Seeing this, Murong Lian was afraid something might go wrong on the battlefield. He tightened his grip around the brocade pouch in his palm and said to Mo Xi, “Fireball, don’t be ridiculous. He was seriously injured because he was trying to return this Qiankun Pouch. If you hand it over, he’ll hate you to death when he wakes up.”
Mo Xi was silent for a moment before saying, “If I don’t hand it over, I’ll hate myself to death.”
With that, he raised a hand and pointed.
A scorching flame erupted from the wall of fire, suddenly engulfing Murong Lian. Murong Lian cried out in pain and loosened his grip. The Qiankun Pouch containing the Blood Fiend Beast’s remnant soul was wrapped in spiritual fire and swiftly flew into Mo Xi’s hand.
“Mo Xi, you—!”
Murong Lian was both angry and shocked.
He was angry at Mo Xi’s attitude, but what shocked him was that Mo Xi was actually willing to choose his brother’s life over the interests of the entire nation.
For any general, this was a grave taboo, a terrible mistake. Once a commander placed personal feelings above everything else, it was bound to bring irreversible consequences to the army and even the entire nation.
Mo Xi had spent years on the battlefield. There was no way he did not understand this principle.
But how could he—
Before Murong Lian could finish thinking, the vast wall of fire weakened and died down.
Mo Xi descended from the crest of the flames, the iron-plated military boots on his feet landing on the scorched, charred ground.
Under the astonished and bewildered gazes of everyone present, he held the brocade pouch in his hand and walked step by step toward the State Preceptor.
The State Preceptor withdrew the dagger and tightened one arm around Gu Mang’s neck, while extending his other hand toward Mo Xi.
“Give it to me.”
“You give him to me first.”
The State Preceptor seemed amused by those words. He lowered his head, ran his tongue lightly over his teeth, and revealed a sinister smile.
“Lord Xihe… you really are too young. You’ve never experienced an irreversible wrong choice.”
He smiled, his black lashes lowering.
“Since you’ve been so obedient, how about I give you a little advice?”
“…”
“When someone who is incomparably important to you is in another person’s hands…”
The State Preceptor’s fingertip barely grazed across Gu Mang’s neck as he spoke in a low voice.
“You’d better accept every condition that person gives you in full, unless you don’t actually care all that much whether he lives or dies.”
After a brief pause, the State Preceptor pulled Gu Mang even closer. An endlessly malicious gleam flashed in his eyes.
“Come.”
He lifted his chin.
“I’ll give you one final chance. Offer me the Qiankun Pouch.”
This time, even the soldiers who had been unaware of the situation could understand what was happening.
Their Lord Xihe seemed to be planning to exchange something extremely important to Chonghua for the life of the person held in the State Preceptor’s hands.
But understanding what was happening did not mean they could process it.
They had fought such a brutal battle in their lightning-fast assault. So many of their comrades had become bones along the banks of the Wuding River.
And yet their Lord Xihe was actually going to sacrifice all of those deaths for the sake of one person…?!
The State Preceptor spread his fingers.
“Quickly.”
Under the eyes of everyone present, Mo Xi walked up to the State Preceptor.
After a moment of silence, he extended the Qiankun Pouch toward him—
But just as the State Preceptor was about to touch it, Mo Xi’s eyes suddenly turned fierce.
He shouted,
“Formation, open!!!”
The reason the State Preceptor had dared to let Mo Xi approach was because he had been watching every single one of Mo Xi’s movements.
He knew that if Mo Xi intended to attack, no matter how subtle the movement, there would inevitably be some warning.
Therefore, this command was entirely within his expectations.
The State Preceptor immediately raised his palm and activated a formation, erecting a dazzling defensive barrier between himself and Mo Xi.
He smiled sweetly.
“Trying to trick me? You’re still so—”
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt a chill beside him.
Before he could react, dozens of ghostly blue sword-lights suddenly burst out around Gu Mang, whom he was holding tightly.
The Lotus Sword Formation!
The protective sword formation that Gu Mang and Mo Xi had left upon each other back when they had been young and deeply in love had obeyed Mo Xi’s command and exploded in an instant!
At such close range, and with absolutely no warning, even someone as skilled as the State Preceptor had no way to evade it.
