The matter of Duan Li’s treason did not cause much stir within the State of Zhuang, let alone have any impact abroad.
The once fearsome commander of the Nine River Black Cavalry, in the end, was merely a cripple who had lost all his cultivation.
He still held honor and position, but in the world of the extraordinary, he no longer held any status.
According to the public statement, he died of old wounds recurring.
Perhaps apart from the soldiers of the Nine River Black Cavalry, few would delve into the underlying reasons.
In the end, if the imperial court said so, then so it was.
The imperial court… surely wouldn’t lie, would it?
General Duan Li dedicated his life to the country, burdened with honor, and should have died without regret.
He had neither wife nor child, making the military camp his home.
It was Du Yehu who handled his funeral.
The funeral was somewhat rushed, with his death the day before, a day of mourning with the coffin on display, followed immediately by burial.
The funeral was simple, held within the military camp.
But it was also grand.
On the day of his funeral procession, the entire Nine River Black Cavalry lined up to mourn, the Grand Chancellor personally attended to offer condolences, and the King also bestowed his well wishes. Not to mention the Prefect, the Head of the Prefecture’s Law Enforcement Department, and the like…
He should have had no regrets.
Many sighed, saying General Duan should have had no regrets.
Death by old wounds recurring was a respectable way to die. It was common among generals who risked their lives on the battlefield.
Presumably, Duan Li himself accepted it.
After all, what he had originally sought was a death by dismemberment.
Compared to that, death by old wounds was far more respectable.
Du Yehu did not know that this was originally the death Zhuang Gaoxian planned for him. This uncanny coincidence, of course, was nothing to be thankful for.
But whether he knew or not, things had reached this point.
The dead cannot return to life, and he could no longer turn back.
After burying Duan Li, people noticed that General Du Yehu seemed to have changed into a different person.
He no longer drank day and night, no longer thought of going to the battlefield every moment.
He began to rectify military affairs, began to consolidate power with the help of his副将 Yang Yin, and began to actively contend for the future of the Nine River Black Cavalry…
In terms of merit, during the war against the State of Yong, it was he who was the first to scale the Soaring Dragon Pass, planting the Zhuang flag on the city tower. That cry of “A century of humiliation, returned today!” is still widely spoken of.
In terms of strength, following the path of ancient military strategists, and always being the first into battle without fear of death, he had long since made a name for himself in the army.
When he was still in the Soaring Dragon realm, many were unconvinced of him becoming the fifth 副将 of the Nine River Black Cavalry, but after participating in a few battles with him, those who were unconvinced all became convinced. No one fought as desperately as he did. Others fought desperately for fame and fortune, but there was always a limit. He fought desperately as if just to throw away his life.
As for now, having broken through to the Inner Mansion realm, no one in the Nine River Black Cavalry dared to face him alone. The other 副将, though having deeper cultivation, indeed had a subtle, unspoken fear when it came to life-and-death combat.
The only thing Du Yehu lacked was seniority, but Commander Duan Li’s recognition of him had long since compensated for this.
After Commander Duan Li’s death due to old wounds, the position of commander of the Nine River Black Cavalry remained vacant, with no one sent down from above to take over. Many speculated that this was the court’s deliberate intention, waiting for Du Yehu.
Waiting for him to become stronger, waiting for him to gain more recognition.
At Duan Li’s funeral, the Grand Chancellor’s repeated private conversations with Du Yehu were also seen as a sign of things to come.
Of course, some believed these things, and some did not.
At this moment, Du Yehu sat alone in his military tent.
After a day of military exercises, the person who least wanted to think was now quietly pondering.
From now on… no one would help him think of solutions anymore.
副将 Yang Yin was very good, very sharp, but some questions could not be asked of Yang Yin. At least not yet.
He himself was indeed not smart enough. When he was still in Maple Forest City, Little Fifth would mock him all day long, and he could only respond with punches in shame and anger.
But thinking about it, doing as Duan Li said should not cause any problems…
Beside him was a jar of wine, but he hadn’t drunk a drop today. He occasionally glanced at it, just to satisfy his craving.
The feeling of the wine craving was unpleasant, but he dared not get drunk from now on.
He had promised, he had promised Duan Li…
“General!”
The tent flap rustled, and a stocky figure squeezed in.
This simpleton, Zhao Erting, had again crashed in without any report.
Du Yehu had not cared about such things in the past, only Yang Yin would manage them, but now he felt that perhaps he should establish some rules.
Duan Li had said that the most important thing in training soldiers was rules.
He didn’t know why, but the words he had never been able to listen to before now surfaced repeatedly after Duan Li’s death, becoming clearer and clearer.
Duan Li must have been right, right?
My being alive… should be useful, right?
After Zhao Erting crashed in, he just stared blankly at Du Yehu, but didn’t speak for a moment.
