The War, Son of a Bitch!

Old Foye moved like a wisp of smoke, drifting, his flight path winding and convoluted, not a straight line. Yet, this didn't hinder his speed in the slightest; instead, with each twist and turn, Old Foye drew ever closer to the crimson-black mist ahead! Fifty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters… Suddenly, the crimson-black mist reversed direction, lunging fiercely towards Old Foye!

At this very moment, with the Imperial Capital Garrison Command's forces deployed, the chaos in Saint John City had been brought under control. However, a chilling aura of dread immediately enveloped the Imperial Capital of Lanning! The four city gates were sealed, and City Watch began house-to-house searches. Porter, impersonating Francis, continued to perform as Francis should in the square; when a slip-up occurred, Beibei and Harry would quickly interject, covering for him.

The real Francis—Du Chen—was currently hiding atop the towering statue in Saint Bovin Square, listening to Dus's live broadcast of the struggle! “It seems someone is chasing them, very fast… Huh? Your elder brother turned back, looks like he’s going to fight!”

Dus was firmly trapped within Steve's body, only able to perceive his surroundings through his senses. In Du Chen's words, Fifth Brother was now just a thermal detector implanted in Steve's body! He said, “Ah, if only they'd stop and fight, it would be so much better than flying so fast! Francis, Fifth Brother has figured it out: there are two forces near Steve's body. One is very weak, representing Steve; the other is incredibly powerful—that's the person who snatched your elder brother and trapped me within a Power Membrane! Another person is now chasing them, also very strong, and he’s currently fighting the abductor!”

Du Chen urgently asked, “Who is stronger, who is weaker!?”

“Hard to say!” Dus’s voice vanished for a moment, then returned: “I feel that your elder brother's power and the abductor's power are extremely close, almost overlapping! It's as if… the abductor is fighting while carrying your elder brother!”

Du Chen pounded the Precious Lotus Scripture's Lotus Pod, “Have you still not pinpointed his location!?”

“No, they're flying too high; I have no reference points… Oh, hey! Francis, I can't talk now, the abductor seems to not want to fight anymore and is fleeing again with your elder brother on his back!”

“Stay vigilant. Report any anomaly to me immediately!” Du Chen commanded, then looked up at the sky and once again slammed his fist against the Lotus Pod!

Saint John City was in turmoil all night. Even at dawn, the City Watch was still searching house-to-house, and the four city gates remained closed, causing extreme inconvenience for the Imperial Capital's commoners—if they even dared to leave their homes at this hour!

Du Chen went to their pre-arranged meeting spot, but neither Helen nor Old Foye showed up, as expected. Du Chen felt a slight disappointment, though the only consolation was Dus's report: the abductor's energy remained extremely close to Steve's, as if he had been carrying Steve all along. It seemed Steve's life was safe for now!

As for the person pursuing the abductor, he ceased his entanglement at dawn and disappeared without a trace!

As daylight broke, the Imperial Capital's chaotic order gradually returned to calm. Porter returned to his room in Saint John Cathedral, pushing the door open with a creak. He found Du Chen standing by the window, a look of fierce anger on his face, glaring icily at the Palace of Versailles across the way!

“Francis, was it you who rescued…?”

“It wasn’t me!” Before Porter could finish his question, Du Chen coldly interrupted, suppressing his fury to explain the situation in the most concise language. Finally, he kicked the small cabinet by the window with a resounding clang, “I’ll utterly destroy that son of a bitch!”

It seemed Du Chen had never been this infuriated since arriving in this world! No sooner had he left than his elder brother was abducted. What could he feel but indignation? And if it were merely indignation, it would be fine, but the consequences were far too severe. After tonight, who would believe his elder brother was abducted? Everyone would probably think he had been “rescued”!

Aiding and abetting someone to forcibly break into Lanning Death Row and abduct the nation’s primary criminal—this crime was tantamount to treason!

“Hmph!”

Deboning snorted angrily, smashing the table with a 'crack.' It was clear the abductor had long been lurking in the Death Row Cells; otherwise, the timing of the abduction couldn't have been so coincidental. Yet, he hadn't discovered them!? The reputation of a Titled Battle God was utterly ruined!

Both men were seething, and for a moment, the atmosphere in the room was deadly silent, heavy with gloom.

“Why has everyone gone quiet?” Porter, having changed into his own attire, popped a sour plum into his mouth and strolled over to Du Chen. With two fingers, he picked up another plum, tiptoed, and inserted it into Du Chen’s mouth, blinking his large eyes. “Taste it, it’s really delicious!”

