The joyous times are always fleeting; by the following evening, Wang Sheng's troops couldn't muster a smile.

Mulan Qingqing's total revenue for the day had been tallied, also making its way here—they had gathered a whopping fifteen thousand Insect Extreme Crystals in just one day.

Master Mai rushed into Shi Chun's cave and delivered the unsettling news, carefully observing Shi Chun's facial reactions in secret.

After hearing the news, Shi Chun's expression turned exceptionally grave, and he remained silent.

Once Master Mai had left, Wu Jinliang and Chu Jingtang from the neighboring cave gathered around.

Shi Chun finally smiled and said to the two of them, "Now things are getting interesting."

"How so?" Wu Jinliang asked.

"Surely you don't believe they actually got over fifteen thousand today?" Shi Chun countered.

Curious, Chu Jingtang asked, "You mean the numbers are false?"

His mind easily drifted in that direction, given that he engaged in such deceptions daily.

Shi Chun explained, "You know about the first day's events in Ji State, which they had been eyeing as their fattest target. Including that rich haul, they barely reached ten thousand on the first day. Now on the third day, they're claiming to have earned even more. Does that seem normal to you?

Despite not encountering any tough opponents, after these few days of battle and collecting some odds and ends, we've managed only a few crystals. Our brothers are in the dark about the truth, but don't we know better? We have a rough estimate of the situation in each region.

It's very hard to gather over ten thousand in a day. That batch of ten thousand crystals from Ji State was hard-won by many families risking their lives in Moon Sea, not to mention the people they killed to consolidate them into their hands."

Wu Jinliang and Chu Jingtang found that perspective convincing.

Shi Chun chuckled, "I thought they would try to overpower us into submission. I didn't expect them to resort to such cultured tactics. Of course, this is all speculation. To surpass us, they must keep up this over-ten-thousand pace tomorrow. If they do, then it's almost certain they're faking it."

After listening, Chu Jingtang was a bit perplexed. "Brother Wang, why do we need to fake it? Why are they faking it too? What exactly is going on between both sides?"

Wu Jinliang laughed, gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, Brother Chu. As I've said before, it's no fun to spill the beans now. Who would we blame if the news leaks? Just sit back and enjoy the show. All you need to trust is that we have no intention of betraying Youxia Mountain. We are definitely trying to find a way to get us out of this crisis."

Chu Jingtang sighed. If he didn't trust that much, he wouldn't be involved in this unsettling venture.

He could tell that the two had some foolproof plan in mind; they were very composed.

This assured approach by the two also increasingly gave him confidence in the situation.

"Brother Chu, knowing about this is enough. We can't let Tong Mingshan and the others find out that Mulan Qingqing's side is faking the numbers— not even our own people can know. If the word gets out, our plan will be ruined," Shi Chun stressed solemnly with another warning.

If it wasn't for the need to gain trust and with no reliable personnel available on his end, he wouldn't have involved outsiders like Chu Jingtang in the deception.

Chu Jingtang assured, "Brother Wang, you worry too much. We're all in the same boat; no one wishes for it to sink. Rest assured, my brothers and I won't let a word slip out."

The next day, Mulan Qingqing's results were as expected by Shi Chun's side—over ten thousand Insect Extreme Crystals were gathered once more.

While the troops on Mulan Qingqing's end were elated, Shi Chun's group became anxious. The lead they had worked so hard to achieve would surely be overtaken if this continued.

They couldn't continue sitting idle, so the second "soldier's remonstrance" decision took place.

A large group once again blocked Shi Chun's entrance, and the five disciples from the Bilan Sect watching sympathized with Shi Chun's dilemma.

They knew the true harvest of Insect Extreme Crystals and that no amount of effort would suffice; however, revealing the truth was not an option as it would sabotage their plans.

Faced with the crowd's eagerness to volunteer for battle, Shi Chun declared loudly, "I've said it many times, our spies have done all they can, and we simply can't find any more suitable targets. Directly confronting the main force of other states will come at too great a cost. As I've always said, to preserve everyone's lives as much as possible, what can't be done, simply can't be done."

The leader shouted, "Master, we've already lost nearly a thousand warriors. There were three thousand eight hundred men under your command, and now only two thousand nine hundred remain. What are we fighting so hard for? Some sects entered with five and now have only two left or even just one. Some are maimed or disabled. How can they return without any merits to show to their sects, to themselves?"

Their voices were filled with grief.

"Master."

"Master..."

The crowd's plaintive cries were endless, rising and falling, hoping to evoke the Master's empathy.

Amidst the pleading calls, Shi Chun scanned the faces before him and then raised his voice, "No matter my purpose in joining forces with you all, we've come this far together, and I truly cannot bear to see you pay such a high price. You cannot let previous victories blind you with overconfidence. If I disagree, I know you will resent me, but still, I must say, I do not agree!"

"Master!"

"Master!"

The collective voices pleaded once more, almost ready to kneel before Shi Chun.

Seeing Shi Chun remain unmoved, someone finally burst out with an accusation, "Master, is it because Mulan Qingqing is your fiancée, you don't really care if you can beat her? Are you just using everyone to prove you're no less capable than her and plan to let her win on purpose?"

At these words, the place fell silent all at once, all eyes fixed on Shi Chun's face.

The onlooking Bilan Sect disciples inwardly lamented, poor Brother Wang had it too hard.

After a moment's silence, Shi Chun replied, "Do you all really insist on proceeding this way?"

"Yes!"

"Please, Master, grant us your permission!"

When these words were shouted out, the crowd immediately echoed in support, their voices gradually becoming unified, "Please, Master, grant us your permission, please, Master, grant us your permission, please, Master, grant us your permission..."

The atmosphere on-site was very agitated, as if the chanting would not stop unless Shi Chun acquiesced.

