Chapter 650: Unnecessary Worry

Order within the city had collapsed, riots spreading like wildfire, while outside the prefectural office the clamor raged on—within the Hall of Military Command, however, there reigned a silence so profound it seemed to breathe with the stillness of death.

In that hall, Xu Yuan sat upon the principal seat once reserved for Li Junwu. Before him stood Huang Shiwu, and beside him, kneeling, were several men of the Nenghun Corps—men stripped of their armor, their voices sealed by spells, their eyes betraying a terror laced with injustice.

"Are these the officers who defected just now?"

Huang Shiwu bowed low.

"Yes. I have preserved a few to interrogate."

". . ."

His gaze swept over the men—each one silenced by magical seals, yet in their eyes burned a flicker of helpless anguish, of wronged innocence.

A pause. Then, with a weary gesture, Xu Yuan spoke, his voice thin with exhaustion.

"Interrogation is unnecessary. Simply detain them."

Huang Shiwu's eyes flickered with hesitation.

At this, Si Zijing, standing aside, emitted a cold snort:

"Given the third prince's experience, these people were not volunteers—they were controlled by sect members through some kind of magical technique."

"Magical technique?" Huang Shiwu furrowed his brows. "Such a large number?"

Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze from the several bound soul-strengthened men: "This is merely speculation, but still, thank you, Mr. Huang, for retrieving them. Delivering these samples back to Di'an might provide some reverse-engineered clues about that man's martial arts technique."

"Alright, let's set this aside for now. How is the situation within the city?"

With the third prince having made his assessment, Huang Shiwu said nothing further, carefully choosing his words and speaking softly:

"It's quite dire. After the Saint departed, when I flew low over the major trading houses' compounds, I saw everyone packing up and preparing to evacuate. And unrest has already broken out in certain parts of the city."

Upon hearing this, Si Zijing furrowed his brow slightly:

"Evacuating? With the protective celestial canopy now in place, where could those major trading houses' martial clans possibly go? Are their heads truly so lacking in foresight?"

"Huang Shiwu believes they were incited by someone."

"Provocation?"

"Provoked into gathering to force the imperial court, for from their perspective, staying within the city would mean certain death."

"Absurd."

Si Zijing's lips curled with a sardonic smile. "And yet, these people, who are merely merchants of the same household, don't understand the fundamental principle that no bird survives beneath a collapsing nest?"

Huang Shiwu glanced at him, speaking calmly:

"Master Si, you have been away from the common people for too long—so long that you no longer comprehend their motives."

"What do you mean by that, Huang Shiwu?" Si Zijing's brows furrowed.

"Enough."

Xu Yuan cut in, interrupting the rising argument.

At the sound of the third prince's words, both men fell silent, bowing their heads in deference.

His gaze swept over the heads of the two men, and Xu Yuan sighed slightly in his mind.

Is this what an uphill battle looks like?

Seeing the small, discerning signs of the great.

Even figures as prominent as Si Zi Jing and Huang Shiwei have begun to engage in these pointless arguments—how much more so the common folk below?

Yet he could understand their anxiety. If there was any chance at all for ordinary people to survive when the city fell, then these two transcendent beings—each of them fully beyond the realm of mortals—would be certain targets for the saints’ pursuit.

"The attitudes of those merchant guilds and martial factions are irrelevant. Now, the Western Prefecture City functions as a colossal logistics hub. Over sixty-seven percent of its population are mobile—chaos is inevitable. It is entirely natural that people would flee."

Huang Shiwei stepped aside slightly, bowed low, and offered his counsel:

"Third Prince, the Protective Sky Banner still stands. Even if lower-tier martial trainees incite unrest, it will not threaten the overall situation. The immediate priority is to prevent the panic from spreading to the military ranks. Once that is achieved, all will be well."

Xu Yuan waved a hand, replying:

"The Princess has already assigned Jin Tong to handle this matter. He will gather all units within the city to the prefectural hall's training ground."

Huang Shiwei paused briefly, then agreed:

"The morale among the troops is already fragile. If we send soldiers to suppress these martial practitioners, we might spread panic throughout the army. Your suggestion—of isolating the panic—is indeed a sound one."

Changing tone slightly, he added:

"But then, with no one stationed on the city walls, what if the uprising spreads? What if the martial practitioners damage the array patterns on the walls?"

Si Zi Jing shook his head and offered advice:

"The possible uprising within the city can be handled by you and me. The real concern, however, lies in the incoming swarm from outside."

