The rebel army's command tent.
The surroundings were sparsely furnished. Only at the very center hung a massive map depicting the geography of Ba Commandery.
Li Rulong wore a commander's robe and held a crimson brush, reviewing military documents.
Suddenly!
A clamor came from outside the tent, causing him to frown involuntarily.
But before he could speak, the tent flap was thrown open, and several cultivators barged in.
"Big Brother..."
Guo Tianhong's face was flushed red, her voice even carrying a hint of sobs, appearing exceedingly aggrieved: "That man from the Luo Clan is here again, I was incompetent... I couldn't stop him!"
In the army, military orders came first. Forcibly entering the commander's tent was a grave crime; in theory, one could be beheaded on the spot!
Yet the several cultivators who barged in showed no fear at all, looking left and right with mocking smiles: "Greetings, Grand Marshal!"
"Dispense with the formalities..."
Li Rulong set down the crimson brush in his hand and sighed: "So it was Fellow Daoist Luo Dacheng, as well as Fellow Daoist Luo and Fellow Daoist He..."
The cultivation of these few people was nothing special, but the key was their surnames!
The Tianshui Luo Clan, the Kui'an Luo Family, the Cloud Rock Gate He Family... all were illustrious Dao Foundation forces local to Ba Commandery!
Although due to agreements between Purple Mansion experts, these Dao Foundation cultivators did not take action themselves.
But Li Rulong was merely a Qi Refinement cultivator; when encountering these families, he could only have his army detour around them, making many unnecessary journeys in vain.
Not only that! These families even sent cultivators,美其名曰 "assisting the rebel army" — but in reality?
"Grand Marshal... the clan has ordered that we hope the Grand Marshal will attack 'Three Wood City' tomorrow, preferably slaughtering a hundred thousand..."
Luo Dacheng of the Luo Clan was the first to speak: "The clan is currently refining a furnace of pills and urgently needs blood qi."
"A hundred thousand? Isn't that too many? In the past, we exploited the conflict between two armies with heavy casualties, and could still cover it up somewhat. This many would be impossible to conceal."
Li Rulong did not speak, but Guo Tianhong beside him grew anxious.
"So what if it can't be concealed... the resentment of mere lesser commoners — can it do a single hair's worth of harm to us cultivators?"
Luo Dacheng disagreed dismissively.
"The people are like leeks; cut them and they grow again..."
Li Rulong muttered softly.
"Haha, precisely that principle."
Luo Dacheng laughed heartily, then looked toward Guo Tianhong, his gaze undisguisedly lecherous: "Grand Marshal... your little sister has truly grown into a fresh, delicate beauty."
Clang!
Within the tent, a streak of sword light suddenly flashed!
Amidst the humming resonances of countless blades and swords, the Army-Stabilizing Sword had somehow already been placed against Luo Dacheng's neck.
"The army will begin the siege tomorrow... Now, get out!"
Li Rulong's voice was like falling into an ice cellar.
"Haha... just a jest."
Luo Dacheng let out two dry laughs and nearly pissed himself fleeing the command tent. After getting far away, he turned and spat fiercely toward the back: "Ptooey... a bootlicker hugging the Pu Family's stinking feet, and you really think you're a latent dragon?"
The Luo-named cultivator beside him and the He Family cultivator exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads.
Though they had come together to apply pressure, they too felt somewhat ashamed to be associated with this person.
"That Li Rulong has actually reached perfected Qi Refinement?"
After a long while, the Luo-named cultivator spoke: "I have cultivated bitterly for thirty years, yet am only at the sixth layer... truly enviable."
"Envious? I am not envious in the slightest. Does he practice the Minor Geng Metal Sword Art?"
The He Family cultivator from Cloud Rock Gate shook his head: "I heard that in Yulin Commandery, there is a Dao Foundation clan that passes down [Kangjin], seemingly practicing the 'Geng Metal Sword Art'? Recently they seem to have produced a qilin son who has also reached the ninth layer of Qi Refinement? Presumably before long, they will gain another great Dao Foundation cultivator..."
"Why is Brother He so well-informed?"
The Luo-named cultivator was startled.
"After all, we have joined the Pu Family. In the future we will be colleagues with the Yulin Commandery clans. We must make arrangements in advance so as not to be caught off guard."
The He-named cultivator said frankly.
"Yes... after all, that Pu Family patriarch refined a Heaven-Earth Spiritual Fire. His combat strength is considered formidable even among Purple Mansion cultivators... Just looking at the victories and defeats on the mortal military battlefield, one knows the Black Venom Gate is already at a disadvantage... Our clans naturally must stand on the winner's side."
The Luo-named cultivator said as if it were only natural.
...
'Why is the atmosphere off?'
When Fang Qing was invited into the rebel army's command tent, he felt the atmosphere seemed somewhat strange?
He looked again at Li Rulong and discovered that this person's magical power had practically reached some peak. The [Kangjin] aura was incomparably sharp, causing a stinging pain from merely looking at it, yet his figure had somehow become hunched, as if he had aged and withered considerably.
Beside him, Guo Tianhong's eyes were slightly red, as if she had just been crying.
'Could it be...'
His mind ran wild with thoughts, but his expression became solemn: "Fang Shui... greets the Grand Marshal."
"It's you..."
Li Rulong seemed to have just returned to his senses, smiling apologetically: "Forgive my rudeness... I don't know what business Fellow Daoist has come for? If it is for trade, you may look for the quartermaster."
"Grand Marshal... you look quite haggard."
Fang Qing exchanged a few casual words, then heard Li Rulong sigh: "Sigh... thinking carefully, the happiest time in this life was still back when I first entered the jianghu and formed a sworn brotherhood with the Seven Swords of Shushan."
