This Child Has the Potential to Become a Dou Zong

Smack!

Watching Qin Zhenming leave with the messenger, Shi Jiu slapped his thigh hard and cried out, "It hurts! This isn't a dream—my little brother Zhang is incredible! He actually wiped out the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits with just a few dozen personal guards."

"Even Lord Xu Zhongshan, a Dou Wang, failed to do it back then. This is practically defying the heavens."

The other commanders and deputy commanders said nothing, but their thoughts were much the same as Shi Jiu's.

Meng Xu's face turned livid. The pride he had felt at breaking through to Seven-Star Da Dou Shi, and the satisfaction of believing he would become a commander, vanished in an instant.

Those were the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits. Never mind their astonishing exploits—their leader, Sen Ma Rong, was a Nine-star Da Dou Shi, only one step away from becoming a Dou Ling. He was not someone Zhang Yuan could possibly handle.

How did he do it?!

"Deputy Commander Meng, what do you think of this?" Shi Jiu suddenly turned around. The smile on his face made Meng Xu want to punch him.

"He must have used some underhanded trick." Meng Xu said coldly, "Otherwise, how could a mere Nine-star Dou Master take down the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits?"

"What underhanded trick?" Shi Jiu gave a scoff. "That's called using a little strategy and being resourceful. No matter how little brother Zhang did it, the fact remains that he eliminated the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits. This news will probably spread throughout the empire, and his merit certainly won't be small. He has more than enough credit to be promoted to commander. It seems you'll soon have another match with Zhang Yuan, Deputy Commander Meng."

Meng Xu clenched his fists, fire blazing in his eyes. "Then let him come. I'll make him understand that before absolute strength, no amount of cleverness is useful."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan, who had spent three days traveling from the Illusionary Mist Mountain Range to Qingyun Town, was reporting the details to Qin Zhendong. Lin Zhengqing stood beside him as a witness.

When they heard Zhang Yuan explain how he had inferred from scattered clues that the Jia Lie family and Ao Ba family might be colluding with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, Qin Zhendong and his son, along with Qin Zhendong's deputy general Wang Zhongli, silently praised him.

When they heard Zhang Yuan say that he had displayed his strength upon returning to Wutan City, drawing the two families into targeting him and gradually guiding them into seeking help from the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, they were secretly alarmed.

Those details sounded simple enough when told, but they revealed Zhang Yuan's grasp of human nature.

If a single step had gone wrong, there would have been no mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waited behind.

Qin Jingyan secretly winked at Qin Zhendong, his meaning clear: Father, didn't you say that if Zhang Yuan came up with a way to deal with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, you would acknowledge him as your master? Now that he has captured them outright, I'd say it really wouldn't be a loss for you to become his disciple.

Qin Zhendong was nearly angered into laughter by his precious son's idea.

Didn't he realize that if Qin Zhendong became Zhang Yuan's disciple, he would have to call Zhang Yuan his grandmaster?

"These were merely idle strokes on my part." Zhang Yuan said with a smile. "If the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families had any breadth of heart, they would not have targeted me."

"If they had not colluded with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, then even if they wanted to deal with me, they would have found another way. But I believed they would not dare kill Black Armored Guards."

"Only if they wished to kill me and were colluding with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits could my plan succeed. That was why I did not report it to the commander in advance."

At this point, Zhang Yuan paused before adding, "However, there was an unexpected gain. I discovered that the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits were not ordinary bandits, but Dark Cloud Guards from the Chuyun Empire."

"What?!"

Qin Zhendong, Qin Jingyan, and Wang Zhongli shot to their feet, their pupils contracting.

Two high-ranking Dou Wangs and one deputy commander of the Black Armored Guard—a twenty-two-year-old Nine-star Da Dou Shi—were all utterly shocked at that moment.

If the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits had been from any other empire, they would not have lost their composure like this. But they were from the Chuyun Empire, the Jia Ma Empire's bitter enemy, with whom it shared a blood feud.

The Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits had existed for over a decade without being eliminated, already tarnishing the Northeast Province's reputation as the foremost province against foreign enemies. And now it turned out they were people from the Chuyun Empire.

If this news spread, it would become an even greater laughingstock.

Fortunately, Zhang Yuan had now completely dealt with them.

"Mu Kun requests an audience!"

"Ao Benyu requests an audience."

"Qin Zhenming requests an audience."

"Ge Donglai requests an audience."

Just as Qin Zhendong was about to ask for more details, four vigorous voices sounded from outside the hall.

The four commanders of the Black Armored Guard had arrived at the same time after receiving the summons.

