Hurt my loved ones? I'm not guarding this country's borders anymore!

"What he wants is for you to leave Cangcheng and die on the northern battlefield!"

As Princess Huimin's voice faded, the air in the private room seemed to be sucked out.

Shen Jinglong did not turn around. He still had his back to Princess Huimin, his gaze piercing through the broken wall and landing on the dark night sky to the north.

north.

That is where he is buried, and also where his glory lies.

"Died in the North?"

Shen Jinglong released his grip on Prince Anle.

"thump."

The prince, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now lay limp on the ground like a lump of mud, gasping for breath. Deep purplish-black finger marks were left on his neck—the kiss marks left by death.

Prince Anle clutched his throat, coughing violently, his face streaked with tears and snot, completely losing any semblance of the dignity befitting a member of the royal family.

"To kill me alone, you're willing to let a million-strong army from the Northern Bear Kingdom enter the pass, using the lives of 300,000 men from the northern border as bait?"

Shen Jinglong's voice was very soft, yet it carried a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

He turned around, not looking at Princess Huimin, but looking at the dark night sky outside the window.

"Sitting on that chair in the capital for too long has made my heart rotten."

Princess Huimin was stunned.

She had thought that Shen Jinglong would be furious, go berserk, or even kill Prince Anle to vent his anger upon hearing this news.

But she didn't expect him to react this way.

calm.

That was the suffocating calm before the storm.

Only those who know him well know the turbulent killing intent hidden beneath this calm.

"Click."

Without warning, a marble floor tile beneath Shen Jinglong's feet turned to dust.

He looked down at the Prince of Anle at his feet.

King Anle trembled; he saw mountains of corpses and seas of blood in those eyes.

"Since the capital wants my life, then I'll give them a chance."

Shen Jinglong raised his foot and stomped down hard.

"Snap—!"

There was a heartbreaking sound of bone cracking.

"ah--!!!"

King Anle let out an extremely shrill scream as his right knee was forced into a bizarre, backward-bending angle.

Shen Jinglong remained expressionless, his toes twitching slightly.

"This kick was for Sisi."

"Ah!! Shen Jinglong! You will die a horrible death... I am a prince! I am..."

"Snap!"

The left kneecap was shattered.

"This kick is for the entire Shen family."

King Anle was in so much pain that he almost fainted. He convulsed violently on the marble floor, his fingernails tearing through the floor and drawing blood.

"You...kill me...go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

Shen Jinglong withdrew his foot, looking down at him with an icy gaze.

"Want to die? Not so easy."

"Before you vomit up the antidote, you'll find that living is worse than dying."

He turned around and looked at the two people who had been waiting at the door for a long time.

"Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird."

In that instant, he transformed back into the Northern Dragon Lord who commanded countless armies.

"exist!"

The two responded in unison, their voices loud and menacing, despite the bloodstains still clinging to their bodies.

"Take this lump of rotten flesh back and lock it in the Black Dragon Palace's water dungeon."

Shen Jinglong pointed to Prince Anle on the ground.

"Keep him alive with the best medicine, don't let him die. Three tortures a day, not one less. I don't want him to live too comfortably."

Qinglong stepped forward, grabbed Anle Wang by the hair like a dead dog, and dragged him directly out the door.

The King of Anle left a long trail of blood on the floor, and his screams faded into the distance.

"As for the antidote... he'll vomit it up eventually if he wants to live."

Shen Jinglong straightened his disheveled collar and strode outside.

Princess Huimin finally came to her senses.

As she watched that resolute figure walk away, a strange anxiety welled up inside her.

This is not just a pity for talented people, but also a fear of the situation getting out of control.

"Shen Jinglong! Have you gone mad?"

She shouted at the retreating figure, "Do you know what the situation is like in the North right now? It's a dead end! A dead end that even your father couldn't solve!"

"A million-strong army, biological weapons, and even God himself is plotting behind the scenes... Going back now is nothing but suicide!"

Shen Jinglong paused for a moment.

The wind and rain outside the teahouse rushed in, making his clothes flutter loudly.

He didn't turn around.

"Some things just have to be done by someone."

Shen Jinglong's voice pierced through the wind and rain, clearly reaching Princess Huimin's ears.

"My brothers are bleeding, my nation's gates are burning. If even I retreat, then who in this Dragon Kingdom... will stand?"

"Moreover..."

He turned his head to the side, revealing half of his resolute, iron-like profile, a mocking smile curving his lips.

"They think they can trap a dragon by setting a trap? They've never seen a real dragon."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure completely disappeared at the top of the stairs.

Princess Huimin was left alone, standing there in a daze, staring at the mess on the ground, speechless for a long time.

Her palms were covered in cold sweat.

This man has truly gone mad.

,,,

Half an hour later.

A military airport in the northern suburbs of Cangcheng.

"Boom!"

Thunder rumbled and rain poured down.

A massive curtain of rain merged the sky and the earth into one, and the gale whipped the raindrops, lashing the tarmac like countless whips.

A massive black behemoth lay silently on the runway.

That is the Black Dragon Palace's exclusive "Kunpeng"-class strategic transport aircraft, which is also currently the world's largest and fastest air fortress in terms of payload.

At this moment, the plane's engines were already warmed up, and the heat waves they emitted evaporated the water on the ground, producing a deafening roar.

