Chapter 331 Fire

What they despised most were the messy and unscrupulous methods used by the Yue people.

The innate abilities of the witch clan allow them to communicate with spirits and the yin and yang, and to absorb things that ordinary people cannot see for their own use.

The formation that trapped them this time was most likely their doing as well.

After General Zhou finished speaking, a junior officer beside him immediately said:

"General Zhou, why don't we split up? If one team manages to break out, it's better than us all being trapped here. Whether the Crown Prince and the two generals win or lose, we can't stay here any longer!"

Yes, two hours have passed, and the outside world may have been turned upside down. These troops that Xiahou Yin had dispatched to reinforce them have vanished into thin air. There is no news in the valley, and no one in the military camp has gone to report back. It is true that both sides have lost contact.

While General Zhou hesitated, several young officers beside him also tried to persuade him.

Without exception, their opinion was to split up and act separately. The people of Qi were not good at these witchcraft formations. If some of them accidentally managed to get out, that would be good. If not... at least they had tried, and they would have no regrets even if they died!

After struggling for a moment, General Zhou finally agreed.

The three thousand men, divided into groups of one hundred, rushed off in different directions, their figures quickly disappearing into the dense forest.

The night was as thick as ink, with no stars or moon tonight. It was the legendary dark and windy night, a night for murder and arson.

A massive fire, powerful enough to destroy the entire valley, raged in Tianque Valley. In the dense black forest, broken branches fell from time to time, and the crackling sounds of the flames filled the air.

As the night wind rose, the fire raged even more fiercely. Amidst the towering flames, Qi Jun leaned against Xiahou Zhong's shoulder, letting him help him move towards the valley entrance. The dry branches made a soft rustling sound underfoot, and occasionally they would step on a few pieces of corpses left behind by the explosion of the Yue soldiers' substitute Gu.

His face was deathly pale from blood loss, his lips were completely devoid of color, and his brows were furrowed.

Just now, Qi Shen was willing to risk mutual injury and death to kill him. When he failed with one strike, he directly ordered the gunpowder that had been laid in ambush to blow up Tianque Valley.

In the critical moment, General Duan took the lead and shielded Qi Jun from a gunpowder that was about to fall on him, but he...

The image of General Duan stopping the gunpowder for him was still vivid in his mind's eye, and Qi Jun closed his eyes with difficulty.

Of the entire Duan family, only General Duan was a loyal and virtuous man. Yet, his sacrifice alone could preserve the glory of the Duan family for more than a decade to come.

At the foot of the cliff at the valley entrance, the surviving Qilin Guards supported each other. The flames tinged their haggard faces with a warm red. Some gritted their teeth and covered their severed arms, while others looked at their crippled legs and silently shed tears.

This battle should not have resulted in such heavy casualties.

Neither the substitute Gu of Yue Bing and Xuan Yuanze, nor the sudden appearance of Prince Duan Qi Shen, were within their expectations.

These two unexpected events nearly caused Qi Jun to perish in the valley as well.

Sensing the unusual silence of the Crown Prince beside him, Xiahou Zhong sniffed, trying hard not to let his tears fall.

He was only half a step too late, failing to get ahead of General Duan to shield the Crown Prince from the gunpowder. But because he was just half a step too late, he could only watch helplessly as his former master died before his eyes.

He used to be an ignorant and fearless young general. It was Duan Wei who personally guided him, teaching him all eighteen kinds of weapons, how to deploy troops, and how to understand people's hearts.

However, he was just a step too late, and he lost his mentor forever, and the State of Qi also lost a good general forever.

"Your Highness, General Duan's spirit in heaven will surely continue to protect our Great Qi and keep it from calamity..." Xiahou Zhong forced himself to stop wallowing in grief and mustered his spirits to comfort the Crown Prince.

Now that things have come to this, the most urgent task is to return to the military camp as soon as possible and discuss subsequent countermeasures.

Now that the Qi army's commander-in-chief is dead, the Yue Kingdom is almost unscathed—provided that the substitute gu works perfectly and that Xuanyuan Ze is still alive.

The marriage alliance failed, and undercurrents surged in both countries. Whoever bowed down first would be at a disadvantage.

So how should this battle be fought? Xiahou Zhong felt a great deal of confusion, partly due to the sudden passing of his mentor who had taught him for half his life, and partly because he realized that the current situation was definitely unfavorable to the State of Qi.

Qi Jun remained silent for a moment before saying, "I know."

Although he was deeply grieved, the heroes were gone, and he was more concerned about the face and glory of the living.

However, everything will have to wait until we can successfully return to the capital.

Three thousand elite soldiers and one thousand Qilin Guards entered the valley, but after a quick headcount, only a few dozen remained!

The sound of horses' hooves broke in the distance, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a team of one hundred people.

The sound of hooves grew closer and closer until a young general tumbled to the ground, his knees hitting the gravel without him even noticing.

He hurriedly knelt on one knee before Qi Jun, bowing deeply in respect, his voice firm and resonant:

"Your Highness, we are late in coming to Your Majesty's rescue, please forgive us!"

Qi Jun did not move, and said softly, "I forgive you for your crime. Quickly take the wounded and injured soldiers back to camp."

The young general immediately agreed, but as he stood up, he caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's two limp arms out of the corner of his eye. He exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, your hands!"

Qi Shen's gunpowder was quite powerful. Even though General Duan shielded him with his body, he was still thrown back by the aftershock. His arm hit a rock, dislocating one shoulder and... probably breaking the other.

Qi Jun didn't speak, but gestured with his eyes for him to treat the wounded soldiers as soon as possible.

Soon, someone brought a tall horse for Xiahou Zhong and Qi Jun, intending for the two to ride together and return to camp quickly.

Before mounting his horse, the suppressed cries of pain from the wounded soldiers around him as they were moved and their injuries were touched filled the air. As Qi Jun's gaze swept over these dozens of surviving soldiers, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness and frustration for the first time.

He was the crown prince and the commander of this battle. So many people lost their lives or were seriously injured and left disabled, and none of them could escape his influence.

If he had been more demanding and prepared more thoroughly, could he have saved more lives?

Following his gaze, Xiahou Zhong saw the dozens of agonizing surviving soldiers and quickly realized what the Crown Prince was thinking. He immediately interrupted Qi Jun's thoughts:

"Your Highness, our greatest wish is to save your life."

Qi Jun weakly hummed in agreement, looked away, and was helped onto the horse.

In the darkness, the firelight in Tianque Valley was dazzling, and even the distant Qi army camp could faintly see a glimmer of light.

Xiahou Yin was unable to move, so he could only ask the guards to come in and report every now and then.

Upon hearing that Tianque Valley was suspected of being on fire, he was so shocked he almost fell out of bed.

"What? There are so many plants in the valley, if it really catches fire, that would be..."

He didn't continue, but the implication was clear.

"Are you sure you didn't see wrong?!" Xiahou Yin gritted his teeth and struggled, almost sitting up.