As soon as Qian Shougang was dead, Zhao Xing quickly returned to Long Xiao's location. At that moment, Long Xiao had already dealt with the remaining Black Dragon Guards aboard the warship.
"How did it go?" Long Xiao asked.
"He's dead," Zhao Xing replied.
"Good. Should we retreat now?" Long Xiao suggested.
Zhao Xing responded, "We'll retreat, but we need to take this warship back with us. After all, we were pursuing enemy forces, and leaving the spoils behind would be unreasonable."
Long Xiao hesitated. "But you said reinforcements were coming. My five hundred men can't fight against an army of thousands."
The Black Dragon Guards weren't pushovers; they were part of the elite forces under King Liang's command. Defeating Qian Shougang had already taken considerable effort. Although Qian was a Primary Sixth Rank warrior, there were many others within the Heilong Army who were even stronger.
"They're already here," Zhao Xing pointed toward the eastern horizon.
In the distance, five Black Dragon warships appeared, and one of them swiftly descended to the location where Qian Shougang had died.
The other warships released countless flying ships, surrounding Zhao Xing, Long Xiao, and their five hundred men along with the captured warship. Two warships moved into position, vigilantly guarding the northern direction.
"What do we do now?" Long Xiao asked, his expression turning serious.
"Don't panic," Zhao Xing replied calmly. "Our reinforcements have arrived too. Raise the flags and let them know that Shenwei Army was eliminating enemy forces."
Though Long Xiao had been impulsive during the heat of battle, now that the fighting was over, he began to feel a sense of dread. Zhao Xing, however, remained calm.
There was a reason Zhao Xing had been so decisive in killing Qian Shougang and not simply letting the matter rest.
First, had Qian Shougang survived, he would have certainly sought revenge later, whether openly or in secret. Zhao Xing didn't want to leave any room for future trouble. It was better to eliminate the threat once and for all.
Second, the Shenwei Army's sudden rise to prominence, combined with their success in cultivating Earth Fire Lotus, had drawn a lot of attention. As the saying goes, "The taller the tree, the more wind it catches." If Qian Shougang had successfully "requisitioned" the Earth Fire Lotus, it wouldn't have stopped there. Soon, others like "Li Shougang" and "Wang Shougang" would appear, demanding their share.
If Zhao Xing allowed this to happen, his achievements would be for nothing. His cultivation of the Earth Fire Lotus would have been taken, his military merits gone, leaving him with nothing but frustration.
It was crucial to note that Qian Shougang wasn't following proper procedures; his requisition was essentially robbery. Proper requisitions required a Divine Contract witnessed by the gods, specifying how much would be borrowed and when it would be returned. Qian Shougang had neither made such arrangements nor consulted the gods, as the temple in City 98 hadn't yet been built. His plan was to take the resources without ever returning them.
This way, City 98 would lose its military merits, while Qian Shougang would gain from the Earth Fire Lotus, reaping great rewards.
This kind of underhanded ploy was something weaker commanders couldn't fight against, especially when the stronger side had connections like Qian Shougang. In the chaos of war, situations like this often went unpunished, as battles could obscure the exact distribution of merits.
Killing Qian Shougang was Zhao Xing's way of putting a stop to such future trouble.
This logic was something Zhao Xing understood, and so did Liao Rulong, which was why Liao had rushed over with his forces.
Since Zhao Xing controlled the clouds in the sky, both the Black Dragon Guard reinforcements and Liao Rulong's army arrived simultaneously.
"The Heilong Army's Qian Shougang is dead, and this area is now sealed off for investigation. We request the Shenwei Army to cooperate," a commander named Zheng Liu from the Heilong Army transmitted orders from his warship.
On Shenwei Army's side, Chen Shijie raised an eyebrow upon hearing the message. "Zhao Xing has already killed a Heilong Army commander?"
As they traveled, Liao Rulong had learned the situation from Pu Zhong. He couldn't help but feel a chill at Zhao Xing's efficiency. This little brother was fast and ruthless.
But Liao Rulong quickly composed himself and responded decisively. "The Shenwei Army was pursuing foreign enemies. This is our war zone. I suggest you leave at once."
His stance was firm, repeating three times that the Shenwei Army had been pursuing foreign enemies.
Military protocols meant that after-the-fact investigations would be inevitable, but Liao Rulong was an old hand in the army, and with Pu Zhong and Chen Shijie advising him, he knew how to handle the situation.
The two armies exchanged flag signals several times. Liao Rulong's forces advanced, and seeing that the Shenwei Army outnumbered them, the five Black Dragon warships withdrew from the immediate area above Zhao Xing.
