: The General's Test Diagram (Two-in-One)

2025-01-08 Author: Gu Zhenren

Everyone entered the main command tent, maintaining a hushed silence.

Ma Liangcai looked gloomy; he hadn't anticipated Mu Lan's deception. This reality indicated that many schemes from the royal capital had already gone awry.

Mu Lan sat upright in the commander's seat, sweeping her gaze over the cultivators entering the tent.

There were Nascent Soul level, Golden Core level, Foundation Establishment level, and so on.

But regardless of their cultivation base, they were all outstanding talents of the moment.

She was the tiger daughter of a military family and would never resign herself to being manipulated by others. Therefore, ever since she and the Crimson Flower Battalion faced difficulties, she had begun planning an escape route.

This time, she turned the enemy's scheme against them, feigning weakness to immediately clarify the situation.

"Ma Liangcai..."

He possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, a tall and slender figure, white eyebrows like frost, and profound eyes. He was one of the Five Great Generals of Liangzhu Kingdom, with illustrious military achievements. He uniquely combined military strategy and painting arts to command troops in battle.

In Mu Lan's heart, among the generals present, Ma Liangcai was undoubtedly the foremost. Even the proud Mu Lan admitted her own inadequacy. Even with the same cultivation level, she had little confidence in defeating him.

Without a doubt, he was the most threatening adversary at present!

"Sun Gan, Shuang Jing..."

Mu Lan's gaze swept past these two Nascent Soul cultivators.

Now, she saw clearly: "These two heard rumors from higher-ups, so they wanted to act early, aiming to seize control of the Grand General's residence before the monarch's move!"

"They are enemies, but they are also temporary allies who can be united to jointly resist Ma Liangcai."

Mu Lan then looked at Liu Er.

Her glance was the quickest.

"Half-human, half-demon mixed blood, skilled at opportunism, recklessly foolish, charging headlong into this political vortex."

"Also wants to covet the Grand General's seal? Even with the courage of a bear and leopard, one couldn't muster such confidence."

Though Mu Lan felt disgust and disdain, she also believed it was better to ally with Liu Er for now.

She then looked at Zhang Zhongyi.

To deceive the enemy, Mu Lan had even deceived Zhang Zhongyi.

But now, Zhang Zhongyi, this "victim," looked at Mu Lan with excitement, clearly not minding having been kept in the dark.

"Ning Zhuo..."

Mu Lan's gaze finally paused on the big-headed youth.

Although she was resentful that Ning Zhuo had repeatedly refused to dual cultivate with her, compared to the others present, she undoubtedly found Ning Zhuo the most agreeable.

Ning Zhuo also looked at Mu Lan, his clear eyes revealing curiosity and admiration.

This look eased Mu Lan's mood slightly.

But soon, her mood was spoiled by Ma Liangcai.

After taking his seat, Ma Liangcai took the initiative to attack: "Since General Mu Lan has awakened, it's a good time for a confrontation. These three main generals have successively slandered your integrity; it's truly detestable."

Mu Lan sneered, not concealing her expression as she looked at Ma Liangcai with disdain.

How could she possibly act according to her enemy's words?

She had heard the slander from these three generals quite clearly. But so what?

In a major campaign seeking victory, all means should be employed. At this moment of forming alliances, how could Mu Lan push potential allies away?

Yet the next moment, the envoy from the royal capital smirked sinisterly and looked at Shuang Jing: "General Shuang Jing, as a member of the royal family, it's time for you to speak."

Shuang Jing's expression was grim, but he still slightly turned his body and looked at Mu Lan: "General Mu Lan, the current situation is clear. Choose one from among me, Sun Gan, and Liu Er. Otherwise, I can no longer continue to support you."

"Alas, I too have my difficulties!"

His surname was Shuang; no matter how powerful his family's influence, it couldn't rival the royal family. In fact, a significant part of his family's authority came from the royal house.

The envoy from the royal capital, while entering the tent, had been using mental transmissions to shake Shuang Jing's stance.

He succeeded.

Using Shuang Jing as a breakthrough point, he caused him to switch sides in a short time, plunging Mu Lan back into a passive situation.

Mu Lan wanted to unite the weak to resist the strong, but the royal envoy acted first, dividing them internally by leveraging Shuang Jing to stir up internal strife.

The internal conflict within Mu Lan's faction was obvious—there was only one Grand General's seal. With three competitors—Liu, Shuang, and Sun—for one position, two were bound to be eliminated.

Mu Lan remained silent for a moment, then looked at Sun Gan.

Sun Gan first glanced at Shuang Jing with disdain, then fell into thought.

"Shuang Jing's foundation still lies with his family; the Shuang name alone makes him untrustworthy."

"Without him, Liu Er, a mere half-human, half-demon, is hardly worth mentioning."

"But as the commander of the imperial guards, if I stand by Mu Lan's side now to oppose Ma Liangcai, I'd be defying the royal decree. Returning to the capital in the future would surely bring me no good outcome."

