Chapter 25

Li Zhi, the military commander of Western Qin, looked as plain and unadorned as an old farmer. If Qin Feng had seen him anywhere else, he would have associated him with the impoverished border troops of Western Qin, dressed in coarse clothes, his face etched with deep wrinkles, and a perpetually worried expression. Compared to Zuo Lixing standing not far in front of him, he seemed to be from a completely different world.

Although Zuo Lixing had been pursued by Li Zhi for three days, his clothes still appeared spotless, and apart from a pale complexion, there was no other sign of abnormality.

"Li Zhi, do you really want a lose-lose situation?" Zuo Lixing shouted fiercely, "Don't force me."

Li Zhi raised his head and looked at the other side, his voice sincere, "I don't want to force you, but this is too important for Western Qin. Commander Zuo, I don't need to hide it from you. Last winter, there was no snow in Western Qin, which foretells a rare and severe drought this year. We are already poor, and such a natural disaster will make life even harder."

"I have already failed, Anyang County will certainly be plundered by you, is that not enough?" Zuo Lixing said angrily.

"Not enough, of course not. Anyang County can only save us temporarily. We need at least a year. After plundering Anyang and destroying your western border troops, your emperor will surely be furious and launch a retaliatory attack. Western Qin cannot afford this war. If we can capture Princess Zhaohua, we will have a bargaining chip. Therefore, I must capture Princess Zhaohua at all costs," Li Zhi said, rubbing his hands. "Commander Zuo, you are a grandmaster. Even after this great defeat and the loss of Princess Zhaohua, the emperor of Great Chu will not do much to you. At worst, you will be dismissed from office. If necessary, you can wander the rivers and lakes. If you run, can they catch you? You are the one making things difficult for me!"

Hearing this, Zuo Lixing knew there was no room for negotiation. He took a deep breath, "So, there is no room for negotiation, and we can only fight it out. Li Zhi, you are not necessarily sure to win me."

"Normally, I might not, but now is a great opportunity. You are worried about Princess Zhaohua's safety, and you have also suffered significant losses in the previous battles. I, on the other hand, am well-rested. In this battle, I have the advantage of time, place, and people, so I must take the initiative," Li Zhi said. "I am not afraid of a lose-lose situation because I still have many subordinates, while yours are almost all dead. Princess Zhaohua is severely injured, and Guo Jiuling is almost unable to move. If you fall, they will have no chance of escape."

The two men stopped talking and stared at each other. The empty space between them, several dozen meters wide, seemed to suddenly be hit by a tornado, sweeping up countless clumps of soil and leaves, which spun and flew into the sky. Zuo Lixing's face became even paler, and the wrinkles on Li Zhi's face deepened.

Li Zhi stood steadily, motionless, his coarse cloth coat as solid as if cast in iron, showing no signs of abnormality. Zuo Lixing's blue robe, however, rippled like water waves.

Zuo Lixing knew very well that he was not in his prime. Over the past few days, he had faced several tough battles, although he had killed many pursuing experts, he had also suffered significant losses. Li Zhi had arrived at just the right time, having calculated all the details.

Many people had been deceived by Li Zhi's appearance, not knowing why they had lost until they fell. But Zuo Lixing knew very well that they were old rivals. If it weren't for Princess Zhaohua, Zuo Lixing would have left long ago. As Li Zhi said, with his status as a grandmaster, even if he lost all his troops, the emperor would not do much to him, at most dismissing him from office. But without Princess Zhaohua, the situation would be very different.

If he continued to waste time with his opponent, he would definitely lose. Zuo Lixing had to take a risk.

With a light shout, his figure flickered, and suddenly there were countless Zuo Lixings in the field, all rushing towards Li Zhi. The sound of wind and rain filled the air, and the whistling never stopped.

Li Zhi grunted, bent his knees slightly, and without even looking at the countless figures rushing towards him, he clenched his fists and struck forward with all his might.

A thunderous sound echoed, and the countless figures disappeared. Li Zhi took several steps back, and the front of his coarse cloth coat was torn open, revealing his skin, which was marked with several slowly widening bloodstains, from which drops of blood seeped out.

Zuo Lixing, however, was thrown back like a large bird, landing far away on a tree. The branches bounced up, and he rose with them, then disappeared when he landed again.

