The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Just as Wang Wen finished using the Water Mirror Technique, Zhao Dadan finished packing up his valuables at home.

He handed Hei Erniu over to the Zhao family of four and flew away on his own. Although his flying speed was far slower than Hei Erniu's, if Hei Erniu slowed down, he could barely keep up...

By evening, the group finally arrived at the Western Army camp. By then, Wang Wen was exhausted and drenched in sweat, having depleted seventy or eighty percent of his magical power.

"No, I can't take it anymore..."

He was panting heavily when he called out to Hei Erniu to land on a hill east of the Western Army camp. He plopped down on a large blue stone, waving his hands wearily, "Let me rest, rest a bit, then I'll go back into the camp to see Master Zhong."

Hei Erniu landed opposite him, stretched his head in front of him, and grinned gloatingly, winking at him.

Wang Wen slapped its head to the side in an annoyed tone, laughing and cursing, "You're so great, you're so great, okay?"

This was indeed his first attempt at long-distance flight, and the exertion was greater than he had anticipated. In addition, the stupid bull started running wildly and charging forward, so Wang Wen could only accelerate to keep up...

This isn't walking a Qilin; it's clearly being walked by a Qilin.

The Zhao family members helped each other up from the back of the Qilin. Their legs were so weak that they could hardly stand, but their eyes still held a hint of excitement.

Zhao Dadan's wife, Zhao Wushi, was a virtuous woman. Seeing that Wang Wen was so tired that he could barely speak, she was both moved and ashamed. She took out a clean, fine linen bundle from the large bundle on the back of the Qilin: "If the General doesn't mind, I have a few flatbreads that I baked at noon..."

Wang Wen waved his hand with great joy: "What do you mean by 'dislike' or 'not like'? It's good enough that we have something to eat!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wushi happily rubbed her hands vigorously on her body, then carefully took out two large flatbreads from the fine linen bundle and presented them to Wang Wen with both hands.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Zhao."

Wang Wen thanked him, casually conjured a swirling ball of water to wash his hands, then took two large pancakes, rolled them up, and took a big bite. He found his mouth full of scallion flavor, oily but not greasy, and the saltiness was just right.

He gave Zhao Dadan a thumbs-up in amazement: "Old Zhao, you're so lucky! Your wife's cooking is absolutely amazing!"

Zhao Dadan, who was feeding his two children a large pancake, grinned and laughed heartily upon hearing this.

Madam Zhao Wu smiled and bowed slightly: "I'm glad the General doesn't mind..."

The corruption in the Great Northern Army was concentrated at the top. Officers like Zhao Dadan, while having many of the bad habits of officers and soldiers, had not yet been tainted by the vice of exploiting soldiers, mainly because it was not his turn to do so.

Previously, when Zhao Dadan went home to greet his wife and children and pack his belongings, Wang Wen also habitually sent a wisp of his divine sense to follow him home. As a dignified sixth-rank military commander, his residence was only a two-courtyard house. Apart from two disabled old soldiers who served as gatekeepers and grooms, there was only an old woman taking care of the children. Not to mention concubines, there wasn't even a young maid.

This is simply unimaginable in the officialdom of the South!
In the officialdom of the South, even a lowly county clerk's household was like a brothel with countless women...

Before leaving, Zhao Dadan gave most of his family fortune to two disabled veterans, which made Wang Wengao take a second look at him.

"Sir, please come quickly..."

Just as Wang Wen was munching on a pancake with cold water, Hei Erniu, who was curled up on a hill and chewing on fried soybeans, suddenly whispered, "Is something wrong with this camp?"

"Ok?"

Wang Wen hurriedly stuffed the remaining half of the flatbread into his mouth, got up and walked to Hei Erniu's side. Following its gaze, he asked in a muffled voice, "What's wrong?"

Hei Erniu tilted his head and said thoughtfully, "(chewing) I can't really explain it, but I just feel like something's off about this camp (chewing)."

Wang Wen gazed at the outline of the vast camp drawn by countless scattered firelight, then pointed his fingers like a sword and swept them across his eyes.

Under the bright moonlight, countless wisps of gray, demonic energy, like the rising heat under the blazing sun, intertwined in the air to form a cloud of gray mist resembling cooking smoke.

"You've made progress, Erniu."

Wang Wen stretched his neck and swallowed the last bite of biscuit in his mouth, then patted Hei Erniu's big head and said, "Take good care of them!"

After saying that, he gathered his energy and leaped up, his body plunging into the gray, smoke-like demonic aura like a cannonball.

The next second, a violent bolt of lightning shattered the darkness and illuminated the entire camp.

