: Spirit Sound Pulse Detection

Zhang Zhongyi stood up and cursed directly: "Sun Gan, I never expected you to be such a despicable villain!"

Sun Gan snorted coldly: "Zhang Zhongyi, you useless waste, what are you shouting about? Keep yelling, and I'll act as the Old Monster in the Stone and attack you right now. Who in the Red Flower Camp can stop me?"

"You!!!" Zhang Zhongyi was left speechless with anger.

Sun Gan then turned his gaze to Mu Lan: "Little girl, think it over carefully. I'm in no hurry, hehehe."

After saying that, his figure slowly faded and disappeared.

Mu Lan clenched her fists, veins bulging on the back of her hands, her entire body trembling with rage.

She came from the Upper General's Mansion and possessed the pride of a noble family. Being forced into such a situation was nothing short of a profound humiliation to her!

"Dreaming of using me as a stepping stone to seize the Upper General's Seal? What a fantasy!"

"I would rather die than submit." A determined light flashed in Mu Lan's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi immediately grew anxious.

He had joined the army voluntarily to repay a favor and had even contributed almost all his wealth. He hadn't come to witness the fall of the Upper General's Mansion with his own eyes.

That would be far too cruel for him.

He absolutely did not want to see Mu Lan die.

So, Zhang Zhongyi immediately pleaded earnestly: "Niece, don't act on impulse."

"If you die, wouldn't Elder General Mu fall gravely ill upon hearing the tragic news?"

"You mastered a divine ability at the Golden Core stage, with such talent, wouldn't it be a pity to die prematurely?"

"Those enemies of the Upper General's Mansion would laugh themselves silly seeing you perish so easily."

Having spent time together, Zhang Zhongyi had come to understand Mu Lan well. Thus, his劝说 struck a chord deep within her.

She stood still for a long time, her expression gradually softening, and her clenched fists slowly relaxed.

The female general took a deep breath, her voice calm: "Uncle Zhang, your earlier suggestion was right."

"I need to find someone for dual cultivation to resolve the hidden danger within me!"

"That Ning Zhuo isn't bad. I wonder if he has made up his mind?"

"I'll have to trouble you to make a trip for me."

Zhang Zhongyi nodded repeatedly: "Alright, once your injury is stabilized, I'll go seek his help immediately."

Hearing this, the corner of Mu Lan's eye twitched slightly, a闷气憋在心里. Since when did she, the daughter of the堂堂 Upper General, a scion of a military family, have to seek help for dual cultivation?

Utterly unreasonable!

Zhang Zhongyi also knew that time was of the essence and hurried his treatment as much as possible.

A short while later, he quietly left the Red Flower Camp, arrived near the Three Generals Camp, and sent a flying message.

Ning Zhuo secretly welcomed Zhang Zhongyi into his own tent.

"Please, Young Master Ning Zhuo, save our general once!" Zhang Zhongyi bowed deeply to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was startled and quickly helped Zhang Zhongyi up: "Why such formality, Lord Zhang? Your help in treating my illness has benefited me greatly. If there is anything I can assist with, I will definitely not refuse. Please speak plainly!"

Zhang Zhongyi then explained the intention of dual cultivation.

Ning Zhuo frowned deeply and sighed: "Regarding this matter, I'm afraid I am powerless."

"I had previously written to my family to inquire about this."

"It turns out that my family's patriarch has already arranged a marriage for me, with a daughter of the Southern Bean Kingdom's royal family."

"My Ning family has taken root in the Southern Bean Kingdom. In the future, my marriage alliance with the Zhu family of the royal house will surely allow me to lead the Ning family and reach greater heights."

"It is my lack of fortune, unworthy of General Mu Lan, missing this good opportunity, truly regrettable!"

Zhang Zhongyi was taken aback, his face full of disappointment.

But after thinking for a moment, he asked again, unwilling to give up: "Young Master Ning Zhuo, dual cultivation and marriage alliances aren't always related. Our side only seeks dual cultivation."

