Chapter 11: Decisive Battle in the State of Wei - Section 9: The Sword Saint of the Soul Sect (Part Two)

Section 9: The Sword Saint of the Soul Sect (Part II)

In the pit on the ground lay a wooden brocade box. Hero Wang took it out, placed it on his lap, and opened the lid to reveal a long sword resting inside its scabbard.

When the sword was drawn from its scabbard, a brilliant white light radiated outward, illuminating a radius of three zhang.

"Buried for six years, today—it finally sees the light of day once more!"

By the time Hero Wang arrived at Chen Shui's residence, the estate was already crowded with members of the Undying Soul. The slightly older ones had seen him before, and every single one of them rejoiced at his arrival.

"Big Wang, if you are willing to leave your vegetable garden, this great cause is bound to succeed!" The speaker was well past fifty. He introduced Hero Wang to the others with boundless joy. "Back then, when Soul Mountain was wiped out by the Zheng army, Big Wang miraculously escaped. He was granted martial arts teachings by an otherworldly expert, leading us all the way in our flight from the state of Zheng to the state of Wei. Countless martial arts masters have fallen beneath his blade. People call him the Soul Sword Saint!"

"Big Wang, you've finally come..." A middle-aged man in his forties gripped Hero Wang's hands tightly, his emotions surging. "Old Chen was beaten to death in the street by a local bully's thugs the year before last. Little Xi was forcefully carried off to the estate by the Eastern Squire's wicked son last year; by the time Chen Shui rushed over to save her, she had already bitten her tongue and taken her own life..."

Listening to the man's words, Hero Wang's eyes gradually grew red.

"The members of our path grow fewer by the day. The younger generation is no longer willing to believe in the Soul Will. Some work as laborers, some till the fields for landlords just to scrape by, some become merchants, and others serve the wealthy and powerful... Even we were growing close to despair! Fortunately, the Soul Immortal has finally manifested his presence and given us guidance! Big Wang, among all of us, your martial arts are the greatest. The war in Distant City depends entirely on your leadership—"

"Rest assured, everyone! Back then, I, Wang, did not know what to do with the sword in my hand, which was why I buried it in the fields. Today, since this long sword can do its part to revitalize the Soul Will, I will never fail what I have learned!" With these words, Hero Wang turned to Chen Shui and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"The deputy commander of the strategic pass at Distant City and the Soul Army is my man, but the chief defending general remains fiercely loyal to the monarch of Wei, King Wei. You must go to the fortress city. When the uprising begins, assist the deputy general in slaying that chief general and his trusted confidants, seize the military command of the fortress in one stroke, and let the Soul Army through the pass. I have already arranged everything else. Once the Soul Army crosses the pass, the Wei army is bound to be defeated!"

"Very well!" Hero Wang tucked Chen Shui's letter into his bosom, gripped the hilt of his sword with his left hand, and strode out of the manor. His long, dark, feminine hair fluttered endlessly in the snowy wind.

When Bu Jingxian, currently residing in Li City, received Chen Shui's confidential missive, he was overjoyed and immediately commanded Consort Zhao to carry the letter to the state of Zheng. When Ling Luo, who had been anxiously awaiting news, received the missive, he was equally thrilled and elated. The main forces of the Wei army were pressing heavily against the defensive line of Distant City, causing the military stalemate to drag on. Many at court already considered this war of attrition unwise and proposed a cessation of hostilities with Wei.

Initially, the King of Zheng was unmoved, but the prolonged stalemate gradually eroded his confidence as well. Courtiers exerted daily pressure, complaining about how difficult treasury expenditures were.

If the Zheng army failed to secure further gains, the King of Zheng would also be forced to grant an audience to the Wei envoys who had been waiting for days in the Zheng capital.

Ling Luo promised that they would certainly dispatch troops in accordance with the agreement, and sent Consort Zhao back.

Inside the tent, a strategist asked, "Why has the Northern Monarch voluntarily ceded the lands of eastern and southern Wei to our forces?"

"Does the mister suspect something amiss?" Ling Luo calmly countered.

