Soul of the Revered Banner
Chapter 66: Pulling Strings

“Have you heard? The heir of the Jing'an Marquis is engaged to the blind daughter of the Annan Marquis.”

“The Annan Marquis’s family has a fool too, doesn’t it? I think his name’s Hu or something.”

“Sanhu.”

“Right, Sanhu that’s it.”

“You best not speak so carelessly. Though that dullard may be muddled in the head, he’s a fierce general. In his younger days, he followed the Annan Marquis into battle. It’s just that now, with the Marquis aging, he’s unwilling to entrust his son to others.”

“That’s all ancient history. The heir of the Jing'an Marquis isn’t even the heir anymore.”

“Rumor has it he hurt his leg, he’s crippled now.”

“Huh? Doesn’t that mean he can’t hold office?”

“More than just that, if the second branch of the Jing’an Marquis’ family hadn’t suddenly died off, that crippled heir might not even be alive today.”

In a private room on the first floor, men in long robes sat drinking, exchanging toasts and banter.

With plates of food to accompany the wine, they chattered and speculated with ease.

Wen Yue and Chu Jiu happened to be walking through the corridor just then, and overheard the idle gossip drifting from behind the partitions.

The slanderous words ignited Chu Jiu’s anger.

He was about to storm in and confront them, but Wen Yue held him back, shaking his head. “No need to bother.”

Though he didn’t know how the rumors had spread so quickly, Wen Yue made no move to stop them.

Disciplining one group would only make room for others to speak, the real instigators hiding behind the scenes would benefit for nothing.

Now that he could stand again, he might as well meet sword with sword, water with earth.

Wen Yue paused in his steps.

He began to ponder who he might have offended in the past.

And truth be told, more than a few names surfaced in his mind.

In the past, he had served as deputy commander of the capital’s military forces, commanding the Southern Bureau’s Embroidered Guards, he had offended quite a few people.

There were many who wanted him dead, even some within the palace had grown restless.

What had kept him alive all this time was, in large part, his old blade instructor, Master Xue.

That first-rate martial expert had already fended off several waves of assassins for him, leaving a trail of corpses in the marquis’ residence.

Without him, these past three months would have been unbearable.

Wen Yue sighed softly.

The power he had built up had been almost entirely uprooted, and the intelligence network had been returned to the palace.

Though he could stand again, he was ultimately on his own.

And because of Xiang Hu, Wen Yue had long since resolved to begin by joining the army, to rescue the people of Great Liang through military service.

Conveniently, the battlefield was rich with baleful energy. It would allow him to collect battle-hardened spirits and merge them into the Ghost-Faced Banner, strengthening his teacher’s power.

He didn’t linger on the thought. First things first, buy the wine.

The Drunken Immortal Tower was the pride of Liang City.

Its fine wines were not easily found elsewhere.

Today, upon tasting it, Wen Yue actually sensed a hint of spiritual energy infused within the liquor.

He bought the finest wine before returning to the estate.

As the commander of the guards, Xue Yi was not allowed to leave the estate freely. Though the marquis’ residence was large, even a vast place could become stifling.

Tonight, the heir was treating him to a banquet, and had even prepared the finest wine from the Drunken Immortal Tower, Xue Yi would surely show his face.

In the past, he had stepped in time and again to protect the heir, not for political gain nor to cozy up to power.

When Wen Yue stood up again, Xue Yi had been both surprised and genuinely pleased.

One might say that fate had taken an unexpected turn for the better.

His heart was light with joy.

He downed a hearty cup in celebration!

Still, he knew the occasion was a formal one, so he dared not drink too much.

Even a first-rate expert in the Organ-Refining Realm could get drunk if he didn’t use internal energy to neutralize the alcohol.

So Xue Yi took only a few sips, then stopped.

At the square table sat master and servant, with Master Xue joining them.

Two cups of wine in, and the conversation began to flow.

Wen Yue asked, “Master Xue, do you know much about the army in the northern regions?”

Hearing the question, Xue Yi’s chopsticks froze mid-reach.

