My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

Yangzhou, the Liu family.

After receiving news of the great victory in Ganquan County, the atmosphere in the Liu family was somber, and Liu Wenyuan and several elders felt some regret.

Liu Qingyuan initially wanted to marry his eldest daughter to Li Xuancang, but his family objected.

Now that Li Xuancang has risen to prominence, there is no stopping him. Everyone is filled with bitterness and regret.

"Ugh!"

Liu Wenyuan sighed, his voice filled with helplessness and deep regret.

Du Tianfeng, recuperating at home, had a smile on his face, along with a hint of pride.

"It's really unexpected that he has made such a great contribution so quickly."

Du Tianfeng knew that Li Xuancang would achieve something in Ganquan County, but he did not expect him to make achievements so quickly.

Upon receiving the news, Pei Hongwen, the newly appointed prefect of Yuanlin County, was completely stunned.

"This child is truly an exceptional individual, with boundless potential."

Pei Hongwen sighed with emotion, his thoughts drifting back to Anzhou.

At that time, Li Xuancang was just a centurion, and he was somewhat famous.

The Pei family was still a prominent and powerful clan, and Li Xuancang had only barely caught their eye.

Only about a year has passed, and things have changed.

With the decline of the Pei family, he was effectively exiled to this poor and remote place, where he lived in constant fear and anxiety.

He dared not bring his family with him and took office alone.

Li Xuancang, however, had already risen to the position of garrison commander, wielding the power of life and death over the entire prefecture.

Given Li Xuancang's current momentum, it's only a matter of time before he breaks through to the Profound Realm and assumes the role of a garrison commander; the gap between the two sides will only widen.

"call!"

Exhaling a breath of stale air, Pei Hongwen regained his composure, his eyes hardening.

"The Lin family, my Pei family's current state is all thanks to you. I will make you pay the price."

Pei Hongwen's eyes flashed with overwhelming killing intent.

The Marquis of Anzhou was undoubtedly the culprit behind the Pei family's current predicament.

Pei Hongwen is determined to reclaim everything that belongs to him at all costs and make the Marquis of Anzhou pay the price.

The entire Great Yan Kingdom was shaken, and the grasslands were not at peace either.

Dozens of tribes gathered together, discussing Li Xuancang.

"Bang!"

A tribal chief smashed the desk next to him into dust with a single blow, unleashing a violent aura.

"Li Xuancang has gone too far. We must march into Ganquan County and make him pay for his crimes in blood."

"The sons of the grasslands are children of the Eternal Heaven, and no one shall be allowed to insult them."

"We must kill Li Xuancang and massacre the people of Ganquan County to wash away this shame."

"..."

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and their hair stood on end in anger. They clamored to kill Li Xuancang.

Li Xuancang built a mound of heads from the Black Wolf tribe warriors, an extreme provocation against the grassland tribes, which they could not tolerate.

"The complete annihilation of the Black Wolf tribe is inextricably linked to Shen Chongyuan. We demand a reasonable explanation from him."

Many tribes knew that the Black Wolf Tribe had sent troops at Shen Chongyuan's request, but now they had been completely wiped out, and Shen Chongyuan had to take responsibility for it.

"Assemble the army and storm Ganquan County, leaving no one alive."

The crowd was filled with murderous intent, wishing they could tear Li Xuancang to pieces immediately.

These are small tribes on the outskirts of the grasslands. The strongest of them are only about equal to the Black Wolf tribe, and some of the smaller tribes have only one or two thousand people.

However, when they unite, they become a force to be reckoned with.

Inside the garrison commander's residence, Li Xuancang was plotting how to accumulate numerous merits.

"My current strength is comparable to that of the Profound Realm. The next step is defense."

Li Xuancang was ambitious, and the position of garrison commander of Ganquan County could not satisfy his ambition.

"The Liangzhou Army is embezzling salaries without working, and they also have dealings with the grassland people. They are even more audacious in selling the imperial weapons to the grassland people. This is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their families. As long as I have enough evidence, I can take down the Liangzhou Army and replace them."

Li Xuancang's eyes gleamed, and he was about to take action against the Liangzhou army and Shen Chongyuan.

