Final Chapter

Xu Ning's hands did not stop, and neither did anyone on the battlefield.

The soldiers were exhausted, had not eaten meat for many days, and had no strength to lift. But when they thought of their wives and children at home and every inch of land behind them, their fighting spirit was high again.

However, God played a trick on them. On the morning of the fifth day, soon after the soldiers finished their breakfast, they began to feel weak and dizzy. Many of them staggered after only a few steps, dropped their weapons and fell to the ground.

"What's going on?" Since the battle couldn't be won, Xu Ning couldn't eat and didn't even have breakfast this morning.

Qu Yi investigated the situation and grabbed a man and said, "He put muscle softening powder in the food."

"General, I didn't mean it. Su Wujin threatened me with my wife and children. If I didn't do this, he would kill my whole family." The cook said crying.

"Fine twenty military sticks and expel him from the military." Xu Ning was soft-hearted.

The cook knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, General, for your kindness!"

It started to rain outside as everyone mopped up the battlefield, their blood mixing with the rain and mud. Su Wuji's army of Gu people was still growing. Xu Ning was unsure, so he just held on every day.

"How long can it last?" Xu Ning looked at the raindrops drifting in the wind, his eyes blank.

Qu Yi pursed his lips and said nothing.

The antidote for Xue Bushuo's poison has not been developed yet. It is said that a special insect body is still missing, which is the most critical medicinal ingredient.

"General, the enemy is coming again!" the sentry came to report.

Xu Ning suppressed his emotions, his eyes cold and gloomy: "Prepare your troops and march with me to meet the enemy!"

"yes!"

It is a sunny day today. Su Wujin likes this kind of weather very much. He raised his hand and the sunlight washed over his palm, warm and gentle.

He said nonchalantly from his horse, "Xu Ning, give up! Stop struggling in vain. If you surrender now, I'll give you a dignified death."

Surrender? She couldn't do it. The one charging at the front was his brother, who had lost a hand, and the one covering her back was a veteran who had followed the Mo family for decades.

Zhao Mingchang wore a red dress today, without any hair accessories, and only drew light eyebrows.

"Su Wujin, the soldiers of our Xin country swear to fight to the death and never surrender!"

Su Wujin sneered: "Okay, in that case, I will play with you to the end."

Yuwen Xin suddenly had a headache yesterday. Qu Xiang took his pulse and discovered that he had been poisoned. It was an invisible poison, colorless and odorless. The date was exactly the day Emperor Gan Ping was in danger. That day, Yuwen Xin accidentally ate a pastry given by Su Wuxie, who said it was a specialty of Xizhou. Yuwen Xin ate it without thinking much.

Su Wujin raised his hand in disdain, and the general in the lead behind him understood and rang the copper bell to wake up the poison master.

These Gu people had dull eyes, purple and cracked lips, long and sharp teeth, and were quick, agile, and well-trained. They only listened to Su Wuji's words.

They are just like a group of iron puppets with no emotions and only know how to kill people.

Less than a thousand imperial troops remained, many of them still recovering from the effects of the muscle softening powder. Countless Gu-infected soldiers surrounded them, and the sun vanished, replaced by dark clouds and a strong wind.

Xu Ning couldn't hold on any longer. Last time, he was pierced by thousands of arrows. How did he die this time? His body was torn into pieces?

Everyone defended the city gate to the death. As early as a month ago, Yuwen Xin ordered the people in each city to take refuge in the mountains. Now Shangjing is an empty city.

All the soldiers gathered in front of the city gate, ready to die.

"Su Wujin, are you determined to turn this city into a living hell?"

Xu Ning's armor was tattered, her face gouged and bruised, and she'd been hit by several palm strikes. Her mouth tasted strongly of blood, blood stained the corners of her lips, and her internal organs seemed to be shattered and trapped inside her body.

The winners and losers seemed to be decided, and many soldiers of Xin State also thought so.

Su Wujin: "I'm tired of fighting for so long. Why don't we change the way we play."

"You say." Xu Ning frowned, bearing the pain. Last night, Ye Yulan had left a message by carrier pigeon saying he had found Tang Xixu and that he was not dead.

As long as I can hold on until my father and Ah Xu arrive, I have a chance of winning.

"Each side will send three people to compete, with two wins out of three. If I lose, I will treat all those who surrender as my own people from Xizhou. If you lose, I will destroy Shangjing and kill all the people of Xin."

Xu Ning thought for a moment: "Okay."

