: The Truth of the Game

Three Generals Camp.

Advisor Ning Zhuo's residence.

In the simple reception hall, only Liu Er, Ning Zhuo, and Zhao Xi were present.

Zhao Xi took the seat of honor, with Ning Zhuo accompanying him.

"Your humble general pays respects to Lord Zhao!" Liu Er stood before Zhao Xi, cupping his hands in salute.

He looked at Zhao Xi with sincere gratitude, earnestly thanking him for his assistance.

Zhao Xi glanced at Liu Er, his gaze pausing on the dried blood at the corner of Liu Er's mouth.

Earlier, Shuang Jing had led the supply officer to cause trouble. Liu Er had blocked them physically, gotten injured, and even coughed up blood, but he endured it without seeking treatment.

Zhao Xi nodded slightly, pointing a finger at Liu Er: "You're a sensible one, very good."

Then, he casually waved his hand: "Sit."

In Zhao Xi's mind, he didn't care much about Liu Er, the half-human, half-demon Golden Core cultivator, focusing his attention mainly on Ning Zhuo.

Back in Canglin Immortal City, Ning Zhuo had already dealt with Zhao Xi.

At that time, Ning Zhuo had used the Nascent Soul-level treasure materials from the corpse of the Stone Old Monster to successfully bribe Zhao Xi on a large scale and had also helped the Red Flower Camp.

Therefore, Zhao Xi now wore a smile, greeting Ning Zhuo as an old friend.

After a few casual words, Zhao Xi said jokingly, "To be honest, when I first met you, Young Master Ning, I never would have thought you'd become the son-in-law of the Mu General's Manor, the husband of Mu Lan."

He rubbed the armrest of the wooden chair and sighed, "The changes in the world are truly beyond expectation, so mysterious!"

Ning Zhuo smiled, but his heart tightened slightly, knowing they had reached an important topic.

Without hesitation, he immediately stated, "Regarding this matter, I stepped up by chance, forcing myself to take the role."

"I believe you are already well aware of the situation at that time, Lord Zhao."

Zhao Xi laughed heartily, pointing at Ning Zhuo's nose and scolding him affectionately, "When I heard about it, I was stunned."

"None of the others achieved their goals, only you managed to snatch the biggest benefit in the end."

"Your luck is truly enviable. Tsk tsk..."

Ning Zhuo's smile immediately faded as he shook his head bitterly, "My Lord, after this happened, I received a letter from my family, heavily questioning and reprimanding me."

"To be frank, I am one of the most valued successors in my clan, tasked with the responsibility of marrying into the Southern Bean Kingdom's royal family."

"This incident has indeed put my family in a passive position and caused significant turbulence in our relations with the Southern Bean Kingdom."

"Because of my impulsive decision, my clan's losses are far greater than outsiders imagine!"

Ning Zhuo's expression turned grave as he spoke.

Zhao Xi tilted his head slightly, his tone ambiguous, "In that case, I'd say you and your family should just move from the Southern Bean Kingdom to the Two Notes Kingdom."

Ning Zhuo shook his head, "With all due respect, My Lord, I must be blunt."

"That's almost impossible!"

"Firstly, my clan has gone through great hardships and paid a heavy price to finally establish a foothold in the Fire Persimmon Immortal City of the Southern Bean Kingdom, and we're developing rapidly. Moving to the Two Notes Kingdom would be like starting over, the cost is too high."

"Secondly, the Two Notes Kingdom borders the North Wind Kingdom. My clan was forced to flee from the North Wind Kingdom back then. Being too close to our former enemies would not benefit my clan or the Two Notes Kingdom."

At this point, Ning Zhuo stood up and cupped his hands toward Zhao Xi.

With a solemn expression, he said, "Therefore, my engagement with General Mu Lan must be dissolved!"

"The reason it's still maintained now has two main reasons."

"First, since the deed is already done and my clan has paid the price, I'm considering whether I can leverage this identity to gain something back and compensate for some of the family's losses."

