"These Yunzhou soldiers dare to rebel?"

The man with silver eyebrows frowned and shouted, "What's the situation outside the city?"

A soldier rushed over on a fast horse, his lips cracked and dry from the cold wind, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, "The south city gate is closed..."

"Don't worry, catch your breath first!"

Xu Qi'an heard the sound and went downstairs, pouring a glass of cold water for the soldier.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".

The soldier quickly took it and drank it all, feeling much better in his throat. He looked gratefully at Xu Qi'an and spoke quickly:

"The Garrison has assembled three thousand troops outside the south city gate. The commanding officer, Xu Huchen, threatened that if the Governor does not release the commanding officer within half an hour and give them an explanation, they will enter the city!"

Treason!

This term immediately came to Xu Qi'an's mind. Treason meant using force to persuade the monarch or superior to submit.

In short, it meant using fists to make you comply.

The difference between treason and a coup lies in their goals, but their actions are the same. The two most memorable instances of treason for Xu Qi'an were the death of Yang Yuhuan at Ma Wei Slope and the sound of gunshots when the Marshal pulled out his pistol against Chiang Kai-shek.

Both instances of treason were successful, one changing the future of the Tang Dynasty and the other changing the future of China.

However, treason was a desperate measure and was not used unless absolutely necessary.

"Insolent!"

Several silver gongs who came to check the situation became furious.

Such things were unheard of in the capital. Hearing the news, their astonishment and anger were beyond words.

"How many soldiers are there in the city defense army?" One of the silver gongs asked, pressing down on the hilt of his sword.

"Not even a thousand." The soldier replied.

This might be difficult to defend....

"In that case, a few of us will lead the Tiger Guard to the south city. If those soldiers dare to rebel, we'll chop them down. I believe we can hold on until the Governor and reinforcements arrive." One of the silver gongs suggested.

Several eager Nightwatchers immediately showed their willingness to participate.

The Tiger Guard were experienced soldiers who had been through countless battles, and with the Nightwatchers who had Qi Refining as their foundation, it wouldn't be difficult to defend against the attack of the Garrison troops.

"What about Yang Chuannan? He is a criminal wanted by the court. We can't abandon him." Xu Qi'an reminded these hot-headed Nightwatchers.

"Take him with us." One of the copper gongs said.

"Do you believe that the soldiers of the Garrison will fight us to the death on the spot?" Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow.

"They are at the city gates, isn't that their goal?" The copper gong sneered, "They think they can force the Governor and us to submit through violence? Let these Yunzhou soldiers know what it means to be a Nightwatcher."

This was the most infuriating aspect for the Nightwatchers.

They had always supervised the officials and punished corrupt officials. When did someone dare to bully them at their doorstep? They even threatened to charge into the city if the Governor didn't come out to meet them within half an hour.

They completely disregarded the Nightwatchers and trampled on their dignity.

They could endure, but warriors could not.

Sorcerers could endure, but warriors could not.

Damn it.

Seeing that the situation was not right, Xu Qi'an quickly knocked on the table and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, calm down. Violence cannot solve the problem."

The silver gong who was the most irritable when he first met the soldier looked at Xu Qi'an and cursed, "I can't stand it anymore. Jiang Jinluo is not here, and I, Yin Luo, have the final say. Brothers, follow me and bring Yang Chuannan."

Li Miaozhen stood by, watching coldly.

Bang!

With a loud noise, Xu Qi'an stood up.

The Nightwatchers who were about to leave the inn were stunned.

Xu Qi'an pointed at Yin Luo's nose and cursed, "I don't care if you're Yin Luo or not. Can your position suppress me? Go ask the one surnamed Zhu if he can suppress me!

"You have escalated the conflict. What do you expect the Governor to do? Kill all three thousand soldiers of the Garrison? Let's say you can't hold on, and the flames of war spread to the ordinary people in the city. Are you responsible? Can you bear that responsibility?"

Yin Luo gritted his teeth and arrogantly said, "Xu Qi'an, do you think you can handle it?"

