Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 328 [Luck Value: 10000]

Chen Zhan spoke calmly, yet his words were clearly audible to everyone.

Han Tiange and Yan Tieshi behind him lowered their heads and kept their eyes down, their injuries not yet healed, and dared not say more.

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards and Eastern Depot agents behind Shen Tong tensed up. With a series of synchronized "whoosh" sounds, they drew most of their long swords from their waists, the blades gleaming coldly in the night.

These people had just suffered heavy losses at Fengxian Tower, and they were all extremely sensitive to the words "Demon Sect". When they heard that the two people in front of them were actually members of the Demon Sect, they immediately reacted, their eyes fiercely locking onto Han Yan and the other man, waiting for an order to make their move.

Shen Tong's expression changed, and he hurriedly shouted sternly, "Stop! All of you, get out of here!"

His voice was loud, a stark contrast to his usual cheerful demeanor. Although the guards and imperial guards were unwilling, they dared not disobey their superior's orders and reluctantly sheathed their swords, though their eyes remained fixed on Han Yan and his companion, creating a tense atmosphere.

These people didn't know that Shen Tong was saving them.

Shen Tong breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Zhan, and asked in a low voice, "Senior, has the Buddha Relic been retrieved...?"

Chen Zhan nodded slightly, and with a slight movement of his palm, a luminous red relic quietly appeared, its light subtly contained.

Shen Tong quickly shouted to the crowd behind him, "Make way! Escort Senior Chen into the city!"

"My lord!" A commander from the Northern Garrison stepped forward, his face showing difficulty, and said urgently in a low voice.

"These two are members of the Demonic Sect. If we just let them in... what if something goes wrong?"

"Oh?"

Shen Tong turned his head sharply, his eyes as sharp as knives. "Are you the one who calls the shots here?"

The commander was intimidated by his gaze, trembled, and quickly bowed and retreated, repeatedly replying, "This subordinate dares not! This subordinate dares not!"

"Then get out of here!"

Shen Tong's tone was already tinged with anger. Before the commander of the Northern Garrison could speak, Jin Yichuan and Lu Jianxing had already directed everyone to clear a wide passage leading directly to the city gate of the capital.

Chen Zhan led the two into the city and headed straight for Yuanlai Inn, where Ding Baiying and the others were already waiting at the inn's entrance.

When Ding Baiying saw Chen Zhan return, followed by two seriously injured men and women, she quickly stepped forward to greet him, not daring to look too closely.

Chen Zhan nodded and led Han Tiange and Yan Tieshi directly to the second floor of the inn, with Ding Baiying and the other two following closely behind, closing the door behind them.

Once inside the room, Chen Zhan gestured for Han Yan and the other man to sit down and meditate. He then turned to Ding Baiying and revealed their identities: "These two are from the Persian Holy Church lineage; they are my people."

Ding Baiying and the other two were all startled upon hearing this. They exchanged glances but did not ask any further questions.

Since the emperor issued his edict of self-reproach, Chen Zhan's strength and methods have long since won them over. His words are like imperial decrees, beyond question.

What do you want us to do?

Ding Baiying stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

She remembered that Chen Zhan had previously instructed her to recruit Black Stone assassins, but he had not yet explained the subsequent purpose. She was now waiting for orders.

Chen Zhan's tone was calm, but his instructions were clear and concise: "Treat the two of them first. After that, continue to recruit the old Black Stone troops and the scattered old troops of the Qi Family Army, organize these people, and prepare to head north."

"Heading north?" Ding Baiying frowned slightly, then realized, "Is it to deal with the Later Jin?"

The capital city was located in the northern frontier. Further north lay Liaodong, the territory occupied by the Later Jin dynasty.

Ding Baiying and his companions were not ordinary martial arts practitioners, but former members of Qi Jiguang's army, so they naturally had a good understanding of the situation on the border.

Moreover, when the Jizhou mutiny occurred, Jizhou was one of the "Nine Northern Garrisons" of the Ming Dynasty, and an important barrier to defend against the threats from the Mongols and Jurchens in the northeast of the capital.

Three years ago, Nurhaci unified the various Jurchen tribes and established a regime, named "Jin".
To distinguish it from the "Jin" of the Song Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty called it "Later Jin." In recent years, under the harassment of the Later Jin cavalry, the people in Liaodong have long been living in misery.

"Yes."

