Chapter 1264: One Battle to Secure the Southwest (Part 1) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

“Lingde…”

Lin Su suppressed the almost unbearable sweet and fishy taste in her throat.

A glint seemed to flash in Dianqi's eyes, whether it was a sigh or a sense of relief, but it was quickly suppressed by its stingy master: "Why didn't you kill and banish her in the dream?"

Apart from Lin Su and Lin Feng, other dreamers will not know their identities at first, but there are exceptions.

For example, classmates at that time.

That time was carefully chosen by Lin Su.

He hoped Lin Feng could fully experience his past, understand his deepest sorrows, and truly empathize with him, so that the siblings might be able to honestly understand each other. However, he didn't know the current Lin Feng well enough. The other party had rejected the invitation and, sword in hand, had fought his way to the Northwest, determined to crawl back to serve under Shen Tang. Those old foxes under Shen Tang were shrewd enough; even with Lin Su so wary of him, he could still manage to deceive everyone and give Lin Su a big surprise. Truly…

He lowered his eyelids, concealing his almost bursting excitement.

Yes, I'm so excited!

My heart, which had been calm for many years, was suddenly agitated and began to pound.

It not only injected vitality into the stagnant life, but also made Lin Su feel the long-lost feeling that she was still alive.

“Anzhi, your sister’s swordsmanship isn’t particularly outstanding, but she’s quite adept at unorthodox techniques. Anyone in the academy who tries to bully her, as well as her parents who have failed in their parenting, are all given a minor punishment by her Gu worms. She doesn’t suffer any loss.” The fellow student in the Daoist robes, recalling his dream, relaxed his brow by a third. “It reminds me of your own time when you were studying; you had a similar stubborn personality…”

My fellow student in his Taoist robe drifted to the window.

He tried to use this body to feel the warmth of romance.

He frankly admitted, "I really can't beat him."

Because of his unique physical form, he has slightly more memories than the person in the dream, but only a little. His actions in the dream are still constrained by behavioral logic. Even knowing he can't win, he won't risk his life in the dream; after all, discretion is the better part of valor.

The difference is that Lin Feng is barefoot in his dream and fearless of those wearing shoes, fighting to the end, while Lin Su is full of worries and has to learn to bow her head.

When Lin Su first arrived at the academy, he was a complete firecracker. Perhaps he hadn't fully accepted his family's decline and his current situation of living under someone else's roof. Initially, when the local gentry mocked him as an outsider and a peasant, he immediately slammed his fist on the table. As a result, bruises could be seen on his face every few days. After months of confrontation, he finally chose to back down because his father, brothers, and clansmen were being targeted.

Before dawn, he was ordered to fetch water, chop firewood, and start a fire; after dark, he helped his classmates with their homework and sewed up. On weekdays, he also suffered from exclusion, ridicule, and humiliation, silently curling up in a corner as if he had lost his life.

Lin Su raised an eyebrow: "You really can't beat them?"

His classmate, who was dressed in Taoist robes, told him an interesting story: "Do you remember the first three people you killed? Your sister killed them four years early with just one look. If I hadn't helped her bury their bodies, she could have buried me, the witness, in as well. I couldn't do it one-on-one."

Lin Su: "..."

He was silent for a moment: "Even in the dream world, rules apply. How can you evade investigation after killing three people in advance?"

The teachers and students in my dream academy weren't just for show.

Thinking of this, the classmate in the Taoist robe became much more animated, but not with joy, but with deep sorrow: "She initially wanted to frame me, brother. Is this how your sister treats the classmate who helped her bury the body? If it hadn't been discovered early and a scapegoat hadn't been found, I would have become her scapegoat. You two siblings are truly siblings; you even share the same penchant for finding scapegoats."

They specifically targeted him alone.

Lin Su: "..."

The Taoist classmate slowly floated back to Lin Su's side: "Did you gain anything by using your sister's identity to approach Shen Youli and the others?"

Lin Su took out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it. The bitter taste on his tongue made him frown: "It does exist, but it's almost useless."

These are all pieces of intelligence from many years ago; anyone with the will to investigate could find out.

The fellow student in the Taoist robe asked, "Who is Shen Youli?"

Lin Su said, "I wouldn't say I dislike you."

With exceptional intuition, Lin Su knew that although Shen Tang always recognized him in her dreams, the other party consistently and unintentionally relegated Lin Su to the periphery of the core. Coupled with Gu Chi's assistance, Lin Su found it difficult to gain a foothold. Even so, Lin Su could sense Shen Youli's charm; she was indeed a benevolent and capable ruler worthy of following.

However, this does not affect Lin Su's opposition to her.

The classmate in the Taoist robe said, "Your sister has good taste."

Lin Su retorted, "Are you saying I'm blind?"

The fellow Daoist classmates neither agreed nor disagreed with this.

