Chapter 613: When the Time Comes, All Sides Unite
When she saw Qing Chi agree to Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo) without the slightest hesitation, Qing Yan wavered inwardly for the first time—was it truly reliable to hand over the army’s morale to Qing Chi just like this?
Ning Zhuo felt his scalp tingle and was momentarily speechless.
Qing Chi, however, stared at him, the corners of her lips spreading into a brilliant smile.
A trace of guilt arose in Ning Zhuo’s heart.
This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Back in Liangzhu Kingdom, even though Mu Lan had designs on Ning Zhuo, she had always prioritized the greater picture and interests. But the young girl before him was genuinely moved.
“Sigh! I am relying on Jiao Ma’s identity to deceive her. That is wrong.”
“But this concerns the Hundred-Year Plot of the Lord of the Forgetting River, my mother’s dying wish, and the safety of the entire White Paper Immortal City. At this critical juncture, I cannot expose my identity. Qing Chi’s role is becoming more and more important!”
Ning Zhuo sighed inwardly. “I can only wrong Qing Chi for now. Once this ghost tide recedes, I will tell her the truth and make amends.”
Qing Chi was far less reliable and steady than Mu Lan; she was still too young.
After some thought, Ning Zhuo decided to conceal the truth for the time being.
He looked toward Li Xiangshang and Qing Yan, carefully weighing his words as he prepared to explain his choice to the two of them.
Although Qing Chi obeyed Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo) without question, winning over Li Xiangshang and Qing Yan remained absolutely necessary.
If this had been before the great war in Liangzhu Kingdom, Ning Zhuo might have believed that controlling Qing Chi meant indirectly controlling the army.
But after the great battle in Liangzhu Kingdom, his horizons and experiences had expanded tremendously. He had personally realized that a general was only one component of an army—albeit a prominent one.
The main body of military strength lay in the vast number of soldiers.
Winning over Qing Yan meant gaining the recognition of this embryonic army.
Winning over Li Xiangshang would allow him to continue assisting Qing Chi in building this new army.
Ning Zhuo spoke, “Of the three military branches, the Paper Money Nether Army is the most expensive. You get what you pay for—there must be a reason it costs so much.”
“In my view, the greatest advantage of the Paper Money Nether Army is its ability to traverse between yin and yang. And this method should be extremely practical.”
“The realms of yin and yang are separated. If the new army is besieged in the mortal world and trapped in a desperate situation, they can slip into the underworld to gain a chance at survival.”
“Likewise, when pursuing ghosts in the underworld and urgently needing rest, they can return to the mortal world and reorganize calmly.”
“Once this direction is chosen, the new army will be free to advance or retreat at will, seizing absolute initiative!”
“Especially in the Yin Tide Black Marsh, where the boundary between yin and yang is not so distant—this would practically be the new army’s home ground.”
“Don’t you think that’s good enough?”
The others hesitated.
Ning Zhuo’s reasoning was not yet sufficient to convince them.
Qing Yan spoke bluntly, “All that is speculation, not certainty. If the new army cannot move swiftly between the two realms, then its greatest supposed power will be nothing more than a tasteless burden.”
“Look at the yin soldiers outside the city. Didn’t they come from the underworld?”
“They aren’t even Nether Armies, yet they can pass through the Underworld Flood Dragon River to achieve the same effect.”
His words were reasonable, but Ning Zhuo silenced him with a single sentence. “Even if traveling between the two realms is slow, as long as we choose this path, at the very least Qing Family’s main force won’t be trapped to death inside White Paper Immortal City.”
“The ghost tide is growing fiercer. Who knows—this immortal city might ultimately fall.”
“So with such a military branch, at least Qing Family’s bloodline can be preserved.”
Qing Chi’s eyes lit up. “Little Ma, you’re so clever to think of that!”
Qing Yan replied, “Have you forgotten that the Lord of the Forgetting River commands an enormous force, comparable to a cultivation nation? In the mortal world, we are only facing part of his army. But in the underworld, we may have to confront this Soul Formation–level existence directly.”
Ning Zhuo shook his head. “The Lord of the Forgetting River is a sovereign of a nation. How could we encounter him so easily?”
“That is merely a possibility.”
“But if we choose the Paper Money Nether Army, at least we will all have a trump card to escape, won’t we?”
Qing Yan fell silent.
Li Xiangshang was already persuaded. “That makes a lot of sense. I now also believe this is the correct direction.”
Qing Yan looked at Ning Zhuo. “So, boy of the Jiao Family, you want your family to join this new army and secure a retreat path for yourselves as well, don’t you?”
Ning Zhuo’s expression stiffened slightly.
