: Withdrawal of Troops

2025-04-15 Author: Gu Zhenren

: Withdrawal of Troops

"What? We're withdrawing our troops?" Zhao Xi, still lying on a stretcher, was so startled by the news that he nearly sat up.

He forced himself to stay down, but his eyes widened, darting around restlessly.

"Since the war began, our side has held the advantage, and the enemy has already suffered a major defeat. This loss falls entirely on Du Tiechuan—getting assassinated by Prince Shengxu twice in a row, what a useless fool!"

Zhao Xi clenched his fists, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Even the Ginseng Dragon King didn't join the battle, yet we still lost."

"My merits, my merits..."

Zhao Xi inwardly lamented, knowing that this defeat would make it difficult to justify himself when reporting to the king.

He had previously used his authority as a supervisor to seize power—taking advantage of the power vacuum while Du Tiechuan was recovering from his injuries—and had actually succeeded.

However, his subsequent performance was far from impressive.

Especially when figures like the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts forcibly took the spoils from deep beneath the battlefield. Later, he even deserted during the second major battle.

Although he acted convincingly, how could he fool those with sharp eyes?

"No, I must do everything to protect myself!"

"Merits, I need merits to save my life!!"

Zhao Xi's own contributions were clearly insufficient, but he had subordinates under him.

What kind of leader would he be if he didn't take credit for his subordinates' achievements?

Zhao Xi first thought of Ning Zhuo.

"This kid is from the Southern Bean Kingdom. He deliberately lured Xiang Yue away and withdrew from the battlefield. His trump card is strong enough to repel the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts—it's just too strange."

"He might very well be from the Southern Bean Kingdom!"

"Asking him to come to the capital to report his achievements is clearly impossible."

Zhao Xi then thought of Mu Lan but immediately dismissed the idea.

Mu Lan's General's Mansion was a larger power base than his, and she had many achievements to her name, all intended to restore her family's prestige.

It would be extremely difficult for Zhao Xi to claim any of Mu Lan's merits—practically impossible.

"The Three Generals Camp!"

At this thought, Zhao Xi's pupils slightly dilated.

"Quick, go find Liu, Guan, and Zhang!"

"Our army is withdrawing. Find the three generals and tell them they fought bravely and performed exceptionally in this battle. I intend to promote them—greatly promote them!"

Shuang Jing's face was deathly pale, devoid of color.

"My White Jade Camp is gone again..." He looked at the chaotic battlefield, surrounded by corpses, and felt like crying but had no tears left.

In two major battles, he had suffered losses at the hands of Lord Long both times. This battle was even more devastating than the previous ambush. The White Jade Camp fought to the death to protect Shuang Ling's physical body, refusing to retreat. Without the加持 of the "Gao Sheng Legacy," they had no choice but to rely on the flesh and blood of their soldiers, sacrificing one after another to barely buy time from Lord Long.

Beside Shuang Jing, Shuang Ling comforted him, "Don't worry, we'll return to the court together, and I'll speak on your behalf. Even if you have no merits in this battle, you've at least endured hardships."

Shuang Jing felt slightly reassured, but Shuang Ling's mood remained heavy.

In this battle, she hadn't gained many merits either. Throughout the major conflict, aside from beheading several Nascent Soul cultivators in the early stages, she had been acting as a firefighter in the mid to late stages, fending off attacks from Xiang Yue, Lord Long, Lu Hongtu, and others. She had taken the brunt of the punishment.

"How infuriating."

"If most of my assets hadn't been intercepted, I could have contributed more to this battle, lasted longer, and maybe even suppressed Lord Long and Xiang Yue!"

War is fought with resources.

A cultivator's cultivation level is itself the accumulation of resources like talent, time, and materials.

What are the Hundred Arts of Cultivation? Essentially, they are a hundred excellent methods for converting resources!

In this regard, the art of mechanisms is particularly evident. This skill can integrate multiple arts, combining forging, formations, talismans, alchemy, and even leveraging military tactics to amplify combat power to the highest degree.

Shuang Ling's role in this battle was actually crucial. If she hadn't personally taken to the field and repeatedly withstood the fierce assaults of Xiang Yue, Lord Long, and others, the Liangzhu Kingdom's camp might have collapsed first.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call Shuang Ling the pillar of the Liangzhu Kingdom's army.

"Du Tiechuan endured for so long, and though he made a move that resulted in Lord Long's death, he still couldn't escape Prince Shengxu's assassination. A堂堂化神级..."

"And that scoundrel Zhao Xi, clearly holding the authority and backed by national arts, refused to join the battle and deserted! Yet he's the first to claim credit when there are rewards. Hmph! When we return to the capital, I'll definitely file a complaint against him!"

Red Flower Camp.

