Chapter 1390: Chapter 1390 - 1375: Oath of Loyalty

In the commander’s tent of the West City Camp, when the trusted aide of County Captain Tang Biao reported back the situation at the camp entrance, especially mentioning that Marshal Che Ben of the First Army had already knelt to pledge allegiance, both Tang Biao and Junior Supervisor Ma were stunned.

They never imagined that the plan they were so confident in, backed by absolute strength, could be dismantled by Ye Zhen in just a few moments.

In his anger, County Captain Tang Biao suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the collar of his trusted aide and roaring, "Speak, how did that Ye force Che Ben, the traitor, to submit?"

"Sir... Lord Ye took out... the Imperial Decree, revealed the Seal, and when Marshal Che refused to bow, accused him of conspiring with the Demon Clan and announced his intention to send an urgent report to Luoyi, requesting the Luoyi Sect dispatch an army to suppress the rebellion..."

The trusted aide stammered through his report, leaving County Captain Tang Biao dumbfounded, as was Junior Supervisor Ma of the West Patrol.

"Open plot..." After a moment of shock, Junior Supervisor Ma blurted out the words in disbelief.

County Captain Tang Biao’s expression turned extremely serious, "Indeed, it’s an open plot! It’s an openly righteous and awe-inspiring stratagem, rendering our schemes... invisible.

Like snow under the blazing sun, it melts away instantly! Unless..."

"Unless what?" Junior Supervisor Ma quickly asked.

"Unless we really are rebelling, otherwise, faced with such a righteous plot, we... can only submit!" Saying this, County Captain Tang Biao looked at Junior Supervisor Ma with a different gaze.

Junior Supervisor Ma shrank back, instinctively sensing a dangerous aura, hurriedly clasping his hands, "In that case, I shall take my leave, lest I..."

"Seize him!"

Before Junior Supervisor Ma could finish, County Captain Tang Biao shouted sternly, and the trusted aides within and outside the commander’s tent immediately pounced, capturing Junior Supervisor Ma on the spot without giving him a chance to resist.

In just these few breaths, County Captain Tang Biao had already realized where his path to survival lay.

Continuing down the road with the West Patrol would likely lead to his immediate demise, even the extermination of his entire clan, but if he defected to Ye Zhen now, before this Viscount was eliminated by the West Patrol, he could still survive for a while, and his clansmen should also be spared.

However, just from Ye Zhen’s grandiose open plot, he knew that Lord Ye was not someone easy to deceive.

Yesterday he mentioned resisting invaders, earlier said he wasn’t present, without a pledge of loyalty, Lord Ye would hardly trust him as if seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

And right now, the Junior Director of the Heavenly Patrol Office, Ma, was his best pledge of loyalty.

.....

At the entrance of the West City Camp, Marshal Che Ben, drenched in sweat, commanded his subordinates to open the camp gates, but Viscount Ye Zhen still showed no sign of letting up, his gaze coldly fixed on him, making Che Ben kneel without daring to move.

"Considering your willingness to repent, I will give you a chance to make amends!" These words from Ye Zhen sounded like a heavenly melody to Marshal Che Ben, almost bringing him to tears of joy.

"Immediately lock down the West City Camp, allowing entry but no exit. Additionally, gather all officers from Captain level and above in the West City Camp. I will publicly read the Imperial Decree." Ye Zhen commanded.

"Yes, I will carry it out at once!"

Only after Ye Zhen issued this order did Marshal Che Ben breathe a sigh of relief, realizing he had passed this hurdle.

Then, he issued a series of commands while respectfully ushering Ye Zhen into the West City Camp.

However, Ye Zhen was not so trusting. Entering a new subordinate’s camp without his own men was akin to courting death.

But if he didn’t enter the camp now, the grandiose momentum of the open plot he had orchestrated would be wasted.

Ye Zhen gave a look, and the Heavenly Patrol Divine General Fengg Jiumo understood his intent, with two elite Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters closely following behind Marshal Che Ben.

"Fengg Jiumo, lock down the airspace of the West City Camp, strictly preventing anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to escape!"

"Yes!"

A few moments later, most of the Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters behind Ye Zhen had disappeared, but in the void, power fluctuations were frequent.

According to Ye Zhen’s information, County Captain Tang Biao was in the camp, and Ye Zhen’s actions were to prevent Tang Biao from escaping amid the chaos.

County Captain Tang Bubiao himself posed no threat, but within the North Sea County soldiers, his reputation was unmatched. If he fell into the hands of those with ulterior motives, causing trouble in secret, it could create endless problems for Ye Zhen!

Therefore, County Captain Tang Biao must under no circumstances be allowed to escape today.

After making numerous preparations, Ye Zhen proceeded into the West City Camp with Governor Qiao Fu and a group of subordinates. Just after entering, a group of people charged forward from the front.

Leading them was none other than County Captain Tang Biao, alongside another marshal from the West City Camp and over a hundred officers of various ranks.

Governor Qiao Fu’s expression suddenly turned extremely tense.

The Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters behind Ye Zhen, as well as the Divine General Feng Jiumo, all placed their hands on their sword hilts, and the atmosphere suddenly turned deadly.

But in the next moment, everyone’s expressions turned to complete astonishment.

County Captain Tang Biao hurried over with a group of officers and soldiers, kneeling down from a distance and prostrating themselves before Ye Zhen to beg for forgiveness.

"We were not aware of Lord’s arrival and failed to greet you properly. Please forgive us, Lord!" County Captain Tang Biao took the lead and knelt to ask for forgiveness.

Ye Zhen’s expression turned cold. Now they realized their mistake, but it was too late.

