Zhang Kui's Journey to the West in the Investiture of the Gods

Upon receiving Chong Houhu's clearly malicious military order, Zhang Kui remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was sneering. He did not immediately muster his troops and set off, but instead followed military procedures to go to the rear supply depot and allocate supplies using the order.

Chong Houhu didn't do anything shady about this, or rather, he wished that Zhang Kui brought enough supplies and made a big enough target so that he could better attract the rebels to come and besiege him.

Three hundred heavy, armor-piercing crossbows, mountains of grain sacks, eight thousand strong laborers, and a thousand accompanying guards were quickly inventoried under Zhang Kui's supervision and officially handed over to him for management.

Looking at the massive supply convoy before him, Zhang Kui felt Chong Houhu's undisguised malice more clearly than ever. But he simply took a deep breath of the cold air, and the surging earth witch qi and blood within his body, along with the three-stage golden core in his dantian, vibrated slightly. Far from feeling fear, he felt a surge of eager excitement.

"Old man, you want to play? Then your grandpa Zhang will play a big game with you!" Zhang Kui thought to himself, his eyes sharp as a hawk's. "I'll use your wicked scheme to test the results of my recent training."

After handling the handover of supplies, Zhang Kui ordered his deputy to organize the laborers and guards to prepare for departure, while he went directly to the central army camp to complete the final registration procedures for this escort mission.

This is a rule established by Wen Zhong: any military operation exceeding a certain scale, especially those involving the movement of provisions and weapons, must be recorded in detail by the central army for overall coordination and accountability.

The snowstorm seemed to have subsided a bit, but the sky remained overcast.

The central command tent area was shrouded in shimmering light, as the recent security was even tighter than usual due to the approaching major battle. After Zhang Kui announced his purpose, he was led by the guards to a side tent specifically for handling paperwork and military affairs.

As soon as I approached the tent, I sensed a peaceful and righteous yet mysteriously changing magical energy emanating from within, faintly carrying the rhythm of the Five Elements.

Zhang Kui lifted the curtain and entered. Inside the side tent, he saw Ji Lizheng, the deputy general of the central army, sitting cross-legged on a futon, his hands forming hand seals, surrounded by five-colored light—blue, yellow, red, white, and black. However, the light was somewhat dim, and its flow occasionally faltered, clearly indicating that his cultivation had encountered a bottleneck.

Ji Li sensed someone entering and slowly withdrew his cultivation, the five-colored light receding into his body. He looked up and saw Zhang Kui, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "So it's General Zhang Kui. Are you here to handle military affairs registration?"

"Indeed, General Ji." Zhang Kui clasped his hands in greeting, his gaze sweeping over the lingering Five Elements aura in front of Ji Li, and smiled, "I apologize for disturbing General Ji's cultivation. Your Five Elements magic is profound and mysterious, magnificent and righteous, truly admirable."

Upon hearing this, Ji Li gave a wry smile, rose and led Zhang Kui to sit down at the table, shaking his head as he said, "General Zhang, you flatter me. It's just some rudimentary beginner's skill, not worth mentioning. I'm sorry to have made you laugh, General. My cultivation has been hindered lately, and I feel quite stagnant, finding it difficult to make progress."

He skillfully flipped through the file book and asked, "What kind of military business is this, General? Hmm, a rear guard escort mission. Usually, such matters are more suitable for General Yu Qing to handle, but unfortunately, Yu Qing went to the front line with the Grand Tutor to inspect the situation of the 'Northern Darkness Ice Soul Cold Light Array' today, so I will handle it for you."

Zhang Kui handed over the military order signed by Chong Houhu and said, "By order of the Marquis of the North, escort a batch of heavy crossbows and provisions to General Zhang Guifang of the Left Army."

Jili took the document and examined it carefully. When he saw the quantity of supplies being transported, and especially the designated marching route—through "Black Wind Gorge"—his brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He looked up at Zhang Kui, his eyes filled with doubt, questioning, and seriousness.

"General Zhang, this mission is no easy task. Black Wind Gorge is a treacherous place, shrouded in snow and wind, with extremely poor visibility, and there have been many rumors of rebel scouts appearing recently." As Ji Li spoke, he began to take notes, asking in a seemingly casual tone, "The Marquis of the North... seems to attach great importance to this trip? He even personally determined the route."

Zhang Kui understood Ji Li's unspoken meaning and felt a warmth in his heart. In this cutthroat military camp, it was truly rare to encounter people like Ji Li and Yu Qing, who were upright and would secretly offer him guidance.

He smiled, his tone calm yet pointed: "Our Marquis is indeed 'enthusiastic,' repeatedly stating that this matter concerns the overall situation of breaking the formation, and that it cannot be done without me. He has repeatedly instructed that it must be delivered on time along this route."

Ji Li paused slightly, looked up and met Zhang Kui's gaze. Both saw understanding in each other's eyes. Ji Li sighed softly and lowered his voice, saying, "General Zhang, although we haven't known each other for long, I admire your character and abilities. There are some things I'm unsure whether I should say."

"General Ji, please speak freely. Zhang Kui is all ears," Zhang Kui said solemnly.