In an instant, blood sprayed through the air, splattering across the battlefield.
Everyone cried out in shock!
Mo Xi seized the opportunity and struck heavily against the State Preceptor’s barrier, shattering it.
He reached out and pulled Gu Mang back into his arms.
The sword formation recognized its master. The razor-sharp blades of light transformed into countless crystalline feathers the instant they touched Mo Xi, floating gently through the air before scattering away.
Amid the shower of luminous feathers, Mo Xi held the Qiankun Pouch in one hand and Gu Mang in the other as he flew back toward the Chonghua army formation.
“Senior Brother.”
Mo Xi gently pressed his cheek against Gu Mang’s and murmured in a voice barely audible,
“It’s all right now…”
The State Preceptor’s strength was truly astonishing.
Despite having exhausted himself through sleeplessly playing the qin to summon Gu Mang’s soul, fighting against Gu Mang’s killing techniques, and expending such an enormous amount of mental and spiritual energy, he had still managed to stop the sword formation from seriously injuring him.
Only his shoulder had been pierced, blood dripping steadily from the wound.
Yet he paid it no attention.
His hawk-like eyes gleamed with a crazed, razor-sharp light.
“Good… good! Hahahahaha—”
His loud laughter rang out, his voice suddenly becoming vicious.
“I never thought that a man as upright and honorable as Lord Xihe would resort to such a sinister trick! Truly, you can’t judge a person by appearances!”
But who was he to say such things?
Mo Xi had not only refused to hand over the Qiankun Pouch, he had also successfully rescued the hostage who served as his personal attendant.
The Chonghua cultivators at the front of the formation all breathed heavily with relief.
Many were also deeply ashamed of the suspicions they had directed toward Mo Xi moments earlier.
Some of the younger cultivators could not hold themselves back and shouted insults at the State Preceptor.
“Shut your damn mouth! You’re just not skilled enough, and now you’re calling our Marshal sinister and vicious? Have some shame!”
“You took a hostage to threaten someone! How does that make you any less sinister?”
“Exactly!”
Meng Ze, being an alchemist and healer, immediately ordered her subordinates to bring Murong Lian and his guards over so they could receive treatment.
She herself walked over to Mo Xi and said quietly,
“I’ll treat his injuries.”
Mo Xi was worried about Gu Mang’s condition, so having her handle his injuries was naturally ideal.
He nodded.
“Thank you for the trouble.”
Meng Ze ordered the people around her to help Gu Mang over to the Chiling formation, where the medical cultivators began treating his wounds and stopping the bleeding.
Mo Xi looked at Gu Mang several more times before turning around.
He was just about to give the messenger orders when the State Preceptor suddenly let out a cold laugh.
“Hahahaha, yes. Everything you said is right. Lord Xihe is pure and honorable, upright and righteous…”
He used a voice-amplification technique, causing his sinister voice to continuously echo across the battlefield.
“But does everyone here know that your illustrious Lord Xihe, whose spotless reputation is known throughout the world, actually allows a filthy traitor to wear a mask and serve as his personal attendant?”
The entire formation fell silent.
Then, gradually, unrest spread through the ranks like ripples across water.
The State Preceptor smiled sweetly, filled with malicious intent, and addressed everyone across the battlefield.
“Surprised? Delighted?”
“Your nation’s pillar of strength, your saintly gentleman, has been coaxing all of you into risking your lives for him while secretly carrying on with a traitor and rebel behind your backs, entangled with him in an illicit relationship.”
“He even left an intimate blood-contract mark on each other’s bodies.”
One of the younger cultivators could not restrain himself and shouted angrily,
“You’re lying!”
The State Preceptor merely chuckled.
“Oh my, I’m an extremely honest person. I never lie.”
“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you have him remove this attendant’s mask and show you?”
“Take a look at this man who bears the mark of your Marshal Mo…”
“Is he not the former commander you hate more than anyone—Gu Mang?”
An uproar erupted!
The State Preceptor was someone who understood the importance of knowing when to advance and retreat.
He had already expended too much spiritual power, and the current situation on the battlefield was unfavorable to Liao.
He had no intention of continuing the fight.
