Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Life's Paths Are Often Treacherous (Part 3)

Yaoshan Ridge stood as the most crucial military stronghold in the heartland of Hongcheng Kingdom. Nestled 

within a mountainous plain, Hongdu was surrounded by steep, impassable peaks on all sides except for the 

Yaoshan Ridge. Thus, any northern invasion of Hongdu inevitably had to traverse this strategic pass.

Since the outbreak of war between the two nations, Yaoshan Ridge had been completely sealed off. Before 

the mountain fortress lay nearly a hundred miles of treacherous mountain passes. With the rainy season 

approaching, the climate had grown unusually humid. As the Canghuan army pressed forward, the soldiers were 

not only slightly fatigued but also unaccustomed to the capricious weather here.

Inside the main command tent, several figures gathered around a table, discussing the upcoming journey.

Mo Qingjue, standing in the center, traced the terrain on a map while reporting to the seated Si Cang Qing. “Our 

forces are currently positioned in this valley. There should be a main road leading from here to Yaoshan City, but 

yesterday our forward scouts discovered—” he paused briefly—“the mountain paths have been completely 

destroyed. Cheng Tianyi spared no expense this time; he clearly planned this well in advance.”

“To reach Yaoshan City now, we must traverse the perilous forests of Yaoshan Mountain.”

“Therefore...” Mo Qingjue turned to Si Cang Qing, his tone resolute, “This subordinate respectfully requests the 

Emperor's decree to allow me to lead elite troops in scouting the path ahead. Only then can I confidently guide 

the main army through the treacherous forests.”

Si Cang Qing lifted his gaze, silently meeting the man's unwavering stare.

Lowering his eyes, the emperor spoke calmly, “The reconnaissance is not urgent. You may withdraw for now.”

“Your Majesty,” Mo Qing knelt on one knee, his tone neither humble nor arrogant as he pleaded again, “Please 

issue the decree!”

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Si Cang Qing asked casually, "General Mo, why are you in such a hurry? Besides, 

you are the head of the Southwest Army; the investigation does not necessarily require your personal presence.”

“Your Majesty sees clearly,” Mo Qingjue bowed his head, his voice slightly subdued as he calmly analysed, “The 

destruction of the mountain pass at Yaoshan Ridge was not accomplished in a day or two. I suspect Cheng Tianyi 

had planned this long ago.”

“In other words, he calculated that if we broke through the three passes and three lines, advancing on Yaoshan 

Ridge would force us through the perilous Yaoshan Forest. Judging by the scale of this campaign, Cheng Tianyi is 

willing to sacrifice everything to secure victory. If he could destroy the official road, he must have laid countless 

traps within the treacherous forest.”

“Fengsi City alone trapped the bulk of our Southwest Army forces that day. Yao Mountain Ridge is even more 

treacherous and unpredictable. If our army advances recklessly, and Cheng Tianyi repeats his tactics—treating all 

civilians and defenders at Yao Mountain Ridge as he did at Fengsi City—then our Southwest Army risks 

annihilation.”

“And with His Majesty currently commanding the Southwest Army, should it face annihilation, both the Eastern 

and Western fronts would abandon their battlefields to rush to its aid. Then...”

Mo Qingjue trailed off, but all present understood the implication: not only would all previous military 

achievements vanish into thin air, but if Hongcheng Kingdom seized the opportunity to pursue, even Canghuan 

Kingdom itself might be imperilled.

Gazing impassively at the young man kneeling before him, Si Cang Qing rested his chin on his left hand, saying 

nothing.

Beside him, Cheng Tian Yang chuckled softly, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of clear tea, and brought it to 

Si Cang Qing's lips. “Your Majesty, have a sip to moisten your throat,” he murmured.

Turning his gaze, Si Cang Qing took the teacup from Cheng Tian Yang's hand and sipped the tea lightly.

Satisfied, Cheng Tian Yang picked up a pastry and offered it to Si Cang Qing's mouth, his tone tinged with playful 

insistence, “Have some more pastries to settle your stomach.”

