Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 140 Another Storm Begins

At the same time, three hundred miles away, in Dingbei City, at the Cui residence.

In the secret room, Cui Yuanhao stared at the secret report in his hand with a grim expression.

"Three thousand elite soldiers were wiped out, three commanders died in battle, Elder Situ of the Netherworld Sect perished... Lin Chen's army suffered no losses?"

His voice was hoarse, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.

Below, the strategist, Mr. Zhou, knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he said:

"Second Master, the news is absolutely true."

Lin Chen had a master of formations by his side, and they easily broke the Nine Nether Soul Refining Formation.

The Tiger Legion's combat strength far exceeded expectations; the Eight Vajra Warriors in formation could even kill a late-stage Grandmaster... Our plan has completely failed.

"Useless!" Cui Yuanhao slammed his hand down on the table beside him, shattering it.

"Didn't Situ Ming boast that his formations were unparalleled?! And those three thousand elite warriors, my Cui family trained them for ten years! Ten years!"

"And then there's Wanyan Honglie, who dared to go back on his word and flee at the first sign of trouble..."

His chest heaved violently, and it took him a long time to calm down.

"Where is Lin Chen now?"

"We have already set up camp outside Luoyingjian and are expected to arrive in Dingbei City in three days," Mr. Zhou said in a low voice.

"Three days..." Cui Yuanhao's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. "Pass down the order to activate 'Project B'."

Mr. Zhou was startled: "Second Master, Plan B involves too much. If we use that force, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Cui Yuanhao said coldly.

"If we don't act now, what chance will we have if Lin Chen arrives in Dingbei City and consolidates Father's old forces?"

He paused, then said in a deep voice:

"Also, send a message to the Netherworld Sect, saying that... that item may have fallen into Lin Chen's hands, and request that the sect send its true experts."

"Yes!" Mr. Zhou bowed and withdrew.

Only Cui Yuanhao remained in the secret room.

He walked to the window, looked at the night sky, and his eyes revealed a murderous intent.

"Lin Chen, do you think everything is settled after winning against Falling Eagle Gorge? This is just the beginning..."

……

The army set off early the next morning.

Lin Chen remained lying in the carriage, enjoying the service of the three ladies.

He was still a little sleepy after being up until late last night, so he closed his eyes to rest.

Qin Shuyan and her two daughters, on the other hand, looked radiant.

"Eighth Brother, Chen Ping just sent a secret report." Ye Qingying handed over a slip of paper.

"Cui Yuanhao launched the 'Project B', but details are unknown."

However, Tingfenglou discovered that the Cui family had secretly trained a "Shadow Guard" force of about 500 people, all of whom were of the fourth rank or above and were skilled in assassination and harassment.

Furthermore... the Cui family has sought assistance from the Netherworld Sect.

Lin Chen opened his eyes, glanced at the note, and smiled:

"Shadow Guard? The name sounds impressive, but at rank 54, it's nothing special."

Xiao Yulou said worriedly, "Eighth brother, we must not underestimate the enemy."

The Cui family has been operating in the northern border region for a century and has a profound history.

These shadow guards are probably only the visible force; who knows how many hidden trump cards they have up their sleeves.

"Fourth Sister-in-law is right," Lin Chen nodded.

"So we need to act quickly and decisively. Once we get to Dingbei City, we should go straight to Cui Yuanhao for a chat."

"Once we capture him, the Cui family will be leaderless and will naturally fall apart."

"Capture him directly?" Qin Shuyan frowned.

"Wouldn't that be too reckless? Cui Yuanhao is, after all, the second master of the Cui family. Taking action against him without solid evidence might invite controversy."

"Evidence?" Lin Chen smiled dismissively.

"Third Sister-in-law, have you forgotten where we are? This is the Northern Border, the frontier! Here, my words are the proof."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of dominance:

"The Cui family colluded with the Northern Shuo, assassinated border generals, and secretly communicated with the Central Plains Demon Sect... Which one of these is enough to warrant his death ten times over?"

