A person who has betrayed once, how can he be worthy of his master’s trust again?
Zhu Guangbo did not take Guan Bohou and the others to the battlefield, and Mu Tian, when he left, likewise did not take the three with him. In fact, Ye Feng, Xiao Chuanqi, and the others all knew that Zhu Guangbo kept the three simply to use their influence to steady his own position.
How ridiculous that the three thought betraying Ye Feng could bring them a bright future, little knowing that such an outco awaited them, where even in death, they would leave behind a bad na and a tarnished reputation.
Amid the twilight, a group of people slowly returned.
The person walking at the forefront, of course, was Ye Feng. He was seen wearing ordinary civilian clothes, with only a pair of heavy military boots crunching through the snow, making a "crunch, crunch" sound. Gone were the dazzling royal robe, the many resplendent dals, and the spirited deanor that once captivated the world.
Ye Feng at this mont seed like a different person, transford. If the forr Ye Feng was always flamboyant and never hid his edge, then now he seed more reserved.
His eyes were still bright as stars. Though he didn’t speak, the confidence exuded in his every move was still so natural, as if, no matter how the mountains and rivers and epochs changed, his overwhelming pride and passion would remain forever unchanged.
"Greetings to the Northern King!"
Within the camp, outside and inside, the Northern Border Warriors ford row upon row, looking at Ye Feng, looking at the once Northern King, bowing on one knee.
Who was it, with peerless might, that intimidated the Northern Mountainous Terrain, forcefully subdued the Feudal Lords, and eliminated the invaders’ claws?
Who led an army six hundred miles north, unstoppable as a bamboo splitting the ground, slaughtering the iron hooves of Mingbei descending southward, making the Nomadic Tribe known as Northern Barbarian Ghosts cower beyond the Gesang River’s national boundary?
And who was it, that once shared life and death with them?
All of these, were Ye Feng. Who else could be the one the millions of Northern Border Soldiers most looked forward to as the Northern Border King?
Without a doubt, the answer was Ye Feng. What was Zhu Guangbo compared to him? In the few months he was here, his greatest achievent was not leading the Northern Border to rise, but successfully dividing the Northern Border Camp into two factions.
A military camp is a place that values blood and martial achievents.
Yet Zhu Guangbo never realized this point. Everything he did with all his heart and mind, was all about how to seize the position of the Northern Border King, without spending even a bit of effort on gaining the recognition of the Northern Border Soldiers.
One gaze after another, full of respect and eagerness, could be seen, and in unseen places, there were even more.
This was sothing Zhu Guangbo dread of but never received.
"Northern King!"
"Welco Northern King Ye Feng back to his position!"
"Peerless Ye Feng, Peerless Northern King, the Northern Border is peerless!"
...
The shouts, wave after wave, made the snowflakes of winter seem to lt silently with this soaring enthusiasm.
What’s mine is ultimately mine!
Gazing at this boundless warmth and admiration, Ye Feng’s gloomy mood swept away. The past efforts were all worth it. He calmly accepted the Northern Border King’s Order and shouted as he held it aloft:
"I am the Northern Border King, Ye Feng."
"From this day forth, let it be known to the world, the Northern Border shall not fall, Xuanyuan will not perish!"
From now on, with guarding the Northern Border, who dares to be the enemy?
This was the true deanor and promise that a legitimate Northern Border King should possess. The soldiers were completely convinced, Ye Feng was still Ye Feng, still the Northern Border King they were familiar with. So old soldiers, looking at this scene, already had tears in their eyes.
...
Inside the vast Main Commander’s Tent, only Ye Feng was there.
The royal robe and its seal were still there, but the ones who used to co and go freely in the Main Commander’s Tent, neither was present.
Mu Tian, Gai Jiutian!
This coveted and insane-making Northern Border King’s Robe, Ye Feng quietly watched the black dragon robe in front of him, his eyes filled with indescribable mories.
Green satin, black flood dragon.
"If one day you managed to transform the flood dragon into a five-clawed golden dragon and change the color of the royal robe to sothing else, what would you do?"
He rembered that Mu Tian once asked him this question while looking at the python robe on the rack.
"I would destroy it first."
He also rembered that at the ti, he had simply laughed it off.
Python Robe!
Ye Feng pulled down the black dragon robe. One could tell that it had not been worn for a long ti. The Old Northern King did not like this garnt because he felt it was superfluous, and Ye Feng also did not like it, for it was indeed superfluous.
With or without this Black Dragon Robe, they were the Northern Border King.
Nobody knew that on the night of his return to the Northern Border Camp, the first thing Ye Feng did was to burn the Northern Border King’s Robe.
No matter whether he had the ability in the future, that day would never co, and there would never be a person wearing the Golden Dragon Robe.
"Mu Tian, what role exactly did you play in all of this?"
His heart was filled with doubts and dreams of a thousand souls. Ye Feng shook his head and smiled bitterly. Only at this mont did he realize that he actually did not understand Mu Tian at all, not even after five whole years.
What was that man’s purpose in doing all he did, and for what?
The next morning.
"Ye Feng, how do you intend to deal with us?"
Inside the Command Camp, three people were brought in, all of whom were loyal followers of Guan Bohou and the others, each a leading figure under their respective commands.
