Chapter 3

Outside the State of Chen, amidst the mountains, within the Qinghe Sect, in a grand hall!

Inside the hall, there were over twenty people, clearly divided into three factions.

On the left, a group of people in green robes, each with a furrowed brow, stared at a large map in the center of the hall. The leader, a middle-aged man in green, had a look of annoyance in his eyes.

On the right, a group of people in white robes seemed extremely pleased. The leader, a middle-aged man, suddenly laughed and said, "Master of the Qinghe Sect, it seems you have lost this battle. The three passes of the Great Chen State have fallen, and they are utterly defenseless! Hahahaha!"

The group in white robes laughed in agreement.

The group in green robes glared angrily, and the leader of the Qinghe Sect clenched his fists and said, "Master Song Jia, everything hasn't reached its end yet. Are you so sure that the Chen State will definitely lose?"

The white-robed Master Song Jia sneered and said, "What? The map already shows the military strength. The State of Song is united and advancing like a flood. Gao Xianzhi has already buried 600,000 Chen troops alive. There are only 100,000 soldiers left at the Hulao Pass, and even a mediocre general would have no chance. How much more so with Gao Xianzhi, who commands his troops so skillfully! You might as well surrender now!"

"You!" The Qinghe Sect Master's eyes widened.

Even the most foolish could see that the Chen State was about to be destroyed.

However, the Qinghe Sect Master was unwilling! It wasn't just the loss of a state, but the presence of a significant figure. He had been watching the battlefield, and his defeat in front of this person left a poor impression. How could the Qinghe Sect Master not be frustrated?

While the two sect masters were arguing, they were actually paying attention to five other people.

Although this was the Qinghe Sect, these five people were seated in the main position to the north.

The leader was a black-robed girl dressed in male attire.

The girl had extremely long legs, taut and powerful, and her figure was very well-proportioned. Her long, snow-white neck was even more striking against the black robe, making one want to bite it. Her hair was tied up in a man's hairstyle, but a strand of hair fell by her face, adding a touch of allure. Despite her male attire, her extraordinary beauty was hard to hide, and the male attire even added a seductive charm.

The disciples of the two sects looked at the girl with great interest but understood her identity and quickly suppressed their excitement.

The girl held a folding fan in her hand, looking at the large map. The map was marked with various details, describing the battlefield between the States of Song and Chen in great detail.

Behind the girl stood four people. Three of them had expressionless faces, like guards, and remained silent. The other was a bald monk in a moon-white monk's robe, exuding a transcendent aura. His face was very elegant and handsome, and he held a string of eighteen small prayer beads in one hand, looking at the map with the girl.

"Master Liunian, what do you think of this battle?" The girl asked, tapping the fan in her other hand and smiling.

"Head of the Hall, just because you wanted to see a war in the secular world, this has caused great suffering. 600,000 troops were buried alive. Amitabha Buddha!" The bald monk recited a Buddhist chant, as if mourning the fallen soldiers.

"Master, I've heard that before you became a monk, you killed far more people than this. Besides, this suffering was not caused by me but by their mutual destruction! I am the cause, but not the result!" The girl shook her head and said.

Master Liunian smiled bitterly and said, "The past is like smoke!"

"My grandfather once told me that if I had the chance, I should observe the wars of mortals. Although they have no great power, they sometimes contain boundless wisdom. This battle is quite spectacular, don't you think, Master?" The girl smiled.

Master Liunian looked at the map and nodded, saying, "Chen Taichi is indeed impressive. In such a large-scale battle, he can control it with ease. Even in our world, he would be a very capable general, steady and reliable. The Chen State should have easily defeated the Song State, but then Gao Xianzhi appeared."

The girl nodded and said, "Yes, Gao Xianzhi is indeed impressive!"

"Gao Xianzhi, known as the God of Song, is truly deserving of the title. His command is even more skillful than Chen Taichi's. He uses orthodox and unconventional strategies, and in just a few months, he has employed countless tactics, showing divine military prowess. His predictive abilities are extraordinary, and his bold moves have achieved astonishing results. He defeated Chen Taichi psychologically and then attacked from the east while striking the west, breaking through three passes. Impressive indeed!"

