“We should take this path.”

Lin Xi, who was walking at the very front, made a ‘stop’ gesture and then pointed to a forked road to the side.

No one doubted Lin XI’s decision. Everyone followed behind him.

Black Tiger Slayer who similarly followed silently looked at Lin Xi’s rear figure, many details about this path appearing in his head.

Right now, they were already in Jadefall City’s borders, already truly entering Wenren Cangyue’s world. Not long after leaving Sparrow Lord City, they separated with everyone who was only there as cover. Those who remained were all people whose missions required them to enter Jadefall City. Along the way, Lin Xi already gave them many orders that didn’t seem to make any sense, but the following reality proved that his orders weren’t mistaken in the slightest.

Before meeting Lin Xi and the others, Black Tiger Slayer also knew that seven out of ten groups heading west would be completely wiped out. Even though some people from these troops could live, the important figures that they were truly escorting would be assassinated.

This type of mission, in his eyes, was equivalent to a death sentence.

However, under Lin Xi’s command, their troop already entered Jadefall City’s borders without any conflict.

Not long ago, under Lin Xi’s orders, he already scouted out this path they were taking, discovering that there were traces of large scale light cavalry that moved through this place. He also faithfully reported this intelligence back to Lin Xi. However, for some reason, Lin Xi still chose to take this path where they might very well run into the ambush of a large scale army.

Their group quickly continued. Among their twenty something people, the meager accountant-like individual among the ten wolves was even carried on their backs in rotation.

After a few hours passed, their group made their way to a hilltop, taking a temporary rest within the jungle.

When he turned around and looked at the hills and forests that were now behind them, Black Tiger Slayer who had just wiped away all of the sweat on his clothes looked at Lin Xi in admiration, knowing that this time, Lin Xi made the right choice again.

…

Yunqin Empire’s west suppressing renowned Great General Wenren Cangyue’s collusion with the Xiyi Bandits was something uncovered only after Ghost Advisor’s troops failed to assassinate Nanshan Mu. Only when Yunqin Emperor Changsun Jinse set his resolution to break off all relations with Wenren Cangyue, secretly truly starting to face him, did Yunqin’s royal court discover with astonishment that in recent years, what Wenren Cangyue spent the most of his efforts doing on the western side wasn’t fending off Xiyi, but rather fostering a large army that was completely loyal to him, as well as eradicating all forces within Jadefall City’s borders that went against him.

Many influential figures who originally thought they had enough power to resist him now suddenly realized that the methods they thought they could use to keep him in check were actually feigned, not a single one could be used.

At the same time, these influential figures and Central Continent Imperial City also noticed that Wenren Cangyue’s arrangements around the provinces bordering Jadefall City were actually even more carefully prepared than the frontier bordering Tangcang!

As he waited with a brass hawkeye in hand, Hua Gujun’s face was extremely cold. As time went on, his expression became colder and colder.

This current position was within the mountains Black Tiger Slayer was looking towards, already left far behind him.

His status was that of Jadefall Border Army’s Coordination General, a military officer in charge of overseeing this region’s borders.

What was behind him right now was a forty membered heavy armored cultivator army clad in Silver Tiger Heavy Armor, as well as a hundred man heavy cavalry army. Apart from this, there were even more than twenty of the most powerful Mountain Piercing Crossbow Carts!

There was even a five hundred manned light cavalry waiting in a valley to the side, waiting for the battle to start so they could cut off their target’s path of retreat.

They even established several ziplines in hidden areas within the forest so that the Silver Tiger Heavy Armored troops could preserve more soul force and enter the enemy’s formation even faster.

The reason why there was such a huge formation prepared, even using non-standard Silver Tiger Heavy Armor, was only because these Silver Tiger Heavy Armors were completely sealed from all sides. When fighting, even oxygen was provided through oxygen tanks, allowing them to completely disregard flames, poisons and other elements.

It was because this was a troop that killed Gongsun Quan.

Hua Gujun who was only thirty something years of age belonged to the new wave, so he didn’t share much friendship with Gongsun Quan. However, all those loyal to Wenren Cangyue felt a type of powerful sense of belonging and unity. He knew that Gongsun Quan helped Great General Wenren do many things in Yunqin’s borders during these past few years, making great contributions, that he was one of Great General Wenren’s important arms.

For him, this was already enough.

He carried a powerful feeling of conviction, wishing to get revenge for this comrade who was worthy of his respect.

As early as five days ago, he already grasped this troop’s approximate trajectory. Including today, it was already the third time they laid out an ambush.

However, what made him feel a great sense of defeat and made his heart feel cold was that the commander of the other troop avoided them again and again, making his three ambushes all completely fail.

After five days of continuously advancing while carrying large amounts of military equipment, searching for and intercepting this troop, it already pushed their stamina to the limit. From here on out, they were already powerless in stopping this troop from entering the depths of Jadefall City.

…

A white-haired old military commander was seated in a simple and crude military tent.

This tent was located in Heye Mountain Region, bordering Jadefall City and Yunqin’s westmost provinces. When the mountains’ evening mist gradually rose, a young military commander dressed in bronze metal armor moved aside the curtains, showing this white-haired old officer a bow of respect before reporting, “We caught two spies.”