"Fine!" Shi Chun suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, bringing a moment of silence to the scene, leaving only his voice to continue, "Since you all insist on this, I won't obstruct you, I can't obstruct you, but I still hold to my own opinion. You, do as you please!"

The one leading the pack immediately stepped forward two paces and, with clasped hands, said, "Thank you, Master, for granting us this. Whether we succeed or fail, we must at least try. However, we implore the Master not to stand idly by and hope for your strategic support."

Shi Chun replied, "I said, I do not agree, nor will I participate, you do as you please."

The leader said, "We dare not trouble the Master to take action personally. However, we are cut off from information, and the Master's use of the Hidden Guards is nothing short of divine. Surely, with a slight maneuver, the Master could locate the whereabouts of the Di State forces mentioned previously, Master..."

Shi Chun raised his hand to interrupt, coldly stating, "You'll have my answer within an hour!"

Overjoyed, the leader bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Master!"

The whole group, as if by some unspoken agreement, bowed respectfully and cried out in unison, "Thank you, Master!"

"Hmph." Shi Chun snorted coldly, flipped his sleeves with a turn, and entered the cave.

Outside the cave, the crowd slowly straightened up, exchanging looks of both joy and awkwardness.

Although they had pressured their way through, everyone's achievements today were largely due to the Master's significant contributions, a fact that was not lost on them.

Of course, everyone still hoped the Master would continue to fight alongside them as before. The situation had come to this point due to differing philosophies, which was not something anyone wished to see.

Quietly, everyone dispersed.

The five members of the Bilan Sect, who had been standing watch at the cave entrance, shook their heads in pity once again.

The Master was a man of his word, and in less than half an hour, he informed them of the exact location of the remaining elite forces in Di State.

The leader and his comrades were thrilled and immensely impressed by the Master's ability to deploy his spies, as he promised to locate the target within an hour and indeed he did.

Before dawn, a force of two to three thousand had assembled. Although the Master did not participate, the tactics employed were in keeping with those the Master usually used, and they set off on the raid.

After watching the troops disappear into the distance, the members remaining from the Bilan Sect, Hundred Refinement Sect, Fairy Sect, Vermilion Bird Pavilion, and Ten Thousand Grass Hall all turned their gazes back towards Shi Chun.

Chu Jingtang asked, "Master, there won't be any serious problems, right?"

Shi Chun responded sadly, "I don't know. Since they were to face it eventually, let them handle it."

In his heart, he knew that perhaps sacrificing these people would better earn Mulan Qingqing's trust.

If not for fear of revealing his ultimate goal and arousing suspicion, thwarting his plans, if not for needing to maintain a pretense in order to have a fallback after potential exposure, he would not need to engage in such scheming—he could directly blackmail Mulan Qingqing with the leverage he had to obtain the Insect Extreme Crystals from Xuan State.

Of course, it might not have been so simple for Mulan Qingqing to comply—after all, those items did not belong to one party alone.

After Shi Chun returned to the cave, he took out a set of parent-child talismans to contact Xiang Laner: Have your people leave before dawn.

Judging by the time these troops set out, they aimed to strike before the Di State forces could move after daybreak.

Xiang Laner's reply was brief: Got it.

At the capital's drill grounds, as the grand event neared its end, the number of spectators in front of the mirror images increased, including the Domain Masters occupying the best viewing spots.

Everyone was extremely interested in the division of Xuan State's forces. The Domain Masters, in particular, were watching keenly—it was clear that the Xuan State forces were ruthlessly attacking forces from other states to rob them. Today it was these states, and tomorrow they worried it would be their own that was targeted.

Shortly after nightfall in the capital, the mirror image displayed a scene of brutal combat: nearly three thousand men under Shi Chun's command were locked in a bloody struggle to the death with about two hundred from Di State.

At the outset, those two hundred were indeed thrown into disarray by the fearsome reputation of the Xuan State warriors. However, upon realizing the enemy was not as powerful as they had thought, they gradually steadied their footing and the disparity in strength became apparent.

The tables turned with a counterattack. Blood and flesh flew as they surged forward, targeting the enemy leaders.

Observing the dire situation, the Domain Master of Xuan State, Chi Rang, became furious and slammed his armrest, shouting, "Where is Shi Chun? Where has Shi Chun gone? Why has he not come forth to meet the enemy?"

Wei Mo's slightly mocking voice rang out, "What's with all the senseless shouting? Shi Chun belongs to Sheng Province."

Chi Rang found himself speechless in retort.

The battle was lost—over a thousand men were slaughtered by a mere fifty, leading to a panicked retreat.

Out of nearly three thousand men, they left behind over a thousand bloody corpses as they scattered in desperate flight.

The two hundred or so elite disciples from Di State's sects also suffered heavy losses at the hands of this desperate group, with about half of their number killed, leaving only a little over fifty survivors.

They were unstoppable—the sheer ferocity overwhelmed the thousand plus men who either fell where they stood or met death as they charged, which resulted in a collapse of morale and thus a rout.

The astounded and infuriated fifty or so survivors eventually ceased their pursuit, unable to further chase the vastly scattered enemy; even as mighty as they were, they could not keep up. In the end, they could only watch helplessly as their foes escaped, all the while covered in blood and bearing wounds, each breathing heavily.

They remained shaken, having encountered for the first time an opponent of lesser strength yet so reckless, unabashedly combatant, and with such a well-coordinated assault that had brought many of their own down.

Had the battle continued, they estimated they themselves would have lost half their number—fortunately for them, the enemy broke first.

Young Master Nan, perched on his seat in the grandstand, gazed at the screen and mumbled while slouching in his chair, "My little ancestor, which side are you really on, are you actually trying to sabotage things..."

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