"Seize Chou Ci while he's vulnerable!" Li Chunhou's confidence soared as he shouted.
Chou Ci's morale was also shattered.
Before the human army could even move, he leaped into the abyss.
The other survivors followed suit.
Thunderous cheers erupted from the human ranks.
All eyes turned with profound respect and admiration towards Mo Qi, the hero who had repelled the enemy.
However, Mo Qi paid no mind to the warm gazes. With a swift movement, he appeared before Li Chunhou.
Li Chunhou wore a troubled and worried expression.
It seemed they were thinking along the same lines!
That was General Zheng, currently in a dire situation.
If they didn't go to his aid, their losing streak would likely continue, allowing the enemy to advance unchecked.
But if they did go, they might fall into the enemy's trap of luring the tiger away from its mountain. It was highly probable that Chou Ci would launch a surprise counterattack the moment they left.
Splitting their forces was also problematic. Their numbers were already scarce, and further division would leave them disadvantaged on both fronts. They wouldn't be able to rescue their comrades at Qilin Cliff, nor would they be able to hold back the invasion here.
Therefore, Li Chunhou felt caught in a difficult predicament.
Mo Qi, understanding his concerns, stepped forward and said, "I'll go. I can go alone."
Li Chunhou glanced at him, "I know your artifact is powerful, but you can't underestimate the demon race. Do you think they're all defenseless civilians?"
"If I can't do it, no amount of people can. The key is speed, not numbers," Mo Qi stated seriously.
"Very well, then. I'll send Squad Leader Lin and his men with you. They will follow your orders," Li Chunhou said after a moment's hesitation.
Mo Qi nodded, "That will do. I'll leave this side to you. The enemy leader is severely injured and won't be back anytime soon. If he dispatches others, my formation and the thunderous pills should be enough to handle them."
Li Chunhou gave a wry smile, "I'm the backbone of this army, yet I feel like I'm taking orders from you."
"My apologies, I seem to have overstepped," Mo Qi said with a hint of regret.
Li Chunhou waved his hand, "Don't push yourself. Your survival is paramount. And remember, regardless of the outcome of your mission to aid General Zheng, I will grant you a great merit."
"Thank you," Mo Qi replied with a smile.
Subsequently, Li Chunhou summoned Squad Leader Lin and his men, instructing them to accompany Mo Qi and obey his command.
Squad Leader Lin glanced at Mo Qi and readily agreed.
Xiao Yun followed Mo Qi closely, never leaving his side.
Mo Qi looked at her, "What are you doing?"
"Protecting you! The General told me to," Xiao Yun said with a smile.
"Do you think I need protection?" Mo Qi asked calmly.
"Perhaps the General thinks so," Xiao Yun replied softly, lowering her head.
Mo Qi was speechless and unwilling to waste more time on this matter. He then called for Squad Leader Lin and his group, and they set off towards Qilin Cliff.
Although Squad Leader Lin had witnessed Mo Qi's valiant display earlier, Mo Qi was, after all, just a common soldier.
He was not entirely pleased with Li Chunhou's arrangement. Was he hearing correctly that a mere soldier was to command him?
On the way, he quietly asked Zhang Gu, a soldier beside him, "Did you hear what General Li said? Was it for me to follow Mo Qi's orders, or for him to follow mine?"
Zhang Gu looked bewildered, "I didn't pay much attention. I think he said for you to follow his orders, or perhaps for him to follow yours."
His answer was as good as no answer.
This only reinforced Squad Leader Lin's own thoughts; he must have misheard.
The group sped towards Qilin Cliff.
Along the way, they encountered a soldier who had broken through from General Zheng's army, sent to seek reinforcements.
He briefly explained the predicament General Zheng's forces were in.
A powerful demon legion, led by Gong Bing, a subordinate of Chou Ci, had broken through Qilin Cliff, shattering the barrier and advancing unstoppable.
General Zheng went to aid General Wenren, who was stationed there, but they were also defeated, forced to retreat in disarray.
General Zheng had dispatched him to request aid from Generals Chen Meng and Zhang, and had also sent other soldiers to seek help from the three Heavenly Masters under King Ge Xin. The situation was extremely dire.
The soldier looked at the group and sneered, "You people shouldn't go. You're not even enough to fill their teeth."
With that, he added, "I shouldn't have wasted so much time talking to you. The military situation is urgent, goodbye!" and galloped away.
