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Early morning the next day.
The rumbling of hooves shattered Chang’an Mansion’s tranquility. The residence immediately came to life, and Chang’an Mansion’s master, Chen Zhangtian, emerged wearing a purple gold hat and beautiful clothes. His figure was ramrod straight, an austere presence. His children and the servants in the mansion came and knelt respectfully to welcome the imperial edict.
Supervisor Yin unfurled the edict and announced in a resounding voice: “Chang’an Mansion, Chen Mo is to hear this edict!”
Chen Mo advanced and knelt. “Chen Mo is present!”
Supervisor Yin glanced at Chen Mo and clearly spoke: “The esteemed Emperor Tang grants Chen Mo, tanhua of the Divine Warrior Examination, the rank of General Of Chariots And Cavalry. Chen Mo is to be conferred one sword and to be bestowed Grade One medicine, fifty thousand liang of gold, one hundred thousand liang of silver, ten thousand bolts of silk…”
Other than the dazzling lineup of rewards, Supervisory Yin also said: “In response to the chaos and sudden changes in Nan Jiang, Chen Mo is hereby instated as General Of Chariots And Cavalry of the Southern Suppression Force with the highest authority as per this missive. To prevent further changes in the situation, General Chen Mo is to immediately head out to the Southern Suppression Force within 3 days after receiving this missive. Delays are not to be tolerated. That is all!
“Chen Mo accepts the decree, long live His Imperial Majesty!”
Chen Mo’s voice was low, taking the imperial edict with both hands.
Supervisor Yin said: “General Chen Mo, Nan Jiang is currently in disorder. This is the perfect time for General Chen Mo to establish heroic exploits for this dynasty. His Imperial Majesty holds very high expectations of you and asks that General Chen Mo promptly depart. Fifty thousand troops are already on the outskirts awaiting the general’s dispatch!”
“Your Humble Servant obeys.” Chen Mo answered. “However, Your Humble Servant still must make preparations and asks that Supervisor wait a moment.”
“We ask that Lord General make preparations with all due haste.” Supervisor Yin said.
Waiting until after Chen Mo accepted the decree, Chang’an Mansion’s people and servants finally dared to rise. Chen Mo walked before his father, Chen Zhangtian, and respectfully saluted. Chen Zhangtian said: “His Imperial Majesty has conferred upon you the position of General of Nan Jiang. Do not fail to live up to His Imperial Majesty’s expectations and establish meritorious military service for this dynasty.”
“As you command.”
Chen Luan wanted to say something but hesitated.
After Supervisor Yin left Chang’an Mansion, Chen Luan finally said indignantly: “Father, Emperor Tang made Brother Mo go to Nan Jiang. It is plainly obvious he wants to exploit Nan Jiang’s gu arts to harm Brother Mo.”
“Yes, Nan Jiang is dangerous. Since ancient times, it’s been unbelievably hellish.” Chen Lin was also worried sick. All of the Great Chong Dynasty’s past generals that were dispatched to Nan Jiang had all lost their lives without exception. Emperor Tang’s maneuver clearly was borrowing someone else’s knife to kill another. “And to immediately dispatch Chen Mo, this is basically not giving Little Brother any chance.”
“Mo’er, what do you think?” Chen Zhangtian indifferently asked.
Chen Mo naturally smiled: “Your Son naturally is not afraid of trifling Nan Jiang.”
“A man of character should learn from the midst of danger to be able to stand out from the rest.” Chen Zhangtian nodded, very satisfied with Chen Mo’s self-confident manner.
“I’ll go help Brother Mo.” Chen Luan stubbornly said.
“Elder Sister, you can’t go. This is my own mission. If you go, you’ll instead turn Chang’an Mansion into a laughingstock.” Chen Mo immediately stopped Chen Luan’s good intentions. He could shrug off being made a joke, but he did not want to implicate Chen Luan. Since Emperor Tang planned to exploit gu, then he would just have to oblige him.
“En, you must also pay special attention to your self-cultivation. Mo’er, you are already Sixth Layer Lesser Thunder Tribulation, are you not.” Chen Zhangtian lowered his voice.
“Your Son does not dare hide this. Your Son has already entered First Layer Greater Thunder Tribulation, God Transformation Realm.” Chen Mo cupped his fist.
“What??”
Chen Luan and the others were astonished.
“Chen Mo, y-y-you’re…God Transformation Realm.” Chen Lin was flabbergasted.
Chen Luan grabbed Chen Mo’s wrist and gently pressed. Her expression became one of delight. Indeed, she sensed that the magic energy in Chen Mo’s body was filled to the brim, already surpassing Lesser Thunder Tribulation.
