Jiang Feng was completely stunned. He knew that this son of his must have had some incredible encounters, otherwise he wouldn't have transformed from a man who couldn't even pass a basic assessment into Marquis Longteng's greatest worry.
“Chen'er, these… these Golden-Winged Sword Birds, they are very obedient to you?” Jiang Feng felt his breathing quicken.
“Father, this is the trump card in my hand! As long as I give the order, they are ready to fight to the death at any moment!”
Jiang Feng was utterly bewildered. He was excited for his son's miraculous transformation, but at the same time, he harbored a faint, sorrowful worry.
“Chen'er, these Golden-Winged Sword Birds are bloodthirsty. If they were to charge into the Royal Capital to deal with Marquis Longteng, those men would be getting their just deserts. But if they ever get out of control, the Royal Capital will be plunged into misery.”
Jiang Feng was, after all, a citizen of the Eastern Kingdom. He had always been a man of virtue and justice. Although his hatred for Marquis Longteng ran deeper than the sea, the thought of the Golden-Winged Sword Bird army charging into the capital and bringing calamity to innocent civilians weighed heavily on his mind.
“Father, I have the Golden-Winged Sword Bird army completely under control. However, since you are worried about implicating the civilians of the capital, I can lure Marquis Longteng's army out of the city and fight the decisive battle there.”
“If it can be done that way, all the better.” Jiang Feng was not a man who merely spoke of virtue without acting. “Our Jiang family is locked in a life-or-death enmity with Marquis Longteng. It's us or them. If we don't take this opportunity to uproot the Long family root and branch, the trouble will be endless! There will be no place for us to stand in this vast Eastern Kingdom.”
“Father is absolutely right. But the world is vast, and the good men of our Jiang family don't necessarily have to make their stand in the Eastern Kingdom. Besides, after this battle, who knows if the land of this kingdom will still belong to the Dongfang clan?” Jiang Chen smiled lightly.
“If it doesn't belong to the Dongfang clan, would that mean it belongs to the Long clan? That is completely unacceptable.” Although Jiang Feng had given up on Dongfang Lu, if he had a choice, he would still prefer the Dongfang family to continue controlling the kingdom. If the kingdom fell into the Long family's hands, it would be an absolute disaster for the Jiang family.
“Father, if it doesn't belong to the Dongfang clan, must it belong to the Long clan? If you have such a thought, why can't the kingdom take the name of our Jiang family?” Jiang Chen's tone was calm.
“What?” Jiang Feng's tiger-like body trembled. “Chen'er, what are you saying…”
“Treasonous?” Jiang Chen chuckled. “Father, in the world of martial arts, the strong are venerated. The Dongfang clan simply took this kingdom from someone else. As the saying goes, the throne takes turns, and this year it's come to our house. However, this is just a mere secular kingdom. Our Jiang family might not even think much of it.”
Jiang Feng was speechless for a long time. He had to admit that his son's words made a great deal of sense and slightly stirred his heart.
As a great feudal lord, Jiang Feng was not a man of foolish loyalty. On the contrary, he had his own unique insights into the political landscape.
Therefore, Jiang Chen's words truly made his heart pound.
Yes, why couldn't the Jiang family do it?
Are generals and ministers born into nobility?
Jiang Chen also knew that his father must be undergoing a heavy psychological struggle. But what was certain was that his father's heart was moved.
Who doesn't want to leave their name in the annals of history?
What man doesn't want to make great achievements, expand territory, and become a king or a hegemon?
Who decrees that the sons of the Jiang family cannot ascend the throne and sit in the seat of the sovereign?
“Father, this is a 'Yuqi Fruit'. If you take it, it can unconditionally raise your cultivation by one realm.” Jiang Chen had obtained six Yuqi Fruits from Mang Qi. He ate three on the spot, and pocketed the remaining three.
“Unconditionally raise my cultivation by one realm?” Jiang Feng was astonished.
“En. This is a spiritual fruit that has absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It's very rare, only encountered once in a hundred years.”
Jiang Feng, of course, had absolute trust in his son. Still, he couldn't help but ask, “Chen'er, wouldn't it be better for you to take such a spiritual fruit?”
“I've already eaten them.” Jiang Chen smiled. “Taking more is useless.”
“Oh, then your father won't stand on ceremony, haha.” Hearing that his son had already taken them, Jiang Feng didn't hesitate any longer. He took the Yuqi Fruit and gobbled it down in just a few bites.
“Father, after taking this fruit, you will need a few days of cultivation to break through. Find a quiet place in this valley. I will arrange for some of the Golden-Winged Sword Birds to protect you and stand guard!”
“Chen'er, where are you going?” Jiang Feng asked curiously.
“Father won't let me take the army into the capital to stir up trouble. I should at least go back and check on things, right? What if the Long clan acts tyrannically and initiates a city-wide manhunt? Don't we need some coordination and support on the inside?”
Jiang Feng's heart tightened. “Right, right. Although the Alchemist Hall has a deep foundation in the capital, it doesn't control military power. If Marquis Longteng acts recklessly and disregards everything, even the Alchemist Hall will be in a very passive position.”
Jiang Chen deeply agreed. He nodded, his gaze looking far into the northeast.
The moment he returned to the Marquis Jianghan's Mansion, he took out the piece of Mang Qi's tooth, infused it with true qi, and requested Mang Qi to dispatch the Golden-Winged Sword Bird army to await his orders.
Mang Qi was very attentive to Jiang Chen's matters. He immediately mobilized twenty corps of Golden-Winged Sword Birds, a full two to three million strong army, which was already on its way with great fanfare. They would arrive within half a day to a day.
......
At this moment, the Royal Capital was in complete chaos, a total mess.
On Marquis Longteng's side, the elite personal guards of several dozen feudal lords had gathered together. A massive army of over a hundred thousand elite soldiers surrounded the Marquis Jianghan's Mansion, the Marquis Jinshan's Mansion, and the Marquis Huqiu's Mansion.
Meanwhile, in every street and alley of the Royal Capital, every home was closed, every door shut.
In the empty streets, not a single person was walking about. All the shops were closed as well, everyone afraid of bringing this undeserved calamity upon themselves.
Everyone knew it. The capital was in chaos, absolute chaos.