Chapter 2252

The group drank the entire night and only dispersed early the next morning.

Long Fei instructed Jin Wu to escort Princess Taihua back, with Li Yuanfang joining them as they left.

It was his first time riding this thing, and he was quite taken aback by the peculiar magical treasure.

Chang Xi and Taida had gone ahead to Chang’an City to connect with their sect’s elders there.

The Bald Dog and a few others initially wanted to leave, but Long Fei kept them around, planning to have them infiltrate the Demon Clan to uncover the entity orchestrating the Demon Calamity.

For now, the Demon Clan seemed solely focused on slaughter for the sake of slaughter, with no apparent goal, merely ravaging Human Race cities everywhere, as if aiming to convert all of Shu State into Human Race territory.

This matter must be clarified; only by eliminating the mastermind behind the Demon Clan can the Demon Calamity be resolved once and for all. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Early in the morning, Wu Youren brought people over to pay respects to Long Fei.

The demon soldiers had fully withdrawn, heading south to regroup with other demon clans.

Wu Youren, on one hand, had people clean up the battlefield, while on the other, he had people beat gongs and drums outside to celebrate the victory of the Shu State Defense War.

The city’s populace didn’t know what had happened; all they knew was that the battle was won.

They went out into the streets to celebrate spontaneously, expressing gratitude to Wu Youren, with some even kneeling outside the government office to express their thanks with kowtows.

Wu Youren created a grand spectacle, intending to claim the fruit of victory from this war as his own.

He and Long Fei sat down in the grand hall, just as they were about to discuss the report to Empress Wu.

He wasn’t planning to get entangled in the matter of the civilian regiment because that would inevitably touch on the complete annihilation of the military supervisor.

Managing Long Fei could also harm his reputation.

If Long Fei was willing to grant him the military merit, he could overlook the civilian regiment’s disobedience to military orders.

In that case, it would be a win-win for both him and Long Fei.

However, losing over ten thousand military supervisors in exchange for victory in the Shu State Defense War was a significant merit, enough to let him ascend to Chang’an City in one step.

The two conversed in the grand hall, and Wu Youren initially thought Long Fei wouldn’t budge since the civilian regiment issue didn’t involve Long Fei at all.

But Long Fei surprisingly relented, giving him all the credit for protecting over ten million disaster victims.

Wu Youren clasped his fists, excitedly bowing to Long Fei, "The Great Mage is truly a recluse from the mundane world, eschewing worldly fame, earning deep respect from others."

Long Fei smiled lightly, "Don’t be too happy just yet. Did you agree to my condition?"

Wu Youren replied joyously, "Agreed, agreed, isn’t it just about not addressing the civilian regiment issue! I forgive them and won’t punish any of them."

Long Fei said, "That’s not the issue I’m talking about. Are you pretending to be confused with me?"

Wu Youren raised an eyebrow, "The Great Mage, feel free to speak; I won’t refuse anything within my power."

Long Fei sipped his tea and said calmly, "Since you don’t understand, let me be straightforward. You know, after this battle, the civilian regiment is completely disillusioned with you. From now on, they will continue to train under your name, but all actions will be autonomous, no longer adhering to your commands."

Wu Youren stood up, saying, "Are you trying to seize power from me?"

Long Fei responded calmly, "It’s not about seizing power; it’s as it should be. Whether I seize power or not, the civilian regiment won’t listen to you anymore."

Wu Youren clenched his hands, "Military power has always been a taboo on court; letting the civilian regiment act like this, what good outcome can there be in the future?"

Long Fei stated, "The governor need not worry about this right now; what you should focus on is accumulating military merits to make your return to court. With Shu State entirely ravaged by the Demon Clan’s rampage, if the governor fails to act, it’s not just a matter of returning to court—you may not even be able to keep your position as governor. Although the empress is related to you by blood, ultimately, the court isn’t ruled by her alone. The governor should consider his own interests more carefully, or else, the Li Family’s influence in court will sooner or later push you out."

Wu Youren’s mouth twitched, and he sat back down.

