: The Three Military Branches

2025-06-12 Author: Gu Zhenren

: The Three Military Branches

The ghost tide surged once again.

Countless specters surrounded White Paper Immortal City, besieging it completely and launching a frenzied assault on the walls.

Large-headed ghosts churned up Yin winds, while small-headed ghosts, grinning cheekily, rode the gusts upward toward the battlements.

The massive Ghost Mother, protected deep within the ghost tide, lay on the ground, continuously spawning large and small-headed ghosts.

Lantern ghosts spewed Yin fire, hanged ghosts scaled the walls, and drowned ghosts moved in groups, employing ghostly arts to summon water from the River of Forgetfulness, washing away layers of the city's ghastly pale wallpaper.

Tie Guzheng wore a grave expression as he commanded the defense from his post.

His defensive experience was vast, and his command was steady. With him at the core, the city guard held the walls, refusing to yield an inch.

Numerous humans and ghosts also took responsibility for sections of the wall, serving as auxiliary troops to the city guard and actively assisting in the defense.

Suddenly, a ghost yaksha flew onto the battlements, killed two ghost soldiers, and successfully secured a foothold.

It had to be eliminated quickly; otherwise, given time, more specters would gather around the ghost yaksha, forming a stronghold. If that happened, this section of the wall would be lost.

"Get down!" A ghost cultivator desperately charged at the ghost yaksha.

After two exchanges, the ghost cultivator was beheaded.

Subsequent ghost experts attempted to repel the ghost yaksha but were either injured or killed, all returning defeated.

"It's Golden Core level! Only a Golden Core expert can drive it back!"

"Quick, report it! We need reinforcements from above, or our position will surely fall."

"Hurry, hurry!"

A ghost cultivator shouted urgently.

In just a short time, five or six more specters had climbed the battlements, surrounding the Golden Core-level ghost yaksha.

The trend was dire!

The more specters there were, the harder it would be to reclaim this section of the wall.

"No need to call for reinforcements; I can handle it." At this critical moment, a ghost girl leaped through the air.

It was Qing Chi!

"Take this!" she yelled, throwing a punch that sent a ball of fire soaring through the air.

The azure flames initially coated only her fist but rapidly expanded after being unleashed, first to the size of a washbasin, then to that of a millstone.

Boom!

The ghost yaksha swung its ghostly weapon, dispersing the azure fire.

Qing Chi's pupils contracted slightly. She took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of azure flame.

The flame roared out like an inverted cone, engulfing the ghost yaksha.

After resisting for only three breaths, the ghost yaksha could hold on no longer. It let out a piercing shriek as its body rapidly melted in the flames, soon vanishing without a trace!

The azure flames, like a breached dam, surged with even greater force, sweeping the surroundings before cascading down the walls.

Every specter in their path was incinerated!

The cultivators on the battlements were stunned for a moment before erupting into cheers.

At the critical moment, Qing Chi had turned the tide. With only a Foundation Establishment cultivation, she had slain a Golden Core-level specter, greatly boosting morale.

Many city guards who witnessed this began inquiring about the identity of the girl who had performed so brilliantly.

This feat instantly made Qing Chi famous!

But Qing Chi's expression shifted slightly as she felt the military heart within her undergo a qualitative transformation, finally becoming complete.

She had been steadily consolidating her military heart all this time. This battle, with its stunning result, had won her the army's hearts, forcefully pushing her to complete the final step and achieve the transformation!

The military heart pulsed like a real heart, glowing with a faint azure light. Upon closer inspection, one could see it was composed of hundreds of light points.

These azure points varied in brightness.

The military heart throbbed, and when Qing Chi listened carefully, she could hear the clatter of armor, the sounds of weapons piercing flesh, shouts, war drums, and the clamor of battle.

Boundless joy surged within Qing Chi, and she nearly threw her arms wide and cheered aloud.

But remembering Ning Zhuo's advice, she forcibly suppressed the impulse.

Qing Chi fought fiercely for a while longer until her mana and stamina were nearly depleted before retreating from the battlements.

The ghost tide continued to assault White Paper Immortal City.

Each wave was larger than the last!

"Dad, I've consolidated my military heart!" Qing Chi first sent a covert message to Qing Yan to share the good news.

"Really?" Qing Yan's eyebrows shot up, but he quickly composed himself. "You did it, Chi'er! That 'Rotten Fish Fills the Ranks' talent is truly remarkable."

Qing Chi: "Senior Li's talent was indeed crucial, but I was able to consolidate my military heart so quickly thanks to Jiao Ma."