"At least my shoulders can bear more than yours!" Xu Qi'an shouted.

For a moment, no one refuted him.

The arrogant words of a copper gong had silenced all the Nightwatchers in the room... Su Su, the female ghost, looked at this scene in astonishment, finding it difficult to understand.

"All of you stay here and guard Yang Chuannan. He is a serious criminal wanted by the court and must not be lost. I will delay the enemy's attack on the outer city." Xu Qi'an saw that no one continued to argue and stated his plan.

"You?"

Everyone looked at him with doubt.

Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples and explained clearly, "The Garrison's troops are at the city gates, and their goal is not to attack the city, but to demand the release of Yang Chuannan from the Governor. This leaves room for negotiation.

"If you rush over there in a hurry, bringing Yang Chuannan with you, it will be seen as provocation. It will only escalate the conflict and leave both sides with no way out.

"Of course, I'm sure I can't persuade the soldiers of the Garrison, but General Li can."

Xu Qi'an pushed Li Miaozhen forward and smiled, "I believe General Li also doesn't want the situation to escalate to such an extent and leave Yang Chuannan with no way out."

Li Miaozhen seemed to have been waiting for this result. She let out a slow breath and stopped observing from the sidelines, nodding, "I will do my best to hold on until the Governor arrives."

....

Li Miaozhen and Xu Qi'an rode two fast horses and rushed towards the south city gate, with the paper ghost Su Su holding Li Miaozhen's slender waist and sitting behind her.

"You, little copper gong, are quite capable!" Su Su tilted her head and looked at Xu Qi'an, who was riding alongside her.

"It's not that I'm capable, it's mainly..." Xu Qi'an coughed and spoke in a secretive tone, "Actually, Zhang Governor and I are half-siblings with different mothers."Su Su immediately grasped the key point: "Oh, you are Governor Zhang's brother?"

"Otherwise, how could I have such a big say?"

"I see..." Su Su suddenly realized, feeling like she had just learned a big secret.

Li Miaozhen's mouth twitched, wanting to remind her maid that every word Xu Qi'an said couldn't be trusted.

The reason why he had such a big say was because he had gained Wei Yuan's trust and appreciation, and his position in the yamen was extraordinary.

But this information came from within the Tian Di Hui, what did it have to do with Li Miaozhen?

.....

Arriving at the South City Gate, after showing their waist plaques, the two of them ascended the city wall, where the captain of the city defense personally received them.

"Why hasn't the Governor arrived yet?"

With a military knife in his hand, a square face, and triangular eyes, the burly captain looked out at the empty street, unable to hide his disappointment.

"The Governor is investigating the case at the Commanding Office and can't come over for the time being. I came with General Youqi to delay time," Xu Qi'an explained.

Standing on the city wall and looking down, there were two formations outside the city, and the larger one was the army of the Wei Commandery, with cavalry in the front, infantry in the back, and artillery in the middle.

The flags fluttered, and three thousand soldiers and horses looked up at the city wall, silent. An indescribable fierceness filled the air.

Xu Qi'an was now at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, but facing this battle-hardened army, he still had the thought of avoiding it, not daring to confront it head-on.

A thousand miles of travel, a single sword against a million troops... What kind of warrior could accomplish such a feat?

He couldn't help but sigh.

"The army of Yunzhou is extremely fierce, they cause trouble without fear of death," Li Miaozhen said, holding a silver spear and looking down with him.

"I rushed here last night because I was afraid that the Governor would act too impulsively and push things to an irreparable situation."

Xu Qi'an nodded. The banditry in Yunzhou was rampant, and it was strange if the soldiers in Yunzhou were not fierce. Soldiers who had been fighting for years were full of killing intent, and usually only recognized leaders who fought side by side with them. It was difficult for outsiders to control them, unlike soldiers in peaceful places who cherished their lives.

"What about that small formation over there, the army of that so?" Xu Qi'an asked.

