C10 The will of the Lord Does Not Listen to Orders

Night had fallen, and a full moon loomed overhead. Inside the Immortal Guest Inn, a group of generals, both high-ranking and low, had convened, awaiting Chen Ming's command.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ming dabbed at his lips with a napkin and made his way downstairs.

Taking his place at the head of the table, Chen Ming was about to address the room when Wang Meng abruptly rose to his feet and declared, "Prince, His Highness has commanded that the enemy forces are vast and well-positioned. The situation has escalated beyond your control. Prince, you are to withdraw your troops. His Highness and the Great General will handle the subsequent strategy. Here is a confidential letter bearing both their signatures."

Wang Meng then passed the letter forward.

They've decided everything, and now they expect me to retreat? If I pull back now, what becomes of the mission I've struggled so hard to secure? The one that could alter my fate from mere cannon fodder? No surprise it's a plot-driven mission; without a challenge, how could it possibly transform my destiny?

Without even unfolding the letter, Chen Ming pinched it between his fingers and held it to the candle flame. As the letter turned to ash, he cast a steely gaze around the room and spoke with unwavering conviction, "An army in the field is not bound by the king's orders!"

Chen Ming then turned to the gathered generals, a wry smile on his face. "Let me be clear: the Killing Palace commands an army of a hundred thousand, while we are but thirty thousand strong. Furthermore, they hold the terrain in their favor, and the Mausoleum of the Prince Chiang is a fortress that is easily defended but hard to conquer. Anyone unwilling to follow my command is free to leave."

The generals exchanged uneasy glances, their silence heavy. They communicated only through looks until, after a moment, a general clad in white stood and bowed respectfully. "With a hundred thousand troops against our thirty thousand, and the enemy holding the high ground, to attack would be suicide. Please forgive me, but I cannot follow you into this."

Having spoken, the white-robed general rose and made his way to the exit.

As the general neared the inn's entrance, Chen Ming's fingers deftly formed a mystical gesture. The Prince Su Sword at his back flew into his hand, and with a swift toss, the blade sliced through the air, casting a pale arc of light. A soft thud followed, and the white-robed general was impaled, the sword having run him clean through.

The assembled generals displayed looks of astonishment, their bodies quivering ever so slightly. True to his lineage, he possessed the same ruthless decisiveness as the Prince Regent.

Chen Ming approached the inn's entrance, grasping the bloodied Prince Su Sword. He took the white robe from a general and used it to clean the blade. Turning to face the generals inside the inn, Chen Ming offered a disarmingly innocent smile. "Anyone else considering departure? Make haste if so, lest I need to clean my sword once more. The Flying Tiger Army is never short of those aspiring to be generals. The loss of a dozen has little impact on us. Sure, attacking the Killing Palace might seem like a march to certain death, but if you're thinking of deserting now, I'm more than willing to expedite your end."

His words carried an unmistakable threat, prompting the generals to stir uneasily. One general promptly rose and knelt, proclaiming with fervor, "My allegiance is to the Prince alone. I will serve you to my dying breath!"

Chen Ming's intent was crystal clear: face death now or join him in a perilous assault on the Killing Palace. The notion of banding together to take down Chen Ming was futile; not only was he a formidable opponent, but he was also safeguarded by the Tiger Troubled Guards. To challenge him now was to flirt with death. And even if escape were an option, the Prince Regent and the Great General would likely dismiss it with a mere chuckle. Punish Chen Ming, their beloved grandson and son? Unthinkable. Meanwhile, the others would be left to dread his retribution.

One by one, the other generals mirrored the first, kneeling before Chen Ming and vowing, "We pledge to follow the Prince's command, ready to lay down our lives in fealty!"

Chen Ming nodded in approval. "Excellent."

He returned to his seat of authority and, fixing his gaze on Wang Meng, declared, "Wang Meng, you have divulged military secrets. Receive thirty lashes of the military scepter and let this be your last offense."

Wang Meng, recognizing Chen Ming's firm grip on the situation, could only offer a resigned smile, bowing respectfully. "I shall comply with your orders," he conceded, and then departed to accept his punishment.

Chen Ming proceeded with his directives. "In three days, I expect twenty thousand troops assembled at the Gourd Pass. The remaining ten thousand, equipped with all the incendiary oil you can muster, will encircle the Mausoleum of Prince Chiang. Await my signal. Command the Dark Guards within the Killing Palace to obliterate the underground tunnels at any cost once preparations are complete. Upon successful execution, signal immediately and make your breakout from the Gourd Pass."

Chen Ming had everything set up, yet there was no reaction from the generals. Impatiently, he asked, "Do you understand?"

The generals rose in unison, bowing respectfully, "We're on it immediately!"

Despite having been disciplined with the military staff, Wang Meng dutifully conveyed Chen Ming's resolute decision to attack to Chen Yuhu and the Old Prince. Chen Ming was aware but remained indifferent. With power firmly in his grasp, by the time his father and the others received the news, the battle would likely have already begun.

Three days later, as night descended:

At the Prince Regent Mansion.

The Old Prince strode into the mansion clad in a black robe. Barely entering the hall, he flung the robe to the floor in exasperation, "Not again! This is the second time, Chen Yuhu! I demand an explanation!"

Chen Yuhu was at his wit's end. The young scoundrel's defiance meant his father bore the brunt of the frustration, "Father, in front of all the generals tomorrow, he burned the secret letter we sent. He even dared to claim that 'an emperor's orders may not reach beyond the army's camp.'"

The Old Prince chuckled as he stroked his beard, "An emperor's orders may not reach beyond the army's camp? The boy has the spirit of my younger days. He's truly a Chen at heart. Wait, are you telling me he's planning to defy our orders?"

Chen Yuhu nodded, his face a picture of resignation.

Fuming, the Old Prince's eyes bulged and his beard bristled, "This insolent child thinks he can overturn the heavens? Send someone at once. No matter what it takes, bring him back in one piece!"

"I've dispatched the last of the twenty Tiger Guardians and called the Flying Tiger Army to the Mausoleum of the Prince Chiang for support," Chen Yuhu reported. "But I fear our message won't reach them in time. By tomorrow, the fight will have already started. I've brought you here to inform you of these developments."

The Old Prince's right fist tightened, the knuckles popping with tension, "Could it be that I, Prince Chen, will have no successor? This wretched boy!"

Outside the Mausoleum of the Prince Chiang, Chen Ming sat astride a mighty tiger. Suddenly, a shadow burst from the dense woods and knelt before him, bowing deeply, "Lord Yeh Ying has successfully sabotaged the tunnel!"

Chen Ming gave a nod, pulled out a map, and beckoned the nearby generals to gather around. With a swift motion, he traced a line across the area marked as the gourd's mouth and commanded, "Quickly join these logs together and see to it immediately!"

The generals were perplexed by Chen Ming's plan, but with the situation as urgent as an arrow nocked and ready to fly, they had no option but to comply. They clasped their hands in salute and responded, "Your orders will be carried out at once!"