Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Chapter 742: Chapter 76: The Scapegoat Tactic, Huh?

Not long after, Zhao Jinghong returned with the surprise attack force as well.

There were no injuries on his body, after all, for cultivators, most fatal wounds can be healed as long as they are not instantly lethal.

But from the tears and scorch marks on his robe, as well as the unmistakable fatigue on his face, it was clear that he had been badly tortured by the Nether Ghost Path.

Looking at the number of people, indeed there were many fewer than there had been before the campaign.

Qiu Changtian originally wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks, such as pretending to know nothing and asking if True Person Yun Hong’s surprise attack was successful… but when he thought about the fact that those who had died were Kunlun cultivators from the Zhao Family camp, but were still members of the Kunlun, he suddenly felt a faint sense of sadness.

Xu Yinglian stood behind Qiu Changtian, looking at the dispirited returning team, her brows slightly furrowed with discomfort.

...

“So many casualties, someone must be held responsible,” she said coldly, “Let’s see if the Zhao Family from Guyuan still has the gall to continue this fight with us.”

How could they not have the gall to continue? Qiu Changtian thought to himself.

If the surprise attack had been successful, the Zhao Family of Guyuan might have considered reconciling with the Xu Family of Southern Heaven, as continuing the conflict would be detrimental to the entire Kunlun, and they could cut their losses while they were ahead.

But now that the surprise attack had suffered a major setback, and the Zhao Family camp had lost a significant amount of strength, if they did not continue to oppose the Xu Family of Southern Heaven, the accountability and reflection from within their own family would be problems the high-ranking members simply couldn’t handle.

If the Zhao Family of Guyuan had an autocratic family head, they could make a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and forcefully suppress any restless hearts.

However, according to Qiu Changtian, the Zhao Family was likely run by the family head in conjunction with several high-ranking and influential elders through negotiation (and power games), making joint decisions.

As a result, as soon as they admit to failure in the conflict, as Junior Sister Xu said, someone must be held accountable… Who would it be? And after taking responsibility, should they ask for punishment? Would anyone still listen to them in the family afterward?

It was better to stubbornly refuse to admit it!

As long as they continued to oppose the Xu Family of Southern Heaven, with such a powerful external enemy, the Zhao Family members would naturally be coerced into moving forward, and the threat to the high-ranking members’ rule would also be minimized.

After all, in Qiu Changtian’s cynical view, the Zhao Family of Guyuan would definitely continue the opposition, as it was in the collective interest of the high-ranking members of the family.

Upon reaching the main hall, Qiu Changtian, as the commander, cleared his throat and said,

“Regarding the failure of this surprise attack, I, as the person in charge of military affairs, bear an undeniable responsibility…”

This was, of course, just a formality; everyone knew that it was the Zhao Family of Guyuan who, against Qiu Changtian’s advice and opposition, insisted on carrying out Zhao Jinghong’s surprise attack plan.

By saying this now, although Qiu Changtian was giving Zhao Jinghong a way out, it actually caused more damage to his own credibility.

Zhao Jinghong didn’t speak; he just nodded indifferently.

A nod? What does that mean?

Before Qiu Changtian could react, Elder Yuan Shou of the Zhao Family suddenly spoke up,

“The failure of this surprise attack plan was not due to Changgeng True Person’s negligence, but rather because somebody in our sect leaked the information.”

Having said that, two Golden Core True Persons stepped forward and brought a cultivator before the crowd.

“This person was a mole planted by the Nether Ghost Path,” Elder Yuan Shou said coldly, “After interrogation, this person has fully confessed to his crimes. We have confirmed that the failure of the surprise attack is due to this person leaking information to the Nether Ghost Path.”

Qiu Changtian: ???

A scapegoat tactic? Right in front of so many elders, you think I’m a fool to be played with?

Who leaked the secret, as if I don’t know! ! !

“May I ask Elder Yuan Shou,” Qiu Changtian said aloud, “This person was not present in the main hall during the decision-making that day, was he?”

“That’s correct,” Elder Yuan Shou replied, “But this person was one of the members who went to Mount Beimang for the surprise attack.”

“This is my fault,” Zhao Jinghong also said indifferently, “The night before the surprise attack, in order to get everyone properly prepared, I shared the details with everyone.”

