"Sir, we didn’t fight the bandits, so we haven’t earned any merits. There’s no need to commend us."

Below the Commanding Platform, Li Cong forced a smile, beads of sweat glistening on his temples in the morning glow.

Beside him, Zhang Yue’s expression was as dark as deep water. His right hand had already stealthily moved to the hilt of his saber, his knuckles white from the pressure.

Both were seasoned officials and could already smell the danger in the air, yet they still clung to a sliver of unrealistic hope.

"No. These deeds must be recounted."

Chen Sheng’s voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "However, the deeds we are recounting today are the ’great accomplishments’ you have all amassed over the years—colluding with powerful clans, tormenting the people, and conspiring with bandits for personal gain!"

His words struck like a clap of thunder, and an uproar instantly erupted across the training grounds.

The officers whose names had been called stared at one another in dismay. Some instinctively took a step back, others reached for their weapons, but most simply turned deathly pale, their lips trembling uncontrollably.

The commotion spread through the ranks of soldiers like ripples—a rising tide of whispers, gasps, and the clang of weapons.

"Commander Chen, there must be some mistake!" a Centurion whose name was called cried out, his voice trembling.

"Weren’t we supposed to be commended for our merits? How..."

"A mistake?"

Chen Sheng scoffed, a cold, bone-chilling sound that made everyone present shiver. He raised a hand and gestured, his movement unhurried yet filled with a heart-stopping authority.

Cheng Yanhua understood immediately and barked, "Bring them up!"

In response, eight personal guards carried out four heavy sandalwood chests, placing them before the Commanding Platform with a THUD. The moment the lids were thrown open, mountain-like piles of scrolls and documents were revealed, their old yellowed paper glowing in the morning light.

Chen Sheng casually picked up the topmost scroll. With a flick of his wrist, it unfurled with a WHOOSH, revealing densely packed characters.

"Third month of Mingjing, year four. Zhang Yue secretly allowed water bandits to pass through his territory, accepting a bribe of five hundred taels of silver."

"Twelfth month of Mingjing, year five. Li Cong allowed his subordinates to forcibly seize civilian farmland, driving three farmers to their deaths."

"Seventh month of Mingjing, year seven. Zhao Shen colluded with merchants to illegally sell military grain..."

He read each charge, one by one. His voice wasn’t loud, but every word reached the ears of everyone present.

With every crime he read aloud, a few more faces in the crowd below turned deathly pale.

"And this," he said, "is just the tip of the iceberg."

Chen Sheng threw the scroll to the ground, his gaze sweeping across the assembly like a razor’s edge. "Your deeds over the years—plaguing the countryside, colluding with bandits—are too numerous to count! If any of you feel you have been wronged, by all means, step forward. We can debate the matter clearly, right here, in front of the entire army."

The training ground fell into a dead silence. Even the morning birds seemed to have been stilled by the moment.

Suddenly, with a THUD, a Centurion whose name had been called dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Spare me, Sir! I was forced into it by Commander Zhang!"

His kneeling was like the opening of a floodgate, as pleas for mercy erupted one after another: 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Have mercy, Commander! Spare my life, and it is yours to command!"

"I am willing to give up my entire family fortune, I only beg for you to be lenient, Sir!"

Zhang Yue and Li Cong exchanged a look, and each saw in the other’s eyes the ferocity that comes from desperation.

They knew that today, there was no escape.

SHIIING—

Two long sabers, gleaming with cold light, were drawn simultaneously, their tips pointed straight at the Commanding Platform.

"Brothers!"

Zhang Yue roared until his voice was hoarse, "Chen Sheng is acting on false orders from the County Captain! He means to slaughter us all! Follow me and kill this villain! We’ll go to the County Magistrate and demand justice!"

Li Cong also raised his arm and bellowed, "We can’t just sit here and wait to be slaughtered! Brothers from East City and South City! He’s killing us now, but you’ll be next! If you want to live, follow me and kill this traitor!"

Spurred on by the two men, a vicious light flashed in the eyes of the terrified officers, and the soldiers of the Southeast Two Camps grew restless. The sound of sabers being drawn and armor clanking filled the air, and the tension on the training ground became thick enough to cut with a knife.

