Yang City Military Report, Dun Ruo's Earth-Shattering Conjecture

At dawn, outside Yang City County, a carriage slowly rolled into the city.

Several men dressed in black silk embroidered robes, with silver-threaded wolf heads stitched onto their shoulders, stepped down from the carriage. The leader had a gentle countenance and smiling eyes; while he appeared profound and elegant, he also possessed an air that made others feel inexplicably close to him.

This was none other than Dun Ruo, who had been ordered to come and investigate Zhao Cheng.

Dun Ruo was the architect and executor of the Qin State's strategy of "befriending distant states while attacking those nearby." He had often led men to infiltrate other nations, using heavy bribes to bring various ministers under the sway of Qin and inciting discord and strife between rival states.

At the same time, Dun Ruo was the leader of the Black Ice Terrace.

He rarely took action himself, and no one knew the true extent of his strength, yet every Secret Agent of the Black Ice Terrace held him in the highest regard.

"You are to go to the village where Zhao Cheng resides and investigate his life. I shall head to the County Court to take a look."

"Understood."

The Secret Agents dispersed in an instant, while Dun Ruo walked slowly into the County Court.

Facing the obstruction of the guards, he merely handed over a few copper coins and spoke a few casual words, successfully convincing the guards that he was an old acquaintance of the County Magistrate, and they allowed him to walk right in.

Dun Ruo strolled leisurely into the County Court, arriving silently beside the County Magistrate, who was busy processing official documents.

The Magistrate did not even notice him; as he frowned in deep thought, he suddenly felt someone helping him tidy up his incense burner.

"I told you, when I am handling official business, do not—"

He was about to reprimand the person, but when he turned his head and saw a middle-aged man with a gentle face standing there, he could not help but be stunned.

"You... who are you!?"

Dun Ruo smoothed out the incense burner with unhurried movements, his meticulousness carrying an elegance that put others at ease.

"Magistrate Wang, there is no need for alarm. I have come by the order of the Great King to investigate someone."

He spoke with such quiet composure that it inspired deep trust, as if his sincerity made it impossible for him to deceive anyone.

"So it is by the Great King's order? Who is it that you wish to investigate?" The Magistrate was suddenly startled. "...Wait, how can you prove that you were sent by the Great King?"

Dun Ruo pulled a token made of black ice from his robes. "The Black Ice Terrace—Magistrate Wang must have heard of it, yes?"

The Magistrate's gaze turned vacant.

The existence of the Black Ice Terrace was highly classified. He had only heard a few rumors and certainly did not recognize the token, but the feeling this man gave him made it impossible to harbor any suspicion.

Just then, Meng Wei stepped into the room. "So it is Master Dun Ruo. Please forgive my failure to welcome you properly."

Dun Ruo immediately laughed, his tone gentle. "Ah, Meng Wei, it is fortunate you are here; you have saved me the trouble of proving my identity."

Meng Wei gave a bitter smile. "With your abilities, what trouble could there possibly be? That you are willing to prove your identity is already a sign of respect toward us."

Dun Ruo shook his head. "You overstate it. This is the jurisdiction of a Qin County; how could I act without proper notice?"

Meng Wei asked, "Who are you here to investigate?"

Dun Ruo replied, "You should have heard of this person. His name is Zhao Cheng. He is a new recruit who joined the army during this year's campaign against Han. He performed with great distinction at Fang City Pass and caught the eye of the Great King, who ordered me to investigate his life."

Although Meng Wei had harbored some suspicions, he was still startled when he heard the name Zhao Cheng, followed by a surge of joy; he felt genuinely happy for the young man.

"I always said that child had a limitless future. Come, come, Master Dun Ruo, sit. Let me tell you about him."

Seeing Meng Wei's proud and joyful reaction, Dun Ruo became interested and sat down to listen.

"This child is gifted with extraordinary talent; he is tall, heroic, and martial. When he first came to the County Court to report, standing there among the crowd, he was like a crane in a flock of chickens."

"Upon testing, his physical strength proved astonishing. He could lift a twelve-stone stone lock with a single hand—he is truly born with innate divine strength!"

"...In barely a month, this child's horsemanship and archery reached a divine level. From two hundred paces away, he could shoot down flying birds while galloping on horseback, firing three arrows from one bow, hitting the mark every single time!"

"It is just that he eats too much; a single meal is enough for dozens of men. In the month he has been here, he has nearly eaten the County Court into poverty..."

As he listened to the account, Dun Ruo nodded repeatedly, feeling deeply astonished in his heart.

To have practiced horsemanship and archery to such a degree in just over a month.

This was a level that many could not reach even if they spent their entire lives trying.

This man was truly a born fierce general.

"Would it be convenient for me to look at the official records?"

Since Dun Ruo's identity had been confirmed, there was naturally no objection.

The Magistrate immediately had someone bring over the Household Register Bamboo Slip and other documents regarding Zhao Cheng.

Dun Ruo flipped through them quietly, and between the lines, he seemed to see the trajectory of Zhao Cheng's life over the past decade.

Just as he was reading quietly, a report arrived from a galloping horse outside.

"Report—"

"Our main army has captured Ye County, destroying thirty thousand of the enemy. The General requests reinforcements and provisions to be sent to garrison Ye County."

