Chapter 148: What the Hell, So Ruthless

Bang!

A muffled explosion suddenly resounded from one of the Fierce-Feather Boats, wood chips flying everywhere as a figure burst out.

"Xu Tianjiao, this old man has been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Dressed in red armor and exuding an imposing, overwhelming aura, Deputy Commander Liu appeared right before everyone's eyes.

"Liu Wumou, you... you're not dead?"

Lan Zhen's eyes widened on the spot, his expression altering drastically.

"What? Deputy Commander Liu isn't dead?"

"Didn't he choose to detonate his core and self-destruct during his previous battle with the Tiger-Head Demon King?"

"Hahaha, so Deputy Commander Liu faked his death!"

"It seems they knew long ago that Lan Zhen was acting suspiciously, so Deputy Commander Liu faked his death to flush out this traitor Lan Zhen!"

"This was worth it!"

After a moment of stunned silence, the many soldiers of the Vermilion Bird Army broke into joyful smiles.

The news that Deputy Commander Liu was alive was an immensely great piece of news for everyone.

The crucial part was that Lan Zhen had delivered himself right to the Vermilion Bird Army's doorstep. With Deputy Commander Liu stepping up now, Lan Zhen probably wouldn't even stand a chance to escape.

"Lan Zhen, you have disappointed me too much. When General Chu and Xu Tianjiao came to discuss this plan with me earlier, I still thought they had misunderstood you. I never expected that you truly are a traitor." Liu Wumou's gaze was sharp and piercing as he stared intently at Lan Zhen.

Although he was also at the early stage of the Tribulation Crossing realm, his actual combat strength was solidly above Lan Zhen's.

After all, in terms of age, Liu Wumou was five to six hundred years older than Lan Zhen. In both combat experience and mastery of Dharma techniques, he was vastly superior to Lan Zhen.

"You knew all along?"

At this moment, Lan Zhen felt an immediate sense of impending doom, his complexion turning extremely pale.

He had actually been exposed from the very beginning, and even his return to the battlefield this time was anticipated?

Without time to overthink, Lan Zhen instinctively turned to run, but Liu Wumou had already descended to the ground, directly blocking his retreat path.

"Get out of the way!"

Lan Zhen let out a furious roar and lunged forward with frantic desperation.

Liu Wumou maintained a expressionless face, coldly raising the heavy saber in his hand. Layers of blade shadows instantly covered dozens of meters of the ground, completely isolating the battlefield between the Vermilion Bird Army soldiers and the demon army from the immediate surroundings.

Lan Zhen was also dragged into that independent domain, and the two clashed fiercely in direct combat, their movements reaching the absolute extreme of speed until they were almost a blur.

"No major issues!"

After observing for a brief moment, Xu Zhe could essentially foresee Lan Zhen's inevitable defeat.

Ever since he discovered that Lan Zhen was a traitor and informed Chu Xiaotong, the two of them had long since arranged a series of plans.

Liu Wumou's faked death and self-destruction had been performed using a temporary avatar. Moreover, to ensure the avatar's authenticity could not be seen through, both Xu Zhe and Chu Xiaotong had joined forces.

Because Xu Zhe only knew that Lan Zhen would execute his plan after the Vermilion Bird Army fell into a disadvantage, but a disadvantage for the Vermilion Bird Army meant massive casualties.

Therefore, rather than passively waiting and allowing Vermilion Bird Army soldiers to die miserably just to implement Lan Zhen's plan, it was far better to proactively manufacture such an illusion for Lan Zhen.

After much deliberation, what could possibly make someone feel that all hope was lost more than the combat death of a deputy commander?

Thus, Deputy Commander Liu's faked death made Lan Zhen see an opportunity, causing him to immediately show himself.

However, the fact that Lan Zhen had fled and then returned was not actually within Xu Zhe's expectations.

Yet he also believed that if he continued to perform, the demon race would definitely take action. Even if they didn't send Lan Zhen, they would certainly dispatch other demon kings.

Therefore, when the Tiger-Head Demon King arrived, Xu Zhe had utilized Chu Xiaotong's avatar.

Because Deputy Commander Liu was no match for the Tiger-Head Demon King.

But now that Lan Zhen had arrived, playing the card of Deputy Commander Liu was entirely appropriate.

Of course, Xu Zhe was a cautious person after all.

Even though Chu Xiaotong had repeatedly emphasized that Liu Wumou was completely trustworthy, Xu Zhe had still run over overnight to test Liu Wumou several times, employing various schemes including even a honey trap. The results proved that Liu Wumou was indeed an upright man.

At this moment, watching the fierce battle between Deputy Commander Liu and Lan Zhen reach a boiling point, Xu Zhe lost interest in watching.

Meanwhile, the evenly matched clash between the Vermilion Bird army and the demon army was gradually shifting into an advantage for the Vermilion Bird Army.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Zhe decided not to participate in the slaughter any longer.

