Chapter 80

Bai Rizui (Hundred Day Drunkenness)

"Welcome, Chief Elder of Tiandao Wang."

It seemed that Xue Wuzhi had been informed in advance, as he rushed out to greet the Chief Elder with a warm welcome. Although Xue Wuzhi held the position of military commander, the Chief Elder and the Second Elder were not of lower rank than him.

"It's been a while, Commander."

"You have worked hard. What about Elder She Xue Tianshen?"

"He is out with the list of recruits, as ordered by the Deputy Leader, along with Gulu Xue Mo and Diyu Xue Gui. I've heard that they have already recruited a few people."

"Who is in charge of selecting capable warriors for each branch?"

"Yin Xi and Siwang Xue Mei are handling it. Siwang Xue Mei, being from the Blood Flower Palace, is excellent at gathering information, so we can expect a proper selection."

"How many do you plan to select?"

"I have instructed them to select around 3,000. We have filtered out those directly related to Zhang Rengui, but it's inevitable that some might slip through. We can only be cautious..."

"Hong Jin has prepared a place for them. Please move them all there. And there's one more thing to note..."

"What is it?"

"Prevent the Left Chief from coming here."

The Chief Elder looked puzzled and asked in return.

"Hmm? Is there a specific reason for that?"

"There's a man named Chao Liubin, who has a grudge against him, and he has joined his subordinates. There might be a fight if he comes..."

"I understand. I will warn the Left Chief."

Xue Wuzhi then steered the conversation back to the initial topic.

"Heh heh, it's truly a pity that you can't trust your subordinates. If only we could be sure they aren't spies, they would be very useful."

"Still, the money sent by Wanniao Sheng, Chen Tianyue, after the reorganization of the organization, is not insignificant, right?"

"Money isn't the issue right now. By the way, the Deputy Leader is looking for you."

"How is the Deputy Leader's injury?"

Mentioning the injury, Xue Wuzhi's expression turned sour as he grumbled.

"Almost healed, but... He's overly competitive and lacks awareness of his own safety. Chief Elder of Tiandao Wang, please have a word with him. Apart from you, only his old friends from the Black Wind Gang can give him honest advice."

"I understand. Where is he now?"

"He's in the back garden. By the way, take this. It might be helpful."

Holding the item Xue Wuzhi handed him, Chief Elder of Tiandao Wang, Yu Zhi, entered the door leading to the back garden, his white robe fluttering. Mo Xiang was gazing intently at the flowers in the garden, while behind him, Ma Hua was sending him a disapproving look.

"Welcome."

"Are you well?"

"As you can see, not very. My wound is aching, and my back is sore."

Being under a powerful figure who doesn't adhere to formalities has its advantages. In the Devil Sect, subordinates must disarm when close to the leader, but with such a significant martial arts gap, this rule can be ignored. Mo Xiang, who was naturally arrogant, didn't bother with such formalities, and being somewhat ignorant of etiquette, he often overlooked them. His confidence in forgiving others' mistakes also contributed to this.

Mo Xiang was wearing his usual clean black robe, with his Muhun Sword slung diagonally at his back. The only difference from usual was the white bandage visible through his black robe, tightly wrapped around his chest.

Mo Xiang led Chief Elder Yu Zhi onto the veranda.

"A good friend has come, so bring some... no, bring some wine."

Ma Hua's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your body isn't well, so what wine? Bring tea. Chief Elder, you'll have tea, right?"

Ma Hua glared at Chief Elder Yu Zhi and spoke in a commanding tone. Feeling the无形的压力, Chief Elder Yu Zhi nodded, pretending to be afraid or disgusted, and went along with Ma Hua's attitude.

No high-ranking member of the Devil Sect had ever been treated with such respect and affection by their subordinates. Chief Elder Yu Zhi sensed that Ma Hua cared deeply for Mo Xiang, not just as a subordinate but more than that. He felt a bit envious. The Devil Sect, maintained by fear and madness, could instill respect through fear, but genuine respect from the heart was impossible.

When Ma Hua went to call a servant to prepare tea, Mo Xiang began to grumble.

"Damn, my wound is almost healed, but she's still nagging."

"Still, I envy the Deputy Leader."

Mo Xiang responded indifferently.

