Death to Those Who Cross the 38th Parallel!

Chapter 24: Those Who Cross the 38th Parallel Without Authorization Shall Die!

"This battle... it is finally about to begin!"

"Pass the order to Xu Yi."

Having been away for quite some time, Xu Yi had finally returned to the family estate.

Due to the unique nature of his family, he was the only one among them serving as an official in the imperial court.

Now that word had spread of him following Xu Nian'an and achieving such great and numerous feats, the members of the Xu clan were currently holding a celebratory banquet for his return.

Inside a massive courtyard, over a dozen large tables were set up, filled with members of the Xu clan.

The Xu clan was quite unique; the current imperial line had originated from them, but the late emperor, fearing the power of his maternal relatives, had restricted them from holding office.

They only took on the business outsourced by the kingdom—now the empire.

It was essentially helping the royal family sell goods, controlling the majority of the empire's most lucrative trades. Although ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the profits had to be turned over to the royal family, the mere title alone was enough to ensure them a lifetime of wealth and luxury.

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter!

Half an hour after Xu Nian'an issued his order, members of the Imperial Guard appeared within the Xu estate.

"Commander, His Majesty wishes to see you!"

The laughter and chatter of the banquet came to an abrupt halt, and everyone turned their gazes toward the figure sitting beside the head of the table.

Swish!

The man did not hesitate in the slightest; he straightened his clothes and placed his right index finger to his lips.

Screech!

The next instant, a piercing whistle rang out across the grounds.

Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter!

Before long, a tall, jet-black horse with a sleek, beautiful build emerged from the stables.

It reared its front hooves high, cleared the fence with ease, and quickly appeared before Xu Yi.

Xu Yi did not hesitate, vaulting onto the horse's back.

He swept his gaze across the people in the courtyard.

"Everyone, the military situation is urgent. I am afraid I cannot continue to dine with you."

Finally, Xu Yi rested his gaze on the head of the table and the woman sitting beside him.

"Father, Mother, take care."

"Hyah!"

After galloping for several dozen minutes, as he neared the imperial palace, Xu Yi suddenly noticed many men dressed in Flying Fish Robes and carrying Xiuchun Sabers.

At the palace gates.

"Routine inspection, dismount!"

Just as he was about to enter the palace, Xu Yi was intercepted by a man in a Flying Fish Robe holding a Xiuchun Saber.

Xu Yi was taken aback and initially intended to exchange pleasantries, but seeing the man's cold, stern expression and upright demeanor—not to mention that they were at the palace gate—he refrained from doing so.

He produced his Imperial Guard commander's token.

He looked at the man with curiosity. "Hey, brother, are you all new recruits of His Majesty?"

"What is your rank? What exactly is it that you do?"

The Brocade Guard returned Xu Yi's token.

"As fellow personal guards of His Majesty, our Brocade Guard has a rather broad jurisdiction: prisons, arresting criminals, investigations, interrogations, and monitoring all officials."

Upon hearing the man's words, Xu Yi felt a sudden shiver run down his spine.

One had to know that the current Emperor detested officials forming private cliques and engaging in corruption above all else.

The image of the previous batch of officials being executed was still fresh in his mind.

If not for his own correct political stance and unwavering loyalty to the royal family, he feared he would have been one of those officials himself.

Xu Yi hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute and quickly retreated.

Not long after entering the palace, Xu Yi encountered another surprise, for there were many eunuchs he had never seen before in the palace today.

These eunuchs were different from the ones of the past; each of them had a long saber tucked into their waist.

"Halt!"

Seeing that Xu Yi intended to proceed further, a group of eunuchs surrounded him.

Xu Yi frowned.

"If you wish to see His Majesty, then please, My Lord, unbuckle your long blade."

Xu Yi did not speak; he simply unhooked the long blade from his waist.

Although in this world, martial spirits dealt damage far exceeding that of mere blades, spears, or swords, this was simply their duty.

If he hadn't seen it, it would be one thing, but since he had, he had to take it off.

Ming Emperor Hall.

When Xu Yi arrived, he found that it wasn't just him and Xu Nian'an present; there were also Brocade Guards clad in Flying Fish Robes and wielding Xiuchun Sabers, as well as blade-bearing eunuchs.

Of course, there was also a titled elder of the Holy Spirit Sect, dressed in black robes, whom even he had only met a few times.

"Your Majesty, everyone has arrived."

The next instant, an effeminate voice echoed through the hall.

On the throne, Xu Nian'an slowly opened his eyes.

"Xu Yi, hear your decree!"

Thud!

Xu Yi did not hesitate in the slightest; he dropped to both knees, his forehead touching the floor, his entire body trembling with irrepressible excitement.

Commander of the Imperial Guard—it was a position among the military generals that held high status but no real power, yet because it was by His Majesty's side, the rank was exceptionally high.

It was a position that made one both love and hate it.

Now that Xu Nian'an was about to promote him, how could he not be thrilled!

"For your meritorious service in suppressing Gu Lei, reclaiming Xingyao, and the southern campaign against Galloping Wolf, I hereby appoint you as the Nation-Suppressing General of the Great Ming Empire!"

As the words fell, Xu Nian'an flipped his right hand, and a Golden Dragon Phantom Imperial Seal appeared in his palm.

He slammed it down through the air onto the imperial decree before him.

Bang!

BOOM!

CRACK!

Xu Yi, kneeling on the ground, saw his expression shift as the soul power within his body surged wildly.

It was as if he had been stimulated by something; after a golden light descended upon him, Xu Yi's soul power, which had been at level sixty-something, skyrocketed to level seventy!

"???"

"Manifesting law through the seal?"

"Holy crap!"

Xu Nian'an felt as if he had discovered some kind of bug, but now was not the time to experiment.

"I command you to lead fifteen thousand Dragon Guards, one hundred thousand Imperial Guards, and one hundred thousand militia—recruited previously within Great Ming—a total force of three hundred and fifty thousand, to suppress the unrest at the border!"

Swish!

Xu Yi kowtowed violently and accepted the imperial decree, his face flushed red with excitement.

"Your subject guarantees the suppression of the border unrest, and will force them all out of the Great Ming borders!"

Force them out of the Great Ming borders?

A cruel smile curled at the corners of Xu Nian'an's mouth. They dared to cross the 38th Parallel without permission.

And they thought they could retreat safely?

Would the thirty thousand iron cavalry of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry agree to that?

Xu Nian'an wanted to strike the Heaven Dou Empire hard enough to hurt, to grind their pride into the dirt!

"I hereby appoint the Holy Spirit Sect as the Nation-Protecting Divine Sect, to accompany the Nation-Suppressing General in quelling this unrest!"

Hearing this, the elder of the Holy Spirit Sect made no move, merely nodding slightly.

"You may withdraw."

After the indifferent voice faded, the others quickly departed.

Once the group had left, Xu Nian'an turned and walked to his desk, where he swiftly wrote the characters for "Lord of Creation."

He took the Great Ming Imperial Seal and pressed it down hard.

Once, twice, three times... he pressed it dozens of times, then closed his eyes, waiting to feel his soul power surge.

But the palace remained silent.

Holy crap!

Damn it!

As Xu Yi led the Dragon Guards, the one hundred thousand militia, and the Imperial Guards away, the north was suddenly struck by a cold front.

The June sky began to snow, and the flakes grew heavy, turning into a blizzard in the blink of an eye.

Amidst the blizzard, an endless line of troops, suddenly bearing the Sun and Moon Flag of Great Ming, slowly appeared at the border of Great Ming.