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

"I... must return to Cangcheng immediately!"

"Any later... and Sisi will really be... beyond saving!"

Shen Jinglong's voice was hoarse and urgent.

After spitting out that mouthful of black blood, his vision went black, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Commander Long!"

Qinglong was shocked and, disregarding his own injuries, grabbed him to support him.

It was scalding hot to the touch.

Shen Jinglong's body was like a volcano about to erupt, with the energy inside colliding wildly.

That eerie black line was firmly "nailed" to his heart, emitting an ominous black light, as if mocking the war god's final struggle.

"I'm fine..."

Shen Jinglong pushed Qinglong away and forced himself to stand up straight.

He cannot fall.

Not at least not now.

His gaze pierced through the smoke-filled battlefield and looked towards the distant south.

There, his wife and daughters were, and everything he had was.

He had already cleaned up the mess in the North with the most ruthless methods. The main force of the Northern Bear Kingdom was annihilated by the massive explosion he orchestrated.

The remaining remnants are no longer a threat.

All he wants now is to go home.

"Azure Dragon, I'm leaving this place to you."

Shen Jinglong's voice regained a semblance of composure, but his weakness was still undeniable.

"Dispatch a fighter jet; I need to get back to Cangcheng as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, Commander Long!"

Although Qinglong was extremely worried, he knew Long Shuai's temperament very well.

Once a decision is made, no one can change it.

however.

Just as Qinglong was about to give the order.

Suddenly, a flag appeared on the distant horizon, fluttering in the wind.

That's neither the double-headed eagle flag of the Northern Bear Kingdom nor the black dragon flag of the Northern Territory.

It was a... golden flag, embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon.

The flag of the Dragon Kingdom's royal family!

Immediately afterwards, a magnificent convoy, completely out of place in this bloody battlefield, slowly drove in, escorted by hundreds of golden-armored guards.

The lead carriage was the epitome of extravagance.

"People from the capital?"

Qinglong frowned.

"What are they doing here? Rewarding the troops? That's way too fast!"

The news would take at least a day to travel from the battlefield back to the capital.

Unless... they set off a long time ago.

Shen Jinglong's eyes turned cold as he looked at the glaring golden dragon flag.

His ominous premonition grew even stronger.

The convoy stopped about 100 meters from the position.

The carriage door opened, and a middle-aged man dressed as a eunuch, with a pale face and no beard, slowly stepped out, supported by two young eunuchs.

In his hands, he held a bright yellow imperial edict.

He looked up at the devastated battlefield, a scene of carnage and bloodshed, and his handsome eyebrows furrowed in disgust, as if the air itself had polluted his nose.

Where is Shen Jinglong, the Dragon Lord of the Northern Frontier?

The eunuch's voice was high-pitched and arrogant, carrying a condescending interrogation tone.

"I am Li Fu, the chief steward of the imperial court, here to deliver the imperial decree on the orders of the king."

Qinglong and the soldiers around him all looked rather grim.

Where is there even a trace of respect for the meritorious officials who protected the country in this eunuch's tone?

But since Shen Jinglong didn't say anything, they couldn't make a scene.

"Commander Long is here. Steward Li, speak quickly," Qinglong said in a deep voice.

Li Fu glanced at Shen Jinglong, lingering for a moment on his tattered armor and bloodstains, a barely perceptible hint of contempt playing at the corner of his lips.

"Why didn't you kneel upon seeing the imperial edict?"

"Soldiers of the Northern Border are exempt from the kneeling ceremony during wartime," Shen Jinglong said calmly, his voice icy. "Is this your first day in the Northern Border, Chief Steward Li?"

"you!"

Li Fu choked for a moment, his face turning bright red.

He snorted coldly, ceasing his argument, unfolded the imperial edict, and loudly read it aloud in his hoarse voice:

"By the mandate of Heaven, the King decrees:"

"Shen Jinglong, the Dragon Lord of the Northern Border, has rendered meritorious service in protecting the nation. He is both wise and brave, and he decisively defeated the enemy army on the banks of the Blackwater, enhancing the prestige of our country. I am greatly pleased. I hereby bestow upon him the title of 'Prince Zhenguo Wu'an, grant him ten thousand taels of gold, and a mansion. He shall immediately relinquish his duties in the Northern Border defense and return to the capital to enjoy his remaining years!"

