Chapter 1282: One Battle Secures the Southwest (19) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Gong Xichou and Shen Tang stopped fighting almost simultaneously.

Despite their different temperaments, the two men shared the same deep-seated pride—aside from worldly identities, as martial artists pursuing the true path, they both despised taking advantage of others in their weakened state. If Gongyang Yongye had fought to the death, neither of them would have cared about his age; they would have simply killed him! But his fighting spirit was waning, his morale was crumbling, and frankly, he was displaying a completely defeated and disheartened mentality. Fighting him now would be more humiliating than losing.

Gongxi Chou's snake-like eyes glared at the old man.

"What do you mean by this?" He showed no mercy in killing a centenarian general with high morale; but killing an old man with low morale would be a loss of face. Gong Xichou felt that he was like a donkey hanging on to the ground, able to see the meat but not be able to eat it, and was so angry that he wanted to kick it. "A martial artist who has reached this level is also a disgrace."

Either Gongyang Yongye wins, or Gongyang Yongye dies in battle.

The old man chose to give up.

Gongyang Yongye raised his eyes to gaze into the deep, secluded valley, and gently stroked the scarred blade with his fingertips. Gong Xichou's provocative words could not ignite his anger: "I have practiced martial arts for decades, wielded the sword for decades, sought the Dao for decades, and lived a life of constant flux for a hundred years..."

Shen Tang interrupted his deep sigh.

"Is this the first time I've been so badly beaten by a young person that my mental defenses have crumbled?"

She could understand Gongyang Yongye's feelings.

This is like a genius cultivator who was an ancestor in the lower realm, only to become just another ordinary person after ascending to the upper realm. He was a genius, but the upper realm was never short of geniuses; his talent was merely the threshold to seeing others. He didn't give up, diligently cultivating without ceasing, training through the sweltering summer and freezing winter, spending countless years, finally earning the title of an ancestor in the upper realm, only to encounter younger, more energetic, and talented geniuses. This wasn't a single blow; it came one after another, with them young while he was already old.

Like a boat released from its bow, like a sail stranded on the ground.

He was smoothed out of his rough edges during the years he finally made it through.

Gongyang Yongye looked at Shen Tang, who seemed to know everything, and sneered, "You're overthinking it. I just feel that this favor isn't worth risking my life for. When you get to my age, you'll also get tired of this meaningless fighting and killing."

Shen Tang, however, felt that he was trying hard to save face.

Perhaps part of it was due to weariness—martial energy can keep a martial artist's body in peak condition, but it cannot keep their mindset fresh as well. It is indeed a bit of a stretch to expect the elderly Gongyang Yongye to maintain the vigor and sharpness of a young man. But it is certainly possible that Gongyang Yongye became more and more discouraged as the fight went on, his morale plummeted, and seeing that the situation was beyond saving, he simply surrendered.

But even if you surrender, you should do it with dignity.

If it meant crawling and begging for mercy from the enemy to survive, Gongyang Yongye would rather choose to cut his own throat.

Shen Tang didn't have any deep-seated hatred for him, and when Gongyang Yongye hinted that he didn't want to fight anymore, she most likely wouldn't insist on a decisive battle. Knowing when to stop would be better for Kangguo, for her, and for Gongyang Yongye. What the Southwest Allied Forces thought was none of her concern.

"Gratitude?"

Shen Tang also tacitly offered the other party a way out.

Shen Wuyoutang knew what favor Gongyang Yongye owed the State of Qi, but King Shen Tang did not. Following the usual pattern, Shen Tang continued, "Could you elaborate on what exactly this favor was?"

There's nothing to hide about the gratitude shown to them.

Gongyang Yongye was quite frank and explained: "Because of my cultivation, I have difficulty having children. The Cui family of Qi State helped me find my lost children. I am going into battle to repay this kindness."

If we're really calculating based on market value, the previous battle where he helped Qi State block Gongxi Chou would have settled the score. It's not like a nineteenth-rank Guannei Marquis from his own family would have such a significant contribution. Gongyang Yongye only stayed until now because of the Cui family's influence.

His initial plan was to wait until the war had decided the outcome.

Whether Kangguo won or the Southwest Allied Forces held their ground, he would leave as soon as there was a result, thus justifying Cui's efforts. However, plans could not keep up with changes. Cui Zhi left at the last minute, and Gongyang Yongye was repeatedly defeated by the emergence of young talents, becoming increasingly frustrated and reluctant to fight, which only made the situation worse and more unfavorable.

To sum it up in one sentence—

I'm done fighting. I don't care who it is!

Gongxi Chou had dealt with Gongyang Yongye before, and upon hearing that he had been fighting against Kangguo for so long for such a trivial reason, he was momentarily speechless. His eyes held a look of pity as if he were looking at a fool: "...Just because the Cui family found your long-lost offspring? They're practically great-grandchildren by now, aren't they? Didn't I tell you before that my elder brother has a small house where he hangs banners for patients seeking medicine? They say it works every time, whether it's a boy or a girl? I've confirmed with him that you can have children on your own. Aren't children you give birth to yourself far more important than offspring from several generations away?"

