Chapter 1406: One Poison Against an Army (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
Wu Xian initially showed no reaction.
It's basic battlefield practice for the enemy to use friendly corpses; those heartless ones will even use both friendly and enemy corpses as raw materials to cultivate and spread plagues. If a tank gets stuck in a ditch and there's no stone to be found right away, they can use the corpses on the spot to fill it in.
It's perfectly normal for the bodies of missing scouts to be used.
Suddenly, Wu Xian realized what was happening.
Pointing to the rotten corpse on the ground, he asked, "General Bai, do you mean... that he was the one who delayed you just now?"
Scouts are elite soldiers with reconnaissance advantages, and a very high proportion of them are brave and skilled warriors. They are among the best in the entire army in terms of both combat effectiveness and mobility. However, this "best" is relative to the overall level of the three branches of the armed forces; their individual skills are not particularly outstanding.
Wu Xian carefully recalled the list of missing scouts.
"If I remember correctly, he's only a fourth-rank official?" Let alone entangled with Bai Su in the sky for so long, if the two met face to face, Bai Su could probably cut him off his horse in just a few moves. "General Bai means that someone with extraordinary strength is secretly manipulating corpses to deal with us?"
Bai Su nodded: "Mm."
Wu Xian paced back and forth, gripping the hilt of his sword, his brow furrowed. It was clear he was very anxious. "I heard some rumors recently that General Bai had successfully killed the evil spirit?"
Only by slaying evil thoughts can one break through the bottleneck between the fifteenth-level Lesser Upper Realm and the sixteenth-level Greater Upper Realm. Wu Xian couldn't sense Bai Su's aura or realm, but he was certain that she either had just broken through or was stuck in the middle and hadn't fully advanced. Regardless of the reason, the person behind the scenes was able to delay Bai Su for so long using a corpse that was only a fourth-level Unchanging cultivator in life, so their true strength should not be underestimated.
Bai Su nodded, remaining taciturn: "Mm."
Ordinary people can get stuck between two realms for three to five years, or even thirty to fifty years, but Bai Su is an exception. First, her own mind is clear and she is not easily affected by external things. She doesn't care about good or evil thoughts; anyone who dares to draw their sword against her is an enemy. Second, Gu Chi's scholarly way also helped a lot. Bai Su trapped the evil thoughts in the net of heaven and earth with little effort and successfully killed them.
He led his troops into battle before he could even go into seclusion to stabilize his cultivation level.
She didn't publicize the news, and didn't even hold a celebration banquet.
How did Wu Xian find out?
As a shrewd person, Wu Xian could read the doubt in Bai Su's eyes and explained, "General Bai, please don't blame Gu Yatai."
Bai Su: "Did Gu Yatai leak the information?"
She didn't remember how good Gu Chi and Wu Xian were; in fact, they were quite bad, and the two even had a deep-seated grudge. Back then, when Gu Chi and Liao Jia were sent as envoys to the Gao Kingdom, she wondered what kind of humiliation he had suffered there. Upon his return, he prepared Wu Xian's erotic novel and even had Qi Shan come back to draw many "colorful and sensual" illustrations, complete with both plot and visuals.
It circulated widely in private markets and was copied countless times.
If Wu Xian hadn't become the Duke of Lu, the pirate bookstore, only interested in making money and not wanting to lose their heads, might have even managed to impress the legitimate owners.
I heard that Wu Xian knew about the existence of the erotic novel featuring himself as the protagonist, and he flew into a rage several times, vowing to follow the clues and find the person behind it and tear them to pieces. Judging from the fact that Gu Chi is still alive and kicking, Wu Xian's anger was just a fit of rage.
Bai Su even watched the official version when she was bored.
