novelhk Chapter 1293 Forcing a Rebellion
Chapter 1293 Forcing a Rebellion
After Ao Sheng, Cang Ting, and General Jinlong left the human territory, an elite dragon force was already lined up outside the Great Wall, waiting for them. Beside the formation, a magnificent dragon palanquin, drawn by a red-bearded dragon, stood silently, exuding an undeniable majesty.
"Your Majesty the Dragon King!" The soldiers, dressed in crimson dragon-patterned armor, knelt down in unison, their voices echoing across the land.
Cang Ting's heart skipped a beat.
The Crimson Dragon Guards! As expected, Ao Sheng secretly mobilized other troops to accompany him on this trip!
"Let's set off." Ao Sheng glanced meaningfully at Cang Ting, then calmly stepped into the red-bearded dragon sedan chair.
The Crimson-Bearded Dragon let out a roar and slowly took off with the dragon palanquin. The Golden Dragon General and Cang Ting guarded him on the left and right, respectively, while a large number of Crimson Dragon Guards led the way. The procession rode the clouds a thousand meters above the sky.
Cang Ting glanced around, his unease growing stronger—perhaps it was just his imagination, but as the journey progressed, the number of dragon soldiers around him seemed to be subtly increasing. They appeared to be tightly guarding the dragon palanquin in the center, but in reality, they were also blocking all possible escape routes, as if preventing his escape...
Could it be as he predicted... that Ao Sheng had already realized that he had not been controlled during the last Moon Pupil Illusion, and knew that he harbored ulterior motives, so he planned to eliminate him on the way back to Donglong Kingdom?
Just as his mind was racing, the procession suddenly stopped.
"Why did you stop?" Ao Sheng's voice came from inside the sedan chair.
Several Crimson Dragon Guards escorted a number of suspicious dragons to the front of the dragon palanquin.
When Cang Ting saw those dragons, his heart skipped a beat again! Because those people were his subordinates—Qing Lin, Chi Ya, Han Xiao, Jin Feng, Lei Ji, Lan Feng, Di Sha, Sui Xing... also known as the Eight Sword Saints of the Dragon Clan!
Cang Ting had already anticipated that Ao Sheng might plot against him from outside the human realm when he came to participate in the All Races Conference. Within the Eastern Dragon Kingdom, as the Thunder General, he commanded a million troops, and Ao Sheng might not dare to easily harm him, still harboring some reservations. But here, far from the human border of the Eastern Dragon Kingdom, Ao Sheng clearly had no such concerns. Therefore, when Cang Ting arrived, he ordered the Eight Sword Saints of the Dragon Clan to lead a portion of their elite forces to secretly follow him, just to be on the safe side. The result was unexpected…
"The Eight Sword Saints of the Dragon Clan?" General Golden Dragon scrutinized the group, his expression solemn. "What's going on here?"
The dragon guards escorting the group respectfully reported: "General Golden Dragon, these few people were sneaking around and secretly following the group, their behavior was suspicious, so we captured them! Moreover... besides these few people, there is also an army of about 10,000 people following them from a distance, seemingly under their command!"
General Jinlong turned to look at the dragon palanquin. Ao Sheng gazed at Qing Lin, the leader of the Eight Sword Saints, his eyes calm as still water: "I didn't order you to accompany me, did I?"
Qinglin: "...Yes, you don't."
Ao Sheng: "Then why did you bring your army with you?"
“Your Majesty,” Cang Ting spoke up at the right moment, his voice steady, “It was this humble general who was worried about the safety of the journey and ordered the army to secretly protect us without authorization, but neglected to report it to you. This is a dereliction of duty on my part.”
"I see." Ao Sheng gave him a deep look. "You're quite thoughtful. That's not wrong, after all, the Extreme Yin Sect is causing trouble everywhere, so being cautious is not a bad thing. However, it would be better to inform me in advance next time."
"It was my oversight and my overconfidence that led Your Majesty to bring so many Crimson Dragon Guards." Cang Ting kept his head bowed. "In that case, let my troops accompany Your Majesty's Crimson Dragon Guards to escort Your Majesty back to the Eastern Dragon Kingdom."
