Chapter 48: A New Assignment

In that instant, Shen Zhaoqing felt like a tiny hamster caught in the gaze of a prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Holy hell.

Shen Zhaoqing’s mind froze for a split second, a sensation she knew all too well.

“Stop.” The two words, spoken with deceptive flatness, struck Shen Zhaoqing’s back with the force of a thousand tons.

It wasn’t a suppression of spiritual energy or a divine sense lock. Instead, it was an aura forged purely from concentrated killing intent and martial might.

Shen Zhaoqing’s courage faltered once more. ‘Was this the power of a general at the peak of mortal martial arts, one who commanded legions?’ she wondered.

Tuoba Yanxue walked forward, step by deliberate step. Her personal guards automatically fanned out, forming an impenetrable encirclement.

“I recall your name is… Shen Zhaoqing?” Tuoba Yanxue stood before Shen Zhaoqing, her tall figure casting a shadow that completely enveloped her.

Shen Zhaoqing remained silent.

“Yes, General,” she replied, bowing her head. When under another’s roof, one must bend. Shen Zhaoqing clasped her hands and buried her head deeper into her arm.

“Shen… Zhao… Qing.” Tuoba Yanxue enunciated each syllable of the name, her phoenix eyes scrutinizing Shen Zhaoqing from her loose collar to the old wine gourd at her waist. Finally, her gaze settled on Shen Zhaoqing’s delicate yet bloodless face.

“Very good,” Tuoba Yanxue suddenly stated.

Shen Zhaoqing plastered on a standardized fake smile, screaming internally, ‘Don’t smile like that! You’re scaring me!’

“You saved Wang Tietou’s life,” Tuoba Yanxue said.

Shen Zhaoqing’s scalp tingled, and she was about to vehemently deny it when Tuoba Yanxue’s gaze fell upon Young Zhang, the young soldier. Young Zhang, startled by her look, shivered, and the leather water skin in their hand clattered to the ground.

A scent, a mixture of clear water and a faint hint of wine, wafted through the air once more.

Tuoba Yanxue took a deep breath.

‘It’s this scent… There’s no mistaking it!’

Seeing her expression, Shen Zhaoqing’s heart sank to the depths. ‘Well, now even jumping into the Yellow River won’t wash this clean,’ she thought.

“The logistics and supply camp is far too dangerous.” Tuoba Yanxue withdrew her gaze, her voice returning to its usual cold, unquestionable tone. “If not for Wang Tietou fighting desperately to protect you just now, you would have already become a demon wolf’s meal. Such oversight is a flaw in my command.”

The surrounding soldiers exchanged glances, finding the general’s words somewhat peculiar. It was clearly Captain Wang who was ambushed first, and then Immortal Shen had… well, she hadn’t really done much.

Yet, no one dared to contradict her.

“Guards!” Tuoba Yanxue commanded coldly.

“Present!” Two burly personal guards, resembling iron towers, immediately stepped forward, their armor clanking.

“By my order: Qingyun Sect disciple Shen Zhaoqing, for remaining calm in peril and offering a remedy to save lives, has rendered meritorious service to the army. She is hereby transferred to the main central tent to serve as a military scribe.”

The main central tent was not just the absolute core of the entire Frost Iron Defense Line, but also General Tuoba’s personal residence and command center. Not to mention ordinary soldiers, even the captains from other camps were forbidden to approach within a hundred paces without a general’s order!

How could a delicate-looking Immortal who seemed incapable of even tying a chicken be made a scribe?

All eyes converged on Shen Zhaoqing, but the subject of everyone’s attention simply wished she could die on the spot. A scribe? To serve as a scribe in your main central tent? She was all too familiar with this kind of discussion.

“General! Absolutely not!” Shen Zhaoqing exclaimed, no longer caring about rank or decorum. “This disciple’s cultivation is low, and I am utterly ignorant. Furthermore… furthermore, I am illiterate!”

To preserve her life, what was a little dignity?

Tuoba Yanxue’s lips curved into a cold arc. “It matters not. I can teach you.”

