After bidding farewell to Marshal Silver, General Lee and Nathan Young quietly broke away from the fleet and flew northwest.
Clouds streamed past and light flickered along their path, but both men remained silent. As they neared South Heaven Gate, General Lee—still not fully recovered—began to falter, his spiritual power waning and his speed slowing.
Seeing this, Nathan quickly stepped forward to support him.
"I'm fine. I can make it to South Heaven Gate," General Lee waved him off.
Nathan reluctantly let go, following behind his father with a hint of unease.
Beneath General Lee’s golden armor, Nathan saw blood slowly seeping through the fabric at his collarbone, and glimpsed strands of white hidden amid what was once jet-black hair.
For years, General Lee had spent his days shackled by the collarbone in a lightless prison.
Quietly following General Lee, Nathan’s eyes grew red after a long while.
Gripping the Flame Spear tightly, he whispered, "Father, I’ve let you down. If not for my recklessness, you would never have suffered this prison sentence. I was wrong—please, forgive me."
General Lee glanced at Nathan, then turned to look straight ahead. "It’s all right. But in the future, as a commander, you must judge the situation, know when to advance or retreat, and never let reckless courage bring disaster upon the entire army."
He shook his head with resignation. "Truth be told, as your father and as a general, I’ve made my own mistakes. It’s not all your fault."
"I understand," Nathan lowered his head. After a long pause, he asked softly, "Father, do you really intend to help that pig-headed Marshal Silver this time?"
General Lee blinked. "Marshal Silver... Though his actions are sometimes hard to accept, he’s a first-rate loyal commander, worthy of respect. As the guardian king of South Heaven Gate, I must do my part for the greater good of the Three Realms."
After a long silence, General Lee sighed into the biting wind. "We’ll see. Everything has its price—the question is whether that price can be paid."
...
Inside Marshal Silver’s command tent, a sense of helplessness hung in the air.
"Marshal, can General Lee really be trusted?" General Tyson asked.
Marshal Silver did not answer.
"If this is a negotiation, then who pays the price—us or them?" General Ren snorted. "Haven’t we sacrificed enough? Tens of thousands of soldiers have fought and bled..."
"And in the end, we’re still forced to resolve things this way..." General Xin laughed bitterly, tilting his head back with a long sigh.
Marshal Silver likewise did not answer, lost in thought as he stared at the rough jade in his palm.
In the end, is this really how it must be resolved?
He had a feeling—perhaps this truly would be his final battle...
...
Amid mist-shrouded rocks, a stone pavilion stood, its age lost to memory.
Vines crept up its pillars, dotted with small yellow flowers, imbuing the scene with an otherworldly sense of unreality.
General Lee hurried up from afar, climbing the stone steps to the summit, where he found the pavilion—and Grandmaster White seated within.
From a distance, General Lee smiled and saluted. "General Lee greets you, Star Lord. It’s been years since we last met—how have you been?"
Grandmaster White slowly rose and returned the salute. "Chang-geng greets the Heavenly King. For you, it’s been years; for me, only a few days. Thanks to your blessing, I am well. But you, Heavenly King—after this campaign, you look much thinner. I imagine it’s been a hard ordeal."
General Lee gave a dry laugh, but did not reply.
Once they were seated, Grandmaster White smiled. "I hear the South Heaven Gate army has only just set out, yet you’ve already returned ahead of them—why not rest a bit before seeking me out?"
"Well..." General Lee sighed, glancing around at the vibrant surroundings. "I do have something urgent I’d like to discuss with you, Star Lord."
"Oh? What matter is so pressing?"
Pressing his lips together, General Lee spoke softly: "The demon monkey of Blossom Mountain is truly formidable. It’s shameful to admit, but even with 180,000 South Heaven Gate troops over several years, we failed to subdue him. It’s..."
Grandmaster White chuckled. "If you feel ashamed, then the so-called ‘most elite’ Heavenly Fleet ought to dig a hole and hide! The South Heaven Gate army has faced the demon monkey for years with few losses, but the Heavenly Fleet has suffered over a hundred thousand casualties in less than a month. You’re too modest."
Grandmaster White laughed, but General Lee did not join in.
After a slight pause, General Lee lowered his voice. "When I report in the High Sky Throne Hall later, I intend to request His Majesty to send reinforcements to annihilate the Blossom Mountain demons. What’s your opinion, Star Lord?"
As he spoke, General Lee glanced sideways at Grandmaster White.
"Of course, that would be best," Grandmaster White nodded. "Mortal demons must be suppressed. Once the Heavenly Fleet’s plague case and insubordination are dealt with, Chang-geng and the Heavenly King will jointly petition His Majesty to dispatch the Twenty-Eight Mansions, Nine Luminaries, Twelve Celestial Governors, the Four Directional Guardians, the Four Duty Officers, and the South Heaven Gate generals to join the campaign. That will surely uproot the Blossom Mountain demons once and for all!"
General Lee narrowed his eyes and asked quietly, "What if I wish to request reinforcements before all that is settled?"
