145: Chapter 145 Strike at the Heart

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A flicker of cold murderous intent flashed in Gao Feng's eyes. His figure flickered, and he instantly appeared before the Tianshu Guest, who was trying to escape amidst the chaos.

It's over.

He said indifferently, then pointed a finger.

That finger, seemingly casual, contained a terrifying power capable of piercing metal and extinguishing life.

In the Tianshu Guest's eyes, endless despair and fear finally emerged.

He wanted to dodge, but discovered that his body had long been locked by an invisible Qi, unable to move.

He could only watch helplessly as that finger, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, grew larger and larger in his pupils...

Puchi!

A soft sound, like cloth being torn, rang out.

Gao Feng's finger landed on the Tianshu Guest's glabella without any resistance.

The dark golden power of blood and Qi, like the most overbearing thunder, instantly surged in, destroying all his vitality like a withered branch.

The bronze ghost mask on the Tianshu Guest's face cracked down the middle with a click and fell to the ground, revealing the face of a middle-aged man that was unremarkable yet filled with horror and unwillingness.

His body stiffened for a moment, then the light in his eyes dissipated rapidly like a receding tide, and his whole body collapsed softly, with no sound left.

This overlord, who had entrenched himself in the Youyun Mountain Range for decades, stirred up the winds and clouds of the Northern Territory, and reached the Sixth-Rank Grandmaster Realm—the leader of the Tianshan Alliance—had fallen!

Gao Feng slowly retracted his finger, his expression calm, as if he had just crushed an insignificant ant.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire battlefield that had completely collapsed.

The soldiers of the Tianshan Alliance, upon seeing their leader killed with a single finger and the great flag fall, had the last shred of their will to resist completely dissipated.

They cried out, threw away their helmets and armor, and fled in all directions, wishing their parents had given them two extra legs.

Meanwhile, the allied forces of the Panshi Army and the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion had their morale greatly boosted, like the fiercest tigers and wolves, launching the final pursuit and harvest.

This meticulously planned encirclement battle had, at this point, completely declared victory.

Ying Sheng, supported by several Elders, walked over. He looked at Gao Feng, his eyes complex to the extreme. There was gratitude, shock, wariness, and even a trace of... awe.

He had seen clearly just now that the power erupted by Gao Feng's final punch had definitely exceeded the scope of the Fifth Rank!

It was a kind of power he had never seen before—condensed and domineering to the extreme!

He finally understood why, back at the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion, Gao Feng could withstand his blow with a Fifth-Rank body without falling into a disadvantage. It was not because Gao Feng used some Secret Manual, but because this young man's strength had truly reached a terrifying Realm that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with, or even... surpass, a Sixth-Rank Grandmaster!

Governor... Gao,

Ying Sheng struggled to salute, but was stopped by Gao Feng raising his hand.

Pavilion Master Ying, no need for formalities. Your injuries are not light, you should focus on regulating your breathing first.

Gao Feng's tone remained indifferent. He glanced at the battlefield and said, 'Now that this matter is settled, let Du Wei and the others handle the remaining mess. We should go and collect our spoils.'

Ying Sheng nodded with a bitter smile upon hearing this. He knew that the 'spoils' Gao Feng spoke of did not just refer to the captured Tianshan Alliance soldiers and seized supplies, but also... the Tianshan Alliance headquarters, which had been entrenched deep in the Youyun Mountain Range, accumulating wealth for decades!

After this battle, the entire landscape of Youzhou would be completely rewritten.

And his Tingfeng Sword Pavilion, although having avenged a great grudge, had its strength greatly damaged due to his own severe injuries and the casualties of his Disciples.

Conversely, the Panshi Land not only had its main force intact but was also about to obtain this shocking legacy of the Tianshan Alliance.

With the rise of one and the decline of the other, who would be the true master of Youzhou in the future was self-evident.

He looked at the young man standing before him with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, and a deep sense of powerlessness suddenly welled up in his heart.

Perhaps, from the moment he chose to cooperate with this hidden Dragon, the ending had already been determined.

