Chapter 111: The Origin of a Renowned General

Yu Dao’s eyes appeared somewhat moist. He took a deep breath, then discarded his Painted Dragon Halberd and stepped forward to meet Ye Xin.

Ye Xin embraced Yu Dao, patting his back heavily twice before letting go and sighing, “I’ve put you in a difficult position…”

“You flatter me, sir. This is what I ought to do,” Yu Dao replied with a smile.

“Come, let’s go talk over there,” Ye Xin said.

Yu Dao nodded subtly to Xue Baiqi and then followed Ye Xin’s side as they walked into the forest.

Their figures vanished, leaving Ye Ling, Wen Rong, and the others unable to regain their composure for a long time. Such a terrifying general—was he truly one of Ye Xin’s subordinates? This was as strange and unbelievable as witnessing Zhuang Buxiu’s death firsthand.

“Too terrifying…” Shen Miaoyou said softly. “If Ye Xin had already refined a lethal technique and slain Zhuang Buxiu with his own strength, I could accept that. But…”

Shen Miaoyou’s words resonated with Wen Rong and Shao Xue. Zhuang Buxiu was the pillar of the Great Summon Kingdom! Even during the peak of the Sirius Legion and the strongest era of the David Kingdom, no one could destroy him. Yet Ye Xin did!

Zhuang Buxiu appeared pitiful before Ye Xin, trapped in a situation without awareness. He was not foolish; countless battles had proven his capability. It was simply that Ye Xin’s cunning ran too deep!

Within the forest, Ye Xin and Yu Dao sat casually in the grass.

“Little Fish, I have to say, your performance far exceeded my expectations,” Ye Xin sighed again. “Only two years, and you’ve already become a commander of an entire army!”

“Without you, sir, I wouldn’t be here today,” Yu Dao shook his head slightly. “You entrusted me with twenty thousand spirit stones to manage things up and down; plus, I have some ability. If I still couldn’t rise above the rest, then I’d truly be hopeless!”

Yu Dao’s swift rise was not due to Zhuang Buxiu’s keen eye or his own strength. Before mastering his lethal technique, he already commanded a specialized force, but that was only a detachment until he held Lingding. After halting Wei Juan, the Great Summon King Jiang Neng reinforced him with a large number of troops.

The key lay in his network; twenty thousand spirit stones was no small amount. Yu Dao spent lavishly, forging ties with noble families and influential figures. Caring for his subordinates, almost no one in the Great Summon Kingdom who knew him spoke ill of him. To superiors, he was humble; to inferiors, approachable. Coupled with his outstanding abilities, his rise was inevitable.

To the kingdom’s heroes, Yu Dao was nearly a perfect warrior, and such perfection required enormous resources.

Yu Dao was deeply grateful because Ye Xin had handed over twenty thousand spirit stones without hesitation. But for Ye Xin, it was a matter of course—an investment, plain and simple. In his past life, he had made many investments; investing in a person was no different from investing in a project. Nothing extraordinary.

“Zhuang Buxiu and his men are dead. With only you left, will you face trouble when you return?” Ye Xin asked.

“No, I sensed the tide turning. I found a path and fought my way out. Besides, who would dare doubt me?” Yu Dao pulled out a jade token, tossing it in his hand. “Zhuang Buxiu handed me the command token of the Tiger-Head Army to temporarily lead them and hold Taishu Plain. But when I said I wanted to go with him, he forgot to take back the token. Haha… I knew then his heart was already unsettled.”

“Are you confident you can control the Tiger-Head Army?” Ye Xin asked again.

“If they don’t follow me, who else would they follow?” Yu Dao said calmly. “Join the Demon Army? Their pride won’t allow it. At least under my command, they’ll keep their organization. Joining the Demon Army means losing autonomy.”

“This situation… is extremely favorable for us!” Ye Xin smiled.

“In at most three months, I’ll integrate the Tiger-Head Army,” Yu Dao said. “Combined with my main force, even Xiao Mozhi will have to give me some respect!”

“Good!” Ye Xin nodded. “No time to waste. You must hurry back to Taishu Plain! I worry Xiao Mozhi might have retreated as well. With Zhuang Buxiu gone, he may harbor sinister intentions.”

“Sir, I have one more thing to report,” Yu Dao said.

“Oh? What is it?” Ye Xin was taken aback.

“I have already joined the Famous Generals,” Yu Dao’s voice grew low.

“You…” Ye Xin was stunned, silent for a long moment before shaking his head. “I told you to decide for yourself, but… you seem too impatient. Joining the Famous Generals might bring immediate benefits, but that organization is clearly meant to oppose the various monarchs. In the long run, it could prove more harmful than helpful.”

