: Resolving Grudges Over a Drink

"My luck this time has truly been good," Ning Zhuo sighed sincerely.

Liu Er had stepped forward proactively, drawing much of the hostility and damage onto himself, allowing Ning Zhuo to follow along all the way to the final showdown. At the decisive moment, he used the Hero's Return Technique to secure ultimate victory. The best part was that Ning Zhuo had kept his true intentions hidden from start to finish. All the competitors, even involved parties like Mu Lan, believed Ning Zhuo had no interest in the position and only accepted it in the end due to circumstances.

Sun Lingtong exclaimed in admiration, "Xiao Zhuo, you're truly a talent for the righteous path!" He was the only one who knew the inside story.

This way, even though Ning Zhuo reaped the greatest reward, he didn't become the target of public criticism. Instead, he maintained good relationships with most people. In fact, they now owed him a significant favor in return.

As for Mu Lan, she had to stabilize Ning Zhuo and maintain the marital title to buy more time for achieving merits and accomplishments. For the three generals Liu, Guan, and Zhang, Ning Zhuo was the financial backer of their camp, making it essential for them to maintain a good relationship with him.

Shuang Jing and Sun Gan viewed Ning Zhuo with complex emotions, mostly envy and jealousy—how could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator walk away with such a huge advantage? The one who should resent Ning Zhuo the most was Ma Liangcai, whose efforts fell short precisely because of Ning Zhuo. However, this resentment was greatly reduced because Ning Zhuo publicly agreed with Mu Lan that they "would definitely separate."

"You lucky brat, don't push your luck after getting a good deal!" the capital envoy said arrogantly, looking down on Ning Zhuo with a condescending gaze.

Ning Zhuo quickly explained that his real reason for wanting to separate was not out of disrespect for Liangzhu Kingdom, and he held General Mu's residence in high esteem. It was just that he had to take responsibility for his family and provide a clear explanation to the Zhu royal family of Nandou Kingdom.

Involving the royal family of another country, and given that Nandou Kingdom was much stronger than Liangzhu Kingdom, the capital envoy's arrogant expression softened considerably.

The others were even more speechless. In their eyes: those who wanted it couldn't get it, while the one who didn't want it became the son-in-law of General Mu's residence.

"Fate ah..." Shuang Jing sighed, looking up at the sky.

Sun Gan remained silent, already contemplating his next steps. This time, he had acted against Ma Liangcai and soured relations with the Red Flower Camp, suffering considerable losses. Now, his only hope was to achieve merits on the main battlefield. Otherwise, returning to the capital would surely bring him trouble.

"Come, Young Master Ning Zhuo. Since everyone is here as witnesses, let us formalize the marriage contract right here!" Mu Lan, worried about potential complications or changes from Ning Zhuo's side, was eager to settle the matter. This marriage contract held immense significance for her and the entire General Mu's residence, and she dared not be careless.

The capital envoy nodded, "Indeed, once the marriage contract is sealed, this matter is concluded, and I can report back to the king."

Liu Er opened his mouth to speak, but after his Adam's apple bobbed, he could only watch helplessly as Ning Zhuo and Mu Lan entered into the marriage contract. The moment it was finalized, he felt as if he had stepped into emptiness, his whole being hollow, sensing he had lost a treasure of a lifetime. Honestly, though his pursuit of Mu Lan was mostly for功利, deep down, he truly admired her. Now, looking at Ning Zhuo, a surge of disgust and hatred welled up in his heart.

Liu Er quickly shook his head, as if to shake off these negative emotions. "Liu Er, Liu Er, what are you thinking? Ning Zhuo didn't want this outcome either. In fact, the strategist helped me throughout, only for things to go awry in the end, leading to this result. He defeated Ma Liangcai because the latter was at the end of his strength, and Ning Zhuo used the extraordinary military tactic, the Hero's Return Technique."

The more Liu Er thought, the more negative emotions swelled. "Damn it, why wasn't I the final victor?" So frustrating! After all his efforts, someone else reaped the rewards. "If Ning Zhuo had used the Hero's Return Technique on me earlier, wouldn't I have been the ultimate winner? No, he made it clear before that he wasn't proficient in this tactic yet. Using it rashly risked severe backlash if it failed. So, he only attempted it at the last moment and succeeded. So, I can only blame my bad luck!"