I was merely cleaning house for the imperial court.

Upon hearing this, the three women fell silent.

They knew that once Lin Chen made up his mind, he wouldn't change it.

And... he's right.

On the northern frontier, military law is as firm as a mountain.

As the supreme commander of the northern border, the Duke of Zhenguo has the authority to execute first and report later.

"However..." Lin Chen changed the subject, "directly storming their door is indeed a bit crude."

Here's what I'll do: once we get to Dingbei City, I'll first visit my father's old subordinates to see how many of them are still loyal.

As for Cui Yuanhao... let him live a few more days.

Zhuge Liang's voice came from outside the carriage:

"Your Majesty is wise. Winning over the old Duke's former subordinates and isolating the Cui family is the best strategy."

"Then it's settled." Lin Chen closed his eyes again. "I'm going to sleep for a while. Wake me up when we get to Dingbei City."

The carriage moved slowly forward, its wheels making a rhythmic sound as they rolled over the official road.

Qin Shuyan and the other two women exchanged a smile and continued with their own tasks.

Outside the carriage, Zhuge Liang and Li Chunfeng walked side by side.

"Fellow Daoist Li, is there really no way to break the restriction on that stone slab?" Zhuge Liang asked in a low voice.

Li Chunfeng shook his head: "It's not that it's impossible to solve, but that we dare not take the risk."

That restriction is connected to the very source of the cave; if it were forcibly broken, it might cause the space to collapse, destroying everything inside.

"That special bloodline..."

"Li speculates that it might require the bloodline of the Lin family," Li Chunfeng said.

"When the old Duke went deep behind enemy lines, he may have sensed a bloodline resonance."

For some reason, he didn't open it; instead, he hid the stone slab.

Zhuge Liang pondered, "This matter is likely to have significant implications. We will need to discuss it thoroughly once we reach Dingbei City."

As the two were talking, a commotion suddenly arose from ahead.

"What's going on?" Zhuge Liang frowned.

Zhao Zilong rode up and said, "Strategist, there are people blocking the road ahead, pleading their grievances."

"Seek justice?" Zhuge Liang was taken aback. "Go and take a look."

……

Ahead of the official road, hundreds of people, young and old, knelt in a dark mass, their clothes tattered and their faces sallow and emaciated.

Upon seeing the army arrive, an elderly man at the head of the group held up a petition and cried out:

"Please, Your Excellency, do justice for us!"

Lin Chen was woken up by the noise and lifted the car curtain: "What is it now?"

Zhuge Liang strode over and whispered:

"My lord, these are refugees from the northern border, suing the garrison commander of Dingbei City for withholding military pay, forcibly conscripting laborers, and seizing farmland... The petition is covered with thousands of bloody handprints."

Lin Chen took the petition and glanced at it, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Who is filing the lawsuit?

"Cui Yuanhu, the deputy general of Dingbei City," Zhuge Liang said.

"Cui Yuanhao's cousin, and one of the Cui family's representatives in the Northern Army."

Lin Chen laughed: "Just when I was about to doze off, someone brought me a pillow. This Cui Yuanhu is really thoughtful."

He jumped off the carriage and walked to the people.

"Sir, I'll accept the complaint." Lin Chen helped the old man up.

"I will investigate what you have said, and if it is true, I will certainly give you justice."

The old man wept uncontrollably, crying, "Thank you, Duke! Thank you, Duke!"

The people behind him kowtowed one after another.

Lin Chen had his guards distribute dry rations and water to appease the people before returning to his carriage.

"Send word to speed up the march and reach Dingbei City within two days." His voice turned cold.

"I want to see just how lawless the Cui family really is!"

"yes!"

The army accelerated and marched swiftly towards Dingbei City.

Inside the carriage, Lin Chen watched the scenery rushing past the window, his fingers lightly tapping the tea table.

"The Cui family...it's getting cold."