NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Three Thousand Martial Artists, As If the Emperor Himself Arrived
Li Fei once again followed Feng Cheng into the Imperial Study Room.
This time, in the study, there was no State Preceptor Yun Shu, only the Emperor sitting alone.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Li Fei entered the Imperial Study Room and paid his respects.
"Sit."
The Emperor, holding a booklet, glanced up as Li Fei entered and spoke casually.
After Li Fei sat down, the Emperor continued to read the booklet in his hand.
The Imperial Study Room quieted down.
A moment later, the Emperor put down the booklet and looked at Li Fei:
"I heard you've been busy with state affairs lately?"
Li Fei sat upright, "Your Majesty appointed me as the Blue Patrol Envoy, I dare not betray Your Majesty's trust, and thus I must also share the burden of state affairs!"
"Share the burden?"
The Emperor sneered, "More like you're adding chaos!"
Upon hearing this, Li Fei did not panic but stood up, looking at the Emperor with a righteous expression, and said:
"I dare not! All my actions are in accordance with the laws of our Da Lan Dynasty, and I have never acted against them!"
The Emperor stared at Li Fei, and even without emitting any aura, still exerted significant pressure.
A few seconds later, he threw the booklet he was just reading directly at Li Fei:
"My concerns now lie beyond, not within. Take a look; this is the latest war report from the Northern Territory."
Li Fei caught the thrown booklet, which contained a telegram:
"May 21, the Northern Barbarian King Bo'erhu led his army to the Holy Land of the Fire Qilin Clan, surrounding but not attacking."
"May 24, the Flame Heart Clan and Qingye Clan, who have been allies with the Fire Qilin Clan for generations, arrived with their alliance army, confronting Bo'erhu's forces."
"May 25, Bo'erhu reached an agreement with the three clans, and before an army of thousands, he dueled simultaneously with the Great Elder of the Fire Qilin Clan, and the Clan Leaders of the Flame Heart Clan and Qingye Clan. Against three, he ultimately won!"
"May 26, the Clan Leaders of the three clans swore their allegiance to Bo'erhu atop the Holy Mountain of the Fire Qilin Clan, willing to honor him as the Northern Barbarian King."
"Note 1: The Great Elder of the Fire Qilin Clan who faced Bo'erhu is a top-level True Master of 'Heavenly Spirit and Earthly Fiend Great Perfection,' and the Clan Leaders of the Flame Heart Clan and Qingye Clan are Great Grandmasters who broke through using Five Divine Powers.
Note 2: Bo'erhu's current combat power is no weaker than a Prince-level expert of the West Continent."
The war report was brief, yet the Emperor had spent a long time reading it.
Now, Li Fei was also repeatedly reviewing these pieces of information, feeling the 'weight' of the booklet in his hand.
While he wasn't clear on the specific combat power classification of Great Grandmaster and top-level True Master, the 'Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend System' of Magic Artifacts gave him some clues.
Once the Seventy-two Earthly Fiends are achieved, a True Master can be promoted to a top-level True Master.
Above that, there are the Thirty-six Heavenly Gang, achieving Heavenly Spirit and Earthly Fiend Great Perfection.
Since the Great Elder of the Fire Qilin Clan has reached 'Heavenly Spirit and Earthly Fiend Great Perfection,' they must be at the peak of a top-level True Master.
Such strength, together with two Great Grandmasters who broke through using Five Divine Powers, still lost to Bo'erhu, highlighting the terrifying combat power of the Northern Barbarian King!
Previously, Yun Shu speculated that once the Northern Barbarian King completely unified the seventeen barbarian clans, leveraging their Qi Fortune, there was a substantial chance to take the final step and breakthrough to become a Martial Saint.
It seems this speculation is likely accurate!
And now, Bo'erhu has already unified eleven of the Northern barbarian clans, needing just six more to reach the top!
Li Fei could imagine the anxiety in the Emperor's heart.
"Your Majesty, are you considering taking military action against the Northern Barbarians?"
Li Fei inquired.
The Emperor: "Back then, I promised the Buddhist sects that if Pudu Temple and other temples accumulated the refinement and maintenance of fifty sets of Sha Qi for the court, I would build one more temple. At that grand court meeting, I recall you were present."
Li Fei nodded, "Yes, I was in the hall at that time. It was my first time attending a grand court meeting."
The Emperor said calmly, "Starting next month, sixty-three new temples are set to begin construction nationwide."
Li Fei was stunned by this, quickly calculating.
This means that in over two years, the Buddhist sects have refined 3,150 new sets of Sha Qi for the court?!
Even if they aren't the highest-level 'Ten-thousand-man Sha Qi,' calculating as 'Thousand-man Killing Devices,' it implies the court could add three more thousand-strong Imperial Camp Armies.
Equivalent to having three additional Great Grandmasters on the battlefield!
This is absolutely a factor that could influence the situation, and Li Fei could guess that these additional Imperial Camp Armies would definitely be secretly dispatched to the Northern Territory.
To march through the Northern Barbarian's primal forests requires elite forces like the Imperial Camp Army.
"Since the establishment of the Blue Patrol Pavilion, in just over two months, over three thousand martial artists have been recommended to join the Military Affairs Office, and these martial artists have all been dispatched to the Northern Territory."
The Emperor continued.
All of a sudden, more than three thousand martial artists voluntarily joining the army is the benefit brought by the Blue Patrol Pavilion!
Li Fei continued to listen quietly, waiting for his assignment.
The Emperor looked at him, "The court plans to form an expeditionary force to invade Northern Barbarian lands and behead Bo'erhu! These over three thousand martial artists recommended from various places will also join the expeditionary force. As a cabinet minister of the Blue Patrol Pavilion and Blue Patrol Envoy, I plan to appoint you as the Inspector of the Expeditionary Army, alongside leading these over three thousand Blue Patrol Pavilion martial artists."
Li Fei was taken aback upon hearing this, not expecting such a high position from the Emperor—
Inspector!
While the Inspector of the Da Lan Dynasty does not possess command authority, their status is almost on par with the army's Commander.
They oversee discipline, report misconduct, and function as the eyes and ears of the monarch!
Someone outside the true inner circle could not assume this role.
Moreover, the Emperor not only let Li Fei serve as Inspector but also gave him real power—commanding over three thousand martial artists from the Blue Patrol Pavilion!
This directly endowed Li Fei with his own faction within the military, making him truly influential!"