There are too many female protagonists with deceased husbands in the Qin Dynasty's Past Books.

Jokingly, Jiang Mo casually brought up Wei as a shield in this matter.

Yan Lingji imagined Wei's possible reaction and couldn't help but chuckle. She then casually closed the brocade box and tossed it aside.

"By the way, how did your trip go?"

Seeing that Yan Lingji was no longer fixated on the Fire Cloud Spirit Ginseng, Jiang Mo subtly changed the subject.

"It's just like that, let's wait and see for now, talking about taking a long-term view..."

The spoon, which was brought to her lips, paused slightly. Yan Lingji muttered something as if nothing had happened, then stuffed her mouth full.

This gives her a reason to remain silent for the time being.

Jiang Mo was not surprised by Yan Lingji's answer, and thought to himself, "As expected."

Barbarians with little culture are often short-sighted.

Although Yan Lingji holds the special title of "Chosen One of the Gods," she is still young and lacks prestige.

Convincing those people to unite and help each other is easier said than done.

However, seeing how hard Yan Lingji was working to protect her homeland, Jiang Mo, who hadn't been optimistic about her before, didn't try to stop her. He simply stood silently behind her as her eternal supporter.

But now, he has no choice but to say some discouraging things.

"Yan'er, forgive my bluntness, but you should see clearly now that the various forces in the Baiyue region are like a pile of loose sand."

"What can we use to resist a Korean invasion?"

Putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Jiang Mo wiped his mouth, put on a serious expression, and stared at Yan Lingji across from him as he spoke.

Yan Lingji lowered her eyes, avoiding eye contact with Jiang Mo.

She acted as if she hadn't heard, avoiding answering and only slowly chewing the food in her mouth. After a long while, she finally uttered, "There will always be a way."

"I'll think of other ways..."

Jiang Mo felt a little reluctant. This wasn't the first time he had discussed the situation and the enemy's situation with Yan Lingji.

She had long been aware of the undeniable truth.

They just weren't willing to accept it and still held onto some things.

Jiang Mo could understand this feeling very well.

If Jiang Mo were in Yan Lingji's shoes, he would probably stubbornly hold on until the very end. That's why he never tried to persuade Yan Lingji to become a traitor and leave her home.

But today, some things have to be made clear.

"There's no other way. Do you remember what I told you before? War is not about the strength of a single army, but about the overall strength of the entire country."

Jiang Mo counted on his fingers, helping Yan Lingji count little by little:

"Logistical support capabilities, the degree of monarchical centralization, the people's level of productivity, and the strategic depth of the territory..."

"In which aspect do the Baiyue people have a significant advantage?"

Jiang Mo was not well-versed in military strategy, but perhaps because he was an outsider with a clearer perspective, his analysis was quite logical and insightful.

However, it could also be described as hindsight.

The Baiyue people were destined to perish, which, in turn, led to the current situation.

"There will be a way. It's not just me who's trying to find a way; the shaman, the village chief, the royal family—everyone is trying to find a way..."

Yan Lingji murmured, like a child afraid to face reality.

"It's useless. Even the best methods need a solid foundation for implementation. Given the current situation in Baiyue, any plan is nothing but a rootless duckweed, ultimately unable to withstand the prevailing trend..."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Jiang Mo's ruthless revelation of the truth caused Yan Lingji to lose control of her emotions. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up.

But when she met Jiang Mo's eyes, her momentum vanished.

"I... went to wash the dishes."

Without saying anything more, Yan Lingji gathered up the dishes and fled into the kitchen.

"I already told you the answer."

"You actually know it in your heart, but you just don't want to accept it."

Watching the other person's retreating figure, Jiang Mo sighed silently, knowing that his test had failed once again.

"As expected, they still don't want to leave like this..."

Chapter 70 You've Finally Arrived

As midnight approached, Jiang Mo, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window.

"A dark and windy night, quite a nice night indeed."

He got up and changed into the black veiled night clothes he had prepared. His gaze swept over the somewhat deserted room, his expression one of relief and regret.

"With Yan Lingji not around, it's actually easier for me to move around."

"But these days, every day that passes, is one less day, and it's really hard to let them go."

As for where Yan Lingji, who had deliberately provoked him with her annoying topics, went after washing the dishes, Jiang Mo wasn't worried at all.

She must have gone back to her place.

There are always a few days like this every month. Anyway, by noon the next day at most, Yan Ling Ji will casually come over on her own, so there's nothing to worry about.

