149: Fourth Generation: Overlord (45)

Just as Xu Yuan expected.

When Wusut's crudely stitched yet still hideous and unseeing corpse, along with his signature blood-colored scimitar, was hung on the walls of Iron Wall Pass by the Great Shang Shadow Guard in an extremely humiliating manner, swaying gently in the morning breeze...

The Tianlang camp stretching ten miles outside the pass instantly fell into unprecedented panic and chaos!

"It's... it's the Commander-in-Chief!"

"Commander-in-Chief Wusut! How is that possible?!"

"Didn't the Commander-in-Chief sneak into Shang territory to support the Shen Family? How could..."

"How dare those Shang thieves do this!!!"

"..."

Panic-stricken cries, roars of disbelief, and irrepressible whispers of fear spread like a plague through the well-trained Tianlang army.

The sudden death of the commander and the humiliation of his corpse were devastating blows to the morale and spirit of any army.

The Azure Wolf Cavalry, which had been aggressive and attacking the pass day and night, now showed signs of small-scale unrest, their morale visibly plummeting to rock bottom.

The commander of Iron Wall Pass, General "Xuanwu," a Hidden Pawn of the Wang Family, seized the opportunity and ordered a proactive strike. The defenders shouted in unison, "Long live the Shang King! The traitor has been executed!" Their voices shook the fields, further panicking the Tianlang army. Their offensive ground to a complete halt, and they were forced to retreat dozens of miles to avoid the brunt of the counterattack.

Soon, the news took wing and flew back to the Royal Court of the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty.

Inside the Golden Tent, the Tianlang Kingdom Lord—a powerful ruler with a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivation and a temperament as explosive as fire—flew into a rage upon hearing that his trusted general, Wusut, had not only failed his mission but had also been decapitated and publicly displayed!

"Roar—! Wang Yuan, you brat! How dare you humiliate me like this!!!"

Violent Spiritual Pressure instantly swept through the Golden Tent; precious wolf-skin rugs were shredded, and golden wine cups were crushed into powder!

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord's eyes were bloodshot, and his hair and beard bristled like a thoroughly enraged lion.

"Summon the troops! Assemble all the Azure Wolf Cavalry!"

"I will personally lead a campaign against Great Shang, raze Iron Wall Pass to the ground, and turn that brat Wang Yuan's skull into a wine vessel to vent my hatred!!!"

In his fury, the Tianlang Kingdom Lord was about to order the mobilization of the entire nation's power to launch a great war.

"My Lord, please calm your anger! This must not be done!"

At that moment, an emaciated old man dressed in a grey priest's robe stepped forward hurriedly. He was the Grand Priest of the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty, a man of high status who, despite only being at the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, was a master strategist highly relied upon by the Lord.

"Grand Priest! You wish to stop me?"

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord glared at him, radiating Killing Intent.

"This old servant dares not!" The Grand Priest bowed deeply, his voice urgent and solemn. "My Lord, General Wusut was one of Tianlang's few powerhouses, with a Late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation and accompanied by the Wolf King. Even against one at Foundation Establishment Perfection, he should have been able to escape, even if he couldn't win."

"Yet now, he and the Wolf King have been killed so cleanly within Shang territory, and their bodies were even taken by the enemy to humiliate our army! What does this mean?"

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord frowned, his anger slightly subsiding, and said in a low voice, "What does it mean?"

"It means that the Shang King, Wang Yuan, either possesses strength far beyond our estimates with terrifying methods to instantly kill General Wusut, or there is a top-tier expert hidden by his side whom we know nothing about!" The Grand Priest's tone was heavy. "Whichever it is, it means that Great Shang—or rather, Wang Yuan—is by no means an opponent that can be easily shaken."

"To rashly launch an all-out attack may not be a wise move, my Lord!"

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord's expression shifted. Though he was enraged, he was not entirely without wisdom. The Grand Priest's analysis was like a bucket of cold water, dousing part of his impulsive fire.

Seeing the Lord waver, the Grand Priest struck while the iron was hot, lowering his voice. "Does the Lord still remember the intelligence the Shen Family sent regarding Great Shang?"

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord's eyes narrowed. "Of course I remember. The Shen Family said that Great Shang was newly established and its ruler, Wang Yuan, was but a junior at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage who only ascended the throne by relying on the power of the Wang Family. His Foundation was shallow, and his internal affairs were unstable."

"That is precisely why I thought there was an opportunity. I ordered Wusut to support the Shen Family. If we could seize the resources of Great Shang's Southeast and even prop up the Shen Family as a Puppet, it would have greatly increased Tianlang's national strength!"

His tone carried a hint of annoyance at being deceived. "But looking at it now, the Shen Family's intelligence was either intentionally hidden or they themselves had no idea of Wang Yuan's true background!"

"The Lord is wise." The Grand Priest nodded. "The Shen Family is confined to a corner of the Southeast; their vision is limited and they might not have seen the whole picture. But for this Wang Yuan to be at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage and yet command the full support of the Wang Family, show divine phenomena during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony, survive an assassination attempt by the Shadow Tower, and now instantly kill General Wusut... this youth is definitely no ordinary person!"

A flash of shrewd calculation appeared in his cloudy old eyes. "Since the Shen Family's intelligence was incorrect and we cannot ascertain his true strength ourselves for the time being, then 'killing with a borrowed knife' is the safest and most effective method."

"The Shadow Tower..." The Grand Priest slowly uttered these words. "They failed their previous assassination. According to their rules, they must have already raised Wang Yuan's threat Rank."

"They want to uncover Wang Yuan's background even more than we do, and they are even more eager to restore their reputation."

"My Lord, why don't we contact the Shadow Tower again?"

"This time, we don't need to demand an immediate successful assassination. We can even accept their initial 'probing' assassinations. The purpose is to force Wang Yuan to reveal more of his methods and hidden cards!"

"As long as the price is high enough, the Shadow Tower will surely be willing to take the job."

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord tapped the armrest of his throne, musing, "You mean we pay the Shadow Tower to test the depths of Wang Yuan for us?"

"Exactly!" The Grand Priest said confidently. "Whether the Shadow Tower succeeds or not, we will gain valuable intelligence. If the Shadow Tower happens to succeed, Great Shang will be leaderless and collapse on its own, allowing us to drive straight in! If the Shadow Tower fails again and even loses higher-ranked assassins, that will be enough to prove Wang Yuan's terror. We would then need to re-evaluate the cost of being enemies with Great Shang, or even... consider easing relations."

"This move allows us both to advance and to retreat."

"It both demonstrates the Lord's intent to avenge General Wusut and minimizes the pointless casualties of our Tianlang sons. It is truly a foolproof plan!"

The Tianlang Kingdom Lord remained silent for a long time, the fire in his eyes gradually replaced by cold political maneuvering.

He was the lord of a nation and could not act solely on impulse. The Grand Priest's proposal, though sounding somewhat frustrating, was indeed the choice that best served Tianlang's interests at the moment.

"Humph, then let that brat Wang Yuan live for a few more days." The Tianlang Kingdom Lord snorted coldly and made his decision. "Grand Priest, I leave this matter entirely in your hands."

"Secretly contact the Shadow Tower immediately. Spare no expense to have them strike again and 'measure' the weight of this Shang King!"