Chapter 11: The Turbulent Years of the Past

Everyone in the Cloud Palace burst into laughter upon hearing Yu Changsheng's words.

Zhuo Hua rested both hands on the broad table, looked at Yu Changsheng, and asked, "Now that you already understand the ins and outs of the entire situation, can you share your thoughts on the marching route?"

Yu Changsheng walked over to the void map, pointed to a location, and said, "Please look here, everyone. This is the Lanling Void, and our grand army will set off from here toward the site of the Nine Heavens Nova eruption at the hundred-thousand-fathom mark."

He traced a distance across the map with his finger and continued, "Here is the Neighboring Void, forty thousand fathoms away. The realm within it can supply us with all necessary provisions, including black clouds and flying snow. However, we may encounter an ambush."

"Therefore! Since the enemy lurks in the shadows and undoubtedly knows that the Cloud Palace forces must secure these vital supplies, thereby intending to attack our transport fleets, we must prepare ourselves for a surprise assault. Aside from keeping the exact arrival date of the main army confidential, we must also deploy two decoy units to scout ahead, assess the situation, and clear the path. Meanwhile, the main force must execute a rapid strike, loading the supplies onto the ships and evacuating the Neighboring Void swiftly before the enemy can react."

Yu Changsheng waved his hands back and forth briskly, radiating high spirits.

Lan Sheng added from behind, "If the first two vanguard units successfully lure the enemy out, the main army can arrive and wipe them out in one fell swoop. If the enemy stays put, it will save us the trouble—we'll just load the cargo onto the fleet and set sail."

Zhuo Hua listened to their plan with a smile, raised his head to survey the room, and saw that everyone else was smiling as well.

"Great minds think alike?" Zhuo Hua asked.

Everyone nodded in agreement, praising, "Great minds indeed! Great minds indeed."

Lin Bai laughed heartily, patted Yu Changsheng on the shoulder, and said, "Yuan Shang told me before that you, young man, have thoroughly studied military strategy and possess a unique perspective on troop deployment and formations. I didn't believe it back then, thinking what could a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old punk possibly know about warfare? Seeing you today, I concede defeat completely! I concede defeat!"

With that, he turned to Yu Heishi and said, "Old Heishi, your Yu clan has a worthy successor! Hahaha!"

Under normal circumstances, if Lin Bai had dared to call him "Old Heishi" in public, Yu Heishi would have flown into a rage immediately. Today, however, Yu Heishi showed no anger; instead, he smiled and said, "He's just raw and unpolished, nothing special."

Zhuo Hua made a gesture to signal everyone to quiet down, then said, "Then the plan is set. Once the army acquires the supplies, it will take about ten days to reach the site of the Nine Heavens Nova eruption. Has the landing spot been chosen?"

He turned his head toward Niu Jinniu, and Nuan Rufeng cupped his fists in salute and replied, "Reporting to the Monarch, the void for the army's encampment has already been selected by the Bureau of Astronomy, right here."

He pointed to a spot on the map and said, "This void is ten million leagues away from the Nine Heavens Nova, so the army will not be affected by the eruption. It has no official name yet, but the Bureau of Astronomy designates it as Northwest Gengzi-6."

Yu Heishi leaned in, glanced at it, and said, "When our White Tiger Palace was out on a mission once, we stayed in this very place. The climate is exceptionally harsh—blazing like a raging fire by day, freezing like frost by night, and swept by fierce gales year-round. In my view, it is utterly unsuitable for stationing a grand army."

As the newly appointed Master of the Black Tortoise Palace, Niu Jinniu naturally needed to assert his authority on such an occasion. He puffed out his chest and argued logically, "This Gengzi-6 void was indeed as harsh as Palace Master Yu described. However, ever since receiving the Monarch's orders, the Black Tortoise Palace has been scouring the heavens for a suitable landing site, and we discovered that, likely due to the impending Nine Heavens Nova eruption, the climate here has begun to stabilize. While it remains somewhat cold, the army has its own methods for staying warm within the camp, so there shouldn't be any major issues. We just need to have the Vermilion Bird Palace include extra warming provisions in their supplies."

"As for the gale winds Palace Master Yu just mentioned," Niu Jinniu paused before continuing, "recent observations indicate they seem to have dissipated entirely, and the deductions of the Profound Yellow Mirror have verified this result as well."

Zhuo Hua looked around the room once more and asked, "Do any other lords have anything to add?"

Everyone shook their heads to indicate they had nothing further to supplement.

"Very well!" Zhuo Hua pressed both hands on the table, straightened up, and declared, "Then the army's landing site shall be established here. I now bestow upon it a name: the Victorious Void. May our expedition achieve total victory right from the start."

Everyone nodded in acclaim.

"Furthermore, I must reiterate that this campaign serves two purposes: first, to activate the Thousand-Mechanism Urn to repair Lan Sheng's severed arm, helping him overcome his Auspicious Cloud Tribulation ahead of schedule and ascend the Cloud Heaven Stele; and second, to stockpile Golden Sun Essence for the impending fierce battle. We will undoubtedly encounter numerous risks along the way, so I urge you all to remain constantly vigilant and never lower your guard."

Everyone acknowledged the command in unison.

"Oh, right!" Zhuo Hua added, "This time, Mu Jiao, the prominent star of the Azure Dragon Palace, will remain behind at the Cloud Peak Celestial Palace. Aside from deterring petty minds, I have entrusted him with the heavy responsibility of stabilizing the morale of the Twelve Guards of the Cloud Palace and revitalizing our fighting spirit. Once the grand army returns in triumph, we shall reorganize our troops and descend to cleanse the shattered realms below."

Everyone present was filled with boundless joy, and the atmosphere grew exceptionally lively.

