Cultivation Simulator: Starting From The Empress' Palace

The scorching sun blazed overhead.

The intense sunlight baked the earth, causing the high temperatures to make the air appear slightly distorted.

A few scouts, dressed in silver light armor, galloped swiftly along the dirt path on horseback, raising trails of dust.

Every so often, the leading scout would dismount, lie flat on the ground, and press his ear against the earth, as the accompanying four scouts, one would leap up to the treetop, while the other three stood guard to the sides.

After detecting no movement, the leading scout turned and glanced up at the scout in the tree, who shook his head, ”Boss, no one?”

”Boss, there’s no one here either,” the other three scouts replied as well.

The scout referred to as the boss nodded and then said to the scout in the tree, ”Monkey, you go and report back, there’s nothing here. As for Stone, Wood, and Brave Boy, you guys come with me to check out Niu Shan.”

The scout named Monkey swiftly descended from the tree, mounted his horse, and nodded before quickly heading back.

The boss took out a map, plotted a route, then mounted his horse and advanced towards Niu Shan.

They were scouts under General Wang Mo, subordinate to Zhao Bo, responsible for gathering intelligence ahead and scouting for ambushes, then returning to report.

The terrain here was relatively flat, so the only likely places to hide troops for an ambush were the mountainous forests and some ravines. Once they scouted Niu Shan, they could return.

On the road, Stone said, ”The General might be too cautious. In my opinion, those people are definitely cowering in Qinyang County, too afraid to come out. They wouldn’t dare set up an ambush on the road.

In this scorching heat, my face feels like it’s going to crack from sunburn. There’s no ambush, let’s not bother going to Niu Shan and head back.”

”Boss, I think Stone is right,” Wood said, wiping the sweat from his face. It was almost noon, and the sun was at its harshest.

”Better safe than sorry. Anyway, it’s not far to Niu Shan, let’s take a look first,” the boss said.

Hearing this, the three of them expressed some resentment, but dared not disobey, so they sped up.

Soon, Niu Shan came into view.

The four did not ride directly into Niu Shan but found a high point to observe from afar, to see if anything looked suspicious.

After seeing nothing unusual from afar, the boss signaled Stone to go in and take a look.

Stone nodded.

As a scout, he was agile, and his skills placed him in the upper middle of the army ranks.

Stone was most skilled in the Lightweight Skill, and with a few leaps, his figure disappeared into the forest.

After a long time.

Seeing Stone not return, the experienced boss immediately sensed something amiss.

”Wood, Brave Boy, quick, let’s go, something’s wrong.” The boss turned his horse to flee.

Suddenly, a cold gleam flashed before his eyes, and a black longsword pressed against his throat.

”I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Behind Chen Mo, Wood and Brave Boy already lay on the ground, silent.

”Gulp.” The boss’s eyes widened, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, a bean-sized drop of sweat dripped from his forehead onto the sword blade, quickly evaporating.

”I ask, you answer, understand?” Chen Mo withdrew the sword slightly.

The boss nodded but wasn’t quite sincere, and after feigning a move, he turned and tried to flee.

”Bang!” The boss flew backward, slamming hard against a big tree, breaking a few ribs.

”I’ll give you one more chance,” Chen Mo said concisely.

The boss realized he was no match for the man in front of him; he hadn’t even seen how he’d been knocked away.

He wasn’t a Death Warrior; faced with life or death, he feared for his life and nodded again, ”If my lord asks, I surely won’t hide anything I know.”

”How many of you came?” Chen Mo asked.

”Ten... thousand.”

”How many cavalry?”

”One thousand.”

”What’s the main commander’s name, whose subordinate are they? What is their capability?”

”Wang Mo, the Supreme General of Prince Pingnan, Second Grade.”

”How do you refer to him?”

”General.”

”Last question, what are your and your subordinates’ names?”

”I’m Zhang Nan, they are...” Zhang Nan confessed thoroughly.

”Very good.” After he finished, Chen Mo slashed with his sword, and Zhang Nan’s head fell to the ground.

The rolling head, eyes wide open, clearly died with unresolved feelings.

”I never said that I wouldn’t kill you after you confessed.”

...

Then, according to the simulation’s content, Chen Mo had Thousand Faces disguise him as the scout leader Zhang Nan.

The remaining three scouts were disguised by his three Fourth Grade Martial Artist subordinates.

The four of them then rode their fast horses, turning towards Nanyang.

After riding for less than twenty miles, Chen Mo’s eyes caught sight of a black mass that stretched like a long dragon to the horizon.

Chen Mo took a deep breath; this should be the enemy’s vanguard army.

...

”Report, General, Zhang Nan seeks an audience.” Wang Mo’s personal soldiers came to report.

”Let him in.”

Wang Mo was a middle-aged man in his late fifties or early sixties, with a broad face and large ears, a straight nose and square mouth, a mane of sable whiskers on his cheeks, and a pair of tiger eyes that exuded a commanding presence, embodying the demeanor of a great general.

Chen Mo, disguised as the scout leader, entered the Commander’s Tent and knelt on one knee immediately, respectfully reporting, ”General, the front is clear, no ambushes detected. Chen Mo must have heard of your might and is too frightened to leave the city.”

The gathered generals laughed heartily.

However, for Chen Mo’s flattering words, Wang Mo didn’t care; he had heard such words too many times.

”Raise your head,” Wang Mo said to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo slowly raised his head, feigning a nervous expression as if meeting a great figure, and respectfully asked, ”What are the General’s orders?”

Wang Mo said nothing, instead staring intently into Chen Mo’s eyes. The tiger-like authority in his gaze was imposing, prompting Chen Mo to act as though afraid and bow slightly.

Chen Mo wasn’t worried that Wang Mo would see through his disguise.

Not considering the simulation’s insights, his own strength was supplemented by the Innate Purity Immortal Body concealing his aura, so unless there was a Foundation Establishment expert, it was impossible to see through him.

”How far did you scout?” Wang Mo finally spoke, his voice deep and resonant.

”Over sixty miles. Up to Niu Shan.” Chen Mo took a map from his armor, pointed to Niu Shan, and indicated places along the route where camps could be set up.

Wang Mo glanced at it, not hiding his admiration. Along this route, places where troops could be concealed stretched about sixty miles, with flat terrain beyond Niu Shan.

This meant he needn’t worry about ambushes along the road.

”Well done, there’s a reward,” Wang Mo said.

”Thank you, General, thank you...” Chen Mo expressed his gratitude almost tearfully.

”You may go.” Wang Mo waved his hand.

”Yes, sir.”

...

Soon after, the vanguard army led by Wang Mo marched at full speed.

By afternoon, the front lines entered Niu Shan.