Zhao Jianhun looked up at the statue of his foe with deep reverence.

“I fought you, Jun Wuhui, without regret.

Twenty-nine battles we fought face-to-face on the field; I never won once! Whether in strategy or sheer force, I was utterly defeated every time.

No matter how I planned beforehand, how I laid traps, or calculated ambushes, it seemed nothing could escape his notice.

Jun Wuhui, the Marshal in White—peerless in history.” The Marshal in White, Ran Jin’s sole equal! Such words, spoken by the enemy’s foremost figure, constituted the highest possible praise! Jun Wuyi remained silent, yet Zhao Jianhun’s words stirred a genuine pride within him as memories of his elder brother flooded his mind.

Meanwhile, the Elder Young Master Jun pondered quietly.

Indeed, Zhao Jianhun had suffered repeated, crushing defeats against Jun Wuhui.

Yet, among all those vanquished by Jun Wuhui, Zhao Jianhun was the sole general who never bowed to despair, growing stronger with every setback.

No matter how disastrous yesterday’s loss, he could rally his forces today.

Such a seasoned warrior, tested a hundred times—truly remarkable! From this alone, Zhao Jianhun was clearly no simple man! “During the conflict between our nations, although I knew Jun Wuhui, every encounter we shared was across the battle lines, as mortal enemies.

My greatest desire in life, I, Zhao Jianhun, was to one day share wine with this supreme opponent, this most formidable foe, and speak freely for just a moment…” Zhao Jianhun sighed mournfully.

“My life’s greatest wish was to defeat Jun Wuhui head-on in battle, to personally sever his head, and then personally ensure his honorable burial! That is why, no matter how bitter my defeats, how desperate the straits I faced, I always clawed my way back.

It was that conviction that allowed me to rise time and again to confront that insurmountable enemy! To be defeated a hundred times and still fight on! Alas, such a heroic figure, such a genius commander, did not perish upon the field of honor! What a tragedy, what a lamentable end!” “Did not perish upon the field of honor?” Jun Wuyi’s eyes snapped open, cold as ice.

“Zhao Jianhun, what exactly are you trying to say? Or perhaps, what is it that you know?!” The unclear manner of his two elder brothers’ deaths was the greatest source of torment in Jun Wuyi’s life.

Although they broadly suspected foul play from Silver City, the deeper reasons, and the precise identities of the culprits, remained unknown.

These were the very things Third Master Jun urgently needed to know, and now, Zhao Jianhun seemed to hold some answers! Zhao Jianhun turned sharply.

“What do I know? I am a soldier.

If I have done something, I never deny it! Jun Wuyi, though you defeated me too, I do not respect you! The only man I, Zhao Jianhun, truly admired was your elder brother! If Jun Wuhui were still alive, I would naturally seek to kill him! But he is dead—and he died inexplicably during a clash with me.

However, I, Zhao Jianhun, will absolutely not shoulder this blame.

I know absolutely nothing about what happened back then!” “I should have been defeated and died at Jun Wuhui’s hands before the Battle of Shidong.

Yet, in the end, I wasn’t.

In the fight with you, I was on the verge of defeat too, but again, I survived! The one who should have won was defeated; the one whose loss was certain ultimately won!” Zhao Jianhun chuckled dryly.

“What supreme irony!” At this moment, Jun Wuyi vaguely grasped the true purpose behind Zhao Jianhun’s visit.

He murmured, “You want to know the truth?” Zhao Jianhun stared at him coldly.

“Had I truly defeated and killed Jun Wuhui, I would have proclaimed it to the world instantly and held massive celebrations! That would have been the greatest honor of my life.

But the fact remains: I did not! Yet this achievement, which is not mine, is attributed to my name.

For me, Zhao Jianhun, this is a monumental disgrace! A stain that can never be washed away! I cannot endure it.

Therefore, I must avenge him! Jun Wuhui was a true soldier; he deserves to die on the battlefield, not be felled by conspiracy! I cannot accept this outcome, and I believe he, too, in the Nine Springs, cannot face it!” “Including you, Jun Wuyi, in our final engagement, hehe.” Zhao Jianhun’s laugh was soft but piercingly bleak.

“You are a soldier too; if such inexplicable victories mounted upon you one after another, how would you feel? Some might secretly rejoice, but certainly not I, Zhao Jianhun.” Jun Wuyi fell silent.

“Jun Wuyi, I ask you! How did Jun Wuhui die? How did you lose?” Zhao Jianhun glared at Jun Wuyi like a hawk.

“Tell me, tell me the truth!” “The truth?” Jun Wuyi turned his head, his face contorting slightly.

“I wish I knew it myself.” Given Zhao Jianhun’s rank, he could certainly command significant influence in the Yu Tang Empire.

However, facing the supreme masters of Wind and Snow Silver City, Zhao Jianhun was weaker than an ant.

While Jun Wuyi certainly did not wish for Zhao Jianhun to remain alive, just as Zhao Jianhun felt, Jun Wuyi was, at his core, a proud soldier—he was one before, he is one now, and he always would be.

He would only consent to Zhao Jianhun dying on the battlefield, preferably by his own hand! Under no circumstances did he want Zhao Jianhun seeking vengeance for Jun Wuhui by targeting Wind and Snow Silver City, only to perish obscurely! In truth, Jun Wuyi only had a vague inkling of the reality.

