Refining the Mountains and Rivers

General Jinwu had died underground!

Although she had been hoping for this news all along, Snake Lady felt like she was dreaming when she read the words that projected from the jade slip delivered from underground.

Her many years of preparation would finally be effective!

The strongest among the half human barbarians, Black Scales, was killed by General Jinwu.

And now, General Jinwu was dead. Her way ahead was no longer obstructed by anyone…the mine, was her mine.

"Servants!"

Snake Lady called as she walked out.

Since she could make arrangements with the underground sinners long ago, the rest of the half human barbarians may have done the same thing.

If she wanted to act, the faster she did, the better it would be!

One day later, the rest of the half human barbarian leaders stationed in the mine had submitted to her. There were six of them, excluding the dead Black Scales.

She recorded the news of the death of General Jinwu in a jade slip before she sent it out of the mine and delivered it to the border army camp as fast as possible.

As she stared far into the distance, the enchanting Snake Lady had a flushed face full of excitement.

Once the border army camp recognized her, she would be the new leader of the mine!

This included commanding the people who came with General Jinwu and the additional slave who tagged along.

A flash of coldness appeared in Snake Lady's eyes!

Women, especially beautiful women, were a hidden danger that could not be ignored anywhere.

Snake Lady was most certain of this logic since she took painstaking steps to arrive where she was today.

As such, she would never give another person any opportunity.

……

Generals gathered in the tent of the marshal. There was a meeting going on.

All of a sudden, the entrance was opened and a soldier hurried in wearing a serious expression.

Wu Tongtian frowned. The situation had stabilized and after crazy battles with the Barbarian Clan, they seemed to be retreating.

What had happened? Why did the soldier have to interrupt the meeting in the tent?

Zhao Chong recognized that the person who entered the tent was an officer who was valued by Marshal Wu. He smiled and turned on his seat, seemingly unaffected by the sudden intrusion.

"What is it?" Wu Tongtian asked.

The officer bowed respectfully, "Greetings to Grand Marshal and fellow generals!" He took out a jade slip and offered it to Wu Tongtian with both arms while he bowed, "There is an urgent message from the mine!"

Ye Sangdu's eyes flickered and he smiled coldly. It was about time.

Ever since he heard that Qin Yu entered the underground mine by himself, he knew that this day would come.

That brat was probably now a meal that was consumed by the underground sinners.

Wu Tongtian stretched his arm forward and the jade slip flew towards him. He channeled his divine sense into it and after a few moments, his eyebrows knitted together and he wore a solemn expression.

He scanned the tent and said, "The mine has reported that General Jinwu offended the sinners underground and died unluckily!"

That's it!

Zhao Chong lowered his head and his expression darkened. However, he was secretly smiling to himself.

The Eldest Princess told him to make convenient arrangements for Ning Qin.

Whatever happened in the capital was no secret to him, a general in the border army.

Of course, he knew that the Eldest Princess did this as a last resort.

As such, deep down, Zhao Chong was not close to Qin Yu. This was to the extent that he felt satisfied when he knew that Qin Yu was isolated and suppressed.

Now, Ning Qin was dead!

Ignoring all else, the Eldest Princess had rid herself of a hidden danger.

Jiang Chengzi's expression remained unchanged. However, if one took a closer look, one would notice that this old general was sitting stiffer in his seat.

General Jinwu was dead!

Honestly, this was the complete opposite outcome of what he expected.

None of this was important now. With General Jinwu dead, Jiang Chengzi did not know what happened to Hundred Saint.

This time, he really made the wrong judgement!

As he thought about Lord Chengtian and the information he just received from the capital…Jiang Chengzi felt his head throb from a headache.

Ning Qin, you let me down!

Wu Tongtian calmly observed the reactions of everyone.

"I am saddened that General Jinwu has lost his life underground. I will report to the capital and request that he receives appropriate posthumous recognition." As he said this, Wu Tongtian's eyes sparkled and he continued, "However, the mine is an important resource for the army. We need another person to take over the mine in case the sinners start to rebel."

Ye Sangdu stood up and said, "Grand Marshal, may I ask who was the person who sent this news?"

Wu Tongtian replied, "It was a general stationed in the mine."

Ye Sangdu scoffed, "May I request that you give an order to have this general killed. Send his head to the capital."

