The cloud-chasing pirate ship flew for a day and a half before finally reaching the Yong River, heading toward the camp on the riverbank.
The area along the river in Lizhou Prefecture was already heavily guarded. The great army had set up over two hundred water camps in a continuous line, with countless horses and soldiers. When they arrived, a fierce battle was nearing its end. Towered boats swept across the river, some already shattered, with masts and decks on fire, billowing thick smoke.
Corpses floated on the river surface.
Soldiers on the towered boats were casting fishing nets to retrieve the bodies, hooking them with gaffs and hanging them at the stern, preparing to drag them ashore for burial.
Qin Mu opened his Shenxiao Heavenly Eye and looked toward the opposite bank. There was a damaged city over there, with sporadic fighting still ongoing, as various colors of divine arts exploded within the city walls.
However, the scale of battle was already small—likely the State of Yankang's troops were eliminating the remaining enemies in the city.
Fan Yunxiao brought the towered boat to a halt and slowly descended toward the military camp. A general flew up to the towered boat to inquire. Upon learning they were scholars from the Imperial Academy, he immediately waved a flag, signaling the archers below to lower their bows.
The towered boat landed in the camp. Fan Yunxiao, with one eye black and one white, looked toward the sporadic fighting on the opposite bank. He glanced at Shen Wanyun, Yun Que, and the others, then shook his head and said: "Brother Qin, these scholars can only drag you down. They can't help. In large-scale battles, a few scholars like these are completely useless—it's hard to even stay alive. I'm leaving now. Once I get enough mystic iron and treasure ship blueprints, I'll come find you!" With that, he ordered the pirates on board to activate the pill furnace and departed swiftly.
Yun Que and the others were deeply discouraged. Shen Wanyun sneered: "This man's strength isn't bad, but his judgment is seriously flawed."
A general walked over and asked: "Are you scholars from the Imperial Academy?"
Qin Mu nodded. "Is the Vice Prefect of Lizhou, Yuyuan Chuyu, at the front lines? Could you please send word—Qin Mu from Dijiang County wishes to see her."
The general was surprised and didn't dare delay, rushing off immediately.
Before long, the sound of clashing armor came through. Everyone looked in that direction and saw a female general walking toward them, wearing armor and carrying a helmet under her arm. Her heroic bearing was striking, her appearance exquisitely beautiful with rouge-red lips, unforgettable at first glance.
She must have just come from the battlefield—traces of blood still marked her body.
"So it's Brother Qin Mu."
Yuyuan Chuyu's gaze fell upon Qin Mu, her eyes brightening: "The young lad who left Dijiang County a few months ago has made quite a name for himself today. I heard from my brother about what you've done. You've really distinguished yourself, and I'm happy for you."
"You flatter me, Sister."
Qin Mu blushed slightly. "I kept it from you before—I didn't tell you I came from the Great Void."
Yuyuan Chuyu said: "After you left, I wondered when Dijiang County had a Qin family capable of producing such an outstanding disciple. Later my brother wrote to me and told me about you—turns out you're from the Great Void."
Yun Que, Yue Qinghong, and the others were shocked inside. Lizhou Prefecture was the stopover point for all Imperial Academy scholars who ventured out for training—unexpectedly, Qin Mu was actually acquainted with the Vice Prefect of Lizhou!
Such a high-ranking local official was already a frontier commander, and with Yuyuan Chuyu's extraordinary background as the former princess of the Yuyuan Kingdom—while the other Yuyuan royal, Crown Prince Yuyuan Chuyun, served as a great general in the capital.
Qin Mu was clearly just an abandoned citizen from the Great Void—how could he have a relationship with Yuyuan Chuyu?
"Sister Chuyu, how are things with the Corpse Immortal Cult?" Qin Mu asked.
"The Corpse Immortal Cult has been pacified by me, but some remnants escaped and went to the Southern Borderlands."
Yuyuan Chuyu led them onto the city wall and said: "The Southern Borderlands are now gathering various rebel forces, along with all the insurrectionist sects, creating a tangled web of power. Every city along the river has troops garrisoned, guarding strictly. Soon we'll launch an attack into the Southern Borderlands, but the waters run deep here—the situation is still unclear."
"Waters run deep?" Everyone was taken aback.
Yuyuan Chuyu smiled: "In these times, how can you tell who is loyal and who is a traitor? Take me, for example—I'm the fallen princess of the Yuyuan Kingdom. How do you know I won't rebel in the next moment?"
Cold sweat broke out on Shen Wanyun and the others' foreheads, worried that this valiant female general might suddenly turn hostile and announce her rebellion.
Yuyuan Chuyu continued calmly: "The court is too closely tied to the old era. The State Preceptor wants to create an entirely new era based on this foundation, but the forces he can use are often those from the old era. His new era cannot completely escape the influence of the old. So who knows which sect or which powerful minister will be the next to rebel?"
The monk Yun Que stammered: "But surely the Vice Prefect won't rebel, right?"
Yuyuan Chuyu looked at him and flashed a bone-chilling smile, saying softly: "Take a guess. Guess right and you might live."
Yun Que's face turned ashen, and he fled in terror.
A frontier commander like Yuyuan Chuyu had cultivated an imposing presence. Though a woman, her cold expression alone could drive someone to collapse.
Yuyuan Chuyu chuckled and summoned a general, giving him an order. The general immediately mobilized troops, bringing forth an army of over a thousand soldiers.
