Dadada… Dadada…
The tranquility of the early morning was instantly shattered by the heavy sound of hooves. Tens of thousands of black-armored cavalrymen on their shadow-steed horses thundered down the Azure Cloud Road, located dozens of miles away from Luocheng. This torrent of black, formed by iron hooves, tore through everything in its path with unstoppable terror.
Soon, the tens of thousands of riders reached a crossroads not far from the end of the Azure Cloud Road.
At this point, the leader, Jiang Chengdao, suddenly slowed down his mount, the Shadow Horse. He signaled with a flag for the army to halt.
“Pass the order, let the entire army rest in place.”
“Yes, Your Highness the Holy King.”
Li Zheng, dressed in a green robe, came forward from behind and stood beside Jiang Chengdao. He looked at the crossroads in the distance and stroked his short beard lightly. He said to Jiang Chengdao, “Your Highness, the right path at this fork leads to the South Huamen of Luojing, known as the Sien Road. The left path is the Shenglin Road, leading to the Imperial Gateway. Judging by the current marching speed of the army, the Cangming Holy Army can arrive at the Imperial Gateway in less than an hour.”
He smiled slightly, revealing a sense of self-satisfaction, as if he held a precious gem in his hand. He continued, “Presumably, all the court officials in the capital have already rushed to the Imperial Gateway, waiting to welcome Your Highness and escort you into Luojing.”
Snap!
The crisp sound of armor overlapping echoed.
Jiang Chengdao turned his head and cast a sidelong glance at him. Under the grim faceplate, his cold eyes seemed deep and unfathomable. After a moment, he summoned a messenger.
“Convey my order. Half an hour from now, the entire army will march towards Sien Road, and within two hours, we must arrive at South Huamen!”
Upon hearing this, Li Zheng was instantly stunned. At the same time, an unsettling feeling surged within him.
Your Highness the Holy King, what is the meaning of this…?
…
Luojing, in front of Chongde Lane.
Xiao Yun was the first to react. She immediately turned pale and urgently said to Lu Chen, “Huaiyu, you must not speak recklessly!”
On the other hand, Wu Zongyun suddenly burst into laughter and exclaimed, “Hahaha!”
“Young man, do you know what your words imply?”
Lu Chen remained calm and composed, saying, “Of course, I do.”
He understood better than anyone else the implications of his “extremely foolish” choice.
With the impending upheaval in Luojing, the Welcoming Faction could at least secure a place in the official circles. The Pristine Faction carried risks—it might incur the Holy King’s displeasure, be disregarded by the Holy King, or even earn the Holy King’s admiration and generous treatment. But for the nearly impossible Loyalty Faction, the outcome would be undoubtedly tragic. They would not only be dismissed from office, but their lives would be in danger, and their reputation would be tarnished.
However, for Lu Chen, these potential consequences had no deterrent power.
Because this was precisely the outcome he had been seeking.
Wu Zongyun didn’t know the underlying reasons behind this, and faced with Lu Chen’s seemingly preposterous words, he merely squinted his eyes and let a glint of dangerous coldness flicker in them.
“Dare you say it again?”