The world is like a prison, my body is holy

"Ouch, ouch..."

Xu Wu sat slumped in the chair, his limbs trembling in pain, harder to massage than a pig during the Lunar New Year.

Enraged, Wang Wen, who was applying the medicated wine to him, slapped his head to the side: "Don't move around, or you'll have to rub it yourself!"

Xu Wu angrily looked him up and down: "When I beat you up this time, did I hold back? I'm all injured, how come you're perfectly fine?"

"Blind your dog eyes!"

Wang Wen slapped his pig's trotter in anger: "Was that club broken on you?"

Xu Wu scratched his head: "Then how come you're perfectly fine?"

"Are you dumbfounded?"

Wang Wen proudly showed off his biceps: "Your brother here is all muscle, invulnerable to swords and spears, indestructible, you know? This mere wooden stick can't even scratch my oily skin!"

Xu Wu stared at him in shock, his voice cracking with grief and indignation: "You're amazing! You're invulnerable to swords and spears, and you still used me as a shield?"

Wang Wen looked at him like he was an idiot: "Being invulnerable to swords and spears doesn't mean I'm not afraid, okay? You're still a fifth-rank military commander, and you still get beaten up by your grandpa."

Xu Wu tilted his head and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "That's true..."

As his right-hand man and strategist, Xu Ergou has been there to cheer on Wang Laohu every time he went out to cause trouble over the years.

Huang Xingde always treated everyone equally. When he took action, he didn't care whether it was Wang Laohu or Xu Ergou. He would just wield his family discipline and beat them mercilessly. As long as they didn't die, he would beat them to death.

Keep it?

The boss makes a mistake, so the subordinate is punished?

nonexistent!

If it were Huang Xingde, he would only beat Wang Laohu even more severely!

So much so that when these two brothers saw Huang Xingde resorting to violence, both of them were terrified...

But their unbreakable bond, which could not be shaken by words or fights, was built up year after year through sharing both wealth and hardship.

Wang Wen guessed that Huang Xingde and Wang Qiang might have gone through the same thing back then.

"Alright, go back and rest. You'll be fine tomorrow."

Wang Wen grabbed a clean linen cloth from the tray and wiped the medicinal wine off his hands: "To be honest, this isn't my fault. I went out on business, and you were in charge. You couldn't control the mouths of your subordinates, turning the General's Mansion into a sieve. I just got back, and your uncle came knocking on the door. Who can I blame?"

So you're blaming me?

Xu Wu rolled his eyes, got up, and dressed: "You, as a general, don't even dare to tell your men not to report anything to their families. Do you think I would dare?"

"None of my business!"

Wang Wen said nonchalantly, "I'm not afraid of getting beaten up!"

"Fine, fine, Tiger Wang, you win!"

Xu Wu was so angry at his shamelessness that his voice cracked. He gave him a thumbs up and shouted indignantly, "Isn't it just external martial arts training? Do you think anyone can't learn it?"

Wang Wen glanced at him with disdain and sneered.

Xu Wu gritted his teeth, mentally calculating the internal training manuals and elixirs available in the Logistics Department, and secretly resolved to abuse his power for personal gain tomorrow...

Just then, a Demon Suppression Guard strode into the hall, clasped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the General, Captain Liang and Captain Han have returned from their mission. They heard that you have not yet rested, so they have come to report!"

Wang Wen was overjoyed and said, "Quickly invite them in, and then order the kitchen staff to get up and prepare a midnight snack for the warriors of our general's mansion!"

"Here!"

The demon-suppressing guard obeyed the order, turned around, and quickly left.

Wang Wen glanced sideways at Xu Wu, waved his hand, and said, "Look, open your dog eyes and see how capable and honorable the brothers below are. At such a young age, they can even take down a great demon on the Xuan Ranking!"

"And look at yourself. In this vast general's mansion, you have master teachers, secret manuals, and elixirs at your fingertips, yet you still haven't even reached the Transformation Realm. With your meager farming skills, how dare you call yourself the Commander of my Demon-Slaying General's Mansion? You may be ashamed, but I can't afford to lose face!"

Xu Wu's swollen face was reddish-blue, then turned blackish-blue.

Before long, four hundred dusty, armor-tattered demon-suppressing guards surged to the outside of the hall, quickly forming a neat formation, and bowed with their hands clasped: "Greetings, Great General!"

Wang Wen greeted them from the main hall, standing on the steps and waving happily, saying, "Brothers, you've worked hard, get up!"

"Thank you, General!"

The crowd stood up, heads held high, gazing up at him with fervent eyes.