"Second, given the current military situation, the Red Flower Camp is our best ally in the Three Generals Camp. I certainly won't dissolve the engagement with General Mu Lan during this period. It would be detrimental to all parties!"

"When the time is right, I will annul the marriage with General Mu Lan as agreed."

Zhao Xi appeared relaxed, but in reality, he was intently observing Ning Zhuo, scrutinizing every subtle change in his expression.

All Zhao Xi saw was frankness and sincerity.

Both he and Liu Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The Mu General's Manor was one of the few top-ranking general manors in the Two Notes Kingdom, holding a lofty status. With the identity of the son-in-law, Ning Zhuo would immediately enter the court of the Two Notes Kingdom, and at a high level at that!

The court of the Two Notes Kingdom naturally did not want to see a foreigner occupy such a position.

Ning Zhuo had been well aware of this from the start.

Therefore, from the very beginning, he had made his attitude and decision clear to all parties.

Zhao Xi's visit to the front-line camp involved many covert missions. One of them was to assess Ning Zhuo, to determine his views on the Mu General's Manor and his own intentions.

Ning Zhuo's answer pleased Liu Er and satisfied Zhao Xi.

Only then did Zhao Xi feel motivated to continue the conversation.

Zhao Xi smiled, squinting his eyes, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, please sit, sit down first! This time, you took the initiative to offer me the mechanical constructs, showing great awareness, and this move benefits the entire army. Whatever you want, if I can decide, I'll arrange it for you immediately."

Ning Zhuo also smiled and sat back down as instructed, "I have two main requests."

"First, it's the National Power Bricks. After using such treasures, I've been deeply impressed, you could say I've tasted the marrow and can't stop craving them."

Zhao Xi laughed heartily, "Granted!"

Ning Zhuo continued, "As for the second, I'd like to see if there are any items that can speed up cultivation."

He explained in detail, "I am currently at the second stage of the Foundation Establishment phase, which is the stage of nourishing the precious medicine."

"The awkward part is, even if I obtain new National Power Bricks, it's difficult to boost my cultivation level."

"So, I wanted to see if there are any specifically corresponding auxiliary items."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xi pondered for a few moments before understanding, "The exchange list from the military supply department includes many items that assist in cultivation, and there are certainly treasures suitable for the precious medicine nourishment stage."

"However, for Young Master Ning Zhuo, exchanging military merits for National Power Bricks is the top priority."

"So, what Young Master Ning Zhuo truly wants is a highly effective treasure. I believe you've already looked through the military supply department's exchange list, and the efficacy of the treasures on it doesn't satisfy you."

Ning Zhuo immediately cupped his hands, "Lord Zhao is wise, you've seen through my thoughts at a glance."

"Military merits are limited."

"Of course, I'd prefer to exchange for National Power Bricks. After all, such good things are truly rare. Although there are many cultivation nations, it's very uncommon for National Power Bricks to be used as rewards."

"You could say, if I miss this chance, there won't be another."

"Unless there is a certain treasure with such excellent effects that I'd be willing to spend some military merits to exchange for it, even giving up some National Power Bricks."

"But currently, I haven't seen such a treasure on the list."

Zhao Xi nodded and sighed, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, you truly live up to your noble background. This request is a bit extravagant."

Liu Er, who had been listening all along, nodded in strong agreement with Zhao Xi's assessment.

For the vast majority of cultivators, there's no need to invest excessive resources in Foundation Establishment cultivation. It's too wasteful!

Because in the early stages, cultivation is relatively easy, and one's level can be raised quickly.

But Ning Zhuo had already used rare treasures like National Power Bricks in the first stage of Foundation Establishment. Now in the second stage, he still wanted to use treasures no less valuable than National Power Bricks to speed up his cultivation.

Is that necessary?

Under normal circumstances, for the vast majority of cultivators, it's completely unnecessary!