Long Fei continued, "The situation is simple; the governor cannot command the government forces to annihilate the Demon Clan, so for now, the only reliance can be on the civilian regiment. Instead of holding tight, it’s better to release them and let the civilian regiment annihilate the Demon Clan. This offers numerous benefits to the governor with no drawbacks. The civilian regiment lacks formal identity, so regardless of what achievements they accomplish, it all falls under the governor’s name. By relying on the civilian regiment’s strength, if the Demon Clan can be eliminated throughout Shu State, the governor can undoubtedly establish himself in court. Consider it carefully; are you perhaps fretting over a non-existent issue by worrying about controlling military power?"

Wu Youren pondered for a long while, then looked at Long Fei and asked, "When you conceived of forming the civilian regiment, did you already have this day planned?"

Long Fei played with his tea bowl, "I’m not interested in your bureaucratic profiteering; I’m just aiming to save more disaster victims and preemptively eradicate the Demon Calamity."

Wu Youren convinced himself, saying, "As you said, the civilian regiment is yours now. However, as agreed, the achievements of the civilian regiment belong to me. Otherwise, I will immediately petition the court to disband the civilian regiment."

"Deal!"

Long Fei smiled lightly and had a cup of tea as a substitute for wine with Wu Youren, then got up and saw the governor out the door.

At the doorway, a young maid held a tea tray, ready to go in to clear the items.

Long Fei asked her, "You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you?"

The young maid hurriedly shook her head, saying, "No, this servant just arrived."

Long Fei smiled and didn’t say anymore.

Though the demon soldiers had retreated, the disaster victims’ issues persisted.

With Chu Feng and the others’ assistance, the burden on Long Fei’s shoulders felt significantly lighter.

They devised a plan with Xue Renyi and had already organized for the disaster victims to retreat to the refugee camp outside of North City.

The civilian regiment soldiers gathered, somewhat resigned to their fate.

When Long Fei arrived, everyone immediately stood and focused their gaze on him.

Long Fei stood on a high platform and smiled lightly at everyone, "The governor and I have agreed not to pursue any of your issues. I have just one message for you: Kill the Demon Clan and protect our homeland!"

The soldiers of the civilian regiment were initially stunned, then all excitedly raised their arms and shouted loudly, "Kill the Demon Clan and protect our homeland!"

"Kill the Demon Clan and protect our homeland!"

"Kill the Demon Clan and protect our homeland!"

"..."

The roaring sound was like thunder, shaking the surroundings.

One after another, intelligence reports and Wu Youren’s memorial swiftly reached the Capital City.

All the prominent families learned about the news simultaneously, surprised that Shu State City not only repelled a million-strong Demon Clan but also protected over ten million disaster victims.

This battle cost only over ten thousand troops.

In the memorial, Wu Youren praised himself profusely, claiming how he commanded like a deity.

According to his deployment, first Long Fei led over ten million disaster victims in retreat, then the army engaged the Demon Clan, fought bravely, repelled them, and finally secured the safety of Shu State’s city and the lives of over ten million disaster victims.

The Shu King unexpectedly endorsed Wu Youren’s achievements in his memorial.

The Eagle Eye Guards were unaware of the specifics of the war process; they simply conveyed the results to Empress Wu, which generally matched Wu Youren’s description.

However, Empress Wu did not trust Wu Youren, knowing that Long Fei played a significant role.

Moreover, she had some insight into Long Fei through her daughter.

She knew Long Fei came from a famous sect, surrounded by many senior brothers, and wielded True Immortal Magic Treasures effortlessly.

Princess Taihua lavishly praised Long Fei and his party, undoubtedly leaving Empress Wu with a positive impression of them.

She did not ask much; as long as the Shu State Army was preserved, that was sufficient.

This incident also afforded her the opportunity to commend Wu Youren and counter the opposition from the Li Family in court.

All major forces, each with their ulterior motives, ultimately reached a conclusion for this battle through mutual exploitation and compromise.

Wu Youren was promoted by one rank officiator, and other Great Generals were rewarded.

Long Fei was conferred the title of Grand Magus of the Nation.

However, the civilian regiment was no longer the same group; after settling down in North City of Shu State, it was no longer under the governor’s control.