Early the next morning, just as training began, the clamor of gongs and drums carried an air of tension. Lin Yu glanced into the distance and said, "They've only been here for one day, and the war has already begun. What kind of sight will it be like later on?" Lin Yu secretly let out a breath. Once war began, blood would surely flow into rivers.
"Soldiers, did you hear that? This is the call of war! The Flame Emperor has started a war for no reason. Tell me, what should we do?" The commanding general, Mo Ce, rushed from the command tent the instant he heard the sound. This was war—a war begun over territory.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The soldiers of the three armies roared in unison, their voices enough to shake heaven and earth.
Across the Four Seas and Eight Wastes, many who heard that sound sighed for no reason. When two nations went to war, it was surely the people of both nations who suffered. At the moment they began fighting, the people of the Six Emperors were all laughing. They were the greatest beneficiaries.
"I ask all of you to fight beside me and take the heads of the enemy soldiers..." Lin Yu gave another cold laugh. Mo Ce certainly made it sound pleasant, but who knew what things would be like once they reached the battlefield? Still, Mo Ce could not be blamed for that.
Outside the city, the enemy army stood waiting, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. The sight sent a chill through everyone. They had spoken of using fewer to withstand more, but Lin Yu had never expected it to look like this. He secretly groaned in misery.
"Kill!" With a single word from Mo Ce, the generals drew their swords and charged forward. Lin Yu had not killed anyone these past few days, and he had grown somewhat rusty at the feeling. He wildly shouted, "Kill..."
Hearing that cry, Mo Ce asked an officer in the distance, "That kid... which camp is he from?" He did not know whether asking such a question at this moment was appropriate, but Lin Yu was a military talent he had his eye on.
"Reporting to General, he seems to be one of General Hou's soldiers, under Hou Sheng. Does General know him?" He oversaw the allocation of men throughout the army and was somewhat familiar with Lin Yu. He simply did not know what the commander meant by asking such a question, and could only make a few guesses.
Mo Ce's response was merely a look, yet that look was enough to explain many things. In an instant, ten heads fell into Lin Yu's hands. He chuckled and thought, This should be the difference between mortals and cultivators. But... At that moment, Lin Yu was clearly beginning to scheme again.
He seized an enemy soldier and brought him into a small grove not far away, asking, "You, what's your name?" As he spoke, he stripped the man's clothes off. The soldier was dumbfounded in an instant. It was not as if he did not know how dangerous the Flame Emperor's camp was. Since someone still wished to infiltrate it, how could that possibly be easy?
"Bing Sheng..." He was afraid of death, and his voice was so soft that only Lin Yu could hear it.
"Oh, Bing Sheng, let me ask you something. Are you willing to stay far away from this war?" The moment Lin Yu said this, Bing Sheng hurriedly nodded, but quickly shook his head twice afterward. He wanted to, but what would happen to Flame Emperor City?
Lin Yu narrowed his eyes, knowing there was a chance. He continued, "Enough. Stop shaking and nodding. You can leave now." He had already obtained the military armor and remembered this man's appearance clearly. Though Bing Sheng was somewhat ugly, Lin Yu was willing to lower himself for the sake of ending the war between these two nations sooner. As for Bing Sheng...
He absolutely could not be allowed to leave alive, or he would become a grave threat. Watching Bing Sheng's retreating back, Lin Yu swung his sword and killed him. With an icy expression, he said, "Don't blame me for attacking you. If you must blame someone, blame the fact that you were born under the Flame Emperor. Blame the fact that you took part in a war you should never have joined." He did not linger any longer and turned to leave.
A bloody aura radiated from his body. The blood left on the ground vanished drop by drop, while the corpse became a set of bones that looked as though they had weathered the passage of countless years, sending chills down one's spine.
A day later, the battle still had not ended. Both armies withdrew one after another, and Lin Yu returned with them. As for what form he would take when entering the enemy camp again, that would be a matter for the night.
"Hey, Lin Yu, let me ask you—how many did you kill today?" Shi En was good in every way except that he liked asking this and that. Even killing enemies had to be compared, yet comparing himself to Lin Yu would only leave him badly shaken. Lin Yu said flatly, "At the start, I took ten heads. After that, I killed another thirty or so." Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.
Those forty kills were already the highest in their camp. Lin Yu rolled his eyes at them, as if to say that it was nothing remarkable. Forty was already very few; if he had displayed his cultivation, it would not have been so little.
"Let me tell you all something." After a day in the same camp and through the bond of life-and-death together, Lin Yu decided to reveal the matter. The others nodded when they saw him, and Lin Yu continued, "After tonight, I'll disappear. If anyone asks, just say you don't know. Understand?"
Everyone was still confused, not knowing what Lin Yu was talking about, when it was already time to eat. During these days of marching and training, their meals had not contained a trace of oil. But because they had fought today, the commander had ordered a pig slaughtered, adding a bit more meat and fat to the meal.
Lin Yu did not go. At mealtime, it was the best chance to avoid prying eyes. He vaulted out of the camp, left the city, changed out of his clothes, and quietly made his way to the enemy camp.
By then, he was already covered in wounds. Seeing Lin Yu in that state, the guards immediately ran to the command tent and reported to the person inside, "Zhang Shuai, one of our brothers returned from outside covered in wounds. We don't know how we should handle this..."
"What? He only came back now?" Zhang Shuai frowned upon hearing this. If he truly was one of their brothers, that was fine. But if he was not, then things would be terrible.
"Yes, Zhang Shuai. If you don't give the order soon, he may die here."
"Did you have people from his camp identify him?" Zhang Shuai still asked uneasily.
"Reporting to Zhang Shuai, we already had them identify him. He is indeed one of our men."
Only then did Zhang Shuai relax somewhat. He said calmly, "Oh, if that's the case, take him away to be treated."
"Yes." The guard withdrew. Before long, a military physician came before Lin Yu, treated his wounds, and bandaged him.
Outside the tent, the military physician explained to the guard, "Although this soldier has suffered many injuries, the most fatal is the blow to his abdomen. He was likely accidentally stabbed there. The wounds on his body will be fine after three to five days of rest."
"Many thanks, Physician." Though the guard was polite, the physician merely waved his hand and turned to leave.
And so, under the name Bing Sheng, Lin Yu infiltrated the enemy army...
PS: I got so absorbed in writing that I nearly forgot to update. Bosses, if you still have recommendation votes, could you cast one for this chapter?
Before you continue