Chapter 66

For Guandong Tian's willingness to join the Wu Liang Sect, Bai Chen was a hundred percent willing.

Although Guandong Tian's strength was not strong, in Bai Chen's mind, he was absolutely a great hero.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone set off again.

Guandong Tian's injuries were not light, though not life-threatening, his movements were restricted. The android directly carried Guandong Tian on his back.

Introduced by Bai Chen, Guandong Tian also got to know Qin Kelan and the android.

However, the shock the android gave him still left a significant psychological shadow.

"By the way, Android, do you also eat people like those zombies?"

Bai Chen was still somewhat uneasy about the android eating a Shen Ce Army corpse earlier.

Although Bai Chen was a hundred percent sure of the android's humanity,

After all, he was no longer a living person, and he himself had said that if he strayed too far from Bai Chen, he might lose his humanity, and it was not impossible that he might kill innocents.

"Eat, I eat corpses," the android said calmly. "I was created by that person specifically to eat corpses, whether human or animal, I eat them all."

"Oh, that's good." Bai Chen nodded. Although eating corpses was not accepted by ordinary people, for Bai Chen, it was a relief. After all, eating dead bodies was better than eating living people.

Moreover, the android was no longer a living person, and it was clearly inappropriate to bind him with the morals and laws of ordinary people.

And the fact that he could still uphold the principles of righteousness and evil after death was something even a gentleman reborn might not achieve.

"Bai Chen, I know what you're thinking. If you find me troublesome, you can bury me in the mountains, and I will have no complaints."

"Wait until you have eliminated all the beasts that harm people on Wu Liang Mountain, then it won't be too late to bury me."

Men never need too much explanation; just a glance is enough to understand each other's intentions.

The android bared his teeth, revealing a blood-stained mouth: "I can guarantee that no beast on Wu Liang Mountain will harm a human again."

Qin Kelan glanced at Bai Chen, her eyes full of affection.

To her, Bai Chen was her entire support.

No matter what decision Bai Chen made, she would think it was right.

It seemed that whenever it came to Bai Chen, her intelligence was infinitely lowered.

Under the long night, sitting on the android's shoulders, they admired the moon and walked side by side, creating a unique charm.

Of course, if it weren't for the third wheel on the android's back, everything would be even more perfect.

Especially Guandong Tian, who had no sense of self-awareness, was clearly severely injured but still lacked the awareness of a patient.

"Master Bai, although you tricked those Shen Ce Army soldiers, I fear that the truth will eventually come out. When the Shen Ce Army learns that I am not dead, it will bring trouble to Wu Liang Mountain."

"Live for today, and worry about tomorrow when it comes. If you always look ahead and behind, how can you enjoy life? If I abandon you now, I will feel guilty in the future. It's better to cut the problem off at the root. Who knows if it will be the Shen Ce Army who fears us or we who fear them?"

"Spoken well. A man should live life to the fullest. Otherwise, it's a waste of life." The android's voice was loud and resonant, even in death, he still exuded a heroic spirit, his vigor shaking the heavens and the earth.

"Jianghu? What is jianghu?" Qin Kelan lacked the others' boldness, her voice tinged with sorrow.

She was just a woman who had experienced great calamity, her heart unable to settle.

Everyone has a concept of jianghu, but when asked to describe it, they don't know where to start.

"Jianghu is a group of people's loneliness, a shared flame that rises, drinking and talking under the rain at night. You talk about the northern desert, I talk about the southern Jiangnan. The stories of life and death that shine in our hearts, even if we are alone, we can feel a strange warmth. People gather and disperse, the same words may be repeated a hundred times. I might want to return to my old place, you might be eager to move on to the next destination. We may never meet again in this life, but everyone has one thing in common: they keep looking forward." (A famous quote by the renowned commentator Sin)

The jianghu Bai Chen described was ethereal, yet it painted a vivid picture in everyone's mind.

It was the ideal homeland, the jianghu everyone yearned for.

But the real jianghu was much more brutal than Bai Chen's jianghu.

Everyone present had already experienced countless grudges and killings.

Dozens of miles away from Bai Chen and the others, Wu Liang Mountain was now occupied by thousands of elite soldiers.

The thatched huts on the mountain top were engulfed in flames.

A white-robed scholar stood a few dozen feet away. The scholar wore a beautifully decorated sword at his waist, his hands behind his back. Though not tall, his body exuded a heroic aura. Looking at the houses collapsing under the flames, his eyes showed a hint of regret.

"This is jianghu." The white-robed scholar turned to the few guards behind him, his voice carrying a hint of authority. "Have the people been captured?"

"Report to the lord, General Xu has just returned, but it seems he did not capture anyone."

At this moment, a soldier rushed back, his face full of urgency. He was the general who led the Shen Ce Army to pursue Guandong Tian. "Lord, I am at fault for not completing the task. Please punish me."

The white-robed scholar's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he waved his hand. "Stand up. First, explain the entire situation, and then we will decide on the punishment."

"I was originally ordered by the lord to pursue Guandong Tian. I led a hundred elite soldiers and caught up with him thirty miles away. After a fierce battle, we severely injured Guandong Tian. However, in the darkness, a monster suddenly appeared and attacked us..."

