Afterward, everything proceeded according to Mohua’s plans.

Before the battle, Lugu announced that he was there to avenge his elder brother, Shigu Dajiang, the strongest warrior of the Shugu Tribe.

Shigu Dajiang had been tragically assassinated by Canggu, who colluded with the Bifang Tribe and traitors within the Shigu Tribe. He died with his eyes open, unable to rest in peace.

Now, Canggu had been defeated by Lugu, lost an arm, and defected to the Great Chieftain.

The Great Chieftain, ignorant of the truth and swayed by Canggu’s deceit, would endanger the Shugu Tribe if this continued.

“This journey is to avenge my brother Shigu, execute the villain Canggu, prevent the Great Chieftain from being misled by treacherous individuals, and save the Shugu Tribe from imminent demise.”

Most barbarian cultivators in the Great Wilderness were savage and brutal.

However, their brutality was superficial. When it came to cunning and maliciousness, they were far inferior to Mohua.

In fact, compared to Mohua, these barbarian cultivators were as innocent as a blank sheet of paper.

Therefore, when Lugu uttered these words, most Shugu barbarian soldiers were filled with righteous indignation and profound resentment.

Although Shigu had a fierce temperament, his power in life was immense.

The more savage a tribe, the more they admired strength, so many in the Shugu Tribe held Shigu Dajiang in reverence.

Now, Shugu, their mightiest general, had been framed and killed by a villain, which was a great humiliation for the Shugu Tribe.

It was only right and proper for Dajiang Lugu to avenge his brother.

The Great Chieftain, old and senile, misled by treacherous people, also needed to have order restored.

This battle was “justified” and morale was high. Although not everyone wanted to confront the Great Chieftain, the general consensus was unified.

While Lugu’s speech incited strong emotions, Mohua stood silently behind him.

In the eyes of some Shugu Tribe members, Mohua, the Wuzhu, was like a “mascot,” symbolizing the support of the Divine Lord for Dajiang Lugu.

However, in the eyes of discerning individuals, especially Tieshugu, Mohua seemed like the true mastermind behind the scenes.

Dajiang Lugu was merely a “puppet” controlled by him through manipulation.

Subsequently, the army set off, heading in the direction Canggu had fled—towards the Shugu本部 (Shugu Headquarters), where the Shugu Great Chieftain resided.

The journey was arduous, with occasional skirmishes. Ten days later, the army reached the Shugu Headquarters.

Great Wilderness tribes were a variation of alliances, and this was particularly evident in the Shugu Tribe.

The headquarters was the strongest among the main tribes.

However, it wasn’t significantly stronger, and its size wasn’t much larger than an ordinary “main tribe.”

Under normal circumstances, if the headquarters faced danger, they could light signal fires to summon various main and minor tribes for protection.

But this was not normal times; famine was widespread, and all tribes were preoccupied with their own survival, having no time to assist the Great Chieftain.

Moreover, they had previously suffered troop losses in their war with the Wujiu Tribe.

Consequently, when the two forces now confronted each other, Lugu’s side was surprisingly even stronger.

And because Mohua was present, the barbarian soldiers under Lugu’s command also subtly gained an advantage in the quality of their barbarian armor.

As the two sides faced off, Lugu stood majestically at the forefront of his army.

Opposite Lugu, on a high platform surrounded by a multitude of people and guarded by armored warriors, the Great Chieftain, clad in Shugu tribal robes, stared with eyes like a vast sea, his face grim.

This was Mohua’s first time seeing the Shugu Great Chieftain.

But the Shugu Great Chieftain didn’t even glance at Mohua.

His gaze was entirely fixed on Lugu, the Shugu Dajiang who proclaimed to “avenge his brother” and “cleanse the court,” and who had now grown into a formidable force.

A peculiar bitterness welled up in the Shugu Great Chieftain’s heart.

He had initially believed his greatest threat to be Shigu.

He had gone to great lengths to eliminate this menace.

Unexpectedly, after he had plotted Shigu’s death, the true formidable “enemy” now standing before him was Shigu’s younger brother, Lugu.

Fate truly loved to play tricks on people.