Three days later.

The Tianshan Alliance headquarters, that huge stone palace built on a cliff, was now filled with the flags of the Panshi Army.

Inside the main hall, Gao Feng sat high on the leader's throne that originally belonged to the Tianshu Guest. Below, Liu Chengfeng, Xu Changqing, Du Wei, Wulu, and other trusted generals, as well as Ying Sheng, Ying Xuan, Lin Waner, and other high-level members of the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion, were lined up on the left and right.

Everyone's face was filled with the joy of victory and... shock that could not be concealed.

My Lord!

Liu Chengfeng, who was responsible for counting the results of the battle, held a thick account book, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

In this battle, our army joined forces with the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion, killing over 18,000 enemies and capturing over 11,000! We seized 5,000 warhorses, over 30,000 pieces of various weapons and armor, and grain and grass... enough for our army for two years!

And the treasury of this Tianshan Alliance headquarters is... is even richer than a nation!

Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath and continued his report: 'According to initial statistics, the treasury contains... 300,000 taels of gold! 5 million taels of silver! Countless rare treasures, Sharp Weapons, and Secret Manuals! The wealth accumulated by the Tianshan Alliance from decades of plunder is simply shocking!'

Hiss—!

Hearing this number, everyone in the hall, including Ying Sheng, could not help but gasp.

300,000 taels of gold! 5 million taels of silver!

What kind of concept is this? This wealth is enough to upgrade the equipment of the entire Panshi Army three more times! Enough to recruit another 100,000 troops!

Everyone's gaze subconsciously converged on the man in the main seat, whose expression remained calm.

Gao Feng seemed indifferent to these gold and silver treasures. He just nodded indifferently, then cast his gaze towards Xu Changqing.

Xu Changqing understood, took out an equally thick file from his bosom, stepped forward, and said loudly: 'My Lord, besides these riches, we have more important discoveries.'

Based on the interrogation of the Tianshan Alliance captives and the search of the headquarters' secret chambers, we have basically uncovered the background of the Tianshan Alliance.

These so-called 'Seven Heroes of Tianshan' are not Jianghu heroes at all. The seven of them were originally fellow Senior Brothers from a long-destroyed Western Regions evil sect—the 'Seven Star Sect'. They fled here and founded the Tianshan Alliance, but their ultimate goal was not just to plunder wealth, but to find something.

Xu Changqing's expression became solemn, and he pulled out a yellowed, broken map made of some unknown animal skin from the file.

It's this.

Gao Feng's gaze was instantly drawn to that map.

The material and drawing style of that map were actually... exactly the same as the two fragments he had obtained before!

His heart shook violently, but on the surface, he remained calm.

Xu Changqing continued: 'According to our decryption and interrogation, this map points to a legendary... ancient ruin! It is said that within that ruin, there lies power and secrets capable of overturning the entire world. And the Tianshan Alliance entrenched itself here specifically to find this ruin.'

What's more interesting,

Xu Changqing smiled slightly, a cold light flashing in his eyes,

is that we also found secret letters in the Tianshu Guest's secret chamber regarding his dealings with other forces. Among them, not only is there evidence of his collusion with the destroyed noble families of Yunzhou, but even... there is a shocking conspiracy involving him secretly communicating with the northern 'Tianlang Tribe', intending to invite the wolves into the house at a critical moment to jointly partition the northern territory of the Great Qian Dynasty!

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was shocked!

Inviting wolves into the house!

These four words made all the da qian people present feel anger and a chill from their very bones!

Ying Sheng's face turned iron-blue instantly. He finally understood that the Tianshan Alliance's ambition was far greater and more vicious than he had imagined! If it weren't for Gao Feng turning the tide, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Gao Feng slowly stood up. He did not look at the gold and silver treasures, nor did he touch the map. Instead, he walked to the entrance of the main hall, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked at the clouds and mist swirling around the endless mountains outside the hall.

Pass on my orders.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

Divide all the seized wealth into three parts. One part shall be given to the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion as remuneration for this joint operation, and as compensation for their Disciples who died or were injured.

