I took out a blank imperial decree from my robes. The King of Hell had given it to me upon departure, granting me discretion. The underworld and the living world were different; an imperial decree wasn't handed over to another. After reading it, the imperial envoy would keep it and return it to the emperor to prevent anyone from altering its contents and issuing false decrees. Therefore, such "wordless" decrees weren't unique to me; it was common practice for those trusted by the King of Hell.
At the appearance of the decree, the other staff in the archives all knelt down to pay their respects.
"Ugh..." Facing the blank imperial decree, my mind also went blank. I hadn't thought about what to say on the way. I could only improvise, "By the Mandate of Heaven, I decree: Li Yuanba has served a thousand years in the first layer of hell, diligently and without any rebellious intent. I hereby pardon Li Yuanba from his remaining sentence and bestow upon him the title of Fourth Rank Chariot and Cavalry Commandant, to be under the command of the Junior King of Hell of the Underworld Envoy Prefecture. Thus it is decreed."
It sounded so convincing that Cai Lun and the others didn't suspect anything and knelt to express their gratitude.
Li Yuanba was still in a daze, looking at Cai Lun with confusion.
"What are you still waiting for? Kowtow and express your gratitude!" Cai Lun urged him softly.
"No need," I said, putting the decree back into my robes. "Li Yuanba is straightforward and honest. There's no need for formalities. Lord Cai, please release Li Yuanba from his shackles. We need to take him away in a coffin; there's an urgent mission."
"Yes, right away, Officer Wu!" Cai Lun signaled to one of his subordinates. The subordinate eagerly came over and used a key to unlock the shackles on Li Yuanba's hands and feet. He had worn these for over a thousand years, and calluses had formed on his wrists and ankles. Seeing his muscular build, I wondered about his actual combat power.
After bidding farewell to Cai Lun, we left the library. I offered my horse to Li Yuanba, but the horse from the underworld was terrified of him and refused to be ridden, perhaps due to his overwhelming demonic aura.
So, I had to let Li Yuanba run behind me. He seemed to be strolling, but he was actually faster than a horse.
We reached Erliu City. I was about to take a break. Forget eating; the food in the underworld wasn't good. However, the area was scorching and dry, and the temperature was high. My clothes were already soaked. Just as I was about to find a place to sleep, the Spearman captain ran over, an eagle pigeon perched on his shoulder and a paper scroll in his hand. It seemed to be urgent intelligence.
I took the scroll and opened it. It was a plea for help, signed by the Junior King of Hell. The message was simple: "The army is trapped north of the Three Yin Palace. Hurry to reinforce!"
Beside it, in small vermillion ink, was a note from the King of Hell: "Forward to Wu Chengfeng immediately!"
I guessed the King of Hell knew about my Swift Wind Technique, and that I was the only one who could reach the Three Yin Palace quickly.
But the problem was, what use was it for me to go alone?
At the very least, the spear troop and the artillery troop, these two elite weapon divisions, had to be deployed.
I asked the Spearman captain, "How far is it from here to the Three Yin Palace for your cavalry?"
"Umm... about a month and a half."
Damn it, that far? The artillery would be even slower. It was too late to mobilize troops. It seemed I had to go myself.
I took off my soul-summoning token and called the Junior King of Hell. Even though we were so far apart, this thing surprisingly still connected. I didn't understand the principle behind it.
I asked about the situation. If she had known she could call, she would have contacted me directly. Why go to so much trouble to send a pigeon? Even the cavalry took a month and a half to travel, so a pigeon would take at least three or four days, right?
Indeed, the Junior King of Hell said she had sent the distress signal three days ago. Now, her three thousand Black Armored Soldiers were trapped on a cliff north of the Three Yin Palace. Although the rebels couldn't attack for the moment, they had no retreat route, and their supplies were running low.
"Are there no troops that can be deployed nearby?" I asked.
"No... I am deep in enemy territory. The closest imperial forces are still thousands of miles away."
"Alright, then... wait for me. I'll come and see what's going on," I said.
"What use is it for you to come? I need reinforcements."
"Do you know how many rebel troops are near the Three Yin Palace?" I asked.
"About... three to five hundred thousand, why?"
"The imperial army would need to mobilize at least five hundred thousand to have a chance of rescuing you, right? With thousands of miles between us, if five hundred thousand imperial troops marched towards you, it would take at least a month, wouldn't it? Not to mention if they couldn't even reach the Three Yin Palace, even if they miraculously did, how many of you would be left alive... alive ghosts?"
"Heh, do I not understand that logic?" the Junior King of Hell retorted stubbornly. "Then tell me, what good solution do you have?"
"I don't even know your situation, how can I know? I'll talk about it when I get there. I'm hanging up now."