Fate often delivered “cold jokes” that made people unable to laugh.

The Shugu Great Chieftain had no idea when fate had gone awry, or why Lugu’s destiny had changed.

He also had no inclination to investigate.

Now, old and frail, he could only stand on the high platform and question Lugu:

“You are a Dajiang; why do you rebel?”

Lugu looked at the Great Chieftain’s old and gloomy face, thinking of his brave and valiant brother who had died due to this old man’s treachery. His heart filled with rage, and just as he was about to speak, he felt a pair of deep, “demonic” eyes watching him quietly from behind.

Lugu’s heart calmed, and he said, “Great Chieftain, forgive me, Lugu is not rebelling, nor dares to rebel…”

He pointed upwards with his hand, towards Canggu by the Great Chieftain’s side.

Canggu had previously been tricked by Mohua, startled by Shigu’s corpse, and had an arm severed by Lugu. Now, with a white bone as a “prosthesis,” he stood by the Shugu Great Chieftain’s side, his face full of venom.

Lugu said solemnly, “Lugu’s purpose here is solely to execute this villain Canggu. Though he holds the esteemed position of Shugu Dajiang, he has committed despicable acts, disregarded the tribe’s interests, plotted secretly, and murdered my brother Shigu. His crime deserves to be torn to pieces.”

“Lugu only wishes now that the Great Chieftain would hand over this beast to me. I will flay his skin, pull out his tendons, slice his flesh, drink his blood, and dissect his internal organs to comfort my brother’s spirit in heaven…”

Lugu’s gaze was cold as a sword, every word aimed at Canggu.

But the Great Chieftain heard it and felt that these condemning words were, in fact, all aimed at him.

Beyond his anger, the Shugu Great Chieftain grew increasingly perplexed. This Lugu, who was previously inferior to his brother Shigu in both bravery and strategy, how had he become so astute now?

Moreover, how had a general who only knew how to kill suddenly become so “eloquent,” speaking with such captivating brilliance, his words sharp enough to kill?

Canggu, too, was terrified by Lugu’s words, his face pale.

The Shugu Great Chieftain looked at Lugu, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

His voice was hoarse and aged, imbued with solemn authority:

“Lugu, you are mistaken. Canggu did not murder your brother. There are other hidden circumstances. Retreat your troops, and we will discuss this properly. Otherwise, by bringing your army here, it will inevitably lead people to believe that you…”

The Shugu Great Chieftain’s murky eyes sharpened, “…want to kill me, the Great Chieftain, and take my place.”

Lugu was silent for a moment, holding the jade slip Mohua had given him. He scanned it with his spiritual sense for a moment before finding the standard “answer.”

Lugu adopted a look of disappointment and sighed deeply:

“Great Chieftain, even now, you still listen to slander and are misled by this villain Canggu. If I retreat my troops, he will surely coerce you. If I discuss with you alone, he will undoubtedly plot to kill me.”

“Great Chieftain, the one who truly wishes to harm you is Canggu.”

“I am the one who is truly loyal to you…”

Even the deeply calculating Shugu Great Chieftain found it hard to breathe upon hearing these words.

Canggu, standing nearby, almost exploded with rage.

He had previously only known Lugu to be vicious, but he had not expected him to be so shameless as to twist right and wrong to such an extent.

That being said, the Shugu Great Chieftain ultimately did not hand over Canggu.

Mohua was right; the Shugu Great Chieftain was not foolish. At this moment, it was impossible for him to abandon Canggu.

Abandoning Canggu would be akin to severing his own arm, rendering him unable to contend with Lugu.

Things had come to this pass, with no room for maneuver. This battle had to be fought head-on.

The two sides would engage in a final decisive battle at the foot of the headquarters’ mountain.

But before the two sides engaged, Lugu suddenly cried out, “Hold on!”

The barbarian soldiers of both Shugu factions were momentarily stunned.

Lugu, with a solemn expression, questioned the barbarian soldiers under the Great Chieftain’s command:

“Are you loyal to the Great Chieftain, or to Canggu?”

“If you are loyal to Canggu, then fight me to the death.”