Hearing this, Ying Sheng trembled, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face. He had not expected Gao Feng to be so generous!

One must know that in this battle, the Panshi Army was the absolute main force, and his Tingfeng Sword Pavilion could at best be considered as providing assistance.

According to the rules of the battlefield, being able to get 10% of the spoils would already be a huge favor.

Yet Gao Feng had directly given them one-third!

Governor Gao, this... this is absolutely not allowed! This battle relied entirely on the Governor's strategic planning and turning the tide. My Tingfeng Sword Pavilion is unworthy of such a generous gift!

Ying Sheng hurriedly stood up to decline.

Gao Feng did not turn back, just said indifferently: 'Pavilion Master Ying, no need to decline. In this battle, your sect also paid a price in blood. I, Gao Feng, never mistreat my friends and allies.'

One sentence made Ying Sheng fall silent instantly.

He looked at Gao Feng's back, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and finally, it could only turn into a long sigh as he bowed deeply to Gao Feng's back.

The second part,

Gao Feng continued,

is to be transported back to Yunzhou, deposited into the treasury, and used for expanding the army, preparing for war, building water conservancy projects, opening schools, and... providing compensation to the families of all the soldiers from my Panshi Land who sacrificed their lives in this battle! I want them to know that their sons, husbands, and fathers died for the sake of defending their home and country—they died for a worthy cause! Their families will be supported by my Panshi Land for the rest of their lives!

My Lord is wise!

Du Wei, Wulu, and the other generals all had tears in their tiger-like eyes upon hearing this. They knelt on one knee, their voices hoarse and filled with endless reverence!

As for this last part...

A cold arc curled at the corner of Gao Feng's mouth,

Exchange it all for grain and winter clothing! I want to open porridge kitchens throughout the entire Youzhou territory to provide relief to the disaster victims! I want all the common people of Youzhou to know who is the one who can truly let them eat their fill, wear warm clothes, and live and work in peace!

The Tianshan Alliance is gone.

But the Youzhou Military Governor, Chen Jingzhi, is still in Ji City, dreaming his sweet dream of carving out his own territory.

I want to show him whose side the hearts of the people are really on!

Liu Chengfeng and Xu Changqing exchanged a glance, both seeing extreme excitement and admiration in each other's eyes.

Striking at the heart!

This is the most brilliant and fatal open stratagem!

Using the ill-gotten wealth plundered by the Tianshan Alliance to win over the hearts of the people across all of Youzhou, to pull the rug out from under him, and to completely dismantle Chen Jingzhi's final Foundation of rule!

It is foreseeable that when this winter passes, and the countless starving and freezing people of Youzhou survive thanks to the grain from Panshi Land, there will be no doubt left in their hearts as to who is the true 'King'!

'Yes! We obey your command!' Liu Chengfeng and Xu Changqing replied in unison, their voices filled with unprecedented enthusiasm.

After arranging all this, Gao Feng slowly turned around, walked back to the main hall, and took the animal skin map from Xu Changqing's hands.

He pieced this newly acquired map fragment together with the other two he carried.

The three fragments fit together perfectly!

A more complete and clearer map finally appeared before his eyes!

On the map, mountains, rivers, and ancient totem symbols were intertwined, and in the end, all the lines pointed to a forbidden place located in the extreme north of the Great Qian Dynasty, marked as the 'Eternal Night Ice Plain'!

And at the core of that ice plain, three characters were marked in an even more ancient script—Tongtian Pagoda!

...

After wiping out the Tianshan Alliance, Gao Feng did not immediately use force against the Youzhou Military Governor, Chen Jingzhi.

He was like the most brilliant chess player, patiently placing his pieces, and then quietly waiting for the situation to ferment.

He reached a new strategic alliance with the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion, and both sides used the Youyun Mountain Range as a boundary to jointly govern Youzhou.

Panshi Land was responsible for government affairs, people's livelihood, and military farming; the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion was responsible for Jianghu order and trade route security, forming a new pattern of 'separation of military and political power, joint governance by civil and military officials'.

