SECTION 70: Facing the Mad Confucian General (Chapter)
2013-02-09 Author: Gu Zhenren
“Good, very good. You’ve recovered? That’s just as I wished. Fight me, Little Tyrant!” Zhang Runfeng’s stern words were laced with desperation. He desperately wanted to appear calm, but his trembling voice and ashen face betrayed him completely.
“If you can withstand this move, I’ll spare your life. Eight Trigram Array, Dao Method Torrent!” Chu Yun tapped his Immortal Pouch, releasing the Eight Spirit Monsters. They flew out and circled him, forming the Eight Trigram formation.
The formation’s space remained contained, directly unleashing the Dao Method Torrent.
In an instant, flying snow, lightning, fierce winds, and raging fires erupted simultaneously. Amidst intense roars, Zhang Runfeng resisted with all his might. He held on for only half a breath before being completely consumed by the torrent’s onslaught.
Various Dao Methods merged, forming a world-shattering torrent that surged for three hundred nautical miles. It pierced the air, disintegrating any warships, soldiers, or even seawater in its path. In an instant, it created a void of twenty feet in diameter and one hundred miles long. After a few breaths, the surrounding air and seawater rushed back in, creating a sound like mountains crumbling and the sea roaring.
The entire battlefield fell silent.
This single strike annihilated seventeen enemy warships. The power was so terrifying it left onlookers dumbfounded. When the enemy forces recovered from their shock, the only thought in their minds was to retreat.
Chu Yun’s eight Spirit Monsters now all possessed nine thousand years of cultivation, and with the Eight Trigram Array’s amplification, the Dao Method Torrent, which he could previously only use three times a day, could now be used up to five times, with even greater power.
Chu Yun pressed his advantage, attacking in all directions and pursuing the enemy for three thousand nautical miles without rest.
In this battle, Chu Yun captured over 80 warships and imprisoned more than 5,000 soldiers. He eliminated as many as “High-ranking officers were eliminated, including four high-level Spirit Monsters. Six generals were captured.
After this great victory, the Shui Family’s main defensive force was utterly crippled, unable to form an effective defense.
Chu Yun’s strength was thus publicly acknowledged, and he was promoted from the Talented Person Ranking to the Peculiar Person Ranking. To be recognized on the Peculiar Person Ranking at his age, he was temporarily hailed as the number one among the younger generation, becoming a celebrated tale in Xingzhou.
The news of the decimation of their main fleet enraged the Mad Confucian General, causing him to fly into a violent temper. This meant that the vast waters of the Shui Family would become an open hunting ground for anyone. Every one of his supply fleets faced a grave crisis of being annexed or destroyed.
He was forced to withdraw some of his forces from the Tie Family battlefield to defend the Shui Family’s main stronghold.
He summoned his strategist, Zhen Youcai, to discuss the situation. His tone carried a hint of regret: “Before I left, I boasted to the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom that I would unify the Archipelago within a month. But now, more than a month has passed. Alas, I underestimated this brat Chu Yun. I never expected that he couldn’t even defeat Yan Dongliu, a descendant of the Sword King!”
“If I had known this would happen, I should have acted myself. I was deceived by Chu Yun’s age!” he sighed.
“Throughout the history of Xingzhou, there have always been rare talents and prodigious individuals who exceed ordinary expectations. Clearly, Chu Yun is such a person. To be honest, I also thought Yan Dongliu had a foolproof chance of defeating him. This is not our fault; we can only say that Chu Yun is far beyond the norm.” Zhen Youcai was slender with a goatee, his forehead high, as if containing boundless wisdom and cunning.
He paused and continued, “The biggest problem now is that we must unify the Archipelago as quickly as possible, giving no time or opportunity for any island country power to interfere. This plan has involved immeasurable resources and manpower, meticulously planned for hundreds of years to gain this initial advantage. Any delay will lead to failure. Therefore, we must quickly create an opportunity for a decisive battle, achieve victory in one fell swoop, and defeat the allied forces of the Tie and Shu families.”
“This was our original plan. Our offensive against the Tie Family was the first step in implementing this plan. However, we never anticipated that Chu Yun would be such a disruptive force,” the Mad Confucian General frowned.
“He is an anomaly. There must be some trick he possesses that I cannot fathom. I heard that the Ten Thousand Beasts King once possessed a technique called Little Zi Zai Formless Art, which could shield divine sense from heaven and earth, useful for dealing with Demonic Tribulations. It’s highly possible he has this Dao Method,” Zhen Youcai speculated.
The Mad Confucian General said nothing further but suddenly stood up and walked outside.
“General, where are you going?”