"Heavenly Venerable of Universal Thunder and Lightning of the Nine Heavens, may your command be made swiftly!"

Amidst a thunderous roar, countless bolts of lightning crackled and popped, and bursts of bright flames erupted within the Sunset Camp.

Amidst the firelight, one could almost hear piercing screams of utter terror...

After a brief burst, the dazzling lightning subsided.

Wang Wen released his divine sense and swept it across the air, causing his body to plummet straight down toward the center of the military camp.

"Boom."

Wang Wen slammed heavily into the outside of a huge barracks tent, his gaze fixed on the imposing, bearded general standing at the center of a troop of fully armed, burly soldiers.

The imposing general with a magnificent beard was no more than six feet tall, with a bronze complexion and deep eyes. Even amidst the chaos of war, there was not a trace of fear or worry in his gaze. His faded red military uniform did not conceal his dignified presence in the slightest.

"He remains unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before him, and does not even blink when a deer runs past on his left. What courage!"

Wang Wen nodded approvingly, then clasped his hands and announced loudly, "Wang Wen, the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan, has come to pay his respects to Commander Zhong Shidao!"

In an instant, the layers upon layers of swords and spears stirred, and all the burly soldiers protecting the majestic bearded general gripped their weapons tightly, staring at Wang Wen as if facing a formidable enemy.

Amid the chaos, the sounds of bowstrings being pulled and arrows being nocked could be heard.

Wang Wenwei remained unmoved.

"Stop your rudeness and step back!"

Just then, a powerful and authoritative shout roused the tense Western Army soldiers to their feet.

Immediately, the forest of swords and spears parted before Wang Wen's eyes. The dignified, bearded general, one hand on his belt, strode to Wang Wen and gestured "please" towards the open tent flap: "General Wang, it is an honor to have you here. Please come in!"

Wang Wen stepped aside and gestured into the command tent: "I've come uninvited, I hope Commander Zhong won't mind, please!"

"General Wang, you are too kind. I would have gladly come to my Western Army camp to oversee the exorcism of demons and monsters. How could I possibly find it strange?" "It is my duty. If I had known earlier that there were demons causing trouble in Commander Zhong's camp, I would have come long ago. Why would Commander Zhong have come to greet me from ten miles away?"

"Hahaha, well said! General Wang is indeed one of us!"

"General Zhong is too kind!"

The two exchanged pleasantries and walked into the commander's tent together. Zhong Shidao forcibly pressed Wang Wen into the seat of honor in the head chair of the tent. Then, while ordering his personal guards to make tea for Wang Wen, he continuously summoned messengers and issued military orders in an orderly manner to quell the unrest in the camp.

Wang Wen sat calmly in his chair, patiently waiting for Zhong Shidao to handle military affairs.

After the last messenger turned and hurried out of the command tent, Zhong Shidao turned around and said with a half-joking, half-serious smile, "Brother Wang's swift and decisive methods have truly impressed me today. With one strike, you have resolved the half-month-long turmoil in my camp. It is indeed true that seeing is believing... But if something like this happens again, could you please inform me in advance? So that I can be prepared and avoid any panic."

Wang Wen smiled and crossed his hands, saying, "It was my oversight. I'm used to being quick and decisive in exorcising demons, and I couldn't control myself for a moment. I'll definitely be more careful next time... But brother, your camp is set up so securely, why are there so many demons and monsters causing trouble in it? It shouldn't be like this!"

Zhong Shidao did not return to the top of the command tent, but sat down opposite Wang Wen, sighing, "Who says otherwise? Our Western Army has been fighting in the Northwest for a hundred years and has never encountered such a chaotic situation. We've stumbled into a den of demons and monsters as soon as we arrived in the Central Plains. This is truly a first for me, like a young woman getting married..."

He paused for a few seconds, then the two exchanged a smile and tacitly changed the subject.

"Did you come here specifically for this matter, brother?"

Zhong Shidao picked up the teacup and asked with a smile.

“I have lived in Huainan for a long time and do not often travel outside. I had no idea about this matter until today, when I stumbled upon it by pure chance.”

Wang Wen replied, "I have important matters to discuss with Commander Zhong on my journey north..."

Before Zhong Shidao could react, he repeated to Zhong Shidao what he had said to the King of Qin in the King of Qin's camp.

The Zhong family has guarded the Northwest for three generations, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the governance of the Qiang people in the Northwest. Their Western Army is also a brave and valiant force with iron will.

The city is full of white-haired soldiers and lonely widows; this describes the soldiers of the Western Army!
Cheng Xian, Wang Wen's former superior in the Demon Suppression Division of Yangzhou, was a member of the Western Army...

Therefore, he always held a certain degree of respect for Zhong Shidao and the Western Army.

