Chapter 786: Master! Where are you?

Teng Yuan Liang Xin's expression remained normal as he bowed low before Yuan Guang Yi: "In this battle I have indeed erred, I am ashamed before the General."

"But please consider carefully, General, this battle was not without gain: the former king of High Beauty is dead, the new king is still young and has no foothold at court, so there is nothing to fear going forward."

He paused: "I have already captured their Royal City; if not for the Fierce Kingdom sending troops, High Beauty would now be part of the Eastern Ocean's territory."

"General, forgive my frankness: this defeat was not due to the Fierce Kingdom's army, but entirely to the work of the Fierce Kingdom's Immortal Envoy."

Yuan Guang Yi frowned slightly: "The Fierce Kingdom's Immortal Envoy?"

Teng Yuan Liang Xin replied: "Master Abe knows this best; he can report the details."

An Bei Tai Qin's body stiffened; you really like to drag others into trouble to defend yourself.

Yuan Guang Yi looked at An Bei Tai Qin: "Speak."

An Bei Tai Qin placed both hands on the ground, performed a salute, then rose: "Reporting to the General, everything Lord Fujiwara said is true."

"Although the Fierce Kingdom's Immortal Envoy is only five years old, she possesses the ability to perceive heaven and earth."

"The wound to my right ear is her doing; its cruelty is evident."

He paused: "Although I was momentarily careless, I thereby gauged the depth of that Immortal Envoy; should we clash again, I will not allow her such arrogance."

Yuan Guang Yi's face grew grave: "The Fierce Kingdom actually has such a person... at just five years old, she could seriously wound the chief of my Yin-Yang Bureau."

The overseer of the shogunate's internal affairs, Song Yong Needle Jiu, knelt and performed a salute, speaking in a deep voice: "I, Song Yong Needle Jiu, have a matter to report."

Yuan Guang Yi looked at him: "Speak."

Song Yong Needle Jiu rose to his feet, his gaze falling on Teng Yuan Liang Xin's face: "Lord Fujiwara, my younger brother Song Yong Jiu Xiu, serving as Military Monitor, accompanied you on the expedition to High Beauty."

"When we set out he was strong and healthy, but upon returning he could neither speak nor write, becoming a cripple."

"May I ask Lord Fujiwara, what exactly befell the Military Monitor? Why is everyone else unharmed while he alone ended up like this?"

Teng Yuan Liang Xin met his gaze, expression unchanged: "The Military Monitor suffered this when the Fierce Kingdom captured the city, having inhaled too much smoke and dust; everyone on the same ship witnessed it."

"Oh? Really?" Song Yong Needle Jiu snorted, "Could it be that he went into battle and slew the enemy?"

Teng Yuan Liang Xin's expression grew grim: "Although he did not go into battle to slay the enemy, when Master Abe performed the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons technique, he and Master Abe together suffered the backlash of the Fierce Kingdom's Immortal Envoy."

"Master Abe holds the office of Yin-Yang Master, yet even he injured his right ear; the Military Monitor personally attended to matters, standing nearby at the time, merely preserving his life was already a great fortune."

"This matter, I also feel deeply grieved."

Song Yong Needle Jiu coldly stared at him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly, and did not press further.

"Again, that Fierce Kingdom Immortal Envoy?" Yuan Guang Yi looked at An Bei Tai Qin.

"Here we come again! You really can drag me into testifying for you!"

An Bei Tai Qin gritted his teeth: "Yes, General."

Suddenly, a hurried footsteps sounded outside the evaluation room, stopping at the paper door.

An attendant's voice came: "General, an urgent military report."

Yuan Guang Yi nodded slightly.

The paper door was pulled open, and an inner attendant said: "Report to the General, in the Eastern Ocean Strait, no ships have returned for two days!"

"Not a single one of the three batches of dispatch boats sent out has returned."

Yuan Guang Yi fell silent for a moment: "Dismiss."

The inner attendant retreated on his knees a few steps, then rose and left.

Yuan Guang Yi looked at the officials: "You all heard that."

Teng Yuan Liang Xin bowed low: "General, I believe the Eastern Ocean Strait has already fallen into the hands of the Fierce Kingdom's army."

"The reason no ships have returned for two days is likely that the Naval Commander, Ping Jiao Jing, has already died for his country."

The room fell into a brief silence.