The army besieging the city was the Wei Commandery's subordinate, also known as the Wei Commandery. The next level was the "so", and the small square next to it, with about four to five hundred people, Xu Qi'an guessed it was the "so" at the county level.

Li Miaozhen suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "It's my Feiyan Army."

She was also a nobody? Xu Qi'an looked at her with a gaze full of distrust.

Li Miaozhen explained, "I did consider using the army to exert pressure. It's a bad habit I picked up from the Yunzhou army."

She blamed it on the Yunzhou army.

"What should we do now, leave the city?" Xu Qi'an probed.

"Hmm." Li Miaozhen nodded.

"Can I not go?"

"You represent the Governor," Li Miaozhen glanced at him sideways. "Commander Xu Huchen has a hot temper and is stubborn. If you want to resolve the conflict, you have to be patient."

"Isn't your face enough?"

Li Miaozhen snorted, "If I don't accompany you, he might just chop you up."

"Hey, soldiers are really unreasonable."

The city gate creaked open, and the captain of the city defense sent the two of them out of the city, waving his hand. "Take care."

Xu Qi'an looked back on his horse. "Captain, why don't you come with us?"

The captain said, "It's windy here, what did the Governor say? I can't hear... Oh, the Governor said to close the city gate? Alright, I won't open the city gate even if I die."

The city gate slowly closed.

"...." Xu Qi'an thought to himself, damn.

Instead of heading straight to the Wei Commandery, Li Miaozhen turned her horse's head towards her own Feiyan Army, calling dozens of riders to confront the three thousand soldiers and horses of the Wei Commandery.

"My Feiyan Army, the lowest cultivation level is Qi Refining, a total of 437 people, with peak Qi Refining sergeants, Qi Refining captains, and Copper Skin and Iron Bone sergeants."

Li Miaozhen's voice was pleasant and crisp, with a hint of pride as she introduced her private army to Xu Qi'an.

Four sixth-grade cultivators, forty Qi Refining cultivators... My god, this woman is too terrifying, right?

Xu Qi'an swallowed his saliva. "Such an army doesn't exist in Yunzhou anymore, right?"

Li Miaozhen nodded. "Hmm, everyone followed me to Yunzhou because of my face."

How big is your face? Xu Qi'an turned his head and looked at the beautiful soldier with a high ponytail and a silver spear, and had to reassess her strength.

Xu Qi'an's initial impression of her was as the Holy Maiden of the Tian Zong, followed by the Feiyan Heroine. But now it seemed that the title of Feiyan Heroine should come first.

Li Miaozhen's connections in the martial world might be even more unfathomable than he had imagined.

Everyone in the Tian Di Hui was talented, and he, this little copper gong, had to work harder... Well, let's set a small goal first, become Wei Yuan's son...

"What is Xu Huchen's cultivation level?" Xu Qi'an suddenly asked.

"He's at the peak of Nascent Soul stage," Li Miaozhen replied.

"His cultivation level isn't high," Xu Qi'an said in surprise.

"Wei Yuan is still an ordinary person, but he's different after becoming the commander of the three armies," Li Miaozhen shook her head. "Marching and fighting is not about being brave and fierce. High-grade cultivators can take on a hundred or a thousand enemies. But they may not be able to command a thousand-man army.

"My ability is already at its limit with five hundred men. But Xu Huchen can command an army of three to five thousand. In a head-on battle on the battlefield, I will undoubtedly lose."

Violence is aesthetics, war is art, two completely different concepts.

Li Miaozhen stopped five zhang away from the Wei Commandery's army and said loudly, "Commander Xu, come over and talk."

A general rode out, eight chi tall, with a mount taller than ordinary horses, and held a long spear in his hand.

Anyone who dared to use a long spear was a brave and fierce general.

Xu Huchen held a long spear, his gaze sharp, his dark blue chin just shaved, and he nodded slightly towards Li Miaozhen."Is General Li also part of the rescue mission for the Commander-in-chief?"

