webnovel Chapter 357 - 217: Purging the Vermin
Chapter 357 - 217: Purging the Vermin
For the rank-and-file soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army, there was almost no difference between following the three Capital City Commanders or Yang Jing to pacify the Demon Realm.
But Yang Jing’s Seven Nations Ticket Shop policy had genuinely improved the treatment of these common soldiers. So when word spread that Yang Jing had been forced out by the three Capital City Commanders, morale instantly began to waver.
The three Capital City Commanders were shocked to discover that after Yang Jing’s departure, they had been put on the hot seat, like rats in a bellows—trapped with no way forward or back.
"What should we do? Are we supposed to force the officers and soldiers to march out and fight?"
Shi Jinrong was already beginning to regret his actions. When Yang Jing returned from the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion, those who had forced him out would instantly lose all prestige and become complete jokes.
He was starting to grasp at straws.
"Are you insane?! If we dared to issue such an order, the entire camp would mutiny immediately! We would all die horrible deaths!"
Guan Weiqun, irritated, retorted bluntly.
The soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army weren’t like the simple, honest farmers dragged from the fields to serve in mortal armies. They were all Cultivators with sharp minds. If they thought a mere paper order could compel them to carry out a suicide mission, they would absolutely turn their spears on the three of them.
The three of them commanding the army was illegitimate to begin with. It would be all too easy for these soldiers to mutiny, and they would feel no guilt in doing so. They might not even be punished afterward.
"Then what should we do? Are we supposed to go invite that Yang Jing back?! We’ve already offended him beyond reconciliation."
Shi Jinrong never imagined that Yang Jing had an Array Master up his sleeve, turning all their schemes into a joke.
"Enough!"
Wen Ximing, one of the three, barked. He had long seen that Shi Jinrong was not cut out for great things, but he hadn’t expected him to be this pathetic.
"It’s just an Array Master. So what if Butcher Yang is gone? Are we helpless without him? After serving in the Northern Domain for a century, don’t tell me we can’t even find a Tier Two Array Master?"
After a moment of consideration, he had already made a decision.
In fact, Wen Ximing had even considered murder, wanting to ambush and kill Yang Jing on his way back. However, after thinking it over repeatedly, he extinguished this tempting idea.
First, Yang Jing’s own Power was immense, and he had a disciple as formidable as Iron Head. Assassinating him would be extremely difficult, requiring at least twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
If he were to ask his colleagues from the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion, the matter would never escape the Governor’s investigation. He also lacked the vast funds needed to hire them.
He had served in the Northern Domain for 150 years and naturally knew some Tribulation Cultivators. But those Tribulation Cultivators had either already been slain by Iron Head, fled to other kingdoms, or had simply washed their hands of the business and retired.
Second, even if they successfully assassinated Yang Jing, the biggest beneficiary wouldn’t be them, but Guan Weiqun’s clan uncle, Magistrate Guan.
He would definitely rush over at the first opportunity to take command of the army.
Otherwise, Guan Weiqun’s influence alone wouldn’t have been enough to make Magistrate Guan directly suppress Yang Jing’s application for the Qi-guiding Dragon-shaking Array.
That Magistrate Guan also had his eyes on the great merit of pacifying the Demon Realm.
’Of this, I am absolutely certain,’ Wen Ximing thought.
"Alright!"
Guan Weiqun and Shi Jinrong both agreed, preparing to contact the Array Masters they knew.
「Three days later.」
Shi Jinrong lay on the bed in his chamber, reeking of alcohol. A Dancing Girl in a sheer gauze dress was dancing in the main hall, her movements revealing her every charm.
"Excellent!"
Shi Jinrong clapped his hands gleefully, his robe open to reveal a chest crisscrossed with scars.
As a Capital City Commander, he was an expert at extorting Foundation Establishment Clans and demanding money, but how could he possibly have connections with Array Masters? The day he had pounded his chest in promise, he had returned to his tent and simply sunk into the pleasures of Spirit Wine and beautiful women.
This beauty was a new concubine of his, the direct daughter of a Foundation Establishment Clan, and she was currently his favorite.
Shi Jinrong had her disguise herself as a Personal Guard to sneak into the Demon Suppression Army.
When Yang Jing was around, he didn’t dare to be too outrageous. But once Yang Jing left, he indulged in carnal pleasures day and night, lost to the world.
Wen Ximing and Guan Weiqun found out about this, and after a few words of admonishment, they let him be.
As a disciple of the Dharma Image Sect with no powerful backer, Shi Jinrong had climbed to the position of Capital City Commander entirely through his prowess in Magical Combat and his fearless, death-defying attitude. In a great battle against the Four Demon Sects, he had personally led the charge, raising his Dharma Aspect to be the first to board an enemy vessel, fighting to the death against three of the Demon Sect’s Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators without retreating.
Word of this great deed reached the Governor’s ears, leading to his exceptional promotion to Capital City Commander.
"Beauty, beauty, come into my arms."
Shi Jinrong’s face was flushed with infatuation.
The gracefully dancing Female Cultivator giggled and threw herself into Shi Jinrong’s embrace.
"General, you’re so impatient. The night is long; we have plenty of time."
Cradling the warm, fragrant body, Shi Jinrong lamented:
"Ah, my beauty, my beauty. When that Yang Jing returns, our good days will be over."
He could already sense that Wen Ximing and Guan Weiqun were no match for Yang Jing. In a moment of greed for a Golden Core Pill, he had boarded their pirate ship, and now it was difficult to get off.
