Chapter 132: The Deputy General Has Lost His Mind

A voice responded in sudden panic, and Ji's voice lowered, "At least, dying would just cause trouble..."

Zhaoming is dead?! Kaiming was shocked beyond measure, her body pressed against the tent, unable to move a muscle. That sliver of biting chill seeped from her spine into her limbs, making her feel as though she had plunged into an ice cellar, freezing cold.

Zhaoming, who had been laughing and scolding right in front of her eyes just a moment ago—a living, breathing young boy—was simply, abruptly gone!

She slid down the tent and sat on the ground, her hands pressed over her pounding heart. The air surged up into her lungs, choking her into rapid, desperate gasps. Zhaoming is dead? Zhaoming is dead! She cupped her head, her fingers gripping fiercely at the hair on her temples.

Fragmented memories swept across her mind like autumn leaves caught in a whirlwind.

"I don't have many other skills, but I never forget a face..."

"In broad daylight, and right in the Southern Palace's encampment, you actually dared to kill a Southern Palace soldier. Have you lost your mind?"

"No, since I witnessed this, I am a part of it. What do you want to do? Count me in!"

"Hold me a bit lighter, you're going to snap my waist!"

"I am not a little thing, nor am I a little spy. I have a name, and my name is Zhaoming."

Zhaoming. Zhaoming. I let you go. Could it be that I harmed you instead? She covered her face, her body curling into a tight ball.

"If I ever get the chance, I will surely make up for my mistake. Consider that I owe you a favor, little brother."

This debt of favor could never be repaid. She would carry it for the rest of her life.

She raised her head, the back of her skull resting against the tent fabric, chilled to the ice by the night wind. Listening to the relentless sounds of the staff strikes one after another, she stared blankly up at the pitch-black night sky, her mind wiped completely blank. I can do nothing. I can do nothing at all! I can only watch helplessly as they are punished one by one, as they die one by one!

Could this be the reality of war? Is Heaven trying to tell me something through such cruel facts? I refuse to accept this! I truly refuse to accept this!

She stood up abruptly, taking long strides forward without looking back.

Xuan had been carried to the soldiers' felt tent. The flesh on his buttocks was mangled and bloody, and his consciousness had slipped into a semi-comatose state.

Soldiers who had gathered around to inspect whispered curiously among themselves, "What is going on? Didn't he just capture a Western Palace general and render a great service? Why did the Military Inspector beat him like this?"

"I heard that Zhaoming from the Western Palace slipped away, and it has something to do with the Deputy General's personal guards..."

"Hush, don't talk nonsense!" One of them wisely stopped the conversation, instructing the others to fetch medicine and cut away the torn remnants of the trousers, sprinkling the powder while wincing in pain.

Unable to hold back, one person said, "Didn't the Deputy General say anything? After all, it's her personal guard who was beaten, and it concerns her pride."

"She's avoiding him out of time, probably afraid of being implicated!"

***

"That's not true!" another person squeezed in and said, "Didn't you know? Last night, the Deputy General called for two commanders and made them spar with her the entire night, wearing the commanders out to exhaustion!"

"She practiced for the whole night?" someone sighed. "It seems her mood is quite bad as well."

"Precisely. Do you still remember? On the night General Dayin died, the Deputy General was just like this. It was raining so heavily, yet she kept practicing and practicing..."

"Stop talking, you're making my eyes sting." For a moment, everyone fell silent, broken only by the soft sounds of medicine being applied and the occasional muffled sob.

Xuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, his tightly closed eyelids parting just a fraction to reveal a glint of tears.

A reckless soldier suddenly burst into the tent, shouting loudly and boisterously, "Everyone, what on earth has happened? Has the Deputy General lost her mind? She practiced swordsmanship all night long, and now she's still beating against a tree stump with a cudgel. The commanders have all collapsed onto the ground, yet she still won't let them go. The Military Inspector has ordered us to pack up and set off for the Western Palace today, and the two units led by the commanders are just standing around waiting!"

"Is that true?!" The soldiers who heard this became immensely interested. "Let's go take a look!"

"Hey, leave a person or two to take care of the personal guard! If the Deputy General finds out, it's off with our heads!"

The sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Xuan's fingers, resting on the edge of the cot, abruptly clenched the bedsheets, and tears slowly overflowed from the corners of his eyes, rolling down drop by drop.

In a secluded corner of the encampment, a bare tree stump was being heavily battered by a heavy object. Once, twice—though it remained unmoved, the stump had begun to crack, and the dry dust on its bark was shaken into a cloud of flying powder by the vibrations of the cudgel.

Through the swinging cudgel, one could see the stunned faces of men in neat armor and polished weapons, who looked ready to charge into battle at any moment. Yet right now, they could only watch helplessly as their own commander flailed a stick against a useless piece of wood, completely powerless.

Lying collapsed on the ground were the two commanders who had sparred with her from last night until the early hours of this morning. Sitting or lying down, they clutched their heads in agony. Like all the soldiers, their gazes were fixed entirely upon the tireless, club-wielding female general in the center.

Hot sweat soaked her entire body, turning into cold sweat that clung to her skin. Beads of sweat slid down her temples one by one, scattering onto the ground. She continued to lift the cudgel, raising it high and swinging it down heavily with a thunderous "bang," then lifting it again, and swinging it down once more. Her hands no longer felt like her own, and her legs felt as though they were about to detach from her body. She even experienced a hallucination: the moment she stopped moving, every organ in her body would instantly detach on its own, and she would never be able to stand again.

