Chapter 29: A New Emblem

At this moment, the airship captain strode over, bearing a travel itinerary. He first saluted militarily before handing it to the general.

The captain respectfully said, “General Dong, this is the itinerary for this trip. Please review and sign it. Our final destination will be the Blackflow City in Sanhe County. Due to the long distance, we will make three stops along the way for rest and supplies. The stopovers will be at Gushan City, Weiming City, and Liaoshen City.”

The plump general was none other than Dong Qifeng, who was preparing to assume his new post in Blackflow City. As he took the itinerary, his gaze involuntarily wandered to his adjutant, who stood like an icy beauty.

The adjutant was well aware of what aspects interested him and thus emphasized the unique features of the three stopover cities. Some were famous for their cuisine, others for their scenic beauty, while Weiming City was renowned for its abundance of beautiful women.

Dong Qifeng’s face lit up with delight as he listened, exclaiming his approval repeatedly. Then, he reached out and squeezed the adjutant’s buttocks.

The adjutant’s expression remained unchanged, maintaining her cold demeanor. This was exactly the type that Dong Qifeng preferred—cold on the outside but fiery within.

Dong Qifeng viewed this trip to Blackflow City more as a holiday, eager to savor the sights along the way. Otherwise, a one-and-a-half-day journey could be made in a single flight.

Pleased with the itinerary, Dong Qifeng also checked the safety measures, noting that two military escort ships would accompany them. With no further objections, he signed the document with a flourish. His signature, “Dong Qifeng,” was written with great flair, showcasing his skill.

“Alright, no more talk. Let’s get on board! This general has places to be!” Dong Qifeng waved his hand and led the way onto the airship.

However, before all his entourage had entered the cabin, a light off-road vehicle sped up, screeching to a halt beside the airship.

A major jumped out of the vehicle, shouting, “General Dong, wait! General Xiao has ordered you to return to headquarters immediately!”

Dong Qifeng poked his head out of the cabin, asking quizzically, “General Xiao?”

The major handed him a document, saying, “This is General Xiao’s order. Please review it.”

Dong Qifeng read the brief message, which only instructed him to return immediately, without providing any specific reason. His expression darkened at this sudden and puzzling command.

In the expeditionary army, the only General Xiao who could issue orders to Dong Qifeng was Vice-Commander Xiao Ling Shi. The overall commander, Luo Mingji, though an Imperial Marshal, was largely ceremonial, with the day-to-day military affairs handled by the four vice-commanders, including Xiao Ling Shi.

Regardless of his personal views, Dong Qifeng did not show any signs of displeasure. He gave a few quick instructions and then climbed back into the off-road vehicle, following the major back to the expeditionary army headquarters.

The convoy sped through the streets, almost at a sprint, pulling up to the headquarters gate. The major led Dong Qifeng straight to the east annex where Xiao Ling Shi worked. As they approached the building, Dong Qifeng suddenly spotted a familiar figure, someone who should not have been there at that time.

Surprised, Dong Qifeng exclaimed, “Du Yuanze, what are you doing here? I sent you to take over the Seventh Division, didn’t I?”

It was indeed Du Yuanze, who wore a bitter smile and said in a low voice, “General, let’s discuss this inside. General Xiao is already waiting in the conference room.”

A cloud of foreboding settled over Dong Qifeng as he nodded and followed Du Yuanze to the top floor and into the conference room.

The room was small, seating only a dozen or so people, but most were generals, with stars glittering on their uniforms. Essentially, the high-ranking officers under Xiao Ling Shi were all present. Xiao Ling Shi sat at the end of the long table, his face inscrutable.

Seeing Dong Qifeng and Du Yuanze enter, Xiao Ling Shi gestured for them to sit down and then spoke slowly, “We just received word from Blackflow City. A mercenary group called Darkflame has taken over the Seventh Division. They have sent a message to headquarters, requesting the cancellation of the Seventh Division’s designation and applying to join the expeditionary army under the name… Darkflame Independent Division.”

“Darkflame Independent Division!”

The new designation caused a buzz of discussion in the room, even among the generals. Everyone found it absurd that Darkflame Mercenary Group would request an independent division.

The expeditionary army’s main combat units were city garrison divisions and field divisions, but there were also special formations, such as the independent division, which carried greater authority and scale.

An independent division could have fifty percent more troops than a regular division, with corresponding increases in officer positions. Moreover, except for the deputy division commander, all other officers could be appointed or dismissed at will.

Upon hearing Xiao Ling Shi’s words, Dong Qifeng felt a buzzing in his ears, struggling to comprehend the news. Finally regaining his composure, he roared, “That’s my Seventh Division! How can it just be canceled like that!”