"Gao Xianzhi is indeed interesting. What do you think of his level?" The girl asked Master Liunian.

"Head of the Hall, you are wise and must have your own thoughts. Why ask me?" Master Liunian smiled.

"Although he has no great magical powers, his military strategies are like those of a master, extremely skillful and worthy of a great general!" The girl said seriously.

"My thoughts are the same as yours!" Master Liunian nodded.

"It seems this trip was not in vain. At least we found a talented person!" The girl smiled in satisfaction.

The girl's praise made Master Song Jia's eyes widen.

"Head of the Hall, Gao Xianzhi is just a mortal, only at the Later Heaven stage!" Master Song Jia said urgently.

The girl glanced at Master Song Jia and said, "Don't worry, he is not included in your quota."

Hearing this, Master Song Jia's face lit up, "Head of the Hall, you have keen eyes!"

The girl valued talent, not cultivation. Cultivation can be improved over time, but wisdom has its limits. Such a talented person, the girl would not let go.

"Master Liunian, do you think the Chen State can still counterattack?" The girl asked, looking at the map.

Master Liunian was silent for a moment and shook his head, "Without the involvement of sects or other countries, the Chen State is at the end of its rope. The loss of the three passes means the rest of the territory is wide open. The Song State is united, and with hundreds of thousands of troops, they will gather outside the Hulao Pass. Although the Hulao Pass has 100,000 troops, they have never seen battle. They won't even resist, let alone surrender. Moreover, Chen Taichi is severely injured, affecting his heart. Even if he wanted to, he lacks the strength. In half a month, Gao Xianzhi will reach the city, and the Chen State will become history!"

Master Liunian's words sealed the fate, and Master Song Jia's face was filled with joy, while the Qinghe Sect Master's face was dark.

The girl also nodded, acknowledging that the Chen State had no hope of turning the tide.

"Sect Master!" Suddenly, a voice called out from outside the hall.

"Whoosh!"

It was Chen Tian Shan, who had rushed back from the ancient residence.

"Tian Shan?" The Qinghe Sect Master's face darkened.

Chen Tian Shan was sent to the Chen State to secretly assist, but he still lost. Seeing Chen Tian Shan, the Qinghe Sect Master showed a hint of anger.

Chen Tian Shan entered the hall and was surprised to see so many people, including Master Song Jia's group and the significant figure.

"Qinghe Sect, Chen Tian Shan, pays respects to the Head of the Hall!" Chen Tian Shan said respectfully.

The girl nodded but did not respond.

"Tian Shan, why are you back now? Is Chen Taichi injured? How badly?" The Qinghe Sect Master asked sternly.

Chen Tian Shan said bitterly, "My nephew, half a month ago, has already passed away, his heart completely shattered!"

The Qinghe Sect Master's face darkened.

"Ha ha ha ha, Chen Taichi is dead, so the Chen State is completely doomed. Qinghe Sect Master, you might as well admit defeat!" Master Song Jia laughed.

The Qinghe Sect Master's face was very grim.

The black-robed girl also frowned. She had just thought Chen Taichi was beyond help, and now he was dead, ending the war between the two states.

"Head of the Hall, our Qinghe Sect has lost face this time!" The Qinghe Sect Master bowed bitterly to the girl.

The last hope was gone.

Before the girl could speak, Chen Tian Shan said anxiously, "Sect Master, it's not over yet! There's still a chance to win!"

"Ha ha ha ha, Chen Tian Shan? What did you say? It's this bad, and you still think you can win?" Master Song Jia laughed disbelievingly.

"Tian Shan, be quiet! Haven't you embarrassed us enough?" The Qinghe Sect Master scolded.

"Disciple, I came here for this. We can still win!" Chen Tian Shan said firmly.

"Oh?" The black-robed girl showed a hint of curiosity.