"General, a peerless hero such as yourself also has moments of weakness?"
The Female Cultivator said softly, placing a hand on Shi Jinrong’s chest.
Just as Shi Jinrong was about to say something, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He saw his concubine, who was usually as weak as a kitten, suddenly tear his heart out with her bare hands.
The bright red human heart throbbed erratically in her hand as blood gushed uncontrollably from the wound.
"You!"
Shi Jinrong felt his Qi Power rapidly draining from his body. He wanted to fight back in a last-ditch effort, but he discovered that all his Magical Power had vanished into thin air.
It turned out that after tearing out his human heart, the concubine had formed a blade with her fingers and pierced straight through his Dantian.
Shi Jinrong’s eyes bulged with rage, but he had no strength to resist. His life force was fading fast, and his vision grew darker and darker.
"Why..."
In a daze, he could vaguely see the concubine still dancing in the main hall.
’Then what is this thing I’m holding in my arms?’
Before he could look down at the concubine in his arms, his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed onto the bed.
The concubine who was dancing suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Then, she saw a gruesome, bloody hole abruptly appear on the chest and Dantian of Capital City Commander Shi Jinrong, who had been lying on the bed admiring her dance.
Blood was pouring ceaselessly from the hole, pooling on the floor beneath the bed.
She immediately clutched her head, about to scream, when a sharp pain pricked the back of her neck, and the concubine fell silently to the ground.
The "concubine" held in Shi Jinrong’s arms seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon, her body rapidly shrinking until it took the form of a child.
"Master, in the future, can you please not make me disguise myself as a Female Cultivator? This man’s hands were disgusting."
Wanhua Child couldn’t help but say to Yang Jing with a pained expression.
Yang Jing retracted the hand he’d used to knock the concubine unconscious.
"Alright. Next time, you can disguise yourself as him."
He said, pointing at Shi Jinrong.
Wanhua Child had borrowed the Divine Techniques of the Nine Illusion Mirage Demon, so Shi Jinrong hadn’t sensed anything amiss. Despite being a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he was assassinated with ease.
"To be situated right next to the Demon Realm yet still indulge in women, completely letting his guard down... he truly deserved to die."
Yang Jing said, looking down at Shi Jinrong’s corpse.
A moment later, "Shi Jinrong" appeared outside Guan Weiqun’s tent.
"Capital City Commander Shi, what urgent business brings you to my Yu Hou at this hour?"
The Personal Guard on night watch inside the Array saw Shi Jinrong appear outside and, without any intention of verifying his identity, directly welcomed him in.
"Where is Capital City Commander Guan?"
"Shi Jinrong" sat down assertively.
"Capital City Commander Wen sent me a message about an urgent matter to discuss. I’ve come specifically to go with Capital City Commander Guan."
"I’ll go get Capital City Commander Guan at once!"
The Personal Guard knew the three Capital City Commanders were allies, so he didn’t dare to be slow and immediately went to report.
A moment later, Guan Weiqun walked out.
"Did Brother Wen find an Array Master?"
He said, pleasantly surprised.
"Shi Jinrong’s" eyes darted, and he immediately said:
"Exactly! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come looking for you at this hour!"
Guan Weiqun seemed to be the most cunning of the three Capital City Commanders, but upon hearing that they had found an Array Master who could move the Array, he immediately threw all caution to the wind.
The two immediately flew out of the Array, heading toward the Seven Luminaries Demon-Slaying Array where Wen Ximing was stationed.
It wasn’t until they had been flying for nearly a quarter of an hour that Guan Weiqun sensed something was wrong. At their Tunneling Speed, they should have reached Wen Ximing’s Grand Array long ago.
"Something’s wrong!"
His heart immediately leaped into his throat. Just as he was about to activate his Dharma Aspect, an excruciating pain erupted from his back.
Guan Weiqun plummeted to the ground, scrambling along in terror. His spine had been snapped, and his internal organs were pulverized into a bloody pulp.
"Who are you! You’re not Shi Jinrong!"
He turned his head in terror to look at the "Shi Jinrong" who had launched a sneak attack and grievously wounded him!
"Shi Jinrong’s" originally rough and boisterous face suddenly showed a hint of a playful smile. It was an expression that would never appear on the real Shi Jinrong’s face. The sight sent a chill down Guan Weiqun’s spine, as if he’d been plunged into an ice cellar.
He carefully reached into his robe, wanting to activate his Command Talisman to call for help.
A bolt of Nine Nether Demon Thunder descended, blasting him into a charred husk.
"Master, all that’s left is that old bastard Wen Ximing. That old coot’s lifespan is nearly up. It must have been him who incited these two fools to oppose you."
Wanhua Child reverted to his original form.
"Hmph. With such pathetic Power, they thought they could oppose you, Master? Truly an ant trying to shake a tree, completely overestimating themselves."
Yang Jing also revealed himself from his Cloud Escape.
"Deal with Wen Ximing as quickly as possible. The Celestial Demons in the Demon Realm won’t stay quiet for long."
Wanhua Child nodded, and his form flickered, changing into the likeness of Guan Weiqun. Compared to the boorish Shi Jinrong, Guan Weiqun was more trustworthy.
He had used the Nine Illusion Mirage Demon Qi to deceive Guan Weiqun’s senses. It had seemed they were flying toward Wen Ximing’s Grand Array, but in reality, they had long since gone off course.
Flying to the perimeter of Wen Ximing’s Grand Array, Wanhua Child was about to call out when Yang Jing placed a hand firmly on his shoulder:
"Something’s not right!"