Volume 1, Chapter 144 – The Hexagram

So it really was like this…

In Shi Lan’s mind, the face of a dark-complexioned old man surfaced, the old hunter from Twin Moon City named Liu Ping, who had left some impression on her.

Back when they had chatted idly, Liu Ping had mentioned that he had a single son, who had left Twin Moon City to learn the martial path seven years ago.

When Shi Lan had first seen Liu Ziming, he had already struck her as somewhat familiar, she just had not been sure. After all, the Chengtian Domain was so vast; running into Liu Ziming here felt far too coincidental.

And besides…

Shi Lan reached out and grabbed Liu Ziming’s arm.

“Th… thousand-man commander, this…”

Liu Ziming’s face flushed slightly. The thousand-man commander had walked up and asked where his home was, and now she was doing this. How could he not start thinking too much?

The women in the Demon-Suppressing Army really were straightforward…

Liu Ziming’s thoughts churned in turmoil. He was a bit conflicted. If this thousand-man commander forced him to submit later, should he go along or not…

Shi Lan ran her hand along Liu Ziming’s arm and drew a speck of spiritual light from his sleeve. True qi surged out, and in an instant the speck of light expanded, transforming into a white giant bow nearly as tall as a person.

The Divine Cloud Bow…

Gently stroking the bow, Shi Lan’s eyes showed a trace of realization. No wonder there had been something on Liu Ziming that faintly drew her.

“Where did you get this bow?”

“This one bought it at an auction not long ago. I have practiced with bow and crossbow since childhood, so…”

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At this point, Liu Ziming already understood that he had misunderstood Shi Lan’s intentions earlier. As he relaxed a little, he could not help feeling somewhat disappointed too.

Shi Lan tossed the Divine Cloud Bow back to Liu Ziming. The aura on the bow was a mixed mess. It had clearly passed through many hands. In these extraordinary times, trying to trace that fish that slipped through the net back then by relying on this was completely unrealistic.

The Divine Cloud Bow was just a magic artifact. To Shi Lan now, it no longer had much use. Since Liu Ziming had acquired it through proper means, she naturally had no reason to take it back.

“Come to my quiet room later. There are some things I need to tell you.”

Shi Lan hesitated for a moment, but still decided to tell Liu Ziming about the fall of Twin Moon City.

Liu Ping had been just an ordinary Mortal. His fate after the city fell went without saying. Now, there might not even be any bones left to find. As a son, Liu Ziming ought to know.

Liu Ziming felt faintly uneasy. He wondered inwardly if there was something wrong with the bow’s origin.

Shi Lan came to the front of the formation and took stock of the forces under her, making some new adjustments.

Right now, under her command were seven hundred fifty-two Body Tempering Realm martial artists, all at the seventh stage or above. Around three hundred twenty were at the ninth stage of the Body Tempering Realm, more than half of them Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers.

With demon beasts invading, there were hardly any weaklings among those Demon-Suppressing Army men who had survived to this day.

Including the original four centurions, she now had thirty-two Innate Realm martial artists.

Most of them were below the sixth stage of the Innate Realm. There were only seven late-stage Innate Realm martial artists at the seventh stage or above.

Among these Innate Realm martial artists, the four centurions’ cultivation was outstanding. Two were at the eighth stage of the Innate Realm, and two at the ninth.

Shi Lan did not make any overly complicated divisions. She simply broke up the martial artists from the various powers and scattered them into the units under the four centurions.

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Those centurions were definitely far more experienced than she was when it came to drilling these men to work together.

As for the eight Earth Fiend Realm martial artists, Shi Lan decided not to shuffle them around. She formed them directly into a special squad under her personal command.

Once she had a rough sense of her subordinates, Shi Lan dismissed them and returned to the quiet room.

Before long, Liu Ziming came to visit.

“Thousand-man commander.”

Liu Ziming bowed, not daring to overstep in the slightest.

“Is your father’s name Liu Ping?”

“How did the thousand-man commander know…”

Halfway through his sentence, Liu Ziming thought of Shi Lan’s identity, then of the demon race’s invasion. His heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, and all the color drained from his face in an instant.

“Twin Moon City was destroyed in the beast tide. Your father…”

Shi Lan did not finish her sentence, but Liu Ziming already knew what the rest was.

“H… how can that be…”

Liu Ziming forced a smile. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he could not really lift them. His chest felt as if it was about to burst, and a bitter sweetness rose in his throat.

“My condolences.”

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Those were the only words Shi Lan could offer now.

“Th… thank you, thousand-man commander, for telling me. This one will take his leave…”

Shi Lan watched Liu Ziming flee in a daze, then waved her hand to close the quiet room’s door. She took out the Spirit Transformation Pill, unfolded the Black Domain, slowly closed her eyes, and began drawing out the pill’s medicinal power.

Whatever a person was thinking or feeling in their heart was something only they themselves truly understood. Others could never fully share it. It was like drinking water: only you know whether it is warm or cold.

What Liu Ziming was feeling now, Shi Lan did not know, and could not. How he adjusted his mindset would be up to him.

…

“Daoist Chisong, tell this general. What is the hexagram’s result, really?”

Bai Weiyang sat facing Chisongzi, his tone calm.

This was a quiet room three zhang across. Only Bai Weiyang and Chisongzi were present. Aside from the two chairs under them, there was nothing else in the room.

“General, did this poor Daoist not just say…” Chisongzi gave a weak, awkward smile.

“This general wants the truth.”

Chisongzi withdrew the smile from his face and said seriously, “General, you are a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert and a high-ranking figure in the Demon-Suppressing Army. You understand the current situation far better than I do. Why bother putting faith in something as illusory as hexagrams?”

“This general only asked about the hexagram, not anything else.” Bai Weiyang’s expression was as calm as still water.

Chisongzi was silent for a while, then said, “In truth, when this poor Daoist first learned of the demon race’s invasion, that it had already threatened the hinterlands of the Chengtian Domain, I cast a hexagram to try and glimpse the rough outcome of this war.”

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“What was the result?” Bai Weiyang’s expression did not change, but his already straight back straightened a fraction more.

“I could not see it clearly.” Chisongzi shook his head.

Bai Weiyang’s brows furrowed slightly. He did not speak, waiting for Chisongzi to continue.

“It seems there is a great existence tied to the outcome of this war. The will of heaven is shrouded in chaos, offering not the slightest trace to grasp. At least with my cultivation, I cannot calculate it.”

The quiet room felt somewhat oppressive for a moment.

After a long silence, light flickered in Bai Weiyang’s eyes as he asked, “What of the hexagram for our army’s fiend-suppressing expedition?”

“Did this poor Daoist not just say…”

The sudden sharpness in Bai Weiyang’s gaze forced the second half of Chisongzi’s sentence back down his throat.

“It is not an absolute doom sign, but it is still great misfortune. If there is the slightest carelessness, there is danger of complete overturn and annihilation.”

Chisongzi let out a long sigh and finally spoke the truth.

Seeing that Bai Weiyang’s expression had shifted slightly, Chisongzi felt his heart relax a little and pressed on while the iron was hot. “Right now the demonic qi over the Chengtian Domain is too heavy. Avoiding the sharp edge is the best course. For someone like the general to gather your forces and clash with it head on is truly the worst of all plans. It would be better to…”

“Enough. I will act as if I never heard a word you just said. Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I don’t know. If any strange rumors start spreading after this, do not blame this general for killing you to consecrate the banner.”