My lord, spare his life!

Negative status effects will weaken the attack capabilities of red-named players.

Weakening the enemy is strengthening one's own side. Zhang Yang used his movement skills, wielding a long spear and moving across the battlefield like a ghost, aiming to apply several layers of negative status effects to every red-named enemy in his field of vision.

The enemy soldiers might not have seen Zhang Yang, but they certainly saw the string of unseeing heads of their own generals. Terrified, their morale nearly shattered. After Sun Ban withdrew, the rearguard was left without command. They knew neither the enemy's location nor their own comrades', let alone how to coordinate their efforts. Before long, they fell into disarray and were defeated one by one.

After being thoroughly berated by Wang Qi and defeating the roadblock, Wang Ba hurriedly led his troops in the direction Sun Ban had retreated. Even as the moon set and the stars began to pierce the sky, they still hadn't caught up with their target. He spat, "Is Sun Zhaoruo a rabbit? Running away so fast? And what's wrong with her men, all of them desperately covering her retreat?"

Wang Ba considered himself a scholar, and even when he cursed, he tried his best to avoid using too many vulgar words. However, his son Wang Qi was different. Before he reformed, he was a complete illiterate. He had been busy all night but had not been able to get the first credit, so he was full of resentment.

He curses without any restraint.

Wang Ba could hear it from a great distance.

He frowned involuntarily: "Whose child is so rude?"

Upon closer inspection, the person whose body was almost entirely enveloped in yin energy that had condensed into black mist was none other than his son. Wang Ba paused for a moment, then immediately changed his tone, murmuring softly, "My son is suffering. He was tormented by that thief all night. It's only natural for him to feel resentment."

The child's mother once said that if you have swear words, just say them out loud so that your heart will be clean; if you keep them inside, they will only make your internal organs dirty.

Why did you let him get away?

Wang Qi appeared before Wang Ba like a gust of cold wind.

He came to confront the old man.

Wang Badao said, "It's not that I'm incompetent, but the thief managed to escape, and her strange henchmen held her back desperately, which allowed her to escape. However, Sun Ban only managed to escape; most of the soldiers were left behind, and they have suffered heavy losses."

He explained it to Wang Qi carefully.

Sun Ban's retreat was not a reckless one.

After her retreat, she ordered her men to collapse the relatively narrow mountain path, creating a landslide to hinder the pursuit of warhorses. With the warhorses unable to pass, ordinary soldiers pursuing on foot were also slowed down. Only generals with high martial prowess and agile individual combat skills could move freely without restriction. In this way, Sun Ban only needed to send one or two loyal followers to hold off the enemy and buy time.

Wang Ba's elite troops failed to catch up because of the former, while Wang Qi and Guan Si's pursuit failed because of the latter. By the time Zhang Yang's troops broke through Sun Ban's camp and joined them, it was too late.

Wang Qi said, "I won't listen to these excuses."

Wang Ba: "...Next time, next time I'll definitely catch them."

What Wang Qi hates most is the next time.

In Yu Guangzhong's painting, Guan Si is sitting quietly beneath the broken flagpole of Sun Ban's banner. The massive Kui Mulang crouches to one side, its thick tail slightly raised, the tip of which shields Guan Si's head from the rain. Both man and wolf exude an indescribable tranquility.

Heavenly Bodhisattva, you two eyesores of dead goods!

Wang Ba also followed the gaze and looked over.

He secretly praised the young man's elegance, for he was truly graceful.

For some inexplicable reason, Wang Ba felt as if he had suddenly understood, and could comprehend the source of Wang Qi's current unhappiness: "...Is my son feeling inferior because he lost face in front of his colleagues?"

The competition for favor has never been limited by gender, age, or race.

If a family keeps several pets, the pets will fight and try to attract the owner's attention; if the inner courtyard has one or two side rooms, the side rooms will also try to win the master's favor for the material benefits brought by the pampering; and if court officials want to gain the emperor's trust and better realize their political ambitions and life ideals, they will try every means to eliminate colleagues with conflicting interests and differing views, so that they can win the emperor's favor alone.

The same principle applies throughout history.

His son is also at the age where he would get involved in such disputes.

However, the opponent was such an elegant young man, making him truly troublesome. Understanding this, Wang Ba could comprehend why Wang Qi was so angry. In Wang Qi's view, if Wang Ba could completely stop Sun Ban, the credit for capturing the king would largely go to Wang Ba and his son.

This also means that Wang Qi had the upper hand over Guan Si.

Now it's all ruined.

Wang Qi's face hardened with malice: "Who are you calling being suppressed?"

Intuition told Wang Ba that he shouldn't respond to this. Other people's sons might just vent their anger, but his son was truly capable of killing.

"In my opinion, this child is not as good as my son."

It's definitely not that Wang Qi was inferior to Guan Si.

These words could not soothe the surging anger in Wang Qi's heart.

Fortunately, he didn't have a chance to lash out, because a familiar female voice carried on the night breeze: "Is that Lord Hongtu ahead?"

