Chapter 100: Turmoil in Luyang City

Wu Gang drifted back to consciousness in the morning light. A surge of pain, like an incoming tide, washed over his left arm and flooded his brain, forcing a cry from his lips.

He usually prided himself on being a tough guy and would never let out such a sound unless the pain was truly unbearable. A real man was as hard as steel; what was a mere flesh wound? But, believing he was in his own room, he had let his guard down. Then, another voice reached his ears.

"He's awake? Master Wu is awake!" It was a young girl’s voice.

Since when were there young girls in an army camp?

Wu Gang blushed, straining to suppress the agony. Before long, a young woman approached his bedside, accompanied by a child named Xiao Sha. After returning, Xiao Sha had also fallen unconscious; upon waking, he had searched for Wu Gang. When he heard that Wu Gang had lost an arm, the lively child had suddenly turned silent, sitting outside the door for hours, quietly polishing his blade. Wu Gang was the first cultivator from Luyang Academy to take notice of him and speak to him.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Sha asked.

Though his face was flushed with effort, Wu Gang remained stubborn. "No!"

Xiao Sha grinned, showing his teeth. "Amazing! As expected of a master from Luyang Academy!"

Seeing the boy's look of admiration, Wu Gang felt a surge of pride, but a slight movement of his upper body reignited the pain in his arm. "Hiss..."

"Master, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing." The tough guy’s face turned bright red. "Why... why are you here? Where are the others?"

"You mean Master Chen and Master Yu? They are discussing matters with the General."

Xiao Sha had left out two names. Wu Gang suddenly remembered. It seemed they had returned to Desheng Pass, but what about Gu Yi and Shu Le? And he would have to live with only one arm from now on, doing everything with just one hand.

...

People came and went in the courtyard. A diligent girl from General Ji’s army had been assigned to care for the injured Luyang Academy master. Wu Gang sat at a wooden table in the yard, his left arm exposed and bandaged. Beside him was the girl who was changing his dressing; her name was Caiye. Like Xiao Sha, she was just a child, though a few years older.

Having lived in the border army for so long, she had developed a weathered, swarthy complexion just like Xiao Sha, and constant labor had left her thin. The only thing that still sparkled about her was her eyes, which remained full of spirit. Xiao Sha squatted nearby, counting the flowers in the courtyard. Both children were saddened by Wu Gang’s condition, yet Wu Gang continued to play the part of the tough guy, refusing to shed a single tear—he didn't even furrow his brow.

This was his pride. It was also the pride of Luyang Academy. Just like Shu Le.

"Who is Gu Yue?" Wu Gang suddenly opened his eyes and asked.

Caiye’s movements faltered. "Why do you ask, Master?"

"Nothing," Wu Gang said calmly. "She took my arm. I need to get it back from her later."

Xiao Sha glanced over upon hearing this. "So it was Gu Yue. An arm isn't hair; it won't grow back once lost. You must demand payment for this debt."

Caiye kindly reminded the two: "Gu Yue is a general from the Li Kingdom who just arrived at Fenggu Pass. Given her cultivation, she must be at the Soul-Guarding Realm. However, we have never heard of a General Gu Yue in the Li Kingdom before. 'Gu' corresponds to the Hu clan, so General Ji suspects she is a member of the Li royal family."

Demanding a debt from a Li royal was no simple matter. But after hearing this, Wu Gang felt even more motivated. "Then I must take it back even more! I'll just catch a princess and bring her back to Luyang while I'm at it!"

Hearing this, the young, hot-blooded Xiao Sha cheered, "I’ll go with you, Master, to catch the princess! Let’s collect your debt!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a slender leg appeared at the threshold of the courtyard, and a figure stepped in. "Which princess are you planning to catch?"

The Seventh Princess walked in, accompanied by Chen Mingguang.

Wu Gang was startled. "W-we were talking about a Li princess."

"Don't be so reckless. Focus on healing. Is a Li princess someone you can just catch on a whim?"

The two had come to check on Wu Gang after hearing he was awake. The injury wouldn't kill him, but losing an arm was a heavy blow. Fortunately, it seemed Wu Gang had not lost his will to live. The Seventh Princess couldn't help but feel a surge of pride for Luyang Academy once again.

"How are you feeling?" Chen Mingguang asked gently as he stepped forward.

"Not bad. Won't die."

Chen Mingguang seemed even more concerned than Wu Gang. He opened his mouth several times but didn't know what to say. Relying on the silent bond between brothers, he handed over something Wu Gang needed: a brief letter.

