"This humble general, Fan Shun, the garrison commander of Yun City, welcomes General Ling."
"General Fan, please rise. Lead us into the city!"
"This humble general obeys. General, please." Fan Shun quickly stepped aside, clearing the path for Ling Mo Han and his entourage to enter the city.
"General, your subordinate has prepared your residence within the manor. We request you to reside there."
Fan Shun followed Ling Mo Han respectfully, a fawning expression on his face.
"The officials dispatched to the city are all residing at the post station. General Fan, do you not know this?"
"This... Yun City is located in a remote and cold border region, few people visit here. The post station has been neglected for years and is too rudimentary. This humble general was merely worried that you, General, would not be accustomed to it, and thus ordered my household to prepare the manor. I still request you to move to the manor."
Ling Mo Han stopped and looked coldly at Fan Shun. "Thank you for your kind intentions, General Fan. However, my mission this time is of a special nature. It is best to adhere to regulations."
"Lu Shi, lead the generals to the post station for accommodation."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Lu Shi cupped his fists in acknowledgment and then looked at Fan Shun. "Thank you for leading the way, General Fan."
Fan Shun gave an awkward laugh and glanced at Ling Mo Han. "General, you..."
Before Fan Shun could finish speaking, Lu Shi stepped forward and blocked him. "General Fan, please lead the way."
"Brother, this post station is truly uninhabitable. Please speak with General Ling about it."
Fan Shun earnestly pleaded. When he came to his senses and looked for Ling Mo Han, the man had already disappeared.
"Thank you for your trouble in leading the way, General Fan," Lu Shi said, showing no impatience.
"You... you guys..."
Fan Shun stammered, unable to articulate his words. Angrily, he flicked his sleeve. "Follow me."
He strode forward and led them towards the post station.
Feng Jin glanced at the man hiding in the carriage. "Aren't you going to take a look? What if Fan Shun leads us down the wrong path?"
"With Lu Shi there, there's no need to worry."
He hid in the carriage to avoid Fan Shun's incessant chatter. He trusted Lu Shi to handle the matter.
"You're really good at taking it easy. Why must we stay at the post station?"
"I simply feel that Fan Shun has an unpleasant demeanor. Living with him would bring misfortune."
Feng Jin's lips twitched. He never expected Ling Mo Han to give such a reason.
"General Ling, you are truly..."
"Truly what?"
Ling Mo Han asked, his tone slightly rising. He seemed to detect a hint of disdain in Feng Jin's eyes, though he wasn't sure if it was real.
"Truly formidable. Unbeatably formidable."
His insincere words flowed one after another, without any sense of impropriety.
"Young General, we have arrived at the post station," Lu Shi's voice sounded from outside the carriage.
Ling Mo Han, who had been about to argue further with Feng Jin, swallowed the words he had been about to say.
He lifted the carriage curtain, and Ling Mo Han alighted first, offering a hand to help Feng Jin down.
"Where is Fan Shun?"
"Your subordinate found an excuse to send him back."
Ling Mo Han nodded with satisfaction. "Well done!"
He had long disliked Fan Shun. His fawning demeanor and obsequious behavior were that of a sycophant. He couldn't fathom who had made such an arrangement to have him as a city commander.
"Young General, your subordinate has inspected it. The tea sets, tables, chairs, and benches in the post station have all been replaced. The walls have just been repainted. Everything has been renovated, which completely contradicts what Fan Shun said."
Ling Mo Han picked up a candlestick from the table and snorted. "The people of Xi Liang stayed here before."
Lu Shi's eyes narrowed sharply. "But Yun City is a border city. Foreign envoys are not allowed to reside here. Fan Shun couldn't possibly not know?"
"The paint used to depict the patterns on this candlestick is the unique Blue Sand Lacquer of Xi Liang, and it is exclusively used by the royal family. There is such a candlestick in the Princess of Xi Liang's room."
"Indeed, Murong Jinyun's room has an identical candlestick, and the paint on the candlestick also carries a faint scent of orchids."
Feng Jin took the candlestick and sniffed it. The familiar scent solidified her suspicions. She nodded at Ling Mo Han. "This is indeed an item of the Xi Liang royal family."
Ling Mo Han sneered, his voice turning icy cold. "An item of the Xi Liang royal family appearing in the Yun City post station means that Fan Shun, the commander of Yun City, will be out of a job soon. Lu Shi, have someone investigate Fan Shun. I want to know every detail."
"Yes, Young General." Lu Shi took the order and withdrew.
"Are you suspecting Fan Shun of colluding with the people of Xi Liang?" Feng Jin voiced her suspicion.
Ling Mo Han nodded slightly, not denying it. "Indeed. However, I'm more interested in knowing how Fan Shun opened the city gates to welcome Xi Liang envoys. This is a capital offense. Yet, there was no commotion whatsoever within Yun City."
With such a matter, there was not even a whisper. Whether it was true or not remained to be seen. Or perhaps, Fan Shun had already gained complete control of Yun City, and no one dared to oppose him.
However, he was certain that there was something fishy about Yun City and that Fan Shun.
Since he was here, he wouldn't mind purging Yun City.
"Fan Shun's efforts to prevent us from going to the post station were likely to conceal this matter. A powerful dragon finds it hard to suppress a local snake. Fan Shun has been operating in Yun City for many years, and his influence is deeply rooted. We still need to be cautious."
"A powerful dragon finds it hard to suppress a local snake..." Ling Mo Han's voice was chillingly cold. "I will suppress this local snake!"
A trace of worry welled up in Feng Jin's heart. She instinctively grasped the man's hand and leaned into Ling Mo Han's embrace, letting out a deep sigh. "Be careful in everything. I don't want you to be in danger."
"The person who can put me in danger has yet to appear."
Ling Mo Han rested his chin on Feng Jin's forehead, his deep voice resonating.
...
Fan Shun returned to his manor and angrily smashed a teacup on the ground, then kicked over the table.
"Why are you so angry, my lord?"
"You've come at the right time. Find a way to eliminate Ling Mo Han for me."
"My lord, you are being foolish. That is Ling Mo Han, the God of War of Eastern Chu. You know how fierce his Black Armored Army is. Killing him is impossible. My lord should just remain patient!"
Wang Nan Shi's face suddenly turned pale with fear. He had personally witnessed Ling Mo Han's ruthlessness and brutal methods. Offending him would lead to a terrible end.
He didn't want to lose his life and forfeit his comfortable life. He quickly advised Fan Shun to endure.
"You fear him, Ling Mo Han, but I do not. No matter how powerful he is as a God of War, this is Yun City, this is my territory. I can kill him with ease. If the Emperor investigates, I'll just find some excuse to brush it off. If he's killed by enemy troops or bandits, who can find evidence against me!"
Fan Shun had been feeling uneasy all along. He felt that Ling Mo Han would find his weakness and wouldn't let him leave Yun City alive.