He turned and scanned the others in the tent and said, "It has not been long since General Jinwu arrived at the West Border Army and he was unfamiliar with the mine. He rashly went underground and lost his life as a result.

"Someone must have instigated him with bad intentions. This was what caused his death! This general must be the culprit!"

There was a hint of admiration in Wu Tongtian's eyes.

With this, the generals present in the tent knew that these two people were trying to throw the blame.

General Jinwu was chosen by His Majesty. The higher he rose in the military, the more influence the Imperial Clan would have had.

However, not long after he arrived, he died underground.

As the first and second most powerful men in the West Border Army, what would His Majesty think of them?

Although His Majesty could not directly shake the positions of the Grand Marshal and main general in the army, the past has shown that the Desolate King bore grudges.

It was dangerous for them if they were eyed by the Desolate King.

As such, the West Border Army needed a scapegoat. More accurately, they needed someone who they could turn His Majesty's anger on.

This was a thought shared by the rest of the generals in the tent. No one wanted to be seen as a shadow by His Majesty.

After all, the West Desolate was still controlled by the Imperial Clan. If they wanted a comfortable life in the future, they needed to know their place.

"Great General Ye is right. The general overseeing the mine must be the culprit pulling strings in the dark!" Zhao Chong sneered as though he had hard evidence already.

"That's right. Grand Marshal, please give your orders to kill this person. We will use his soul to appease General Jinwu's soul!" Another general added.

The rest of the generals in the tent supported this idea.

Why should they oppose something that did no harm to them?

Killing a general who was a half human barbarian subjected to the Barbarian Curse could ease their troubles. They welcomed this idea.

Wu Tongtian nodded. His gaze lowered and he suddenly said, "Jiang Chengzi, I order you to go and kill the mastermind behind this!"

As the Grand Marshal of the border army, this sentence was virtually a death sentence for Snake Lady.

It was pitiful that this foolish evil woman was still celebrating the achievement of her dreams.

Jiang Chengzi stood up and bowed, "Yes, Grand Marshal. I will head out right now!"

He turned and strode out of the tent.

Ye Sangdu stared at Jiang Chengzi leaving without a change in emotion. He glanced at Wu Tongtian and secretly cursed at the old fox.

Who could not guess what the other was thinking?

Wu Tongtian wanted to use this matter to get on the good side of Jiang Chengzi and hence increase his influence in the West Border Army…this was also what Ye Sangdu has been trying to do all along.

As the top two most powerful men in the West Border Army, they had a lot of wisdom.

Although Hundred Saint was a favored nephew of Lord Chengtian, compared to the battle between the family clans, he was not worth mentioning.

Furthermore, Jiang Chengzi was the person who recommended him to guard the mine and it was hard for him to escape the blame.

Once this was over, the relationship between Jiang Chengzi and Lord Chengtian would turn sour…this would also give them a chance.

Ye Sangdu frowned slightly. He wondered what he should do to grow closer to Jiang Chengzi.

After all, when Ning Qin first arrived at the border army, he used a secret technique that upset Jiang Chengzi.

……

In the mine.

Rourou stared at Snake Lady who stepped out of the door wearing a sly smirk. She sighed gently and there was a look of helplessness on her face.

"Servants, capture all of them. Anyone who dares to resist shall be killed on the spot!"

Hundred Saint's expression turned pale and it looked like his soul had left him. He heard that General Jinwu was dead.

His heart was conflicted. First, he was annoyed that Ning Qin had not listened to his advice. Secondly, he was confused by everyone's reactions.

Most importantly, he was boiling with rage!

Hundred Saint never told anyone, but he always felt weirdly close to Qin Yu.

It felt like this person was his long time best friend.

But now, he was dead.

As he looked at Snake Lady, Hundred Saint's head jerked up.

However, before he could make his outburst, he heard a gentle sigh, "Tell them your identity directly."

It was Rourou.

She met his gaze and rolled her eyes, "What are you looking at? General Jinwu is not dead. You will be sacrificing your life if you resist now."

Hundred Saint's eyes bulged wide open, but before he could speak, she rolled her eyes in a more exaggerated manner.

Then, he realized that no one else had heard what Rourou said.

He recalled how Qin Yu had fought for her, unafraid of offending the Demon Sect…adrenaline rushed through Hundred Saint's heart.

