Make the Immortal Sect Great Again

Changle Commandery maintained three armies and seventeen camps, each with its own garrison. Entirely detached from agriculture, they were provisioned by the commandery, with Weiyang City serving as the prefectural capital.

Weiyang City sat on a plain.

Surrounded by rivers on all sides, it enjoyed a sprawling transportation network. This not only formed a unique system of waterways but also irrigated millions of fertile fields outside the city.

Across Changle Commandery, ten of the seventeen military camps were stationed near Weiyang City, while the remaining seven were scattered along strategic transport routes throughout the region.

It was like an invisible, towering behemoth crouching over the lands of Shuzhong. The streams of people, carriages, and boats flowing in and out of the commandery were its breath. The black-headed commoners toiling in the fields were its blood. The county towns were its vital organs, and the capital, Weiyang City, was its brain.

”Shriek—!”

A sharp eagle’s cry echoed across the sky. The clouds tore open as a dark shadow plummeted toward a corner of the earth like an arrow loosed from a bow.

That corner was a military camp.

The patrolling soldiers outside the camp immediately noticed the descending shadow. They made no move to intercept it, but after getting a clear look at the creature, exchanged puzzled glances.

”That’s the commander’s Golden-Eyed Eagle. Did something happen?””Impossible. Those northern barbarians can’t fight their way into Shuzhong, and the southern tribes have been unbelievably quiet lately. What could possibly happen?”

The Golden-Eyed Eagle flew unimpeded, heading straight into the commander’s tent in the center of the camp. It spread its broad wings and landed steadily on a raised arm. The gust of wind from its arrival violently rustled the neatly stacked ledgers on the desk.

”Good boy.”

The man who caught the Golden-Eyed Eagle was a burly figure with a thick beard and piercing eyes. This was the commander of the camp, Yan Weichuan.

”You’re... Little Seven?”

Yan Weichuan stroked the Golden-Eyed Eagle. His expression shifted slightly upon recognizing its band number. ”This is from Scholar Li. Could something have happened at the Xuanjia Camp?”

He hurriedly unfastened the letter from the eagle’s talons.

Upon opening it, his face immediately turned solemn, tinged with a hint of surprise. ”The Xuanjia Camp... Wu Xintai mobilized his troops without authorization?”

As fellow camp commanders, he and Wu Xintai were old acquaintances and old rivals. In his impression, that old fox never loosed his eagle until he saw the hare—he was unbelievably steady. Though Wu Xintai rarely achieved great merit, he almost never made mistakes. How had he lost his mind this time?

”Good... excellent!”

Yan Weichuan suddenly grew excited. ”It’s great that he lost his mind! I thought that old turtle would bide his time. I didn’t expect him to lose his restraint!”

He immediately handed the letter to the lieutenant beside him.

”Old Liu, take a look at this.”

The lieutenant took the letter and read it word by word, frowning slightly. ”So Scholar Li wants our Tabai Camp to rush to Longxing County?”

”That’s right.”

Yan Weichuan nodded. ”The Xuanjia Camp moved first, which is tantamount to rebellion. Scholar Li wants us to put down the rebellion immediately, and we are the only ones who can make it in time.”

Out of the three armies and seventeen camps in Changle Commandery, only three were cavalry camps.

His Tabai Camp was closest to Longxing County. Once they set out, a forced march would bring them to the county town in less than one shichen.

”Scholar Li wants to catch the Xuanjia Camp in the act.”

Yan Weichuan laughed. ”Pass down my orders. The entire camp moves out!”

The lieutenant did not immediately agree, instead offering a whispered word of caution. ”My lord, shouldn’t we reconsider? The commandery hasn’t issued any military orders yet...”

The Xuanjia Camp had certainly mobilized troops without authorization.

However, the commandery office hadn’t received any reports yet, much less issued any orders. If the Tabai Camp rashly deployed, it would equally be a case of unauthorized mobilization!

”Oh, you.” Seeing the lieutenant’s hesitation, Yan Weichuan burst into laughter. ”Relax, Old Liu. Do you think I wouldn’t know a principle even you understand?”

”Then why...” The lieutenant looked confused.

”This time is different.”

Yan Weichuan shook his head. ”Let me speak plainly. Longxing County’s magistrate, Xu Bingzheng, along with Scholar Li, are both students of the National Academy.”

”Their mentor is Master Cheng, Cheng Bochun!”

”Cheng Bochun?” The lieutenant paused, thinking for a moment before realization dawned on him. ”The one from the neo-Confucianism school? I’ve heard of him; I believe he came from our commandery...”

”Exactly!”

Yan Weichuan gave a slight nod. ”Master Cheng’s ancestral home is our Changle Commandery. The entire commandery office, from top to bottom, shares a student-teacher bond with that great scholar!”

”And the matters in Longxing County were personally handed down by Master Cheng. Otherwise, how could a Human Ranking Martial Master like Scholar Li have been sent over? Compared to him, although the extraordinary person who mobilized the Xuanjia Camp is also quite capable, he is ultimately an outsider, not a native of Changle Commandery.”

”As the saying goes, even a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake.”