It's more cost-effective to save resources for later stages of cultivation.

Ning Zhuo was young, only sixteen years old. Most young cultivators his age are still in the Qi Refining stage. Even if there are geniuses who have advanced to Foundation Establishment, they wouldn't deliberately seek such heavy treasures solely to increase their cultivation level. They would use them more for other aspects, such as comprehending techniques or honing skills.

Zhao Xi's comment that Ning Zhuo's behavior was extravagant resonated deeply with Liu Er.

Liu Er carefully recalled that during his own Foundation Establishment stage, he relied on his own efforts, spending most of his time practicing and cultivating.

The resources Ning Zhuo was consuming now—even after Liu Er reached the Golden Core stage, he still hadn't enjoyed some of them!

Especially the National Power Bricks.

Such good things, Liu Er hadn't even used one to this day.

Previously, he had indeed received such rewards for military merits, but he gave them all to Guan Hong to help her recover quickly from her injuries.

While envious, Liu Er could only sigh in admiration of Ning Zhuo's noble background.

Ning Zhuo explained to the two that this was his first time participating in such a large-scale battle, and his desire for higher cultivation had reached its peak. He desperately wanted to become as strong as possible.

Therefore, he was extremely eager to have such auxiliary treasures to help his cultivation break through to the next stage more quickly.

This explanation gave Liu Er and Zhao Xi a better understanding of Ning Zhuo.

Zhao Xi recalled the intelligence and felt that Ning Zhuo's actions were quite reasonable. After all, the latter's combat power was at the Golden Core level, and currently, the biggest shortcoming seemed to be Ning Zhuo himself. Strengthening one's weakness was actually a correct choice.

However, Ning Zhuo's willingness to spend such heavy resources went against common sense, surprising them while also making them secretly envious.

Zhao Xi pondered, "Thinking carefully, there is indeed such a treasure in our royal family's treasure vault."

"It's a treasure talisman that was gifted to the royal family by an envoy from the Three Suns Kingdom as a diplomatic present."

"The talisman is called the Three Enclosures Exchange Treasure Talisman. The royal family of the Three Suns Kingdom mainly cultivates the 'Three Suns Supreme Origin Art'. Based on the scripture's content, they use Mysterious Magnetic Jade Sand tempered by the light of the sun, moon, and stars as ink, draw talisman patterns on thousand-year-old Yin-Yang Parasol Leaves, and finally blend in powder ground from蛟龙 tendons to complete it."

"This treasure talisman is of artifact-grade quality and can be reused. After being consumed to a certain extent, materials can be added to it again, restoring many uses."

"As is well known, the 'Three Suns Supreme Origin Art' embodies the meaning of all things growing and flourishing, making it a top-tier treasure art in the world. At the early stage of Divine Transformation, it can split into three sun clones, which is extremely powerful. The precious medicine nourishment stage is child's play for the 'Three Suns Supreme Origin Art'."

"Young Master Ning Zhuo, if you can exchange for this treasure, it would be equivalent to having some of the cultivation advantages of the 'Three Suns Supreme Origin Art' during the Foundation Establishment stage!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't help but feel tempted, "According to your meaning, My Lord, can such a national treasure also be exchanged with military merits?"

Zhao Xi chuckled, "Through normal channels, naturally not. But isn't there still me?"

Ning Zhuo immediately understood, handing over a storage pouch and telling Zhao Xi that there would be double the gifts after the matter was accomplished.

Zhao Xi scanned it with his divine sense, and the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily. He openly tucked the storage pouch into his robe.

The atmosphere in the room became even more harmonious.

The three chatted for a while longer.

Mainly Zhao Xi and Ning Zhuo conversed, with Liu Er occasionally chiming in.

"Time is getting late, I have other matters to attend to."

Before leaving, Zhao Xi looked at Ning Zhuo, then at Liu Er, "You are both under my wing now. In the coming period, make sure to achieve more merits. The more merits you earn, the more face I have."

