"call--"

Lu Ji kicked away the corpse blocking his way.

The corpse's head, half-concave, was connected to the wound only by skin and flesh. With her kick, the corpse flipped over, pressing the head underneath, and warm blood continued to spurt out. Lu Ji bent down, tore off a piece of cloth, and wiped the grime from the blood-stained shoes.

"I was on tenterhooks the whole time."

After wiping, she tossed the scraps of cloth aside.

The chilling killing intent that had been ingrained in him from years of military service softened as his eyes relaxed into a relaxed smile. He said to Gong Shuwu, "I was afraid that enemy ambush might suddenly appear, which would have been troublesome. Fortunately, my luck is good and everything is going smoothly."

Lu Ji and his men successfully intercepted and killed the grain transport troops from the Northern Desert.

The quantity of supplies and the size of the troops matched the intelligence intercepted earlier perfectly, indicating that the military commander in charge of the grain transport was two levels stronger than Gong Shuwu had estimated. It seemed that the Northern Desert was indeed very concerned about this shipment of supplies, given the remote location and the heavy military protection.

No matter how meticulous the planning, it cannot overcome the gap in strength.

They couldn't withstand the overwhelming advantage from the intelligence level.

The enemy is in the open while we are in the dark; we are ambushing them when they are not.

The losses of our own troops were within expectations.

Gong Shuwu barely suppressed his even stronger inner reaction, appearing somewhat absent-minded. At this moment, he knew he couldn't make a rational judgment: "Zhizong, what do you think we should do with this batch of grain?"

Lu Ji put away the heavy hammer he was carrying on his shoulder.

"Poison them, or pour hot oil on them and set them on fire."

She had been paying close attention to Gong Shuwu's spirits. When she realized that something was wrong with him, the slight relief she felt vanished, replaced by extreme caution: "We can't take these provisions with us, nor can we leave them to the Northern Desert."

Destroying it is the wisest course of action.

Gong Shuwu said, "Let's poison them."

The fire from the burning oil was too loud.

Burning such a large amount of grain and fodder would be tantamount to setting up a beacon tower in the northern desert, easily revealing our own location. It would be better to just poison it directly, which would be less disruptive and more effective.

Lu Ji nodded and made a gesture toward the deputy general.

The troops led by Gong Shuwu were all elite, specially trained to counter the tactics commonly used by the Northern Desert. He had devoted four or five years of his life to this effort. The order was given, and the soldiers carried it out methodically. Every bag of rations was cut open and sprayed with a liquid laced with potent poison. Only a short while had passed since then. The army spontaneously regrouped and quietly departed.

At this moment, the night is deep.

The accompanying scribes used their spiritual powers to absorb sound, so the army moved forward without making any extra noise. Even those with keen eyesight and hearing would find it difficult to detect any unusual activity if they listened with their ears instead of their eyes. Gong Shuwu's troops had already wiped out two waves of Northern Desert soldiers, and although they were not exhausted, it was not advisable to continue fighting. Lu Ji then suggested moving closer to the main camp.

Being closer to the main camp increases safety.

Even if they encounter trouble, they won't be completely isolated and helpless.

Gong Shuwu nodded with a cold, hard expression.

No one but him knew how fast his heart was beating inside his chest at that moment; the speed and force were so great that he couldn't help but wonder if his heart would jump out of his throat.

Bang bang bang bang——

My heart is beating faster and faster!

Finally, he pulled hard on the reins.

Gong Shuwu had no idea how terrible his expression looked at that moment.

The warhorse beneath him braked sharply. Gong Shuwu tightened the reins, controlling the horse to turn its head, and blurted out, "We can't go this way!"

It was all instinct, without any conscious thought.

Since they were on their way back to camp, the army, though puzzled, didn't raise any objections. Perhaps the scouts ahead had discovered something, and they were all obediently preparing to change course. But at this crucial moment, Lu Ji caught something.

