Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 477 - 53: Spring of Jingxin Calendar Eighteenth Year, Rewards Bestowed! (6K)_3

Chapter 477: Chapter 53: Spring of Jingxin Calendar Eighteenth Year, Rewards Bestowed! (6K)_3

He didn’t normally think about it, only at critical moments would it be triggered, but of course, he could also actively revisit those memories at certain safe times.

In the Primordial Qi Era, the Soul Searching Technique was rare, and even a near-forbidden technique like the soul-binding grass man could only obtain fragments of memories from the past few days. However, Zhao Xing was still careful and cautious to prevent any possibilities.

.....

In the following time, Zhao Xing practiced his spells at Sacrificial Soul Pass.

He concentrated his efforts on the Self Grassman for the short term because this spell had endless wondrous uses; cultivating it was like practicing many kinds of spells in one.

Jingxin Calendar Eighteenth Year, January 4th, transshipment ships arrived at Sacrificial Soul Pass.

Lu Tingzhi planned to find Zhao Xing for a chat about their "shared hobby," only to learn that Zhao Xing was in seclusion, so he had to let it go.

Long Xiao and Chen Shijie exchanged one million battle merits for a spot of Yin God, completing the process of Heavenly Soul sojourning in the temple.

Xia Jing did not do so because he didn’t need to; his father had already earned great achievements, blessings his descendants. As the Princely Heir, Xia Jing already had such treatment.

Wen Shaoyang did not choose the Yin God spot; others like Jiang Ming and Li Que were not yet qualified, as their performance was not outstanding, and the battle merits earned at Sacrificial Soul Pass were not as many as at Fire Dragon Pass.

.....

Jingxin Calendar, January 12th, Qi Yuan Army, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye faced setbacks in their offensive, retreated to defend at spirit turtle city where "Ming Hun" and "Longyang Taoist" seized the chance to launch a counterattack, causing the loss of over a thousand men in the three armies.

Greedy for achievements and advancing rashly without logistical support, the three commanders only then realized that the people of Holy Spirit Royal Court weren’t pushovers. It was mostly Zhao Xing’s support that had been accurate previously, creating this illusion.

Because of this incident, the relationship between the three and Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang dropped to freezing point.

They believed that if Liao Rulong continued to follow through and had Zhao Xing lead a hundred thousand logistics troops, they wouldn’t have suffered setbacks in spirit turtle city.

Especially Yi Yue, who, after the retreat, reported the military situation to the main forces on the northern front.

He publicly condemned Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang, calling the two commanders fools.

But when it came to Zhao Xing, he felt Zhao Xing was a talent and that Liao Rulong didn’t deserve a logistics commander like him.

Qi Yuan Army and Nangong Ye, though not as extreme as Yi Yue, also lowered their evaluation of commanders Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang when reporting the military situation.

However, the two were still somewhat objective in their statements.

The Divine Might Army was considered a strong and elite force, with people like Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, and Zhao Xing spoken highly of.

It was only commanders Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang who hesitated and failed to seize opportunities in battle.

Qi Yuan Army, Yi Yue, and Nangong Ye were the top three strong military commanders on the Seventh-Rank Battle Merit list.

They had extensive connections and had broken through Sacrificial Soul Pass; naturally, their words carried significant weight.

The reputation of Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang was greatly diminished, while Zhao Xing’s reputation soared.

"Yi Yue, with his explosive temper, scolding commander Liao Rulong yet complimenting Zhao Xing highly shows that Zhao Xing really must have done well," said Wei Hong from the Tiger Flood Dragon Army, smiling as he read the letter. He and Yi Yue were good friends.

Yi Yue faced setbacks in his offensive, and the hundreds of thousands of battle merits he had accrued were reduced by twelve or thirteen thousand; naturally, he complained to his good friend first.

"If it’s really like what Old Yi says, then this Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang truly don’t deserve the high praise they received before," Wei Hong muttered to himself.

Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang became famous for capturing Fire Dragon Pass, not Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing’s fame mostly came from "slaying Qian Shougang."

Because the two were the commanders, initially, all the praise was heaped on Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang.

However, after the spread by the three strong armies, the reputation of Liao Rulong and Wen Shaoyang also dropped significantly.

....

"Damn it! Yi Yue that bastard! How dare he speak of me like that!" raged Liao Rulong in the City Lord Mansion at Sacrificial Soul Pass, "When have I ever been a coward? Damn his ancestors!"

Liao Rulong was truly shaking with anger, ripping up the letter in his hands.

Yi Yue’s public battle report to the commanders of the Yuanhua Army directly called Liao Rulong a coward and a fool, accusing him of delaying the military opportunity and being unfit to be a commander. Yes, he had used those exact words.

The letters written to friends were even more unbearable to read!

Imagine how furious Liao Rulong was when he found out.

"Curse his mother, I’m a Sixth-rank Captain and he’s only Seventh-rank, yet he dares to critique me as if he’s a superior; I won’t coexist with him!" Liao Rulong bellowed.

Pu Zhong was quite calm, waiting for Liao Rulong to vent before speaking: "Yi Yue is straightforward at least; he openly criticizes you rather than the type who stabs people in the back."

"Are you defending him?" Liao Rulong snorted, but he didn’t continue his rage.

Relationships between collaborating armies often broke down, especially between strong and weak combinations.

Liao Rulong agreed with Pu Zhong’s words; he understood Yi Yue’s anger.

But understanding aside, he still couldn’t stomach the insult!

"We won’t cooperate with him in the future," Pu Zhong consoled, "You said yourself you’re a Sixth-rank; your heart should be broader than his."

"If you say nothing and don’t explain to anyone, that alone will show your magnanimity."

....

Zhao Xing also heard about Yi Yue and the Qi Yuan Army’s setbacks, as well as Yi Yue’s scolding of Liao Rulong.

"This hot-headed brother really scolded the wrong person," Zhao Xing sighed with a bitter smile, "It was I who persuaded Old Chen, Long Xiao, and Xia Jing. These three hold significant sway, and Liao Rulong decided not to continue the attack because of them."

"If anyone should be scolded, it should be me. Instead, he went on praising me."

However, as the commander, Liao Rulong had to accept both the praise and the blame.