have met with resistance in doing such a thing.
Yet another group of cultivators had suddenly emerged at Tian Zhengyang and Ma Chang'an's side. They had attacked the disciples of Zhao Kingdom's three great sects at the same time, directly killing them in a bloody massacre and swiftly assisting the two commanders in taking control of the two armies.
Slaughtering the cultivators stationed in the army by Zhao Kingdom's three great sects—if that was not rebellion, then what was?
The intelligence report eventually returned to Shang Chaozong's hands. After reading it, his expression became even more unfathomable.
The tent fell silent. After a period of heavy, solemn tension, Shang Chaozong still spoke in disbelief. "The two are great generals of the Zhao Kingdom Imperial Court. Without the Imperial Court's trust,