The Heilong Army reinforcements had no clear understanding of why Qian Shougang was dead or why the Shenwei Army claimed to be pursuing enemies.
Zheng Liu, the commander of the first wave of Black Dragon reinforcements, was a relatively upright man who had no idea that Qian Shougang had been sent there. Seeing the strange situation, he chose not to check Qian's warship and instead retrieved Qian's body and reported to his superiors, maintaining a standoff with the Shenwei Army.
"Who's that over there?" Liao Rulong's reinforcements had arrived with full force. His elite Dragon Bone Warship, a Top-Grade Fifth Rank Warship, landed on the mountain ridge. In comparison, Qian Shougang's warship was only mid-tier, akin to a mere chicken standing next to an elephant.
"Zhao Xing, Long Xiao," Liao Rulong, Chen Shijie, and Yu Ziqi descended from the warship. Wen Shaoyang and Jiang Ming had remained stationed at Fire Dragon Pass. The deployment of such powerful forces underscored how seriously Liao Rulong took the situation.
"You two alright?" Liao Rulong asked as he surveyed the battlefield, filled with severed limbs. He couldn't help but be shocked at the carnage.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. We're fine," Zhao Xing replied calmly. "These are all enemy corpses."
Liao Rulong frowned and asked, "Are there any survivors?"
Zhao Xing glanced at Liao Rulong, impressed by how quickly he had grasped the situation. "No survivors. The enemy has been completely annihilated," Zhao Xing said. "The looted supplies are all on this warship."
"Activate the Dragon Bone Warship's Record System. Summon the divine statue from the Marching Hall to oversee the situation," Pu Zhong instructed. He immediately began making arrangements, knowing full well that the death of a Sixth Rank Military Commander like Qian Shougang was no small matter.
Their goal now was to shape the narrative in their favor.
A quarter of an hour later, the Heilong Army sent another transmission, this time more aggressive. Leading this response was not Zheng Liu but his superior officer, Yangwei Captain Xie Kuiguang, a Primary Sixth Rank commander.
"The Shenwei Army dares to kill a Sixth Rank commander from my army? Arrest the criminals and seize the evidence for trial!"
Xie Kuiguang's voice echoed across the sky as his warship targeted Zhao Xing and Long Xiao.
"I dare you to try!" Liao Rulong shot into the air, and over a thousand men drew their blades, their murderous intent clear as they blocked the path of Xie Kuiguang's assault squad.
"Liao Rulong!" Xie Kuiguang shouted. He had already learned of Liao's name from Zheng Liu, along with the names of Zhao Xing and Long Xiao. "Are you trying to protect these criminals?"
"Criminals? What are you talking about?" Liao Rulong scoffed. "You dare accuse the Shenwei Army of such things? This area has become our temporary war zone, and there are tens of thousands of soldiers still en route. Try touching one of my men and see what happens."
"By killing a Sixth Rank Commander, are you Shenwei Army trying to rebel?!" Xie Kuiguang bellowed.
"And by attacking a friendly war zone, are you committing treason?!" Liao Rulong shot back.
The tension was palpable, and both sides prepared for battle. Warships locked onto each other, crossbow cannons loaded, and blood energy formations swirled in the sky.
Despite the tense situation, Liao Rulong's forces, having recently conquered Fire Dragon Pass and defeated the Wolf God Tribe, were undaunted. Their momentum was no less than that of the Heilong Army.
Faced with this, Xie Kuiguang hesitated. He didn't dare initiate combat, but at the same time, he couldn't let Liao Rulong's men leave unscathed. After all, Qian Shougang and a thousand Black Dragon Guards had died under his watch.
Just as both sides teetered on the edge of conflict, the sound of a dragon's roar echoed from the distance. It was Xia Jing and Li Que, arriving with their forces.
Seeing that Liao Rulong truly had reinforcements on the way, Xie Kuiguang realized the situation had become even more complicated. Why were the Xuanjia Army and Zhenhai Army also getting involved?
Qian Shougang had clearly underestimated the strength of the Shenwei Army, and now things had spiraled out of control.
"Xie Kuiguang," Xia Jing's voice rang out as he approached the two armies. "What's going on here? Why are you attacking friendly forces?"
"Lord Xia," Xie Kuiguang greeted respectfully, softening his tone. Though he could disregard Liao Rulong and Zhao Xing, he couldn't afford to offend Xia Jing, whose father, Xiahou, was a military powerhouse and a guest even King Liang respected.