After leaving those words behind, he swept his robes and rose into the air with his elite attendants, disappearing into the night.
Only his wild, vicious laughter remained, echoing through the clouds.
Just like the thunderous truth he had revealed, it lingered over the battlefield for a long, long time.
The three Chonghua armies fell into complete silence.
The unit led by Murong Lian was newly formed and had no direct emotional connection to the “former commander,” Gu Mang, so most of them were simply stunned.
But many soldiers in Mo Xi’s Northern Frontier Army had undergone a dramatic change in expression. They stood rooted to the spot, visibly shaken.
The strongest reaction came from Murong Meng Ze’s Chiling Battalion.
The cultivators in this unit were all from noble families, and many had relatives who had died at Gu Mang’s hands.
Upon hearing that the masked attendant was actually their sworn enemy, they immediately lost control.
“Lord Xihe! Is what he said true?!”
“Who exactly is this person?!”
Among the cultivators treating Gu Mang’s injuries happened to be one who bore a deep hatred toward him.
He reached out to remove Gu Mang’s mask—
But just as his fingers were about to touch it, a faint green light suddenly struck his fingertips!
The cultivator abruptly looked up.
To his surprise, the person who had stopped him was none other than Murong Meng Ze, standing beside him.
“Princess…?!”
Meng Ze said, “When a commander’s personal attendant wears a mask, it means their identity is to remain confidential. Apart from the commander himself and an order from His Majesty, no one is permitted to remove it without authorization.”
The other cultivator was visibly agitated.
“If he really is Gu Mang, then what’s the problem?!”
Meng Ze said sternly,
“But what if he isn’t Gu Mang?”
The healer fell silent.
“…”
“You heard a few words from the people of Liao and immediately intend to disregard the laws of the nation and defy the commander?”
“But—”
Meng Ze said,
“Take him away.”
“Yes!”
The guards stepped forward and dragged the reckless healer away from the military formation.
Although the princess had protected him and Gu Mang’s mask had not been removed in front of the three armies, whether the mask was removed or not no longer mattered much.
Mo Xi was decisive by nature and disliked leaving misunderstandings unresolved, especially one capable of destabilizing the morale of the army.
If the face beneath the mask did not belong to Gu Mang, given his temperament, he would certainly have removed the attendant’s mask to calm the unrest.
But Mo Xi did not.
Therefore, almost everyone understood.
There was only one reason he refused to do so—
Because the State Preceptor had been telling the truth.
The person beneath the mask was Gu Mang.
They had won the battle, yet their army’s morale had scattered.
With Mo Xi’s military achievements and authority standing before them, no one dared openly cause trouble for the moment.
But behind the scenes, rumors spread endlessly.
People speculated about their relationship, whispered insults, questioned his motives…
For a time, it was like an undercurrent swirling beneath the surface among the cultivators.
Never before had a victory left Mo Xi so exhausted.
Liao withdrew its forces from Daze, and Chonghua’s cultivators reentered the city.
Mo Xi did not immediately return to the capital.
Instead, he led his troops in helping the people of Daze City rebuild their homes and settle the displaced refugees.
He walked through the broken bricks and shattered tiles left behind by the war, but unlike before, he was no longer met with the admiration of the people around him.
Instead, all around him were furtive, probing glances.
But Mo Xi did not feel troubled by his own situation in the slightest.
He had experienced such days long ago.
The warmth and coldness of human relationships was something he had understood from the moment his father died when he was seven.
Back then, the practice of stepping on the weak and flattering the powerful had been far more severe than it was now.
What weighed heavily on him was the overwhelming oppression and grief he felt for the Gu Mang in other people’s mouths.
From their eyes and their whispered conversations, he could sense their hatred and disgust toward Gu Mang.
Yet he held the truth in his hands and could not present it as evidence.
“How is he today?”
Daze had only just been pacified, and the military camp was still in chaos.
For the past few days, Mo Xi had been leaving early and returning late, unable to stay by Gu Mang’s side.
He did not dare entrust Gu Mang to anyone else for treatment.
The person who had remained beside Gu Mang these past few days was Murong Meng Ze.
The secret he could not tell anyone else, Mo Xi had told Meng Ze.