A wiry man with a resolute and calm gaze and a bloodstain on his left cheek stepped forward, untied the spear-like object from his back, opened the cloth bag to reveal a lush, verdant wooden stick that gleamed like a jewel in the pale moonlight, held it in his hands, and presented it to Wang Wen with both hands: "Thank you, General. We have successfully retrieved the core of the Willow Demon, and we have fulfilled our mission. Please examine it, General!"

"Good good..."

Wang Wen walked down the steps, slowly raised his hand, and gently touched the tree core.

In an instant, the tree core came to life, sprouting lush green willow branches at a speed visible to the naked eye, growing to two or three layers high in the blink of an eye.

This miraculous scene stunned all the Demon-Suppressing Guards present!

But they only instinctively drew their swords three inches from the ground, slightly lowered their bodies, and looked up at the willow tree warily...

Not a single Demon-Suppressing Guard retreated even half a step!

The wiry man holding the tree core in his hands didn't even blink; his strong, iron-like body remained rooted to the spot like a nail.

A few breaths later, the hundreds of willow branches that had grown into a lush willow tree silently shattered, turning into hundreds of tiny, shimmering green specks that danced in the sky like fireflies on a summer night, drifting down into the bodies of every weary demon-suppressing guard present.

They watched in amazement as the green light entered their bodies, and soon felt their bodies gradually lighten, as if a heavy burden had been slowly lifted. The various injuries they had sustained during the journey were healing, scabbing over, and falling off at a visible speed, and even their internal strength had become several times stronger...

Once all the green light dissipated, the vibrant green tree core in the muscular man's hand had transformed into a piece of rotten wood that resembled something weathered over countless years in the desert.

This is the immense power of Jia wood condensed by Wang Wen using the "Nine Tribulations Returning to Origin Body" technique, which stimulates the Jia wood essence accumulated in the tree core, transforming it into a vast amount of pure Jia wood energy, thus strengthening the foundation of these valiant demon-suppressing guards.

The core of the willow tree is like the inner core of a great demon or the tendon of a dragon. It is the foundation of its transformation and an important organ for storing its cultivation. Whether used as a medicinal material or as a material for refining treasures, it is a first-class natural treasure.

But compared to the brave and loyal demon-suppressing guards before him, Wang Wen felt that a mere demon king-level willow tree core was not worth mentioning at all!
To be honest, he entrusted the task of killing that willow demon to these Demon Suppression Guard squads.

However, he did not completely abandon them. After all, these four hundred Demon-Suppressing Guards were the cream of his Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, the gold and seeds he had cultivated over a whole year of rigorous selection.

How could he bear to use these promising players to make mistakes?
Besides the two demon troops from Hongze Lake and Chaohu Lake, he also left a sliver of his spirit as a backup plan at Hama Ridge to protect the four hundred Demon-Suppressing Guards.

But clearly, they didn't use his distraction.

They killed a powerful demon king using their own strength!
Although it was only a demon that he had severely crippled, and it didn't even have the ability to escape compared to a demon king-level demon, a crippled demon king-level demon was still a demon king-level demon, and still possessed the power to instantly kill a post-natal martial artist!

The strongest of these demon-suppressing guards was only at the Core Formation Realm.

Without meticulous planning and sufficient preparation, even if they attacked together, that willow demon would be overjoyed and grateful for the gift from the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion!

These people are the future of his Demon-Slaying General's Mansion!
"Thank you for the gift, General!"

As the green light faded, the four hundred weary and exhausted Demon-Suppressing Guards transformed back into four hundred vigorous and powerful warriors.

They shouted wildly, their morale so high they wished a demon would suddenly appear so they could rush up and hack it to pieces.

"You did a fantastic job on this mission!"

Wang Wen spared no praise, clenching his fist and pounding his chest with excitement, his powerful shout sounding like the roar of a tiger: "I am proud and honored to have such intelligent and courageous subordinates as you!"

His shouts were like a fire, completely igniting the fervor in their eyes.

Unable to contain their excitement and pride, they shouted in unison, their voices hoarse, "We swear to live up to the General's expectations!"

As the art of war says: morale should be boosted but not dampened.

Every invincible army is forged in the crucible of countless victories and affirmations.

If such an invincible army can be infused with a righteous and noble belief, and held fast to that belief, then they will become an unstoppable prairie fire, challenging the limits of humanity time and time again, turning the impossible into the possible, until everything in their way is reduced to ashes, until there are no enemies in the world that they cannot defeat!
The Demon-Slaying General's Mansion is not yet an invincible army.

But they are on their way to becoming an invincible army.

Wang Wen never disappointed the Demon-Suppressing Guards of the Demon-Suppressing General's Mansion.

The Demon-Suppressing Guards of the Demon-Suppressing General's Mansion are also working hard not to disappoint Wang Wen.

Faced with all the demons and monsters in this world, Wang Wen chose to recklessly charge ahead.