"Dad, don't forget, he was the one who gave me the 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Shouldering Baleful Auras.' That military strategy is priceless, yet he gave it to me for free."

Qing Yan: "..."

Qing Chi giggled, paying no heed to her father's expression. "I want to tell Jiao Ma about this right now!"

Qing Yan quickly raised a hand to stop her. "Don't rush. Rest first before you go. Remember, we haven't uncovered the traitor inside the city yet."

Qing Chi understood the importance and, after resting briefly and recovering most of her mana and stamina, hurried toward the southern gate.

Ning Zhuo had been cultivating inside the paper giant almost exclusively these past few days.

As soon as Qing Chi entered the paper giant, she willed her military heart to manifest, showing off to Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo exclaimed in surprise, "So this is the military heart? It's truly marvelous!"

He wanted to examine it further, but Qing Chi withdrew it the next moment.

She took a few steps closer to Ning Zhuo. "Xiao Ma, if you want to study the military heart, I can oblige."

"But we're outside, after all, with many eyes around. Didn't you remind me to lie low and maintain my disguise for now?"

"I listened to you and haven't revealed anything. Right now, only you, me, and my dad know about this."

"How about you come with me to the cultivation chamber? We can study this military heart in secret. What do you say?"

Her eyes burned with intensity as she stared at Ning Zhuo, her ulterior motives plain to see.

Ning Zhuo was speechless but secretly found the girl's straightforwardness rather endearing.

He thought for a moment before saying, "The one who contributed most to your consolidation of the military heart is Senior Li Xiangshang."

"I'll take it upon myself to host a banquet for you and him, as a celebration for your achievement."

Seeing that she couldn't trick Ning Zhuo into being alone with her, Qing Chi pouted and said reluctantly, "I'll thank Senior Li myself. But first, I want to thank you personally. If it weren't for your 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Shouldering Baleful Auras,' I wouldn't have consolidated my military heart so quickly."

This exchange had Sun Lingtong laughing so hard on his ox's back that he nearly fell off.

Through the thread of life, he was constantly receiving information from Ning Zhuo's side. Reveling in the drama, he egged them on: "Xiao Zhuo, just agree! See how she plans to thank you! Hee hee hee."

Ning Zhuo transmitted a stern thought: "I am not Jiao Ma. Why should I deceive an innocent girl? If Qing Chi learned the truth, she would be heartbroken. I am not the kind to take advantage of others."

Seeing that Ning Zhuo was unmoved, Qing Chi had no choice but to concede and accept his proposal for the banquet.

Li Xiangshang, though the one who contributed the most, was the last to learn about the consolidation of the military heart.

He wasn't angry at all but was very pleased.

At the banquet, he still advocated for Qing Chi, urging Ning Zhuo to return to her side.

Ning Zhuo refused: "My becoming a male consort was a requirement of the Jiao family. My cultivation to this level owes much to the clan's nurture. How can I let personal feelings override my public duty?"

Qing Chi didn't want to hear this and immediately retorted, "Xiao Ma, then why did you give me the 'Art of Bearing Soldiers and Shouldering Baleful Auras'?"

Ning Zhuo stared solemnly at Qing Chi, his gaze unwavering as he stated bluntly, "I gave it to you not out of personal feeling, but for the greater good."

"With Senior Li's help, you were the most likely to consolidate a military heart. I did this for the sake of White Paper Immortal City!"

Seeing Ning Zhuo treat her so coldly, Qing Chi felt heartbroken. She stood up and approached him. "Xiao Ma, you've become like a stranger!"

"Have you forgotten our promise?"

"By the river, under the rare full moon, we vowed to stay together for life!"

"Have you forgotten that vow completely?!"

Ning Zhuo felt a headache coming on. With a cold expression, he waved a hand threateningly. "Qing Chi, if you keep pushing me, I'll leave immediately, and we won't see each other again."

Qing Chi was startled by his demeanor. She froze on the spot, clenched her fists, remained standing, and her eyes quickly reddened.

In the underworld, Sun Lingtong, riding his ox, laughed so hard he nearly fell off.

Li Xiangshang hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over, persuading Qing Chi to sit down and easing the tension.

Ning Zhuo brought up practical matters: "Senior Li, now that Qing Chi has consolidated her military heart, what's the next step?"

Li Xiangshang looked at Qing Chi: "After consolidating the military heart, the next step is to assess the military situation."

"With the military heart, Miss Qing Chi can listen to the hearts of the soldiers and gain a better understanding of the military situation."

"This ability will improve rapidly with practice."

