As Zhuge Wushuang had said, these few Fusang ronin warriors were merely low-tier martial artists. The strongest among them, their leader, was only at the Half-step Hua Jin Grandmaster level, how could he possibly be a match for Zhuge Wushuang, a super expert of the Three Flowers Gathering Crown Martial King realm?
In Fusang, a Hua Jin Grandmaster level martial artist was equivalent to the rank of Jonin, while a Three Flowers Gathering Crown Martial King expert was equivalent to the rank of Kage in Fusang.
Seeing the six ronin warriors charging forward with their long sabers, Zhuge Wushuang let out a cold snort. He stomped his foot and suddenly shot up into the sky.
Mid-air, he unleashed a swift spinning kick. Instantly, with a series of thuds, these Fusang warriors, including their leader, were all sent flying backward.
In just one move, or rather, one kick, Zhuge Wushuang had knocked down all six Fusang warriors. The previously arrogant and overbearing Fusang ronin warriors were now lying on the ground, groaning in pain.
"Weak, truly pathetically weak. You trash, daring to call yourselves the orthodox martial path? Utterly不堪一击 (invincible to a single blow)!"
Zhuge Wushuang clapped his hands and shouted coldly, then walked back to stand behind Xiao Yunlong.
The more than thirty soldiers of the Eastern Region Great Camp present, including Captain Pan, all widened their eyes in disbelief.
"So... so strong, this guy is truly so strong!"
"He actually took down all six Fusang ronin warriors in just one move. He's incredibly powerful, perhaps even stronger than our commander!"
Some soldiers exclaimed from below.
Zhuge Wushuang's expression remained calm. For generals of their caliber, this was nothing worth boasting about.
Xiao Yunlong still had his hands behind his back, looking down at the few Fusang warriors, and asked indifferently, "Do you have anything else to say now?"
The ronin warrior leader staggered to his feet with difficulty, gritting his teeth, "As the saying goes, the victor is king and the vanquished are bandits. We naturally have nothing to say. However, as Captain Pan just said, although we are not as skilled as you, we do not represent Fusang martial arts. So even if you win, it does not prove that your Longguo martial arts are superior!"
Xiao Yunlong chuckled and said, "You're not wrong. You few low-tier trash are not qualified to discuss our Longguo martial arts!"
"Your Longguo has a good saying, 'Green mountains remain, and the clear waters flow on.' We shall meet again. Let's go!"
The Fusang ronin warrior leader shouted coldly, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
"Stop right there. Did I say you could leave?" Xiao Yunlong suddenly roared.
The ronin warrior leader halted and asked, "Does Your Excellency have any further instructions?"
Xiao Yunlong stared at them and said word by word, "I said last night that I would give you until morning to leave the Eastern Region Great Camp before dawn, or face death without mercy. You should remember that, right?"
The faces of the few Fusang ronin warriors finally changed. The leader gritted his teeth and said, "Your Excellency did say that, but Captain Pan and I had an agreement for a spar, so..."
"Your agreement is your business. You could have sparred outside the camp, but regrettably, you did not take my words to heart!"
"We know we were wrong. We'll leave now and never return to the Eastern Region Great Camp. Is that acceptable?" the ronin warrior leader quickly said.
Xiao Yunlong slowly shook his head and sneered, "This is Longguo, the Eastern Region Great Camp, not your Fusang. You can't just say you were wrong and expect to get away with it. The rules of the Eastern Region Great Camp must not be broken, and the orders I issue cannot be defied. Since you have defied them, you shall leave your lives behind!"
The Fusang warrior leader's face instantly darkened, and he gritted his teeth, "Does Your Excellency intend to kill us? Aren't you afraid of provoking a war between nations? You probably cannot bear the consequences. So, be wise and let us leave quickly. Don't blame me for not warning you beforehand."
"Provoke a war between nations?"
Xiao Yunlong smiled, then suddenly said sternly, "I can tell you now that I will not only kill all six of you, but I will also hang your dog heads on the flagpole of the Eastern Region Great Camp's training ground, so that all the Fusang ronin warriors here can see the consequences of defying orders!"
"At the same time, I want to see if Fusang dares to declare war because of this!"
"You..." The Fusang warrior leader finally panicked, his lips beginning to tremble.
"Kill them! Chop off their dog heads and hang them on the flagpole ahead!" Xiao Yunlong commanded in a deep voice.
At his command, Zhuge Wushuang and Tu Fu behind him, as well as Tang Bowen and Jun Bufan, moved. The four masters rushed forward.
In just a brief encounter, the six Fusang ronin warriors were killed.
Tu Fu drew the samurai sword of the Fusang ronin warrior leader and raised it with both hands, about to strike.
