Half a quarter-hour later.
Once the armed officers standing on the giant green lotus leaf had received their issued weapons, Immortal Master Wu flicked his robe, stepped onto the tip of the leaf, and began chanting an incantation. The massive lotus leaf immediately started flying forward.
However, much to the disappointment of those present, the speed of the flight was remarkably slow—slower even than their normal running pace, making it feel as sluggish as a crawling turtle.
After traveling for nearly half an hour, they had barely managed to pass beyond the city walls.
Not long after.
Perhaps sensing the unspoken disdain in the hearts of those present, Immortal Master Wu's face turned slightly red as he explained, "If I were traveling alone, I could arrive in an instant. However, since I am carrying you mere mortals, it has inevitably slowed me down."
Upon hearing this, the officers felt reassured.
Some of the more blindly loyal officers even felt ashamed, believing that their presence had been a burden to Immortal Master Wu.
Wei Tu did not buy this excuse. While Immortal Master Wu was speaking, Wei Tu discreetly observed the two Xiantian martial masters standing beside him, paying close attention to their expressions.
—Most skilled liars can fool themselves, but rarely can they deceive those closest to them.
Although the two Xiantian martial masters remained composed, Wei Tu noticed a subtle twitch at the corners of their mouths after hearing Immortal Master Wu's words.
Seeing this, Wei Tu immediately made a judgment—Immortal Master Wu was not as powerful as he made himself out to be.
Just as he had initially suspected, Immortal Master Wu seemed to be of low status among immortal cultivators, with neither high-ranking authority nor extraordinary strength.
"As long as this mission is completed, those of you who perform well may earn my favor. If I am pleased, I may take you in as my servants and impart the teachings of the Immortal Dao to you."
While traveling, Immortal Master Wu noticed that the morale of the officers was low. After thinking for a moment, he spoke these words as an incentive.
Upon hearing this, the officers' eyes immediately lit up, their spirits rejuvenated. The dull and heavy atmosphere from before quickly dissipated.
Serving a high-ranking official was already an aspiration for many of them. To serve an immortal master was an even greater honor.
Becoming the servant of an immortal master was not humiliating.
After all, even the lowest-ranking court officials held significant influence in the capital.
Becoming a servant of an immortal master might offer them the opportunity to become Xiantian martial masters themselves and extend their lifespans.
Wei Tu remained silent. He seized an opportunity to exchange a glance with Fu Zhizhou and subtly shook his head.
Fu Zhizhou understood the signal and discreetly relayed Wei Tu's warning to Kou Liang.
—Having been close friends for many years, the three of them had yet to develop complete unspoken communication, but they could still roughly understand each other's intentions through simple eye contact.
Soon, the three of them reached a consensus—they would not believe Immortal Master Wu's lies. When they reached the battlefield, their top priority would be survival.
…
One hour later.
Immortal Master Wu descended with the enormous lotus leaf, placing the group of officers at a valley outside the city.
"This place is about six miles from the main camp of the rebel leader Wu Yishan. The terrain is defensible and difficult to attack. Once I lure out the enemy's immortal master, your job will be to hold this valley and keep the rebel forces from interfering in my battle," he instructed.
Hearing this, Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and gazed toward the distant rebel encampment.
It had been more than twenty years since the battle at Siyang Town, and he was no longer a low-ranking officer unfamiliar with military tactics. He had gained a strong understanding of battlefield formations and topography.
After a quick assessment, Wei Tu developed a certain level of trust in Immortal Master Wu's strategy—
The valley he had chosen for their ambush had a narrow entrance that could only accommodate a dozen people at a time.
It was a classic example of a natural chokepoint, where a single man could hold off an entire army.
With this terrain, even though they were only thirty in number, as long as they relied on individual strength, they could likely hold back ten thousand rebels for several hours.
"But if Immortal Master Wu loses the battle, he can escape, while we, the officers, will be left behind, surrounded, and slaughtered by the rebel forces…"
With this thought, Wei Tu shook his head.
He would not place his survival in the hands of Immortal Master Wu's supposed certainty.
Even in the best-case scenario—where Immortal Master Wu emerged victorious—there was no guarantee that he would have the ability or the intention to take them away safely when surrounded by enemy forces.
Wei Tu scanned the terrain and began planning potential escape routes.
For an ordinary person, being trapped in this valley would mean certain death.
However, he was different. As a Xiantian martial master, he could not fly, but scaling the cliffs and maneuvering through the rocky landscape for a swift escape would not be an issue.
After about fifteen minutes, Wei Tu identified two viable escape routes.
He summarized his findings and discreetly used his Xiantian True Qi to carve them onto two small stones hidden within his sleeves. When the opportunity arose, he passed the stones to Kou Liang and Fu Zhizhou.
At this moment, Immortal Master Wu had completed his preparations in the valley. With a pained expression, he retrieved two yellow talisman papers from his sleeve and handed them to the two Xiantian martial masters.
"These two Thick Armor Talismans are for you. You must hold your ground against the rebels."
After giving his brief instructions, Immortal Master Wu once again activated the green lotus leaf, flying out of the valley toward the main camp of King Xiaoshan, Wu Yishan.
This time, unlike before, his speed was as swift as a galloping horse, and the green lotus leaf under his feet had shrunk to the size of a millstone.
