Chapter 1487: Pushing the Limits (Part 2) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang had always been the one digging tunnels to trap the enemy, but one day she was the one being tricked, and her signature trick was used on her.

Her anger lasted only a few breaths before she suppressed it.

Lu Ji captured a prisoner wearing heavy armor.

Among the prisoners, this man was rather special. While the other generals had transformed their profound martial energy into armor, he alone wore a full suit of real armor. Armor was extremely expensive to manufacture, and the more exquisite and valuable it was, it was beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.

The fact that a martial artist with mediocre skills could rise to such a high position and use such fine armor suggests that his background is not simple.

Shen Tang gave Gu Chi a look.

Torture and forced confessions are extremely time-consuming, and she doesn't have the patience to pry these people open. The longer she wastes time, the greater the chance the enemy will escape. Kang Shi even approves of Gu Chi's methods of forced confessions and torture; disregarding humanitarianism makes them more efficient.

When Gu Chi arrived, the enemy general was still in shock, seemingly never expecting to fall from grace to prisoner in just half a day.

He spat a mouthful of blood at Gu Chi.

"You will not get a single word out of my mouth!"

Gu Chi didn't stop, letting the mouthful of bloody foam fall a few inches from the tip of his shoe: "Whether you open your mouth or not is not up to you."

Prisoners of war have no right to say no.

Especially since the master is still angry right now.

Gu Chi placed two fingers between the enemy general's eyebrows and said indifferently, "Better to die than to die, my friend. Now, let's pray to our ancestors for protection."

Upon hearing this, the enemy general flew into a rage and lashed out.

Just as he was about to demand an explanation from Gu Chi for speaking to him like that, a chill shot out from the other's fingertips, instantly penetrating his mind and spirit. After the brief chill came excruciating pain, a pain worse than death, as if his mind and spirit were being torn in two by a pair of hands. This pain wasn't physical, but a pain of the soul. Only screaming and writhing could slightly alleviate the agony.

It truly felt like an eternity.

When he came to his senses, he was suddenly shocked to find himself drenched in sweat, his mouth slightly open, and a strong metallic taste rising from his throat.

Only then did they realize that the hysterical struggles and screams were just an illusion.

"Cough cough cough—"

Gu Chi just moved his fingers away when a mouthful of foul blood spurted from the enemy general's throat. His vision blurred, his sense of touch became incredibly dull, and even his ears felt like they were stuffed with thick cotton, making external sounds extremely faint. Before the enemy general could even worry about what he had just revealed, he saw the woman sitting at the head of the table opening and closing her mouth, vaguely forming the shape of the word "kill."

Who is this woman trying to kill?

Then the enemy general was dragged away by a tremendous force.

Shen Tang ordered Lu Ji to drag the man out and kill him.

After all, there's really no need to support a military general who comes from a prominent family in the middle class, acts arbitrarily and ruthlessly, and commands a thousand soldiers with only second-class superior strength. Shen Tang isn't the head of a charitable organization either; he doesn't have that much food to feed such a useless piece of trash.

Although it's a useless snack, it knows quite a lot.

Gu Chi took out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers and laughed, "If the master hadn't acted first, this kid could have escaped tonight. Family background is the real hard currency in the Central Allied Army; even a worthless good-for-nothing can snag a ticket to escape."

Other capable people who weren't born into privilege weren't so lucky.

The Allied forces in the Central Region's desperate attempt to survive by cutting off their own tails is despicable.

Others, in their attempt to cut their losses, either had to sacrifice those they were forced to do due to the situation, or they abandoned the most useless group. The Central Allied Forces, however, did something different: they cut off the group without any background or connections. Even Gu Chi had to admit, they were ruthless.

"...The trumpet-shaped mushrooms that the lord had the Lord of Jimo spread were indeed incredibly effective, forcing their morale to collapse, and they didn't even want to fight anymore." The main force of the Central Allied Army was being closely watched by Kangguo scouts. Any large-scale military operation would be detected, but waiting to be killed was a slow suicide. The Central Allied Army, after much deliberation, decided to first transfer their elite troops to rendezvous with reinforcements from the rear.

Even if reinforcements can't arrive in time, they can preserve their fighting strength through this action. If they stay, noise interference is unavoidable—if they deal with the trumpet mushrooms, can't Shen Tang come and replant them right away? The camp's layout has already been exposed.

In other words, this place is no longer of value.

If we don't leave in time, the enemy will catch us like turtles in a jar.

The Allied forces then decided to relocate first to avoid Shen Tang's sharp edge.

How to safely transfer the goods is another big problem.

Taking the entire army with them is unlikely; the target would be too large to be concealed by the Kangguo scouts circling high in the sky. Taking only a portion risks a mutiny among their own soldiers—the loudspeaker-like announcements repeatedly broadcast the Allied betrayal of their allies, pushing their own men to their deaths. If those sacrificed this time knew the Allied high command's true intentions, would they obediently surrender?

