Yun Qiang was about to fall asleep when someone else entered the room.
"You are awake?"
Yun Qiang recognized the voice.
"Lee Shang."
His eyes snapped open as he immediately got out of bed. His voice was filled with hostility.
"Here to seek revenge for your brother?"
Lee Shang trembled. At first, he still had some plans for revenge; however, after hearing that his group had killed Tian Lao and his subordinates, this thought disappeared. He knew that if Yun Qiang could kill Tian Lao, then he was no match for him.
"No..." He put his hands up, showing he had no weapons.
"Superior Lord Liang Wei gave me a list and told me to bring them to the commander tent for a meeting."
Yun Qiang stared at him. If Lee Shang used anyone else's name, Yun Qiang wouldn't believe him. However, Lee Shang had used Liang Wei's name. There was no way a coward like him would dare to use Wei's name to plot against him.
"Ok. I will be there after going to the treasury."
Lee Shang blocked him.
"These are Liang Wei's orders. You can't disobey."
Yun Qiang looked him in the eyes. Killing intent shone within them; he hadn't forgotten what Lee Shang had done in the past.
"How many people do you have left?"
Lee Shang felt a chill run down his spine.
"N- Nine."
Yun Qiang bypassed him.
"Then I have enough time."
He got out of the tent and started walking towards the treasury. Before anything bad happened, he wanted to cash in his points and buy a Golden Core pill, securing the completion of the first stage of the Qi element for himself.
Ten minutes later...
Yun Qiang walked inside the commander tent. He had his hair tied back into a small bun, his face was serious as if he felt no emotions. This, coupled with his slow walk and his straight back, gave off a clean and disciplined aura. Only his slightly rusted armor tainted this image, giving him a lived look.
As he walked inside, he quickly scanned his surroundings. The tent was extremely spacious and was decorated with various pieces of furniture, both for leisure and for military purposes. The central pieces of the room were a finely carved Go board to the right of the entrance and a table filled with documents and sigils at the center of the room.
He shifted his gaze to the people who were present. Seven captains had already arrived before him.
Even if he couldn't see Liang Wei or the commander, he didn't relax. He knew someone was keeping an eye on them. There was no way the commander had left that many military documents out in the open where every curious captain could gaze at them.
He exchanged a few pleasantries with the other captains before putting himself into position, forming a line with them.
In the span of ten minutes, two other captains joined them, occasionally breaking the silence that had formed in the room with their presentations.
When the tenth captain fell in line, an oppressive aura spread out from the commander's table at the center of the room, and two figures appeared before their eyes.
One of them was an old man with a lived and rough face. His body was neither thin nor robust; however, the terrifying aura that he exuded made his identity obvious. He was the commander of this army and the owner of the Rainy Fort.
Yun Qiang couldn't help but tense his body. Just by standing in front of the Army Commander, he could hear some faint battle cries in the distance.
This was what made Nascent Soul cultivators special. Their auras didn't just oppress their surroundings but also caused hallucinations to those around them.
Shivers ran down Yun Qiang's spine. If he could already hear sounds in the distance, he couldn't imagine what he would see if the Fort Commander decided to unleash his complete aura before them.
The man that stood beside the commander wore a black and white robe. His facial features were delicate, giving him a feminine look. However everyone knew his identity as a male and would never dare to make fun of him. This was Liang Wei.
Liang Wei wasn't releasing his aura. This was to show courtesy to the Army Commander. Besides, Liang Wei was one major realm below the Army commander. If he showed his strength, he would only embarrass himself in front of a stronger cultivator. So he silently stood by the Army Commander's side, signaling to others that he could stand beside someone powerful and so he required an equal amount of respect from them.
"We greet the Army Commander Lu Bo and Superior Lord Wei."
Their greetings were done in a military manner, bowing while keeping the points of their weapons down. Their titles were also derived from military etiquette. Every Nascent Soul who led an army was called an Army Commander, while the Soul Wandering cultivators who supported the commander were called Superior Lords.
Lu Bo spoke, his voice was decisive and clear.
"I will be brief. Our spies have reported that Tian Jian has dispatched his forces north to reinforce Astarian Fort. If those reinforcements reach the fort, the enemy's strength will increase significantly. We would be forced to halt our advance and delay the attack.
"Superior Lord Liang Wei will lead a small force to intercept them before they reach Astarian Fort. You and your teams have been specifically chosen to accompany him. Gather your men and prepare to depart immediately."
He gazed at them.
"Any questions?"
Silence followed.
Yun Qiang hadn't expected anything else. Even if the captains had various doubts about this plan, they wouldn't voice them. What the commander said was law. It had to be done.
Lu Bo nodded.
"Go."