His true intention in choosing the Paper Money Nether Army was to have this force enter the underworld at a critical moment, charge to the altar, help him fulfill his mother’s dying wish, and destroy the Hundred-Year Plot of the Lord of the Forgetting River.
But he could not reveal this.
He had not even told the City Lord of White Paper about this secret.
Qing Yan’s speculation was perfectly reasonable.
Ning Zhuo immediately nodded, going along with it. “Yes, that’s right. This ghost tide is truly different from before. The army of yin soldiers keeps growing. We must consider our relatives and friends, mustn’t we?”
Qing Yan nodded. “If the Jiao Family joins the army and acknowledges Qing Chi as commander, then I agree!”
“If we retain a life-saving trump card, then at the final moment we certainly won’t perish alongside White Paper Immortal City. In that case, we can hardly seek funding from the City Lord.”
“The biggest problem is here—where will we get so much wealth?”
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly and took out a storage bag, handing it to Qing Yan. “Commander Qing, please have a look.”
Qing Yan took the bag, opened it, and extended his spiritual sense inside. Shock immediately appeared on his face.
There was far too much wealth!
How could there not be?
This was nearly the entire fortune of the renowned powerhouse Heavenly Ghost.
Li Xiangshang and Qing Chi also saw the wealth and were overjoyed.
Qing Yan frowned. “There is a lot of wealth, but much of it is unsuitable.”
To forge the Paper Money Nether Army, one required one hundred thousand jin of century-old green sandalwood pulp, mixed with cinnabar from Chenzhou to inscribe talismans, forming blue-violet paper money. While burning the blue-violet paper money, nine hundred jin of South Sea agarwood must also be burned to temper the Sea of Consciousness. Then, countless yin qi must be poured into the body until saturation, sustained for twenty-seven days.
Ning Zhuo had anticipated this and replied directly, “Even if the City Lord provides support, she won’t immediately supply suitable materials.”
“We can trade with other forces.”
“There’s more than just the City Lord’s Mansion in this immortal city. There are also super sects like the Myriad Phenomena Sect and the Soul-Devouring Sect.”
Qing Chi nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, we can go to them!”
“Recently, the ghost tide has grown stronger. Many cultivators in the immortal city have fallen. And the ghost tide shows no sign of ending, so the City Lord’s Mansion has already requested reinforcements.”
“Soon, the Myriad Phenomena Sect, the Soul-Devouring Sect, and others will send aid.”
“White Paper Immortal City is the sole overlord of the Yin Tide Black Marsh, controlling its cultivation resource output. These super sects have long been waiting eagerly for the city to request help.”
“However…”
“Little Ma, how are you so rich? Did you take out your family’s foundation? Have you gained your father’s support?”
Ning Zhuo coughed lightly. “On one hand, I have gained my father’s recognition. On the other, I have also received support from another force. As for the latter, it is not convenient to disclose.”
Qing Yan glanced at the storage bag and smiled faintly. “The Soul-Devouring Sect, perhaps?”
Ning Zhuo’s expression shifted slightly before he nodded with a bitter smile. “I knew I couldn’t hide it from Commander Qing.”
Heavenly Ghost’s wealth inevitably bore the mark of the Soul-Devouring Sect—there was no avoiding that.
He had long prepared this explanation to deal with potential suspicions.
By deliberately remaining ambiguous and letting Qing Yan “guess” on his own, it made Qing Yan even more convinced that Ning Zhuo had indeed obtained the support of the Soul-Devouring Sect.
Li Xiangshang also showed a look of sudden realization.
At that moment, he made many connections.
“On the surface, White Paper Immortal City is resisting the Lord of the Forgetting River’s underworld forces. But in reality, the situation is complex.”
“The Soul-Devouring Sect is a super sect and covets the cultivation resources here!”
“But within White Paper Immortal City, aside from the City Lord’s Mansion, the Myriad Phenomena Sect holds the greatest influence. The Soul-Devouring Sect cannot compete. After many failed efforts, this time they are placing their bet on the new army.”
“As expected of a super sect—they not only discovered this information early but also understood Jiao Ma’s tremendous influence over Qing Chi, using him to achieve their scheme. Truly ingenious!”
Before coming to the Yin Tide Black Marsh, Ning Zhuo had always been wary of the Soul-Devouring Sect. He had never expected to rely on its name at this moment.
“Since my Jiao Family is joining, then I must serve as the Second Commander of this army,” Ning Zhuo proposed at the right moment.
Qing Yan had just begun to frown in thought when Qing Chi immediately nodded with boundless delight. “Little Ma, you’ll fight alongside me? That’s wonderful! I welcome you!”
Qing Yan sighed bitterly but nodded in agreement.