Finding a great-grandson/great-great-grandson could make Gongyang Yongye risk his life to fight Kangguo until now, so wouldn't his own child be enough to make him sell his life to Kangguo? Gongxi Chou thought it wasn't impossible.

"Think about it, you are a nineteenth-rank Marquis within the Pass, with a strong physique that allows you to fight your way through thousands of troops seven or eight times. How could your child not be healthy and intelligent? You don't have to worry about difficult labor or postpartum hemorrhage. When the time is right, you can find a skilled physician or even perform the surgery yourself, making an incision in your abdomen, and both father and daughter will be safe!" Gong Xi Chou earnestly advised him.

Even with a skilled physician present, a cesarean section to remove a child can be fatal for an ordinary woman, but a martial artist is different. Let alone a simple incision in the abdomen, a broken bone from a fight can be fixed with martial energy as an adhesive, and even spilled intestines can be pushed back in with a finger.

Any wound is more serious than a cesarean section.

Gongyang Yongye: "..."

The elderly man, almost speechless, stared at Gong Xichou.

For a moment, he couldn't tell if the other party was serious or just deliberately being sarcastic and abstract. If this snake, whose brain wasn't even the size of a walnut, had eyes, it should be able to tell that he was male, and men can't reproduce. Gongyang Yongye gripped the hilt of his knife, wondering whether he should break his promise and continue fighting for a few more rounds. Not for anything else, just to make snake soup.

“You’re lucky. Your older brother isn’t busy right now, so you don’t need to make an appointment to see him.” Since going to the front lines, Ji Moqiu has stopped practicing medicine. At most, he helps the military doctors relieve some of their burden, and spends most of his time quietly by Mama’s side.

As my elder brother said before, refining the kind of Gu worm that can make men fertile isn't too difficult. The real challenge lies in finding a suitable woman and using her body odor as a Gu catalyst. The quality of the Gu catalyst also affects the offspring's genetic makeup.

Gongyang Yongye should not allow himself to father mediocre children.

Gongxi Chou spoke earnestly, and Gongyang Yongye's heart was in turmoil.

Just as his emotions were about to reach a breaking point, Shen Tang said, "The High Priest of Jimo actually has this skill?"

An alarm instantly went off in Gong Xichou's mind.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Mama, Kangguo shouldn't lack children?"

Although this great general disliked meddling in affairs, he was still aware of the politics of the court. He clearly remembered that the birth rate in Kangguo had been rising year after year since its founding, with every couple capable of having children giving birth. Once a family reached the appropriate age, they could be allocated land. The more children a family had, the more land each household could own—the earlier the birth, the better the quality of the land allocated. Land allocated later was all newly reclaimed land, which was not as fertile as older land.

The more children you have, the more wealth you accumulate.

If people are well-fed, clothed, and can raise children, they are naturally willing to have children.

In other words, Kangguo does not actually lack children.

Could it be that his deputy general was right, and Mama really was planning something, like giving martial arts rewards based on the number of children a martial artist had, or even having birth quotas for promotions in the military? Gong Xichou's undisguised expression infuriated Shen Tang: "What are you thinking?"

Is she the kind of person who is utterly depraved?

"Am I that kind of person?"

Gong Xichou muttered, "But Mama isn't human to begin with."

If you're not human, you don't need to do human things.

"...Never mind, I'll ask the High Priest myself later."

If Gongxi Chou doesn't want to talk about it, then so be it; Ji Mo Qiu will talk about it anyway.

As an observer, Gongyang Yongye was baffled as to how the topic had veered to this point, especially since it shouldn't have come after such a fierce battle; it was anything but serious. Yet, Shen Tang's reaction made him waver. Perhaps Gong Xi Chou wasn't making fun of him, but was genuinely offering advice? Men can give birth too? Come to think of it, martial artists are indeed more suited to childbirth than ordinary women.

He couldn't help but imagine the difficulty of performing a cesarean section to remove the child.

Stabbing yourself in the stomach isn't really a big deal.

Despite these thoughts in his mind, Gongyang Yongye expressed his complete lack of interest: "I have no deep-seated hatred for you, and my entanglement with the Southwest Allied Forces has been resolved. We owe each other nothing, so there is no reason for me to continue fighting you. Farewell!"

Neither Shen Tang nor Gong Xi Chou stopped them.

Gongyang Yongye sighed and turned to leave.

He planned to go to the Allied camp in the southwest to take his only son away, as this place was not safe regardless of the outcome of the battle. He now only wanted to find a place to live in seclusion, away from these worldly conflicts, and to find healthy women for his only son's descendants so they could have more children.

In chaotic times, quality still cannot compete with quantity.

Having more children increases the probability of them being talented, and also increases the chances of the lineage surviving and continuing. Gongyang Yongye didn't care what the Qi State or the Southwest Allies thought; at most, he would give them an explanation when the Cui family spoke.

