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"Master Tian......"

As Tian Liang and Tian Heng were organizing the Western Sea Army to receive the elixirs, a group of high-ranking officers from the army had already gathered in secret to discuss.

"The Commander this time..." The middle-aged man who spoke first hesitated, but it was clear he was extremely anxious.

"He’s gone too far this time!" The speaker was Tian Yusheng, a member of a collateral branch of the Tian Family, now considered one of the elders with great prestige within the family. After all, within Tian Heng’s line, only he remained as the sole direct descendant.

Though nominally a collateral branch, in reality, they had become part of the direct line of the Tian Family.

"He’s planning to sacrifice all of us just for his own career..." Tian Yusheng said grimly, his expression dark.

"If he refuses loyalty, then we can no longer be blamed for our betrayal.

.." The speaker was a tall and burly man, easily recognizable to anyone in the Tian Family Army—Wu You, now the Family Head of the Wu Family, the largest affiliated family of the Tian Family.

After a few prominent deputy generals lost their lives in the last incident, Wu You had risen to take one of those positions, becoming one of the most influential deputy generals in the Tian Family Army and instantly enjoying substantial benefits.

Just as he was reveling in newfound success, he was now on the verge of losing everything. How could he not be furious?

"Everyone, back when we followed him, who among us didn’t give everything we had? Whatever he said, we obeyed. When he pledged allegiance to the Siao Family, despite the great risks, did any of the brothers complain? Didn’t we charge forward together without hesitation?"

"Then later, when he sided with Chen Qing, we all held positions of nobility in the Imperial Court, belonging to legitimate aristocracy. There was absolutely no need to take such risks. And yet, no one objected. He led us to Jiangnan, and everyone rolled up their sleeves and followed him."

"Why was an outsider like him able to become one of the top figures in Jiangnan’s military?

Why could he stand toe-to-toe with Xuu Hu?

Why did Chen Qing not only allocate the Southeast County’s resources to him but even hand over the aquatic resources of the West Sea Dragon Palace to him?

Do you think it was all because of his personal abilities? "

"Wasn’t it because of the unwavering support from us brothers? Without the backing of our enormous family forces, without that influence, what grounds would he have?"

"And now, after reaping all the benefits, he finds us to be a nuisance?"

"Exactly!" the others echoed in agreement.

"These past few days, surely I’m not the only one who’s dreamt of a past life, right?" Wu You’s tone lowered, his voice taking on an eerie quality.

At these words, everyone present exchanged peculiar glances, their expressions becoming strange.

The previous discussion was acceptable, but now this was edging into sensitive territory.

The whole Jiangnan region was resisting the Buddha Kingdom, and there was widespread condemnation of the Buddhist temples for sowing unrest. Yet, dreaming of the glorious past lives they’d experienced in the light of the Buddha, it was impossible to feel nothing at all.

"There’s no need for anyone to keep it to themselves.

..." Wu You sneered, "With our talent, if it weren’t for being born into lesser circumstances, how could we lag behind someone like Tian Heng? Even with his humble origins, he reached this level. Considering that, our past lives must have been far more extraordinary. Tian Heng had good fortune and was born into the right life, but under equal conditions, he wouldn’t necessarily surpass us. "

The others glanced at one another and nodded subtly. In the past, they wouldn’t have been so arrogant, but the dreams under the Buddha Light had been so vivid, offering a vision of what their lives could have been like with better birth circumstances. How could they not be resentful?

"General Wu..... Just tell us directly, what do you want us to do?" A dark-skinned, burly man within the group spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Previously, everyone held back out of sentimentality. Even though going to the Buddhist temples could potentially lead to a brighter future, we refrained because of old loyalties. But now, since Tian Heng is so willing to sacrifice us for his own ambitions, why shouldn’t we seek a better future for ourselves? What do you all think?"

The crowd exchanged looks and then glanced into the distance, where Tian Heng was busy distributing the elixirs to the soldiers. Hesitating for a moment longer, they ultimately nodded.

They had already been itching for a way out.

Honestly, before, they stayed because the Western Sea Army provided stable resources, while the situation with the Buddhist temples remained a mystery.

