ăSouthern Group Army Headquarters.ă
It was a scene of bustling activity. Almost everyone wore a serious expression, methodically going about their work.
Inside the Central Army Tent of the Champion Marquis, Xu Zhongtian, it was even more bustling.
Nearly all the high-ranking officers of the Southern Group Army had gathered here.
It had been half a month since the Yan Army's supply line was severed. At Xu Zhongtian's command, the Cangqiong Army's offensive had gradually ceased.
They had pulled back their forces and were holding their position.
If the Yan Army dared to advance, they would be met with a volley of arrows.
"We're not the ones who should be worriedâthe Yan Army is!" Xu Zhongtian said, looking at the men in his tent. "I'm sure it won't be more than a few days before chaos erupts within their ranks. Heh, without supplies, let's see how long they can last!"
"General, we should be wary of the Yan Army growing desperate and launching an all-out assault," a young general suggested.
"An all-out assault? We'd welcome it!" another young general said, his face alight with excitement. "They're out of supplies. If they fight us on empty stomachs with their morale already shot, it'd be a miracle if they could win!"
As he spoke, the young general's face filled with reverence. "Speaking of which, Young Master Wei is truly worthy of being Prime Minister Wei's son. Devising strategies that decide battles a thousand miles away! If he hadn't sent men to secretly cut off the Yan Army's supplies, how could we have seized such a massive advantage?"
"Indeed. Young Master Wei is so young and accomplished. He's bound to have a limitless future!" someone chimed in.
"Speaking of which, the Seven-Colored General, Xu Luo, vanished after that battle alongside General Cao Tianyi and General Yuwen. He was carried back just a few days ago. I wonder what kind of mission he was on to have gotten injured," someone said, shifting the topic to Xu Luo.
Xu Zhongtian simply smiled, remaining silent where he sat.
Someone beside him said, "Things like that are military secrets. They're not for us to casually inquire about."
The man who had just asked the question gave an awkward smile. "I'm not trying to pry into military secrets. I'm just curious... when you compare the military merits Young Master Wei earned this time to those of the Seven-Colored General... who comes out on top? Heh, they're both young and accomplished. I'm sure many people are thinking the same thing."
'Are they already trying to build up his reputation?' Xu Zhongtian sneered inwardly. He picked up his teacup, blew gently across the surface, and took a sip.
Only then did he say coolly, "That's not our concern. Right now, our one and only priority is to drive the Yan Army back! We need to send them running with their tails between their legs! As for everything else... Your Majesty will be the one to decide."
"Mm, that's true. I'm sure Your Majesty won't show favoritism," the general who had spoken chuckled and stepped back.
Inside the Central Army Tent, many of the officers sneered to themselves. 'You're just a War General. Even if you're one of Wei Feng's men, do you really need to be such a bootlicker? That Wei Ziting kid just got incredibly lucky this time. Otherwise, him? Earning this kind of military merit? As if.'
Over the past few days, Wei Ziting and those close to the Wei Family had been working desperately to spread the news of the Yan Army's severed supply line throughout the Southern Group Army. They hyped up and exaggerated Wei Ziting's contributions, practically hailing him as a young Saint.
For the first few days, Wei Ziting remained quite modest, claiming they were just rumors.
But when he saw that Xu Luo and his group had no reaction upon their return, Wei Ziting must have finally relaxed. He began to hold his head high, accepting praise from all corners.
Xu Luo had been enjoying some rare comfort these past few days. Ever since stepping onto the Southern battlefield, he and the entire Martial Soul Squad had scarcely known a single day of peace.
There had been brutal training, missions deep behind enemy lines, the search for the perpetrators of a village massacre, and then, upon discovering a lead, he and his brother Xu Jie had charged into the Cao Camp alone...
Then came the great defeat of the Mo Yun Battle Department, where the Martial Soul Squad fought and bled alongside the other soldiers in a desperate struggle, enduring the cruel trials of war.
After crippling the Mo Yun Battle Department, the Martial Soul Squad, without a moment's rest, ventured deep into the Cao Kingdom once more to plot against the Yan Army's supply line.
They schemed against Mo Yun's remaining forces, making a bad situation even worse for the already defeated troops, and ultimately tricked them into becoming bandits.
Although no one other than Xu Jieâwho had to wound himself to incite animosity between the two sidesâwas harmed, the pressure had been so intense that the passionate young men could barely breathe.
Then came One-Line Heaven Gorge. After much discussion and argument, the Martial Soul Squad finally came to a consensus. Xu Luo had to overcome a wave of objections to put his faith in Sui Yan's Mechanical Skill, settling on a plan to trap and annihilate the Yan Army's supply convoy.
The truth was, at the time, many members of the Martial Soul Squadâespecially Li Hong and his groupâdidn't believe for a second that Sui Yan's Mechanical Skill could be so powerful.
Otherwise, why would they have all declared in unison after the battle, "Sui Yan deserves the highest merit for this!"
Through one experience after another, the newly formed squad had finally been forged into a powerful, elite fighting unit.
So much so that later, when they discovered a group of elite soldiers from the Yan Army supply convoy charging into a village in the Cao Kingdom, these passionate young men followed them in to fight without a moment's hesitation.
