Chapter 1246: Lord Shuguo, the Great Chief

Afterward, all plans unfolded exactly as Mo Hua had devised.

Lord Lugu declared before battle that his mission was to avenge his elder brother, General Shisgu, the strongest warrior of Shuguo.

General Shisgu was treacherously murdered through the collusion of Can Gu and traitors within the Shisgu tribe, dying with eyes wide open.

Now Can Gu has been defeated by him, lost an arm, and fled to seek refuge with the Great Chief.

The Great Chief, unaware of the truth, has been deceived by Can Gu; if this continues, the Shuguo tribe will be doomed.

"This campaign seeks to avenge my brother Shisgu, exterminate the villain Can Gu, free the Great Chief from the deception of treacherous men, and prevent the Shuguo tribe from perishing in an instant."

The barbarian cultivators of Da Huang are mostly savage and cruel by nature.

But this cruelty is superficial; when it comes to cunning and depth of malice, they are far inferior to Mo Hua.

Indeed, compared to Mo Hua, these barbarians are as innocent as blank paper.

Thus, when Lord Lugu spoke, nearly every Shuguo barbarian soldier was filled with righteous fury and burning indignation.

Though Shisgu was excessively fierce, his strength in life was overwhelming.

The more barbaric a tribe, the more they revere strength; thus, many within the Shuguo tribe held deep reverence for General Shisgu.

Now, the mightiest general of Shuguo has been framed and murdered by a villain—this is a profound disgrace to the Shuguo tribe.

Lord Lugu avenging his brother is only natural and just.

The Great Chief, aged and foolish, has been deceived by traitors; order must be restored.

This war is "righteous and justified," with high morale. Though not all wished to face the Great Chief, the general sentiment was unified.

As Lord Lugu spoke and stirred the crowd into fury, Mo Hua stood silently behind him.

To some in the Shuguo tribe, Lord Wuzhu Mo Hua at this moment appeared as a "good-luck charm," symbolizing divine support for Lord Lugu.

But to those with insight—especially Tie Shuguo—he was clearly the true mastermind behind the scenes.

Lord Lugu was merely a puppet, manipulated by Mo Hua's strings.

Thereafter, the army marched forward, heading toward the direction Can Gu had fled—the heart of the Shuguo tribe, where the Great Chief resided.

The journey was rugged, with occasional skirmishes; after ten days, the army arrived before the Shuguo heartland.

The tribes of Da Huang are a variant of alliances, and the Shuguo tribe exemplifies this most clearly.

The heartland is the strongest among the main tribes.

Yet even it is not vastly stronger, its size not much exceeding that of an ordinary "main tribe."

In normal times, if the heartland were in peril, it could ignite beacon fires to summon all main and auxiliary tribes for defense.

But this is no normal time—the famine has spread, and every tribe is struggling to survive, with no capacity to aid this Great Chief.

Not to mention they had already lost part of their forces in prior battles against the Wu Jiao tribe.

Thus, when the two sides now faced off, Lord Lugu's forces were actually stronger.

Moreover, because Mo Hua was present, Lord Lugu's barbarian troops subtly held the upper hand in the quality of their barbarian armor.

As the two armies stood opposed, Lord Lugu stood at the front of his forces, imposing and majestic.

Opposite him, upon a high platform surrounded by throngs and armored guards, the Great Chief of Shuguo, clad in the sacred Shuguo robe, gazed like the sea, his face dark and menacing.

This was Mo Hua's first time seeing the Great Chief of Shuguo.

Yet the Great Chief of Shuguo did not so much as glance at Mo Hua.

His eyes were fixed entirely on Lord Lugu—the Shuguo general who claimed "to avenge his brother" and "to purge the court"—who had now amassed formidable power.

A bitter, indescribable ache stirred in the Great Chief's heart.

He had once believed his greatest threat was Shisgu.

He had schemed endlessly to eliminate this looming danger.

Yet he never imagined that after he had murdered Shisgu, the true existential threat standing before him now was Shisgu's younger brother—Lord Lugu.

