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There is one main commander and three deputy generals in charge of the Ghost King’s army...

Before meeting those generals, Tian Heng briefly described the situation to her.

The main commander, Lan Shang, is a newly promoted individual.

His family’s bloodline strength isn’t particularly high.

His family was once one of the Siao Family’s affiliated families, known for loyalty rather than strength—unlike the Hong Family with their powerful Thunder Elephant Bloodline.

Their opportunities for battlefield merit were limited, and in the end, Lan Bi, the family leader, only earned the title of Earl.

However, during the Ghost Spirit test, Lan Shang performed exceptionally well.

The Ghost Spirit he bonded with was an ancient spirit, which, for reasons unknown, chose him.

Over the subsequent months, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Ghost Army.

Both his military command skills and personal strength surged ahead of his peers.

In the army, he became one of the few, aside from the Emperor himself, to approach the King Level standard at breakneck speed.

Because of this, the title of the new commander of the Ghost Army fell into his hands.

His brother choosing him was for several reasons.

Firstly, Lan Shang indeed demonstrated immense potential, and coupled with his family’s backing, he was worth grooming.

Secondly, this move aimed to inspire hope in the younger generation—that in this grand era, opportunities abound and it’s not only the senior ranks that rise.

Even those with shallow qualifications can take flight.

This approach also stoked a certain predatory drive within the army.

Of course, several of the army’s deputy generals were veteran Marquises. Even the father and son of the Hong Family—who hadn’t undergone the Ghost Spirit ceremony—held deputy general positions. This was to ensure some level of stability within the army.

After all, while the potential of the newcomers was high, they lacked true wartime experience, no?

But who could have anticipated that such a cautious arrangement could still lead to chaos...

"All four of them went to pay respects at the Buddhist Temple?" the Princess Royale asked, frowning.

"It seems so..." Tian Heng replied in a low voice. "They went in different directions since they don’t belong to the Divine Path sect. Anywhere they appear in Jiangnan, they are monitored by the Mountain God or the Hell Ruler, so their routes can’t be wrong.

Each of them visited different Buddhist Temples, but as to whether they actually offered prayers inside, the Temples themselves are beyond surveillance. "

"Beyond surveillance?" The Princess Royale sneered. "With your capabilities, you can’t storm in and suppress them directly? Seems like Jiangnan’s military strength is stretched thin."

Tian Heng glanced at her but didn’t respond to the comment.

Jiangnan’s military had expanded significantly.

In less than ten years, its power rivaled that of established empires.

The combined forces of the Warrior Army and the Western Sea Army approached a million troops.

Even so, with multiple active fronts and after losing forces to Ziyue’s earlier campaign, Jiangnan’s strength was indeed spread thin.

This limited flexibility is why they didn’t dare touch the Buddhist Temples.

They couldn’t predict the consequences of such actions.

Internally, their forces were depleted, and externally, the Celestial Serpent posed a grave threat.

They couldn’t afford to withdraw troops from the border pass.

Even Tian Heng, injured, had rushed to the front line to hold position—how could they spare forces for internal problems?

The Princess Royale didn’t press further.

Now, it seemed "when a finger points, one shouldn’t scorn the other.

" While Jiangnan was vulnerable internally, its external defenses were robust. Even in Chen Qing’s absence, they could defend against the King-Level Celestial Serpent. Their foundation was solid.

On the other hand, if she weren’t holding the North, and the Emperor not overseeing the Capital City, everything on her side would collapse.

"Let’s speak frankly..." The Princess Royale said bluntly. "You’re an old hand of the Imperial Court. Among these people, who’s truly reliable?

You should be able to discern that, no need to beat around the bush.

If the Imperial Court’s main army collapses, I doubt Jiangnan can shoulder all the pressure alone, right? "

Tian Heng looked at this decisive woman and sighed silently to himself. The Siao Family was truly blessed, gifted individuals emerging one after another. If only the Tian Family had even a few competent ones, he wouldn’t have to endure being constantly overshadowed by the Shen Family.

Sighing aloud, he said, "The deputy generals you’ve chosen this time come from previously unremarkable families.

They were selected because they actively participated in the blessings of the Ghost Temple.

Old loyalties were either eliminated or deserted.

If you ask who’s the most reliable... it’s, of course, the Hong Family! "

"The Hong Family..." The Princess Royale reacted, realizing the truth.

Indeed, though the Hong Family had refused to undergo the Ghost Temple blessings, their exceptional wartime achievements earned them a place among the deputies.

They had been sidelined to some degree, yet at this moment, they were arguably the most dependable.

"They didn’t go to pray at the Buddhist Temple."

"They did..."

The Princess Royale: "..."

"But the Hong Family are loyal and virtuous. Even if they were influenced by the Buddha Light, I believe they can still be persuaded. At the very least, they’re more trustworthy than the others, right?"

The Princess Royale pondered for a moment before finally responding, "Where are they?"

"In the area around Daqing Mountain..."

"General Tian, are you mocking me?" The Princess Royale’s voice turned icy cold.

Everyone knew what resided near Daqing Mountain. That being had already become Transcendent. If she ventured there, who knew how her memory might be altered?

"Ali left long ago."

"Chen Qing dared to release that thing?" The Princess Royale instinctively scanned her surroundings.

"It’s extraordinary times. There was no choice. Your Highness needn’t worry; if it wanted to alter your memory, it would’ve already succeeded by disguising itself as me."

"Fair enough," the Princess Royale said with a mirthless smile. "You all have guts, mingling with that thing. Aren’t you afraid?"

"It’s not of the Divine Path sect, and even the Lord doesn’t fear it. Why should we?" Tian Heng sighed.

"Understood. I’ll head over first. This matter on your end—keep monitoring it. By the way... you must be particularly vigilant against one person."

"Who?"

"The King of Qin!"

Tian Heng’s pupils instantly contracted...

The King of Qin... that person who had once shown him great kindness.

Honestly, betraying the current Emperor and siding with Chen Qing weighed nothing on Tian Heng’s conscience.

The Emperor had only valued him for the military power he brought; his Duke title was earned through merit alone, and he was rightfully proud of it.

Even if he "switched teams," he felt no guilt.

But the King of Qin was different...

If not for the King of Qin, the Tian Family... would likely have been destroyed long ago.

And now... he was going to face him directly?

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

"Why are we here, Dad..."

On Daqing Mountain, Hong Lie asked his father in a low, gruff voice.

"The fact the Buddha Light didn’t affect you is a blessing..."

"Dad... what’s in that Buddha Light, exactly? It had you all entranced. Those days after you came back, you weren’t yourself. It felt like you’d changed completely."

"This... can’t be explained clearly to you..." The Hong Family Head looked at his son with a complicated expression before finally sighing. "What you must understand is that those other deputy generals are no longer their old selves, and they may act against us any moment!"

"Why?"

"That... can’t be explained clearly to you..."

"If I ask and you won’t say..." Hong Lie muttered, clearly displeased.

"If your brain was even one-tenth as sharp as Chen Qing’s, I’d tell you everything! But what’s the point of explaining to a blockhead like you?"

Hong Lie: "..."

"So... why are we staying at Daqing Mountain?"

"Because of the rumors about the Demon Fox residing here. They won’t dare come. But you know full well the Thousand-Faced Fox is no longer here. Sooner or later, they’ll figure it out..."

"Then what do we do?"

"Wait..." The Hong Family Head sighed again. "We can only see if His Majesty responds in time."