Chapter 467: Spiritual Sound Probing Pulse
Zhang Chongyi stood up and cursed loudly, “Sun Gan, I never imagined you’d be such a despicable scoundrel!”
Sun Gan let out a cold snort. “Zhang Chongyi, you useless trash, what are you yelling for? Scream again, and I’ll play the role of the Stone Dwelling Old Monster and deal with you all right now. Who in Red Flower Camp can stop me?”
“You!!!” Zhang Chongyi was seething with rage.
Sun Gan then turned to Mu Lan. “Little girl, think carefully. I’m in no rush, hehehe.”
With that, his figure slowly faded and vanished.
Mu Lan clenched her fists, veins bulging, her whole body trembling with fury.
She was born into the Grand General’s Mansion, and had the pride and bones of a noble house. To be pushed to such a point now was, to her, a great humiliation!
“To dream of using me as a stepping stone to seize the Grand General’s Seal? What a fantasy!”
“I would rather die than submit,” Mu Lan's eyes shone with unwavering determination.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chongyi grew tense.
He had volunteered for the army to repay a debt of gratitude, even offering up nearly his entire fortune. He didn’t come just to witness the fall of the Grand General’s Mansion with his own eyes.
That would be far too cruel for him.
He absolutely did not want to see Mu Lan perish.
So, Zhang Chongyi quickly tried to dissuade her. “Dear niece, don’t act rashly.”
“If you die, and Elder General Mu hears the tragic news, wouldn’t he pass away from grief?”
“You’ve already mastered Divine Arts at the Golden Core realm. With such talent, to perish early would be too much of a loss.”
“Those enemies of the Grand General’s Mansion would be delighted to see you fall so easily.”
Over these days of interaction, Zhang Chongyi had come to understand Mu Lan quite well. Thus, his persuasion struck a chord in her heart.
She stood still for a long while, her expression gradually softening, and her clenched fists slowly relaxed.
The female general took a deep breath, her voice calm and indifferent. “Uncle Zhang, your earlier advice was right.”
“I must find someone for dual cultivation to resolve the hidden dangers within me!”
“That Ning Zhuo isn’t bad. I wonder if he’s considered it?”
“I’ll trouble you to make another trip for me.”
Zhang Chongyi nodded repeatedly. “Alright, stabilize your injuries, I’ll go find him for help immediately.”
At those words, Mu Lan’s eye twitched slightly, holding back a deep frustration. Since when had she—daughter of the Grand General, descendant of a military household—resorted to asking others for help with dual cultivation?
Utterly ridiculous!
Zhang Chongyi knew the matter was urgent and did his best to accelerate the healing process.
Moments later, he quietly left Red Flower Camp and headed near the Three Generals Camp, where he sent out a flying message.
Ning Zhuo secretly welcomed Zhang Chongyi into his tent.
“I beg Young Master Ning Zhuo to save our general!” Zhang Chongyi bowed deeply before him.
Ning Zhuo was taken aback and quickly supported him. “Lord Zhang, what’s this? You treated my illness, and I gained greatly from it. As long as it’s within my ability, I will absolutely not refuse. Please speak plainly!”
Zhang Chongyi then explained the matter of dual cultivation.
Ning Zhuo furrowed his brows and sighed. “Forgive me, but I am powerless in this matter.”
“I have already written to my family to inquire about this.”
“It turns out, the ancestor of my family has already arranged a marriage for me, with a princess of the Southern Bean Kingdom.”
“My Ning Family has taken root in the Southern Bean Kingdom. If I marry into the Zhu family of the royal house, I’ll surely lead the Ning Family and ascend even further.”
“It’s my misfortune, unworthy of General Mu Lan. To miss such a good match is truly regrettable!”
Zhang Chongyi was momentarily stunned, disappointment written all over his face.
But after thinking it through, he pressed on, unwilling to give up. “Young Master Ning Zhuo, sometimes dual cultivation and marriage aren’t directly related. We only seek dual cultivation, nothing more.”
“Could it be that your marriage contract with the princess of the Southern Bean Kingdom includes a clause requiring you to preserve your Yuan Yang?”
Ning Zhuo hesitated a moment, then replied, “Not exactly.”
“But preserving my Yuan Yang is a form of respect for the engagement and for the Zhu family.”
“To my knowledge, that noble lady of the Zhu family has also preserved her Yuan Yin.”
“If I were to lose my Yuan Yang beforehand, it would be disgraceful.”
“It might even cause the Zhu family to misunderstand, leading to the collapse of this family-wide marriage alliance. In that case, the blame upon me would be immense! Alas.”
Zhang Chongyi fell into a long silence.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo continued, “Given General Mu Lan’s strength, it’s unlikely she was defeated by General Zhang.”
“I suspected from the start that it was an old injury acting up.”
“In my humble opinion, General Mu Lan is indeed in grave danger this time.”
He didn’t hide anything from Zhang Chongyi and shared everything: how Shuangjing had invited him twice, and how during the second morning tea, he discovered Shuangjing’s scheme against Mu Lan and immediately refused recruitment.
Upon hearing all this, Zhang Chongyi cupped his hands toward Ning Zhuo. “I knew I wasn’t wrong about you, Young Master Ning. You are of noble character, upright and selfless, your words and actions consistent, your conduct above reproach. An ordinary man might have long been swayed by power and temptation, but you stand firm in your principles—truly a gentleman of great integrity.”
Ning Zhuo smiled and quickly waved his hand. “Senior flatters me. I’ve simply followed the teachings of my elders.”