The demon-suppressing guards of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion were also following his example, relentlessly fighting against all demons and monsters in the world...

What kind of general you are determines what kind of soldiers you lead!

"Dismissed! Everyone to the cafeteria!"

Wang Wen laughed and waved: "The kitchen is preparing a midnight snack for you all. Everyone, eat your fill and have a good meal, then go back to camp and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow afternoon at the South City Camp, I will personally come to report your achievements to you!"

This is the first time that the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion has dealt with a demon king without relying on his own power.

This is worth commemorating, and it is worthy of emulation by the entire army!

Hearing him call for a dismissal, the four hundred Demon-Suppressing Guards finally relaxed, laughing and loudly inviting Wang Wen to join them.

Wang Wen greeted them with a smile and then patted the muscular man in front of him on the shoulder, saying happily, "Liang Tuo, Liang Tuo, I, Wang Laohu, was right about you. You're a good man!"

"General, you flatter me too much."

Liang Tuo was somewhat flustered by the praise and honestly whispered, "I understand. That willow demon was already severely injured by the General, and its strength is less than one-tenth of what it used to be. The General deliberately spared its life so that we could practice on it. The General has gone to great lengths to hone our skills. My contribution is insignificant and I do not deserve the General's praise..."

Wang Wen was both amused and exasperated: "You, when you were leading troops, you were quite sharp-witted. Why are you so docile now? Can you bring something like this, which is better left unsaid, into the open?"

Liang Tuo panicked and immediately tried to apologize...

Wang Wen waved his hand to stop him: "Alright, you understand these things yourself. Don't go around making a fuss about it. I know exactly what your trip was all about. If Liang Tuo has done something, then you have done something!"

He paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "Excessive modesty is just arrogance and complacency!"

Liang Tuo calmed down and bowed with heartfelt gratitude, saying, "Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could never repay the Great General's kindness in saving me!"

"Bah bah bah..."

Wang Wen slapped the guy's head to the side: "Children say whatever they want, children say whatever they want. What powder and broken stuff, I don't even have ears to listen to you. You have to live well, live awesomely, live upright and proud. That's the best way to repay me for nurturing you!"

Hearing his lighthearted tone, as if chatting casually with friends and family, Liang Tuo's eyes welled up with tears. Ignoring Wang Wen's support, he stubbornly clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "I will remember the General's teachings!"

'I will never forget you, even in death…'

"Let's go eat!"

Wang Wen chuckled and gently patted his shoulder: "If you don't go now, there won't be any leftovers for you!"

With red eyes and a smile, Liang Tuo took his leave, then turned and walked briskly toward the canteen, his pace quickening...

Wang Wen watched him leave. Among the officers in the general's mansion, besides Xie Zhixuan, he had the highest regard for Liang Tuo, who came from a stable boy background, and Han Jiu, who came from a teapot background.

Both men are similar in temperament, intelligence, and methods; both are capable generals who can shoulder great responsibilities.

However, in terms of overall strategic vision, Liang Tuo was superior to Han Jiu, who felt that Liang Tuo already possessed some potential as a commander.

This evaluation is undeniably high...

Wang Wen's self-assessment was merely that of a brave general.

Seeing Liang Tuo leave, Xu Wu said sourly, "Brother, you treat your brothers so well, always saying nice things."

Wang Wen slapped him hard across the back of the hand, and cursed him without any politeness, "Get lost!"

Xu Wu winced in pain, but a sudden sense of relief washed over him...

……

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever.

In just six or seven days, the news of Wang Wenqiang storming the palace and attempting to assassinate the emperor spread like wildfire throughout the country. Even the imperial court's denials, delivered at an urgent speed, could not keep up with the speed at which the news of Wang Wenqiang's assassination attempt spread.

Everyone in the world knows that Wang Wen killed Emperor Zhaode and supported the late emperor's twelfth son, Prince Tang Chai Shen, to ascend the throne.

Coincidentally, just as this news was spreading like wildfire across the country, the "Heaven and Earth Ranking" that the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion had been disseminating through various channels also began to spread throughout the country.

Wang Wenqiang's actions of storming the palace and attempting to assassinate the emperor have instantly become the most vivid, figurative, and convincing interpretation of the Heaven and Earth Black and Yellow List!

In an instant, the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Ranking was being discussed everywhere in the cultivation world, the martial arts world, the outlaw world, and the circles of demons and monsters in various provinces.

The world has already witnessed just how powerful the experts on the Earth Ranking are...

The Huainan Demon-Slaying General's Mansion, the gatekeeper of the Earthly Ranking, single-handedly changed the dynasty.

Wouldn't the Heavenly Ranking experts, who are still above the Earthly Ranking, be able to destroy a country single-handedly?

Everyone knows times have changed, but these times have changed far too fast! (End of Chapter)