Hearing their discussion, Xu Yuan cut through the debate with finality:

"The strike from Bai Di may have been visually overwhelming, but it did not damage the core of the array. The source crystals within the city remain abundant. The swarm won't breach the city in the near term. Our immediate priority is stabilizing troop morale.

"As for any possible uprising within the city, Si Master need only go alone. I will assign Zhou Chen to assist you."

Huang Shiwei hesitated slightly, then said:

"Third Prince, what would Master Huang do?"

Xu Yuan glanced at him, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips:

"You'd be likely to run into Xu Mengxi now—she seems to carry an imperial decree token and is currently maintaining order within the city."

Upon hearing this, Huang Shiwu lowered his eyes, speaking in a low, solemn tone:

"Master Xie's kindness is deeply appreciated, but among the merchant guilds and martial factions, there are many who have learned rudimentary military formations. This matter is of great significance and cannot afford any mistake. A single official like Sir Si is utterly insufficient to oversee the entire city."

"If you insist, then you two will operate in tandem—one openly, one covertly."

"And as for Si Zijing—don't forget to set up sealing traps, besides this matter."

Seeing that the arrangements were complete, Xu Yuan stood up from his chair, turning toward the door, and murmured softly:

"I'll go investigate the Lady's condition. You two may now go downstairs."

"Yes, Master."

The words fell, and with them, Si Zi Jing and Huang Shiwei, along with the handful of captured prisoners, vanished into the inner chambers of the Military Command Hall.

The front hall of the Command Hall was where General Jian Xian'an handled official business, while the back chamber—a specially constructed meditation room—was equipped with every auxiliary cultivation array designed to aid in spiritual refinement.

As Xu Yuan stepped inside, Li Junwu was seated in stillness, eyes closed, breathing in calm balance.

Upon entering, the sight of the inner armor discarded beside her immediately caused Xu Yuan's brow to furrow subtly.

She knew Li Junwu had been injured by the backlash of the military formation's power—but she hadn't expected the wound to be so severe.

Approaching her, Xu Yuan knelt and picked up the armor, studying it carefully before turning her gaze to its owner. Her narrow eyes slightly narrowed.

The delicate lashes of her closed eyes trembled faintly; her complexion was pale, yet there were no visible wounds upon her body. The fresh, uncoagulated stains, however, covered the surface of the armor almost entirely.

"Touching a woman's inner garments isn't exactly a good habit," Li Junwu's voice echoed in the vast, silent chamber, laced with a hint of teasing. "But considering the urgency of the military situation, I'll let this pass for now."

Xu Yuan met the woman's eyes, which had just opened—calm, unbothered, and detached.

"Looking back at my appearance, I thought the injury wasn't that severe."

Li Junwu, hearing this, didn't seem at all concerned. She reached up and tugged at her black robe, stirring with a flourish:

"This blood is from a secret healing technique—exuding from the internal armor. It clings to my body and is extremely uncomfortable. I've already removed it."

Smiling with half-closed eyes, she diverted the conversation: "Changtian, do you know any water-based techniques? Could you help me rinse this internal armor?"

Xu Yuan didn’t respond to her. Instead, he stared intently at the internal armor in his hands, speaking in a tone drawn from ancient lore:

"Inverse Fate Blood Healing—commonly used when vital organs and meridians are damaged, this healing method sacrifices one's life force to mend injuries. Its fundamental principle is accelerating the aging of internal organs and meridians, thereby achieving wound recovery."

Li Junwu’s eyes widened slightly, then quickly averted. She frowned, resentfully:

"Hmph. How could you possibly know everything?"

Xu Yuan said nothing, merely staring at her.

The chamber was thick with smoke, and the delicate fragrance of a woman drifted into his nostrils.

Li Junwu remained silent for several breaths, then sighed, slowly pushing himself up from the ground and standing tall, meeting his gaze with a helpless tone.

"Didn't we agree earlier? Given my prior injuries, I can barely stand—let alone step forward to steady the troops' morale."

"The more severe your injuries, the more it strengthens the cohesion of the Zhenxi Army."

"But that was under the condition that there were no spies in the Zhenxi Prefecture!"

"..."

A sudden, sharp sound echoed through the air, leaving Xu Yuan speechless.

The Princess, severely wounded in defense of the city walls—this very narrative could indeed shift the soldiers' perception of their entitled, pampered princess. Yet at this critical moment, it would instead become a dagger aimed directly at them.

Li Junwu took a deep breath, locking eyes with him, his voice firm and resolute:

"With no central figure to rally them, the Zhenxi Army will collapse. I must step forward—no matter how incapable I am of commanding a full regiment, I must make the soldiers believe I can lead!"