No one was certain if those temples would help or harm them, so they refrained from acting hastily.

To say it was all about loyalty would be a lie.

But now....

Now that they had been pushed this far, everyone knew clearly that Tian Heng intended to redistribute the resources to balance the power within the Western Sea Army. Without the previous advantages, what reason was there to remain loyal to him?

"Let’s go through with it!" Tian Yusheng shouted sternly.

"How about the rest of you?" Wu You looked at the others.

The rest sneered and shrugged. At this point, refusing to act would mean becoming mortal enemies, risking being killed on the spot.

"Fine... Let’s do as General Wu says. What’s the plan?"

Wu You smiled faintly. "Come closer, and I’ll tell you...."

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

"General, the elixirs have all been distributed. When do we depart?" Tian Liang asked eagerly, his expression brimming with excitement.

It had been said before—greater victories on the battlefield would result in higher ranks in Hell Ruler’s service.

He was prepared to stake everything on this opportunity.

With the military forces of Nanming Prefecture and Nanyang City empty and vulnerable, it was something everyone knew.

There wasn’t even a Thousand Households there, let alone a General.

Once Hell Ruler’s forces expanded to a certain scale, a General position would inevitably be required. Even a Deputy General role would suffice. Tian Liang believed he had a chance to seize such a position—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in his eyes.

After all, the core members of the Western Sea Army, with their current resources and status, would not abandon everything to compete with them for it. The odds were highly favorable, perhaps even exceptional!

"Tell the brothers to reorganize. We depart in an hour," Tian Heng said in an eerily calm tone.

"An hour?" Tian Liang was momentarily stunned.

For a cautious march, it would make sense to wait until dawn, allowing the soldiers to rest and recover their energy. If the goal was speed, immediate departure would be the better option, minimizing any risk of leaks. But leaving in an hour? What was the point?

"Is there something you don’t understand?"

"Sir..." Tian Liang hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "I believe that speed is of the essence. Although the Western Sea Army has been worn out by travel, their stamina hasn’t suffered significantly. Morale is high, and their combat readiness is unquestionable. There’s no need to wait an hour, which would only provide an opportunity for. .. certain individuals...."

"Certain individuals? Who are you referring to?" Tian Heng stepped closer, speaking in an icy tone.

Tian Liang gritted his teeth and glanced at the army. By now, the core family members were nowhere to be seen.

"General!" Tian Liang lowered his voice.

"You might think I’m taking this chance to sow discord, but I must say it.

In the past few days, I overheard Elder Tian Yusheng and the others talking several times about their supposed past lives.

Their tone was filled with pride and resentment. I believe that...."

"You’re quite bold to speak your mind..." Tian Heng chuckled faintly.

Tian Heng had only recently begun to value Tian Liang’s abilities. At such a time, openly badmouthing one’s past superiors was risky, casting doubt on one’s motives.

Still, Tian Liang dared to do so, which convinced Tian Heng that he might be a person of loyalty and righteousness.

Such individuals, however.... were far too rare among noble families.

"The point is to give them a chance!" Tian Heng said coldly.

"You mean...?" Tian Liang froze, his gaze at Tian Heng becoming complicated.

"You’ve already noticed that this operation has greatly displeased the Tian Family’s affiliated families and collateral branches. Morale is already fractured. If that’s the case, why not make a clean break?"

Tian Liang’s words stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless.

He disliked the behavior of those privileged family elites, but Tian Heng’s ruthless decisiveness... chilled him as well.

Is this what standing in a position of power does to a person?

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

At the same time, what Tian Heng didn’t realize was that in Nanming Prefecture, Shen Er was confronting another unexpected visitor.

No... it would be more accurate to say Shen Er himself was the unexpected visitor in this scenario.

"Your Highness King Qin, your mastery of Divine Skills is truly frightening...." Shen Er said, his expression unusually grim as he stared at King of Qin.

At this moment, he found himself within the Paint World, having entered it the day before. In this world, he had clearly seen King of Qin transform into his likeness, deceiving Tian Heng into accepting that batch of elixirs!