Chapter 567: Withdrawal
“What? We’re withdrawing the army?” Zhao Xi was still lying on a stretcher. Upon suddenly hearing this news, he was so shocked he nearly sat up.
He forcibly restrained himself and remained lying down, but his eyes widened as his pupils darted around.
“Since the war began, our army has always held the advantage, and the enemy forces had already suffered a complete rout. This defeat rests on Du Tiechuan’s shoulders. He was assassinated twice by Young Lord Shengxu—what utter trash!”
Zhao Xi clenched his fists in anger, grinding his teeth.
“The Dragon Ginseng King didn’t even take the field, yet our army still lost.”
“My military merit… my military merit…”
Zhao Xi wailed inwardly, knowing that after this defeat it would be very difficult for him to explain himself to the king.
Previously, he had used the authority of a military supervisor to seize power for himself—taking advantage of the vacuum of authority while Du Tiechuan was recovering from his injuries. And he had indeed succeeded.
But afterward, his performance had not been particularly outstanding.
Especially when Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts forcibly took away the spoils buried deep beneath the battlefield. Later, during the Second Grand Decisive Battle, he had even voluntarily become a deserter.
Although he had performed his act flawlessly, how could it possibly deceive those with sharp eyes?
“No, I must do everything I can to protect myself!”
“Military merit—I need military merit to save my life!!”
Zhao Xi’s own contributions were clearly insufficient, but he had subordinates.
What kind of leader would he be if he didn’t take a share of his subordinates’ achievements?
The first person Zhao Xi thought of was Ning Zhuo.
“This brat comes from the Southern Dou Country. Just now he deliberately lured Xiang Yue away from the battlefield. His trump card was strong enough to repel Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts—too strange.”
“He might very well be someone from the Southern Dou Country!”
“There’s no way I could summon him to the royal capital to report his achievements.”
Zhao Xi then thought of Mu Lan, but immediately dismissed the idea.
Mu Lan’s Grand General’s Mansion was a far stronger base of power than his own. She had accumulated many battle achievements, but they were all meant to restore the prestige of her house.
For Zhao Xi to share in Mu Lan’s credit would be far too difficult. It was essentially impossible.
“The Three Generals Camp!”
At this thought, Zhao Xi’s pupils expanded slightly.
“Quick, go find Liu Er, Guan Hong, and Zhang Hei!”
“Our army is withdrawing. Find the three generals and tell them that in this battle they fought bravely and performed outstandingly. I will reuse them! I will heavily reuse them!”
—
Shuangjing’s face was deathly pale, completely drained of color.
“My White Jade Camp… it’s gone again…” He gazed at the battlefield in utter ruin. Corpses were everywhere around him. He looked as though he might burst into tears.
Two great battles—both times they had fallen to Grandfather Long.
This time was even more tragic than the previous ambush. In order to protect Shuang Ling’s physical body, the White Jade Camp had fought to the death without retreating. Without the blessing of Gao Sheng’s Testament, they could only rely on the soldiers’ flesh and blood—buying time from Grandfather Long through endless sacrifices.
Beside Shuangjing, Shuang Ling comforted him.
“Don’t worry. When we return to the capital together, I will help mediate for you. Even if you have no merit in this battle, you still endured hardship.”
Shuangjing felt slightly comforted, but Shuang Ling herself was in a very low mood.
In this battle, she had not gained much merit either. Throughout the entire grand battle, aside from slaying several Nascent Soul cultivators early on, Shuang Ling had spent the middle and later stages acting as a firefighting force—resisting Xiang Yue, Grandfather Long, Lu Hongtu, and others one after another. She had essentially taken the worst beating.
“Damn it.”
“If most of my wealth hadn’t been intercepted, I could have displayed much greater combat power in this battle, and for far longer. Suppressing Grandfather Long and Xiang Yue wouldn’t have been impossible!”
War, in the end, was fought with resources.