"My army lost a Sixth Rank Commander and a thousand Black Dragon Guards in this area. We suspect the Shenwei Army is responsible and must bring them in for questioning," Xie Kuiguang explained. "We need to apprehend the suspects and recover the evidence."
"Apprehend? Judging by your posture, it looks like you were about to start a fight," Xia Jing interrupted. "If the Shenwei Army had fewer people, would you have already made your move?"
Xie Kuiguang fell silent. That was indeed his intention.
"Xie Kuiguang, you and Liao Rulong are both Primary Sixth Rank commanders. You have no authority to command another army's officers," Xia Jing stated flatly. "If this situation needs to be investigated, call in military inspectors from the Divine Court."
Though Xie Kuiguang's expression darkened, he knew he couldn't resolve this on his own, so he relayed the situation to his superiors.
On Liao Rulong's side, he also reported the matter to Jia Pu and Yang An.
The confrontation was escalating, but with both sides equally matched, neither could afford to make the first move. The matter would have to be settled by higher authorities.
In the Shenwei Army's command center, located in Xier County, General Jia Pu shot to his feet upon hearing the report. "He killed a Sixth Rank Commander from the Heilong Army? What happened?"
In front of him were virtual projections of Pu Zhong and Liao Rulong, who detailed the events to Jia Pu.
They maintained the same account: City 98 had been attacked by enemy forces, resulting in the severe injury of Commander Wang Ji and several other officers. The Earth Fire Lotus, a valuable military resource, had been stolen. Zhao Xing and Long Xiao, leading the Xiaoqi Battalion, had pursued and defeated the enemy, only to later discover that they were disguised as Black Dragon Guards.
"It turns out," Liao Rulong declared convincingly, "that they were the real Black Dragon Guards."
Jia Pu: "..."
Watching Liao Rulong's questionable acting, Jia Pu was at a loss for words.
You didn't know they were Black Dragon Guards? Who's going to believe that?
But outwardly, it was a different story. Facts were facts, and Zhao Xing had acted according to military regulations. As long as the investigation corroborated his story, there would be no punishment.
"Understood," Jia Pu said. "For now, stay put and don't take any further action. Ensure your troops remain disciplined and avoid any more conflicts."
"Yes, sir," Liao Rulong replied as his virtual projection dissipated.
On the evening of September 27th, after the killing, a standoff involving 120,000 soldiers from both the Shenwei and Black Dragon armies took place near Xiyuan Territory.
The tension between the two armies naturally drew considerable attention.
Even the Fire Demon Tribe's commander in Xiyuan Territory, terrified of a potential attack, withdrew his forces, going on full alert and refusing to leave his fortress.
It wasn't until October 1st that the Divine Court's Judicial Yin God Division and the Divine Court's Inspectorate began investigating the situation.
In a remote hill within Xiyuan Territory, Zhao Xing quietly waited as a cold wind blew past, darkening the sky.
"Whoosh!"
A towering 100-meter tall shadowy figure materialized between heaven and earth. It was fierce and menacing, wielding a curved blade and carrying numerous command banners on its back.
"A Third Rank Judicial Yin God… Deng Gang." Zhao Xing recognized the towering figure and stood up in respect.
Accompanying the Yin God were six smaller figures, three of whom Zhao Xing knew.
One was Fan Zhaoli, the Five Rank Shennong of Yang City and a judge at Dili Academy.
The second was Liu Tianning, a member of the Inspectorate.
The third was Dan Tai Ming, a Fourth Rank Military Shennong under Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture, which oversaw Xiyuan Territory.
The three of them had the authority to oversee the investigation, though Fan Zhaoli was the only one who had a positive relationship with Zhao Xing.
The other two men looked at Zhao Xing with scrutiny, clearly aligned with King Liang's faction.
Zhao Xing assessed them in turn. They were both Fifth Rank military officers, and the remaining figure was a Fourth Rank Priest.
"Greetings, my lords," Zhao Xing said, bowing respectfully.
"Commander Zhao Xing of Nine Section Battalion, you are now under investigation for the killing of Qian Shougang," one of the Fifth Rank officers said coldly. "You will be questioned, and you are expected to answer truthfully."
Dan Tai Ming interjected, "The situation hasn't been fully assessed yet. Using the term 'killing' is premature. Let's first allow Yin God Deng Gang to summon Qian's spirit. Priest Shen, proceed."
The Fourth Rank Priest, Shen Yiheng, nodded. "Of course."