'What's this? Is a bigshot humblebragging?'
He asked a few more questions before learning that Li Rulong's two mortal sworn brothers had also died on the battlefield, roughly understanding the situation.
'So he's just wallowing in melancholy? Forget it, I'll quickly finish my performance and run!'
Fang Qing made his decision in his heart and took out a letter: "Grand Marshal, do you still remember that slovenly Daoist?"
"Is it that old Daoist we saw outside Floating Boat Market back when we were seeking immortality? I have a vague impression..."
Li Rulong thought for a moment and recalled.
"That Daoist has vast abilities and has gathered many fellow Daoists to hold an exchange meeting... He admires the Grand Marshal's bearing and has a letter here."
Fang Qing handed the letter to Guo Tianhong beside him, who then passed it to Li Rulong.
Watching Li Rulong open the letter and scan it.
"I see..."
Li Rulong's expression changed slightly. He suddenly pressed his hair bun.
The flying sword originally tucked into his hair bun immediately flew out, emitting a clear, ringing sword cry.
Fang Qing's pupils contracted, nearly thinking Li Rulong was about to attack.
"I have fully understood what is written in the letter. Many thanks for this, Fellow Daoist."
Li Rulong stood up and thanked him solemnly, then glanced at Guo Tianhong beside him: "Fellow Daoist Fang... if something happens to me in the future and you encounter this sworn sister of mine, please look after her a little."
'This tone... why does it sound so much like he's entrusting his orphan? Could the letter have written the truth?'
Fang Qing naturally did not dare to steal a look at a letter left by a suspected Purple Mansion cultivator and could only guess thus.
"Of course, of course. Since the matter is settled, I shall take my leave."
Fang Qing currently only wanted to shake off this trouble. He didn't even do business and directly bid farewell and left.
After he left, Guo Tianhong looked at Li Rulong's devastated face: "Big Brother... what happened?"
"I originally thought... if I acted as their dog, I could at least protect you, that we could both live, and perhaps even have the freedom of becoming immortals in the future..."
Li Rulong's eyes were vacant: "But now..."
...
Whoosh!
Fang Qing stepped on his Profound Ice Wheel and flew several hundred li in one go.
Gazing at the scenery below, he lowered his escape light and sat cross-legged on a green rock.
Splash!
Beside the green rock, there was a stream resembling a jade belt, flowing with a gentle murmur.
He stopped. Seemingly sitting cross-legged in meditation to recover consumed magical power, he was actually secretly operating the 《Plum Blossom Yi》 to divine the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of activating his transmigration at this moment.
Auspicious!
Empowered by the Dao Birth Pearl, the plum blossom in his Sea of Consciousness gave a hexagram.
"Hoo..."
Fang Qing let out a long breath, knowing that after completing his "scene," that deadly gaze had finally left him.
Even so, he did not dare activate his transmigration immediately. Instead, he traveled to many places, seemingly purchasing spiritual materials, but actually still casting one hexagram daily to ask after his safety.
Several months later.
Somewhere on Jadeite Island.
"Damn... finally back!"
Fang Qing, who had experienced the feeling of being seal-clubbed by a Purple Mansion cultivator, returned to his loyal Jadeite Island.
Ever since that last experience, he had been somewhat paranoid.
Even though he had returned to Jadeite Island where the flames of war already raged to the heavens, he actually felt that even with cultivators from both sides fighting great battles here, the one who came last time to assassinate him was merely Zhong Lingxiu at perfected Qi Condensation! How precious a thing was this?
In comparison, even if people died daily on Jadeite Island, it could be called "simple and honest folk customs."
"As expected, I am still suited to cultivating immortality in a place with such simple and honest folk customs..."
Fang Qing nodded in satisfaction and habitually began divining to ask after his safety.
"If I return to the sect at this time, it is inauspiciousness hiding within auspiciousness?"
"It seems that the final outcome of this great war won't be too damaging to the Azure Sea Sect?"
If it were before, even in an environment like Jadeite Island where the secrets of heaven were clear, wanting to divine the outcome of a great war involving several Golden Core ancestors and dozens of Foundation Establishment great cultivators, Fang Qing would definitely have been incapable.
But now, empowered by the Dao Birth Pearl, using divination techniques nonexistent in this world, it was simply a higher-dimensional strike!
'So-called Purple Mansion cultivators investigating karma thoroughly — it is nothing more than this, right?'
Fang Qing's mind elevated infinitely within the Plum Blossom Yi. Beyond auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, he saw even more hexagrams.
He saw Hua Lian, saw the Sea Dragon King Festival he had once attended... and a massive horned serpent demon beast with bumps on its head!
He also saw Zhong Lingxiu, and even one Foundation Establishment cultivator after another, and three somewhat blurry figures...
"So that's how it is..."
"It's a peak Second-Order horned serpent raised by the sect, about to advance to the Third Order?"
Fang Qing suddenly realized: "This is the true cause of this war! Once the horned serpent advances to the Third Order, it is equivalent to gaining another Golden Core combat strength... How could the Zhong Family and the Heavenly Heart Chain Islands possibly endure that?"
In this great war, countless cultivators died without even knowing why they died!
But now, Fang Qing knew.
"And this news — the Azure Sea Sect must be keeping it tightly under wraps. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators might not know... yet it leaked!"
"Because of Hua Lian! Even Flying Fish Island where he resides is comprised of traitors!"
"Even... Zha Zhu is somewhat off. Her physique is special. Beyond high-grade Water Spiritual Root, she has also awakened some kind of Spiritual Constitution... Once that Second-Order horned serpent devours her during its breakthrough, it can increase its chances of successfully transcending the tribulation..."