Who exactly had dealt fatal blows to his elder brother, second brother, and two nephews, Jun Wuyi did not fully know.

The ones who struck against him personally that day were mere pawns.

If the Jun family’s feud concerned others, regardless of who these ‘others’ were or what their true intentions might be, he preferred not to entangle them.

“Zhao Jianhun, this is not something you can interfere with.

If they could deal with my elder brother and second brother, and deal with me, then dealing with you would be just as easy for them!” Jun Wuyi said coldly.

“Zhao Jianhun, do not overestimate yourself! While I desire your quick demise, just as you wish for yourself now, I absolutely do not want you to die this obscurely! The burial ground for a soldier should always be the frontier; that is where true contentment lies!” “So you already knew that the defeats of you three Jun brothers had nothing to do with us Zhao family?” Zhao Jianhun took a step forward, visibly agitated.

“Of course! While you are undeniably the foremost general of the Yu Tang Empire, you, Zhao Jianhun, were never qualified enough to defeat our brothers!” Jun Wuyi snorted dismissively.

“Nor did you possess the ability!” “Thank you! Thank you!” Despite being so belittled by Jun Wuyi, Zhao Jianhun felt intensely pleased, grateful, and moved! “Jun Wuyi, you are also a general who never loses; perhaps you will never know the true feeling of carrying these sudden victories on my back all these years! In these ten years of blood and battle, I certainly wasn't undefeated, but I always managed to reverse impossible odds and claim ultimate victory.

This was because I could not accept defeat at the hands of anyone other than the Jun brothers.

Yet, wherever I went, I could feel countless people pointing behind my back...

Look at this guy, he gets lucky so many times and wins battles! Other people win through real steel and blood, but he just gets lucky; no matter how miserable his defeat, he always manages a miraculous comeback through sheer dumb luck.

The Lucky General—luck is definitely a part of skill, and a very large part of it at that!” “This is the greatest insult to a soldier! A soldier does not believe in luck! Strength is everything.” Zhao Jianhun’s voice rose to a hysterical roar.

“Am I without strength? I haven't lost in ten years either! No matter the hardship, the final outcome was always my decisive victory! Why does everyone attribute it to luck? If I had known this, I would rather have fought and…” Jun Moxie watched Zhao Jianhun in silence.

The moment the man walked in, Jun Moxie recognized him as a true soldier! Hearing this, his understanding deepened.

Perhaps in Jun Moxie’s own mind, he found this rigid obsession with victory and defeat somewhat foolish, yet he could not help but admire it, nor could he disagree.

This was a soldier—a true, iron-blooded military man! Open and honest, fighting with genuine steel, trusting neither luck nor fate! Even in death, one must stand tall! Even in death, one must fall upon the battlefield! To die in the posture of charging forward, defending one’s pride and the nation’s dignity, leaving behind an imperishable back like a Great Wall for future generations, for the country! To die for one’s country is sacrifice enough; why must the corpse be wrapped in horse skins? This unique pride of a soldier was vividly displayed by both Jun Wuyi and Zhao Jianhun at this moment! Whether friend or foe, such a soldier deserved respect.

Yet, for such an iron-blooded general, such an honorable man, to be branded the "Dog-Shit Luck General" or the "Fortunate General," thereby erasing Zhao Jianhun’s military achievements over many years—no general could possibly tolerate that! Jun Wuyi and Zhao Jianhun, once enemies, now greatest rivals, spoke at length.

In front of the cenotaph of the former Marshal in White, Jun Wuhui, they conversed for a long time.

Although their words often clashed, there was mutual appreciation.

Throughout the entire exchange, Jun Moxie remained silent.

He knew this moment belonged to these two—two old soldiers, warriors who were once opponents.

It was only at the end, when Zhao Jianhun mentioned something casually that drew Jun Moxie’s attention: “The Jun family, and the Dugu family too, the situation in Tianxiang is not looking good for you right now.” “On what grounds do you say that?” Jun Wuyi asked.

“Could it be that Brother Zhao has learned some news? Is another nation targeting you?” “Do you need another nation to target you? Since the Grand Preceptor and I arrived in Tianxiang, all three princes of your esteemed nation have called upon us, hehe.

And their attitudes were rather…” Zhao Jianhun straightened up, his tone turning low and cold as he sneered.

“The Jun and Dugu families are fiercely loyal to the Heavenly Fragrance Sovereign, Yang Huaiyu.

The three princes, however, remain deadlocked, and your Emperor is determined to maintain balance without naming the heir apparent.

Thus, the three of them are growing impatient.

If the Seventh Prince is to ultimately succeed, a military coup might well be his only option.” “However, the Jun and Dugu families, refusing allegiance to any single prince, present the greatest obstacle to all three.

They must be neutralized.

Moreover, the Dugu family still has a daughter, Yunying, who is unmarried, retaining a vital bargaining chip.

I believe if any one of the princes manages to court her…” He paused with a dry chuckle.

“And the Jun family? Even if a princess marries one of them, that favor belongs only to the Emperor, it does not belong to the three princes.” Jun Wuyi’s expression darkened.

“Such a thing is happening?”

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