: The Hidden Move

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2025-01-02

Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged on a magical instrument cushion, wisps of cloud swirling around him as he chewed on spiritual food.

He was cultivating.

Demon-Tainted Blood Tendon Technique!

Within the Blood Earth Demon Tendon Dantian, the ground was layered with blood-red tendons. Inside these tendons, blood energy surged fiercely, flowing incessantly. With each beat of Ning Zhuo's heart, it rose and fell like a natural tide.

Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art!

In the Five Qi Celestial Pivot Dantian, a swirling vortex of five colors stood like a pillar between heaven and earth, towering and unyielding. The five elemental energies were sometimes distinct, sometimes merged seamlessly, shifting effortlessly.

Mirror Platform Spirit Channeling Art!

The Clear Mirror Spirit Light Dantian was cloudless, its upper and lower surfaces smooth and flat, like two giant mirrors reflecting the cosmos.

Between these celestial mirrors, countless smaller mirror-like thoughts floated silently.

Ning Zhuo's face first glowed with a red demonic light, blood energy overflowing, then became wrapped in a five-colored radiance that seeped into the inner clouds. Finally, his aura contracted, and a Buddhist serenity rose, filling his face with compassion.

He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath.

His essence, blood, magic power, and spiritual sense were all at their peak, making his eyes gleam with vigor, full of vitality and strength!

He looked around, pondering, "With ample funds now, it's time to set up an array in the cultivation chamber to aid my practice."

"Given my Five Elements realm, setting up a Five Qi Return to Origin Array should be within my capabilities."

"Excluding rare treasures like the National Power Bricks, having an array to assist cultivation will, in the long run, accumulate benefits steadily. It’s definitely advantageous!"

Ning Zhuo hid within the Ten-Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon.

Ever since Liu Er expressed his intention to publicly pursue Mu Lan, Ning Zhuo had anticipated that the Three Generals Camp would face severe retaliation.

So, he disappeared in advance, hiding inside the Ten-Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon to guard against possible attacks.

Of course, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Wandering Dragon didn’t leave the Three Generals Camp outright but remained hidden in a corner of the military camp. Under Sun Lingtong’s control, it periodically relocated to avoid staying in one place for too long.

Ning Zhuo ended his cultivation session, opened the cabin door, and stepped out.

Arriving at the dragon-head cabin, Sun Lingtong said to him, "Xiao Zhuo, you guessed correctly."

"Zhang Hei has been captured, Guan Hong was stabbed, and as for Liu Er, he’s likely being detained temporarily in the City Lord’s mansion."

Sun Lingtong showed Ning Zhuo the footage of Guan Hong’s attack.

After watching, Ning Zhuo felt heavy-hearted. "This Golden Core-level assassin is very strong. If I were Guan Hong, I’d probably have lost my head already."

"Sun Gan and Shuang Jing’s intense reaction shows they want to settle this quickly."

"The struggle over Mu Lan, the Red Flower Camp, and the Upper General’s estate likely won’t last much longer."

It was based on this judgment that Ning Zhuo resisted the urge to use his three National Power Bricks.

Sun Lingtong asked, "Xiao Zhuo, what should we do next?"

Ning Zhuo replied, "No one knows our true intentions—that’s our advantage. Let’s hold still for now and watch how Liu Er, Sun Gan, and Shuang Jing confront each other."

"I’m growing more and more curious about what trump card Liu Er has up his sleeve."

Ning Zhuo patiently waited for Liu Er’s return.

Liu Er returned to camp hurriedly, unable to hide his agitation.

He never expected the counterattack to be so fierce and violent.

"Chances are, Sun Gan and Shuang Jing have already joined forces!"

"Ah!"

With a heavy heart, Liu Er returned to camp and went straight to Guan Hong’s tent.

"Second Brother, where are you injured? Let me see!" Liu Er called out with genuine concern.

Touched, Guan Hong shook his head. "Big Brother, don’t worry too much. I’m still alive, and the injury isn’t serious."

"Not serious?!" After examining the wound on Guan Hong’s arm, Liu Er’s eyes reddened. He grasped Guan Hong’s arm. "I’ve implicated you and Third Brother."

"Big Brother, as men roaming the world, how can we fear injury? This is nothing—it’ll heal with rest," Guan Hong declared with masculine pride.

Liu Er sighed. "Your right arm was already injured. Now it’s worse. Perhaps we can ask Zhang Zhongyi to treat it."

"Given our current relationship with the Red Flower Camp, it shouldn’t be hard to enlist Zhang Zhongyi’s help."

Guan Hong nodded. "Big Brother, my injury isn’t critical. What’s truly urgent is rescuing Third Brother."

Ning Zhuo suddenly appeared. "Generals, General Zhang Hei was recently appointed as a Capture General by the Two Pillars Kingdom. He won’t be in mortal danger."

"Strategist!" Seeing Ning Zhuo safe and sound, Liu Er and Guan Hong’s eyes lit up, visibly relieved.

Ning Zhuo was now the Three Generals Camp’s treasury.

If he were assassinated, the camp wouldn’t last long.

To the Three Generals Camp, Ning Zhuo was indispensable!

Ning Zhuo clasped his hands and apologized, expressing shame for hiding instead of standing with Guan Hong to share the pressure.

Liu Er and Guan Hong both said that Ning Zhuo, being only at the Foundation Establishment stage, had done well to protect himself. Resisting strong enemies was the responsibility of the three Golden Core cultivators. Ning Zhuo’s self-preservation had already saved them much effort—his performance was more than satisfactory!

Ning Zhuo then suggested that Liu Er seek Mu Lan’s help to rescue Zhang Hei. As the heir to the Upper General’s estate, she surely had remaining connections in the court.

