Chapter 477

At the mountain peak.

Liu Er's mentor—an elderly demon cultivator—sat withered upon a mountain rock.

In his hand, he continuously rolled a spirit bead, having silently circulated his cultivation for some time.

The old man slowly opened his eyes and channeled his magic power.

Infused with magic power, the spirit bead gradually bloomed with a blinding radiance.

The old man opened his mouth and swallowed the spirit bead.

Once inside, the spirit bead did not follow his throat down to his abdomen; instead, it traveled upward, coming to rest at the center of his forehead, between his brows.

Intense, sharp pain struck the demon cultivator, causing thick veins to bulge around his eye sockets, his expression turning savage and terrifying.

The radiance of the spirit bead gradually faded.

In the middle of the old man's forehead, a large, round lump bulged out.

The demon cultivator held his fingers like a blade, raised his palm before him, and slashed down at himself.

A sharp burst of magic power erupted, directly slicing open the round lump in the center of his forehead.

Instantly, blood and some inexplicable yellow fluid splattered; the old man could not help but groan in pain.

He bit down hard on his teeth, closed his eyes, and used only the "round lump" on his forehead to see.

After the lump was split open, it revealed an orange-yellow eyeball filled with bloodshot veins.

The eyeball shot out a mysterious light, illuminating a range of over ten feet in front of the old man.

In the old man's vision, the distant Canglin Immortal City had already changed appearance; countless types of fortune were entangled and intertwined, forming a variegated and complex spectacle.

The old man channeled his magic technique, constantly adjusting his vision and filtering out numerous miscellaneous items.

Soon, only three parties remained in his field of view.

In the very center was a massive red flower, dripping with blood, its petals falling, swaying and drifting in the wind and rain.

Amidst the vast wind and rain, a golden halberd hovered high in the sky, magnificent and sharp, emitting a golden, icy light, unstoppable.

The aura of the golden halberd intimidated the red flower, as if it would strike down the very next moment.

There was also a door plaque, made of white jade, crystalline and moist, also hanging high in the long sky, looking down upon the red flower, giving one a sense of mountain-like majesty.

"Mu Lan of the Red Flower Camp, Sun Gan of the Golden Halberd Army, and Shuang Jing of the White Jade Camp..."

"Has Little Six not realized it yet?"

The demon cultivator murmured in disappointment.

He could not hold on for long; blood flowed in trickles from the eyeball-lump on his forehead, and his two eye sockets were also overflowing with blood.

Just then, an aura of fortune appeared proudly, transforming into an ape, which also surrounded the red flower.

The ape had yellow fur and three ears; compared to the golden halberd and the jade plaque, its figure appeared much smaller. But the moment it appeared, it crossed several steps, coming closest to the red flower.

The ape reached out its hand, making a gesture of picking the flower.

"Good, good, good!" The demon cultivator was overjoyed. "Indeed, he carries the King's Mandate; I didn't need to give him any pointers at all, Little Six has grasped the true essence!"

The demon cultivator had lingered nearby, not leaving, probing repeatedly, just to see this scene.

Now, his hanging heart immediately settled by more than half.

But the next moment, it seemed the ape's flower-picking posture stimulated the other two parties. The golden halberd shot out golden rays, sweeping across the surroundings. The white jade plaque even flew up above the red flower, slowly pressing down.

Watching this scene, the demon cultivator gradually reacted and sighed: "The enemy's force is strong."

"However, if not for these two parties being so strong, how could there be an opportunity for my Little Six? Hehehe."

Red Flower Camp.

"General Shuang, what is the purpose of your visit?" Mu Lan was expressionless, her gaze calm.

Shuang Jing clapped his hands, and his subordinates immediately carried up several huge treasure chests.

These chests all emitted the aura of the Jin Dan level; clearly, they were all Jin Dan-level storage treasures.

Shuang Jing then ordered his subordinates to open these chests one by one, revealing the massive amount of precious materials, spirit stones, and even military equipment inside.

Mu Lan sneered.

