Chapter 328 Piecing Together

A moment later, a sharp sword flashed before Xuan Yuanze's eyes. He turned his head and looked closely, only to find that it was the Crown Prince of Qi who was personally facing him.

He simply threw off his mask, revealing a face full of scars. He raised his hand to wipe away the blood that had spilled from the corner of his mouth. Beneath the broken chainmail, the wound from the piercing through his sleeve dart was faintly visible, still oozing blood. With each step he took, he left a winding trail in the grass and trees.

Almost no one saw clearly how the two young men, both clad in armor, made their move.

Several powerful clanging sounds rang out, and the two men took a step back in unison.

"Ha, a feigned marriage alliance just to wait for this moment?"

"Qi Jun, you go back on your word and break your promise. When did you people of Qi become so treacherous and disgusting?"

Qi Jun held a three-foot-long sword, his eyes coldly fixed on him: "Otherwise, how could I have trapped you here?"

Xuanyuan Ze suddenly looked up and burst into laughter:

"You are still too young and too naive. Xiao Ye extended your life, allowing you to live for so long. Now it's time to return this life to her."

Qi Jun frowned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Xuanyuanze: "You should have died from the plague long ago. If she hadn't saved you, do you think you would still have the chance to stand in front of me?"

"Do you think this battle is a sure victory? You little brat, you're delusional."

Having said that, he picked up the knife again and slashed upwards—

Duan Wei and Xiahou Zhong were tied down by Ren Shun alone and could only watch helplessly as their young and sharp crown prince clashed with that carefree prince once again.

It's unclear how long this fierce battle lasted.

As the sun began to set in the west, the valley gradually grew dark.

Duan Wei suddenly felt a pang of heart ailment. In his haste to turn around, he saw a scene that made his eyes widen in horror.

All the Yue soldiers who had died and lay quietly on the ground suddenly got up one by one.

Some even had their arms or heads severed, but that didn't stop them from finding their missing limbs, reattaching them, and then—

They gripped their weapons once more and engaged the Qi army in battle.

The scene was too bizarre, as if an invisible hand was manipulating them from the air, giving them new life. Duan Wei felt goosebumps all over his body.

Many others saw the Vietnamese soldiers just like him, and they all had the same reaction—horrified, bewildered, and confused.

Even more terrifying is that even if their bodies are shattered once again, those Vietnamese soldiers will still stand up, find their remains, roughly piece them back together, and fight again!

This chilling scene was so unbelievable that the morale of the army collapsed, and in just a moment, the Qi army lost more than a dozen men!

"Your Highness!!!" Duan Wei shouted anxiously, trying to remind Qi Jun of the unusual nature of these Vietnamese soldiers.

Qi Jun and Xuan Yuanze were locked in fierce combat when they heard this. Qi Jun glanced in their direction, but Xuan Yuanze's blade immediately drew his attention back to them.

"Tsk tsk, no wonder they're so inattentive."

"You're just a kid who hasn't been around for long. You're used to being pampered and probably haven't experienced the dangers of swords."

"Brother, I'm going to teach you properly today what it means to be equal for all beings in the face of life and death."

Qi Jun was caught off guard and barely dodged the attack, but was slashed in the arm by the long sword. His armor broke, and his left arm immediately opened up, bleeding profusely.

He mustered all his strength and continued to fight to the death with the man in front of him.

Outside the valley.

Qi Yuxuan and Xiao Jue were both sent back to the Qi army camp. As soon as she entered the camp, she saw several maids with tears streaming down their faces, arguing with the guards.

Upon seeing her, the maids gasped in surprise, forgetting their tears, and hurriedly surrounded her.

"Princess!!!" Lanxin and Bihui ran the fastest, supporting Qi Yuxuan on either side, their faces full of worry.

Qin Yuan and Cheng Yan lagged half a step behind, so they could only follow behind her cautiously.

It turned out that when the three bows were over, in the midst of the chaos, Lanxin and the other maids had already been scolded by the Qi army and forced to retreat out of the valley. They were not allowed to take any dowry, nor were they allowed to meddle in other people's business. They were told to go somewhere cool and stay there.

They were anxious to take the princess with them, but the Qi army only said:

"The princess is protected by us. You will only get in the way if you stay here. Get out of here immediately! Otherwise, don't blame us for not warning you if you die under the swords of the Yue soldiers!"

They are right. Princess Chang Le is a noblewoman, and the Qi army will protect her no matter what. But it's not so certain for them, the maids. Their lives are as worthless as grass. If they die in the valley, they won't even be able to seek justice.

Most importantly, they were all weak women who couldn't lift a finger or do anything heavy. They had no martial arts skills and would only be a hindrance if they stayed here.

The group of people were driven out with a mix of worry and panic. They followed a group of servants and craftsmen who had managed to escape back to the military camp. After waiting for a long time, they still did not see the princess and the others return.

That's why the maids were so anxious just now, like ants on a hot pan, because they wanted to plead with the guards to send people to support Tianque Valley.

But these guards were all soldiers from the military camp. Without orders from their superiors, how could they possibly obey the orders of a few maids? Naturally, they were unwilling, and with the two sides at a stalemate, Qi Yuxuan arrived.

The Crown Prince was still in the valley, and her heart was in turmoil. She was also worried about finding Xiahou Yin for help, so she only hurriedly said:

"I'm fine, I just sprained my ankle again. I'll rub it with some medicated oil later."

After saying that, he looked at Xiao Jue, who was covered in blood and pale-faced: "By the way, Lord Xiao is the most seriously injured. Quickly go and fetch the army doctor to treat him."

The Qilin Guards, who had accompanied the escorts, clasped their hands in salute and left first to find Xiahou Yin to request reinforcements to the valley. Qi Yuxuan also returned to her temporary residence, where several maids helped her take off her cumbersome and heavy wedding dress.

With the hairpins and ornaments finally removed, Qi Yuxuan felt a sense of relief in her neck. Then she heard Lanxin ask hesitantly:

"Does the princess know about the ambush set up by the two generals today?"

Qi Yuxuan: "...I know." What was bound to happen eventually came; she knew this question would come.

Lanxin used to be a maidservant by her mother's side and the goddaughter of Aunt Mengxian. Sometimes, her words carried more weight than those of the other maidservants combined, and she even gave Qi Yuxuan the illusion that she was ordered to manage her.

Lanxin frowned slightly: "Since you knew, Princess shouldn't have kept it from me. In such a dangerous situation as today, which happened so suddenly, none of us stayed by your side. What if something happened to you..."

Bi Sui quickly stepped forward and said, "Sister Lanxin, nothing bad has happened yet, so don't say such unlucky things."

With tear stains still on their faces, their serious words carried little weight. Qi Yuxuan, like a child who had done something wrong, explained:

"I didn't want you to worry too much, lest the Vietnamese army see through our plan..."

Lan Xin said anxiously, "We've been by the princess's side for so long, and she doesn't even believe us about something like this."