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"So it is Your Highness, the Princess Chang, gracing us with your presence. My apologies for not greeting you from afar!"

This was the second time Tian Heng had met her—the true Mingyue of the Siao Family...

"General Tian seems to have found himself a good place to belong..." The Princess gazed at him with a faint smile and said softly.

The incident in Yundu... If it had been her, she would certainly not have saved Tian Heng.

Tian Heng’s intentions were impure, his loyalty too difficult to ascertain.

At that time, the elders under his command were almost all dead, leaving only Tian Heng with any real authority.

If he had died, the group would have been leaderless, and his Western Sea Army would have fallen entirely under Chen Qing’s control.

Yet, even in such a situation, Chen Qing had chosen to save Tian Heng!

One couldn’t deny that Chen Qing lacked the ruthless decisiveness of a true ruler in such matters... While this might be a boon for those under his leadership, it could be a detriment for a leader.

"What Your Highness says is true..." Tian Heng smiled faintly and respectfully replied, "Back when I faced calamity and was forced to join Jiangnan, I thought it was an act of desperation. Never did I imagine that it would be the greatest blessing of my life—and for my brothers as well..."

Joining Chen Qing’s ranks was the luckiest decision Tian Heng had made in his lifetime, and he deeply agreed with the Princess’s words.

Back then, his brothers followed him, and though he had earned the Duke title, most of them remained stationed in the bitterly cold wilderness with no future prospects for their descendants. But now? Every day, he saw his brothers at the grassroots level radiate joy.

The gentle women of Jiangnan Water Town, the excellent mountains and rivers providing sustenance, full bellies on a daily basis, children with secured futures—even an honorable end and care after death.

Honestly, even if Tian Heng had thoughts of rebellion, hardly any of his men would be willing to follow him now.

And even in such circumstances, Chen Qing had chosen to save him back then. Chen Qing may not have been as domineering as that person from the Siao Family, but Tian Heng considered himself incredibly fortunate to serve such a lord.

"No need for too many words. What’s the situation here? Where are those deputy generals of the Imperial Army?"

"This..." Tian Heng’s expression turned slightly strange as he hesitantly said, "There are some things, but I wonder if Your Highness can believe me?"

"Speak first and let me decide."

"The letter urging your arrival... I didn’t show it to those deputy generals..."

The Princess’s pupils contracted, her expression turning frigid. "Why?"

"This goes back to the strange Buddha light from half a month ago..."

As expected, it had come for her...

The Princess’s heart sank. What she feared most was that all the deputy generals could be linked to the Buddha Kingdom. She had hoped not to be so unlucky, but now it seemed to be the worst-case scenario.

"At the beginning, when the main force arrived, our two sides got along quite harmoniously."

Upon hearing this, the Princess’s lips curled slightly in derision. Harmoniously? That was putting it mildly.

Jiangnan was adept at captivating hearts. The treatment here was several times better than outside. For the nobility, such offerings might not hold lasting sway. But for the common soldiers, this was paradise.

Ample meat, delicious flavors, strong protection, and unprecedented respect—these were unattainable elsewhere.

The longer soldiers stayed, the more envy grew.

This was also why the Emperor had ordered her to bring the soldiers back as quickly as possible.

Even with restraints like the Evil Spirit, staying too long would leave the soldiers feeling the disparity in their respective conditions.

"But everything changed once that eerie Buddha light appeared. First, it started with your generals. Not all of them, but nearly seventy percent..."

"Seventy percent..." The Princess’s face darkened further at these words.

Seventy percent. Worse than anticipated!

"Yes, seventy percent... That seventy percent would deliberately make time to visit nearby Buddhist temples. Some even ventured deeper into Jiangnan to other, more distant temples. And bear in mind, we’re in a time of war.

At any moment, a King-level Giant Python might emerge outside the borders.

Under such circumstances, leaving one’s post is inexcusable. "

"But since they aren’t technically our soldiers, it’s sometimes hard to impose restrictions. And when they submit official requests, we have no choice but to grant them."

"No choice?" The Princess’s voice turned icy. "Those deputy generals are Extraordinary Level. You let them infiltrate deep into Jiangnan?"

"We’re not worried in that regard..." Tian Heng shook his head. "Jiangnan is safeguarded by the Great Officials of the Hell Ruler. A few Extraordinaries won’t cause any trouble."

The Princess found herself momentarily speechless, then responded coldly, "Such confidence..."

Chen Qing’s influence over Jiangnan had likely become the strongest force of this age!

One could deduce this from the Yundu incident.

Tian Heng was already approaching the threshold of King Level.

The Shen Family, based within Jiangnan, had always possessed deep reserves.

Under Chen Qing’s prolonged cultivation, they were likely nearing King Level as well.

Then there was Chen Qing himself and the enigmatic Ziyue.

The overall power of Jiangnan now seemed almost comparable to the Dragon Palace of old!

"But we shouldn’t have agreed back then. After those deputy generals returned, both their auras and personalities visibly shifted... And moreover..."

"Moreover, what?" The Princess frowned.

"This condition... it’s spreading to the soldiers..."

"What?"

-----------------------------------------------

"Are we not returning to Jiangnan now?" Ziyue looked in Chen Qing’s direction, puzzled, for the path they were taking was...

"The route to Jiangnan is likely already fortified layer upon layer by Old Liu. While he himself may not risk it all, his subordinates certainly don’t shy away from drastic measures. In these two days, stirring up two Buddhas to confront us wouldn’t be too hard for him."

"But the situation in Jiangnan doesn’t look too good..." Ziyue said with a somber expression.

The emergence of the Buddha Kingdom was a radiation of its domain’s influence, affecting not only the Northern Territory but particularly the Southeastern Region under Jiangnan’s control, which had the strongest affinity for Buddhism.

The number of temples there was substantial, and even within Jiangnan itself, those repurposed temples were likely to emanate Buddha light.

Many individuals might awaken, especially among the Warrior Army’s leadership.

If such individuals had been pre-planted with seeds in their past lives, Jiangnan could very well face internal turmoil.

"Trust Wei Gongcheng and the Shen Family. They can handle it..." Chen Qing said quietly, "They are far shrewder than you think. Besides, Ali is there as well..."

At the mention of Ali, Ziyue’s eyes immediately lit up!

To alter memories and awaken memories—wasn’t that the ultimate countermeasure?

"But even if we’re avoiding Old Liu, why choose this route? Don’t you know who controls this territory?"

"Precisely because it’s the last place they’d expect.

.." Chen Qing murmured, "The Emperor and I may have a pact, but that won’t stop him from making a move when I’m at my weakest. This is a gamble, but also an opportunity to address the unresolved karma between us.

A visit to the Capital City will offer insight. "

Ziyue froze, suddenly grasping the karma Chen Qing referred to.

The Divine Path Sect stemmed from Imperial authority.

Now, with the revival of several ancient forces, the monarchy itself teetered on the edge.

In years past, Chen Qing had benefited greatly, as he had leveraged the Siao Family’s rule to lay the foundation for the Divine Path Sect.

Now, as the human sovereign faced peril, certain karmic debts needed resolution.

This journey may bring risk but also offered the chance to seize the true destiny of the Central Plains—something of vital importance to Chen Qing.

She had always assumed Chen Qing would handle this later, but never expected him to act now.

Truly, his ways were unfathomable.

"Do you have confidence?"

"If Zhang Zhengyuan’s supercomputer doesn’t fail us..." Chen Qing murmured, "A fifty percent chance!"