Rules… Du Yehu thought again.
So he had a headache.
“What is it?” he asked the simpleton.
“You shouldn’t have arrested General Duan!” Zhao Erting said suddenly.
“Simpleton!” Du Yehu said angrily, “Where did you hear such nonsense?”
“副将 Zhang said it when he was drinking with the people in his tent.” Zhao Erting said stubbornly, sticking out his neck, “They said you exchanged General Duan for glory and wealth! cooked… no matter raw or cooked, it’s shameless!”
To Zhao Erting’s surprise, the usually hot-tempered Du Yehu did not immediately explode.
Instead, he asked, “What else?”
Zhao Erting thought seriously for a moment: “I also think the general did the wrong thing. Even if General Duan was guilty, it shouldn’t have been you who arrested him. General Duan was so good to you…”
A jar of wine was thrown over.
He skillfully dodged it.
The wine jar shattered on the ground, and the aroma of wine instantly filled the air.
What a waste! Zhao Erting thought.
“Damn you!”
The familiar Tiger General was back…
Du Yehu roared, “Am I asking what you think? You illiterate simpleton, what you think is worth a fart!”
Zhao Erting shrank his head. For some reason, he felt much more at ease now.
He said tearfully, “You’re the one who asked!”
Du Yehu wanted to smash him again, but after looking around, there were no more wine jars at hand. He wanted to throw the military book in front of him, which he couldn’t quite understand, but after thinking about it, he didn’t reach out.
He just said angrily, “I’m asking what else that old dog surnamed Zhang said!”
Zhao Erting scratched his head: “He seemed to have only said that.”
The matter suppressed by the Grand Chancellor, presumably the one surnamed Zhang wouldn’t dare to say more…
Looking at the simple-minded Zhao Erting, Du Yehu was filled with frustration. He waved his hand: “Get out!”
“Get out, then…” Zhao Erting looked quite proud and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Du Yehu called out to him again and said seriously, “Remember this, don’t talk to me about Maple Forest City anymore! Those words, you keep them buried in your belly forever!”
“That’s great!” Zhao Erting beamed, “I’m already tired of talking about it! If it weren’t for fear of you beating me…”
He stopped talking.
Du Yehu’s face was gloomy: “Get out!”
Zhao Erting lifted the tent flap and quickly left.
In the now empty tent, Du Yehu sighed again.
If Little Fifth were alive… why would he need to use his brain?
According to what Duan Li said, the best way was actually to kill Zhao Erting. Dead men keep the best secrets. If Zhao Erting died, his relationship with Jiang Wang would no longer be remembered… But he really couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Otherwise, that jar he threw just now would have killed Zhao Erting.
Fortunately, this simpleton, though a bit dull, was very obedient. He would do what he promised. Presumably, there would be no problem.
Du Yehu rubbed his head, forcing himself to look at the military book.
Damn it… what does this character mean?
Horse or Four? Why do these two broken characters have to come together, making people wonder which one to read!
He was angry again.
Yang Yin, that son of a gun, didn’t even annotate it!
Just as he was angry, he suddenly looked up and reached out to grab the single mace.
Immediately, blood surged around him, and a hint of malevolent energy could be felt.
He did indeed take a precious saber from the Emperor’s private treasury, but he did not use it. Instead, he placed it in his residence and worshiped it.
When Grand Chancellor Du saw it, although he criticized him, saying that a saber was meant to be used, he was clearly also very happy.
As for this single mace, it was a relic of Duan Li.
It was originally a pair, one of which was destroyed on the Zhuang-Yong battlefield, broken by Marquis Chengde Li Ying of the State of Yong.
The pair of maces was named “Taking the Enemy.” Duan Li had not been able to take the enemy with them, and now only one remains. Presumably, the single mace should be called “Sending to Death.”
It was Yang Yin who was more cultured, saying it would be better to call it “Sending to the Funeral.”
He thought about it and realized that he should indeed be sending Duan Li to his funeral, so he decided on this name.
At this moment, Du Yehu was holding the Sending to the Funeral Mace, looking like a fierce tiger, his aura like a malevolent god.
Malevolent energy roared and surged, engulfing the entire military tent.
From within the dense, impenetrable killing intent, a small white crane “drilled out.”
The white crane flew in mid-air, dispersed into flowing clouds, and the flowing clouds then transformed, revealing a figure with an ethereal and refined air.
The person faced Du Yehu, their voice clear and pleasant to the ear: “General Du, I mean no harm.”
Du Yehu held the single mace, his face fierce and emotionless. He showed no favoritism for the other party’s stunning beauty, only saying coldly, “You don’t have much time to explain.”
“I am Ye Qingyu, Jiang Wang’s… friend.”