Yuyuan Chuyu descended from the city tower and strode out onto the river surface. Behind her, over a thousand soldiers also walked forward, their feet treading the water as they headed toward the opposite bank.
Qin Mu followed her, his footsteps landing on the water as qi erupted from the soles of his feet, steadily supporting him. He smiled: "Sister, don't scare him."
Shen Wanyun and the others quickly followed, each activating their qi to keep themselves from sinking.
They could run on water, but walking at an unhurried pace on the surface was quite taxing—it required not only controlling the water but also substantial qi cultivation.
Yuyuan Chuyu asked with interest: "Don't you think I would rebel against the court?"
Qin Mu shook his head: "Because this rebellion itself is the State Preceptor's scheme to purge the court and the field. Sister is a clever person who sees very clearly. If you were a bit dumber, you would have rebelled long ago—you wouldn't have waited until today."
Yuyuan Chuyu laughed: "What you said is both right and wrong. The reason I don't rebel isn't simply because I'm clever enough. Many have come to persuade me to rebel, all full of confidence that they could certainly make me revolt. But they were all mistaken. My Yuyuan family didn't covet the throne—we cared about the people of Yuyuan. Back when the Yuyuan Kingdom still existed, the State of Yankang had already grown powerful and could invade at any time. My father knew that if war broke out, our kingdom and home would certainly be destroyed. The State Preceptor entered Yuyuan and debated governance with my father. All the civil and military officials were present—they discussed governing the state and caring for the people. My brother and I were also in the court hall. And then, we lost."
Her expression remained calm: "Whether it was the way of governing or the way of caring for the people, we were utterly defeated, and accepted it with full conviction. My father abdicated the throne and let my brother succeed him. My brother refused and passed the position to me. I..."
A faint smile appeared on her face—whether self-deprecating or genuinely amused: "I said to the State Preceptor of Yankang: 'In governing the state, I'm not your match. In caring for the people, I'm also not your match. Then take the Yuyuan Kingdom. If your governance and care for the people don't satisfy me, I will rebel against you in the future.' The State Preceptor agreed, letting me govern Yuyuan—what is now Lizhou Prefecture."
"So that's how it was." Everyone suddenly understood.
Hu Ling'er exclaimed: "Sister, so you were actually an empress!"
Yuyuan Chuyu laughed: "I was empress for a day—it wasn't any fun. If you want to be an empress, just find some place and declare yourself emperor. It's just a matter of whether you rule over many or few."
She looked at the rolling smoke and fire on the river, then turned her gaze back and smiled at Shen Wanyun and the others: "It's truly your fortune to be able to follow Brother Qin Mu. His abilities are quite remarkable."
Yue Qinghong and Yun Que exchanged glances, not knowing from where this female general had seen that Qin Mu possessed remarkable abilities.
Yuyuan Chuyu recalled the hillside covered with red corpse beetles they had found north of Huyang County. Besides the beetles, there had been a skeleton—the flesh and blood had all dissolved, leaving only bones and clothing. From the clothing, she could tell it was a powerful figure from the Corpse Immortal Cult.
Though this Corpse Immortal Cult expert was no longer recognizable, judging from the method and quantity of corpse beetles he had controlled, his cultivation realm had likely reached the Seven Star realm.
The Corpse Immortal Cult specialized in corpses and poison, and their cultivation realms were not particularly high. But when fighting against them, even those with higher cultivation and combat strength found it difficult to prevail.
This Corpse Immortal Cult expert had actually died from poison, and the one who poisoned him was probably the honest-looking young lad beside her.
At the time, this lad had even deceived her, and she had written him travel passes and recommended him to the capital.
In Yuyuan Chuyu's mind, for Shen Wanyun and the others to follow such a cunning fellow on his training journey was even safer than following the Imperial Academy—hence why she said it was their fortune.
They reached the opposite shore. The city across the river had been battered until its towers collapsed, with untold casualties.
Yuyuan Chuyu led her army into the city and said: "Earlier I said the waters run deep. Besides that reason, there's another layer. Look—I conquered Deer County without much effort, taking it very easily. Were the rebels really that weak?"
Qin Mu was slightly taken aback: "Luring the enemy deep?"
"More than just luring the enemy deep—the old foxes haven't moved yet."
Yuyuan Chuyu's gaze flickered: "The three old monsters who injured the State Preceptor haven't appeared to this day. The old monsters of the old era probably aren't limited to just those three. Qiu Dieyi, Palace Mistress of Parting Sorrow, the three fortress masters of the Three Marvels Fortress, the Grand Secretariat Minister who defected, the Dragon King of the Dragon Taming Sect, and other Cult Master-level figures—none have revealed themselves. The other sect masters, large and small, have all been very quiet. And..."
She lowered her voice: "Who knows whether any deities from the old era survived?"
Qin Mu shivered several times.
Shen Wanyun and the others also felt their hair stand on end.
Yuyuan Chuyu clearly knew much about the old era but didn't elaborate further. She said: "Rest assured, these old monsters won't easily deal with you young ones. Their targets are the State Preceptor and the first-rank officials in the court. The force occupying Deer County is a sect not much larger than the Corpse Immortal Cult, called the Nine Nether Sect. Deer County has just been pacified, and some Nine Nether Sect remnants have fled. I'll give you an easy assignment—eliminate the remnants."
Her bright gaze fell upon Qin Mu and the others: "The Nine Nether Sect specializes in playing tricks, claiming they can summon ghosts and gods to fight. Prepare yourselves in advance. When the other scholars arrive, you'll go eliminate them."