The battlefield was clear to anyone with eyes. Was this person just trying to draw attention?

"Hmph, well, Chen Tian Shan, how do you plan to win?" The Qinghe Sect Master said coldly.

Losing to Master Song Jia was already embarrassing, and now Chen Tian Shan was making bold claims without reflection.

Chen Tian Shan said, "Sect Master, before he died, my nephew Chen Taichi recommended someone, saying this person could turn the tide, just like when the Song State promoted Gao Xianzhi."

"Oh? Like Gao Xianzhi?" The girl became interested.

"Can it be the same? The Song State was just showing signs of defeat, not yet weakened. Promoting Gao Xianzhi then was like a flood. But now, the Chen State is on the brink of destruction, severely weakened. How can you think they can turn the tide? It's impossible, isn't it?" The Qinghe Sect Master said disbelievingly.

The girl smiled and said, "Tell me, who is this person?"

The girl's words made the Qinghe Sect Master stop, and he just glared at Chen Tian Shan.

Chen Tian Shan felt the pressure but said, "Sect Master, before he died, Chen Taichi recommended someone, saying this person could definitely turn the tide. I believe him, so I went with the Chen Prince to find this person. His name is Gu Hai, and I believe all the senior disciples have met him."

"Gu Hai? That old man full of copper stench?"

"Is it him? The one with poor bone structure who desperately wanted to join our sect?"

"Starting cultivation at thirty, he's dreaming! Next life, maybe!"

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Everyone reacted, and Chen Tian Shan was surprised to find that not only the Qinghe Sect's disciples but also Master Song Jia's group knew Gu Hai.

"Oh? Is he willing to help the Chen State?" The girl asked curiously.

The girl's words made everyone quiet.

Chen Tian Shan smiled bitterly and said, "No, he said he can help the Chen State win, but he needs the Sect Master to promise that after he turns the tide, the Sect Master will help him reach the Early Heaven stage and allow him to study the Early Heaven cultivation techniques in the Qinghe Sect."

"What? He's at the Later Heaven stage?" Everyone in the hall was surprised.

The girl was confused and looked at Chen Tian Shan strangely.

"Head of the Hall, this person is called Gu Hai. There was no news about him until forty years ago, when he suddenly appeared. He had never practiced before, with extremely poor bone structure, and only started cultivation at thirty. He couldn't practice internal techniques, so he chose external techniques, training hard to join our sect. We naturally didn't accept him, but in the secular world, in just forty years, he built a vast business, becoming the richest man in six countries, and reached the Later Heaven stage!" Chen Tian Shan explained.

"Practicing external techniques and reaching the Later Heaven stage? What strong willpower!" Master Liunian showed a hint of surprise.

"External techniques can reach the Later Heaven stage?" The girl asked Master Liunian.

Master Liunian nodded and said, "Very rare, at least, this is only the second time I've heard of it!"

"Second time? Who was the first?" The girl asked curiously.

"Your grandfather!" Master Liunian said.

The girl's pupils contracted, and she became serious.

"Sect Master, Gu Hai said that if you promise, he will help the Chen State turn the tide. He needs your promise in writing," Chen Tian Shan said.

"Delusional, an old man at the Later Heaven stage wants to turn the tide? He must be dreaming!" Master Song Jia said disbelievingly.

The Qinghe Sect Master looked at the girl and saw her curious expression. His heart, which had already sunk, was rekindled. Even if it meant more embarrassment, perhaps...

"Fine! I agree!" The Qinghe Sect Master said solemnly.

"Yes, thank you, Sect Master!" Chen Tian Shan said excitedly.

The girl beside him tapped her fan and said, "Since that's the case, let's watch a bit longer."

"Head of the Hall, time might be running out," Master Liunian said worriedly.

"No problem, I want to see what Gu Hai relies on to make such a bold claim," the girl smiled.

"But..." Master Liunian frowned.

"I know it's almost a done deal, but don't you think it's getting interesting?" the girl smiled.

"Alright!" Master Liunian smiled bitterly.

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