The Reason!

"Ah, this!" Pufferfish and Snake Lance froze.

Only then did the two men realize how little time Lin Jin had spent back in Heaven Dou City.

This young general had no foundation whatsoever in Heaven Dou City. How had he managed to pinpoint Prince Xue Xing's men in just a few days?

The only explanation was that he had established an intelligence network of his own within those few days.

"Even so, making an example of someone and clearing out miscellaneous soldiers... That method is a little too crude." Snake Lance was somewhat unconvinced. "It's nothing more than a minor disturbance. Against Xue Xing, it won't have any real impact."

Qian Renxue did not respond immediately. Her slender fingers lightly tapped the tabletop, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as if she were pondering some crucial question.

"Could there be another possibility?" Pufferfish asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Lin Jin removed so many people from the City Defense Force to free up positions, making it easier to place his own Northern Border confidants there? The very Blood Blade that makes the Star Luo Empire tremble?"

At Pufferfish's offhand remark, a flash of light suddenly crossed Qian Renxue's eyes. She realized the truth all at once. "That might be exactly what he's planning!"

She rose to her feet and slowly paced through the Secret Chamber. Her thoughts were becoming increasingly clear as she analyzed the situation step by step.

"We all assumed his 'warning' was aimed directly at Xue Xing or his core forces. But what if his goal is to use this opportunity to completely turn the Fifth Detachment, or even more of the City Defense Force, into a Blood Blade that answers only to Lin Jin?"

"Clear out Xue Xing's eyes and ears and redundant personnel, free up the key positions, and then place the veterans he brought back from the Northern Border into them—men who have endured the trials of blood and fire."

"Once he completes the integration, this ten-thousand-man army stationed in Heaven Dou City will no longer be the Empire's City Defense Force. It will be Lin Jin's Private Army—a sharp blade hanging over the heads of everyone in Heaven Dou City!"

Snake Lance Douluo was dumbfounded. "If he can really pull that off, then this force will be far more terrifying than a mere 'warning'! Prince Xue Xing losing control of part of the City Defense Force—that would be a warning that truly strikes at his foundation! And..."

He looked toward Qian Renxue, his tone grave. "And when the time comes, will this blade obey Your Highness, or Lin Jin himself?"

Qian Renxue stopped walking. Light flickered in her beautiful eyes, carrying both admiration and a trace of wariness.

"What a Lin Jin! What a plan to Kill Two Birds with One Stone! He's carrying out the task I assigned him on the surface while secretly expanding his own strength at a frantic pace."

"Such scheming and guts. He truly lives up to the name 'Heavenly Wolf.'"

Pufferfish listened in a daze. "Wait, he isn't even fifteen yet. How can he have so many schemes?"

"However, there is still one difficult hurdle." Qian Renxue slowly said, "If he wants to move against the City Defense Force, he cannot avoid one person: Corps Commander Odysseus."

"I want to see how he plans to convince Odysseus."

The next day, Lin Jin had just arrived at the Fifth City Defense Force's station.

There were quite a few more members of the City Defense Force outside the gate.

The officer at the head stepped forward when he saw Lin Jin and saluted without servility or arrogance.

"Commander Lin, the Corps Commander requests your presence. Please go to the Military Department immediately."

Lin Jin's expression remained calm, as if he had expected this.

"Lead the way."

The City Defense Force's headquarters had a solemn atmosphere.

An Old Man of about fifty sat upright in the Main Seat. The General Star representing a Corps Commander gleamed on his epaulets. His features were firm, his gaze steady, and he naturally inspired awe without showing anger.

He was none other than the highest commander of Heaven Dou's City Defense Force, Marshal Odysseus.

Facing the various gazes around him, Lin Jin calmly approached Odysseus. "Lin Jin, Commander of the Fifth Detachment, reports to the Corps Commander!"

Odysseus slowly rose, his voice carrying an oppressive force. "Commander Lin, you have some nerve!"

