Chapter 237: Military Action on All Sides

Tie Zheng broke free and continued his tirade, "It is you people, greedy for life and fearful of death, who allowed the culprit to go scot-free! Things are so clear but you all can actually pretend that it's not. If you have guts, follow me to wipe out the Northern Marshal's residence!"

Both the generals turned away without saying another word.

They honestly dared not speak to this fellow anymore. Any further words and they might really be hauled along to battle it out at the Residence of Northern Marshal. In spite of this, they were exchanging whispers as they went on their way.

"It's not like Marshal Tie doesn't make sense!"

"Nobody says he doesn't! It's just that even if he were right, some things can't be spoken out loud like this! After all, Yang Botao still has his position!"

"So what if his status is higher? I've long felt that something was wrong with Yang Botao!"

"Forget it. If it weren't for what happened today, would you dare say so?"

"Never mind... Say, do you think the Supreme Wind who appeared last night was real?"

"I hope he is."

"Me too. But if he is, then Yang Botao... is a goner."

"So be it. As long as Lord Supreme Wind is still alive, what importance does Yang Botao carry?"

"True. If Lord Supreme Wind is still alive, maybe Lord Supreme Flame is too. And Supreme Earth, Supreme Water and the rest, they might all still be here!"

"I hope so..."

...

Yang Botao returned to his residence with heavy steps, burdened by the bleakness of his future, his gaze dimmed.

He could vaguely feel the approach of his impending doom; the fact that he had not been punished right in the assembly was already a tribute to his years of contribution.

The vague sense of doom had been lingering in his heart today even before the morning assembly. It was just that he had hoped to be lucky with how he had suppressed the hundreds of Deicide Bow archers last night and several preparations he made prior to this, but the reality had been spoken. The Nine Supremes were far too important to the Empire of Yutang. A word of theirs fared much higher than his accumulated merits.

This was a hopeless truth, his reality!

"Call to assemble! Meeting!"

...

When Tie Zheng returned to his residence, he made the same command - "Call to assemble!"

"Assemble fifty thousand men at once. Upon assembling, depart and head on to surround the Residence of Northern Troop Marshal immediately! Make sure that the daily affairs are not hindered; other than that, no one is allowed to enter nor exit!"

"With my summons, shut all four gates of Tiantang City! Martial law will be imposed from today onwards, only entrance is allowed! No one goes out!"

"Gather the experts in the military! Cultivators of the fifth level and above are to be ready to mobilize upon my summons!"

"Gather Deicide Bow archers, ready their aim at the Residence of Northern Troop Marshal! Kill anyone who makes a rash attempt to enter. Even if it's a bird from the outside, it is not allowed to be admitted!"

Tie Zheng's commands rang clearly, one after another.

"Marshal, uh... this is without the royal decree nor tiger talisman... To direct the army personally is a severe crime!" Tie Zheng's aide was beyond worried; ever since he worked for this eastern troop marshal, shock and surprise were his daily constants.

Tie Zheng was bold and reckless, outrageously so!

Whenever his temper rose, he cared for nothing and erupted without a sliver of rationality left to temper his actions.

"This marshal shall be held accountable for whatever consequences there will be! Just do as you're told, no more words!" Tie Zheng bellowed.

It was still this line. The aide sighed inwardly.

If the emperor were not benevolent beyond belief, Tie Zheng, who could contribute even more merits, would have been sentenced to nine familial extermination time and again.

"Yes, I shall arrange the manpower immediately!"

"I'd rather be convicted of sedition than to allow the culprit who harmed the Nine Supremes Lords to run free!"

Tie Zheng hollered again, "Order to the troops, set out to the Nine Supremes Lords' altar! Once we act, heads shall become our tribute!"

At the same time, generals of the western troops who guarded the capital began to mass.

"Shut the city gate!"

"Follow the whereabouts closely!"

"All Deicide Bow archers, get ready!"

"Gather the experts, be ready to move anytime!"

At the southern front...

"Assemble!"

"War call from now onwards! Anyone must report their whereabouts before doing anything, even if it's just going to the toilet! Nobody goes home even if someone is your family passes away!"

"Guard the base heavily, be prepared to strike at any time!"

"Deicide Bows, all archers stand ready! Ten mystical steel arrows to one bow!"

...

All the military bases around Tiantang City were engulfed in a solemnly violent aura. The soldiers were brimming with killing intent, their faces hard and merciless.

The portraits of the Nine Supremes were laid out, pasted on the walls respectfully.

Before the portraits, two large tables were set; one was filled with fruits and other tributes while the other was only covered with a white cloth, empty.

It was being prepared to receive the heads of the executed.

Large flags were raised from each military base, out of the blue.

"Yutang's Nine Supremes, heroes shall never leave!"

Each soldier who passed by the flags paid respect with their unfaltering gaze, their steps solid and resolute.