Fate truly loves to toy with men.

Fate often plays cruel jokes that bring no laughter.

The Great Chief of Shuguo had no idea when or how fate had gone awry, nor why Lord Lugu's destiny had changed.

He had no will to investigate further.

Now, old and frail, he could only stand upon his high platform and demand of Lord Lugu:

"You are a general—why have you rebelled?"

Lord Lugu stared at the aged, grim face of the Great Chief, recalling how his brave, mighty elder brother had died by this old man's treachery; his rage surged—but then he felt, behind him, a pair of eyes as deep and sinister as a demon's, watching silently.

Lord Lugu's heart calmed. He spoke: "Great Chief, forgive me—I do not rebel, nor do I dare to."

He raised his hand upward, pointing to Can Gu beside the Great Chief.

Can Gu, previously deceived by Mo Hua, had been terrified by Shisgu's corpse, then had his arm severed by Lord Lugu; now he wore a white bone prosthetic and stood beside the Great Chief, his face twisted with venomous hatred.

Lord Lugu's expression was solemn: "My sole purpose is to slay this villain, Can Gu. He holds the rank of Shuguo general, yet commits base, beastly acts—betraying the tribe's interests, conspiring in secret to murder my brother Shisgu. His crimes deserve to be torn limb from limb."

"All I ask now is that the Great Chief hand this monster over to me—I shall flay his skin, rip his tendons, cut his flesh, drink his blood, and dissect his five viscera and six bowels to appease my brother's spirit in heaven…"

Lord Lugu's gaze was cold as a blade, every word targeting Can Gu.

But the Great Chief heard each word as if it were aimed squarely at him.

Furious, the Great Chief of Shuguo grew more perplexed—Lord Lugu, once inferior to his brother Shisgu in both martial prowess and strategy, how had he become so shrewd?

And how, a general who knew only how to kill, had he suddenly gained such eloquence—speaking as if stars tumbled from the sky, his tongue a sword, his words sharp enough to kill?

Can Gu, too, was shaken to his core, his face pale as ash.

The Great Chief of Shuguo studied Lord Lugu for a moment, then spoke.

His voice, hoarse and aged, carried a solemn authority:

"Lord Lugu, you misunderstand—Can Gu did not murder your brother. There is more to this matter. Withdraw your troops, and we shall discuss this properly; otherwise, your army's presence here may lead others to believe you… "

The Great Chief's cloudy eyes sharpened slightly, "... seek to kill me, the Great Chief, and seize my throne."

Lord Lugu fell silent for a moment, clutching the jade slip Mo Hua had given him, scanning its spiritual essence briefly before finding the standard "answer."

Lord Lugu adopted a look of disappointment and sighed deeply:

"Great Chief, at this point, you still believe slander and are deceived by this traitor, Can Gu. If I withdraw my troops, he will coerce you; if I come alone to negotiate with you, he will set a trap to kill me."

"Great Chief, the one who truly wishes to harm you is Can Gu."

"I am the one who has remained utterly loyal to you..."

Even though the Great Chief of Shu Gu had immense composure, hearing these words made him feel as if he could barely breathe.

Can Gu beside him nearly exploded with rage.

He had only known Lord Lugu as brutal, never imagining he could twist truth and falsehood so shamelessly.

Nevertheless, the Great Chief of Shu Gu still did not hand over Can Gu.

Mo Hua was right—the Great Chief of Shu Gu was no fool; at this moment, he could never abandon Can Gu.

To abandon Can Gu would be to sever his own arm; he could no longer contend with Lord Lugu.

With matters at this point, there was no room for compromise—this battle must be fought outright.

The two sides would meet for their final confrontation before the Great Chief's main camp.

Yet before the two armies clashed, Lord Lugu suddenly called out: "Wait!"

The barbarian troops of both sides froze in surprise.

Lord Lugu's expression turned solemn as he questioned the Great Chief's barbarian soldiers:

"Whom do you truly serve—the Great Chief, or Can Gu?"

