Chapter 134: General Chu Is a Bit Unusual

Xu Zhe’s appearance was sudden, and his departure was just as swift.

He had manifested as Chu Xiaotong, issued the military order, and immediately led the 51st Battalion out of the Vermillion Bird Camp. This caught many off guard. However, it ultimately saved him from a great deal of trouble; after all, the Vermillion Bird Camp was guarded by many powerful figures, and Xu Zhe was not confident he could pass inspection if anyone grew suspicious.

Pressed for time, Xu Zhe could not afford to request a large-scale flying ship. He simply commandeered a transport ship from the 51st Battalion and took off with the entire unit. He stood at the prow of the ship, still wearing Chu Xiaotong’s form, his voluptuous figure extremely striking. Yet, his hands remained as disciplined as his true self; he did not fidget, simply standing with hands on his hips, gazing into the distance.

Five cultivators at the Void Refinement stage and one at the Spirit Severing stage approached from behind.

"Reporting to General Chu!" The six of them knelt on one knee in unison, cupping their hands in salute.

"Rise. How much longer until we arrive?" Xu Zhe waved his hand nonchalantly and asked calmly, his eyes sweeping over them.

The leader, a Spirit Severing stage cultivator, was a robust, tall man in his middle years—clearly the commander of the 51st Battalion. Under his command were five companies, led by the five Void Refinement stage cultivators before him—four men and one woman. The men were unremarkable, but the only female company commander, Qin Wurong, appeared delicate. She lacked long legs or an imposing figure, and standing among a group of burly men, she appeared all the more like a sheltered girl. Her fair, delicate face still held a hint of baby fat, giving her a sweet, adorable look.

Yet, this girl was not only a company commander in the Vermillion Bird Army but also the strongest and most ruthless among the five. Though Qu Hongxiu was known as the "Little Martial God," she idolized this female commander and had often recounted her exploits to Xu Zhe. It was said that once, while surrounded by demon beasts on the battlefield and cut off from her unit, she had shoved herself into a pile of corpses to evade detection. She hid for dozens of days until the demons came to clear the battlefield. Then, she suddenly erupted from the pile, burning her life essence to carve a path out.

By the time she fought her way back to the human-held territories, her blade was notched and broken, her body was a mass of shredded flesh and exposed muscle, and she was barely clinging to life. It was only through the combined efforts of Chu Xiaotong and Gu Jia’er, who exhausted many precious medicinal resources, that she was saved.

Because of this and similar deeds, Qin Wurong earned a fearsome reputation, gaining the nickname "Qin the Fierce"—a play on words echoing Gu Jia’er’s name.

Xu Zhe lingered on her for a moment. When their eyes met, Qin Wurong showed no immediate reaction, but her gaze soon clouded with confusion; she seemed to sense that this "Martial God Chu" was somehow different. Of course, it was merely a feeling, not enough to spark deep suspicion.

"Reporting to General Chu, the flying ship is at full speed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will arrive at the third defensive line within three days," the battalion commander replied, his voice booming.

"Very well." Xu Zhe nodded and walked toward the ship's cabin. "Unless there is a major emergency in the next three days, do not bother me with trivial matters. Handle them yourselves."

With that, Xu Zhe retreated to the private cabin. He didn't know anyone else aside from Qin Wurong—he didn't even know the battalion commander's name—so he had to avoid excessive contact to prevent exposing his disguise. Moreover, he intended to use these three days to prepare, utilizing the resources he had on hand to craft a few simple mid-tier battle formations that could be put to immediate use once they reached the front lines.

"Strange, why does General Chu feel different today?" one of the commanders muttered in confusion after Xu Zhe left.

"Coincidence. I feel it too. She seems quieter, a bit colder," another agreed.

"And beneath the coldness, there is a certain reserve," the battalion commander added.

"Shut your mouths, you filthy, disgusting men. If I hear you gossiping about General Chu again, I’ll castrate you," Qin Wurong said, her cute, youthful face contrasting with her vicious words.

The burly men immediately fell silent and hurried away. They knew well that "Qin the Fierce" never spoke empty threats; she meant exactly what she said, and that was terrifying.

...

In the cabin, Xu Zhe began his manual labor. He crushed two large spirit stones into fine powder and poured them into small jade vials, sealing them. He repeated this until he had dozens of vials filled with spirit powder. Then, with a flick of his fingers, he began carving array patterns onto each vial.

Three days passed in a flash. Xu Zhe had been completely immersed in crafting the formations, only surfacing when Qin Wurong knocked on his door to announce their arrival at the third defensive line. Rubbing his aching temples, he let out a soft sigh. Three days of sleepless work had yielded only two mid-tier battle formations, but they had drained him significantly. Still, these two formations should bolster the Vermillion Bird Army's strength enough to buy them more time. Once he could craft high-tier formations, he could launch a counterattack to end the war.

With that thought, Xu Zhe felt a bit more at ease.

*Hum~*

The Vientiane Jade Plate in his hand suddenly vibrated. It displayed a communication request from Chu Xiaotong.

"Oh? Calling me back now?" Xu Zhe raised an eyebrow and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello your sister! What are you doing? Have you lost your mind? I asked you to come to the border battlefield before and you wouldn't, and now that I didn't ask you to come, you do this? Impersonating me and bringing a whole battalion to the front? You’re just feeding yourselves to the enemy!" Chu Xiaotong’s furious shouting erupted from the jade plate.

"Stop. Quiet. Come to the third defensive line to find me immediately. The demon race is using battle formations against you, you—"

"You stop! I'll be there by tomorrow at the latest. Little Hongxiu already told me. Are you saying you know those battle formations? How soon can you produce them?" Chu Xiaotong cut him off, her voice laced with anxiety. It was clear she held high hopes for his formations.