Chen Mo sat in the first seat on the left.

The banquet had only about a dozen attendees; besides Chen Mo and his two companions, the rest were all Yang Minggui's people.

Below Chen Mo was Cui Shuang, opposite was Xu Mu, and Yang Minggui sat at the head.

As for Su Wen and Li Yunzhang, they were seated at the lowest end.

After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere gradually heated up, and whispers filled the air.

"I heard Commander Chen killed Liang Song's confidant Xu Jie in Yu State, dealt a heavy blow to Liang Song's prestige, and even escaped his encirclement. I truly admire that, come, let's have a drink," Cui Shuang smiled at the young man to his left and raised his glass.

"Just luck, just luck." Chen Mo smiled and shook his head. After clinking glasses with Cui Shuang, he said, "Made a fool of myself in front of Commander Cui."

"It's not luck; Commander Chen is being modest. You've been appointed as a commander by the Celestial Master, a position above mine, and I'm really envious," Cui Shuang said.

Cui Shuang was genuinely envious; he recalled the first time he met Chen Mo, the latter had to flatter him, and his skills were inferior.

But now, their skills were on par, and Chen Mo's position was even higher.

The changes were too drastic.

"I've heard the development under Commander Chen's rule is impressive, with the people living peacefully and contentedly. The city is bustling and lively, and this year's summer and autumn harvests have added a million bushels of grain, which makes me quite envious,"

Yang Minggui, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly raised his glass, his voice cutting through the music and reaching everyone's ears.

Chen Mo put down his glass: "Where did Marshal Yang hear that? There's no such thing as a million bushels, besides, it's all the people's grain."

"Is that so? From what I understand, Pingting County alone has over 350,000 acres of land, and even if only half is cultivated, the combined summer and autumn harvest would yield a million bushels." Yang Minggui took a sip of wine, looking as though he was well-informed.

"There is indeed 300,000 acres of land, but it's all inferior, and in this disaster year, the land is not fertile. The two seasons' harvests fall short of half the usual yield," Chen Mo replied.

At the same time, the music in the hall rose dramatically, becoming more and more melodious.

The dancing girls swayed their slender waists, drawing all the gazes towards them.

These dancers had all been abducted from various places by Yang Minggui, including the wives and daughters of county magistrates, concubines, and maids of rich merchants and soldiers. After some training, they were nearly perfect.

However, Yang Minggui seemed uninterested, as if tired of them, and slammed his cup down heavily, the base clashing with the table with a loud thud.

The music ceased in an instant, and the dance stopped.

Yang Minggui slowly walked down from the head, approaching Chen Mo's table, and said solemnly, "Yet you can't even produce fifty thousand coins in grain and money.

From what I know, your Fu Ze Restaurant is a goldmine, the city's commerce is thriving, and each soldier's monthly salary exceeds a thousand coins. Is this something else I'm mistaken about?"

With these words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly grew heavy.

Xu Mu stood up, gestured for the dancers to withdraw first.

Chen Mo held the lid of his teacup; with a thought, it could become a deadly weapon.

But he wasn't in a hurry; something about this felt off.

Chen Mo calmly replied, "Fu Ze Restaurant is the people's business, what it earns has nothing to do with me. As for the soldiers' pay, they risk their lives for me; it's what they deserve. I'm curious about the meaning behind Marshal Yang's words?"

"What they deserve, indeed." Yang Minggui laughed heartily, then swept aside the wine and food in front of Chen Mo, sat down, and said, "I guessed right; you think you're tough now."

"Clang——"

Cui Shuang beside him had already drawn his hand blade, eyeing Chen Mo, just waiting for Yang Minggui's command,

Yang Minggui picked up the wine jug in front of Cui Shuang, took a swig from the spout, and then said, "Don't think just because you're a commander, you can be on equal footing with me; you're not qualified."