"Summoning a spirit as powerful as Qian Shougang's won't be easy," Fan Zhaoli said as he conjured a massive, verdant tree to shield Zhao Xing. "Dan Tai Ming, let Zhao Xing wait here."
"Hmm," Dan Tai Ming agreed.
Zhao Xing bowed and took his place beneath Fan Zhaoli's tree. With the oppressive atmosphere of the Yin God dispelled, he felt a refreshing breeze instead.
"Come back, spirit!" Yin God Deng Gang intoned, wielding a soul lantern as he danced and chanted a unique melody that reverberated across the land.
After three summons, there was no response.
Yin God Deng Gang turned to Shen Yiheng. "I cannot summon the spirit."
"Why not?" asked one of the Fifth Rank officers. "Where did Qian Shougang's spirit go?"
"When a person dies, they become a ghost. When a ghost dies, they become a Ni," Deng Gang explained. "I sense that Qian Shougang and the Black Dragon Guards have all turned into Ni. Their spirits cannot be summoned."
Shen Yiheng immediately glared at Zhao Xing. "Not only did you kill them, but you also destroyed their spirits? This wasn't an accidental killing—you knew full well who Qian Shougang was and murdered him!"
Dan Tai Ming turned to Zhao Xing. "What do you have to say in response to Priest Shen's accusation?"
Zhao Xing calmly summoned a breeze to his hand. "My lords, I possess the advanced technique Yin Wind Fiend. This technique inherently targets spirits. When fighting the Southern Barbarian Tribes, am I supposed to hold back my power?"
Yin Wind Fiend was specifically designed to harm spirits.
"Why didn't you verify his identity before attacking?" one of the Fifth Rank officers demanded.
Zhao Xing replied, "The situation was critical. We were in the midst of a life-or-death battle. How could I have had the time to confirm his identity?"
"And why did you rob the rare resources of City 98?" another officer accused.
"It was a requisition!" shouted another.
Zhao Xing responded, "If it was a legitimate requisition, where is the Divine Contract? Why did he injure our men?"
"Let's assume for a moment that he really was Qian Shougang. Why didn't he surrender?" Zhao Xing added.
"..."
The two officers were left speechless.
Flustered, one of them blurted, "This is all your version of events!"
Zhao Xing replied coolly, "Then summon Qian Shougang's spirit to testify."
"You…"
But Qian's soul had already become a Ni.
The only way to summon him now would be to call upon a First Rank Yin God capable of turning Qian into a Yin God. However, Qian didn't have the required 1 million military merit points for such a process. In fact, his merit points were far lower than many Seventh Rank officers.
If Qian had such merit, he wouldn't have needed to steal the Earth Fire Lotus from the Shenwei Army in the first place.
The rules of the Yin God System were clear, and summoning him for questioning wasn't an option.
Fan Zhaoli smiled slightly as he watched Zhao Xing's confident responses.
In fact, Qian Shougang had broken military regulations first. As long as Zhao Xing claimed it was an accidental killing, the punishment would be minor.
If it were deemed intentional, it would be a different story, as Qian's crimes hadn't warranted execution, and it wouldn't have been Zhao Xing's place to punish him.
However, it seemed that even King Liang's faction had underestimated Zhao Xing's prowess, as the young commander wielded nine advanced techniques and handled the situation flawlessly.
Given that City 98 didn't have a temple, and that military oversight in the Southern Wilderness was far less strict than in other regions, even military merits required multi-faceted verification, let alone matters like this.
Thus, the Inspectorate would now have to investigate by interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence.
After questioning the personnel of City 98 and examining Wang Ji's injuries, the Divine Court Inspectorate quickly released their preliminary findings:
Qian Shougang had violated military procedures by failing to follow proper protocols for requisitioning supplies from the Shenwei Army. Instead, he had used his authority to attack the city's defending commander and forcibly seize valuable resources, actions tantamount to robbery.
As a result, Zhao Xing, Long Xiao, and their forces had mistaken Qian Shougang and his Black Dragon Guards for disguised enemy forces and had killed them during the pursuit in Xiyuan Territory.
This preliminary report was sent to the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Prefecture, Ten Sun Cave-Heaven, the Divine Court, King Liang, and the Shenwei Army's command for review.
Seven days later, the final verdict was issued: Zhao Xing, Long Xiao, and the Xiaoqi Battalion were found innocent. No military merits would be deducted.
When the news broke, it caused quite a stir.
Even Zhao Xing was surprised.
"Hmm? This is the result?"
"I expected innocence or a light punishment, but no deduction in military merits? What's really going on?"