Chapter 33: Mutiny

Yang Jin’s face grew increasingly dark. The commotion among the main army made him feel as though the situation was spiraling out of control.

At this moment, Zhang Wuxiang rushed to his side.

"Your Highness, there are agitators within the ranks. This is a conspiracy! I told you not to come out, Your Highness. Before, they didn't believe it was Yang Zhan, but now that you have spoken..."

Yang Jin was incensed. "What good is saying that now? I need you to offer a strategy!"

Zhang Wuxiang glanced at Yang Jin, feeling a sense of bitterness. If only he had listened earlier, it wouldn't have come to this!

The voices within the great army grew more agitated, as if they were on the verge of mutiny at any moment. This spectacle finally made Yang Jin, a scion of the imperial bloodline, feel a sense of panic.

Zhang Wuxiang spoke abruptly, "The only course of action now is to pull the Northern Garrison back and bring in the Wuce Army instead. Your Highness, you must not be impulsive any longer!"

Hearing this, Yang Jin immediately shouted, "Xu Qian, withdraw the army! Quickly!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Xu Qian channeled his internal energy, his voice echoing like thunder: "Withdraw! Fall back..."

However, Xu Qian found that despite his best efforts to roar, he could not suppress the agitated army. Even more alarming, Xu Qian noticed that many soldiers—and even some officers—no longer looked at him with fear, but with fury.

Xu Qian had never seen such a scene before. Panic-stricken, he suddenly drew his weapon and struck down a nearby officer. "Disobeying military orders is punishable by death!"

But this act of violence did not suppress the fervor of the masses; instead, it ignited their hostility.

"They have no imperial decree! They have no tally! They are faking the Emperor’s order! They are staging a mutiny!"

"That’s right, they are the ones rebelling!"

"Fight them!"

Rumble...

The army fell into complete chaos. Even those who were neutral, or those loyal to the Third Prince, were swept up in the frenzy. In an instant, the once-disciplined ranks of the Northern Garrison dissolved into a chaotic mob, with countless soldiers turning their blades toward Xu Qian.

Yang Jin stood to the side, dumbfounded. He didn't know how things had devolved into such a state.

"Your Highness, we must leave!" Zhang Wuxiang and several guards hurried to protect Yang Jin, pulling him away from the fray.

The Northern Garrison had mutinied! Yang Jin, seeing such a scene for the first time, looked ghastly, yet he felt a twinge of awe. In the midst of the chaos, who cared which prince he was?

Suddenly, Yang Jin exclaimed, "Hurry, we must get to the Wuce Army!"

Watching Yang Jin and his party flee in disgrace, Sanzi said excitedly, "General, shall I go and capture the Third Prince?"

Yang Zhan retorted irritably, "Capture him for what? To feed him?"

"But he was trying to kill you..."

Yang Zhan shot Sanzi a look. "What do you know? Just watch the show!"

Yang Zhan wouldn't dare admit that he no longer had the strength to fight. Sanzi and Si'er were stunned. "What? Watch the show?"

Yang Zhan looked out at the mutinous Northern Garrison. "Haven't you ever seen a military mutiny? Isn't this a grand spectacle? Besides, the true deciding factor isn't here."

Sanzi and the others still didn't quite understand. Yang Xing walked up and looked at Yang Zhan. "Second Master, I’m impressed." As he spoke, he reached out to pull at Yang Zhan's right arm.

Yang Zhan quickly pulled his arm away, snapping, "Stay away from me!"

Yang Xing froze, then noticed Yang Zhan’s arm, which had turned black, with the blood oozing from it also pitch-black. "Second Master, what happened to you?"

Only then did the others notice the horrific state of Yang Zhan's right arm. Although beads of sweat stood on his forehead, Yang Zhan frowned and said, "It's a small matter. You all stay here; if any of the Northern Garrison come to follow us, drive them away! Don't keep a single one!"

"Yes!"

"Second Master, where are you going?"

"To heal!" Yang Zhan took two steps, then turned back. "Lock up those three women. And the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess, and Lvyang—lock up that family of three as well. There’s nothing major left to do now; we’ll talk if something comes up."

"..." Chen Lin'er, the others, and the Crown Prince were all left speechless.

Li Yu said indignantly, "What kind of person is he? Just a moment ago, we were planning to fight to the death with them, and now he’s turned his back on us!"

At that moment, Li Zhizhu suddenly chased after them. "General Yang!"

Yang Zhan turned to look at Li Zhizhu, who was gentle and soft-spoken, and blushed slightly under his gaze. "What is it?"

Li Zhizhu’s voice was soft and quiet. "General Li, you have been poisoned. Perhaps I can help you treat it."

"This is 'Tu Poison'."

"I can try. I am a disciple of the Heavenly Medical Sect."

Yang Zhan was taken aback. He had suspected she had ties to the sect when she treated his thigh earlier. He hadn't expected it to be true. "Very well, come with me!"

"Yes!"

In the distance, Li Yu glared. "See? Li Zhizhu is treating that dead jailer, yet they still lock us up?"

Sanzi stood with a stern face, gesturing for them to move. "The General’s orders—please!"

Li Yu stomped her foot, ready to explode, but Chen Lin'er intervened. "Princess, don't make it difficult for them. They have had a tough night as well."

Li Yu huffed, "If not for your sake, Lin'er, I would not be finished with them!"

The Crown Prince and Yu Shu exchanged a glance and said helplessly, "Let’s go, my dear."

"Yes, Lvyang, follow along!"

"Oh!" Lvyang obediently followed the Crown Prince and Princess, finding a cell and locking herself inside. Chen Shu and a few guards stood watch over the Crown Prince's cell.

Inside the interrogation room, Yang Zhan sat in a chair, watching as the Tu poison spread across his entire arm, despite his blood energy trying to resist it. His constant fighting earlier had only accelerated the spread. He frowned. Yang Zhan felt quite uncomfortable; surely he wouldn't need an amputation, would he?

At this moment, Li Zhizhu’s cool, delicate hands began to tear away his tattered sleeve, fully revealing an arm that transitioned from light to deep black. Seeing it, her hands trembled. She couldn't help but glance at Yang Zhan. "General, doesn't it hurt?"

"What is this? It's just a little injury."

Li Zhizhu took a deep breath. "The General is truly mighty."

"That goes without saying!" Yang Zhan grinned, though his brow twitched from time to time. This... it was genuinely painful. It was a bizarre, agonizing sensation that seemed to emanate from his very bones!

"General, when I channel my energy, it might be even more painful. You must be prepared."

"It's fine, proceed." Yang Zhan nodded nonchalantly.

Li Zhizhu placed her hands gently on Yang Zhan's shoulder, and Yang Zhan couldn't help but notice the warmth of her touch. Then, a surge of intense pain hit him, causing his eyes to widen and his legs to stiffen.

Sensing his condition, Li Zhizhu said in a panic, "I am forcing the poison out; you must endure it."

Yang Zhan’s forehead was covered in lines. "You call this pain? It’s a piece of cake!"

Despite his words, his facial muscles twitched violently. Over the years, he had suffered many injuries, including severe ones. But this pain felt as if it were coming from the depths of his soul, nearly causing him to lose his composure in front of the young woman.

Just as he managed to hold back, an uncontrollable wave of agony struck. Yang Zhan’s right hand jerked upward instinctively.

"Ah!"

Li Zhizhu let out a cry of surprise, stumbling backward. She clutched her chest with both hands, staring at Yang Zhan with wide eyes. A flush spread rapidly across her face, neck, and ears.

Yang Zhan turned his head, puzzled. What had he hit?