Chapter 518 - 450: War Begins (2)

Chapter 518: Chapter 450: War Begins (2)

The feeling was maddening.

"So, it really is Kongshan."

A wary look appeared on Liu Ancheng’s face.

He had crossed swords with Kongshan countless times and knew all too well how formidable his tactics were. Even he had suffered his fair share of losses, though Kongshan, of course, had never gained any real advantage either.

"Strike when the spirit is high, for it falters on the second attempt, and is exhausted by the third."

Liu Ancheng said slowly.

"Liu, stop with the fancy words. What’s that supposed to mean?"

A brawny, barrel-chested man scratched his head.

From the bottom of his heart, he admired Liu Ancheng’s strategic mind, but he just couldn’t stand his habit of constantly using high-flown language.

Liu Ancheng explained, "Our morale is at its peak. If we were to fight now, the Ximo forces would suffer tremendous losses. Kongshan knows this, so he’s playing hard to get, trying to wear down our fighting spirit."

Hearing this, the other generals, who had just begun to relax, felt their hearts leap back into their throats.

"How should we counter this?"

Liu Ancheng’s expression was more solemn than ever. "We drill. Drill them relentlessly. Make sure the men hold on to that fire!"

"Right!"

The generals of the Zhenxi Army had not a shred of doubt in Liu Ancheng’s decision.

Liu Ancheng had proven himself time and time again.

Watching the men return to their respective camps, Liu Ancheng’s expression didn’t lighten in the slightest. This was a test of willpower, not just for him, but for the entire Zhenxi Army.

’I hope he succeeds.’

Gao Xiong gazed at his prized strategist.

After all, Liu Ancheng had been the only one to approve of Bai Yuan’s insane plan.

"Do you really think it will work?"

Liu Ancheng looked at Gao Xiong, his eyes turning resolute. "Success depends on human effort. Lord Bai is no ordinary man. It can be done."

But the moment he thought about what Bai Yuan was about to do...

He couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

...

「The next day.」

A lone Ximo cavalryman galloped to a spot not far from the Zhenxi Army camp and, with a single arrow, killed an archer in a watchtower. A lookout with incredible eyesight saw at a glance that the cavalryman was holding something.

Clearly, the cavalryman had come for the sole purpose of delivering that item.

After requesting instructions from his General, the lookout had men sent out to retrieve the item from the cavalryman’s hands.

Inside the main tent, the atmosphere was oppressive.

A severed arm was held in the two hands of a soldier.

"Grand General, we believe... we believe it’s General Lu’s severed arm."

The soldier stammered, his voice trembling.

A sigh rippled through the tent.

It was impossible to tell who sighed first. The Ximo Army had already appeared, but there had been no word from Lu Wu, the vanguard. They had all feared the worst.

But now, seeing Lu Wu’s severed arm with their own eyes, they still couldn’t believe it.

Lu Wu, who had performed so many miraculous deeds, was dead just like that.

Gao Xiong was like a block of ancient, unmelting ice.

Lu Wu’s severed arm didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest, even though he had looked upon Lu Wu as his own son.

"Continue the drills. The search parties for Lu Wu can be recalled."

Gao Xiong issued the order with a calmness that bordered on cruelty.

"General, this is just an arm! General Lu might still be alive..."

A general who was very close to Lu Wu cried out anxiously when he heard Gao Xiong give the order to abandon the search.

Gao Xiong spoke coldly, "This is a military order. Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with by military law!"

"Yes, sir!"

Hearing Gao Xiong invoke military law, the general could only lower his head in bitter reluctance.

Soon, Gao Xiong was the only one left in the main tent.

Still, no trace of joy or sorrow could be seen on his face.

’Lu, you damn well better not be dead.’

In the entire Zhenxi Army, no one cared more about Lu Wu’s life or death than he did. But right now, every soldier was crucial. Whether Lu Wu was alive or not, he would certainly have no fighting strength left and would be of little help to the war effort.

He might even fall into a trap set by the Ximo forces.

Therefore, the best course of action was to give up the search.

And this was a decision only he, the Grand General Zhenxi, could make.

Gao Xiong slowly lifted his head.

First and foremost, he was a General.

...

「Ximo Camp.」

Unlike the strictly organized Zhenxi Army, the Ximo camp was far more relaxed, with clear divisions between each section.