Because the search party was still lingering nearby, the two could only continue to hide. The Taoist classmate, bored, drifted around the small room, enjoying the way the cold soul passed through Lin Su's body and the latter's brows furrowed physiologically.

Lin Su temporarily suppressed her injuries and took out a blank scroll.

After finishing writing, he held the pen in his canine tooth, rolled up the dried ink on the bamboo slip, sealed it, and tossed it to his classmate in the Taoist robe: "Suck!"

"Lin Anzhi, are you teasing the dog?"

Lin Su put the pen back into the toolbox without paying attention to herself.

In a fit of anger, the Taoist classmate passed through Lin Su's body repeatedly, and before the latter could become impatient, he took the scroll and flew away.

Ordinary people cannot see his existence, and his movements are unrestricted, even more so than when he was alive. Lin Su discovered this and used him as a laborer, assigning him many odd jobs. His fellow Daoist classmates, however resentful, could only accept their fate.

after all--

Only such a fool in this world believes in the art of resurrection. I wonder if the cloning that the gods talk about is reliable.

He muttered, "If only I hadn't died..."

The fellow students in Taoist robes rushed back before dawn.

Lin Su had already moved, so he could only float to catch up.

They found Lin Anzhi lying by the river, his sword broken in half, blood staining the water, indicating he was seriously injured.

If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, one would have thought he was dead.

"Anzhi, are you alive?"

Lin Su gritted his teeth, gripped the arrow shaft on his shoulder, and pushed it into the flesh until the arrowhead pierced through the flesh and emerged from the other end. He then broke the arrowhead with one hand, removed the shaft, and scraped off the necrotic flesh with his bare hands. He rinsed it slightly and sprinkled on some wound medicine. The whole process was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

"Just one more breath."

His fellow students, dressed in Taoist robes, were curious as to why he looked so disheveled.

Lin Su's face remained calm, as if she felt no pain: "After you left, someone came to search. When I was escaping, I was shot by an arrow by a military officer. I fell off the cliff with the arrow and drifted here with the current. That military officer was Lingde's good senior brother."

The fellow student in the Taoist robe made a judgment: "They showed mercy?"

Lin Su said, "They went all out."

To protect himself, Lin Su forcibly activated the Way of the Scholar, which caused Tu Rong's arrow to miss. Otherwise, he wouldn't be floating here now; his head would be hanging at the gate of the Kang Kingdom's camp. Considering his status, he might at least get a proper burial.

His fellow student, dressed in a Taoist robe, gestured in praise of him.

"First he broke with his elder brother, then he severed ties with his younger sister..."

How could Lin Su not hear the sarcasm in his words? Ignoring his objections, she forcefully pulled him back from his Wenxin Huaban: "Shut up!"

It was definitely much quieter without the other person around.

Lin Su staggered to her feet.

However, he didn't head towards the central region but instead chose to travel north. Beyond this direction lay only one country!

It's Kangguo, his next target.

To be more precise, he's looking for someone.

Qi Yuanliang, the head of the Northwest Branch who also had access to the cloning materials of the Gods Society back then, is now the regent of Kangguo.

Could that intelligence influence the outcome of the battle in Kangguo?

That's not something he cares about.

Whether it was Kangguo, the Southwestern Allies, or any other power in the world, they were all the same to him—mere pieces of rotting flesh attracting carrion-loving animals. Their continuation and demise were forever built upon endless bloodshed, their alluring bloom fueled by the nectar of countless living beings…

It's absolutely rotten.

It would be better to sleep forever in dreams and never wake up again.

At least, there will be no pain, death, separation, exploitation, oppression, or harm in dreams... The elderly will have someone to rely on, the young will be cared for, and the widowed, orphaned, and lonely will not be discarded or sacrificed as a burden.

The search team ultimately failed to catch Lin Su.

Tu Rong instructed his men, "Don't tell my junior sister about this."

The people on either side responded, "Yes!"

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

While the Kang Kingdom was frantically cramming for action, the Southwest Allied Forces were also frequently mobilizing and formulating their military strategies. Shen Wuyou Tang was also entrusted with an important task: coordinating a troop movement to support the main offensive. The title sounded good, but after a quick look, Shen Tang turned to the Cui family head, a confidant of the Qi Kingdom's ruler and ostensibly on her side, to demand an explanation.

Cui Zhi came out when he heard the commotion.

He was still holding a newly opened scroll in his hand.

"What's all this commotion about?"

Cui Zhi recognized Zhong Lifu's voice immediately.

Chen Wuyou Tang put one hand on his hip, as if he was about to argue with someone: "Of course, it must be something important for you to come and bother me. I don't know which shameless scoundrel tricked me. My lord ordered me to lead a troop to provide support, but when I went there, I suspected that someone was treating this place like a garbage dump, throwing all sorts of trash here. The boats are patched up, and the people are all crooked and deformed."

