Advance Cultivation: From a Miscellaneous Servant in a Chaotic World to a Lawful Martial Saint

Chapter 76: Internal Strife

His burly body fell straight down, and his head, which rolled off the ground, still bore a look of bewilderment and astonishment.

Blood stained the yellow sand, and the dulled Plum Blossom Knife was completely stained crimson, pitted and uneven, yet now it exuded a chilling sense of brokenness and ferocity.

The generals and captains exchanged glances, their faces full of confusion and suspicion.

Liu Qing stepped forward and, with a heavy expression, took Wu He's arm.

"General Wu, what do you mean by this?"

"He was a deserter, and I suspect he leaked my whereabouts to the Khitan barbarians."

Wu He's tone was low and somber.

On his way here, he had already thought through the whole story.

The Liao soldiers had laid an ambush there with many elite warriors, clearly knowing that they were about to be sent to the battlefield.

Leaving aside the question of why their shamans could predict the future, the most likely explanation is that someone in Waqiao Camp leaked this information to them.

While it's unlikely they were colluding with foreign powers, the plan to deliberately leak information, use the Khitan barbarians to eliminate them, and then seek revenge was quite appealing to some.

Seeing this, Liu Qing also felt that the matter was becoming increasingly perplexing, and immediately asked in a deep voice, "You say Shi Baoji deserted in the face of battle, what evidence do you have?"

"General Wu, you must understand that Shi Baoji's father is the current General of Kaifeng, and he is one of his most valued sons. Killing him will bring trouble upon yourself."

He got himself into trouble.

Wu He smiled coldly upon hearing this. He and some people were already locked in a life-or-death feud. He wasn't afraid of getting itchy from having too many lice, so why should he care about adding or subtracting a blood feud?

However, Liu Qing and the others still had to consider their reputation.

He raised his sword and looked at the many Crane Control Army soldiers beside him who were already terrified.

"Whether Shi Baoji deserted his post can be determined by interrogating them."

In an instant, the members of the Crane Control Army became the focus of everyone's attention.

After exchanging glances, the fear and anxiety in their eyes gradually subsided.

"We are not deserters!"

"Yes! We were also ambushed by the enemy, and we barely escaped with our lives!"

"Brothers, Lord Wu killed our commander without any investigation, and even accused us of desertion in the face of battle, making us traitors to the Great Zhou! How can we allow this?!"

"General Wu must be holding a grudge because we didn't go back to rescue them."

……

The soldiers' voices rose and fell, one after another. Once one person started, the others mustered their courage and echoed him, refusing to admit it to the death.

They huddled together and gave the same story, leaving even Liu Qing and the others helpless and unsure how to distinguish between them.

Wu He took a deep breath and then pulled Wen Qiaoniang over.

"My wife, do me a favor."

She blinked, and after a moment of realization, nodded repeatedly.

"Sun Lin".

"Your humble servant is here."

"Find a few brothers who can still move, and have your sister-in-law give the 'Control Crane Army' brothers a thorough check-up."

"yes!"

Sun Lin immediately found some Tiger Swift Army soldiers who still had the strength to move, and they protected Wen Qiaoniang while checking the wounds of the Crane Control Army soldiers.

At first, the latter didn't take it seriously and didn't know what Wu He was up to.

But soon, some quick-witted people realized what was happening.

But it was too late; the Tiger General's soldiers forcibly suppressed them.

Now that things have come to this, Liu Qing understands Wu He's meaning and immediately waves his hand to send people in to participate in the screening.

Soon enough, this indeed exposed the true nature of the Crane Control Army.

Although their injuries appeared frightening and severe, none of them actually broke bones or threatened their lives.

Most of them were superficial injuries that appeared to be serious, with virtually no internal injuries, which would not have caused the near-death, weak, and listless state they had just displayed.

Did the enemy deliberately avoid their vital points when attacking?

Given the current situation, the answer is obvious.

This is clearly a ruse orchestrated by our own people.

In this way, they no longer dared to continue their sophistry and had no choice but to tell the whole truth.

