Chapter 228: Duke Chen

Chen Shihu and Lu Bai, each on their own horse, left the main road. They skirted a grove of withered trees and rode for another few miles before finding a hidden path trampled into the earth.

After crossing a mountain ridge ahead, the scene before them suddenly opened up.

It was a massive encampment, built against the mountain and sprawling alongside a river, like a primeval beast prostrating itself upon the land.

Silent and grim, it emanated a heart-pounding Evil Qi.

"This is..."

Lu Bai secretly frowned.

They should have just bypassed Longxiang Town, and by his calculations, they shouldn’t have left the territory of Wu Country.

Lu Bai glanced sideways at Chen Shihu.

Chen Shihu held his head high, his expression calm. He took the lead, riding toward the camp ahead.

A thought suddenly flashed through Lu Bai’s mind. He looked at Chen Shihu’s back, feeling a little uneasy.

But they had already arrived. He could only brace himself and follow.

As they drew closer, the first thing that came into view were the densely packed tents, like a forest of grim iron. The grayish-black tent tops rose and fell in continuous waves, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The perimeter of the camp was fortified by a sturdy wooden stockade over ten feet high, and the area within was brightly lit by firelight.

An iron-and-blood stench—a mixture of slaughter, mud, and sweat—assaulted his senses.

Lu Bai’s gaze flickered. He could faintly make out a figure on a watchtower near the tents, staring intently at them.

Chen Shihu paid the heavily guarded camp no mind, riding straight for the main gate.

Just as they came within a hundred paces of the gate, it was as if a slumbering behemoth had been suddenly roused!

"WOOO—WOOO—WOOO—"

Three low, desolate horn blasts suddenly rang out from within the camp, piercing the night.

The dozens of armored soldiers guarding the main gate, who had been holding their long-handled ge-halberds at the ready, immediately changed their stance upon seeing the approaching Chen Shihu. They formed two rows and lowered their guard.

"THUD!"

As one, the dozens of soldiers slammed their right fists against the armor on their left chests, producing a single, unified roar of impact!

They all stood ramrod straight, their gazes fixed on the mountain-like figure with reverent expressions. Not a single one spoke, and the only sound was the cold clinking of armor plates in the wind.

"WOOO—"

Immediately after, another horn blast sounded, this one much more modulated.

The stir that had run through the camp quickly subsided.

Chen Shihu didn’t slow his horse, charging straight through the main gate.

Lu Bai swallowed and followed close behind.

He saw that on both sides of the camp’s main thoroughfare, all the soldiers—whether they had been training, on patrol, or resting—froze the moment they heard the horn and saw who had arrived. They all stood at attention and struck their right fists to their chests.

"Greetings, Grand General!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

"A little slow."

Chen Shihu’s gaze fell on a few of the commanding officers. He waved a hand and said, "At ease."

The soldiers dispersed.

However, Lu Bai could still feel countless gazes secretly sizing him up—curious, appraising, indifferent... It felt like needles on his back.

He had once stormed the Fujiao Gang’s headquarters all by himself.

With a single sword, he had slaughtered them until blood flowed like a river, leaving their ranks utterly broken.

But upon entering this camp, Lu Bai felt an immense sense of pressure.

Every soldier here gave him the same feeling as the four troopers at the post station who fought with suicidal abandon. This was a group of men forged in the iron and blood of the battlefield.

Lu Bai had a feeling that if he were to face several hundred such Martial Artists, it would be difficult for him to escape unscathed.

’Grand General...’

Lu Bai stared at Chen Shihu’s back, secretly amazed.

’If my guess is correct, this man is very likely one of Wu Country’s Six Great Dukes, who holds power second only to the king—the Grand General of Cavalry, Duke of Chen!’

’The Six Great Dukes of Wu Country: Wei, Zhong, Zhen, Jing, Ding, and Chen.’

’Each of the ducal titles held a certain meaning.’

’Normally, they weren’t related to the duke’s surname.’

’Wei, for instance, clearly meant "Guardian" or "Protector."’