These were all experiences that Jiang Mo gained from following and observing them.

At this moment, Jiang Mo was more concerned about the bait he had left behind.

"Tianze, this is a tricky target."

"This is probably more difficult to deal with than any enemy I've ever encountered before..."

Jiang Mo shook his head and sighed with a wry smile, but there was no fear on his face. Instead, he reached out and pressed his abdomen. In his dantian, the Emerging Cocoon Gu was greedily absorbing the spiritual essence from the severed tail of the Chunxi Gecko.

It will be a long time before it is completely refined.

However, the current level should be sufficient for tonight's operation.

With a light and agile movement, Jiang Mo climbed out of the window and silently made his way towards the top of the cliff behind the mountain, without attracting anyone's attention.

In the quiet of the night, the sound of scattered footsteps drifted on the wind.

Jiang Mo showed no sign of tension or panic. He continued moving, only slightly turning his head to look in the direction from which the sound came.

The flickering light of the torches came into view.

The torch, engraved with special runes, was exceptionally bright and stable as a source of light. Even when the night wind blew from time to time, it showed no sign of flickering or going out.

The bright firelight illuminated the tense, vigilant faces of several patrolmen nearby.

And the sharp glint in his eyes.

Clearly, given the current critical situation, even late at night, the villagers dare not slack off and have specially arranged a continuous patrol team.

Many members of this team possess a natal Gu that is extremely adapted to darkness.

Nighttime is the main battlefield where they can unleash their full potential.

If you were to ask Jiang Mo why he knew so much, it would be because he had played a crucial role in the formation of this special night patrol team from the very beginning. Many of the members were selected by Jiang Mo himself.

Of course, to the outside world, the list was officially finalized by Yan Lingji.

Even among the team in front of him, there was someone Yao Wujiu knew, Ah Li, who had once discussed "Treading Snow and Falling Plum Blossoms" with him.

She landed silently, like a cat moving silently under the night sky.

Its amber eyes gleamed with the hunting instinct unique to felines, and its slightly twitching ears didn't miss a single rustle within a radius of several feet.

In terms of pure hunting skills, Jiang Mo would have to admit defeat.

However, when it comes to the skill of light footwork, no matter how well Ah Li's natal Gu is suited to "Treading Snow and Falling Plum Blossoms Step", it cannot compare with Jiang Mo, who has now mastered the form of the Luan.

Even the most agile cat needs leverage to leap.

But now Jiang Mo can, to a certain extent, rise with the wind like a bird. If he wants, he can even make his body as light as a feather.

Don't ask how this works.

The answer is witchcraft.

Using this to compete with the other party in terms of agility and movement is really bullying.

Even now, as the village's top hunter, and in the darkness of night, her own domain, she failed to notice Jiang Mo's presence.

In terms of hunting skills, Jiang Mo is indeed inferior to Ah Li.

However, over the years, he had mainly studied and practiced witchcraft, and at this moment he could easily draw upon the omnipresent darkness of the night to perfectly conceal his figure.

Every move they make yields results.

The fact that they could detect the movements of the South Korean army with 100% accuracy is not just boasting.

Instead of rushing straight to the top of the cliff behind the mountain, Jiang Mo deliberately wandered around the village a couple of times, watching the patrol team come and go under his nose from a bird's-eye view.

No unfamiliar faces appeared.

No unnecessary actions were taken?

Or perhaps all of them are lying in ambush on the cliff top?

Jiang Mo thought to himself, "Tianze could indeed mobilize the village's resources through the village chief, but I think that's unlikely."

The treasure of Fire Rain Manor is no ordinary thing.

Tianze would never easily leak information to anyone who wasn't a trusted confidant, which is one of the few advantages Jiang Mo possesses.

As Jiang Mo climbed up the steep cliff in complete darkness, he couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both feelings and reflection).

He was very familiar with this cliff. Years ago, the shaman often liked to stay here, saying that it was closer to the gods in the sky, making it easier for him to hear the voices of the gods. As a result, Jiang Mo and Yan Lingji always had to climb up it, panting heavily.

He forged an extraordinary and robust physique through sheer hard work.

However, as he grew older, the witch priest gradually stopped spending long periods of time on the cliff top, while Yan Lingji and Jiang Mo often went up there to have meals together.

Experience the unique charm of overlooking all the mountains from a high vantage point.