And this was exactly as Wu He had predicted.

As soon as the battle began, Shi Baoji ordered his Crane Control Army to conserve their strength and engage in brief skirmishes. After leaving the battlefield, they lingered outside for a long time, exchanging blows and pretending to be injured before returning in a disheveled state.

Pretend to be ambushed, then suddenly appear to break through the encirclement.

However, this only proves that Shi Baoji and others deserted their posts, and there is no direct evidence that they deliberately leaked information.

But it was enough to make Liu Qing and the others indignant.

Putting aside the importance of Wu He and other elite Tiger Swift Army soldiers, the role played by the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion in this battle was irreplaceable.

If they all perish in this battle, how will we explain it to Longhu Mountain? And how will we explain to the court our predicament when we are constrained by the Khitan shamans?

He destroyed his own Great Wall; his crime deserves to be punished.

"Here we go again!"

Liu Qing's face turned ashen, and he unleashed a torrent of abuse on the group of Crane Control Army soldiers.

"Our great nation of China, with its abundant military strength, has suffered repeated defeats and lost vast territories."

"It's all because of a bunch of scumbags like you who only know how to scheme against each other and bully each other at the same time!"

"The defense of Xiongzhou is in imminent danger, yet you still think of settling personal scores and seeking personal gain. You deserve to die! You absolutely deserve to die!"

Enraged, Liu Qing waved his hand, and the guards beside him stepped forward and unceremoniously took the hundred or so soldiers of the Crane Control Army away.

Only after this was over did Wu He have time to put aside his affairs and return to the camp, where Wen Qiaoniang treated his injuries.

That evening, in the main tent of Waqiao Camp, besides the main generals such as Liu Qing who were in charge, there were also two disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Zhang Lin and Zhang Huaiyu.

The fire was burning fiercely, just like the restless hearts of everyone present.

After Zhang Huaiyu finished recounting what he had seen, Liu Qing rubbed his temples, still somewhat incredulous, and said, "Master Zhang means that Wu He single-handedly killed more than a dozen martial artists at the Strong Bone Realm, including one at the late Strong Bone Realm?"

Zhang Huaiyu nodded firmly and said in an unquestionable tone, "I know this sounds shocking, but it is indeed true."

The generals looked at each other and fell silent.

They had seen many masters who could fight multiple opponents, but to be able to defeat more than a dozen people of similar skill level and escape unscathed was quite unbelievable.

No wonder Wu He's elite Tiger Army was able to break through the encirclement.

Liu Qing let out a soft breath and said slowly, "General Wu cultivates both Qi and blood and innate Qi, so his strength is extraordinary, which is normal. Let's give him credit for this battle."

"There's not much to say about that. Apart from the Taoist priests of the Celestial Master's Mansion, General Wu's contribution in this battle is undoubtedly the greatest."

"only……"

At this moment, a commander tapped his helmet, pondered for a moment, and said, "How should we explain this to General Shi of Kaifeng?"

"In my opinion, we should give him some face and say that Shi Baoji fought bravely and died for his country."

"This matter can hardly be kept secret. Our Zhenguan Army is full of spies from all sides. Don't expect General Shi to be unaware of what happened today."

The group chatted amongst themselves, all at a loss for what to do.

Liu Qing tapped the table, her voice heavy: "I won't hide it, and there's no need to hide it."

"The rules should be followed as they are. If General Shi is dissatisfied, let him discuss it with military discipline and regulations!"

Seeing that they were starting to discuss court affairs, Zhang Lin and Zhang Huaiyu wisely took their leave.

On the way back, Zhang Huaiyu tried to speak several times, but ultimately hesitated to say anything.

"Junior sister, is there something you want to say but can't say it?" Zhang Lin keenly noticed his unusual behavior.

Zhang Huaiyu hesitated for a long time, but finally waved his hand gently: "Never mind, never mind."

I thought of Wu He.

As for the matter of the "Hundred Trades Gathering Evil Ointment," let it remain a secret to yourself.