Chapter 68 – Disrupting the Game

The first event was flag-cutting, the second was the arena battle, and the third was the field hunt. Between the second and third events, there was a lunch break.

If Yue Kun could cheat in the second event, what was to stop him from cheating in the third?

Zero-Two could not afford to gamble, so he chose to ignore the arena battle and instead seize the opportunity during the lunch break to directly neutralize the Huangzhou Grand Army.

Cheating in a military exercise?

Who had time to play along with that?

Military rations were divided into three camps: one camp for high-ranking officers, one for the Grand Army, and one for the Crimson Blood Army. Today, an additional camp had been set up to deliver food to the gentry and powerful clans who had come to watch the ceremony.

He had long since bribed the cook responsible for delivering wine and food. Now he quietly met with this cook and slipped him a porcelain bottle. “Put it in the water source.”

The substance inside the porcelain bottle was a powder that Zhan Changfeng had replicated based on what she had found in the inn’s kitchen. However, it was likely missing one ingredient, so it could not induce complete unconsciousness — it would only cause a person to lose all their strength.

In this regard, it was somewhat similar to the Heart-Bewitching Powder that Gongsun Jing had used on her.

Zhan Changfeng had been keeping a close eye on the situation at the training ground and naturally knew what Zero-Two’s next move would be.

But by now, eliminating the Yue Family had actually become a minor matter.

The spies the Gongsun Clan had planted inside the Bureau of Patrol — those were the true obstacle to their reclaiming Huangzhou.

So she would make the game bigger. Let her see just how capable those spies were, and let her see just where the Bureau of Patrol drew its line.

Iron Shield had stubbornly kept Yue Song occupied for a full hour. The body he had tempered over the years was virtually impervious to ordinary weapons, and whenever Yue Song landed a blow with his staff, it felt like nothing more than a light scratch.

Even the spell cast by the purple-robed cultivator in the viewing platform, who was using wind as a medium, could not effectively hinder him. The cultivator was so frustrated he looked ready to grind his teeth to dust.

Martial cultivators first cultivate the five-element qi within their own body, then attune to the qi of heaven and earth, using it to replenish their own five-element qi. This creates an internal cycle — so unless one’s true qi is completely exhausted, it will slowly refill on its own over time.

But spell cultivators draw upon the qi of heaven and earth in order to harmonize themselves with the myriad laws of nature. Until they reach Foundation Establishment and condense a Dao Seed, using the Dao Seed to circulate qi both internally and externally in a self-sustaining cycle, the qi stored within their bodies is finite — use it and it diminishes. If they happen to be in a place where the heavenly and earthly qi is scarce, they have no choice but to wait for death.

This was why the mundane world, where heavenly and earthly qi was dim and scarce, was like a graveyard for low-ranking spell cultivators.

Huangzhou’s heavenly and earthly qi was not abundant, but it was not absent either. The cultivator wanted to stop casting spells and take a moment to breathe and absorb qi, but the situation on the arena shifted in the blink of an eye — who knew what move would come next, who would be kicked off the stage?

He had already cast several spells, and his mind was deeply fatigued. Just then, the wind shifted, and he looked up in surprise to see an Eagle diving straight at him. He was in the middle of casting a spell and had no time to defend himself — the Eagle pecked out his eye!

“Ahhh — beast!” The purple-robed cultivator covered half his face and cursed furiously. The onlookers nearby were all stunned by this sudden turn of events.

A unit of Crimson Blood Army soldiers immediately rushed to the viewing platform. The lead soldier wore a face full of guilt as he grabbed the purple-robed cultivator. “So sorry — our army’s mascot has injured you. We will absolutely take responsibility. We’ll take you to the military physician right now.”

“Let go of—”

The soldier held him tightly and covertly inserted a needle into his lower back. The purple-robed cultivator instantly fell silent and slumped limply into the soldier’s arms.

“Brother, don’t worry — we won’t let anything happen to you. Just hold on!”

Among the spectators on the viewing platform, there were indeed local gentry and powerful clan members, but half of them were also Yue Family members, placed there specifically to conceal the purple-robed cultivator.

The Yue Family members had no intention of letting the Crimson Blood Army take the purple-robed cultivator away, and one by one they moved to push forward and stop them. But somehow — inexplicably — their bodies went soft all of a sudden, and they were utterly powerless to stop a group of Postnatal Masters charging right through them.

At the same time, on the arena, Iron Shield landed a slap that sent Yue Song flying off the stage. Even he was shocked after the hit, staring with puzzlement at his own large, fan-like hands, letting out a surprised sound. “I actually hit him this time.”

The uncle and nephew, Yue Kun and Yue Song, felt like they were about to spit blood. What on earth had just happened?!