"Qi Zhongshu's paintings are indeed quite impressive; no wonder they fetch such high prices." Troubled by the trivial matters of the Censorate, Gu Chi suddenly looked up, leaning closer to see the album of paintings Bai Su was holding, his face flushed with embarrassment. Bai Su stroked the handsome Censor-in-Chief's face with her fingers, teasingly saying with a smile, "It's just that the author of the book doesn't understand romance and nature; many of the inaccuracies are truly a disservice to both the protagonist within the book and the artist outside."
Some of the moves are too difficult.
Only those with martial prowess and resilient bodies can withstand it.
Bai Su: [Write something healthy, don't mislead young people.]
Sexual misconduct is forbidden in the military, but soldiers are human too, and they can't rely solely on training to relieve excess energy. The higher-ups turn a blind eye to soldiers secretly bringing in pornographic books and pictures. Bai Su has no objection to this, but hopes the soldiers can access some normal, educational material.
Don't learn a lot only to be dumbfounded when you actually need to put it into practice.
Gu Chi nearly choked on his own saliva, feeling an urge to disappear into the ground. However, he maintained his usual flirtatious tone: "This humble one is ignorant; would the Great General be so kind as to instruct me?"
Bai Su: [...]
After all these years, I still can't outdo the pros.
Wu Xian was also helpless against Gu Chi.
He knew that Gu Chi had written his erotic novel, but he couldn't confront him with evidence, much less bring it up in court to impeach Gu Chi. If Wu Xian did that, the entire court would know of the existence of such an erotic novel.
Duke Lu did not want the state to perish, so he could only swallow his anger.
In this situation, what good relationship could Wu Xian and Gu Chi possibly have?
Even if Wu Xian wanted to annoy Gu Chi, he wouldn't choose such a stupid method—Bai Su had a mouth, she could just go back and ask Gu Chi to find out the truth. Wu Xian told the truth: "Gu Yatai is tight-lipped, but he's very loose-handed."
The female protagonists in his works are becoming increasingly powerful.
Wu Xian could guess the general idea with a quick calculation.
Gu Chi's hobbies are very easy to spot. He only writes a few things over and over again, and he uses readily available characters. Which official in the court hasn't been scorned by him? You can tell who the prototype is just by looking at them a few times. As long as you find that the prototype is Bai Su, you can know Bai Su's recent cultivation level.
Bai Su: "...I'll deal with him later."
I never dreamed it would be a "leak" like this.
"Haha, General Bai, please don't be angry. Gu Yatai didn't mean any harm." He simply wanted to show off. He couldn't boast about his relationship with Bai Su to his colleagues, so he secretly arranged various plot points in the book. Heh, he really succeeded in putting on a show.
The relaxed atmosphere was short-lived.
Wu Xian's relaxed smile gradually faded as he said, "The enemy can exert such strength by controlling a corpse; their true level is probably no lower than General Bai's... and possibly even..."
The unspoken words were understood by both of them.
At this stage of the war, all cards should be played.
It used to be said that the 20th-rank Chehou were rare, but that was only because few were recorded in historical books during their active period. Who knows how many old guys who had the potential to be promoted to the 20th-rank Chehou managed to survive and grind themselves up to the Chehou level? Robert is a typical example.
Those eighteenth-rank Grand Masters and nineteenth-rank Marquises within the Pass... as long as they can retire gracefully and avoid dying on the battlefield, and live in seclusion for several decades without exhausting their lifespan, they have a very high probability of becoming a Marquis.
Perhaps this time the one causing trouble is some kind of treacherous marquis.
Bai Su traced the cloud patterns engraved on the edge of her arm guard with her fingertips, her eyes lowered, suppressing the fierce glint in them: "If that's really the case, the scouts who went missing earlier could all have been used by the enemy."
As she spoke, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind.
"Have any missing scouts returned to the team midway?"
Wu Xian met Bai Su's gaze and understood her perfectly.
The military doctor examined the black worms forced out of Bai Su's wound and confirmed they were all Gu worms, but not the kind that could control people. However, during the autopsy of the scout's corpse, they discovered a "nest of worms" in the Danfu area. The densely packed worm eyes were enough to make one's scalp tingle.
