Patrol Captain

"Get up!"

"Liu Qing is currently monitoring the movements of demons at the front line. He will return to his post upon his return. As for the two of you, you shall take up your posts immediately, train the troops, and revitalize the two mountains. You must not slacken your efforts."

Chen Yuan gave the order.

Yun and Lu stood up in unison, clasping their hands together in a resounding clang.
"promise!"

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuan waved his hand, hummed in agreement, and gestured for the two to return to their seats.

The two did as instructed and returned to their seats.

Seeing this, the other mountain generals leaned slightly in their chairs, clasped their hands in greeting towards Lu and Yun, and offered their congratulations with smiles on their faces.
"Congratulations, my two brothers!"

"From now on, you shall address me as Yun Zhonglang and Lu Zhonglang."

"My two brothers, you've shone brightly under General Chen's guidance, and you're sure to be able to stand on your own."

"."

Lu Ming and Yun Tiansheng returned the greetings one by one, showing neither arrogance nor impatience.

Chen Yuan nodded, and only spoke after they had finished speaking.

Currently, four out of the six candidates have been confirmed, while the remaining two are pending.

He thought that one cannot "eat alone." Although he was now in charge of the Daofu Division, the reconstruction of the Six Mountains was also his order. Everyone in the division gave him face, and he appointed the Six Mountains Generals. He figured no one would say anything.

However, one must first be a good person before doing anything else. Before doing anything, one must unite people's hearts. As the saying goes, "With people of one mind, even Mount Tai can be moved."

He hesitated for a moment before speaking:

"Now that the four Mountain Generals have been chosen, I have decided to hand over the remaining two spots to General Qitian for selection. What do you all think?"

Chen Yuan hadn't overlooked Qi Tian, ​​the Demon-Suppressing General. Qi Tian was a pillar of the Daoist Guard, a senior and capable commander, poised to take the final step towards becoming a Martial Saint, and deeply respected by his soldiers. Even though Chen Yuan dared to defy the current Martial Emperor, he had always treated Qi Tian with utmost respect and courtesy. Although Qi Tian was unassuming and didn't fight for anything, the Mountain Expedition Army was, after all, his life's work, and Chen Yuan felt he should be allowed to exercise this right, lest Qi Tian feel disheartened.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, the first person to stand up and speak was Gongsun Yang, who was sitting to his left.

This Mr. Gongsun stood up, took the handrail, and his old face became serious.

"What the general says is absolutely right."

"General Qitian has made great contributions in guarding the border. This matter should be informed. I was ashamed that I did not consider this matter before."

Chen Yuan smiled and looked at him. "It's alright. Anyway, we are all of one mind in Daofu Division. We will overcome these difficult times together."

“That’s right, General Chen is right.”

"As long as our mountain-climbing army is of one mind, we can overthrow any rebels or demons."

"General Chen's considerations are indeed thorough; everyone is now working with great enthusiasm."

"."

The eyes of the General of the Mountains gleamed, and he echoed the sentiments, uttering no empty words.

Chen Yuan continued speaking to Gongsun Yang:

"Wait a moment, personally deliver this letter to General Qi Tian and have him select two people."

"Yes," Gongsun Yang replied, bowing respectfully.

As Chen Yuan spoke, his gaze returned to the others, golden light flashing in his eyes, and his voice grew more forceful.

"Once the selection of the Six Mountains Generals is finalized, a grand ceremony will be held to bestow the seals upon them!"

"The date is set for the day when preparations for war are complete, just like I did back then. After the ceremony, we will march south!"

He slammed his hand on the armrest of the chair, the sound as deep as a bell, which startled everyone present and stirred their emotions.

After a cup of tea, the meeting in the Zhonglang Hall ended.

Yun Tiansheng and Lu Ming immediately accepted the order to go to the First Mountain and the Second Mountain to take up their posts as Lieutenant Generals.