Chen Zhan nodded, his voice still calm, but his words carried an unmistakable chilling killing intent: "I want to kill all the Later Jin."

These six short words, spoken lightly, seemed to send a chill through the room, making Ding Baiying and the other two feel a shiver.

The Later Jin, which later became the Qing, has not yet changed its name.

Chen Zhan didn't have much affection for the old emperor, but he had something he disliked even more, which is why he chose to treat Zhu Yijun's injuries.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty after that were all worse than the last.

It would be better to let Zhu Yijun, who has some prestige, continue in power, but Zhu Yijun must contribute money and effort to prevent the Later Jin in Liaodong from having an easy time.

Moreover, he can't think of one, and he can't do it!
Upon hearing this, Ding Baiying immediately nodded emphatically.

Resisting border bandits and guarding the territory was the duty of Qi Jiguang's army. When Qi Jiguang was alive, they relied on this belief to fight across the north and south, and to kill the Later Jin and other bandits who harassed the border.

But the moment he nodded, his brows furrowed again.

Qi Jiguang's army's tactics have always been "heavy rewards and heavy punishments, clear distinction between rewards and punishments, and distribution according to merit." This method can make soldiers fight to the death and be invincible, but it has a fatal flaw.
It costs a lot of money!
When Zhang Juzheng was in power, he fully supported Marshal Qi, and there was never a shortage of provisions, pay, or rewards.
However, once Zhang Juzheng fell from power, treacherous officials in the court coveted the reward share of Qi Jiguang's army, and the court began to default on grain and salary payments.

After fighting so hard, they received nothing in return. How could the soldiers not feel resentful?

The root of the Jizhou mutiny lies here, which is also one of the reasons for the destruction of Qi Jiguang's army.

Chen Zhan saw right through her thoughts.

Before Ding Baiying could speak, he said calmly, "The imperial court will allocate funds for rations and pay within three days. Take a portion first, and if it's not enough, send someone to collect more."

Upon hearing this, Ding Baiying, Ding Xiu, and their three fellow disciples' eyes lit up instantly. Their previous concerns vanished, and their voices were filled with barely concealed excitement:

"As long as you have money!"

Ding Baiying straightened her back and added in a deep voice: "Now that the Qi Family Army has been exonerated, as long as the food and pay are in place, and we recruit them in the name of Qi's former subordinates, the brothers scattered in all directions will surely come running."

"With the financial backing of the old Blackstone faction, recruiting them will be much easier."

The brothers of Qi Jiguang's army were scattered back then, mostly because they had no food or pay and their grievances could not be redressed. Now that they have been exonerated and have money and food as a backing, it is not difficult for them to reunite.

After speaking, Chen Zhan looked at Han Tiange and the other person.

The two remained silent, waiting for Chen Zhan's orders. Chen Zhan's gaze fell on Han Tiange and Yan Tieshi, but his instructions were clear and concise: "After you two recover from your injuries, you can also receive a sum of money to return to Persia to recruit the old followers of the Holy Church, and then take your men to Liaodong."

Upon hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed across the faces of Han Tiange and Yan Tieshi.

The descendants of the Persian Holy Church have dwindled in number, leaving them with few men to begin with. Now, they are being led to fight on the Liaodong border, a perilous and unpredictable journey ahead.

"Afterwards, the Central Plains will reserve a place for your Holy Church."

The awkwardness was instantly replaced by an irrepressible joy. The two looked at each other and saw excitement in each other's eyes.

Chen Zhan captured Zhen Yue alive but did not kill her, clearly intending to interrogate her and exterminate the Nanyang Holy Sect.

They had already realized that Chen Zhan had a deep connection with the Holy Sect and might be the successor of a certain Holy Lord.

If the Persian Holy Church can attach itself to this powerful force, how can it not be revitalized?

Moreover, who would want to be trapped in the harsh and desolate lands of Persia for their entire life? It would be best to be able to return to the Central Plains and establish a foothold there.

Han Tiange suppressed his overwhelming joy and spoke with excitement:
"Thank you, young master. The entire Persian Holy Church will do everything in its power to resist the Later Jin and will not fail your trust!"

Chen Zhan nodded slightly, gestured for her to sit down, and added:

"You don't need to fight directly. Once you get to Liaodong, disguise yourself and infiltrate behind enemy lines, mainly to gather intelligence."

