22: Leaving the barracks

The next day, the clash between King Mu's army and the enemy forces continued, and Gu Chang had long grown accustomed to it.

It wasn't until the third nightfall that Gu Chang, as usual, practiced in his tent. However, this time, while practicing, he said to Li Ergou and the others:

"Are you willing to trust me?"

Hearing Gu Chang's words, the two men, who were wielding copper rods, were stunned, but instinctively replied to Gu Chang: "Of course! Big Brother!"

The younger Li Ergou had always regarded Gu Chang as his backbone and absolutely trusted his commands.

"Naturally, I trust you!"

The older Wang Da Niu was simple and honest. Although he didn't understand what Gu Chang meant, he immediately expressed his stance.

The other few were also Gu Chang's trusted confidants, having gone through life and death with him multiple times, making them trustworthy.

"Alright, when you go back, pack your things. Put on all your armor, weapons, and valuables!"

"Also, tell Jiang Cheng and the others to get ready. If they don't want to die, they must obey my orders, otherwise, don't blame me for not warning them in advance."

After speaking, Gu Chang closed his mouth. The more said before an event, the more likely problems would arise.

"Yes! I'll listen to Big Brother!"

"Me too!"

They looked at each other and agreed immediately, confident that Gu Chang would not harm them.

Soon, the two left. Gu Chang calmed his turbulent Qi and blood in the tent, then sat cross-legged on the ground and began to breathe, transforming his Qi and blood into an endless flow of inner Qi.

"Pfft!"

After an unknown amount of time, he spat out a mouthful of dark, clotted blood. Gu Chang's originally sallow skin gradually turned black.

This was a sign that his Copper Skin Major Achievement was about to Breakthrough to the Iron Skin level.

Over these past few days, he had repeatedly undergone Reincarnation, and his actual Cultivation time had far exceeded one or two months. Coupled with his continuous Cultivation during the day, he had finally achieved a Breakthrough!

"This way, I'll have even more confidence in tonight's operation!"

Getting up, putting on his armor, taking his weapons and equipment, as well as some money and dry rations, Gu Chang began to wait silently.

Not long after, the ground began to shake, followed by shouts of killing and the sound of arrows. Flames began to burn in the military camp.

"Xuanjia Army! Assemble!"

Immediately after, Zhou Yun's voice also echoed throughout the entire Xuanjia military camp. A large number of Xuanjia Army soldiers quickly rushed out of their tents and began to assemble.

"Big Brother!"

Li Ergou and the others, seeing Gu Chang appear, instinctively whispered to him.

"Mm, just follow orders later!"

Gu Chang responded to them in a low voice, then completed the assembly as usual.

Next, Zhou Yun led the Xuanjia Army to kill the enemy. Gu Chang and his group got separated from the others during this process, and then Gu Chang directly led his subordinates to the mess hall to retrieve medicinal herbs and food.

Then, without looking back, he immediately fled the military camp. Relying on his familiarity with the entire military camp, he managed to reach the mountains and forests outside the military camp without encountering any enemy resistance.

"Big Brother, what... what's going on?"

At this time, there were about thirteen soldiers following Gu Chang. They were still in a state of shock, looking at the military camp engulfed in flames in the distance, unable to comprehend what had happened.

Why did the seemingly powerful King Mu's army fall in a single night?

"The enemy raided the camp. There must be their inside man in King Mu's army, and their position is not low, which is why they didn't discover the enemy's actions and give an early warning."

"In short, King Mu has already lost. Even if he miraculously survives, he probably won't be able to rise again in a short period."

"So, from now on, we must plan for ourselves. What do you think?"

Gu Chang's gaze swept over the thirteen soldiers present. These soldiers, who could enter the Xuanjia Army, had sufficient courage and ability. Furthermore, having survived repeated battles, their strength was much greater than that of ordinary soldiers.

