Chapter 139 What a coincidence?

Lan Zhen wore an expression of mixed emotions, clearly feeling insulted, yet unable to easily vent his anger.

Beneath Xu Zhe's damned, effortlessly handsome smile, he had no choice but to swallow his burning jealousy and depart in frustration.

Chu Xiaotong did not say much, merely waving her hand to signal that the others could leave as well.

After all, everything that needed to be instructed had already been arranged. Just as Xu Zhe had said, once the Demon race arrived, they would simply fight step-by-step as usual.

Originally, according to Xu Zhe's intentions, the intermediate battle array should have been kept entirely confidential, allowing him to quietly apply buffs from behind the scenes when the time came.

Yet, Chu Xiaotong still chose to release a portion of the news.

On one hand, the Vermilion Bird Army had suffered too many consecutive defeats in a short span, losing two lines of defense and heavy casualties, leaving morale extremely depressed.

At such a time, a boost to morale was desperately needed. Even a single sentence like "We can win this time" could offer the soldiers a glimmer of hope and provide them with some psychological preparation, preventing them from being caught completely off guard when the battle array suddenly provided its assistance.

On the other hand, it was also on account of Xu Zhe. Previously, Xu Zhe had made an enemy of the Mo family, and numerous factions were eyeing him with hostility, yet Chu Xiaotong had chosen to stand by Xu Zhe on behalf of the Vermilion Bird Army.

Although the Vermilion Bird Army was built entirely by her own hands, protecting someone at such a high cost inevitably left a few subordinates harboring hidden resentment.

Now, taking advantage of this battle, Chu Xiaotong wanted everyone to know that if they won, the credit would belong entirely to Xu Zhe.

Announcing it beforehand and achieving victory differed vastly from talking about it only after the victory was secured.

……

Soon, everyone had left, leaving only Chu Xiaotong and Xu Zhe in the room.

"This Lan Zhen, his temper is growing larger by the day. There is something strange about him," Chu Xiaotong shook her head, speaking with a grave air.

In the past, Lan Zhen's actions and temperament would have fallen within a normal range, and with Chu Xiaotong's carefree personality, she wouldn't have cared at all.

However, ever since Xu Zhe remarked that Lan Zhen was not a suitable partner, Chu Xiaotong could not help but let her imagination run wild.

Once the seed of suspicion took root in one's heart, no matter what the other person did, it would invariably be magnified to some degree.

"You can't put it that way. If having a big temper makes someone a bad person, then based on your temper, you must at least be a... ahem," Xu Zhe coughed dryly.

"What? Is my temper big?" Chu Xiaotong narrowed her eyes, staring at Xu Zhe with a cold smile.

"Stop, I won't allow you to speak of yourself that way. You are simply true to your nature; how could that possibly be considered having a big temper?" Xu Zhe said righteously.

Only then did Chu Xiaotong loosen her grip on Xu Zhe's collar and put down the dagger in her hand.

"Let's talk business. According to the scouts' reports from the front lines, the Demon army is expected to arrive at the third line of defense in five days. Before that, how many more intermediate battle arrays can you craft?"

Chu Xiaotong walked back to the sand table. After the deployment of troops earlier, the entire distribution of forces was now clearly laid out on the table.

"In five days, I can probably make about three more intermediate battle arrays, provided the materials are sufficient. However, I see no shortage of materials here, so three intermediate battle arrays should be no problem at all. There will even be time to make slight improvements," Xu Zhe replied with a smile.

During the first battle, the Demon race used a single intermediate battle array and easily beat back the Vermilion Bird Army.

In the second battle, the Demon race used three intermediate battle arrays—which was somewhat overkill, admittedly—yet they effortlessly repelled the Vermilion Bird Army and inflicted heavy casualties upon them.

Now, facing the third battle, regardless of how many intermediate battle arrays the Demon race deployed, Xu Zhe could secure victory with just five. In any case, within the region of the third line of defense, the Demon race certainly could not conjure up any high-grade battle arrays, leaving nothing to worry about regarding this upcoming wave.

After a brief discussion, Chu Xiaotong hurried away to gather materials for Xu Zhe.

Meanwhile, inside Lan Zhen's tent, over a dozen battalion commanders had gathered, all of whom he had invited along the way.

Under the guise of drinking tea and chatting, his true intention was to lobby them and orchestrate the isolation of Xu Zhe.

"Everyone, no matter what, I simply cannot believe that Xu Zhe can help us win. You all know General Chu's character well; she values loyalty, but she is also easily misled by others. If this Xu Zhe..."

"Deputy Commander Lan, if you invited me here just to listen to this nonsense, then please excuse me," Qin Wurong interrupted coldly before Lan Zhen could finish.

