Immortal Travel of Longevity

What a brilliant deception, stealing the clouds to replace the sun.

When the false sun fell and dissolved into a puddle of ink, Li Gu's heavy brow finally relaxed.

He had completely underestimated The Painter's prowess.

He also realized that true cultivators did not rely on mere superhuman strength; it was these bizarre, unpredictable methods that were truly extraordinary.

Compared to that, what use was his own brute strength, no matter how great?

Li Gu shook his head, tossing the thought aside.

Now was not the time to dwell on such things.

"Keep moving. We must deliver the provisions on time."

Leaving it at that, Li Gu rode at the front, leading the way for the provision convoy.

But the truth was, having employed such methods, how could The Painter not have a backup plan?

The moment Li Gu and his men stepped onto this road, they had already walked into a grand trap.

As the convoy pressed forward, treading onto the path ahead of them...

Once every last man had turned onto the route, a sudden disturbance erupted.

A low hum filled the air.

The scenery before them abruptly warped, transforming into a Painted Scroll that plummeted to the ground.

Clack.

The Painted Scroll landed on the dirt.

Immediately after, the sound of approaching footsteps rang out.

The Painter had returned. Reaching down, he picked up the Painted Scroll, rolled it tight, and stowed it away in his Painting Case.

He painted a cloud and soared away upon it.

Glancing at the Painting Case in his hand, The Painter sighed in admiration.

"Truly worthy of Mister Zhulan. You have my utmost respect..."

Painting a minor world like this was a feat beyond The Painter's own ability; his mastery had not yet reached such heights.

His success today was entirely thanks to this Painted Scroll. By modifying and painting over this supreme treasure left by a predecessor, The Painter had created a Painted Scroll capable of deceiving the world and trapping those men inside.

The brilliance of a predecessor, wielded once more by a later generation to miraculous effect.

It would surely make for a legendary tale.

.

.

The Yan Army waited and waited, but their provisions never arrived.

They sent wave after wave of scouts to search, yet found no trace of the grain. Worse still, the entire escort convoy had vanished without a trace.

"Find them! Dig three feet into the earth if you have to, but find them!"

"That much grain, that many men! I refuse to believe they just vanished into thin air!"

But the results were bitterly disappointing.

The provisions and the soldiers had done exactly that—evaporated into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind.

Inside the command tent, the tacticians sat on pins and needles, feeling an icy chill down their spines.

The Yan Army's situation was already incredibly tense.

Prince Yu's forces were massed right outside the city walls. Under such heavy pressure, the urge to retreat had already sprouted in the hearts of many soldiers. Compounded by the fact that half their food supply had been burned, panic was spreading through the camp. If they failed to replenish their provisions now, it would be an absolute disaster.

At this stage, it was too late to send anyone else out to secure more provisions.

"I fear... it will be tonight."

The tacticians in the tent wore grim expressions, not saying a word.

They had anticipated that Prince Yu's forces would launch an all-out assault tonight, yet facing these dire circumstances, they couldn't see a sliver of hope.

The soldiers' hearts were no longer in the fight. Their rations had been cut off for days, leaving them starving, their stomachs touching their backs. How could they possibly win a battle in this state?

"Why don't we... surrender?"

Someone spoke up.

"Surrender?!"

One of the men slammed the table and shot to his feet. "Why should we surrender?!" he roared. "The backbone of the Grand Ancestor still remains! I would rather die than kneel to the enemy! Have your bones gone soft just from seeing their battle lines? Hah! If so, you'd be better off having your soul shattered into nothingness! Keep yourself out of the Yellow Springs, lest you disgrace the Grand Ancestor!"

"Are we supposed to let all these men die for nothing?"

"What is there to fear in death? I am an old man—do you think I am afraid to die?!"

"Fine, fine, you have your reasons, I won't bother arguing with you. The nine of us conquered the realm alongside the Grand Ancestor. Nearly every matter, big and small, passed through our hands. Let's do it just like we used to and vote by a show of hands. Do we fight, or do we surrender? Those who do not want to fight, raise your hands."

He was the first to raise his hand.

The other eight simply stared at him in silence.

Then, one of the elders straightened his robes and stood up. "I am willing to die on my feet, but I will never kneel in surrender."

He tipped his head back and downed his cup of strong wine. Striding out of the command tent, he barked, "Guards! Bring me my armor!"

"Bring me my Long Saber!"

The remaining seven wore heavy expressions, seemingly still hesitant.

"What about the rest of you?"

"I think it would be better to surrender. Given how things stand, we should avoid meaningless slaughter."

"Fine! Does any other colleague share that sentiment?"

Glances darted left and right.

The remaining six said nothing, merely watching the two of them in silence.

For a long while, no one spoke.

The situation was already clear.

Finally, one of the seated elders let out a long sigh. "Years ago, the Grand Ancestor said that the two of you had soft bones, that you couldn't withstand the crucible of life and death. But you both possessed great talent. You were exceptionally meticulous in managing military affairs, and your logistics were never flawed. The Grand Ancestor admired you and didn't want to lose such capable men, which is why he never forced you to step into the fray."

"But what I want to say today is this: I fought alongside the Grand Ancestor for over twenty-one years. Though I later became a civil official, in my early days, I wielded a saber and sword, carving my way up from the very bottom. I have never been afraid, and I am not afraid now."

"Under the Grand Ancestor's banner, there are no cowards who cling to life and fear death!"

He sighed heavily once more. "Since the two of you are afraid, on account of your many years of meritorious service, just leave. There is a secret passage in the city. From now on, you may go wherever you please, even to the ends of the earth."

The two men tensed. Seeing their peers so united, their expressions shifted into deep discomfort.

"Fine. You..."

"Hmph!"

With a cold scoff, the two men left the tent, one after the other.

They fled from the camp.

Silence lingered in the tent for a long time.

The elder who had just spoken took a sip of wine, his face instantly flushing red. Perhaps he was simply getting too old; his tolerance was not what it used to be.

"Cough, cough..."

"If anyone else wishes to leave, you can go with them."

"No one else?"

"Hm. It seems there is no one."

He slammed his wine cup onto the table, his tone suddenly turning razor-sharp. "Then let me make one thing clear. Once we march onto the battlefield, if any of you grow afraid and retreat, even if I become a ghost, I will not let you off!"

"We will not retreat, nor will we be afraid."

"Consider this the final conclusion to our lives."

"Dying on the battlefield is a fitting end for us."

"Good!"

"Guards!"

"Bring our sabers and swords! Bring our armor!"

The seven elders donned their armor and gripped their long swords. Red tassels draped from the crests of their helmets, framing pairs of eyes that radiated an unyielding, wordless authority.

In a daze, it felt as though they had returned to those bygone years of endless war.

Among these men, some had risen from humble beginnings, while others hailed from extraordinary backgrounds. Some had even climbed to their high stations using methods that could not see the light of day.

But no matter their pasts, they were once the sabers and swords under the Grand Ancestor's command.

They had never feared death!

Even though they were now nothing but old, frail men.

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