"Since you've both offered mechanical constructs, it shows you have awareness."

"Don't always focus on the spoils from the battlefield. Although there are some good treasure materials, can they compare to military merits?"

"Especially the strongholds of those forces near our camp—they've been managed quite prosperously."

Liu Er and Ning Zhuo immediately understood the implication.

Ning Zhuo asked, "After cleaning up the battlefield, shouldn't we focus all efforts on attacking the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain?"

Although the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain was knocked down by Iron Flow Flattens the Plains, due to divine light enveloping it and divine techniques protecting it, the mountain body remained largely intact, changing from vertical to horizontal. The losses on the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain were limited, and with many Dragon King Temples still there, stubborn forces continued to hold their ground.

Zhao Xi shook his head, "Before Du Tiechuan went into seclusion to heal, he set the military strategy—control but do not attack the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain. I'm just the supervisor; I can't change this strategy, nor do I want to."

"So, after cleaning up the battlefield, your various armies will spread out like blooming flowers, quickly attacking the surrounding strongholds."

Liu Er frowned, "The Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain is a place the Whisker Dragon King Temple must defend. Marshal Du wants to lure the enemy here for a second major battle."

"No wonder he spent such huge resources building such a sturdy camp here. Even now, cultivators are still working on it."

Ning Zhuo added, "So, before the second major battle, the range of our army's attacks is also limited."

"There aren't many targets around that we can strike."

Zhao Xi laughed heartily, "You figured this out yourselves, I said nothing. Well then, I'll take my leave now."

Ning Zhuo and Liu Er both stood up, following Zhao Xi and respectfully seeing him out of the camp.

Upon parting, Zhao Xi sent a divine sense message to Ning Zhuo, "By the way, can you perform a divination for the second battle?"

Ning Zhuo's previous prophetic poem had been very accurate, leaving a deep impression on Zhao Xi.

Ning Zhuo immediately smiled wryly, "This ability of mine only works when I have a certain feeling. At other times, I'm completely incapable. I beg your forgiveness, My Lord!"

"Then forget it." Zhao Xi mounted his tall horse and left directly.

As Liu Er watched Zhao Xi's departing figure, he sent a divine sense message to Ning Zhuo, thanking him for recommending Zhao Xi this time.

Ning Zhuo responded secretly, "It was also by chance. Zhao Xi wanted to gain military merits, so he took the risk to come to the front-line camp."

"He's new here and must establish his authority, as the saying goes, a new official needs to set three fires."

"Our matter正好符合他的需求,这才促成了合作."

Liu Er sighed, "Though that may be, without the Military Advisor's connections and the mechanical constructs, how could we achieve such results?"

With this close relationship with Zhao Xi, Liu Er, an outsider, now had roots in the court of the Two Notes Kingdom.

This was a very significant breakthrough!

Liu Er had been taught by his master since childhood and possessed considerable political talent, making him realize that he was the biggest beneficiary in this matter.

Therefore, he reciprocated the favor, immediately promising Ning Zhuo, "Military Advisor, no matter how many military merits the Three Enclosures Exchange Treasure Talisman costs, I am willing to give my own military merits to you. If it's not enough, I will also persuade my two sworn brothers. We will do everything possible to help you achieve your wish!"

Ning Zhuo smiled, not refusing at all, and simply responded with one word, "Good."

Currently, the results of cleaning up the battlefield had been converted into military merits, all credited to Liu Er alone.

After all, he was the main general of the Three Generals Camp.

Ning Zhuo had no desire to take on such high-profile, envy-inducing tasks.

According to the agreement between Ning Zhuo and the three generals, thirty percent of these military merits belonged to him.

However, to push Liu Er to the top of the list, they had temporarily not distributed them.

The top position could greatly enhance the reputation of the Three Generals Camp, making it easier to gather remaining troops later.

This was another consideration altogether.

(End of )