Astral Apostle

533 Trouble (1)

Zhou Jing returned to the house. Not long after, the doorman brought the three of them in.

“Greetings, Perfected One.” The three of them bowed respectfully.

“There’s no need to be so polite.”

Zhou Jing replied casually and sized up the three of them.

These three Imperial Court military officials were all tall and strong, obviously in their prime. At this moment, they were not wearing armor but ordinary clothes.

The white-clothed person in the lead was the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Court Army, Ma Zhen. Behind him were two other assisting generals. The one in green was Huang Ping, and the one in blue was Yuwen Yan.

This time, the Imperial Court’s army was the one setting off on the expedition, so they could not suffer any sort of loss. These three people were naturally capable to be recommended by Privy Pang, but they were the descendants of nobles and were also considered to have connections.

The three of them introduced themselves before taking seats under Zhou Jing’s invitation.

“His Majesty has personally appointed the three of us to lead the troops to suppress the bandits. I believe you know our intentions.”

Ma Zhen was unsmiling as he spoke in a deep voice.

Zhou Jing nodded and said calmly, “If I’m not wrong, General Ma is here to invite me to follow the army, right?”

“That’s right.” Ma Zhen cupped his fists solemnly. “The bandit leader, Chen Feng, is outstanding in martial arts. I hope you can help me. You and I should share the burden of the ruler and work hard for the country.”

“General Ma is worried about the country and the people. You’re really a loyal minister and general. It’s really the Imperial Court’s fortune.”

The other party’s words were so politically correct that Zhou Jing had nothing to reply. He could only smile and flatter him.

“Then what do you think, Perfected One?” Ma Zhen asked directly.

Zhou Jing casually flicked his horsetail whisk and said calmly, “His Majesty also has this intention, and he mentioned it to me early on. Although I haven’t fully recovered, I’m willing to contribute to the Imperial Court and help you break through the bandits.”

Ma Zhen’s eyes lit up as he said seriously, “With your help, I will definitely calm the chaos in the lake. I will take Chen Feng’s head and return to the capital to offer it to His Majesty to get rid of a thief for the Imperial Court. I will let the world see the outcome of the bandits and rebels and avenge you.”

Good luck. I have high hopes for you.

Zhou Jing smiled without saying anything.

After getting straight to the point and finalizing their intentions, the group chatted and got closer to each other.

Zhou Jing had a simple understanding of the three of them. Ma Zhen led the army all year round and had an old-fashioned and serious personality. He was used to having his word in the army and revealed a dignified aura that made people subconsciously not dare to approach him, but he had restrained himself in front of Zhou Jing out of respect.

On the other hand, Huang Ping was a taciturn person. He could not say a word in three sentences they exchanged. On the other hand, Yuwen Yan was more slippery and often spoke in a greasy tone. He liked to flatter people.

Zhou Jing realized that the three of them had something in common. Although their personalities were different, they more or less had the superiority and arrogance of aristocratic families.

However, this arrogance also depended on the person. Facing someone like him, they naturally controlled their temper and would not deliberately show it.

Zhou Jing reiterated his rules again. He did not want to commit too many killings and wanted to join the army meetings so he could listen to the important points and cooperate. Ma Zhen agreed readily.

After completing the goal of this trip, Ma Zhen and the other two stood up and bade farewell before leaving in satisfaction.

Zhou Jing took a sip of tea and watched the three of them leave. The corners of his mouth curled up.

In his opinion, these three high-spirited Imperial Court generals were three victims who were about to enter the tiger’s den. They were sacrificial offerings to be raised for Chen Feng.

…

Before the impact of the Heavenly King Stronghold’s defeat could be eliminated, the Imperial Court mobilized the elite troops from all over the world to attack Chen Feng. They claimed to have an army of 400,000 soldiers and set sail from several directions, causing another commotion in the world.

In the current Green Forest, the only one who could truly be called an overlord was Chen Feng from Huyang. The powerful stronghold chiefs from the other places were far inferior to him. The Dragon King Stronghold had already become a force in the Green Forest, attracting the attention of everyone.

As the Imperial Court’s troops continued to gather and approached Huyang step by step, the villagers fled in all directions. The nobles and officials entered the city to avoid the disaster. More and more people paid attention to the development of the situation, and rumors spread among the people.

Some people said that if the Imperial Court personally sent troops, they would definitely be able to easily eliminate the bandits. Some people said that Chen Feng was invincible, and this time would be no different from the past.

After learning that the Imperial Court was attacking, the Dragon King Stronghold also began to urgently prepare for battle.

It was now the 14th year of Xinghe, the period when summer and autumn changed.

Huyang, Yueshan Lake, Dragon King Stronghold.

Dark clouds covered the sky, and the wind was strong.

The ten thousand troops lined up. Be it the leader or the soldiers, all their gazes were on Chen Feng, who was on the high platform.

The Chief, Chen Feng, had personally instructed them to gather for a pep talk to rally the entire army.

Zhou Jing stood on the high platform and looked around at the countless faces.

He had already returned once and switched targets. Now that he was in Chen Feng’s body, he personally controlled him to do something big and officially announce the rebellion to the world.

Zhou Jing originally wanted to let the Dragon King Stronghold recuperate for a while more to familiarize themselves with the newly surrendered captives, but the Imperial Court directly sent an army to attack and take advantage of the situation. There was no time to recuperate.