The woman, who had taken shape from the clouds, said, “I am here to help you.”
Du Yehu remained silent.
Ye Qingyu looked at the fierce and malevolent man and had no choice but to continue: “Jiang Wang sent me a letter before, saying that he is about to participate in the Yellow River Convention, and some things may not be kept secret anymore. You may be in danger in the State of Zhuang. So he asked me to come and pick you up.”
“Du appreciates your good intentions,” Du Yehu said lightly, “Please return.”
Cloud cranes coming from Qi naturally required some time. If they were occasionally dispersed by some accident, it would also take time to slowly reassemble.
Ye Qingyu received the letter a little late. She arrived in Nine River City yesterday, but it was not until tonight that she found an opportunity to meet Du Yehu alone.
Jiang Wang’s letter said that Du Yehu would either obey completely or immediately take his saber to New An City and fight to the death, but it did not mention that Du Yehu would react in this way.
“I am indeed Jiang Wang’s friend. I have many ways to prove it.” Ye Qingyu thought for a moment, took out a letter paper, and gently flicked it forward: “Jiang Wang said that everything on this is something only you two know, you will know at a glance.”
She added, “Come with me to the State of Cloud, I can guarantee your life. Afterward, I will find an opportunity to arrange for you to join a merchant caravan going out to sea and quietly send you to the State of Qi.”
But Du Yehu didn’t even look at the letter paper, still only saying, “This is a military camp, girl, don’t get yourself into trouble. You should leave quickly.”
The letter paper floated in front of him, then slowly fell to the ground.
Jiang Wang didn’t say his brother would have this attitude, did he?
Ye Qingyu was somewhat stunned but did not give up, changing the subject: “Is there anything you are worried about? You might as well say it, we can solve any problem.”
“Are you leaving or not?” Du Yehu said coldly, “I see you are also entrusted by someone, I don’t want to bother with you. You had better not force me.”
Ye Qingyu was a little annoyed.
Considering her status, when had anyone ever dared to speak to her like this?
She had come with good intentions to help and spoken kindly, and this fierce man not only didn’t appreciate it but also wanted to fight her?
Her voice also contained some anger: “Jiang Wang said that if you are unwilling, I should forcibly take you away.”
Jiang Wang’s original words were that if Du Yehu couldn’t control himself and insisted on taking his saber to New An City to fight to the death, then he should be forcibly tied up and taken away. Take him back to the State of Cloud and lock him up for now.
Now, although Du Yehu did not intend to go to New An City to fight to the death, did he want to fight me… it’s almost the same, right?
Hearing Ye Qingyu’s words.
Du Yehu flipped the Sending to the Funeral Mace, and instantly, blood surged, condensing into the shape of a fierce tiger behind him.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.” He had completely adopted a fighting stance, looking at Ye Qingyu with eyes full of killing intent: “You probably can’t do it.”
This cultivation, this fighting strength… it’s also different from what Jiang Wang said.
Didn’t he say he was only in the Soaring Dragon realm, and could be easily taken down?
Jiang Wang, oh Jiang Wang, what can I say about you. This person is completely different from how you remember him!
Ye Qingyu was not afraid of this person. Her Cloud Seal神通 had infinite wonderful uses, and she was not afraid of anyone in a one-on-one fight. Moreover, if she weren’t afraid of causing too much of a stir, she could just casually throw out hundreds of mechanical puppets!
But the problem lay in the words “stir” and “noise.”
This was the Nine River Black Cavalry’s military camp, a vital area of the State of Zhuang.
If the commotion got too big, it would really be impossible to clean up…
“Why are you so stubborn?” Ye Qingyu said angrily, “Jiang Wang carries so much burden alone and lives so hard, as his brother, can’t you give him some peace of mind!?”
“Less nonsense!” Du Yehu strode to the table, holding the Sending to the Funeral Mace, his demeanor fierce and aggressive: “Jiang Wang is a shameless and ungrateful person, without father or ruler, betraying his country for glory! To have once sworn brotherhood with him is the greatest shame of my life! If you dare to say another word, I will summon the great army and surround and kill you here!”
“Good, very good!” Ye Qingyu also became truly angry, and her words no longer had any scruples: “Without you, this burden, I feel relieved for Jiang Wang! Just be your Zhuang court dog! If we meet on the battlefield another day, don’t wag your tail and beg for mercy from him!”
As her voice fell, she had already dispersed into cloud qi and disappeared into the military tent.
Du Yehu lightly flicked his finger, breaking the concealment formation Ye Qingyu had set up earlier.
The evening wind outside the military tent howled around the curtains.
The person was already far away…
Du Yehu withdrew his blood qi and killing intent, bent down, and picked up the letter paper that had fallen to the ground.
That night, the lamp in General Du’s tent burned until dawn.