Mountain and sea lantern

Chapter 663: Order troops and generals
He wouldn't dare say what he'd be number one for, but he'd definitely be able to save Mulan and Qingqing's lives by hiding in the underworld. Li Hongjiu was a prime example; he could just knock them out and let them sleep in the underworld.

In short, I'll get out first and see what happens. If things really go wrong, I'll just hide in the underworld and never come out again. At worst, like Wu Jinliang said, I'll come out and steal or rob if I need to. What are you going to do about it?
He'd had enough of this prison and vowed that once he got out, he'd never come back. He readily agreed, not wanting to miss this chance to escape.

So not only was his tone firm, but his eyes behind his messy, dirty hair were also unusually resolute. As if afraid that people would not see his resolute gaze, he even raised his hand to brush his hair aside. He just wanted to express one thing: you believe me, I can definitely do it, I can definitely protect your daughter!
Mulan snorted, "The Great Amnesty War is nothing like the various gatherings you've experienced before; it's the true killing battlefield of the cultivation world!"

His intention was to remind the other party not to be careless.

However, Shi Chun only wanted to make a frantic statement and get himself out of there first. He decisively slammed his hand on the railing and said, "My knife is not without its flaws!"

Mulan didn't want to argue with him anymore. In the eyes of someone of his status, people who made such boastful statements were naive. She replied indifferently, "Fine, we'll do it your way. If you can't do it, I'll just chop you up and feed you to the dogs."

After saying that, he turned and left.

"Master," Shi Chun hurriedly called out, extending his arm to stop the other party.

Mulan turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue.

Shi Chun smiled obsequiously and said, "Your Majesty, I have another request, which is truly related to your daughter's safety. I earnestly hope you will grant it."

Upon hearing that it concerned her daughter's safety, Mulan immediately turned around and asked, "What is it?"

Shi Chun chuckled dryly, “That’s right. A person’s ability is ultimately limited. As the saying goes, ‘a hero needs three helpers.’ Actually, I also have a capable assistant, Wu Jinliang. I’m sure you’ve heard of him, Lord. The problem now is that the prison is also after him. Since you were able to get me out of the prison, could you also ask the prison to let Wu Jinliang go? Losing a capable assistant means losing considerate cooperation, and that makes a big difference.”

Eyes full of anticipation.

Mulan stared coldly at him, sensing something was wrong. Was it just her imagination? This scoundrel seemed completely unafraid of the 'war of amnesty' that everyone avoided.

Is it merely out of a desire to escape this cage that they resort to empty talk and try to fool others first?
But even at this moment, he was still sober enough to think about rescuing his accomplices.

He has arrested and interrogated many people, and has a keen insight into certain aspects.

"Does his cultivation level qualify him to participate in the battle?"

"Preliminary preparations are very important; a cunning person doesn't fight a battle they can't win!"

"I'll give it a try." Mulan Jin raised her hand to pull up the hood of her coat over her head, said this, and turned to leave.

Upon hearing the sound of the iron gate closing outside, Shi Chun immediately paced back and forth in the cage like an ant on a hot pan, fearing it was all for naught. He would pinch himself repeatedly to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

I've been locked up for so long that sometimes I can't tell whether I'm in a fantasy world or in reality...

In the pavilion in the city, Du Huoguan, behind the window, watched Mulan Jin's figure going in and out of the prison gate with his hands behind his back.

What is control? It's being able to control what happens on your territory, letting others know as much as you want, and keeping things private so that outsiders have no way of knowing. And Du Huoguan has been controlling Xucheng for many years...

At the Bowang Tower in Zhixu City, Old Tan, who was in charge of daily affairs, hurried upstairs and whispered to Lan Qiaoyan, who was reviewing accounts behind the desk, "The Xuanji Commander secretly entered Zhixu City and also secretly entered the prison."

Lan Qiaoyan was taken aback, slowly put down the ledger, and asked in confusion, "What did he come here for? And he even went to jail. Apart from Shi Chun, the others in jail don't seem to have anything to do with him, right?"

In fact, Mulan, her husband, and Mulan belong to the same faction; they are all from the Heavenly Court, or rather, they are in the same group, only they are in charge of different affairs.

Because they were in cahoots, they were able to get inside information earlier than others. Old Tan tried to remind them, "Didn't they say that his daughter, Mulan Qingqing, signed up to participate in some kind of 'amnesty war'?"

"Hmm, he's in Dongsheng but signed up for the Heavenly Court. I was just talking about it with my husband Miao a few days ago. It's already caused quite a stir internally..." Lan Qiaoyan had just finished speaking when she suddenly stopped, stood up abruptly, and turned to look at the inner city wall outside the window. She seemed to understand something, and a look of surprise appeared on her face as she said, "Could it be Shi Chun? Does he have a way to get Shi Chun out?"

