Zhou Mengyan’s gaze suddenly turned razor-sharp.
Like two drawn blades.
He fixed his eyes on Generals Zhao and Qian.
“You two—what an utterly audacious pair of dogs!”
“I, the Grand Commander, have never treated you unfairly. And this is how you repay me?”
Generals Zhao and Qian had still been racking their brains over how to deal with Shen Moyan when Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan suddenly threw those words at them. They stared at each other, completely bewildered.
Only after a long moment did they speak.
“Grand Commander, what do you mean?”
“That’s right, Grand Commander. We have always been utterly loyal to you!”
Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan let out a cold laugh. “At a time like this, you still have the nerve to put on an act? Very well, very well. People with treacherous hearts truly are extraordinary. No ordinary person could ever imitate such composure.”
As he spoke, Zhou Mengyan unfolded the two letters in his hands and said, “These are letters Ren Tianye wrote to the two of you. His words are earnest, and he praises you both to the skies.”
“The letters even state that once Ren Tianye begins attacking the Yangtze defense line, the two of you will serve as his inside men, aiding his rebellion. And furthermore…”
“You promised Ren Tianye that you would deliberately leave loopholes everywhere along the Yangtze naval defenses, allowing him to break through with ease!”
“You two…”
Zhou Mengyan suppressed the urge to spit blood. “You truly are my finest generals!”
Only then did Generals Zhao and Qian’s expressions change drastically. At last, they understood why Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan had looked at them that way moments earlier.
The ridiculous part was that they had been eagerly trying to curry favor with him, each wearing a broad smile.
Damn it—hadn’t they just confirmed their own guilt of treason?
In their panic, Generals Zhao and Qian dropped to their knees and frantically protested.
“Grand Commander, it’s a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! We don’t even know Ren Tianye. How could we possibly have pledged ourselves to him?”
“That’s right, Grand Commander, please investigate thoroughly! Our loyalty to you can be witnessed by Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon themselves. Please see the truth and restore our good names!”
…
The two generals swore with earth-shaking fervor, looking as though they would never stop until they convinced Zhou Mengyan. But the instant they finished speaking, Ruan Fei opened her mouth.
“Brother Mengyan, what they’re saying isn’t right.”
“If they were truly loyal, they would never have betrayed Madam and come over to you in the first place.”
“Little Fei may not understand military affairs or the human heart, but even I can see that these two are wolves with ambitions.”
“If they could abandon Madam for you, then naturally they could abandon you for Ren Tianye.”
As she spoke, Ruan Fei pointed at them. “These two are bad people!”
“Bad people deserve to be punished!”
Generals Zhao and Qian were terrified.
After all, they knew all too well what position Ruan Fei held in Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan’s heart. They immediately tried to defend themselves, but Zhou Mengyan had already swept out a hand and shouted, “Guards!”
“Present!”
A personal guard entered the tent.
Zhou Mengyan looked coldly at Generals Zhao and Qian, as though he were looking at two dead men, and ordered icily, “Drag these two out and execute them by beheading!”
“And proclaim it to everyone. Let all know what fate awaits those who betray me!”
“Yes!”
The guards obeyed at once, seizing Generals Zhao and Qian by the arms. The two men grew even more terrified.
What was this?
They had worked themselves to the bone these past few days, making painstaking arrangements along the Yangtze to relieve Zhou Mengyan’s burden and hold back Ren Tianye. They had truly exhausted every effort.
And now…
They were to die over a completely inexplicable letter?
Because of a pretty boy’s accusation?
Because Ruan Fei had backed him up?
They had even offered countless blessings for Grand Commander Zhou Mengyan and Ruan Fei’s love before this. And this was the ending they received in return?
They struggled desperately and shouted:
“Grand Commander, we haven’t betrayed you!”
“Grand Commander, spare our lives!”
…
Although their shouts were loud and their struggles fierce, they could not shake Zhou Mengyan’s resolve in the slightest.
Unwillingly, they were dragged outside.
Before long, a personal guard returned to report, “Reporting to the Grand Commander, Generals Zhao and Qian have been executed at the central camp gate. Their heads have been hung from the flagpoles as a warning to all!”
Zhou Mengyan nodded. Only then did some of the anger in his heart dissipate. His expression, however, remained cold. Ruan Fei immediately offered him both emotional and physical comfort.
She nestled into Zhou Mengyan’s arms like a sweet little bird and said softly, “Brother Mengyan, those two were truly detestable. Killing them was the right decision. It’s equivalent to severing one of Ren Tianye’s arms.”
“From now on, defending the Yangtze defense line will be much easier for you, Brother Mengyan, and dealing with Ren Tianye will be simpler as well.”
“Ren Tianye wants to cross the Yangtze? He can dream on!”
Ruan Fei truly was Zhou Mengyan’s most considerate companion. In a single sentence, she had touched upon the matter he cared about most. The frost on Zhou Mengyan’s face melted a little further, and even a warm smile appeared.
He nodded. “That’s right. Nothing is more important than stopping Ren Tianye.”
After a pause, he smiled and said, “Speaking of which, Little Fei, you deserve the greatest credit for this. If you hadn’t recommended him, I never would have been able to use a talent like Shen Moyan to obtain such important intelligence.”
“Tell me, Little Fei. What reward do you want?”
Ruan Fei immediately replied, “Brother Mengyan, being able to stay by your side and occasionally offer you useful advice is already enough to satisfy Little Fei.”
“Little Fei is different from Madam.”
“My greatest wish is simply to stay with you, Brother Mengyan. I have no desire for power.”
Those words made Zhou Mengyan feel even more comfortable. He said, “How can a meritorious person go unrewarded?”
“Wouldn’t that make it seem as though the rules of my army mean nothing?”
“Very well. With those two dogs, Zhao and Qian, dead, there are positions left vacant. You will take over as Naval Commandant. From now on, you need only follow my orders and govern the navy alongside me!”
Ruan Fei was overjoyed. She hurriedly said, “Brother Mengyan, you’re so good to me. Don’t worry—wherever we are and whenever it may be, Little Fei will obey your orders.”
The two of them chatted away enthusiastically. Below them, however, Shen Moyan was completely dumbfounded.
Wait a minute…
That achievement belonged to him!
He had risked his life to obtain that intelligence. How had all the credit ended up going to Ruan Fei?
All Ruan Fei had done was recommend him, and she had already become Naval Commandant?
What about him?
Shen Moyan grew anxious. He tried several times to speak, but could not find an opening.
Fortunately, Ruan Fei had not forgotten him. After she and Zhou Mengyan had spent quite some time on the tiger-backed chair doing who-knew-what, her face flushed red as she said, “Oh, Brother Mengyan, stop now.”
“We still haven’t rewarded General Shen Moyan!”
Only then did Zhou Mengyan cough lightly and say, “That’s right. General Shen Moyan has rendered outstanding service this time and deserves a reward. Very well…”
“General Shen Moyan will be promoted to Naval Commandant of a battalion. You will oversee the battalion’s daily training, patrols, and security, while also garrisoning the naval base!”
Shen Moyan’s head was still buzzing.
No, he risked his life to obtain that intelligence and was only made a Naval Commandant, while Ruan Fei got promoted to Naval Commander just for tossing out a casual suggestion?
Damn!
…
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
