Take Matters into One's Own Hands

Heated discussions spread throughout Qinghe Town, with many people feeling the profound relief of having survived a catastrophe. Even though no one knew why Miss Chen had suddenly shown mercy, they all let out a long breath of relief.

They assumed that a major event must have occurred in Ye City to cause such an important figure to leave so hastily. Regardless, it was a stroke of good luck for Qinghe Town.

However, little did they know that hundreds of miles away, the Black Armored Army had ridden non-stop, arriving at Ye City in less than half a day. Dismounting in front of the City Lord's Manor and seeing the familiar gates of her home, Chen Yuxin also let out a long sigh of relief.

Her feeling of having narrowly escaped death was even more pronounced than that of the residents of Qinghe Town!

Only upon returning to Ye City did she truly feel alive again, as if she had just stepped back from the gates of hell. Recalling what she had witnessed in Qinghe Town, it was utterly terrifying. The scenes were still vivid in her mind, leaving her unwilling to linger outside for a moment longer.

Tossing her riding crop to a servant, Chen Yuxin hurriedly stepped through the manor gates.

She had walked through this sprawling, multi-courtyard mansion countless times since childhood, but never with such hurried steps. Along the way, the servants and maids greeted her repeatedly, but she paid them no mind.

By the time she stepped into the main hall, Chen Yuxin was already drenched in sweat.

Seeing her father seated in the position of honor, she finally seemed to relax a fraction and hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Father!"

From the main seat, Chen Cangyun of Ye City stroked his beard with a smile. Taking in the fine beads of sweat on his daughter's forehead, he nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, very good."

"You departed for Qinghe Town and have returned before dusk. Your swift and decisive actions truly mirror my own demeanor from my younger days. Even as a daughter, taking charge of Ye City in the future will not be a difficult task for you."

Looking at his daughter's valiant yet hurried appearance, Chen Cangyun felt immensely pleased.

His name was renowned throughout the region, and his only regret in life was not having a son. However, seeing his daughter grow increasingly capable in recent years—proving herself no less competent than the scions of other major clans—had finally brought him great comfort in his old age.

Traveling all the way to Qinghe Town to conscript soldiers was no easy task. It was bound to be met with numerous obstacles and tangled in local sentiments and loyalties. Had an ordinary person been sent, managing to recruit even a thousand men would have been a challenge.

Let alone returning successfully in less than a day.

From this alone, it was clear that his daughter truly possessed the aura of a conqueror.

Watching his daughter bow respectfully, Chen Cangyun's eyes shone with indescribable satisfaction. He slowly picked up his teacup, feeling a great sense of relief wash over him.

However.

Hearing her father's rare praise, Chen Yuxin only bowed lower. Her eyes revealed fear and trepidation as she replied.

"Reporting to Father..."

"I failed to complete the heavy task of conscripting soldiers. Please forgive me, Father."

Failed?

Hearing this, Chen Cangyun stiffened. He set down his teacup in confusion, a hint of disappointment and anger flashing in his eyes.

He studied her closely for a moment.

His daughter kept her head bowed in greeting, appearing extremely nervous. She had never displayed such a demeanor before, nor was there any precedent for her failing a mission right out of the gate. All these signs pointed to something highly unusual.

Chen Cangyun did not immediately reprimand her. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and asked,

"What exactly happened?"

"No one knows a daughter better than her father. You have never been one to drag your feet, much less return in failure. A trivial matter like conscription should not have been a difficult task for you. How could you have failed?"

"Could it be that the lowly commoners of Qinghe Town learned of Ye City's impending war and decided to use the opportunity to rebel?"

His deep, resonant voice only made Chen Yuxin turn even paler.

She could clearly hear the disappointment in her father's tone. She also knew that her failure would severely impact the upcoming war, and such a disgraceful blunder that hindered their plans should never have happened...

However, when she recalled what she had witnessed in Qinghe Town, everything else paled in comparison!

She hastily replied, her tone a hundred times more solemn!

"Father!"

"My failure on this trip was not due to any interference from Qinghe Town, but because I encountered an outsider!"

Chen Cangyun's eyes widened in surprise, and his voice grew several degrees colder.

"An outsider?"

"A mere individual actually managed to stop you?!"

Chen Yuxin braced herself and spoke, her tone revealing an extraordinary amount of awe.

"Please forgive me, Father."

"That person is by no means ordinary. His mere aura paralyzed me completely. Even now, just thinking about it fills my heart with absolute terror."

