Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain

Chapter 111: Chu Zes worries

Chapter 111: Chu Zes worries

Chu Ze sat upon the imperial throne, his expression darkening as he sensed the abrupt severance of the spiritual connection with his two subordinates.

He gazed upon the system menu, forced to confront the grim possibility that these two generals had either been captured or killed.

Worry and anger intermingled on his majestic face as he rose from his throne, addressing Lu Feng Xian, who occupied a position beneath him, “General Jiang Bo Yue and Xiahou Yuan Rang have encountered a dire situation.”

Lu Feng Xian and Guan Yun Chang, seated to his left, along with Li Wen You and Lu Zi Jing on his right, were filled with shock. They hurriedly approached, their voices tinged with concern, “Your Majesty, what has transpired?”

“I recall that the two of them ventured into the Demonic Beast Forest to exterminate those demonic creatures. Why would they have faced such a predicament?”

The spiritual connection between Chu Ze and his subordinates had allowed him to confirm their statuses, but it didn’t facilitate direct communication.

The four of them remained unaware of the exact events that had unfolded beyond the country’s borders.

Chu Ze raised his head, his youthful and handsome features marked by regret, “First, I entrusted these two generals to lead an army of 60,000 soldiers—comprising the Unstoppable Flying Army and the Dan Yang Soldiers—to purge the Demonic Beast Forest.

Just a few days ago, they were in good spirits, but now, I cannot establish contact with them. I fear that something dire may have befallen them.

I can’t help but wonder how many of those 60,000 soldiers will return.”

The individuals gathered around him were naturally unaware of the system’s existence as individuals summoned by the system itself, but they held genuine concern for each other.

In response to Chu Ze’s words, Lu Feng Xian’s expression turned incensed as he offered, “Your Majesty, why not permit this humble servant to gather our forces and bring back the two generals? We shall exact vengeance!”

Li Wen You, however, restrained the overzealous Lu Feng Xian and directed a question to Chu Ze, “Your Majesty, are you absolutely certain that this was the work of the demonic beasts?”

Lu Feng Xian reacted with indignation to Li Wen You’s inquiry, “What are you implying? Do you mean to suggest that they perished due to their own actions?”

Li Wen You responded with a sense of resignation, “I was never in favour of Your Majesty’s decision to invade the Demonic Beast Forest in the first place. There may well be a Cognizance realm expert within that forest.

And now, to have our 60,000-strong army obliterated so swiftly…The power behind this must not be underestimated.

If someone sought to exploit this situation to further ignite hostilities between us and the Demonic Beast Forest, potentially leading to an all-out war, what steps should we take then?”

Chu Ze’s expression contorted with a profound sense of distress, a feeling he had never experienced since his transmigration into this world.

He hailed from another realm, one where the epic tale of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms had been passed down through millennia.

Since arriving in this world, he possessed a system that granted him the ability to summon characters from that very saga, and even acquire armies using spiritual stones.

From the time he purged the harem, stabilized the nation of Chu, and even launched successful attacks on three neighbouring countries, he had never suffered the loss of a single official or general.

But now, he had not only broken his immaculate record, but he had lost two Sky Reaching realm generals simultaneously, along with an army of 60,000 soldiers. This turn of events filled him with disbelief and profound humiliation.

His unwavering determination to invade the Demonic Beast Forest had been driven by the system’s instructions. According to the system, defeating the forest would unlock new types of armies and yield a counsellor character.

Despite being cautioned about the forest’s perilous nature, Chu Ze confidently believed it was a risk worth taking.

However, he had not foreseen the sudden revelation from the system, informing him of changes within the Demonic Beast Forest and an escalation of the danger level.

It was only now that he truly recognized the gravity of the situation. Consequently, he had immediately ordered Jiang Bo Yue and Xiahou Yuan Rang to secure their camp and refrain from reckless actions.

Yet, in a mere span of five minutes, disaster struck. Chu Ze lost all contact with Jiang Bo Yue, Xiahou Yuan Rang, and the rest of his forces. He attempted to discern the situation but found himself unable to sense anything from them.

