Chapter 480: A Cup of Wine to Settle Old Grudges
"I really got lucky this time," Ning Zhuo sighed sincerely.
Liu Er had stepped up voluntarily, bearing much of the hostility and damage, allowing Ning Zhuo to follow along all the way to the final battle.
At the decisive moment, he seized victory in one stroke with The Warrior Returns Art.
What was most brilliant was that, from beginning to end, Ning Zhuo had concealed his true intentions. All the other contenders—even Mu Lan, who was directly involved—believed that Ning Zhuo had no desire for the position and only agreed to take it under the pressure of circumstances.
Sun Lingtong exclaimed in admiration, “Zhuo, you’re truly a talent born for the Righteous Path!”
He was the only one who knew the inside story.
This way, even though Ning Zhuo obtained the greatest prize, he hadn’t become the target of public resentment. Instead, he maintained good relations with most people. In fact, it was quite the opposite—many now owed him a considerable favor.
For Mu Lan, she had to secure him, preserve their status as husband and wife, in order to gain more time to achieve her merits.
For the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, Ning Zhuo held the purse strings of the Three Generals Camp—they had even more reason to maintain a good relationship with him.
Double Purity and Sun Gan looked at Ning Zhuo with very complicated emotions—mostly envy and jealousy. In the end, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator had seized such an immense advantage.
The one who should hate Ning Zhuo the most was Ma Liangcai. It was precisely because of Ning Zhuo that he had lost everything at the last moment. But even this resentment was greatly lessened after Ning Zhuo publicly agreed with Mu Lan to “surely divorce” in the future.
“You lucky little bastard, don’t act so coy after profiting from it all!” The Envoy from the Royal Capital lifted his chin, gazing at Ning Zhuo with a look full of condescension.
Ning Zhuo quickly explained that his reason for planning to divorce was absolutely not out of disdain for the Liangzhu Kingdom, and that he held the Grand General's Mansion in the highest regard. It was just that he had to be responsible to his family and needed to provide a clear explanation to the Zhu Family of the Southern Dou Kingdom.
As this now involved the royal family of another country—and the Southern Dou Kingdom was far stronger than the Liangzhu Kingdom—the envoy’s arrogance lessened considerably.
Everyone else was increasingly speechless.
In their eyes: those who wanted her didn’t get her, and the one who didn’t want her became the son-in-law of the Grand General’s Mansion.
“Fate...” Double Purity sighed toward the heavens.
Sun Gan remained silent, already contemplating his next move.
This time, he had acted against Ma Liangcai, worsening his ties with the Red Flower Camp and incurring heavy losses. Now, he could only hope to make meritorious achievements on the main battlefield.
Otherwise, if he returned to the royal capital, he’d be in for a rough time!
“Come now, Young Master Ning Zhuo. With everyone present as witnesses, let’s settle the engagement right here!” Mu Lan was very concerned about any further twists or second thoughts from Ning Zhuo and was eager to finalize things.
To her, and to the entire Grand General’s Mansion, this engagement carried far too much significance to be handled carelessly.
The envoy nodded. “Yes, the engagement must be formalized. That will settle the matter, and I can return to report to the king.”
Liu Er opened his mouth to speak, but after his Adam’s apple moved a few times, he could only watch helplessly as Ning Zhuo and Mu Lan became officially engaged.
The moment the engagement was sealed, he felt as if he had stepped into empty air—his entire being felt hollow, like he had lost a treasure of a lifetime.
Truthfully, though his pursuit of Mu Lan had mostly been for practical reasons, deep down, there truly had been feelings of admiration.
Now, looking at Ning Zhuo again, a surge of disgust and hatred suddenly rose in his heart.
Liu Er hurriedly shook his head, as if trying to shake off this negative emotion.
“Liu Er, oh Liu Er, what are you thinking?”
“None of this was something Ning Zhuo wanted.”
“In fact, the strategist had been helping me all along—it’s just that things ended up this way due to a twist of fate.”
“He beat Ma Liangcai only because the latter was already spent, and Ning Zhuo used that strange military technique, The Warrior Returns Art.”
“……”
The more Liu Er thought about it, the more negative emotions filled his heart.
“Damn it, why wasn’t I the final victor?”
So frustrating!
After all that effort, someone else ended up reaping the rewards.
“If only Ning Zhuo had used The Warrior Returns Art on me earlier, wouldn’t I have been the one who won?”
“No, he explained that clearly before—he hadn’t fully mastered the technique. Using it rashly could’ve led to a terrible backlash if it failed.”
“That’s why he only dared to try it at the end—and it happened to succeed.”
“So, if I’m to blame anyone, I can only blame my bad luck!”
“……”
Still so frustrating!
“I hold the king’s mandate—why would my luck be bad?”
“Now that this is the result, how can I face my teacher?”
