Chapter 118: The Name of the War Sage!

The soldiers clad in silver armor had been casually inspecting the ship's logbook handed over by the captain.

When they saw Dai Chengfeng suddenly approach, they all turned their heads in unison.

At this moment, one burly-faced soldier frowned, his tone sharp as he asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Dai Chengfeng didn't respond but instead spoke in a cold voice. "Which army do you belong to? Since when did this rule about collecting dues begin?"

"Do you have an imperial edict from His Majesty?"

The previously noisy deck fell silent in an instant. Everyone's gaze focused on Dai Chengfeng, their eyes filled with astonishment.

It seemed they were wondering...

Was he asking for trouble? How dare he speak so boldly to these soldiers of the Star Luo Empire?

Meanwhile, the soldiers exchanged glances, suspicion flickering in their eyes. After all, Dai Chengfeng exuded an extraordinary aura, and not a trace of fear showed on his face despite being confronted.

For a moment, they dared not make a move but cautiously asked, "Who exactly are you?"

"Me?" Dai Chengfeng sneered. "It seems you're not from Wu'an City. That's good!"

In the next second, the atmosphere around Dai Chengfeng abruptly shifted. A powerful, oppressive aura radiated outward from him like ripples spreading across water.

His eyes burned with golden-blue flames.

Roar!

A tiger's roar thundered through the air, echoing like a sudden explosion.

Following the roar, a massive white tiger phantom—its fur shimmering with golden-blue flames and its body gleaming like snow—appeared behind Dai Chengfeng.

Roar—!

The white tiger raised its head and let out another deafening roar. The sound rolled like thunder, causing waves to surge violently on the river's surface, slamming against the sides of the ship with a deep, resonant boom.

As the passenger ship rocked violently, some of the more timid passengers collapsed onto the deck, their faces pale as paper.

"This... Is this the White Tiger martial soul of the imperial family?!"

Instantly, one of the soldiers trembled as he addressed Dai Chengfeng.

As soldiers of the Star Luo Empire who fought and trained daily under the White Tiger banner, they naturally recognized the origin of Dai Chengfeng's martial soul at a glance.

"My name is Dai Chengfeng!"

Dai Chengfeng swept his icy gaze over the soldiers, the White Tiger phantom behind him exuding an aura of chilling authority. "Now, by my command, answer my questions!"

"Dai Chengfeng?!"

Swish—

Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's name, all the soldiers immediately knelt on one knee, their movements crisp and forceful.

Even the soldiers aboard the battleship were no exception.

"Hail Lord Fourth Prince!"

As they spoke, their eyes sparkled with fervent admiration, as if Dai Chengfeng was a supreme deity in their eyes.

"Huh?"

Dai Chengfeng blinked in surprise, his face full of confusion.

His gaze swept over the neatly kneeling soldiers, who were now bowing with utmost respect. "You know me?"

At his words, the soldiers erupted into excitement, their faces flushed red.

The burly-faced soldier who had initially spoken up stepped forward first, his eyes glittering with emotion. "We, as soldiers of the Star Luo Empire, have naturally all heard of your name, Lord Fourth Prince—the War Sage!"

"War Sage?"

Dai Chengfeng frowned slightly. "Since when did I earn this nickname?"

Seeing his confusion, the burly soldier grew even more excited, clasping his hands together. "Back then, Your Highness, disregarding your status as a prince, personally led a thousand elite warriors in a reckless charge against the Tian Dou Empire's forces, whose numbers far exceeded yours by twentyfold. It was a counterattack that shocked everyone."

"On the battlefield, Your Highness fought at the forefront, unstoppable as if there were no enemies in sight."

"In the end, relying solely on your own strength, you nearly captured Xue Qinghe, the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire, securing a stunning victory and averting disaster!"

"This story has already spread throughout the empire, becoming a legendary tale celebrated by all within the military!"

"And there's more..."

At this point, a man dressed in commander attire leapt down from the battleship and hurried before Dai Chengfeng, kneeling on one knee.

"Your humble servant Wang Ping pays respects to the War Sage, Lord Fourth Prince!"

His eyes also shone with reverence as he continued. "Your Highness, in order to avenge the fallen soldiers of Wu'an City, you endured for half a year, devising the brilliant strategy of 'repairing roads openly while secretly advancing through Wu Ping.'"

"In the end, with almost no effort, and suffering only a few hundred casualties, you captured Wu Ping City—a fortress that the empire had failed to conquer for thirty years—and decapitated thousands of enemy troops."

"This plan was hailed by countless generals as a divine strategy worthy of the heavens!"

"Lord Zhu Yan once mentioned that this was a stratagem devised by the War Sage..."

"From that day forward, your title as the War Sage spread throughout the entire military of the empire!"

Watching the star-struck soldiers of the Star Luo Empire, Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan couldn't help but clasp their hands tightly in excitement, as if they themselves were being praised.

Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin exchanged astonished glances.

"I knew beforehand that Chengfeng's cultivation talent was extraordinary, but I never expected him to be such a formidable military leader as well?"

"They say there are only misnamed people, not misnamed nicknames… This is truly the War Sage!"

Looking at the stunned Dugu Bo, Ye Renxin wasn't much better off. "I only knew that Chengfeng was skilled in warfare..."

"But I never imagined he was this remarkable, and that he held such high prestige among the soldiers of the Star Luo Empire!"

Only Zhu Fan's eyes brimmed with pride and satisfaction. "Chengfeng is simply outstanding! There's still so much you don't know about him!"

As for Dai Chengfeng, he finally understood. "So that's how it is."

"It came from Zhu Yan's mouth, so it's no surprise."

However, he quickly sobered, his eyes flickering with icy resolve once more. "Wang Ping, correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"To which unit of the empire do you belong? How long has the collection of dues been ongoing? Do you have an imperial edict?"

Wang Ping hastily shook his head and replied respectfully. "Reporting to Your Highness, we originally belonged to the naval forces of Jinshan Pass. Now, under Commander Xu's orders, we've been temporarily reassigned to assist Governor Dai Xuan in Wu Ping City."

"The collection of dues has been ongoing for over eight months."

"As for the imperial edict..."

"We only know that this is an order from above. As soldiers, we follow military commands and thus are unaware if there's an official edict from His Majesty."

"Following orders?"

Dai Chengfeng sneered, his eyes flashing with icy disdain. "Whose orders? Were they given by Zhu Yan, the former governor of Wu'an City? Or by Dai Xuan, the current governor? Or perhaps by General Xu Guotao of Jinshan Pass?!"

Wang Ping dared not conceal anything. "Your Highness, it was an order from Governor Dai Xuan of Wu'an City."

"Dai Xuan again?!"

Dai Chengfeng sighed, clearly unfazed by this revelation. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Some people are just in such a hurry to meet their end. Why bother?"

Finally.

Dai Chengfeng turned to look at Zhu Fan, Dugu Bo, and Ye Renxin. "Uncle, let's board the warship and return to Wu'an City immediately!"

"Understood!"

The group agreed and followed Dai Chengfeng onto the warship.

"Set sail!"

The sails of the warship quickly unfurled, catching the wind and propelling the vessel forward like an arrow released from a bow, speeding toward Wu'an City along the river.

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