"This is indeed quite risky."

Sun Gan commanded the Golden Halberd Army, which wasn't as fiercely loyal as the Crimson Flower Battalion.

Though Sun Gan clearly understood that the royal envoy's side was sowing discord, he also realized that if he were to defy the royal decree next, he should first secure his own interests. He didn't want to fight all-out without clear gains.

Thus, Sun Gan looked at Mu Lan: "I wonder what decision General Mu Lan will make?"

Mu Lan coldly glanced at Sun Gan, then turned to Ma Liangcai: "Since I have awakened, Ma Liangcai, your reason for taking over the Crimson Flower Battalion no longer holds."

"Why should I make a choice?"

"I can simply sideline you and continue achieving merits."

Ma Liangcai also sneered, not backing down: "General Mu Lan, that's a bit naive. At this point, wanting to return to the previous state is impossible."

Neither the royal faction nor Sun Gan and Shuang Jing would allow Mu Lan the independence to buy time and opportunity for a comeback.

The fate of the Crimson Flower Battalion, this blossom on the battlefield, must be clarified to the very end.

Until that point, the suppression, harassment, and encirclement against the Crimson Flower Battalion would continue.

Zhang Zhongyi clenched his fists, gritting his teeth.

His heart was filled with rage and hatred.

Ning Zhuo remained expressionless, but inwardly he was excited: "The博弈 of the righteous path has reached this point, so cold and cruel."

The cultivators in the tent showed no signs of moving against each other; not even a trace of magical power was stirred.

Yet they had once again pushed Mu Lan to the edge of the cliff.

Cultivation, magical treasures, spells—none were the most important at this moment. Wit, strategy, and skill were the key abilities.

Mu Lan took a deep breath and stared at Ma Liangcai: "Since that's the case, let's proceed to the final step."

"When you received your orders to come here, the monarch must have bestowed upon you a treasure. Bring it out."

Her situation was not good; she had been at a disadvantage all along.

Previously feigning unconsciousness had only bought her a chance for a direct confrontation.

Now, Sun Gan and Shuang Jing had been swiftly neutralized by the royal faction, leaving her no room to maneuver.

With no retreat left, Mu Lan had no choice but to proceed to the final contest.

Ma Liangcai nodded slightly and took out a scroll.

He unfurled it publicly, and everyone immediately recognized it as a General's Test Diagram.

Once unfolded, the diagram was about eighteen feet long and six feet wide. The drawing was on slightly yellowed xuan paper, showing signs of age.

The four edges of the scroll were bordered with gold thread, slightly curled.

The entire picture was filled with numerous talismans. These talismans varied in size, numbering in the thousands, densely arranged.

Ning Zhuo felt dizzy after just one glance, his spiritual sense being drawn in as if about to fall into some illusion. He quickly closed his eyes and withdrew all his spiritual sense.

But Mu Lan stroked the General's Test Diagram and spoke reminiscently: "In the past, my father, seeing the critical situation on the front lines, volunteered to lead the remnants of the defeated troops into another battle."

"Before that, he had no record as a main commander and faced much skepticism from his comrades. The monarch praised his courage and was willing to produce the General's Test Diagram as a trial."

"My father passed the test on the diagram, proving himself. He then led the remnants, counterattacked, seized an enemy weakness on the battlefield, charged into the enemy formation, killed the enemy chieftain, caused the enemy's morale to collapse, and achieved a great victory!"

"After his triumphant return, the monarch asked him what reward he desired."

"Father requested these remnant troops who had fought alongside him in battle, which later became the Crimson Flower Battalion."

"As father won repeated victories, achieving illustrious results, the Crimson Flower Battalion grew larger and larger, eventually arousing suspicion in the imperial court."

"During one of my father's returns to the court for debriefing, he reached an agreement with the monarch."

"In the future, if the monarch were to disband the Crimson Flower Battalion, it would only be because the Grand General's residence had no worthy successor, incapable of leading this army."

"And to prove this, the General's Test Diagram would be used."

Through Mu Lan's account, everyone in the tent came to a sudden realization.

This博弈 between monarch and subject had begun long ago. Both sides were of the righteous path and would never push things to a mutually destructive end, both avoiding becoming ultimate losers.

Therefore, Old General Mu and the monarch had long ago agreed upon a bottom line.

The Crimson Flower Battalion and the Mu Grand General's residence began with the General's Test Diagram, so naturally, the test would be conducted using it. If Mu Lan passed, the Grand General's residence could continue.

But if she failed, then the Mu Grand General's residence would be dissolved or replaced.

Mu Lan withdrew her gaze, slightly raised her head, looked at Ma Liangcai, then at Sun Gan, Shuang Jing, and the others: "Since all of you have ambitions, why not enter the diagram and battle? Reenact the past to decide the future!"

Ma Liangcai's strength was outstanding; Mu Lan had little confidence in defeating him, so she still wanted to drag Sun Gan, Shuang Jing, and the others into the fray.