Staring at Zuo Lixing's retreating back, Li Zhi's expression was extremely complex. He slowly sat down, gathered his energy, and began to regulate his internal breath.

"Commander!"

"Commander!"

Several urgent voices sounded around him, and a dozen Qin army generals appeared by Li Zhi's side.

"It's nothing serious, just a minor injury. I'll be back to normal in a year or two," Li Zhi chuckled, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief. For grandmasters like Li Zhi and Zuo Lixing, a year or two of rest was indeed not a big deal.

"Commander, what about Zuo Lixing?" a deputy general asked in a low voice.

Li Zhi was silent for a moment, then said somewhat sadly, "The world will lose another grandmaster. People with such cultivation who can also lead troops and be a commander are becoming fewer and fewer."

Hearing Li Zhi's words, the deputy generals could not help but smile. For Li Zhi, this was a sad thing, but for them, it was a cause for great celebration.

"Deng Pu, you take people to bring back Princess Zhaohua. Remember, don't be rude to her. She is a distinguished guest, and whether Western Qin can safely get through this year depends on her," Li Zhi ordered.

"Understood, Commander."

"Bian Wushuang, you will lead the next battle in Nanyang."

"Understood, Commander." Another general stepped forward.

Li Zhi said no more, closed his eyes, and quietly regulated his breath. The high-ranking generals of Western Qin stood like statues around him, guarding him.

After about half an hour, Li Zhi suddenly opened his eyes and looked at a dense forest in the distance, "Since you are here, why not come out and meet?"

The surrounding generals were startled and looked up to see a masked man in black slowly walking out of the forest.

"Commander Li is seriously injured, yet still so perceptive. Truly remarkable."

"Who are you?" Bian Wushuang stepped forward, blocking Li Zhi, his hand on the hilt of his sword, fully on guard. All the generals present were experts in martial arts, and being spied on without knowing it naturally made them nervous.

The man did not answer Bian Wushuang but took another step forward. Bian Wushuang suddenly felt the energy around him become chaotic, and the energy he had been building up was about to burst out uncontrollably, making him very alarmed.

"Rude." A cold snort came from behind, and the discomfort disappeared instantly. In his shock and anger, Bian Wushuang's sword suddenly unsheathed.

"Step back, Wushuang." Li Zhi coldly ordered.

"I didn't expect it. After not seeing you for over a decade, Commander Li's skills have improved. After fighting Zuo Lixing, you still have such abilities. I am truly impressed."

"Do you want to kill me?" Li Zhi narrowed his eyes.

"Originally, that was my intention. Zuo Lixing won't last long, and you are seriously injured. If I could kill you too, wouldn't that be great?" the man said.

"Is this your master's plan?" Li Zhi smiled. "Why don't you make a move?"

"It seems that the injury Zuo Lixing gave you is not as serious as it looks. You were just putting on a show for me, trying to lure me out?" the man laughed. "One of you plus these few dogs, I can't kill you, and I might even suffer a loss. I won't do a losing deal."

"Since you dare not make a move, let me warn you. Don't interfere with Princess Zhaohua. Otherwise, we will part ways, and if you ruin your master's big plans, don't blame me, Li Zhi, for not keeping my word."

The man snorted, "Our agreement is not to harm Princess Zhaohua."

"No one is going to harm her. I am just inviting her to stay as a distinguished guest in Yongdu for a while. She will be released when the time comes. In our agreement, we only agreed not to harm Princess Zhaohua, not that I can't invite her to Yongdu," Li Zhi said calmly.

The man was furious, "You are indeed a cunning old fox."

"Go back and tell your master that we only need a year of peace. Princess Zhaohua will stay in Yongdu for a year. I, Li Zhi, guarantee that she will not lose a single hair. If you try to force her away, we can't stop you, but you should know that if our agreement is exposed, what it means for your master. Is Princess Zhaohua more important, or is the throne more important? He should think carefully."

"Very well, very well." The man slowly retreated, "Li Zhi, you should know that if Princess Zhaohua loses a single hair, a war between the two countries is inevitable. In a year, we will come to Yongdu to take the princess back. I hope your injuries will be healed by then."

Watching the man disappear into the forest, Bian Wushuang asked, "Commander, who is this person?"

"A good dog!" Li Zhi was silent for a while, then shook his head and said.