Chapter 1422 - 341: Immortal Elder

Chapter 1422: Chapter 341: Immortal Elder

The continuous drizzle falls, settling the dust and bringing a sense of calm both inside and outside the military camp.

In truth, a military camp is expected to be bustling, as it surely is for the soldiers and generals within, but to an outsider, it often appears exceedingly quiet, like a beast poised to devour, with eyes coldly scanning its surroundings.

Tian Wujing’s silhouette appeared outside the central military camp, accompanied by a Daoist.

If Lord Zheng were here, he would recognize him;

Back when he was at the Earl of North Border’s residence, he had seen this sorcerer, whose Daoist name is Drunk Immortal Weng, setting up a formation for the corpse of Shatuo Que Shi. Due to Ji Chengjue’s influence, Drunk Immortal Weng had come over and shared a few casual words.

During the reign of the former emperor, Yan indulged in alchemists, sorcerers, and various deities, including Daoists and Buddhists, which once turned Yanjing into a chaotic scene.

Upon ascending the throne, the Yan Emperor swept these traditions away, initiating a purge of all things related to Buddhism, Daoism, and other mystical beings, which were all cleared and captured.

What they took from the royal house, they eventually returned in double.

However, this doesn’t mean there are no people of the faith in the Yan State. Forget distant places, even in the past the palace had its own Qi cultivator.

The Yan Emperor values sorcery and doesn’t bother much with law; those people of the faith who can be used by the court are still favored.

Drunk Immortal Weng is one such person; he genuinely possesses some skill.

However,

In a battlefield spanning thousands of miles, with a million troops clashing, amidst the depicted scenes of galloping horses and gleaming armors, there truly is no place for robes or cassocks and sorcerers’ crowns.

Adding them would only seem cumbersome.

This is not their battlefield, and here, they can hardly make any substantial contribution.

That’s why there’s Shatuo Master Zang, who bypasses the three borders and advances into Yanjing to cut the Dragon Vein, because his skill is trivial compared to the iron cavalry that swallows ten thousand miles like a tiger.

The path of cultivation is vast, with myriad routes underfoot, yet most still lead in different directions, each pulling to its own side.

Drunk Immortal Weng spoke;

"On the way, I heard from a mounted scout that Lord Pingye has achieved great merit again, right here at your central army, Prince. Why haven’t I seen him?"

Tian Wujing spoke;

"The battle at West Mountain Fort is deadlocked, Li Fusheng has been unable to breach it for long, so yesterday I sent him there to assist with the command."

Upon hearing this, Drunk Immortal Weng laughed; "Indeed, it’s quite difficult for Li Fusheng, being a native of Beifeng Prefecture, in the vast desert, he spent half his life leading troops there, how could he be proficient in siege warfare?"

"Zheng Fan also seems to be from Beifeng Prefecture."

"That one is an anomaly."

"An anomaly?"

"Yes."

Tian Wujing stood on the hillside, gazing into the distance, behind him stood the towering, orderly military camps.

"According to the habits of sorcerers on the street, should you now say that upon first meeting him, you immediately felt he was extraordinary?"

"Hahahaha, hardly, hardly. If I truly had seen through him, how could our first meeting have been so brief? Yet it was Lord Zheng’s ten-word saying that I always kept in mind.

He said, a sorcerer like me, does nothing more than speak to people with people’s words and to ghosts with ghosts’ words."

"Indeed, it fits well."

"Indeed, it is a pity I couldn’t feel Lord Zheng’s bones back then."

"When he returns in a couple of days, you can feel them and say some auspicious words about longevity. He’d be delighted."

"Can he return in just two days?"

West Mountain Fort should be hard to breach; otherwise, a seasoned general like Li Fusheng wouldn’t have been stuck there for so long.

At this moment,

A team of personal guards rode over.

"Prince, a report from the west line. Our army has entered West Mountain Fort and is clearing out the remaining enemies!"

Tian Wujing waved his hand.

The personal guards immediately withdrew.

Drunk Immortal Weng stroked his white beard, remarking with emotion; "So, it’s broken?"

Tian Wujing nodded, saying: "It was actually much earlier than I expected."

"How was it achieved?"

"Tomorrow, you can ask him yourself."

"You don’t know, Prince?"

"Does His Majesty need you to thoroughly research sorcery personally to accomplish a task?"

"You’re absolutely right, Prince."

Tian Wujing sat on the floor.

Drunk Immortal Weng also folded his legs to the side and sat down, saying;

"I also noticed Eunuch Huang from the palace has arrived."

"Yes, bringing an oral decree."

"It must be extremely important."

"His Majesty asks me how long this war will last."

Drunk Immortal Weng’s expression suddenly froze; he genuinely didn’t expect Prince Jingnan to plainly relay the emperor’s oral decree right in front of him.

A red-robed eunuch was specially dispatched to deliver the oral decree over a thousand miles, could it be simple?

Why such a great effort?

Isn’t it because the decree is inconvenient to put on paper?

"This..."

Tian Wujing calmly said:

"His Majesty is calculating the days, striving to hold out until the Yan-Chu campaign concludes."

Despite being a person of the faith, Drunk Immortal Weng, logically outside the Five Elements, shivered several times upon hearing this.

If he were alone, free of concerns, he would fear nothing, but he has disciples and students.

The world may see the workings of heaven as mysterious and unfathomable, but the turbulence of court is the true terror.

