Chapter 137: The Number One Figure in the Military, Wan Chengzhong
Zhang Ruochen had already guessed much of what had happened at the Martial Market Bank, but hearing Liu Chuanshen say it still sent chills down his spine. He said, "The Martial Market Bank has operated in Yunwu Commandery for such a long time, with support from official forces. Who has the ability to seize all of the Martial Market Bank's assets in a single night?"
Liu Chuanshen said with a desolate tone, "The other side had been preparing for a long time, they were just waiting for the right moment."
"Is it the Black Market?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Liu Chuanshen nodded, "Not just the Black Market, there's another force as well. In this purge of the Martial Market Bank, it was the force hiding behind the Black Market that reaped the real benefits. Although the Black Market also seized some assets, they only got twenty percent."
"Even more formidable than the Black Market? Could it be... the Moon Worship Demon Sect?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuanshen said, "That's right, it's the Moon Worship Demon Sect. To launch this attack, the Moon Worship Demon Sect mobilized all the experts from every branch in Yunwu Commandery. Moreover, I suspect they also transferred a large number of experts from other commanderies, which is why the Martial Market Bank was beaten without any chance to fight back."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Martial Market Bank and the official forces have always been cooperative. Didn't the official forces step in to help suppress the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect?"
Liu Chuanshen shook his head with a bitter smile, "Four surrounding commanderies declared war on Yunwu Commandery. Within ten days, they captured twelve cities of Yunwu Commandery, and a hundred thousand soldiers turned into white bones. The imperial court of Yunwu Commandery was already in a panic, their formation in chaos. How could they have the energy to mobilize troops to aid the Martial Market Bank? The Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect saw this opportunity, which is why they chose this moment to strike, catching the Martial Market Bank off guard."
Zhang Ruochen comforted him, "Don't be disheartened, Hall Master. When the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect join forces, who in this world can stop them?"
"Regardless, Liu must thank the Ninth Prince for saving my life. In the future, if there is any place where you need Liu, just say the word, and Liu will definitely repay today's kindness." Liu Chuanshen's heart stirred, and he said, "Is the Ninth Prince returning to the Royal Capital?"
"Yes," Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuanshen shook his head, "You absolutely must not go back. Yunwu Commandery is now in a precarious state, with the armies of four surrounding commanderies advancing from outside, the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect eyeing it covetously from within, and constant disputes in the imperial court."
"Because the Yunwu Commandery King is stationed in the Royal Capital, no major chaos has erupted there. But if something happens to the Yunwu Commandery King... to put it bluntly, that would be the moment Yunwu Commandery is destroyed as a nation."
"Imagine, if Yunwu Commandery is destroyed, and you return to the Royal Capital, wouldn't that be walking into a death trap? Come back with me to the Martial Market Academy! No matter how rampant the four surrounding commanderies, the Black Market, and the Moon Worship Demon Sect become, they cannot conquer the Martial Market Academy."
Zhang Ruochen thought of his mother, the Ninth Commandery Princess, and that father who was both a stranger and familiar. A determined look appeared in his eyes, "Hall Master Liu, do not try to dissuade me. I must return to the Royal Capital. No matter how dangerous it is, I have to go back."
Liu Chuanshen stopped persuading him, "If you return to the Royal Capital, you must be careful of the Queen and the National Master. They have always wanted to eliminate you. Moreover, they now control half the power in the Royal Capital, and many families and sects have defected to them."
"Thank you for the warning." Zhang Ruochen asked, "What are Hall Master Liu's plans next?"
Liu Chuanshen sighed again, "All the assets in Yunwu Commandery were lost under my management, causing heavy losses to the bank. I must return to Tianmo Martial City to confess my guilt."
Just then, earth-shaking sounds of battle erupted from outside the City Lord's Mansion.
Zhang Ruochen and Liu Chuanshen exchanged a glance, stopped talking, and walked outside.
A booming sound rang out. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth seemed to be drained in an instant, and the ground trembled.
Within the City Lord's Mansion, layers of formation inscriptions were activated, weaving into a massive net that rose into the air.
The mansion-protecting formation had been activated!
Chen Yuchan, the Grand General of Tianyue Pass, personally presided over the grand formation, leading five thousand elite soldiers in a fierce clash with the black-clad figures attacking the City Lord's Mansion.
Hearing the commotion outside, Liu Chuanshen's expression remained calm, "Ninth Prince, what place is this?"
"The Grand General's Mansion of Tianyue Pass," Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuanshen nodded slightly, "So it's Tianyue Pass. With Chen Yuchan's ability, plus the city-protecting formation, they should be able to hold off the attacks of the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Once a major battle breaks out at Tianyue Pass, it will surely alarm the Royal Capital. Experts from the Royal Capital can arrive within an hour. So, as long as Chen Yuchan can hold out for an hour, the crisis at Tianyue Pass will naturally be resolved."
"You're right."
Liu Chuanshen looked at Zhang Ruochen with great admiration, "Choosing to come to Tianyue Pass was the right move. This is the only way to survive. If only you were my child, how wonderful would that be?"
"Liu Chenfeng is also a young genius; his future achievements will surely be considerable," Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuanshen shook his head, "He is not even one-tenth of you."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the massive formation suspended above their heads and nodded slightly, "There's no need to activate the city-protecting formation. Just activating the mansion-protecting formation should be enough to hold off the people from the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect."