Ning Zhuo continued, “We must also inform White Paper Immortal City. Though we do not require their funding, if we successfully establish this army, it will greatly aid the city in resisting the ghost tide.”
“That is the space for cooperation.”
“Even if the new army’s formation arouses the City Lord’s suspicion, given her current state, she can only choose to endure it.”
Qing Chi beamed. “Little Ma, I knew you wouldn’t like an old woman!”
Li Xiangshang and Qing Yan both showed concern.
Qing Yan said, “This must be reported carefully. I worry about the City Lord’s reaction.”
Li Xiangshang nodded. “Indeed. There is a possibility of rejection. White Paper Immortal City has always been ruled solely by the City Lord. Even the Myriad Phenomena Sect cannot influence her control.”
“Before I came, Lord Dragon instructed me. He said the City Lord of White Paper is a cultivator full of desire for control and great ambition, and told me to be cautious.”
Ning Zhuo nodded slightly. “The City Lord already knows we are building an army. With a great enemy before us, she is more likely to restrain herself and approve. Regardless, since we have made our decision, we must report it immediately—for the sake of the greater picture.”
Everyone nodded.
Through this negotiation, Ning Zhuo had sacrificed the vast majority of his wealth in exchange for deep involvement in the new army, achieving his original objective.
Back inside the giant paper effigy, Ning Zhuo used the Interwoven Lamp to inform Sun Lingtong of the progress.
Sun Lingtong sighed. “Little Zhuo, you’ve made a grand move this time. We’ve invested almost all the war profits into building this army—and it’s still not enough.”
Ning Zhuo replied, “So, Boss, see if you can obtain some wealth from Luo Si.”
Ning Zhuo had not truly received support from the Soul-Devouring Sect. The cost of building the army was immense. Even after pouring in nearly everything, there was still a gap.
Sun Lingtong sighed. “I’ll give it a try.”
After a long journey, he had already located Luo Si. As a leading general, Luo Si’s position was easy to inquire about.
Ning Zhuo nodded. “I will also take this opportunity to send a flying message to the City Lord’s avatar and see whether we can obtain some support from her.”
“Haha.” Sun Lingtong laughed. “That depends on whether your title as her savior carries as much weight in her heart as we hope.”
Over the next two days, good news arrived in succession.
Sun Lingtong successfully met Luo Si, claiming that they had already met Elder Gray Bone and that it was upon his guidance that they came to seek assistance.
Elder Gray Bone was now under disguised house arrest. It was much harder for Luo Si to contact him, and a reply would not come quickly.
Sun Lingtong then expressed urgency in departing.
Recalling his strong first impression of Sun Lingtong by the Forgetting River, Luo Si pondered briefly and, without waiting for a reply, directly handed over a large amount of wealth.
At Sun Lingtong’s request, he also issued a new authorization slip.
With this slip, Sun Lingtong could openly lead the Ox Cavalry along the Underworld Flood Dragon River, using the military road of the Forgetting River Underworld to return to the mortal world.
The other piece of good news was that not only did the City Lord of White Paper approve the new army’s formation, she was remarkably generous—doubling the funds Ning Zhuo had requested.
As a result, even accounting for the thirty percent reduction in Li Xiangshang’s natural aptitude share, Ning Zhuo was able to gather all required resources for the military branch with surprising smoothness.
Moreover, the City Lord even opened a cultivation chamber. Within it, formations were arranged to accelerate the flow of time.
“So this is the blessing of heavenly fate?” Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong had both “met” Elder Gray Bone and knew the inside story. They marveled at the wonder of such fortune.
Ning Zhuo said, “I am beginning to understand Elder Gray Bone’s path. When one aligns with heaven and earth, everything flows smoothly. What would normally be a major difficulty resolves with ease.”
Sun Lingtong, however, mused aloud, “How does one steal fortune energy? If we could steal it, how exhilarating would that be?”
With the military branch secured, Ning Zhuo contacted the Jiao Family again.
“What? Establishing a new army?”
“What? You’ve already reached the stage of selecting a military branch?”
“What? The Paper Money Nether Army?”
Jiao Ma’s father was shocked three times in succession. Ultimately, persuaded by Ning Zhuo, he nodded decisively. “We should indeed leave a retreat path for the family. I’ll return at once and select a group of elites to serve under you.”
“Ma’er, you’ve done very well. You’ve brought honor to your father!”
Before departing, Jiao Ma’s father patted Ning Zhuo on the shoulder.
That gesture made Ning Zhuo’s mind waver slightly, and he could not help but think, “If my own father were still alive, would he also pat my shoulder like this and encourage me?”
The absence of childhood often shackled a person for life.