Mentioning the monster, General Xu's face showed a hint of fear. The guards beside the white-robed scholar immediately shouted, "Silence! How dare you speak nonsense in front of the lord? Clearly, it was your incompetence that allowed the criminal to escape, and you are making excuses to avoid punishment."

The white-robed scholar's face showed no emotion, his gaze still calm. He waved his hand to signal the guards to stop.

"Lord, this was not just my observation; all the soldiers I led saw it. If the lord does not believe me, you can ask them."

"Continue. What kind of monster?"

General Xu did not dare to delay and immediately detailed the entire incident. At this point, one of the guards beside the white-robed scholar spoke again.

"Lord, before we came to Qing Shui Town, I had already gathered detailed information about the town. I did not hear of any monsters in the area. General Xu claims the monster ate Guandong Tian and fled into the forest, which seems suspicious."

The white-robed scholar's eyebrows slightly relaxed, and he smiled lightly. "There are three points of suspicion."

Hearing this, General Xu immediately knelt and cried out, "Lord, every word I said is true. I dare not hide anything. Please believe me."

"General Xu, calm down. I do not doubt your words. If you were trying to deceive me, you would have found a more credible excuse. Moreover, since this was not just your observation, a simple inquiry will reveal the truth. Therefore, I believe you."

"Lord, you are wise. However, I failed in my duty. Please punish me."

"This is not your fault, so there is no need to blame yourself. However, you are still responsible for this mistake, so you will receive twenty lashes."

General Xu quickly thanked the lord. He knew the white-robed scholar was strict in military discipline and fair in rewards and punishments. He thought he would be severely punished, but it turned out to be just twenty lashes.

These twenty lashes would leave him unable to move for half a month, but compared to the strict military law, the white-robed scholar was lenient.

"Lord, what are the three points of suspicion you mentioned?"

"First, General Xu pursued Guandong Tian to a place thirty miles away, which should be a dense forest. There are few animals or people there. How could a young man appear there at night without reason?"

"Second, according to General Xu, the monster was clad in black armor, moved like a tiger, was bloodthirsty, and incredibly strong. It could knock down dozens of soldiers with a single wave of its hand. Moreover, it moved with precision, unlike a wild beast. If it were a wild beast, it would not dare to approach an army, and its actions suggest it was being directed by someone."

"Third, the fate of Guandong Tian. If, as General Xu said, Guandong Tian was swallowed alive, I suspect he may not be dead."

Wumu Zi, one of the seven great strategists under Emperor Liao.

Ranked fourth among the seven, he was enfeoffed as Tian Quan.

Above him were Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, and Tian Ji, and below him were Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang.

Using the Big Dipper as their symbol, it shows how much Emperor Liao relied on these seven people.

Especially Wumu Zi, who, to others, seemed to be just a scholar, weak and powerless.

However, he controlled one-third of Emperor Liao's army and was more favored by Emperor Liao than the other six.

He was revered by the generals in the army and privately called the God of War.

Whenever Wumu Zi led the army, he almost always won, and his ingenious strategies amazed both friends and foes.

Wumu Zi's mind was sharp, and he immediately saw through the deception: "If my guess is correct, the group that rescued Guandong Tian, though not weak, feared the might of our Shen Ce Army, so they devised this ruse to make us believe Guandong Tian was dead."

All the soldiers present nodded, convinced by Wumu Zi's analysis.

What others saw as a flawless plan, Wumu Zi could see through at a glance.

"Could it be the Tang Sect?"

The guard beside Wumu Zi's eyes flickered, showing a hint of fear.

Wumu Zi shook his head and said casually, "If it were the Tang Sect, they would not have hidden their identity, nor would they have let General Xu and his soldiers leave. It also couldn't be the small sects in Qing Shui Town. Regardless of whether they knew of our arrival, they would not have the courage to risk our army's might. Therefore, there are only two possibilities: one, this group has a close relationship with Guandong Tian and has been watching General Xu's movements; the other, they have the same goal as us, to seize the millions of pounds of grain."

"Lord, please allow me to make up for my mistake by capturing Guandong Tian and his group."

"This matter is temporarily on hold. The millions of pounds of grain are important, but they are not the primary task. If it draws the attention of the Tang Sect, it could jeopardize our mission."

"What about the grain?"

"The grain in Qing Shui Town and the nearby villages should amount to several hundred thousand pounds, enough to support the army for a while. More grain would only hinder our actions." Wumu Zi's eyes flashed with a ruthless look, devoid of emotion.

"Lord, Qingzhou City is not far. Should we...?"

"No. Qingzhou City is a small city with few guards, but with our manpower, capturing it without leaking any information is nearly impossible. Qing Shui Town is different. As long as you act cleanly, concealing the news for a month or two should be easy."

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. Although Wumu Zi did not say it outright, he was hinting that they should exterminate the tens of thousands of people in Qing Shui Town and the surrounding areas, leaving no survivors.

"Lord, I understand. I will... tomorrow."

"The longer we wait, the more complicated it will become. Our army has just entered Qing Shui Town. Don't waste time. Acting under the cover of night will be more convenient."

"Yes, I will do it immediately."