Li Miaozhen shook her head, "Commander Yang is safe. General Xu, you're too impulsive. Do you understand the consequences of your actions?"

"Death is the worst that can happen."

Xu Huchen, a straightforward man, grinned, "My life was saved by the Commander-in-chief. If the court wants to punish him, I'm willing to risk my life."

Xu Qi'an suddenly asked, "How did you get this information?"

Xu Huchen glanced at Xu Qi'an and sneered, "So you're a pawn under Wei Yan's command."

You can insult me, but not my father... Xu Qi'an flicked his thumb, and the black gold long knife at his waist was unsheathed by half an inch. He said solemnly:

"General Xu, do not challenge the authority of the court. I came here with sincerity. If you don't appreciate it, I could have cut you down from your horse just now."

Li Miaozhen said a lot, but the message was clear: don't reason with soldiers.

Reasoning is for scholars, soldiers only respect strength. If you're strong, you'll be respected.

Xu Qi'an's plan was to first demonstrate his strength, earn respect, and intimidate these fearless guys. Then he could reason with them.

Xu Huchen was polite to Li Miaozhen, but he was sarcastic and mocking towards him. This was a sign of disrespect.

But he couldn't just cut people down, that would escalate the conflict.

"Clip-clop..."

He turned his horse around and silently moved to the other side.

Xu Huchen, Li Miaozhen, and dozens of Flying Swallow soldiers watched him.

"Hmph! I want to see the governor, does a bronze gong like him deserve to talk to me?" Xu Huchen scoffed disdainfully, "A kid who hasn't even grown a full beard yet, thinks this is the capital city where everyone fears the Nightwatchers?

"General Li, what happened to the Commander-in-chief?"

Li Miaozhen shook her head, just watching Xu Qi'an's retreating figure.

Xu Huchen was getting impatient. He was naturally hot-tempered and easily angered. The governor's avoidance and sending a bronze gong to deal with him had already made him extremely dissatisfied.

He even had the impulse to kill the bronze gong to show his power to the governor.

Out of respect for General Li Miaozhen, he was willing to talk.

At this moment, the bronze gong stopped and turned his head to look at Xu Huchen, a cold smile on his face.

Then, he flicked his left thumb, pushing his sword out half an inch, and gripped the hilt with his right hand. After a brief accumulation of power...

"Clang!"

The piercing sound of the sword being unsheathed echoed in the air. In the eyes of Xu Huchen and the thousands of soldiers, it seemed as if the air had twisted for a moment, as if something had cut through it.

The next moment, a dull sound echoed as a crack appeared on the ground, extending from under Xu Qi'an's feet to the front of the army, stretching more than ten meters.

The front row of cavalry began to stir, their horses seemingly frightened.

Xu Huchen's eyes widened in disbelief. He... he could really cut me down from my horse.

This commanding general, known for his fierce battles, felt a hint of awe in his heart, acknowledging Xu Qi'an's sincerity.

Li Miaozhen stared at Xu Qi'an in surprise, a big question mark flashing in her mind.

In her judgment as a saintess of the Heavenly Sect, the sharpness and speed of that sword were like lightning, even a warrior who had just entered the sixth rank of the Copper Skin Iron Bone realm would not be able to resist it with their body.

Could a Qi Refining warrior make such a cut?

She then remembered what Number One had said, that Xu Qi'an had once cut down a silver gong, a master in the Spirit Refining realm.

He was able to kill above his level back then, and now, he was half a step into the Spirit Refining realm.

If he was a genius, why hadn't Taoist Master Jin Lian invited him to join the association, but chose his cousin instead? That cousin... must be terrifying.

"Wow."

Behind them, the masters of the Flying Swallow Army gasped in admiration.

"Clip-clop..."

The bronze gong rode his horse back, propping up his tired body, and said lightly, "General Xu, I am Xu Qi'an, representing the governor to negotiate with you."

"..." Xu Huchen said solemnly, "Please speak, sir."

....

PS: The update is late because of the word count. Please vote. I'll edit after updating.