Chapter 557: Chapter 145: Pointing Life?
The Demon Cultivator elder continued to inquire about Ning Zhuo from Liu Er, eventually understanding the reasons.
“Ning Zhuo is temporarily by Xiao Liu’s side because of his family’s vendetta.”
“He himself has objectives to travel, so he’ll leave after this great war.”
“Even if the war turns unfavorable and he sees no hope for revenge, he may leave halfway through.”
“As for his and the Ning Family’s support for Xiao Liu, on one hand, it’s because Ning Zhuo himself has a good relationship with Xiao Liu, and on the other hand, it’s due to the family vendetta, and lastly, it’s for the profits of the spoils of war.”
“After all, war profits are often the most lucrative.”
Thinking this, the Demon Cultivator elder no longer paid attention to Ning Zhuo.
Seeing his master’s reaction, Liu Er, who knew that the Demon Cultivator elder was skilled in divination, was struck by a thought and probed, “Master, is it possible that Ning Zhuo and I are not meant to be connected by fate?”
The Demon Cultivator elder then seriously said, “Xiao Liu, you must immediately dispel such thoughts!”
“Although you possess King’s Order, you must understand that the things stated in the King’s Order aren’t guaranteed to happen.”
“King’s Order is only a significant tendency, which also can be changed.”
“Therefore, even if Ning Zhuo is not meant to be connected with you by fate, you can still change this through your own efforts, turning fatelessness into fate and making him your subordinate.”
“If Ning Zhuo is fated to be connected with you, but you repeatedly pass up opportunities, leading to the loss of talents, that will be your fault. Opportunities presented by fate, if not grasped, are also in vain.”
“Do you understand?”
By the end of this, the Demon Cultivator elder was stern in his exhortation.
Liu Er hurried to kneel, gratefully thanking his master for the reprimand, vowing to always remember his master’s words.
“Mhm.” The Demon Cultivator elder then nodded, his expression easing.
It was precisely because King’s Order could change that the Demon Cultivator elder had come in person, to safeguard this critical juncture.
In Liu Er’s early development, Mu Lan was especially important, a crucial stepping stone allowing Liu Er to enter Liangzhu Country’s officialdom with a legitimate presence.
Otherwise, merely relying on his Half-Demon identity to strive, he would inevitably not be accepted by the upper echelons, and even with ability, he would be buried for many years.
The Demon Cultivator elder shifted the topic, “Regarding the rights to the spoils of war, Xiao Liu, how do you consider it?”
Liu Er, with a serious face, bowed and replied, “Disciple sees two major disadvantages.”
“First, it’s possible to harm our reputation for integrity. Such a reputation needs to be cherished; it’s very much needed to mingle on the Righteous Path. With my awkward identity, lacking integrity and many other virtues of the Righteous Path would make things extremely difficult.”
“Second, our military expenses are largely funded by Ning Zhuo, and likely will continue to be funded by him in the future. Taking back the spoils of war means the entire army would be relying on the Ning Family’s provisions. If this goes on for too long, will the Three Generals Camp belong to us, or to the Ning Family?”
Liu Er watched the Demon Cultivator elder’s reaction carefully, seeing him stroke his beard and nod with satisfaction, so he boldly continued, “Before this, the disciple wanted to ask about the fate between King’s Order and Ning Zhuo.”
“Actually, it was also considering this matter.”
“If Ning Zhuo and I are not fated to be connected, accepting the Ning Family’s support now, I might as well be bold.”
“After all, the Ning Family is in Southern Bean Country, not within Liangzhu Country.”
Seeing that Liu Er wanted to speak more, the Demon Cultivator elder decisively gestured with his hand, “Alright, you handle it this way.”
“I summoned you this time for another matter, which is a thousand times more important than any Ning Zhuo or spoils of war!”
“Since you aspire to pursue Mu Lan, then be decisive, bold, proactive, and dignified.”
“Mu Lan is a true warrior daughter from a General’s family, who most admires heroes of the battlefield. If you lurk in murky waters, stealthily moving about, even if you eventually defeat Shuangjing and Sun Gan, you won’t win Mu Lan’s heart.”
Liu Er ah’d, “This… Master, I certainly possess the spirit of a hero and wish to display it widely.”
“The enemy’s strength is overwhelming, and my Three Generals Camp has just been established. The little family fortune I’ve built up could very well be squandered away.”
The Demon Cultivator elder stretched out his hand again, stopping Liu Er from explaining further.
“You may go now.”
The elder gestured towards the direction of the Three Generals Camp and waved his hand.
Liu Er was surprised, but he quickly caught on and said as he took his leave, “Teacher, I understand what you mean.”
“After you return, make a big fuss and pursue Mu Lan openly and honorably.”
Liu Er looked up again, only to find the Demon Cultivator elder had already disappeared.
“Teacher is still as enigmatic as ever,” Liu Er sighed, then turned and made his way back to the military camp.
However, the Demon Cultivator elder did not leave; he stayed right where he was.
It was simply that his Illusion Technique was exceptional, having deceived Liu Er thoroughly.
The Demon Cultivator elder’s complexion was deathly pale, bleeding from all seven orifices, with his Essence and life force rapidly draining away with the blood.
The elder bore the pain with all his might.
The severe agony in both body and spirit made him feel worse than death, as if each day was a year long.
Eventually, the pain began to subside, and the bleeding from his orifices stopped.
This was the downside of Divination.
All things have their pros and cons; this is the natural balance.
Divination often predicts the future, which is a significant advantage of the Cultivation Hundred Skills. But its drawbacks are far more numerous and severe than those of other Cultivation Techniques.
The ordeal that the Demon Cultivator elder had just experienced was due to the results of his Divination, where he had guided a key figure, causing a violent fluctuation in Qi Fortune, which the elder had to endure, suffering intense repercussions.
And yet, this wasn’t even the crucial warning!
A crucial warning, also known as ‘touching fate,’ is difficult, requiring the Divination Master to possess a strong spirit of dedication and sacrifice. Because revealing the secrets of fate could lead to backlashes that result in death.
The recent reminder provided by the Demon Cultivator elder was not a crucial warning, nor was it ‘touching fate.’
Had Liu Er not previously learned key information such as Mu Lan’s Dual Cultivation before expressing his desire for Mu Lan, and the Demon Cultivator elder had explicitly warned him at that point, then it would have been ‘touching fate.’
Liu Er had received quite a valuable hint from his mentor and was very decisive in his actions upon his return.
He summoned Guan Hong, Zhang Hei, and Ning Zhuo and announced to everyone the revocation of some people’s rights to war spoils; however, only a portion of them.
“For those who no longer wish to have this right, we will increase their rations to win them over.”
“The rest who still want to retain the right to their war spoils can continue to do so.”
“To sort out these two groups is a tedious task with many responsibilities, and I will need to rely on the military strategist.”
Ning Zhuo immediately expressed that this was his duty, and he praised Liu Er’s arrangement, calling it mature and nation-wise, far superior and more comprehensive than his own suggestions.
Then, Liu Er announced his intention to pursue Mu Lan openly and honorably.
As expected, this decision met with opposition from the other three.
But Liu Er displayed his fearless masculinity and his will to face challenges, inspiring a surge of passion in Guan Hong and Zhang Hei, who both expressed their firm willingness to follow him.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but wonder what cards Liu Er was holding that gave him such confidence!
But since the three generals had already agreed, out of curiosity, and decisiveness, Ning Zhuo also promptly expressed his compliance.
“In this way, the situation of the Three Generals Camp is about to change dramatically, becoming even more challenging than that of the Red Flower Camp.”