Chapter 240: Too Great a Gamble

Amidst the dense mountain forest, beyond a mystical barrier shrouded in mist, stood a massive stone monument.

Cangyun Sect!

In the vast square before the Cangyun Sect, a robed man stood, surveying the fifty disciples behind him. He glanced around cautiously before speaking in a stern tone: "What transpired before must not be divulged to anyone. You must not mention the direction we went in either. Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the sect immediately." The robed man commanded.

"Yes, sir," the disciples responded in unison.

With that, the robed man led the disciples into the mountain-guarding formation—

In the Da Yu region, beside a gentle stream, Yi Yan reclined lazily, a fishing rod in his hand. Around him, servants and handmaidens bustled about, attending to his every need. Standing behind Yi Yan was the Iron-Blood General, who cast a worried glance at his former superior. The others kept their distance, wary of the man who once held immense power.

"Grand Marshal!" the Iron-Blood General called out with a furrowed brow.

"Iron-Blood, I am no longer the Grand Marshal. There's no need to address me as such," Yi Yan said with a faint smile, watching the fishing float bob in the stream.

"In my heart, Da Yu has only one Grand Marshal, and that is you, sir. No matter what happens, nothing can shake my loyalty. You taught me so much. Without your guidance, I would still be a brute who only knew how to fight. Everything I am today is because of you," the Iron-Blood General said earnestly.

"Heh, let the past be the past. Let's keep our discussions here personal. No politics," Yi Yan chuckled.

"Grand Marshal, despite the efforts of King Julu and his 800,000 soldiers, they couldn't stop Zhong Shan and a group of commoners from reaching the Daguang Empire. They didn't even catch a glimpse of them," the Iron-Blood General said, unable to hold back.

Though Yi Yan had asked to avoid discussing state affairs, it was clear he still cared. He paused for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he returned to his usual calm demeanor. "Don't bring this up again. From now on, I want to enjoy my life."

Seeing Yi Yan's disinterest, the Iron-Blood General wanted to say more but held back, sighing deeply instead.

Sensing the general's disheartenment, Yi Yan suddenly spoke, "Iron-Blood, tell your men to stop chasing them. Once Zhong Shan reaches the Daguang Empire, he will be out of our grasp."

"Yes, sir," the Iron-Blood General replied, regaining his resolve—

Inside King Julu's tent.

"My lord, two days ago, Princess Qianyou and her party reached that small town. They shouldn't be far," a kneeling officer reported.

"Not far? If it weren't for your subordinates' reckless ambition, we would have captured Princess Qianyou by now. Instead, 300 soldiers died for nothing, and Zhong Shan escaped!" King Julu fumed.

At this, Wu An, standing nearby, interjected, "My lord, regardless, we have a general idea of their direction now. Our search area has been reduced. We should find them soon."

"Hmm," King Julu nodded in agreement—

In a mountain forest.

Since Princess Qianyou's flying sword lacked the essence of clouds, Zhong Shan used his blade to carry her, skimming close to the ground. Princess Qianyou, having regained her strength to the Golden Core stage, could now endure the ride's bumps and jolts. Ruyan floated alongside them, her movement so eerie that it seemed as if she was drifting rather than flying.

"Miss Ruyan, are those two items all you're bringing?" Zhong Shan asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, the Lovesick Token and the painting are enough," Ruyan replied coolly.

"Earlier, I asked someone, and what a coincidence it is. The Cangyun Sect still stands. It's located 30,000 li south of Forget Worry City," Zhong Shan said.

"Thank you, sir, for your efforts regarding Ruyan," Ruyan said respectfully.

"Miss Ruyan, please, no need for such formalities," Zhong Shan shook his head.

Floating gracefully in mid-air, Ruyan bowed respectfully to Zhong Shan.

Seeing her sincerity, Zhong Shan took a deep breath and did not obstruct her further.

"Sir, the soldier you interrogated earlier was from the Daguang Empire. From him, we learned that not only is the Dayu Empire pursuing us, but now the Daguang Empire's troops are also searching for us. Their mobilization is no less extensive than that of Dayu," Princess Qianyou said with a faint smile.

"It doesn't matter. The more troops from both empires, the better," Zhong Shan replied with a smile.

"Indeed," Princess Qianyou agreed.

Three days later, in a secluded valley.

"Miss Ruyan, I entrust you with this task," Zhong Shan said, handing over a stack of small letters to Ruyan.

"Rest assured, sir. This is a small matter, and Ruyan will complete it for you," Ruyan nodded.

"Yes, we are now in a difficult situation. Search parties are everywhere, and we cannot travel freely. Only by slipping these letters undetected onto the soldiers of Dayu can we safely reach the Cangyun Sect," Zhong Shan said seriously.

