NIP Chapter 354 - 214: Hidden Danger
Chapter 354 - 214: Hidden Danger
Although the four Capital City Commanders acted as if they would follow Yang Jing’s every command, the moment he directly rejected their proposal, the expressions of two of them instantly turned sour.
Of the four Capital City Commanders, only Wang Xu remained.
"Minister Yang, I’m afraid they think you intend to monopolize all the credit for pacifying the Demon Realm,"
he said to Yang Jing with a wry smile.
"We’ve only advanced seven li, and they’re already scheming against each other, fighting for merit and personal gain. What a bunch of vermin."
Yang Jing’s face was full of disdain. He hadn’t expected the three Capital City Commanders to be so short-sighted.
He had, of course, seen through their intentions. If they combined their forces and advanced together, the four of them would simply be following his orders, earning them only a bit of credit for their hard work.
But if they split their forces and advanced on multiple fronts, they would gain the merit of command. The difference in Merit Points between the two scenarios was like that of heaven and earth.
As Cultivators, it was perfectly normal to be selfish and prioritize one’s own interests, but these three were simply too impatient.
Moreover, for this operation, the credit for planning was his, the credit for commanding was his, and he had even personally handled the refining of all the Demon-Catching Tripods. Yet these three Capital City Commanders still acted as if he was hogging too much of the glory, which was truly despicable.
Although he had been mentally prepared for this, Yang Jing was still disheartened that the first trouble to surface came from within.
"Minister, splitting the army into four routes naturally carries the risk of being defeated one by one by the Celestial Demons. But would it be impossible for the main army to just switch to a different front to advance?"
Wang Xu offered his heartfelt suggestion.
Although Yang Jing had outstanding Merit Points and the backing of the Seven Kingdoms Ticket Office, Universal North Army Governor’s Mansion, he had been in the Northern Domain for less than five years, after all. His foundation was simply too shallow.
If they were to advance from a different location, the four Capital City Commanders would also gain the merit of temporary command, which could somewhat satisfy their appetites.
Yang Jing shook his head.
"Brother Wang, there is an Other-Transformed Self-Free Celestial Demon in the Demon Realm. Among the three thousand soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army, besides myself and my two disciples, anyone else would likely die the moment they encountered it. According to military strategy, crossing a river is the moment of greatest danger. This patch of Demon Soil has not yet been completely purified. If the army is halfway through relocating when Celestial Demons suddenly launch a surprise attack on both ends, tell me, since I cannot be in two places at once, which end should I save? The losses would be devastating. And if we lose the Demon-Catching Tripods, the entire campaign will have been for nothing."
Although Wang Xu nodded repeatedly, he still asked, somewhat unresigned,
"Without a physical body to possess, can the Celestial Demons still leave the Demon Realm in large numbers to fight?"
Yang Jing shook his head.
"The Demon Realm on the surface may be gone, but there’s no guarantee that Celestial Demons can’t hide in the remnants of the Demon Veins underground. Besides, those seven people sold over fifty bodies to the Celestial Demons. I only managed to recover eleven of them."
And those seven weren’t the only way for the Celestial Demons to obtain bodies.
Yang Jing didn’t dare to be so naive as to assume the Celestial Demons only had forty-odd bodies left.
Even if it were "only" forty-some High Tier Celestial Demons launching a surprise attack, Yang Jing had no confidence that the three Capital City Commanders could fend them off before an Array Formation was established.
Wang Xu heaved a deep sigh.
"You are truly far-sighted, Minister Yang. Faced with such a great achievement nearly within our grasp, the rest of us have all lost our composure."
Who wouldn’t covet the merit of pacifying the Demon Realm? Even a small share might be enough to apply for a Golden Core Pill from the Sect. As Inner Sect Disciples of their Sects, wasn’t the very reason they came to this bitter, cold land of the Northern Domain to earn a Golden Core Pill?
"The three of them have been my colleagues for a long time. I will definitely go and try to talk some sense into them."