Shen Zhaoqing felt like thanking her ancestors for eighteen generations.

“General, I…”

“This is an order.” Tuoba Yanxue cut her off, her tone imbued with irresistible authority. “You two, ‘escort’ Scribe Shen to the main tent. If she is unwilling, then ‘assist’ her in walking.”

Upon hearing this, the two iron-tower-like guards looked at Shen Zhaoqing with an immediate change in demeanor.

Shen Zhaoqing instantly shut her mouth. A wise person knows when to yield. Under countless complex gazes, Shen Zhaoqing was dejectedly ‘escorted’ by the two guards, step by step, towards the Azure Wolf Main Tent. It stood at the very center of the military camp, guarded by countless elite soldiers and Immortal-Binding Arbalests shimmering with runic light.

****

Tuoba Yanxue’s main central tent was less a tent and more a mobile steel fortress. From the outside, it appeared unremarkable, but upon entering, a chilling aura, a blend of profound iron, gunpowder, and dense baleful energy, assailed Shen Zhaoqing, instantly sobering her by three-tenths.

The interior of the tent was vast yet exceptionally spartan. At its center lay a colossal sand table, intricately simulating the terrain of the entire Frost Iron Defense Line and the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Mountain. Various beast-hide maps and weapons adorned the walls, and thick wolf-skin rugs covered the ground, muffling every step.

Aside from a massive ironwood desk in the center for military affairs and a campaign bed, there was no other superfluous decoration.

Shen Zhaoqing was led to a small corner beside the desk, where a small table and a cushion had already been swiftly placed.

“Scribe Shen, from today onward, you will work here,” a guard stated expressionlessly. “You will also be responsible for the General’s daily needs.”

“Alright,” Shen Zhaoqing said, her mouth twitching.

‘Such a commotion, where’s Senior Sister? Why isn’t Senior Sister here yet? I truly prefer being with Senior Sister over Tuoba Yanxue!’ Shen Zhaoqing thought, ‘After all, I’m used to it.’

This time, Shen Zhaoqing’s wish was granted.

The tent’s entrance flap was suddenly flung open without warning. A figure in azure, wrapped in swirling snow and piercing sword intent, appeared inside like a flash of lightning.

“What are you doing?” Gu Chang’an’s voice was not loud, yet it was like countless ice-forged swords, instantly dropping the tent’s temperature by more than ten degrees.

Under her gaze, the two battle-hardened guards grunted in unison, their faces paling as they instinctively retreated a step. This was the oppressive power of a Void Return Sword Immortal!

“Immortal Gu, this is a vital military area; unauthorized entry without a general’s order is forbidden!” one guard shouted, his voice betraying a false bravado as he endured the searing pain in his mind.

Gu Chang’an paid them no mind. Her gaze, from beginning to end, rested solely on Shen Zhaoqing.

“Junior Sister, come here.” She extended a hand to Shen Zhaoqing, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Shen Zhaoqing swallowed, just as her foot began to move.

“She is now my scribe. She cannot go anywhere.”

Tuoba Yanxue slowly emerged from the shadows. She had shed her heavy armor, wearing only a tight-fitting black uniform that accentuated her tall, slender, and explosive physique. She casually picked up a white cloth and began to meticulously wipe the bloodstained saber in her hand, ‘Azure Fang’. The blade scraping against the cloth produced a soft, grating sound that was particularly jarring. “Your scribe?” Gu Chang’an slowly retracted her hand, turning to Tuoba Yanxue, the chill in her eyes almost solidifying. “General Tuoba, have you forgotten that she is a disciple of my Qingyun Sect?”

“I have not forgotten.” Tuoba Yanxue returned her saber to its sheath, raising her ice-lake-like phoenix eyes to meet Gu Chang’an’s, directly confronting her. “I also remember that she came to assist my Northern Front. Since she is in the military camp, she must abide by our military rules. As the Commander of the Three Armies, do I truly need Immortal Gu’s permission to reassign someone?”