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Chapter Seventy-Six: A Tense Moment
Last night, Lin Feng was determined to kill War Maniac, which had already terrified him. Today, facing execution again, War Maniac cried out in despair, "General, spare my life! I beg you, please don't kill me!"
Seeing that Tang Jiner was ignoring him, War Maniac quickly bowed his head to her and pleaded, "My lord, please spare me! I am an official of the court; without the Governor's final signature, you cannot execute me!"
Tang Jiner seemed to have anticipated that War Maniac would seek this lifeline. She took out an item—the Imperial Guard Commander's token belonging to Sima Shangshan. She said, "The Imperial Guard acts directly under the Emperor's orders; we can execute first and report later."
With his last hope extinguished, War Maniac was gripped by fear. His mind raced as he sought a way to survive.
"My lord, you cannot kill me! I am still of use to you; I know many secrets—secrets of many Governors. If you spare my life, I will tell you everything. I am willing to sign and seal it."
Upon hearing this, Tang Jiner's eyes lit up. The purpose of bringing Lin Feng here had been achieved. Tang Jiner had come to the border with one goal: to deal with the powerful warlord Jiang Wannian.
"Lin Feng, wait outside."
Hearing Tang Jiner's command, Lin Feng wanted to stay and hear what War Maniac had to say. He pleaded, "My lord, this man is treacherous and cunning; I should stay to protect you."
"It’s fine. You may leave; take everyone with you and guard the prison entrance. No one is allowed to enter."
"Understood."
Reluctantly, Lin Feng complied and led everyone away, then stood guard at the entrance of Black Prison. About half an hour later, Tang Jiner sent a message: "Come in."
Lin Feng entered Black Prison first. Upon seeing War Maniac again, he noticed that he was no longer lying inside but kneeling on the ground outside. In front of him lay seven or eight sheets of white paper filled with dense writing. At that moment, War Maniac still held a brush in his right hand, appearing dazed and lost.
Tang Jiner solemnly gathered the papers and nodded thoughtfully before saying, "Come here and untie Lord Wu. Also, remove the Lock Veins from him."
Hearing this, Lin Feng was taken aback and quickly intervened, "My lord, you can't do that."
Tang Jiner raised her right hand, signaling Lin Feng to be quiet. She spoke firmly, "I know my own limits."
Then she turned to War Maniac and said, "Lord Wu, you understand how things should be done from now on, right?"
After being released from Lock Veins, War Maniac felt a sense of lightness throughout his body. He was relieved to have escaped death but also filled with confusion. His expression was complex, making it hard to discern his thoughts. He knelt respectfully before Tang Jiner and said, "My lord, rest assured. From today onward, I, War Maniac, will be like a dog under your command, following your orders without question."
"Good. I hope you can keep that promise. Otherwise, you know the consequences."
"Thank you for sparing my life, my lord. I will certainly act according to my promise and remain loyal," War Maniac replied, bowing his head several times.
"Lord Wu, no need for such formalities. Please rise," Tang Jiner said. Once War Maniac stood up, she turned to Lin Feng and added, "Lord Lin, any misunderstandings between you and Lord Wu are resolved today. With a great enemy before us, we should unite and fight bravely together."
Lin Feng couldn't believe what was happening. He looked at Tang Jiner in disbelief and asked, "My lord... why is this happening?"
"Lin Feng," she replied, "Lord Wu has sincerely acknowledged his past wrongdoings. After my teachings today, he has decided to turn over a new leaf. As the saying goes, a wayward son returning home is worth more than gold. From now on, you two must set aside past grievances and serve the borderlands and the Tang Empire together."
"Damn it..." Lin Feng cursed inwardly, his face filled with anger and concern.
Returning to Dongping County, Lin Feng felt a cloud of gloom hanging over him. After all the effort he had put in and the commotion caused, War Maniac had signed an agreement acknowledging everything yet still remained alive.
"No way; War Maniac cannot be left alive. He poses a threat not only to me but also to Tang Jiner. It seems I have no choice but to assassinate him and then leave."
With his mind made up, Lin Feng began making arrangements. He called over Lindor, Chang Long, and Hu Bing and took them to a tavern. Since becoming an official, he hadn't properly rewarded these three.
They had been responsible for many matters in the military camp and had taken on significant burdens for Horizontal Blade Camp. It was time to show his gratitude.
"Chang, my brother, if I'm no longer around in the future, I hope you and Sima can help find a good path for these brothers," Lin Feng said sincerely as he raised his cup to Chang Long.
Chang Long looked at Lin Feng with a puzzled expression. "My lord, what's wrong? Everything seems fine; why say such things?"
Lin Feng smiled lightly. "The battle is about to begin. On the battlefield, life and death are uncertain. If I fall in battle, my brothers will need Sima to take care of them."
"My lord jokes. We will fight together; life and death will be shared. Besides, my lord saved my family's master. Whatever you entrust to us, my master will surely see it through," Chang Long replied.
"That puts my mind at ease."
Lin Feng's voice was soft, meant only for himself. Chang Long and the others did not hear him. With someone like Sima Shangshan protecting them, Hu Bing and Lindor had a solid backing. After he dealt with the War Maniac, he could leave without any burdens.
