Chaos Within, Enemy Without

Splash!

The boulders fall from both sides of the valley. At first glance, they look like spheres, but upon closer inspection, one can discern their unevenness.

On the rock walls on both sides of the valley, every now and then one or two protruding rocks would trip up the rolling boulders and bounce them into the air.

In an instant, huge rocks were seen scattered all over the sky, so densely packed that they even blocked out the sky and cast shadows below.

As they plummeted, pebbles and mud whistled and rustled down, drowning out all other sounds in the valley, only to be followed by screams from the valley floor.

This scene was a cruel test for the people in the valley. The soldiers, having lost their leader, immediately fell into chaos and tried to scatter and flee, but the space at the bottom of the valley was limited, so where could they run to?

Boom!

The boulder landed, creating a large crater. Amidst the flying dust and scattering of rubble, the area beneath the boulder was littered with blood and severed limbs.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Amidst the sounds of flesh and blood exploding, countless soldiers perished beneath the boulders.

Beside them, soldiers under Pang Qianru and others, armed with spears and swords, forced them to return, pushing them towards the valley entrance despite the chaotic state of the enemy's soldiers.

This action will, of course, provoke a backlash.

What are you trying to do?

"Not only did the enemy make a move, but you're also taking advantage of their misfortune?"

"When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken? Don't blame us for resisting if you keep forcing us like this!"

Before long, the soldiers, forced into a corner and seeing no hope of survival, were aroused and took up their swords to fight back desperately. Although they were leaderless, their instinct for survival remained, and they would not allow themselves to be forced into a corner.

In fact, this desperate situation has actually unleashed their potential, making them fight with increasing ferocity and fearlessness!

It was not easy to deploy military formations in the valley, but with the enemy's soldiers rising up so fiercely, Pang Qianru and her troops were forced to retreat repeatedly. Some units were even cut off from their front and rear, losing their battle formation and falling into a bitter struggle!

Boulders shattered, bones splintered, blades flashed at the valley entrance—chaos reigned. Soldiers, like trapped beasts, howled and fought, hacking and stabbing at anyone in sight, oblivious to friend or foe.

Blood and rocks flew everywhere, accompanied by screams and deafening roars!

With such chaos, not only is breaking out impossible, but even getting close to the valley exit is a problem—under the resistance of the defeated soldiers, Pang Qianru, Ye Yun, Wen Zhizhen, and their troops are already deeply trapped, unable to advance or retreat.

Splash!

Above, boulders kept falling, and Wen Zhizhen and his men suffered nearly half their losses. He couldn't help but shout at Pang Qianru, "In this way, wouldn't we be wiped out before the city even has a chance to act?"

Faced with the questioning, Pang Qianru remained seated on her horse, being pushed back and forth by the chaotic crowd around her. She then shrugged, looking helpless, and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. The more chaotic the situation, the more united we should be. But because of a momentary lapse in judgment, we've thrown ourselves into disarray, pushing our allies—those who lost their commander—to the other side. Without a foundation of shared hatred, aren't we just courting death?"

"Forcing them to pass the test, wasn't that your idea?" Upon hearing this, Wen Zhizhen's face, hidden behind her mask, darkened to a grim degree. "Now it's come to this..."

"I misjudged things. Some things you have to experience to gain experience. Just consider it a setback in life." Pang Qianru shook her head, chuckled, and lightly brushed off the accusation!

"You!" Wen Zhizhen was immediately enraged by Pang Qianru's attitude.

At that moment, Ye Yun's voice came from not far away--

"It seems we've all been fooled by the girl. You've always been so decisive and always anticipate the enemy's moves; you're clearly Military School. You couldn't possibly have been unaware of something like this. The fact that you still brought it up can only mean you have ulterior motives."

Amidst the chaotic crowd, Ye Yun, riding his horse and escorted by several soldiers, moved through the throng towards Pang Qianru. The army was in complete disarray, with defeats all around, yet his movements revealed no trace of anxiety or panic.

Although Ye Yun was wearing a mask, he still exuded composure, appearing out of place in the chaotic battlefield.

"Actually, when you proposed your plan, I had some doubts, but due to your achievements, I yielded to authority, and now I'm reaping the consequences. It seems that your scheme was a perfect collaboration with the city lord, helping him eliminate all obstacles in one fell swoop. Perhaps our entry into this valley was also due to your conspiracy with him."

Pang Qianru chuckled and replied, "Entering the valley was not something a woman like me could do. Even I was tricked into it by him."

"Entering the valley wasn't the answer. Could the current situation be a deliberate act? You really conspired with that city lord!" Wen Zhizhen's anger surged upon hearing this.

"I see. It seems the city lord has caught your eye, young lady," Ye Yun nodded. "But I don't understand your motives. Even if you conspire to destroy us, the two of you will still have to fight it out. The city lord, controlling a city, has a better chance of winning. Instead of forming an alliance to attack the strong, you've chosen to ally with the powerful and seek revenge against them. There must be a reason behind this."

