Douluo: Martial Soul White Tiger, I am the White Emperor of Heaven

Chapter 121 Reunion with Zhu Yan, The Whole Story of the Wu'an Incident (First Update)
Wuping City, military camp.

The sky was overcast, and the soldiers were working hard on the training ground, sweating profusely, with shouts rising and falling.

There was not a trace of slackness.

Zhu Yan, dressed in slightly worn armor, watched this scene with satisfaction and nodded slightly.

"Your Highness will be very pleased if you see these soldiers..."

But soon, a flash of anger, resentment, and helplessness crossed his eyes. "It's a pity about those soldiers back then..."

"Hey!"

"I wonder if Li Zhizhao will be able to reach Tiandou safely, and whether he will be able to find His Highness according to the address His Highness left behind?"

Zhu Yan sighed again, his eyes filled with worry.

Just then, a soldier rushed over and said, "Lord Zhu Yan, someone is looking for you in the main tent."

"Someone is looking for me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan frowned slightly, his mind filled with doubt. "Who is it?"

"You still dare to come looking for me now? Aren't you afraid of being implicated by me?"

He is no longer the glorious city lord of Wu'an City he once was; he is now just a minor centurion in Wuping City…

Moreover, he is a centurion who will be targeted by Dai Xuan, the city lord of Wu'an City, at every turn.

If it weren't for his status as a relative of the Zhu family, it's uncertain whether he would still be able to stand safely in Wuping City.

Therefore, Zhu Yan really couldn't imagine who would dare to come looking for him now.

Aren't you afraid of being implicated by Dai Xuan?

Upon hearing this, the soldier suppressed his excitement, lowered his head, and dared not look at Zhu Yan at all. He said with utter bewilderment, "They didn't say anything, but they said you must go and see for yourself, or you will definitely regret it."

"Okay, just a moment."

Zhu Fan nodded, briefly explained the training matters to his deputy, and then, filled with suspicion, followed the soldier toward the camp.

Is it an old friend I haven't seen in a long time?

Or has the higher-ups made new arrangements?
Throughout the journey, various possible candidates flashed through Zhu Fan's mind, but none of them seemed like a reasonable answer.

Fortunately, the training ground was not far from the main tent, and he soon arrived at the tent.

The tent flaps were drawn low, obscuring the view inside.

"Who is the one?"

Zhu Yan took a deep breath and reached out to lift the curtain.

As soon as Zhu Yan stepped into the tent, he was stunned. His eyes widened and a look of disbelief flashed across his face. Then, a surge of joy swept over him.

His legs buckled, and he knelt before the newcomer, his voice trembling slightly with emotion:
"Your Highness, you...you're finally back!"

"Your men have been waiting for you so long!"

Dai Chengfeng looked at Zhu Yan, whose armor was worn out, beard was disheveled, and who looked several times more haggard than he had three years ago.

He nodded slightly, stepped forward and helped him up, his eyes full of concern.

"I can see that you've suffered, Zhu Yan, all because of me."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan quickly shook his head and said urgently, "It's not Your Highness's fault, it's all my incompetence."

"Hey!"

Dai Chengfeng patted Zhu Yan's shoulder forcefully, "You've done very well!"

At this moment, Zhu Fan walked up with a hearty smile on his face and said, "Alright, Chengfeng, Zhu Yan, you two don't need to stand on ceremony, do you?"

"Now I'm more curious about what exactly happened in Wu'an City after we left?"

Instantly, Dai Chengfeng's expression turned cold. He looked at Zhu Yan and nodded, "Zhu Yan, you tell me what happened!"

Zhu Yan raised his head and bowed slightly: "Yes, Your Highness."

Then, Zhu Yan composed himself and slowly said, "Your Highness, the matter will begin a year and a half after you left."

"Under my command, Wu'an City was developing smoothly according to the plans Your Highness left behind before you left." "Whether it was the construction of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, the selection and training of your personal guards, the welfare of the families of the soldiers who died in battle, or commercial development..."

"But a year and a half ago."