Among them, Ge Donglai, commander of the Yellow Character Camp stationed at the north gate, had been the first to learn that Zhang Yuan had destroyed the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits. Before Zhang Yuan arrived carrying ten heads, he had sent his personal guards ahead to loudly spread the news.

If nothing unexpected happened, the news had already spread throughout Qingyun Town.

"Come in." Qin Zhendong suppressed his emotions and answered steadily.

Four middle-aged men in armor strode into the hall. They all clasped their fists in salute to Qin Zhendong while secretly examining Zhang Yuan.

They had all heard of this young prodigy, highly valued by the commander and said to possess the greatest talent in the Black Armored Guard.

However, as commanders who held high positions, were busy with military affairs, and still needed to cultivate, this was their first time seeing him in person, aside from Qin Zhenming.

He did carry himself well, and his looks were excellent. He gave off the same reliable feeling as Qin Zhendong. Yet there was still a trace of youthfulness on his face, revealing his age.

They could not understand why the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, whom even a Dou Wang leading a force had failed to eradicate for over a decade, had fallen to him.

"Everyone, take a seat."

Qin Zhendong gestured for Mu Kun and the other three to sit, then said to Zhang Yuan, "Tell them once more how you dealt with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits."

Zhang Yuan did not mind repeating himself. He gave an even more detailed account, including his prior cooperation with Lin Zhengqing and Master Gu Ni of the Mittel Auction House.

Mu Kun and the others were all surprised and silently praised his ingenuity. They thought that rumors did not arise from nothing—perhaps Commander Qin Zhendong truly was learning military strategy from Zhang Yuan.

"I actually did not help much in this matter." Lin Zhengqing spoke at the right moment. "By the time Master Gu Ni and I arrived, nine of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, including Jia Lie Bi, the patriarch of the Jia Lie family who had colluded with them, had already been eliminated. Only their leader, Sen Ma Rong, escaped, but he was severely injured and certainly would not get away."

"City Lord Lin is too modest." Zhang Yuan smiled humbly.

Ao Benyu was a straightforward man. He asked, "The plan was indeed an excellent one, but I remember that three of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits were Da Dou Shi, and Sen Ma Rong was even a Nine-star Da Dou Shi like the deputy commander. Captain Zhang Yuan, how did you eliminate them without City Lord Lin's help?"

This was not a challenge, merely pure curiosity.

Zhang Yuan smiled faintly and released his aura. He had no intention of concealing his cultivation. There was no need to play the weak in the army.

"Five-Star Great Dou Shi!"

"Hiss!"

Everyone present sucked in a breath. Even Lin Zhengqing, who had already known, inwardly sighed in amazement.

A sixteen-year-old Five-Star Great Dou Shi no longer merely had the potential to become a Dou Emperor. So long as he did not die unexpectedly, he would certainly become a Dou Emperor—and he even had the potential to become a Dou Zong!

Not to mention Zhang Yuan had already achieved the feat of killing enemies above his level.

I must inform the family and win this person over in advance. I should also have Zhan come apologize. Only then can we build a good relationship. Mu Kun's thoughts began to stir.

As a major force in the empire's military, the Mu family had the closest relationship with the Jia Ma Empire Royal Family among the three great families and stood wholeheartedly with the royal family.

Faced with a prodigy like Zhang Yuan, Mu Kun's first thought was not to suppress him but to nurture him. Of course, that was also because the conflict between his nephew Mu Zhan and Zhang Yuan had merely been a dispute of pride, not a feud that could only end in death.

"Good, very good!" Qin Zhendong nearly laughed aloud.

Such a prodigy possessed good character and excellent intelligence, and he was actually part of Qin Zhendong's Black Armored Guard. How could Qin Zhendong not be delighted?

"Oh, speaking of the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits, there is one more matter." Zhang Yuan said. "The Jia Lie and Ao Ba families colluded with the Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits and must certainly be punished. Commander, you can send one or two battalions of Black Armored Guards to wipe them out."

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

Then Qin Zhendong, Wang Zhongli, and Qin Jingyan's eyes lit up.

The Illusionary Mist Nine Bandits were not merely mountain bandits who had disgraced the Northeast Province and even the imperial royal family. They were from the Chuyun Empire, and they were Dark Cloud Guards.

Therefore, the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families that had colluded with them were traitors. By law, their nine clans should be exterminated.

There was no problem with the Black Armored Guard handling this. It would count as a great merit.

However, Qin Zhenming and Ge Donglai spoke at the same time. "This cannot be done!"

A trace of subtle meaning appeared in Zhang Yuan's eyes.

(End of Chapter)