724 Formidable Character (1/2)
The misty light of daybreak foreboded the gloomy coldness that would last the entire day. Inside the tent, Qi Zhengyan was making all sorts of exquisite and mysterious seals with his hands. The seals, containing the implicit charm of the river, blossomed naturally.
Sinister wind began rising, passing through the room and hitting their faces with bursts of coldness. They swirled in the middle of the tent to form a vortex.
Upon seeing this scene, Jiang Zhiwei, Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng began feeling doubtful as they recalled Qi Zhengyan's behavior today. It almost felt ridiculous. How could he change so drastically? His meticulousness and caution made him an entirely different person.
The only thing unchanging about Qi Zhengyan was his poker face. It was already ingrained in him to keep his emotions concealed and to speak as little as possible.
”Just what exactly happened to him in the past year?”
They all turned to look at Meng Qi, hinting for him to find a chance to question Qi Zhengyan. Though unwilling, Meng Qi must admit that he was the bond and lubricant of the team dynamic. He was their intimate sister and the aunty in the neighborhood committee...
”I really must find a chance to have a good talk with Senior Brother Qi!” Meng Qi had long wanted to do so.
The wind began oozing a hint of darkness as the vortex contorted to form a human shape and emit sounds of shock, fear, hatred, and confusion.
”Lord!”
One's obsession was of no equivalent to one's soul. It did not have any specific knowledge of its original human self, and only remember its strongest, lingering thought before its death. Not a peep of the reverberating sound was left the tent thanks to Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei working together to seal it inside.
”Lord?” Zhao Heng had always been sensitive to such titles. ”Miao Cong was Miao Hu's only son and the future leader of the Nine Mountains Army. Who would he call Lord?”
”So the deceased is not Miao Cong,” Qi Zhengyan said expressionlessly.
”Not Miao Cong? Doesn't that mean something is wrong with Miao Hu?”
”If this has nothing to do with Miao Hu, how can the perpetrator pull off this stunt?”
”No wonder we were framed as soon as we arrived at the camp. It is precisely because we are new and couldn't recognize Miao Cong. That way, we won't discover anything wrong,” Jiang Zhiwei said, frowning.
Caressing the strings of her zither with her right hand, Ruan Yushu added, ”Had we not respond quickly enough, perhaps the accomplice Liang Ye might have destroyed the telling characteristics of the corpse on the pretense of making a mistake.”
Once Miao Hu confirmed that the corpse was indeed his son, it was likely that no one else would suspect otherwise!
Qi Zhengyan loosened his hands and the sinister wind dissipated. He said in a softer voice, ”The corpse's face had already been destroyed in the first place. We could only roughly determine his identity from his appearance and the vigor of his flesh and blood.”
This matter seemed to have become very clear. When Miao Hu saw newcomers joining the army, he secretly killed an Exterior expert and pretended it was his son to frame them. Then, he was free to openly rebel and provoke an internal strife. The Revolutionary Army would then fall apart, giving them an excuse that since a defeat was impending, there was no need to be besieged. That would leave them the room to escape the war!
”We must inform Du Huaishang and Immortal Wanshi and see if they have any countermeasures to this,” Meng Qi said after some thought. Du Huaishang was close to full recovery, enough for him to use his divine weapon. It was just the right timing for him to make a sudden appearance and control the situation.
They must not let the issue of spying and internal strife to continue for long. They must end it quickly at the roots or they would be facing both exterior attacks of the Imperial Army from the outside and internal scheming. If that happened, failing to guard the camp would be a small comfort in itself. The Revolutionary Army would have zero chance of turning their defeat into a victory, that is, crossing the river and attacking the capital.
Meng Qi straightened his back and an incorporeal, colorless light once again flew out from behind his head. He left his doppelganger behind to occupy the tent and used his true body to go to the main battalion camp.
Du Huaishang could now walk and the vertical line on his midbrows was open, revealing a golden eye. Inside the pupil was a golden flame and the breath of the Golden Crow.
Meng Qi waited for Du Huaishang to finish expressing his heartfelt gratitude before telling him about the deceased's obsession.
Du Huaishang looked solemn. He knew that loyalties were wavering during his time in a coma but he did not expect it to be this bad.
Hu Zhigao and Hou Yue exchanged looks. ”Had Miao Hu betrayed us for the imperial court?”
Immortal Wanshi was startled. He smiled bitterly before sighing. ”I thought that Miao Hu would never stand with the imperial court after the loss of his only son. In the event of an internal strife and Heavenly King's continued coma, I was planning to throw my support behind him. Yet, I nearly fell into a trap and helped the imperial court win this war.”
Silence shrouded the tent. Du Huaishang regaining consciousness did not seem to improve their current situation. Internal strife was brewing in the Revolutionary Army and one of their largest armies was already revolting.
After a short silence, Du Huaishang glanced at Meng Qi and said, ”Why don't we test Miao Hu?”
He did not wish to lose his right-hand man!
Meng Qi voiced his agreement. Considering the weakened state of the Revolutionary Army, an internal strife would be disadvantageous for their task.