"Could it be that the marriage agreement between the Southern Bean Kingdom's royal daughter and you stipulates the preservation of your Primordial Yang?"

Ning Zhuo hesitated for a moment before replying: "Not exactly."

"However, preserving my Primordial Yang is a sign of respect for the marriage alliance and for the Zhu family."

"As far as I know, that noble daughter of the Zhu family has also preserved her own Primordial Yin."

"If I were to lose my Primordial Yang prematurely here, it would be disgraceful."

"It might even cause misunderstandings with the Zhu family, leading to the failure of this marriage alliance that concerns my entire family. In that case, my fault would be great! Alas."

Zhang Zhongyi fell into a long silence.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo asked again: "Given General Mu Lan's strength, it's impossible for her to lose to General Zhang."

"I had guessed at the time that it was probably due to General Mu Lan's old injury flaring up."

"In my opinion, General Mu Lan is in real danger this time."

He did not hide anything from Zhang Zhongyi, informing him about Shuang Jing's two previous banquets for him, and how during the second morning tea, he learned of Shuang Jing's plot against Mu Lan and immediately refused the recruitment offer.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi clasped his hands towards Ning Zhuo: "I果然没有看错 you, Young Master Ning. Your character is noble and upright, selfless, your words and deeds are consistent, and you act openly and honestly. An ordinary person would likely have been swayed by power schemes and temptations, falling into them. But you, young master, can always adhere to your principles, unswayed by such things, truly demonstrating high integrity and the demeanor of a gentleman."

Ning Zhuo smiled and quickly waved his hand: "You flatter me, senior. It's just that I have always been taught this way by my family elders."

"Senior Zhang, I have some minor ability in the Metal element. Although I cannot agree to dual cultivation, I can still offer my humble assistance here. Perhaps I can help you treat General Mu Lan."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi's eyes lit up, and the experience of him and Ning Zhuo cooperating to mostly cure Sun Lingtong immediately came to mind.

He couldn't help but get excited: "Could it be that Young Master Ning Zhuo's comprehension in the Metal element is comparable to your understanding in the Earth path?"

Ning Zhuo smiled: "They are quite similar."

Zhang Zhongyi exclaimed in surprise, viewing Ning Zhuo in a new light once again: "Young Master Ning Zhuo truly is a seed of cultivation, a prodigious talent."

Ning Zhuo said: "However, there are three difficulties in treating General Mu Lan's injury."

Zhang Zhongyi: "Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

Ning Zhuo raised the index finger of his left hand: "First, the 'Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art' is the hereditary technique of the Upper General's Mansion. For me to assist General Mu Lan, I'm afraid I would need to understand the entire manual, which might violate the principles of a family's inheritance."

Ning Zhuo raised the middle finger of his left hand: "Second, General Mu Lan's condition is different from our previous collaboration. Her issue is the conflict between her cultivation technique and her female body, not an injury related to Dao principles. Therefore, to what extent it can be treated, I cannot estimate."

He then raised the ring finger of his left hand: "Third..."

Ning Zhuo hesitated before saying: "During the previous ambush battle, General Mu Lan handed Ma Feitui over to our army. Although I can understand it, the soldiers in our army are still resentful. This time, General Zhang's commotion in the Red Flower Camp isn't just about the conflict among soldiers; there's also the factor of old grievances."

"My assistance this time is solely out of respect for you, Lord Zhang. General Mu Lan possesses extraordinary strength, is well-versed in military strategy, and is an excellent commander. But to be honest, she is not a good friend!"

"Therefore, although I am willing to help, I must also consider the feelings of Generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, as well as the soldiers of our Three Generals Camp."

"For me to intervene, General Mu Lan must personally come to request it and apologize for the incident during the ambush battle."