A sliver of bright dawn squeezed out from the horizon, playfully scattering morning sunlight across every inch of the land, bit by bit. The clouds and mists of Mount Cuiwei were remarkably stubborn; even under the fierce sunlight, they continued to shroud the towering peaks.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Zhuo Hua stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window at Mount Cuiwei, which was gradually bathing in the sunlight. Suddenly sensing someone behind him, he spoke up.

"You've been driving yourself relentlessly without sleep lately. Can your body still handle it?" Qin Ying's voice sounded from behind.

Without turning back, Zhuo Hua replied, "There were too many backlog matters left unattended, leaving me no time to rest. Besides, I slept enough over the past few months."

"Are you still angry with me?" Qin Ying asked tentatively.

Zhuo Hua said nothing, continuing to gaze at the distant mountains.

"The court session has already been dismissed, yet I can't even ask about unrelated personal matters?" A trace of grievance, or perhaps unease, flickered in Qin Ying's heart.

"You called them unrelated personal matters yourself. Why bother asking me then?" Zhuo Hua's tone was flat and devoid of emotion.

"I'm simply afraid that the child will fall too deeply and lose herself when the time comes."

"Oh? Now that is news!" Zhuo Hua turned around to face Qin Ying, wearing a half-smile as he said, "This is the first time I've ever heard you say you were afraid of someone loving too deeply and losing themselves."

Qin Ying gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Indeed! Acting that way was rather petty of me."

"You should head back. The Vermilion Bird Palace still has plenty of matters that require your attention; the supply logistics for the army's expedition and the gathering of intelligence from afar must all be handled by you. This is a matter of utmost importance, and no step can afford a single error."

"Can't you just talk to me about this? You can even scold me if you want." Growing anxious, Qin Ying stepped forward and tugged at Zhuo Hua's sleeve.

Zhuo Hua sighed, pulled his sleeve back from her grasp, and said, "You are naturally gifted with exceptional aptitude and bone structure. If you could only let go of mortal attachments and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to cultivation, how could your realm possibly stop here?"

"You are angry with me!" Qin Ying knocked Zhuo Hua's hand away and said, "Yet what could I do? When her divine sense leaped here earlier, your heart was thrown into utter chaos. I finally waited for her primordial spirit to depart, only for some little girl to pop up out of nowhere. How do you expect me to endure this?"

"This is the Cloud Peak Celestial Palace, not an inner palace harem! You are the Palace Master of the Vermilion Bird Palace, commanding secret agents across the realm to patrol the world, not some mortal empress ruling over three palaces and six courtyards!" Zhuo Hua shouted. He rarely lost his temper, except in the presence of Lanling.

Clearly startled, Qin Ying fell silent for a moment, unable to utter a word.

Without stopping, Zhuo Hua continued, "Normally, I indulge you and tolerate your willful behavior. I raised you with my own hands, and my regard for you is purely that of a master toward a disciple. But in recent years, you've grown increasingly reckless and unbefitting of your station, causing gossip to spread throughout the entire Cloud Palace. Every day, while dealing with affairs of state, I also have to clean up these petty messes of yours."

"How did you find out about that matter? Was it Zhuo Yun who told you?" Qin Ying raised her head and asked Zhuo Hua.

Stung to anger, Zhuo Hua laughed instead. "Are you still obsessing over this detail? Do you run the Flying Fish Department and feel the need to suspect everyone you see? Should I have myself thoroughly investigated by you as well?"

"It's not like I haven't already." Qin Ying lowered her head, continuously twisting and releasing the silk ribbon on her robe with two fingers, repeating the motion over and over.

Zhuo Hua let out a sudden chuckle, pointed toward the door, and told Qin Ying, "Get out."

Without another word, Qin Ying saw the smile on Zhuo Hua's face and knew the matter had passed. She curtsied obediently and backed out of the room.

Upon leaving the Spirit Perception Palace, Qin Ying went straight to Zhuo Yun's quarters. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw Zhuo Yun in the middle of setting breakfast on the table.

Catching sight of Qin Ying upon raising her head, Zhuo Yun immediately lowered her head and tried to scamper into the bedroom.

"Stop right there!" Qin Ying barked.

Zhuo Yun froze in her tracks, not daring to move an inch.

"Was it you who told Zhuo Hua?" Qin Ying strode over to Zhuo Yun, grabbed her sleeve, and demanded.

"N—no!" Zhuo Yun flushed crimson, lowering her gaze and not daring to meet Qin Ying's eyes.

A grim smile crossed Qin Ying's face as she forced Zhuo Yun's chin up and said, "I knew it was you."

"I really didn't tell my brother!" Zhuo Yun protested loudly.

"Then how did he find out? He spent the entire night discussing matters with the star lords in the Spirit Perception Palace. Don't tell me he has clairvoyance and clairaudience!"

"I... when I brought the midnight snack over earlier, I mentioned it to Lan Sheng." Unable to withstand Qin Ying's oppressive might, Zhuo Yun had no choice but to confess the truth.

"You absolute fool! Telling Lan Sheng is the same as telling him directly!" Qin Ying flung Zhuo Yun's arm away, dropped heavily onto a chair at the dining table, and began to devour the food with gusto.

Seeing Qin Ying eating with such relish, Zhuo Yun flushed bright red with frustration.

As she ate, Qin Ying noticed that Zhuo Yun was still standing in place, so she waved a hand and said, "I won't blame you anymore. Since I'm temporarily finished with my work, I'll go find that little girl myself in a moment."

When no one replied, Qin Ying raised her head to look at Zhuo Yun, whose face remained beet-red, and stared in confusion.

After a long pause, Zhuo Yun finally squeezed out a sentence: "That food was prepared for Lan Sheng. Please don't eat it all."