I knew that General Jinwu was not someone who was greedy for women.

He had a reason for doing this!

Perhaps, there was a connection between General Jinwu and Rourou that he could not sense.

In other words, Rourou could be trusted!

Sighing deeply, Hundred Saint yelled, "Stop it! My uncle is Lord Chengtian. If you guys dare to touch me, you will all die!"

The half human barbarians from the mine that pounced for him were startled and they looked back in confusion.

Snake Lady hurriedly lifted her hands and with an uneasy look on her face, she asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Hundred Saint scoffed, "This is not a secret in the border army camp. If you don't believe me, you can go and ask them."

Snake Lady had heard of Lord Chengtian before. He had the bloodline of the Imperial Clan in his veins and he was a trusted confidant of the Desolate King.

What would be the consequences if she killed the nephew of a powerful man in the upper class of the empire?

Snake Lady took in a deep breath and forced a smile. Her vicious expression turned into a soft one and she said, "Hundred Saint, why didn't you say so earlier? This is a misunderstanding. Servants, please arrange a nice place for him to stay."

Her eyes flickered to Rourou.

Rourou had an outstanding figure and a seductive charm that could lure any man to protect her. Snake Lady could not help being jealous of her.

The third time Rourou sighed, Snake Lady heard it.

Her gaze was soft and gentle, but when she spoke, she was very rude.

"Sister, aren't you curious why I came to the mine later than the rest? Furthermore, when I arrived, I had men from the marshal tent escort me."

Snake Lady's expression faltered slightly.

Rourou looked down, "I am from the Demon Sect and am the adopted daughter of the Night Demon Sect Master. Of course, I am closer to him than his real children."

Hundred Saint nodded, "I can vouch for this."

He looked at Snake Lady and smirked, "Also, the Night Demon Sect Master is the leader of the Demon Sect. He is a peak-level Ruler!"

Snake Lady's pupils shrink and there was surprise in her eyes.

Below the King realm, a peak-level Ruler was the strongest and they would be the most powerful-ranking individuals right below the King realm cultivators.

No one would come into contact with a peak-level Ruler under normal circumstances.

This fact alone was enough to prove that the Night Demon Sect Master was not inferior to Lord Chengtian.

Rourou waved her hand dismissively, "I know you are not satisfied. Then go ahead and investigate it and check if I am telling the truth."

Snake Lady led the group of men away grudgingly. She gritted her teeth angrily. She had just become the controller of the mine but she was slapped in the face not too long later.

Her heart was boiling with rage and she was filled with hatred!

However, she did not dare to have an outburst and make a rash decision while she was angry.

Lord Chengtian and Night Demon Sect Master were both people she did not want to offend.

"Go! Contact the border army camp and verify whether they are both telling the truth."

After sending Snake Lady and the rest of the people off, Hundred Saint wore a cold smile. However, before he could say anything, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

"Hundred Saint, I believe that you are someone who can keep secrets and remain tight-lipped right?" Rourou commented.

Pst -

Her eyes were soft and she had a gentle demeanor. However, she felt like a bully.

At that point, Hundred Saint felt like his body had frozen when he met her gaze. His expression paled and as time went by, he became as white as a sheet.

"Ah! I am so sorry I scared you!" Rourou licked her lips and put on a sorry expression, "I am used to it, but I will pay closer attention next time."

Hundred Saint felt like he had been picked out of the icy cold arctic waters.

He panted heavily and sweat dotted his forehead. His robe stuck to his body and he felt gross.

There was a persistent fear in his eyes as he stared at Rourou.

"You…"

"You should not ask what you should not know and you should not say what you should not say." Rourou blinked her eyes, "Do you understand these two points?"

Hundred Saint shuddered and he nodded his head urgently.

Rourou flashed a smile and waved her hand, "Alright, you may go."

Once Hundred Saint left, she sighed and hugged chicken overlord who was lying on her legs close to her.

Her clean, skinny and soft hands pet his feathers and it felt very soothing.

"Little chicken, you have to behave. I am very good at cooking roasted chicken and spicy chicken."

Chicken overlord shrunk and forced himself to stay very still. There was an endless desire in his eyes as he stared ahead.

Qin Yu, you have to return quickly…I can't take this much longer!