When she learned that Gu Mang was a spy, Meng Ze had been deeply shocked.
Then she felt intensely remorseful over the way she had treated Gu Mang in the past.
That was also why Mo Xi was willing to let her remain by Gu Mang’s side and care for him during these days.
Seeing him return, Meng Ze lifted her exhausted face.
“There’s nothing serious for now. But I can sense that because he used the Black Demon’s ultimate technique, his mind has suffered some erosion. He’s becoming somewhat difficult to control… I don’t know how much longer he can suppress it.”
Mo Xi closed his eyes.
“When Liao sent him back, it was because they knew his condition was becoming increasingly dangerous. They didn’t dare keep him, but they also didn’t dare kill him. They had no idea what he would become once the Black Demon completely consumed him.”
“So they concealed the truth and threw him back to Chonghua like a hot potato.”
Meng Ze fell silent.
“…”
“Forget about that.”
Mo Xi sighed.
“Did he wake up today?”
“He did. But his mind was never very clear. After drinking some medicine, he fell asleep again.”
“…”
Mo Xi’s throat felt bitter.
After a moment of silence, he asked,
“His memories… are they almost impossible to preserve?”
“I can’t say for sure.”
Meng Ze spoke softly.
“But while he was awake, I talked with him for a while. He still had some vague memories. Big Brother Mo, don’t be too pessimistic.”
Mo Xi noticed the faint bluish-gray shadows beneath her eyelids, showing that she had barely slept these past few days.
His voice was low.
“Meng Ze, thank you.”
“I’m a medical cultivator. Treating the sick and injured is simply my duty. There’s no need to thank me.”
Mo Xi shook his head.
“Thank you for not taking offense at the things I said to you in the military tent.”
Meng Ze was silent for a moment.
She lowered her moonlit, pear-blossom-soft face, her voice slightly hoarse.
“Those things… I don’t really have anything to be offended about.”
“For all these years, I’ve actually always known that you didn’t like me. It’s just…”
“When I really heard that you had someone you loved, it was still somewhat difficult for me to accept.”
“…”
“I’m sorry.”
Meng Ze remained silent, still looking down at the tips of her toes.
After a long while, she said,
“You don’t need to apologize to me. Feelings are something that can never be forced.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. That night, I lost my composure. I acted on impulse and said so many inappropriate things. I made a fool of myself in front of you, Big Brother Mo, and I also put you in a difficult position.”
She paused and lowered her head.
“I’m the one who owes you an apology.”
There were only a handful of nations across the Jiuzhou Continent that granted female cultivators any real status, and Chonghua was not one of them.
Yet even so, Murong Meng Ze had been exceptionally recognized as one of the Three Gentlemen of Jie, Ding, and Hui.
There was clearly something extraordinary about her.
She could have her own romantic feelings and moments of vulnerability, but in the end, she was always able to understand what was right and proper.
Meng Ze lifted her face.
Her smile was somewhat forced, but she still did her best to smile.
“Big Brother, if you’re willing someday, tell me about the person you love…”
“Even if there are… all kinds of things wrong with it, I think that if it’s someone you love… then it can’t be wrong.”
Mo Xi said nothing.
He simply looked at her gentle eyes.
There had been too many rumors spreading through the army recently.
Quite a few people had already begun saying that he and Gu Mang had been secretly involved for a long time.
Those whispers had already reached his ears.
He did not know how much Meng Ze had heard.
But he also did not know what else he could say to her.
Over all these years, she had done so much for him.
Every thanks he owed her, every word he needed to say, every promise he could make—
He had already given them all.
The only thing he could not give her was love.
The two of them had reached this point, and there was truly nowhere left to go.
No matter how much guilt or gratitude Mo Xi carried in his heart, he had already said everything there was to say.
Repeating it again would serve no purpose.
So in the end, he simply answered with complete seriousness,
“Okay.”
After a pause, he added,
“It’s getting late. You’ve been tired all day too. Go back and rest. I’ll stay here and watch over him.”
Meng Ze’s eyes grew moist.
She looked at Mo Xi, then glanced at Gu Mang behind him.
It seemed as though she wanted to say something.
But in the end, she merely gave a quiet,
“Mm.”
Then she turned and left the military tent.