Chen Sheng’s cold, stern gaze swept across the grounds.

He took a slow step forward. Just one step, yet it was enough to instantly silence the clamoring field.

"Today, only the ringleaders will die. Their followers will be spared."

His voice, like the clash of Cold Iron, echoed in the morning light. "Those who dare rebel—will have their clans exterminated!"

Those two words carried a bone-piercing chill, making many of the restless soldiers shudder.

"Fire!"

The instant the order was given, the archers stationed around the Commanding Platform, long in wait, let loose a volley.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH—

A rain of arrows, dense as a swarm of locusts, tore through the air.

The unarmored officers fell in droves, their screams and wails of agony echoing across the training ground.

Blood quickly stained the high platform, giving it a strange sheen in the morning sun.

Zhang Yue and Li Cong’s eyes burned with fury. They knew there was no turning back.

"Kill Chen Sheng."

Zhang Yue bellowed, the bones and sinews of his body popping as he leaped into the air, his long saber cleaving through the air as he brought it down upon the Commanding Platform.

This strike contained all of his strength. The wind from the blade howled with the force of a thunderbolt, and a piercing chill preceded its arrival. Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, the saber stopped dead just an inch from Chen Sheng, unable to advance further, as if it had struck an invisible wall.

The body of the saber trembled violently, letting out a mournful hum.

"The Marrow Transformation Realm?!"

Zhang Yue’s face paled, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He knew this was bad and scrambled to pull back his saber and retreat, but it was too late.

Chen Sheng reached out with one hand. The movement seemed slow but was as fast as lightning. An immense Force erupted from him, and the air cracked with a sonic boom.

CRACK!

The long saber, forged from refined steel, shattered into a thousand pieces.

In the next moment, a hand like an iron vise closed around Zhang Yue’s throat. The overflowing Force bound him like chains as Chen Sheng lifted him clean off the ground, his legs kicking feebly in the air.

"Pathetically weak."

Chen Sheng’s tone was dismissive as he focused the Force in his grip.

SNAP—

The crisp sound of a breaking neck was clearly audible.

The terror had yet to fade from Zhang Yue’s eyes when his last breath left him. Chen Sheng tossed his body off the platform like a sack of grain, where it landed with a dusty thud.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Everyone was stunned into silence by this display of absolute power.

Seeing how things were turning, Li Cong turned to flee. But he had only taken two steps when his vision blurred and a dark, ghostly figure appeared before him—

SQUELCH!

A withered hand pierced straight through his chest, crushing the still-beating heart within.

Li Cong struggled to look down at the bloody hand sticking out of his chest. His lips trembled a few times, but he collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with a mixture of terror and bitter resentment.

So this was the terrifying might of the Marrow Transformation Realm!

Cheng Yanhua and Wang Yue looked at each other in utter horror. They knew Chen Sheng had been appointed Grand Commander, but they never imagined he had already broken through to the Marrow Transformation Realm.

Zhang Yue and Li Cong were both experts in the Bone Forging realm, well-known figures in the Martial Arts Realm of Changshan County. Yet before Chen Sheng, they were as helpless as ants.

What was even more terrifying was that Chen Sheng had another Marrow Transformation expert hidden by his side.

The Man in Black Robes, who had been standing silently in the shadows—his methods were vicious, his power unfathomable. The mere thought of him sent a chill down the spine.

Amid his shock, Cheng Yanhua felt a secret sense of relief. ’Since I’ve already offered my Pledge of Loyalty, the stronger Chen Sheng is, the more secure my position will be.’

He stealthily wiped away a bead of cold sweat, grateful he had made the right choice.

A chill ran down Wang Yue’s spine. ’If I hadn’t bowed my head yesterday,’ he thought, ’I’d be another corpse lying in a pool of blood right now.’ He looked at the absurdly young face on the platform, and his heart filled with a profound sense of awe.

On the Commanding Platform, Chen Sheng dusted off his sleeves as if he had just swatted a pair of flies. He scanned the crowd, now silent as a winter’s night, and his calm voice, laced with unquestionable authority, rang out:

"Continue."

————