Can I really take down the War Maniac?
Lin Feng did not have complete confidence. The War Maniac had reached the pinnacle of Fate Foundation, far surpassing him. More importantly, after this incident, the War Maniac would be on high alert, making assassination much more difficult. The last time he ambushed him and subdued him was somewhat of a fluke.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone returned to the military camp. Chang Long and the others went back to the Training Ground to continue training their subordinates while Lin Feng walked slowly through the camp, reminiscing about the journey so far.
Unknowingly, a year and a half had passed. During this time on the border, it wasn't just his cultivation that had improved; more importantly, his temperament had matured. His character had become more stable and resolute. Although he hadn't reached the level of Tang Jiner yet, he had achieved a commendable height.
After returning home, he would head to Zhongzhou for the Jiuzhou Gathering Conference. Given his current cultivation level, aiming for first place in the conference was quite ambitious.
Not to mention He Rongsheng, who held first place on the stele. He had witnessed Meng Han, ranked third among evil cultivators, single-handedly take on ten opponents—one of whom was Shen Jiahe, a peak Fate Realization expert—and Meng Han held his ground without faltering. Sima Shangshan, ranked sixth on the stele, was also incredibly strong. Even if he fought him, Lin Feng couldn't guarantee victory since he had just stepped into Fate Realization.
More importantly, he didn't possess any Divine Abilities. The Manifestation of Divine Powers exclusive to Fate Realization Realm experts was beyond his grasp. All he had was the Angry Dragon Fist—a martial arts technique that hardly stood out.
"It seems I truly need advanced martial arts techniques urgently. Otherwise, relying solely on physical strength in battles won't lead to victory. If I can assassinate the War Maniac today and take his storage bag, I might obtain some high-level martial arts techniques."
As evening approached, Lin Feng was preparing to head out when Lindor rushed in, saying, "My lord, something terrible has happened."
"What's the panic? It's not like the Demon Clan is attacking," Lin Feng replied.
"It is indeed the Demon Clan that is attacking. They have breached Nanping County and are heading straight for Dongping County. The Governor is regrouping our forces in the rear, preparing to cut off the Demon Clan's retreat. We must rally our troops in Dongping County to bravely fight and defend the city."
"When did this happen? Nanping County has fallen? What did the General say?"
"The General has ordered all forces in Dongping County to launch an attack and slay the Demon Clan."
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine. This was the very strategy discussed by War Maniac and Zhu Chui when they first found Tang Jiner, only to be rejected by her. How had they returned to this initial plan?
"Get the brothers ready for battle; I’m going to the General's Office."
Lin Feng pushed himself to his limits and quickly arrived at the General's Office. This time, he didn’t wait for Ke Kuo Tong to announce him but barged right in.
Seeing Lin Feng enter, Tang Jiner managed to rein in her anger and said, "Lin Feng, you’re becoming increasingly disrespectful. While I value you highly, you cannot disregard the rules."
At that moment, Lin Feng had no time for such arguments and directly asked, "My lord, weren’t you opposed to leaving the city to confront the enemy? Why have you changed your mind now?"
"Lin Feng, why are you being so stubborn? Previously, War Maniac was our enemy, and we had no idea what they were planning. That’s why we refused. Now War Maniac is on our side. He’s a strong support behind us. With no worries from behind, we can launch a full-scale attack. I must admit, Jiang Wannian is quite wise; his strategy this time is rather clever," Tang Jiner explained patiently.
"So that's it. The sudden breach of Nanping County was a deliberate ploy by their forces to let the Demon Army in so they could wipe them out in one fell swoop?" Lin Feng asked.
"Exactly! You understand quickly," Tang Jiner replied with delight.
Lin Feng felt uneasy and said, "My lord, while this plan may be clever, our allies are unreliable. You must remember that your purpose here is to deal with Jiang Wannian. That old fox can’t be unaware of this. This battle plan puts us at a disadvantage."
"Not bad, Lin. After spending a year with the Border Troops, you've really become quite strategic. I knew I didn't misjudge you," Tang Jiner praised, though he paid little attention to Lin Feng's words and instead focused on the map, contemplating the upcoming battle deployment.
Seeing Tang Jiner's stubbornness, Lin Feng anxiously said, "My lord, don't underestimate Jiang Wannian. The War Maniac is ruthless and dangerous like a wolf or tiger; we cannot ally with him."
Tang Jiner continued to study the map, nodding thoughtfully. "Lin, I understand. I know you are loyal to me and always consider my interests. Of course, I know that the War Maniac is like a wolf or tiger. However, I have too many holds over him; you can rest assured. Even if he is a wolf or tiger, I will make him obediently serve as my watchdog."
"My lord, you are using the War Maniac this time. I'm afraid he has ulterior motives and may be plotting against you," Lin Feng felt uneasy.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can leave now. I need to address the entire Dongping County Military Command. During the battle, make sure to perform well," Tang Jiner said before dismissing Lin Feng and leaving in good spirits.
"What should I do now?" Lin Feng watched Tang Jiner's departing figure with a serious expression.
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