"Quick, get it right away—"
When the military doctor saw the condition of the corpse's abdominal cavity, he also gasped in shock.
Fearing that the insect eggs in the "nest" would be disturbed, he ordered someone to bring a container to put them in. But as soon as he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of movement in the open abdominal cavity of the corpse—a "black mist" composed of countless black insects swarmed out, which was extremely terrifying.
"ah--"
Just as the military doctor was about to scream, a flash of snow-white sword light appeared before his eyes.
The "black mist" was frozen into a lump by the sword's edge.
It landed with a crisp sound, leaving ice shards scattered all over the ground.
Bai Su shouted, "Step back!"
The sword energy annihilated the remaining swarm of insects into dust.
Grabbing the medic by the shoulder, he pulled the man back and tossed him to Wu Xian, who had rushed over. The medic managed to stand, only to witness an extremely horrifying scene—the corpse he had disemboweled suddenly came back to life, swinging its large and small intestines, its back unfurling a pair of translucent bat wings, its pupils visibly covered by a thick, putty-like white film, its throat emitting a heavy, wind-breaking "hoarse" sound, and its pale face covered with black lines.
"Playing tricks!"
Bai Su kicked over the brazier.
The charcoal fire exploded into dazzling starlight, hurtling straight towards the corpse.
The instant the flames licked the corpses, a deafening roar shook the ground beneath the medic's feet, sending shivers down the spines of the soldiers. An unseen enemy is far more likely to instill panic than a visible one…
"What happened?"
The dark shadows of distant mountain peaks suddenly rose higher.
"The mountain! The mountain has collapsed!"
I don't know who shouted that.
Wu Xian cursed under his breath, calling them "idiots," completely unwilling to admit that these were the soldiers he had trained. He immediately drew his long sword from his waist and slashed a blade towards the mountain peak—not for its power, but for its imposing presence! Although the blade did not strike the mountain peak, it exploded in mid-air, illuminating half the sky and making it clear that it was not a "mountain collapse," but rather the clouds and mist within the mountain churning like dragon scales.
They were heading in the direction of the main army.
Wu Xian was also deeply troubled by this. Turning his head, he saw Bai Su, in a fit of rage, freeze the corpse into a block of ice and stomp it into dust, ensuring it was completely dead. Only then did he show a look of disgust and say, "Duke of Lu, order the army to retreat."
"That's all we can do." They could fight if they were in a fighting stance, but the cat's underhanded tactics are really disgusting.
As soon as the gong rang, Bai Su knew there was a problem.
He cleaved the bronze gong that the nearest messenger was in charge of with a single sword stroke.
"Who gave you permission to order the advance?"
Messengers are the most crucial link in mobilizing the three armies, responsible for accurately transmitting orders to all locations. The basic requirement for messengers is absolute perfection; every order must be memorized to the point of muscle memory, ensuring error-free execution even in the midst of chaos. How could such a basic mistake possibly occur at a time like this? It wouldn't be unreasonable for Bai Su to execute him on the spot.
As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Su saw the soldier's face.
His skin was pale and bloodless, and his eyes were covered with a white film.
When Bai Su interfered with his movements, he didn't react for a moment. He then let out a low roar and opened his mouthful of fangs, intending to pounce. Thud thud thud—several sounds of sword blades piercing flesh rang out. The messenger was pinned to the ground, his limbs twisting and struggling.
Seeing this horrifying scene, she stepped forward and grabbed the messenger's right hand.
His hands were thin and bony, his skin like bronze and his bones like iron, and beneath his black claws lay countless insect eggs. She then slit open the messenger's mouth with her sword, discovering insect eggs hidden in his teeth as well: "The parasitic worms lie dormant, needing ten to fifteen days to hatch and lay eggs. It seems—"
Our side had already been infiltrated by the enemy.