He picked up a piece of tofu and brought it before his eyes.

He stared blankly at it for a while, then finally spoke in a wistful tone: “Young master, do you know how I felt when Xiang Hu said those words?”

“Ten years ago, in the battle at Mount Nanyue, nearly two hundred thousand troops.”

“Gone like grass being mown.”

“Didn’t matter if they were second-rate experts or first-rate generals in the Organ-Refining Realm, on that meat-grinder of a battlefield, no one lasted more than a moment.”

“Heads rolled, thudding by your feet.”

“You watched your comrades slaughtered. Killed your enemies. Mangled limbs piled before you.”

“The sound of bones shattering in your ears. Blood spattered on your face. All I felt was warmth... and the icy cold on my back.”

Xue Yi suddenly clenched his chopsticks.

The piece of tofu crumbled instantly, falling onto the table. The shock also snapped Xue Yi out of his daze.

“From that moment on, I lost heart and shed my armor. Came to Liang City to chew on wealth, and ended up as commander of the marquis’ guards.” Xue Yi let out a long breath, as if reminiscing about the past.

Wen Yue had asked precisely because he knew that Xue Yi had once served in the military.

He just hadn’t expected to rip open such an old wound.

That battle, it seemed, had left a wound deeper than words could describe.

Wen Yue said candidly, “Master Xue, I intend to join the northern army.”

Xue Yi was stunned for a moment. Then he spoke with some hesitation: “Young master… war isn’t just about fighting, it requires understanding the art of war.”

Most of the scholar-officials in the court had no clue about military matters. Their grasp of wartime strategy was vague at best.

To let them lead troops into battle would be a joke, losses would far outweigh victories.

But to prevent generals from becoming too powerful, military officials were always ranked beneath civil ones. Even at equal rank, the generals had to offer the first salute.

What Xue Yi meant was, though the young master was now an immortal master, capable of defeating innate grandmasters and many others…

That strength meant little if he fought alone. What mattered was leading the troops into victory.

Formations, supply logistics, military strategy all had to be part of the equation.

Otherwise, a reckless young man without experience would get ground into the dirt by Northern Wei’s famed generals.

Wen Yue rubbed his nose.

He had studied the art of war since childhood, and had served as deputy commander of the city Military Affairs Office, overseeing hundreds of Embroidered Guards of the Southern Bureau. But when it came to actual warfare, he couldn’t help but feel uncertain.

He’d never tried the real thing, how would he know how he’d fare?

“Of course, if the young master acts as a vanguard… I believe he’d be an extraordinary asset,” Xue Yi added, not intending to dampen Wen Yue’s resolve.

Hell, with an immortal master on the battlefield, even innate grandmasters would get flattened.

No ordinary soldier could stand against Wen Yue.

If he led a personal guard to pierce the enemy lines and slay enemy generals, it could very well turn the tide of battle in one stroke.

For now, Xue Yi’s suggestion was sound.

Tu Shanjun also found the idea promising, there were too few ghosts in the mundane world.

The souls of the slain on the battlefield, nourished by baleful qi, could easily become real ghosts.

Thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of troops, after such slaughter, the baleful energy left behind would be vast beyond measure.

It could greatly accelerate his growth.

This was exactly the ideal scenario Tu Shanjun had once dreamed of.

After the banquet ended, Wen Yue could tell Xue Yi had something on his mind, but in the end, the man didn’t speak.

If Master Xue wished to say it he would, no need to pry.

Wen Yue saw him out.

Then, looking toward the courtyard, he asked:

“Chu Jiu, can we still contact that palace line?”

Chu Jiu’s expression turned troubled. He shook his head. “Since your injury, the line to the palace has been severed.”

“Activate the covert line. Let that person know.”

“My injuries are healed. I’ve stepped into the innate grandmaster realm. I believe he’ll reach out to us again.”

Wen Yue turned his gaze toward the imperial palace of Liang City, a smile curving at his lips.

That man’s situation… should be quite dire by now.

(Chapter End)