To secure this plum assignment, he had used considerable favors, spending tens of thousands of gold coins in various gratuities. Additionally, when he formally received the appointment, his family had contributed a large sum, ostensibly as a donation to the army, but in reality, to compensate both the Wei family and the expeditionary army headquarters.

The Dong family of Sishui had paid such a high price because Blackflow City had largely escaped the ravages of the Eternal Night War. That battle, though debated, was a testament to the Seventh Division’s strength, having forced the dark armies to bypass the city.

Gaining the Seventh Division meant securing a mature territory on the Eternal Night Continent. Dong Qifeng planned to use this as a stepping stone to build a more glorious legacy. Yet, he never imagined such a dramatic change would occur right before his assumption of the post.

Up to this point, Dong Qifeng still did not understand where things had gone wrong.

He had discussed the steps with Du Yuanze and several trusted subordinates, dispatching a large part of his personal guard to Blackflow City ahead of the formal handover to control key figures.

Many of Dong Qifeng’s guards were veterans of the imperial main army, and the rest had handled family affairs. By all accounts, the plan should have been foolproof, but why had things not unfolded as expected?

The generals and colonels in the room remained silent, letting Dong Qifeng rant. Many of them wore smirks of schadenfreude.

These high-ranking officers, mostly from humble backgrounds, harbored no goodwill towards the upper echelons of the empire, viewing both the Wei and Dong families as outsiders seeking to exploit the resources of the Eternal Night.

By comparison, Wei Banian, who had defended Blackflow City during the war, earned some respect. In contrast, few had heard of Dong Qifeng before this.

Xiao Ling Shi frowned, making a silencing gesture, finally quieting Dong Qifeng.

From Xiao Ling Shi’s perspective, the matter was straightforward. Wei Banian had stopped at the expeditionary army headquarters to complete his final discharge procedures. He had the official documents for Dong Qifeng’s appointment and the first military announcement, meaning the handover had technically been completed even if Dong Qifeng hadn’t arrived yet.

The headquarters acknowledged this, so Blackflow City was lost under Dong Qifeng’s nominal control. Even Dong Qifeng himself could not dispute this.

Xiao Ling Shi then asked Du Yuanze to recount the events of that day.

Du Yuanze stood up and briefly described how Darkflame had taken over the Seventh Division. After hearing the details of the battle, many generals frowned, well aware of the terrifying power of a super sniper like Qian Ye on the battlefield. Even a warlord would be reluctant to face such a dangerous foe.

As soon as Du Yuanze finished, Dong Qifeng leapt to his feet, roaring, “Treason! This is pure treason! I demand that Darkflame be declared a rebel force and that the expeditionary forces near Blackflow City be mobilized to crush that bastard Qian Ye and his damn mercenary group! Otherwise, what does our expeditionary army’s authority amount to?”

Dong Qifeng, though not entirely inept, knew to leverage the expeditionary army’s prestige for his own benefit. However, while some of the colonels nodded in agreement, the generals exchanged glances, remaining silent.

Xiao Ling Shi signaled, and his guards promptly, but firmly, escorted Dong Qifeng and Du Yuanze out of the conference room.

Once the door closed, a moment of silence fell.

Those who knew Xiao Ling Shi’s character sensed something intriguing in the way he acted—a man who had always staunchly defended the expeditionary army’s interests, even standing up to the imperial nobility.

A general broke the silence, somewhat puzzled, “The Wei family seems to have washed their hands of this affair, but if that’s the case, how could a mercenary group take over the Seventh Division?”

The expeditionary army headquarters naturally did not keep tabs on a new mercenary group like Darkflame in a third-rate theater. The last time the generals had heard of Darkflame was during the Eternal Night War, where their substantial bounty earnings matched those of the largest mercenary groups, proving their combat prowess. Still, they did not believe Darkflame could have been strong enough to swallow an entire regular division. The rapid expansion of Darkflame was recent, and the information was limited, with intentional misinformation and omissions.

An elderly general with graying temples pondered for a moment before speaking, “According to Colonel Du’s account, the Wei family doesn’t seem to have interfered. Since they themselves have not protested, and we haven’t seen the situation firsthand, we should not complicate matters further.”

This elder, Wen Ruocheng, was Xiao Ling Shi’s chief of staff, and his words carried weight. The others took note of his tone.

The earlier speaker added, “The leader of Darkflame doesn’t seem to be a warlord.”

Wen Ruocheng calmly replied, “Even if Qian Ye isn’t a warlord, his combat power is likely comparable. However, the division commander must be a warlord; that is an ironclad rule. If Darkflame is applying for the designation, they must have considered this. They will just need to appoint a warlord to take the post.”

This statement left the officers in the room exchanging uneasy glances.