Chapter 397. To Improve and Rectify One’s Wrongs (2)

In the northern battlefront...

The North's alliance forces confirmed their battle plan before commencing the war.

"According to the Beggar Gang's intel, the Dark Heavens Association's northern army with seven thousand troops is currently passing through a plain near Huaibei in the north of Anhui province."

"I see. At this rate, we'll collide against them head-on, then," said the former commander of Guizhou, Shen Tujun.

"It seems you've already memorized the surrounding areas, even though it has not been long since you've been transferred to the Martial Alliance headquarters," said Tang Hui. She then warned Shen Tujun. "You've finally managed to escape Guizhou to get reassigned to the headquarters, so if you wish to keep rising through the ranks, please don't even dare try to take shortcuts. Do your best to work yourself to the bone."

"O-of course," Shen Tujun replied as a bead of cold sweat trickled down his skin.

I figured I finally got a chance to kick back and relax in the headquarters, so to think I'd get dragged back into another battlefield so soon!

The Martial Alliance's executives gathered talented individuals in preparation for the desperate battle to reclaim Hefei from the Dark Heavens Association. Thus, Shen Tujun, who had already made a name for himself as an excellent commander during his time in Guizhou, was transferred to the headquarters.

When he first heard the news, he vigorously celebrated the fact that he could finally escape the hateful little province called Guizhou.

Hahaha! Training Meng Chuhe and Zhu Meng like crazy is finally paying off! Good, good!

The issue of a suitable successor hadn't been addressed, so he couldn't leave. However, the issue was finally resolved. Meng Chuhe and Zhu Meng sometimes got in each other's faces whenever their competitiveness became a little too aggressive, but Shen Tujun told himself not to sweat over it anymore, even though the two could get into trouble in the future.

I'm curious what position I'll get once I reach the headquarters. Considering the current situation, my new assignment won't be as cozy as I'd like it to be, but... Whatever it is, it'd surely be better than sweating it out on the front lines, no?

Unfortunately for him, his hopeful dream shattered into pieces. When he arrived, a situation completely out of his expectations had been waiting for him.

"I'm honored to greet you again, the Field Commander of Guizhou."

The Heavenly Strategist, Zhuge Xiang, greeting him warmly, made Shen Tujun feel happy.

"No, the honor is mine. To speak to you again like this is..."

"We'll leave the northern front line in your capable hands, Commander."

"I... beg your pardon?"

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

On the day he arrived at the headquarters, Shen Tujun was appointed as the commander and sent off to the front lines. When he regained his wits, he found himself saddled with the jobs of being Peng Zihu's adviser, a battlefield assistant, and even a field commander.

One could say this was one hell of a promotion. Perhaps a bit too much of a promotion, as a matter of fact! However, no one objected to it.

Shen Tujun had been serving as the commander on the front line of the battle between Righteous and Evil Factions for over a decade, and he had also distinguished himself greatly during the first clash against the Dark Heavens Association.

His background wasn't anything special, but the Martial Alliance had nearly crumbled from corruption from within at the time, so it'd never make an issue out of that.

Besides, it was not in any position to care about such a thing, to begin with. And the fact that Shen Tujun was viewed favorably by the Righteous and Evil Factions played a key role in his appointment, too.

In his quest to be transferred to the headquarters, Shen Tujun had been achieving various meritorious deeds over the years, and even went out of his way to kiss butts of the Righteous Faction higher-ups. No wonder said higher-ups viewed him so favorably! All the abilities and people skills he had polished over the years made him a perfect candidate for a commander.

As for the person in question, he now stood in this command tent, secretly swallowing his tears of blood, to offer his opinion.

"Our alliance forces are positioned in the plains to the east of Henan, which is connected to Huaibei's plain."

"In other words, they can also read our movements," said the Milky Way Sage with a low grunt.

"Yes, it is as you say. There isn't a lot we can do to hide or fool the eyes of the enemy in these vast, wide-open plains. That limits our options, and... If I am being honest, we'll be clashing head-on against the enemy without any strategy to speak of."

"That doesn't sound so bad!" said Peng Zihu while licking his lips, a fierce grin etched on his face. His nature certainly suited that of the patriarch of the Hebei Peng Family, which was known for being belligerent.

"As expected of the tigers of Hebei, your courage is truly commendable, sir. However, Commander, shouldn't we minimize our losses as much as possible for the future of the Righteous Faction? Not to forget, our enemy has at least two thousand more combatants than us," Shen Tujun cautiously warned Peng Zihu while minding the latter's mood.

Peng Zihu retorted, "I was merely kidding."