"Perhaps this old man is overly suspicious, but I fear the Northern Monarch is colluding with Wei."

Another person in the tent laughed and said, "You worry too much, mister. The land the Soul Army occupies is also Wei territory; how could Wei possibly ally with them? Furthermore, as the lips and teeth are mutually dependent, if our forces are defeated and retreat, the Soul forces will inevitably have to face the retaliation of the Wei army alone. One would expect the Northern Monarch lacks such foolishness."

"What this old man worries about is that the Soul Army is feigning cooperation with the Wei army while tricking our forces into a desperate, bloody struggle with Wei, allowing them to reap the fisherman's profit and seize Distant City directly!"

The dissenting voice fell silent at these words. The generals inside the tent looked at one another, deeply troubled by this perspective.

Seeing this, Ling Luo slapped the table and laughed aloud.

"The mister's worries are not without reason, but the mister understands very little of the Northern Monarch's character. The reason the Northern Monarch contributes much and is willing to accept fewer spoils is because he is scheming for long-term gains and striving for momentum!"

"This old man is dull-witted; I ask the Marquis of Faith to clear away the fog."

"You are too modest, mister; I wouldn't dare presume to guide you. The foundations of the Seven Powers are profound. If our army fails to deal Wei a heavy blow this time, once Wei is granted a breathing spell, or if the Wei envoys succeed in persuading Qi, Chu, Han, and the Black Wolf Army to join forces in applying pressure, then any thought of launching an all-out assault on Wei will vanish like a bubble, and the continuous warfare among the states will inevitably grind on. The Northern Monarch knows full well that if the Soul Army occupies the fertile lands of Wei, they will inevitably face attacks from our forces in the future. State Zhou is too far removed from Li City Mountain to offer any rescue; the Soul Army would have to fight alone. However, the Soul Army lacks proper training; it is only by relying on our military momentum that they have managed to capture Wei cities one after another. Their own strength is simply not on par with the regular armies of our state or Wei. By then, they will surely be defeated by our forces, losing not only the territory they gained but also suffering catastrophic losses."

"What the Marquis says is reasonable. Then what of striving for momentum?"

Ling Luo smiled dismissively and said, "The Northern Monarch has no intention of permanently holding the lands of Wei. Clearly, his true objective still lies in the lands of Zhou and the Black Wolf tribes. The foundations of the Seven Powers are stable, and the populace possesses a sense of belonging; whenever war breaks out, they have an inexhaustible root to replenish their troops. But State Zhou has a small population; once military strength is lost, it is not easily replenished, let alone expanding the army on a massive scale. Therefore, what the Northern Monarch wishes to leverage is precisely the vast foundation of the Undying Soul. The Soul Army rising in revolt just as our forces attack Wei ensures that our military momentum cannot be checked. The Northern Monarch desires the destruction or crippling of Wei to throw the great momentum of the world into violent turmoil. At the same time, the Soul Army needs to maintain an invincible, glorious image, using it as a model and benchmark to drive the many members of the Undying Soul who have yet to rebel to cast themselves into the rebellious armies. In this way, it matters not if the lands of Wei are lost; the Northern Monarch will have an inexhaustible source of troop replenishment. This is the momentum the Northern Monarch seeks: he wants the state of Wei to perish, and he wants the Soul Army to become the undisputed leader among the rebel factions with an invincible posture."

"Profound insight, Marquis! This old man is in awe!"

Ling Luo waved his hand with an indifferent smile and said, "You are too modest, mister. The Northern Monarch's mind is deep and unfathomable; he understands the grand trend of the world, which is why he bides his time and watches the shifting situation quietly. Since you have no understanding of him, naturally you could not have foreseen this."

"If that is the case, the Soul Army will surely become a formidable enemy in the future. We ought to devise ways to guard against them."

"You truly think far ahead, mister. Shortly after the Soul Army's uprising, this侯 already dispatched someone carrying a confidential letter to His Majesty, and His Majesty adopted my idea. By now, all members of the Undying Soul within the borders of Zheng have been placed under strict control, leaving them no opportunity to stir up trouble. In a few days' time, His Majesty will expel these people beyond the borders. As long as the Undying Soul does not make trouble in Zheng, no matter where else they cause chaos, it is all benefit and no harm to Zheng. Does the mister consider this arrangement secure?"