Zhang Zhang Zhongyi had already returned to the Red Flower Camp.

She had already learned from him about Shuang Jing's conspiracy to plot against her, and she felt extreme disgust toward Shuang Jing in her heart.

Shuang Jing said: "General Mu Lan, these are just a part of the betrothal gifts. What do you think?"

"Given your current situation, just one of these chests would be enough to sustain your Red Flower Camp for several months."

Even though Mu Lan was mentally prepared, she was still angered to the point of her face turning pale: "You want to marry me too? And then, using this relationship, lay your hands on the General-in-Chief's seal?"

Shuang Jing's smile faltered slightly: "Too?"

Mu Lan sneered: "Not long ago, Sun Gan snuck into my camp and threatened me, saying that if I did not obey him, he would impersonate the Old Monster Shi Zhong and create a tragedy within the Red Flower Camp."

"I am a little curious now."

"Which one of your parties was it that impersonated the Old Monster Shi Zhong to attack the grain transport team this time?"

Shuang Jing's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said coldly: "General Mu Lan, there is no need to try and trick me. I would absolutely never do something like impersonating an enemy to attack a grain transport team."

"As for Sun Gan, I also do not believe he would do such a thing."

"He is the main general of the Golden Halberd Army and one of the commanders of the Imperial Guard in the capital. I ask General Mu Lan to be careful with her words!"

Shuang Jing did not fall for the trap.

Mu Lan wanted to divert the disaster and trigger a conflict between Shuang Jing and Sun Gan.

But Shuang Jing gripped the key to the matter tightly: "Then, General Mu Lan, do you choose Sun Gan, or me?"

"Although Sun Gan is an Imperial Guard commander, the foundation of his family behind him is weak." "I am not only the main general of the White Jade Camp, but I also bear the surname Shuang. Which is lighter and which is heavier? I think anyone with a brain can tell, right?"

Mu Lan sneered: "The White Jade Camp you speak of only has a hundred remnants left; are you not ashamed to mention it?"

Shuang Jing's expression faltered, but he continued to smile: "With the support of my family, it will only take a period of time to restore its former appearance. What does General Mu Lan think?"

Mu Lan gritted her teeth, staring fixedly at Shuang Jing: "During the ambush, your White Jade Camp fell into crisis; at the moment of life and death, only my Red Flower Camp came to support you."

"Yet you act like this; you bear the national surname, do you really intend to repay kindness with enmity?"

Shuang Jing's smile grew even wider; clearly, he had long since prepared a draft for this questioning, and now it came out instantly: "General Mu Lan, that is where you are wrong."

"Your army rescuing mine was indeed a bond of fighting side by side. My army paid such a heavy price and also successfully held back the enemy's strongest, creating a turning point for the entire battle."

"Now, seeing General Mu Lan fall into difficulty, I take the initiative to extend a helping hand; how can this be considered repaying kindness with enmity?"

"Enough!" Mu Lan could no longer endure it and interrupted directly, "Take all these things back! Even if I Zhao Die, even if the General-in-Chief's mansion completely declines, I will not accept your 'help'!"

Shuang Jing laughed: "I do not believe, General Mu Lan, that you would watch the General-in-Chief's mansion decline with your own eyes. And I believe even less that you would watch the wounded soldiers of the Red Flower Camp Zhao Die because of a lack of rations and pay."

=9+Shu_Ba

"What I believe is that the conditions I have offered are generous enough, and they are definitely ones that Sun Gan cannot provide."

"I ask General Mu Lan to consider it carefully."

After saying this, Shuang Jing took his few confidants and left, flicking his sleeves.

He did not take back these treasure chests, but instead left them abandoned in Mu Lan's camp.

Mu Lan's face was cold, and she immediately ordered: "Someone, move these treasure chests away, follow General Shuang Jing, and deliver them all the way back to his mansion."

Several of Mu Lan's personal guards immediately accepted the order and went out.

"You!" Shuang Jing looked back, glared at Mu Lan, then shook his head and sneered, "I want to see how long you can hold on."

Three Generals Camp.

