The Elder had wanted to protect him. After all, the man was a descendant of the Taishu Clan. More importantly, he had done nothing wrong. Covering the rear had been a death mission to begin with; surviving it had not been easy. Even without merit, he had still endured hardship.
But Gao Pin had put it that way before all the generals. What else could he say? If he openly insisted on protecting him, would that not chill the hearts of the assembled commanders?
He could also see that Gao Pin was using this chance to kill a chicken before the monkeys—to execute him for all the generals to see, and even more so for the other cultivators to see. He wanted the other cultivators to understand the consequences of abandoning their commanding general and fleeing on their own. Not even a descendant of the Taishu Clan would be spared!
No one could do anything about Gao Pin handling it this way. Once the report was sent back, the Emperor would not punish Gao Pin, nor would the Artifact Cloud Sect utter half a word of objection. They might even fear that Gao Pin felt unsettled and, to reassure him, praise him for doing well and say military discipline ought to be enforced sternly!
Three Slope Pass rebuilt its defensive fortifications.
Hu Yan Wuhen had also been waiting for Gao Pin to seize the momentum and pursue them, but after retaking Three Slope Pass, Gao Pin showed not the slightest intention of pressing the attack. He did not care whether the Qi army's morale had fallen, nor whether its formation had been thrown into disarray and its combat strength greatly diminished. In any case, he simply huddled within Three Slope Pass. He would not covet merit or seek advancement; he