Firmament Sword

It was deep in the night when he returned to camp. Xu Luo didn’t disturb anyone and went back to his tent alone to begin cultivating the Shadow Shaking Heart Method.

「The night passed peacefully.」

When Xu Luo rose early the next morning, he had completely regained his composure. None of the others in the Martial Soul Squad knew that a fierce battle had taken place just dozens of miles from their camp the night before.

Wei Yun had died an ignominious death. He had gravely underestimated Xu Luo’s strength, been far too confident, and, most unexpectedly, never imagined that Xu Luo had such a terrifying Tier Nine Spirit Beast hidden by his side!

And so, he died. Died without a sound.

Besides the person who sold him the information, it was likely no one else in the world even knew where Instructor Wei of the True Martial Academy had gone.

”If we hurry, we should be able to reach the Yan Army’s supply route tonight. Based on the size of their army, their provisions must be depleting at an incredible rate, so... there should be no shortage of supply convoys on that road. When the time comes, we’ll act according to the situation!” Li Hong said to the group, holding a map.

”Our job is to harass the Yan Army’s supply convoys as much as possible to create better opportunities for our soldiers on the front lines. So, there’s no need to fight them to the death. If we get a chance, we hit them hard. If there’s no opportunity... we leave immediately. We must not get tied down in a prolonged fight,” Huangfu Chongzhi added from the side.

”That’s right. The Yan Army is not without its experts. Transporting provisions is the lifeblood of an army, and for a matter of such life-or-death importance, it’s impossible for the Yan Army not to be on guard.”

Xu Luo nodded, then said, ”Especially now that General Cao has joined forces with our army to crush the Mo Yun Tribe of the Yan Army. There’s no way to keep this a secret. The Cao Kingdom is probably in an uproar, and the Yan Army... will certainly be extra cautious.”

”Actually, the best method is to set fire to their provisions!” Li Hong said softly, his eyes burning. ”This method is ruthless, but it’s also the most effective!”

”Leave the arson to me,” Xu Luo said with a smile. Among everyone present, no one was faster than him.

War knows no morality.

There is no just war; everyone’s heart belongs to their homeland. This wasn’t a matter of right or wrong.

If Mo Yun had been born in the Cangqiong Kingdom, she would undoubtedly be a commanding Female General in the Cangqiong Army right now!

Mo Yun was gravely injured. So many days had passed, yet she still hadn’t recovered from the dual blow to her body and spirit.

She couldn’t even ride a horse!

Carried on a soft palanquin by several able-bodied women, Mo Yun’s eyes were half-open.

Compared to the ambitious woman who would call herself ”this old lady,” the Mo Yun of this moment was more like a normal woman.

She wore no armor, only a black robe over a white undergarment. Her long, black hair was tied back casually with a strip of cloth, and her refined, beautiful face was deathly pale.

”Where are we?” Mo Yun had been drifting in and out of sleep for a long time. Opening her eyes, she sensed the low morale around her and couldn’t help but ask softly.

”General, we’ve reached the supply route. I was just about to ask you, General, are we... returning to Great Yan, or are we going to General Wu Xiaxian’s position?” a young general in his thirties asked, his eyes filled with a trace of pity as he looked at Mo Yun.

”Great Yan... What would we go back for? After such a crushing defeat, our men died horribly in a foreign land, and we couldn’t even retrieve their bodies... I have already made a grave mistake. After I return, how could Father possibly let me lead troops into battle again?” Mo Yun said with some difficulty. She rested for a moment before continuing.

”As for Wu Xiaxian’s camp... we won’t go there either. If I went... would it be for him to laugh at me? Or for him to pity me? You know my temperament. Even if I die... I don’t need anyone’s pity or compassion! So, you can wipe that look of pity from your eyes... I, Mo Yun, do not need sympathy!”

”General, why must you be like this? Victory and defeat are common in war. The Cangqiong Kingdom’s renowned Grand General of National Guardian, Xu Ji, didn’t he suffer a crushing defeat at Wansong Town all those years ago?” the young general tried to persuade her.

”Wansong Town? Hmph... I’ve always thought there was something very strange about that incident, full of suspicious points. But you’re right, victory and defeat are common in war. But I have failed the soldiers who trusted me. I... have failed you all!” As Mo Yun spoke, she struggled, trying to get up from the palanquin.

But her injuries were too severe, and she couldn’t get up at all.

The several able-bodied women were frightened and quickly tried to stop her.

”No, help me sit up. I... need to say a few words to the soldiers,” Mo Yun gasped, muttering, ”To think that Cao Tianyi has already broken through the Mortal Realm and reached the True Martial Realm. It’s no grievance to lose to him... but if he thinks he can become Emperor... *cough, cough*, it won’t be that easy.”

Several of the women came over and gently helped Mo Yun sit up. Each of them, their hearts aching for their mistress, had reddened eyes.