Although Du Tiechuan's order to retreat had reached Mu Lan, she was in no hurry. Instead, she kept the entire army in place, focusing on rest and recovery.

Zhang Zhongyi stood among the wounded, continuously using his healing arts to turn severe injuries into minor ones and minor injuries into negligible ones.

He soon ran out of法力, panting as he stepped back.

But unlike before, he was no longer alone in the Red Flower Camp's medical team.

A squad of azalea flower demons immediately stepped in among the wounded, continuing to cast spells and taking over Zhang Zhongyi's crucial role.

Coincidentally, Mu Lan came to inspect, and Zhang Zhongyi sighed to the female general, "Young Master Ning Zhuo has done a great deed."

"This squad of flower demons he purchased has been a huge help to me and has saved many veterans and healed many new soldiers in the Red Flower Camp."

He had a favorable opinion of Ning Zhuo and genuinely cared for Mu Lan as a junior, so he took every opportunity to bring Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo closer.

Although Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo were already married, Zhang Zhongyi knew that there was little genuine affection between them.

Mu Lan nodded, her brows slightly furrowed.

Misinterpreting her expression, Zhang Zhongyi consoled her, "General Mu Lan, even though we're retreating, we've defeated the enemy in two consecutive major battles. Plus, the Red Flower Camp has repeatedly achieved merits before. Restoring the General's Mansion shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Mu Lan nodded, "Of course."

With the Red Flower Camp returning to the court, Mu Lan had delivered a remarkably impressive response. She had achieved her goal set before departure.

However, a sense of regret still lingered in the female general's heart.

"What a pity."

"If Du Tiechuan hadn't been assassinated, we would still hold the advantage and could continue to occupy this area, launching attacks on the surroundings."

"At the very least, we could have captured the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain!"

"That would have been a significant merit..."

Earlier, Du Tiechuan had devised a strategy to not immediately attack the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain but to rely on this key location to lure the Thousand Peaks Forest alliance into rescuing it.

After the second major battle, the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain miraculously remained intact.

Zhang Zhongyi advised, "The Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain isn't going anywhere. We can always attack the Thousand Peaks Forest again next time."

"In comparison, Young Master Ning Zhuo has tasks from his family. After this battle, he probably won't stay for long."

"General Mu Lan, seizing the moment to spend more time with Young Master Ning Zhuo is the essence of strategy."

Mu Lan glanced at Zhang Zhongyi and nodded sincerely, "You're right!"

Zhang Zhongyi felt greatly comforted, as Mu Lan's attitude toward Ning Zhuo had undergone a dramatic change from the beginning.

This was evident from how she now referred to Ning Zhuo as "husband" in every conversation.

Toward the end of the battle, Ning Zhuo had already led Xiang Yue away from the battlefield ahead of time.

Having learned the details from Mu Lan, Zhang Zhongyi was no longer worried about Ning Zhuo's safety.

Mu Lan shared her thoughts on Ning Zhuo: "Although I've restored my family's prestige this time, my position remains awkward."

"I need someone like Ning Zhuo to occupy the role of husband and ward off external covetousness."

"This young man is extraordinary. Among all the geniuses I've encountered in my life, he ranks among the top."

Seeing Mu Lan's appreciation for Ning Zhuo, Zhang Zhongyi rejoiced, "Indeed, how many such individuals emerge over the years—able to fight Golden Core cultivators as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and even slay Nascent Soul cultivators?"

"Moreover, he has fought alongside you multiple times. This camaraderie is genuine."

Mu Lan sighed, "I know. If not for Ning Zhuo's timely support during the battle against the Ancient Moon God, the Red Flower Camp would have been in dire straits."

"I, too, wish to spend more time with him and deepen our cooperation, but unfortunately, our brief parting on the battlefield might be the last time we see each other for a while."

Zhang Zhongyi was greatly surprised, "Ah? Why is that?"

This iron-crutch physician valued emotions highly but was less adept at scheming and often unclear about the situation.

Mu Lan explained, "It's obvious to anyone with sharp eyes that Ning Zhuo intentionally let Xiang Yue escape in the end."

"Du Tiechuan is even more aware of it!"

"Earlier, when Ning Zhuo repelled the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts, everyone already knew he possessed a powerful trump card. At that point, he didn't dare to approach our camp recklessly."

"Now, he's let Xiang Yue escape, and Xiang Yue represents an extremely valuable merit."

"The main reason for our army's withdrawal is Du Tiechuan's failure to anticipate Prince Shengxu's assassination attempt. As the defeated general, he'll have to spend heavily to smooth things over when he returns to the capital."

"Having Xiang Yue's head would have made it easier for him to justify himself."