"Just in words... After waking up, how many times have I had to listen to her nagging? And she keeps asking questions, making it impossible to ignore. Ugh, I've asked Guan Zhi to change my guard... I'm almost dying from her nagging. She's not even my wife, yet she nags all the time. It's getting worse these days. And what makes me even more irritable is that everyone around me is egging her on. Why can't they just talk to me directly instead of making her nag? Damn it."

Chief Elder Yu Zhi couldn't help but smile while listening to Mo Xiang's complaints. Among those who knew Mo Xiang's temper, could there be anyone in the sect who could nag him like this? They couldn't directly talk about the recent ambush, but they were boiling with anger inside, so they probably egged Ma Hua on to vent their frustration.

Ma Hua, with her straightforward and open personality, was well-known and loved among the sect members who joined Mo Xiang. Originally, such nagging should be done by a wife, but since he had none, it was inevitable. Moreover, Mo Xiang usually tolerated Ma Hua's nagging, making it even more acceptable.

"How is the invasion plan going?"

"So far, we have secretly subjugated four sects. Han Zhongping seems very excited about this rare mission, and it suits him well."

"What about Guan Zhi?"

"He's adapting well."

"Good. The Black Wind Cavalry is a powerful force on flat terrain. They are the only ones trained in group combat, so they will be a great help in attacking the main compound."

Mo Xiang then took a letter from his robe.

"Would you like to read this letter?"

"..."

After Chief Elder Yu Zhi finished reading the letter, Mo Xiang slowly spoke.

"What do you think?"

"What did the Commander say?"

"Of course, he called it a sowing discord strategy. It's clear that Zhang Rengui is trying to take advantage of the situation."

"Then what answer do you want from me? I don't know much about these things. I'm just a simple warrior..."

At this moment, a servant entered with two cups of tea and left. Chief Elder Yu Zhi opened the lid of his cup, savored the aroma, and slowly tasted the tea, then said in surprise.

"It's Longjing tea. It's very well brewed... The Deputy Leader's taste is getting better..."

"What are you talking about? What's Longjing tea? Tea is just for drinking, not for so much fuss. Are you becoming like Ma Hua? Damn it."

Mo Xiang gruffly said, took a sip of tea, and swallowed it in one gulp. It was too good a tea for such an ignorant person. Ma Hua, who was also somewhat ignorant but still a daughter of a long line of generals, looked at him disapprovingly from behind. Despite her ignorance, she still had some basic etiquette due to her military background.

Chief Elder Yu Zhi, understanding Ma Hua's feelings, asked her softly.

"Can you leave for a moment? I need to discuss something with the Deputy Leader."

"I understand."

After Ma Hua left, Chief Elder Yu Zhi smiled slyly.

"Heh heh, besides tea... Do you want to try this?"

Chief Elder Yu Zhi took out a bottle of Bai Rizui, known for its extreme toxicity. The wine, with its subtle chrysanthemum fragrance and medicinal ingredients, causes a tingling sensation in the stomach after drinking. As soon as he took out the bottle, Mo Xiang nodded eagerly, poured the Longjing tea into the garden, and held out his cup. Of course, with a sly smile...

"Heh heh, indeed, the Chief Elder understands me well."

"Not at all. I'm just a messenger. The Commander prepared it. He said the Deputy Leader would like it."

"Indeed... The old man has chosen his subordinates well. Ah, this is a very good wine."

"By the way, Deputy Leader."

"What is it?"

"Please take better care of yourself. Using aphrodisiacs, mountain goat powder, and even dream-inducing drugs while fighting the enemy... If you think about those who depend on you, you shouldn't do such things."

"If I were in your position, would I give up if I thought I could win, even if it was difficult?"

"..."

"Would you give up?"

"I wouldn't give up. I have no family to worry about. But the Deputy Leader has thousands of lives depending on you."

"I understand. I will be more careful. But I don't regret what happened. It was a very interesting battle."

"What did you learn from the assassin? I heard you captured him alive..."

"Ah, he's now a pancake in the underground prison. I told them to handle him gently, but my subordinates don't listen. Anyway, one more cup, please."

"Sure, but don't drink too fast."

Although he said that, the Chief Elder filled the cup to the brim with Bai Rizui.