Chapter 569: Withdrawal

"What? We are to retreat?" Zhao Xi, still lying on a stretcher, nearly sprang up in shock at this news.He forced himself to lie still, but his eyes widened, and his eyeballs darted about wildly."Since the start of the war, our army has held the advantage, and the enemy forces have already been routed. This defeat is thanks to Du Tiechuan, who was assassinated twice by Young Master Sheng Xu. What a complete waste!"Zhao Xi clenched his fists in anger, gnashing his teeth."The Ginseng Dragon King hasn't even entered the fray, and yet our army is defeated.""My merit, my merit..."Zhao Xi wailed internally, knowing that this defeat would be difficult to explain upon returning to the King's court.He had previously used his authority as supervising censor to seize control — taking advantage of the power vacuum while Du Tiechuan was healing, and he had indeed succeeded.But subsequently, his performance had been far from outstanding.Especially when the Earth and Heaven Ghosts, among others, forcibly took the spoils of war from deep beneath the battlefield. After that, he actively fled in the second major battle.Although his performance was remarkably convincing, how could he possibly fool discerning eyes?"No, I must protect myself with all my might!""Merit, I need merit to save my life!!"Zhao Xi's own contributions were clearly not enough, but he had subordinates.As a leader, if you don't take a portion of your subordinates' achievements, are you still a leader?Zhao Xi first thought of Ning Zhuo."This kid from the Southern Bean Kingdom deliberately lured Xiang Yue away and left the battlefield. His hidden power is so strong he can repel the Earth and Heaven Ghosts; it's too strange.""Could it be that he's from the Southern Bean Kingdom!""Forcing him to the capital for commendation and review is clearly impossible."Zhao Xi then thought of Mu Lan, and immediately dismissed the idea.Mu Lan's Grand General's Manor was a larger power base than his. Mu Lan had many achievements, but they were all for restoring her lineage.It would be too difficult for Zhao Xi to share in Mu Lan's merits; it was practically unthinkable."Three Generals' Camp!"As Zhao Xi thought of this, his pupils slightly dilated."Quickly go find Liu Guan Zhang!""Our army is retreating. Find the three generals Liu Guan Zhang, tell them that in this battle, they fought bravely and performed exceptionally. I will heavily rely on them! Greatly rely on them!"Shuang Jing's face was ashen, devoid of any color."My White Jade Camp, gone again..." He looked at the ravaged battlefield, surrounded by corpses, feeling utterly devastated.Two great battles, two times he was defeated by Old Man Long. This time was even more brutal than the previous ambush. The White Jade Camp fought to the death to protect Shuang Ling's physical body, refusing to retreat. Without the reinforcement of the *High Victory Testament*, they could only stubbornly use the flesh and blood of their soldiers, constantly sacrificing, to arduously buy time from Old Man Long.Beside Shuang Jing, Shuang Ling comforted him, "Don't worry, we will return to court together. I will speak on your behalf. In this battle, even if you have no merit, you have suffered."Shuang Jing felt a little comforted, but Shuang Ling's mood was very low.In this battle, she didn't gain much merit either. Throughout the entire major battle, besides cutting down several Nascent Soul cultivators in the early stages, Shuang Ling acted as a firefighting team in the middle and later stages, successively resisting the fierce attacks of Xiang Yue, Old Man Long, Lu Hongtu, and others. She was perhaps the one who took the most brutal beating."Hateful.""If my wealth hadn't been intercepted, I would have been able to exert more combat power and last longer in this battle. Suppressing Old Man Long and Xiang Yue wouldn't have been impossible!"War is fought with resources.Aren't cultivators' cultivations accumulated through resources such as talent, time, and materials?What are the hundred arts of cultivation? In essence, they are a hundred excellent methods for converting resources!In this regard, mechanism technique is particularly prominent. Because this skill can integrate various arts, combining artifact refining, formation arranging, talismans, alchemy, and other techniques on a single mechanism construct, it can even leverage military strategy for unified amplification, achieving the highest multiplier of combat power.Shuang Ling's role in this battle was actually very important. If she hadn't personally fought and repeatedly resisted the frenzied attacks of Xiang Yue, Old Man Long, and others, the Two Zhuo Kingdom's main camp might have collapsed earlier.It is no exaggeration to call Shuang Ling the pillar of the Two Zhuo Kingdom's army."Du Tiechuan endured for so long, and although he attacked and caused Old Man Long's death, he ultimately could not escape Young Master Sheng Xu's assassination. A dignified Soul Transformation level...""And that dog Zhao Xi, clearly possessing a commanding staff and national arts, yet unwilling to participate in the battle, fleeing at the last moment! Once it's time to enjoy the results of victory, he's the first to be eager. Hmph! Upon returning to the capital, I will certainly impeach him severely!"Red Flower Camp.Although Du Tiechuan's order to retreat had been conveyed to Mu Lan, the latter was not in a hurry and still kept the entire army