“It’s not too late to mend the losses. This time, I will act personally and eliminate this anomaly completely!” With these words, the Mad Confucian General soared into the sky.
Two days later.
“The Shui Family has finally divided its forces. This way, our objective has been achieved. It’s time to withdraw,” Chu Yun ordered a retreat decisively upon receiving this military intelligence, unwilling to prolong the fight or press his advantage.
The soldiers breathed a collective sigh of relief.
To be honest, even the brave Shu Family soldiers were beginning to feel the strain from the continuous arduous battles. More importantly, with the increasing number of prisoners and the vast fleet of captured warships, the Shu Family would inevitably need to dispatch troops to maintain control, further burdening the soldiers.
“Young Master, you’ve finally come to your senses,” General Rabbit said tearfully, overcome with emotion. Chu Yun had constantly ordered him to lead the charge, making each encounter a hellish ordeal that tormented him. Naturally, he was the happiest at this moment.
“Report! Enemies have suddenly appeared ahead, blocking our path.” During the retreat, a communication soldier reported in panic.
“Oh? Ignorant fools, daring to intercept our fleet. How many men have come? Watch my Young Master knock them all down!” General Rabbit puffed himself up, emboldened by Chu Yun’s presence.
“There’s… there’s only one person, sir.” The communication soldier’s voice faltered.
“What?!” General Rabbit’s eyes widened, nearly convinced he had misheard.
Chu Yun’s pupils, however, contracted. He knew an unexpected formidable enemy had appeared.
He emerged from his cabin and stepped onto the deck, seeing a simple skiff bobbing on the waves. Two people were on the skiff. One, dressed as a scholar, sat behind a small tea table, leisurely sipping wine from a cup.
A boatman, holding an oar, stood at the stern. An extremely potent demonic energy emanated from him, concentrated and unreleased. Only those who observed closely could sense his power and terrifying presence.
“This demonic energy surpasses that of a Spirit Monster. It is definitely that of a Tribulation Demon!” Chu Yun felt as if he were facing a colossal mountain upon seeing the boatman. His heart sank, and his gaze shifted to the scholar.
There was only one person who could possess the combat power of a Tribulation Demon and was most likely to appear in this location.
“You must be the Mad Confucian General, right?” Chu Yun called out.
“Indeed. I’ve been waiting for you. Little Tyrant, to be worthy of me setting aside my military duties to eliminate you is an honor, even in death,” the scholar said with a faint smile. He then tilted his head back and downed the wine in his cup. His movements were filled with an arrogant air, yet they did not clash with his scholarly appearance; rather, they complemented it.
He was originally a wild scholar, and now he possessed the bearing of a high-ranking official and the decisive ruthlessness of a general. These qualities merged, making him an extraordinarily charismatic figure.
“However, before we begin, I have a few words for you, Little Tyrant.” His tone suddenly shifted, and he gestured invitingly, “Would you dare to come aboard my boat and share a drink with me?”
“Hmph! What is there to fear? But I don’t care for your wine. My warship has ample space, and we have wine ten times more exquisite than yours. Do you dare to board my ship and share a drink with me?” Chu Yun retorted with a cold sneer, returning the invitation.
The Mad Confucian General heard this and threw his head back, laughing. “Hahaha, Little Tyrant, you are indeed not simple. However, your ship, despite its vast space, is incredibly fragile, a death trap. It will fall apart the moment I step on it. My boat, though small, is a vessel of life and is very sturdy.”
He was clearly using life and death as a veiled threat to Chu Yun. If Chu Yun did not comply with his wishes, he would immediately move to destroy the Shu Family’s fleet.
“Fine, I’ll see what you have to say,” Chu Yun replied with a cold snort, reluctantly stepping towards the skiff.
“Young Master, that is the Mad Confucian General, and he possesses the combat power of a Tribulation Demon…” General Rabbit’s eyesight was not poor, and he spoke with concern.
“What does that matter? Even against weak enemies, I must use my full strength. Against a powerful enemy, I will naturally exert myself even more. The enemy’s strength or weakness makes no difference to me. You will accompany me to the skiff.” Chu Yun’s fighting spirit blazed, his gaze fearless.
“Ah?!” General Rabbit was shocked, but unable to dissuade Chu Yun, he put on a sorrowful and heroic expression and followed Chu Yun onto the skiff.
“Do you dare to drink?” The Mad Confucian General personally poured a cup of wine for Chu Yun.
“No,” the aroma of the wine was enticing, but Chu Yun sat down, glanced at it once, then shifted his gaze back to the Mad Confucian General, showing no deference.
