Connections

Chen Busha was an old acquaintance.

From within the ranks of the Golden Feather Guards, Chen Busha took a step forward. His dark armor clanked, the overlapping plates producing a dull, solemn sound of martial readiness.

Stopping three paces in front of Gu Chengyin, he bowed in a crisp and decisive motion:

"Golden Feather Guard Chen Busha, Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm!"

His voice was rich and deep, like the beating of war drums, echoing loudly across the empty drill ground:

"By the order of Her Highness, I have brought my troops to participate in the escort and inspection! The hundred elite Golden Feather Guards under my command have all entered the Dao at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Their armor is uniform, their blades and bows are ready, and they are prepared to fight at any moment!"

After speaking, he and the several dark-armored soldiers behind him dropped to one knee in perfect unison, pressing their right fists against their hearts. This was the highest military salute of the Golden Feather Guards when meeting their commander.

At the same time, a chilling and brutal killing intent suddenly erupted from these hundred Golden Feather Guards.

It was not an intentionally flaunted pressure, but an iron-blooded aura naturally settled in their bones after truly experiencing the slaughter of the battlefield and bathing in blood and the fires of war.

The killing intent condensed without dispersing, gathering into a formidable momentum. Like a physical cold wind sweeping across the field, it made all the martial artists and cultivators present feel a chill on their necks and a shiver down their spines.

This undoubtedly gave Gu Chengyin an immense amount of face.

After all, Chen Busha was genuinely one of the strongest in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

His combat prowess was far beyond what ordinary cultivators, who possessed empty realms without actual combat experience, could compare to.

Gu Chengyin immediately stepped forward, reached out to hold Chen Busha's arms, and personally helped him up.

Then, turning to the crowd, he announced loudly:

"General Chen guarded the northern borders in his early years, fighting bloody battles and establishing illustrious military merits for Great Luo!"

"Now, guarding the Crown Princess's palace, he is conscientious, loyal, and unparalleled in bravery!"

"This sect inspection is full of unpredictable dangers, yet General Chen generously accepted the order, personally leading a hundred elites to accompany us. This absolute loyalty and courageous spirit truly make him a role model for our generation!"

"With General Chen and the brave warriors of the Golden Feather Guards traveling with us, my heart is completely at ease. This journey will surely be a success!"

These words were not only a compliment to Chen Busha but also an affirmation of the entire Golden Feather Guard. They were spoken with deep sincerity and resounding force.

Chen Busha had given him face, so naturally, he had to give Chen Busha plenty of face in return.

And these hundred elite Golden Feather Guards were the most core and trustworthy force of this inspection team.

Originating from the Crown Princess's palace, they took orders directly from Luo Zhao and were highly bound to Gu Chengyin's interests. Their loyalty was far beyond that of the collaborators sent by other factions.

First, there was the Golden Core cultivator Lin Qingyan holding the fort to intimidate others, and now there was a fierce general like Chen Busha taking the field to back him up.

No matter what hidden motives the personnel sent by other parties harbored, they dared not cause any trouble at this moment.

The atmosphere in the field immediately livened up, and the look of awe in the eyes of the crowd toward Gu Chengyin deepened a bit more.

Next was the Imperial Household Department.

The Imperial Household Department had sent twelve eunuchs and six female officials, totaling eighteen people.

These people behaved respectfully, keeping their eyes lowered submissively, but the faint spiritual energy fluctuations around them were quite solid.

Every single eunuch was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment or above, and their auras were steady and experienced, definitely not novices, while the female officials were only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

After all, the Imperial Household Department was Gu Chengyin's home base. Now holding the nominal title of Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department and backed by Luo Zhao, there naturally wouldn't be any dead weight.

Gu Chengyin's gaze swept over these eighteen people. After a brief ponder, he immediately waved his large hand:

"The six female officials will be assigned to serve under my little aunt."

"There will be many inconveniences on this journey, so female officials are needed to attend to her and manage trivial matters."

This sounded high-sounding and dignified, but in reality, everyone understood.

They couldn't let Lord Jingzhe personally handle every trivial matter, could they?

There had to be people to run errands, serve tea and water, and manage daily living arrangements.

Upon hearing this, the six female officials immediately bowed to Lin Qingyan and said in unison, "We will obey Chief Steward Gu's orders and are willing to serve Lord Jingzhe."

Lin Qingyan nodded slightly, accepting them.

As for the Ministry of War, only two military officers came.

The leader was a rough-looking general with a full beard. He stepped forward, cupped his fists, and spoke with a voice like a booming bell:

"Ministry of War Director Zhao Tieshan greets Lord Gu!"