The Peng Family was often said to be full of a bunch of muscle-brained idiots, but an expert serving the clan as its patriarch wouldn't be that senseless. Although hiding his nature completely wouldn't be possible, Peng Zihu still tried to stick to common sense.

"However, do we have a specific plan to counter them?"

"Yes, sir," Shen Tujun replied, his expression getting more serious.

He would love nothing more than to get away from the front line as soon as possible and spend his days relaxing, but when it came to his work, he'd always be strict and meticulous. As if to demonstrate that he didn't get summoned from Guizhou to become Peng Zihu's assistant commander for fun, Shen Tujun displayed his excellent ability to handle tasks.

"We're planning to utilize the Mechanism Dragon's device."

"You mean... Zhuge Shengji's contraption?"

"Yes, sir."

"

Hmm...?

"

The technique to deploy mechanisms had been buried and lost to time only a few years ago. If it had been back then, Peng Zihu would have immediately bitten Shen Tujun's head off, accusing the latter of being a moron.

However, the people's general attitude toward mechanisms had already turned around.

Zhuge Shengji's feats in Guizhou were already well known throughout the land by now, but that wasn't all, either. Even though the alliance had lost its headquarters in Hefei, his mechanisms had ensured that the number of casualties was going to be low..

Moreover, Mount Hua's Sword Mountain and Forest helped with improving the reputation of mechanism-related techniques.

"If it's that man's mechanism, we can trust it," said Wei Zhijie, as if he wanted to guarantee its effectiveness.

"Allow me to take over the explanation," said Tang Hui.

All the attention locked on Shen Tujun was now shifted over to her.

"The mechanism has already been installed about halfway between our forces and the enemy's, so we'll lure them there to reduce their combat strength. That is our plan," said Tang Hui.

"We'll merely lure them in?"

"Let me handle the operation of the mechanism and fine-tune it. I am an acquaintance of the Mechanism Dragon, and we even crafted a few tools together in the past as well. He told me about how to use the mechanical device nearby and what to look out for, you see?"

"Then, what other issues should we worry about?"

"It's the number of people the mechanism can affect," said Tang Hui while furrowing her brow. "Between three and four thousand is the limit. Any more people, and the mechanism will malfunction."

"So, that means splitting their army...?" Peng Zihu muttered to no one in particular.

"If we split our forces, the enemy will also match us and regroup, so that shouldn't be a problem, sir," Shen Tujun explained instead of Tang Hui.

This was one of those

unique

quirks of being on a plain where one could easily see the movements of the other side. Although the terrain didn't afford either side any notable advantages, the alliance forces still felt confident in the existence of the hidden mechanism.

"However, the possibility of the enemy cottoning on to our plan is still there. If reinforcements arrive in the middle of our operation, our plan to lure them away and use the mechanism would no longer be viable. That's why we must create a lot of distance between the enemy forces so that they can't help each other out, even if they notice something is amiss."

"

Mm

!" The Milky Way Sage grunted softly.

"So, that means no one will help us if we find ourselves in danger," said Sun Yishan.

"But that will be the same story for the enemy," said Tang Hui sharply, as if to counter Sun Yishan's worries.

"Splitting our forces, which number roughly around five thousand, would yield two teams of twenty-five hundred warriors... Meanwhile, the enemy would have thirty-five hundred per side," Peng Zihu muttered, the glare in his eyes burning fiercely. "We're splitting our forces."

***

All the thunderclaps insistently roaring away like the heavens sobbing finally stopped. And the detestable monsoon-like rain that pounded the ground eventually petered out, too. Even the dark rain clouds gradually ebbed away.

The Righteous-Evil alliance forces on the southern battlefront cried out to announce their victory.

"

Hooray!

The Hainan Sword Sect,

hooray!

"

"The Domination God Monarch,

hooray! Hooray!

"

"It's our victory!"

Roars and shouts filled with the euphoria of victory reverberated around the riverbanks of the Yangtze.

The Dark Heavens Association's defeat was etched in stone the moment they got themselves cornered on the water's edge. Their morale fell off a cliff, while their will to fight followed soon after. As for those one thousand-or-so traitors who turned their backs on the alliance forces, they were left to regret their choice bitterly.

"F-fella, please forgive me this once!"

"F*ck off!"

"

Ku-aaahk!

"

The southern-alliance forces, especially those from the Evil Valley, were merciless to the traitors. With the exception of the few important individuals, the rest were beheaded.

As it was still summer, the corpses were gathered in one spot and incinerated to stop the spread of diseases and to prevent the unpleasant odor from spoiling the region.

"Sir! Good sir! Please spare my life! Please!"

"Hell, no! This is the price you pay for forgetting your place as some bandit trash!"

