C23 Dance of the Drum and Gathering of the Generals

"I'm relieved to hear you're alright! I don't aspire for you to hold a high position; all I want is for you to live a safe and peaceful life," Zhao Danna expressed, her tension easing as her heart settled back into place.

"Father will soon return to the capital, and it's getting quite late. Please, go back and rest," Chen Dutian suggested to his mother as he noticed two commanders of the Red Banner Army approaching the main hall. He rose to his feet with a smile.

Zhao Danna gave a slight nod, understanding that there were affairs not meant for her to meddle in. Accompanied by a few maidservants, she departed the main hall and made her way leisurely toward the rear chambers of the House of Protector.

Once his mother and the maidservants had left, Chen Dutian's demeanor shifted dramatically. Seated at the head of the room, he commanded in a stern voice, "Enter!"

The two commanders of the Red Banner Army advanced swiftly and bowed before reporting, "Your Grace, we have apprehended the assassins, but... it seems they were prepared and unwilling to disclose their identities. They chose to detonate their Power Node en route."

For a warrior, self-detonation of a Power Node meant certain death. Chen Dutian's brow furrowed deeply as he sat in contemplative silence.

The Yan family was the only one bold enough to make an attempt on his life in the Imperial Capital. During today's martial competition, Chen Dutian had demonstrated his prowess, defeating both Jiang Daochen and Ling Zechuan. Yan Chen was now harboring murderous intent.

With Chen Dou still away at war and the assassins having destroyed their Power Nodes to conceal their identities, there would be no trace to follow, even if suspicions pointed toward Yan Chen.

"Xue Yong, Sun Jun! How many troops from the Red Banner Army have you brought?" Chen Dutian inquired, addressing the two commanders by name, a testament to his familiarity with them.

"Your Grace, upon hearing of a potential threat to the House of Protector in the Imperial Capital, I dispatched a hundred thousand troops from the Red Banner Army. They are currently stationed thirty miles from the city," one commander reported.

"The same here, Your Grace. I have brought another hundred thousand troops, ready to follow your commands at a moment's notice," added the other.

Considering the entire Imperial Capital's military force totaled only two hundred thousand, and many were loyal to the old guard of the Lord Protector, Chen Dutian allowed himself a cold smile. Rising to his feet, a palpable aura of lethal intent radiated from him. Xue Yong and Sun Jun, still half-kneeling, were visibly shaken, their mouths agape in awe.

Chen Dutian was once considered a lost cause, lacking a Power Node and deemed incapable of cultivation in his lifetime. His only means of getting by was through his status as the Lord Protector's Heir.

But now, the young Chen Dutian possessed the formidable strength of the Sixth Heaven in Spirit Convergence, leaving the two commanders of the Red Banner Army in utter astonishment.

"Xue Yong, Sun Jun, heed my command! Accompany me to the Muster Point!"

At Chen Dutian's command, Xue Yong and Sun Jun exchanged glances, their eyes alight with fervor. Casting their blood-red cloaks aside, they rose with lethal intent and followed Chen Dutian out of the main hall.

The Muster Point, located in the backyard of the House of Protector, was where Chen Dou would assemble his generals before a campaign. The moment the drum atop the platform was struck, all generals who had served under Chen Dou were expected to gather within half an hour.

Moments after a tea break, Chen Dutian stood upon the Muster Point, clad in a brocade robe, flanked by over a dozen members of the Bloodshadow Guard, their faces stern. Below, the ranks of the Red Banner Army stood in disciplined formation, the vast courtyard awash with a palpable, frenzied killing intent.

"Boom!"

The strike of Chen Dutian's drum reverberated, its thunderous echo gripping the hearts of all present. The soldiers below were vividly reminded of past battlefields strewn with death and destruction.

"Boom!"

The drum's call resonated again, reaching every corner of the Imperial Capital. Generals, who had been celebrating the Harvest Festival with their families, rose with solemnity, donning their armor and drawing their blades, their aura chillingly resolute.

"Boom!"

At the third beat, Yan Chen, seated upon the dragon throne, shifted uneasily, his expression darkening. Wang Xuanyang, at his side, stood up in alarm. The court ministers exchanged confused looks, uncertainty in their eyes.

"The Lord Protector's Call to Arms!" Seven or eight generals from the Cloudwatch Palace strode out decisively, rushing toward the palace gates without a backward glance, showing no concern for Yan Chen on his throne.

Seething with rage, Yan Chen's brow furrowed as he turned to Wang Xuanyang and demanded in a grave tone, "What's going on? Chen Dou isn't in the Imperial Capital. Who sounded the Call to Arms?"

"Please, Your Majesty, calm your anger. I shall commence the investigation immediately!" Wang Xuanyang bowed deeply before descending the steps and hurried out with a contingent of palace guards in tow.

Meanwhile, Chen Dutian, having struck the Call to Arms thrice, turned with an icy demeanor, set down the drumsticks, and coldly commanded Xue Yong below, "Xue Yong, your orders are to lead one hundred thousand Red Banner Army soldiers to stand by in the Imperial Capital within the hour. Should anyone dare obstruct you, they are to be executed without exception!"

"At your command!" Xue Yong bellowed, seizing the General Summoning Talisman tossed to him by Chen Dutian, and promptly led ten Red Banner Army soldiers out from the House of Protector.

"Sun Jun, heed my command. Once Xue Yong has entered the Imperial Capital with his troops, you are to secure all city gates, allowing no one to pass. Any defiance is to be met with immediate execution!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Sun Jun complied. In the absence of Lord Protector Chen Dou, Chen Dutian's word was law.

As the two Red Banner Army leaders departed the House of Protector, numerous generals from within the Imperial Capital hastened towards them. In less than half an hour, over twenty military commanders had assembled beneath the Muster Point.

These commanders wielded significant military influence and held key positions within the army. Crucially, they were all veterans of the Red Banner Army, once under the command of Lord Protector Chen Dou.

Chen Dutian surveyed them with a detached gaze and declared, "I have been informed of enemy infiltrators within the Imperial Capital. I've already clashed with them on my return here. Though the Lord Protector is absent, the duty to safeguard the Imperial Capital falls squarely on your shoulders!"

"By Your Grace's command!" the commanders roared in unison, their voices echoing with the fervor of seeing the Lord Protector's legacy in Chen Dutian's bearing.

"Commander Gao Yutian of the Longevity Guards, heed my order! You are to station five thousand Longevity Guards at the nine gates of the Imperial Palace, replacing the palace guard. Any resistance is to be met with death!"

"He Changfeng, Commander of the Iron Eagle Guards, your orders are to encircle the Ironclad Legion's camp with twenty thousand Iron Eagle Guards. No one is to enter or exit. Any who defy these orders are to be executed!"

"Commander Kong Yunquan of the Leopard Guard, you are ordered to lead fifty thousand of your guards to keep a vigilant eye on the Tiger Army outside the city. Should you detect any suspicious activity, eradicate them completely!"

The Nine Gates of the Imperial City were under the watchful eye of the Imperial Guards, while the commanders of the Ironclad Legion and the Tiger Army were trusted allies of Yan Chen. Chen Dutian's strategy was a clear message to the Yan family: harm the Lord Protector's Heir, and the price will be paid in blood.

A member of the Bloodshadow Guard hastened to the Muster Point and, with a respectful bow, whispered a few words to Chen Dutian. A cold smirk played across Chen Dutian's lips as he issued a command to the assembled generals below: "The rest of you, each bring five hundred soldiers to convene at the House of Protector! Tonight, I, Chen Dutian, intend to cleanse the Imperial Capital with a bloodbath!"