After receiving a large amount of wealth and Medicinal Pill from Gao Feng, Ying Sheng announced his seclusion to heal his injuries, handing over all affairs of the pavilion to his fully matured son, Ying Xuan.

Ying Xuan became Gao Feng's most loyal ally. With his support, the merchant caravans of Panshi Land and the intelligence personnel of 'Tianwang' were able to enter every corner of Youzhou without hindrance.

Time passed quietly in this seemingly calm but actually turbulent situation.

In the blink of an eye, it was the depths of winter.

This winter was colder than ever before.

Heavy snow, like goose feathers, fell for a whole month, turning the entire northern border into a vast world of white.

For the Youzhou Military Governor, Chen Jingzhi, this winter was the most difficult time of his life.

The Youzhou under his rule, due to the previous drought and subsequent blizzard, was already a land of barren miles with corpses of the starved scattered everywhere.

The pitiful amount of tax grain he sent troops to forcefully collect was barely enough to maintain the consumption of his 30,000-strong army, let alone provide relief to the people struggling to survive in the wind and snow.

In stark contrast to the miserable scene under his rule were the porridge stalls set up by Panshi Land.

In every town and every major traffic artery of Youzhou, huge porridge stalls were built.

Steaming hot rice porridge and thick cotton-padded clothes were continuously distributed to every disaster victim who came for help.

The Panshi Army soldiers responsible for distributing porridge were not arrogant at all; they treated the people kindly and even took the initiative to help the old, weak, sick, and disabled.

'Eat, fellow villager, there is more in the pot, enough for everyone!'

'Auntie, take it slow, be careful not to burn yourself.'

'Child, come here, put on this cotton-padded jacket, don't freeze.'

Simple words, bowls of life-saving hot porridge, and pieces of warm cotton clothing were like the warmest sunshine, shining into the hearts of the Youzhou people who had long been in despair.

They didn't know any grand principles, but they knew who gave them hope to live.

Gradually, a ballad began to quietly spread through the streets and alleys of Youzhou.

'The Chen official's taxes are like mountains, parents starve to death with no one to care.'

'King Gao Feng opens the rice granary, saving my whole family from the King of Hell.'

The hearts of the people, this fairest and most ruthless scale, had completely tipped to the other side.

Ji City, Military Governor's Mansion.

Hearing the report brought back by his scout, Chen Jingzhi was so angry that he smashed the precious porcelain cup in his hand to the ground!

'Rebellion! It's all rebellion! A bunch of unruly people! A bunch of ungrateful ingrates!'

He was shaking with rage, his face livid, 'I have supported them for so many years, yet instead of thinking of repaying me, they actually praise an outsider! A rebel!'

A trusted general under his command said anxiously, 'My Lord, if this continues, I fear... I fear that before that Gao Feng even attacks, we will descend into chaos ourselves! Now, many soldiers in the army are whispering privately, and the morale is wavering!'

How could Chen Jingzhi not know this truth.

He felt like he was sitting on a volcano about to erupt; every day was torture.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about sending troops to destroy those porridge stalls, but the coalition forces of Gao Feng and the Tingfeng Sword Pavilion were stationed in the Youyun Mountain Range, watching like tigers.

He had no doubt that if his army dared to make any move, the enemy's cavalry would immediately trample all of Ji City!

Fight? He couldn't win.

Wait it out? He couldn't afford to.

This ambitious leader, who had navigated the officialdom for half a life, felt for the first time what it meant to be 'powerless to save the situation'.

Finally, after receiving news again that the frontline granaries were in emergency and there were small-scale mutinies in the army, Chen Jingzhi's psychological defense completely collapsed.

He seemed to age ten years in an instant, sitting dejectedly on his chair, waving his hand, and saying in a hoarse voice:

'Enough... enough...'

'Prepare the letter of surrender, send someone... to Yunzhou.'

'Tell Governor Gao that I, Chen Jingzhi... surrender.'

