Zhang Zhongyi stood up and directly cursed, "Sun Gan, I never expected you to be such a despicable meanie!"
Sun Gan scoffed, "Zhang Zhongyi, you waste, what are you ranting about. Keep yelling and I'll play the Old Monster in Stone and take you all on right now. Who in the Red Flower Camp can stop me?"
"You!!!" Zhang Zhongyi was choked with anger.
Sun Gan turned to look at Mu Lan, "Little girl, give it some thought. I'm not in a rush, Heh heh heh."
With that, his figure slowly vanished from sight.
Mu Lan clenched her fists so tight that the veins popped out, her whole body trembling with rage.
She was born into the Upper General Mansion and naturally possessed the noble pride of a high family. Now, being coerced to this extent was an unspeakable humiliation to her!
"Dream on if you think you can use me as a stepping stone to secure the General Seal!"
"I would rather die than submit," Mu Lan's eyes flashed with unwavering resolve.
Hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi became immediately anxious.
He had joined the military as an expression of gratitude, not to witness the downfall of the Upper General Mansion.
This was too cruel for him.
He absolutely did not want to see Mu Lan dead.
Therefore, Zhang Zhongyi immediately tried to dissuade her, "My wise niece, do not act impulsively."
"If you die, would not General Mu be heartbroken at the news?"
"With your talent and possession of Divine Skills at the Golden Core Realm, wouldn't it be a pity to die prematurely?"
"The enemies of the Upper General Mansion would be overjoyed to see you perish so easily."
After spending some time together, Zhang Zhongyi had come to understand Mu Lan well, and his persuasion struck deep in her heart.
She stood still for a long time, her expression gradually easing, and the fists she had clenched slowly relaxed.
The female general took a deep breath, her voice indifferent, "Uncle Zhang, your advice was indeed correct."
"I must seek a dual cultivation partner to resolve the hidden danger within me!"
"That Ning Zhuo is not a bad choice. Has he made up his mind yet?"
"I'll have to trouble you to make the journey on my behalf."
Zhang Zhongyi nodded repeatedly, "Alright, stabilize your condition, and I shall immediately seek his assistance."
Hearing this, Mu Lan's eyes faintly trembled and she harbored a sense of indignation. Since when had she, the daughter of the Upper General and born into a noble military family, needed to seek assistance for dual cultivation?
It was preposterous!
Zhang Zhongyi also knew time was of the essence and hastened the healing process.
After a short while, he quietly left the Red Flower Camp and approached nearby Three Generals Camp, sending out a Flying Message.
Ning Zhuo secretly welcomed Zhang Zhongyi into his own camp.
"Please, Young Master Ning Zhuo, save our family's general just this once!" Zhang Zhongyi bowed deeply to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo was surprised and hurriedly helped Zhang Zhongyi up, "Lord Zhang, what brings this on? Your lordship aided me in healing, and I am deeply grateful. Whatever I can assist with, I'll certainly not shy away. Please speak plainly!"
Zhang Zhongyi then expressed the idea of dual cultivation.
Ning Zhuo frowned deeply and sighed, "I'm afraid this is beyond my ability."
"I have already sent a message to my family inquiring about this matter."
"It turns out that my family elder has already arranged a marriage for me with a princess of the Southern Bean Country's Royal Family."
"My Ning Family has already taken root in the Southern Bean Country, and a future marriage with the Royal Family's Zhu Family will surely lead the Ning Family to greater heights."
"Regrettably, I am unworthy of General Mu Lan's stature, and thus a splendid opportunity slips away."
Zhang Zhongyi was stunned, his face showing disappointment.
But after a moment's thought, he asked persistently, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, dual cultivation and marriage are sometimes unrelated. We seek only dual cultivation."
"Does the marriage agreement with the princess of the Southern Bean Country require you to preserve your Origin Yang?"
Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment before answering, "That's not the case."
"However, preserving Origin Yang is a testament to the importance of the marriage alliance and a sign of respect to the Zhu Family."
"As far as I know, the esteemed lady of the Zhu Family has also preserved her own Origin Yin."
"If I were to deplete my Origin Yang prematurely, it would be rather unsightly."
"It might even cause misunderstandings with the Zhu Family, potentially leading to the failure of this marriage alliance that involves the entire clan. That would be a great misdeed on my part! Sigh."
Zhang Zhongyi fell into a long silence.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo asked, "Given General Mu Lan's strength, it's impossible that she would lose to Zhang General."
"I had guessed at the time that probably General Mu Lan's old injuries have acted up."
"I fear that this time General Mu Lan is truly in grave danger."
He didn't conceal anything from Zhang Zhongyi, sharing the details of the twin dinners he had been invited to by Shuangjing, as well as the conspiracy against Mu Lan that he learned about at the second tea gathering, and his on-the-spot refusal to be recruited.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi offered a salute, "I was not mistaken about you, Young Master Ning. Your character is pure and upright, with consistent speech and transparent actions. Where ordinary people might have been swayed by power and temptation, you can always adhere to your principles, not be bewildered, displaying character and dignity suitable for a gentleman."
Ning Zhuo smiled and waved his hand modestly, "You flatter me, senior. It has been the teachings of my family elders all along."
"Senior Zhang, I do have some ability in the Gold Element. Although I cannot consent to dual cultivation, perhaps I can still offer modest help here. Maybe I can assist the senior and heal General Mu Lan."
Zhang Zhongyi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and immediately, the memory of cooperating with Ning Zhuo to heal Sun Lingtong of her severe ailments surfaced in his mind.
He got excited: "Does this mean that Young Master Ning Zhuo's comprehension in the Gold Element realm can match up to your understanding of the Earth Path?"
