By the time Chen Sheng reached the front of the stronghold, the battle was already over. Severed limbs were strewn everywhere.

The air was thick with the nauseating stench of blood, a sickening cocktail of smells. The surviving soldiers were clearing the battlefield, finishing off any remaining water bandits and collecting the bodies of their comrades.

By now, Wang Yue and the others had already learned of Chuyue Mountain’s death and how Chen Sheng had single-handedly turned the tide, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

They also knew that Chen Sheng had temporarily assumed command.

The other Vice Commanders had no objections. Their rank and prestige were insufficient; even if they wanted to contend for the position, they stood no chance against Chen Sheng and would only risk offending him.

Wang Yue, however, had mixed feelings.

After all, they both held the rank of commander. More importantly, they’d had a few run-ins before, and none of them had been pleasant. While Chen Sheng’s command seemed temporary, Wang Yue knew that with this great accomplishment of wiping out the bandits, coupled with his relationship with Wu Kuang, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to secure the position of Grand Commander.

"The Grand Commander has died in the line of duty, but the command cannot be left vacant. I had no choice but to assume temporary command. Does anyone have any objections? Of course, feel free to speak up if you do."

Chen Sheng cut straight to the chase the moment he saw them.

"I have no objections! I support the Grand Commander!"

Seeing his chance, a quick-witted Vice Commander hurried to declare his position, the very picture of loyalty.

"What Grand Commander? I am merely assuming temporary command."

Chen Sheng feigned displeasure, pretending to chide him, but anyone could see he wasn’t truly angry. The chastised Vice Commander showed no alarm, merely offering a string of apologies.

Seeing this, the others quickly followed suit and saluted.

Soon, only Wang Yue remained, his face etched with hesitation. All eyes instinctively turned to him. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"It seems Commander Wang has an objection."

Chen Sheng watched him with a wry smile.

Wang Yue looked up and met Chen Sheng’s inscrutable smile. A jolt went through him. Recalling Chen Sheng’s ruthless methods, a chill shot through his heart, and he quickly lowered his head.

"I have no objections. I await your orders, sir."

"Ah, no need for ’subordinate’ or ’sir’... Commander Wang, you’re being too formal."

Chen Sheng said, gesturing toward him with a raised hand.

Wang Yue forced a smile.

"Yes, I... I misspoke."

Chen Sheng didn’t waste any more time on the topic. He changed the subject, saying:

"The Black Snake Water Stronghold has been annihilated. There’s no need to leave too many men here. All of you, take the heads of all the water bandits and follow me back to report our success to the County Captain. As for mopping up any stragglers and collecting the spoils, I’ll leave that to Vice Commander Yan."

"Yes."

"Yes."

...

「Late at night.」

The County Office was ablaze with light.

Wu Kuang had already downed several cups of strong tea, but he couldn’t hide the worry on his face. The reason, of course, was the bandit extermination campaign.

He held Chen Sheng in extremely high regard, far more than a typical subordinate. Though Chen Sheng had only been with him for a few months since leaving the military camp, Wu Kuang was deeply impressed by his character, courage, and talent.

If Chen Sheng hadn’t been so confident before departing, Wu Kuang would never have agreed to let him take such a risk.

Nearly twelve hours had passed since the troops set out, yet there was still no word. The only small comfort was knowing that the expert Li Huai Sheng was with Chen Sheng to protect him.

Otherwise, he would have been even more on edge.

He knew full well this bandit extermination mission was very likely a trap aimed at either him or Chen Sheng.

As he was pondering this, Wu Kuang’s brow suddenly furrowed. His gaze shot toward the outside as his right hand stealthily reached for an object hidden in his sleeve. Just as the atmosphere grew taut, a dark figure appeared at the door.

"County Captain, it’s me."

’Chen Sheng?’

The familiar voice made Wu Kuang pause, but he didn’t lower his guard. "Come in," he said, his voice tense.

The door was pushed open gently. Chen Sheng, dressed in blood-stained light armor and carrying a bloody parcel, entered the room and closed the door behind him. He then offered Wu Kuang a cupped-fist salute.

"You’re back. How did it go?"

Wu Kuang only breathed a sigh of relief after clearly seeing Chen Sheng’s face. His hand slipped out from his sleeve as he took a few steps forward, his expression full of concern.

"I have not failed the mission."

Chen Sheng looked up and handed over the blood-stained parcel.

"This is...?"

Wu Kuang stared at the parcel, a suspicion forming in his mind, but he didn’t dare confirm it just yet.

"This is the head of Xu Meng, the chieftain of the Black Snake Water Stronghold."

Chen Sheng said, enunciating every word.

A flash of astonishment crossed Wu Kuang’s eyes, quickly replaced by delighted surprise.

"Really?"

He found it hard to believe. After all, he was well aware of the Black Snake Water Stronghold’s reputation—they were an incredibly active and brazen group of water bandits near Changshan County that the Government Office had failed to eliminate for years.

In fact, their name had only grown more notorious over time. The death of the previous County Captain was inextricably linked to them.

He never imagined Chen Sheng would actually succeed!

It was truly beyond his belief.

"I would not make such a claim lightly."

"Quick, tell me what happened tonight."

Wu Kuang was far too curious.

Chen Sheng nodded and briefly recounted the events of the campaign. When Wu Kuang heard that Chuyue Mountain had been killed by the water bandits, a look of astonishment crossed his face. He stared at Chen Sheng, his gaze turning serious as he asked:

"Was it really the water bandits who killed Chuyue Mountain?"

"As expected, nothing gets past the County Captain."

A small smile touched Chen Sheng’s lips. Then, he enunciated each word:

"I killed him. A single palm strike was all it took."

"You... you..."

Wu Kuang’s mouth fell open, a mixture of disbelief and horror on his face. How could Chen Sheng, a Martial Master at the Bone Forging realm, kill Chuyue Mountain, an expert in the Marrow Transformation Realm, with a single palm strike?

’Could it be... he...’

"Your guess is correct, sir. I have broken through to the Marrow Transformation Realm."

Chen Sheng nodded, then continued, "Chuyue Mountain was in collusion with the Three Great Families. This whole bandit extermination campaign was a conspiracy they concocted. They intended to ambush and kill me and the elites I brought from the Mountain Camp, to clip your wings, sir. So..."

"No need to explain. I believe you."

Wu Kuang waved a dismissive hand. That wasn’t what shocked him; after all, he trusted Chen Sheng.

What truly astonished him was that in just a few short months, Chen Sheng had leaped from the Mingxi Realm, an early stage of Foundation Establishment, to the Marrow Transformation Realm, a late stage. The speed was simply staggering.

He had only ever heard of such cultivation speed in legends; he had never witnessed it in anyone he knew.

He considered his own talent to be decent, but it had taken him years of arduous cultivation to stabilize his foundation before he dared attempt a breakthrough into the Marrow Transformation Realm.

’How on earth did Chen Sheng manage it?’

Wu Kuang was intensely curious, but he didn’t ask. He knew that even if he did, he likely wouldn’t get a truthful answer. It was better to suppress his curiosity than to sow discord and mistrust between them.

After pondering for a moment, Wu Kuang looked Chen Sheng up and down and suddenly broke into a smile.

"So, what do you want next?"

Chen Sheng looked up, his gaze resolute.

"I want... command of all military forces in the county!"