55. Infiltration

(1 Months Later, Somewhere in the wilderness between Golden Prosperity and White Lotus City.)

The battlefield stretched across the open plains just outside White Lotus City. The earth was dry and cracked beneath thousands of boots, the air tense with the anticipation of bloodshed. On one side stood the Bai Family's forces, banners fluttering in the wind, their soldiers lined in disciplined ranks, clad in gleaming armor. Across from them, the allied army of the Jing, Zheng, and Jian Families waited, their formation stretching wide, outnumbering the Bai forces nearly two to one.

The atmosphere was thick with hostility as the two sides stared each other down, waiting for the confrontation to tip into bloodshed.

At the head of the Bai forces, City Lord Bai sat atop his steed, his expression dark. His personal guard flanked him, weapons at the ready. Before him, the leaders of the allied army approached on horseback, their faces twisted in grim determination.

It was the Patriarch of the Zheng Family who spoke first, his voice loud enough to carry across the field.

"City Lord Bai, you move too boldly." His words were laced with accusation. "You think we wouldn't see through your schemes? You claim to bring order, but you are no better than a tyrant! You seek to usurp this land for yourself!"

Murmurs ran through the Bai ranks.

City Lord Bai's eyes narrowed. His fingers tightened around the reins of his horse as his mind raced. Had the evidence of the treachery reached them already? The documents proving the involvement of their elders in the three-way war?

Had their spies been compromised?

His voice remained steady, but a hint of steel crept into his tone. "So, you've discovered the truth, then? And instead of taking responsibility, you come here, bearing swords?"

The Patriarch of the Jing Family scoffed, his lips curling into a sneer. "Truth? The only truth here is your ambition! You feigned neutrality, yet all this time, you schemed behind our backs, waiting to seize the region!"

City Lord Bai felt a sharp wave of irritation. They were twisting the situation. Or worse, did they truly not know about the evidence?

The Patriarch of the Jian Family, an older man with tired eyes, shook his head. "Do not try to feign innocence. You eliminated the last obstacles in your path. You gathered forces to overwhelm us. You think we would sit idly by and let you claim these lands unchallenged?"

City Lord Bai exhaled slowly.

They didn't know.

They weren't here because they had discovered the truth. They were here because they saw the Bai Family as a threat.

And yet, he could not allow them to walk away now. The Bai Family had come expecting a war, and they would not back down.

He raised his chin and leveled them with a cold stare. "You misunderstand." His voice was even, but the menace beneath it was unmistakable. "It is not ambition that brought us here, it is necessity. Your families have been steeped in chaos and bloodshed, and now you seek to drag the entire region into ruin. If there is to be order, it must come through decisive action."

The Patriarch of the Zheng Family scoffed. "Spoken like a man who believes he has already won. If you truly stand for order, then withdraw your forces and swear loyalty to an impartial council."

City Lord Bai gave a slow, humorless smile. "Loyalty to men who conspire in the dark? To those who would stab us in the back while pretending at civility?" He let his gaze sweep across the three leaders. "Your elders were the ones who nearly destroyed this region before, and now you come before me wearing their sins as if they were never yours to bear?"

The Patriarch of the Jing Family snapped, "Enough of your arrogance! You may try to twist words, but we see through your ploy. You will not take this land for yourself."

City Lord Bai's expression turned icy. There was no reasoning with them. Not now.

"Then I suppose words are wasted here," he said, his voice calm as a blade being drawn from its sheath.

A single gesture.

From behind him, a Bai general lifted a banner. A silent command.

The sound of a thousand swords being drawn filled the air. Bai soldiers shifted into formation, their discipline unshaken.

Across the field, the allied army reacted in kind. The air trembled with tension, banners snapping in the wind, weapons gleaming under the sun.

Then, like an avalanche crashing down a mountain.

The war began.

---

(a few days later, Somewhere in the Mountain range)

The chamber atop Mo Tian's mountain residence was dimly lit, the flickering glow of a single lantern casting long shadows against the stone walls. Outside, the wind howled through the cliffs, carrying the distant cries of nocturnal beasts.

Mo Tian sat at his desk, a stack of reports spread before him, each one detailing the eruption of war between the Bai Family and the allied forces. His fingers tapped idly against the surface of the table as he read, his sharp eyes skimming over each account with measured indifference.

"Bai Family and Allied Army engaged in battle outside White Lotus City."

"City Lord Bai declared his forces stand for order."

"Jing, Zheng, and Jian Families accuse the Bai Family of attempting to seize the region."

Mo Tian exhaled through his nose, a small smirk forming on his lips. How predictable.

The battle had been inevitable the moment the allied forces stormed Golden Prosperity City. With their blood already spilled, neither side could back down now. The Bai Family was cornered, forced to fight for its survival. The allied army had already cast their die, and retreating would mean shattering their own credibility.

War.

Exactly as he had anticipated.

He leaned back in his chair, tilting his head as he considered his next move. It was an opportunity—one that could not be wasted. The longer this conflict dragged on, the weaker both sides would become. And when the dust settled, whoever remained standing would be vulnerable.

Still, there were too many variables. He needed more than secondhand reports. He needed to see it for himself.

His gaze drifted to the map stretched across his table, eyes tracing the routes leading from the mountain to the warfront. He tapped a finger against the symbol marking White Lotus City, where the Bai Family was entrenched. Then to the roads leading from the Jing, Zheng, and Jian territories, where the allied army was gathered.

The factions were too consumed by their own hatred to question outsiders.

Which meant…

He allowed the thought to settle, weighing the risks against the rewards.

Infiltrating the allied army as a mercenary would give him direct access to the heart of the conflict. He could move freely, gather intelligence, and ensure that no faction emerged from this war unscathed. He would be in the perfect position to manipulate events from within.

