Chapter 473: Strategist of the Royal Mandate
Ning Zhuo took out twenty million low-grade spirit stones and handed them directly to Liu Er.
“This is our family's contribution to the Three Generals Camp—to help the General win honor and glory!”
Liu Er couldn’t help but take a deep breath, staring fervently at Ning Zhuo’s storage bag. He saw that there were still many spirit stones left inside!
He quickly retracted his gaze, grasped Ning Zhuo’s arm, and spoke with heartfelt gratitude, “This must be because the Strategist lobbied tirelessly within your family, which led to such generous support. I, Liu Er—what virtue or ability do I possess to deserve such aid from your family, and from you, Strategist?”
Ning Zhuo, in turn, grabbed Liu Er’s arm. “General, we felt like old friends at first meeting, and the longer we’ve spent together, the deeper the bond.”
“The General is warm-hearted, loyal to the King and the nation, courageous in battle—a man truly worthy of responsibility!”
“I, Zhuo, deeply admire you.”
“With my humble understanding, I originally intended to help without expecting anything in return. But the Ancestor isn’t familiar with the General and insisted on claiming thirty percent of the spoils of war.”
Liu Er was momentarily stunned. “Thirty percent?”
Ning Zhuo’s face took on a helpless expression—as if he were a young man moved by ideals and loyalty, yet forced to yield to the worldly concerns of his elders.
Liu Er patted Ning Zhuo’s shoulder. “Don’t speak of thirty percent—even sixty percent, so what?”
“For your family to support us to this degree, it is only right.”
“Only that at the moment…”
“Sigh, Strategist, you know well—when we first founded the Three Generals Camp, we had already promised away the ownership of the spoils of war!”
“Where would I get thirty percent from?”
“Hmm… perhaps it could be deducted from myself, my Second Brother, and Third Brother. Only, we might need some time before we can repay that.”
Ning Zhuo extended his palm and smiled. “I’ve also considered this on the way back.”
“It’s time to reclaim the right to allocate spoils of war. And now is the best moment.”
Liu Er looked puzzled. “Oh? I’d like to hear more.”
Ning Zhuo explained, “After the ambush battle, our army has returned to station outside Canglin Immortal City. Many cultivators have been making trouble, claiming the conditions here are too poor, wanting to leave the Three Generals Camp and join other forces.”
Liu Er showed a guilty expression. “That’s because I lack talent and have an empty purse, unable to reward those who performed meritoriously. This is my failure!”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “Granting the right to spoils of war to the soldiers—that is our greatest reward.”
“However, in the ambush battle, there were hardly any spoils to be collected. On the contrary, many of our troops were lost. Many soldiers’ magical artifacts were damaged to varying degrees, and they’re complaining that the repair subsidies we gave were too little.”
“So, they feel the contract is too disadvantageous.”
“This is essentially a gamble. Once the bet is made, no regrets should follow—that’s the rule.”
“If the ambush had yielded great rewards, they certainly wouldn’t be stirring up trouble now.”
“On top of that, White Jade Camp is recruiting again. Even though they’re trying to stay low-key, their wealth is immense. Many cultivators in our camp have been tempted by the benefits they offer. But due to pride and fear of being branded traitors, they don’t dare openly defect—so they stir up unrest as a cover for their true intentions.”
Liu Er nodded, full of agreement. “The Strategist speaks with great reason!”
Ning Zhuo said, “Since they find the contract so unfavorable, now is the perfect time to go with the flow and abolish it.”
“The promise we made back then was, after all, due to our tight military budget—we had no choice but to use it to attract cultivators.”
“But now that we have sufficient funding, the General can raise the pay to standard levels, or even higher.”
“Don’t forget—our Three Generals Camp was the most outstanding force in the ambush battle.”
“With our war record, I believe many cultivators will still come to enlist.”
Liu Er lowered his head, falling into deep thought.
After a moment, he finally raised his head. “This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided lightly. Strategist, allow me to return and consider further, and discuss it with my Second and Third Brothers.”
Ning Zhuo nodded with a face full of approval. “The General is far-sighted—it’s a blessing to the entire army. It should be so.”
On the mountain’s distant peak.
The Demon Cultivator Elder sat cross-legged on a boulder, surrounded by a pool of blood.
Blood flowed profusely from the outer corners of his eye sockets, as well as the giant eyeball between his brows—his appearance was truly tragic.
Nearly every day, he secretly observed the shifting fortune of the Three Generals Camp, despite the enormous cost.
“Hm?!”
The Demon Cultivator Elder’s expression suddenly changed.
