Chapter 698: d General? Let's Try Twenty First to Test the Waters

Inside the room.

Yan Lanting, hands clasped behind his back, walked slowly to the bedside.

General Wushan was just about to force himself up to pay his respects when he saw the old man shake his head, raise an eyebrow, and say lightly, "General Wu, just lie there."

Hearing this, the fat man's face suddenly flushed and burned hot; he recalled the words he had left the old man in a fit of rage before departing, thinking General Wu had gone to his death with tragic heroism, only to find he had been dragged back.

"Nonsense, nonsense, please do not take it to heart..."

General Wushan raised his hand, wishing he could slap himself twice.

Yet before his palm could fall, another rough, large hand had already landed on his forehead first; the warmth spreading from that palm made the fat man pause in surprise.

Old Master Yan was not healing his injuries, nor did it contain any other mystery; he simply rubbed his forehead.

Just like an ordinary elder treating a junior.

"I have wronged you."

Yan Lanting withdrew his hand, casually pulled over a stool, and sat down; the usual ferocity in his brows and eyes was gone, replaced by a certain daze.

His disagreement with Yang Mingli was not something that had arisen in just one or two days.

Regarding this matter, Yan Lanting had always believed he was right; the logic was simple, because acting according to that Yang family's methods left him seeing no hope whatsoever.

Since there was no hope, even if the other path meant nine deaths for one life, at least there was a sliver of chance for survival, was there not?

But today, Yan Lanting's thoughts were beginning to waver.

Because this choice, which even a child could make, viewed the problem entirely from the perspective of the imperial court, yet for these junior cultivators below, they were not in a situation of certain death.

Even if the great calamity truly erupted, these juniors still had many choices.

It was he who was personally pushing them into the fire pit, forcing this group to die for the Divine Dynasty.

If these juniors were the slick, cunning sort, Yan Lanting would not have shown the slightest softness; since they entered the Zhan Yao Si, they ought to serve the imperial court, and precisely for this reason, he had deliberately chosen General Wushan at that time.

But the problem now was that even General Wushan, who was outwardly cautious and timid, solely concerned with self-preservation, when facing such a dead end, while cursing and swearing, had nonetheless stepped forward without hesitation.

Not to mention the newly titled Nan Yang, who had given him far too many surprises.

A child who is both sensible and capable, who would not like and feel for them? Once one feels for them, how could one bear to continue pushing this group toward the bottom of the cliff?

"Wronged..."

General Wushan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly wore a bitter smile.

What wrong was there for me? I have only reached this day by luck; without the Zhan Yao Si taking me in, where would this body of Taiyi Zhenxian Dao Fruit come from?

If there is any wrong, it is that young man, whose future was originally bright, leading straight to the Heavenly Immortal Court, who ruined all of this to save my wretched life; that is the true wrong.

"Is he still alright?"

Although it was General Wushan who was severely injured, Yan Lanting was asking about others, clearly having seen through the undercurrents between the two long ago.

General Wushan, an elder of the Zhan Yao Si who had witnessed so many storms, how could he be frightened into such a state by a Luo Han of comparable cultivation, simply because of that Ten Thousand Staves Spirit-Locking Array?

Looking at that timid and submissive expression, he must have already encountered a true God, Buddha, or Immortal Venerable.

But the outcome was that Nan Yang successfully brought him back.

"He is still..."

General Wushan instinctively opened his mouth, but the word "alright" could not come out.

He knew that there were no outsiders present now; if he did not recount the entire matter truthfully, he suspected he would never have the courage again.

In that case, the Puti Sect would truly have planted a chess piece within the Divine Dynasty, one holding a high position and increasingly valued.

The influence and harm would be so great that even a hundred deaths would not be enough for him to bear the responsibility.

On one side was his savior, on the other were the countless Li Min of the Divine Dynasty; his cultivation was all taken from the common people.

Instantly, the fat man's facial features twitched.

"I am still alright."

