Chapter Thirty-Nine: Chen Zhiyun of Southern Liang

The concept of fate and fortune is profoundly mysterious. Qingyuan had heard of it, but his cultivation was shallow and his knowledge limited. He merely knew that, in these times, all the powers of heaven and earth were tied to the great matter of the Investiture of the Gods, each entangled with strands of fate.

When a cultivator uses Daoist arts to kill ordinary soldiers, there is always some degree of backlash. For instance, a cultivator of the Nine Heavens, already possessing a semi-immortal body and called a Human Immortal by the world, can overturn rivers and seas and even bury entire armies. Yet, such actions may not withstand the backlash of fate. Of course, those with deep foundations may survive, but if their Daoist arts are too powerful, the upheaval is immense. Should they disrupt the Investiture of the Gods, immortals from heaven will inevitably descend to punish them.

"This person... is rather strange..." Gu Cang removed his black robe, revealing a face resembling that of a monkey.

"He is indeed strange," Qingyuan nodded. "His martial skills are considerable, though not extraordinary. Yet he possesses a momentum and killing intent strong enough to almost scatter a cultivator’s magical intent."

Gu Cang scratched his head and said, "He isn’t actually that formidable..."

"One isn’t formidable," Qingyuan laughed, "but what about a thousand?"

Gu Cang was stunned.

Qingyuan spoke gravely, "Ge Zhan’s men include cultivators. Years ago, Chen Zhiyun had seven thousand soldiers. When they advanced and formed battle arrays, their furious shouts combined with their killing intent, almost merging with heaven’s fate, oppressing even skilled cultivators who found it hard to act."

Gu Cang looked utterly astonished.

"In the wild, when tigers and wolves roar, even spirits and monsters are terrified, some dying from fright. That’s momentum," Qingyuan explained. "With their momentum, they can easily frighten ordinary folk. If it’s infused with fate, human intent becomes heaven’s intent, capable of dispersing a cultivator’s magical will."

Gu Cang rubbed his head, uncertain. "Is it really that powerful?"

"They themselves are not so powerful, but heaven’s intent... is," Qingyuan replied. "We’ll discuss this later..."

He glanced at the white-clad young officer. "They say Chen Zhiyun commands troops like a god and trains them like a god—it’s no exaggeration. Look at this young man, just a junior officer. His martial arts are not inferior, he’s tenacious, harbors deep killing intent, acts cautiously, and seems intent on silencing us—truly ruthless and cold-blooded."

Gu Cang nodded, "He is impressive."

"But what if... every soldier in the White-Clad Army is as impressive?" Qingyuan mused. "He’s but a junior officer. If all the White-Clad Army are like him, then Chen Zhiyun’s seven thousand troops breaking through a force of two hundred thousand is not Ge Zhan’s incompetence, but Chen Zhiyun’s extraordinary ability."

---

Gu Cang asked, "Who exactly is this Chen Zhiyun?"

"He’s the divine commander of the Southern Liang’s White-Clad Army I mentioned before," Qingyuan replied. "Chen Zhiyun was originally a scholar—said to be frail and sickly. He passed the imperial exam as a top scholar before the palace, his literary talent exceptional, earning the Emperor’s favor."

"Later, he displayed his talent, and the Shu Emperor granted him seven thousand soldiers to train, more as a reward than out of serious intent."

"Then, when Ge Zhan pressed the border, Chen Zhiyun was entrusted in a crisis, leading his seven thousand troops to protect the Emperor."

Qingyuan looked at Gu Cang and continued, "With just seven thousand elite soldiers, Chen Zhiyun broke through Ge Zhan’s force of two hundred thousand, disrupting the Shu army’s communication, causing their formation to collapse, and allowing Deng Yin to counterattack."

"After this battle, Chen Zhiyun’s fame soared, earning him the title 'Divine Commander.'"

Gu Cang, though a spirit, could not help but feel admiration and curiosity. He pressed, "And then?"

"The Shu Emperor rejoiced, but soon fell gravely ill. Now, the crown prince governs. For reasons unknown, the Liang crown prince trusts Deng Yin more and distrusts Chen Zhiyun."

Qingyuan explained, "Thus, despite his fame and many rewards, Chen Zhiyun’s military authority is limited—he commands only seven thousand new troops. Some say this is merely compensation for the seven thousand soldiers lost when he broke the Shu army."

Gu Cang was unmoved by politics, but lamented that someone as capable as Chen Zhiyun was not given greater responsibility.

"Truly remarkable," Qingyuan sighed. "Hearsay is unreliable, but seeing is believing. I’d heard much about Chen Zhiyun, but it never struck me deeply—until today..."

"Meeting this young officer, glimpsing a fragment of the whole, I realize how extraordinary Chen Zhiyun’s training is."

Qingyuan glanced at Gu Cang and smiled, "If all seven thousand are like this, then who in the world has soldiers and generals to surpass him?"

Gu Cang asked, "So with these people, isn’t he invincible?"

Qingyuan shook his head. "Human strength has limits, heaven’s way is boundless... No matter how many, none can contend with the immortals."

He looked at Gu Cang. "This Investiture of the Gods is established by the immortals. Though the fate of heaven belongs chiefly to three generals, the weight of Daoist cultivators is even greater. Most importantly, he is a commander, not an emperor—he must obey orders from above..."

Gu Cang understood the law of the jungle, but not court hierarchy, and found it hard to believe that such a figure must still obey commands.

Qingyuan looked down and said to Gu Cang, "Dig a pit and bury him."

Gu Cang nodded and began digging.

---

"They say Chen Zhiyun was a frail scholar, unable to draw a bow or tame a horse... Yet he subdued all the martial commanders in the army," Qingyuan whispered. "Truly, his abilities are remarkable..."

He examined the spear in his hand, noting faint carvings and a material superior to ordinary steel.

"Though not a magical weapon, it’s inscribed with Daoist runes," Qingyuan thought, his gaze sharpening. "This spear can harm cultivators and gather the momentum of the troops. Surely, Chen Zhiyun has a skilled Daoist craftsman at his side. Even those with deep cultivation would struggle against these White-Clad soldiers..."

Gu Cang finished digging, buried the young officer, and covered him. The young officer’s armor, too, bore traces of Daoist craftsmanship. Though not a magical artifact, it was sturdy, especially useful in resisting Daoist momentum or arts, with some mitigating effect. Gu Cang’s earlier strike had pierced through a gap, avoiding damage to the armor.

Qingyuan and Gu Cang did not use armor themselves. The young officer’s resilience deserved respect, so they buried him with his armor for dignity. The spear, however, was kept.

Gu Cang preferred staff techniques, but Qingyuan’s iron rod was not suitable for him, being relatively short. This spear, resembling a long staff, delighted him.

"Do monkeys always like playing with staves?" Qingyuan laughed. "This spear has a blade, unlike a staff, but it’s similar enough. Explore it yourself for now. When my journey ends and my wish is fulfilled, I’ll enter the martial world and find you a Monkey King staff."

Gu Cang, now armed with a saber at his waist and a spear in hand, nodded eagerly, grinning.

Qingyuan hummed, then glanced at the mound, pondering.

"This is the borderland between Southern Liang and Shu, difficult for armies to traverse. How did Chen Zhiyun’s White-Clad Army appear here?"

"And only one, alone?"

"Is there a hidden story... or military intelligence?"