After all, his path was not the Dao of Slaughter; his main focus remained on cultivation of the mind.

Therefore, after observing the battle situation, Xu Zhe began to quietly move toward the rear of the demon army, striving to find an opportunity to investigate who on earth was casting tactical formations for the demon forces.

...

Meanwhile.

At the far rear of the third defensive line battlefield.

The logistics squad led by Gu Jia'er had become completely idle.

Two hours had passed.

It had been two full hours since the last wounded soldier was sent over.

Ever since Xu Zhe deployed those intermediate tactical formations, the casualty rate of the Vermilion Bird Army had plummeted instantly.

Any wounded soldiers would recover and heal shortly after.

As for those who had died... there was no saving them; they could only wait until the battle ended to clear the battlefield and retrieve the remains.

Yet such an exceptionally low casualty rate still exceeded everyone's expectations.

"This guy is simply too miraculous. Did he really lead tens of millions of people to victory all by himself?" Gu Jia'er watched the battlefield from afar, expressing heartfelt admiration.

Behind her, a figure in a black robe stood quietly, looking extremely indistinct and hazy.

"What a pity, his cultivation is still a bit lacking, and he needs time to grow. But we don't have much time left." The black-robed figure let out a soft sigh.

Gu Jia'er showed no surprise whatsoever at the presence of the black-robed figure; instead, she smiled and said, "Drop the word 'we'. The moment I walked out of the Burial Immortal Valley, I essentially quit. Don't drag me back into this mess."

"Are you certain you want to give up just like this? Are you willing to have your life stall out right here?" the black-robed figure asked in a deep voice.

"I tried, but it's too difficult. Trapped inside the Burial Immortal Valley for these past few centuries, I've thought about it countless times. If we had truly managed to leave back then, it might not have been a good thing after all," Gu Jia'er sighed.

"Not a good thing?" The black-robed figure couldn't help letting out a cold laugh, seeming utterly bewildered and deeply disdainful of Gu Jia'er's statement.

"I'm not saying this just because I couldn't achieve it, but rather because I suddenly realized: if we were to genuinely face an unfamiliar new environment—one vastly broader and far more perilous than our current world—I don't think it would suit me."

Gu Jia'er gazed deeply into the battlefield, suddenly offering a smile: "At the end of the day, I am merely an ordinary woman. Finding someone to cherish in this lifetime and peacefully living out the rest of my days in this place sounds pretty good too."

"Hah, finding someone to cherish? That's quite a novel thought. Have you found one yet? You surely don't mean Xu Zhe, do you?" the black-robed figure mocked derisively.

Gu Jia'er didn't mind the other's attitude; instead, she looked surprised and asked, "How did you know?"

"Damn it, I fucking guessed it. You superficial women only care about looks." The black-robed figure was utterly exasperated, glaring fiercely at Gu Jia'er as he said, "You absolute stand no chance. Xu Zhe would never fancy you."

"Impossible." Gu Jia'er smiled with absolute confidence: "Back when we were in the Burial Immortal Valley, he even said he wanted to ride me."

"Holy shit, for real? Did that guy really change that much? Then you..." the black-robed figure asked, raising his brows and rolling his eyes.

"I miscalculated at the time and subconsciously acted coy by rejecting him. I never expected him to be such a scoundrel who wouldn't even ask a second time. I took a massive loss," Gu Jia'er recalled the past, speaking with profound heartache.

"That truly exceeds my expectations. It seems everyone has changed quite a bit." The black-robed figure chuckled softly before lowering his voice once more: "I heard you guys started investigating Zhu Chongli's matter again? Wasn't there nothing wrong with that guy? Why start looking into it out of nowhere?"

"Zhu Chongli..." Gu Jia'er pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "I only just returned not long ago, so I'm not entirely clear on the details, but I heard there's something slightly amiss with him, and they need to investigate him once more."

"Whose idea was it? Did Big Brother Chu... cough, Brother Tong lead the charge?"

"It wasn't her. She's been acting strange lately too, seemingly sharing the exact same goal as me, and she's even vaguely being wrapped around Xu Zhe's finger."

"Damn it, no way. My Brother Tong is a staunch, iron-willed hero; how could... Never mind, come to think of it, that's not entirely impossible either."

"All right, you should get going. Try not to come looking for me to chat in the future either; I'm afraid Xu Zhe will see and misunderstand."

"What a heartless bitch!" The black-robed figure cursed harshly, yet actually turned around immediately to leave: "I'm out of here. Since Brother Tong isn't the one leading the reinvestigation, it's definitely that guy."

Resourceful woman: "Are you really leaving, Wang Jianguo? Aren't you going to say hello to your Brother Zhe?"

Wang Jianguo: "Say hello my ass, I'm afraid he'll beat me to death. Do me a favor and watch your step—make sure you don't accidentally slip and leak my whereabouts in front of him."

Resourceful woman: "Rest assured, I certainly won't under normal circumstances. But if we're in bed, I can't guarantee anything."