Having been detained by the City Lord of Canglin Immortal City, which led to his second brother’s injury and third brother’s capture, Liu Er now saw the City Lord’s true colors clearly.

He followed the plan and visited Mu Lan at the Red Flower Camp.

Mu Lan, already informed, met with Liu Er immediately. She said she had sent letters to the royal capital to mobilize her connections.

However, she also told Liu Er she had no feelings for him. They could be allies against common enemies, and she promised that if he wished, she would take him into her estate once she controlled the Upper General’s seal. This would allow him to break through the limitations of his half-human, half-demon status and become a high-ranking official in the Two Pillars Kingdom.

Liu Er insisted his feelings for Mu Lan were sincere and that his help was driven by personal emotion, not greed for benefits.

Returning to the Three Generals Camp, Liu Er unusually shattered a cup.

His heart burned with rage!

Whether it was Shuang Jing, Sun Gan, or Mu Lan, they all looked down on him.

The fierce reactions of the first two showed they considered Liu Er’s pursuit of Mu Lan an insult!

As for Mu Lan, even in such a dire situation and with Liu Er’s crucial aid, she refused to lower her stance, offering no pretense of courtesy.

"How difficult it is for someone like me to achieve greatness!"

Liu Er’s heart was filled with bitterness.

His mixed bloodline was truly unwelcome.

"Following my teacher’s advice to openly express my admiration for Mu Lan was what provoked this suppression."

"And this is only the first day."

"In the days to come, I fear..."

At this thought, Liu Er’s expression turned grave.

That very night, a fire broke out in the Three Generals Camp, destroying many supplies.

Over the following days, soldiers in the camp began disappearing without a trace.

Shuang Jing went all out, offering high prices to secretly poach personnel from the Three Generals Camp.

The camp’s soldiers were already dissatisfied—the previous ambush had cost them without gains. Even when merits were earned, the three generals and Ning Zhuo benefited the most.

Thus, more and more soldiers voluntarily left to join the White Jade Camp.

Liu Er approached Ning Zhuo, hoping he would contribute more funds to stabilize morale.

But Ning Zhuo shook his head. "Our financial resources are limited. Competing with Shuang Jing in a bidding war would be unwise."

"This isn’t entirely bad."

"Those with divided loyalties leaving voluntarily means those who remain are more reliable, right?"

Though Ning Zhuo’s wealth had grown, he had no intention of burning money on this issue.

He believed the Mu Lan situation wouldn’t drag on and would soon be resolved.

"This struggle isn’t centered on me."

"Liu Er hasn’t played his trump card yet. Even if he fails, the contest between Shuang Jing and Sun Gan will be a fierce battle."

Seeing Ning Zhuo’s refusal, Liu Er suppressed his discontent and sighed deeply.

"Big Brother! Look what this is?"

The tent flap was thrown open as Guan Hong, covered in blood, barged in.

He tossed a severed head onto the ground, his aura boiling with killing intent.

Liu Er and Ning Zhuo were shocked but delighted to recognize the head as that of the assassin who had attacked Guan Hong.

"Second Brother, how did you manage this?" Liu Er asked.

Guan Hong stroked his beard proudly. "That day, though severely injured, I managed to slash the assassin with my blade technique, leaving a tracking mark."

"I didn’t act immediately, letting him attack our soldiers repeatedly."

"The more he struck, the more complacent he became."

"Today, sensing his return, I ambushed and killed him!"

Ning Zhuo immediately praised, "General Guan Hong, your might is unparalleled!"

Liu Er also applauded. "With this head, our morale will surely soar! Second Brother, you’ve done excellently."

The assassin’s head was hung on a flagpole in the morning but mysteriously disappeared by afternoon.

Morale in the Three Generals Camp soared in the morning, dipped in the afternoon, and plummeted further by evening.

The reason: news spread through the immortal city and military camps that Mu Lan of the Red Flower Camp had suddenly collapsed from injury and fallen into a coma.

Liu Er and the others rushed to the camp to verify the truth.

Mu Lan indeed lay in bed, face pale as gold, unconscious.

"I heard General Mu Lan vomited blood and collapsed during training. What happened?" Liu Er asked urgently.

Zhang Zhongyi sighed. "Based on clues gathered afterward, it seems someone secretly used the ‘Defeat Soldiers and Fallen Generals’ tactic!"

"Our Red Flower Camp was defeated in the recent ambush, making us the ‘defeated soldiers.’"

"General Mu Lan was training hard when this military strategy struck her. The army’s energy backlash achieved the ‘fallen general’ effect, causing her to vomit blood and collapse. While her life isn’t in danger, she likely won’t wake for three days."

This dire news shocked Liu Er and Ning Zhuo into exchanging uneasy glances.

Zhang Zhongyi clasped his hands. "Generals Liu and Ning, I beg you to assist in protecting General Mu Lan to prevent further attacks."

Liu Er agreed immediately.

Ning Zhuo, however, pondered. "Sun Gan and Shuang Jing aim for the Upper General’s seal, so they’ll surely keep Mu Lan alive."

"They must have a hidden move!"

"That hidden move is what we should be most wary of."

But what was the hidden move? After some discussion, lacking intelligence, they reached no conclusion.

The next day.

The gates of the Red Flower Camp were hurriedly opened.

Zhang Zhongyi, Liu Er, Ning Zhuo, and others went out to welcome a messenger from the royal capital.

The envoy held his head high, clutching an imperial edict as he stepped down from his carriage.

"Where is General Mu Lan?" the envoy asked condescendingly, his demeanor hostile.

Ning Zhuo and Liu Er exchanged a brief glance, a strong sense of foreboding rising in their hearts.

This hidden move carried far more weight than they had imagined!

(End of )