"Duke Dai Tian of the Star Luo Empire suddenly arrived in Wu'an City with Dai Xuan."

"He held His Majesty's edict in his hand, which stated that Dai Xuan was appointed as the new city lord of Wu'an City, and I was appointed as the deputy city lord of Wu'an City, to focus on commanding troops."

A hint of doubt flashed in Dai Chengfeng's eyes, "Is this really my father's decree?"

"Furthermore, since the imperial edict states that you are the deputy city lord, how come you've been reduced to a mere centurion?"

"And he's a centurion in Wuping City?!"

Zhu Yan nodded and said in a deep voice, "It is indeed His Majesty's decree."

"As for why I went from being a deputy city lord to a centurion..."

At this point, a flash of almost tangible anger and resentment appeared in Zhu Yan's eyes: "Dai Xuan, you are truly despicable!"

Zhu Yan recalled the scene when Dai Xuan first came to power, his tone full of indignation: "The first thing he did after taking office was to stop the Dujiangyan project, and the reasons he gave were utterly absurd..."

"Saying it's a waste of money and completely useless, as well as a benefit for generations to come, is utter nonsense!"

"Whether the Star Luo Empire can even exist for a thousand years is uncertain..."

At this point, Zhu Yan looked at Dai Chengfeng nervously, "Your Highness, I can swear that I have not embellished anything; these are Dai Xuan's exact words!"

"Ah!"

Dai Chengfeng chuckled lightly, "What a fine Star Luo Empire! We don't even know if it can exist for a thousand years!"

"I believe in you, please continue!"

Zhu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and continued, "Of course, I am firmly opposed."

"After all, I know that the Dujiangyan Irrigation System is a project that Your Highness spent several nights drawing up the blueprints for, a project that consumed countless efforts of your time and energy. How can it be stopped so easily?"

"At that time, the soldiers in Wu'an City were all on my side and unanimously supported continuing the project, so the matter was temporarily put on hold."

"I thought Dai Xuan would give up, but who could have predicted this..."

Zhu Yan's eyes were full of frustration. "Suddenly one day, Lord Xu Guotao of Jinshan Pass sent an army of ten thousand men."

"They claimed to have received reliable intelligence in advance, saying that the Tiandou Empire intended to retake Wuping and take the opportunity to retaliate against Wu'an City. This army was sent in advance to protect the safety of Wu'an City."

"At the time, I was focused on defending the city, so I didn't think much of it and just assumed that reinforcements had arrived."

"But who knew..."

"These so-called reinforcements are nothing but a bunch of bandits in military uniforms!"

Zhu Yan's voice rose a few decibels, his face full of anger.

"These people in the city do nothing but run amok, bullying men and women, beating up civilians, robbing people of their property, and committing all sorts of evil deeds..."

"They turned the entire city of Wu'an into chaos, and the people suffered terribly."

"But there's nothing I can do. They're Xu Guotao's men, and I can't afford to offend them. I can only try to be patient."

"We are prepared to let them leave as soon as the threat from the Heavenly Dou Empire is eliminated."

"But, until one day..."

At this point, a hint of guilt flashed in Zhu Yan's eyes, and he whispered, "Your Highness, do you still remember Yin Xu and Yin Ming?"

"Remember!"

Dai Chengfeng nodded, a flash of reminiscence in his eyes, "Yin Xu and Yin Ming were twin brothers who later joined the Vanguard Death Squad together. They fought alongside me to the death against the 20,000-strong army of the Tiandou Empire until they perished in battle."

"Those two are truly worthy of being called the passionate men of my Star Luo Empire!"

Even now, when the two are mentioned, Dai Chengfeng can still clearly remember Yin Xu, who charged ahead despite being stabbed multiple times, never retreating a single step until his blood ran dry before collapsing.

And then there's Yin Ming, who, after witnessing his brother's death and driven by a thirst for revenge, traded one life for twelve, only to be pierced by a thousand arrows and die, and then let out a final, triumphant laugh.

However, Dai Chengfeng was a little puzzled as to why Zhu Yan would suddenly bring them up.
(End of this chapter)