Yuantian Pidao

Chapter 225: The picture shows the dagger
In Changfeng County, war chariots flew overhead, military flags fluttered, and the Xuanjia Army finally arrived amidst the eager anticipation of countless people.

Therefore, under the organization of the prefectural governor's office, the major cultivation families of Changfeng County prepared a grand welcome banquet.

"General Zhou, you've arrived. The Yellow Wind Sect is like a grasshopper in autumn; it won't last much longer."

"Indeed, the Xuanjia Army is the strongest army in our Southern Jing Kingdom. How could the rabble of the Yellow Wind Sect possibly stop them?"

At the banquet, Zhou Hu, who was sitting in the main seat, was seen being fawned over by various families.

Zhou Hu accepted this without hesitation, drinking when invited and accepting gifts when asked, refusing all offers.

When the banquet was halfway through, a letter was delivered to Zhou Hu, and at that moment, the smile on Zhou Hu's face began to fade.

"Gentlemen, the Yellow Wind is rampant, not only causing chaos in the region but also killing Prefect Lu Ran. This has crossed the line of the imperial court. I have been ordered to come here to wipe out the Yellow Wind Cult with swift and decisive action. Therefore, I ask for your assistance."

With his nearly two-meter-tall body stretched out, Zhou Hu's gaze swept across the room, his face filled with a murderous expression.

Upon hearing this, the once lively hall fell silent. They hadn't expected Zhou Hu to bring this up at this time, which made them instinctively feel uneasy. For a moment, many people turned their attention to Xin Yuan.

"The Yellow Wind Cult is brutal and tyrannical, and we are naturally willing to help you quell the rebellion, sir. May I ask what your plans are..."

Sensing the gazes of the crowd, Xin Yuan stepped forward.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hu's gaze fell upon him.

"It's very simple. If you have people, provide people; if you have resources, provide resources."

"This is the list of Qi Refining cultivators from each of your families. Starting today, all Qi Refining cultivators will be temporarily incorporated into the army and placed under my command. You will be required to lead your family members in battle to help me wipe out the Yellow Wind Sect."

"Of course, I won't let you work for nothing. You will be rewarded after you succeed. All the spiritual lands you conquer will belong to you. But in the same way, anyone who disobeys orders will be considered to be colluding with the Yellow Wind Sect and will be executed."

Raising the letter in his hand, Zhou Hu revealed his true intentions.

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed color. They hadn't expected Zhou Hu to pull such a stunt as soon as he arrived in Changfeng County. They knew they had paid a considerable price to curry favor with Zhou Hu.

"What, are you unwilling to serve your country and help me quell the rebellion?"

His voice was deep and resonant, like a bell. Zhou Hu took a step forward, and a chilling aura surged from his body, like a fierce tiger ready to devour its prey.

At the same time, as if in response, outside the hall, billowing blood energy rose up, transforming into a huge fire cloud that ignited the sky. For a moment, the murderous aura was overwhelming, making it difficult for many family cultivators to breathe.

Sensing this change, Xin Yuan, the strongest cultivator in the family, let out a helpless sigh. Zhou Hu had them cornered.

The truth is, after Zhou Hu led the Xuanjia Army to arrive, they were prepared to suffer heavy losses, but they did not expect Zhou Hu's methods to be so crude and so ruthless.

"How dare you disobey your orders?"

With a deep bow, Xin Yuan was the first to express his stance.

Seeing that Xin Yuan had expressed his opinion, the other family cultivators quickly followed suit.

Seeing this, Zhou Hu finally felt somewhat satisfied.

"That's good. With your help, the destruction of the Yellow Wind Cult should be just around the corner." "Continue playing the music, continue dancing."

As the murderous aura around him dissipated, Zhou Hu sat down again, immediately wearing a smile and drinking heartily, as if he hadn't been the one threatening everyone earlier.

Seeing this, even if everyone cursed inwardly, they could only continue to smile politely on the surface.

After the banquet, Zhou Hu did not give the Qi Refining cultivators present a chance to go home. He immediately assigned tasks to each family, either to be responsible for attacking in a certain direction or to be responsible for guarding a certain key point. Together they wove a large net to envelop the Yellow Wind Sect, clearly showing that they were ready to fight the Yellow Wind Sect to the death.

Most importantly, the Xuanjia Army has strict military discipline. If these family cultivators fail to complete their missions, they will inevitably be subject to military law. In fact, if there is any unusual activity, the entire family will be implicated. With all Qi Refining cultivators being mobilized, the rear areas of each family have completely fallen under the control of the Xuanjia Army.

"General, the various families have already taken action. Without a family like the Zhuang family, and with the support of the imperial court, they will not dare to rebel against us for the time being. However, the seeds of future trouble have been sown."

After everything had calmed down, Xu Guang walked up to Zhou Hu and expressed his concerns.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hu let out a cold snort.

"They are just some people who are about to die. Once they are all dead, there will naturally be no backlash."

With a cold and stern expression, Zhou Hu did not take those family cultivators seriously at all.

He used this method to forcibly drive these family cultivators in order to make them wear down the Yellow Wind Sect and completely destroy them.

As a general of the imperial court, he couldn't directly attack these family cultivators, but he could still do it indirectly.

Upon hearing this, and recalling what Zhou Hu had said earlier, Xu Guang immediately understood everything.

"My lord, dealing with the cultivation families is easy, but what about that Frost Dragon? Based on the intelligence we've gathered so far, that Frost Dragon is quite formidable. If we attack it directly, the chances of failure are not small."

Knowing that the fate of these cultivation families was sealed, Xu Guang changed the subject.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hu did not give an immediate answer, and unusually fell into deep thought.

"Promise it great rewards and invite it to join me in destroying the Yellow Wind Cult. Tell it that if we succeed, I will recommend it for credit and allocate the spiritual cave owned by the Prefect's Mansion to it."

Raising his head, a cold glint suddenly flashed in Zhou Hu's eyes.

Although he was confident he could defeat the Frost Dragon with the help of the Xuanjia Army, he still planned to set a trap and join forces with Huangfeng Sanren to kill the Frost Dragon, just in case. This would be the safest option, since the Frost Dragon was quite powerful and would be a considerable problem for him if it escaped.

Their eyes met, and Xu Guang understood Zhou Hu's meaning. He immediately bowed and agreed.

"This Frost Dragon is indeed quite strange. If the intelligence is true, it is probably among the top few in the Qi Refining level, with few rivals. Even with the help of secret techniques, it is still quite rare. But that's why it is even more destined to die. It's just that it blocked the path it shouldn't have blocked."

"Speaking of which, the Third Prince has always liked to collect the corpses of various monsters. If I can bring this dragon's corpse back, he should be happy."

As Zhou Hu watched Xu Guang's departing figure, various thoughts flashed through his mind.

His childhood was filled with hardship, but he gained the favor of the Third Prince, which led to his current success. It is precisely because of this that he is very loyal to the Third Prince.

(End of this chapter)