Each event, each scene, felt like it had happened only yesterday.
Having been tested by life and death, the young men's mindsets and temperaments had changed drastically from when they first left True Martial Academy.
Especially in their eyes, the other students from True Martial Academy who always stuck with the main armyâsome of whom had never even seen the front linesâseemed impossibly naive.
The members of the Martial Soul Squad finally understood how those veteran soldiers must have felt when they first looked at them.
"Just a bunch of newbies," Little Fatty muttered, lounging lazily on a recliner. "Master Fatty here could take on ten of them by myself!"
"What's so great about beating up a bunch of newbies?" Liang Ziyi grumbled, a blade of grass dangling from his lips. "If I could, I'd rather be on the front lines right now and wreak havoc on those Yan Gou!"
"Boss, why do you think General Xu is just letting us sit around here? Ugh, I feel like my bones are about to rust over!" Liang Ziyi turned to look at Xu Luo, who was basking in the sun nearby.
Xu Luo chuckled. "If you're really that bored, you can go help Wei Ziting and his men build their defensive fortifications."
"Pah! Don't even mention them!" Liang Ziyi said, his face twisting in disgust at the name. "Boss, are you trying to make me sick on purpose?"
"HAHAHA!" Little Fatty cackled with glee from the side. "Our Young Master Wei is riding high right now. You have no idea how many people are begging to follow him, and he won't even have them."
Liang Ziyi snorted, not even wanting to hear the name anymore. He simply lay back down and closed his eyes to rest.
A glint flashed in Xu Luo's eyes. 'By now,' he thought, 'the Imperial Court should have argued its way to a conclusion.'
'I just don't know how Your Majesty will choose. If he gives the credit to Wei Ziting, then the moment we return to the capital victorious, the first thing I, Xu Luo, will do is resign my post. I'll never do another thing for the Royal Family!'
'Then, I'll go bring my mother back home, and after that, I'll go find Qiqi and see if she's improved at all.'
'After that, all that's left is to train hard and uncover the secrets of the Seven-Star Soul within me. One day, I will push open that door for real and see what lies behind it!'
'But if Your Majesty doesn't give this merit to Wei Ziting... then, I'll naturally be like my father and protect Cangqiong. However, I must get justice for the people who died back in Wansong Town! I wonder if Boss Tang and Li Yu have finished the task I gave them...'
"Well, well, look at you lot, living the life of leisure, tsk tsk... Everyone else is bustling about, busy as can be, yet here you are, enjoying your peace and quiet. Anyone who didn't know better might mistake this for a resort in the Imperial Capital. You're certainly a rare sight here in the army!"
Just as these thoughts were running through Xu Luo's mind, a grating voice suddenly cut through the air.
A familiar figure approached.
Li Tie's face was a mask of derision as he looked at Xu Luo and the others lounging lazily. He sneered at Xu Luo, "Seven-Colored General, you really know how to live it up!"
"Li Tie, did you forget your place just because you found a new master? Who do you think you're mocking? Open your damn eyes and take a good look! You're standing before a Third-Grade Official of the court! A General who has actually fought and bled in this war!"
Little Fatty shot up from his seat and snapped at Li Tie, "Didn't your master ever teach you to salute a superior officer?"
"You...! Liu Feng, don't get too smug! You're just a bunch of guys who got lucky. Calling yourselves the 'Martial Soul Squad'... you get a tiny bit of fame and you stop trying, getting completely carried away!"
Li Tie's expression soured. He retorted with a cold sneer, "If we're really talking about military merit, does my Young Master Wei have any less than you? But unlike you lot, my Young Master Wei isn't resting on his laurels. He's out there right now, leading men and working hard to build our defenses!"
"Enough. We don't care what your Young Master Wei likes to do. The real question is, what are *you* doing here, Li Tie? Are you just looking for trouble?" Liang Ziyi sat up, his eyes filled with contempt as he stared at Li Tie.
"Hmph. If my Young Master Wei hadn't ordered me, do you think I'd want to come here?" Li Tie snorted. "Seven-Colored General, my Young Master Wei sent me with a message for you. He says you shouldn't get too carried away. When it comes to military merit, he's not afraid of a competition! You have the credit for defeating the Mo Yun Battle Department, but my Young Master has the ability to sever the Yan Army's supply line! If you've really got the guts, then let's see who can kill more enemies in the final, decisive battle!"
At these words, both Liang Ziyi and Liu Feng were stunned. They stared at Li Tie, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Holy shit. I always thought I was pretty shameless, but compared to your Young Master, my face is as thin as paper! It's hard to imagine how someone who doesn't even dare set foot on the front lines could say something like that..."
Liang Ziyi exclaimed, "Go tell your Young Master that when it comes to killing enemies, he's no match for us. But when it comes to shamelessness, he's already won!"
Liu Feng's mouth twitched, and he said in disbelief, "Who's the one getting carried away here? Why does Master Fatty suddenly feel the urge to burst out laughing?"
Xu Luo looked at the stone-faced Li Tie, sighed, and shook his head. He couldn't believe Wei Ziting would actually send someone to their door to provoke them. He lost all interest in even speaking. Waving his hand as if shooing away a fly, he said, "Get lost."