’Zhong meant "Loyalty" or "Faithfulness."’

’That’s why I didn’t connect the name "Chen Shihu" with the Duke of Chen.’

’Besides, why would a great duke travel all the way to that post station just to meet me in person?’

’And if Chen Shihu really was the Duke of Chen, Han Fei and the others should have recognized him.’

’But on second thought, the night was hazy and the post station dimly lit.’

’Although Chen Shihu had been at the post station the whole time, he never actually showed his face.’

’At first, his face was hidden by a Fanyang Hat.’

’After I sliced it apart, Chen Shihu rolled over in his sleep, turning his back to them.’

’Han Fei and the others never saw his face at all!’

’Chen Shihu, the Duke of Chen... To be granted a ducal title based on his own surname showed how much favor the Late King had bestowed upon him.’

’The Duke of Chen came all the way to the post station specifically to pick me up?’

’And just a moment ago, we were calling each other brothers?’

Lu Bai couldn’t help but feel it was all a bit surreal.

Just moments ago, Chen Shihu had said that Lu Bai had been wronged in Wu Country, yet King Wu had punished him, so why should he stay in Wu Country and suffer such grievances?

And in the blink of an eye, he had brought him here to his own camp.

Those words seemed to hint at a trace of dissatisfaction with King Wu.

’Could the rumors be true? Is Duke Chen really planning to declare himself king?’

As his thoughts ran wild, a massive oxhide tent—several times larger and far more imposing than the others—appeared at the end of the path.

In front of the tent stood a great standard, thirty feet tall. Its banner was black as ink, embroidered with a huge, golden "Chen" character that was all fangs and claws, as if ready to pounce and devour someone. It snapped in the wind like a living thing.

At the entrance to the great tent, eight personal guards stood as still as statues, clad in heavy, black armor with their faces completely covered by Evil Ghost Face Armor.

The instant they heard Chen Shihu’s hoofbeats, all eight bowed in unison, their movements so synchronized they seemed like a single person.

Chen Shihu only reined in his horse sharply when he was right in front of the tent. The warhorse reared up, letting out a sharp neigh.

He dismounted nimbly without so much as a glance at the eight guards. Looking back at Lu Bai, his eyes sharp, he said in a deep voice, "Dismount. Follow me inside."

With that, Chen Shihu pushed aside the heavy tent flap, which was embroidered with an intricate tiger pattern, and strode inside.

Lu Bai didn’t dare to delay. Filled with doubt, he could only hurry after him.

He took a step into the great tent.

The clamor, chaos, and grim, iron-and-blood aura from outside vanished in an instant, as if completely sealed off by the tent.

Chen Shihu sat in the main seat in a commanding posture and waved a hand. "Sit."

Lu Bai’s expression was respectful. He didn’t move.

Chen Shihu chuckled. "You’ve already guessed who I am, haven’t you?"

"Are you... Duke Chen?"

Lu Bai asked tentatively.

Chen Shihu nodded. "There’s no one else in this tent, so you can relax. I don’t stand on ceremony here. You and I can still address each other as brothers.

"Once you step outside this tent, you’ll have to call me Grand General."

"I wouldn’t dare."

Lu Bai still didn’t dare to be impolite.

"You wouldn’t dare? Back at the post station, you nearly chopped me to bits with that sword!"

Chen Shihu eyed Lu Bai sideways.

"Well..."

Lu Bai was at a loss for words.

’Thinking back on it, I feel a lingering fear. If that sword strike had landed, my own life would have been forfeit.’

Chen Shihu said, "Where’s that sky-piercing audacity you had in Jingzhou City? I told you to relax, so stop being so formal. Why are you being so wishy-washy?"

"Then I won’t stand on ceremony."

Hearing Chen Shihu say this, Lu Bai no longer hesitated.

Lu Bai walked over to a nearby spot, plopped himself down, and grabbed some fruit from the table to eat. He then casually took off his shoes and tossed them aside.

Chen Shihu: "..."