Xiao Yunlong saw this and shouted, "Tu Fu, stand down. You all stand down!"
Although the White Tiger General Tu Fu was puzzled, he immediately sheathed his sword and retreated without a word. Zhuge Wushuang and the other two also retreated to the side.
Xiao Yunlong then turned to Captain Pan and asked, "What is your name?"
By this time, Captain Pan and the others were already scared stiff. They were born in a peaceful era, and the eastern region of Longguo had been relatively peaceful in recent years. They had never witnessed such a bloody scene, where six people were killed so readily.
However, as a young officer, Captain Pan quickly recovered upon hearing the question and cupped his fists, saying, "My name is Pan Chaofeng!"
"Pan Chaofeng, that's a good name."
Xiao Yunlong smiled slightly, pointed at the bodies on the ground, and asked sternly, "You tell me, was I right to kill them?"
Pan Chaofeng was quite surprised, likely not expecting such a question. He subconsciously turned to look at Zhuge Yabi.
Zhuge Yabi had no choice but to say, "Since Mr. Xiao is asking you, answer as you truly feel. Remember, do not lie against your conscience!"
Pan Chaofeng cleared his throat and then said, "Alright, since Commander Zhuge has said so, I have nothing to fear. At worst, I'll be dismissed from my post. Today is so satisfying, I will speak my true feelings!"
He paused here, then continued, "Honestly, for the past few years, whether it was these Fusang ronin warriors or those from various walks of life, they could freely enter and exit the Eastern Region Great Camp, making the entire camp chaotic. I've long found it displeasing, and I've reported my objections several times, but to no avail!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yunlong immediately asked, "Since you found them displeasing long ago, why did you agree to spar with them?"
Pan Chaofeng gave a wry smile and said, "I had no choice. As you all can see, regular drills are almost no longer conducted in the entire Eastern Region Great Camp. Everyone has become lax. I, however, do not want myself and my thirty-odd subordinates to live in idleness. I happened to see that these Fusang ronin warriors had decent skills, so I proposed a spar for training, to stimulate our fighting spirit. We have nothing to say if we lose in the end."
"That reason is acceptable!"
Xiao Yunlong nodded slightly, then suddenly shouted, "Pan Chaofeng, I want you and your subordinates to pick up your sabers and decapitate these six Fusang ronin warriors, then hang their heads on the flagpole ahead. Do you dare to do it?"
"What is there to be afraid of? At worst, we'll be reprimanded by the higher-ups, and at worst, we'll be kicked out. I've long wanted to leave this Eastern Region Great Camp!"
Pan Chaofeng gritted his teeth and snorted, then directly stepped forward, picked up the samurai sword that Tu Fu had dropped, and swung it down, severing the head of the ronin warrior leader.
"Everyone, take action! We'll face whatever comes!" Several other soldiers also shouted coldly and stepped forward, raising their samurai swords and hacking down.
Soon, the six heads were hoisted high on the flagpole ahead, looking somewhat ferocious and glaring under the scorching sun. It was believed that this incident would quickly spread like a whirlwind and shock the entire Eastern Region Great Camp.
Xiao Yunlong nodded with satisfaction. He could tell that Pan Chaofeng and his subordinates were not faking it, as courage and mettle are hard to fake.
"You all are very good, especially you, Pan Chaofeng. For the next period, if you encounter any trouble, remember to find me!"
Xiao Yunlong patted Pan Chaofeng's shoulder, then turned and left, with Zhuge Wushuang and the others following closely.
Pan Chaofeng and the surrounding thirty-odd soldiers stood in place, gazing blankly at Xiao Yunlong's receding back. If not for the six ferocious and glaring heads still hanging on the flagpole in the distance, they would have thought it was a dream.
"Who exactly is this guy named Xiao? He killed six Fusang ronin warriors just like that."
"I remember now. Last night at the Eastern Region Great Hotel, it was probably him who killed Wu Ziming and detained a bunch of second-generation rich kids. This guy is truly brave!"
"Right, Captain Pan, do you know Mr. Xiao's background?"
The soldiers couldn't help but ask one after another.
Pan Chaofeng shook his head and sighed, "I don't know either. But I think his identity is not simple. I can feel that he possesses a sharp, majestic, and overbearing aura. I've seen this kind of aura on the old Eastern King before!"
Speaking of the old Eastern King, Pan Chaofeng let out another sigh of helplessness.
Zhuge Yabi, who had already walked some distance away, suddenly ran back and said to Pan Chaofeng, "You must be aware of the current situation in our Eastern Region Great Camp. There are high-ranking officials who are friendly with these Fusang ronin warriors, otherwise, they wouldn't be so brazen. Remember, if you encounter trouble in the future, you must find Mr. Xiao. He is currently staying in the courtyard villa at the foot of the mountain!"