Gongsun Yang remained in the hall and entered Chen Yuan's personal grotto. He then used the Yinshan Sacred Tree to teleport to Tianxiong Pass, carrying Chen Yuan's message.

On the other side, in the heart of the entire Great Qian Dynasty, lies the Imperial Capital, Longting.

As dusk fell, the setting sun cast a lonely glow over the entire Dragon Court. The towering palace walls, bathed in golden light, outlined a majestic and ferocious silhouette, their upturned eaves resembling the jagged fangs of a giant beast, exuding a chilling aura.

The Vermilion Bird Gate stood majestically, its gilded bronze nails gleaming coldly in the twilight. Soon after, the clanging of armor echoed from within the city walls, followed by two columns of imperial guards rushing out and lining the street. The common people were kept a hundred paces away, craning their necks to peer out, their whispers carried away by the wind into a cacophony of sounds.

Soon after, a prison cart rumbled out of the Vermilion Bird Gate, its wheels crushing the hearts of passersby. In the center of the cart lay a corpse, bound tightly with hemp rope, its hair disheveled, its official robes torn and tattered, the fabric soaked with blood. Several burly imperial guards lifted the body from the cart and tossed it to the ground.

The leading Imperial Guard officer, holding a token, shouted towards the city gate tower: "By His Majesty's decree, this treacherous subject has colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. His crime is unforgivable. His head shall be hung at the Vermilion Bird Gate as a warning to others!"

On the city gate tower, iron hooks and long ropes that had been prepared were lowered down. The imperial guards below carried the already cold corpse to the pillar in front of the gate. One person held the shoulder, another grabbed the ankle, and two others pierced the back of the corpse's neck with iron hooks to secure it.

"Lift!" With a low shout, the long rope was slowly pulled, and the body of the convicted official was slowly hoisted onto the city gate tower, like a piece of broken rotten wood. The onlookers let out low gasps.

"How many is this this month?"

"Our Emperor has gone mad with killing!"

"Keep your voice down, be careful what you say."

"."

On the city gate tower, the corpse of the disgraced official was hung up and tied to a pillar, displayed for all to see. His head was bowed, his hair hanging down, obscuring half his face, only his wide-open eyes revealing a hint of resentment and unspeakable anger, making him look extremely ferocious.

The guard standing below looked into those eyes and felt a chill run down his spine; he quickly turned away.

Just then, a group of officials dressed in crimson and purple robes walked out of the palace gate. Some of them looked pale, while others were expressionless.

The Imperial Censor and Prime Minister Huangfu were among those included.

His Majesty summoned the ministers of the Three Departments and Six Ministries to the palace for a meeting, but someone offended the Emperor and suffered the consequences. His Majesty has become increasingly capricious lately.

They didn't look up at the corpse hanging above their heads, and hurriedly left the Vermilion Bird Gate.

The officer in charge ordered the crowd of onlookers to be dispersed so as not to block the adults' path.

During this process, the bleak autumn wind brought the rapid hoofbeats of horses, which galloped through Zhuque Avenue and toward Zhuque Gate.

"drive"

"drive"

"drive"

A fiery red steed carrying a figure draped in a cloak and wearing a hat charged directly toward the Vermilion Bird Gate, which was guarded by the Imperial Guards. The onlookers scattered in panic, and the Imperial Guards raised their long spears, aiming straight at the steed.

"Who has trespassed into the forbidden area of ​​the Dragon Court?"

The horse let out a long neigh, its hooves raised high, and it came to a stop.

On horseback, the newcomer deftly lifted his hood, revealing a travel-worn face—a middle-aged man with stern features and a short beard.

"Commander Lü!"

Upon seeing this man, the imperial guards who had been closing in exclaimed in surprise, then quickly sheathed their weapons and knelt on one knee in salute.

Lu Tianji glanced coldly at the corpses hanging on the city gate, his pupils contracted slightly, and then he coldly shouted at the imperial guards kneeling before his horse.
"Get out of my way! I must report to His Majesty!" (End of Chapter)