in place, fully resting.Zhang Zhongyi stood among the wounded soldiers, continuously performing medical techniques, turning severe injuries into minor injuries, and minor injuries into slight injuries.He quickly ran out of mana and retreated, panting heavily.But unlike before, he was no longer a solitary figure in the Red Flower Camp's medical team.A small team of cuckoo flower spirits immediately walked among the wounded soldiers, continuing to cast spells, replacing Zhang Zhongyi and playing an important role.Just as Mu Lan came to inspect, Zhang Zhongyi sighed to the female general, "Young Master Ning Zhuo has done a great deed.""This team of flower spirits he bought has helped me greatly, and also helped the Red Flower Camp save many veteran soldiers and heal many new recruits."He had a high opinion of Ning Zhuo and sincerely cared for Mu Lan as a junior, so whenever he had a chance, he tried his best to bring Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo together.Although Mu Lan and Ning Zhuo were already husband and wife, Zhang Zhongyi knew that there was not much genuine affection between them.Mu Lan nodded, her brows slightly furrowed.Seeing her expression, Zhang Zhongyi misunderstood and comforted her, "General Mu Lan, although our army is retreating, we have routed the enemy in two consecutive major battles. Coupled with the Red Flower Camp's previous repeated achievements, it should not be a problem to restore the Grand General's Manor, right?"Mu Lan nodded: "Of course."Upon returning to court with the Red Flower Camp, Mu Lan gave a rather impressive account. She had achieved her goal before setting out.But there were still many regrets lingering in the heart of this female general."It's too regrettable.""If Du Tiechuan hadn't been assassinated, we would still be in an advantageous position and could continue to occupy this area and attack the surroundings.""At least the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain could have been captured!""This military achievement is quite considerable..."Previously, Du Tiechuan had arranged a strategy, not immediately attacking the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain, but relying on this important location to lure the Thousand Peak Forest Allied Army to its rescue.After the second major battle ended, the Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain was miraculously preserved.Zhang Zhongyi persuaded her, "The Dragon King Giant Wood Mountain is here; it won't run away. At worst, we'll continue to attack the Thousand Peak Forest next time.""In comparison, Young Master Ning Zhuo has a family mission, and after this battle, he probably won't stay long.""General Mu Lan, when you should act, act. Seizing the time to spend more time with Young Master Ning Zhuo is the essence of military strategy."Mu Lan glanced at Zhang Zhongyi and sincerely nodded: "You are right!"Zhang Zhongyi felt greatly comforted. This was because Mu Lan's attitude towards Ning Zhuo had undergone a drastic change from the beginning.This could be seen from how Mu Lan referred to Ning Zhuo as "husband" in every other sentence.In the late stages of the battle, Ning Zhuo had already led Xiang Yue and left the battlefield first.Zhang Zhongyi learned the secret from Mu Lan and was no longer worried about Ning Zhuo's safety.Mu Lan expressed her thoughts on Ning Zhuo: "Although I have restored my lineage this time, my status is still awkward.""I need someone like Ning Zhuo to occupy the position of husband and resist external covetousness.""This young man is quite extraordinary. Among the geniuses I have seen in my life, he is one of the best."Seeing Mu Lan admire Ning Zhuo so much, Zhang Zhongyi was also happy: "Yes, how many years does it take for someone who can fight Golden Core cultivators and slay Nascent Soul cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage to appear?""Moreover, he has fought alongside you many times. This battle camaraderie is not fake."Mu Lan sighed: "I know that in the previous battle against the Ancient God Cang Yue, if Ning Zhuo hadn't reinforced us in time, the Red Flower Camp's fate would have been worrying.""I also want to spend more time with him and cooperate more deeply, but unfortunately, the hurried farewell on the battlefield might be our last meeting in the near future."Zhang Zhongyi was greatly astonished: "Ah? Why is that?"This iron-crutch physician valued loyalty greatly and was not good at scheming, often misunderstanding the situation.Mu Lan explained: "Ning Zhuo deliberately let Xiang Yue escape in the end; anyone with discerning eyes could see this.""Du Tiechuan knows this even better!""Previously, Ning Zhuo's repulsion of the Earth and Heaven Ghosts let everyone know that he possessed great treasures and powerful hidden means. At that time, Ning Zhuo dared not approach our main camp casually.""Now, he has let Xiang Yue escape, and the latter is an extremely valuable military achievement.""The main reason for the army's retreat this time is that Du Tiechuan was not careful and fell victim to Young Master Sheng Xu's assassination. He is a defeated general, and upon returning to the capital, he will have to spend a fortune to settle matters.""If he had Xiang Yue's head, he would naturally have a better explanation."At this point, Mu Lan narrowed her eyes: "So, Ning Zhuo has now formed an enmity with Du Tiechuan. Since he has already left the main army, he naturally won't