“If you are loyal to the Great Chieftain, then by blocking me, you are allowing Canggu’s plot to succeed; you are ‘aiding the wicked’.”

“Afterward, Canggu will surely murder the Great Chieftain. If the Great Chieftain truly dies at Canggu’s hands, then all of you will be sinners of the Shugu Tribe.”

The barbarian soldiers under the Great Chieftain’s command exchanged glances, somewhat shaken.

The Great Chieftain roared, “Kill them! Don’t listen to his deceptive words!”

Lugu, looking indignant, exclaimed, “Great Chieftain, how can you be so misled by Canggu, unable to distinguish loyalty from treachery? What exactly has Canggu done to you?”

The Great Chieftain’s face began to contort.

And his “discomfited” appearance, in the eyes of the crowd, only made him seem more aged and muddled, incapable of discerning right from wrong.

Lugu then declared loudly, “Everyone listen to my order: the barbarian soldiers opposite are the Great Chieftain’s soldiers. As long as they do not attack, we must not actively kill them.”

Then, Lugu drew his Zhan Yao Bone Blade, pointed it at Canggu, and sternly commanded, “This journey is only to eliminate traitors, to slay the treacherous for the Great Chieftain. Kill!”

The barbarian soldiers under Lugu’s command instantly surged with morale, shouting:

“Slay the traitor!”

“Kill Canggu!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Seeing their morale soar to its peak, Lugu led the charge, with thousands of barbarian slaves and soldiers following him like a tide, surging towards the Great Chieftain’s headquarters.

The two sides quickly clashed.

Blades and flesh intertwined, and soon, lives were lost.

But those who died were all those who raised their weapons.

Any headquarters barbarian soldier who heeded Lugu’s words, neither opposing him nor standing in his way, would not be affected by the slaughter.

But anyone who dared to stand before Lugu, taking the brunt of the attack, would be cleaved in half by his immensely powerful bone blade.

Soon, more and more headquarters barbarian soldiers chose to stand by.

Some even deliberately retreated to the sides, clearing a path for Lugu, making it easier for him to charge towards the Great Chieftain to slay the traitor.

The Great Chieftain and Canggu would not believe Lugu’s words.

But the ordinary barbarian soldiers believed them implicitly.

Because in their hearts, Lugu was a Dajiang, always true to his word, unwavering.

The Shugu Great Chieftain’s face instantly turned extremely ugly.

Seeing Lugu charge forward, Canggu gritted his teeth and said, “Great Chieftain, I will slay Lugu for you!”

Afterward, he led his men out to meet Lugu in battle at the front lines.

At this point, he couldn’t flee, or he would incur the Great Chieftain’s resentment. Once he lost the Great Chieftain’s trust, he would be doomed.

He also couldn’t hide in the back, or he would solidify his reputation as a “traitor.”

At this critical moment, he could only fight Lugu.

But he had previously been tricked by the insidious Lugu. Although in retrospect, there were too many suspicious points about the “resurrected” Shigu, it was already too late.

He had lost an arm, replaced with a bone prosthesis, and his combat strength was greatly diminished.

Meanwhile, Lugu was not only in his prime but also eager for revenge, his killing intent surging.

Canggu was naturally no match for Lugu.

The two fought for eight hundred rounds on the front line, shattering mountains and rivers, their Golden Core energy surging like rivers. The immense power caused any surrounding barbarian soldiers caught in the fray to have their flesh evaporated and bones shattered.

Eventually, Canggu’s prosthesis was severed by Lugu’s blade.

Canggu was defeated and fled, and Lugu led his army in pursuit.

The scene was grand and magnificent for a time.

Mohua, as the Wuzhu, watched all of this from afar.

This war was not yet over. But the specific process and outcome had already been “rehearsed” many times in his mind.

Therefore, Mohua had the feeling of watching a “film” of a war he had seen many times.

Although it was an “expedition” against the Shugu Great Chieftain, it was actually not much more difficult than the previous expedition against the Canggu Tribe.

The most challenging point was how to use the Shugu’s “soldiers” to conquer the Shugu’s “king.”