Although Yang Jing didn’t think Wang Xu’s words would do any good, he still nodded.
’Touching someone’s interests is far more difficult than touching their soul.’
Yang Jing returned to the Flying Boat. Zuoqiu Feng, having grown up in a Noble Family, was naturally an expert at reading people and saw the worry hidden in his heart at a glance.
"Have you run into some trouble?"
His other disciples also looked concerned.
Yang Jing didn’t hide anything, recounting his unpleasant parting with the Capital City Commanders.
"Those three feign obedience but are defiant in their hearts. I’m afraid there will be trouble ahead. Iron Head, Yinjiao, you two must be on high alert."
Hearing that someone actually dared to defy her master, a murderous glint flashed in Chi Yu’s eyes.
"Master, wouldn’t it be better to just kill them all!"
Yang Jing burst out laughing and vigorously ruffled Chi Yu’s hair.
"Hahaha, if I could, I would love to lop off the heads of those fools myself. But if I did that, it would spread terror through the army and shatter morale. I’m afraid that would lead to an even more thorough defeat."
If he executed these Capital City Commanders, who had served in the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion for a hundred years, without just cause, everyone would fear for their own safety. Yang Jing would likely find it impossible to command the Demon Suppression Army as if it were an extension of his own body ever again.
Although Chi Yu didn’t fully understand, she still jumped into her master’s arms and reached out a small hand to smooth the furrows on his brow.
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Inside a Seven Luminaries Demon-Slaying Array, the three Capital City Commanders who had left were now drinking.
The table before them was laden with Spiritual Food and fine wine.
Although the Demon Suppression Army was out in the field eating military rations and Fasting Pills, these men had served in the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion for a hundred years. They could naturally get an Inspector to smuggle in some delicacies for them.
"Hmph! That little whelp Yang Jing is so arrogant! Does he really think we can’t handle the Celestial Demons without him!"
"We were fighting and killing Demon Cultivators when he was still in his mother’s womb!"
The three of them drank fine wine, but the resentment and anger in their hearts only grew stronger. The oldest among them, Wen Ximing, was already 197 years old. His Cultivation had been stuck at Foundation Establishment Perfection for years, and without a Golden Core Pill, he didn’t dare attempt Core Formation.
A Spirit Pill as priceless as the Golden Core Pill couldn’t be obtained just by accumulating Merit Points. As Inner Sect Disciples, if they just waited in line, how could they possibly get one before the True Disciples?
They had to achieve something great to cut in line and push aside those True Disciples in the Sect.
"The man is already a True Disciple, yet he’s still so insatiably greedy. He wants to monopolize all the Merit Points for himself. It’s truly despicable,"
said Wen Ximing, whose hair was already mottled with white and face was full of wrinkles. His life force had already begun to decay. If he couldn’t obtain a Golden Core Pill before he turned two hundred, his chances of successful Core Formation after that age would be slim even if he got one.
He cursed vehemently while eating and drinking, completely ignoring the fact that without Yang Jing, they wouldn’t have had this opportunity to earn merit in the first place.
"Isn’t it just setting up a Solidification Array and fighting a static battle? Even a three-year-old could manage that tactic! He’s obviously just afraid that if we split our forces, we’ll advance too quickly and steal his thunder!"
The second Capital City Commander, Shi Jinrong, was so angry he smashed his wine bowl.
"All these True Disciples are the same. They’re jealous of the worthy and capable, and they’re experts at undermining their fellow sect members. Hmph, when it’s time to actually face Demon Cultivators head-on, they just hide back in the Sect."
said the third Capital City Commander, Guan Weiqun, in a passive-aggressive tone, completely forgetting that Yang Jing had killed more True Disciples of the Four Demon Sects than he had ever even seen.
"Just you wait. Master Guan, the Magistrate of the Governor’s Mansion, is my elder. It won’t be so easy for him to apply for that Qi-guiding Dragon-shaking Array."