“Senior Zhang, though I cannot agree to dual cultivation, I do possess some skill in the Metal element. Perhaps I can be of some small help in treating General Mu Lan.”
Zhang Chongyi’s eyes lit up at that, and the memory of how he and Ning Zhuo had healed most of Sun Lingtong’s illness sprang to mind.
He grew excited. “Could it be that your mastery in the Metal element rivals your comprehension of the Earth Dao?”
Ning Zhuo smiled. “Roughly the same.”
Zhang Chongyi let out a sound of awe and looked at Ning Zhuo with newfound admiration. “Young Master Ning Zhuo is truly a prodigy in cultivation, a genius blessed by the heavens.”
Ning Zhuo said, “But treating General Mu Lan’s injury has three difficulties.”
Zhang Chongyi: “Oh? Please elaborate.”
Ning Zhuo raised his left index finger. “First, the Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art is a family technique of the Grand General’s Mansion. If I am to assist General Mu Lan, I may need to fully understand the entire scripture, which might violate the rules of their lineage.”
He raised his middle finger. “Second, General Mu Lan’s condition is different from our previous case. Hers is a conflict between her technique and her female body, not a Dao injury. So I can’t predict how much healing can be achieved.”
Then he raised his ring finger. “Third…”
Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment before continuing, “During the ambush battle, General Mu Lan threw Flying Legs to our army. I can understand that, but our soldiers still harbor resentment. This time, General Zhang’s commotion in Red Flower Camp involved not just conflict among troops, but old grievances as well.”
“My aid now is only out of respect for you, Lord Zhang. General Mu Lan is outstanding in both strength and military tactics. But frankly, she’s not exactly a friend of mine.”
“So, while I am willing to help, I must consider the feelings of Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, as well as the many soldiers of the Three Generals Camp.”
“If I am to step in, then General Mu Lan must personally come and offer an apology for the ambush battle.”
Ning Zhuo concluded, “It’s not that I lack understanding, but I serve as the Military Strategist and Sacrificial Wine of the Three Generals Camp, and I get along well with the three generals. I don’t wish to cause them discomfort.”
Zhang Chongyi sighed deeply. “So many difficulties indeed!”
Though a renowned physician, he had little talent for strategy, and often acted on impulse or emotion.
If not, back in the Royal Capital, he wouldn’t have clashed with the King, been punished, and fallen from Nascent Soul stage down to Golden Core realm.
Nor would he have rushed to enlist and offer nearly all his wealth as military funds upon hearing that Mu Lan and Red Flower Camp were in trouble.
Thus, Ning Zhuo’s analysis opened his eyes and made the situation clearer.
Zhang Chongyi cupped his hands to Ning Zhuo. “This matter must be reported back to General Mu Lan for her to decide.”
Ning Zhuo smiled. “Allow me to see you off, Lord Zhang.”
The two then quietly exited the camp.
Far away, within the main command tent, Liu Er was pacing quickly, agitated beyond control.
“Dual cultivation?!!”
“So that’s it, that’s it!”
“So that’s why teacher gave me the Yin-Yang One-Energy Vessel—it was for this!”
Liu Er, being a human-demon hybrid with the bloodline of the Six-Eared Macaque, was born with a special talent known as Spiritual Sound Probing Pulse.
When this talent was activated, Liu Er’s hearing became exceptional. He could hear distant conversations, uncover the full context, and discern the truth.
Stationed in the military camp, he often used this gift to eavesdrop on soldiers’ discussions, thereby gaining insight into their thoughts and offering targeted solutions.
This included both Guan Hong and Zhang Hei.
Hence, Liu Er knew them far better than they themselves realized.
Their growing sense of camaraderie with him owed, in part, to this very reason.
This time, Liu Er had overheard a crucial secret during the exchange between Zhang Chongyi and Ning Zhuo!
He now knew of Mu Lan’s hidden injury and her urgent need for dual cultivation.
“As the saying goes, Yin and Yang in harmony. If I lend Mu Lan the Yin-Yang One-Energy Vessel, she could convert her Yin energy into Yang, fully adapt to the Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art, and not only eliminate her inner conflict but accelerate her cultivation drastically!”
“However…”
In Liu Er’s Upper Dantian Sea of Consciousness, thoughts surged and collided.
Mu Lan’s plight stirred a burning ambition within him!
“That Sun Gan wants to dual cultivate and use the pretext to seize the Grand General’s Seal.”
“It must be said, this is a potentially effective method.”
“The Grand General’s Seal… Elder General Mu spent almost a lifetime building his power to obtain it. If I can claim it, how many years of struggle and hardship could I avoid?”
At that thought, Liu Er couldn’t help but lick his dry lips.
“I have Yuan Yang too!”
“Why shouldn’t I dual cultivate with General Mu Lan?”
“Not only dual cultivation—I could also seek the Grand General’s Seal, couldn’t I?”
Liu Er sank into deep thought.
Soon, he frowned and shook his head. “It’s difficult.”
“I am a human-demon hybrid. Compared to Ning Zhuo, my status is far inferior.”
“Just now, from Zhang Chongyi’s words, even Sun Gan, a dignified commander of the Imperial Guard, resorted to coercion. My standing is even worse than his.”
“What should I do?”
Liu Er paced a while, then slapped his forehead. “Why not just ask the Strategist! He’s already betrothed, and can’t dual cultivate with Mu Lan.”
“And the Strategist is meticulous, has a good relationship with Zhang Chongyi, and even caught Mu Lan’s eye.”
“With his help, my chances of success would surely soar!”