372: Chapter 372 Five Directions Garrison

"The Five Guards are ranked below the Two Generals and are stationed according to the five directions: East, West, South, North, and Center. Among them, the Center Guard holds the highest status, typically attending to King Xibei alongside the Two Generals."

"Xun Prefecture is situated on the Dynasty's border. Although it is shielded by the Great Border Protection Formation, Yao Beasts still frequently cross the border to cause trouble. Over the years, the soldiers of Xun Prefecture have been constantly at war, though the scale has been small and news of it never reached the Imperial Capital."

After hearing this, Feng Ming sighed inwardly. While the soldiers at the front shed their blood in battle to protect the country, the emperor in the rear was single-mindedly plotting against the only daughter of a loyal minister guarding the border. Such acts of discarding the bow once the birds are gone, of suspicion and framing, have been common throughout the ages; many dynasties have perished because of this.

Feng Ming had thought King Haoyue's suspicion was already extreme, but the moment the group stepped out of the Teleportation Formation, he realized that King Haoyue's paranoia and defensiveness were far beyond what he had imagined.

Outside the Teleportation Formation was a surging, massive river. The surface of the water was vast and boundless, stretching beyond the horizon.

Luo Yuan pointed at the river and said to Feng Ming, "Xun Prefecture is an independent landmass and is not connected to the main territory of the Bright Moon Dynasty. We need to take a boat for half a day to reach Xun Prefecture. If we were to fly through the air, the others in the team wouldn't have enough cultivation to keep up. Wait here a moment; the vessel will arrive shortly."

Gazing at the vast river, Feng Ming couldn't help but remark, "To think the prestigious Xun Prefecture stronghold is actually isolated from the Dynasty's main territory. King Haoyue intends to keep all warfare outside the nation's gates, refusing to let even a hint of trouble touch him."

"King Xibei has guarded the border for many years without a single word of complaint, yet the King still has the heart to plot against the Xun Luoyuan. It truly chills the heart."

A bitter smile curved the corners of Luo Yuan's mouth as she said softly, "Among the Seniors who followed King Haoyue to conquer the world back then, which one wasn't full of passion and loyalty? But it is easy to share hardships and difficult to share wealth. Loyal ministers and brave generals in times of chaos instead become hidden threats in the emperor's heart during times of peace."

"My father only knows how to fight on the battlefield; he doesn't understand courtly power balances, and even less does he care to study the human heart. Naturally, he doesn't find favor in King Haoyue's eyes."

Luo Yuan raised her hand and pointed toward the river, where a giant wooden warship was cutting through the waves, slowly approaching the shore. "Let's not speak of those things. The ship is here."

Looking from afar, a burly figure stood on the warship's deck. Feng Da recognized the man's silhouette and whispered to Feng Ming, "Young Master, that person is General Kaishan, Fang Zhao."

Feng Ming nodded, his gaze heavy as he observed the distant figure, taking mental note of him.

Meanwhile, inside the Xun Manor in Xun Prefecture.

On an aerial corridor spanning between two pavilions, King Xibei sat in the seat of honor, with a handsome young man dressed in dark green robes standing beside him.

The young man bowed with cupped hands and said in a deep voice, "My Lord, Fang Zhao has received the Xun Luoyuan at the riverside. The Prince Consort is also with the group."

King Xibei nodded slightly and instructed, "You should go and welcome them as well. Fang Zhao is straightforward and enjoys making friends; he might not be able to test Feng Ming's depths. Wait on the shore. If Fang Zhao fails, you must personally take action to ascertain his true cultivation and Heart-Nature."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

Xun Yu bowed in acknowledgement, then turned and left quickly.

At the shore!

While the ship was still twenty or thirty meters from the shore, everyone leaped onto the deck. Such a giant vessel could not get too close, or it would easily run aground.

As soon as he stepped onto the deck, Feng Ming sensed something unusual. On the entire ship, only a single figure stood in the center of the deck, and that person's gaze had been firmly locked onto him from the very beginning.