Chu Ze’s panic grew palpable, a stark realization dawning on him. The Demonic Beast Forest lay to the south of Chu, not far from the imperial palace itself. If something had indeed transpired, disaster loomed perilously close.

He recounted the dire situation with a solemn expression, causing alarm to ripple through the four individuals beneath him. Even Lu Feng Xian displayed visible signs of unease.

“Report! An unusual situation has arisen in the Demonic Beast Forest to the south. The fifth commander of the Danyang Soldiers brings urgent tidings.” A Brocade-clad Soldier burst into the hall, promptly kneeling before delivering his message.

The commander, drenched in fresh blood and exhibiting evident fatigue, followed closely behind. Lu Zi Jing materialized behind the commander, channelling his spiritual power to mend the soldier’s wounds, while Lu Feng Xian approached from the front.

“Kid, what exactly transpired? What’s happening within the Demonic Beast Forest?” Lu Feng Xian inquired.

The Brocade-clad Soldier departed quietly, leaving the commander with a pale complexion to kneel on the ground, tears welling in his eyes as he addressed the assembled officials, “Your Majesty, a grave calamity has befallen us.

Initially, we had established a camp in the outer regions of the Demonic Beast Forest, with plans to follow our strategy and clear a path through the forest inhabited by these creatures. Generals Jiang and Xia Hou had already successfully slain a Sky Reaching realm cow demon by this point.

However, while we were conducting patrols, a mysterious individual suddenly materialized and led a vast swarm of locusts to launch an assault on our camp.

These locusts were incredibly formidable, with each one possessing Origin realm strength, and three monstrous beings among them had even reached the Sky Reaching realm.

They swiftly encircled all sixty thousand of us, leaving us no opportunity to retaliate. The two generals confronted the person controlling this horde of locusts, but they were both defeated.

This lowly one truly had no choice but to endure the humiliation of retreat in order to deliver this report to Your Majesty.

Your Majesty, you must avenge them and our two esteemed generals!”

As the commander finished recounting the harrowing events, he abruptly lost consciousness. The onlookers turned their attention to Lu Zi Jing, whose expression became dazed in response. He explained, “He pushed his body to the limit to rush here, and combined with the expended blood essence to enhance his speed, his body has been utterly drained.”

Guan Yun Zhang lifted the unconscious commander with one hand and placed him in a chair gently. Then, he signalled for the Brocade-clad Soldier outside to attend to him. Once the hall was cleared of all but the five of them, Chu Ze spoke from his elevated seat.

“In light of this, Lu Feng Xian, lead 100,000 troops into the Demonic Beast Forest to assess the situation. Wen You, accompany them and exercise caution.

Furthermore, inform the generals engaged in the campaigns against the other two neighbouring countries to expedite their efforts and seize the capitals swiftly.”

At this point, only Chu and Qi remained as the last bastions of resistance against their advances, with Pu already vanquished. Chu Ze was confident that with two Sky Reaching realm experts leading Chu’s forces, the remaining resistance wouldn’t endure for long.

Lu Zi Jing’s expression was filled with hesitation as he inquired, “Your Majesty, what about the Ridge Fir Alliance?”

Lu Zi Jing was responsible for handling matters concerning the Ridge Fir Alliance. While the alliance’s strongest experts reached only the first or second layer of the Cognizance realm, they still held significant influence within Chu’s sphere of control.

Chu Ze’s recent campaigns had targeted countries within the Ridge Fir Alliance, eliciting their displeasure. However, they had refrained from dispatching their armies and instead sent their Sky Reaching realm expert, Mr. Huang, to engage in discussions with Chu.

Chu Ze knew the alliance was preoccupied with preparations for the ‘Great Nanyue Wan Guo Tournament’ and lacked the resources to confront him directly for the time being.

Hence, he chose to seize the opportunity to devour all three neighbouring countries, bolstering both his own strength and destiny and Chu’s.

Strengthening his destiny, in turn, would enhance his own power.

Chu Ze waved dismissively, “Stall them for the time being. First, we shall conquer the two neighbouring countries before addressing the Demonic Beast Forest.

By the way, Feng Xian, have you achieved your breakthrough?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, your humble servant has attained the first layer of the Cognizance realm!”

Translator’s note

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