The legion the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas referred to was naturally one of the four great legions currently under the Heavenly Wind King's direct command. The old marquis was actually offering to gift one of them to Su Chen.

  The four legions were the Black Armor Army, the Black Abyss Army, the Black Tortoise Army, and the Black Forest Army. In his previous life, although two of them had been lost, the king had swiftly reorganized new forces to replace them. Among them, the Black Tortoise Army was commanded by none other than Yu Zhengde.

  Su Chen did not hesitate for a second.

  "Grandfather, I want the Black Tortoise Army!"

  He had thought it would take decades to make Yu Zhengde pay the price he deserved. He never expected it would happen so soon.

  The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas nodded.

  "This old man will ensure Yu Zhengde makes the wrong decision at the critical moment. All you need to do, grandson, is seize the opportunity to take command of his troops and place our people from the marquis residence within the Black Tortoise Army."

  Several days later, the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas summoned a trusted Spirit Soul realm confidant to guard Su Chen, then set out alone for the royal capital.

  The entire kingdom was shaken. News of the assassination attempt on the young marquis of the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas had already spread like wildfire across the land.

  The old marquis had erupted in fury, leaving the whole kingdom on edge. Everyone feared even the slightest connection to the incident. For half a month, the marquis residence had made no visible moves. Now… had they finally uncovered a lead?

  Not long after the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas entered the capital, a single piece of news exploded outward. The Azure Wave Kingdom had attempted to assassinate the young marquis of the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas, nearly depriving the Heavenly Wind Kingdom of an unparalleled genius.

  In response, the king ordered Marshal Yu Zhengde to lead the Black Tortoise Army in a punitive campaign against the Azure Wave Kingdom. No discussion. No negotiation. Everything happened with shocking suddenness.

  …

  At the Marquis of Black Tortoise's residence.

  Thanks to his overwhelming military achievements in defending the Heavenly Wind Kingdom last time, Yu Zhengde stood second only to the king himself. He wielded immense authority and basked in the height of glory. After finally having a son, that son had now given him a grandson.

  Yu Zhengde cradled the fair, chubby little infant in his arms, unable to put him down. He instinctively leaned in closer. His stubble pricked the baby's tender skin, and the child burst into loud wails. The hunched old woman beside him snatched the baby away at once.

  "Look at you, you old fool—you've made him cry!"

  Yu Zhengde scratched his head sheepishly and gave an embarrassed smile.

  "Report—Marquis! Urgent news!"

  A guard burst in hurriedly, shattering the warm family moment.

  The smile vanished from Yu Zhengde's face, replaced by a chilling, murderous aura that made hearts tremble.

  "Speak. What happened?"

  The guard spoke quickly. "Marquis, His Majesty has ordered the marshal to lead the Black Tortoise Army in an expedition against the Azure Wave Kingdom!"

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  A trace of surprise crossed Yu Zhengde's face. As the foremost among the four legion marshals, the king would not deploy him lightly.

  The guard continued nervously. "It is because the young marquis of the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas was ambushed by agents of the Azure Wave Kingdom. The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas flew into a rage and personally went to the capital. Afterward, His Majesty agreed to his demand and ordered the marshal to spare no effort in exacting justice for the young marquis."

  Yu Zhengde suddenly understood. The recent assassination attempt on the young marquis had caused an enormous stir. He had wondered who could be so audacious.

  So it was the Azure Wave Kingdom after all. No wonder it had alarmed the king enough to mobilize him for a full campaign. Though he too held the title of marquis, his status paled in comparison to the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas. His own residence had no Spirit Soul realm experts at all; his title had been granted purely on the strength of turning the tide against the Azure Wave army and saving the kingdom from collapse.

  The Marquis of Pacifying the Seas, by contrast, ranked among the ten strongest in the Heavenly Wind Kingdom and carried pure Feng clan blood—his position was incomparably higher.

  After the guard withdrew, the old woman finally spoke.

  "What is His Majesty thinking? Declaring war on the Azure Wave Kingdom without a word of warning?"

  Yu Zhengde played with the infant in his arms and answered casually. "What do you know? That young marquis from the Marquis of Pacifying the Seas is now hailed by the Feng clan as a genius who may one day rival the founding Grand Ancestor. In the future, he might even break through to the Profound Connection realm and become a new king.

  "An attempt on such a genius's life has not only enraged the marquis residence—it has surely infuriated every old monster in the Feng clan. Sending troops to demand an explanation from the Azure Wave Kingdom is the most fitting response."

  The old woman remained uneasy. "But why send you? His Majesty has clearly begun to grow wary of you."

  Yu Zhengde waved a hand dismissively. "You don't understand. This is a sign of trust—His Majesty clearly values me! The Marquis of Black Tortoise residence doesn't even have a single Spirit Soul realm expert. What reason would the king have to fear us? This time, I plan to bring Tianlu along on the campaign. Let him temper himself on the battlefield so he can smoothly take over the marquis residence in the future."

  The old woman looked at the husband who had stood by her side through two centuries of storms and hardships. She opened her mouth to say more, but Yu Zhengde cut her off gently.

  "You've grown old and worry too much. Even if His Majesty truly intends to act against me, how could I possibly resist? My entire life has been devoted to serving His Majesty. If death comes, I will accept it willingly."

  Yu Zhengde smiled.

  Hearing those words, the old woman said nothing more. Yet deep in her heart, an unshakable sense of unease lingered.

  Soon, the entire Black Tortoise Army mobilized. Marshal Yu Zhengde led the expedition in person.

  Su Chen accompanied the force as supervisor. A group of Spirit Sea realm experts shadowed him at all times. Among them stood a silent old man dressed in plain gray robes, his gaze indifferent yet carrying an oppressive spiritual pressure that made breathing difficult for everyone nearby.

  A Spirit Soul realm powerhouse.

  When Su Chen finally met Yu Zhengde face-to-face, the man greeted him with an ingratiating smile and eagerly introduced his son, the young man named Yu Tianlu.

  "Young marquis, we have met before—at the forty-third prince's banquet."

  Su Chen gave a faint nod, his expression cool and detached, as though none of it mattered to him. The icy response left both father and son momentarily awkward, but it also eased Yu Zhengde's mind. It seems the young marquis is entirely focused on revenge. If I can help him vent his anger and earn a debt of gratitude, the Yu family could easily flourish for another few centuries!

  The vast army marched steadily toward the Azure Wave Kingdom. Although Yu Zhengde had stolen Su Chen's military merits in the previous life and used them to secure his marquis title, he remained a seasoned commander of the Black Tortoise Army. He had fought in countless campaigns large and small, and along the way he made no glaring mistakes. The unprepared Azure Wave Kingdom was caught completely off guard.

  Su Chen watched everything unfold in silence, quietly calculating how deeply the army had penetrated enemy territory. If he wanted to ruin Yu Zhengde completely—body and reputation—he could not afford to rush.

  Two months later, devastating news arrived.

  Yu Zhengde nearly blacked out on the spot. His son had been careless and fallen into an Azure Wave ambush. Yu Tianlu had been captured alive. This was his only son—the child he had gained in old age, on whom he had poured every ounce of care and expectation.

  Yu Zhengde wanted to launch an immediate rescue, but the Azure Wave Kingdom delivered their terms: withdraw the Black Tortoise Army at once, and they would return Yu Tianlu unharmed to the Heavenly Wind Kingdom. Otherwise… they would only send back a cold corpse.