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

At the same time, the imperial court's triple taxation ultimately weighed on the Li clan.

The Li clan owns a considerable amount of land, but this time the tax has been tripled. In addition, the clan elders are secretly hiding their family property and are unwilling to pay out of their own pockets. As a result, all the taxes are distributed among the ordinary clan members of each branch.

In an instant, the entire Li clan's old residence was plunged into panic and chaos.

As a border sergeant with military merits, Li Xuancang was legally entitled to protect his clan and reduce their taxes.

All he had to do was submit the clan's tax exemption document to the government, and the entire Li clan would be exempt from most of the harsh taxes and spared the suffering of tax collection.

However, back when the Li family fell into poverty, they had already been publicly expelled from the family genealogy by the Li clan, severing all ties with the clan. The clan elders watched coldly as the Li family suffered all kinds of bullying, showing no mercy whatsoever.

From beginning to end, Li Xuancang never submitted any documents to the government to protect the Li clan, nor did he inform the government in the slightest.

The officials of Qingyang County had long been aware of the relationship between Li Xuancang and the Li clan through military reports and official correspondence, so naturally they would not give the clan any preferential treatment.

Tax collectors and yamen runners from the county marched into the Li Clan Ancestral Hall in a grand procession.

There was no trace of the courtesy shown to military families; his expression was cold and his attitude was tough throughout, treating them no differently than ordinary people, and perhaps even more harshly.

"All members of the Li clan, obey this order: pay all taxes within three days. If you are short even a penny, we will take away your clan's land and members as punishment."

The head tax collector stood in the courtyard of the ancestral hall, shouting sternly.

Behind them, the yamen runners, wielding sticks, began to search through the property of each branch of the clan, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Upon seeing this, the elders' expressions changed drastically, and they quickly stepped forward, trying to probe with ingratiating smiles.

"Officer, we are a member of Li Xuancang's clan. He is now a border sergeant. Shouldn't our clan be exempt from taxes?"

The tax collector sneered, his eyes filled with contempt, his tone utterly merciless.

"There are orders from above that the list of people Li reported for protection only included his parents in Qingxi Village and his relatives by marriage in Zhangjia Village, and never mentioned the Li clan."

"Besides, everyone knows that you have already expelled Squad Leader Li from your home and severed all ties with him. Now he still wants to climb the military ranks and get tax exemption. He is really delusional."

One sentence left the elders speechless, their faces turning pale and then red, filled with shame and anger.

The clansmen were instantly panicked. Ordinary clansmen were already of modest means and simply could not afford the huge sums of money to pay taxes.

As the constables began to forcibly plunder the family property and put chains on people to arrest them for military service, some people finally panicked and shouted at the top of their lungs.

"We are Li Xuancang's clansmen. You can't arrest us. Li Xuancang is a border general. If you dare to touch us, he won't let you off the hook."

"That's right, stop it! We are from the same clan as General Li, we need to get our taxes paid immediately."

"If you attack a clan of combatants, can you afford to offend them?"

"..."

Everyone agreed, thinking that by invoking Li Xuancang's name, they could intimidate the officials, exempt them from taxes, and escape this calamity.

Unexpectedly, these words only made the tax collector even angrier.

"You audacious scoundrel, how dare you impersonate a border guard's relative and refuse to pay taxes! Your crime is doubled."

"Squad Leader Li has never acknowledged your clan. If you dare to spout nonsense and slander the military officer's reputation again, arrest him immediately and punish him for deceiving officials and violating the law."

The official in charge cast a cold glance over them, and the Li family members all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Search them! Anyone who tries to stop us, arrest them all."

The constables, following orders, became even more brutal, ransacking the place and stealing all valuables.

Men who could not pay their taxes were chained and forcibly dragged away to serve as laborers in the army.

Cries and wails filled the air, just like those of people in other villages.

"It's over, the clan is finished."

The clan elders sat slumped inside the ancestral hall, their faces ashen, filled with regret but utterly helpless.

They cruelly expelled the Li family from the clan, showing no mercy or righteousness. Now they have come to this end, reaping the consequences of their own actions.

Even though they are Li Xuancang's bloodline clan, without Li Xuancang's approval and without written proof, the government will not accept them.

Invoking Li Xuancang's name not only failed to gain him any advantage, but also resulted in ruthless suppression, suffering from tax levies, and ultimately leading to the destruction of his family and the loss of his life.

The entire Li clan was plunged into utter despair; all of this was the bitter fruit of their own making.

Li Xuancang was unaware of what was happening in Qingyang County; he was training his army in Yuyang City in preparation for a new major battle.

The tense atmosphere that had been building for days in the Yuyang City military camp was completely ignited by a piece of news.

A batch of military supplies, fully loaded with grain, weapons, and healing medicines, was transported from the rear to Yuyang City, specifically for the remaining troops defending the city against the barbarians.

However, when they passed through the Huangfeng Mountains, they were all robbed by the Huangfeng Mountain bandits who were entrenched there.

The leader of the Yellow Wind Mountain bandits was named Lin Xuan, and he had gathered over a thousand desperate men under his command, each of them fierce and ruthless.

They routinely robbed passing merchants and oppressed surrounding villages.

Now they've become incredibly audacious, daring to rob military supplies from border camps, completely crossing the line for the military.

"Bang!"

Zhou Xingzhan slammed the desk beside him to pieces with one palm, his face turning ashen, his whole body radiating a murderous aura. He immediately summoned all the generals and gave orders in a stern voice.

"The Huangfeng bandits are audacious enough to rob our army's supplies. We must immediately dispatch troops to raze the Huangfeng Mountains, reclaim the supplies, and kill their leader, Lin Xuan."

The military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed.

Zhou Xingzhan immediately appointed his commander Zhou Xiong as the chief general, leading 500 elite border troops to set out immediately and wipe out the Huangfeng Mountain bandits.

Zhou Xiong is a Blood Condensation Realm expert with formidable combat power and decisive killing ability. He is one of the top generals in the army camp, and with him leading the team, it is enough to wipe out this rabble.

The military order was issued swiftly, and the entire army began to select elite soldiers, prepare weapons, and assemble troops.

Li Xuancang, a fierce soldier who fought his way out of the bloody battle of Cangyun Ridge, is outstanding in combat strength and has rich battlefield experience. He is also on the list of soldiers to be recruited for the battle.

The messenger rushed to the military camp and loudly proclaimed: "Squad Leader Li Xuancang, immediately prepare your soldiers to accompany the centurion on an expedition to the Huangfeng Mountains to wipe out the bandits and reclaim military supplies."

"Here you go!"

Li Xuancang agreed in a deep voice without the slightest hesitation.

Li Xuancang led his soldiers quickly to the training ground to assemble.

On the drill ground, five hundred elite border troops stood in neat rows, their armor clanging, each holding a sharp blade, their posture upright.

Despite the disastrous defeat at Cangyunling, they still retained the iron will of the border troops.

Commander Zhou Xiong, clad in heavy armor and wielding a long sword, stood atop a high platform, his sharp gaze sweeping over the entire army as he shouted sternly.

"The objective of this expedition is the Huangfeng Mountains. We will reclaim our military supplies and annihilate all the bandits. Anyone who dares to back down in fear of battle will be dealt with according to military law."

"I will obey your orders!"

The five hundred soldiers responded in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and their momentum like a rainbow.

They might be afraid of barbarians and monsters, but dealing with a band of mountain bandits is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—it's as easy as turning one's hand.

Their eyes gleamed with determination, eager to fight bravely and exchange the bandits' heads for rewards.

With the order given, the troops set off quickly.