Chapter 723: Grim Tidings

Several surviving Song cultivators were dragged over and brought before Meng Shanming. They were covered in wounds, drenched in blood, and in miserable condition.

"Sect Leader, it really was the Myriad Beasts Sect causing trouble behind the scenes. I know this fellow." Yue Yuan, wounded himself, kicked one Myriad Beasts Sect disciple to the ground. "We have both witnesses and material evidence. I'd like to see how the Myriad Beasts Sect tries to deny it now!"

Gong Lince gave a cold laugh. "Notify the Myriad Beasts Sect and tell them to come collect their people!"

Meng Shanming spoke from horseback. "Sect Leader Gong, from what you know of the Myriad Beasts Sect, will they intervene in the fighting again?"

Gong Lince immediately understood what he meant. "Marshal Meng, you mean to use these Myriad Beasts Sect disciples as hostages—or rather, as bargaining chips?"

Meng Shanming said, "I hear the Myriad Beasts Sect has many tricks at its disposal, including numerous large flying beasts capable of carrying people. If we corner them until they throw themselves fully into the war, that will work against us. So long as we can achieve our strategic objective, there is no need to expose this matter. Isn't the Myriad Beasts Sect already trying to conceal its involvement? Then let them continue maintaining their neutrality, on the condition that they do not interfere again."

Gong Lince understood. He nodded. "So long as the Myriad Beasts Sect agrees, we can even help prove that they never participated in the war."

"Exactly," Meng Shanming said. "A statement from us would be more convincing than anyone else's and would keep the Myriad Beasts Sect from being coerced by the Song court."

"Marshal Meng speaks with reason!" Gong Lince nodded. By intervening, the Myriad Beasts Sect had already handed the Song court leverage over it. At present, only Yan's side could help clear the sect of involvement.

...

"Chen Shaotong's forces have been encircled and annihilated by Marshal Meng. The entire army was wiped out!"

Shang Chaozong smiled. Looking toward the long procession of withdrawing Song troops in the distance, he casually handed the battle report to the Sect Leader of Dachan Mountain beside him.

Huang Lie quickly took it. After reading, he shook his head with repeated clicks of approval. "Good! Beautifully done! Our troops inside Song are finally safe. The Song court must be panicking now. It seems what Niu Youdao prepared for Marshal Meng truly can counter the Myriad Beasts Sect's secret art. Hm..." Reaching the end, he suddenly looked up and pointed at the final lines. "Your Highness, what does it mean that Niu Youdao's credit is being given to the three major sects?"

This side had remained in contact with Meng Shanming's army all along, each keeping track of the other's situation. Earlier, Meng Shanming's side had said it had received something from Niu Youdao that could solve the problem. Now it had indeed worked and defeated the enemy in one stroke, yet the credit was being handed to the three major sects. Huang Lie could not make sense of it.

Shang Chaozong said, "The report says it was Master Dao's own intention."

Huang Lie asked suspiciously, "Could the three major sects have forced him?"

Shang Chaozong shook his head. "Probably not. Master Dao has always been like this. He solves the problem and achieves the objective. He has no interest in this sort of credit. Master Dao has always kept a low profile and dislikes publicity."

Really? Huang Lie remained doubtful. If Dachan Mountain had rendered such great merit, it would certainly make the achievement known to everyone in order to increase its influence in every quarter. Niu Youdao was actually giving it up? After hesitating for a moment, Huang Lie said, "If the three major sects didn't force him, then Niu Youdao must be thinking farther ahead. And yes, drawing more attention than the three major sects would hardly be wise. It would only make them unhappy."

With those words, he indirectly assigned Niu Youdao a motive and rejected the idea that he simply preferred to stay out of the limelight.

Shang Chaozong glanced at him. He was no fool. How could he fail to hear Huang Lie taking the opportunity to cast suspicion on Niu Youdao? He gave a disdainful snort inwardly. You think Master Dao is like you people?

...

The withdrawing Song army had halted to rest. Luo Zhao had only just entered an abandoned relay station when Su Yuanbai of Lingxiao Pavilion came in with a report. "There is still no news of Madam. We have already sent additional men to search every major and minor route along the way. With luck, someone will run into her."

After Chen Shaotong's great victory over Meng Shanming, they had finally received one piece of good news. Then came another piece of bad news: Luo Zhao's own wife had disappeared.

Luo Zhao paced back and forth for a while, then sighed. "If she never appeared along the road, where did she go?"

He and his wife, Feng Guan'er, were deeply devoted to each other. He was genuinely worried for her safety. Affairs of state and affairs of family had piled on top of one another, leaving his heart unbearably heavy.

The Lingxiao Pavilion disciples who had rushed here at top speed from the capital, where they had been guarding the household, had already made contact with Luo Zhao's group. Once they learned Feng Guan'er had never arrived, they immediately turned back to search again. The three major sects likewise sent additional manpower back along the route.

Before those Lingxiao Pavilion disciples met up with them, it was still possible that Feng Guan'er was somewhere on the road. Once the two groups met without finding her, however, the situation became even more worrying.

Dong Yinglai said, "Grand Commander-in-Chief, there is no need to worry. Since Madam never came through here, she probably took a wrong road because she was unfamiliar with the route. Madam may not be a cultivator, but her martial skill is excellent. Ordinary bandits or rioters cannot do much to her. She should be fine."

It was pure consolation.

Luo Zhao shook his head anxiously. "Guan'er is being foolish. A lone woman running into a war zone—what is that if not making trouble?"

If she had been a man, that would have been one thing. But she was a woman, and an extraordinarily beautiful one at that. If she fell into the hands of evil men, he did not dare imagine the consequences.