But by using the pretext of “cleansing the court” and subtly changing the concept,

By using the name of conquering Canggu to conquer the Shugu Great Chieftain,

This problem was easily solved.

And the barbarian soldiers of the Shugu Headquarters actually didn’t want to, and were somewhat afraid to, engage in battle with the currently dominant Lugu.

With the excuse of “cleansing the court,” they also lost their resolve to fight to the death.

Mohua had also clearly deduced the overall war process using the algorithms of Guidao Fenxian.

This current battle was a small game of chess.

The trajectory of the game was controlled by Mohua.

Mohua also used this small game of chess to hone his ability to “play” and strategize.

He had also been hiding in the rear, never personally engaging in battle, not a speck of blood on his hands.

Firstly, because his cultivation was limited, he played a minimal role in a Golden Core-level war.

Secondly, because he had committed a ‘mingsha’, he was not supposed to incur any further killing karma.

Therefore, during battles, he could only watch from behind, which also fit his identity as a Wuzhu.

When two sides fought, no Wuzhu would be charging into battle.

Mohua thus sat on the mountain, watching the tribes fight, from day to sunset, watching them kill each other.

Ultimately, as his causal deduction predicted, the Shugu Great Chieftain lost.

If this war had happened a century or two earlier, perhaps the Great Chieftain would have won.

But now, he was old. Since becoming Great Chieftain, he had not fought in battle for a very long time.

Perhaps his reason for killing Shigu was because he feared Shigu, who was in his prime and growing stronger.

At the same time, he also feared his own aging and weakening self.

The ailing Shugu Great Chieftain was naturally no match for the youthful Lugu.

After only about a hundred rounds of combat, the Great Chieftain’s body began to heave like a bellows.

Not yet immortal, one was still human after all.

Being human meant facing death from old age, even a late-stage Golden Core cultivator was no exception.

But just as Mohua thought the Great Chieftain would die at Lugu’s hands, Lugu stopped.

He subtly exposed a weakness, letting the Great Chieftain off the hook, giving him a sliver of hope.

Others might not have understood, but Mohua, skilled in causality, saw it clearly with his keen eyes.

Lugu, for some unknown reason, was deliberately “releasing” him.

Seizing this opportunity, the Great Chieftain naturally escaped from Lugu’s grasp.

Lugu didn’t pursue but stayed to tidy up the battlefield.

After the battlefield was settled and the smoke cleared, Mohua slowly walked to Lugu’s side.

Lugu glanced at Mohua, saying regretfully,

“What a pity, the Great Chieftain still escaped.”

Mohua also sighed softly and asked Lugu, “Do you know where the Great Chieftain will flee?”

Lugu’s expression was solemn as he slowly replied, “If I’m not mistaken, the Great Chieftain should flee to… Baigu Ling (White Bone Mausoleum).”

Mohua’s eyes flickered, “Baigu Ling?”

Lugu nodded, “This is where our Shugu Tribe buries its ancestors. The Great Chieftain’s defeat this time means he will likely go to Baigu Ling to seek the ancestors’ protection.”

Mohua’s expression became very grave, “This is going to be… troublesome…”

Lugu said with determination, “The Great Chieftain harmed my brother; I must avenge this.”

“In that case,” Mohua sighed lightly, “I will go with you to Baigu Ling.”

Lugu seemed somewhat hesitant, “Baigu Ling is where our ancestors are buried; it harbors unknown dangers. Wuxiansheng (Witch-Mister), are you truly going along?”

Mohua nodded, his face full of piety:

“I am a Wuzhu, with a great responsibility. It is precisely because of the danger that I have an undeniable duty. If I do not put myself in harm’s way, how will the people be willing to sacrifice their lives for the Divine Lord?”

Lugu was momentarily moved, and he said respectfully, “Then… thank you for your trouble, Wuxiansheng.”

Mohua nodded and said, “Let’s go.”

With that, he turned and, with an air of fearlessness, walked in the direction the Great Chieftain had fled.

Lugu walked behind Mohua, glancing at him from the corner of his eye, his gaze somewhat complex.