Sour in his mouth, Du Chen spat out the plum and glared at Porter. But Porter grabbed Du Chen’s hand, playfully manipulating his index finger as if it were a plush toy. “One,” he counted seriously, then bent the middle finger, “Two!” The ring finger, “Three!”…

Porter’s effeminate, yet utterly serious, childlike counting of fingers made Du Chen not know whether to laugh or cry. “What are you doing?”

Porter squinted at Du Chen. “Calculating the situation, of course!” He waggled Du Chen’s index finger. “Firstly, Dus is still inside your elder brother’s body. Once he lands, we'll know Steve's approximate location!” He bent Du Chen's middle finger. “Secondly, after what happened last night, even my simple mind can figure out that your elder brother must be involved in some major secret! And people with secrets are usually very safe!”

“Porter, you’re talking nonsense!” Du Chen’s palm tingled from Porter’s handling.

Porter bent Du Chen’s ring finger. “Thirdly, someone knows I’m talking nonsense, yet he’s still needlessly worrying and getting angry over it. Tell me, isn’t he a big idiot!?”

Du Chen raised his hand and tapped Porter’s forehead, grunting, “You rascal, is this how you advise someone to calm down?”

Porter gave a mischievous smile, clutching his head. “As long as it calms you down, that’s good! You shouldn’t be thinking about how frustrated you were last night, but rather what to do next, right!?”

Indeed, his elder brother’s matter couldn’t be rushed; rushing would only make things worse! Du Chen understood this perfectly. Earlier, he had been too worried about his elder brother and couldn’t suppress his anger! Having quelled his fury, Du Chen began to handle matters clearly and systematically. “Deboning, Hawkins is yours. You must ascertain why he captured my elder brother! Blindfold him before interrogation, and don’t expose your identity! Also, this fellow has a lot of backbone, so take Beibei with you! Once we have the information we need, have Beibei control Hawkins, then help him escape Saint John City. Remember, he must be discovered by the Lanning City Watch, but also ensure he ultimately escapes… Heh, this way, it will at least make people wonder if my elder brother’s disappearance is related to the beastmen! Then I’ll find someone to spread rumors, saying that the Beastkin, seeing Lanning's reluctance to hand over Steve, sent people to abduct him!”

“Hmm, Francis, I actually discovered you’re not such a big idiot after all!” Porter clicked his tongue at the sour plum, yet wore an expression of satisfied craving.

“When did you ever think I was stupid?” Du Chen’s mood had significantly improved. He suddenly put his hands on his hips and scrutinized Porter, speaking in a teasing tone, “Kid, I just discovered something about you…” He looked him up and down. “After seeing Yuna last night, why have you become more and more like a woman?”

Aliza hastily swallowed a large piece of beef and nodded repeatedly. “Exactly! This guy looks just like a woman now!”

Harry chuckled. “Marshal Porter certainly looks much more refined. This is good, really good!”

The three of them stared at Porter. Indeed, the change in him overnight was too significant!

Porter, from below, provocatively scrutinized Du Chen, “Oh? You noticed that!? What else did you notice?”

Du Chen suddenly reached out and playfully punched Porter’s chest. Tilting his head, he said in surprise, “Old One also noticed that you might very well be an underdeveloped woman!” With that, he burst into laughter, while Aliza傻笑 and Harry low-laughed.

Porter backhanded a bag of preserved plums onto Du Chen’s head, glaring at him huffily, “Francis, keep your hands to yourself! Before, I tolerated it, but from today onwards, if you ever try that with me again, I’m not finished with you!”

“Ha, did you see that? Even his anger is like a woman’s now!” Du Chen pointed at Porter, chuckling mischievously. But for some reason, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: he really wanted to pinch his nose… This kid was quite cute even when angry!

Du Chen was greatly startled by his own thought!

His expression serious, Du Chen patted Porter’s shoulder. “Hey, no more jokes. Seriously, did something happen to you? Tell me if you’re in trouble, Old One will sort it out for you!” Du Chen felt that a sudden drastic change in personality must be due to some emotional shock!

“Do I look like I’m in trouble?” Porter pulled his glasses down to the tip of his nose, his large eyes staring expressionlessly at Du Chen’s hand on his shoulder for a long moment. Suddenly, the anger on his face dissipated. He leaned against Du Chen mournfully, like a resentful lady from a secluded chamber, tapping Du Chen’s forehead with his fingertip, and whispered, “Big idiot, don’t touch my body. I’m not interested in men, understood?”