Just as he was about to order Che Ben to arrest these people, Ye Zhen’s eyebrow suddenly twitched, and a Divine Soul Telecommunication resounded in his Spirit Palace. This message came from none other than County Captain Tang Biao, who was kneeling in front of him.

Ye Zhen paid no heed to any claims of being misled by traitors or pleas for forgiveness, but the token of loyalty Tang Biao presented stirred something within Ye Zhen.

Junior Director ****Jin of the West Patrol Office was indeed a big catch.

The main official of the Heavenly Patrol Department was one Grand Celestial Official, along with two Junior Heavenly Officers. It was further divided into five great patrols—East, South, West, North, Central—plus a Dark Patrol specifically responsible for gathering intelligence on the Demon Clan’s territories.

The scale of each patrol office varied, and they all had several Wind Patrol Envoys under them. This was the basic structure of the Heavenly Patrol Department, but it was just the basics. This enormous organization, especially within the Patrol Office, had numerous subordinates.

However, the most significant subordinates were the Five Divisions and One Supervision.

These included the Wind Intelligence Division, responsible for gathering, summarizing, and analyzing intelligence and rumors; the Hunting Punishment Bureau, in charge of assassination, interrogation, infiltration, and espionage; the Merit Examination Division, overseeing personnel performance, promotions, transfers, and training of new recruits; the Household Affairs Department, managing salary distribution, placement of subordinates and their families, and financial allocation of asset revenues; and lastly, the Mechanical Department, overseeing the development, manufacturing, and allocation of various military armaments.

These were the five divisions. Beyond them, there was an Inner Affairs Bureau, responsible for internal affairs like personnel inspections, rooting out traitors, and internal security and counter-infiltration, specializing in internal matters.

In addition, each patrol office had two aides, serving as deputies for each patrol, assisting in managing affairs.

This constituted the main composition of each patrol office under the Heavenly Patrol Department. In fact, within the Heavenly Patrol Department, top to bottom, from the main office to the Wind Patrol Envoys on each route, the structure of subordinates was almost like this.

There was one Chief Envoy in each of the Five Divisions, two Junior Envoys, and one Director in the Inner Affairs Bureau, along with two Junior Directors. Inside the Heavenly Patrol Department, the Chief Envoys and the Director of each patrol office’s Five Divisions and One Supervision were of equal rank with the Wind Patrol Envoys of each route.

Someone like Junior Director ****Jin was only half a rank lower than a Director. In other words, he was only half a rank lower than Ye Zhen, a Wind Patrol Envoy, and counted as a core figure in the West Patrol Office.

Even if he wasn’t a die-hard confidant of Xio Qiangu of the West Patrol, he was definitely a trusted person.

Now, Tang Biao had unexpectedly captured him alive and offered him as a token of loyalty to Ye Zhen.

This unexpected turn of events made Ye Zhen view Tang Biao in a new light.

Honestly, just for County Captain Tang Biao’s decisiveness and ruthlessness, he was indeed quite a character.

Suddenly, Ye Zhen changed his mind.

Initially, Ye Zhen wanted to deal with County Captain Tang Biao swiftly and decisively to gain military control over North Sea County in the shortest time, but Tang Biao’s current display of ability made Ye Zhen rethink his decision.

What Ye Zhen lacked the most was talent!

To say nothing, under Ye Zhen’s command, the number of martial artists at the Dark Palace Realm didn’t even reach twenty. Experts with high cultivation and intelligence were even more scarce.

As for loyalty, Ye Zhen wasn’t really worried.

"Is this true?" Ye Zhen transmitted through Divine Soul Telecommunication to County Captain Tang Biao.

"I wouldn’t dare deceive the Lord!" County Captain Tang Biao replied, touching his forehead to the ground, "That person is now captured in the commander’s tent. The Lord may verify personally!"

Ye Zhen casually dispatched a Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunter to inspect the commander’s tent, and moments later, he received confirmation.

This made Ye Zhen overjoyed. A Junior Director from the West Patrol Office, if properly utilized, could be very advantageous.

"Although you were misled by scoundrels and thus delayed in receiving the imperial decree, showing contempt for heavenly authority, it’s understandable and your capital punishment can be forgiven, yet you cannot escape punishment for your living sins!" After some thought, Ye Zhen declared.

County Captain Tang Biao was secretly startled. At this point, he had no choice, quickly prostrating himself, "I am willing to accept any punishment the Lord deems fit!"

"As a County Captain, you’ve shown contempt for heavenly authority. You are spared from death, but must receive one hundred lashes of the Punishment Whip. The commanders of the First Army and Third Army have committed the same offense. However, considering their remorse, they will each receive eighty lashes. The punishment will be carried out publicly. Are you willing to accept the penalty?" Ye Zhen commanded.

Being stopped at the camp gate and pointed at with crossbows meant that as the ruler of North Sea County, Ye Zhen’s authority had been completely undermined.

If Ye Zhen accepted Tang Biao’s loyalty and those of a few military leaders without punishment, even if he managed to take over North Sea County smoothly, he might be labeled as soft-hearted.

By publicly punishing County Captain Tang Biao, the commander of over three hundred thousand troops of North Sea County, and the two army commanders, Ye Zhen could imprint his authority deeply into the minds of every soldier.

Fifteen minutes later, seventy thousand troops of the West City Camp gathered at the parade ground. After announcing the imperial decree and his identity, the crimes of Tang Biao and the two army commanders were publicly declared.

Subsequently, the three of them were stripped of their upper garments, pressed down on the parade ground, and punished on the spot!

Crack!

A single lash of the Punishment Whip, and blood and flesh flew everywhere!