He saw that the fortune of the Three Generals Camp, represented by a monkey, had suddenly sprouted a swirling vortex of wind on each of its limbs.
At the same time, the monkey’s body quivered slightly and then rapidly swelled, becoming several times larger and radiating power and majesty.
This empowered monkey stirred the fortune of both White Jade Camp and the Golden Halberd Army—the plaque of the former rose ever higher, and the golden halberd light of the latter grew sharper.
Sensing danger, the monkey instantly shrank back to its original size. At first glance, there seemed to be no change, but upon closer inspection, its fortune had become more condensed, vivid, and lifelike in spirit.
“What is happening?”
“How did Little Six’s fortune suddenly grow so much?”
The Demon Cultivator Elder looked puzzled, and worry crept into his expression. “The monkey’s retreat signifies that Little Six’s mindset does not desire to openly confront Sun Gan of the Golden Halberd Army or Shuangjing of the White Jade Camp.”
“This isn’t good. It contradicts his fate under the King’s Mandate.”
The Demon Cultivator Elder had traveled a great distance to this place and personally intervened—all to uphold the King’s Mandate and reduce other variables.
Sensing the situation going awry, he immediately sent a secret message flying into the Three Generals Camp.
At that moment, Liu Er was discussing with Guan Hong and Zhang Hei whether to reclaim the rights to the spoils of war.
Zhang Hei was the first to speak. “The Strategist is absolutely right! These cultivators just want to take advantage. This time there were barely any spoils, so they stir up trouble. Why don’t they think about the future, when we win big and there’s plenty of loot?”
“We’ve got money now. Let’s reclaim that right. This is the best opportunity. If we don’t act now, it’ll be too late!”
After speaking, Zhang Hei stared intently at Liu Er.
Seeing Liu Er smile and nod repeatedly at him, Zhang Hei chuckled gleefully.
Yet Liu Er sighed inwardly. “My Third Brother is rash and straightforward, lacking deeper thought. He doesn’t see the two major downsides of this. Better to keep him close during future battles.”
Liu Er then looked to Guan Hong.
Guan Hong was combing his thick beard that reached down to his feet while saying, “After the ambush battle, I feel even more confident about the coming war.”
“Reclaiming the rights to spoils would of course benefit us.”
“But we mustn’t implement it forcefully.”
“If it stirs greater resentment, rumors will arise and damage our reputations—saying we don’t keep our word.”
“Even if they accept the change now, once we achieve a major victory and the spoils are abundant, they’ll grow restless again, full of complaints and perhaps even turn away from us.”
“We are men of honor. Once we give our word, it cannot be taken back—we must uphold our promises. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even respect myself.”
The smile on Liu Er’s face deepened.
That Guan Hong had spoken one of the two major downsides delighted Liu Er.
“My Second Brother is upright and trustworthy, thoughtful and thorough. To have reached this level of awareness is already commendable.”
Hearing this, Zhang Hei said, “Why worry about these petty folk? If we keep second-guessing everything, we’ll never act. Those with wisdom can see the truth of our hearts. Overthinking ruins decision-making!”
Liu Er sighed again.
Then Zhang Hei turned to Liu Er. “Big Brother, you decide. I’ll follow whatever you say.”
Just as Liu Er was about to speak, he sensed the secret message and changed his words. “Let me ponder this alone. You two go cultivate.”
After Guan and Zhang left the main tent, Liu Er quietly snuck out of the camp and entered the nearby forest, where he met the Demon Cultivator Elder once again.
“Master, you’re still here!” Liu Er bowed deeply, feeling genuinely delighted.
Immediately, he noticed the Elder’s pale expression and asked with concern, “Master, have you encountered something troubling? Your disciple will give his all to ease your burdens!”
The Demon Cultivator Elder’s face was pale from excessive blood loss caused by his constant observation of fortune.
This wasn’t just ordinary blood—it was his very essence blood, even his lifespan!
The Elder gave a slight shake of his head and did not explain the source of his injuries. Instead, he directly questioned Liu Er.
Moments later, he figured out the cause of Liu Er’s sudden surge in fortune—it was Ning Zhuo.
“So it’s because Ning Zhuo is rich and made a massive donation to the Three Generals Camp.”
“That young man truly is a gifted youth—no wonder Liu Er is so attached to him and pays him such close attention.”
“However, Ning Zhuo does not appear in Liu Er’s fate under the King’s Mandate.”
“This proves that this young man will not continue to play a key role in Liu Er’s Royal Mandate destiny.”
“The Strategist Liu Er is destined to rely on the most—he is still farming in Southern Dou Country at this very moment.”