Each section of the camp represented a different country.

Kongshan, of course, wished he could forge this army into a monolithic force.

But even he couldn’t achieve such a feat.

That was why, even though the Ximo Army was stronger than the Zhenxi Army, they were sometimes forced to retreat.

Compared to his old rival, Liu Ancheng, he had far more factors to consider.

Kongshan sat inside a lavish tent.

With him in the tent were the commanders of the ten nations. The war hadn’t even begun, yet these men were already thinking about how to divvy up the spoils.

The ten men all had their own agendas.

The various nations of Ximo had always held grudges against one another. Many of the ten countries in this alliance were generational enemies. It was only because the National Preceptor of Chehe Country had intervened that they had joined forces at all.

But getting them to truly share in each other’s fortunes and hardships was utterly impossible.

A flash of disgust crossed Kongshan’s eyes.

He had no expectation that these men would cooperate seamlessly; he’d be fortunate if they simply followed his commands.

The tent was a cacophony of noise.

Suddenly, a Ximo soldier burst into the tent.

"Reporting to all you lords, that General Xuanyang has escaped! And in the direction he fled, our scouts have spotted a Xuanyang Army."

Kongshan’s brow furrowed slightly.

’An army?’

’That Profound Person named Lu Wu fled west. An army appearing there is suspicious, no matter how you look at it.’

But he couldn’t figure out what use an army hundreds of miles behind their main force could possibly have.

Out of caution, however, he wasn’t going to let it go.

"Ah Du Mu, take a thousand men and check it out. Go quickly and return quickly."

The man named Ah Du Mu muttered with some dissatisfaction.

"Kongshan, don’t think you can send me away just to snatch my share of the spoils."

Kongshan snorted. "Just go. Your promised rewards won’t be any less."

"Fine. You’d better remember what you said."

Having gotten Kongshan’s assurance, Ah Du Mu snatched up a massive blade from nearby, threw back the tent flap, and strode out.

An hour later,

He led a thousand elite soldiers from his own country westward.

...

Sandstorms were a common sight in the Ximo.

Once caught inside, the world became a blur of day and night. Not even the most seasoned desert merchant could find their way out; they could only gamble with their lives.

"Ugh..."

A figure staggered through the swirling yellow sand.

Wind-blown sand whipped against his face.

Everything before him was a hazy gray.

Upon closer inspection, his right arm was gone, and blood stained his entire shoulder.

He had been struck from afar by a Ximo expert and had nearly died.

But even though he survived, he was now half-crippled.

Lu Wu stumbled, glancing behind him.

The Ximo expert hunting him was like a maggot latched onto bone, with no intention of letting him go.

To the east, the Xuan Yang Army could have provided support.

But the moment he learned that Kongshan was leading the Ximo forces, he abandoned any thought of fleeing east.

That man Kongshan’s mind was too terrifying.

There was surely an ambush waiting for him to the east. So, gritting his teeth, he had chosen to flee west instead, hoping to find a sliver of a chance for survival.

’I’m already a cripple. If I can tie down a Mingxin Grandmaster, it’ll be worth it.’

Several miles away, a gaunt man was in hot pursuit.

Lu Wu’s eyes were resolute.

’Even if I die, I must die a worthy death!’

This time, the Ximo Alliance Army was far stronger than before. They had a full five Mingxin Grandmasters, and possibly even more.

There was also a Divinity Grandmaster lurking in the shadows.

The Zhenxi Army stood no chance against such a lineup.

Perhaps the Zhenxi Army of the past could have held them off, as they had the backing of the entire Court’s experts. But now, the Zhenxi Army had no reinforcements.

Lu Wu’s thoughts ran wild.

Suddenly, the Mingxin Grandmaster behind him accelerated, and the distance between them began to close rapidly.

A bitter smile touched the corner of his lips.

’Am I going to die?’

The expert behind him had appeared six hours ago. He seemed to enjoy toying with him like a cat playing with a mouse, which was why he hadn’t killed him outright.

It seemed his pursuer had lost interest in the game and was now ready to reap his life.

A quarter of an hour later, the gaunt man’s figure appeared through the sand. His face was a mask of cruelty. "Alright, you’ve served your purpose. Now you can die."

"’Purpose?’"

Lu Wu didn’t understand what this Ximo man meant.

But soon, he saw a familiar figure descending from the sky.