"If you serve Can Gu, then fight me to the death."

"If you serve the Great Chief, then blocking me only enables Can Gu's conspiracy—you are aiding a tyrant."

"After this, Can Gu will surely kill the Great Chief. If the Great Chief truly dies at Can Gu's hands, then all of you will be traitors to the Shu Gu tribe."

The Great Chief's barbarian soldiers exchanged glances, some beginning to waver.

The Great Chief barked sharply: "Kill! Do not listen to his deceitful words!"

Lord Lugu, furious, cried: "Great Chief, how have you been so blinded by Can Gu that you cannot tell loyalty from treachery? What has Can Gu done to you?"

The Great Chief's face twisted.

His uncontrolled demeanor, seen by all, only made him appear old, senile, and incapable of discerning right from wrong.

Lord Lugu then shouted loudly: "All of you, listen! The barbarian soldiers across from us are the Great Chief's men. As long as they do not strike, we must not kill them."

Then Lord Lugu drew his Demon-Bone Cleaver, pointing it at Can Gu, and roared: "This mission is to eradicate traitors—for the Great Chief, to slay the wicked! Kill!"

Lord Lugu's barbarian troops surged with morale, shouting:

"Slay the traitor!"

"Kill Can Gu!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Seeing their morale peak, Lord Lugu led the charge himself; thousands of barbarian slaves and soldiers surged behind him like a tidal wave, rushing toward the Great Chief's main camp.

The two sides collided instantly.

Blades met flesh, and men fell dead within moments.

But those who died were only those who raised their weapons.

Any Shu Gu barbarian soldier who heeded Lord Lugu's words—refusing to obstruct or block him—was left unharmed.

But anyone who dared stand before Lord Lugu was instantly split in two by his mighty bone blade.

Soon, more and more Shu Gu barbarian soldiers chose to stand idle.

Some even deliberately stepped aside, clearing a path for Lord Lugu so he could charge straight to the Great Chief and slay the traitor.

The Great Chief and Can Gu would never believe Lord Lugu's words.

But the ordinary barbarian soldiers believed them utterly.

For in their hearts, Lord Lugu was a great general—always decisive, never broken in his word.

The Great Chief of Shu Gu's face turned instantly ghastly.

Seeing Lord Lugu charging toward him, Can Gu gritted his teeth and said: "Great Chief, let me slay Lord Lugu for you!"

He then led his men forward to confront Lord Lugu on the battlefield.

At this moment, he could not flee—otherwise, the Great Chief would hold a grudge; without the Great Chief's trust, he had only death ahead.

He could not hide behind others—otherwise, he would be branded a traitor beyond doubt.

At this moment, he had no choice but to fight Lord Lugu.

But earlier, he had been tricked by the treacherous Lord Lugu; though now he saw too many inconsistencies in that "dead-and-revived" Shi Gu, it was too late.

One of his arms had been severed and replaced with a white-bone prosthesis—his combat power greatly diminished.

Meanwhile, Lord Lugu was at his peak, his thirst for vengeance burning with murderous intent.

Can Gu was no match for Lord Lugu.

The two clashed on the battlefield for eight hundred rounds, shaking the mountains and rivers, their Jin Dan energy surging like Jianghe—so powerful that any barbarian soldier caught in the crossfire had flesh vaporized and bones shattered to dust.

Finally, Can Gu's prosthetic limb was severed by Lord Lugu's blade.

Can Gu was defeated and fled; Lord Lugu led his army in relentless pursuit.

The scene was vast and magnificent.

Mo Hua, the Lord Wuzhu, watched it all from afar.

This war was not yet over—but its course and outcome had already been "reviewed" countless times in his mind.

Thus, Mo Hua felt as if he were watching a war "film" he had seen many times before.

Although it was a "campaign" against the Shu Bone Grand Chief, it was no harder than the previous campaign against the Remnant Bone tribe.

The hardest point was how to use Shu Bone's "soldiers" to campaign against Shu Bone's "king."

But under the guise of "clearing the monarch's side," we can subtly shift the concept.

