"I have guarded Hanyun Valley for five years. Not a single Barbarian has set foot past our nation's gate! Not one civilian in the borderlands of Hanyun Valley has been harmed, nor has there been any loss of property!

"And now, leading an army of eight hundred thousand, I stand guard at Hanyun Valley, and the Barbarian Military Guards have willingly retreated thirty miles!"

Chen Yang's eyes narrowed as he gazed toward the southwest, his expression distant.

Zhou Songquan lowered his head, his chest so tight he could barely breathe.

This was a king, a legend. A living legend!

At twenty-five, he had already achieved the highest honors of the Martial Department, a feat countless others could spend their entire lives chasing in vain. At twenty-seven, he rose to become the Nine Gates Admiral, granted the title of Zhennan Prince.

Eight hundred thousand brothers-in-arms, you have suffered.

The mortal world is like a tide. Alas, how many will return?

Ice seemed to creep into Zhou Songquan's limbs. He clenched his teeth, struggling to stand his ground.

"What gives you the right to call me 'useless'?" Chen Yang's voice was cold. "And what makes you think you're worthy of a promotion to seventh-rank Military General?"

BOOM!

Overwhelmed by the crushing force of Chen Yang's murderous aura, Zhou Songquan could hold on no longer. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

"You ignored your own sister's life and death for the sake of your future. How does someone like you deserve to remain in the Martial Department? How are you worthy of the general's python-embroidered robe you wear?"

Zhou Songquan's pupils dilated, and his teeth chattered. Is he going to strip me of my rank and cast me out?

"I... I..." Zhou Songquan tried to speak but couldn't form the words. He trembled, and cold sweat streamed down his face.

Beside them, Tang Jiren was terrified and inhaled sharply. These few sentences were enough to prove what a formidable man this was.

Zhou Songquan's fate was sealed.

All Tang Jiren could hope for now was that the Admiral would not implicate him. As a result, he was just as nervous as anyone else in the room.

Chen Yang paid Zhou Songquan no more mind, turning instead to face Sun Jing.

Already soul-shattered, Sun Jing began to tremble the moment he met Chen Yang's gaze. He slipped from his chair and collapsed onto the floor like a pile of sludge.

The Sun Family might be the top financial magnate in Qingqiu Dao, but what did that mean in front of a man like this? To put it bluntly, he could crush the Sun Family with a flick of his finger.

"Was it you who said that even the Zhennan Prince should be wary of the Sun Family?" Chen Yang asked indifferently.

Sun Jing was speechless.

"No, that's not it!" Sun Jing hastily tried to explain.

Chen Yang chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "No? Could it be that I misheard?"

In an instant, Sun Jing felt a terrifying aura bearing down on him, so oppressive he could hardly breathe. It was more than just killing intent. To be precise, it was an overwhelming presence—sharp, immense, and incredibly focused, as if it could shatter his very bones.

Too horrifying!

Sun Jing had always prided himself on his vast experience, believing he had seen all the wonders of the world and met countless dazzlingly brilliant talents. But compared to the man before him, they were nothing; the difference was like that between the clouds and the mud. Thinking back on his own arrogance, how utterly laughable it now seemed. It was nothing more than the baseless pride of a frog in a well.

As the saying goes, a general's success is built on a pile of bones. Anyone who could survive the crucible of war, no matter how young, was a true powerhouse.

HUFF... HUFF...

Gasping for air, Sun Jing began to kowtow desperately on the floor. "Spare me! Spare my life! I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong! I'll pay any price!"

"Don't be in such a hurry to admit your mistake, lest others think I'm using my power to bully you," Chen Yang said with a wave of his hand. "Your son runs amok, treating women like toys and violating them at will. As his father, surely you are aware of this, are you not?"

"Don't you plan to do anything about it?"

"I..." Sun Jing's face flushed crimson. How could he not know? He had simply chosen to turn a blind eye.

"As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be too. It seems you're that kind of father," Chen Yang said, shaking his head. "A family like this has no need to exist."

Sun Jing's body jolted as if struck by lightning, the words ringing like a death sentence. And indeed, with that one sentence, Chen Yang had condemned the entire Sun Family.

"No, please don't!" Sun Jing begged desperately. "My lord, I beg you, give us a chance to live! I swear, I'll never dare to do it again! Please!"

Chen Yang withdrew his gaze and ignored him, turning to give Zhou Jingyuan a small smile.

Zhou Jingyuan's face turned deathly pale. He spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered back, nearly falling to the ground. He had schemed so hard, even pushing his own granddaughter into a fiery pit, just to curry favor and help Zhou Songquan advance in the Martial Department. And what was the result? He had personally shoved away the Zhennan Prince, who had been delivered to his doorstep.

If he had agreed to let Chen Yang leave with Zhou Yufei, the Zhou Family would have gained a titled prince of the Martial Department as a son-in-law. That title alone, without any other effort, would have been enough for the Zhou Family to rise beyond Qingqiu Dao and establish itself in the Tianwu Country.

As long as the Zhennan Prince stood, the Zhou Family would endure. Even the top royal families of Cangyun City would have to treat them with caution.

However...

Does he regret it?

Of course, he regretted it. He regretted it so much his guts could turn green!

Unfortunately, there's no cure for regret in this world.

At this point, even if Chen Yang spared the Zhou Family for Zhou Yufei's sake, Zhou Songquan's fall from his pedestal was inevitable. The entire Zhou Family was destined for ruin.

A somber mood fell over the rest of the Zhou Family.

"No! You can't destroy Songquan! He's Yufei's older brother! How can you do this?!" Zhou Yingqiang's expression twisted as he screamed desperately. "You'll show mercy, won't you? We're family, after all!"

"Uncle, you have a very short memory. Have you already forgotten what you said earlier?" Chen Yang smiled warmly. "Besides, with your malicious intentions, I already have more than enough reason to execute you."

Zhou Yingqiang was left speechless.

Only then did Chen Yang turn to Tang Jiren, a smile on his face. "I remember you. We met last year. By the way, the people who cleaned up at the Martial Association yesterday, they were your men, right?"

"Yes, yes! It is my honor to serve the Nine Gates Admiral!"

Chen Yang gave a slight fist-and-palm salute. "My apologies for the trouble."

"Admiral, please don't say that! It was my duty and what I should have done!" Tang Jiren said, trembling with fear as cold sweat poured down his face.

"Let's get a drink together sometime," Chen Yang said, patting him on the shoulder. Then he suddenly added, "By the way, could I borrow a gun?"

"Of course!" Tang Jiren hastily agreed, drawing his service pistol and handing it to Chen Yang.

Gun in hand, Chen Yang walked back to Sun Hao. "Any last words?" he asked indifferently.

Sun Hao was speechless.

Chen Yang chambered a round. "No?"

"Please... I beg you..."

BANG!

Chen Yang fired, the bullet piercing Sun Hao's heart.

"For scum like you, who is worse than an animal, failing to kill you with my own hands would leave my rage unsated!"

「Meanwhile.」

In the far-off Elders' Court in Cangyun City, a document was being drafted, soon to be dispatched to Qingqiu Dao.

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