"Greetings, Xun Luoyuan!" the man saluted Luo Yuan, yet his eyes did not stray from Feng Ming for even a second.

Luo Yuan also sensed the subtle atmosphere and quickly spoke to introduce them. "This is a beloved general under my father's command, General Kaishan, Fang Zhao!"

"Brother Fang, this is Feng Ming, the Prince Consort personally appointed by His Majesty!"

Feng Ming immediately cupped his hands in salute. "Feng Ming greets General Fang!"

Fang Zhao sized Feng Ming up and down, then grinned. "So you're the Prince Consort handpicked by His Majesty? You don't look very old; surely you must have some extraordinary qualities? Come, let Fang here test you!" Before his voice had even faded, he had already struck a pose, clearly intending to fight.

Luo Yuan hurriedly stepped forward to pull Fang Zhao back. "Brother Fang, don't be ridiculous! Feng Ming only has Mahayana Realm cultivation, while you already have Ninth-Rank combat power. How could he be your opponent!"

Fang Zhao was indifferent. "It's fine. I'll just suppress my power to the Mahayana Realm to spar with him!"

Seeing his persistence, Luo Yuan could only awkwardly explain to Feng Ming, "Feng Ming, don't take it to heart. Brother Fang spends all year fighting Yao Beasts in the dense border forests; he has always had a combative nature."

Feng Ming gave a faint smile, but he saw through it clearly. This wasn't a combative nature; it was a deliberate provocation.

It was likely King Xibei's intention as well. How could a son-in-law visit for the first time without being tested? If it was a spar, he naturally didn't fear it; if they wanted to fight, he would fight.

But before Feng Ming could act, Wanyan Lin suddenly spoke from within the storage ring, "Young Master, this General Fang has poison in his body!"

"Poison?" Feng Ming was slightly startled.

"Correct. It should be miasma poison contracted from spending years in the dense forests."

Hearing this, Feng Ming's eyes instantly lit up. miasma poison was still poison, and he was just worrying about where to find poison to Cultivate with. He immediately looked at Fang Zhao. "Brother Fang, you are poisoned. Are you aware?"

Fang Zhao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "It's just some miasma poison. Every soldier in our Xun Prefecture has it; what's there to be surprised about? Fighting in the dense forests year-round, this poison is like calluses on the soles of your feet—it can't be gotten rid of. Don't talk about that, come on, let's keep competing!"

Feng Ming shook his head and said, "I have a way to help you remove this miasma poison. Why don't I detoxify you first, and then we can spar?"

Fang Zhao froze, and Luo Yuan also spoke up in pleasant surprise, "Feng Ming, can you really cure this poison?"

Fang Zhao was even more incredulous. "Kid, are you serious? Even Master Gu was helpless against this poison! Master Gu said this poison has become a chronic ailment over the years and simply cannot be eradicated!"

"Master Gu?" Feng Ming was confused.

Luo Yuan explained, "Master Gu is a Ninth-Rank Alchemist, specially sent by His Majesty in the early years to look after my father's health."

Feng Ming realized, "This kind of miasma poison is indeed difficult to remove with just Medicinal Pills, not to mention you frequently enter the dense forests and get re-infected. But rest assured, I can certainly pull it out for you. In the future, when you enter the forests again, you can come to me regularly, and I can detoxify all of you."

Seeing his certain tone, Fang Zhao's interest was piqued. "Truly? Then detoxify me first! I've had enough of this miasma poison; it's unbearably itchy every time it flares up!"

With that, he strode over to Feng Ming.

Feng Ming signaled for him to sit cross-legged, while he sat opposite, reaching out to place his hand on the man's wrist. This movement was to conceal the process of him absorbing the miasma poison.

His original intention was to refine the miasma poison to increase his cultivation; the detoxification was merely a convenient byproduct. Feng Ming secretly circulated the Ten Thousand Poisons Scripture. In an instant, Fang Zhao felt the chronic miasma poison that had occupied his body for years actually follow Feng Ming's urging, gathering continuously toward his wrist and then leaving his body.