"This was smuggled out by our people inside Fenggu Pass. The person who hurt you is named Gu Yue. She was recently titled General of the Xu Campaign. The original defender of Fenggu Pass, Gu Feng, is now under her command."

"She replaced the original general?" Wu Gang was shocked and hurriedly opened the letter.

The Seventh Princess walked slowly, her hands folded in front of her. "The Gu family is a prominent clan in the Li Kingdom. Gu Feng is at the Return-to-Origin Realm and has been their most outstanding descendant for decades, which is why he has always guarded a strategic point like Fenggu Pass. We don't know where this Gu Yue came from, but for someone so young to make Gu Feng submit, she must be of the Hu lineage."

The information matched the letter.

"So, she really is Li royalty." Wu Gang struggled to grasp the idea. "But the Li Emperor is a girl, and she herself isn't much older than this Gu Yue..."

All three were startled, suddenly realizing a possibility.

"Is she the Li Emperor?!"

The Seventh Princess did not agree. "The key to the war between Xu and Li lies in Xingyuan City. If Xingyuan falls, Luyang has no defenses left. Desheng Pass is ten times harder to attack than Xingyuan. Therefore, Guqing River has never been a primary target for either side. Putting aside whether the Li Emperor would leave Xiaqiu City, even if she did, why would she come to Desheng Pass? It’s dangerous, and what would she gain?"

Chen Mingguang added, "Furthermore, we believe the Great Rain Palace is more important than the Li royal family. A Li Emperor might not be as significant as a Guardian of the Great Rain Palace."

"What worries us most now is the return of Shu Yu to Fenggu Pass. She is the Left Guardian of the Great Rain Palace. Neither Shu Le nor Gu Yi are her match..."

At the mention of those two, Wu Gang grew anxious. He hadn't asked yet, but he sensed something from Chen Mingguang’s expression. Perhaps out of a refusal to give up, he asked anyway: "Where are they?"

His question was met with a brief silence. A look of deep sorrow crossed the Seventh Princess's face.

"We must rely on ourselves!" That was what she thought, and what she said.

*Slap!*

Wu Gang struck the wooden table hard, startling Caiye into silence. Chen Mingguang was equally furious. They had set out with the eyes of all of Luyang City upon them! A deputy pavilion master and a renowned immortal-talented scholar—to have already lost track of them in the very first battle, their lives hanging in the balance. This was a massive loss for the Xu Kingdom; if word spread through the army, morale would surely plummet.

"Other than a fight to the death, there is only a fight to the death."

The Seventh Princess was frank. "I haven't sent word to Luyang yet. I don't believe they are dead."

However, she had forgotten that General He Jiang was a soldier who knew nothing of politics or strategy. In peacetime, he was an honest man, and on the day of the incident, he had already sent a letter to Luyang. The thought of not reporting a major change to the Emperor had never even crossed his mind.

And so, in the palace in Luyang, the Emperor of Xu flew into a rage. Even the highly favored Eunuch Bei was so terrified he crawled on the ground, not daring to move or make a sound.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your health is of the utmost importance."

"See for yourself! How can I calm my anger!"

The paper the Emperor threw drifted to the floor. Eunuch Bei crawled over to take a look. "It says that Shu Le and Ma Yuan went missing during the battle, their fates unknown."

Ma Yuan was still in Luyang, and they knew of his connection to Gu Yi. It was obvious: Gu Yi was gone. If an immortal-talented scholar met with disaster, it would inevitably shake the morale of the army. It was only natural for the Emperor to be furious.

Eunuch Bei suddenly remembered that the Seventh Princess was still at the front lines!

The Emperor rubbed his temples and pondered. "First, reassure General He Jiang at Desheng Pass. Tell him I am aware of the situation and will send reinforcements at the appropriate time. Order him to hold the pass at all costs. No mistakes allowed."

"Also..." The Emperor paused. The eunuch holding the brush was confused, but he stayed hunched over the desk, not daring to move.

"Never mind. Bei, go to Luyang Academy. Bring Xiao Si to see me."

Eunuch Bei scrambled up and ran out.

"Come back!" The Emperor had considered another layer.

"Your Majesty?"

The Emperor thought that if Xiao Si were moved, it would inevitably pique the curiosity of those in Luyang City. They might suspect something major had happened, and before long, news of the missing scholar could leak, causing panic!

"That idiot He Jiang!" The Emperor couldn't help but curse. "All he does is give me problems!"

"Go! Bring Xiao Si here!"

After much contemplation, the Emperor remained deeply worried for the safety of the Seventh Princess.