Free Web NovelChapter 177: Chapter 177: The Situation
The peak of summer in the Fire Cave Dynasty was especially hot.
Outsiders who had settled here likely didn’t consider it a pleasant time of year.
Ever since Mo Tianshu killed Wei Wuju, generals of all ranks had suddenly begun emerging from within the rebel army.
Had they not stepped in to turn the tide, the royal court’s generals would have cut a path straight through the rebel army, quelling the rebellion and claiming rewards for their service.
It was just that, occasionally, the soldiers in the ranks would grow a little suspicious.
Whenever a major event occurred, the generals’ orders were never consistent.
Following orders from on high, they were even forced to come to blows with their own comrades.
A knight, braving the sandstorm, once again arrived at the base of Moyun Peak.
He tethered his horse and leaped into the air, expertly reaching the platform at the summit in short order.
He left his horse below, its head bowed against the whipping sand.
The weather in the area had not been good for the past two days.
"What news do you have for us today?"
Zhao Jingyu was holding a horse stance, his forehead drenched in sweat. He let the medicinal power surge wildly through his body as he found a moment to speak.
The knight bowed his head slightly.
’These were the people who killed the rebel leader, Wei Wuju, a few days ago, plunging the dynasty into its current state.’
’I absolutely cannot be disrespectful to these immortal masters from the Upper Sect.’
"The rebel army is riddled with factions," the knight began. "The decline has already set in; I’m afraid they won’t last much longer."
Everyone had grown accustomed to his visits. For some time now, he had been their messenger, and he seemed to be a high-ranking official within the Fire Cave Dynasty.
Wan Shenxiu looked up from his book.
"Who’s backing them?"
The knight replied, "The Douchen Sect, local noble houses, and a few minor sects from the surrounding areas."
"The rest are all Cultivators of unknown origin."
Wan Shenxiu nodded slightly.
"They all have their own agendas. Many of them are just in it for personal gain and have little interest in a true regime change."
"If they can’t pull in the same direction, they’re nothing but a disorganized mob."
The overwhelming prestige of the Xuandao Sect had ultimately suppressed many of their burgeoning ambitions.
Zhao Jingyu lifted his chin proudly.
"So who’s calling the shots in the rebel army now?"
The knight’s expression shifted.
"Decisions are made by a council of generals. The one with the most influence is a Cultivator backed by the Douchen Sect."
"Is there something off about this person?"
Zhao Jingyu knew the knight’s type. The man usually had a deadpan expression unless something was seriously wrong.
The knight lowered his voice. "Wei Wuju is dead. But the new person the Douchen Sect sent... he doesn’t seem like an ordinary man."
He produced a wanted poster from his sleeve, one he had torn from the city gates on his way out.
"Immortal Masters, please look!"
Zhao Jingyu didn’t move, so Bai Mo stepped forward and took the wanted poster.
The man on the poster had a ravaged face, with no fewer than six stitched-up scars.
Four of them ran the entire length of his face.
Bai Mo’s eyes narrowed. The more he looked at the face, the more familiar it seemed.
"Is this... Wei Wuju?"
Startled, Zhao Jingyu could no longer hold back and stepped forward.
"That bastard isn’t dead?"
The others crowded around to get a look.
"Is this man really Wei Wuju?"
Zhao Jingyu turned to the knight.
The knight simply said, "I don’t know his name. Throughout the rebel army, they call him Lord Wei."
"He only appears for major events and rarely speaks or moves about. That’s how the other generals have been able to seize so much authority."
Everyone turned to look at Mo Tianshu, who was meditating with his eyes closed.
"Brother Mo, this..."
Mo Tianshu opened his eyes, showing no surprise. He merely pointed to the coffin Zhao Jingyu had tossed to one side.
"That is Wei Wuju."
Bai Mo was rather perplexed. He asked,
"Ordinary puppets have no sentience, let alone the ability to speak."
Any Cultivator with a basic understanding of their art knew how difficult that would be to achieve.
"It makes no sense for the Douchen Sect to put so much effort into Wei Wuju."
