Central Legion Welcomes the Speaker for an Inspection

Over at Shrek Academy...

They remained silent, with no response whatsoever.

Perhaps they had not sent anyone to collect the body because they could not afford the humiliation. Perhaps they feared causing trouble. Or perhaps Long Yeyue no longer mattered.

But whatever the reason...

Long Yeyue's final destination...

Was that cesspit.

Under the sunlight...

The sky above Ming Capital was clear and cloudless.

The crowd in the square gradually dispersed. Staff began dismantling the execution platform, while cleaners swept the ground.

It was as though nothing had happened.

But in the hearts of those hundreds of millions of citizens, the several War Gods of the War God Temple, and the aristocratic families and sects secretly following the proceedings—

Everything had changed.

At that moment, Chen Yu rose to his feet, turned, and left.

Pan Wen followed close behind.

Their backs vanished into the passageway. Sunlight spilled across the steps they had crossed, warm and bright.

A short while later, outside Ming Capital, West Mountain.

West Mountain towered majestically.

The mountain range stretched for dozens of miles, its main peak piercing the clouds and shrouded in mist year-round.

This was not merely a mountain. It was the core of the Federation's military power.

West Mountain was the headquarters of the Central Legion. The entire mountain had been designated a military zone, and outsiders were forbidden from approaching.

At its summit stood the War God Temple.

That ancient hall, which had endured for thousands of years, sat at the highest point of West Mountain, overlooking all of Ming Capital.

Ordinarily, it was where the War Gods of the War God Temple cultivated and held discussions. Ordinary people could not even approach the foot of the mountain.

But today, an unusual atmosphere permeated all of West Mountain.

When Chen Yu's Soul Guidance car slowly drove through the gates of the military camp at the foot of West Mountain, a straight passage came into view.

On both sides of the passage, soldiers stood in two orderly lines stretching from the camp entrance all the way to the foot of the mountain, disappearing from sight.

They wore crisp uniforms and white gloves, holding standard-issue Soul Guidance Rifles with their muzzles raised and their weapons held straight.

Sunlight gleamed off their helmets and epaulets, reflecting a dazzling radiance.

A red carpet extended from the car door...

All the way into the distance.

Chen Yu stepped out of the car and frowned slightly at the sight.

Yu Guanzhi had already hurried over, his military boots making steady sounds against the red carpet.

He came to attention before Chen Yu, his back ramrod straight as he respectfully lowered his head.

"Speaker."

Chen Yu frowned and said,

"Didn't I say not to make such a fuss?"

"Besides, I'm only passing through."

There was a trace of displeasure in his tone.

He disliked this kind of extravagant display, and disliked even more the thought of soldiers putting aside their work to engage in such formalities because of him.

He had come to West Mountain only to stop by the War God Temple and inspect the military camp along the way. He had not intended to alert so many people.

Hearing this, Yu Guanzhi quickly smiled.

"Speaker, the brothers did this of their own accord."

"They wanted to express their gratitude to you."

"You have to consider everyone's feelings too, don't you?"

There was helplessness in his smile, but also pride.

He was helpless because he knew the Speaker did not like this, yet proud that his soldiers carried such feelings.

He truly had not arranged this.

Or rather, he simply had not stopped it.

Because when the soldiers heard that the Speaker was coming to West Mountain, the entire camp had erupted.

Everyone had begun preparing voluntarily.

Some polished their boots, some wiped down their rifles again and again, and some repeatedly practiced their salutes.

They were not doing it to deal with an inspection or complete a task. They sincerely wanted to express their gratitude in this way.

The Speaker had given them so many allowances. The Speaker had improved their meals. The Speaker had given them lives they had never even dared dream of before.

They did not know how to repay the Speaker, so they could only use this method to let him see their hearts.

Chen Yu nodded slightly, and the displeasure on his face eased somewhat.

He looked around at those young faces and those burning eyes, warmth welling up in his heart.

"Only this once."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Yu Guanzhi nodded hurriedly, the smile on his face deepening.

He turned and gave a slight nod toward the adjutant standing some distance away, signaling with his eyes.

The adjutant had been standing beside the formation, closely watching the situation.

The moment he saw Yu Guanzhi's look, he understood. He took a deep breath, then suddenly raised his right hand and clapped three times sharply.

The next second, a resounding military song began.

It was the anthem of the Central Legion, its melody heroic and stirring, its lyrics plain yet powerful.

Tens of thousands of soldiers opened their mouths at once.

Their voices exploded through the mountains like thunder, echoing back and forth through the valleys without end.

Every note was filled with strength, every lyric poured full of emotion.

"We are iron..."

The melody of the military song echoed beneath West Mountain, flowing through the soldiers' formation and lingering in Chen Yu's ears.

The soldiers all saluted Chen Yu, their movements perfectly synchronized as though they were one person.

Tens of thousands of arms rose at once, palms together, fingertips pointed toward their cap brims. Their gazes burned with reverence and fervor.

Sunlight fell across their faces...

Illuminating their reddened eyes.

Chen Yu waved back at them, smiling broadly.

His pace was neither fast nor slow. His right hand was raised to shoulder height, gently waving.

"Everyone has worked hard."

Chen Yu's voice was not loud, but it cut through the rolling tide of the military song and reached every soldier's ears clearly.

"We haven't worked hard!"

The soldiers shouted.

The voices of tens of thousands merged together, crashing forth like a tsunami and shaking the leaves at the foot of the mountain until they rustled.

They had not worked hard.

Those three words were not mere courtesy. They came from the heart.

Serving under the Speaker, they ate well, dressed warmly, had dignity, allowances, and hope for the future.

So they had not worked hard.

Chen Yu walked down the red carpet, the soldier formations on both sides like a Great Wall forged from steel.

Their gazes followed his figure, from the entrance to the foot of the mountain, from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside. Step by step, their eyes never strayed.

At the end of the red carpet stood stone steps leading toward the summit.

The steps were narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side. Dense woods and jagged rocks lined both sides.

The steps were long and winding, stretching from the mountainside to the summit, hidden within the clouds and mist.

This was the route used by the War Gods of the War God Temple for cultivation and travel. Ordinary people would never have a chance to set foot on it in their entire lives.

But today, soldiers stood along both sides of the stone steps as well.

They were lined up from the mountainside all the way to the summit.

One stood every few steps, straight and tall like green pines planted across the slope.

Their uniforms fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and their gazes followed Chen Yu's figure with reverence and fervor.