With the city captured at the front, reinforcements were needed at the rear to secure the position thoroughly, allowing the main army to continue its advance.

"Ye County has already been captured? So quickly?"

Meng Wei went to meet the messenger, took the report from his hand, and was stunned the moment he looked at it.

"Cutting off the water to besiege the isolated city..."

"...Commandant Zhao Cheng infiltrated Ye County, wreaking havoc behind enemy lines. He burned down the government offices and, while surrounded by four thousand troops, managed to slaughter over two thousand of them. He then scaled the city walls, cut down the enemy commander, seized the city, and threw open the gates. He killed another three thousand enemies?"

"Is... is this true?"

Even though Meng Wei had great confidence in Zhao Cheng, this briefing was still hard for him to believe.

The messenger held his head high, proud. "How could it be fake? The entire army is witness to it!"

"When Commandant Zhao was on the city walls cutting down the enemy, we were right there below, witnessing it with our own eyes. He was truly like a god descending from the heavens, a Divine Weapon dropped from the sky. With one strike!"

"The head of the Han Army commander just flew off. The Commandant—no, we should call him General Zhao now—General Zhao held that Han commander's head and swept through the enemy ranks atop the wall."

"You didn't see it; the enemy soldiers were flying off the walls like rain. Every time our brothers below raised their blades, it was a merit earned!"

"I hate that I wasn't under the wall at the time and didn't get a share of the merits the General knocked down..."

As he spoke, the messenger looked deeply regretful.

"If the General hadn't shared his merits with the brothers, his own tally could have been even higher!"

When the messenger spoke of Zhao Cheng, his fanatical reverence was plain to see.

Meng Wei listened, feeling a sense of reflected glory. He patted the messenger on the shoulder and handed him a flask of tea.

"Drink some water to quench your thirst first."

"You probably don't know this, but before your General Zhao attacked Han, he trained under my command. That Ebony Bow of his? I gave it to him."

The messenger's eyes lit up, and his respect for Meng Wei deepened. "So that Yama Order was a gift from you? You are truly wise!"

Now it was Meng Wu's turn to be surprised. "Yama Order?"

The messenger laughed. "Ha, that's the name we gave the General's bow. The bow itself is exquisite, and the General draws it to its full length with every shot. As long as the bowstring hums, one or even several enemies are guaranteed to drop dead. If that's not a Yama Order, what is?"

Meng Wei clapped his hands in admiration. "A fine name! It is indeed a Yama Order."

The two chatted enthusiastically.

Dun Ruo watched the messenger's fervor, marveling at the prestige Zhao Cheng held within the army.

At the same time, he found it hard to believe. Just how powerful could one person's martial prowess be to accomplish so much in a single battle?

Slaughtering over five thousand enemies?

Even if the soldiers just stood there to be killed, it would take half a day to finish off five thousand men.

Is this guy made of iron? Does he never get injured?

Dun Ruo tapped his fingers on the bamboo slips, his gaze suddenly locking onto the words "Known as the Little Iron Man" in the local records.

He suddenly began to laugh.

Heaven's mandate truly lies with Qin.

Just as the King is about to march east to destroy the six states, such a young divine general descends into the army.

In time, who could withstand such an edge?

But the more this was the case, the more he had to investigate Zhao Cheng thoroughly. He had to ensure Zhao Cheng's background was clean and his character reliable.

Otherwise, this man in Qin would be a divine aid.

But if he were to turn against them, he would be a grave threat!

Thinking this, Dun Ruo flipped through the records, and his gaze suddenly froze on a single line.

"Father unknown, suspected to be a nobleman who drifted into Huaiyang Village and sired him with a commoner woman named Zhang Yun."

Dun Ruo pondered for a moment, then his brows arched. The smile on his face vanished instantly, and a look of shock flashed through his eyes.

"Zhao Cheng... nobleman... sixteen years old... Huaiyang Village..."

"Hiss..."

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, a staggering possibility echoing in his heart.

"If I recall correctly, when the King first ascended the throne, he was assassinated in Sanchuan Commandery..."

Even Ying Zheng did not know that Dun Ruo was aware of these secrets.

After all, he had long since scrubbed every trace of that incident clean.

But after years of organizing intelligence, Dun Ruo had long ago inferred many seemingly blank pieces of information by connecting various threads.

Now, considering this possibility, Dun Ruo felt his entire body tense up in shock.

In all these years, this was the first time he had felt so nervous.

Because he felt he had learned something he shouldn't have.

Unless the King wanted him to know, he absolutely could not show even the slightest hint that he was aware of this.

"What a deadly piece of news..."

Dun Ruo rubbed his temples. "If this is true, it must be completely covered up. Otherwise, the King might face a small problem, but I would face a massive one."

"With such divine might, in time, a title of nobility for his military merits is a given. By then, even if he isn't of royal blood, with his military rank and prestige, which royal descendant could compare to him..."

Considering another layer, Dun Ruo suddenly wanted to meet the boy.

Seizing the opportunity to get on his good side now was more important than anything else.

Thinking of this, Dun Ruo suddenly stood up, walked quickly out of the county office, and ordered one of his subordinates waiting outside.

"You, go to Huaiyang Village immediately. Tell them to stop the investigation—I will investigate it myself!"