Si Cang Qing still did not refuse, going along with Cheng Tian Yang's actions.

The two men's oblivious interaction made the generals waiting nearby increasingly anxious, and they couldn't help

 but steal glances at them frequently.

Subtly glancing at the crowd, Cheng Tian Yang smiled faintly, "Your Majesty, I have some questions for 

General Mo. Is it appropriate to ask?"

Signing slightly, Si Cang Qing replied, "Speak."

Ignoring the others present, Cheng Tian Yang nestled softly into Si Cang Qing's arms and spoke loudly, 

"General Mo truly lives up to his title as Commander of the Southwest Army. Your analysis does seem plausible. 

However, even if the treacherous forest ahead is fraught with traps, General Mo, as Commander of the Southwest 

Army, cannot abandon his troops and venture forth alone!"

Mo Qingjue said firmly, "Although I cannot be certain, having experienced the ordeal at Fengsi City, I believe 

Cheng Tianyi must have extraordinary individuals assisting him. If the treacherous forest is truly treacherous, 

ordinary people would surely perish. I cannot allow my Southwest Army soldiers to take such a risk."

"Then, General, are you willing to risk your life?"

"It's not exactly risking my life..." "Mo Qingjue's words were brimming with confidence, 'This humble general 

has a deep understanding of formations. Unless it's an extremely tricky and unpredictable formation, I believe 

there won't be any major problems.'"

"Oh?" Cheng Tian Yang raised an eyebrow. "General, you're truly confident!"

"Concerning the safety of the army, this humble general dares not underestimate myself!"

A strange glint flashed in his eyes. Cheng Tian Yang slowly curved his lips into a half-smile. "Since General Mo 

is so resolute, it seems I shouldn't say anything more." Turning to Si Cang Qing, who had remained silent 

throughout, he said, "Your Majesty, I also request permission to accompany the reconnaissance sentries to clear 

the way for the army."

Though he didn't know what the other party was planning, Si Cang Qing's expression remained unchanged. He 

coldly replied, "No."

"Your Majesty!" Cheng Tian Yang wrapped his arms around Si Cang Qing's neck. "My martial arts are excellent. 

Weren't you very satisfied with my performance at Xiyu Pass that day?"

Si Cang Qing remained unmoved as he looked at Mo Qingjue kneeling on the ground. “You may withdraw first.”

“Your Majesty...”

“Withdraw!”

Mo Qingjue held back, then bowed his head again and said softly, “Yes, this subordinate takes his leave.”

◇Cang◇Huan◇Qi◇Gong◇

“Your Majesty...”

Si Cang Qing stared silently at the topographic map, ignoring the person clinging to him and causing a disturbance.

His brow furrowed as he reached out to trace the contours of the Xianlin terrain with his fingers.

“Your Majesty,” Cheng Tian Yang attempted to persuade Si Cang Qing, “Consider this: I've just tested him for you. 

Mo Qingjue possesses at least three distinct personalities, one of which is extremely dangerous. How can we truly 

allow him to lead the way? What if he truly is one of Cheng Tianyi's men?”

Earlier, that man’s words, “I dare not belittle myself,” carried a hint of sarcasm and a subtle arrogance—traits 

entirely different from the two personalities he’d displayed over the past months. It was precisely this discrepancy 

that led Cheng Tian Yang to conclude there might be a third personality lurking within him.

Lowering his gaze to Cheng Tian Yang, Si Cang Qing said calmly, “He isn't.”

Si Cang Qing now had at least fifty percent certainty that this man was the one who had schemed against him 

before. Ever since learning Mo Qingjue suffered from multiple personalities, he had connected the dots to the man 

he'd encountered twice before—wondering why their demeanour and character differed so completely. Yet, since 

meeting this Mo Qingjue, the personalities he had witnessed most frequently were only two: one passionate yet 

tinged with innocence, the other calm and composed, emerging when the first personality encountered unexpected 

situations.