Old Tan wanted to remind him of this, and nodded, saying, "In my opinion, it's highly likely. As you said, the others in the prison are either old monsters who have been suppressed or too inexperienced, and they have nothing to do with the Lord of Xuanji. The 'Battle of Amnesty' is a bloody battlefield. When Shi Chun was still in Dongjiuyuan, he had already honed his fighting skills. After he got out, he participated in all kinds of battles. No matter how strong the opponent was, he always had the upper hand. If he didn't surrender, even the Dongsheng Royal Court couldn't catch him after all that trouble. It's just right to take him out to save his daughter's life. As for whether he has any merit or not, the Lord of Xuanji probably wouldn't care."

Lan Qiaoyan pondered for a moment and said, "That's possible. In other words, Shi Chun can be rescued?"

Old Tan bowed slightly and said, "Given the character of the Xuanji Commander, he probably wouldn't have come all this way in person if he wasn't confident."

After leaving the table, Lan Qiaoyan paced to the window and sighed, "That girl is usually quite well-behaved, but suddenly she did something so willful. It seems she really pushed Mulan Jin to the limit, otherwise she wouldn't have reached into the prison. But in this 'battle of amnesty,' Shi Chun might not be able to protect himself, so how can he protect others..."

She paused abruptly as a commotion outside caught her attention.

"Who is it? Who is it? Who is this?"

A murmur of chatter arose from the roadside.

The commotion was caused by guards escorting a man out of the inner city gate. The man was dressed in tattered clothes, and his hair was more disheveled than a lion's, obscuring his face. He also had a tangled beard, making it impossible to see his features or recognize him.

Their clothes were so tattered and dirty that their original color was no longer discernible, and their bodies were exposed everywhere. They were barefoot.

It was filthy and smelly, and the stench that followed left a trail of repulsive stench.

Even the rioters in the exile area couldn't stand the smell; although they were filthy, it was rare to find someone so foul-smelling.

Old Tan, who had leaned closer to the window, glanced out and exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be...?"

Lan Qiaoyan recognized him at a glance and exclaimed in surprise, "It's him! You actually managed to get him out?"

Ignoring the pointing and whispering on the street, Shi Chun's eyes gleamed behind his disheveled hair, and he let out a series of excited "hehe" sounds.

The guards poked him in the back with weapons, urging him to leave quickly, as they couldn't stand the stench and were worried the smell would seep into them if they stayed too long.

Upon seeing Bowang Tower, Shi Chun subconsciously looked up and saw Lan Qiaoyan staring at him from the window. He raised his tattered short-sleeved shirt and waved goodbye, his gratitude unspoken but deeply appreciated.

Lan Qiaoyan nodded slightly. She couldn't possibly see him off in person, so she nodded and wished him a safe journey.

He was slightly puzzled, feeling that Shi Chun's departure was a bit too flamboyant, even though the city guards hadn't done anything.

This wasn't Shi Chun's first time leaving the city. Having received permission, he was afraid things might change, so he dashed into the Xunmen passageway. Upon seeing the outside light and the green mountains and rivers again, he opened his arms and laughed wildly for a moment before the guard at the gate kicked him in the backside, punctuating his laughter.

The guards hadn't expected such a smelly vagrant to appear, and they were caught off guard by taking a deep breath, which suffocated them.

Shi Chun glanced back twice, but didn't bother to argue. Afraid of being targeted and arrested again, he decided to leave first. Just as he turned around, a voice whispered in his ear, "Here."

Shi Chun looked in that direction and saw Mulan Jin's cloaked figure standing on a distant hilltop. It turned out that she was waiting for him outside.

Unable to win, yet daring not to disobey, he swiftly slipped away, landing beside the man and bowing respectfully.

Mulan interrupted directly, saying, "Come with me."

Shi Chun was taken aback and hurriedly said, "My lord, we've finally managed to get out, I should at least go home first."

Mulan said indifferently, "No need. I've already arranged for people to go and meet you. They'll bring your people here to meet you."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and swept Shi Chun away into the sky...

In the capital of Xiniu, amidst the picturesque scenery and fantastical palaces, the Demon Queen was chatting with a noblewoman when Daozhen stopped at the entrance and transmitted his voice, "Your Majesty, Shi Chun has been released from prison. Mulan personally went to the prison to get him out."

"..." The Demon Queen froze, stopped talking, turned to look at Dao Zhen, her surprise barely concealed, and asked telepathically, "Mulan Jin? He can get people out of the Prison of Life?"

She knew that even if she stepped in, the jailer might not give her face; instead, he might let her admire the painting on the umbrella.

The sight of this man displaying such a flustered expression caused the lady beside him to fall silent, wondering what had happened.

Daozhen telepathically reminded him, "His daughter has signed up for the 'War of Amnesty'."