With the White Emperor's advance and the army in turmoil, only two solutions remained.

First, the lion-wolf ascended to disrupt the White Emperor, demonstrating that even within the city there exists a celestial guardian. Yet alas, the lion-wolf showed no desire to engage in mortal combat with the White Emperor, forcing Xu Yuan and Li Junwu to choose an alternative path.

Divine creation.

Though fraught with internal strife, there can be no denying that the Zhenxi Army remains the elite of the Great Yan.

The wavering morale within the city stems not from lack of strength, but from the absence of a commander capable of instilling in his troops a firm belief in inevitable victory.

Prior to this, under the calculated strategy of the Wencheng scholar, Xu Yuan and Li Junwu had already been compelled to eliminate the only two officers who commanded such revered authority.

Thus, they must now forge a new figure to restore stability.

Xu Yuan, as an outsider, is unfit for such a role. The Jin-family commander lacks sufficient prestige, and his martial techniques are insufficient to command an entire army. Therefore, only Li Junwu—the heir—can bear this burden.

With a slightly agitated hand, Xu Yuan rubbed his hair, then flung aside the blood-stained inner armor, sinking heavily onto the ground.

"Fine. I understand now. This is indeed what you were meant to do."

The inner armor clattered to the ground with a sharp, echoing sound.

Xu Yuan looked up at her, clad in a tailored black robe, and spoke calmly:

"You were worried about certain matters—everything has already been arranged. The unrest within the city is being handled by Huang Shiwei and his men. As for the various divisions of the Second Garrison, they will all gather at the magistrate's office within half an hour."

Upon hearing this, Li Junwu smiled faintly, bent down, and gently touched the hem of her skirt at the back of her hips, slowly sitting beside him, and softly asked:

"Given the situation just now, the White Emperor's retreat suggests there must be internal dissent on the other side, doesn't it?"

Xu Yuan scoffed, turning to look at him:

"You're quite sharp on this point."

Li Junwu raised her chin:

"A matter so simple, I still managed to see through it."

"The six sages aren't merely divided—they're in open conflict. Have you noticed that?"

"Hmm?"

"It seems I'm still not clever enough."

"Tsk." Li Junwu furrowed his brow in displeasure, nudging him with a shoulder. "You must be keeping something from me."

Xu Yuan’s eyes crinkled as he cast a sidelong, laughing glance. "Now you wrong me. I even told you about the Levitation Stone ring, so how could I possibly still hide anything from you?"

As he spoke, Xu Yuan’s gaze lowered slightly, inexplicably recalling scenes of his time with that woman in Beifeng City. He chuckled softly and said:

"Though if a woman is too clever, she becomes rather difficult to handle instead."

Li Junwu stared at his profile for several breaths, then let out a cold snort:

"It seems things are not entirely harmonious between the Prince Consort and the Princess."

Xu Yuan’s eyes widened slightly; he did not deny it, but instead teased with a hint of surprise:

"You actually managed to tell who I was talking about. You truly are a woman after all, your intuition is quite sharp."

Li Junwu’s eyelid twitched as she grumbled in irritation:

"It wasn't just intuition—someone who could make such a judgment with such tone? Besides Li Qingyan, who else could it be?"

With that, she waved her hand impatiently:

"Are you still playing games at this point? Just say it already."

"It's too complicated to explain."

After muttering a quiet complaint, Xu Yuan still went ahead and laid out the relationship between the Six Saints before his younger brother.

After listening carefully, Li Junwu murmured softly:

"The family of the Insect Saint was merely a disposable pawn recruited by the sect, while the two Saints from the sect's side harbor mutual enmity with the Lord of the Ancient Abyss. Is that what you mean?"

"Hmm."

Xu Yuan nodded with a smile: "The Monarch's Hall has a bit of empty rhetoric, but they've always taken a ruthless stance toward outsiders. If they ever get the chance to kill the Lord of the Ancient Abyss, they would never pass it up."

"Where exactly is the empty rhetoric in the Monarch's Hall's philosophy?"

A faintly displeased voice suddenly rose from behind them. Turning around, they saw Tian Ye, bearing the face of Tian Yan, standing silently behind them, arms crossed over her chest, eyes gleaming with a soft smile.

Having seen this demoness again just a few short hours prior, Xu Yuan casually tapped the space beside him, indicating she should sit down.

Tian Ye didn't refuse, and upon sitting, spoke softly:

"For this philosophy, the Monastery of Heavenly Oversight has seen generation after generation perish."

"Wait, I mean now—now humanity has flourished." Xu Yuan retorted sharply. "So the Monastery of Heavenly Oversight emerging now isn't just about power and ambition?"

