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Boom—
Swoosh—
The sound of unified voices echoed in their ears as Dugu Bo, Ye Renxin, Ye Lingling, and Dugu Yan stared in shock at the sight of ten thousand soldiers kneeling before Dai Chengfeng beneath the darkened sky.
A cold shiver ran up their spines, raising goosebumps all over their bodies.
"Whew!"
"I thought we were about to face a brutal battle and had already prepared for a bloody fight to the death!"
"But the result…"
"Dai Chengfeng simply rode past on his horse, and these eleven thousand soldiers… they just surrendered outright?!"
Ye Renxin was utterly astonished, muttering in disbelief.
Dugu Bo was equally dazed. "In my entire life, this is the first time I've seen a general so beloved by his soldiers!"
"How did Chengfeng manage to do all this?"
Meanwhile, Zhu Fan, Zhu Yan, and Li Zhizhao, though surprised, could understand.
"Let's not even mention how Chengfeng once saved all the people of Wu'an City from certain doom…"
Zhu Fan chuckled proudly. "Just look at what he did after capturing Wu Ping City and confiscating the wealth of those greedy merchants and soul masters. He declared, 'This glory, I, Dai Chengfeng, will not enjoy alone'…"
"And then he directly distributed ten months' worth of military pay to every single soldier in Wu'an City."
"Pay attention!"
"He handed it out personally, from top to bottom, to every last soldier."
At this point, admiration flickered in Zhu Fan's eyes. "I used to wonder why he bothered with those low-ranking grunts…"
"But now…"
Looking at the distant gates of Wu'an City slowly opening, with all the soldiers marching in perfect formation behind Dai Chengfeng as if he were the true master of Wu'an City, Zhu Fan finally understood.
"I get it now! I'm convinced—completely and utterly convinced!"
"Chengfeng truly is a military genius; the title of War Sage suits him perfectly!"
"After all, ask yourself—how many generals in the world can claim to turn an entire army of ten thousand without losing a single soldier?!"
At this moment, realization dawned on Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin, admiration flashing in their eyes.
After all, if you asked yourself honestly…
If you were a soldier, wouldn't you be willing to pledge your life to a general who shared his glory with you?!
"Alright, we should hurry up and catch up."
Finally, after the gates were fully opened and Dai Chengfeng had already ridden into the city, Dugu Bo and the others snapped out of their daze.
They quickly spurred their horses forward to follow Dai Chengfeng.
Though the tens of thousands of soldiers outside the city had been dealt with, who knew if Dai Xuan had left any hidden experts within the city?
Even with Dugu Bo present, capable of handling anything in an instant, it was still better to err on the side of caution.
---
The sky was heavy with dark clouds, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning.
The fierce wind howled, whipping the banners on the city walls into a frenzy, creating a whistling roar.
By now, Dai Chengfeng had already ascended to the top of the city wall.
Dugu Bo, Zhu Fan, and Ye Renxin followed cautiously behind him.
From afar, Dai Xuan watched as Dai Chengfeng approached. A flicker of fear unconsciously crossed his eyes, his lips twitched slightly, and his facial muscles trembled involuntarily.
But soon…
He forcibly suppressed his panic and mustered the courage to speak, though his voice trembled involuntarily:
"Dai Chengfeng, I am the governor of Wu'an City appointed by His Majesty!"
"Wu'an City does not welcome you. Leave immediately."
As soon as he finished speaking, he anxiously turned to the black-robed man beside him—the one whose face was obscured except for his piercing eyes. "Master, it's up to you now."
"Relax."
The black-robed man nodded indifferently, showing no concern whatsoever.
Seeing this, Dai Xuan let out a long sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng had already approached Dai Xuan with leisurely steps.
Instantly, Dai Xuan's body tensed, his eyes locked onto Dai Chengfeng's every move. His hands clenched into fists, and his White Tiger martial soul emerged, his entire being brimming with caution.
However, Dai Chengfeng completely ignored him, calmly sitting down in the armchair that Dai Xuan had previously ordered placed there for observation.
He crossed his legs, leaned back slightly, and exuded an air of complete relaxation.
"No wonder I've never heard of you—you're truly a fool, using the soldiers of Wu'an City against me?"
"Speak…"
"What did you discuss with Dai Tian? What's your relationship with Xu Guotao? And what plans did you have to harm Wu'an City?"
"And that person—is he from the Spirit Hall?"
Dai Chengfeng raised his head slightly, his sharp gaze locking directly onto the black-robed man. His tone carried an undeniable authority. "Leave. You have no business here."
"I, Dai Chengfeng, have returned!"
"You insolent brat!"
The black-robed man instantly erupted in fury. A murderous glint flashed in his previously downcast eyes as eight soul rings lit up beneath his feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black.
"Dai Chengfeng, don't think you're safe just because you have Zhu Fan and Ye Renxin protecting you!"
"I'm an 88th-rank Soul Douluo! At this distance, who can stop me? Who dares to stop—"
"Tsk~"
But before he could finish, Zhu Fan had already snorted derisively.
Ye Renxin, Ye Lingling, and the others also wore amused expressions, crossing their arms and smirking faintly.
Unbeknownst to them, Dugu Bo had already firmly placed one hand on the shoulder of the black-robed man.
"Young man, Prince Chengfeng has spared your life. You should… be grateful!"
Dugu Bo's voice wasn't loud, but in that instant, the black-robed man felt as though he were being pinned down by a deadly snake. An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him like a mountain, forcing his body to sink uncontrollably.
The pride and arrogance drained from his face, leaving it pale as paper.
His instincts as a soul master screamed at him that any slight movement would result in his immediate decapitation.
For a moment, he fell silent!
Finally, the black-robed man forced out a strained reply. "Thank you, Prince Chengfeng, for sparing my life. I will inform our Pope that you bear no ill will toward the Spirit Hall."
Dai Chengfeng smiled faintly and nodded. "Smart!"
"Just a few thousand golden spirit coins per month—why risk your life for that?"
The black-robed man paused, then revealed a look of deep agreement. Bowing deeply to Dai Chengfeng, he said, "Prince Chengfeng, I've learned my lesson!"
With that, he turned and staggered away, his steps unsteady.
Right now, he only wanted to leave as quickly as possible. That green-haired elder was far too terrifying—he couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
"Master!"
At this moment, Dai Xuan, seeing his supposed "ace in the hole" suddenly leaving, finally lost all composure. His voice trembled as he called out.
His body leaned forward slightly, as if he wanted to rush over and grab the black-robed man, but he didn't dare take that step.
The black-robed man turned his head and sneered. "The fact remains—you're prey… no, you're nothing but trash. You've lost all value!"
With that, he turned and hurriedly departed, leaving Dai Xuan standing there, stunned like a wooden statue.
And as Dai Chengfeng looked at the panicked Dai Xuan, he gave him a cold, emotionless glance.
"Now… are you ready to talk?"
"I… I'll talk…"
"But unfortunately, I've suddenly lost interest in listening!"
"Lost interest?" Dai Xuan looked at Dai Chengfeng in confusion. "Why… why aren't you interested anymore?"
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