The father and son both turned their heads to look.

"Exactly."

Guan Si, who had been meditating to recover, also opened his eyes.

From a great distance, Zhang Yang rode up on horseback, carrying her gleaming golden spear, with five or six human heads hanging from its shaft. The heads were arranged side by side, colliding and shifting with the swaying of the horse's back.

If Zhang Yang's expression had been ferocious or manic, they would have found the scene "pleasing to the eye," possessing a primal cruelty. But her expression and eyes were utterly calm. The three of them felt that the scene was tinged with an eeriness.

As she rode closer, Wang Ba recognized the owner of the severed heads.

Several of them were prominent figures under Sun Ban's command.

Among them were relatives who were closely related to Sun Ban by blood.

Wang Qi: "Were these all killed by mountain spirits?"

Zhang Yang dismounted: "Yes."

Wang Qi walked around Zhang Yang, admiring her aesthetic sense: "I'll do that next time too, and we can have a competition."

Zhang Yang shook his head: "I won't do that again next time, I won't compete."

Wang Qi: "Why?"

Zhang Yang said, "There are too many monks and not enough porridge."

While it was a powerful tool for intimidating the enemy, it wasn't appropriate for her, as the ruler, to compete with her subordinates for military merits, as it would negatively impact employee morale. Zhang Yang removed all the heads and handed them to her personal guards, allowing the severed heads to reunite with their bodies.

Looking at Zhang Yang, who was earnestly instructing him to properly sew the head back onto the corpse and to give the enemy a proper burial, Wang Ba felt somewhat dazed.

To say the other party was merciful is an understatement, for she hung the man's head on a long spear.

Calling the other side cruel is one thing, but they were willing to give their enemy a complete corpse instead of hanging it up as a show of force, rather than turning it into preserved meat.

Wang Ba glanced at Wang Qi and sighed inwardly.

There are some things that only his father can push him through.

Wang Ba proactively mentioned the supplies and provisions that Sun Ban had left behind. The normal procedure was to break camp at dawn, so these items had been packed and prepared beforehand. Sun Ban, caught off guard by Wang Ba's betrayal, was unable to take them with him. Before leading his troops into action, he first sent men to control the guards responsible for protecting the supplies and provisions.

Therefore, these can be considered Wang Ba's spoils of war.

He had no use for these things, but he went along with it to do Zhang Yang a favor, indirectly giving the credit to his son as well. Zhang Yang didn't understand these intricacies and only thought Wang Ba was an upright and decent person.

He could think so comprehensively even in such a chaotic situation.

Older gingers are more spicy.

Besides these, Wang Ba's troops also "snatched food from the tiger's mouth," capturing many prisoners from Lu Yuan, Zhe Meng, and others during the chaos of battle. These prisoners were all listed under his name and then given to Zhang Yang. A rough calculation revealed that they were the ones who contributed the most.

Zhang Yang said, "Thank you very much, Lord Hongtu."

Wang Ba waved his hand and laughed, "Putting aside the fact that my son has received many days of care from Zhang Jun, and that our two families are allies, this is nothing."

Zhang Yang didn't understand polite words, but he accepted them with a straightforward smile.

While cleaning up the battlefield, both sides sat down to rest.

Wang Ba's men secretly seized prisoners, encroaching on a portion of Lü Yuan's profits, which naturally displeased her. However, she had to prioritize the overall situation and couldn't vent her anger in front of her adoptive mother. While reporting the battle results as usual, seeing that her adoptive mother was in a good mood, Lü Yuan mentioned the prisoner she had captured. Zhang Yang: "Is this person also someone you know?"

Lu Yuan felt a moment of embarrassment, as if he had a thorn in his side.

He said sheepishly, "I have."

However, those are all things of the past.

Zhang Yang nodded: "What are this person's abilities like?"

"He has decent talent and upright character, making him a useful person. However, his mentor was killed by his adoptive mother, and he needs some time to process this." You can't rush things; you can't recruit talent when they're most emotionally charged.

Lu Yuan couldn't bear to watch his adoptive mother's performance on the battlefield.

No one could match the bravery of the stepmother.

But no one could match the stepmother's ability to recruit people.

The fact that the other party didn't fight her to the death shows that her godmother was being merciful.

"His mentor? A relative of Sun Zhaoruo? I see." Zhang Yang said considerately, "Then let him rest for now, let him recover from his injuries and heal from the grief of losing his master, and leave him to you—"

The atmosphere inexplicably turned cold.

Lu Yuan hurriedly said, "Godmother, no."

Zhang Yang tilted his head: "I originally thought you wanted to recruit him and make him your deputy, since you two are quite familiar with each other."

After all, those who are near the water get the moon first.

Zhang Yang wouldn't actually give the person to Lu Yuan, but as his adoptive mother, she would help create opportunities for the two to spend time together and get closer. Perhaps if they cooperate well at work, they could also work things out in private. On second thought, could this be considered a workplace romance?

