The East Depot.
Cao Zhengchun sat in the governor's chair, carefully reviewing some of the East Depot's internal files.
Tap, tap-
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, and a sinister-looking man with white eyebrows hurried in.
"Your subordinate pays his respects, Governor!"
Cao Zhengchun raised his eyelids slightly but kept his gaze on the files in his hands. "Speak. What happened to put you in such a panic?"
The White-Browed Man said gravely, "Governor, something has happened to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"Hmm?"
Cao Zhengchun's expression shifted, and he immediately looked up at the White-Browed Man. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
The White-Browed Man nodded. "Yu Huatian of the West Depot won over Wang Yi, the pacification commissioner of the Northern Pacification Office, and obtained transfer orders from the Northern Office. All the Thousand-Household Commanders currently in the capital have now been won over by the West Depot. They're preparing to follow Governor Yu Huatian into the Northwestern Desert to seize the treasure of the Great White Upper Kingdom!"
"What?!"
Cao Zhengchun rose at once, his face filled with shock and fury. "Why wasn't I informed beforehand of something this important?!"
The White-Browed Man looked grim. "All the East Depot's former leaders are dead, and we've lost contact with every informant they planted outside. Our intelligence network can't keep up. Moreover, the West Depot acted in secret. The news only came to light today."
"Damn it!"
Cao Zhengchun's gaze darkened. He turned toward the West Depot and snorted coldly. "First he engineered the East Depot's infighting, leaving me a rotten mess to clean up. Then he took the opportunity to bring the Embroidered Uniform Guard under his control. Yu Huatian, what splendid methods you have!"
At that moment, Cao Zhengchun saw through Yu Huatian's true purpose.
From the very beginning, his target had never been the East Depot, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
Although the Embroidered Uniform Guard had been little more than the East Depot's dog in recent years, its strength was beyond question.
Without the Embroidered Uniform Guard, what could the East Depot accomplish with the few hundred men under its command?
Yu Huatian was cutting off the East Depot's arm!
"Governor, what should we do now?"
The White-Browed Man's expression was grim. He had followed Cao Zhengchun out of the palace and now served as the East Depot's chief officer. He had thought he could finally escape the depths of the palace and wield real authority.
Who could have known that only after entering the East Depot and gradually learning its workings would they discover that its waters ran deeper than they had imagined?
Stabilizing the situation completely and taking control of the East Depot was no easy task.
Yet before they had fully secured the East Depot, the West Depot had already severed its arm-the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
At this rate, even if they took control of the East Depot, their strength would be nowhere near the West Depot's!
"What else can we do? The wood has already been made into a boat. Since Yu Huatian chose to move against the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he must have planned everything long ago. It's already too late to wrest it back from the West Depot!"
Cao Zhengchun snorted coldly.
The White-Browed Man gritted his teeth, a flicker of murderous intent crossing his eyes. "If we can't have it, neither can the West Depot!"
"I've already made inquiries. Wang Yi, the Northern Office's pacification commissioner, is merely grass atop a wall, bending whichever way the wind blows. We only need to kill the Thousand-Household Commanders who hold real authority in the offices below him and replace them with our own men. Wang Yi will naturally know which side to choose!"
Cao Zhengchun gave him a cold look. "Move against the Embroidered Uniform Guard now? Are you a pig?"
"Even we have learned of the West Depot's move against the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so His Majesty must know as well. Yet there has been no response from the palace. That makes it clear His Majesty has tacitly approved this."
"Besides, Yu Huatian obtained the Northern Office's transfer orders before making his move. Everything he did followed the rules. We were simply incompetent and fell a step behind."
"If we attack the Embroidered Uniform Guard now without following any procedures, we'll be the ones breaking the rules."
"Remember this: although the East Depot answers to His Majesty and stands above the officials, whatever we do, we must not break the rules. Otherwise, even His Majesty won't be able to protect us!"
The White-Browed Man's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly cupped his hands. "Yes, Governor. Your subordinate understands his mistake."
Cao Zhengchun's expression softened somewhat. He glanced toward the imperial palace and continued, "Also, although I was transferred here from the palace, what His Majesty needs is someone who can truly get things done."