Sweat blurred her vision. Like a machine, she executed attacks mechanically according to an input program.

A crisp voice echoed from mid-air, "What are you all gathering here for? Why aren't you getting ready to move out?!"

The soldiers of the two units hurriedly parted, clearing a narrow path through the previously tight circle. Ji strode in, followed closely by two other commanders.

The commanders collapsed on the ground scrambled to their feet, bowing respectfully to him.

Ji frowned as he observed everything happening before him, and said in a deep voice, "What is the meaning of this? What are both of you doing here?"

The bowing commander approached him and lowered his voice, "The Deputy General seems to have gone mad..."

Ji glared at him, causing the speaker to swallow the rest of his words. The other hurriedly picked up the thread, "Military Inspector, it is like this: in the middle of the night last night, the Deputy General rushed into our tent, yanked us out of bed, and demanded we spar with her. After practicing the sword, she wanted to practice the staff. She kept us at it until dawn without even letting us catch our breath. We're practically worked to death by her."

The first man muttered, "She clearly knew we were marching out today. Who knows what nerve she's struck..."

Ji's frown deepened. Brushing past the two men, he walked slowly toward Kaiming. She remained lost in her own world, her eyes staring blankly as she relentlessly swung the heavy cudgel.

***

"General Kaiming!" Ji stopped a few paces away from her and suddenly barked a sharp command.

At his shout, Kaiming's cudgel abruptly changed direction, the tip pointing straight at Ji's throat. She stared at him with fierce, predatory eyes, like a wolf startled by a hunter.

The whistling wind generated by the swinging cudgel startled Ji, causing his advancing foot to freeze mid-air. It felt as though it was not a mere wooden staff being swung at him, but a lethal weapon of execution.

Gazing into those wolf-like, ferocious eyes, a chill struck deep into his heart. The force of that wind and the intent conveyed in that gaze were pure killing intent! Kaiming had already developed the kind of killing aura that could strike terror into the hearts of enemies!

Yet, her killing intent was still not enough; before him, she was truly too weak. Ji raised a hand and gave the cudgel a light tap with his finger. The staff, which seemed gripped tightly in her palm, proved as useless as a rolling pin, tumbling limply to the ground.

The moment the cudgel fell, all the killing intent Kaiming had mustered vanished into thin air. She could no longer hold on, collapsing softly toward the ground.

Watching her fall, Ji stood tall and motionless, saying coldly, "A military camp is not a place for you to throw tantrums, General Kaiming! If the army's schedule is delayed this morning because of you, you will certainly be dealt with according to military law!" He flicked his sleeve as if to leave, but paused, turned his head back to her, and added, "In the future, if you have anything you wish to spar over, do not disturb the soldiers in the camp again. You are welcome to come to me anytime, and I will accompany you at a moment's notice!"

Then, turning to the soldiers, he commanded, "Why aren't you packing your gear and standing around like fools?!"

The soldiers shouted their assent in unison, running out of the camp in neat formations. The two exhausted commanders certainly dared not delay. Driven by the sheer resolve not to be worked to death, they mustered their respective units and marched out of the stockade gates.

Kaiming lay flat on the ground, watching hazily as pairs of legs moved past her. She vaguely heard Ji's voice saying that if she wanted to spar, he would accompany her anytime. She wanted to smile, but her facial muscles were far too stiff to form any expression. She tried to reach out for the cudgel before her, but lacked even the strength to lift her arm. Her eyeballs rolled, and the corners of her eyes caught a glimpse of the bright sky. Is it dawn already? Why, then, is my vision so pitch black?

Just as the thought of darkness crossed her mind, her eyes closed, and she lapsed entirely into unconsciousness.

The few soldiers left behind on guard duty, who had been observing from hiding, hurriedly rushed over, calling out, "Deputy General! Deputy General!" Another wave of frantic commotion ensued.

When she woke from her heavy slumber, it was still dark. Could she still be trapped within her own chaotic world? Her fingers brushed against the quilt covering her body—no, that wasn't right; when had she been moved to a bed? Throwing off the blanket, she sat up and slowly surveyed her surroundings. It was very dark, but she could dimly make out the interior of her own tent.

Her mind cleared, and she sorted through the events leading up to her fainting: in a state of extreme grievance and despair, she had stormed into the commanders' tent and forced them to spar until dawn. Only then did she dimly recall seeing the surrounding soldiers, the dejected commanders, and Ji.

Thinking of Ji, recalling his words, her thoughts flashed back to Zhaoming. Zhaoming, was he truly dead?

The felt flap at the tent entrance suddenly lifted, and a figure slipped inside carrying a bamboo basket. Not noticing Kaiming sitting on the edge of the bed, the person groped their way blindly toward the table.

Kaiming remained silent, sitting quietly as she watched the person.

A lamp was lit, illuminating an unfamiliar young face. By his appearance and attire, he was a soldier of the camp.

When the young soldier turned around, he unexpectedly caught sight of Kaiming sitting there and was so frightened his legs went weak, dropping him straight to his knees. "Oh mother!"

Kaiming secretly found it amusing. To be so terrifying in the dark, she even felt a mischievous urge to play along. Putting on a stern face deliberately, she demanded, "Why do you look as if you've seen a ghost upon seeing this general? Is this general truly so terrifying?"