The Empress Dowager instantly understood, and then smiled at the noblewoman, saying, "I have some matters to attend to."

The noblewoman, of course, wisely took her leave.

With no one else around, the Demon Queen no longer needed to maintain her composure. She paced back and forth, muttering to herself, "So, Shi Chun is going to join the war as soon as he's released from prison. This Mulan is quite capable. Let's find out where Shi Chun is now."

As she reached the railing, her thoughts drifted, unsure whether she should go and meet them...

In the capital of Dongsheng, on a floating fairy mountain, the Southern Prince accompanied Wei Mo as they strolled together through the connecting corridors of pavilions and towers.

Since their first collaboration, regardless of the reason for it, Mr. Nan, a businessman, has never relaxed his relationship with the other party, and has even taken the opportunity to strengthen it.

It was precisely because of this friendship that he was able to plead, "Brother Wei, you don't need those three people, but they are too important to me. Not to mention An Wuzhi, Tong Mingshan's weapon-forging skills and Zhu Xiangxin's alchemy abilities can help me make a lot of money. If you send them to the amnesty battlefield, the chances of them dying or being injured are too high. Isn't that cutting off my source of income? Brother Wei, with your current power, finding some manpower is not difficult. You don't need those three. Just give me face, okay? I will definitely repay you handsomely later."

The reason for this plea is that Wei Mo now wields considerable power, and most of the nobles in the capital would likely be in awe of him.

Related to the war of amnesty, those who went to the battlefield to fight did not have to be from the royal court, but those who won and took control of the territory had to be their own people appointed by the royal court.

Therefore, each of the five forces must send one person to be in charge of this battle. Once the battle is won, the person in charge of organizing it will be credited and will naturally become the lord of the new territory.

This domain lord is no ordinary domain lord; he will build the power structure within his territory from scratch, which is incomparable to those who are simply transferred to other domains. The benefits are enormous.

There were many people vying for this position in the Eastern Sheng Royal Court. When various parties submitted their candidates, Right Assistant Marquis Jia Huan submitted Wei Mo's name. The Queen had a good impression of Wei Mo's name, and it could be considered a reward for merit. The Holy King respected the Queen's opinion in this matter.

If it weren't for such a powerful figure speaking up for him, Wei Mo wouldn't have gotten this position in the first place; there were too many people with similar qualifications waiting for a good spot.

The person who obtains this position immediately wields great power, having the authority to appoint and select troops from among the cultivators outside the prison to build a competitive force. Since this involves the interests of the royal court, all aspects of the royal court must secretly cooperate in this matter; this is a well-known secret.

Among them, Wei Mo took a liking to Tong Mingshan, Zhu Xiangxin, and An Wuzhi. With the blessing of the divine fire, the three of them have now reached the advanced level of Earth Immortal. They also possess sharp divine fire attack power. In addition, they have no background obstacles and are not afraid of offending people. Naturally, he wanted to bring them into his own camp.

Originally, they were going to make a scene and get him imprisoned, but Young Master Nan intervened and stopped them.

Out of respect for Young Master Nan, Wei Mo graciously conceded, giving Tong Mingshan and the other two a chance to volunteer for the royal court, thus earning a merit first.

Isn't this just sending them to their deaths? Naturally, Young Master Nan refused. In order to protect the three of them, he pestered Wei Mo relentlessly, offering many gifts in hopes of being spared.

"Brother Nan, there's no need to fool me. You don't even care about the little money those three people have earned for you. Do you know how much it will affect me if we lose this battle too badly? Where will the royal court's face be?"

Just as Wei Mo stopped to ask a question, one of his men suddenly flew over and reported, "Guards, there are rumors that Shi Chun has been released from prison."

"..."

Wei Mo and Young Master Nan both turned around and stared at him in disbelief.

Suddenly, Nan Gongzi thought of something and abruptly turned to look at Wei Mo.

As expected, what I feared most came to pass.

Wei Mo's eyes were gradually gleaming as he pointed at his subordinates and questioned, "Is the information reliable?"

His subordinate said, "It's just a rumor, and I have no way of confirming it, but such rumors are bound to have some basis."

"Clap!" Wei Mo suddenly punched the young master Nan on the shoulder and laughed heartily. "If it's true, then he's a formidable opponent. You and I both saw it back then. So many experts trapped him, yet they couldn't do anything to him. Moreover, now that his cultivation has reached the Human Immortal realm, if he joins the battle, he will be like a tiger returning to the mountains. I will definitely make good use of him! Good, good, good, I'll go find the Right Assistant Marquis. I'm determined to have this fierce general!"

After saying that, he vanished in a flash.

"..." Young Master Nan was dumbfounded on the spot. They hadn't managed to rescue the three people, and now they had lost another one.
He was startled and quickly slipped away, prioritizing confirming the news's authenticity.

(End of this chapter)