"Don't mention it. We ran into quite a few skirmishes along the way. I'll tell you about it later when we have more time. I'm here on a mission," Zheng Baobao said, turning to Dai Lu. "Are you Lord Dai Lu?"
"I am."
"I have an imperial decree." Zheng Baobao produced a green velvet scroll from within her armor. It turned out that imperial decrees in the underworld were green, not yellow.
Everyone present immediately knelt. I felt out of place standing, so I knelt down with Bingbing. Bingbing was practical, performing a full prostration, her belly flat on the ground, her bare buttocks high in the air, resembling a certain pose. I knelt on one knee, as I noticed many soldiers in heavy armor adopted this posture; they couldn't kneel with both knees. I, on the other hand, wasn't accustomed to kneeling on both knees.
"By the grace of Yin, the Ghost King decrees: Dai Lu is hereby rapidly promoted to Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion, to lead fifty fire cannons in reinforcement of Erqi City. Humbly obey!"
"Your subject receives the decree." Dai Lu accepted the scroll, and everyone rose.
I quickly asked what had happened to Erqi City.
"Outside Erqi City, a sudden force of a hundred thousand rebels has appeared, blockading the city completely. His Majesty has issued twelve decrees to twelve nearby King's Camps to dispatch troops for reinforcement. This is just one of them," Zheng Baobao explained.
"Is the King of Hell trapped in Erqi City?" I whispered, otherwise, such a grand mobilization wouldn't be necessary.
"More than just the King of Hell," Zheng Baobao leaned in conspiratorially. "The Three Provinces and Six Ministries of the imperial court are all located in Erqi City."
"How far is it from here?" I asked. The decrees from the Young King of Hell and the Great King of Hell arriving simultaneously meant there was no seniority; the Great King's command would certainly take precedence.
"Not far, one hundred and twenty li," Zheng Baobao replied.
One hundred and twenty li, with horse-drawn cannon carts, would take about half a day to reach. I could stay and help with this task. The main reason was that I felt it would be dangerous for Dai Lu to go. The enemy's tactic was clearly the same as Fan Wujiu's Black Armored Cavalry—to trap and await reinforcements. Erqi City itself wasn't in danger; the twelve reinforcement teams heading there were the ones in peril. Furthermore, the Divine Machine Battalion was short of troops. If they followed the King of Hell's order and brought only fifty cannons, and the enemy laid an ambush, a mere few hundred heavy infantry soldiers could wipe them out!
I snatched the imperial decree from Dai Lu's hand. "Lu, you find the Young King of Hell. I'll take the artillery team to provide support."
Dai Lu was a top student in command. I could see the enemy's strategy, and she naturally understood it too, knowing the inherent dangers. She started to argue for the mission. I whispered to her, "My sister Bingbing and I have special identities; we can die and come back to life. You can't. If you die, you're dead."
Dai Lu didn't quite understand. I pretended to be angry and said anxiously, "Are you going to listen to me or the King of Hell?"
"Hey! Chengfeng!" Zheng Baobao quickly grabbed my arm. "Don't speak rashly! That's a capital offense!"
Right, the King of Hell was the absolute authority here.
"How about this," Zheng Baobao, knowing my immortality and understanding my appreciation for talent, took back the decree. She turned to the stunned onlookers and explained loudly, "When this official departed from the palace, His Majesty was anxious for reinforcements. He was unaware that Lord Wu Chengfeng was with the Divine Machine Battalion. If His Majesty knew, he would certainly have ordered Lord Wu, a God of War, to lead the troops to reinforce Erqi City. I believe everyone has witnessed Lord Wu's achievements, correct!"
The Yin soldiers all chimed in agreement.
"Therefore, I shall take the liberty and, on behalf of His Majesty, amend the order. Lord Wu will personally lead the artillery team to reinforce. Lord Wu, please receive the decree!"
I knelt on one knee once more and accepted the imperial decree.
Zheng Baobao's words had essentially taken the responsibility upon herself, diluting the impact of my "treasonous" remark. As an Underworld Official, she had the authority to make such a decision; at most, she would receive a reprimand. I was different. That remark, in the feudal era that the Underworld still resembled, was truly an act of rebellion punishable by death.
It still is, even now, though perhaps not by execution. But any future prospects would be ruined. Being blacklisted is worse than execution.
Time was of the essence. Dai Lu immediately organized her engineers to prioritize us. They installed recoil dampeners on the fifty cannons. The King of Hell hadn't specified the number of shells to be allocated; that authority rested with the Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion, who was now Dai Lu. With a wave of her hand, she allocated three thousand shells to me, sixty shells per cannon. The Divine Machine Battalion's total shell reserve was only twelve thousand, a significant expenditure, but hopefully, it would be enough.