"This disciple has a question, though I know not whether it is appropriate to ask," Wei Yuan said.
"Speak."
Wei Yuan said, "In today's battle against the Liao Clan, this disciple is confident we can achieve victory against equal numbers. But even if we fight every battle to an exchange ratio of one to four like today, or even better, our numbers are still vastly inferior to the Liao Clan. Even if all the disciples of the Northern Mountain Gate—or even our Palace of Grand Beginning—willingly traded their lives, we would only grind down a fraction of the Liao Clan's strength. It cannot change the grand scheme of things."
Immortal Monarch Yanshi said, "True. And then?"
"Our Northern Mountain Gate borders Eastern Jin on one flank and Northern Qi on the other. Over the past three years, as the war around our mountain gate grew increasingly precarious, those two nations merely stood by with folded arms. They even intentionally withdrew their forces and gave up defensive lines, letting the Liao army pass through their borders to attack our mountain gate. They fancy watching the tigers fight from the mountain, waiting for us and the Liao Clan to exhaust each other so they can swoop in to reap the spoils!
"Such scoundrels deserve death even more than alien tribes!"
"True. And then?"
"What this disciple cannot fathom is why we should fight to the death against the Liao Clan only to let the vile wretches of those two nations reap the rewards without lifting a finger?"
Immortal Monarch Yanshi remarked blandly, "Anger solves nothing. Since you cannot stomach it, how do you propose to resolve it? Or are you merely venting your fury, and that is all?"
Wei Yuan took a deep breath and said, "This disciple believes the best plan would be to lure the Liao forces into attacking the vulnerable regions of those two nations, forcing them to send reinforcements to defend themselves. Of course, the Liao Clan might not comply with our wishes. But if they suddenly came across certain military intelligence, that might change."
Immortal Monarch Yanshi remained expressionless, listening on.
"The second plan is to foster rebel armies and horse bandits within both borders, or back several regional warlords to grow powerful and carve out autonomous domains. If necessary, we could even purge the sovereign's court, or replace a monarch entirely. Even if we cannot depose those foolish rulers, at the very least, we would secure supplies from both kingdoms, rather than being completely cut off as we are now, relying solely on what our Northern Mountain Gate can produce."
Having spoken to this point, Wei Yuan held nothing back: "This disciple has one more plan!"
"No need to fear. I am here. Speak freely."
Wei Yuan gritted his teeth and said, "If the so-called grand scheme only benefits scoundrels, then we might as well discard this grand scheme altogether! If the war turns against us and the situation becomes hopeless, why not disinter the Immortal Ancestor's mortal remains and establish a new mountain gate in the rear? That way, those two nations will directly face the great armies of Northern Liao. It likely would not take long before they fall, their royal ancestral tombs are dug up, and the world is rid of a few aristocratic clans!"
Showing no change in expression, Immortal Monarch Yanshi said, "It seems your hatred for those two nations runs deeper than your hatred for the alien tribes."
"The alien race naturally stands in opposition to us; we fight them, and there is nothing more to say about it. But this disciple truly detests knives in the back. Seeing so many soldiers fall and suffer today, knowing that part of their sacrifice was made on behalf of the foolish rulers of those two nations, I feel it is profoundly unworthy of them!
"Since those foolish rulers lack the virtue to match their stations, why not replace them?"
Yanshi said, "The current state of the Nine Kingdoms was arranged by the Martial Ancestor back then. This is the grand scheme of the mortal realm; it cannot easily be disturbed, nor is it wise to do so."
Wei Yuan said, "Today, most of the Nine Kingdoms are muddled and fraught with chaos. The common folk suffer, and outstanding talents wither away. If the grand scheme merely demands that heroes bleed in vain while scoundrels reap all the gains, what use is such a grand scheme? Is this the grand scheme of the human race, or the grand scheme of those petty wretches?
"Forgive this disciple's bluntness, but the Martial Ancestor has been dead for a thousand years. Perhaps this grand scheme of his... is already obsolete."
An expression finally crossed Yanshi's face, and he broke into a laugh. "If the Martial Ancestor heard those words of yours, he would probably crawl out of his grave to give you grief."
After that bit of banter, Yanshi's expression grew solemn. "Setting aside the fact that it is far too early for you to speak of such things, let us say that one day you truly possess the ability to shoulder the burden of Altering Heaven and Earth. The price to be paid then would far exceed your imagination.
"That would mean bearing the entire human race upon your shoulders. Ending up like the Grand Ancestor or the Martial Ancestor is already considered the best possible outcome. Yet even then, the road to heaven is severed, and there is no reincarnation! Faced with that, would you still be willing to bear it?"
Before Wei Yuan's eyes arose the faces of Fang Hetong, Yun Feifei, and each of his comrades who had fallen on the battlefield. After a moment of silence, he replied, "In this life, this disciple cultivates no next life."