Even though he adopted a humble attitude that was completely different from when he faced the King of Qin, Zhong Shidao still slowly frowned.

Seeing this, Wang Wen finished explaining his thoughts and continued, "Brother, please feel free to speak your mind. Since this matter was initiated by me, I will take full responsibility for it. I will do everything I can to help!"

Zhong Shidao held the teacup, opening his mouth several times as if to speak, but ultimately found himself speechless...

What could he possibly think of such a far-fetched idea?
If there's anything I want to ask, it's to Wang Wen: 'What exactly are you thinking?'

Hundreds of thousands of troops faced off, with battle lines stretching for hundreds of miles, intertwined and interdependent. You could say you would withdraw your troops or you could say you would cease hostilities.

What exactly do you, Wang Wen, consider national affairs to be? Child's play?
But when he thought of Wang Wen's inhuman and valiant achievements, and his even more valiant figure just now, the mature and prudent Zhong Shidao could not bring himself to say these words.

After much deliberation, he finally spoke with difficulty: "It's not that I'm unwilling to help you accomplish this meritorious deed that benefits the world and brings blessings to all families, but our Western Army is new to this place and has not yet established a firm foothold. How could a seasoned general like the King of Qin let such an excellent victory pass by? If we presume to seize it, I'm afraid not only will we fail to help you accomplish this, but we will also harm the hundreds of thousands of fine men of our Western Army!"

For some reason, Wang Wen felt that these words sounded familiar...

He smiled unhurriedly and said, "Brother, what are you saying? If I hadn't persuaded the King of Qin first, would I have made a fool of myself in front of you? I have already been to the King of Qin's camp and am now returning from there."

Zhong Shidao paused, stroking his long beard, and looked up in astonishment, asking, "The King of Qin agreed?"

Wang Wen nodded casually and said, "He wouldn't dare refuse!"

These five short words, however, made Zhong Shidao feel an indescribable aura of dominance wash over him, making him gasp for breath.

He certainly knew how formidable Wang Wen's record was.

But he really didn't expect Wang Wen's record to be so impressive!
Can the difficulty of storming the palace to assassinate the emperor be the same as breaking into the encirclement of hundreds of thousands of troops and forcing the commander-in-chief to surrender?

If he can do this much, then doesn't that mean he can just sit on that chair at the top of the Tokyo Imperial Palace whenever he wants?
How could there be such a lawless person in the world?
Zhong Shidao was a man of great experience. Even when the late emperor was on the throne, he did not behave in the slightest when he came to the capital to pay his respects.

But at this moment, his mind was so confused that he could barely speak coherently: "What about the Emperor's side..."

Wang Wen: "General Zhong, rest assured. Since this matter was initiated by me, it is only right that I speak to the Emperor. I am here to bother you, brother, just to give you a heads-up in advance, so that you don't accidentally ruin the great situation that I worked so hard to achieve."

Zhong Shidao was speechless for a moment, and after a while, he said with a stiff expression, "The younger generation is truly formidable! The younger generation is truly formidable!"

'You're already so lawless, what's the point of discussing things with me? Why don't you just issue me an imperial edict?'

Wang Wen put down his teacup: "So, you've agreed, brother?"

Zhong Shidao's answer was irrelevant: "As the saying goes, 'A general in the field may disobey orders,' but I believe that a general should ultimately share the burdens of his lord... What do you think, brother?"

The implication was: 'I can only remain inactive for now; further actions will depend on the imperial decree.'

Wang Wen understood and smiled, "I also think so."

Zhong Shidao paused again, stroking his beard, almost unable to suppress the contempt that welled up in his eyes: 'You've already killed an emperor, what worries do you still have?'

He lowered his eyes, finally beginning to seriously consider the matter. After a moment, he spoke, "There is one more thing, which I need you to consider for me, brother..."

Wang Wen: "Brother, please speak freely."

Zhong Shidao said, "Brother, when I moved my troops eastward, my plan was to win a quick battle and return to the northwest to defend against the Qiang and Di tribes as soon as possible. But now you want me to cease hostilities with the King of Qin and maintain the status quo for a long time. What about the defense of the northwest...?"

Wang Wen instantly understood his implication, and sighed inwardly, feeling exhausted, but said without hesitation, "Naturally, I will take full responsibility!"

"If the Qiang and Di tribes invade during this period, I will be the vanguard of the Western Army!"

He suddenly understood Xu Wu.

He initially only wanted to ensure that the people under his jurisdiction had enough to eat.

Why is it that all this interference is now extending to the defense of the Northwest?
What the hell? So this is what "the capable do more work" really means? (End of Chapter)