After reading the surrender letter from the Youzhou Military Governor, Chen Jingzhi, Gao Feng did not feel the ecstatic joy he had imagined, but just calmly looked at the silver-clad world outside the window.

He had won, winning without drawing a sword, winning as a matter of course.

From the moment he decided to use the ill-gotten wealth of the Tianshan Alliance to trade for the hearts of the people of Youzhou, this outcome had been doomed.

The strongest city wall in this world is not made of blue bricks and boulders, but of the hearts of the people.

The sharpest weapon in this world is not swords and spears, but the hearts of the people.

When Chen Jingzhi lost the hearts of the people, his 30,000 troops and that sturdy Ji City became mere illusions, vulnerable and weak.

'My Lord, Chen Jingzhi has surrendered. When shall we enter and take control of Ji City?' Liu Chengfeng stood by, his eyes flashing with excitement.

Completely taking over Youzhou meant that the territory and strength of Panshi Land would once again see a qualitative leap.

'No rush.' Gao Feng shook his head, his gaze deep, as if piercing through layers of snow and wind to see further places.

'Send a reply to Chen Jingzhi, saying that I accept his surrender. However, he must personally do three things to prove his sincerity of surrender to the people of Youzhou.'

Liu Chengfeng was stunned, then a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes: 'My Lord, what do you mean?'

'First,' Gao Feng extended one finger, 'have him open all the official granaries in Youzhou and distribute all the remaining grain to the people in the city. This will be the first compensation for his past exploitation.'

'Second,' Gao Feng extended a second finger, 'have him personally lead his civil and military officials, take off their official robes, go to the porridge stalls outside the city, and distribute porridge to the disaster victims for three days, so they can see with their own eyes what kind of life the people under their rule are living.'

'As for the third...' A meaningful arc curled at the corner of Gao Feng's mouth, 'have him post that letter of surrender at the four gates of Ji City, announcing it to the whole city. Then, he himself must go to the largest shrine in the city, the one built by the people for me, and perform three kneelings and nine kowtows, on behalf of all the people of Youzhou, to invite me to take control of Ji City.'

After hearing this, Liu Chengfeng gasped, and then an unprecedented admiration and awe erupted in his eyes!

Striking at the heart!

This is no longer just striking at the heart; it is completely and mentally destroying the last shred of dignity and decency of Chen Jingzhi and the old ruling class he represents!

Making him open the granaries to distribute grain is making him confess his crimes himself.

Making him distribute porridge for three days is making him feel his own shame.

And making him kneel at the shrine is making him, in front of everyone, sweep himself into the dustbin of history and offer the most humble tribute to the new era!

It is imaginable that after Chen Jingzhi completes these three things, his prestige in Youzhou will be reduced to zero, and there will be no possibility of a comeback.

And Gao Feng, with a posture akin to a 'god descending to earth', will rule over this important northern town amidst the support and expectation of all the people!

'My Lord is far-sighted, I admire you to the ground!' Liu Chengfeng bowed deeply to Gao Feng.

Gao Feng did not look back, but said indifferently, 'Go and do it. Also, send an order to Du Wei, telling him to lead the Tiger Guard Battalion and immediately march to camp outside Ji City. Chen Jingzhi has surrendered, but those 30,000 provincial troops under him still need to be tempered.'

'Yes!' Liu Chengfeng accepted the order and left, his steps light and full of enthusiasm.

...

Ji City, Military Governor's Mansion.

When Gao Feng's reply was delivered to Chen Jingzhi, this ambitious leader who had spent half his life in officialdom, after reading the three conditions in the letter, spat out a mouthful of blood!

'Too bullying! This is too bullying!'

He trembled all over, his face turning from green to purple, and then from purple to white, pointing at the messenger, too angry to speak.

He had thought that Gao Feng would put forward harsh conditions, such as making him hand over all military power, offer all his family property, or even place him under house arrest.

He could accept all of these.

But he never expected that Gao Feng would use such a method to trample on his last shred of dignity!

Make him kneel at the shrine of a rebel? This was more painful than killing him!