Chapter 537: Chapter 129: For Family and Country (Two-in-One)
Main General’s tent.
Sun Gan sat at the main seat with a smile, gesturing for Ning Zhuo to sit at his left side.
Leaning towards Ning Zhuo, he said, “Advisor Ning is indeed a young and promising talent, truly an impressive figure!”
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly, sitting up straight and slightly bowing his hands: “General Sun flatters me. Did you summon me this time to divine whether it’s safe to return to the city?”
Sun Gan’s pupils slightly narrowed, no longer leaning towards Ning Zhuo but sitting upright against the chair back, his face displaying a noncommittal smile: “Could it be that Advisor Ning has already divined our army’s return to the city prior to your arrival?”
Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly: “Actually, I’m not skilled in divination. Only when certain crises loom do I feel depressed and have premonitions. At such times, I can divine more accurate results.”
“As for our army returning to the city, there’s no need to divine that.”
“Our side is the rear guard, meant to rally with the main force. But not long ago during our march, our army was ambushed, suffering heavy losses.”
“Only the Main General and his personal soldiers remain in the Barbarian Demon Camp, and in the White Jade Camp, there are barely over a hundred left, a sight too grievous to endure.”
“The Red Flower Camp and the Three Generals Camp both saw many reductions. Only the Fire Cloud Camp and the Golden Spear Army have not lost a single man.”
“The overall military strength has already been reduced dramatically, and even if we hurried to join with the main forces, it would have lost its original purpose.”
“Moreover, most troops suffered heavy losses, only your excellency’s Golden Spear Army remains intact. Speaking out about this actually doesn’t sound too respectable.”
Sun Gan squinted his eyes, his expression slightly darkened.
Ning Zhuo’s words had struck right at his heart.
It would have been manageable if the Golden Spear Army had lost some men.
Now, the entire army is unharmed, but other troops have suffered greatly. If others come to know of this, many would likely believe that Sun Gan prioritized his own safety, opting to sacrifice allied troops to preserve his own achievements.
Even without evidence, such a perception would greatly damage Sun Gan’s reputation and authority.
As for the Fire Cloud Camp, they flew at a high altitude and deployed key tactics to defeat Lord Long, so nobody would point fingers at them.
Under normal circumstances, Sun Gan wouldn’t be overly worried about these idle gossips.
But now there was a big problem—the White Jade Camp suffered terribly, leaving only over a hundred men. Too many from noble families and distinguished lineages fell in this ambush battle.
As the leader, Sun Gan is bound to take responsibility.
He was now quite worried that people in the Royal Capital, grieving over the loss of their kin, would direct their anger at him and cause trouble.
In such a situation, if discussions unfavorable to him spread within the military, it would certainly be exploited by those seeking revenge, serving as advantageous evidence to criticize Sun Gan.
In the surge of public sentiment, Sun Gan might even be impeached from his command, to be replaced by someone else!
Ning Zhuo continued “The situation at Thousand Peak Forest is unpredictable.”
“Currently, the Fire Cloud Camp has been exposed, losing its element of surprise. And Lord Long is still alive, and with the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King more robust than ever, healing Lord Long would naturally be as easy as pie.”
“If our side suffered heavy losses and continues to advance, what should we do if ambushed again?”
Sun Gan tapped his chair armrest with his finger, pondering silently.
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: “Actually, opponents like Lord Long and others are the least of my worries.”
“What concerns me more is the Old Monster in Stone!”
“The Earth Element Technique of this Nascent Soul Great Cultivator is just too formidable.”
“He moves underground as if entering an uninhabited realm!”
“I’ve watched the battle footage from this encounter at least three times. The Old Monster in Stone differs from previous intelligence reports; this cultivator is deeply cunning, alert in thought, and reaped the most spoils, making him the biggest winner of this battle.”
“Such a Nascent Soul Cultivator, he could very well be hiding right under our noses, silently listening to my conversation with you, General Sun.”
Sun Gan took a deep breath, slowly speaking: “What you say makes sense.”
Noting Sun Gan’s grave expression, Ning Zhuo guessed that the Golden Spear Army probably didn’t possess powerful means to counter the Earth Element Technique.
Ning Zhuo was about to speak when the tent curtain was lifted, and Shuangjing walked in directly.
“What Advisor Ning said is extremely valid! Our army has engaged with the Old Monster in Stone, and we’re well aware that although this cultivator appears unsophisticated, he’s actually very cunning and deceitful. In the previous great battle, the Old Monster in Stone exerted the least effort, yet claimed the greatest merit!”
As a major victim, Shuangjing had a profoundly deep impression of the Old Monster in Stone. He spoke with his teeth clenched subconsciously, his face full of resentment and anger.
“General Shuang,” Ning Zhuo bowed his hands in greeting.
Sun Gan frowned, staring at Shuangjing: “General Shuang, without reporting, you directly barged into my tent. What brings you here? At this time, you should be patrolling your camp, comforting your wounded and remaining soldiers.”
Shuangjing shrugged: “Our army is completely crippled, what’s there to prepare? Now I just want to hurry back to Canglin Immortal City and seek assistance from the Royal Capital!”
“So why are we still lingering here? Waiting for those bastards from Thousand Peak Forest to turn back and attack us again?”
Sun Gan snorted coldly: “With my Golden Spear Army here, what is there to fear!”
Just as he was about to continue speaking, the tent curtain was again lifted.
A robust Nascent Soul Body Cultivation, Xu Dali, barged in.
Holding a Jade Slip, Xu Dali, with a furious expression, questioned Sun Gan: “Sun Gan! What are you playing at? Our army has suffered so heavily, enduring the brunt of the attack, buying you precious reaction time.”
“And the result!” Xu Dali raised the Jade Slip in his hand, “Is this how little you provide in compensation? Do you know, many died for the country not long ago, yet you are pinching pennies—how stingy and indifferent you are!”