Nine Nether Dragon Emperor-Chapter 222: Damn it, there’s something wrong with this script!
The killing intent instantly more than doubled.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
This was followed by the sound of rapid drumming, as if enemies were launching a night raid and the war drums in the military camp had suddenly burst to life. At once, the entire Abyss filled with the dense sound of drums, accompanied by the frantic thudding of footsteps.
RUMBLE—
Suddenly, the sound of a mighty army, thousands of soldiers and horses trampling the earth, rose up, shaking the entire Mountain Abyss to its foundations.
At the same time, the surrounding fog swarmed toward them as if it were alive.
Ning Xuan said nothing and threw a punch.
BANG!
With a terrifying crash, his opponent flipped through the air before landing. Ning Xuan returned to his original spot, his body swaying slightly.
"If I wasn’t so strong, your punch would have killed me!"
The newcomer was, of course, You Ruo. She shook her arm, a look of mock grievance on her face.
"Alright, can we stop pretending now, Palace Master?" Ning Xuan said, directly exposing her identity.
"So you knew. We need to leave, quickly. The Draconic Abyss is very dangerous."
You Ruo did not deny it, nor did she ask how Ning Xuan knew, because it was pointless.
"Since you know why I’m here, you must also know I won’t listen to you," Ning Xuan refused, even starting to ask questions. "What’s going on? Do you know?"
You Ruo laughed in exasperation. "You’ve got some nerve, trying to get information from me!"
"You don’t have to answer."
You Ruo realized this man’s ability to infuriate was second to none. She was about to refuse, but after a moment’s hesitation, she decided to speak. But just at that moment, the swirling fog, as if given a sudden push, completely engulfed them.
Ning Xuan found his Protective Gang Qi to be utterly useless. At the last second, he frantically grabbed Yun Wangshu’s wrist.
"What about me...?" You Ruo stamped her foot, but both she and her words were swallowed by the fog.
"General, give the order quickly!"
"Yes, General! The situation is lost; let’s retreat!"
Urgent voices suddenly rang in Ning Xuan’s ears. Blinking, Ning Xuan looked closely, only to find himself in a command tent with three generals kneeling before him. Their armor was caked in blood; one of them even had an eyeball hanging from his shoulder. In contrast, his own armor was as white as snow.
Just as he was about to ask what was happening, a rush of memories flooded his mind.
His name was Meng Kuo, born into a family renowned for military strategy. During a boastful discussion one day, he was accused of being all talk and no action. Enraged, he decided to go to the battlefield and kill the enemy. At first, things went smoothly. He even captured the heart of the renowned Goddess of War, Han Tieyu. Before all the generals of the army, they were joyfully wed.
Unexpectedly, on their wedding night, Han Tieyu was kidnapped.
Meng Kuo, enraged, led his troops in pursuit. But it all went south with one bad decision after another, leading to defeat after defeat. His trusted attendants had already died protecting him, and his hundred-thousand-strong army had been reduced to a mere few thousand. And that was not all. They had not even seen a shadow of their enemy.
Ning Xuan digested the memories, speechless.
Meng Kuo? You might as well just call me Zhao Kuo! Damn it, it’s bad enough they gave me the script of an armchair general, but they even threw in a Goddess of War for a wife... This script is all wrong! Whatever, I need to get out of this mess first.
"Damn, you incompetent fools! This is a disgrace!"
Ning Xuan slapped the commander’s chair in the Tiger Staff tent to smithereens and shot to his feet.
The three kneeling generals all looked up, their faces filled with disbelief.
What’s going on? Since when does he know martial arts?
"Have you been pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger all this time?" a female voice called out from behind him.
Ning Xuan found the voice somewhat familiar. When he turned to look, he was nearly scared out of his wits.
Si Lanyi! 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
The speaker was a female general, and though her face was obscured by her helmet, Ning Xuan recognized her at a glance. On the other side stood another female general. Ning Xuan looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched. If he was not mistaken, she was Zhongli Ruoruo!
"Who are you?" Ning Xuan asked tentatively.
"We are under our master’s orders to protect you!" Zhongli Ruoruo stated, her face expressionless.
Ning Xuan felt his vision go dark.
If I’m not mistaken, their master is none other than Han Tieyu! Please, please don’t let Han Tieyu be Wangshu, otherwise, I’ll be suffering an injustice of epic proportions.
That was all Ning Xuan could pray for, but his hope was soon dashed. Si Lanyi took out a portrait and said, "Let’s go. Master won’t blame you. She foresaw this and asked me to give it to you."
Ning Xuan took the portrait and unrolled it. The person depicted was indeed Yun Wangshu, her smile playful, her demeanor as gentle as water.
Zhongli Ruoruo frowned. "Why didn’t you tell us earlier?"
"His retainers were insufferably arrogant. Did we even have a chance?" Si Lanyi shot back.
Zhongli Ruoruo considered this and had to agree. She could not help but glare at Ning Xuan resentfully.
"No! We can’t just leave! We have to save Wang... Han Tieyu!"
As soon as Ning Xuan finished speaking, one of the kneeling generals sprang to his feet and began cursing him. "Are you still deluded, you waste?! Open your dog eyes and look outside! See how many of our brothers will never return because of you!"
"A hundred thousand men! An entire army of one hundred thousand! All because of you... You’re a butcher!"
The other two generals were utterly horrified. After a moment of stunned silence, the two women shouted in unison, "How dare you!" They wanted to curse him too, but their master’s command was absolute: they had to protect this man.
"Let him curse," Ning Xuan said calmly. "He’s right... I do deserve it. But cursing solves nothing."
The general was taken aback. "Do you have a plan?" he asked.
"Yes!"
Everyone in the Tiger Staff tent jolted.
Then, Ning Xuan gathered them and explained his plan.
"Will this really work?" they all asked, doubtful.
Ning Xuan retorted, "Do you have a better idea?"
They all shook their heads.
"Don’t panic. I’ve been contemplating these past few days and have come up with a foolproof plan. Later, I will give each of you a silk pouch. Open it only when you encounter a problem you cannot solve."
While the group exchanged glances, Ning Xuan added, "Alright, go and prepare!"
His tone brooked no refusal. They obeyed subconsciously. After taking a few steps, they paused as they realized what had happened, but ultimately chose to comply.
Once they had left the Tiger Staff tent, Ning Xuan began writing furiously. The five silk pouches, each containing an ingenious plan, were finished in no time.
"We’ll see results soon," Ning Xuan murmured to himself after packing the pouches.
At that moment, the five, now prepared, appeared once more.
After handing them the silk pouches, Ning Xuan cautioned them repeatedly, "Remember, do not open these unless it is a dire emergency! Concealed within are unparalleled strategies that can completely turn the tide of battle!"
Seeing how earnestly Ning Xuan spoke, they all nodded.
"Very good! Remember, this is a military order! If anyone dares to disobey, they will be executed without pardon!"
Ning Xuan’s words were so fraught with killing intent that the group retreated in unison. At that moment, they felt as if they were facing an ancient, savage beast that devoured raw flesh and drank blood, its bloodlust soaring to the heavens.