With that, he took out a scroll wrapped in bright yellow silk and stamped with the seal of the Ministry of War from his chest, offering it with both hands:

"This is the mobilization order from the Ministry of War! With this order, the local garrisons in the commanderies and cities Lord Gu passes through on this journey must obey your commands, dispatching troops to escort and ensure the absolute safety of the inspection team!"

Gu Chengyin took the mobilization order, unrolled it for a quick glance, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

This was much more practical than having experts accompany them. The garrisons in the cities along the way were all well-trained regular troops.

Having them visibly guard the team would not only boost their prestige but also deter any scoundrels.

Gu Chengyin handed the mobilization order to Chen Busha beside him:

"General Chen, you shall hold this order. I will trouble you to coordinate and arrange the handovers with the local garrisons along the way."

Chen Busha took it solemnly and said in a deep voice, "This general receives the order!"

At this point, Chen Busha was already standing beside Gu Chengyin. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, jointly facing the representatives from other factions who came forward to pay their respects.

Aside from Lin Qingyan, Gu Chengyin's trust in Chen Busha was also extremely high.

Chen Busha had a straightforward personality, and bringing him out to establish merits this time was far better than having him cooped up in the Crown Princess's palace acting as a security guard.

Therefore, the already good relationship between the two advanced by leaps and bounds, becoming incredibly familiar.

When the representative from the Censorate stepped forward, Gu Chengyin was taken aback.

It was actually Wang Gangfeng, whom he had dealt with before.

Wang Gangfeng walked up to Gu Chengyin, cupped his hands in greeting, and spoke in a businesslike tone:

"Junior Preceptor Gu, on behalf of my colleagues at the Censorate, I greet you. For this sect inspection, we will have to trouble you to take care of the coordination."

Gu Chengyin returned the greeting politely, "I wouldn't dare. It is an immense honor to have Lord Wang here in person."

"I just wonder what kind of arrangements the Censorate has made for this trip?"

Wang Gangfeng looked solemn. He took out a document from his sleeve, unrolled it, and read:

"For this sect inspection by the Ministry of Rites, in order to save the imperial court's expenses and avoid duplicate deployments."

"The Censorate has decided: to travel alongside the Ministry of Rites' inspection team, we are dispatching six censors and twenty clerks and civil officials to conduct rotational handovers with the stationed censors in the various commanderies and cities along the way."

"Wang Gangfeng will be the leader of the Censorate's accompanying team."

Gu Chengyin blinked, confirming once again:

"All civil officials?"

Wang Gangfeng nodded, "All civil officials."

Gu Chengyin pressed on, "No guards?"

Wang Gangfeng said with a straight face, "With Junior Preceptor Gu's inspection team providing comprehensive protection, why would the Censorate need to dispatch additional guards? This is to save resources for the country and avoid redundant personnel."

Gu Chengyin's mouth twitched.

Good heavens!

The Censorate was obviously here to freeload off him!

Sending twenty-six civil officials along without contributing a single soldier, entirely relying on his inspection team for protection.

The sound of this scheming abacus could be heard even outside the walls of the Divine Capital.

But looking at Wang Gangfeng's righteous face, Gu Chengyin's lips moved, and he finally nodded, saying:

"Alright, I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Lord Wang."

Seeing Gu Chengyin looking as if he had suffered a huge loss, a rare trace of a smile appeared on Wang Gangfeng's usually stern face.

He took half a step forward, lowered his voice, and said:

"Junior Preceptor Gu, although the Censorate did not dispatch any guards, I will personally accompany you to the sects."

Gu Chengyin blinked, not quite grasping the meaning behind those words.

What use would an Imperial Censor be on this trip?

The Censorate's duty was to supervise the civil and military officials. Could their jurisdiction possibly extend to the immortal cultivation sects?

Sensing Gu Chengyin's confusion, Wang Gangfeng continued,

"There is something Junior Preceptor Gu might not know. Aside from serving as officials in the imperial court, many from our humble-born faction have also joined the major cultivation sects."

"So..."

Gu Chengyin instantly understood.

What Wang Gangfeng was bringing to the table was the vast network of the humble-born faction.

Gu Chengyin immediately cupped his hands and spoke in a clear, ringing voice to Wang Gangfeng,

"The Censorate serves the nation and its people, keeping a watchful eye over the realm. It is truly a pillar of the imperial court!"

"Naturally, I will do my utmost to ensure the safety of Lord Wang and our fellow colleagues. This is my bounden duty, and I am honor-bound to fulfill it!"

Wang Gangfeng said no more. He returned the salute by cupping his hands, then turned and retreated back into the ranks.

Just as Gu Chengyin was about to receive the next person, suddenly...

A burst of loud commotion erupted from the entrance on the far side of the martial drill ground.