At this moment, Zhao Qingcang's mood was very complicated.

He recalled that a few days ago, the young man in front of him had calmly said that he would deal with the traitors within the military department himself.

At that time, this marshal didn't grasp the severity of the problem at all.

He even felt that this young man was somewhat overconfident.

As a result, in just a few short days.

Five or six hundred people had died in the entire Imperial Capital alone.

This storm of slaughter showed no signs of stopping whatsoever.

The entire Central Military Department was thrown into chaos, with everyone feeling endangered.

With no other choice, Zhao Qingcang had to rush back from the border ahead of schedule to personally take charge of the overall situation.

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, calmly met the old man's bloodshot eyes.

He gently nodded.

"That's right, I did it."

Zhao Qingcang's fists suddenly clenched under the desk.

His knuckles made a crisp "creaking" sound from the excessive force.

Zhou Huai's voice didn't have the slightest ripple, as if he were stating a trivial matter.

"Putting aside the two hundred and forty-three members of the Liu family."

"Among the remaining three hundred or so people, most of them secretly defected to Sakura Country."

"There are complex benefit transmissions between them and Sakura Country."

He paused and dropped a bombshell.

"There are also more than fifty people who are spies secretly planted by Sakura Country in Great Xia Nation for many years."

"The highest-ranking among them is already the deputy chief of staff of the 42nd Group Army."

Zhao Qingcang's eyelids twitched violently.

He spoke hoarsely, his voice carrying suppressed anger.

"You say they are spies, and so they are spies?"

"Our military department's intelligence System has investigated these people for so many years without finding any trace."

"On what grounds can you do it?"

On Zhou Huai's face, a trace of a confident smile finally appeared.

He bowed slightly toward the old man, his tone respectful.

"Marshal Zhao, I naturally have my own methods."

As his voice fell, he raised his hand.

An ancient Storage Ring flashed slightly at his fingertips.

The next second, a thick stack of materials heavy enough to crush someone to death appeared out of thin air.

"Bang!"

That stack of materials was heavily slapped onto the desk in front of Zhao Qingcang, producing a dull, loud sound.

"These were all searched out from their homes. Evidence of their collusion with Sakura Country."

"As for the authenticity, you can send someone to investigate personally."

Zhao Qingcang blankly looked at the small mountain piled up by criminal evidence on the desk.

For a moment, he was speechless.

He reached out and somewhat stiffly picked up the topmost document.

The paper was very heavy.

So heavy that it made him breathless.

He opened the document, and those shocking names and filthy transaction records, like the sharpest daggers, fiercely stabbed into his heart.

The office fell into a dead silence.

Only the old man's increasingly heavy breathing remained.

After a long while, he slowly lowered the document in his hand and raised his head.

In those deep tiger-like eyes was an unfathomable exhaustion and heartache.

"Even so, you shouldn't have done this."

"With so many people dead, the entire Great Xia Nation has begun to panic."

"Even if you want to deal with people, you should take it step by step!"

"Instead of like this..."

Zhao Qingcang's words were not finished yet when they were interrupted by Gandalf raising a hand.

"Marshal Zhao!"

Zhou Huai's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

"I know what I did was reckless and extreme."

"But I had to do it."

"Because I am running out of time."

Zhao Qingcang was slightly stunned.

"What do you mean by running out of time?"

A bitter smile appeared on Zhou Huai's face.

That smile carried a trace of unspeakable exhaustion.

"To be honest with you."

"My main body has some issues right now."

"I can't live much longer."

"What?"

Zhao Qingcang's brows furrowed tightly.

To the Old Marshal, these words were no different from a bolt from the blue.

Just moments ago, he had seen the future hope of Great Xia Nation in Gandalf.

Yet the other party was now informing him that he wouldn't live much longer.

"What on earth is going on?"

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, spoke calmly.

"I am very sorry, Marshal Zhao, please forgive me for not being able to tell you the specific details."

"In short, the only thing that can save me right now is that Divine Artifact, the Pendulum of Life."

Saying this, Zhou Huai sighed.

"I originally thought that relying on Principal Lin Zhu, the Pendulum of Life could be safely sent back."

"As a result, I didn't expect that not only was the Pendulum of Life snatched away, but it also caused Principal Lin Zhu to pay with her life."

"Therefore, I must snatch back the Pendulum of Life."

Zhou Huai's voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight.

This was not just for his own survival.

It was even more to seek justice for that respectable elder.

Hearing this, Zhao Qingcang fell into a long silence.

In the office, only his increasingly heavy breathing remained.

After a long while, he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it with somewhat stiff movements, and took a deep drag.

The lingering smoke blurred his exhausted face.

"Regarding the Pendulum of Life, the military department already has news as well."

"According to intelligence sent back by our spies in Sakura Country, the Pendulum of Life has indeed fallen into the hands of Sakura Country."

"It is estimated that before long, they might use the Pendulum of Life to resurrect their former SSS-Class Professional."

Zhao Qingcang extinguished the cigarette in his hand,

"Now that the Pendulum of Life is in the hands of Sakura Country, they regard it as a national treasure and store it inside the heavily guarded Ise Grand Shrine."

"Not only is it guarded by the top Onmyoji barriers of Sakura Country, but two of their SS-Rank Experts are also stationed there year-round."

"At a time like this, wanting to snatch it back from their hands is as difficult as ascending to heaven!"

In the old man's voice was a profound sense of helplessness.

"Even if we launch a national war, the possibility of success is almost slim to none."

"Sakura Country harbors wild ambitions, and surrounding countries have long been eyeing Great Xia Nation covetously. Once a war breaks out, we will surely fall into a desperate situation besieged on all sides."

"By then, let alone snatching back the Divine Artifact, the entire Great Xia Nation could be doomed beyond redemption because of this!"

This is an overt plot.

"Sakura Country wants to use this Divine Artifact to force Great Xia Nation to make a choice."

"Either watch helplessly as they resurrect "Amaterasu" and wait passively for death,"

"Or launch a national war destined to fail and march toward destruction prematurely."

"No matter how one chooses, it is a dead end."

However, at this moment, Zhou Huai spoke calmly once again.

"There is no need to launch a national war."

Zhao Qingcang raised his head and looked at him with inquiring eyes.

Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, pointed at himself.

"I'll go alone and snatch back the Pendulum of Life."