Pan Chaofeng couldn't help but ask, "If the higher-ups really blame us and make us take the fall, can this Mr. Xiao protect us?"
Zhuge Yabi nodded, "I'm not at liberty to tell you Mr. Xiao's identity for now, but one thing I can tell you is that since Mr. Xiao has made a promise to you, even if the old Eastern King wanted to kill you, he could still protect you!"
Hiss...
Upon hearing this, Pan Chaofeng and the others gasped, and everyone was undoubtedly even more shocked and curious.
"Mr. Xiao saw you as a talented individual, which is why he stepped forward. Perhaps this is an opportunity for you. Remember this!"
After speaking, Zhuge Yabi turned and quickened her pace to catch up with Xiao Yunlong and the others not far away.
As expected, the news of the six Fusang ronin warriors' heads being hung on the flagpole quickly swept through the entire Eastern Region Great Camp like a tornado.
The entire camp was alarmed for a time. However, when people learned that the person who beheaded the six Fusang warriors was that guy named Xiao, they all fell silent. After all, he was someone who dared to kill Deputy Commander Wu Ziming. There were probably not many people in the entire Eastern Region Great Camp who dared to step forward.
At this moment, when the news reached the Grand Commander's office, Grand Commander Wang Kezheng was just admiring the golden ginkgo trees in the courtyard.
Standing behind the Grand Commander was a sturdy middle-aged man. If Xiao Yunlong were present at this moment, he would definitely recognize this middle-aged man as Zhang Quanche, the third deputy commander of the Eastern Region Great Camp!
Zhang Quanche, who had seen that the situation was not good at Nanshaoshi Mountain that day and had secretly instigated the martial arts讨伐大会 (punitive expedition assembly), had quietly left Nanshaoshi Mountain and returned directly to the Eastern Region Great Camp.
Originally, Zhang Quanche thought that Xiao Yunlong would not dare to come to the Eastern Region Great Camp. Who knew that he would come directly. He was instantly dumbfounded, especially when he heard that Xiao Yunlong had openly killed Deputy Commander Wu Ziming last night. He was so scared that his soul was scattered.
Finally, to save his life, Zhang Quanche had to rush to the Grand Commander's office to seek protection.
When Grand Commander Wang Kezheng heard the entire story, he agreed without a word. Zhang Quanche had spent the night at the Grand Commander's residence.
"I never thought that this Xiao Yunlong would actually dare to openly behead those Fusang ronin warriors. He is indeed a ruthless person."
Grand Commander Wang Kezheng looked up at the golden ginkgo trees and smiled faintly, then suddenly curled his lips and said, "However, there is an ancient saying in our Longguo: 'Heaven wishes to destroy a man, it first makes him mad.' The more mad this guy named Xiao is, the closer he is to death."
Zhang Quanche was still somewhat fearful and couldn't help but say, "That damned guy named Xiao is indeed crazy. Grand Commander, if he finds out I'm at your residence, he might not let me off easily."
Wang Kezheng coldly snorted and said, "What are you panicking about? This is the Grand Commander's residence. Does that guy named Xiao dare to rush in and ask me for people? As long as you stay here honestly during this time, I will guarantee your safety!"
"Good, with the Grand Commander vouching for me, I can finally be a little relieved!"
Zhang Quanche breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, "By the way, Grand Commander, didn't you say that Commander Wu Si would make a move today? Why is there no movement yet?"
Wang Kezheng sneered and said contemptuously, "This Wu Shengyong fellow is truly brave but foolish. He knew that guy named Xiao's identity, yet he still sent him a letter, trying to get that guy named Xiao to hand over the culprit and break his own arm. What a joke!"
Zhang Quanche said in a deep voice, "Indeed, it's a joke. That damned guy named Xiao was once the King of Zhenbei, a figure of some standing. To think that a mere letter could make him hand over the culprit and break his own arm. Wu Shengyong really thinks highly of himself!"
Even Zhang Quanche couldn't help but shake his head.
Grand Commander Wang Kezheng sighed and thought to himself, "It seems that Wu Shengyong still cannot make up his mind, or lacks the courage. If that's the case, then I can only add fuel to the fire and secretly lend him a helping hand!"
After speaking, Wang Kezheng walked into the study with his hands behind his back, like a little old man. He then wrote a line of text on a piece of white paper on the desk.
"Send this paper back to the Prince's mansion!" Wang Kezheng said faintly after putting down his pen.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed in the study. Before anyone could clearly see what was happening, the paper on the desk had vanished into thin air.
"This grand play should finally begin now, shouldn't it!" Wang Kezheng sat in his armchair, stroking his beard, and chuckled leisurely.