Wasn’t a cultivator’s cultivation itself the accumulation of resources such as talent, time, and materials?
What were the Hundred Cultivation Arts? At their core, they were simply over a hundred excellent methods of converting resources.
In this regard, Mechanism Arts were particularly obvious. Because this craft could integrate everything into a single mechanical construct—artifact refinement, formations, talismans, alchemy, and more could all be combined. Through Military Arts they could even be unified and leveraged further, producing the highest multiplication of combat power.
Shuang Ling’s role in this battle had actually been extremely important. If she had not personally taken the field, repeatedly resisting the fierce assaults of Xiang Yue and Grandfather Long, the Liangzhu Kingdom army camp might have collapsed first.
Calling Shuang Ling the central pillar of the Liangzhu Kingdom army would not be an exaggeration.
“Du Tiechuan endured for so long. Though he finally made a move and caused Grandfather Long’s death, he still couldn’t escape Young Lord Shengxu’s assassination. A dignified Soul Formation–level being…”
“And Zhao Xi, that damned dog! He clearly possessed the ceremonial staff and even practiced National Art, yet he refused to enter battle and fled at the critical moment! But when it comes to enjoying the spoils, he’s always the first to step forward. Hmph! When we return to the royal capital, I will definitely impeach him!”
—
Red Flower Camp.
Although Du Tiechuan’s order to withdraw had already been delivered to Mu Lan, she was in no hurry. She kept the entire army halted in place, focusing on full recuperation.
Zhang Chongyi stood among the wounded soldiers, continuously performing medical techniques—turning severe injuries into lighter ones, and light injuries into mere scratches.
Soon his mana was exhausted, and he stepped back while panting heavily.
But unlike before, he was no longer alone in the Red Flower Camp’s medical team.
A squad of Azalea Flower Demon Dao Soldiers immediately stepped into the wounded ranks, continuing the healing spells and replacing Zhang Chongyi in playing a crucial role.
Just then Mu Lan came to inspect the situation, and Zhang Chongyi sighed to the female general.
“Young Master Ning Zhuo truly did a great deed.”
“The Azalea Flower Demon squad he bought has helped me immensely. It has saved many veterans of the Red Flower Camp and healed many new soldiers.”
Zhang Chongyi thought highly of Ning Zhuo and sincerely cared about Mu Lan as a junior. Therefore, whenever he had the opportunity, he tried to matchmake the two.
Even though Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo had already become husband and wife, Zhang Chongyi knew that there was not much genuine affection between them.
Mu Lan nodded slightly, her brows faintly furrowed.
Seeing her expression, Zhang Chongyi misunderstood and tried to comfort her.
“General Mu Lan, although our army is withdrawing, the enemy was routed in both grand battles. Combined with the Red Flower Camp’s previous achievements, restoring the prestige of the Grand General’s Mansion should not be a problem, right?”
Mu Lan nodded.
“Of course.”
Returning to the capital with the Red Flower Camp, Mu Lan had delivered a rather beautiful result. She had achieved the goal she set before departing.
Yet many lingering regrets still haunted her heart.
“What a pity.”
“If Du Tiechuan had not been injured by the assassination, we would still hold the advantage. We could have continued occupying this area and expanding our attacks.”
“At the very least, Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain could have been captured!”
“That would have been a very substantial piece of military merit…”
Originally, Du Tiechuan had arranged the strategy so that Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain would not be attacked immediately. Instead, they relied on that strategic location to lure the Thousand Peaks Forest Allied Army into rescue.
After the Second Grand Decisive Battle ended, Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain had miraculously remained intact.
Zhang Chongyi tried to persuade her.
“Dragon King Giant Tree Mountain isn’t going anywhere. At worst, we can attack Thousand Peaks Forest again next time.”
“Compared to that, Young Master Ning Zhuo still has tasks from his family. After this battle, he probably won’t remain here for long.”
