Chapter 468: With the Strategist’s Help, Great Deeds May Be Accomplished
Atop the mountain peak.
Liu Er’s mentor—the demon cultivator elder—sat withered atop a rocky outcrop.
In his hand, he continuously rolled a spirit pearl between his fingers, silently channeling mana for quite some time.
The elder slowly opened his eyes and urged his mana.
The spirit pearl, receiving the infusion of power, gradually radiated a blinding light.
The elder opened his mouth and swallowed the spirit pearl whole.
The spirit pearl entered, but instead of going down the throat to the abdomen, it traveled upward and came to rest between the elder’s eyebrows.
A searing pain surged through the demon cultivator elder, veins bulged around his eye sockets, and his expression twisted into one of grotesque ferocity.
The spirit pearl’s brilliance slowly faded.
A massive, rounded lump rose in the center of the elder’s forehead.
The demon cultivator elder brought his fingers together like a blade, raised his hand before his face, and suddenly struck down upon himself.
A sharp burst of mana erupted, cleaving the round lump open in the center of his forehead.
At once, blood and a strange yellow fluid splattered, and the elder couldn’t help but groan in pain.
He gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, and looked using only the “round lump” on his forehead.
What emerged from the lump was a bloodshot, orange-yellow eyeball.
The eyeball emitted mysterious light, illuminating more than a zhang ahead of the elder.
And in the elder’s vision, the distant Canglin Immortal City had changed drastically—countless strands of fortune energy entangled and intertwined, forming a vibrant, intricate spectacle.
The elder activated a spell, continuously adjusting his field of view, filtering out various distractions.
Soon, only three presences remained in his vision.
At the center bloomed a massive red flower, dripping with blood. Its petals scattered, swaying turbulently in the wind and rain.
Amid the fierce storm, a golden halberd hovered high in the sky, magnificent and sharp, radiating a golden chill—utterly unstoppable.
The halberd’s aura pressed menacingly on the red flower, as though it would strike down at any moment.
There was also a plaque, carved of white jade, lustrous and smooth, likewise suspended aloft, overlooking the red flower, exuding a mountain-like grandeur.
“Mu Lan of the Red Flower Camp, Sun Gan of the Golden Halberd Army, and Shuangjing of the White Jade Camp...”
“Has Little Six not yet comprehended it?”
The demon cultivator elder muttered in disappointment.
He could not sustain it for long. Blood gushed from the eyeball on his forehead, and his eye sockets also began to bleed.
Just then, a surge of fortune energy manifested, taking the form of a monkey, also encircling the red flower.
The monkey had yellow fur and three ears. Compared to the golden halberd and jade plaque, its form was far smaller. Yet the moment it appeared, it leapt several steps forward, drawing closest to the red flower.
The monkey extended a hand in a plucking gesture toward the flower.
“Good! Good! Good!” The demon cultivator elder was overjoyed. “Truly born with the king’s mandate—Little Six has grasped the truth without needing any instruction from me!”
The demon cultivator elder had lingered nearby, probing again and again, all for the sake of witnessing this moment.
Now, most of the weight in his heart was lifted.
But in the next instant, the monkey’s gesture of plucking the flower seemed to provoke the other two. The golden halberd shone with golden brilliance, sweeping outward in all directions. The white jade plaque floated above the red flower and began to press down.
The demon cultivator elder observed this and gradually came to a realization, sighing, “The enemy’s forces are formidable.”
“Yet if those two were not so powerful, how could Little Six ever find an opening to exploit? Hahaha…”
Red Flower Camp.
“What brings General Shuang here?” Mu Lan’s expression was blank, her gaze calm.
Shuangjing clapped his hands, and his subordinates immediately carried forward several massive treasure chests.
Each chest radiated Golden Core–level aura, clearly all Golden Core–grade storage treasures.
Shuangjing ordered his men to open the chests one by one, revealing vast troves of treasures, spirit stones, and even military weapons.
Mu Lan sneered coldly.
Zhang Chongyi had already returned to Red Flower Camp.
From him, she had learned of Shuangjing’s secret scheme to trap her. Her disgust for him was absolute.
Shuangjing said, “General Mu Lan, these are only part of the betrothal gifts. What do you think?”
“In your current situation, even a single chest from this lot would sustain Red Flower Camp for months.”
Even though Mu Lan had steeled herself mentally, she still turned pale with anger. “You want to marry me? And then, through this relationship, reach for the Grand General’s Seal?”
Shuangjing’s smile faltered slightly. “Also?”
Mu Lan sneered, “Not long ago, Sun Gan infiltrated my camp and threatened me. If I did not obey, he said he would impersonate the Stone Dwelling Old Monster and cause a massacre in Red Flower Camp.”
“I’m just curious.”
“The recent attack on the supply convoy by the Stone Dwelling Old Monster—who among you played the part?”
Shuangjing’s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice cold. “General Mu Lan, spare me the false accusations. I would never stoop so low as to impersonate the enemy and assault a supply convoy.”
“As for Sun Gan, I also do not believe he would do such a thing.”
“He is the commander of the Golden Halberd Army, and one of the royal capital’s imperial guards. Please be careful with your words, General Mu Lan.”
Shuangjing had not fallen into the trap.
Mu Lan had tried to redirect blame, hoping to spark conflict between Shuangjing and Sun Gan.
But Shuangjing seized the heart of the matter: “So, General Mu Lan, will you choose Sun Gan—or me?”
“Though Sun Gan is a commander of the imperial guard, his family background is shallow.”
“I, on the other hand, am not only the commander of the White Jade Camp—I also bear the surname Shuang. Which weighs heavier, I think any person with a brain can judge.”