Yun Qiang felt a force pushing on him, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself outside the commander tent. He looked around. Every captain had a different reaction; however, most of them looked calm. Clearly, they were veterans who were used to this kind of thing.
For a second, the ten captains locked eyes with each other before leaving simultaneously. There was little time to exchange goodbyes. They had to go and gather their subordinates.
Yun Qiang also walked away. On the outside, he looked calm, his face full of indifference; however, he was fuming inside.
Specifically chosen, uh?
Rage seeped into his heart.
Before, he could have dismissed this as bad luck, but now that he knew about Sun's past, there was no way he could ignore something like this. Liang Wei was clearly targeting them. Besides, Liang Wei had also leaked out fake news about him being an injured talent, basically putting a target on Yun Qiang's back.
It was reasonable to think that his team would get targeted by the enemy in the incoming battle.
He bit his lips in frustration. His gaze moved towards his space ring.
At least I managed to get some supplies.
Before going to the meeting, he had stopped at the treasury, managing to buy a Golden Core pill and a few healing pills and herbs.
Even if these items were important to him, they made for a meager consolation.
He let out an exasperated sigh.
Liang Wei...
Five minutes later.
Ten teams stood in formation in the southern corner of the camp. Two Golden Core cultivators whom Yun Qiang didn't recognize stood before them, while Liang Wei took the leading position.
Liang Wei turned around. He was holding a small fan in his hand, giving him the refined and intelligent look of a strategist.
"Our march starts now."
His clear voice rang out across the formation.
Without another word, they began moving, leaving the camp behind as they set out on their mission.
- Astarian Fortress -
Tian Judao leisurely sipped some tea, his face was calm and relaxed. If someone didn't know his situation, they would never guess that an army was camping just one day away from his fortress.
"So you have decided to accept his invitation?"
His son Tian Jian was sitting in front of him, his left hand resting on the handle of his sword as if seeking comfort from it.
"Yes, father."
Tian Judao casually sipped his tea.
"You know why he did this. What are your plans to stop him?"
His eyes studied Tian Jian. He wanted to know if he was truly prepared for what was coming.
"Just like him, I have hired someone to help me. Since he decided to send an assassin after me, then I will do the same."
Tian Jian looked his father straight in the eyes. His eyes shone with determination and gave off an almost palpable sharp feeling, as if someone was staring at an arsenal filled with swords.
Tian Judao closed his eyes.
"Then go, but be careful. He could have set up an array in the vicinity."
Tian Jian took up his cup and drank the now-cold tea, then got up to leave.
However, as he was about to leave, his father spoke again.
"Take the youngest with you. A Duel of Fate is a good way to build up his reputation."
Tian Jian hesitated. If his younger brother managed to win his Duel of Fate, then it would be a huge achievement. However, if his brother lost, then he would lose his life.
"Father... How did the tea taste today?"
His father looked down, his face lost in thought as he stared at the cup before him.
"Bitter. Extremely bitter... but I can taste a strange sweetness hidden behind it."
Tian Jian sighed. His expression was full of doubt.
"I will do as you wish... but is it worth it?"
There was a moment of silence before Tian Judao responded.
"The last time my tea was sweet was when you were born. It has been twenty years. Yes, it is worth it."
Tian Jian nodded, the doubt in his eyes quickly disappearing as he walked out of the door.
When he was outside, his expression had completely changed. There was no doubt on it, only a cold and sharp determination.
He found the nearest subordinate.
"Go and call for my brother. We move out immediately."
Inside the room, Tian Judao stared at his tea. The confidence that he had shown to his son just a few moments ago was gone, replaced with a pensive gaze.
"Is it worth it?"
During his adventuring time as a youth, he had found a strange skill in a tomb.
This skill was a tea ceremony that would change the taste of the tea according to a question he made during the ceremony.
The question couldn't be something extremely specific. However, this skill had never betrayed him, and it had even allowed him to come out on top during critical confrontations.
This time, his question was simple.
"Is the Duel of Fate favorable to the Tian family?"
And the answer was bitter. Extremely bitter. However, behind the bitterness, he had tasted a sweet flavor. A sweet but balanced flavor similar to the taste of high-quality tea.
The extremely bitter taste meant that a great sacrifice would be required, while the sweet aftertaste meant that his family would be blessed with great fortune.
But even with this knowledge, Tian Judao still hesitated when making this choice. Considering the context, a great sacrifice could only mean the death of his son. While the large fortune probably meant the honor of winning the war or gaining new territories for his family to manage.
In the end, he had chosen to send both his sons to the Duel of Fate.
Was this the right choice?
Tian Judao didn't know.
However, now that he had made a choice, he couldn't turn back.
His years spent leading an army had turned him this way. Whatever he did was without hesitation.
Now that he had given out his orders, he wouldn't change them.
A day later, Liang Wei's and Tian Jian's armies met.