"

Aaaaahk!

"

The Sixteen Stockade of the Red Forest, or more correctly, the Eight Water Gangs, were obliterated thoroughly, as well.

"

Oh, oh

... Dear Lord Dragon...!"

"Dear Lord Dragon, please forgive us. We beg you..."

"

Kkhueh-huuhk...

!"

The Imoogi and the South Sea Dragon Gate were, quite literally, natural calamities. Despite talking a big game about being the rulers of the Yangtze, the pirates had no answers. Then again, the enemy was simply beyond their level to cope, to begin with.

Their ships were capsized and destroyed beyond recognition. That was the price they had to pay for colliding against the Imoogi.

Throwing themselves into the water didn't save them from the danger, either. A few lucky ones managed to swim away to safety, only to meet their eventual ends when the Hainan Sword Sect finally arrived at the scene.

Less than a day later, the command center found itself busy dealing with the aftermath. Despite being exhausted, the advisory staff knew now was their time to earn their keep, as they were sheltered from all the fierce fighting.

Winning the war didn't mean everything was over. Plenty of problems still had to be dealt with.

Dispatching the messages of victory, handling the corpses, monitoring the surroundings, and even disposing of the surviving enemies, they really had a ton of work left to do.

Zhou Xuchuan assisted Zhuge Xiuluan during the clean-up operation. He couldn't stay for long, as he was worried about the situation up north, but leaving right away was not possible, as there was something he simply had to do.

"Present Darkness."

"

Kkeuh

...

Euh-huhk...!

"

There was a deserted cave about half an hour away from the battlefield and the Yangtze River. Zhou Xuchuan had dragged in Present Darkness Liu Shao and a few important individuals from the Dark Heavens Association and the Eight Water Gangs here.

Rather obviously, he didn't do that to treat them well as prisoners of war.

"You're holding out pretty well," said Zhou Xuchuan while staring at Liu Shao, currently in a sorry physical state. "Should I say, as expected of Blessed Existence's associate?"

Liu Shao was trusted by none other than

that

Blessed Existence. Since that was the case, he definitely had some incredibly valuable information, so killing him outright would be a waste. Thus, Zhou Xuchuan dragged him all this way to question him. Making him talk wouldn't be easy, but to think he wouldn't utter even a word! Now that was unexpected.

"Kill... me..." Liu Shao barely squeezed out his voice.

"What a stubborn bastard." Zhou Xuchuan tutted at how stubborn and determined Liu Shao was. "Think it over, Liu Shao. Give me any information that might help us, and I will spare your—"

"

Heh

..." Liu Shao scoffed, his voice ragged. "You speak... of obvious lies. That's why I will never talk."

His swollen black eyelids barely cracked open. Blood trickling out from his nose and mouth had dried up and hardened, turning his face into a complete mess. His messy hair sticking out everywhere made him look more like a tramp now.

Somewhat amazingly, however, the glare in his eyes still burned brightly.

"You will kill me regardless of whether I give you what you want or not. Isn't that right?"

"That's right. But at least I'll kill you painlessly."

"

Heh

...

Heh-hahaha!

" Liu Shao let out a crazed cackle. "And that is the crux of your problems, Domination God Monarch!"

An unknown determination burned like fierce flames in his barely open eyes.

"Why do you think I did all this?" Liu Shao asked. "Is it because you're the unforgivable enemy of our clan? No! If you thought that was my motivation, you've made a big mistake!"

The Melody Gate's fall from grace began with the death of the Sound God. And the one responsible was none other than the Domination God Monarch, the Gate's sworn enemy!

Zhou Xuchuan didn't respond to Liu Shao's question, simply choosing to wait for what the latter would say next.

"No... I did it because it was fun!" Liu Shao smirked derisively. "It was fun watching absolute peak existences like the Six Empyrean Overlords getting strung along by someone slightly smarter and louder than them!"

It felt as if the dark circles below his eyes were getting darker and deeper.

"The Melody Gate being routinely ignored by all the small to medium sects in the

murim!

" Liu Shao's madness grew louder and madder.

"But a disciple from that Melody Gate has been acknowledged as a commander within the faction splitting the

murim!

And he's even making an Empyrean Overlord nervously sweat away, too!"

His madness fueled the flames within his eyes and his loud cackling. The sorrow of the man who had never been acknowledged, and the gratification of finally being acknowledged, could be felt in his words.

"

Uwa-hahaha!

Don't you agree that this is a pretty good end for someone like me?!"

Zhou Xuchuan tutted away while studying Liu Shao madly cackling away.

The Dark Heavens Association bastards... They sure are good at corrupting people's hearts, aren't they?