As the reserve commander of the Fifty-First Battalion, she was fully qualified to speak on its behalf.

"Commander Qin has misunderstood my intentions," Lan Zhen stood up immediately and said, "I called you all here to inform you that we cannot afford to lose this battle, nor can we sit idly by. Regardless of whether Xu Zhe truly possesses a method to secure victory, we must prepare a contingency plan."

***

Qin Wurong paused upon hearing this, remaining in her seat rather than leaving.

Lan Zhen's words happened to align with her own thoughts.

After all, she didn't trust Xu Zhe either. While a tiny shred of anticipation lingered within her, she agreed with Lan Zhen: rather than pinning one's hopes on another person, it was far better to make ample preparations oneself.

"Does Deputy Commander Lan have any brilliant insights?" asked a battalion commander who seemingly shared Lan Zhen's sentiment.

"First, do not speak of Xu Zhe's involvement to the rest of the soldiers," Lan Zhen sat back down, speaking in a deep voice.

Chu Xiaotong had instructed them to spread the news of Xu Zhe bringing a method for victory to all the soldiers of the Vermilion Bird Army to boost morale.

Yet now, Lan Zhen was privately advocating against mentioning Xu Zhe at all, leaving everyone present somewhat stunned.

To openly go against General Chu right off the bat—was this insubordination masked by compliance?

"Deputy Commander Lan, you..." Qin Wurong and several other battalion commanders instantly changed color, shouting in anger.

"Do not lose your tempers, everyone. Hear me out first."

Anticipating their reaction, Lan Zhen sought to pacify their anger, explaining, "If we spread the word about Xu Zhe and give the soldiers hope, it might indeed raise morale slightly. But have you ever considered what kind of blow it would deal to the Vermilion Bird Army's morale if, on the day of the great battle, Xu Zhe's so-called method for victory fails to work?"

Silence fell over the tent.

Qin Wurong also furrowed her brow to ponder the question seriously, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

If they instilled hope in everyone now, only for no effective victory method to materialize when the time came, the consequences would likely be unimaginable.

"Therefore, I propose keeping Xu Zhe's supposed method for victory strictly confidential for now. If Xu Zhe genuinely has a way to help us beat back the Demons, whether we kept it secret or not will not alter the outcome. But if his method fails, at least our soldiers' fighting spirit and morale will remain intact, allowing them to continue resisting the Demons," Lan Zhen analyzed with clear logic.

Some present nodded slightly, evidently agreeing with his words.

"Deputy Commander Lan makes a valid point, but I believe this matter should be reported directly to General Chu; there is no need for such secrecy behind her back," Qin Wurong said expressionlessly, nodding nonetheless.

No matter how one looked at it, Lan Zhen's actions today had crossed a line.

Going behind Chu Xiaotong's back to privately negotiate with numerous battalion commanders in defiance of her orders was only a hair's breadth away from rebellion and betrayal.

Thus, this precedent must not be set.

"Commander Qin, I understand your meaning. But I know General Chu too well. If simply speaking to her about this were of any use, why would I need to call you all here to discuss it?"

Lan Zhen sighed, shaking his head. "You all saw Xu Zhe earlier. Based solely on his face alone, he is capable of captivating many women, and perhaps even men."

"Hah, Deputy Commander Lan, you worry too much. Xu Zhe is indeed exquisitely featured, but at least in my eyes, he lacks even half the imposing might of Niu Dahuang from the neighboring camp. Such an effeminate man can only attract shallow women; he holds not the slightest appeal for me. If I feel this way, all the more so for General Chu—she would never lose her judgment over something like this."

Qin Wurong sneered, expressing disdain for Lan Zhen's words.

Lan Zhen waved a hand. "I do not mean to suggest that General Chu would be deceived by his face alone, but at the very least, it would lower her guard against him.

"Furthermore, do not forget that General Chu has known Xu Zhe for many years. But think carefully: there are many other prodigies who have known Xu Zhe for just as long—why is it that, ever since his awakening, almost no one else has been willing to step forward and protect him?

"As for the reasons others had, I do not know. But General Chu is certainly stepping forward out of a lingering attachment to old ties.

"Yet now, this Xu Zhe, who has never even set foot on a battlefield, dares to impersonate General Chu's authority, running to our Vermilion Bird Army to spout grand claims and boast that he has a way to help us repel the Demons. He has likely employed some trickery, exploiting General Chu's sentimentality and faith in him to persuade her."

At this, the tent fell silent once more.

Qin Wurong frowned in thought, unable to make up her mind.

After all, she did not know Chu Xiaotong all that well, and Lan Zhen's words sounded somewhat plausible.