"Whether it's the East Depot or the West Depot, we're merely blades in His Majesty's hands. All he cares about is whether those two blades are useful. As for whether they clash with each other, His Majesty doesn't care."
"Indeed, our two depots' infighting has His Majesty's tacit approval."
"What a ruler needs is balance."
"Previously, the East Depot held too much power, and Wan Yulou paid little heed to the rules. That was why His Majesty ordered the West Depot established-to counterbalance Wan Yulou."
"Now that Wan Yulou is dead, His Majesty has sent me to command the East Depot and counterbalance Yu Huatian."
"But now the West Depot has struck first against the Embroidered Uniform Guard and severed the East Depot's arm. In His Majesty's eyes, that is proof of my incompetence. Do you still expect him to step forward and uphold my interests?"
"Remember, although I guarded the imperial palace for many years, if I perform poorly and thoroughly disappoint His Majesty, he won't care about an incompetent man either."
The White-Browed Man's heart tightened. He cupped his hands. "Your subordinate understands."
Cao Zhengchun nodded slightly. After a moment's thought, he said, "Since Yu Huatian already controls the Embroidered Uniform Guard, leave it alone for now. Our priority is to secure control of the East Depot."
"By the way, have those experts who served Wan Yulou agreed to submit to me?"
The White-Browed Man nodded. "The experts previously cultivated by Wan Yulou, Zhao Jingzhong, and Liu Xi now have nowhere to go. Almost all have chosen to follow you, Governor. There are quite a few first-rate martial artists among them, as well as three innate experts."
"Three?"
Cao Zhengchun frowned. "Didn't the information we received say Li Zhong had four innate experts under him?"
The White-Browed Man's face darkened at the question. "That section chief named Zheng Yuan left the East Depot and joined Yu Huatian before we arrived."
"Yu Huatian again. Damn him!"
Cao Zhengchun's gaze also darkened. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and waved a hand. "Forget it. If he's gone, he's gone. How is the training of the Black-Clad Archery Squad I assigned you?"
"Training has already begun. We'll see results in two months at most."
The White-Browed Man answered.
"Very good."
Cao Zhengchun nodded, then snorted coldly. "I'll show Yu Huatian that even without the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I have no shortage of men who can get things done!"
Dong, dong, dong-
The distant morning bells rang through the misty rain.
Thin wisps of cooking smoke rose one after another from the capital's countless streets and alleys as the bells tolled. The government offices within the imperial city also began another day's work.
The inner courtyard of the West Depot Governor's Residence.
As the melodious bells rang, Yu Huatian slowly opened his eyes and emerged from cultivation. A vast aura burst from his body, then swiftly withdrew within him.
The pure true qi within him flowed through his meridians and throughout his body before pouring into his dantian, nourishing his flesh and physique.
Had anyone been able to look inside him, they would have found his blood and vital energy surging, his skin like jade, and his bones tough and resilient. Even his meridians had widened considerably. His martial foundation was incomparably solid, perhaps no less substantial than that of a great grandmaster.
The Sunflower Manual was originally a supreme martial art of utmost hardness and yang, but its flaw was equally obvious. Its fiercely yang true qi greatly stimulated the desires within the body. The slightest carelessness could cause blazing inner fire to consume the practitioner, sending him into qi deviation until his body exploded and he died. Only the path of yin born from extreme yang was the correct way to cultivate it, which was why only eunuchs could practice it.
To practice this art, one must first castrate oneself.
But sacrifice and reward were proportional. Although the practitioner lost the symbol of his manhood, cultivation advanced extremely quickly after castration. Moreover, the Sunflower True Energy cultivated through the path of yin born from extreme yang possessed not only tremendous explosive power but terrifying destructive force, far beyond that of ordinary supreme martial arts.
His earlier battles against Zhao Huaian and Liu Xi made that clear.
Both he and Zhao Huaian had been in the grandmaster realm, but Zhao Huaian had followed an unorthodox path, with most of his strength concentrated in his swordsmanship. In a contest of internal energy, he was no match for Yu Huatian. The swordsmanship in the latter half of the Sunflower Manual was also exquisite, beyond anything Zhao Huaian could rival. That was why he had fallen so quickly, dying beneath Yu Huatian's sword after only a few dozen exchanges.