Yanshi was momentarily taken aback. He let out a sudden sigh, saying nothing more other than, "Go attend to the matters before you first."
Wei Yuan bowed in salute and walked toward the outside of the hall. Just as he was nearing the doors, Immortal Monarch Yanshi's voice came from behind: "Remember to marry early."
Wei Yuan stumbled, nearly losing his footing. An immortal's train of thought was truly erratic.
Before he could recover, Immortal Monarch Yanshi added, "Not marrying is fine too—just have children early, and have plenty! This Immortal Monarch will help raise them for you."
Wei Yuan fled in panic.
Leaving the side hall, Wei Yuan went to visit the wounded. By this time, Sun Yu had fitted himself with a prosthetic leg. This artificial limb was also a magic treasure, capable of extending and contracting at will and bending freely. It could largely substitute for a real leg, and in many respects, worked even better than one.
Sun Yu was busy at the moment. Arrayed in a row before him were multiple sickbeds, bearing cultivators whose injuries were so severe that Sun Yu had to treat them personally.
Each time a casualty was wheeled in front of him, Sun Yu swept his divine consciousness over the patient to assess the injuries. Then, with a deft swing of his blade, he excised something, waved his hand, and called for the next.
The disciples would wheel away the bed before him and push the next into position for Sun Yu to make another incision, moving on bed by bed.
And so a long line of beds passed before Sun Yu one by one in a crisp, distinct rhythm.
The patients Sun Yu had cut were handed over to other disciples: suturing wounds, staunching blood, casting a spell to accelerate flesh growth, wrapping bandages—and the treatment was complete.
Next, orderly disciples wheeled the treated patients into a great hall and arranged them neatly to await recovery. Inside the hall, pill fragrance curled in the air, potent enough to stimulate flesh and blood regeneration with every breath.
Sun Yu moved with extreme swiftness. Severely injured himself, sweat had already beaded across his forehead.
A pretty female disciple beside him wiped his brow, asking solicitously, "Master, would you like to rest for a moment?"
Sun Yu did not even look up. "If these people are treated even a minute late, they might never be saved. Fetch the mind-clearing incense."
The female disciple handed over a small jade vial and held it beneath Sun Yu's nose. Sun Yu took a whiff, and his spirit improved noticeably in an instant. Yet fresh blood began seeping through the gauze wrapped around his body once again.
Wei Yuan did not disturb him. After watching quietly for a while, he returned to the Northern Mountain Gate to check on Feng Tingyu.
At this point, the demonic blade manifested and said, "I know where she is right now. I can take you straight to her so you don't have to search; it'll be far more convenient. Just grasp my hilt and silently chant 'Feng Tingyu'."
Wei Yuan reached out and took hold of the hilt, asking in surprise, "Haven't you already acknowledged her as your master?"
The demon blade Qiyue said solemnly, "Nonsense! I clearly acknowledged you as my master first! Besides, a famous blade does not serve two masters, unless..."
Seeming to realize its slip of the tongue, the demon blade promptly fell silent and activated. In an instant, Wei Yuan appeared inside a small pavilion within the Northern Mountain Gate.
Mists of steam curled before Wei Yuan. A large wooden tub sat there, filled with a thick medicinal broth. Feng Tingyu lay inside, treating her injuries while munching on snacks.
Suddenly seeing Wei Yuan appear, she let out a cheer, pounced directly at him, and pinned him down, her eyes sparkling. "Are you here to take advantage of me?"
Wei Yuan struggled, to no avail. He tried to speak, only for his mouth to be stopped up again.
A moment later...
Coaxing and cajoling, Wei Yuan managed to win over the trust of twelve different places on Feng Tingyu's body, finally getting her back into the bath tub to continue her healing.
Upon leaving, Wei Yuan felt slightly more at ease, yet a lingering dread remained.
Only after seeing the true face of war through Immortal Monarch Yanshi did Wei Yuan realize the horror of it. He did not fear for himself, but rather that one day, those around him would perish before his very eyes. And this was almost certain to happen.
Just like in this battle: had he arrived moments later, Feng Tingyu's soul would have been completely extinguished. Had he not meticulously searched every corner of the battlefield, Sun Yu would likely not have survived either.
To make an enemy of an immortal was like making an enemy of the heavens—how could there be no price? Precisely because of this, Wei Yuan detested the scoundrels of those two kingdoms all the more.
In Qingming, a flying boat from the Northern Mountain Gate had just touched down. Cultivators unloaded large wooden crates from it, transported them to the side of the Reincarnation Furnace, and shoved them through the feed hatch.
An avatar warrior of Wei Yuan stood beside the furnace, watching expressionlessly as crate after crate was pushed into the Reincarnation Furnace.
Around the Smoke and Fire of the Mortal World, wisps and threads of primal chaos qi dispersed once more.
Chapter 705