Shen Yi walked slowly into the room and stood behind Old Master Yan.

Seeing this, General Wushan finally sighed in relief, silently lay back on the bed, and let the two of them sort things out slowly.

However, what he did not expect was that Old Master Yan did not turn to look at Shen Yi, but continued to sit in silence; after a long while, the old man let out a long sigh: "That is good."

Before the words had even finished falling, General Wushan suddenly turned his head.

Huh? He believed it just like that?!

Yan Lanting ignored the fat man's astonishment, thought for a moment, and asked again: "Have you ever regretted joining the Zhan Yao Si?"

The way the question was asked made it sound as if the Zhan Yao Si were some ordinary faction one could normally leave.

"..."

General Wushan froze completely, then suddenly realized what the old man meant.

Once one enters the Zhan Yao Si, one is the imperial court's person for life.

Because the Ninth Bureau of the Immortal Department was an existence that could not be revealed to outsiders... but that was all old history; given the current attitude of the Daosan Sect and the Immortal Court toward the Divine Dynasty, which was nearly like fire and water, what difference would exposure make?

Although the rules still existed, with the old man's authority as General Wushan, the Commander of the Southern Defense, turning a blind eye and letting a titled general under his command go should not be a major problem.

If that were the case, the entire matter seemed to be resolved.

This young man in the black robe would no longer have to be Nan Yang, but could return to the Daosan Sect; whether it was Shenxu Mountain or the Puti Sect, the prospects were better than staying in the Divine Dynasty.

And the imperial court would no longer need to fear a meritorious official.

Shen Yi pondered for a moment, raised his head, and said seriously: "A little."

The old man stood quietly and closed his eyes.

General Wushan, his expression complex, forced a smile at Shen Yi.

But next, he saw the other person gently shake his head again and continue: "But not much."

Yan Lanting suddenly opened his eyes and turned back, staring tightly at Shen Yi; General Wushan sat on the bed in shock; in the current situation, was there anyone who voluntarily wanted to stay in the Divine Dynasty?

If the Puti Sect dared to ambush a titled general this time, next time they would dare to intercept and kill the Commander of the Southern Defense.

Although Nanyang was powerful, it was still only within the fourth-rank category; before the Bodhisattvas and Buddha Ancestors of the Puti Sect, what did it amount to?

Even though Shen Yi was his life-saving benefactor, faced with such an abnormal choice, General Wushan could not help but suspect that the other had returned bearing a Buddhist decree.

"……"

Under the gaze of the two, Shen Yi's expression did not change, and he did not choose to offer any explanation.

The regret was because this identity had now truly become a kind of restriction on him.

When a person walks farther and farther, they usually gain more choices, a broader world; past troubles and grudges can no longer enter their eyes, and they will regret some decision made back then that affects the present self.

Shen Yi was no exception.

But he had not forgotten that the regretted decision had been the only path he could choose at the time.

Once you've eaten your fill, you start complaining the pot is dirty — that's no way to do things.

"You—"

Yan Lanting stared straight at the young man's clear, dark eyes. Clearly, even a General Who Pacifies the South, holding such a lofty position, was now caught in the same tangle as General Wushan.

Back then, because of the matter with the ape demon, he had gotten to know this lad and felt the fellow suited his tastes.

Afterwards, Shen Yi had never disappointed him, and in the matter of the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, had added quite a bit of luster to Yan Lao's face.

But when facing the methods of gods, Buddhas, and immortal lords, many things could not be resisted by following one's heart alone.

"Just do your best."

Yan Lanting changed his tune, stood up again, hands clasped behind his back: "Don't feel you owe me anything. As long as you live up to that salary from the imperial court and are true to your conscience… when the time truly comes to leave, remember to send this old man a message explaining how things went."

Having said that, the old man walked straight out of the room, but the body that had stubbornly held itself upright even when gravely wounded now, for no apparent reason, hunched over once more.