“I don’t intend to go straight back to Donglong Kingdom.” Ao Sheng said calmly, “I plan to make a detour to the Crimson Wood Forest first. You, General Jinlong, and the Crimson Dragon Guards can accompany me. As for your subordinates and troops… let them return first.”
Cang Ting's heart tightened suddenly. The Crimson Wood Forest was a source of extraordinary resources belonging to the Eastern Dragon Clan, under the jurisdiction of General Golden Dragon. However, this wasn't the key point. The key point was that Ao Sheng was clearly trying to get rid of the Eight Sword Saints of the Dragon Clan and his army!
Once he reaches the Redwood Forest, it will be full of General Jinlong's men, and his own troops will have left. If Ao Sheng plans to attack him there, wouldn't he be completely isolated and helpless?
Upon careful consideration, the eight Dragon Clan Sword Saints he had arranged for this trip, along with the Hidden Dragon Legion that followed, were all highly skilled individuals adept at concealing their whereabouts. Logically, there should have been no way they could have been discovered so easily!
The fact that the Crimson Dragon Guards were able to discover them so easily suggests only one possibility—that Ao Sheng had already guessed that he would secretly bring an army with him for self-defense when he came to the Human Empire with him!
Did he guess everything?
"General Cangting, what's wrong?" General Jinlong asked from the side. "You ordered your men to return first, are you unwilling? Or... are you unwilling to go to the Crimson Wood Forest with His Majesty?"
"...Of course not." Cang Ting replied expressionlessly, raising his eyes to meet Ao Sheng's calm yet unfathomable gaze. That gaze was terrifyingly calm, utterly unfathomable, as if it could pierce through all pretense and reach straight to the heart.
Cang Ting gritted his teeth inwardly.
Ao Sheng... this is forcing him to rebel!
If he goes to Chimu Forest Farm with them now, his life will be in their hands; if he disobeys Ao Sheng's orders, it will be tantamount to rebellion... But if he rebels now, the situation will be extremely unfavorable for him!
Cang Ting's gaze gradually darkened, his eyes radiating a chilling light. Beneath his seemingly calm face, he was engaged in a fierce struggle and decision-making process.
【Drip-】
At that moment, a system panel suddenly popped up in front of Ao Sheng's eyes; it was a communication message.
[Secret Guard: Your Majesty, urgent report! General Cang Ting has secretly amassed an army of over three million near the borders of the Eastern Dragon Kingdom. A portion of these troops have disguised themselves as ordinary dragon citizens and infiltrated the royal city. Furthermore, there are indications that several clandestine armed groups within the city are attempting to encircle Princess Ao Xin's residence...]
Ao Sheng remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Cang Ting beside him.
Cang Ting was also looking at him, his gaze calm, meeting his eyes without any hesitation.
'It seems he has a backup plan back home…' Ao Sheng's mind raced. 'Now is indeed the best time to eliminate him. If we act here now, he will have no chance of escape. But I'm afraid… it will come at a considerable price.'
'There are still countless civilians in Donglong. If Cang Ting orders the army to start a massacre, many innocent people will inevitably be killed in a large-scale civil war.'
Although Xin'er is protected by the Crimson Dragon Guards, if his army were to mobilize, it's hard to guarantee her safety...
"..."
After a moment's consideration, Ao Sheng finally raised his hand and waved it gently.
Seeing this, the Crimson Dragon Guards released their grip on the eight Dragon Clan Sword Saints, including Qinglin.
“Enough.” Ao Sheng’s voice broke the silence. He gave Cang Ting a deep look. “I have changed my mind. I will not go to the Redwood Forest today.”
He paused, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "Cang Ting... next time, if you need to send someone to accompany you as a guard, remember to report to me in advance. Don't forget your duty as a general."
The huge weight that had been hanging over Cang Ting's heart finally lifted, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Cold sweat still clung to his back, but his face remained impassive. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and replied:
"Yes, Your Majesty. This humble general...will remember."