The Many Faces Before Battle (continued)

Yan Jinghong stepped forward and said, "This battle is extremely dangerous. The Myriad Gu Witch Ancestor will definitely stop at nothing to prevent us from repairing the Divine Pillar. Please be prepared for the consequences."

"That's natural. If we weren't prepared to sacrifice, we wouldn't be here," Xue Buqi said calmly.

"The chivalrous men of today, though their actions may not conform to the law, are always true to their word, resolute in their deeds, and faithful to their promises. They do not cherish their own lives, rushing to the aid of those in distress, having already disregarded life and death, yet they do not boast of their abilities."

Yu Shuying suddenly spoke, then addressed the people of Li State: "It seems your country doesn't have many chivalrous individuals."

Due to years of war, many Spirit Transformation Grandmaster of the Li State have died in battle, and the number on the surface is less than thirty. Moreover, not everyone obeys the orders of the court. But even if only half of them come, there are more than just the people in front of us.

Si Ming glanced at her, a suspicion rising in his heart. Although Yu Shuying was usually sarcastic and sharp-tongued, she had changed a lot now, at least she wouldn't act recklessly without considering the occasion.

At times like this, making sarcastic remarks is pointless and only creates discord between people. Those who didn't come won't hear them, and it will only discourage those who came to help.

Sure enough, two of the Spirit Transformation Grandmaster of the Li State Transformation Realm who came to help immediately felt their Blood Qi surge and their faces turn red, whether from shame or anger, it was hard to tell; the others also showed displeasure.

Mu Wu's expression remained unchanged as he reassured, "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people. People like Mad Ink, who can be called great heroes, are extremely rare and beyond the reach of ordinary people."

If everyone could become a great hero, wouldn't that make heroes seem worthless? As a commander-in-chief, Mu Wu was naturally adept at interpersonal relationships and skillfully used flattery of Si Ming to subtly defuse the awkward situation.

Xue Buqi also offered a way out. "The Barbarian King's previous surprise attack injured countless people, so even though there were many who volunteered, I stopped the vast majority. Some things cannot be done with Blood Qi bravado; insufficient strength only becomes a hindrance."

Logically, Yu Shuying should have backed down at this point, but she persisted relentlessly. "Marshal Xue is right. The most despicable people in this world are those who lack self-awareness, who insist on being strong despite their lack of ability. They may be happy, but they harm their companions. They refuse to withdraw and instead accuse you of being narrow-minded and underestimating them. Today's battle is extremely important, and we cannot tolerate such a black sheep. If you dare not say such offensive things, then I will be the villain."

The bloodied, red-faced man said resentfully, "I wonder what you have to teach me, young lady? Are you testing our strength?" He then couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

"There's no need for that. You all just need to answer one question for me."

Yu Shuying flipped her hand and took out a medicine bottle, saying, "I have a natural ability to read people's minds, but it is ineffective against those with deep Foundation. As long as each of you takes one Common Scale and Mortal Shell Pill, do not use your internal energy to resist it, and wait for the medicine to take effect before answering my questions, then we will know whether you have real courage or are just putting on a brave face."

A middle-aged Confucian scholar, tall and imposing, wearing a high hat and wide belt, said displeasedly, "We have tolerated this time and again out of gratitude to Mad Ink. We hope that you will not push your luck and try to humiliate us in various ways. Is this how the Mohist School treat those who offer kind assistance?"

Yu Shuying sneered, "Don't get me wrong. We are the ones offering our help out of goodwill. Once the Barbarian King gains power, the first to suffer will be your people. You have a duty to defend your land. We, the Mohist Knight Guard, have traveled thousands of miles, risking our lives to help you eliminate this great threat. We're even making a slightly difficult request to test your sincerity. Is that not allowed? Are our lives so worthless in your eyes?"

The middle-aged Confucian scholar was momentarily speechless. If the roles of host and guest were reversed, and the other party was there to help, then this request would indeed be insignificant. The other party had risked their life to help him, so no matter how demanding their request was, it would be beyond reproach.

He felt something was amiss, but couldn't quite put his finger on it; after all, the Barbarian King was indeed a formidable enemy of the Li State.

Mu Wu glanced at Si Ming and Yan Jinghong, and seeing that neither of them stepped forward to stop it, he made a guess. He took a Common Scale and Mortal Shell Pill, swallowed it, and said, "We are not related to each other, and we have no past relationship. It is normal for us to distrust each other. Who would want to entrust their life to a stranger? If answering a question can establish trust, that would be ideal."

"I'll do whatever Marshal Mu says." Ji Da, as his subordinate, followed suit without hesitation.