Tian Ye tilted her head, pondered a moment, then smiled gently:

"You're right, that does sound plausible."

"Exactly."

Xu Yuan exhaled slowly, his voice low as he asked, "You appear now—what do you intend to do?"

Tian Ye replied without hesitation, speaking casually:

"Come here, I'll pass on some information—I heard it while wandering around the city earlier."

Xu Yuan felt a flicker of surprise:

"Are you really helping me?"

"You say that, and I'll be truly hurt, you know," Tian Ye displayed a pitiful, sorrowful expression, but then burst into laughter. "Honestly, you'll find out about this anyway soon, so telling you now doesn't violate my principles at all."

"What about it?"

"It's about the rumors circulating among the Western Army now."

Tian Ye propped her chin on her hand, feigning deep thought, and whispered softly:

"It's come from somewhere unknown—some say the sages were actually sent for you and your concubine. That as soon as you're handed over, they'll withdraw."

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes:

"Could it be that those soldiers truly believe in such a 'territorial surrender for peace' rumor?"

"Who made your family's reputation so tarnished?"

"Ha ha."

"The schemes of that man across the way are truly interconnected, one leading to the next."

Tian Ye tilted her head, her long, slender finger tapping gently against her cheek. "What are you going to do about it? If this continues, the entire second district will turn against you, the third son of the Imperial Clan—after all, you're just an outsider."

"It won't happen."

"Hmm?" Tian Ye glanced across at Li Junwu, through Xu Yuan.

Li Junwu didn't look at her. Instead, he murmured softly:

"If it's just a rumor, then let us add a little spice to it."

"Ah~"

Tian Ye drew out her voice, eyes narrowing at this little girl. "Do you intend to include your own princess in it too?"

"Yeah."

"But it's already spreading too fast—this rumor moves with terrifying speed."

"So I have to rely on you," Xu Yuan suddenly interjected, looking at Tian Ye.

"No."

Tian Ye simply turned her face away.

"." Tian Yan.

"." Tian Ye.

"."

"."

A moment passed, and Tian Ye turned her head back, reluctantly speaking:

"Alright, alright, don't go grabbing his body—this time I'll help him out."

As he spoke,

Tian Ye rose gracefully, a smile playing on her lips:

"Xu Yuan brother, remember to thank Tian Yan little sister~"

With those words, Tian Ye's slender, graceful form began to fade, eventually vanishing into the chamber.

Seeing Tian Ye gone, Li Junwu had no further intention of lingering. He stood up and turned to Xu Yuan:

"Long Tian, let's get ready too."

Xu Yuan nodded with a smile, rising along with him, and at the same time picked up the blood-stained inner armor beside him, using his inner energy to peel away the stains:

"Forgot your inner armor."

Li Junwu stared at the fitted inner armor for a moment, then suddenly bowed his eyes with a mischievous grin:

"Uh, here, take this inner armor."

"Ha?"

"Isn't it surprising that I wouldn't want to give you my personal clothing?"

"Vomiting."

Xu Yuan feigned a gag.

Li Junwu rolled his eyes and said:

"Does it matter? The array patterns on this one can't support even a single military unit. I'll have to go to the treasury and get a better one."

"."

Xu Yuan, holding the inner armor, instinctively stopped in his tracks.

Li Junwu took a few steps forward and noticed that the other had not followed. He turned back, puzzled and scolded:

"What are you standing there for?"

The air was silent, the vast chamber illuminated only by the flickering array patterns.

After a moment of stillness, Xu Yuan suddenly smiled, casually slipping his inner armor into the Suomi Seal, and hurried to catch up:

"There's nothing—just remembered something suddenly."

Li Junwu didn't suspect a thing, quipping:

"Mysterious as always."

But before he could finish, he found himself caught by the back of his wrist. Li Junwu's gaze paused for an instant, then heard Xu Yuan's voice from behind:

"Are you planning to activate the military formation again?"

"Ah?"

"Didn't you change into your inner armor to adapt to a larger formation?" Xu Yuan tightened his grip slightly on her wrist.

Li Junwu frowned, glaring at him sideways with a mixture of scolding and amused eyes.

"Earlier you said I'm not smart. Then, shouldn't we play our part properly?"

"The girl and I both value our lives—having spent only a few years in this western county town as children, we wouldn't die for it. You can't take me away with you just because things have gone wrong."

As she spoke,

Li Junwu's gaze remained calm. He lifted his other hand, clenched it, and gently struck his chest once. In a soft, quiet voice, he murmured:

"Your worries are rather excessive, Long Tian."