Yuan Guang Yi gazed at him for a moment, then asked: "According to your view, where will the enemy forces be now?"

Teng Yuan Liang Xin replied: "I think they saw the defenses I set up on the coast, could not break through immediately, and thus halted at sea, holding their position."

He paused: "At this moment, they must be within a day's journey from the coast."

Yi Tiao Jian Liang furrowed his brows: "Lord Fujiwara's meaning, are we still to fight? We have already suffered losses..."

Before his words finished, the young Takeda commander Wu Tian Xin Sheng saluted Yuan Guang Yi: "General, I have a matter to present!"

Yuan Guang Yi raised his hand to signal.

Wu Tian Xin Sheng straightened his back: "General! The Fierce Kingdom has seized the Eastern Ocean Strait and will soon be at the gates of the General's mansion; if we do not fight, would we not simply surrender here?"

"The honor of a warrior lies in never fearing death and fighting to the bitter end!"

"Lord Fujiwara fought until only two warships returned; he can be called a paragon of the warrior!"

"I request permission to follow Lord Fujiwara, to kill the Fierce Kingdom's Immortal Envoy for the General, to avenge the painful loss of High Beauty!"

Yuan Guang Yi fell silent for a moment, then looked at Teng Yuan Liang Xin: "You have clashed with the Fierce Kingdom's people; what should we do now?"

Teng Yuan Liang Xin raised his head: "I believe we should take advantage of the enemy's current predicament at sea, launch a surprise attack with Yin-Yang technique, and surely achieve victory in one blow."

After a moment's thought, Yuan Guang Yi looked at An Bei Tai Qin: "Do you have confidence?"

An Bei Tai Qin hastily performed a salute and replied: "I have seventy percent confidence; I can destroy all enemy ships at sea."

"Good." Yuan Guang Yi nodded: "An Bei Tai Qin, receive orders."

"I am here."

"I order you to exert your full strength; you must utterly destroy the enemy forces, especially that Fierce Kingdom Immortal Envoy! As General, I never wish to hear of her again."

He darkened his face for the first time: "From the day she first became an enemy of my Eastern Ocean, she ought not to live in this world."

An Bei Tai Qin touched his forehead to the ground: "I, receive the command."

Night fell, the sea breeze blew gently.

Moonlight spilled onto the sea surface, breaking into countless silver scales that rose and fell gently with the waves.

Chu Yuan held Tuan Tuan, leaning against the ship's rail, and together they lifted their heads to gaze at the night sky.

The sky's deep blue was like ink, dense stars spread across the entire vault, the Milky Way like a faint band of light stretching across the horizon.

Tuan Tuan blinked her big eyes: "Master! The stars here are bigger than in Jingcheng!"

Chu Yuan smiled: "Yes, they really are much brighter than those in Jingcheng. Shall I teach you to recognize them?"

"Sure!"

Xiao Feifei hopped up and down on the ground, chirping nonstop.

Tuan Tuan lowered her head and glanced at it: "Xiao Feifei, be good, I'm studying with Master; go play with Second Uncle for a while."

Xiao Er laughed as he lifted Xiao Feifei: "Miss, she won't follow me; let her stay with you to listen to the National Preceptor's lecture, okay?"

"Sure!" Tuan Tuan looked behind him: "Where's Seventh Uncle?"

He's at Commandant Zhao's place, talking with him.

Tuan Tuan raised her head and pointed a finger: "Master! Are those stars the Big Dipper?"

"Yes, your eyesight is good, that's exactly the Big Dipper."

Chu Yuan reached out and gently rubbed her head: "Really smart! Let me test you: what's the name of the seventh star of the Big Dipper?"

"Jade Light!"

Chu Yuan nodded satisfactorily, about to say more, when his expression suddenly changed.

In the southwest direction of the Big Dipper, a thin layer of gray was spreading.

It was as if someone had splashed a bucket of dirty water into the night sky.

"Master?" Tuan Tuan lifted her little face, following his gaze: "What are you looking at?"

Chu Yuan withdrew his gaze: "Xiao Er, take Tuan Tuan back."

He handed Tuan Tuan to Xiao Er: "From now on, never leave her side. No matter what happens outside, do not let her come out."

Xiao Er said nothing, took Tuan Tuan and turned back.

Tuan Tuan poked her head out from Xiao Er's shoulder and asked: "Master! What about you?"