“I intended to refuse,” Yu Dao said, “but then I learned who founded the Famous Generals.”

He looked deeply into Ye Xin’s eyes. “There was no room for hesitation. Even if they rejected me, I would find a way to infiltrate.”

“Oh? Who founded the Famous Generals?” Ye Xin’s curiosity was piqued.

“Marshal Lang,” Yu Dao said deliberately, word by word.

For Ye Xin, this was like a bolt from the blue. He never dreamed that his biological father, Ye Guanhai, was connected to the mysterious Famous Generals—and was even its founder.

“You… what did you say?” Ye Xin could hardly believe his ears.

“It was Marshal Lang who founded the Famous Generals,” Yu Dao repeated.

Ye Xin stood stunned for a long, long while, then shook his head. “That doesn’t seem right… it doesn’t fit Father’s temperament…”

“In my view, this is precisely Marshal Lang’s style,” Yu Dao said. “You think he’s targeting the monarchs, but in reality, Marshal Lang’s true aim is at the sects!”

“Are you joking?” Ye Xin was once more dumbfounded. Such a thing was treasonous! Even with his confidence, he would never dare imagine this.

“Sir, do you know why within the nine duchies, all warriors with exceptional innate talent halt abruptly at the advanced peak stage? They train their entire lives but cannot break through the barrier; they watch themselves age with no progress,” Yu Dao explained.

“You know the reason?” Ye Xin’s eyes widened. This revelation shocked him deeply.

“Because they lack a certain medicine. This medicine allows the primal energy flowing through a warrior’s meridians to converge into a single thread, circulating endlessly. Achieving this state marks the true beginning of cultivation.”

“What medicine?” Ye Xin asked.

“It was originally called the Path-Confirming Pill, made from the Path-Confirming Flower,” Yu Dao said. “But the sects have changed its name to the Flower of Misfortune.”

Ye Xin felt as if a thunderclap exploded in his mind. Countless vague clues suddenly coalesced into a clear logical thread.

“Everyone knows the Flower of Misfortune contains extremely potent primal energy, but every warrior who attains it suffers a tragic fate. Over time, many warriors avoid it out of fear,” Yu Dao said. “In truth, those warriors were killed by the sects. They do not allow too many cultivators to appear in the world.”

“Why?” Ye Xin murmured, asking not only Yu Dao but himself, his mind racing to find a reasoned explanation.

“Take the Qingyuan Sect: it has barely over thirty true cultivators. As you say, sir, it’s a pyramid structure, with the sect leader at the top controlling all cultivation resources. Usually, he feeds himself until he can’t take another grain of rice, then distributes the leftovers below.”

“The cultivators below do the same, layer by layer. But resources are limited. The David Kingdom must pay sixty to seventy thousand spirit stones annually to Qingyuan Sect, which gathers about a hundred thousand spirit stones a year through its own ventures. Thirty or so cultivators share those hundred thousand spirit stones. Even the lowest among them live lavishly with boundless prospects.”

“But if there’s one more cultivator, they’d have to share the resources, so they reject new entrants.”

Ye Xin was momentarily speechless.

“The Path-Confirming Pill is the key to entering cultivation. Even the aged Han Sanmei could ascend to cultivator within a year after taking it. Tie Xinsheng, Wang Fang, Deng Zhiguo, and others had even greater chances,” Yu Dao said. “Moreover, anyone strong enough to reach the Pillar State qualifies to try. How many cultivators could the David Kingdom produce? Twenty? Thirty? Forty? Once cultivators arise, they won’t tolerate Qingyuan Sect monopolizing all resources. They will rebel, and battles among cultivators will erupt endlessly.”

“I see…” Ye Xin said softly, feeling his breath grow heavy.

“To enjoy eternal peace, the sects must monopolize all Path-Confirming Flowers—now called Flowers of Misfortune,” Yu Dao said. “The Grand Selection is just a show to offer faint hope. Those chosen remain outer disciples, never entering the sect’s core. Only when casualties or old age thin the ranks do opportunities arise to advance. Haha… that’s human nature! Before rising, they complain the sect favors inner disciples unfairly, but once they advance, they transform into resource guardians, wielding cruelty upon the world!”

“Who told you all this?” Ye Xin asked slowly.

“I didn’t know him at first, but after swearing a blood oath and joining the Famous Generals, I learned his true identity,” Yu Dao said. “His name is Zong Bieli. Originally a commander from the Great Chen Kingdom, he left for some reason and came to the David Kingdom. From what I know, he was the second commander to join the Famous Generals. Perhaps… he is the one who killed Marshal Lang.”

(To be continued.)

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