She summoned a pair of hammers and looked up at the sky.

He shouted, "Something's coming down!"

The other generals also reacted quickly.

Some looked up, others were on guard.

Only Yu Zi suddenly opened her eyes wide, her eyes wide with fury.

She stared intently at the falling object, her gaze unwavering. Her hands, gripping the reins, trembled uncontrollably, and she clenched her teeth to suppress a cry of anguish. Gong Shuwu pushed off the saddle, leaped high into the air, and caught the falling object with a powerful palm strike.

The falling object was a person.

A person with obvious bruising and a strangely twisted appearance on their neck.

Anyone with a little knowledge would know that this man's neck had been crushed by a powerful finger strike, leaving no cervical vertebrae intact. Without skeletal support, his head was tilted downwards at an unnatural angle. His eyes were still open, as if a glimmer of light lingered, reflecting an endless longing for the world. Judging from his clothing, he was a scout. His physical characteristics suggested he was a scout from the Ten Crows clan.

Yu Zi had somehow run to Gong Shuwu's side.

He asked in a hoarse voice, "Who killed him?"

The scout had stopped breathing.

The body, however, still retained the temperature of a normal person.

It was obvious that she had just been murdered not long ago.

Gong Shuwu put the scout's body down, and at that moment two more bodies fell from the sky, dying in the same way.

Swift and decisive, a single, fatal blow.

Gong Shuwu stared intently at the dark night sky.

He raised his hand and conjured a weapon: "Get out here!"

On the horizon, flickering lights rose and fell like stars, converging in their direction. Gong Shuwu knew without looking that these were the troops of the Northern Desert, and their general had already struck first, killing their own scouts and using their corpses as a provocation!

Yu Zi withdrew her gaze from the corpse.

His eyes, slightly reddened, were filled with a chilling murderous intent.

In the empty sky, a stream of martial energy accelerated and plummeted towards the ground. With a deafening boom, the stream of light struck the ground, stirring up a powerful sandstorm. The ground trembled violently under this pressure, as if an earth dragon were turning over. From within the sand, a figure emerged.

As the yellow sand dissipated and faded, the figures gradually became clear.

Gong Shuwu's expression gradually shifted from solemn and wary to bewilderment, astonishment, shock, and endless disappointment, finally settling on a cold indifference devoid of any emotion. Although the warrior who emerged from the yellow sand possessed only maturity and fortitude, devoid of the naivety of youth, that face was one that Gong Shuwu had frequently dreamt of, familiar to the very core of his being.

He could recognize the other person at a glance.

But precisely because of this, he was even more disappointed.

This man killed all three scouts.

His nephew, Gong Cheng.

The snow-white infant who once lay in his swaddling clothes, gently soothed in his arms, sucking his fingers and giggling, has grown into the figure before him. If his elder brother were still alive, he didn't know whether he would feel more relief or more heartache: "Gong Yunchi—"

The name Yunchi was something he and his older brother had thought about for a long time.

Gong Cheng never expected that his identity would be exposed so easily.

However, I wasn't too surprised.

Many people under Shen Youli's command have seen her.

He only needed to glance at the bloodied and battered state of Gong Shuwu and the others to know that the supply train was doomed and there was no need to send reinforcements. Gong Cheng's gaze fell on Gong Shuwu, who wore a mask, revealing only a pair of resolute eyes.

He casually asked, "How's that batch of grain coming along?"

Yu Zi said angrily, "Destroy it!"

Gong Shuwu stretched out his long arm and blocked Yu Zi from behind.

Of the three scouts who died, one was Yu Zi's personal bodyguard, whom she had bought from the Shiwu slave market years ago. At that time, he was on the verge of death and didn't seem like he would survive. Yu Zi found a doctor for him, and left the rest to fate.