Saying this, he snatched the cup from Chen Mo's hand, spat into it, then filled it with wine, placing it before Chen Mo, continuing,

"Originally, I planned to settle accounts with you after the Celestial King Hall was finished, but Military Advisor Xu pleaded on your behalf, asking me to give you a chance.

Luckily, this time when I invited you to the ceremony, you came..."

Yang Minggui chuckled twice, then continued, "I'll give you a chance: drink this cup, then provide me with a hundred thousand coins and grain, and I'll let bygones be bygones. Not only that, but I'll even take you as an adopted son."

"Commander Chen, the opportunity is right in front of you; you should seize it," Cui Shuang mocked.

The various other generals and leaders below also looked at Chen Mo with mocking expressions.

There was a spectacle to be seen.

"I am a commander appointed by the Celestial Master; Marshal Yang, aren't you afraid the Celestial Master will hold you accountable for this?" Chen Mo said.

"Accountable? Ha ha ha..." Yang Minggui stood up, laughed thrice, and then said, "A mere Sixth-Grade Martial Artist. Kill you and it's done; do you really think if I kill you, the Celestial Master would want my life in return? You are too naive."

Chen Mo furrowed his brow.

Seeing Chen Mo still unmoving, Yang Minggui rose and said, "So you don't appreciate the opportunity. Very well, before you die, let me show you what it means to be of the Upper Three Grades..."

As soon as he finished, a torrential innate spiritual qi surged forth from Yang Minggui's body, its overwhelming momentum forcing Cui Shuang to step back a little.

Yang Minggui's innate spiritual qi was yellow, being absorbed from the Earth Spirit Qi.

The surging innate qi partly flowed into the ground, partly drifted upwards.

Everyone looked up and noticed that there were four golden dragon heads at the four corners of the hall's roof.

All the drifting Earth Spirit Qi was devoured by these four golden dragon heads.

The next moment, the eyes of the four golden dragon heads glowed with golden light as if they had come to life, shooting out beams of golden light, intertwining into a golden array.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, the entire grand hall shook violently, tiles tumbled down, and something in the ground seemed to resonate with the array.

Outside the hall, cracks appeared on the bluestone ground, and the herbs planted around withered instantly as if the life was drained from them.

The water in the pond was instantly drained out.

The piled-up rocks forming a fake mountain also started to crack open.

"What's happening, an earthquake?"

Outside the Celestial King Hall, Li Yunzhang, who was jolted and saw the cracked palace walls, his pupils slightly shrank.

Inside the main hall, Yang Minggui's upper robe suddenly burst open.

Chen Mo noticed the numbers on Yang Minggui's forehead change from 868 to 869, and soon after rise to 870, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"What the hell?"

Though he couldn't figure out what was happening, Chen Mo knew he couldn't let Yang Minggui continue.

Just as he was about to make a move.

"Pfft..."

A blade pierced into flesh, and Yang Minggui, who was wildly laughing, spat a mouthful of blood, then seemed to be paused, his smile instantly faded.

He slowly turned around, but the blade in flesh stabbed a few inches deeper, making Yang Minggui's body shudder violently.

"Aah..." Yang Minggui let out a low roar, but the sound quickly ceased, as the blade pierced through his heart, protruding from his chest, the blade gleaming with crimson blood.

"Swish..."

The blade was drawn out, and Yang Minggui collapsed onto the ground, face down, blood gushing from the wound, he struggled to turn his head, seeing a scene he found hard to believe.

It was Xu Mu, holding a handkerchief, slowly wiping the blood from the blade.

"No... impossible, how could you break my innate qi." Yang Minggui, not yet fully dead, said with lingering lifeforce.

Xu Mu kicked Yang Minggui aside, standing in his former spot, as the Earth Vein Qi entered his body, Xu Mu was intoxicated, softly saying, "I told you I was Sixth Grade, did you really think I was just Sixth Grade? Naive!"

Yang Minggui's face turned ashen: "W-Why?"

"Who would build this Celestial King Hall for me without you?"

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