Chapter Fourteen: Ji Ling Is Nothing But a Plagiarist of Young General Ji Yun!

Under no circumstances must Ji Ling be allowed to emerge alive to tear the masks of hypocrisy from the faces of this father and son!

Contemplating this, Ji Tianxing calmly wiped a thin layer of sweat from his temple and declared with composure, "Ahem, well, I am afraid that is not possible."

"You see, although the black mist has receded slightly, as General Lin stated, it could surge back at any moment."

"While they have carved out a route capable of supporting troop movements, why would General Lin not choose to return along the same path and exit the mist?"

The host was clearly stumped by Ji Tianxing's question.

Ji Tianxing immediately continued, "It is a simple truth. Within the black mist, only a narrow path has been cleared, while the vast majority of the area remains occupied by the mist. Regardless of whether they move forward or backward, the threat of the mist persists."

"Even a retreat would be just as dangerous as continuing forward!"

"Therefore, to send reinforcements at this time would likely result in many unnecessary casualties!"

At this point, Ji Tianxing abruptly changed his tone, adding, "Of course, whether or not to send reinforcements is ultimately a decision for the military high command. I am merely offering my own humble opinion!"

"If the superiors were to order me to lead a relief force, the Ji family would certainly not shirk its duty. We would go to bring our brothers home!"

Ji Tianxing’s words were airtight; he first highlighted the dangers of reinforcement, then firmly established his stance, signaling to everyone that if called upon, he would fulfill his duty without hesitation.

His statement was practically a model response—it demonstrated his "genius" strategic vision while showcasing his righteousness and unwavering commitment as a soldier.

Indeed, Ji Tianxing’s words won a wave of applause in the chat feed, a reaction he found highly gratifying.

Just then, the voice of the producer sounded in the host's earpiece.

The host rose immediately and said to Ji Tianxing, "General Ji! Lieutenant Colonel Sun Liansheng, Director of Military Affairs at the Divine Bureau, is here. He says he is here on behalf of the Divine Bureau to present your family with a medal of merit."

"What do you think..."

Hearing that the Divine Bureau had sent someone to bestow an honor, Ji Tianxing and his son, Ji Yun, smiled in unison.

It seemed their brainwashing had not only deceived the audience but had even confused the high-ranking officials of the Divine Bureau, leading them to believe that all the credit belonged to Ji Yun.

"Quickly, invite him up!" Ji Tianxing said hastily.

The host nodded and spoke into the small microphone on his lapel to the producer: "General Ji has agreed to an on-site award ceremony."

Soon, Sun Liansheng appeared in a crisp, sharp uniform, carrying a large medal, and marched onto the stage with rhythmic, precision steps.

"General Ji!" Sun Liansheng bypassed Ji Yun, who was reaching out to shake his hand, walked straight up to Ji Tianxing, and saluted with a standard military gesture.

This action caused Ji Yun’s face to turn shades of green and white, and the look he cast at his father was laced with a hint of malice.

However, it was clear that Ji Tianxing did not notice his younger son’s expression. Instead, he looked at Sun Liansheng with a beaming smile and chuckled, "Oh, I am truly unworthy of such praise, truly unworthy!"

"Our Ji family is a military lineage of the Dragon Kingdom. Contributing to the nation is our duty and a responsibility we are bound to fulfill!"

"We never sought any credit or honor! Yet, the organization places such high importance on us... ah!"

Ji Tianxing struck a modest pose, though his face was already wrinkled with smiles. His eyes were fixed intently on the emblem of the medal, unable to look away for even a second. His bloodshot eyes were filled with an insatiable hunger for glory.

But Sun Liansheng’s next words wiped the smile right off Ji Tianxing’s face.

"General Ji, who would have thought the Ji family would produce such formidable sons! Both are more impressive than the last!" Sun Liansheng said with a smile. "I originally thought it was rare enough that Major General Ji Yun achieved such a miraculous feat in the Southwest, but I never expected your eldest son to achieve such a feat in the Eastern Theater!"

"By himself, he saved the lives of two hundred thousand of our soldiers!"

"This achievement is even more remarkable than that of Major General Ji Yun!"

These words struck both Ji Tianxing and Ji Yun where it hurt most; every syllable pierced their lungs like a blade.

The father and son’s expressions grew increasingly grim. Watching them, Sun Liansheng asked with curiosity, "General Ji, what is the matter? Your son has achieved such a legendary feat; why do you seem... unhappy?"

"Hmph!" Ji Tianxing let out a cold snort, his face dark, and offered no reply.

Ji Yun hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Sun Liansheng’s arm, and said, "Uncle Sun, you don’t understand. This credit, in reality, has nothing to do with my brother."

"Oh?" Sun Liansheng looked at Ji Yun with a perplexed expression and said with a smile, "You two are truly joking. Your brother’s achievement is plain for the whole country to see. Summoning ancestral deities, single-handedly slaughtering a tide of hundreds of thousands of aberrant beasts, saving the army from the brink of destruction... This, all of this, the entire country—even the whole world—has witnessed!"

Sun Liansheng’s words made the pair’s faces grow even darker. Under his description, Ji Ling had become a hero to the entire world, and the implication was clear: Ji Yun could never hope to match such honor in several lifetimes.

The host, clearly sensing the father and son’s displeasure, stepped forward urgently and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Sun, I fear you are mistaken!"

"Ji Ling’s actions were, in fact... all plagiarized from Major General Ji Yun!"

"Plagiarized?" Sun Liansheng looked at the host in shock and asked, "What do you mean by plagiarized? I was watching the live stream as well. Could it really be..."

The host nodded immediately, saying, "Yes, what Major General Ji Yun says is the truth. Ji Ling stole a notebook written by Major General Ji Yun, which is how he learned the information regarding those deities and was able to summon the ancestral deity Yinglong. Furthermore, the successful contracts with the twenty-seven subsequent deities are all entirely thanks to the notebook compiled by Major General Ji Yun."

Sun Liansheng was bewildered and skeptical, asking immediately, "Then, what about the 'Thunder Moving the Nine Heavens' that Ji Ling summoned to annihilate the aberrant creatures..."

"That was also Major General Ji Yun, who used his dragon bloodline to trigger the power of Yinglong and controlled it remotely."

"Ji Ling... was merely performing. Everything behind the scenes was done by Major General Ji Yun."

"Major General Ji Yun does not covet the credit, but you really should not, in front of so many people, hand over the credit that rightfully belongs to Major General Ji Yun to Ji Ling, a plagiarist..."