Unexpectedly, this man possessed an incredibly strong will to survive, managing to pull through the life-or-death situation. He then followed Yu Zi faithfully, repaying her life-saving grace. Although his cultivation talent was not high, he was an excellent scout prospect. With a little training, he would be no less capable than an ordinary scout. Over the years, whenever Yu Zi accompanied the army, he was always present on the front lines. After the Kang Kingdom stabilized, he also helped train many outstanding scouts.

Yu Zi originally wanted to transfer him to her side.

However, he refused.

Even today, he perished on the battlefield.

Even the most skilled scouts cannot escape the notice of the eighteenth-rank Grand Master, let alone survive the enemy's deadly attack, so they died.

Gong Cheng didn't care who he killed. Not only him, but other martial artists wouldn't specifically ask the victim's name or address before killing them. Yu Zi's emotions didn't stir the slightest ripple in him: "The grain was destroyed? Was it burned?"

If the grain and fodder had been burned, he would have been much later than a minute.

I didn't waste any time on my way.

The only thing to blame is that the intelligence from the Northern Desert was too slow.

Gong Shuwu said, "It wasn't burned, it was just poisoned."

He spoke these words to Gong Cheng, but his gaze remained fixed on the troops Gong Cheng had brought. Judging from the distance indicated by the firelight, it would take the Northern Desert troops some time to arrive at full speed. If their side wanted any chance of survival, they had no choice but to leave men behind to cover Gong Yunchi's retreat.

If we wait for the reinforcements from the Northern Desert to arrive—

Our troops are likely to perish here.

Fighting a large-scale battle against the Northern Desert is not the problem; the problem is that the Northern Desert has an 18th-rank Grand Master in charge. If the two sides clash, the outcome is almost a foregone conclusion. These thoughts lingered in Gong Shuwu's mind for a moment before he made his decision: "Gong Yunchi, I have some connection with your fathers and know a little about your Gong family."

Gong Cheng frowned as he looked at Gong Shuwu.

From the moment he resolved to help Tudege repay his debt of gratitude, he knew he would inevitably run into "acquaintances," and he was prepared to be called an unfilial descendant by them. However, hearing these words from Gong Shuwu's mouth made him inexplicably uncomfortable.

"What are you trying to say, senior?"

Gong Cheng suppressed the strange and bitter feeling in his heart.

He sighed and said, "Do you want to clean house for the Gong family?"

Gong Shuwu shook his head and denied this statement.

"I am not a member of the Gong family, so what right do I have to clean house for them? As long as you have a clear conscience about your choices, and are worthy of heaven and earth and your ancestors, what can I, an outsider, say?" Gong Shuwu harbored no hatred towards his nephew because he had not experienced the hardships and suffering Gong Cheng had endured over the years, and could not empathize with him. Naturally, he had no right to criticize him as his uncle. Gong Cheng, as an adult, could take full responsibility for his own choices, as long as he did not regret them!

Gong Shuwu's words took Gong Cheng by surprise.

His tone softened: "So you want to plead for me?"

It's not that we can't be lenient or make exceptions.

As long as it's not too obvious, it's fine.

Gong Cheng spoke from the heart, after all, he had been slacking off for a long time, so he said, "Killing half and letting the other half go is fine too."

Even if we give up, we can't let them all go.

But to Gong Shuwu, it was a completely different feeling. He looked at his nephew, whom he did not recognize, and his calm eyes were filled with disappointment: "I would like to ask, Grand Master Gong!"

Gong Shuwu challenged him to a duel.

Gong Cheng had no choice but to agree.

This is based on the most basic respect for martial arts practitioners.

However, Gong Cheng still had to remind him.

"You are no match for me. Even if you risk your life to delay them, how many moves can you buy them?" Faced with such an absolute disparity in strength, these words are cruel and realistic. If Gong Cheng were to fight seriously, Gong Shuwu could only withstand five moves at most before he would die!

Gong Shuwu sneered: "That's none of the Grand Chancellor's concern! Life and death are predestined. If we can die here in battle, we can rest in peace!"