"Once her grasp of military intelligence reaches a certain level, Miss Qing Chi will find an answer in her heart—how to forge the military branch."

Ning Zhuo asked with concern, "How long will this step take?"

Li Xiangshang said, "It varies. Some accomplish it in an instant; others need a year or half. It depends on the army's size, complexity, the commander's ability, etc."

Here, Li Xiangshang looked at Qing Chi again: "By my estimate, it won't take Miss Qing Chi long to grasp the military situation."

"Firstly, the composition of the Qing ghost clan is very simple, and their numbers aren't large—only two or three hundred."

"Secondly, the Qing ghost clan fully supports Miss Qing Chi. With the military heart leaning toward her, success will come naturally."

Li Xiangshang sighed with emotion: "This situation is actually quite rare."

"Miss Qing Chi, you should thank your father. He voluntarily gave up his authority to give you this opportunity."

"Normally, your father should be the one leading."

"A parent's heart, their deep love for their child—I'm truly feeling it for the first time."

"When I gained wisdom, my parents had long passed. In fact, for carp, there aren't really parents in the same sense."

"Since I began my cultivation, I've relied entirely on the Dragon Lord's guidance."

Ning Zhuo felt a stir in his heart.

Li Xiangshang's lament about parents resonated deeply with him.

In a way, Ning Zhuo had lost his father before birth and his mother when he was just over two years old. He could well understand Li Xiangshang's feelings.

Ning Zhuo even felt a pang of sympathy for Li Xiangshang: "Comparing our situations, mine might actually be slightly better."

"Ah, there will always be those worse off than me in this world."

"My greatest fortune is having the boss nurture me. And now, even though my mother is gone, there's still a slim hope she can be revived!"

Not wanting to see Li Xiangshang disheartened, Ning Zhuo encouraged him: "Senior Li, you cultivated alone. Though you had support from a powerful figure, struggling up layer by layer from the Weak Water to the surface required you to exert yourself to the utmost."

"Such self-reliance truly makes you a role model for us!"

"Heaven is ruthless yet fair, often taking away some things while bestowing others."

"If you had both parents, perhaps you wouldn't have achieved what you have today."

Li Xiangshang looked gratefully at Ning Zhuo: "Young man of the Jiao family, your words are comforting."

"But you overestimate me."

"The main reason I managed to struggle up from the Weak Water is that the water wasn't pure."

"At regular intervals, the deep pool introduces fresh water, diluting the Weak Water."

"I seized the opportunity each time fresh water was introduced to leap upward."

Qing Chi, hearing this detail for the first time, asked immediately, "Why introduce fresh water?"

Li Xiangshang explained: "As the saying goes, water flows downhill. Maintaining pure Weak Water requires a significant cost. Without proper measures, pure Weak Water will gradually dilute over time until its concentration matches the surrounding environment, stabilizing it."

"To maintain Weak Water at a low cost, cultivators actively dilute it by introducing fresh water, making it stable and similar to the surroundings."

"If it were pure Weak Water, I, being merely a carp, would have had no chance of swimming against the current and breaking the surface."

Li Xiangshang shook his head and added, "It would have been absolutely impossible."

The banquet concluded, and Ning Zhuo said to Qing Chi, "Now that you've consolidated your military heart, you don't need to come to the southern gate anymore."

"You should focus entirely on grasping the military situation and discerning the direction of your military branch."

Qing Chi was naturally unwilling, but Li Xiangshang covertly advised her: "Miss Qing Chi, Jiao Ma has his own difficulties. If you force the issue, it might backfire."

"Listen to me: if you can command the only army in White Paper Immortal City and elevate your status, asking the city lord for a male consort would be a simple matter, wouldn't it?"

Qing Chi's heart leaped at these words: "What a great idea!"

"I must grow stronger, I must lead the army, I must get Jiao Ma back!" The ghost girl clenched her fists, her fighting spirit ignited.

Her motivation fully aroused, she devoted herself to mastering the military situation.

Li Xiangshang's estimate proved correct. In just a day and a half, she grasped the military situation and discerned three potential directions for her military branch.

The first branch was called the Paper Money Nether Soldiers.

The second branch was known as the Yin Talisman Baleful Quelling Guards.

The third branch was termed the Ghost Wail Gate Sealing Troops.

Qing Chi found herself at a crossroads, unsure which to choose.

Ning Zhuo, who had been keeping an eye on her, was also puzzled upon learning this: "Back when the Three Generals Camp was newly established, there was no choice of military branch; everything was straightforward!"

So, which one should she choose?

(End of )