My Beasts Grind Proficiency For Me

Chapter 363 - 223: The Petty Man Is Imprisoned

On the Northern Line, the artisans of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion spent a month building another fortress twelve hundred li north of the border. It was used to store supplies and to centrally command the many military forts that stretched across the area.

Flying Boats damaged in the battles against the Four Demon Sects would also return here for repairs.

Although the fortress was a rush job, it was guarded by a Tier Four Grand Array, making it nearly impregnable.

Canyuan True Monarch was in the war hall, handling military affairs. With the two armies at war, all sorts of complex duties had piled up on his desk like a snowdrift.

Recently, thanks to the Seven Nations Ticket Shop coordinating the distribution of resources, the Power of the Independent Cultivators and Cultivation Clans of the Northern Domain Seven Kingdoms had increased rapidly—especially the formerly destitute Independent Cultivators.

This had also greatly increased the war potential of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion.

This change in Power was on full display in this small-scale war.

In the past, military forts garrisoned by Independent Cultivators and Cultivation Clans could typically only hold out for three to five days at most under the assault of Demon Sect Flying Boats before being breached.

But since this war began, the forts along the front lines had shown astonishing resilience, even managing to heavily damage the Demon Sect Flying Boats before reinforcements from the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion’s Flying Boats could arrive.

The Demon Army of the Four Demon Sects had smashed headlong into the defensive lines of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion, only to have their teeth knocked out.

Hemmed in by the chain of military forts, the Demon Sect Flying Boats found their range of activity increasingly restricted. Seven days ago, they were cornered by the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion’s Flying Ship Fleet, and after a great battle, they suffered heavy losses, with five Flying Boats destroyed outright.

After this battle, the Four Demon Sects’ Flying Boats retreated back into their cluster of fortresses, no longer daring to engage the Flying Boats of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion.

A single Flying Boat was expensive to build. Losing five in a row was a painful blow, even for the Four Demon Sects.

They had only come under the forceful orders of the Outer Celestial Demons; they had no real desire to exhaust themselves to the point of death for the sake of the Celestial Demons.

With the Four Demon Sects’ Flying Boats unwilling to deploy, the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion completely seized the initiative on the battlefield, continuously dismantling the Demon Sect’s military forts and hunting down the Demon Cultivators within.

The string of victories had put Canyuan True Monarch in a rather good mood.

"True Monarch, that old coot Guan Guangqing is here," An Gongyu said as he entered the war hall.

Canyuan True Monarch raised an eyebrow.

Guan Guangqing was from a Noble Family. His talents were quite mediocre, and he was prone to envying the capable. That was why he had assigned Guan to guard the Governor’s Mansion, to keep him from being an eyesore on the front lines.

"Let him in."

A moment later, Guan Guangqing entered the war hall.

"True Monarch, Yang Jing has proven incompetent in leadership! As a result, the army attacking the Demon-Slaying Domain has suffered disastrous losses. We’ve lost three Capital City Commanders; Wen Ximing, Guan Weiqun, and Shi Jinrong are all dead."

"What!"

Canyuan True Monarch’s eyes widened, and the sheer force of his presence sent Magistrate Guan stumbling back several steps.

He assumed the True Monarch was furious over the deaths of the three Capital City Commanders and was secretly delighted. He never expected Canyuan True Monarch to immediately stand up and ask:

"Was Yang Jing harmed in any way?"

Magistrate Guan froze. He hadn’t thought the Governor would show no intention whatsoever of punishing Yang Jing.

"Yang Jing was at the Governor’s Mansion at the time, so he is perfectly fine," he said, his eyes shifting.

"Guan Guangqing, don’t try to stir up trouble. From what I know of Yang Jing, there’s no way he would abandon the army and return to the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion."

Of all the Golden Core Cultivators, An Gongyu had known Yang Jing the longest and understood him the best.

Magistrate Guan said nothing, merely putting on a sincere expression.

Canyuan True Monarch’s eyes narrowed. He knew there was something fishy about this matter; Guan Guangqing was definitely hiding a lot of information.

But without knowing the full situation, he couldn’t pass judgment just yet.

"An Gongyu, go and see Yang Jing. When you find him, get a clear account of the situation from him. If he truly has been derelict in his duty, arrest him. If not, then urge him to lead his troops with diligence."

An Gongyu shot Magistrate Guan a sideways glance and was about to depart on his orders.

Just then, another soldier entered.

"Governor, Demon Patrol Envoy Yang Tietou requests an audience."

Canyuan True Monarch’s eyes lit up. He knew Iron Head was a disciple Yang Jing trusted implicitly:

"Let him in."

A sense of unease immediately bloomed in Guan Guangqing’s heart.

He realized he had miscalculated. First, Yang Jing’s position in Canyuan True Monarch’s heart was far higher than he had anticipated, even surpassing the great merit of conquering the Demon-Slaying Domain.

Second, Yang Jing was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had thought Yang Jing was just a peerless, ostentatious genius who had lived a charmed life, completely ignorant of the ways of the world. He believed that with a little scheming, he could use the system of the Northern Army Governor’s Mansion to snatch away his command.

But he never expected that Yang Jing would also be so worldly-wise, immediately sending a disciple to lobby the Governor.

Judging by their Tunneling Speeds, his disciple had moved even faster than he had.

"Greetings, Governor!"

Iron Head gave Canyuan True Monarch a military salute as soon as he entered the war hall.

"Iron Head, what have you come to report this time?"

Seeing Iron Head’s small, child-like appearance, a kind smile touched Canyuan True Monarch’s face.

"Governor, your subordinate has come this time to report Magistrate Guan."

With no regard for Guan Guangqing standing right beside him, Iron Head bluntly recited the speech Yang Jing had taught him.

Canyuan True Monarch’s eyes narrowed. With a beckoning gesture, he summoned the Demon Saber from Iron Head’s back into his hand.

The wild and untamable Demon Saber became incomparably docile the moment it landed in his hands.

"A fine saber indeed. Among the Four Demon Sects, the materials of the sabers used by those Nascent Soul Cultivators are a cut below this one."