“Brother Mo, how are you so fast?” Chen Luan said in disbelief.
“Yeah, this really is too quick. Jiang Yanyu was called the Great Chong’s number one genius, and she only just entered Sixth Layer Lesser Thunder Tribulation not too long ago.” Chen Luan swallowed. If it was not for seeing it himself, he would not have dared to believe this even if he died. A cultivator was able to break through from Three Flowers Gathered Overhead to First Layer Greater Thunder Tribulation in just a few months. This speed was unprecedented.
“Chen Mo, just what kind of miracle did you encounter, to actually be able to cultivate so quickly.” Chen Lin enviously said.
“Hmph, you truly are a disgrace as an older brother.” Chen Luan snorted.
“I must also go out gain personal experience.”
Chen Zhangtian said: “Enough. SInce you already entered God Transformation Realm, you must have plans to cultivate a sword chant, correct? The Zhangtian Pavilion actually has several ancient sword chants.”
“Your Son wants to create a new sword chant.” Chen Mo had the “Without Ultimate Primordial Dual Modes Four Symbols Sword,” so he naturally held no interest for other sword chants. However, the Star Mansion Stone for the Four Symbols Sword was too rare. He wondered if the Zhangtian Pavilion had any stashed away.
“Then do as you see fit. You can now come and go as you please in the Zhangtian Pavilion. Take what you want yourself.” Chen Zhangtian was still expressionless, apparently indifferent to Chen Mo’s abnormal increase in realm. “Go prepare. You must report to the Southern Suppression Camp in three days.”
“As you command.”
Chen Mo went to the Zhangtian Pavilion, with his elder sister beside him, asking: “If you go to Nan Jiang, taking Nianyou won’t be too convenient. Why not let Big Sister help you look after her for now.”
“I’ll take Nianyou there together.” Ever since Zhongli Mo left, Nianyou was closest to him. Chen Mo did not want to let her feel lonely. Should that day come when Nianyou must also leave, he definitely would regret not spending enough time together with her now.
Chen Luan saw that Chen Mo had made his decision, and she did not say anything more. “Brother Mo, you said you would create your own sword chant. If you require any help, you can ask Big Sis. I also created my own sword chant, so I have more experience than you.”
…
Two days later, Nan Jiang’s Rivernest City,1 the closest settlement within ten li of the Southern Suppression Camp.
Chen Mo was in no rush to go to the camp. Rather, he first went to Rivernest, which was closest to Southern Suppression Camp’s garrison to first understand the most recent circumstances of the camp and Nan Jiang.
Rivernest City was close to Nan Jiang,2 and it was classified as a city in the style of a minority ethnic group. The moisture in the city was very saturated, and the city possessed many strange stone walls. Different tribes dressed in the attire of minority groups were visible up and down the street.
Chen Mo first took Nianyou to a restaurant; places like these were the best to gather information.
Dressed in a black skirt, the delicate Nianyou instantly drew the several dozen gazes in the restaurant. A waiter came over to greet them: “Dear Customer, what would you like to order?”
“What does this place have?” Chen MO leisurely asked.
“This shop’s Old Style Sour Fish is a must, fished fresh from the Green River.”
“Very well then, and some side dishes, too.”
“Dear Customer, I see that you aren’t from here.” The waiter suddenly lowered his voice.
“I came here to take care of some business.”
“Then you must be careful.” The waiter hinted to Nianyou beside Chen Mo.
Chen Mo smiled: “The Southern Suppression Camp of the Great Chong Dynasty’s Eight Great camps is here. Don’t tell me this place is in a state of lawlessness?”
When he mentioned the Southern Suppression Camp, the waiter’s expression clearly showed disgust. “Dear Customer, there are things you aren’t aware of. The soldiers of this Southern Suppression Camp don’t have a good reputation at all in our town.”
“What’s going on?” Chen Mo’s interest was piqued.
This region of Nan Jiang abided the customs of the Ancient Miao. A girl was eligible for marriage once she was twelve, and some of the soldiers had been stationed at the Southern Suppression Camp for a long time. Over time, they developed vile attractions to immature girls.3 This was strictly forbidden in the Great Chong Dynasty, but no one cared in Nan Jiang. Some soldiers would often force themselves onto a girl, stirring up complaints from the commoners. Their daughters did not dare appear in public.
Chen Mo’s heart turned cold. “Does the local official ignore this?”