Grandmaster White was momentarily stunned, his expression changing as he straightened up, half-smiling. "So, after the Blossom Mountain campaign, you’ve forged quite a bond with the disgraced Marshal Silver. First he broke the Emotion Case, then unleashed the plague, and now defies imperial orders... If such a man goes unpunished, how will Heaven maintain its authority? Sending troops now would be tantamount to condoning the Heavenly Fleet’s insubordination. Your friendship with Marshal Silver is truly remarkable!"
General Lee’s fist tightened slightly, though his smile remained unchanged.
"Star Lord, you exaggerate. I only acted because the Blossom Mountain demons have grown too powerful, threatening Heaven itself. Before leaving, I confronted Marshal Silver and scolded him harshly. He now deeply regrets his actions and plans to return to Heaven to plead guilty as soon as the war ends. Wouldn’t it be better to set this matter aside for now, rather than let one man’s mistake doom the entire Heavenly Fleet and jeopardize the unity of the Three Realms over a minor issue?"
"Minor? Major?" Grandmaster White raised his head, stroking his long beard. "Suppressing demons is ‘major’, but Heaven’s dignity and the imperial law are ‘minor’? If this goes on, how can Heaven rule the Three Realms? Are you saying mere demons can threaten Heaven? I think indulging Marshal Silver is the real mistake here. If the Heavenly Fleet only knows Marshal Silver and not the Jade Emperor’s law, then even if they’re wiped out, it’s their own fault. What’s there to regret? If you’ve come to me just for this, then I must take my leave."
With that, Grandmaster White rose to go.
General Lee hurriedly stopped him. "Please, Star Lord, hear me out about the Blossom Mountain threat."
Grandmaster White turned away, brushing his sleeve, as if he hadn’t heard.
Helpless, General Lee could only bow. "Before leaving, I negotiated with Marshal Silver. If a price must be paid, we won’t hesitate. This shows his sincerity in repenting. The demon suppression cannot wait—please, Star Lord, advise us."
"Oh? Did he really say that?" Grandmaster White’s lips curled slightly.
"I wouldn’t dare lie."
Grandmaster White gave a faint smile and nodded. "If he truly wishes to repent and wants my support for reinforcements, there is a way..."
...
A bamboo slip was placed on Marshal Silver’s desk. The command tent was utterly silent.
"What are they trying to do? They want us to admit guilt in the plague case and sign a confession?"
"Everyone knows the plague was the demon monkey’s doing at Blossom Mountain. Now they’re pinning it on us—unbelievable!"
"If Heaven wants to frame us, they’ll always find a way..."
"I told you General Lee couldn’t be trusted!"
"This is obviously General Lee’s scheme! He’s always resented the King Zeng affair—now he’s getting his revenge! Marshal, you mustn’t sign! If you do, the Heavenly Fleet will be ruined forever!"
"There has never been ‘us’, only ‘me.’" Marshal Silver took a deep breath. "I ordered the use of the plague. You all were just following orders."
With that single, simple sentence, it was as if thunder had split the tent in two—one side for the living, one for the dead.
All the celestial generals were stunned.
After a long moment, Tianren threw back his cloak, dropped to one knee, and struck his breastplate with a fist. "Marshal, we don’t need their reinforcements. If we stand united, we can raze Blossom Mountain ourselves. They have demon reinforcements—so what? We can go capture our own!"
"That’s right, Marshal! Kunlun Mountain won’t let us recruit, so we’ll train our own, teach everyone the Way of the Traveler—give us a few years and we’ll have an army! Heaven won’t give us pills or weapons, we’ll forge our own! Even warships, we’ll build them ourselves! We can win!"
"Marshal, you mustn’t admit to this crime..." The old general Tianfu said, voice trembling.
Each celestial general gazed, stunned, at Marshal Silver, bloodstained and seated at the table.
He did not answer.
Head bowed, eyes red and bloodshot, Marshal Silver stared at the rough jade in his palm, lost in thought.
In a daze, he seemed to glimpse that red blossom on the moon tree, the shining armor covering the mountains, and the deafening roar of battle.
He smiled faintly.
The oath he swore at his appointment, the promises he made—he had kept them, fulfilled his duty, and honored his eternal vow. Only, so many brothers had paid the price.
Now, all he hoped for was to win this war, to end it well, to reclaim the souls that had been taken, and see them reborn into good families in the next life...
Outside the tent, for a hundred li around, the fighting continued.
On the front lines, celestial soldiers in silver armor beat their wings through blood, dodging arrows, fighting on in a war Heaven refused to recognize.
They were not exalted gods, nor did they enjoy the incense of mortals. They had no immortal registry, no peaches of longevity, no eternal life, and no hope for a glorious tomorrow.
They were just ordinary cultivators—or rather, people who held fast to their beliefs.
They should not have to die here, never to be reborn.
Marshal Silver slowly clenched his jaw and squeezed the jade in his hand.
In the dim light, his cold, severe face showed no emotion.