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.

Yes. That would do nicely.

Rising from his chair, Mo Tian turned to the window, gazing out into the darkness. The war had begun. The pieces were moving. And soon, he would step onto the battlefield himself.

Not as Mo Tian.

But as a nameless mercenary.

…

(2 month later, Somewhere on the battlefield)

The recruitment office was little more than a hastily assembled pavilion, its wooden beams still raw with the scent of fresh-cut lumber. The banners of the Jian Family fluttered in the evening wind, their ink-black calligraphy standing stark against the deep crimson fabric. Outside, the camp buzzed with the restless energy of war. Mercenaries, displaced warriors, and wandering cultivators moved about, some haggling over their enlistment fees, others testing their blades against wooden dummies.

Mo Tian stood before the pavilion, his expression unreadable. Dressed in a simple black robe, dust clinging to his boots, he looked no different from the dozens of rogue cultivators gathered to sell their swords. The officer seated behind the wooden desk barely spared him a glance before waving him forward.

"Name?" the officer asked, his voice rough, his eyes weary from processing recruit after recruit. He was a middle-aged man, his armor battered from years of service, his graying beard betraying his experience. A pile of scrolls sat at his side, each containing the names and cultivation details of the newly enlisted.

Mo Tian hesitated for a fraction of a second before offering a faint smirk. "Lei Chen," he said smoothly, the name rolling off his tongue as if it had always been his.

The officer grunted, scratching the name onto the parchment. "Cultivation realm?"

"First Rate Martial Artist" Mo Tian replied.

The officer finally looked up, his sharp eyes scanning Mo Tian from head to toe, assessing. There was skepticism in his gaze, rogue cultivators often lied about their strength to get better assignments.

"You sure?" the officer challenged, his fingers tightening around his brush. "Got proof?"

Mo Tian didn't respond. He simply raised a hand, and a faint but undeniable pressure filled the air. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was enough to make the officer's breath hitch for just a moment. The energy dispersed just as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only an eerie stillness in its wake.

The officer clicked his tongue. "Hmph. Cocky bastard, aren't you? Fine. You're in." He scrawled something onto the parchment and then gestured to a nearby soldier. "Take him to Unit Six. Commander Xu will sort him out."

Mo Tian inclined his head, his expression betraying nothing. He turned on his heel and followed the soldier into the camp, his gaze sweeping across the sea of mercenaries and desperate fighters who had gathered for war.

The pieces were in place. Now, it was time to play the game.

---

(A day later, somewhere in Golden Prosperity City)

Li Xue sat in her private quarters, the weight of the day's meetings pressing down on her. Her fingers drummed lightly against the wooden desk, her thoughts wandering back to the tension between her and Mo Tian. The war still raged, but it was the day-to-day management of the sect that had been wearing on her mind. She could feel the growing friction between her desire for independence and the ever-present shadow of his influence.

Her musings were interrupted by the sudden appearance of a beggar at the door. His unremarkable form stood in the doorway, his weathered hands holding a scroll. He was one of the few she trusted to deliver messages in Mo Tian's absence, and his eyes met hers with a quiet intensity that said more than words ever could.

"I have a message for you, Lady Li," he said, his voice low and respectful, his bow deep.

Li Xue rose from her seat, her curiosity piqued, and took the scroll from him with barely concealed eagerness. She unfurled it, her sharp eyes scanning the familiar handwriting that was unmistakably Mo Tian's. But as she read, her expression shifted, an unsettling mix of emotions flashing across her face.

The letter began with a simple phrase, but the weight of it hit her like a stone:

'My Dearest Li Xue,'

'The time has come for you to lead in my stead. I will be leaving for the battlefield, but I trust that you will handle things here with the strength and cunning I've come to admire. You are no longer just a tool in my hand, but the master of your own choices. Though, remember, that even the most liberated of hands still play within a preordained game.'

'I leave the responsibility of the sect's future with you. I know you'll rise to the challenge, as you always do. Do not disappoint me, my love.'

'Yours, Mo Tian.'

Li Xue's hands trembled slightly as she finished reading. The cryptic tone of the letter, the way it felt both like a gift and a chain, twisted inside her. He had given her the freedom to act, to shape the sect as she saw fit, yet, he still managed to leave a sense of obligation woven into his words. The final sentence, with its intimate declaration and reminder of her duty, grated against her pride.

Her heart surged with a mix of joy and frustration. She had wanted this—wanted the power to move, to act without his constant oversight. But here it was, in the form of a cryptic love letter, that same damn word: "duty." She was free to make decisions, yes, but only within the narrow confines of his expectations. Was it freedom or just another cage, gilded and flattering?

She paced back and forth, the letter burning in her hand. She could already feel the weight of the decisions she'd have to make. But in that moment, she realized it wasn't just the burden of leadership that frustrated her, it was the reminder that, in his eyes, she was still just a part of his design, still a piece of his game.

"I'm not just a tool," she muttered to herself, gripping the letter tightly. "I'm not."

But she knew, deep down, that Mo Tian had never seen her as just a tool. No, she was more than that. His words, his control, they were both a recognition of her strength and a challenge she couldn't ignore.

Her fingers tightened around the scroll as she fought to keep the frustration from overwhelming her. She had to prove him wrong. She had to show that she was more than a piece on his board.

With a sharp inhale, Li Xue folded the letter back into its scroll and placed it carefully on her desk. She glanced out the window, her gaze distant, the fire in her heart now fanned into something fiercer, something more dangerous.

"I'll prove it to you, Mo Tian," she whispered under her breath. "I'll show you just how far I can go."

And with that, the first steps of her freedom began, even if they were still guided by his unseen hand.