Under the pretext of campaigning against the Remnant Bone, we campaign against the Shu Bone Grand Chief.

This problem is thus resolved.

The barbarian troops of Shu Bone's main tribe, in truth, did not wish to, nor dared to, fight against Lugu, whose momentum was at its peak.

With the excuse of "clearing the monarch's side," they lost all resolve to fight to the death.

Mo Hua also used his Guidao Branching algorithm to deduce the entire course of the war clearly.

Now, this battle was but a small game of chess.

The flow of the game was under Mo Hua's control.

Mo Hua also used this small game of chess to hone his ability to "play chess" and lay out strategies.

He had remained hidden in the rear, never taking the field to kill, his hands untouched by blood.

First, his cultivation was limited; in a war of Jin Dan level, his role was insignificant.

Second, he had incurred the Curse of Fate, and thus could not be stained by killing.

Therefore, during battle, he could only watch from behind—this suited his identity as Lord Wuzhu.

In warfare, how could Lord Wuzhu charge into the fray?

Mo Hua sat upon the mountain, watching the tribes slaughter each other, from day to sunset, observing their endless killing.

As his karmic calculations foretold, the Shu Bone Grand Chief lost.

Had this war occurred a century or two earlier, the Grand Chief might have won.

But now, he was old; since becoming Grand Chief, he had not taken the field to kill in a long time.

His killing of Shi Gu may have stemmed from fear of Shi Gu, who was in his prime and growing ever stronger.

Simultaneously, he feared himself—growing old and ever weaker.

The decrepit Shu Bone Grand Chief could not possibly be a match for the vigorous Lugu.

After merely a hundred and some exchanges, the Grand Chief's body began to heave like a bellows.

Without becoming Immortal, one remains merely human.

As a human, one ages and dies—even a Jin Dan cultivator at the late stage is no exception.

Just as Mo Hua believed the Grand Chief would die at Lugu's hands, Lugu stopped.

He subtly left an opening, sparing the Grand Chief, granting him a thread of life.

Others might not have understood, but Mo Hua, who mastered causality, saw it clearly with his eyes.

Lugu, for some reason, was deliberately "releasing" him.

With this thread of opportunity, the Grand Chief naturally escaped from Lugu's grasp.

Lugu did not pursue; instead, he stayed behind to settle the battlefield.

When the battle was settled and the smoke cleared, Mo Hua slowly walked to Lugu's side.

Lugu glanced at Mo Hua and said with regret:

"Pity—I still let the Grand Chief escape."

Mo Hua sighed softly and asked Lugu: "Do you know where the Grand Chief will flee?"

Lugu looked solemn and said slowly: "If my guess is correct, the Grand Chief will flee to... White Bone Mausoleum."

Mo Hua's gaze flickered slightly. "White Bone Mausoleum?"

Lugu nodded. "It is the burial ground of our Shu Bone tribe's ancestors. Having been defeated, the Grand Chief will likely go to White Bone Mausoleum to seek the ancestors' protection."

Mo Hua's expression grew extremely solemn. "This is... troublesome..."

Lugu said with determination: "The Grand Chief killed my elder brother—I must avenge this grievance."

"Then," Mo Hua sighed lightly, "I shall accompany you to White Bone Mausoleum."

Lugu seemed hesitant. "White Bone Mausoleum is the resting place of our ancestors, fraught with unfathomable peril. Mr. Wuzhu, are you truly going with me?"

Mo Hua nodded, his face solemn and devout:

"I am Lord Wuzhu, burdened with great duty. Precisely because it is perilous, I cannot shirk it. If I do not risk myself, how can the masses be willing to shed blood and life for the Divine Lord?"

Lugu was moved, his tone respectful: "Then... I am in your debt, Mr. Wuzhu."

Mo Hua nodded. "Let us go."

Saying this, he turned and walked toward the direction the Grand Chief had fled, with an air of fearless resolve.

Lugu walked behind Mo Hua, his peripheral vision glancing at Mo Hua, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

(End of Chapter)