“Gods!” Goosebumps erupted all over Du Chen’s body, and he sprang back, waving his hands frantically. “I, I’m not interested in men either!”

“Then do I look more like a man now, or more like a woman?” Porter leaned in again, his eyes filled with sorrowful longing!

“Like a man! You’re a damn man!” Du Chen gulped, quickly trying to change the subject!

“Hmph!” Porter lifted his chin like a victorious general, skipping lightly back to his chair to curl up, holding a sweet fruit and crunching on it with a chuckle. *Big idiot, if you could actually tell I was a woman, then the Ancestor's Black Gauze Garment would be unworthy of its name as the Goddess's Battle Armor!* Du Chen was utterly bewildered by Porter's rapidly shifting demeanor. He figured Porter must have encountered something considerably troubling, otherwise, his personality wouldn't have changed so drastically. But if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't. Could Du Chen really hold a knife to his throat and interrogate him!?

Regardless, this kid was still Porter, still the Canine Strategist of the Newin River territory. Most importantly, Du Chen swore with his thieving hands and eyes that Porter’s physique was absolutely that of a man among men—though a tad slender!

Yes, Du Chen had explored him many times!

…

Deboning and Beibei had gone off to carry out their task.

Du Chen, listening to Dus’s constant situation reports, chatted idly with Porter. “Porter, if you want to be effeminate, then be effeminate, as long as your brain doesn’t turn stupid! Who’s at the door? Come in!”

A black-robed bishop gently pushed open the door, his fawning smile somewhat nauseating. “Godfather Francis, Godfather Ferdinand instructed me to inform you that after your elder brother Steve was rescued last night, His Majesty Bargnar is in a fit of uncontrollable rage! Just now, the City Watch discovered a master among the beastmen in the Second District…”

Deboning’s actions were certainly swift!

The roguish demeanor Du Chen had with Porter vanished, replaced by solemn dignity. He asked, “What is His Majesty Bargnar’s reaction?”

“His Majesty Bargnar initially suspected that you had orchestrated Steve’s rescue. However, after the appearance of Beastkin masters not on the envoy delegation list, the cabinet’s opinion split into two factions: one still suspects you, the other suspects the beastmen!”

“Suspect me? That’s not a funny joke!”

“Godfather, I, I am merely relaying Godfather Ferdinand’s original words!” The black-robed bishop grew anxious, explaining for a long time before continuing, “However, regardless, the appearance of Beastkin masters not on the envoy delegation list has only further infuriated His Majesty. He immediately expelled the Beastkin envoy delegation and ordered the cabinet to promptly submit a plan to resist McAllen’s invasion… Godfather Ferdinand said that war is imminent, and he asks you to prepare early—because Lanning Law stipulates that every lord has an obligation to contribute their strength when the nation is invaded, so…” He chuckled, not finishing the sentence.

“I understand. Thank you for the news, Child of God!” Du Chen waved him off, his face instantly changing as he turned to Porter. “It seems that even if I don’t personally lead the army into this war, I’ll have to ‘make a gesture’!”

Porter mumbled through a sweet fruit, “That’s a given! Even if you disregard the law, you are a hundred percent Lanning citizen. Your homeland is about to be invaded; if you show no reaction at all, probably tens of millions of Lanning people will point their fingers at you and curse you as disloyal and unjust!”

The words were harsh, but they were the truth! Du Chen smacked his lips, his expression somber.

Lanning, this nation composed of golden-haired, blue-eyed humans, actually had nothing to do with him—Du Chen. He had no reason to sacrifice his life for it. But now, as Francis, he bore the name of a Lanning man! To disregard the nation’s plight in its hour of crisis would undoubtedly tarnish Francis’s reputation, plummeting his standing among the Lanning commoners!

However, participating in the war would necessitate deploying the territory’s army. His three thousand new recruits had only just formed a few days ago! Sending them to fight the beastmen would surely be sending them to their deaths! Du Chen couldn’t bear to gamble with the lives of his people for reputation.

Porter lowered his head, concentrating on gnawing his fruit, then suddenly muttered softly, “This time the beastmen attacked first; Lanning is being invaded, so every Lanning person should contribute. Your army, though not strong in combat, they are also Lanning soldiers…”

“Soldiers? Heh!” Du Chen gave a bitter smile and commanded, “Harry, take the Wyvern Carriage back to Durkes City and relay my orders… First, all territorial construction is to be handled entirely by those trained by the Charitable Foundation. As long as the Holy Church doesn't interfere with the common people’s lives or usurp my authority, let them do as they wish!”