"I consider myself fairly worldly, but I have never encountered such a terrifying aura. That crushing sense of oppression stripped me of any courage to resist. Even your suppressive aura, Father..."

Towards the end, Chen Yuxin paused. After a brief hesitation, she gritted her teeth and blurted out the rest, no longer caring about preserving her father's pride.

"Even you cannot begin to compare to that person!"

"I suspect that person is an existence at the Martial Emperor realm!"

Whoosh!

Chen Cangyun jerked his head up in shock, his pupils visibly trembling.

All of a sudden.

He fell completely silent, his heart churning like turbulent waves.

A Martial Emperor...

That was a legendary existence! With a mere wave of their hand, they could cleave mountains and shatter stones. The wrath of a Martial Emperor was enough to obliterate a prosperous metropolis, reducing vast armies to mere dust!

Others might not understand, but as a peak Martial King, Chen Cangyun was acutely aware of how terrifying a Martial Emperor truly was. He might seem only a single step away from that realm, but the actual gap was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth.

To think that such a mighty figure was in the tiny Qinghe Town!

The revelation was simply too shocking. Even after several breaths of stunned silence, Chen Cangyun found it hard to believe. Staring intently at his daughter, he demanded once more,

"Are you absolutely certain that person is a Martial Emperor?!"

Chen Yuxin hastily replied, truthfully recounting everything she had seen and heard.

"I speak the truth, Father!"

"Untalented as I am, I have still stepped into the Martial Spirit realm. Yet before that person, I couldn't even withstand his suppressive aura. I was paralyzed, like a mere ant..."

"Forgive my insolence, but such imposing might is something even you cannot match. If this person is not a legendary Martial Emperor, then I truly do not know how else to explain it!"

"My failure to conscript troops this time was truly a matter of being powerless to intervene. I beg for your forgiveness, Father."

Her nervous plea for forgiveness echoed softly through the main hall, making the atmosphere increasingly heavy and oppressive.

However, upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Chen Cangyun's eyes, and a look of sheer excitement gradually spread across his face.

"A Martial Emperor..."

"If that is the case, then this person is undoubtedly a Martial Emperor!"

"To think that such a transcendent expert resides in the tiny Qinghe Town! This is truly a heaven-sent opportunity! With a powerhouse like that, your failure to conscript soldiers is completely insignificant. The fact that you returned in time to report this to me is a massive accomplishment in itself!"

She had clearly failed her conscription mission.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, it had turned into a massive accomplishment?

Hearing this, Chen Yuxin looked up in surprise, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

She was a highly intelligent woman.

After just a few breaths of contemplation, she grasped the underlying meaning in her father's eyes and asked tentatively in astonishment,

"Father?"

"Are you suggesting that we invite this Martial Emperor to aid us in battle?"

Chen Cangyun nodded slowly. He stood up, clasping his hands behind his back, a domineering aura radiating from his face.

"Exactly."

"A Martial Emperor living in seclusion in Qinghe Town is a stroke of immense fortune for Ye City. As long as we can persuade this mighty expert to assist us, victory in the upcoming war will be absolutely assured. Even sweeping across and conquering the neighboring cities would be effortless!"

"We must not delay. Prepare a lavish gift immediately. I shall personally travel to Qinghe Town to pay my respects to this mighty expert!"

Hearing his grand declaration, Chen Yuxin was jolted to her senses. She was awestruck by her father's brilliant foresight, yet felt a lingering anxiety over her own previous actions. She quickly detailed everything she had witnessed in Qinghe Town, terrified that her prior behavior might cause her father's endeavor to fail.

As she recounted the events, the reverence in her eyes only grew deeper.

After hearing the full account, Chen Cangyun confidently stroked his beard and waved his hand in a composed, authoritative manner.

"It is of no concern."

"Since this expert was not angered, there is still a chance to salvage the situation. Your father is, after all, at the peak of the Martial King realm. If I personally pay him a visit to demonstrate our sincerity, my standing should carry some weight."

"And if he truly is a mighty Martial Emperor, what shame is there in a father and daughter visiting his door to offer our apologies?"

Hearing these words, Chen Yuxin finally breathed a sigh of relief. With her father personally stepping in, they would surely be able to win over this expert. The thought of the tremendous assistance Ye City was about to receive filled the young lady with renewed enthusiasm. She quickly voiced her agreement and hurried off to personally prepare the gifts.

The night grew darker.

Yet, the entire City Lord's Estate suddenly bustled with activity, brimming with a long-absent sense of excitement and anticipation.