“After this person returned, he immediately sent an urgent message to the Nether Ghost Path via Flying Sword, thereby causing our plan to fail. I failed to detect the traitor within our surprise attack team, and for that, I should bear the responsibility…”

“True Person Yun Hong need not blame himself,” an elder immediately came out to console. “The matter of a traitor is, after all, difficult to avoid.”

“Even in past years, when a traitor caused the sect to suffer heavy losses, the person in charge was never held responsible.”

The elders of the Zhao Family’s camp each had their say, quickly shifting all blame onto the traitor, as if without this traitor, Zhao Jinghong’s surprise attack plan would have been successful.

Qiu Changtian pondered for a moment and looked towards the Ziwei Master standing behind him.

The Ziwei Master subtly shook his head.

Indeed, everyone knew that the traitor was nothing but a scapegoat, yet there was no point in forcibly disputing with the Guyuan Zhao Family over this matter.

Zhao Jinghong was, after all, a contender for the next Sect Leader, and the Guyuan Zhao Family would not allow his prestige to be undermined. If they were to forcefully confront the issue, both parties would inevitably end up in a lose-lose situation, and Kunlun could not afford to delay the overall situation with a big battle looming.

It was better to let the matter drop; after all, weren’t all the high-level participants present experienced and wise?

From then on, whenever Zhao Jinghong proposed a plan, no matter how feasible it seemed, everyone would certainly weigh it carefully.

“Changgeng,” the Ziwei Master spoke, “leave the matter of the traitor to the Disciplinary Hall to handle.”

“You may discuss the situation in the Guanzhong Area.”

“Yes,” Qiu Changtian began to report the resource recovery plan he was responsible for to all the elders.

As of yesterday, half of the mines had been recovered, and another third of the resource points were still engaged in battle with the Demon Cult, contesting for control.

Such progress was indeed not slow. Even the elders of the Zhao Family camp could not pick faults with such results.

“That is very good,” Elder Jiuce then spoke, “but there is still an issue.”

“Many cultivators from our sect are currently fighting the Demon Cult on the front lines in Guanzhong. Should the enemy send troops from Iron City Mountain, severing Kunlun’s connection with the frontline, and also consume our deployments in Guanzhong with their elite forces, the sect will suffer a grave blow.”

“Changgeng, do you have any solution to this?”

What solution could there be… Qiu Changtian derided inwardly, but calmly said aloud:

“The only solution is to launch a preemptive attack on Iron City Mountain and prevent the enemy from dispatching troops; that is the proper course of action.”

“Doing so would mean fighting on two fronts,” Jiuce Elder mused.

“Could the cost of fighting on two fronts be too great?” Elder Yuan Shou asked with a half-smile, “If the casualties are too heavy, even victory would be a Pyrrhic one.”

It was the same issue: the average training cost per Kunlun Cultivator was much higher than that of a Demon Cult Cultivator, several times over. Engaging in a head-on fight with Demon Cult Cultivators before reaching a high rank was an extremely unprofitable affair.

Besides, with True Person Yun Hong’s surprise attack plan having failed, the hawkish elders had also fallen silent. Now, Qiu Changtian was suggesting expanding the scale of the war, which was indeed hard for them to accept.

“This action is necessary,” Qiu Changtian replied, “Taking the offensive, regardless of the outcome, will at least confine the enemy to Iron City Mountain.”

“If we let it be, and Iron City Mountain forces capture Long Mountain, severing east from west, it will be much more difficult to push them back.”

“What if we set up an ambush on Long Mountain?” Zhao Jinghong suddenly said. “Since we already know that the Demon Cult will send troops from Iron City Mountain to cut off the connection with Guanzhong, why don’t we wait for them on Long Mountain?”

Qiu Changtian glanced at him, wordlessly.

Eager to retaliate with an ambush after being ambushed himself, this True Person Yun Hong sure knew how to hold a grudge. But this strategy…

“This plan is excellent!” Elder Yuan Shou clapped and laughed, the first to support the momentum, loudly echoing the sentiment, “Taking the initiative to attack Iron City Mountain would force the Asura Path to mobilize their entire sect, determined to resist to the death. In that case, casualties would be inevitable.”

“But if we set up an ambush on Long Mountain, staying at ease as we wait for the enemy. Not only is the risk smaller, but also a heavy blow against the Demon Cult can immediately reverse the situation!”