If the battle turned unfavorable, she could temporarily agree to terms, exchanging support from either Sun Gan or Shuang Jing.

Liu Er was the first to agree immediately, stating that if going all out, he hoped to summon Generals Guan Hong and Zhang Hei.

Seeing this, Sun Gan and Shuang Jing could only hold their noses and agree to participate.

Guan Hong soon arrived at the tent.

Zhang Hei, who had been captured by Sun Gan, was immediately released. After all, Ma Liangcai's side was the strongest enemy.

Once everyone was gathered, they all projected their spiritual sense into the General's Test Diagram.

Soon, each cultivator stood still on the spot, retaining a small portion of their spiritual sense in their bodies while the majority was drawn into the diagram.

The General's Test Diagram's scroll began to glow brilliantly.

Countless talismans flickered, emitting lights of different colors. The talismans flowed dynamically, moving faster and faster until they converged into a swirling vortex of light.

Amidst the dazzling colors, most of Ning Zhuo's spiritual sense condensed into his own form.

He looked around and immediately spotted Liu, Guan, and Zhang. He reached down to touch his waist and found that Sun Lingtong was still inside the Mechanical Wandering Dragon.

He had secretly sent a mental message to Mu Lan, asking her to allow Sun Lingtong's participation.

After all, one more person meant one more chance of victory for their side.

Besides Liu, Guan, and Zhang, there were also faint shadows of four to five hundred soldiers around.

Guan Hong stroked his beard: "This is a minor General's Test Diagram. It doesn't have many passes or terrain features. Upon entry, it assigns soldiers based on our cultivation and military expertise."

Zhang Hei shouted: "Hurry up and train the troops! That Ma Liangcai isn't someone to be trifled with."

Ning Zhuo offered a plan: "Besides training, we should also send out scouts to explore the surroundings, preventing us from being too close to Ma Liangcai and attracting his attack first."

"Moreover, we need to link up with General Mu Lan. Relying solely on us isn't enough; we must unite to resist Ma Liangcai together."

Liu Er nodded, quite approving of this suggestion, and immediately acted accordingly.

Triangle Arrow Formation.

Long Serpent Formation.

After just two or three rounds of training, the soldier shadows already began to take shape.

The training effect here was far better than in reality!

After another two or three rounds, the soldier shadows became more solid, and their appearances changed.

Previously, they were just blurry humanoid shapes with visible limbs and torsos. Now, not only were their limbs and torsos clear, but their heads also changed, becoming triangular snake heads.

"Xiao Zhuo, what if we participate in the training? How would that be?" Sun Lingtong, witnessing this process, became eager to try.

He had previously used the Soldier-General Shared Helmet to read "Gao Sheng's Posthumous Writings" and learned the Thief's Light Wind Formation.

Ning Zhuo thought for a moment: "Adding another battle formation would certainly be better!"

"Ma Liangcai has illustrious military achievements: Broken Soul Ridge, Red Water River, the Relief of East Mountain, the Ghost Flame Gorge battle—he displayed outstanding performance, even decisive roles."

"Our Generals Guan Hong and Zhang Hei are not in top form. Although Mu Lan has awakened, she still carries injuries."

"Shuang Jing's strength lies more in equipment; here in the test diagram, that advantage is lost."

"Finally, Sun Gan is the commander of the imperial guards, having spent most of his life protecting the capital with little experience in battlefield combat."

"However, Boss, it's still better not to expose yourself!"

Ma Liangcai was a famous general of Liangzhu Kingdom; Ning Zhuo naturally knew some relevant intelligence.

Ning Zhuo snapped back to reality and immediately advised, saying he also had a battle formation. Currently, the speed of training in the test diagram depended on the generals' mastery of the formations, unlike reality which required time and effort. So, he wanted to give it a try.

This delighted the three generals—Liu, Guan, and Zhang.

They had been troubled by having only two battle formations, lacking variety and being easily countered.

Ning Zhuo's initiative pleasantly surprised the three generals, who agreed to let him lead the training.

Ning Zhuo ostensibly gave orders on behalf of Sun Lingtong. After five rounds, he had the soldiers master the Thief's Light Wind Formation.

"Strategist, what battle formation is this? Forgive my ignorance, but I've never heard of it," Guan Hong asked curiously, which was rare for him.

Ning Zhuo replied that it was the Light Body Swift Wind Formation, which could increase the army's marching speed and aid in stealth and concealment.

Sun Lingtong's grasp of military strategy was inferior to the three generals. It took him another five rounds to practice it proficiently.

Next, the three generals practiced their respective tactics, which also brought slight changes to the soldiers' shadow forms.

Ning Zhuo also took the opportunity to practice his Warrior's Return Technique, arousing the three generals' curiosity again, as they couldn't discern any effect after the tactic was executed.

"Strategist, what exactly did you practice?"

(End of )