Cui Zhi also had the authority to deploy troops.

I don't believe he knew nothing about this.

What, you're planning to use her as cannon fodder, aren't you?

Chen Wuyou Tang's gaze fell on the secret letter in Cui Zhi's hand, and he said nonsensically, "Tsk tsk, could it be this letter?"

It's no wonder Shen Tang would think that way. Official correspondence has a format, and the one Cui Zhi has is clearly a private letter. With the war raging right now, Cui Zhi wouldn't choose this time to exchange favors with friends, so the content is mostly military-related.

Cui Zhi was not swayed by the mudslinging that Shen Tang had thrown at him.

He said, "Nonsense."

Shen Tang retorted, "Is malicious suppression absurd?"

Cui Zhi could only agree to Shen Tang's request to inform the emperor to seriously investigate the matter—in fact, there was no need for an investigation. The deployment of troops in Qi State was not solely up to the emperor. The true elite troops belonged to the generals. Zhongli Fu's foundation was weak, and even if the emperor wanted to support her, he could not give her a large number of elite troops.

The only solution is to try and smooth things over.

Shen Tang watched Cui Zhi leave in a hurry.

He winked at Cui Mi: "Outsiders have their honey traps, we have our filial piety traps. It'll be up to you to find out the details when it matters."

Cui Mi: "...No need to ask."

His expression was complex and conflicted.

Since Shen Tang appeared, the future he saw has often changed erratically, completely losing his previous certainty that fate was unchangeable.

Cui Mi didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

He said, "That letter was sent by the central branch."

"Central... branch?"

Cui Mi: "My father is the head of the Southwest branch. Although we don't see each other often, as the head, he still has dealings with other branches, sharing resources and information, and forming alliances and such."

Shen Tang subconsciously thought of Lin Su.

What's written inside?

Hearing her matter-of-fact tone, Cui Mi fell silent, then replied irrelevantly, "Well, he is still my father. As his son, I can't betray him too completely. I don't know the specifics, only that it's a classified intelligence report from the Central Plains regarding the deployment of Kangguo's troops. Its accuracy is extremely high..."

Gao Du Cui Mi suspected that there was a traitor within Kang Guo.

Shen Tang simply responded with an "oh," showing no sign of urgency.

Plan A is scrapped, but that's okay, she still has Plans B, C, and D as contingency plans. The person who betrayed the plan is basically Lin Su. If Lin Su knew that she had caught him red-handed smuggling intelligence to the Southwest Allied Forces, what would she think? It's strangely like a spider painstakingly weaving its web for a whole day and night, only to have a dragonfly get caught on it by a mischievous child.

Cui Zhi hurried off to see the King of Qi.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

The King of Qi looked up at him and said, "Coincidentally, I also have something to tell Minister Cui. Minister Cui, you may speak first."

“Yesterday someone presented me with a map of Kangguo’s defenses.”

He then handed over the letter.

The Queen of Qi could immediately spot the markings on the scroll, indicating that the secret message had been delivered through the channels of the Gods' Society. As the ruler, she was naturally aware of the Gods' Society, an organization that had captivated countless warlords and rulers. With enough money, one could recruit heroes from across the land to serve under their command. The Qi Kingdom's current status was also deeply intertwined with the Gods' Society.

Putting aside other matters, the head of the Southwest branch is still one of her key figures.

She wasn't in a hurry to open it.

Instead, she told Cui Zhi the news she had just received.

She said, “I heard that there is a rebellion of the Eternal Life Cult in Tianqing County. This place has just been hit by a hurricane, and with the incompetence of the officials, a plague has broken out. But those scoundrels are afraid of being held accountable and have concealed the news. There are corpses everywhere in the land, and the people are living in misery. This has given the Eternal Life Cult a handle to cause trouble... As far as I know, Cui Qing’s mother-in-law, the Old Madam Cui, is cultivating in Tianqing County.”

Cui Zhi's expression went blank for a moment.

Ignoring his surroundings, he suddenly stood up and tried to leave.

The King of Qi knew why he reacted that way.

Cui Hui and Cui Zhi had been divorced for many years, but Cui Hui's family—her mother, brother and sister-in-law—did not leave Qi State. Instead, they chose to settle down in Tianqing County and have not had much contact with their former son-in-law's family in recent years.

When Tianqing County was besieged, ordinary people within its borders were the first to suffer.

If Cui Hui received the news, would he be able to sit still?

Therefore, Cui Zhi couldn't sit still any longer.

The King of Qi finally revealed the outcome: "The regent has dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion, and Old Lady Cui will surely be safe and sound."

Cui Zhi did not stop walking.

"What Cui Qing is really worried about is that when the noble lady hears that her birth mother is surrounded, she will rush to rescue her and end up getting herself killed?"

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