"Furthermore, the Northern Border generals Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird, renowned for their bravery and outstanding achievements in battle, are hereby appointed as deputy commanders of the four major military regions. They are to assume their posts immediately without fail!"

"The defense of the northern border shall temporarily be taken over by Vice General Wang, appointed by my personal authority. So be it!"

The imperial edict was read aloud.

The entire northern frontier fell into a deathly silence.

The joy and excitement on the faces of all the surviving soldiers froze instantly, replaced by boundless astonishment, confusion, and anger!

Is this a reward?

Is this some kind of reward?

A promotion in name only, a demotion in reality, stripping Commander Long of his military power!

By transferring away four generals, the backbone of the North has been dismantled!

Why let a Deputy General Wang, who appeared out of nowhere, take over the defense?

How is this any different from discarding a donkey after it has served its purpose?

Our brothers risked their lives and bled and sacrificed themselves here, and this is what we got in return?

"Why should I?!"

The one-eyed man from the Northwest was the first to lose his temper; he grabbed his large machete and tried to charge forward.

"Those eunuchs from the imperial court! We're fighting tooth and nail here, and they come here to reap the rewards? Good heavens, I'm going to chop those bastards to pieces!"

"Exactly! Without Commander Long, the Northern Territory would have been finished long ago! The so-called 'King of Martial Peace and Protection'? Sounds impressive, but he's just an empty shell with no real military power!"

Even a local soldier was so angry he jumped up and down.

"Is this king a pig? He starts turning on his own people as soon as the foreign enemies retreat?"

The crowd was in a frenzy!

The killing intent was even stronger than when they faced the million-strong army of the Northern Bear Kingdom!

Li Fu's legs went weak with fear at the murderous aura, but relying on the imperial guards behind him and the imperial edict in his hand, he still forced himself to remain calm and screamed in a fierce but weak voice:

"Outrageous! What are you trying to do? Are you planning a rebellion?"

"Shen Jinglong! Why aren't you accepting the imperial decree and expressing your gratitude?"

He thought that Shen Jinglong would swallow his anger for the sake of the bigger picture.

He thought that by bringing up the big label of "rebellion," he could suppress this war god whose achievements threatened the emperor.

He was wrong.

That's completely wrong.

Shen Jinglong smiled.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he smiled slowly.

There was no anger in that smile, only endless mockery and coldness.

"reward?"

He walked towards Li Fu step by step, and with each step he took, his aura grew stronger.

"My achievements, Shen Jinglong's, are not for you eunuchs to reward!"

"The blood of my northern soldiers cannot be erased with a mere scrap of paper!"

"You...you dare!" Li Fu recoiled in fear, "Shen Jinglong! I'm warning you! This is an imperial edict! It's His Majesty the King's..."

Shen Jinglong snatched the scroll of imperial edict from his hand.

He didn't even glance at it.

"Sizzle!"

In front of everyone, he tore the imperial edict, which represented supreme imperial power, into pieces!

"The King?"

Shen Jinglong casually threw the fragments on the ground and crushed them with his foot.

"Who does he think he is? Does he have the right to judge my merits and demerits?"

Li Fu was completely dumbfounded.

He never dreamed that Shen Jinglong would dare to do this!

This is no longer just disobeying an imperial decree; this is publicly slapping the emperor in the face! This is a provocation against the entire imperial authority!

"Rebellion! Rebellion! Shen Jinglong, are you really going to rebel?!" Li Fu pointed at Shen Jinglong, his voice trembling.

Shen Jinglong didn't even glance at him.

He slowly turned around and took out the Black Dragon Token from his bosom, which was stained with blood but still exuded a chilling aura!

He raised the token high, his gaze sweeping over the thousands of pairs of eyes behind him, some angry, some excited.

His voice resounded through the heavens!

"I only have one question for you!"

"Does this northern border listen to the barking of a mere eunuch, or to the orders of Shen Jinglong?!"