“General Mu Lan, when the time comes to act, act decisively. Seize the time to spend more moments with Young Master Ning Zhuo—that is the true essence of military strategy.”
Mu Lan glanced at Zhang Chongyi and nodded sincerely.
“You’re right.”
Zhang Chongyi felt greatly gratified, because Mu Lan’s attitude toward Ning Zhuo had already undergone a complete transformation compared to the beginning.
One could see this from how Mu Lan constantly referred to Ning Zhuo as “husband.”
By the final stage of the battle, Ning Zhuo had already led Xiang Yue away from the battlefield.
After learning certain secrets from Mu Lan, Zhang Chongyi was no longer worried about Ning Zhuo’s safety.
Mu Lan then shared her view of Ning Zhuo.
“Although I have restored my family’s prestige this time, my position is still somewhat awkward.”
“I need someone like Ning Zhuo to occupy the role of my husband, to block the covetous eyes of outsiders.”
“That young man is extraordinary. Among all the geniuses I’ve seen in my life, he ranks among the very best.”
Zhang Chongyi smiled happily.
“Indeed. Someone who can fight a Golden Core while only at the Foundation Establishment stage—and even slay a Nascent Soul cultivator. How many years does it take for someone like that to appear?”
“Moreover, the two of you fought side by side multiple times. That kind of battlefield bond cannot be faked.”
Mu Lan sighed.
“I know. When we fought the Cangyue Ancient God earlier, if Ning Zhuo hadn’t come to support us in time, the Red Flower Camp would have been in grave danger.”
“I would also like to spend more time with him and deepen our cooperation. But unfortunately, our hurried parting on the battlefield may be our last meeting for quite some time.”
Zhang Chongyi was shocked.
“Ah? Why is that?”
This iron-crutch physician valued emotions deeply and was poor at scheming, often failing to understand the broader situation.
Mu Lan explained:
“Ning Zhuo deliberately let Xiang Yue escape at the end. Anyone with sharp eyes could see that.”
“Du Tiechuan understands it even more clearly.”
“Earlier, Ning Zhuo forced Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts to retreat. That alone made everyone aware that he possesses a powerful treasure and formidable trump cards. Even then, Ning Zhuo already dared not approach our army camp casually.”
“Now he has also let Xiang Yue go. Xiang Yue represents extremely rich military merit.”
“This time the army is withdrawing mainly because Du Tiechuan failed to notice the assassination and was injured by Young Lord Shengxu. As the defeated commander, he will have to spend a great deal to smooth things over when he returns to the royal capital.”
“If he had Xiang Yue’s head, it would make things much easier for him.”
Mu Lan narrowed her eyes.
“So Ning Zhuo has now formed a grudge with Du Tiechuan. Since he has already left the army, he naturally will not return anytime soon.”
Hearing this analysis, Zhang Chongyi’s mouth fell slightly open in shock. Only then did he realize that it would be difficult to see Ning Zhuo again anytime soon.
In the end, Zhang Chongyi sighed.
“I only just saw Young Master Ning Zhuo’s figure disappear into the mountains and forests, yet I didn’t even have time to say goodbye.”
“Ah… the affairs of the world are truly unpredictable. Who would have thought that in the end, Ning Zhuo would become enemies with Du Tiechuan.”
—
Liangzhu Kingdom Army Camp.
Countless soldiers were cleaning the battlefield and dismantling the camp.
Ding Bi had died—but not completely.
He had been besieged by enraged cultivators, his physical body reduced to ashes. But his Nascent Soul slipped through the void and escaped.
As for his disciple, the child-like cultivator Jia Wan, he had been tightly bound and heavily sealed, then brought before Du Tiechuan.
Du Tiechuan sat on a small stool amid the bustling crowd and the battlefield ruins.
Having suffered the assassination, his face was pale without the slightest trace of blood.
Seeing Jia Wan, Du Tiechuan frowned.