Mo Tianshu said calmly,
"From Wei Wuju’s complexion that day, I knew he must have been practicing a Secret Technique that heavily consumes one’s mind and blood essence."
"At first, I thought it was some method to turn the tide of battle. Now, it seems he knew he was going to lose and used some sort of means on his own body."
Mo Tianshu said, glancing at the others.
"Did you see those Douchen Sect Cultivators that day? They’re experts at handling corpses."
Understanding dawned on everyone.
If that was the case, then it all made sense.
Creating a Combat Puppet so quickly would certainly require a special method.
Using Wei Wuju’s corpse was likely also a calculated move to placate the Cultivators in their ranks.
Wan Shenxiu nodded slowly.
"If he truly has been made into a Combat Puppet, then it’s possible that even in death, he could contend with the emperor."
In ancient times, many Cultivators were fond of being buried with Combat Puppets.
It was common for disciples of the Gold and Jade lineage to be entombed with Combat Puppets.
These puppets were unthinking and unfeeling, possessed immense combat strength, and were exceptionally difficult opponents.
Whenever such a situation arose, it fell to the disciples of Broken Blade Peak to face them head-on and cut them down.
If they encountered a grand tomb where a host of Combat Puppets were interred, the disciples of Broken Blade Peak would have to fight for over a month, risking life and limb, just to clear it.
That was why, whenever a Broken Blade Peak disciple faced such a task, their first words before starting were always, "More money."
Wan Shenxiu snapped out of his reverie and glanced at Bai Mo.
’This junior brother of mine probably isn’t cut out for earning that kind of money.’
Bai Mo’s Divine Thought was active, and as if sensing something, he turned his head to look.
"Brother Wan?"
Wan Shenxiu quickly shook his head.
"It’s nothing."
He shifted his gaze to Mo Tianshu.
"Brother, was my speculation wrong?"
Mo Tianshu said calmly,
"Wei Wuju cannot act."
"One hundred and eight thousand rays of sword light passed through his body, obliterating all his life force and utterly destroying his flesh."
"The fact that those few from the Douchen Sect could even stitch Wei Wuju back together is already incredible. To think they could make him act again is pure fantasy."
The knight hadn’t intended to interrupt, but now he couldn’t help himself. He cupped his hands in a salute to Mo Tianshu.
"I beg you, Immortal Master, please tell us how to break Wei Wuju’s current state and ensure he is truly and utterly dead."
Mo Tianshu closed his eyes once more.
"In a while, the necrotic flesh will dissolve into a pool of blood. At most, only a sack of skin will be left."
The knight was taken aback.
He had delivered all the news he’d come to share, and there was nothing else for him to do.
And so, after bidding a solemn farewell to the group, he nimbly made his way down Moyun Peak.
Soon, a fine steed was kicking up dust below, carrying the knight away into the sandstorm.
To the disciples, the immortal master’s words had been a casual, interesting piece of information.
But for the Fire Cave Dynasty, it was a matter of great importance, enough to influence the entire situation.
’The master I serve must be informed of this.’
Wan Shenxiu watched the knight’s retreating figure and shook his head.
"Tsk, tsk. Truly strange."
"The royal court should have crushed the rebels days ago. But then their emperor spoke up, citing his ’compassion for the soldiers’ and ’cherishing the strength of the people’ as reasons not to escalate the war."
"With a string of excuses like that, he managed to preserve the rebel army."
Since when has any emperor, past or present, ever shown such ’compassion for the people’ that they’d willingly let a rebel army run rampant?
"And yet their ministers are all more hawkish than the next..."
When it came to this subject, none of them knew what to make of it.
But they knew their mission would soon be over.
Brother Mo had been nurturing his sword pellet for days. The brilliant sword light within, even when only glimpsed occasionally, was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.
Once they coordinated with the royal court’s forces to quell the rebellion and found a way to set the Fire Cave Dynasty back on its proper course, their mission would be a success.
Qi Yang approached Bai Mo.
"Junior Brother Bai, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about for a while."
"Please, Brother."
"It’s about your Five Obstacles Pill..."