Naturally, even if I die, I'll drag someone down with me.

Regardless of whether this scapegoat is an enemy or "one of our own".

The Allied high command had to retreat in a way that would both deceive the Kangguo scouts and avoid alerting the Allied soldiers who might mutini.

So they resorted to some unconventional tactics.

They used their own people's magical spells to deceive everyone, deliberately allowed deserters to escape while some elite troops were mixed in, and intentionally reported false military intelligence. They also deliberately concealed the true strength of the Kang Kingdom's forces. If the intelligence from the front lines had been accurate and effective, the allied generals in charge of the defenses would not have made such a misjudgment, leading to the rapid collapse of the defensive line.

Of course, this is also partly due to the fact that the Allied forces did not have any top-notch personnel in charge.

A person of Gongyang Yongye's strength and level has immense destructive power. If no one is on guard, he could truly be worth ten thousand men.

No matter how strong the military defenses are, they can't withstand their relentless bombing.

The Allied forces used their abandoned troops to delay Kangguo, while they themselves fled early via tunnels. As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood.

Gu Chi obtained this intelligence using the most violent means.

Shen Tang was stunned.

"...Just run away like that? That's so embarrassing."

Gu Chi: "Your Majesty, you shouldn't think too highly of these people. The more they are like this, the more they are afraid of death and have no backbone whatsoever. If these people could see through greed, anger, and ignorance, and truly had some backbone, why would they do so many absurd and ridiculous things for the sake of immortality?"

A century of wealth and glory could not satisfy their appetite.

What they want is to live as long as heaven and earth.

He hadn't even finished enjoying his wealth and status; how could he bear to die so soon?

What's wrong with running away?

At least the person is still alive.

"Losing face? Face is not as important as life."

Shen Tang rubbed her temples, feeling somewhat annoyed.

She didn't want to miss this golden opportunity to kick a man when he was down. She was on the verge of defeating her enemy, but a single mistake allowed him to escape with his life, a humiliating defeat for Shen Tang. Gu Chi was about to ask for instructions when someone quietly pressed down on his shoulder.

Turning his head, he saw that the person who came was Luan Xin.

Luan Xin gestured to Gu Chi to keep quiet.

Gu Chi: "How could I..."

He stopped speaking, his mistress's expression blank, her eyes vacant, as if her soul had left her body, yet her right hand was calculating something. Many of Gu Chi's colleagues were charlatans, and he himself had some knowledge of divination.

While I might not be able to accurately predict major events, I can easily predict the fortunes of minor matters.

He couldn't understand the algorithm the Lord used to calculate with his fingers at all.

Fearing he might disturb Shen Tang, Luan Xin used [Secret Telepathy] to send a private message to Gu Chi: [Have you forgotten Chu Wuhui's connection with the Lord? His scholarly path skips perfection and goes directly to ultimate attainment; the Lord, as the master, can also obtain corresponding benefits.]

Shen Tang obtained two avatars, 【Nonsense】, because of Ning Yan's successful ceremony. Over the years, she has directed these two avatars to travel all over the continent. Chu Yao is in a similar situation, which can also bring benefits to Shen Tang.

Even just a part of it is enough to drive people crazy.

There's only one path for scholars, but a ruler can bind more than just one. It's only because the ruler isn't ambitious about these things; if she were more greedy, she'd truly be a hexagonal warrior. Gu Chi: [The ruler didn't mention this.]

This is actually not normal.

The lord always speaks frankly and openly to his confidants, and when he receives any benefits, he wants to inform every household about them.

This time, however, it wasn't even mentioned.

Luan Xin said: 【Isn't that what you see?】

Gu Chi: [...]

The abilities Shen Tang acquires are closely related to the followers.

In other words—

Gu Chi asked, "Does Your Majesty now possess the ability to predict the future?"

Tsk, Chu Wuhui is no good.

He could easily see it by activating the Path of the Scholars himself, but she would have to calculate the benefits it brought to the Lord herself.

If your finger cramps one day, wouldn't that be considered a mistake?

Just as Luan Xin was about to reply, Shen Tang's pupils refocused and regained their light. She lowered her fingers, looking somewhat conflicted. Seeing Gu Chi and the other person looking over, she explained, "I don't know what happened just now, but suddenly I had a sudden inspiration and felt my fingers were itchy."

Then she saw her fingers come to life and start calculating: "Some Allied troops are still in the tunnels."

Gu Chi: "They didn't run far? Chase them?"

However, the tunnels are narrow, hindering their speed, making it impossible to catch up. If they pursued them on the ground, the Kang Kingdom side might not be able to find the correct path. Chu Yao could use the methods of the literati, but knowing the exit's appearance doesn't guarantee finding the correct coordinates. The Central Allied Forces had long since altered the terrain and deployed their Word of Power formations along the way, rendering the secretly drawn maps from years ago useless. Chu Yao could only lead his troops to try their luck.