As for Liu Xi, his primary art was the Energy-Absorbing Great Method; his actual fighting skills were merely average.
But the Energy-Absorbing Great Method was outrageously powerful, a martial art that defied all reason. It could absorb not only another person's internal energy but also their vital essence and martial arts. It happened to counter Yu Huatian's Sunflower True Energy perfectly. Had Yu Huatian not possessed a powerful foundation and firmly guarded his dantian, preventing Liu Xi from absorbing his true qi, the outcome would have been difficult to predict.
Even so, the Energy-Absorbing Great Method had interfered with Yu Huatian's circulation of true qi at the time. He had been forced to abandon using it and instead face his opponent with the Sunflower Manual's Seventy-Two Sword Forms, finally cutting Liu Xi down.
At that thought, Yu Huatian could not help recalling another man who also cultivated the Energy-Absorbing Great Method-the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis, Zhu Wushi!
"Liu Xi's internal energy was extremely mixed. He probably hadn't been cultivating the Energy-Absorbing Great Method for long, and he was only an early-stage grandmaster, yet he was already so powerful. How terrifying must Zhu Wushi be, when he cultivates the same art and reached the Peak Grandmaster realm long ago?"
Yu Huatian murmured, his expression grave.
After several days in seclusion, he had successfully completed the conversion of all his Sunflower Manual true qi, and his internal energy had reached the Peak Grandmaster realm. But against Zhu Wushi, who stood at that same peak, he probably still had little chance of victory.
Even within the same realm, strength varied. It could not be judged solely by the level of one's internal energy.
Leaving everything else aside, according to the memories his predecessor had left behind, Yu Huatian had heard that the Sword God Xie Xiaofeng, ranked fifth among Ming's Ten Greatest Swordsmen, had once slain a great grandmaster through his extraordinary swordsmanship despite being only in the Grandmaster Realm himself.
As for the Iron-Gall Marquis Zhu Wushi, his battle record was equally terrifying.
Twenty years earlier, he and his sworn brother, Invincible Child Gu Santong, had obtained the Heavenly Pool Strange Hero's legacy together. Relying on the Energy-Absorbing Great Method, he had swept across the martial world. During a battle at Tai Lake, he had absorbed the power of 108 martial experts. Later, he defeated Gu Santong through a cunning advantage and imprisoned him in the Heavenly Prison, becoming a legend of the martial world that year and firmly establishing his status as Ming's God of War.
Another twenty years had passed since then. No one knew how many more people's power he had absorbed during that time. He might even have secretly broken through to great grandmaster already.
Even taking a step back and assuming he remained a Peak Grandmaster as the rumors claimed, his actual combat strength would certainly far exceed that of other martial artists at his level. Moreover, his Energy-Absorbing Great Method countered most of the world's supreme martial arts.
Thus, even though Yu Huatian had now reached the Peak Grandmaster realm himself, he still had no confidence in defeating the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis.
"Take it slowly. More haste, less speed..."
After pondering for a while, Yu Huatian shook his head and set those thoughts aside for now.
Although he was not confident he could deal with Zhu Wushi at present, that did not mean he would remain no match for him forever.
With the system's assistance, given enough time, he would one day slay Zhu Wushi, fulfill his ambitions, and become the foremost man in Ming!
Leaving the meditation chamber, Yu Huatian frowned slightly at the gloomy gray sky. It dampened even the good mood brought by his recent breakthrough.
But today was the appointed day to depart for the Northwestern Desert. He could not change the schedule merely because of rain.
Shaking his head, Yu Huatian headed straight for the West Depot offices.
Meanwhile, the main hall of the West Depot offices was already packed.
The West Depot's chief officer, Ma Jinliang, second officer, Ding Xiu, and the Green-Faced Killer, Zhao Tong, stood at the front. Beside them stood a young man in a blue python robe, holding a pair of meteor hammers.
He was Zheng Yuan, the section chief who had defected from the East Depot. He was at the late innate stage and possessed considerable fighting skill. On hearing that Yu Huatian was embarking on a mission, he had volunteered to accompany him, hoping to earn merit as quickly as possible.
Behind the four stood six more men, all wearing Flying Fish Uniforms. Only their weapons differed.