As he spoke, he shook his head again. "What a pity, what a pity. This rare experience has to end like this. It's truly regrettable that I can't see the winner emerge victorious. However, I've realized that Fortune isn't absolute, so I can say I've gained something from this experience."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge boulder crashed down, smashing into Ye Yun and his horse, along with several soldiers, turning him into a bloody mess, with flesh and bones scattering everywhere!

Whoosh!

The intense pressure spurted out sprays of blood, landing on Wen Zhizhen and the others. The two people next to Wen Zhizhen immediately screamed and fell straight down, terrified to death.

These two were also projections from the present world. They were among the few remaining commanders of the allied forces. They had escaped several pursuits and ambushes, which was no small feat, yet they were scared to death.

Of course, their current deaths do not mean they are truly dead, but rather that their projections in this Military World have completely collapsed, making it impossible for their consciousness to reach this place again.

"Damn it, I never expected things to turn out like this!"

With Ye Yun and the others dead, Wen Zhizhen was even more isolated and powerless. He gritted his teeth and turned to look at Pang Qianru, his heart filled with resentment!

"If it weren't for this woman, things would never have come to this!"

"A sneak attack from behind! Not being able to fight fair and square! It's truly infuriating!"

At the same time, the same emotion arose in another person's heart.

The Left Wise King's Tribe, located in the surrounding jungle.

Compared to Wen Zhizhen, this person is much less well-known.

While Wen Zhizhen may not be able to Imperial Examinations, his reputation and experience will surely ensure his lasting fame. However, the person in question is merely a member of the Left Wise King's Tribe. He is here to patrol and guard the Lin Zhong according to the military regulations established by the Left Wise King years ago.

But he hadn't gone more than a few steps when he was silently grabbed, his mouth covered, and before he could even voice his doubts, his throat was slit.

Blood spurted out, his body went limp, and in his final moments, he struggled to turn his head, only to see several people dressed in dark night clothes, their garments fastened on the right.

"People from the Central Plains!"

In his final moments before closing his eyes, the identities of these people surfaced in his mind.

On the other side, after killing the patrolman with a single blow, several scouts from the Dingchang Army gathered together and exchanged information using sign language.

"Seven people were killed!"

"No enemy warnings detected!"

"There seems to be unrest among the Hu people tribes!"

Soon, the news reached the carriage a hundred paces away, where several scholars, all of whom looked shrewd and capable, sat.

"Oh? There might be some internal strife among the Hu people, perhaps due to the death of the Left Wise King. If we attack now, we're sure to achieve something!"

"The Marquis's plan is not to defeat, but to annihilate!"

"In that case, we need to have the spies we've infiltrated work together from the inside! Now that the Left Wise King is dead, this tribe is no longer of any value and there's no need for them to continue their infiltration. At most, we can leave one or two to blend in with the refugees and infiltrate the Hu people's Royal Court..."

After the scholars reached an agreement, they immediately sent a messenger on horseback to the camp several miles away.

The Dingchang Army camp here!

In the central command tent, Xiao Lan's brow furrowed as he read the message, and he abruptly stood up. He said to his generals, "There's no time to lose! Have our scouts coordinate from both inside and outside, and issue the order to advance!"

"Good! I've wanted to kill that son of a bitch for ages!" Lu Jiang jumped out first, his face beaming with excitement. "This time, I, Old Lu, am determined to win first place and achieve the greatest merit!"

"Wrong, wrong," Yuan Xing shook his head, "No matter who makes the contribution in this battle, the greatest merit and the most outstanding merit belong to the top scholar."

"That's right, if it weren't for the top scholar, where would he have gotten this opportunity? That Left Wise King was so arrogant, but he died the moment he saw the top scholar. It's true that every creature has its nemesis!" Lu Jiang scratched his head, laughed loudly, and then, following Xiao Lan's orders, went out of the tent first.

Not long after, a conflict broke out within the territory of the Left Wise King's Tribe. It was caused by several spies using their connections to exacerbate the conflict between Jiagu and others, leading to a bloody fight within the tribe!

This chaos immediately engulfed the entire tribe, with shouts, arguments, and fights erupting.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Outside the encampment, a swift horse charged forward, its hooves thundering and flames flashing like threads. It was a cavalry unit, with Lu Jiang leading the charge!

Rumble!

In the Military World, in the perilous canyon, the situation had long since spiraled out of control due to the chaotic battle between several armies. The few troops that attempted to charge out were all wiped out, unable to even maintain their Military Momentum, let alone break out of the valley.

Now, the boulders on both sides of the canyon have stopped rolling down, but amidst the tremors, a heavily armored infantry unit is advancing into the valley step by step, like a wall, compressing the space.

The military boots trotted on the ground in unison, their footsteps echoing back and forth in the canyon, gradually growing into a booming sound!

Such an army charged in and quickly opened up a chaotic battle, leaving the remaining soldiers utterly desperate.

Clad in armor, Qiu Yan slowly walked forward and came to the seriously injured Pang Qianru and Wen Zhizhen.

Looking at the newcomer, Wen Zhizhen roared to the sky, "I am not reconciled! I am unsuccessful in this world, and in the world of consciousness, I have also failed because of the machinations of a villain!"

ps:

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