After a short time, about as long as it takes to drink a cup of tea, a sudden explosion erupted from the direction of the rebel camp.
In an instant, flames spread across the battlefield, turning the entire area into a blazing inferno.
"Pu Xinghai, you old fool! Instead of waiting to rot away in your immortal refuge, you came all the way to Southern Mountain Dao to ruin my Jia Clan's great enterprise? You're asking for death!"
A furious voice rang through the night.
Hiding in the valley, Wei Tu and the others instinctively looked up.
In the sky, two glowing orbs—one yellow and one green—had appeared at some point, each the size of a lantern.
The yellow orb relentlessly pursued the green one, with angry shouts echoing from within it.
Wei Tu focused his gaze and saw that the green orb was none other than Immortal Master Wu, while the yellow orb contained a scar-faced middle-aged man wielding a saber.
Before long, during the pursuit, the scar-faced man was lured toward the valley where Immortal Master Wu had set up his ambush.
At that moment, Immortal Master Wu stopped fleeing, let out a light chuckle, and pulled out a small gray banner from his sleeve, shaking it forcefully.
The surface of the banner instantly emitted a dazzling gray light.
At the same time, a massive, semi-transparent gray jade bowl appeared over the valley, inverting itself over the two combatants, trapping them inside.
"Small Spirit-Suppressing Formation!"
The scar-faced man's expression darkened as he recognized the formation.
Although the Small Spirit-Suppressing Formation was not a particularly powerful array, it could significantly restrict spiritual energy, greatly weakening the combat strength of its target.
Moreover, this formation also had a sealing effect—escaping would require a tremendous effort to shatter the array's protective barrier.
"But if you think this is enough to deal with me, Pu Xinghai, you're not qualified!" the scar-faced man roared in anger.
He chanted a few incantations, and a faint yellow protective aura enveloped him. At the same time, he pulled the long saber from his back.
The saber was over seven feet long and completely blood-red. As it absorbed his spiritual energy, a massive blood-colored tiger head phantom emerged from it, standing over ten feet tall, letting out an earth-shaking roar.
…
Seeing this, Wei Tu immediately withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to the battle between the two immortals.
Instead, he shifted his focus toward the valley entrance.
About two miles away, the rebels of King Xiaoshan, carrying torches, formed a line stretching over several miles, slowly pouring into the valley like an endless fire serpent.
Before long, battle was upon them.
Under the command of the two Xiantian martial masters, Wei Tu and the others defended the pass, engaging in fierce combat with the hastily mobilized elite troops of the rebels.
In no time, the narrow pathway of the valley was piled with nearly a hundred corpses of the enemy.
Wei Tu seized the opportunity, stealthily stripping a fallen rebel soldier of his armor, tucking it under his arm. He exchanged a glance with Fu Zhizhou before quietly signaling Kou Liang to retreat deeper into the valley with him.
The darkness worked in their favor.
The other officers fighting alongside them merely assumed Wei Tu and his companions were exhausted from the battle and had retreated for a short rest.
None of them suspected—nor could they have imagined—that Wei Tu and the others had already made up their minds to abandon the battlefield and escape, despite the grave risk of being branded traitors and having their entire families executed.
"Right now, Immortal Master Wu and the two Xiantian martial masters are preoccupied. This is the perfect moment for us to slip away," Wei Tu whispered.
"There's no time to waste."
"If we delay any longer, once the enemy's other Xiantian martial masters arrive, we won't be able to leave even if we want to."
Wei Tu briefly instructed them before tossing the stolen armor to Kou Liang.
—With his martial prowess, Wei Tu could protect himself. Once they escaped the valley, blending into the rebel ranks and finding another set of armor wouldn't be difficult.
Right now, Kou Liang needed the disguise more than he did.
Kou Liang, upon receiving the armor, looked at Wei Tu with gratitude and quickly put it on.
Next, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou wasted no time. They led Kou Liang, following the predetermined escape route, carefully scaling the steep valley walls.
Half an hour later.
The three of them had successfully changed into the uniforms of King Xiaoshan's personal guards, blending into the rebel forces outside the valley.
"Big Brother, Third Brother, wait!"
Just as the three were about to leave and secure their escape, Fu Zhizhou suddenly called out.
"Fourth Brother, what is it?"
Wei Tu was slightly surprised.
They had less than an hour before dawn. This was their best window to flee—once daylight broke, their disguise among the rebel troops could easily be exposed.
Furthermore, this act of defection carried significant risks. Their top priority was to head for Xiaoyi Prefecture to retrieve their families before escaping further.
There was no time to waste.
But Wei Tu trusted Fu Zhizhou—if he had stopped them now, there had to be a good reason.
"I recognize the man standing next to King Xiaoshan."
Fu Zhizhou's voice was serious.
"He's someone I've seen before… in Martial Luck Pavilion."
Wei Tu's expression shifted slightly.
"Who is he?"
"His name is Xie Yuanshan. He's a direct relative of Xie Qing, the vice-master of Martial Luck Pavilion."
Following Fu Zhizhou's gaze, Wei Tu also spotted an elderly man standing five hundred steps away from them, right beside King Xiaoshan, Wu Yishan.