Shen Tang, however, was able to foresee some of the details.

For example, whether the enemy is still in the tunnel at this moment.

Wei Lou, who happened to arrive, scoffed, "Chase my ass!"

Why bother with all this effort?

Aren't you afraid the enemy will ambush you in the tunnels, launch a surprise attack halfway, and completely block the pursuers in the tunnels? In this situation, you should be ruthless, burn down the tunnels, flood them, and bury the people alive!

Shen Tang looked at her fingers and sighed, "This is against the natural order."

Wei Lou found the hypocritical tone disgusting and retorted bluntly, "Offending Heaven and Earth? Do you want me to help you recall how many inhuman things you've done? Now you're pretending to be a saint? If you don't want to do it, plenty of others are willing to! I'll do it!"

Shen Tang: "..."

At an age when one should be cultivating one's character and temperament, why is this elderly person so bloodthirsty?

As it turns out, Shen Tang spoke too soon.

Before the order was given, the tunnel had already caught fire.

"Who started this fire?"

Shen Tang squatted down beside one of the spots, watching the scorching heat emanating from below, the heat waves making her face burn.

Gongyang Yongye claimed responsibility: "It was I who released it."

He said disdainfully, "By the time you all finish your nagging, the ducks will have flown away. What do you care if there are still enemies underground? Set a fire first. If there are people, burn them; if there's no one, what's the point? You have a big business, why are you so stingy about the cost of charcoal?"

Unlike him, who sent people to move firewood as soon as he discovered the tunnel.

Shen Tang: "..."

Well, that makes sense.

So what was the meaning of her special calculation?

Is her finger joint flexibility considered good?

She inserted her fingers into the tunnel entrance to feel the temperature.

"This heat can even be felt on the ground... Find a few people with sensitive temperature perception and lead troops to pursue them on the ground."

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

Allied scouts quickened their retreat upon spotting any activity near the Kangguo camp. These tunnels were hastily dug; some were fake, used to deceive the enemy and buy time; others were structurally unstable; and some sections were extremely narrow, requiring even the most valiant warriors to remove their armor to barely pass. With so many delays, how could they possibly move quickly?

The team got stuck halfway, but no one dared to complain.

The person who complained last time has been killed as an example to warn others.

Humans wouldn't dare, but ghosts would.

The illusory figures beside Lin Su offered many greetings.

He would occasionally emerge from the ground to scout the enemy's situation. The most dangerous time was when the Kang Kingdom's troops approached within three miles. If it weren't for the sound-blocking magic beneath the tunnel, the scouts and warrior totems crawling on the ground might have heard the commotion...

"These useless scribes of the Allied forces, didn't they say that the Word Spirit Army formation they constructed was foolproof?" the phantom complained as it scouted.

In his opinion, it's just a pretty face with no substance!

This small bit of relief was quickly swallowed back by the phantom.

"...Strange, the troops from before have returned."

The number of ground scouts surged and gradually converged on their direction; if this continued, they were very likely to be surrounded.

The phantom, relying on its special ability, burrowed back underground.

"Anzhi, have they found out?"

No one dared to light the tunnel, so it was completely dark.

Aside from the afterimage, no one noticed the slight smile playing on Lin Su's lips: "With me here, even if I can't find out, I'll find out eventually."

Upon hearing this, the phantom was completely stunned, wishing it could scream and clutch its head, "Ancestor, what's wrong with you now?"

Lin Su said calmly, "It's just a matter of reciprocity."

He always does things as he pleases.

Alliance Leader Zhao was right about one thing: Lin Su truly couldn't bear the blood debt of trillions of lives. However, he knew how to use others to do his dirty work. Compared to Kang Guo, the Central Allied Forces were clearly more disliked. Not long after he finished speaking, a commotion arose from the rear.

The phantom hurriedly floated over to check the situation.

"Oh no, they've started a fire in the tunnel!"

The fire wouldn't reach them, but the smoke billowing from the tunnels would surely smuggle everyone out. Now, they faced only two paths: either hold the tunnel to the death, the exit not far away, or join forces to break through and escape, but that might alert the approaching enemy. Neither path was a good choice.

Lin Su did not respond, but simply looked up at the ground.

The Allied troops who hadn't yet evacuated from the tunnels knew the enemy was right behind them when they saw the smoke. In desperation, the previously orderly ranks immediately descended into chaos; no one wanted to be burned to death. They pushed and shoved each other, all wanting to get out as quickly as possible.

The phantom shouted, "Anzhi, be careful!"

Directly above the tunnel, Yang Ying brandished his longsword, unleashing a dragon of martial energy that descended from the sky. Instantly, the earth shook violently, and people were filled with panic.

A sliver of sunlight streamed down from the crack in the ground.

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