”That’s why I said Wu Xintai lost his mind. He actually decided to side with that extraordinary person. No matter how fierce a crossing dragon might be, they will eventually have to leave. How could they serve as a lasting backing?”

”At the end of the day, we still have to make our living in Changle Commandery.”

At this point, Yan Weichuan’s tone filled with absolute certainty. ”Therefore, on this matter, although it’s all considered ’unauthorized troop mobilization,’ if you really dig into it, the severity is entirely flexible.”

”If Wu Xintai opposes Master Cheng and his faction, they will escalate it to the maximum. It’s rebellion!”

”Since we are aiding Master Cheng, they will minimize it. We are quelling a rebellion!”

The lieutenant thought this made sense, but he still couldn’t conceal his worries. ”But without the commandery’s Military Tally or an official pacification decree, it still doesn’t feel secure...”

”It’s better if it isn’t secure.”

Yan Weichuan shook his head. ”If everything were perfectly secure, how would Master Cheng and Scholar Li see my loyalty? How would they promote me in the future?”

”Without risk, how can others trust you?”

”Besides, the situation is highly unlikely to change. Unless Wu Xintai acquired a Military Tally and had explicit orders to mobilize, there’s no way he can escape the charge of rebellion!”

”But...” The lieutenant wanted to persuade him further.

Yan Weichuan grew impatient, waving his large hand dismissively. ”Hesitation leads to defeat. Say no more, and trust my judgment.”

”Furthermore, don’t forget, I am the commander!”

”...”

The lieutenant swallowed hard. He couldn’t bring himself to say, You will regret this, much less dare to storm out of the tent. He had no choice but to cup his fists in obedience, turn, and leave the commander’s tent.

A short while later, the Tabai Camp deployed.

Hundreds of demonic steeds lined up in neat formation, taking the shape of a wedge. Kicking up clouds of dust that filled the sky, they galloped furiously toward Longxing County as if riding the very clouds and mist.

...

Longxing County, County Yamen.

What should have been the most solemn place in the county town was now completely surrounded by a dense horde of Xuanjia soldiers, leaving not a single gap. Beneath the veil of rain, the area was saturated with chilling killing intent.

In front of the military formation, Wang Ping stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

He didn’t speak much with the heavily injured Liu Ye, only offering a few simple words of comfort before having someone escort him to the Xuanjia Camp’s barracks.

After all, he had nothing much to say.

He and Liu Ye weren’t that close. The two had merely shared a few months as colleagues, chatted enough to become familiar, and built a bit of mutual rapport.

But that was all it was.

What was more, he had absolutely no interest in what Liu Ye was thinking, how much torture he had endured when captured, or how much grievance and self-blame he felt...

Even his previous act of charging into the county town alone, claiming to buy time for Madam Su and trade his own life for their safety, was utter nonsense. He simply wanted a quick, satisfying death to grind out a good scripture scroll. His motive was purely self-serving, and he had genuinely intended to use the opportunity to cut ties with Madam Su as well.

Because of this—it was merely a personal grudge.

Acting on a whim to use the Military Tally in his hand and surround the County Yamen was entirely due to his personal vendetta against Xu Bingzheng. Aside from that, he harbored no other motive.

Such as eliminating hidden dangers for Madam Su.

Such as venting frustration on Old Liu’s behalf.

Or killing this dog official for the sake of the black-headed commoners outside the county town.

...Thoughts like these hadn’t lingered in Wang Ping’s mind for even a second. He wasn’t acting for any of these noble reasons.

To put it more bluntly.

”I just want to kill someone.”

Wang Ping suddenly spoke. ”I besieged the County Yamen entirely out of selfishness, because the dog official inside offended me—a grudge that won’t end until one of us dies.”

Wu Xintai: ”...”

Just as the commander of the Xuanjia Camp was at a loss for what to do, Wang Ping turned to look at him and said indifferently, ”So keep a close eye on the place. Don’t let him run away.”

”...Yes!”

Wu Xintai gulped and nodded decisively, though he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly for Xu Bingzheng. It seemed the man had no way out today.

After all, Wang Ping had explicitly stated that this matter was completely driven by a personal grudge.

One had to understand that the most important aspect of being an official was separating public and private affairs. If it were public business, there might still be room for negotiation. But since it was a private vendetta, there was nothing left to discuss!

Right at this moment, a voice suddenly rang out from within the County Yamen:

”Commander Wu, I don’t know whose promise you received, but mobilizing troops without authorization and using a public office to avenge a private grudge... aren’t you afraid of the commandery office punishing you once they find out?”

It was Xu Bingzheng’s voice.

”And the soldiers of the Xuanjia Camp, do you know what you are doing? Besieging the County Yamen is tantamount to rebellion. You are all rebels now!”

”Think of your families and friends.”

”If you become rebels, what will happen to them? Any soldier who lays down their weapons now and withdraws from the county town will be pardoned by this official after the fact...”

The voice was loud, echoing with righteous indignation.

However, the Xuanjia Camp turned a deaf ear to it. Wu Xintai merely sneered. Did the man really think playing with words could shake the troops he had personally trained?

He was the banner of the Xuanjia Camp!