“In the end, yes, the Three Generals Camp won—but because of my mixed heritage as a human-demon hybrid, I was excluded. If not for that, I could’ve been the one to get engaged to Mu Lan!”
The more Liu Er thought, the angrier he became. He clenched his fists tightly, nearly grinding his steel-like teeth to pieces.
Guan Hong and Zhang Hei both looked a bit awkward. On one side was the strategist, on the other their sworn brother. Two men competing for a woman—and the younger strategist won, unwillingly at that.
This situation was rather complicated, even for these hardened warriors.
“Please wait, seniors. Now that the debate is settled, whatever the outcome, stability is better than chaos.”
“This is a joyous occasion.”
“Why don’t I host a banquet in the city and treat you all?”
“First, a great battle is imminent—we must rely on each other to face powerful foes. Second, I will eventually separate from General Mu Lan, and I hope to be friends with you all, not enemies. I joined the army this time solely to take revenge on the Six Caves Sect and seek justice for the Ning family.”
Ning Zhuo made the proposal with a bitter smile on his face.
Clad in white, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet carried himself with the composure of a great clan descendant. Even when speaking with Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators, he was confident and unflustered.
Confident enough to issue an invitation.
What else could be said?
He was the very image of the Righteous Path!
Ma Liangcai shook his head. “No need.”
He was the first to refuse.
He had come bearing the king’s mandate, but failed in his task. If he stayed to drink at Ning Zhuo’s banquet under these circumstances—what would that mean?
It would practically be telling the king: “Ma Liangcai didn’t take the mission seriously”—maybe even suggesting he’d accepted Ning Zhuo’s bribe.
For someone of Ma Liangcai’s status, the correct move was to return immediately to the capital, meet the king in person, and confess his failure.
For a renowned general like him, one or two defeats were tolerable—but if he lost the king’s trust, that would be disastrous.
The envoy from the royal capital felt the same and also declined Ning Zhuo’s invitation.
However, Double Purity and Sun Gan did agree.
The two had previously damaged their relationship with the Red Flower Camp due to their intentions to meddle in the Grand General’s Mansion. Now that Ning Zhuo had taken the initiative to step forward and offer a ladder, they were more than happy to descend it—using Ning Zhuo as a bridge to ease tensions with the Red Flower Camp once again.
That was the way of the Righteous Path.
One moment they might be fighting, the next they could reconcile.
Often, interests defined one's position.
After all, with a major war looming, their armies had to watch each other’s backs in order to gain more military merits.
With Double Purity and Sun Gan agreeing, Liu, Guan, and Zhang naturally had no reason to refuse. Mu Lan felt some internal resistance, but she also knew that Ning Zhuo’s move was wise and thus followed along.
Ning Zhuo wasn’t stingy either. He immediately selected the most luxurious restaurant in Canglin Immortal City and ordered a grand banquet of impressive scale.
This meal alone cost him over ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones!
Keep in mind, the typical monthly income of a Golden Core cultivator ranged from three to eight thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Those with lower earnings might make only thirty to forty thousand a year.
And yet, Ning Zhuo had spent over ten thousand in a single meal—this certainly shocked many.
Mu Lan’s expression was complex. She had much she wanted to say, but held it all back.
If only this money were used to pay the Red Flower Camp’s rations—it would’ve been so much better!
“Young friend Ning Zhuo truly lives up to his great clan heritage,” said Double Purity. He had once been so lavish himself, but now couldn’t afford it—White Jade Camp had suffered too heavily during the ambush.
Ning Zhuo laughed boldly: “This time, my message to the clan was approved. I’ve been granted greater authority and can now use more resources.”
“And avenging the Six Caves Sect is my primary goal.”
“For the coming battle, I hope to work hand in hand with all of you, to crush Thousand Peaks Forest together.”
Sun Gan nodded, very satisfied with Ning Zhuo’s clarity of purpose, and immediately voiced his stance: “Indeed, Thousand Peaks Forest is our shared objective, and the source of our battle merits!”
Ning Zhuo slapped the table, stood up, raised his wine cup high, and improvised a poem on the spot:
“Golden goblets filled, we toast the brave, Past grudges and hate now to the grave. With shared enmity we march through peaks, Bloodshed and glory are what each seeks.”
“Everyone, why not drink this cup dry?”
As he finished, Ning Zhuo tipped his head back and downed the entire cup of fine wine.
The crowd exchanged glances, then raised their cups in unison and drank it all in one go!
With that, the atmosphere opened up, and under Ning Zhuo’s guidance, it gradually grew warm and festive.
Ning Zhuo sat at the head of the table, with Mu Lan seated beside him.
During the feast, Mu Lan couldn’t help but frequently glance at the eloquent Ning Zhuo.
Though circumstances had forced her to accept this “little husband,” at this moment, she glimpsed a shadow of her father in Ning Zhuo’s bearing.