Still so mad! "With my royal destiny, why is my luck so poor? How do I explain this outcome to my teacher? Indeed, the Three Generals Camp ultimately won. But my mixed heritage caused exclusion. If I weren't half-demon, I could have married Mu Lan!"

The more Liu Er thought, the angrier he became, clenching his fists and nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

Guan Hong and Zhang Hei felt awkward. On one side was the strategist, on the other their sworn brother; both competing for a woman, and the young strategist won, albeit unwillingly. For these two tough men, the situation was rather complicated.

"Esteemed seniors, please stay. Now that the dispute is settled, stability is better than chaos, no matter what. This is a joyful occasion. Allow me to host a banquet in the city to entertain everyone! Firstly, with the great battle approaching, we must rely on each other to face the powerful enemy. Secondly, I will eventually separate from General Mu Lan and wish to be friends with all, not enemies. I joined the army only to seek revenge against the Six Caves Sect and seek justice for my Ning family," Ning Zhuo proposed with a bitter smile.

Dressed in white, though only at Foundation Establishment, he carried the confidence of a great clan, handling himself with ease even when conversing with Golden Core or Nascent Soul cultivators. Confident enough to issue the invitation. What can one say? He simply exuded the demeanor of the righteous path throughout!

Ma Liangcai shook his head, "No need!" He refused immediately. His mission was under royal decree, and he had failed. Staying for a banquet under such circumstances would imply negligence or even accepting bribes from Ning Zhuo. For Ma Liangcai, the correct course was to return to the capital immediately, meet the king, and apologize in person. For a renowned general like him, failing once or twice wasn't critical, but losing the king's favor would be disastrous.

The capital envoy similarly declined Ning Zhuo's invitation. However, Shuang Jing and Sun Gan agreed. These two factions had strained relations with the Red Flower Camp by coveting the general's residence. Now that Ning Zhuo offered a way out, they were happy to take the opportunity to mend ties with the Red Flower Camp through him.

Such is the way of the righteous path. One moment rivals, the next reconciled. Often,利益 dictates立场. With the great battle imminent, these armies needed to support each other to achieve more.

With Shuang Jing and Sun Gan agreeing, Liu, Guan, and Zhang had no reason to refuse. Mu Lan felt resentful but recognized Ning Zhuo's move as wise and joined them.

Ning Zhuo didn't hold back, choosing the most luxurious restaurant in Cangling Immortal City and ordering a high-standard banquet. This single feast cost him over ten thousand mid-grade spirit stones! Considering a Golden Core cultivator's monthly income typically ranged from three to eight thousand mid-grade spirit stones, with lower earners making thirty to forty thousand annually, Ning Zhuo's one-meal expense of over ten thousand was quite shocking.

Mu Lan's expression was complex, with much she wanted to say but held back. With that money, she could have paid the Red Flower Camp's wages!

"Young friend Ning Zhuo truly lives up to being from a great clan," Shuang Jing remarked. He used to be similarly extravagant but couldn't afford it now after the White Jade Camp's heavy losses in the ambush.

Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, "This time, my family granted me more authority to use funds. Avenging against the Six Caves Sect is my main goal. In the upcoming battle, I look forward to collaborating with all esteemed seniors to conquer Thousand Peaks Forest."

Sun Gan nodded, pleased with Ning Zhuo's awareness, and immediately expressed his stance, "Indeed, Thousand Peaks Forest is our common target and the source of our military merits!"

Ning Zhuo slapped the table, stood up, raised his glass, and spontaneously recited a poem:

"Golden cups and fine wine invite heroes,

Past grievances and old grudges can all be dismissed.

United against the enemy, we tread Thousand Peaks,

Fighting bloody battles on the battlefield to earn merits.

Everyone, let's drink this cup dry!"

With that, he tilted his head back and downed the wine in one go.

After a quick exchange of glances, the others raised their glasses in response and drank up! The atmosphere warmed up and grew lively under Ning Zhuo's guidance.

Ning Zhuo sat in the host's seat, Mu Lan beside him. During the banquet, Mu Lan frequently cast glances at the eloquently speaking Ning Zhuo. Though forced by circumstances to accept this "little husband," at that moment, she saw a shadow of his father in him. Sometimes, the dining table is another kind of battlefield. The role Ning Zhuo played was one Mu Lan couldn't fulfill herself. By easing tensions with Shuang Jing and Sun Gan, he also represented the Red Flower Camp reconciling with the White Jade Camp and Golden Halberd Army. Mu Lan knew this was a wise move and was happy to see it happen.