At the same time, they had also Cultivated the Xuanbing Blood Fiend Skill. Although most of them were at the Blood Strengthening level, they were still more formidable than ordinary people.

Gu Chang naturally wanted to grasp this power in his hands, so he had to state his position now and eliminate any unstable factors.

"I'll listen to you, Big Brother!"

"That's right! If it weren't for you, we'd probably be dead by now."

"Platoon Leader, wherever you say to go, I'll go!"

"I want to go home and see."

...

The thirteen soldiers were mostly bewildered at this moment. It was clearly unrealistic to expect them to articulate their thoughts clearly.

The vast majority were willing to continue following Gu Chang, with only a few wanting to go home and see.

"Mm, very good!"

"Here's what I plan to do next: first, go home. Before the enemy attacks, I must take my family away, then find a remote mountain forest to hide in, practice martial arts, train soldiers, and farm!"

"At that time, no matter how chaotic the outside world becomes, it will have nothing to do with us. We only need to protect ourselves, and let whoever wants to contend for World do so."

Immediately, Gu Chang directly spoke his thoughts to them. After hearing his words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Although most people were willing to trust Gu Chang, they were also afraid that Gu Chang might have some unrealistic grand ambitions.

"Mm-hmm! That's exactly what we should do!"

"Big Brother is still the clear-headed one!"

"That's right, who cares about King Mu or Yellow Heaven Great General?"

...

Upon mentioning going home, everyone's mood became urgent, so they immediately continued their journey despite the darkness.

After the enemy broke through the military camp, they would surely stay for a few days to gather captives, process spoils of war, and reorganize the army, so they were still safe for a short period.

Of course, even so, they couldn't be careless. Gu Chang and his group continued to travel without stopping, moving by night and resting by day.

Fortunately, they had brought enough dry rations when they left the military camp, otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to make it back to their hometown.

A few days later, the news of King Mu's army's defeat had already spread throughout Qingzhou. The people in various cities were in a state of panic, and the city gates were tightly shut. King Mu's armies, scattered in other places, were reassembling, preparing to block the Yellow Heaven Great General's army in these cities.

That night, the military camp fell, and King Mu ultimately escaped under the cover of his elite personal guards.

However, these matters no longer concerned Gu Chang and his group much. After four or five days of travel, they finally returned to their respective hometowns.

Among them, Wang Da Niu, Li Ergou, and others were from the same village as Gu Chang, while the others were scattered in different towns.

Before parting, Gu Chang had told them where they should gather next. As for whether they would obey his orders, Gu Chang could not be 100% certain.

After all, these soldiers also had families and friends, and it was hard to leave their homeland. Not everyone was willing to abandon their livelihoods and hide in the deep mountains.

But no matter what they did, Gu Chang, in any case, returned to this body's home.

The memories belonging to the original owner gradually fused with reality. In the small mountain village, there were only dozens of impoverished families. In the original owner's home, only an old mother and young siblings remained.

They were naturally both surprised and delighted by Gu Chang's return. They were surprised that Gu Chang returned wearing a full set of armor, his physique much stronger than when he left home, and he exuded a murderous aura.

They were delighted to know that their eldest son had made a name for himself in the army, even earning a good deal of land and property for the family, making their lives much easier.

Unfortunately, this joy did not last long, as Gu Chang explained his plan to them.

"Now the entire world is in chaos. King Mu's army's defeat is only a matter of time. The Yellow Heaven Great General's army that will come next is by no means benevolent. To survive, we can only hide deep in the mountains."

"With my current abilities, I have no fear of wolves, tigers, or leopards. I can open up fields in the mountains, raise livestock, and start a family."

As an honest and dutiful woman, the mother of Gu Chang's current body had always lacked much initiative. Coupled with Gu Chang's newfound success, she naturally followed his arrangements.

"Son! Your mother will listen to you. Whatever you say to do, we will do!"

"As long as our family can be safe and sound, even if we have to eat coarse food, we won't be afraid!"