Even if Ouyang Lie went personally, Mi Jinglun would still be commanding the North and South armies, so nothing should go wrong.
However, they absolutely could not let Ouyang Lie go alone. Given his explosive temperament, there was no telling what kind of trouble he might stir up.
Thus, Mi Jinglun said, "Why not let your disciple accompany you? That way, if Brother Ouyang discovers anything over there, your disciple can return to inform us."
Ouyang Lie immediately turned to glare at Mi Jinglun. "What? Afraid I'll cause trouble? Sending my own disciple to keep an eye on me?"
Mi Jinglun laughed helplessly. "I wouldn't dare."
Though he said that, it was plainly exactly what he intended.
Ouyang Lie considered for a moment, then snorted coldly. "Fine. Let him come along."
Truthfully, not only was Mi Jinglun afraid he'd cause trouble—Ouyang Lie himself was worried about it too. Under normal circumstances, with his powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivation, even if he did stir something up, it wouldn't be a major issue. But this time was different. The North and South armies had not yet made contact with the East and West armies, and no detailed plans had been drawn up for how to deal with Dayan Pass. If he really caused a incident, the repercussions could be enormous—it might even disrupt the entire army's strategy.
Bringing his disciple along would serve as a restraint. When the time came and he felt the urge to pick a fight, he'd have to think twice—after all, he had to consider the consequences for his disciple.
"Boy, heard that? Come with your master for a trip."
Ouyang Lie turned his gaze toward the side.
Leaning against a pillar over there, a young man stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Two Corps Commanders and several Eighth-Order Garrison Commanders who oversaw the army's strategic decisions were deep in heated discussion, but he looked thoroughly bored—as if the conversation might put him to sleep at any moment. He yawned repeatedly, his eyes glazed over with drowsiness.
This young man's cultivation had already reached the Seventh-Order realm. In principle, at such a level, one would have long since transcended the various constraints of ordinary mortals—there was simply no reason for someone to be yawning from sleepiness.
And yet here he was, yawning nonstop, looking as though he might collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
Everyone in the great hall was an Eighth-Order cultivator, and he alone was Seventh-Order Open Heaven.
Mi Jinglun and the several Eighth-Order Garrison Commanders were used to his behavior—or rather, had long since grown accustomed to it.
Truth be told, this master-and-disciple pair were quite the odd couple. The master was fiery and explosive by nature; even as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven cultivator, he remained brash and impulsive.
Yet he had taken in such a lazy disciple who showed interest in absolutely nothing.
Their personalities were as different as heaven and earth.
And yet Ouyang Lie had pinned great hopes on this disciple of his, doting on him to no end. Because of this, whenever Ouyang Lie felt he might act rashly, he would bring his disciple along.
It served as a constant reminder: his disciple was by his side, so he absolutely must not act recklessly. He had to be careful, more careful, and even more careful—otherwise, if he caused trouble, it could drag his disciple down with him!
The young man stared blankly ahead with vacant eyes, still yawning. After Ouyang Lie finished speaking, he received no response.
Mi Jinglun smiled bitterly. This disciple of Brother Ouyang's—this habit of spacing out and drifting to who-knows-where—was really quite the problem. Were these two actually reliable working together?
"Nephew Gong, your master is speaking to you," one of the Eighth-Order Garrison Commanders reminded with helpless exasperation.
"Disciple is here!" Gong Lian hastily straightened his posture and lowered his head. "What are your instructions, Master?"
"Instructions, my foot!" Ouyang Lie snapped impatiently, striding toward the exit. When he reached Gong Lian's side, he grabbed him by the clothes at his waist and hoisted him up effortlessly. "Come with me!"
In just a few steps, they were already off the Ink-Dispelling Vessel. Ouyang Lie's voice drifted back from a distance: "Brother Mi, just proceed according to plan. If I learn anything over there, I'll have my disciple return to report."
Mi Jinglun exchanged a glance with the other Eighth-Order cultivators, and all of them shook their heads with resigned expressions.
Moments later, the massive fleet began a slow withdrawal, retreating another two days' travel as previously discussed, as a precaution against unforeseen circumstances.
In the void, Ouyang Lie activated one concealment technique after another, masking the auras and presences of both himself and Gong Lian, though his speed did not slow in the slightest as he hurtled toward Dayan Pass.
Gong Lian made no attempt to resist or struggle, simply dangling there in his master's grip. Not only did he show no dissatisfaction—judging by his expression, he was actually quite used to this. For him, having someone else carry him meant he didn't need to expend any effort to travel. What did it matter if the position wasn't exactly dignified?
Fortunately, he still had the presence of mind to ask: "Master, where are we going?"
"To gather intelligence on the Ink Clan," Ouyang Lie answered.
Gong Lian said "oh" and nothing more.
Ouyang Lie and his disciple raced through the void, closing in on Dayan Pass. Meanwhile, from another direction, Yang Kai was also making his way forward.
His mission required him to cross Dayan Pass and reach the other side, where he would search for the North and South armies and deliver Xiang Shan's detailed arrangements.
To cross Dayan Pass, there were two choices: take the front route, or take the back route.