Northbound to Dawn City

"Time is of the essence."

Gu Chengyin's voice was decisive and firm. "In fifteen minutes, everyone is to assemble at the North Gate. There will be no delays. When the time comes, I will announce our next move."

His gaze turned to Chen Busha, his tone growing heavier. "General Chen, the journey ahead requires us to travel light and fast. Therefore, I need every man under your command to abandon all heavy armor, supplies, and redundant items. You are to carry only your weapons and three days' worth of rations."

Abandon the heavy armor?!

Chen Busha's brows instantly locked tightly together, the veins on his temples throbbing faintly.

The reason this iron cavalry under his command could fight outnumbered and remain invincible was not only their high level of military discipline, but also their impenetrable heavy steel armor and their devastating, long-handled heavy weapons.

Abandoning them was tantamount to cutting off their own arms! If they encountered the rebel army along the way, pitting light armor against heavy cavalry, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, Gu Chengyin was the principal of the Internal Affairs Bureau, personally appointed by His Highness. Even though he was only acting in the role temporarily, he still held the authority.

To openly contradict him would not only be a violation of orders, but it would also be a slap to His Highness's face, while simultaneously offending this newly risen favorite...

But to truly give up that heavy gear... to be honest, he really couldn't bear to part with it.

Thus, Chen Busha pursed his lips tightly, his hands clenched into fists. Caught in a dilemma, he neither accepted the order nor voiced his objection.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yunying, who was standing to the side, immediately stepped forward. Her voice was slightly shrill from anxiety. "No! If we abandon the heavy armor, what will we do if we run into the rebels? You are jeopardizing His Highness's safety!"

Gu Chengyin felt a wave of helplessness in his heart; he actually somewhat missed the Shangguan Yunying who obeyed his every word when she was hypnotized.

"This heavy armor is what's truly jeopardizing His Highness's safety."

But he had no time to explain his strategic intentions in detail, so he decided to resolve the obstruction in the most direct manner.

He turned to her, his tone calm. "Furthermore, what were His Highness's instructions just now? Please repeat them, Lady Shangguan."

Shangguan Yunying blanked for a moment, then subconsciously complied, "You, Chen Busha, and everyone else must obey Mister Gu's orders unconditionally. There must be absolutely no questioning or... delays."

Towards the end of her sentence, her voice grew lower and lower; she had clearly realized the crux of the matter.

Chen Busha reacted even faster. Before Shangguan Yunying's voice could even fade, he had already cupped his fists forcefully and said decisively, "This general receives his orders! I will go get it done at once!"

With that, he turned and left, walking with a brisk, wind-like stride. Showing not a shred of hesitation anymore, he left the still-stunned Shangguan Yunying standing right where she was.

"Eh? Chen..." Shangguan Yunying tried to call out to him, but she only saw a resolute back.

She had no choice but to face Gu Chengyin alone, her face still bearing an unfaded shock and a trace of embarrassment.

"It's fine," Gu Chengyin's tone softened. "I know you were also doing it for His Highness's sake, and besides, I have a task for you."

Shangguan Yunying composed herself and assumed a posture of receiving orders. "Please speak."

Gu Chengyin pondered for a moment and asked, "How is the Internal Affairs Bureau's grasp on the other rebel forces in Luoshui Commandery?"

When her actual duties were mentioned, Shangguan Yunying subconsciously straightened her back, recovering the confidence of a Chief Female Official. "Not just Luoshui Commandery, but the strategic passes of every city in the world, the mobilization of troops, and the storage and transport of rations are all under the control of the Internal Affairs Bureau!"

"Really?" Gu Chengyin raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of amusement in his tone. "Then how were you ambushed by the rebels in North River City previously?"

The confidence on Shangguan Yunying's face instantly froze. A flash of embarrassment crossed her features, and her voice dropped. "Before we entered, none of the Luoshan Tokens gave any warning... so I thought everything was safe."

"As a result, we only received the warning messages after we had already entered. By then, it was too late to retreat. I only found out later that Luoshui Commandery... had been isolated."