He ordered Lu Ji to lead his troops in a retreat.

His gaze remained fixed on Gong Cheng.

Gong Cheng said, "Why bother?"

The pursuers from the northern desert will catch up soon.

Gong Shuwu's actions could not change the outcome.

Lu Ji's eyes were bloodshot, and he was filled with grief and indignation, but he still gritted his teeth and obeyed the order, pulling Yu Zi up onto the horse.

"withdraw!"

The army retreats, and the general is endowed with the Five Virtues.

Although it does not have all five virtues, it still has four.

There aren't many literary figures who can achieve this level of skill. Gong Cheng looked towards the source and met Yu Zi's fierce and cold gaze. He said, "Excellent, but a pity."

Because of its late start, female scholars were few and far between, and even fewer were outstanding. Yu Zi in front of us was clearly one of them.

It's truly a pity that he fell tonight.

He did not strike first against Gong Shuwu.

Gong Shuwu didn't make a move, but his aura rose at an abnormal speed, quickly breaking through the upper limit of the peak of the thirteenth level, and was still climbing higher.

Gong Cheng asked, "Secret technique?"

This is basically something you've been desperately hoarding.

Even if Gong Cheng didn't kill him, the person definitely wouldn't survive. Gong Shuwu didn't respond. The surrounding energy of heaven and earth formed a vortex around him, creating a hurricane that swept nearby rocks and ground high into the air. Gong Shuwu's face was flushed, and his skin was abnormally hot. The inner shirt under his armor was quickly soaked with sweat and then dried by the heat.

It got wet once, then dried once.

Wisps of blood mist rose from beneath the armor.

Finally, Gong Shuwu's momentum stopped at the peak of the fifteenth-rank Lesser Mastery level. He raised his hand and grasped, the ring-pommel sword gathering in his palm. The blade was gleaming, capable of cutting through iron like mud: "Yun Chi, are you afraid of ghosts?"

His voice sounded much lower and hoarse than before.

Both the voice and the tone were somewhat familiar.

Gong Cheng didn't understand why he was asking this, and thought he was just stalling for time. He said good-naturedly, "There are no ghosts in this world. Even if there were, they would turn around and run away when they saw me."

Gong Shuwu burst into laughter.

"Not afraid? Hahaha, that's good!" Gong Shuwu's next words greatly surprised Gong Cheng. He was so surprised that he didn't even bother to talk about retreating. He changed the direction of the march halfway and split the troops into two groups, attacking the elite troops of the Northern Desert from both sides in an arc. "Let me show you the martial intent that can only be activated once in a lifetime!"

The intent of a martial artist?

Just four words were enough to pique Gong Cheng's interest.

The martial artist's intent differs from the scholar's path; the former can only be comprehended with a certain probability in the face of life and death, making it one of the highest honors for a martial artist. Gong Cheng has encountered countless martial artists over the years, but those who truly possess the martial artist's intent can be counted on one hand.

What martial artist's intent?

Can it only be activated once?

One should live as a hero!

Blood trickled from Gong Shuwu's seven orifices.

Even in death, they will be heroes!

It’s winter solstice again (ゞ)

I happily devoured two bowls of sesame glutinous rice balls today!

I can't imagine the calories, but as long as I close my eyes and don't think about it, I'll treat it as zero fat and zero sugar.

Although the sun was out, the temperature was still below zero. The keyboard was made of aluminum, and even with the heater on, my fingers were almost frozen. I decided to get a new keyboard.

PS: I think I'll finish writing "Retreat to the Emperor" around July or September. The beginning of the new book is already being revised, but the female lead's name will still be replaced with XX.

What surname do you want this time?

P.S.: Yesterday I took out my usual SIM card and put it back in, and now my phone is using the Tianjin Unicom SIM card by default for data. This SIM card only has basic call data allowance per month, and today I found I'd exceeded my data limit by over 490MB, costing me 50 RMB…