"After a while, I need to know the specific locations of several important generals of the Later Jin dynasty."

"I understand!"

Han Tiange and Yan Tieshi responded in unison, their eyes no longer showing any hesitation.

Although gathering intelligence is also dangerous, it is far better than directly confronting the Later Jin cavalry. The Holy Church is adept at concealment and intelligence gathering.

Everyone in the room had their own tasks to perform. Ding Baiying had already gotten up to find medicinal herbs for healing, while Han Yan and the other person closed their eyes to regulate their breathing.

Chen Zhan left the inn.

It was already daybreak.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, carrying the lively atmosphere of Beijing as it drifted across the streets.

Peddlers carrying their wares and ordinary people heading to the early market gradually increased in number. The shouts and footsteps blended together, making Chen Zhan feel that he was still living in the mundane world.

He paced aimlessly, his mind completely at ease, flowing like water through the streets and houses.
There was no exploration; I simply enjoyed the everyday life of the people.

With his internal energy and blood flowing smoothly, his injuries had long since healed. He absorbed the essence of the relic, altering his destiny and elevating his martial arts to a new level. His state of mind, on the contrary, became increasingly serene.

He had no desire for the imperial throne, the highest position in the land.

The higher one's martial arts skills, the more one understands the vanity of worldly power and position. Moreover, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty is deeply entrenched, and if one were to seize the throne, countless innocent lives would be lost.

As if sensing something in the dark, he didn't want to form too many karmic ties with these ordinary people.

He quietly focused his mind, examining the panel in his mind—

[Luck value: 10000]

The absence of the "crossable boundary" text suggests there's still a significant gap. Each crossing requires an extremely large number of crossings, and this number increases exponentially.

Chen Zhan understood what was going on, but continued walking casually, passing through one street after another, ignoring the curious glances cast his way.

Unlike his side, the Qianqing Palace, deep within the imperial palace, has been in complete chaos these past two days.

The old emperor Zhu Yijun used to hate sleeping the most, because he would be plagued by nightmares after falling asleep.

But now he is acting very strangely, spending most of his day lying on his bed and insisting on dismissing all his servants and not allowing anyone to disturb him.

But every time he woke up from his deep sleep, he would be stunned for a long time, and then he would be furious, either slamming his fist on the table and cursing, or muttering to himself in front of the empty palace.

"Why aren't they here yet..."

"Why haven't you come to save me yet!"

"Immortal Dao! Where are you? I have done everything you asked, why haven't you shown yourself yet?"

He paced back and forth in the hall with his hair disheveled and barefoot, his face haggard but his eyes filled with anxiety.

His voice carried an undisguised fear and dependence, which made the eunuchs outside the palace tremble with fear. They dared not answer and secretly prayed that His Majesty could calm down soon.

Finally, as night fell, Zhu Yijun managed to calm his anxious mind.

Outside the palace, the lights were bright, and the imperial guards stood holding their breath, with a sentry every three steps and a patrol every five steps, completely surrounding the Qianqing Palace.

Although he longed for the arrival of immortals, he was not so foolish as to be completely unprepared. He knew in his heart that if immortals were to actually arrive, these mortal guards would be rendered useless.

Having spent the whole day throwing a tantrum, I've already exhausted all my energy.

Zhu Yijun removed his dragon robe and lay down on the brocade-covered imperial couch. Before long, he felt drowsy and, in a daze, actually drifted off to sleep.

That night, there were no nagging nightmares; instead, everything was peaceful.

In his dream, he returned to the Wenhua Hall where he had been a young man, and standing in front of him was Zhang Juzheng, dressed in the robes of a first-rank official.

The usually stern and imposing Prime Minister Yuan was now all smiles, his eyes filled with no reproach, only satisfaction.

"Your Majesty has grown up, and you can admit your mistakes and correct them. This is a great virtue."

Zhang Juzheng's voice was steady and powerful as he patted Zhang Juzheng's shoulder: "I no longer hold grudges against the absurdities of the past. I only hope that Your Majesty will be diligent in governing and caring for the people in the future, and live up to the expectations of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Yijun felt a lump in his throat as years of pent-up guilt surged up, and he was about to speak to explain his youthful ignorance.

The Zhang Juzheng before them suddenly vanished like bubbles in the sky, disappearing completely.

His heart skipped a beat, and he almost woke up!

(End of this chapter)