"Isolated?" Gu Chengyin's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"

"It's as if an invisible hand wiped Luoshui Commandery off the map," Shangguan Yunying said with a grave expression.

"All communications were completely severed. The Luoshan Tokens failed, and the messengers sent out never returned. We can only communicate within the commandery itself."

"Have you tried sending experts to forcefully break through?"

"We sent three batches; all of them vanished."

Gu Chengyin's heart sank slightly. This was a crucial piece of previously unknown information. The situation was much more complex than he had anticipated.

But right now, there was an even more imminent crisis at hand.

"I understand. Let's put this matter aside for now." He gathered his thoughts and returned to the main topic.

"Right now, I need you to mobilize all of the Internal Affairs Bureau's channels within Luoshui Commandery to do one thing."

He stared into Shangguan Yunying's eyes and enunciated word by word:

"Simultaneously leak the destination we are 'about to head to' to all the rebel armies."

"Mm... Hm?!" Shangguan Yunying first nodded subconsciously, but then her eyes snapped wide open. She looked at Gu Chengyin in disbelief, doubting her own ears.

Actively leaking their destination to the rebels?! Wasn't this courting death? This man truly harbored malicious intentions!

The suspicion and wariness she had just suppressed instantly reignited like wildfire. Her gaze became as sharp as a blade, locking dead onto Gu Chengyin. Her body tensed slightly as she entered a state of high alert.

Watching her rapidly changing expressions, Gu Chengyin helplessly rubbed the space between his eyebrows.

"I say, can you let me finish speaking first? Besides, I said the destination we are 'about to head to'. I never said we would actually go there, did I?"

"Uh..." Shangguan Yunying was stunned once again, blinking her eyes.

'About to head to'... it seemed those were indeed two different things. So, he was using false intelligence to mislead and manipulate the rebels' movements?

As these thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning, she quickly adjusted her expression, dropping a sentence that maintained her dignity while sounding perfectly reasonable:

"Time is of the essence, I will go make the arrangements at once!"

"Come back!"

Before she could even take a step, her wrist tightened. Gu Chengyin had actually yanked her back.

Shangguan Yunying looked down in astonishment at the hand clamped around her wrist.

She was an expert at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Although she hadn't circulated her cultivation base to resist, her physical reflexes and qi should have flowed naturally. An ordinary person would find it difficult to even get close to her, let alone grab her.

Yet, Gu Chengyin's pull had actually caused her figure to falter. The force was applied with perfect precision, as if... he had long anticipated her reaction?

"I haven't even told you the destination we are 'about to head to'. What exactly are you going to arrange?" Gu Chengyin let go of her hand, his tone carrying a hint of exasperation.

Only then did Shangguan Yunying recover her wits. Suppressing the shock and doubt in her heart, she discreetly withdrew her wrist into her sleeve. Her face returned to a serious posture of respectful listening. "I was too hasty. Please speak."

"Do you have a map of Luoshui Commandery?"

"Yes."

Shangguan Yunying did not hesitate. With a casual motion, she took out a parchment map and unrolled it.

The mountains, rivers, cities, passes, troop markers, and even hidden trails upon it were displayed in meticulous detail. It was undeniably a top-tier military intelligence map.

Gu Chengyin's gaze was like lightning. He only scanned the intricate map for a moment before raising his hand and pointing a finger down.

The spot where his fingertip landed was the Luoshui River, which lay north of North River City, winding like a silver ribbon.

Crossing this river and heading north, the marker of a fortified city guarding a strategic chokepoint was clearly visible.

"Cross the river and head north," his voice was calm and certain.

"Dawn City."

Shangguan Yunying's pupils shrank slightly. She rapidly ran this route, the surrounding terrain, and the enemy's possible deployments through her mind, then nodded. "Understood."

This time, she said no more. She put away the map, turned, and left. Her figure was like a wisp of light smoke, swiftly vanishing into the shadows deep within the corridor.