“It’s over!” Bai Mian, standing behind him, trembled. The Mad Confucian General was a notorious figure, known for his bad temper.
“Hahaha, it’s not that you don’t dare to drink, but that you don’t want to. Knowing I possess the power of a Tribulation Demon and still being so brave and fearless. Little Tyrant, I must admire you.” The Mad Confucian General was not offended; instead, he praised Chu Yun.
“Hmm? Is this guy really the Mad Confucian General?” Bai Mian’s confusion grew at the Mad Confucian General’s good temper.
“What, are you curious? Actually, I don’t want to be arrogant and conceit. Arrogance inevitably breeds resentment, and who wants to be disliked?” The Mad Confucian General smiled, his eyes like clouds, filled with reminiscence. “But there’s no choice. If I’m not arrogant, they can’t impeach me. Without impeachment, I can’t be promoted and demoted. Despite my many contributions to Jianghan Kingdom over the years, I’ve only been a minor general.”
His words were strange. From his statement, it seemed his arrogance was merely a disguise, not his true nature.
If the Mad Confucian General wasn’t arrogant, was he still himself?
He sighed again and continued, “Let me tell you a secret. I am actually from the Archipelago. I was born on Coal Mine Island, a small village-level island. Like all the islands, it suffered the ravages of war. I had considerable talent and was victorious at my coming-of-age ceremony. I could have entered Tiange Academy for cultivation. However, the village chief, for the sake of his grandson, plotted against me, intending to kill me. At the brink of death, someone suddenly saved me. He brought me to a secret organization, where I was meticulously trained and given a new life.”
“There, I became outstanding. One day, I was finally granted an audience with the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom.”
“It turns out that Jianghan Kingdom had been secretly preparing for hundreds of years, cultivating people like me in secret. Born and raised in the Archipelago, but loyal to Jianghan Kingdom. This was all for the purpose of unifying the Archipelago with our help in the future, thereby avoiding the influence of the ancient Five Virtue Kings’ Destiny Demonic Treasures.”
“It was then that I understood the whole story. I did not harbor any animosity for being used. In this chaotic world, being used means you have value, which is also a form of recognition. In fact, I am extremely grateful to Jianghan Kingdom. As the saying goes, a life-saving grace should be repaid with a bubbling spring. But more importantly, the Lord of Jianghan Kingdom can bring the peace that the Archipelago most desperately desires.”
“Peace! It is peace!” At this point, the Mad Confucian General’s voice trembled, filled with an affecting emotion. He looked deeply at Chu Yun. “Do you know the meaning of peace? In the Archipelago, for millions of years, there has been unrest and war. Parents watched their sons go to the battlefield, and lovers or spouses received news of their other half’s death. In my memory, the Archipelago has always been filled with sorrow and tragedy. People yearned for peace. The word ‘peace,’ in people’s eyes, represented an unattainable desire, an unrealizable dream!”
“Yet it was all just fantasy. The five kings’ Destiny Demonic Treasures could grant a person the destiny to become a King-level expert, and could also establish a kingdom and expand territory. The Beast Masters who possessed these five Destiny Demonic Treasures were all destined for greatness, like dragons among men. None were willing to submit to another. This is the root of all turmoil. It’s ironic, isn’t it? The five Destiny Demonic Treasures that protect the Archipelago from foreign invasion are both objects of gratitude for the people and the true source of all sorrow and pain!”
He paused, then said to Chu Yun with the most sincere and devout tone, “I want to unify the Archipelago and bring peace to these suffering people, a peace they have waited for millions of years without receiving! A perfect and happy life under peace, no longer mourning the pain brought by war, with everyone living and working in peace, families reunited, and lovers becoming spouses. No innocent person will be implicated in war, nor forced to leave their homeland. People will have land, and a stable and peaceful life. This is what all the people of the Archipelago eagerly anticipate, the innermost desire hidden in their hearts!”
“Little Tyrant, do you feel this longing? Peace is within reach, if you stop now.” With that, the Mad Confucian General bowed deeply to Chu Yun!
“I implore you to stop, and not to disregard the suffering of the people for your own fleeting impulse and youthful passion.”
“Mad Confucian General…” Bai Mian was completely moved. He had never expected the Mad Confucian General to utter such words. They were so emotional, so compassionate. The word “peace” resonated deeply within him.
He was tired of war, tired of fighting, thoroughly tired of it all.
But the situation forced his hand. General Rabbit himself did not wish to be a warrior on the battlefield.
(There was a power outage last night and it wasn’t fixed until noon today. This is an explanation. Counting this, there will be two more updates. I don’t think there will be any more power outages, right? This is really frustrating…)