A vicious glint immediately flashed past the white-haired old officer’s eyes. “Any important military intelligence?”

“We still haven’t carried out an interrogation. These two spies are both cultivators, from the looks of it, they turned themselves in. They wish to meet sir.” The young officer said with a respectful voice.

“Let them in.” The white-haired old officer gave this young officer a look, saying this without any hesitation.

A man and a woman with heavy shackles on their arms and legs were quickly brought into the tent.

This man and woman were both youngsters, precisely the Self Defense Department students Chen Mu and Du Zhanye.

“Who are you two? What do you have to say?” While looking at these two outwardly calm youngsters, the white-haired officer still didn’t waste any words, calmly and directly asking.

Chen Mu gave him a respectful bow and said with a gentle voice, “General Guo, I believe you understand the things that are happening now as well. The reason why I have surrendered myself is to ask general to please not stand by Wenren Cangyue’s side, do not let your name go down in history as that of a great sinner.”

The white-haired old officer didn’t feel upset or angry. He looked at Chen Mu and said, “I am only a stationed officer in Jadefall’s east. I have not vowed loyalty and devotion to any one side, I only carry out military orders.”

“I only wish to ask general one thing. Are you loyal to Yunqin, loyal to the emperor?” Chen Mu looked at him and asked this seriously.

The white-haired old officer nodded expressionlessly. “Of course.”

Chen Mu continued to ask with a calm voice, “If the emperor himself came, I believe your respected self would definitely cast aside all worries, pledge your life to obeying all of the emperor’s orders?”

The white-haired old officer naturally understood Chen Mu’s intentions. His brows furrowed slightly and he directly said, “You obviously must prove that you indeed come on the emperor’s command. However, even if it is a secret order, there is still a chance of it being fake.”

“I didn’t bring any secret orders. I myself am precisely the proof.” Chen Mu looked into the white-haired old officer’s eyes, seriously saying this.

The white-haired old officer suddenly raised his head, his brows furrowing deeply. He began to ponder over the meanings of these words, not saying anything.

Chen Mu didn’t say anything either. His hand shone slightly. He tore off a bit of his own forefinger’s skin, letting several drops of blood trickle out.

The white-haired old officer’s eyes suddenly contracted.

Several drops of blood left Chen Mu’s fingertip. Within the red blood, wisps of golden color could clearly be seen, as if extremely fine streaks of golden lightning were swimming about within.

The old general immediately thought through many things in a short amount of time. His eyes were filled with an extremely shocked emotion. Then, he suddenly stood up.

After standing up, this old officer bent down at the waist, kneeling down before Chen Mu, saying with a shaking voice, “I pay my respects to his majesty the crown prince.”

“General Guo, please rise.” Chen Mu whose body carried manacles and leg-irons said quietly with a gentle voice, “I sought out general precisely to deliver my command into general’s hands. My trust is precisely the trust all of Yunqin has in your respected self, as well as my father the Emperor’s trust in you.”

After remaining in Jadefall Border Army for thirty-seven years, Guo Shiqin whose body had never been alarmed to the point of shaking by anything, was trembling in alarm right now. It wasn’t because of fear, but rather because he was worried that he couldn’t guarantee the safety of this gentle youngster at all, unable to guarantee the survival of this youngster who might become the next Yunqin Emperor.

“Your majesty the crown prince!”

Only more than ten breaths later, did this white-haired old officer remember he had to undo Chen Mu and Du Zhanye’s shackles. However, he still couldn’t calm himself down, so his voice was even a bit hoarse. “I pledge my life to following your majesty, but my army is but two thousand… and there are definitely spies who belong to Great General Wenren among them. We are too weak right now, might get swallowed up at any time.”

“I understand.”

Chen Mu calmly looked at this white-haired old general, slowly saying, “However, Principal Zhang has previously said that a single spark can start a huge blaze. What we need to do right now is precisely turn a small spark into a flame and then turn that into a greater flame. We cannot give them the time to react, so we need to immediately launch a surprise attack on Li Zhouhan’s Open Field Army. If things go smoothly, the opposing Chen Division Army will attack the Open Field Army together with us.”

“Chen Division Army will work with us?” The white-haired old officer looked at Chen Mu in a bit of disbelief. He understood extremely clearly that the Open Field Army was located between the Heye Army he commanded and Chen Division Army. If the two armies launched a pincer attack, Open Field Army would be completely wiped out, there wouldn’t even be any suspense. However, Zhou Guangping is Wenren Cangyue’s trusted aide, there is no chance of him betraying Wenren Cangyue.

“There has already been someone sent to Chen Division Army, there will also be many more people headed to other places.” Chen Mu looked at this white-haired old officer, quietly saying, “That is why general can relax. Even Green Luan Academy is doing everything they can, so the chances of victory for us in this battle are extremely high.”

The white-haired old officer took a deep breath. When fresh oxygen entered his chest, perhaps because pure battle strategy was simpler for him to deal with since, he didn’t have to think about many more things, he slowly recovered his normal calmness. He didn’t say anything else, once again giving Chen Mu a bow of respect and then a fierce shout could be heard from his mouth. “Assemble!”

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