Squad Leader Lin stopped and looked back at the soldiers behind him, "We should go back. You heard him just now; it's useless to go, it's just sending ourselves to our deaths."
Several soldiers immediately responded, "Yes, we should go back. General Li didn't understand the situation there, which is why he sent us for rescue. Now that we know the situation, there's no need to rush to our deaths."
Mo Qi's gaze was sharp, "General Li understands the situation perfectly. Do not speculate or misinterpret your superior's intentions. This in itself is an act of defiance."
"Oh, you've only been in the military camp for a few days, and now you're lecturing us?" Squad Leader Lin chuckled. "If we're talking about executing orders, I now order everyone to return with me. Will you comply?"
Mo Qi let out a soft snort, "You have no right to order me. General Li sent you to cooperate with me."
Squad Leader Lin burst into laughter, "Cooperate with you? Are you kidding me? What's your rank that I should cooperate with you?"
Several other soldiers joined in, laughing heartily.
"I hold no rank, but that is how General Li arranged it. Besides, whether you go or not is your decision. I intended to go alone anyway," Mo Qi said calmly.
Then, his tone shifted abruptly, "But if you go back now, you'll be considered deserters. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Squad Leader Lin paused, then bristled with anger, "Are you threatening me? Deserters? We didn't know the situation at Qilin Cliff earlier, so our actions were a bit rash. Now that we have new information, we'll go back and report it so the General can make a new decision. How can that be considered desertion? Don't falsely accuse me!"
"We are not messengers, do we need you to relay information back and forth? Our mission is to execute orders. Refusing to execute orders under the guise of relaying information will not escape the General's eyes," Mo Qi said with a cold smile.
The soldiers who weren't laughing nodded in agreement. One of them, named Dongfang Zhang Kai, advised, "Squad Leader Lin, we should listen to Mo Qi. It's really not good to go back now."
His advice, however, only made Squad Leader Lin more irate.
"Are you listening to me or him? Who holds higher rank here, me or him? The battlefield situation is constantly changing. If we rigidly adhere to orders without adapting, we are pushing soldiers to their doom; it's disregarding human life!" Squad Leader Lin's voice rose, sharp and piercing.
Mo Qi felt he could no longer persuade him and shook his head, "If you want to go back, go back. I don't have time to argue with you. Speed is of the essence, and I don't want to waste time bickering."
With that, he turned and walked away, Xiao Yun immediately following him.
"If you still intend to go, I will officially record it as disobeying orders and acting without authorization, which is a capital offense. Think carefully," Squad Leader Lin shouted sternly.
Mo Qi stopped, turned back, and smiled, sweeping his gaze across the crowd, "Have you all thought it through? Will you go back with him, or continue the mission with me? This is a matter of life and death."
Those who had been laughing remained unmoved.
However, Dongfang Zhang Kai and two others silently moved to Mo Qi's side.
For them, this was a gamble!
Because if the situation continued to develop as it was, after this incident, one side would inevitably face death for disobeying military orders, but they didn't know which side it would be.
Before Mo Qi had spoken to warn these soldiers, their relationship with the common soldiers was not particularly close; after all, they were just following superior orders.
If your orders were wrong, that was your problem.
But now that Mo Qi had spoken and warned them, it involved a choice: whether to listen to Mo Qi or Squad Leader Lin.
If they made a mistake by following the erroneous orders of someone who shouldn't have been giving them, it would no longer be a problem of wrong orders, but their own problem.
Dongfang Zhang Kai clearly remembered that General Li had said that their group should listen to Mo Qi.
Therefore, at this moment, he could only follow Mo Qi.
Otherwise, it would be a violation of military orders!
Squad Leader Lin felt his authority threatened. He pointed at Dongfang Zhang Kai and the others, "Are you trying to rebel? I'm telling you, don't expect to return if you go. If you do return, you're not allowed to join my unit. Go find your own path."
Dongfang Zhang Kai's face showed embarrassment, "Squad Leader, I really heard it. It sounded like the General said we should listen to him."
"I heard it too," Squad Leader Lin retorted confidently, "but he said to listen to him regarding tactical execution. As for our direction of movement, you must listen to me. I am the highest authority here; he is nothing."
Zhang Gu also chuckled, "Yeah, did your head get stuck in the door? How could you possibly listen to him? Would the emperor listen to a eunuch? Wouldn't that be too ridiculous?"