Xue Buqi smiled and asked for a Common Scale and Mortal Shell Pill. The red-clad female swordswoman who had come with him also stepped forward to ask for one.

The other four looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and also chose to compromise.

"Since both Marshal Mu and Marshal Xue have agreed, we have no objections."

Not long after everyone took the medicine, their breathing began to weaken. The red-faced man urged, "Ask your questions quickly, let's see who the coward is!"

"No rush, wait a little longer," Yu Shuying said patiently.

"How much longer are we going to wait? If we keep waiting, the Barbarian King will be here soon."

"Almost there, it'll be ready soon."

As soon as he finished speaking, two people suddenly looked pained and clutched their throats as if they were suffocating.

"Take it down!"

Before Yu Shuying could remind him, Si Ming suddenly stood up and came up behind the two of them. He reached out and grabbed them, releasing a burst of energy that sealed all their acupoints.

Murong Qing followed up with a strike, two icy Sword Qi piercing the throats of the two men, each bringing out a frozen golden silkworm, which Yu Shuying caught.

"As expected, at this crucial moment in the battle, that old scoundrel Fushi Qingcang certainly won't let the opportunity to plant spies slip by."

Yu Shuying weighed the two worms in her palm, casually tossed them to Murong Wu, and then explained to everyone, "My mind-reading ability was created by Fushi Qingcang Cang. He must know how to deceive, so this was just a decoy from the beginning. The real means of identification is these pills, which can stimulate the Undying Brain Divine Gu."

The middle-aged scholar, with a lingering sense of fear, said, "I never imagined that just by using two insects, even top-tier Spirit Transformation Grandmaster like Whirling Nether Saber and Seven Star Venerable Heaven-Defying Society. Moreover, their words and actions are no different from usual. Such methods are truly incomprehensible and impossible to guard against."

Yu Shuying said, "I apologize for any offense I may have caused earlier."

The middle-aged scholar quickly said, "You are doing this for the greater good. Besides, we misjudged people and allowed the enemy to plant spies. If it weren't for your trickery that forced them out, the consequences would have been unimaginable if Whirling Nether Saber and Seven Star Venerable had betrayed us after the war started. We are the ones who should apologize." He then switched to a respectful title.

Si Ming, "Now that we've caught the traitor, we can go all out in the battle."

At the same time, he reached up and rubbed his back, and the scabs fell off, indicating that the wound had healed. However, no tattoo pattern was visible on his back, indicating that special materials had been used.

"With these two Undying Brain Divine Gu, plus the one from before, once they're made into medicine and taken, one can possess the Triple Heavenly Silkworm Force. Anyone want one?" Murong Wu asked the crowd.

Before anyone else could speak, Ying Zhou waved his hand and said, "Keep it for yourself. Focus on protecting yourself first before worrying about others."

Since someone had already said so, it was naturally inappropriate for others to ask for it, after all, Murong Wu was also a participant in the war.

Next, Whirling Nether Saber and Seven Star Venerable were sent away by Ji Da. After the Undying Brain Divine Gu, their Primal Qi greatly damaged. Even if they managed to participate in the battle, they would only be a burden. As a result, there were only six Spirit Transformation Grandmaster left on the Li State's side, which was less than the number of "guests" like Si Ming. The middle-aged Confucian scholar and others couldn't help but feel ashamed and simply walked to the outer perimeter to guard.

Si Ming estimated the time; there was still half an hour before the agreed-upon repair plan was to begin. He then asked Yu Shuying, "You just said that your mind-reading ability came from Fushi Qingcang Cang?"

Yu Shuying nodded, her expression calm, and said, "To be precise, it was his Witch Gu Sect. They captured the entire village to conduct experiments on Gu techniques, testing the effects of combining Gu worms with different herbs... Including my parents and sister, everyone in the village was tortured to death. Only I survived by chance. Later, I was rescued by my master, who happened to be passing by while collecting all the strange insects in the world. So, although my master didn't teach me the True Disciple, I am still grateful to her from the bottom of my heart."

She raised her hand, pointed to her head, and said with an almost detached, mocking tone, "I still have a 'Other-Mind Gu' in my head; it's what allows me to know other people's thoughts."

"Can't I take it?"

"It's too late. My relationship with it is already symbiotic. If it dies, I cannot live either. Even my master can't help it."

"... What is this? Trying to complete the character's backstory before the final battle? This kind of foreshadowing is terrible. You might as well just say you're going home to get married after this battle."

Yu Shuying looked thoughtful and said with a nasal tone, "Hmm? It's not impossible. If I kill Fushi Qingcang, I'll have no regrets in this life. It's nice to be a housewife, you know? My childhood dream was to be a beautiful bride."