Mu Lan sneered, “This White Jade Camp of yours has only a hundred survivors left. And you still dare bring it up?”
Shuangjing’s expression stiffened, but he kept smiling. “With the support of my family, the camp can be restored before long. What does General Mu Lan think?”
Mu Lan gritted her teeth, staring hard at Shuangjing. “During the ambush battle, your White Jade Camp was on the brink of collapse, at death’s door. It was only Red Flower Camp who came to your aid.”
“And now you behave like this. You bear the royal surname—do you truly mean to repay kindness with betrayal?”
Shuangjing’s smile grew even broader, clearly having prepared his rebuttal long ago: “General Mu Lan, you are mistaken.”
“Your camp aiding mine was indeed the camaraderie of comrades-in-arms. But my army also paid a heavy price, stalling the enemy’s strongest to create opportunity for the greater battle.”
“And now, seeing you in hardship, I extend a helping hand. How can that be called betrayal?”
“Enough!” Mu Lan could endure no more and interrupted him directly. “Take all of these things back! Even if I die, even if the Grand General’s Mansion is utterly ruined, I will never accept your so-called ‘aid’!”
Shuangjing laughed heartily. “I don’t believe that General Mu Lan will watch the Grand General’s Mansion fall into ruin with open eyes. Nor do I believe you will stand idly by as your wounded soldiers in Red Flower Camp die from lack of food and pay.”
“What I believe is that my offer is generous—far beyond anything Sun Gan could match.”
“I urge General Mu Lan to think carefully.”
With those words, Shuangjing swept his sleeves and left with a few trusted aides.
He did not retrieve the treasure chests, leaving them behind in Mu Lan’s command tent.
Mu Lan’s face was cold as she ordered, “Men, move these chests—escort them all the way back to General Shuangjing’s residence.”
Several of her personal guards immediately obeyed.
“You—!” Shuangjing turned back, glared at Mu Lan, then shook his head and scoffed. “Let’s see how long you can hold out.”
Three Generals Camp.
Ning Zhuo lifted the flap of the main command tent and stepped inside. “General Liu, you called for me?”
Liu Er warmly invited Ning Zhuo to sit, then spoke with some difficulty, “This is actually a personal matter. I hope, Strategist, you can advise me.”
Ning Zhuo was puzzled but waited quietly.
When Liu Er finished speaking, Ning Zhuo’s face turned strange. “General Liu, did I hear correctly? You say you’ve fallen for General Mu Lan—love at first sight?”
“That’s right,” Liu Er replied, face calm and unblushing. “This time, seeing her struggling, I just wanted to lend her a hand.”
“But as you know, after the ambush battle, our camp doesn’t view Red Flower Camp favorably. And now, with Third Brother causing havoc over there, relations have soured even more. If it weren’t for you, Strategist, we’d have already fallen out with General Mu Lan.”
Ning Zhuo covered his forehead, speechless for a long time.
At last, he looked at Liu Er. “General, your wish to help Red Flower Camp… may be difficult. To be honest, the current situation is extremely sensitive. I don’t recommend we make any moves right now.”
Liu Er deliberately pressed on: “And why is that, Strategist?”
Ning Zhuo sighed and told him about Zhang Chongyi’s secret plea for help and General Mu Lan’s old injuries.
Liu Er was shocked. “I never imagined the truth was so tangled!”
“Not good.”
Worry clouded his face. “So General Mu Lan’s situation is that dire, surrounded by enemies. Sigh, she must be struggling terribly.”
“How ironic!”
“Red Flower Camp fights valiantly, is weakened in strength, and then gets eyed like prey by its allies!”
“Is this what the Liangzhu Kingdom is like on the inside? So dirty and dark—it’s truly disheartening!”
Liu Er lambasted the corruption of politics, then clenched his fists and stood up earnestly. “Strategist, I’ve made up my mind!”
“I cannot let the woman I love fall into such peril while I stand by idly!”
“These old Nascent Soul–level geezers—do they not realize their age? They don’t truly care for General Mu Lan. They just want the Grand General’s Seal!”
“I will save General Mu Lan from fire and water!”
Ning Zhuo looked at Liu Er with hidden admiration. “A fellow man of the righteous path. Who would have thought Liu Er had such deep roots in the Dao? Remarkable, truly remarkable.”
Ning Zhuo coughed lightly and laid out the difficulties. “If you wish to marry the woman you love, it will be… extremely difficult.”
Throughout the Liangzhu Kingdom, not a single human–demon hybrid had ever reached the halls of power.
If Liu Er succeeded, he would be the first.
And the first case… is always the hardest!
But Liu Er was determined: “I know how difficult it is. But after what I just heard from you about Mu Lan’s plight…”
“That only fuels my courage and strengthens my resolve.”
“A woman like General Mu Lan—how could I possibly watch her fall into enemy hands?”
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo let out a long sigh, eyes reddening, then stood up excitedly and took Liu Er’s arm.
With deep emotion, he said, “General Liu is a man of great sentiment!”
“To risk all to rescue one’s beloved—if you can break the chains of worldly constraints, it will be a tale for the ages.”
“I too am indignant that General Mu Lan suffers mistreatment. She is an excellent general. Even in the ambush battle where she passed the strongest foe to us—that was a mark of brilliant military strategy.”
“I am thoroughly disappointed in the Liangzhu court.”
“That they would indulge in such infighting, shamelessly, even with a formidable enemy looming—scheming against their own allies. I am truly disgusted!”
“This time, I will give my all to assist General Liu—to defeat Sun Gan and win the heart of the fair lady.”
Liu Er was overjoyed and let out a deep sigh. “With the strategist’s help, great deeds may be accomplished indeed!”