Tian Wujing turned his head, looking southwards, where Town South Pass lies in that direction.

"His Majesty has always had a high spirit and dislikes conceding defeat. Since he said he will endure, he surely can hold out until the Yan-Chu campaign concludes.

When you entered Jin land, did you pass through the Capital City? Didn’t you take a look?

Drunk Immortal Weng’s complexion had already turned a bit sallow. He truly didn’t want to get involved in such a topic; any careless word could lead him to fall into an abyss.

However, after hesitating for a moment, he decided to be more open.

Since the Prince before him asked so casually, he would also listen and answer just as casually.

After all, this person wouldn’t stoop to being a spy, and behaving too cautiously would lose his dignity.

"I visited Yanjing, had roast duck, met Eunuch Wei, but didn’t get to meet the Emperor, who still trusts the imperial physician more."

As he spoke,

Drunk Immortal Weng shook his head again, saying:

"What we ought to do, I think the former elder in the palace had also done long ago; now, it can only rely on the imperial physician.

But, since I know now, beginning today, I’ll recite scriptures for the Emperor every night."

"He would only find it bothersome. In the past, upon learning I practiced Daoism, he asked if I too wished to verify the Dao and seek heavenly secrets?"

Drunk Immortal Weng laughed, thinking Prince Jingnan was reminiscing about the past, for everyone knew that back in the days, Prince Jingnan used to play with the Emperor, who was then a crown prince, and Li Liangting, the heir.

"I said, I don’t know." Prince Jingnan continued narrating, "He said, those who don’t know, should come ask him."

Drunk Immortal Weng sensed something was off.

Tian Wujing’s gaze slightly sharpened, and continued slowly:

"He always wanted to be a true sovereign of sovereigns.

He said,

The will of Heaven is manifested through astrology; even when astrology appears, it depends on the officials of the celestial observatory to interpret it. If they guess wrong, misunderstand, it’s all for naught.

While the true emperor, speaks supreme rule with his mouth, a word determines the livelihood of thousands, one sword can destroy a nation.

The Heavenly Dao is too high, too distant, too ethereal;

The Emperor,

is right here."

"His literary and military strategies are unparalleled among ancient sovereigns."

Tian Wujing responded;

"Though the Heavenly Dao is vast and ethereal, earthly emperors cannot escape the cycle of one reign and one dream."

"In fact, Prince, the reason I entered Yan back then was that while observing astrology at night, I discovered the Ziwei star flickering in the northwest of Zhuxia, only then did I enter Yan, hoping to attain the Dao through royal Qi.

I think,

that Qian State’s Master Zang also calculated this and went to perform the act of cutting the Dragon Vein below Yanjing city. The lotus opened fully, leaving only one wilted lotus to return."

"Though I practice cultivation, I have always been lazy to bother with such mystical matters.

The old Yan land has been defended for eight hundred years by countless ancestors fighting battle after battle;

This Jin land was conquered by me and the sons of Yan with our own hands;

There’s no such heavenly will, no predetermined fate, no National Destiny deemed as such,

To think this way only desecrates those buried in graves and tombs in the Yan region."

"Indeed."

Not wanting to argue, Drunk Immortal Weng could see that although Prince Jingnan knew some Daoism, his essence was similar to the Emperor’s.

"How’s the situation at Wang River?"

The main issue came.

Drunk Immortal Weng promptly said: "The Fifth Prince has indeed been of great help. Although I’m skilled in hydrology and astrology, the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Fifth Prince truly opened my eyes.

Now, the water diversion is starting, but to ensure the dam break goes flawlessly, more time is needed."

Tian Wujing shook his head, saying:

"Time can’t be given, but you can inform Ying Capital City that besides what’s used for transporting provisions and military supplies, more workers can be mobilized for the river project."

With the fortresses on West Mountain and East Mountain successively breached, the defense system of the Chu people before Town South Pass is essentially left with a huge gap, capturing the remaining forts and camps won’t be difficult.

"Thank you, Prince."

Drunk Immortal Weng actually came this time just for this matter. Originally, the officials from Ying Capital City should have come, but none of them dared to face Prince Jingnan’s wrath.

"I remember you did bone readings for those princes."

"Yes, Prince, the Eldest Prince is the roaring tiger expanding territory, the Crown Prince is the crouching dragon hidden..."

"Speak of Chengjue."

"The Sixth Prince, the Sixth Prince is a man of idle wealth."

"Chengjue is the most like the Emperor, are you implying the Emperor is also an idle man of wealth?"

Drunk Immortal Weng chuckled, saying: "Naturally, it’s something that should be avoided."

Then, Prince Jingnan no longer inquired in detail.

Instead, he stood up,

reached out his hand, and beckoned.

From afar, a personal guard on alert rode over, awaiting orders.

"Pass down the order, today the central army is allowed to drink wine."

"Understood!"

Typically, drinking booze is forbidden in the military, violators are punished by death!

But sometimes, the main commander would permit drinking to boost morale, though it would be strictly controlled, ensuring no actual drunkenness occurs.

Drunk Immortal Weng stroked his beard,

smiling:

"It seems today I have the fortune to drink here, sneaking a cup of watered wine at the Prince’s. Is the Prince celebrating the breach of West Mountain’s fortress?"

Tian Wujing shook his head,

calmly saying:

"No, I’m just happy."