Bai Wu pressed his palm against the corpse, circulating his martial energy.
The body was frozen solid, and every inch of it shattered.
"Leave no messenger who relayed the wrong order alive." Just as Bai Su stood up, Wu Xian's deputy suddenly moved forward and delivered a long-prepared palm strike to Bai Su's back. The moment the palm touched Bai Su, her head rolled to the ground. Wu Xian's attack was even more decisive.
Bai Su said, "...Duke of Lu, please accept my condolences."
Wu Xian's expression was not good, but he still managed to suppress his grief.
He said, "It was my carelessness."
Wu Xian had no time to grieve over the murder of his longtime deputy; he was consumed by rage at being toyed with by the enemy. Conflicts in military orders caused small-scale chaos throughout the army. When soldiers began to question the orders, they were horrified to find their comrades suddenly attacking them.
Its attack method is almost like that of a wild beast, tearing and gnawing.
Good news: these "monsters" are not invulnerable.
The bad news is that after the "monster" falls, the insect eggs will rapidly devour its flesh and blood until only a human skin covering the bones remains. The insect eggs hatch from the flesh and blood into a dense swarm of black moths, which fly into the sky and gather into a cloud of black mist.
The black mist merged with the "mountain mist" spreading from the mountains, gradually stretching out and outlining a tall, dark shadow.
"This is so delicious, it really whets my appetite."
A strange, hoarse, aged male voice came from the shadowy figure formed by black moths, and a greedy red light flickered in the eye sockets of the skull.
A moment later, aiming at Bai Su below, a mountain-like black shadow swung its hand, saying with infatuation, "It's been a long time since I've tasted... such vigorous young flesh..."
The hand brushed past Wu Xian's head but failed to grab Bai Su.
The palm strike missed its mark, leaving a palm print nearly ten feet deep on the ground.
Dust billowed several meters high, and hundreds of dense water columns pierced the air as a giant, monstrous fish covered in black and white metallic scales soared into the sky. Bai Su rode on the fish, her figure passing through the swarm of black moths. With her twin swords, she severed one of her enemy's arms. The chilling sword energy mixed with the icy seawater instantly froze the severed part into icicles.
Bai Su shouted, "Find someone who can set things on fire!"
These Gu worms fear thunder and fire.
Wu Xian slashed left and right, his anger burning ever stronger.
Don't ask why, the answer is that almost half of the dozen or so people he just killed were his men. If Bai Su had arrived any later, Wu Xian suspected he would have been silently killed as well: "Where are we going to find someone who can set fires? Damn, does my inner fire count?"
He's burning up right now!
With a kick, he sent the charging blue-faced, fanged monster flying. His longsword swept across, unleashing a shockwave that sent a circle of people flying several feet away. Wu Xian broke through the encirclement: "Form the formation! Summon heavenly lightning!"
He took a gamble—ordinary thunderclouds wouldn't be able to kill the soldiers in a short time, but they could kill these damned insects!
The shadowy figure tried to grab Bai Su, but after a long time, it had no luck. It didn't know what kind of cultivation method she practiced, as her movements were even more slippery than an eel.
In a fit of rage, he unleashed dozens of illusory, overlapping palm prints.
It can be eaten even if it's mashed into minced meat.
In a flash, Bai Su's position was taken by the strange fish covered in thick scales. The fish frantically absorbed the energy of heaven and earth, inflating its body like a balloon, while gathering all its strength in its tail to meet the attack head-on. Bai Su flashed to a position diagonally above the shadowy figure's head, swinging her twin swords, which trailed long white chains, aiming them at the shadowy figure from the left and right, while lightning and fire struck simultaneously.
|ω`)
I feel like I should probably pray to the gods sometime soon and ask for peace and blessings. Today I suddenly received a text message on my phone, and I initially thought it was because I hadn't logged in for a long time, but then I discovered my account had been hacked… Luckily, none of my valuables were on the account, otherwise I would have been devastated.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