The imperial court's salary was generous, but it could absolutely never buy the life of a Taiyi Zhenxian.

If we followed that logic, when General Wushan encountered another matter like the one at Jin Guang Prefecture, he could simply withdraw and walk away.

It could only show that this most forceful General Who Pacifies the South, when facing his most favored subordinate — a person whom the Three Sects needed only to employ a slight trick to destroy — no longer held any expectations for the future of the Divine Dynasty either.

There was no right or wrong between his choice and Yang Mingli's — both were dead ends.

Besides, this also left Shen Yi a way out: if the Puti Sect truly issued some order down the line, he could simply choose to leave.

If he did not leave and still brought disaster upon the Divine Dynasty, then when that time came, he shouldn't blame Yan Lanting for disregarding the bonds between colleagues.

"Sigh!"

General Wushan slammed his palm down hard: "I've really done you two in!"

Setting Shen Yi aside, no matter what Yan Lao said with his mouth, in the end he still kept Shen Yi. If something major truly happened because of this down the line, then as General Who Pacifies the South, knowing the situation and failing to report it — once word reached the Imperial Capital, that old life of his would truly be forfeit!

"Come back to my place first to recover."

Shen Yi did not pick up that thread of conversation; he simply took General Wushan along with him and stepped into the Grand Void.

His greatest taboo was having his life controlled by others.

Yet the Sanxian Sect and the Puti Sect had, as if by prior arrangement, made the same choice.

From this point on, Shen Yi could no longer sincerely devote himself to the Three Sects; not only that, he wanted to win.

At the very least, he would first tear off the two dog chains on his body and wrap them around the necks of those lofty gods, Buddhas, and immortal lords!

……

Jianyang Prefecture, Shen Zhai.

Ye Lan had finally waited back the figure she had been longing for; and when her gaze moved from Shen Yi to General Wushan beside him, compared to the injuries on this fatty's body, what struck her as even more astonishing was the other's attitude.

"No… Lord Nanyang… could you try to make a little sense?"

"You just dragged me straight to Jianyang — what about my three prefectures?"

Clearly a questioning tone, yet General Wushan's face was full of bitterness; he didn't even dare raise his voice.

Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, then quickly came back to herself and gradually let it go.

Fair enough — hadn't she herself, after following Shen Yi out on just a few trips, gone from being his superior to his little follower?

"Focus on recovering quickly, to prepare for what may come; leave the rest to me."

Shen Yi walked into the courtyard, pressed General Wushan down onto the stone bench, then pointed at the room beside them, signaling the other to move in there first.

"What trouble may come?"

General Wushan sprang to his feet: "Those monks left a contingency behind?"

Shen Yi ignored him and looked at Ye Lan: "How have things been lately?"

Ye Lan frowned and thought for a moment, then raised her eyes: "Now that you ask, there really is something off. They're nothing major, but demonic calamities have been frequent nearby, and they're all unfamiliar faces."

"Understood."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin. While he was refining pills for General Wushan at Jin Guang Prefecture, he had already received similar news.

Thinking about it, it was only natural — if one wanted to plunge the world into chaos, besides collapsing things from within the Divine Dynasty, how could it possibly do without those most useful demons and monsters?

Once, the Immortal Court and the Divine Dynasty ruled together, with the Three Sects assisting; the land of Shenzhou could be said to have been watertight.

Among them, the righteous gods only dealt with those demons and evils who had violated the Heavenly Laws.

The scarcity of righteous gods was one reason; otherwise, the other two sects would never have had the chance to rise to power.

But beyond that, these incarnations of the Great Dao were never on the side of humanity to begin with — they were only responsible for maintaining the order of Heaven and Earth. The "evil" among demons and fiends referred to cultivators who had violated the Heavenly Laws.

Then the main reason Shenzhou was largely free of demons was the overwhelming imperial qi and the deterrence of the other two sects.

Now those two sects were preparing to topple the Divine Dynasty; amid the internal turmoil, the swarms of demons finally had their chance to rise again — how could they possibly miss it.