The marching army slowly came to a halt.

”My men, I am sorry... I failed to lead you to a resounding victory. Instead... we were tricked by the enemy, causing so many... of our brothers-in-arms, *cough, cough*... to die in a foreign land. It is my fault. I was careless and underestimated the enemy. The responsibility for this defeat... *cough, cough*, I, Mo Yun, will shoulder it all!”

From all directions, the remaining force of less than twenty thousand men stared at their commander in the center, their eyes red. Every face was filled with grief, but not a single sound was made.

The entire scene was deathly silent, with only Mo Yun’s weak voice carrying across the field.

”Of our fifty thousand elite soldiers, thirty thousand were lost in a single battle. We lost another thousand or two during the rout... Fortunately, you are all true warriors. You were routed... but not broken. For those soldiers who died or were seriously injured, aside from the compensation provided by the Great Yan Kingdom, I, Mo Yun... will provide another portion myself! Even if it means giving up my dowry... I will not let the families of our fallen soldiers... suffer the coldness of heart after losing their loved ones!”

Mo Yun gasped for breath, her emotions running high. ”As for all of you... I, I want to ask you one thing. Do you... still trust me? Are you still... willing to follow me?”

Hearing Mo Yun’s words, many soldiers broke down, sobbing as they knelt on the ground, shouting, ”We swear to follow the General to the death! We would die for you, General!”

Those further back heard Mo Yun’s words passed down from the front ranks, and like a wave, soldiers began to kneel and weep, spreading from the center outwards.

What a spectacular scene it was, to see a force of nearly twenty thousand men weeping together.

But with their tears, the heavy morale that had plagued them was vented. After they had all cried their hearts out, a stubborn voice seemed to echo in their hearts: ’We still have a future!’

At this moment, a flush crept onto Mo Yun’s face from the agitation. She shouted, ”This humiliation today will be repaid tenfold in the future! The Cao Kingdom is shameless and treacherous! How can we let them off lightly? My men, pick up your confidence and courage! Once we have recovered, we will continue to march into battle and slay our enemies! We are fearless!”

By the end, Mo Yun nearly ran out of breath and fell into a fit of violent coughing.

However, she had completely ignited the morale of this army. All the soldiers who had wept and grieved now had bloodshot eyes, like bulls in heat.

If they were to turn back and fight the Cangqiong Army again at this moment, they had enough confidence to crush them completely!

This... was the importance of a soul-like figure in an army!

Mo Yun was the true martial soul of this army!

Only she could ignite the bloodlust hidden deep within them all. Only she could awaken the martial soul of every soldier!

After saying all this, Mo Yun had nearly exhausted all her strength. Gasping heavily, she lay back on the palanquin, her entire body soaked in sweat. No one knew how much she had suffered, how much torment she had endured, just to deliver that speech.

But in her eyes, it was all worth it!

If, because of her, this army became an easy target for anyone to bully, that would be more unbearable than death itself.

”Give the order... to rest here. Let the wounded... recover in peace. Then, we will wait here for a supply convoy to pass. Right now, our men and horses are exhausted, we have many wounded, and we are sorely lacking in provisions and medicine. We must first secure some supplies,” Mo Yun said with great effort, then drifted back into a groggy sleep.

...

”Boss, Boss! Guess what I found? HAHAHA, you’ll never guess!” Little Fatty Liu Feng ran gleefully toward Xu Luo, who was fishing by the river. His heavy body made the ground THUMP THUMP THUMP with every step.

”You scared away my fish!” Xu Luo turned and shot Little Fatty a look, helplessly lifting his fishing rod. The bait was gone.

”Heh, who cares about fishing! I’ve made a major discovery!” Little Fatty plopped down next to Xu Luo, not minding the dirt on the ground, and said in a low voice, ”Just now, Sui Xiaoshi and I went to scout the supply route to see if any convoys were passing by. We didn’t see a supply convoy, but we did see that Female General and her remaining troops!”

”What?” Xu Luo shot to his feet, tossing his fishing rod aside. He looked at Liu Feng with a serious expression and said, ”You can’t joke about something like that, Liu Feng!”

”*Cough*... Would I joke about this with you!” Liu Feng said, looking aggrieved. ”It’s all true! We were shocked too. That Female General seems to be badly injured. Otherwise, there’s no way they would have traveled such a short distance after so many days.”

Xu Luo frowned slightly and said, ”Gathering the remnants of an army also takes time. But for them to choose this supply route... it seems their own supplies must be extremely scarce...”

As he spoke, a glint flickered in Xu Luo’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.

’This army’s morale must be low right now. They’re a defeated force with many wounded, and they’re short on provisions and medicine. What they want most right now must be food and medical supplies!’ Xu Luo muttered to himself. Then, raising an eyebrow, he said coolly, ”In that case, no matter what, we cannot let them get any aid!”

”Boss, new discovery!”