Since the Imperial Court’s killing intent was so firm, then he might as well use this opportunity to make a fuss.

In any case, if they lost, everyone would definitely die. If they won, the Imperial Court would suffer heavy casualties and lose all face. In the eyes of ordinary people, there would be no chance of reconciliation… They might as well take this opportunity to openly rebel and completely oppose each other to raise the morale of the bandits.

The scene was quiet and filled with a stifling murderous aura. The only sound was the fluttering of the flags from the westerly wind.

Zhou Jing took a deep breath and circulated his strength to amplify his voice.

“The Imperial Court treats us as thorns in their flesh and can’t wait to kill me. Today, they sent 400,000 troops to suppress us. They’re known as the orthodox line of the heavens and want to destroy us, the rebels. How can we wait for death?”

Zhou Jing gave an opening speech. He observed everyone’s expressions and realized that they were nervous and angry.

He paused for a moment before continuing,

“The world is unfair. The court is filled with treacherous officials who are harming the public and benefiting themselves. Although they say that they are preserving the lives of the people, they are actually using harsh taxes to suck the blood of the people and plunder their fat. They are all used to support the ruling party’s extreme extravagance.

I know that most of my brothers are from poor families. You work for year after year, but your gains are only meager, and it’s difficult for you to store food. In a disaster year, your families will be destroyed in a matter of days. Most of the fruits of your labor will turn into brocade clothes on the bodies of high-ranking officials and landlords, as well as delicious food on the table. However, you can still only eat chaff and swallow bitter vegetables, wear ragged clothes, and continue to pray that the next year will be a good year for you to survive.

However, in the past few years, there have been disasters everywhere. The relief funds were swallowed up by the treacherous officials again and again. In the end, refugees were everywhere, and those starving became commonplace. The people were struggling to survive… However, did the nobles take another look? With the high wall and the red door, when did they care about your lives? In the disaster year, when was there not a day when their residence wasn’t filled with lanterns and decorations?”

Under the enhancement of his powerful strength, these words swept through the entire venue.

There were countless soldiers present, most of whom came from poor backgrounds. When they heard this, they could not help but recall the times when they were obedient to authority and were careful with the big shots. Their chests gradually heaved.

Zhou Jing’s gaze swept across his soldiers as he spoke in a deep voice,

“This group of treacherous officials, bullies, and nobles are like worms in our bones. They lie on the rivers and mountains and eat the marrow of tens of thousands of people. They obtain the benefits of stealing the country and even think that they’re superior to us. They hold power over us from generation to generation and seize our lives and desires.

This d*mned world has been so unfair for thousands of years… But why is it like this? Everyone has the same head and the same blood flowing in them. Why can they enjoy happiness for generations while we bumpkins can only struggle to survive for generations?”

No one answered. They only gritted their teeth and clenched their cheeks as they looked straight at him.

Zhou Jing exhaled and said,

“Even if one day, the land is fertile for thousands of miles, and the yield of an acre will increase by dozens of times, you will still only be able to leave behind a very small amount of what you have earned from your labor. No matter how much the harvest is, whether you can live a comfortable life will still be decided by the officials and nobles. If you don’t hand over enough, you will be punished according to the law. Those who submit can only dream of benefits falling from the sky. If they don’t pick up weapons, they will always be bullied. If I don’t teach them that when a man is angry, blood can splash everywhere, they will never treat you seriously… But how many can I kill alone?

Now, the Imperial Court wants to kill us as soon as possible. Since we’re already incompatible, we’ll rebel! Who cares about the nobles? Everyone only has one head. If they want us to die, we won’t let them live! They bullied your nobles and families and enjoyed the blessings of generations. If we don’t take revenge now, when will we?!”

The more Zhou Jing spoke, the louder he became. In the end, his voice was like a thunderclap that swept through the entire army.

“Using the heavens to bully the people but considering themselves nobles. I’ll even out the social strata, and all nobles should be killed! Kill, kill, kill! Kill his inner treasury and burn it to ashes, trampling all the bones of the Dukes in Sky Street!!”

“Kill, kill, kill—”

In the next moment, the army roared angrily, shaking the clouds.

Guo Haishen and the others were overwhelmed with emotions when they heard this. They felt anger accumulate in their chests as they raised their hands and shouted.

For a moment, the sound waves were like rolling thunder.

Crackle!

At the same time, lightning flashed in the dark clouds.

Immediately after, a light rain fell, gradually turning into a torrential rain.

Zhou Jing raised his arm and roared,

“Soldiers, listen up and follow me to battle!”

“TO BATTLE!!”

Pitter patter ——

Countless soldiers shouted and raised their weapons in unison.

At this moment, with a bang, a bolt of lightning tore through the gloomy sky.

The pale lightning illuminated the tens of thousands of blades, spears, swords, and halberds pointed at the sky, as well as the burly figure with messy hair standing on the high platform with his arms raised.

The instantaneous lightning seemed to freeze this scene and turn it into a painting engraved in time.

— History of Great Xia:

[In the 14th year of Xinghe, “Martial Ancestor” Chen Feng gathered hundreds of thousands of people and rebelled at the Yueshan Lake in Huyang. This became immortalized as “The chaos of Chen Feng.]