According to some observers who own companies, this is not a good thing.

A chill ran down Lu Yuan's spine.

She always felt like there was a ghost watching her from behind.

"...Precisely because he is also talented and can serve his lord, he should avoid suspicion, lest he be dragged down by personal relationships and miss his chance to rise to prominence." Talented people don't like to be criticized for relying on nepotism; they should rely on their own abilities if possible.

Zhang Yang clapped his hands in praise and said, "My son has thought things through thoroughly."

Where can you find an ex-girlfriend as considerate and decent as Bafeng?

Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, his peripheral vision catching sight of the "ghost".

The "ghost" didn't look at her; it simply lowered its eyes calmly.

Ritsumoto: "..."

Let's see how long he can keep up this act.

It took most of the day to clean up the battlefield.

Around noon, Zhang Yang was blinded by a beam of golden light piercing through the thick clouds. Squinting, she looked up and was surprised to find that the downpour had turned into a light drizzle, the heavy rain clouds overhead had thinned considerably, the wind had subsided, and there was even a sun shower. She spread her fingers, letting the sunlight fall into her palm, feeling a distinct warmth.

"This damn weather is finally going to end."

As the rain came to an end, the intensity gradually decreased.

The extreme weather in the area will gradually return to normal, and once the heavy rain stops, the floodwaters will recede completely in a day or two.

Zhang Yang summoned Xiao Sui: "How's the cleanup going?"

The path on the back mountain couldn't withstand the heavy rain last night, and the commotion caused by Sun Ban's retreat had also caused many sections to collapse. Using this path to descend the mountain would be slow and prone to accidents. Zhang Yang then made two preparations, clearing both the front and back mountain paths. The front mountain was used for the army's descent, while the back mountain was cleared to make it easier for woodcutters to take a shortcut in the future.

"It will still take half an hour."

This efficiency is already considered fast.

Zhang Yang didn't urge them further, but instead asked about the number of soldiers lost in the battle and the overall amount of compensation: "Is there enough money and provisions to cover the losses?"

Xiao Sui said, "That's enough."

Zhang Yang pondered, "If we add a little more to the normal amount, we've already seized quite a bit of Sun Ban's belongings. Since we've suddenly become rich overnight, we certainly can't be stingy and not reward the soldiers."

Xiao Sui: "Is this inappropriate?"

The original reward was actually quite generous.

Zhang Yang shook his head: "Do as you say, we're not short of money."

Xiao Sui once again sensed the immense wealth of her lord from his nonchalant tone. Since her lord was willing to bestow favors, she refrained from further persuasion, lest word get out and she incur the hatred of the lower-ranking soldiers, which would hinder military discipline.

A cry came from the sky.

The telescope flapped its wings to slow down and landed steadily.

Zhang Yang immediately threw a handful of birdseed to the child.

"You've worked hard. How was the harvest?"

The clairvoyant searched for traces of Sun Ban's remaining forces, trying to find out where they had fled. Sun Ban, however, was also on guard against this tactic and took many disruptive actions, making it quite difficult for the clairvoyant to find them.

Fortunately, it was found.

only--

Zhang Yang recalled the map's geographical location: "They ran that fast?"

Xiao Sui said, "Traveling light and simply will definitely be faster."

Zhang Yang: "..."

Her current "wisdom" allowed her to discern a touch of the humor of a scholar, and Zhang Yang's lips twitched slightly: "Indeed."

Traveling light will definitely make you run faster.

Zhang Yang had originally planned to consolidate his forces and pursue the enemy, but upon hearing their location, he abandoned the idea. Xiao Sui whispered a reminder to Zhang Yang, "If Sun Zhao consolidates his defenses, my lord, this is the perfect opportunity for us to attack and capture Eunuch County and Hu County."

The two counties were already weakened by the impact of the flood.

Sun Ban withdrew the defensive line towards Dou County, and the two counties lost the protection of their allies. Zhang Yang's plan was to take advantage of their weakness and kill them.

Zhang Yang: "After taking stock of the troops and resting for a day, we will set off."

As she stood up, she seemed to sense something and looked up.

"Zhang Daji is back."

As soon as Zhang Daji returned, it went straight to Wang Qi, but instead of receiving a warm reward from its former master, it was slapped by Wang Qi. It flapped its wings and flew away, muttering curses. Wang Qi didn't tolerate it, and scolded, "You feathered beast, try saying another word!"

anger!

This is displaced anger!

The shameless person took their anger out on the bird!

In a fit of rage, Zhang Daji flew towards Guan Si, grabbing his arm with its two claws and flying towards Zhang Yang, making a series of incoherent noises.

It didn't run away; it brought back good news!

What was good news for Zhang Yang was a nightmare for Sun Ban, who dropped the dry rations in her hand in shock: "What?!"

Did she mishear?

"You mean... something happened at the grain warehouse?"

This incident occurred not long after the attack on the army.

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