Ning Zhuo lifted the flap of the main general's tent and stepped inside: "General Liu, you were looking for me?"

Liu Er enthusiastically greeted Ning Zhuo to sit down, then said with a troubled expression: "This is actually a private matter of mine; I ask that you, Military Advisor, help me come up with an idea."

Ning Zhuo felt strange in his heart and waited for what was to come.

After Liu Er finished speaking, Ning Zhuo's face was full of oddity: "General Liu, I didn't hear wrong just now? You are saying that you have feelings of admiration for General Mu Lan, love at first sight?"

"That's right." Liu Er said without blushing or skipping a beat, "This time, seeing General Mu Lan in a difficult situation, I thought about helping her out a little."

"But you also know that after the ambush, our army's perception of the Red Flower Camp was very poor. This time, Third Brother causing a scene at the Red Flower Camp made the relationship even worse. Fortunately, with you as the Military Advisor, otherwise, we would have had a falling out with General Mu Lan."

Ning Zhuo held his forehead and remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he looked at Liu Er: "General, it is quite difficult for you to want to help the Red Flower Camp. To be honest, the current situation is quite sensitive, and I do not suggest that we extend a helping hand at this moment."

Liu Er deliberately pressed: "Why is that? Military Advisor."

Ning Zhuo sighed and told Liu Er about Zhang Zhang Zhongyi's secret visit to seek help, as well as General Mu Lan's old injury.

Liu Er looked shocked: "I didn't expect the details to be so complex!"

"This is bad."

Strong worry appeared on his face: "I didn't expect General Mu Lan's situation to be so bad, surrounded by strong enemies. Sigh, she must be holding on very hard."

"How ironic!"

"The Red Flower Camp is weak due to fighting hard, and is coveted by friendly forces who want to swallow it up."

"Is the interior of the Two-Note Kingdom so filthy and dark? It is truly disappointing!"

Liu Er criticized the dark politics, then clenched his fists and stood up, saying with a sincere face: "Military Advisor, I have decided!"

"I cannot let my beloved fall into such a dangerous situation while I stand by and watch."

"These Jin Dan-level old fogies, they don't even look at their own age. They don't truly love General Mu Lan; they are merely plotting to seize the General-in-Chief's seal!"

"I want to save General Mu Lan from fire and water!"

Ning Zhuo looked at Liu Er before him and praised him secretly in his heart: "A fellow traveler, a fellow traveler indeed. I didn't expect Liu Er to have such deep righteousness! Excellent, truly excellent."

Ning Zhuo coughed and described the difficulties to Liu Er: "If the General wants to marry his beloved, it is difficult, too difficult."

Looking across the Two-Note Kingdom, there is not a single human-demon hybrid who can stand in the imperial court.

If Liu Er could succeed, he would be the first case.

And usually, the first case is the hardest!

But Liu Er was quite persistent and stubborn: "I also know the difficulty in this! But, I just heard from you, Military Advisor, about Mu Lan's predicament..."

"This has instead stimulated my courage and strengthened my determination."

"General Mu Lan, such a beauty, how can I watch her fall into the clutches of demons?"

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo sighed long, his eyes reddened, and he stood up excitedly, taking the initiative to hold Liu Er's arm.

He said with earnest expression: "General Liu is a man of true character!"

"To risk one's life to save one's beloved, if one can break through the shackles of the world, it will surely be a beautiful story."

"I am also indignant that General Mu Lan is being bullied. She is a good general, even though throwing the strong enemy to us during the ambush was actually a manifestation of her excellent military strategy."

"I am quite disappointed with the imperial court of the Two-Note Kingdom."

"The infighting in the temple is so shameless, and it is in a situation where a great enemy is at the front; they do not think about killing the enemy, but instead want to attack their comrades. I am truly ashamed of it!"

"This time, I will definitely do my best to help General Liu defeat Sun Gan and win the beauty's heart."

Liu Er was overjoyed and sighed: "With your help, Military Advisor, the great cause can be achieved!"

(End of chapter)