Chapter 591: Chapter 163: Night Raid
Ning Zhuo’s expression was as still as water.
Although he and Mu Lan had become husband and wife, it was purely a political marriage, without actual involvement.
All along, this had been kept a secret from the public, known only by a few at the time.
This was an unspoken agreement of the Righteous Path.
Ning Zhuo was not surprised that Shuangjing knew about this situation. Considering her origins from the Royal Family, it was normal for her to be privy to insider information.
However, here and now, in front of this vast assembly, she had unexpectedly exposed this secret.
Shuangjing had broken the tacit agreement of the Righteous Path, which undoubtedly was a severe provocation.
Ning Zhuo gazed at Shuangjing.
Shuangjing sneered: “Child, is this the way your Ning Family educates? I, being a princess of Liangzhu Country and a Nascent Soul Cultivator, am your elder. You are being too disrespectful.”
Ning Zhuo slightly smiled: “I am a citizen of Southern Bean Country, responding to your monarch’s call, to support the Righteous Path and counter the Evil Cultivators of Thousand Peak Forest.”
“I have always thought that the monarch of Liangzhu Country respects talents from below, setting an example as a Monarch. However, today I’ve perceived something different from the princess.”
“You, a distinguished princess, press me such a junior so aggressively; what is the justification for this?”
“Is this the approach of Liangzhu Country towards the Loose Cultivators participating in the war?”
Shuangjing’s expression changed slightly.
Ning Zhuo immediately accused her, turning her noble status into a vulnerability.
The City Lord of Canglin Immortal City noticed the unfavorable situation and hurriedly attempted to smooth things over.
Shuangjing let out a chuckle, pointed at Ning Zhuo and said, “Little fellow, quite sharp-tongued. The battlefield is perilous, I hope to see you again after this great battle.”
Shuangjing, lacking in eloquence and struck by Ning Zhuo’s indirect attack, followed the way out provided by the City Lord of Canglin Immortal City and sat down gradually, no longer entangling with Ning Zhuo.
However, she did not engage in verbal exchanges anymore, but during the subsequent auction, she repeatedly targeted Ning Zhuo.
Whatever Mechanical Artifacts Ning Zhuo was interested in, she would buy them at a high price, using her power to press down on him, her hostility was quite apparent.
By the time the auction ended, Ning Zhuo had gained very little.
“I am getting quite upset,” Ning Zhuo said to Mu Lan on the way back.
Mu Lan pondered and said, “After all, she is a long-famed member of the Royal Family, known nationally as the Mechanical Princess, a major figure among the Royal Family’s Nascent Souls.”
“There’s no need to confront her directly, we are at too much of a disadvantage.”
Mu Lan was not eager to support Ning Zhuo.
Even though Shuangjing had disclosed her marital relationship with Ning Zhuo, breaking the Righteous Path agreement, Mu Lan did not care much.
On one hand, she had been educated by General Mu from a young age and was loyal to Liangzhu Country. On the other, she did not care about the reputation in this regard. Deep down, she actually wanted the marital relationship to be exposed, affirming her tie with Ning Zhuo.
If she could break the marriage arrangement between Ning Zhuo and the Southern Bean Royal Family, tying him to Upper General Mansion, Mu Lan would be delighted.
The longer Mu Lan interacted with Ning Zhuo, the more interested she became in him.
“Uncle Zhang, much older and wiser than me, already knew that Ning Zhuo is the ideal husband I envisioned.”
Despite Ning Zhuo’s young age and ample wealth, possessing great power in the Five Elements Realm with numerous Mechanical Artifacts, and only holding Foundation Establishment Cultivation, he had the mighty strength of a Golden Core Level.
Mu Lan noticed everything about Ning Zhuo: his strategies, his interpersonal skills, and his role as the Military Adviser in the Three Generals Camp, always swiftly fulfilling his responsibilities.
“Those three rough men of the Three Generals Camp need Ning Zhuo to keep and calculate their accounts. Isn’t my Red Flower Camp in need as well?”
Mu Lan was scheming about Ning Zhuo.
After testing the waters, Ning Zhuo immediately understood Mu Lan’s intentions and stopped speaking.
The two maintained silence all the way and after leaving the city gate, Ning Zhuo quickly took his own way back to sleep in the Three Generals Camp.
In the following days, he mainly focused on training his troops and besides that, his cultivation.
During his free time, Ning Zhuo returned to Immortal City to purchase Mechanical Platforms, only to find that they had all been monopolized by the Mechanical Princess.
“Son-in-law of the Upper General Mansion! Sincerely congratulations, old man!”
“Lord Ning, please take the chief seat.”
“Lord Ning, my young master has prepared some dishes and drinks at the restaurant, kindly grace us with your presence.”