"The Marquis of Bei..." Ji Li hesitated for a moment, "...is not a magnanimous person. He is notorious for his vindictiveness, as was his reputation in Chaoge. General, you previously took Chong Yingbiao's position and were highly regarded by the Grand Tutor, so he must be unhappy. This mission is dangerous, and General, you must be extremely careful. Remember... there are things you can do and things you can't do. If the situation is truly critical, you must prioritize your own safety. The Grand Tutor often says, 'If you lose land but save people, you can save both people and land.'"

These words were definitely a heartfelt reminder and admonition.

Zhang Kui was deeply moved and solemnly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your frank advice, General Ji! Rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that Zhang Kui understood, Ji Li said no more and continued writing the filing documents. When he reached the end, his pen hovered over the line "Execute according to the established route and time requirements," hesitated for a moment, a decisive glint in his eyes, and then added a sentence: "However, the battlefield is ever-changing. In the event of unforeseen dangers, the commander may make on-the-spot decisions and flexibly adjust the marching route to ensure the safety of supplies and personnel."

After finishing writing, he blew on the ink to dry it, handed the document to Zhang Kui for review, and said in a low voice, "General, this is for record keeping. The military order in your hand was still issued by the Marquis, and I have no right to change it. But with this note from the Central Army, if it really comes to an unavoidable situation, General, you will have a basis for changing the route. If the Grand Tutor asks, I will explain the situation to you."

This is a godsend!

Ji Li's actions undoubtedly provided Zhang Kui with a protective shield, enabling him to act independently in crucial moments. Zhang Kui was deeply grateful and bowed deeply again: "General Ji's noble character will be forever remembered by Zhang Kui."

"General, there's no need for such formalities." Ji Li waved his hand and smiled, "We both serve the Great Shang, so we should support each other. I hope your journey will be smooth and that you will overcome any obstacles."

After completing the formalities, Zhang Kui intended to take his leave immediately. However, his gaze swept over the few pieces of Five Elements materials on the table in front of Ji Li, which were used to assist in cultivation but were obviously of mediocre quality. He also recalled the sluggish flow of magical power he had experienced during his cultivation earlier, and a thought struck him.

He stopped and began rummaging through an inconspicuous storage pouch at his waist. It contained many valuable items he had previously acquired by utilizing his access to the logistics warehouse and making use of discarded materials, including essences extracted from the mountains of enemy magical artifact fragments, the corpses of powerful demons, and strange ores.

"General Ji!"

Zhang Kui took out several small jade bottles and a few crystals that shimmered with pure luster, and placed them on the table. "I just saw the general practicing the Five Elements magic. I have some trinkets here that are just sitting around. Perhaps they can be of some help to the general's cultivation. Please do not refuse them."

Ji Li was taken aback and looked at the objects. One jade bottle contained droplets of liquid imbued with the aura of the Wood element; another bottle contained red sand grains sparkling with tiny fireflies; a yellow crystal contained a rich earth essence; a piece of white metal radiated a sharp aura of the Metal element; and a piece of black jade was icy cold and contained profound Yin energy.

These were all extremely pure essences of the five elements. Although the quantity of each was not particularly large, the quality was extremely high. They were exactly the spiritual items that he urgently needed for his current cultivation but were difficult to find.

"This...this is too precious." Ji Li hurriedly waved his hand, "General Zhang, such a spiritual item would be of great use to your own cultivation. How could I take it from someone else? Absolutely not."

Zhang Kui laughed heartily and forcefully pushed the items in front of him: "General Ji, you are mistaken. My cultivation will not require these in the near future. It would be a waste to leave them gathering dust in the bag. Only in the hands of someone as proficient in the Five Elements techniques as you, General, can they be put to good use. If you refuse again, you are looking down on me, Zhang Kui."

His words were half true and half false. These things wouldn't directly help him cultivate the Golden Elixir Path and the Heavenly Gang Divine Power, but they were definitely invaluable. He did this partly out of genuine gratitude for Ji Li's repeated reminders and help, and partly because he truly admired Ji Li's character and intended to cultivate this good relationship.

Looking into Zhang Kui's sincere and magnanimous eyes, and then at the Five Elements Essence on the table—materials of immeasurable value to him—Ji Li was deeply moved. He knew the value of these materials and understood the profound meaning behind Zhang Kui's actions. After a moment of silence, he stopped being pretentious, solemnly put the items away, and bowed deeply to Zhang Kui: "General Zhang is so generous and righteous, Ji Li... is truly unworthy of your kindness. I will remember this favor forever."

"Haha, there's no need for such formalities between friends." Zhang Kui laughed, patted Ji Li on the shoulder, and said, "It's getting late, I should be on my way. General Ji, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again! General Zhang, take care." Ji Li cupped his hands, his eyes filled with sincere blessings and concern.

Zhang Kui turned around, strode out of the side tent, and his figure quickly disappeared into the wind and snow.

Ji Li stood there, gazing in the direction Zhang Kui had left, clutching the warm jade bottles and crystals tightly in his hands. A warm feeling welled up in his heart, and he murmured to himself, "Zhang Kui is indeed no ordinary man... Marquis of the North, Marquis of the North, this time, you have probably chosen the wrong opponent."