Only if he began to waver, and it was noticed, would the Xuanjia Camp’s morale potentially collapse—but at this moment, his resolve was exceptionally firm.

Waver? You must be joking.

He had cross-checked that Military Tally over a dozen times. It was flawless, a hundred percent genuine. Since that was the case, every word Wang Ping spoke to him was a military order.

He had a clear conscience!

Even if there was accountability after the fact, the blame would fall on Wang Ping. It couldn’t possibly fall on someone like him, who was simply performing his duty with utmost loyalty... Thinking of this, Wu Xintai’s confidence grew even stronger.

He even wished Xu Bingzheng would speak a few more words.

After all, the more Xu Bingzheng spoke, the more it highlighted the immense pressure Wu Xintai had withstood to mobilize the troops. Only then would Lord Wang see his earnest desire to advance his career.

At this thought, Wu Xintai instantly stepped forward.

”Xu, cease your nonsense!”

”This general received a tip-off! As the magistrate of Longxing, you colluded with the rebels of the White Lotus Sect with the intent to rebel! Open the yamen immediately and cooperate with this general’s investigation!”

Me? Rebelling? Colluding with the White Lotus Sect?

Inside the County Yamen, Xu Bingzheng laughed out of sheer anger. It had always been him forcing this charge onto others’ heads. When did it become someone else’s turn to condemn him with it?

”Absurd! I am an official appointed by the imperial court; how could I possibly rebel?”

Just then, Wang Ping spoke up.

”If you aren’t rebelling, why are you hiding?”

”Open the yamen and let us search inside. Relax, we absolutely will not wrong a good official. If you truly haven’t rebelled, you will certainly be fine.”

Xu Bingzheng: ”...”

Through the doors and windows of the County Yamen, he saw the person who had spoken. It was a young military officer whose status was clearly very high; even Wu Xintai faintly deferred to him, standing slightly behind.

Just who was this formidable figure?

His features were unclear, but he felt somewhat familiar, as if they had met somewhere before... Xu Bingzheng didn’t dwell on it, because the Xuanjia Camp was drawing closer and closer.

Xu Bingzheng also understood that at times like this, it would actually be better if he truly had rebelled. At least then, the worst-case scenario would be a direct fight. Now, however, he was caught in a dilemma.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but look at Li Yiran beside him.

”Senior Brother... do you think this Wu Xintai might actually have some sort of backing?”

”His confidence is simply too strong.”

Beside him, Li Yiran also furrowed his brows upon hearing this. ”What backing could he have? Without a military order, even if he talks until the sky falls, it’s still unauthorized troop mobilization.”

”The way I see it, he plans on walking down a single road until dark, fully convinced that the extraordinary person can protect him.”

After pondering for a moment, Li Yiran said calmly, ”Keep waiting.”

”Besieging the county town doesn’t quite count as completely tearing off all pretense; there is still room to maneuver. However, if he actually orders an assault, then there truly will be no difference between him and a rebel.”

”I refuse to believe he dares to do it!”

”As long as he doesn’t dare, we will drag this out. We’ll delay until the Tabai Camp arrives. Once the momentum shifts, it will be our turn to hold him accountable for his crimes.”

For a time, the atmosphere fell into dead silence.

Inside and outside the County Yamen, only the patter of the rain remained.

”This...”

Seeing this, Wu Xintai also felt a bit uneasy. He turned to look at Wang Ping to gauge his stance—were they going to continue exchanging insults, or were they really going to discard all pretense and attack?

This was no joking matter.

After all, even with a Military Tally, ordering an entire military camp to directly attack a county town still under the imperial court’s control... anyone with half a brain would know that the consequences would be unimaginably severe.

At the very least, the imperial bigwigs standing behind Li Yiran would absolutely not let the matter rest. When accountability was pursued afterward, minor consequences would mean a ruined official career; severe consequences would mean losing one’s life.

Thinking of this, Wu Xintai looked at Wang Ping even more intently, observing every slight shift in his expression, hoping to spot even the tiniest hint of hesitation.

If there was even a shred of it, he would stop.

However, he saw no hesitation. He only saw the young Gold-Bearing Brocade Guard curl the corners of his lips into a vicious, brutal smile before softly uttering a single word:

”Attack.”

As the word fell, Wu Xintai sharply drew in a breath of cold air.

Following a moment of silence, he turned around and looked at the crowd of soldiers in the Xuanjia Camp. He raised his hand and swung it down forcefully, repeating the command:

”Attack!”

In an instant, all the Xuanjia soldiers drew their bows and nocked their arrows, aiming skyward. The collective snap and thrum of vibrating bowstrings merged into a single, massive wave of sound that eclipsed even the thunder in the sky!

Rumble!

The shadow of death cast down from the heavens.

A dense, surging swarm of arrows—each fitted with an armor-piercing arrowhead—tore through the air. Emitting a shrieking wail that sounded like howling ghosts and weeping wolves, they instantly engulfed the County Yamen.

Swallowed up alongside the building were the faces of Li Yiran and Xu Bingzheng, both written with shock and utter disbelief.

He actually did it?

How did he dare!?