With the exposure of Ning Zhuo’s marital status with Mu Lan, every movement of Ning Zhuo in Immortal City attracted immense attention.
Ning Zhuo had to disguise himself while attempting to make purchases.
Still, he did not manage to buy any Mechanical Platforms.
These platforms, all monopolized through the identity used by Shuangjing, forcibly subdued all shops to let her cover everything.
“This is too much. Little Zhuo, perhaps it’s time for ‘Old Monster in Stone’ to take action!” Sun Lingtong felt very indignant for Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo shook his head and pondered calmly: “Mechanical Princess Shuangjing is also proficient in controlling multiple fronts, her arrival at Canglin Immortal City was very hurried, even Shuangjing wasn’t informed.”
“Now as soon as she arrived in Immortal City, she started buying all sorts of materials in large quantities, covering all mechanical platforms, clearly she is actively preparing for warfare.”
“Suppressing us is just incidental.”
“Since she is a princess of Liangzhu Country, she must know more intelligence. Perhaps, the day when we march to the front lines again is not far.”
Ning Zhuo’s analysis was flawless.
The day when the rear army marched, came much earlier than he expected.
Just three days later, a military order was issued. That very night, the rear army set off again.
On route, all the camps invariably formed formations during the march, being extremely cautious. The slightest rustle of wind and grass would lead to an immediate halt for battle readiness, reflecting the significant psychological impact left by the previous ambush.
This time during the march, everything was calm.
Golden Spear Army, Red Flower Camp, Barbarian Demon Camp, White Jade Camp, Three Generals Camp, and Fire Cloud Camp, all successfully reached the destination where Central Army was stationed—Mulu Town.
The commander of all three armies of Liangzhu Country, Du Tiechuan, called the generals for meetings in batches.
When it was the turn of the Three Generals Camp, Du Tiechuan personally ordered that Military Adviser Sacrificial Wine Ning Zhuo also come for a meeting.
Thus, Ning Zhuo accompanied by Liu Guan Zhang, came into close contact with Du Tiechuan, a Great Cultivator at Transforming Spirit Level.
Du Tiechuan was rather thin, with a face sharp and well-defined, his eyes calm and profound. His skin was slightly pale. He wore a silver hair clasp, dressed in gray-green long robes covered with silver armor, fully displaying a stern demeanor.
After Liu Guan Zhang completed their report, Du Tiechuan hummed a response and turned his gaze to Ning Zhuo.
He said, “Young Master Ning Zhuo, please take a seat.”
Liu Guan Zhang showed respectful expressions, only Liu Er slightly raised his eyebrows.
Ning Zhuo thanked him and sat halfway on the chair, his hands resting on his thighs, sitting upright.
being just a Sacrificial Wine Adviser or a member of Ning Family would not warrant such a courtesy from a great Transforming Spirit Cultivator and commander of three armies.
It was his identity as the husband of Mu Lan, the son-in-law in the mansion of Upper General, that was key!
Du Tiechuan encouraged the four and then dismissed them.
On their way back, Liu Guan Zhang and Ning sent each other their thoughts about Du Tiechuan using Divine Sense.
Liu Er was distracted.
He uncontrollably thought that Ning Zhuo was so welcomed as he had become Mu Lan’s husband. But according to the King’s Order, he should be the real husband of Mu Lan!
At this thought, Liu Er felt very uncomfortable inside, occasionally glancing at Ning Zhuo with a few flashes of cold light in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Ning Zhuo returned to his own tent and began his usual cultivation, moving the cultivation in his three Dantians to grow precious medicine.
At midnight, suddenly alarm bells rang long and loud, echoing throughout Mulu Town.
“Enemy attack!”
“This bell sound signifies an enemy attack!”
“And it’s a strong enemy!!”
All military units reacted immediately, and from this moment, it was clear which army was the most well-trained.
Undoubtedly, the Red Flower Camp took the lead, but the gap with the second, Golden Spear Army, was not large.
Ning Zhuo immediately interrupted his cultivation, ran out of the tent, and joined Liu Guan Zhang’s three generals.
They acted even before Ning Zhuo, each riding a warhorse, already gathering their troops.
Ning Zhuo’s Mechanical Army was much more convenient than living soldiers, and could also be carried with him.
But at this moment, Ning Zhuo first integrated into the army of the three generals, to assess the real enemy situation before making other decisions.
After waiting briefly, the reconnaissance cavalry returned to report that there were no signs of enemy troops nearby.
“Could it be a false alarm?”
Just as he thought this, the military order came down.
The content of the military order was too shocking, to avoid shaking the morale, only generals and key senior officials were informed.
“What? Commander Du Du Tiechuan has been ambushed and is now severely injured?!”
“Who made the move?”
“Young Master Shengxu?!”