That wolf demon from before was a perfect example.

The old monk had brazenly revealed the creature's origins, not at all looking like the demon had betrayed its old master to throw in with a great sect.

It looked more like that old master was planning to set out and come over, having first sent a subordinate ahead to scout the situation.

"You know that Southern Emperor?"

Shen Yi recalled that when he heard this title at the time, General Wushan's expression had suddenly changed.

"Huh?"

General Wushan suddenly clenched his five fingers and opened his mouth: "A-ask, why ask about that?"

He licked his dry lips, steadied himself, and laughed stiffly: "I do indeed know of it. It was once an extremely famous great demon. It once bore a grudge against a Daluo Immortal Revered, and the two fought and killed each other for many years. In the end it suffered a loss, and only then retreated beyond Shenzhou... It's just that it doesn't know me."

He had thought that after accumulating so many years of foundation, one day he would be able to find this beast and exact revenge.

He never expected that on a single trip to the Divine Dynasty, he nearly got slaughtered by a mere demon general under the other's command.

General Wushan no longer held any expectations for revenge now.

Those speeches he had prepared during the sleepless nights over the years — the triumphant, spirited tirades he would deliver upon victory — better keep them as a fart and stay muffled under the blankets.

"Wait..."

General Wushan wiped away his stiff smile, and recalling the wolf demon's and Ye Lan's earlier words, suddenly realized something: "You mean it's come back?!"

"Just a wild guess."

Shen Yi turned and walked toward the house.

"Then I have to go back even more!"

General Wushan was so anxious he was baring his teeth and glaring. Only those who had once witnessed that demon horde's rampage knew just how terrifying the Southern Sovereign truly was.

That beast, along with its several sworn brothers and that sky-darkening swarm of demon hordes like locusts, had only been defeated by the joint forces of the three great immortal sects and the deterrence of the Immortal Court.

Even so, in a fit of venting fury, it slaughtered a million cultivators and still withdrew unscathed.

That alone was enough to prove how formidable its strength was.

Now that it has come back in full force...

"Listen to him," Ye Lan reminded softly.

"..." General Wushan's eyelid twitched. He could indeed understand where Yan Lan's trust in Nanyang came from — after all, after going through this incident, he himself had developed a similar feeling.

But the problem was, trust was trust, one still had to talk about facts.

No matter how you put it, Nanyang was still within the Fourth Rank category. If a single Taiyi True Immortal or a Great Bodhisattva could shelter all nine prefectures by themselves, then Zhan Yao Si would be full and bored, wasting imperial qi to raise a whole batch of titled generals?

Such a thing — not to mention them — even the three Town-South Generals could not possibly attend to every detail.

Listening to the conversation coming from behind.

Shen Yi slowly closed the door.

General Wushan's worry was not without reason. Even though he himself was now both a Fourth Rank Dao Fruit and Fourth Rank Fruit Position, plus the immortal seal, he still could not look after even a third of Dananzhou.

But if he couldn't do it, what about adding another dozen or twenty titled generals, or even several dozen?

Shen Yi was examining the wolf demon's corpse inside the thumb ring. Besides that, there were also the five tree demons sent by the Lady Qinghua Sect, as well as over ten Fifth Rank great demon corpses the other party had casually collected while sweeping alongside the orthodox gods.

To turn all these corpses into town stones, only seven or eight hundred tribulations of demon lifespan were needed.

Although it looked like a lot, Lady Qinghua had already returned to Eight Extremities Valley, and was about to inherit a Fourth Rank immortal seal. At most sweeping out two or three demon lairs would be enough to gather it all.

In exchange would come an impregnable nine prefectures, and a steady stream of demon and monster lifespan!

His Wan Yao Dian couldn't keep staying cooped up in Hongze forever — it was time to open it in Shenzhou.

To give the Three Teachings a little town stone shock.

(End of this chapter)