"Sir, you can wait here. As soon as they land, I will slip the letters into their clothes without them noticing," Ruyan assured.

"Thank you for your trouble," Zhong Shan nodded.

Ruyan, holding the stack of letters, instantly walked into the mountain, as if she had simply passed through its solid form.

The valley was left with only Zhong Shan and Princess Qianyou.

"Sir, Ruyan is a spirit entity. She cannot be detected by divine senses and can move through the ground. As long as the soldiers land, she can slip the letters into their clothes without a sound. However, if the letters are just placed in their clothes, will the Daguang generals believe them? The obvious nature of this frame-up will be clear to anyone. They will surely wonder why the letters weren't placed in a storage bracelet but in their clothes instead," Princess Qianyou said with a smile.

"If the princess can guess this much, why ask me?" Zhong Shan replied with a smile.

Caught by Zhong Shan's perceptiveness, Princess Qianyou blushed slightly and said, "The issue isn't about the number of letters but whether the Daguang generals dare to gamble on their authenticity. I suspect they won't dare. I figured out this much, but there's one thing I don't understand and would like to ask you, sir."

"Oh?" Zhong Shan looked at Princess Qianyou curiously.

"I've noticed that you are very passionate about matters concerning Miss Ruyan," Princess Qianyou said, frowning.

"Heh, Ruyan once saved my life, and I promised her something. Naturally, I am passionate about fulfilling that promise," Zhong Shan replied with a smile.

"No, it seems that your eagerness to reach the Cangyun Sect goes beyond repaying a debt or keeping a promise. It's as if you have a deep longing to reach the Cangyun Sect as quickly as possible, and you've prioritized it over all other clues. Why is that? Have you heard of the Cangyun Sect before?" Princess Qianyou asked, staring intently at Zhong Shan.

Upon hearing Princess Qianyou's question, Zhong Shan's smiling expression turned serious. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, saying, "I must go to the Cangyun Sect, not just for Ruyan, but also to seek an answer for myself."

Zhong Shan's expression turned wistful, as if he was both yearning for and dreading the answer he sought.

Seeing the trace of sorrow flash across Zhong Shan's face, Princess Qianyou realized she had touched on a sensitive topic and quickly changed the subject—

In a military camp closest to Zhong Shan's location, inside the central tent.

"General, we found this letter on one of the Dayu soldiers," a soldier reported respectfully.

In the center of the tent, a general looked at the letter with a mixture of doubt and concern. On his desk lay three identical letters.

"General, the signs of this frame-up are too glaring. The letters were found in their clothes instead of their storage bracelets," a nearby officer remarked, his tone full of suspicion.

The general furrowed his brow, staring intently at the letters.

The officer continued, "Moreover, the contents of the letters claim that the Dayu army is conspiring with the Lord of Forget Worry City? That the city gates are wide open, waiting for the Dayu troops to enter? This setup is too shallow. Yes, the city gates are open during the day, but would the Dayu army really come? And even if they did, would each soldier carry a letter? Why were the letters found in their clothes instead of their storage bracelets? It's too obvious!"

"Send these letters to my father immediately. Inform the troops to prepare for movement towards Forget Worry City. Prepare for battle," the general ordered.

"General, shouldn't we report this to the Grand Marshal? This might be a ruse by Princess Qianyou and Zhong Shan to plant these letters secretly. Didn't the Grand Marshal say that Dayu's target is Princess Qianyou and Zhong Shan?" the officer asked, confused.

"Planting letters? Try it yourself. Among ten captured soldiers, five had letters. How could they have been planted without them knowing? Yes, my father mentioned that the battlefield is unpredictable, and we must remain vigilant. Forget Worry City is a critical chokepoint for the Daguang Empire. What if we lose it? Can you bear that responsibility? This gamble is too great for any of us. Compared to the loss of Princess Qianyou, the fate of the city is far more crucial. We will proceed to Forget Worry City and prepare for combat," the general replied firmly.

"Understood," the officer responded immediately—

The Pursuit

In a large tent within the Dayu Empire's camp.

"General, our scouts spotted Zhong Shan and Princess Qianyou heading towards Forget Worry City. Due to the presence of a large number of Daguang troops, they didn't dare pursue them further, but their direction was clear," a soldier reported respectfully.

"Good, inform the troops to advance swiftly and capture Princess Qianyou and Zhong Shan. We must move quickly," the general in the tent commanded.

"General, shouldn't we wait for the prince?" another soldier suggested.

"There's no time. By the time the prince arrives, they will have escaped again. We'll lead the troops and march ahead. Send a message to King Julu. Concentrate all efforts towards Forget Worry City. This time, we must capture them," the general insisted.

"Yes, sir."