Zero-Two was also stunned. What was His Highness trying to pull this time?

He couldn’t believe it was an accident, but he also couldn’t believe it was premeditated.

Zero-Two had followed Zhan Changfeng for so long that he understood her style to some degree.

Her way of setting traps was just like her style of play in chess — scattered. So scattered that each piece seemed to stand alone, with no visible connection at first glance. So scattered that casually activating a single piece could pull another entire scheme into motion.

Zhan Changfeng was not here in person, and she could not give real-time instructions to the people on the scene, yet the moment the Eagle moved, someone immediately responded and handled the situation. Clearly, all of this had been arranged well in advance.

Every possibility had a contingency plan, and every contingency plan had a corresponding person ready to execute it — regardless of whether that possibility would come to pass or not.

Zero-Two did not concern himself with what was happening over there. His own affairs were still proceeding within the planned parameters, and until a new development arose, he only needed to complete his own part.

Yue Kun dispatched his trusted subordinates to retrieve the purple-robed cultivator. He absolutely could not allow the purple-robed cultivator to say anything he shouldn’t.

His trusted men led a group to give chase. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Are your eyes not working? Look at the state he’s in — of course we’re taking him to the military physician!”

“Our Grand Army has plenty of military physicians. Why are you taking him to your side?!”

“Stop talking nonsense — then hurry up and lead the way!”

The trusted subordinate: “…”

He had a nagging feeling something was off, yet these people genuinely seemed anxious for the purple-robed cultivator’s well-being. “Follow me.”

They delivered the purple-robed cultivator to the military physician’s tent, and the two groups stood outside the tent.

The trusted subordinate probed cautiously: “There’s a physician tending to him now — are you all still going to stand here?”

“Of course. We will never evade our mistakes. We will wait until that man wakes up and personally reach a compensation agreement with him face to face.”

The soldier’s leader spoke with such righteous conviction and heartfelt sincerity that the trusted subordinate didn’t have the nerve to push further and could only change the subject. “What is the origin of that Eagle — to be so fierce?”

The soldier glanced at him with dissatisfaction and patted his own chest.

The trusted subordinate looked closely and only then noticed that the crimson battle robe had an eagle with spread wings embroidered on it in the same color of thread — completely invisible unless you looked carefully.

“And what are you doing standing here? Are you afraid we’ll shirk our responsibility?”

The soldier’s tone held an air of accusation, as if his dignity had been insulted. The trusted subordinate laughed awkwardly. “The man inside is an honored guest of Lord Tang’s household. Our General instructed us to ensure his protection.”

The soldier let out a cold snort. Does Lord Tang even know you’re dragging his name through the mud like this?

Over there, Yue Kun was so furious his hair was nearly standing on end. Two of his family’s Prenatal realm fighters had been defeated; were the remaining Postnatal realm fighters even worth sending out?! And there had still been no news from his second son’s side. What was to be done?

Just then, Yue Kun’s guard approached carefully and reported: “The Fourth Young Miss has returned.”

The Fourth Young Miss, Yue Lanshan, was young and always sneaking off to play. But right now, Yue Kun couldn’t care less whether she came back or not.

The guard noticed Yue Kun’s expression of irritation but, rather than tactfully withdrawing, spoke with a hint of excitement: “Someone came back with the Fourth Young Miss — it’s said this person is from the Gentleman’s Court of Cangyun Ravine.”

“What!”

Yue Kun snapped his gaze onto him. “Are you sure?”

“There’s no mistake. This person was originally a grandson of the He family, but later entered Cangyun Ravine and rose to great heights. This matter spread all throughout Xiaohan Town. This subordinate even saw him exchanging greetings with the envoys from Cangyun Ravine.”

“Where is he now?” A sharp light burst from Yue Kun’s eyes. Building ties with someone from the Gentleman’s Court was far better than trying to curry favor in roundabout ways with those great clans who hadn’t even shown their faces yet.

“This subordinate took the initiative to bring up the military exercise and invited him to watch with the Fourth Young Miss,” the guard said with a smile.

“Well done!” Yue Kun looked toward the viewing platform, found his daughter Yue Lanshan, and then fixed his gaze on the young man standing beside her. What a fine young man — with such clear, refined bone structure!

【Skit】

A certain screenwriter’s hand trembled as he deleted yet another scene with the protagonist. “Director, should we keep cutting?”

A certain director adjusted his trendy glasses, which had slid down to the tip of his nose. “Cut.”

Suddenly, the script supervisor came rushing over in a panic. “Director, director — the female lead is sharpening her sword outside your bedroom door! She sent me to fetch a white cloth big enough to cover a person — Director, where’s the white cloth?!”

“…Oh, to hell with it.” The certain director calmly added one more line back in.

(End of Chapter)