For this reason, Cheng Tian Yang had probed repeatedly, yet found no answers. However, Si Cang Qing 

understood why that person's appearance changed each time—it must be the nearly lost art of disguise!

Now, this third personality is faintly emerging, bearing a certain resemblance to the feeling of that person in 

the secret chamber beyond the heavens.

Cheng Tian Yang murmured in my ear, “He's not one of Cheng Tianyi's men, but he's definitely plotting something 

earth-shattering. He might even be colluding with Cheng Tianyi! If he truly is that person and has now infiltrated 

the Southwest Army, the danger is self-evident.”

“His objectives must be even more terrifying than Cheng Tianyi's.”

“But the army must advance. If he's truly manipulating the Southwest Army now, we can naturally turn that to our 

advantage. The real fear is if he's fully aligned with Cheng Tianyi...”

“Your Majesty,” Cheng Tian Yang cradled Si Cang Qing's face, "In my opinion, we should simply kill him! Once 

he's dead, no amount of scheming matters. Without him, Yu Wen Fengchun won't be able to stir up trouble."

Si Cang Qing interrupted Cheng Tian Yang calmly, “It matters not.”

“You...” Cheng Tian Yang's eyes widened in shock. “You know full well that man might be the ‘Star of Heaven's 

Doom’ your master spoke of, yet you keep him by your side!”

Si Cang Qing lowered his gaze. The man's identity and motives remained uncertain. Yet... according to his 

conjecture, Mo Qingjue had first secretly allied with Cheng Tianyi, deploying that illusory array in Fengsi City 

to trap and annihilate the Southwest Army. He then seized the city's fall as his victory, winning the soldiers' 

allegiance. The next step would be to exploit the Canghuan Army to annihilate Cheng Tianyi's nation! Compared 

to Canghuan, Yuwen Fengchun harbored the deepest hatred for Hongcheng Kingdom!

But then, what purpose did the Phoenix Flower God, the Heaven Beyond Heaven, and all those previous schemes 

serve?

If... he now believed Mo Qingjue was that person, then the other party would be far more arrogant than he 

imagined—because while he harbored these doubts, that master strategist, meticulous in every move, had surely 

anticipated them.

The current situation was this: both sides knew the truth yet remained silent, playing a dangerous game according 

to that person's plan.

Si Cang Qing knew he could simply kill Mo Qingjue, disregarding the conspiracy behind it all—but such rash 

action wasn't his style. Moreover, if Mo Qingjue was indeed that person, he had surely calculated this too. Killing 

him might only make things more troublesome later!

Like, for instance, the perilous forests of Yaoshan…

If Mo Qingjue is indeed that person, then the perilous forest of Yaoshan must have been fortified with yet another 

layer of deadly obstruction, following the Tianji Formation.

Therefore, no matter what, this reconnaissance mission must be entrusted to Mo Qingjue. Cheng Tian Yang 

understands this too—that's why he insists on accompanying us as supervisor!

Si Cang Qing lifted his gaze to meet Cheng Tian Yang's eyes and murmured softly, “Once Hong Cheng is 

eliminated, I will kill him.”

With Hong Cheng gone, that person's conspiracy would reach its final stage, and many questions would be 

answered. Then, without hesitation, he would strike him down!

Cheng Tian Yang gazed at Si Cang Qing with a complex expression.

Si Cang Qing did not meet his eyes, merely lowering his head once more to study the topographical map. “You 

cannot accompany him into the perilous forest. His martial arts surpass yours. And his objective...”

“Is me.”

“I will accompany him into the perilous forest.”

Cheng Tian Yang immediately grew stern. “Your Majesty, this is nothing short of walking straight into a trap!”

Si Cang Qing fell silent.

Truthfully, he had been following the path laid out by that man step by step for a very long time. There was no 

turning back now!

“I'm going to kill him right now!”

Cheng Tian Yang abruptly rose and dashed out of the main tent.

 

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