Countless militants were emotionally overwrought; as they wiped their weapons silently, their ears were perked in concentration to note any movement, worried of being the slightest bit slower once there was an order to move.

Each of them was high strung, tight as a bowstring - as long as the command arrived, they would catapult towards their target at once.

There were also plenty of warriors whose eyes were damp. It was not grief that they felt, it was the buzz, the thrill of finally taking action.

Nine Supremes Lords, we... we can finally do something for all of you.

"Once the news is confirmed, even if we risk being slashed into pieces, we shall obtain revenge for the Nine Supremes Lords!"

They had been holding in this indignation for more than a year now. Once it erupted, it would be nothing less than colossal!

...

The base camp that was entirely different in the atmosphere compared to the other military bases was the northern troop base situated in the capital city.

The northern troop military base was noisy and chaotic as far as the eyes could reach.

Numerous generals were suppressing the sudden uproar within the camp anxiously but neither their persuasion nor forceful subdue was working. Not only was the effect less than significant, it was plain useless!

There was a continuous stream of seasoned soldiers who stalked over to the entrance of the military tent coldly and asked, "General, is it true that the marshal has harmed the Nine Supremes Lords?"

"Generals, was last night's incident real?"

"Can you just give the brothers a conclusion?"

"Is it yes or no?"

The generals were a wreck, knowing whatever they said could be interpreted wrongly, and could only try their best to pacify the rest.

"This is still under investigation. The top three authorities of the military have cooperated to investigate this together and the old Grand Commandant is being summoned too. Just wait for the news, all of you; we must not sway each other within the troop!"

"All of you go back, wait patiently! When the news arrives, there's no way we can hide it from you all."

"Do what you should! o! We'll inform everyone once there's an update."

...

"I hear that Supreme Wind appeared in the marshal's home saying that marshal is the killer... Is this true?"

"Go back quickly! You, I'm talking about you, get lost!"

"What are you being fierce about? I'm just asking if the incident is real! I shall ask even if you behead me!"

An old soldier glared, his eyes bloodshot while a hand was pressed on the grip of his saber.

"We've been comrades who risked death together for so many years, stop f*cking pretending in front of me. I just want an honest answer, is it yes or no?"

"Ridiculous! What attitude are you showing me? Do you realize your position? Are you going to coerce me with your saber?" The general roared.

"I only want an honest answer, can't I have even that?!" The aged soldier's veins were popping, his neck stretched taut. "Is it yes or no? If it's a yes, forget about ny hold my saber against you. So what if I slash you open, do you think I wouldn't dare to?"

"F*ck! Even if it was true, that's Marshal Yang's personal case! You think my status could hold me up to such big thing?" The general had been simmering in frustration; being absolutely irritated, words spewed out of his mouth without any form of filtration.

"So you mean it's true?" The soldier's aura was growing dangerous.

"I didn't say that!"

"You did! F*ck your m*ther! You f*cking said so! You said it!" The old militant's eyes were two orbs of flames, his killing intent growing increasingly heated.

"I didn't say it! I didn't say anything! All of you go back! Go back quickly! What are you doing surrounding your father? Is there still any discipline at all?"

Seeing that neither appeasement nor direct rejection would work, the general broke out in a bout of swearing instead, "Your father is also waiting for the news, the update! What the f*ck can be done for all of you to surround your father? If this is true, your father will battle it out with Yang Botao, risking the conviction of being a rebel! But everything could only be certain when the confirmed news come!"

"Can't you all wait a while longer patiently? Do you think that only you fellows are impatient? Your father is about to go crazy with the suspense as well!"

...

Both the higher-ups and the subordinates in the northern troops were boiling in commotion.

"Everyone of us in the northern troop owes the Nine Supremes Lords at least a life! If this is true... how could all of us in the northern troop face our brothers from the other sides! Shame could have drowned us! Guilt could kill us alive! People say to do things openly and have a clear conscience, we won't ever be able to do or have any of that from now on!"

"Is it true! Is it really true!"

"F*ck you! Your father is asking only a question, you b*tch better answer it!"

Before the entrance of the military base, the soldiers on duty had their heads lowered like they were admitting their faults. They were the unluckiest bunch; everyone else could hide inside their tents and be obscured from the public but they, who were on duty, were exposed to the everyone's sight.

It was chaos inside the military base but the entrance was desolated like a dead area.

There were already countless troops from the west, east, and south who were making their way over; the military threat was haunting but unconcealed, aiming towards the northern troop base. There were also generals under other aliases who circled the northern troop base, bringing their own men.

Their gazes were filled with unadulterated contempt and hatred!

A general with beard scoffed loudly as he led his cavalrymen towards the entrance of the northern base camp. The soldiers who were guarding the said place lowered their heads, even more, consumed with shame.