The Demon Lords-Chapter 733 - 155: Meeting_2

In this new life, every day was a bonus, so naturally, he should live freely. One could strive for goals, enjoying the sense of security and achievement in the process, but there was truly no need to excessively compromise oneself. Often, it wasn't that Zheng Fan, the Blind Man, or the other Demon Kings were keen on rebelling; rather, their true nature was unwilling to yield or conform.

Zheng Fan was somewhat puzzled. Had he been kneeling for too long?

As Zheng Fan slightly raised his head and looked up, Tian Wujing spoke, "You've worked hard."

"To die for the Lord! To die for Yan!"

General Zheng had always been a man who pursued details and a refined lifestyle, evident even in the carvings on his cigarette case. At this moment, the order of allegiance in his oath—to his Lord first, then to Yan—also mattered. Ever since adopting the young lord as his godson and taking in that child, his small enterprise was now completely bound to Lord Jingnan.

Tian Wujing dismounted from his Pixiu and walked over to Zheng Fan.

"How are your injuries?"

"Replying to the Lord, it's just a minor injury, nothing serious."

As he said this, Zheng Fan made a show of trying to stand. His body swayed, and then, trembling, he braced himself with a hand on the ground and knelt down again.

"HISS... AH..."

He opened his mouth, his lips quivering slightly, then forced a smile. "I'm really fine, Lord..." he managed to say.

"Sigh." Tian Wujing sighed. Clad in armor, he squatted down in front of Zheng Fan.

"Uh..." Zheng Fan was somewhat bewildered.

A playful smile touched the corners of Tian Wujing's mouth. Zheng Fan looked a little sheepish.

Everything was understood without words.

At this moment, a staff officer from the Jingnan Army rode up, saluting Tian Wujing from horseback. "Lord, this subordinate was preparing to execute the wild people, but..."

Saying this, the officer then looked at Zheng Fan and continued, "But General Shengle said not to kill these wild people prisoners yet."

Taking no prisoners was Lord Jingnan's military order. Throughout the Three Jin, no one yet dared to defy his will.

Tian Wujing looked at Zheng Fan. "You want them?"

Zheng Fan licked his lips. "Lord, these are such good slaves, all strong and robust. It's letting them off too easily to just kill them. The Lord is aware of the situation in my Shengle City; the workshops and mines are all short of labor. It would be better to let these wild people toil under the whip for the rest of their lives, laboring until death, to make a greater contribution to our Jingnan Army and our Great Yan."

Others dared not defy Lord Jingnan's military order, but he, Zheng Fan, did. This time, outside the city, at least nearly twenty thousand wild people prisoners had been captured. Using these prisoners for labor in the workshops or to mine in the ore veins Xue Three and the Blind Man had found in the Skybreak Mountains—wouldn't that be more advantageous?

Tian Wujing nodded. "As you wish."

"Thank you, Lord."

Tian Wujing then ordered, "Order Chen Yang to clear and take stock of the battlefield."

"Yes, Lord." The staff officer departed to relay the command.

Tian Wujing turned his gaze back to Zheng Fan. "Do you need the Lord to help you up?"

"How could I dare? How could I dare?" Zheng Fan stood up promptly and smoothly.

Tian Wujing also rose, gestured towards the city, and asked, "Is there still grain in the city?"

"Yes, yes! We've been frugal, trying to make our supplies last as long as possible, thinking every moment we held out counted. I never expected the Lord to descend like a divine host and crush the wild people so quickly! There's still a good amount of grain stored in the city. Lord, please wait, the men's meals will be ready soon."

Saying this, Zheng Fan turned sideways, gesturing for Tian Wujing to enter the city with him first.

The soldiers would eat soldiers' fare, and the commanders would eat commanders' fare. Anyway, they weren't short of food for now, and the war was over. The people of Cheng State might not eat their fill, but the Yan Army definitely wouldn't go hungry.

Tian Wujing walked into Snow Sea Fortress. This magnificent pass was once the glory of the Jin people's ancestors. When this formidable fortress was first established, the Emperor Jin of that generation had personally led his civil and military officials here to conduct a grand imperial ceremony. It was not held on the summit of a famous mountain, nor on the banks of a great river, but within Snow Sea Fortress itself, which clearly showed the deep reverence the Jin people held for this strategic pass. At that time, the Xia Dynasty had long been destroyed. However, the Emperor Jin of that era still used this ceremony to, in a way, report to the "Xia emperor," signifying the great achievement of the Yu clan, whose generations of pioneering efforts finally culminated in driving out the wild people and bringing glory to the Three Jin!

Now, Tian Wujing, as a Lord of Yan State, had arrived here, and this city now flew the Black Dragon flag of Yan.

It truly made one sigh at how seas can turn into mulberry fields, how times change.

Tian Wujing walked in front. Zheng Fan followed half a step behind him. No armored soldiers accompanied them. For one, the subordinates on both sides understood that these two had things to discuss. For another, the battle was now over, and there was no major crisis. Even if there were assassins, with Lord Jingnan's strength... TCH...

"Speak."

"Yes, Lord."

Zheng Fan began to recount to Lord Jingnan, blow by blow, what had happened after he led his army across the Wang River and deep into enemy territory. Of course, in his telling, he naturally employed some artful misdirection.

For example, the one who had commanded the army, using a clever deception to lure the wild people into an encirclement, and then launched a surprise attack to capture Snow Sea Fortress, was not the Zombie, but General Zheng.

For example, the design of the trebuchets was not Xue Three's, but also his, General Zheng's.

For example, during the defense of the city, the one who led the men of sacrifice to plug breaches everywhere was not Fanli, but still him, General Zheng!

Tian Wujing listened silently, his expression unchanging.

It felt like a student who had completed his own work and then brought it to his teacher for evaluation.