"The army still lacks strong individuals. I need to cultivate enough strong individuals as soon as possible to support the army."

Li Xuancang still has too few powerful figures under his command, with only the Ouyang brothers, both at the Gangqi Realm.

A garrison commander has at least dozens of captains under his command, so Li Xuancang's path is long and arduous.

He gave most of the black wolf's meat to the Ouyang brothers and Bai Meng, and the group should be able to make a breakthrough.

"I wonder what kind of reward the imperial court will bestow?"

Li Xuancang was full of anticipation for the imperial court's rewards, hoping to receive a treasure that would catch his eye.

"My lord, the garrison has sent an invitation."

Zhang Yuanxiong came to report, holding an invitation in his hand.

Li Xuancang opened the invitation; Shen Chongyuan's youngest daughter was about to pass the imperial examination and invited him to a banquet at the garrison headquarters.

"A banquet is never a good banquet; it could even be a trap."

Li Xuancang sneered inwardly. Shen Chongyuan couldn't hold back any longer and was about to make a move against him.

"Make preparations, we will be going to the garrison headquarters for a banquet tomorrow."

Li Xuancang was highly skilled and daring; even if this was a trap, he was fearless.

This is a good opportunity to test Shen Chongyuan's background and make it easier for our subsequent actions.

Six days later, as dusk fell, two large red lanterns were hung in front of the garrison's mansion, making the red carpet on the stone steps even more vibrant.

Shen Chongyuan, dressed in a crimson brocade robe, stood with his hands behind his back at the foot of the steps, with two rows of personal guards behind him standing with their hands on their swords, their armor imposing.

In the distance, a rider slowly approached.

The man on horseback was dressed in a blue robe, but he was accompanied by two personal guards, as if he were attending an ordinary banquet.

Shen Chongyuan squinted at him, a slight smile playing on his lips. He then strode down the stone steps and said loudly, "Commander Li, it is an honor to have you here. I have failed to greet you properly."

Li Xuancang dismounted, cupped his hands in a respectful bow, and remained neither humble nor arrogant.

"You are too kind, sir. I am unworthy of your presence and have troubled you to come and greet me."

Li Xuancang was not under Shen Chongyuan's jurisdiction, but Shen Chongyuan's official rank was above his.

Shen Chongyuan had already walked up to him, reaching out to help him, his smile deepening.

"Today is my daughter's coming-of-age ceremony. Commander Li's presence here makes him an honored guest of honor."

His gaze lingered on Li Xuancang for a moment, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Li Zhenshou has come alone; he certainly has the courage."

Li Xuancang raised his eyes, met his gaze for a moment, and smiled slightly.

"The entire Liangzhou region knows that the garrison commander is hosting a banquet. If I dare not even attend, wouldn't it be said that there are dragons and tigers lurking in his residence?"

He paused, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the two rows of guards below, who stood motionless with their swords drawn, his tone calm.

"However, with your entourage, it does seem like you're about to arrest someone."

The air went still for a moment.

Shen Chongyuan laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the roof, and patted Li Xuancang on the shoulder.

"Arrest someone? Who? You?"

His laughter subsided, he leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and a glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"Commander Li is overthinking things. If I wanted to capture you, why would I have held a banquet?"

The two locked eyes, a cold glint in their depths.

After a moment, Shen Chongyuan smiled first, stepped aside to make way, and raised his hand to guide the way.

"Please, the wine is warmed, we are just waiting for Commander Li to take his seat."

Li Xuancang stepped onto the stone steps, and as he passed by him, he suddenly stopped.

"I heard that Miss is also receiving guests at today's banquet?"

Shen Chongyuan's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze darkened slightly.

"My daughter has long admired the reputation of Garrison Commander Li, and naturally she wishes to meet him."

"Then this humble servant will have to drink a couple more cups."

Li Xuancang stepped over the threshold without turning his head, speaking casually.

Shen Chongyuan watched his retreating figure, his smile slowly fading, his fingers tightening slightly beneath his sleeves, before he strode after him.

Behind him, two large vermilion doors slammed shut.