The death of Ruan Shantao was as devastating to Yanzhou City as an earthquake.

The towering tree that once stood in Ziyang Mountain, overshadowing the entire Yanzhou, ultimately fell, and the weeds that once dared not show their heads began to grow wildly and wantonly.

The first were the knife sellers in worn-out robes; they were the first to receive the news. Confirming that Yanzhou’s strongest had been assassinated, these spies lurking in the shadows boldly stepped into the daylight — many passersby hadn’t returned to their senses when they suddenly found a short blade in their hands, and the fierce evil qi rushed into their heads, turning their eyes blood red.

It’s a time for vengeance and settling old scores, a perfect moment for chaos where people could kill each other.

Yanzhou City responded quite swiftly. The capturers responsible for security quickly moved to arrest people — at that moment, the knife sellers surrounded by crowds simply took out their blades and slit their own throats.

Hawks and falcons, twisted from flesh and blood, spread their wings and let out hoarse cries, killing everything indiscriminately around them, devouring any flesh they could consume.

This made them grow larger and fight even more fiercely.

"What excellent hunting falcons they are."

In the Yan Province Governor’s Mansion, a man from the grasslands in a leather coat clapped in admiration upon hearing the distant eagle cries.

"So, Governor, you should prepare to open the city gates and surrender."

"Open the city gates and surrender?"

From his main seat, Governor Qi Jinshan looked stern as water.

"Do you think I, the governor, would open the gates to let you grassland people in to harm the citizens?"

"That’s not how to put it, Governor. We would bring a new order."

The grassland man shook his head with a sigh.

"You should already know, your strongest in Yanzhou, that poor old man eventually turned into a monster. If the State Preceptor hadn’t acted, Yanzhou would be in ruins now... And now, Yanzhou City is already in chaos. Besides the State Preceptor, who else can help you Yanzhou people settle this mess? Count on those from the south?"

Saying this, the grassland man pointed to the south.

"Don’t be naive, Governor. Just as you couldn’t send troops to Jizhou back then, they won’t act to help you either. After all, your southern court has been reducing the frontier military in recent years. What do you think they can use to help you? Sacrifice lives?"

"You!"

Qi Jinshan, the governor of Yanzhou, glared in anger.

But he couldn’t refute those words.

Truth is the sharpest blade, and everything this grassland emissary said pinpointed the pressing issues in Yanzhou City and the broader Chen dynasty — indeed, as the grassland emissary mentioned, it’s impossible for Yanzhou to receive any reinforcements in the short term, and as the governor, he was far from possessing the terrifying strength that Ruan Shantao had to suppress an entire province by himself.

Not to mention himself, even looking across the whole of Yanzhou, a person of such caliber couldn’t be found.

With only the little military strength he had, maintaining order in Yanzhou City was already an enormous struggle, while the advance forces of the grassland army had reached Jizhou — and this time, it wasn’t just the mere Qīngyáng Division, but real elite forces traveling long distances from the Desert North Royal Court.

In less than a day’s time, Yanzhou City was on the brink of disaster.

Surrender seemed to have truly become the most logical decision.

This was the last route the enemy left him, the safest path.

Wondering when they had set everything up to spring into action, they had managed to throw an entire city into chaos within a day, leaving Yanzhou Governor Qi Jinshan seeing no chance of winning against such enemies.

"My family’s State Preceptor says, the Governor is a smart man and should know the right choice."

After saying so, the grassland emissary took out a copper whistle and blew it hard.

Hound-sized hunting dogs ran into the streets; with blood-red eyes, these dogs had become fierce monsters and attacked every living person they could see, easily crushing hard bones with their sharp teeth.

Only the heads they didn’t eat, so amidst the rolling heads all over the ground, cries of anguish filled the air.

"Sorry, wrong whistle."

Listening to those cries and the growls of the hounds outside, the grassland emissary took out a bone whistle.

"This should be the right one..."

"Enough!"

Seeing a human-faced giant eagle sweeping over the governor’s mansion, its talons clutching half a mangled corpse, Yanzhou Governor Qi Jinshan finally gritted his teeth.

"I..."

Buzz —

Intense flames lit the sky.

The human-faced giant eagle flying in mid-air was split open, and just moments earlier, it was still pecking at half a corpse but was now in two pieces.

Following a buzzing sound, that fierce flame arced through the air.

Moments later, half the gatehouse wall of the governor’s mansion collapsed, along with the upper bodies of more than ten hunting dogs.

"..."

Inside the governor’s mansion, Qi Jinshan and the grassland emissary looked at each other.

"Whose subordinate is that?"

Taking a deep breath, Qi Jinshan called for his soldiers.

"Such a valiant person, how come I never heard of him before?"

"That is our Armory Chief."

The summoned soldier reported in a low voice.

"It should be him, after all, the horse and sword are quite distinct."

"...Wait a moment?"

Qi Jinshan was puzzled.

He knew the Armory Chief, but in his impression, Liu Bolun the drunkard had nothing else to do but drink all day. But now... was that drunkard actually so brave?

"Uh, it’s not Chief Liu."

Hearing Qi Jinshan’s confusion, the summoned soldier felt a bit awkward.

"Chief Liu has already sealed his golden insignia and retreated into the mountains? This is Chief Du from Jizhou; he wasn’t originally from our side but was persuaded hard to come down here by them..."

"Good! Well persuaded! Well persuaded indeed!"

Qi Jinshan burst into hearty laughter, clapping his hands.

Then, he turned his head to the grassland emissary beside him.

"You barbarian, what were you about to say?"

"...Just one person cannot change anything."

The grassland emissary tightened his grip on his blade.

"Governor, don’t forget, that Ruan Shantao..."

Before he finished, the grassland emissary’s hand holding the blade had already flown up in the air.

With one sword cut, the grassland emissary’s arm was severed, and Qi Jinshan’s second sword slashed across the emissary’s throat.

"Want to become a monster like those black-clothed men? Ha."

Scoffing, Qi Jinshan crossed over the grassland emissary’s corpse, holding his blood-stained sword.

"Pass down the orders! Mobilize everyone! Root out the rebels inside the city!"

With sword in hand, Qi Jinshan was brimming with vigor.

Indeed, with Ruan Shantao, the venerable master, presiding over Yanzhou before, Qi Jinshan as Governor had almost no presence.

But now, with Ruan Shantao gone, he naturally had to accomplish what Ruan Shantao couldn’t.

Perhaps even better than Ruan Shantao.

After all, he was the true authority of Yanzhou.