At this, Mu Lan narrowed her eyes, "So, Ning Zhuo has now made an enemy of Du Tiechuan. Having already left the army, he naturally won't return anytime soon."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhongyi opened his mouth slightly, his expression stunned. Only then did he realize it would be difficult to see Ning Zhuo again in the near future.

Finally, Zhang Zhongyi sighed, "I just saw Young Master Ning Zhuo's figure disappear into the mountains and didn't even get to bid him farewell."

"Alas, things in this world are truly unpredictable. I never thought Ning Zhuo would end up making an enemy of Du Tiechuan."

Liangzhu Kingdom Camp.

Countless soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield and packing up the camp.

Ding Pi was dead, but not entirely.

His physical body was annihilated by the enraged cultivators, but his Nascent Soul escaped through the void.

As for his disciple, the childlike cultivator Jia Wan, he was tightly bound, heavily sealed, and brought before Du Tiechuan.

Du Tiechuan sat on a low stool, surrounded by busy people and the ruins of the battlefield.

Pale from the assassination attempt, he had no color in his face.

Seeing Jia Wan, Du Tiechuan frowned, "You and your master have some reputation. Why would you willingly help the Thousand Peaks Forest and take such a great risk?"

"Spit!" Jia Wan retorted, "Our Jia Manor and the Liangzhu Kingdom are sworn enemies!"

Du Tiechuan suddenly understood, "So, you're the remnants of Consort Jia."

This traced back to an old palace incident involving Consort Hu's rise to power, Consort Jia's loss of favor and subsequent revenge, and the framing and downfall of Consort Jia's faction by Consort Hu's forces.

Du Tiechuan then turned to Lei Qingyang, "And how did you detect that these two were traitors?"

Lei Qingyang bowed slightly, "Earlier, when I went out to duel with the Blood Shadow Cave Master, I was inexplicably hit by a blood mist and immobilized mid-air."

"After the battle, the more I reviewed it, the more it felt wrong. There was no reason for me to fall for that move."

"So, I began to have other suspicions."

"Thus, I refused others' healing and focused on treating myself, searching for clues from my injuries, and eventually uncovered the truth."

"It turned out that the energy within my body had subtly changed, allowing the Blood Shadow Cave Master to lock onto me before I even made a move."

"I immediately realized that there was a traitor in the army, and I had been sabotaged."

"After that, I quietly conducted more investigations. When I saw Li Jiuqu staring at Lord Zhao Xi, causing him to bend over and vomit numerous centipedes and maggots, it suddenly clicked!"

"At that time, Lord Zhao Xi and Li Jiuqu were far apart, yet he was inexplicably hit by a spell."

"This indicated that Zhao Xi's energy had long been sensed by Li Jiuqu."

"Since both I and Lord Zhao Xi were sabotaged, the range of suspects narrowed significantly."

"I continued investigating and eventually pinpointed Ding Pi and Jia Wan, this master-disciple pair. After all, Lord Zhao Xi, I, and our comrades had consumed many spiritual foods before the battle to enhance our combat power."

"Unfortunately, I was a step too late... just a little too late..."

Lei Qingyang sighed in regret.

Prince Shengxu's second assassination attempt was facilitated by the chaos caused by Ding Pi and Jia Wan.

If Lei Qingyang had exposed them earlier, he might have suppressed Ding Pi and Jia Wan directly. Without the chaos, Prince Shengxu might not have had the opportunity to strike.

And if he had succeeded, Lei Qingyang's merits would have been substantial.

Du Tiechuan listened expressionlessly and nodded slightly, "What's done is done. There's no need to dwell on it."

His tone was calm, but the slight tightening of his fingers betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Thousand Peaks Forest.

Poison Swamp Giant Wood Mountain.

This was one of Tu Ming's strongholds, but it had been ravaged, with corpses everywhere and constant cries of agony.

Tu Ming, the mountain lord, was hiding deep underground.

Shen Qinghe hovered in the sky, continuously releasing pure cleansing light. Under its glow, the poison creatures covering the mountains and plains screamed in pain as the toxic energy dissipated into nothingness.

Even the vast Poisonous Dragon Swamp was gradually purified into clear water.

Tu Ming was terrified, "This 'Green Spirit Poison Cleansing Scripture' is truly horrifying. How could such a method, so effective against poison techniques, exist in this world?!"

After joining the battle, he had been targeted by Shen Qinghe. After several exchanges, he was no match and had to retreat.

This retreat took him completely out of the battlefield.

Shen Qinghe was determined to pursue him, chasing him all the way to the Poison Swamp Mountain.

Initially, Tu Ming was relieved that one of his strongholds was nearby. However, the mountain's defenses were continuously broken by Shen Qinghe, and his subordinates were killed or injured in large numbers.

Even he himself dared only to hide, not daring to show himself.

He was truly countered too severely!

(End of )