Sometimes, the wine table was a battlefield of another kind.
The role Ning Zhuo now played was precisely what Mu Lan could not become. By easing tensions with Double Purity, Sun Gan, and the others, he was also helping to reconcile the rift between the Red Flower Camp, the White Jade Camp, and the Golden Halberd Army. Mu Lan knew full well—it was a wise move. Thus, she was happy to see it succeed.
Liu Er felt extremely bitter inside.
The fine wine turned into a choking drink. Ning Zhuo’s high spirits only deepened the negativity swelling within him.
Liu Er forced himself to endure, reminding himself that Ning Zhuo was not his enemy, but one of their own. He needed to be more magnanimous.
But when he saw Mu Lan’s gaze upon Ning Zhuo, his heart clenched hard.
And the anger returned!
He had no choice but to look away, turning toward his second and third brothers—only to find Guan Hong and Zhang Hei wearing complex, restrained expressions.
Liu Er was slightly shocked and instantly realized something was wrong.
“What’s done is done, and cannot be undone. But I can’t allow Second and Third Brother to drift apart from the strategist.”
“The strategist is the purse keeper of our Three Generals Camp. If internal discord breaks out, our combat strength will drop significantly!”
That was something Liu Er did not want to see.
So he quietly transmitted a message via spiritual sense to Guan and Zhang, urging them to stay calm. He admitted that his pursuit of Mu Lan was merely a pretext for political alliance—that he had hoped to escape the stigma of his mixed blood and rise to the upper ranks by leveraging the Grand General’s Mansion.
“Now that the strategist has been chosen as the husband, that is also a victory for our Three Generals Camp!”
“From the outcome alone, we defeated Double Purity, Sun Gan, even Ma Liangcai—this was a grand victory!”
With Liu Er’s encouragement, Zhang Hei’s stiff expression finally eased. Guan Hong also relaxed, reaching out to gently stroke his beard.
The waiter brought out the final main course.
As the dish cover was lifted—blazing flames erupted.
The fire roared, and a rich aroma spread, soon filling the entire room.
Curiously, the meat inside the flames remained perfectly intact.
When the flames extinguished, everyone saw that it wasn’t chicken, but bird meat.
Double Purity’s expression was complicated as he sighed, “This is a dish made using the Fire-Feather Perching Bird as the main ingredient. It’s called Fragrance of Flame’s Arrival.”
“It uses dried chili, star anise, cinnamon, herbs, honey, orange peel, purple cabbage, pepper, sea salt, and more as supporting ingredients. The sauce is made from soy, minced garlic, honey, and orange juice.”
“A spell is used to activate spiritual fire to roast it, fusing the flavors thoroughly into the bird meat.”
“Fire-Feather Bird meat is normally dry and flavorless, but after this method of roasting, it undergoes a complete transformation, becoming a delicacy one never forgets!”
Everyone took turns tasting it, and all sang its praises.
The spicy, aromatic, sweet, and numbing flavors layered atop each other, delivering a powerful assault on the taste buds.
It was a symphony of fire and flavor!
The bird meat, brushed with honey, was exceptionally tender. The interplay of roasting and flame sauce conveyed a sense of ascension—from ordinary to extraordinary.
For Liu Er and Guan Hong, this was their first time tasting such extravagance. As they ate, waves of complex emotions surged through their hearts.
Double Purity, while chewing the bird meat, looked toward Ning Zhuo, eyes full of emotion, and softly recited:
“Feathers red like flame, glowing in the dusk, Fragrance pierces bone, intoxicates the gut. When shall the common bird ascend the branch, And soar through the clouds, unfolding nine scrolls.”
This poem was about the dish, about Ning Zhuo, and even more—about himself.
After reciting it, this noble scion drained his cup in one gulp and stood up, listless.
“I am drunk.”
“Farewell, all.”
He turned and left, stepping across the window ledge, landing upon a wisp of cloud, his long sleeves fluttering as he vanished alone into the night.
Double Purity’s poem shattered the banquet’s jovial mood.
One by one, the guests rose to take their leave.
Ning Zhuo also intended to depart with Liu, Guan, and Zhang, but was suddenly tugged back by Mu Lan.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo… it’s late. Why not return to the Red Flower Camp with me?”
“I will teach you the Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art.”
Liu Er, just about to step off the stairs, paused at her words.
Guan Hong and Zhang Hei both halted and turned to look at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo cupped his fists toward Mu Lan: “General Mu Lan, I have no interest in the Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art. Becoming your husband was just a twist of fate, forced by circumstance.”
“I am the Military Strategist and Sacrificial Wine of the Three Generals Camp!”
“The night grows deep. General, you should rest early and focus on recovery. Farewell.”
With that, the white-robed young strategist turned without looking back and walked toward the awaiting gazes of joy and admiration from the Three Generals, reuniting with them.