“Second, war has come. Although Durkes City is located in the Southern Sea, defenses must be strengthened. Command the newly formed Patrol Fleet to cruise in shifts at all times!”

Harry carefully noted it down, his heart pounding. *Heavens, war has really started! Master won’t make Harry go to the battlefield, will he!?*

At this moment, Du Chen issued his third command, “Order: The Durkes City Garrison’s Second and Third Legions are to immediately head north!”

“Yes, Master!” Harry trembled as he accepted the order, but he stared intently at Du Chen.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be going to war! You’ll return with Miss later and stay safely within the territory during the war!”

“My wise Master, you are incredibly sagacious! Hehe, but… with two Legions heading north, will the logistics be provided by the imperial military department or will we supply ourselves? Also, which route should they take for the march? Where will they finally assemble? And who will be the marching Commander…?” Harry rattled off a string of questions, shrinking his neck, then lowered his head, not daring to look at Du Chen, his voice much softer. *I seem to be disrespecting Master a bit… But these things must be asked!*

Du Chen snorted! “You seem to be asking the wrong person, don’t you?”

Porter waved with a cheerful smile. “Mr. Harry, your wise and sagacious Master doesn't understand these things, remember that…” He quickly supplemented Du Chen’s orders. Then, he suddenly looked up. “Hey, that Dud you just appointed, he's in the Second Legion, commanding three hundred men. His personal strength is indeed formidable, but commanding three hundred men on the battlefield… can he do it?”

All the generals in the Durkes City Garrison were handpicked by Porter, so he naturally had confidence in them! But Dud, who had appeared suddenly, whom he'd only met once for less than three minutes… Porter had to ask.

Dud's command ability? Du Chen couldn't answer for a moment.

Porter’s expression turned serious. “An incompetent general can cause thousands of troops to perish. You absolutely must not joke with the lives of your soldiers!”

Du Chen paused, recalling Dud's demeanor—to put it nicely, he was cool and silent; to put it less nicely, he was slow to react, barely speaking a word for extended periods. Du Chen laughed, “He should be fine, right? What if we use him as a fierce vanguard for charges? What do you think?”

Porter rolled his eyes. “Francis!! This is war! I’m not joking with you, and you shouldn’t joke with me! A fierce vanguard for charges? That’s from thousands of years ago! Ever since sacred artifacts of war appeared, battles are fought with military strategy, not who can charge more fiercely! Even if Dud is a Level 7 Peak Titled Battle God, if you let him lead three hundred men in a reckless charge, he’ll be blasted to smithereens by sacred artifacts of war!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose and pouted, “So what’s your suggestion?”

Porter considered it, then sighed. “Never mind. The territorial army can bring its own provisions. For now, let Dud’s unit act as the rear guard, transporting supplies—marching on Lanning soil, even someone who can’t lead troops won’t mess up too badly. Once he arrives, I’ll personally speak with him and decide what he can truly do!”

Du Chen, knowing he was completely clueless in this area, shrugged and responded, “Fine, let him be the Quartermaster then!”

…

As expected, three days later, Bargnar’s War Mobilization Order was issued. The third clause called upon all major lords to contribute to the nation, ordering every lord to dispatch troops to Tukus City, north of Saint John City, to cooperate with the regular army. Regarding Steve’s disappearance, there were two main viewpoints: one, he was rescued by Du Chen; two, he was abducted by the beastmen. However, neither had concrete evidence, remaining only in verbal disputes.

At this, Du Chen merely smirked!

Bargnar, however, truly possessed some skill. He swiftly transformed the hidden humiliation of “Steve being rescued” into a tool. He subtly hinted to Arges, “See? It’s highly probable the beastmen captured your son! Why don’t you quickly lead your troops to fight them to the death!?” Thus, when the War Mobilization Order was issued on the third day, the Sigurd Legion at Heaven's Ocean Pass began a proactive offensive, and the Lanning army welcomed their Commander, the Imperial Marshal, Arges!

For a time, the rolling smoke of military movements filled every corner of Lanning territory. Although war had not yet been formally declared, the front lines were already ablaze. The regular army, having completed its assembly, had already departed for the front, while the various lords' assorted armies were still gathering, preparing to serve as the second wave of troops.

By this time, Du Chen’s forces were already en route. However, he and Porter were eating sour plums while listening to Deboning report the results of Hawkins’s interrogation. “To think they came for the relics of Crown Prince Salon!” Du Chen quirkily pursed his lips. “What exactly are Salon’s relics?”