One carried an Imperial Guard Saber, one wore a sword, and one wielded a broad Nine-Ring Mountain-Splitting Saber. The other three wore Embroidery Spring Sabers.
These six were members of the Northern Pacification Office's Thirteenth Guardian: Second Guardian Li Jiang, Third Guardian Qian Chaofeng, Eighth Guardian Huang Chihu, Ninth Guardian Xiao Ce, Eleventh Guardian Jiang Yifan, and Thirteenth Guardian Lu Wenzhao.
Apart from Sixth Guardian Jing Tianluo, whom Ma Jinliang had killed, and the other six Thousand-Household Commander Guardians who were away on assignments, these remaining six had ultimately obeyed the transfer orders after the West Depot came calling. They had assembled here to join the West Depot on its mission.
But aside from Second Guardian Li Jiang and Ninth Guardian Xiao Ce, Third Guardian Qian Chaofeng, Eighth Guardian Huang Chihu, and Eleventh Guardian Jiang Yifan all looked displeased. Clearly, they had not been particularly cooperative when the West Depot approached them and had come only under pressure.
As for Thirteenth Guardian Lu Wenzhao, he stood quietly at the back, his expression unreadable.
Ma Jinliang and the others ignored them, merely standing at the front and waiting in silence.
Tap, tap-
Before long, crisp footsteps rang out, and Yu Huatian strode inside, dressed in a silvery-white python robe, his expression cold and stern.
Everyone immediately grew alert.
"Respectful greetings, Governor!"
Ma Jinliang and the other three stepped forward and saluted without hesitation.
The Northern Office's six Thousand-Household Commanders hesitated briefly, then bowed in greeting as well. "Your humble subordinates pay their respects, my lord!"
When junior officers greeted their superiors, they referred to themselves as humble subordinates. That was the Embroidered Uniform Guard's rule, but they obediently applied it to Yu Huatian now. Clearly, the rules Ma Jinliang and the others had laid down for them over the past few days had taken effect.
Yu Huatian said little. He strode to the front, turned, and swept his gaze over everyone in the hall before nodding slightly.
Including Ma Jinliang and the other three, there were nine innate experts in total. Not bad.
But what was going on with the remaining man?
Yu Huatian's gaze settled on the somewhat plump man standing in front of Lu Wenzhao. "Who are you in the Northern Office?"
The man immediately stepped forward, puffed out his chest, and cupped his hands. "Reporting to my lord, your humble subordinate is Li Jiang, Second Guardian of the Northern Office!"
Yu Huatian frowned. After carefully sensing him and confirming that Li Jiang was merely an ordinary man, he narrowed his eyes. "With your strength, how did you become a Thousand-Household Commander in the Northern Office?"
"Well..."
Li Jiang froze at the question, then gave an embarrassed smile. He rubbed his plump hands together, unsure how to answer.
"Hmph!"
Beside him, Third Guardian Qian Chaofeng, who held the nine-ring saber, snorted with utter disdain.
The others also cast contemptuous looks his way.
Seeing this, Yu Huatian immediately understood. Unless he was mistaken, the man had obtained his position through connections. Such things were common in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Yu Huatian said flatly, "I don't care how you became a Thousand-Household Commander, so long as you don't disrupt my plans. Otherwise, I'll slice that fat off you one cut at a time. With your build, there should be plenty of cuts to make."
Li Jiang's tiny eyes instantly widened into circles. He waved his hands repeatedly. "I won't, I won't! Absolutely not! Please rest assured, my lord. Although I know no martial arts, I have several capable fighters under my command."
"That had better be true."
As Yu Huatian spoke, he glanced at the other five Thousand-Household Commanders. "And you lot. Whether you came willingly or not, now that you're here, you had best put aside any other intentions and focus on your duties."
"If anyone dares feign obedience while acting against my orders during this mission and holds the West Depot back, don't blame me for showing no mercy."
Their hearts tightened, and they cupped their hands together. "Your humble subordinates obey."
Yu Huatian nodded, then waved a hand and strode outside.
"Move out!"
-
A two-in-one chapter.
I divide chapters by plot rather than word count. Splitting certain chapters and posting them separately would hurt the reading experience, so I combined them. The total word count is the same.
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(End of chapter)
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