“Those Southern Suppression Camp soldiers and the official are in cahoots. There basically isn’t anyone who cares.” The waiter twitched his mouth. “The troops and cultivators of the Southern Suppression Camp are high level, who dares to mind them. This city once had a sect master’s daughter nearly be taken by those soldiers. Afterwards, that sect also left this city.”
The Great Chong Dynasty named its Eight Great camps according to locations and directions. The troops in the camps were mostly the Great Chong Dynasty’s most outstanding cultivators and warriors. The average Jianghu sect would not dare provoke them.
Chen Mo did not expect such nasty affairs to actually occur in this remote location of Nan Jiang.
Before, he was not interested at all in the Great camp at Nan Jiang. He was purely in the mood to think of countermeasures, but now, he must properly rectify the situation.
“How have the circumstances been most recently for Nan Jiang’s Ancient Miao? Do you know?” Chen Mo asked: “I heard that the Ancient Miao’s eight villages are in chaos?”
“I heard about it. They say that Great King Mulu of the Eight Receptions Village was killed, and a new Star General appeared to compete for King of Nan Jiang. But no one is willing to concede. They’re currently in a stalemate.” Rivernest had many Ancient Miao merchants, and the matter of a new Star General appearing was very difficult to conceal. When the waiter mentioned that Great King Mulu was slain, his expressions was still in a bit disbelief. From his perspective, Star Generals were exceptional, such that even the Great Chong Dynasty was unwilling to provoke their ire. Thus, Nan Jiang was always outside of Great Chong Dynasty’s legal jurisdiction.
The Southern Suppression Camp only dared to stand guard; it did not dare attack.
“But I heard information from the troops. That whatever White Clothed Tanhua from Chang’an’s Divine Warrior Examination seems to be coming on a mission. His Imperial Majesty has apparently dispatched him to attack Nan Jiang.” The waiter said.
“Do you think he has a chance of succeeding?” Chen Mo asked.
“Dear Customer is joking. If even Supreme General Yu Huaizheng4 does not dare set foot in Nan Jiang, what can this White Clothed Tanhua do.” The waiter thought this was funny: “I think he’s just some aristocratic young lord come to half-ass his military service.”
As Chen Mo chatted with him, at this time, the five soldiers wearing the uniform of the Southern Suppression Camp walked in. Those soldiers had somewhat evil expressions as they sat down at a table in the main hall. They set down their weapons and hollered in very harsh voices: “Hurry and bring the wine and meat.”
“Yes, Your Servant shall do so promptly.” The waiter hastily and meekly responded, “Dear Customer, I see that this little one is delicate and adorable, you must worry for her.” The waiter said in a hushed voice as he left, his eyes somewhat fearful.
Chen Mo narrowed his eyes. Most likely, it was these soldiers that the waiter mentioned who were the degenerates fond of little girls.
That table of soldiers did not notice Chen Mo was present as they leisurely chatted away.
“I heard that the Divine Warrior Examination’s tanhua is coming to our camp. Why did His Imperial Majety instate him as whatever Supreme General of Nan Jiang, ha, ha.”
“He’s someone sent to die without realizing the enormity of Heaven and Earth.”
“As if Nan Jiang can be suppressed by a tanhua.”
“Brothers, we must be cheerful right now. If we get selected to go on the Nan Jiang expedition, then we will suffer.”
“This Old Man ain’t going with him.”
The soldiers seemed to range from Three Flowers Gathered Overhead to First Layer Lesser Thunder Tribulation in cultivation. Their bodies flaunted their official power, and one First Layer Thunder Tribulation among them appeared to be of high ranking status.
Chen Mo listened to their conversation, his brow secretly furrowing tight. This Southern Suppression Camp was even more rotten than he thought to be so frightened of the Nan Jiang’s Ancient Miao.
“Dear Customer, the Old Style Sour Fish you ordered.”
Chen Mo’s side dishes very quickly arrived as well.
The Old Style Sour Fish was created using freshly caught local mandarin fish, steamed with fresh seasonings and marinated in vinegar. It used a steaming technique from ancient times, bringing out its aroma. Little Nianyou smelled the aroma and started smacking her lips. On their rush the past couple days, neither of them had eaten well. Chen Mo smiled and used his chopsticks to grab a piece of fish, “Nianyou, I’ll feed you.”
Nianyou sat against Chen Mo’s chest and obediently opened her mouth, gracefully chewing.
The other table of soldiers heard activity and subconsciously looked towards Chen Mo. When they saw Nianyou’s galaxy-like beauty, they could not help but show stunned expressions, their conversation coming to an abrupt end.
Chen Mo sensed evil gazes behind him, and his lips curled into a sneer.
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