return for a short period of time."Upon hearing this statement, Zhang Zhongyi couldn't help but open his mouth slightly, his expression one of shock. Only then did he realize that it would be difficult to see Ning Zhuo again in a short time.Finally, Zhang Zhongyi sighed: "I just saw Young Master Ning Zhuo's figure disappear into the mountains and peaks, and I didn't have time to say goodbye to him.""Alas, things in the world are truly unpredictable. I never expected that in the end, Ning Zhuo would form an enmity with Du Tiechuan."Two Zhuo Kingdom's main camp.Innumerable soldiers were cleaning the battlefield, packing up the camp.Ding Pi died, but not completely.He was surrounded and attacked by the enraged cultivators, his physical body turned to dust, but his Nascent Soul pierced through the void and escaped.As for his disciple, the childlike cultivator Jia Wan, he was tied up tightly and sealed, brought before Du Tiechuan.Du Tiechuan sat on a low stool, surrounded by busy people and the ruined battlefield.Having been assassinated, his face was pale, without a trace of blood.Seeing Jia Wan, Du Tiechuan frowned: "You and your master are also somewhat famous, why are you willing to help the Thousand Peak Forest and take such a great risk?""Bah!" Jia Wan spat, "Our Jia Manor and the Two Zhuo Kingdom are irreconcilable!"Du Tiechuan suddenly understood: "So you are the remnants of Consort Jia."This involved an old palace affair, concerning Consort Hu's rise to power, Consort Jia's revenge after losing favor, and the counterattack and framing by the forces of Consort Hu, ultimately leading to the destruction of Consort Jia's family.Du Tiechuan then looked at Lei Qingyang: "How did you detect that these two were moles?"Lei Qingyang bowed: "Previously, I went out to fight the Blood Shadow Cave Master. During the engagement, I was inexplicably struck by a blood mist and was frozen in mid-air.""After this battle, the more I reviewed it, the more I felt something was wrong. There was no reason why I should have been hit by that move.""So I had some other conjectures.""Therefore, I refused treatment from others and treated myself with full concentration, seeking clues from my injuries, and finally discovered the truth.""It turned out that the energy within my body had subtly changed, which was captured by the Blood Shadow Cave Master. Before he even acted, I was already locked onto.""I immediately understood that there was a mole in the army and I had been ambushed.""After that, I quietly conducted more investigations. It wasn't until I saw Li Jiuchong staring at Lord Zhao Xi, causing the latter to bend over and vomit, spitting out a large number of centipedes and maggots, that I suddenly reacted!""At that time, Lord Zhao Xi and Li Jiuchong were far apart, yet he was also inexplicably struck by a spell.""This indicates that Zhao Xi's energy had also been captured by Li Jiuchong for a long time.""And being able to ambush both Lord Zhao Xi and me simultaneously, the scope of suspicion suddenly narrowed greatly.""I continued my investigation and finally pinpointed Ding Pi and Jia Wan, this master and disciple.""After all, Lord Zhao Xi and I, as well as other comrades, ate many spiritual foods before the battle, greatly enhancing our combat power.""It's just a pity I was a step too late, alas, just a little bit too late..."Lei Qingyang sighed regretfully.Young Master Sheng Xu was able to carry out the second assassination precisely by exploiting the chaos created by Ding Pi and Jia Wan, the master and disciple.If Lei Qingyang had revealed their identities earlier, Ding Pi and Jia Wan might have been directly suppressed, preventing the chaos from happening, and Young Master Sheng Xu might not have had the opportunity to act.And if he had accomplished this, Lei Qingyang's merit would have been immense.Du Tiechuan listened without expression, nodding slightly: "It is as it is, there is no need to mention it again."His tone was calm, only the slight clenching of his fingers indicating the turmoil deep within his heart.Thousand Peak Forest.Poison Pool Giant Wood Mountain.This was one of Tu Ming's lairs, but it had been completely shattered, with corpses strewn everywhere and constant wailing.As the mountain lord, Tu Ming was hiding deep underground.Shen Qinghe hovered high in the sky, her hands continuously radiating the Pure Spirit Purifying Poison Light. Under the illumination of the light, the poisonous creatures all over the mountain cried out in pain, and the poisonous gas continuously dissipated, turning into nothingness.Even the vast Poison Dragon Pool was gradually purified into a pool of clear water.Tu Ming was deeply disheartened: "This *Pure Spirit Purifying Poison Scripture* is truly terrifying. How can such a method that restrains poison techniques appear in the world?!"After participating in the battle, he was targeted by Shen Qinghe. After several rounds of confrontation, he was no match and could only retreat.This retreat led him directly away from the battlefield.Shen Qinghe pursued him relentlessly, all the way to Poison Pool Mountain.Tu Ming was initially relieved that one of his old lairs was nearby. As a result, the arrangements on the mountain were continuously defeated by Shen Qinghe, and his subordinates were killed and injured in countless numbers by Shen Qinghe.Even he himself only dared to hide and did not dare to make a sound.He was truly restrained too severely!