"This old man—truly admires the Marquis! To have the Marquis, the state of Zheng is blessed indeed!"

The generals inside the tent chimed in one after another, feeling from the bottom of their hearts that for the Left Chancellor to have a son like this truly did not shame his mighty reputation.

Witnessing this, Ling Luo felt a great sense of relief. He was too young; when he first arrived at Eastern Pass City, many generals looked down on him inwardly, believing the King of Zheng was treating such a major affair as a child's game by handing it to him. Over time, he constantly reminded himself that whenever he lacked understanding in military matters, he must never be arrogant. Instead, he humbly sought detailed advice from the generals and turned to experienced veteran soldiers for particulars, never fearing being mocked for his ignorance. Because of this, he made no major mistakes, and through his strategic brilliance, he gradually won the heartfelt respect of officers and men alike, slowly transforming into a true commander-in-chief.

As he stepped out of the large tent, Ling Luo felt a profound sense of physical and mental exhaustion. Although he had long prepared himself to serve the state of Zheng, these past few years had indeed worn him down. He had not even had the time to practice many of the supreme techniques of the Soul Arts, focusing only on the mental cultivation methods and a few favorite combat techniques; had it not been for this, he would not have been caught up by Yue Fei.

During his time on Northern Spirit Mountain, Ling Luo had poured his heart and soul into martial arts cultivation; once he left the mountain, it was no longer possible to be so single-minded. This frequently made him yearn for the days spent up on the mountain.

Passing by July's tent, he hesitated for a moment before deciding to go in.

The Flying Immortal Sect disciples stationed outside the tent quickly announced his arrival. A moment later, July's voice from within granted him entrance.

Having acquired those ancient secret manuals, the Flying Immortal Sect had handed one of the copied versions to Martial Sovereign July. However, since she also had to oversee the command of the Flying Immortal Sect's elite practitioners in Wei, she temporarily resided in the military camp to easily consult with Ling Luo on military matters. Ling Luo visited often, and the frequency of his visits was growing steadily.

Stepping into the tent, he saw July sitting beside the table, resting her cheek on one hand as she pushed a red gulu fruit across the table. When it rolled to the edge, she blocked it with her hand.

"Still playing?"

"Fun, so much fun! Spin again!" The little red gulu fruit cried out happily as July pushed it, sending it tumbling over. Its two round eyeballs spun around even faster than its body.

Ling Luo could not help but smile.

This was another side of July when away from the public eye—like an innocent maiden who knew no sorrow. She was particularly fond of gulu fruits and rarely stayed in her tent without one keeping her company.

There were two other gulu fruits on the table: one purple, one blue.

Watching the red fruit spin about so merrily, the purple one couldn't help shouting, "I want to spin too! I want to spin too!"

The red fruit seemed a bit dizzy, its eyes glazed over and juice dribbling from its mouth. July scooped the red fruit into the crook of her arm, while using her other hand to push the two clamoring fruits, making them roll back and forth across the table.

Noticing Ling Luo sitting quietly and watching her, July looked up with a smile and greeted him, "Please sit for a moment, Marquis. The red fruit has spun seven rounds; if I don't let these two fruits spin for seven rounds as well, they'll make such a racket that no one can have peace."

"No matter."

The two fruits rolling across the table gradually grew dizzy. When they had finally completed their full seven rounds, July scooped them both into her arms and kissed the purple gulu fruit, which had the most juice leaking from its mouth.

The fruit immediately recovered its spirit and chirped happily, "Eat me quickly, I'm about to melt, I'm about to melt! I'm very sweet."

July licked the juice dripping from the fruit's mouth and frowned, "Little liar, you're sour." The fruit instantly fell silent, rolled its eyeballs a few times, and looked toward the blue fruit. "Then eat it along with me. Sour and sweet together are even more delicious!"