“You and your master both have some reputation. Why would you willingly help Thousand Peaks Forest and take such a risk?”
“Bah!” Jia Wan spat.
“Our Jia family and Liangzhu Kingdom cannot coexist under the same sky!”
Du Tiechuan immediately understood.
“So you are the remnants of Consort Jia.”
This matter traced back to an old scandal in the royal palace—how Consort Hu rose to power, Consort Jia fell from favor and sought revenge, and how the faction of Consort Hu retaliated and framed her, ultimately causing the destruction of her entire family.
Du Tiechuan then turned to Lei Qingyang.
“And how did you discover that these two were spies?”
Lei Qingyang clasped his hands respectfully.
“Previously, I left the formation to duel with the Blood Shadow Cave Lord. During the fight, I was inexplicably struck by blood mist and frozen mid-air.”
“After the battle, the more I reviewed the situation, the more it felt wrong. There was no reason for me to have been hit by that move.”
“So I began to suspect something else.”
“Thus I refused treatment from others and treated my injuries myself, searching for clues. Eventually I discovered the truth.”
“It turned out the qi mechanism within my body had subtly changed and was captured by the Blood Shadow Cave Lord. Even before he acted, he had already locked onto me.”
“I immediately realized there must be a spy within the army.”
“Afterward, I secretly conducted further investigations. Then I saw Li Jiuqu glare at Lord Zhao Xi, causing him to bend over vomiting large numbers of centipedes and maggots. At that moment I suddenly understood!”
“At the time, Lord Zhao Xi and Li Jiuqu were quite far apart, yet Zhao Xi had inexplicably been struck by a spell.”
“That meant Zhao Xi’s qi mechanism had also been captured beforehand.”
“For someone to secretly harm both me and Lord Zhao Xi, the range of suspects suddenly narrowed greatly.”
“I continued investigating and eventually locked onto the master-disciple pair Ding Bi and Jia Wan. After all, before the battle, both Lord Zhao Xi, myself, and the other comrades had eaten many spirit foods that increased our combat strength.”
“Unfortunately, I was one step too late… just a little too late…”
Lei Qingyang sighed deeply in regret.
Young Lord Shengxu had been able to carry out his second assassination precisely because of the chaos caused by Ding Bi and Jia Wan.
If Lei Qingyang had exposed them earlier, the pair might have been suppressed immediately, preventing the chaos—and Young Lord Shengxu might never have had the opportunity to strike.
Had that happened, Lei Qingyang’s merit would have been immense.
Du Tiechuan listened expressionlessly and nodded slightly.
“What’s done is done. There is no need to mention it again.”
His tone was calm, though the slight tightening of his fingers revealed the turmoil hidden deep within his heart.
—
Thousand Peaks Forest.
Poison Pool Giant Tree Mountain.
This had once been one of Tu Ming’s lairs, but now it had been devastated—corpses scattered everywhere, cries of agony filling the air.
Tu Ming himself hid deep underground.
High in the sky, Shen Qinghe hovered while continuously releasing the purifying light of the Qingling Detoxification Scripture.
Under the shining radiance, poisonous creatures across the mountains howled in pain as their toxins dissipated into nothingness.
Even the enormous Poison Dragon Pool was gradually purified into clear water.
Tu Ming felt a chill run through his heart.
“This Qingling Detoxification Scripture is truly terrifying. How could such a cultivation method that perfectly restrains poison techniques exist in this world?!”
After entering the battle earlier, he had been targeted by Shen Qinghe. After several clashes, he proved no match and was forced to retreat.
That retreat had taken him completely out of the battlefield.
Shen Qinghe relentlessly pursued him all the way to Poison Pool Mountain.
At first, Tu Ming had been glad that one of his lairs was nearby. But the mountain’s defenses were successively destroyed by Shen Qinghe, and his subordinates were slaughtered in great numbers.
Even he himself only dared to hide, not daring to show himself.
He was simply too heavily suppressed.