Big Moon Ballad

Chapter 2670 Departure

The main body of Tengshe remained in the Epang Palace to guard it, while sending an avatar to accompany the army.

The three armies were divided into the central army, the left army, and the right army. The central army was mainly composed of Qin troops and was led by Ying Baoyue and Ji Jiashu. The right army was a joint force of Qin and Eastern Wu troops and was led by Mu You. The left army was a joint force of Qin and Southern Chu troops and was led by Gui Chen and a temporary addition.

When deciding on the commander of the Left Army, Gui Chen was initially quite apprehensive. It goes without saying that Mu You and Ying Baoyue were capable of leading the army, but he was still inexperienced and young; how could he possibly lead a large army on his own?

But when Ying Baoyue announced the strategist of his army, Gui Chen's eyes widened, and he was speechless.

"I never expected my elder brother to return at this time." Ji Jiashu sat in the central army carriage, his face filled with emotion.

The strategist of the left wing army was Ji Qingyuan, who had returned from the north.

After the turmoil in the north, Ji Qingyuan, Chen Zichu, and Xu Yishan were separated and lost contact for a period of time. Three days before the army's departure, the Mountain Spirit informed Ying Baoyue that she had found Ji Qingyuan and guided him to the Epang Palace.

Ji Qingyuan also brought news of Wan Liuyun and others.

Upon seeing his elder brother again after a long separation, Ji Jiashu was shocked by the changes in him.

The first thing he sensed was the change in Ji Qingyuan's realm.

When Ji Qingyuan traveled with them, his cultivation level was only at Rank 9 and had not improved. However, after only a few months, Ji Qingyuan already possessed the aura of Rank 6.

In less than half a year, he went from rank nine to rank six.

Ji Jiashu could imagine what his brother had gone through during his arduous journey.

Even with the protection and guidance of the Mountain Spirit, a level six cultivator is still extremely dangerous in a chaotic world. It is remarkable that Ji Qingyuan was able to find the Epang Palace all the way.

Upon seeing Ji Qingyuan for the first time, Ji Jiashu suddenly understood that he was indeed the child of the Great Master of Fate, Lin Shubai.

The person in front of him was no longer the older brother he knew who would just stay in the yard and read quietly.

When he saw them, Ji Qingyuan only smiled on his weathered face, "It's good that you're all safe and sound."

"Wan Dajia and Manager Qian are both alright. They asked me to let you know they are safe."

Ji Jiashu stared at the several sword marks on his brother's cheek, his lips trembling slightly, unable to utter a word.

“Baoyue,” Ji Qingyuan walked up to her, “I’m here to help you. I can help you now.”

Ying Baoyue pursed her lips. "Okay."

Ji Jiashu glanced at the girl's face beside him. Ying Baoyue's expression remained unchanged, but her eyes were slightly red.

She didn't say much, as if she and Ji Qingyuan understood each other's meaning simply by exchanging glances.

The next day, Ying Baoyue issued an order appointing Ji Qingyuan as the Left Army Military Advisor to assist Gui Chen in leading the army.

There was no objection from the court or the people, including those in Southern Chu, except for one figure in the Left Army who left everyone speechless.

"Is it really okay to have my elder brother and father in the same military unit?"

Ji Jiashu asked worriedly from inside the carriage.

When he learned that Ji Mo had been assigned by Ying Baoyue to accompany him in the Left Army, he was both amused and exasperated.

"Then where should we send him?" Ying Baoyue spread her hands. "We can't exactly have him come into our carriage, can we?"

That's true.

Ji Jiashu scratched his head. Although he felt sorry for his older brother, he thought it was better to let his elderly father go somewhere else than to suffer himself.

"You didn't arrange this to deepen the father-son relationship between them, did you?" Tengshe, who was meditating to the side, opened his eyes and asked casually.

“Not entirely,” Ying Baoyue said. “Ji Mo is bound to be controversial in the army, and it will be better with Qingyuan around.”

After all, Ji Qingyuan is Lin Shubai's son, so the Qin army wouldn't be hostile towards him. In addition, he is also Ji Mo's son, which can serve as a bridge between the Qin and Chu armies.

“You could have just not kept him in the army,” Tengshe rolled his eyes. “Does he not know the way?”

Even with Ji Mo's level of skill, it would only take him a day to run north on his own two legs. I don't know what's wrong with him that he insists on following the Former Qin army.

“He needs to follow us to find the person he’s looking for,” Ying Baoyue said, her gaze complex. “Then can’t he just follow far behind the main army and walk on his own?”

“That won’t do,” Ying Baoyue smiled. “How can such top-tier combat power be wasted? If he’s going to follow the Qin army, then he’ll have to do the work. In case of any unexpected events, he can still be of some use.”

Ji Jiashu couldn't help but shudder. In this world, probably only Ying Baoyue would dare to use his father as a fighting force.

“You…” Tengshe exclaimed in amazement, “Then you should make good use of him.”

“However,” Ying Baoyue sighed, “I do want him to see Qingyuan more often.”

Their fate was uncertain, and no one knew what would happen. If it would allow the father and son more time to spend together, she still wanted to create that opportunity.

Since they are both adults, if they really didn't want to stay together, wouldn't they just get out of the carriage?
……

……

The atmosphere inside the left-wing army general's carriage was indeed somewhat awkward.

Gui Chen used the excuse of needing to check on the troops to go out on horseback, leaving only Ji Mo meditating and Ji Qingyuan studying the map in the carriage.

The two men each occupied one side of the carriage, neither of them speaking.

Time passed quietly like this.

Ji Mo closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, while Ji Qingyuan's gaze remained fixed on the map, as if trying to see through that thin sheepskin.

Several days passed like this, until the fifth day.

Ji Mo opened his eyes.

The moment he opened his eyes, he looked at Ji Qingyuan.

As if sensing something, Ji Qingyuan raised his head.

"what happened?"

“There are bandits about twenty miles ahead,” Ji Mo said succinctly. “About two hundred of them, none of them are high-level cultivators.”

Ji Qingyuan hesitated for a moment, "Can we go around it?"

“My suggestion is to eliminate them,” Ji Mo said calmly, “leaving no one alive.”

Ji Qingyuan frowned, knocked on the window to summon the messenger, and said a few words briefly.

The messenger received the order and left, returning an hour later.

After hearing the report, Ji Qingyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "The bandits have been eliminated. Guichen sent people to count the bodies, and no one survived."

Ji Mo glanced at him, her expression indifferent.

Ji Qingyuan suddenly realized that Ji Mo had already sensed them through their auras, and if there were any who had slipped through the net, he would have warned them long ago.

Ji Qingyuan felt a deep sense of frustration.

He has weathered many storms, but compared to his father, he is still far inferior.

“Grand Preceptor,” Ji Qingyuan took a deep breath and asked the question he had wanted to ask all along, “Why are you coming with us to the north?”

“I am no longer the Grand Preceptor of Southern Chu,” Ji Mo glanced at him, “Call me Father.”

Ji Qingyuan's temple throbbed.

He had never called her that since childhood, always addressing Ji Mo as the Imperial Preceptor. Ji Mo had always been indifferent to him and had never asked him to change his address.

Now, we can't call it that anymore.

"What? Is it so hard for you to call me father?" Ji Mo said calmly. "Twenty years ago, your mother sent you to me and gave you the surname Ji."

"Blame her if you must."

(End of this chapter)