Hundreds of the Black Dragon Palace's most elite warriors, clad in black armor and wielding swords, stood silently in the rain.

Rainwater streamed down their helmets and into their necks, soaking their combat uniforms underneath, which were icy cold.

But no one moved.

Even their breathing frequency remained consistent.

These are the soldiers that Shen Jinglong led.

This is the Northern Iron Cavalry that strikes fear into the hearts of its enemies.

Shen Jinglong, dressed in military uniform, did not use an umbrella, letting the rain wash away the bloodstains from his body.

He stood in front of the gangway, his gaze sweeping over the young yet resolute faces.

Qin Xuerong did not come to see him off.

He wouldn't allow it.

This journey was long and uncertain, his fate unknown. He didn't want to see that woman's weeping face; it would dull his blade.

"Commander Long!"

With red eyes, Qinglong suddenly rushed out of the line, knelt on one knee in the mud, splashing mud everywhere.

"Let us go with you! I'm not defending Cangcheng anymore! I'm going to kill the Japanese devils! I'm going to avenge Baihu!"

The Azure Dragon's voice was hoarse, mixed with the sound of rain, making one's heart tremble.

The dozens of guards behind him also knelt down in unison: "Please take us with you, Commander Long! We swear to follow you to the death!"

"fart!"

Shen Jinglong kicked Qinglong in the shoulder.

The kick was delivered with full force, causing Qinglong to stumble and nearly fall, but he immediately straightened up on his knees.

"You're gone. Who will look after my home? Who will look after Xue Rong and Si Si?"

Shen Jinglong squatted down, no longer displaying the aloof and superior demeanor of a dragon lord.

He patted Qinglong's shoulder heavily, his gaze as firm as iron, yet carrying a heavy weight of entrusting his life to someone.

"Qinglong, remember this. Cangcheng is my back, but also my Achilles' heel. Only by entrusting this place to you can I dare to kill without restraint in front of you."

"It is more important for you and Suzaku to guard this place than to kill the enemy on the battlefield."

Qinglong gritted his teeth, tears mingling with rainwater flowing into his mouth, salty and bitter.

He understands.

But he was not willing to give up.

The North was their home; his brothers were bleeding, and he could only watch from there.

Shen Jinglong leaned close to Qinglong's ear, lowered his voice, and his tone became chilling:

"And those rats hiding in the shadows, if they dare to try anything funny while I'm not around..."

Shen Jinglong made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Kill without mercy."

"No matter who they are, no matter their background, even if they're the Emperor himself, if they dare to lay a finger on me, chop them off!"

Azure Dragon suddenly raised his head, the grief and indignation in his eyes turning into resolute killing intent.

"Yes, Your Majesty! As long as Qinglong has a breath left, neither my sister-in-law nor my young lady will lose a single hair!"

Shen Jinglong nodded in satisfaction and stood up.

Nearby, an old soldier, probably in his fifties, was inspecting the aircraft's landing gear, wearing a maintenance uniform covered in oil stains.

As he tightened the screws, he wiped the rain off his face with his sleeve, muttering curses in a thick local accent:

"Damn the Northern Bear Kingdom! These bastards! They really think they can bully us while Commander Long is away? Don't they even know if the men of the North are easily scared?"

The veteran spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"They seem pretty honest most of the time, but when it comes to fighting, they're... well, you know... tanks don't even have rearview mirrors, these guys are such idiots!"

The veteran straightened up, saw Shen Jinglong looking over, and quickly gave a not-so-standard military salute, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Commander Long, don't worry! I've checked this plane three times already, every single screw is tightened to the bone. As long as this plane doesn't fall apart, I'll risk my old bones to get you safely to the front lines!"

Hearing the rough yet familiar local accent, Shen Jinglong's lips curled into a long-lost smile.

These are the soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom.

He may seem carefree and nonchalant most of the time, but when it really matters, he's tougher than anyone else.

"Okay! Old Zhang, you've worked hard."

Shen Jinglong patted the veteran on the shoulder.

"It's not hard work, it's just my bad luck." Old Zhang chuckled and joked, "At my age, I still have to risk my life with you. You'll have to apply for some overtime pay for me later. I want to drink some Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor)."

"Enough is enough."

Shen Jinglong laughed loudly, turned around, and strode up the gangway.

The rain is still falling, and the wind is still blowing.

But his steps were unusually firm.

Because he knew that taking this step would mean returning from a life of pleasure to a life of carnage.

But he had no regrets.

Just as he was about to step through the hatch, Suzaku's voice suddenly came through the tactical headset hanging on his ear.

The signal was somewhat noisy, accompanied by a buzzing sound.

"Commander Long..."

Zhuque's voice was hesitant, as if he was wondering whether to speak.

"Speak," Shen Jinglong said, his feet still on the ground.

"Princess Huimin... just sent a message through the encrypted channel."

"She said... the king has already laid a trap around the northern border. In addition to the million-strong army of the Northern Bear Kingdom, there are three 'supervisory teams' composed entirely of martial arts masters, which have already blocked your retreat."

"Those so-called reinforcements are actually there to intercept you. Once you show yourself, they will kill you first, and then fight the enemy."

Shen Jinglong stopped at the cabin door.

"Anything else?"

She said... your journey... was fraught with peril. She told you... take care.