Activating the city-protecting formation consumed a great deal of spirit crystals and could not be done lightly. Activating the city-protecting formation of Tianyue Pass once would consume at least ten thousand spirit crystals, worth ten million silver coins. Therefore, unless it was an absolute crisis, the city-protecting formation must never be activated.
Even just activating the mansion-protecting formation of the City Lord's Mansion would consume five hundred spirit crystals.
Since the mansion-protecting formation had been activated, the soldiers outside should be able to hold off the evil people from the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect. There was no need for Zhang Ruochen to intervene.
An hour later, all the black-clad figures attacking the City Lord's Mansion retreated, leaving behind hundreds of martial artist corpses on the streets.
The five thousand soldiers guarding the City Lord's Mansion also suffered heavy casualties, with nearly a thousand killed in battle and over two thousand severely injured. It was a truly brutal fight.
Liu Chuanshen watched the retreating black-clad figures, his eyes narrowing slightly, a puzzled expression on his face, "Strange! Why did only the evil people from the Black Market attack the City Lord's Mansion? Why didn't the experts from the Moon Worship Demon Sect make a move?"
"The experts from the Moon Worship Demon Sect didn't act?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Liu Chuanshen nodded, "If the experts from the Moon Worship Demon Sect had also attacked the City Lord's Mansion, relying solely on the mansion-protecting formation might not have been enough to stop them."
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment, "Although the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect joined forces against the Martial Market Bank, they are not on the same side after all. Since the Moon Worship Demon Sect has already gained benefits from this, they might now be standing by, waiting for us and the Black Market to wear each other out."
"That should be it."
Liu Chuanshen thought for a moment and then said, "The chief of the Moon Worship Demon Sect stationed in Yunwu Commandery is definitely a ruthless character. Not a single one of the people I sent to investigate her came back alive. I still haven't uncovered her true identity; I only know she is probably a woman. If you ever cross paths with her in the future, you must be extremely careful."
Hasty footsteps sounded.
Chen Yuchan and Zhang Shaochu walked toward Zhang Ruochen. Walking ahead of them was a bald, burly man with a pair of enormous elephant ears.
That bald, burly man wore golden armor, stood two meters and seven tall, and was like an iron tower giant. He had a long cape trailing behind him and carried a cyan battle axe. A powerful martial aura emanated from his body.
Even Chen Yuchan and Zhang Shaochu appeared very respectful before this bald, burly man, walking cautiously behind him.
Chen Yuchan introduced him, "Your Highness the Ninth Prince, this is Wan Chengzhong, the Grand Commander of the Royal Capital's Imperial Guard."
Zhang Ruochen had heard of Wan Chengzhong's reputation. He was the number one figure in the military of Yunwu Commandery, said to have the strength to carry a mountain on his back, a martial myth at the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
A figure like Wan Chengzhong would not normally serve as the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard in a mere lower commandery. It was because, in his youth, he owed the Yunwu Commandery King a life, so he agreed to help the Yunwu Commandery King guard the Royal Capital for forty years.
Wan Chengzhong had always kept a low profile and rarely involved himself in the affairs of the Imperial Guard. It was only recently, with the great upheaval in Yunwu Commandery, that the Yunwu Commandery King had invited him out to guard the Royal Capital.
Wan Chengzhong's sharp eyes carefully examined Zhang Ruochen. Seeing that Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed before him, he felt a measure of approval.
"Truly an outstanding talent. No wonder the King asked me to come and fetch you personally. Your talent is no less than that of the Seventh Prince." Wan Chengzhong said.
Wan Chengzhong was not a pure human but a member of the Barbarian Elephant Half-Human Clan, with both human blood and barbarian elephant blood flowing in his veins.
Zhang Ruochen said, "When do we return to the Royal Capital?"
"Tomorrow."
Pausing, Wan Chengzhong said coldly, "Tonight, I still have some matters to settle. The Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect have turned the Royal Capital upside down, showing no regard for me, the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard. It's time to make them pay a price."
"Right now, the experts of the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect are all gathered at Tianyue Pass. This is the perfect time to deal with them. Chen Yuchan, activate the city-protecting formation. I am going to conduct a major purge of the evil people from the Black Market and the Moon Worship Demon Sect."
Chen Yuchan's brow furrowed slightly, "Grand Commander, activating the city-protecting formation once will consume ten thousand spirit crystals..."
Wan Chengzhong shot Chen Yuchan a glare, "I will cover the ten thousand spirit crystals. Just go and activate the city-protecting formation. Leave the rest to me."
After Chen Yuchan and Wan Chengzhong left, not long after, the city-protecting formation of Tianyue Pass was activated.
"Boom!"
The entire city pass shook violently. A massive circular formation disk rose to a hundred meters in the air, slowly rotating, covering the whole of Tianyue Pass.
The violent shaking of Tianyue Pass caused the surrounding mountains to tremble, as if the entire world were rocking.
Blinding pillars of light shot up from the ground, connecting with the formation disk in the sky.
In just an instant, the pitch-black night sky was completely illuminated by the light of the formation, turning as bright as day.