The tall man kneeling in the middle was nad Guan Zhongyun, the one on the left was called Liu Qingyang, and the one on the right was Zhong Yuhua. It was these three who had incited their subordinates to take action first yesterday.
On the throne, Ye Feng was garbed in a green general’s robe that commanded attention solely with the military insignia.
Standing to the left of Ye Feng were three individuals: Xiao Chuanqi, Sima Zhantian, and the Mountain Guard Marquis; while to the right were also three people: Leng Wuming, Qin He, and Shangguan Fenghua.
These were Ye Feng’s and the Northern Border’s entire forces, aside from the three legion commanders and the Marquis of Peace Mountain who had already died. Only the Mountain Stabilizing Marquis and the Mountain Sealing Marquis had not arrived.
Hearing Guan Zhongyun directly calling Ye Feng by his na, Xiao Chuanqi and the others’ gazes instantly turned cold, a chilling murderous intent flickering in the corners of their eyes.
"Inciting your subordinates to kill their comrades-in-arms, such actions disturb military discipline and spoil the morale. What kind of punishnt do you think such cris deserve?"
Ye Feng asked with a focused spirit.
Death penalty!
But how could they utter such a verdict themselves? Guan Zhongyun hastily said,
"Ye Feng, no, Northern King, we were compelled to do it."
"Though we three are the confidants of legion commanders, we had no choice but to listen to them. You’re a magnanimous person; considering that we have also killed enemies before, please spare us this once."
It must be said.
Guan Zhongyun was clever, knowing well Ye Feng’s appreciation for loyalty, and even more aware of his weaknesses.
"Credit cannot offset the cri. Since you’re unwilling to answer, then I will speak for you. This is a capital offense."
"Drag them out and behead them!"
A dominating and rciless voice pronounced the death sentence for the three. Discover hidden stories at .Côm
"No, Northern King, you cannot do this."
"Ye Feng, by killing us, are you not afraid of disheartening many others?"
"Hahaha, I may die, but Ye Feng, I curse you to suffer a terrible death. You call yourself the Northern Border King, but you’re nothing but a dog that will one day be cast aside by its master."
...
The three had their respective pleas, but they were short-lived, for so did not wish to hear more.
"The confidants of the three mutinous legion commanders — anyone who acted yesterday and injured others shall be summarily executed without rcy, and the rest shall be discharged from military service and handed over to the Supervisory Heaven Departnt for investigation."
After the three were taken away, Ye Feng quickly issued a new order.
Disheartened?
It is not executing such chaos-makers that truly disheartens, for Ye Feng has never been known to be rciful; otherwise, the three legion commanders would not have attempted to flee, heedless of their lives.
"My King, this action may be ill-advised."
"The rebels are certainly at fault, but they were instigated by others. Moreover, a significant number acted yesterday."
Shangguan Fenghua stepped forward.
The mutiny yesterday hadn’t resulted in many deaths because Xiao Chuanqi’s sword was faster than those daring to kill, and the others were deterred. But once weapons are drawn, nurous injuries can result.
"There’s no need to dissuade, Seventh Legion Commander."
"As soldiers who forgot their original oath and raised hands against their comrades, they’ve committed an unforgivable sin."
"Where is the Military Discipline Officer? Execute imdiately!"
Before Shangguan Fenghua could advise further, a Military Discipline Officer had already taken the orders and departed.
Outside the tent, a large group was still being restrained, easily numbering over a thousand, and among those who’d acted yesterday, there were at least several hundred.
When the Military Discipline Officer read out Ye Feng’s order in front of them, they imdiately erupted.
The crowd lost control instantly; those who refused to die resisted fiercely, but Ye Feng seed to be prepared, and swift executioners dashed forward, the first to resist t with their heads rolling on the ground.
In less than a few minutes, dozens of severed heads lay in a macabre display.
"Sigh!"
Watching this scene, Shangguan Fenghua couldn’t help but breathe a heavy sigh. He understood Ye Feng’s intent. By only killing those who resisted, indeed, so many had acted yesterday, and weapons do not discriminate.
Who could truly discern who had injured whom?
Such a large camp, indeed, did not need those with ulterior motives. To execute so as a warning to others was what Ye Feng truly sought. After all, the Northern Border Camp, stirred into chaos by Zhu Guangbo, needed to stand unified once again.
This scene was exactly what Ye Feng wanted those people to see; he was the Northern Border King, and any who dare to cause havoc in the Northern Border or the camp,
I will kill them all!
Zhu Guangbo did not dare to enforce iron-clad control, but Ye Feng was different. He dared. Going forward, the Northern Border Camp needed only one voice, and that voice would be that of Ye Feng.
"Take the corpses of the three legion commanders and those others back to their hotowns, tell their families they died for the country. If they have no families, bury them in the local public cetery."
Beneath the green mountains, many a loyal soul is buried without a pompous return.
Alas!
The tombs at Lie Yingling in the imperial city could not accommodate these people.
Of course, Ye Feng wouldn’t send them there either. Lie Yingling is a sacred place for war-deceased ancestors, not a place these people deserved to rest in peace – not to ntion that even if Ye Feng agreed, the people of the Xuanyuan Nation would not consent.
A sacred ground shall not be tainted or trampled upon.
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