"You took office yesterday and publicly punished the Deputy Commander, then dismissed nearly two thousand Soldiers, throwing the Border Guards into turmoil. Should you not give This Marshal, and the Border Guards, an explanation?"

A powerful pressure of Soul Power spread through the entire hall, faint yet pervasive.

Lin Jin straightened slightly and spoke with force. "General, His Majesty entrusted me with this position. As This subordinate, I must fulfill my duties as Commander, enforce military discipline, and remove redundant personnel."

"And what is the City Defense Force? It is the Empire's shield, bearing a grave responsibility! If an army has lax discipline, soldiers lack the will to fight, generals lack Fighting Spirit, and it merely consumes provisions and pay, then that is the greatest Hidden Danger. It is disloyalty to the people of Heaven Dou City, to the Empire, and to His Majesty!"

"An army without Combat Strength is a waste of resources if kept inside the city, and a death sentence if sent to the battlefield. This subordinate would rather be cursed as a Cruel Official now than see them Wrapped in Horsehide in the future because of my indulgence!"

"So, General, what exactly did I do wrong?"

Odysseus was taken aback. After only a few words, he had been turned around and put on the defensive. If he said Lin Jin was wrong, would that not imply that he had a problem with Xue Ye?

"Good, good. The Heavenly Wolf General truly lives up to his reputation." Odysseus laughed in anger. "Do you know that many of the dismissed Soldiers were veterans of many years? By doing this, are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of the troops? Are you not afraid of causing unrest?"

"Then suppress it." Lin Jin showed no mercy. "How long has it been since you went to the border, General? Banditry never ceases, and enemy harassment is constant."

"The blood shed by the passionate Soldiers at the border, staining the frozen soil red, was not for you to enjoy. It was so that you could protect the people in the Empire's heartland. Their loved ones are here. They guard the frontier because they believe the City Defense Force will protect their families."

"If they learned that the people they cared about most had not been protected by the City Defense Force, would you not fear unrest among the frontier soldiers?"

"The ones who truly had their hearts chilled were the heroic souls who died at the border while protecting a bunch of Maggots like this!"

"What truly deserves to be suppressed is this Decadent Style, this corruption that is hollowing out the Empire's foundation!"

Several Commanders' faces turned deathly pale. Terrified by the undisguised killing intent in Lin Jin's words and his aura like a Sea of Corpses and Blood, none dared to speak up in rebuttal.

Even Odysseus was shaken to the core by the rapid-fire questions and the merciless devastation contained within them.

Lin Jin drew a deep breath and gradually regained his composure. His gaze locked onto Odysseus again, his tone calm yet firm.

"Marshal Odysseus, it is not that I do not understand human relations. But the City Defense Force is not a retirement home! His Majesty entrusted the Fifth Detachment to This subordinate, and what I return must be a blade that can fight, dares to fight, and can win in battle—not a pile of rusted Scrap Iron!"

"As for the vacant positions..." A cold, hard curve formed at the corner of Lin Jin's mouth. "This subordinate has already drawn up a list and requests that meritorious soldiers from the Northern Border be transferred here. They are familiar with military life, brave, and skilled in battle. They are precisely the backbone the Fifth Detachment needs most right now. If the Military Department finds this inappropriate..."

He paused and swept his gaze over everyone present before speaking each word clearly. "Then let the Military Department send me men who are better at fighting! Otherwise, support my decision and let the professionals handle their own work!"

The dagger had finally been revealed!

Lin Jin made no effort to conceal his goal: placing his own people in the army. But he had elevated his reasoning to the level of the Empire's safety and military Combat Strength, leaving others with little room to refute him.

"What a sharp-tongued Heavenly Wolf General. I will report today's matter to His Majesty and let him decide!" Odysseus rose with a cold smile.

"There's no need to trouble yourself. I can go see His Majesty with you right now." Lin Jin slowly smiled.

"Hmph!"