Ning Zhuo concluded: "It's not that I am unreasonable, but as the Military Advisor Sacrificial Wine of the Three Generals Camp, I get along quite harmoniously with the three generals and do not wish to cause them distress."

Zhang Zhongyi sighed deeply: "So there are so many difficulties!"

Although he was a famous physician, his strategic ability was shallow, and he often acted on impulse and emotion.

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have offended the monarch in the royal capital back then, incurring punishment and falling from the Nascent Soul level to the Golden Core stage.

If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have decided to join the army immediately upon hearing that Mu Lan and the Red Flower Camp were in困境, and contributed almost all his wealth as military funds.

Therefore, Ning Zhuo's analysis broadened Zhang Zhongyi's perspective and clarified the situation for him.

Zhang Zhongyi clasped his hands towards Ning Zhuo: "This matter must be reported back to General Mu Lan for her decision."

Ning Zhuo smiled: "I'll see you out, Lord Zhang."

The two secretly left the camp again.

Meanwhile, far away in the main commander's tent, Liu Er was激动得 rapidly pacing inside the tent, unable to contain himself.

"Dual cultivation?!"

"So that's how it is, that's how it is!"

"So that's why teacher gave me the Yin-Yang Unity Pot, for this matter."

Liu Er was of mixed human-demon blood, possessing the lineage of the Six-Eared Macaque demon race. Hence, he had a natural talent since childhood called Spirit Sound Pulse Detection.

When this talent was activated, it granted Liu Er exceptional hearing, allowing him to hear sounds from afar, trace their origins, and discern the reasoning behind events.

While stationed in the camp, he often used this talent to eavesdrop on the soldiers' discussions, thus understanding their thoughts and concerns and addressing them appropriately.

This included Guan Hong and Zhang Hei.

Because of this, Liu Er's understanding of the two of them was far deeper than they estimated.

Part of the reason why Guan Hong and Zhang Hei found their interactions with Liu Er increasingly harmonious was also due to this.

This time, Liu Er overheard a crucial piece of information: the secret revealed during the exchange between Zhang Zhongyi and Ning Zhuo!

Liu Er learned about Mu Lan's injury and hidden danger, and her urgent need for dual cultivation.

"As the saying goes, Yin and Yang energies. With my Yin-Yang Unity Pot, if lent to Mu Lan, she could convert her own Yin energy into Yang energy, cultivate the Mysterious Gold Armor-Breaking Art without any hidden dangers, and become even more compatible with it. Her cultivation speed would surely skyrocket!"

"However..."

Various thoughts surged in Liu Er's upper dantian divine sea.

Mu Lan's困境 ignited the ambition in his heart like a blazing flame!

"That Sun Gan wants dual cultivation, using that名义 to take control of the Upper General's Seal."

"One has to admit, that is a potentially successful path."

"The Upper General's Seal... This is the authority that Elder General Mu worked hard for almost his entire life to obtain. If I could acquire it, how many years of detours could I avoid? How many years of struggle and effort could I save?"

Thinking of this, Liu Er couldn't help but lick his dry lips.

"I have Primordial Yang too!"

"Why can't I engage in dual cultivation with General Mu Lan?"

"Not only do I want to dual cultivate, but I can also scheme for the Upper General's Seal, can't I?"

Liu Er pondered deeply.

Soon, he shook his head slightly, troubled: "It's difficult."

"I am of mixed human-demon blood; compared to Ning Zhuo, my status is too low."

"Just now, I heard from Zhang Zhongyi that even the堂堂禁军统领 Sun Gan resorted to coercion. My status is even lower than his."

"What should I do?"

Liu Er paced for a moment, then slapped his head: "Why not directly ask the Military Advisor! He has a marriage agreement and cannot engage in dual cultivation with Mu Lan."

"Moreover, the Military Advisor is clever-minded, has a good relationship with Zhang Zhongyi, and is even viewed favorably by Mu Lan."

"With his help, my chances of success in this matter would surely increase greatly!"

(End of )