Liu Er felt very uncomfortable! The fine wine turned bitter in his mouth, and Ning Zhuo's high spirits kept breeding negative emotions in his heart. He forced himself to endure, telling himself that Ning Zhuo wasn't his enemy but one of their own! One should be magnanimous. Seeing Mu Lan's gaze fixed on Ning Zhuo, his heart wrenched painfully. He started getting angry again! He had to shift his gaze to his second and third brothers, only to find Guan Hong and Zhang Hei looking complex and restrained.

Liu Er's heart jolted slightly, immediately realizing this situation wasn't good. "What's done is done and hard to reverse. But I can't let second and third brothers become estranged from the strategist. The strategist is our Three Generals Camp's financial backer; internal strife would weaken our combat power significantly!" This wasn't what Liu Er wanted.

So, Liu Er privately communicated via divine sense, telling Guan and Zhang to relax, that his pursuit of Mu Lan—the so-called love at first sight—was just an excuse. His real goal was to form alliances, shed his mixed-blood identity, leverage the general's residence to reach higher ranks, and gain connections at court. "Now, the strategist being chosen as the husband is also a victory for our Three Generals Camp! In terms of outcome, we defeated Shuang Jing, Sun Gan, even Ma Liangcai—we achieved a great victory!"

Encouraged by Liu Er, Zhang Hei's tense face relaxed, and Guan Hong's movements became less stiff as he slowly stroked his beard.

The restaurant staff brought the final main course. Uncovering the dish revealed blazing flames. The flames burned, spreading a rich aroma that quickly filled the room. Strangely, the chicken within remained intact. When the flames died down, everyone saw it wasn't chicken but bird meat.

Shuang Jing sighed with a complex expression, "This dish is called 'Flaming Aroma Arrival,' made mainly with Fire-feathered Perching Bird. It uses dried chili, star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, orange peel, purple cabbage, pepper, sea salt, etc., as accompaniments, seasoned with soy sauce, minced garlic, honey, and juice from pressed orange fruit. Using magic to ignite spiritual flames, it burns until the seasonings fully penetrate the bird meat, merging completely. Fire-feathered bird meat is usually dry and bland, but after this process, it transforms into an unforgettable delicacy!"

Everyone tasted it and praised it unanimously. The rich layers of spicy, fragrant, sweet, and numbing flavors strongly冲击 the tongue. It was an interplay of fire and aroma! The bird meat, glazed with honey, was exceptionally tender, while the roasting and flame sauce complemented each other, conveying a sense of升华 from ordinary to extraordinary.

Liu Er and Guan Hong, tasting such luxury for the first time, felt complex emotions surfacing in their hearts as they savored it.

Shuang Jing, eating the bird meat, looked at Ning Zhuo with a complicated expression and softly chanted:

"Feathers red like flames reflecting twilight,

Aroma penetrates to the bone, intoxicating the heart.

When did the common bird change upon the branch,

Soaring into the clouds to display nine s."

This poem described the dish, Ning Zhuo, and himself. After reciting, this scion of a noble house downed his wine, stood up listlessly, and said, "I'm drunk. Everyone, farewell." He turned and left, stepping directly over the windowsill onto a light cloud, his long sleeves fluttering as he merged alone into the night.

Shuang Jing's poem dissipated the banquet's atmosphere. Guests rose one after another to leave. Ning Zhuo also intended to leave with Liu, Guan, and Zhang but was grabbed by Mu Lan. "Young Master Ning Zhuo... it's late. Why not return with me to the Red Flower Camp? I will teach you the 'Mystical Gold Armor-Breaking Art.'"

Liu Er, just descending the stairs, paused upon hearing this. Guan Hong and Zhang Hei stopped and looked back at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo bowed to Mu Lan, "General Mu Lan, I have no interest in the 'Mystical Gold Armor-Breaking Art.' Becoming your husband was a twist of fate, forced by circumstances. I am the Strategist Sacrificial Officer of the Three Generals Camp! The night deepens; General, please rest early and recover from your injuries. Farewell."

With that, the young strategist in white didn't look back, meeting the delighted and admiring gazes of the three generals as he joined them.

(End of )