Su Yuanbai consoled him. "Madam heard the war was going badly and became worried about the Grand Commander-in-Chief. Perhaps she feared we Lingxiao Pavilion disciples would not do everything possible and hoped to use her own status to help you. That is why she slipped away. Her feelings for the Grand Commander-in-Chief are obvious. She acted out of good intentions."

Luo Zhao sighed. "I know she meant well. But she chose the worst possible time. What if she falls into enemy hands?"

Su Yuanbai waved a hand. "Grand Commander-in-Chief, you are worrying too much. Falling into enemy hands might actually be safer. Once they learn she is your wife, they will not dare mistreat her too badly. However much Meng Shanming may slaughter, he would not stoop to doing anything to the Grand Commander-in-Chief's wife. That would make him look shameless. Meng Shanming would not go that far. At worst, he would have Madam detained. As for other villains, that is unlikely too. Ordinary cultivators would never dare become involved in an area where great armies are fighting; such places have already been cleared and avoided. Large groups of rioters likewise would not dare approach the edges of battle and would have scattered long ago. As Brother Dong said, Madam's martial skill is more than enough to deal with whatever isolated rabble remains. She should be safe."

Luo Zhao said, "And if she falls into enemy hands and they use her to threaten me? Between the state and my family, how am I supposed to choose?"

Chang Fei spoke up. "On that point, Grand Commander-in-Chief, you can set your mind at ease. Meng Shanming should understand that in a struggle between two states, holding one woman hostage will gain him nothing. Matters have already gone beyond what you alone can decide. He would not do something that brings him no advantage while covering himself in filth. Besides, Madam is not only your wife. She is also the granddaughter of the previous Sect Leader of Lingxiao Pavilion. Our three major sects can demand her return from Yan's three major sects. Yan's three major sects would never turn a contest of national interests into a shameless private vendetta. They would certainly release her."

Luo Zhao sighed. "What you say makes sense. But no one knows a wife better than her husband. Guan'er... she doesn't understand these things. What worries me is that she will fear becoming a burden to me, fear the enemy using her to threaten me, and therefore hide her identity and refuse to reveal it. If that happens, she could easily be driven to a dead end!"

At those words, several men exchanged glances, their hearts sinking with them.

If Feng Guan'er fell into enemy hands yet refused to use her identity and background as protection, then a beauty capable of toppling a city, trapped among a pack of wolfish men, might meet a fate no one needed explained. If the enemy pressed her too far, she truly might choose death instead.

Yet with the fate of an entire state hanging over him, Luo Zhao had no choice. He could not abandon everything in his hands. Turning back to the others, he said, "Gentlemen, let us hope she simply took the wrong road. Keep this matter as quiet as possible. Continue searching in secret."

Su Yuanbai said, "Grand Commander-in-Chief, rest assured. We never publicized it in the first place. The search has been secret from the beginning. We have not dared leak a word precisely because we fear someone with ulterior motives might interfere and create trouble."

Just then, Wen You suddenly rushed in. "Grand Commander-in-Chief!"

Everyone turned. He stood there stiffly, looking as though he wanted to speak but could not. His face was terrible.

One glance told them it was bad news. The same dreadful thought rose in every heart.

Had something truly happened to Feng Guan'er?

Luo Zhao's Adam's apple moved. With visible difficulty, he asked, "What happened?"

Wen You held up the intelligence report in his hand, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "Chen Shaotong was defeated! His entire army was annihilated. Four hundred thousand troops together with one hundred thousand civilian laborers were all slaughtered by the enemy! After the defeat, Chen Shaotong refused to flee. He drew his sword and cut his own throat in atonement!"

"What?" Luo Zhao cried out as though struck by lightning.

"How could this happen? Wasn't the Myriad Beasts Sect helping them? They dealt Meng Shanming a heavy blow just before, so how could..." Su Yuanbai could not believe it. He strode over and snatched the report. Chang Fei and Dong Yinglai quickly gathered around to read it as well.

Luo Zhao staggered, caught himself against a table, and slowly sat down. The armor on his body seemed to have become unbearably heavy, pressing until he could hardly breathe. His face looked terrible.

His family was already in turmoil, and he had been deeply worried about his wife's safety. Now this grim news had arrived as well. The blow was immense.

The matter of his wife had to be set aside for the moment. What he had to worry about now was the entire State of Song—and how these two or three million troops were supposed to withdraw safely.

By now, Meng Shanming's strategy was obvious to everyone. He was certainly going to block Luo Zhao's retreat.

Once Meng Shanming no longer had worries behind him and took control of the Dongyu River, the crossing that had once been so difficult for Meng Shanming would become just as difficult for Luo Zhao.

Dong Yinglai seized the battle report and shook it in his hand. Turning back, he demanded, "What happened? What exactly happened? Why is the Yan army suddenly immune to the Myriad Beasts Sect's secret art as well? Grand Commander-in-Chief, look!"

He stepped forward to hand over the report.

Luo Zhao raised a hand and refused it without looking. "What meaning is there in investigating that now?"

...

Inside the Chancellor's residence in Song, Zi Pingxiu sat above the others with a dark expression. Jia Wuqun stood to one side, fresh stubble growing along his chin.

Three cultivators stood below them, all men who had escaped from the battlefield. One was missing an arm and was explaining matters to Zi Pingxiu.

Although the battle results had already been reported to the court, these men still had to give Zi Pingxiu the full details. They needed to prove that they had not failed to do everything possible to protect his son-in-law, lest they offend the Chancellor.

After recounting Chen Shaotong's final words before he cut his own throat, the one-armed cultivator in the middle said, "Chancellor, we truly did everything we could. We could have fought our way through at the risk of our lives and escorted the Great General out. It was the Great General himself who had resolved to die!"

[End of Chapter 723]