Ning Zhuo smiled: "Not much difference."
Zhang Zhongyi gasped in admiration and took another look at Ning Zhuo: "Young Master Ning Zhuo truly is a cultivation prodigy, a rare talent indeed."
Ning Zhuo said: "However, healing General Mu Lan poses three difficult problems."
Zhang Zhongyi: "Oh? I would like to hear the details."
Ning Zhuo raised his left index finger: "Firstly, the 'Xuanjin Armor Breaking Technique' is a family heritage cultivation technique of the Upper General Mansion. Should I wish to lend a hand to General Mu Lan, I'm afraid I would need to grasp the entirety of it, which could potentially betray the way of family inheritance."
Ning Zhuo raised his left middle finger: "Secondly, the illness of General Mu Lan is different from the cases we cooperated on before. Her condition arises from conflict between the cultivation technique and her femininity, not due to a misunderstanding of principles. Therefore, to what extent I can heal her, I have no way to estimate."
He then raised his left ring finger: "Thirdly..."
Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment before continuing: "During the previous ambush, General Mu Lan tossed the responsibility to my troops. Though I understand, the officers and soldiers in my camp still harbor hard feelings. This time, when General Zhang caused an uproar in Red Flower Camp, it wasn't just a conflict between soldiers, but also an old grudge at play."
"This time, my help is solely in consideration of Lord Zhang's dignity. General Mu Lan is extraordinarily competent, deeply versed in military arts, and an exceptional commander. But to be frank, she is not a close friend."
"Therefore, although I am willing to help, I also need to consider the feelings of the three Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, as well as all the soldiers in the Three Generals Camp."
"If you wish for me to take action, General Mu Lan herself must come and ask for it, offering an apology for the issues from the ambush."
Finally, Ning Zhuo said: "It's not that I am being unreasonable, but as the Military Adviser of the Three Generals Camp, I get along quite harmoniously with the three generals, and I do not wish to upset them."
Zhang Zhongyi sighed deeply: "So there are so many difficulties!"
Although he was a skilled healer, his strategic capacity was limited. Often, he acted impulsively and emotionally.
If it had not been so, he would not have, back then, clashed with the Monarch in the Royal Capital and been punished, causing his fall from Nascent Soul Level to Golden Core Realm.
If it had not been so, he wouldn't have decided to enlist in the military the moment he heard of Mu Lan's and Red Flower Camp's plight, offering up almost all his wealth to fund the military.
Therefore, Ning Zhuo's analysis broadened Zhang Zhongyi's perspective and helped him see the situation more clearly.
Zhang Zhongyi clasped his hands towards Ning Zhuo: "I will report this to General Mu Lan and let her decide."
Ning Zhuo smiled: "Allow me to accompany you, Lord Zhang."
The two then secretly left the camp.
Meanwhile, Liu Er inside the main general's tent was so agitated that he paced quickly back and forth, unable to contain himself.
"Dual Cultivation?!?!"
"So that's how it is, that's how it is!"
"So, the teacher gave me the Yin and Yang Qi Pot for this reason."
Liu Er, a half-human half-demon hybrid who possessed the bloodline of the Six-Eared Macaque from the Demon Race, had a unique innate ability known as Spirit Sound Pulse Detection since childhood.
Once this innate ability activated, it would endow Liu Er with exceptional hearing, enabling him to listen to distant sounds, understand the ins and outs, and discern the true nature of things.
Stationed in the military camp, he would often employ this innate ability to eavesdrop on the soldiers' discussions, thus understanding their thoughts and feelings, offering precise solutions.
This included figures like Guan Hong and Zhang Hei.
Therefore, Liu Er's understanding of these two people was much deeper than they would have estimated, which contributed to their increasingly harmonious relationship.
This time, Liu Er had overheard a critical piece of information: the secret divulged during Zhang Zhongyi and Ning Zhuo's conversation!
Liu Er had learned about Mu Lan's injury and her urgent need for Dual Cultivation.
"People often speak of Yin and Yang. If I lend my Yin and Yang Qi Pot to Mu Lan, she would be able to turn her own Yin Qi into Yang Energy, practicing the Xuanjin Armor Breaking Technique without any hidden dangers, and even more ideally suited, greatly accelerating her cultivation pace!"
"But..."
A sea of thoughts surged inside Liu Er's Upper Dantian Divine Sea.
Mu Lan's predicament ignited a flame of ambition in his heart!
"That Sun Gan seeks Dual Cultivation, using this circumstance to seize control of the General Seal."
"It must be said, this is a plausible path to success."
"The General Seal... represents the power and influence that General Mu has ardently fought for nearly all his life. If I could obtain it, how many years of detours would I save, how many years of striving?"
With this thought, Liu Er involuntarily licked his dry lips.
"I too possess Origin Yang!"
"Why couldn't I engage in Dual Cultivation with General Mu Lan?"
"I not only want to pursue Dual Cultivation, but could also vie for the General Seal, couldn't I?"
Liu Er pondered deeply.
Yet soon after, he shook his head slightly with difficulty: "It's difficult."
"As a hybrid of human and demon, my status is far inferior compared to Ning Zhuo."
"Having just heard Zhang Zhongyi, even Sun Gan, the head of the Imperial Guards using coercion. My status is even less commendable."
"What should I do now?"
After pacing for a moment, Liu Er slapped his forehead: "Why not directly ask the Military Adviser! He is betrothed and cannot partake in Dual Cultivation with Mu Lan."
"And the Military Adviser is resourceful, with a good relationship with Zhang Zhongyi, and also favored by Mu Lan."
"With his help, my chances of success will surely increase!"