Zheng Fan had really caught a cold, which dragged on for half a month before it finally got better.
But what he had said that night wasn’t nonsense, because the strength of the seven demon kings had further recovered.
If Zheng Fan was an Eighth Rank Martial Cultivator, the seven demon kings were about the same rank. However, they were different. Their bloodlines, experience, special abilities, and other aspects gave them BUG-like advantages, making them far more than just seven Eighth Rank experts.
The people of Tian Residence had benefited from the saying, "When one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." The same was true for Green Willow Fortress, though the situation there was somewhat more palatable.
Though his cold was gone, Zheng Fan still didn’t put on his armor. Instead, he wore a padded cotton jacket—a thick one—with a scarf wrapped around his neck, making himself look like a bundled-up rice dumpling.
Today was overcast with drizzling rain, and a bitter coldness permeated the air. The chill from the ice pellets felt like it could pierce the skin.
Despite this, training in the fortress continued in an orderly manner.
Among all the fortresses on the border of Yinlang County, Green Willow Fortress was probably the only one that could afford the luxury of its own independent training ground.
So, whether in modern or ancient times, while money wasn’t omnipotent, it could solve most seemingly insurmountable problems.
On the training ground, Huo Kuang was leading seven hundred clan members in drills. The aristocratic families of Great Yan had long-standing traditions, but under the influence of extravagance and indolence, fewer and fewer were willing to continue the hard work of passing down martial traditions.
People naturally crave comfort and seek to make their lives easier, but the Huo Family was an exception.
This exception, however, couldn’t change the Huo Family’s fate of being overthrown during the wave of the Zhenbei Army’s suppression of aristocratic families. Yet, from another perspective, it also provided them with a greater opportunity to stage a comeback.
Fighting in battle formations required shedding many habits of individual bravado. Overly flashy techniques were unnecessary; coordination was key.
These were Liang Cheng’s words. Consequently, for the past half a month, the Huo Family members, who had not been split up, began training under Liang Cheng’s guidance to gradually shed the individualistic heroism of the younger generation.
Zuo Jiqian also remained in command of the Zuo Family members. With a great battle imminent, there was no time to divide and demoralize them. Letting them be led by their own kin would, instead, quickly build cohesion and combat strength. Future matters could be dealt with later.
Zheng Fan didn’t understand the principles of military training, so he didn’t interfere.
Well, not entirely. Zheng Fan had one request: that Fanli, that simple-minded fellow, keep his distance during training. He didn’t want his new recruits learning to shout "Ula!"
The overall style shouldn’t stray too far. Otherwise, as their commander, I wouldn’t derive a sufficient sense of vanity when the occasion calls for it.
Zheng Fan had made his attitude very clear that night: he wanted to play, he wanted to stir things up, but he didn’t want to take responsibility. Sounds like a complete scoundrel.
Actually, after that eventful night, Zheng Fan’s interactions with everyone hadn’t changed much. The demon kings still addressed him as "My lord," but there was an added layer of calm and composure between them.
Zheng Fan thoroughly enjoyed this atmosphere; he felt this was how life ought to be.
As for whether the demon kings truly thought so, Zheng Fan didn’t know, nor did he want to rack his brains about it. He was content to play the ostrich. It looks silly, but it feels good.
Zheng Fan yawned. Siniang’s needlework had improved again in recent days. For her, it was no longer enough to use just her hands for the needle; even her feet were now involved...
His subordinate wanted to develop new skills and practice new techniques. As her lord, Zheng Fan could only offer himself up as a guinea pig for her practice.
Sigh. If I don’t descend into hell, who will?
"My lord," Blind Bei came over. "Someone from the Spy Bureau is here."
In front of the brazier, Zheng Fan, still bundled up like a rice dumpling, sat in a chair. He warmed his hands over the flames, his body rocking gently back and forth.
The person from the Spy Bureau was an acquaintance. Follow current novels on 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕·𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚎·𝚗𝚎𝚝
It was the same man Dujuan had sent to Huaiya Academy to deliver orders last time—the very same fellow Zheng Fan had idly speculated might have been assigned a mission to get beaten up as punishment for peeking at his female superior bathing.
This fellow’s name was quite distinctive: Shanji.
When Shanji first introduced himself, Zheng Fan misheard his name as something sounding like "mountain chicken." It was a good thing his cold had already passed; otherwise, Zheng Fan might have laughed so hard snot bubbles would have appeared.
Shanji was Dujuan’s subordinate. Dujuan, in turn, was the head of the Spy Bureau in Yinlang County and also the wife of Lord Jingnan.
"Lord Zheng, you are... indeed, far too comfortable here."
Shanji had come to pay his respects. After introducing himself, the entire conversation consisted of pleasantries, with the core message being that one sentence.
After he was gone, Blind Bei emerged from behind the main hall, dragged a chair over, and sat down beside Zheng Fan.
"My lord, who do you think is behind this?"
"It should be Dujuan."
Since Blind Bei had never truly interacted with Lord Jingnan, he couldn’t be completely certain in some of his assessments.
Zheng Fan continued, "Lord Jingnan wouldn’t dispatch someone specifically to ask me about this; he ought to be very busy right now. Besides, Dujuan is likely responsible for matters of this nature."
"Then it means Hui Wenzu is shielding us," Blind Bei said.
Zheng Fan nodded. "Most likely."
The Spy Bureau, after all, wasn’t the General Staff. Directly bypassing a superior official to deliver a message to him was clearly against protocol. However, it was probably because Hui Wenzu was unconditionally partial to Green Willow Fortress that Dujuan had specifically sent Shanji to give a subtle reminder.