Should General Chu truly be bewitched by Xu Zhe, submitting this proposal and having it rejected would make subsequent attempts to maintain secrecy downwards exceedingly difficult.

"I agree with Deputy Commander Lan's proposal. Once this battle concludes, I shall resign from my post and go to General Chu to confess my guilt," shouted a battalion commander with a booming voice.

Others nodded in succession; as long as the Demons could be beaten back, it would all be worth it.

"There is no need for such drastic measures, everyone. I have one more matter to discuss, and it directly concerns the victory or defeat of our battle against the Demons. If it succeeds, not only will we be free of fault, but we will also render a great service."

Lan Zhen halted the others from declaring their stance and continued, "I have an old friend who once infiltrated the Demon territory and gathered intelligence related to the bizarre methods the Demons have been employing."

***

"What?" At these words, those present could no longer maintain their composure.

After suffering several consecutive defeats, they had long been curious about what sorcery the Demon race had used to suddenly multiply their military strength. Unfortunately, searching through countless ancient texts yielded no explanation whatsoever.

Yet now, Lan Zhen had actually managed to unearth intelligence; this was truly a monumental contribution!

"According to my old friend, the Demons are utilizing a technique called a battle array, which can forcibly elevate the realm and cultivation of the Demon army in a short span of time. This is precisely the reason for the collapse of our first line of defense," Lan Zhen recounted with a smile.

This was intelligence brought from the Northern Territory, and he had been instructed to use it to mislead the Vermilion Bird Army according to plan.

Although Xu Zhe's appearance was not part of the plan, it changed nothing; once the Vermilion Bird Army was annihilated, a mere Xu Zhe would naturally be unable to escape the Demon army.

"A battle array?" Hearing the term, everyone found it unfamiliar.

"Deputy Commander Lan, if we only know that the Demons possess battle arrays, it won't help us much, will it?" asked a battalion commander.

Lan Zhen nodded with a smile. "Naturally, which is why my old friend also informed me of the method to crack the battle arrays."

"Whoosh!"

Instantly, several battalion commanders sprang to their feet, their faces filled with shock and excitement.

Though they did not yet understand what a battle array truly was, since the Demons relied on it for victory, once the array was broken, the raw strength of the Demon army was fundamentally no match for the Vermilion Bird Army.

In that case, victory in this battle would be within their grasp!

"Deputy Commander Lan, how do we break this battle array?" Qin Wurong asked with excitement as well.

"It is actually quite simple. Powerful though their battle array may be, it ultimately has its limits. Once we concentrate our forces, forcefully carve out a breakthrough point within the Demon army, and plunge deep into their heartland, we can usurp the array's power amplification and turn it against the Demon army itself," Lan Zhen raised the corner of his mouth, smiling softly as absolute confidence radiated from his face.

"Deputy Commander Lan, this is the true key to victory! Why didn't you inform General Chu just now?" someone asked.

Only then did Lan Zhen retract his smile and shake his head. "Because this method has yet to be tested, and I lack absolute certainty. I cannot let the soldiers walk to their deaths, and therefore I must implore you all not to disclose this matter to General Chu for now."

With that, he lifted his chin slightly and spoke in a low voice, "Ultimately, this method is far too radical. Should it fail, the consequences will be unimaginable, and General Chu would likely never approve of us doing this. Therefore, I ask that you follow me until the day of the battle. If our army falls into a disadvantageous position, you will lead the soldiers and make a desperate last stand with me, charging straight into the heart of the Demon army. At that time, we shall sacrifice ourselves for a righteous cause—succeed or perish!"

"Agreed!" Several battalion commanders shouted, their blood boiling with fervor.

The rest pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

Qin Wurong hesitated somewhat; it wasn't out of fear of death, but rather a vague sense that something felt amiss.

Why must all of this be kept from General Chu?

Yet, as Lan Zhen had said, if these plans were presented to General Chu, none of them would likely be approved—especially this final method. Should it fail, the fallout would indeed be severe.

However, if this battle was lost and all three lines of defense in the Southern Territory were surrendered, the consequences would be identical.

……

"What a load of bullshit."

Meanwhile, Xu Zhe, who happened to be passing by the entrance of the tent, muttered to himself quietly before slipping away without a sound.

He hadn't really meant to eavesdrop; he had merely wanted to find the members of the Fifty-First Battalion to apologize and explain his impersonation of Chu Xiaotong.

Who could have known that following the auras of Qin Wurong and the Fifty-First Battalion's commanders would lead him all the way to Lan Zhen's tent?

And yet, he had inadvertently overheard Lan Zhen's "grand plan."

Wasn't this a coincidence?

Wasn't it indeed?