744 The Source of Calmness Part I (2/2)

They had dedicated their lives to music and had never killed a single chicken, let alone a human being. Even though many armored cavalries had died thanks to their music today, they had never thought that they would have to slaughter.

All was silent under the shelter.

The disciples of the Academy were guarding the Verdant Canyon for Chang'an and the Tang Empire. They did not care how many they had to kill. However, should there be a day when they would need to raise their blades...

Beigong suddenly smiled and said, ”There's still Youngest Brother.”

Ximen Buhuo perked up and said, ”Indeed, indeed, our Youngest Brother is the best at this kind of things.”

Fourth Brother and Sixth Brother nodded profusely. Who else but their Youngest Brother would be the best for the job if the Academy wanted to kill many people?

Second Brother did not say anything.

Wang Chi, who was standing beside the chopping board said, ”The cold dish is ready, did we bring sesame?”

Second Brother said, ”Let's eat.”

There was a faint burning smell.

Seventh Sister yelled and hurried to the stove, only to find that the rice had been burnt.

Beigong Weiyang looked at the smoking white rice and sighed, ”The food at the back of the mountain tasted bad whenever teacher brought Eldest Brother out traveling with him.”

Ximen Buhuo said, with an air of yearning, ”The food was best when Sangsang was in the Academy.”

Nobody blamed Seventh Sister, but she still felt uneasy.

The tactical array at the Verdant Canyon exit had been established. Compared with Second Brother and the other disciples who had different jobs, her main job was to be responsible for the logistics, which should be very easy. However, she still did it badly.

Moments later, the uneasiness turned to anger and she said angrily, ”Sixth Brother's stove is made of iron and the temperature gets too high, how can it be used to cook rice?”

Second Brother's eyebrows flicked up and he berated her unhappily, ”This is ridiculous, you're being rude.”

Seventh Sister paused slightly and said angrily, ”If you think it's bad, then don't eat it!”

After a simple meal, those who had to rest rested and those who had to make preparations for tomorrow did so.

Fourth Brother said, ”Youzi is under a lot of pressure which was why she got so angry. That's why she felt even more wronged when you berated her. Don't blame her for yelling at you.”

Second Brother frowned slightly and asked, ”Why would she feel wronged?”

Fourth Brother said, ”She only behaved like that because she is worried about you, but you reprimanded her. That's why she felt wronged.”

Second Brother was slightly shocked when he heard that. After a long silence, he said, ”That's not necessary.”

Fourth Brother did not bring up the matter again because the disciples of the back of the mountain of the Academy had already been discussing the matter privately for several years but had never drawn a conclusion.

He turned and looked at the entrance of the Verdant Canyon behind the shelter, and at the hidden stones inside. Then, he said, ”If the Divine Hall is unprepared, then we should stay and guard the canyon. This is more energy efficient.”

Second Brother said, ”If we act safely, then that's the greatest mistake. The direction of the battle today was clear. The Divine Hall kept sending troops trying to force us into the canyon... I don't know what we will do once we enter the canyon, but I do not wish to retreat until the very end.”

”Why?”

”Because once we retreat, we might have to take even more steps back.”

Fourth Brother turned around and looked at the dark Military camps of the Coalition Army in the southern plains. He said, ”I am more worried about whether the other party will launch a night attack now.”

Second Brother looked up at the moon in the Night Dome and said, ”They wouldn't dare with teacher looking down from the sky.”

Their fellow disciples had joined them, standing behind both of them.

They looked up at the moon in the sky longingly.

”Is that really teacher?” Wang Chi asked.

Second Brother said, ”Perhaps.”

Unlike his other fellow disciples, Sixth Brother was not as sensitive and he considered more realistic and simple problems. He said, ”Firewood is a problem. We have to enter the canyon to pick firewood and it'd be easy for them to sneak an attack at us then.”

Second Brother pointed at the plains beyond the shelter. He pointed at the dense collection of arrows and said, ”There is firewood everywhere.”

Unlike the mouth of the Verdant Canyon which was sometimes lively, occasionally sad, but basically calm and joyful, the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army camp was covered in a frustrated and depressive atmosphere. It was very quiet there.

Bai Haixin drank a glass of wine and ate two bowls of rice. Then, he signaled his subordinates to remove the dinner desk and walked out of the tent. He looked at the green hills under the moonlight and frowned in silence for a long time.

He was the commander-in-chief of the West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army, but he could not even enter the top five in the coalition forces. How would he dare give orders to the two Great Divine Priests of West-Hill and the Sword Sage, Liu Bai?

This was the source of his distress, because he did not know what the bigwigs at the Divine Hall thought. He did not understand why they had to sacrifice so many cavalry soldiers just to force those from the Academy into the Verdant Canyon.

Since they had to guard the main roads, it was naturally more appropriate for them to stand guard inside the canyon.

What puzzled him was why those from the Academy were willing to fight on the plains with the army rather than retreating into the Verdant Canyon.

A priest in red walked over and handed him a sheet of paper.

Bai Haixin read through it, his frown growing deeper as he wondered if they had to continue to march to their deaths tomorrow.

”Get all the martial cultivators from each sect and the army to gather in the great tent.”