The latter's chances are also slim.

Cui Zhi, as the head of the Cui family, ran away first. Without Cui Zhi's mediation, it's no wonder that Gongyang Yongye would slack off.

Shen Tang was surprised that he left so decisively: "You're leaving already?"

Gong Xichou: "Stay and see how Luo Yuan dies!"

They had worked together for a while, and it was morally and logically impossible for him to just watch Luo Yuan die. However, Gongyang Yongye's intervention was tantamount to breaking his promise; not only would he not help Luo Yuan escape, but he himself would also be doomed. Gongyang Yongye had lost all will to fight; continuing to fight would mean certain death, there was no other way out! Why bother?

Shen Tang said, "I'm worried he might go back on his word."

Gong Xichou said, "It's unlikely; he's concerned about his image."

Shen Tang neither confirmed nor denied this.

With Gongyang Yongye's presence completely gone, Shen Tang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Hopefully, it wasn't like letting a tiger return to the mountain, which could lead to endless troubles."

Remembering that Luo Sha and Luo Yuan were still locked in battle, she wiped the bloodstains from her face and said, "Let's go, kill Luo Yuan!"

Luo Yuan's situation is different from Gongyang Yongye's.

The latter could be killed or spared, but Luo Yuan had to be killed.

With Luo Yuan dead, she essentially controlled Luo Sha and the island tribes behind him. Even if they couldn't be completely loyal to the Kang Kingdom, they were far more useful than the newly surrendered soldiers. No matter how you looked at it, she wasn't at a disadvantage.

However, Luo Sha did not need Shen Tang and the other two to intervene.

It's more meaningful to kill your enemy with your own hands!

Shen Tang quickly assessed the situation, exchanged a glance with Ji Moqiu from afar, and then left Luo Sha in Ji Moqiu's care—Luo Yuan had lost a lot of martial energy to Shen Tang, but given his current level, Luo Sha could still risk death if he wasn't careful.

With Ji Moqiu watching over her, she could naturally rest assured.

"I wonder how things are going with the main force of the navy..."

Persuading Gongyang Yongye to retreat and killing Luo Yuan, while damaging the morale of the Southwest Allied Forces, were not enough to defeat them.

In the struggle between the two major powers, the outcome is not determined by the gain or loss of top-tier combat strength. To annex the Southwest, it is necessary to decisively defeat the enemy's main force, slaughter their soldiers and officers, and maximize battlefield losses. Once the losses reach a certain proportion, the Southwest Allied Forces will collapse!

Shen Tang had just crossed a mountain peak when she stopped, her expression strange: "Can the High Priest really make Gongyang Yongye have a child?"

"Of course, elder brother is a miracle worker!" If Gong Xi Chou didn't prefer raising other people's children, the Gong Xi clan should have a female heir to carry on the lineage. His elder brother also had the intention of raising his niece in that direction. His elder brother would have become an uncle long ago. "With elder brother's abilities, even if men and women are infertile, he can still make them have many children and grandchildren."

"Oh, that's good."

Why is Mama suddenly asking this?

Could it be that his lieutenant was right?

Shen Tang said, "Oh, Gongyang Yongye can't pick up anyone."

The boy who was with Gongyang Yongye had just died, not far from the avatar of Wuyou. Strangely enough, this boy belonged to Gongyang Yongye's family and was not part of the Southwest Allied Army. How did he end up on the front lines and die?

Gong Xichou: "..."

Shen Tang sneered, "It seems that Gongyang Yongye's skills in slacking off are not so good, and he has been seen through. The other party's move of using someone else to kill him is to completely cut off any possibility of reconciliation between Gongyang Yongye and Kangguo. The only bloodline lost its life, and it was in public that it died at the hands of Kangguo. Gongyang Yongye will not easily give up in order to avenge the extinction of his family. I have to say, this plan is vicious."

"It's not too late to hunt them down!"

Catch up with Gongyang Yongye and kill him!

Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots to prevent future troubles!

Shen Tang said, "No rush."

The person who sets the trap may also end up shooting themselves in the foot.

If Gongyang Yongye had no other choice and his fighting spirit was high, he might indeed fight Kangguo to the death, just as the enemy expected. However, Gongyang Yongye had just become lazy, and his morale had plummeted. Even if he fought to the death, how much strength could he exert? Some, but not much.

The boy was impaled by a stray arrow, his head rolled off the deck, his features stained with blood.

No one recognized his identity except for Shen Wuyoutang.

It wasn't that she lacked the ability to save the person, but the idea was immediately extinguished by Wuyou; she also wanted to see the dogs fight each other.

As the battle raged on, the warship was violently rocked from side to side by the massive impact. Cui Mi gripped the railing tightly, barely managing to steady himself.

Through the thick, dark fog, the outline of a colossal beast could be vaguely seen.

|ω`)

(End of this chapter)