Every soldier of the Xin State also thought so. They could die, but their wives, children and parents could not.

"No more fighting. Let's change the way of competing." Su Wujin said with great interest, "The first round is poison making." He sat in the chair very comfortably, as if he was enjoying a beautiful afternoon.

Su Wujin sent a poison master from the Wu clan.

Qu Xiang came over and covered the back of Xu Ning's hand: "I'm good at this game, I'll do it."

Xu Ning curved her lips and smiled slightly: "Yeah."

Qu Xiang's expression was cold: "How do you want to compete?"

"Each of you bring out a poison. Whoever tells the other's poison's ingredients and preparation method first within an incense stick of time will be the winner." The poison master took off his hood to reveal his true face.

Qu Xiang was surprised: "Senior Brother?"

"Junior sister, long time no see." Xue Qin was more talented in making poisons than Qu Xiang. When she was young, she was obsessed with poisons and was too obsessed with using living people for experiments. She was stubborn and stubborn, and was finally expelled from the sect by Xue Bushuo.

Qu Xiang's face turned pale, her confidence completely gone. She correctly identified all the poisons Xue Qin had suggested. She then took out her own poison. Xue Qin opened the bottle, sniffed it, frowned, looked at Qu Xiang, and then curled her lips.

He quickly answered the ingredients and followed up with the production process.

"...then dry the red heartstone and grind it into powder, and finally add, add..." Xue Qin could not answer, and Su Wujin looked at her coldly.

After a while, Xue Qin said, "I admit defeat. Please let me know, Junior Sister."

Qu Xiang was stunned, surprise flashing in his eyes. "Add the blood of the Gu person, stir, simmer gently, and leave it for 49 days."

With Xue Qin's knowledge, he must have known that he lost on purpose.

Su Wujin: "Since you've lost, don't embarrass yourself here." He turned and looked at Xu Ning with a smile: "We lose this round."

"Next round, let's push the tripod."

"I'll do it." Qu Yi stepped forward. Qu Yi was already exhausted, and if he continued fighting, he would surely die of blood loss.

Xu Ning: "I'll do it." Qu Yi stood in front and refused to leave.

"This is an order." Xu Ning's eyes were firm.

Xu Ning has left the field, so this round is naturally Su Wujin's turn.

Su Wujin gathered his strength and pushed a bronze tripod as tall as a house in front of Xu Ning. Xu Ning raised his hand to catch it, and his palm cracked red with bloodstains.

When Xu Ning bent down to exhale, the tripod pushed him again, causing his chest to explode with pain and blood to fly out.

Suddenly, a strange aroma hit me, my lips felt hot and wet, and the blood in my mouth was eaten away by the other person. My vision blurred, and I saw a face that was familiar, strange, and yet evil.

Tang Xixu took Xu Ning over. The young man looked at Xu Ning with cold eyes as if he was looking at a stranger.

Xu Ning was thrown out mercilessly, and Ye Yulan took it: "My daughter, are you okay?"

"Dad, was that Ah Xu just now?"

The young man in front of me was extremely charming, with golden hair flowing like a waterfall and a red bird pattern on his forehead.

Xu Ning called his name, but he didn't turn around.

Tang Xixu slapped the bronze tripod from the sky with a palm, and it flew away. It finally landed in front of Su Wujin, and the people around him were blown away.

Su Wujin was anxious and hurriedly asked everyone to come forward.

"Whoever captures Tang Xixu's head will be rewarded handsomely!"

Xuan Yin only told him that he wanted Tang Xixu, and Su Wujin thought that he wanted to torture Tang Xixu to death.

The army of Gu people swarmed in, and none of them was a match for Tang Xixu.

The fearless poison masters surrounded him, but all of them had their intestines pierced and their necks twisted. The smell of blood made Tang Xixu even more manic. He looked at everyone fiercely, and subconsciously knew that he could not hurt a person named Xu Ning.

The Gu man was torn into pieces, his arms were arms, his legs were legs, and everything was divided.

Everyone was frightened and retreated.

But within two incense sticks, the Xizhou army was severely damaged and defeated. The Xin army saw hope, and their morale was boosted, and they rushed forward to fight the enemy.

Su Wujin tried to run, but Tang Xixu smacked him to the ground. He lay there, half-dead, digging his way forward, bit by bit, through the mud. Tang Xixu regained consciousness and threw Su Wujin into the pile of bloody, still-breathing Gu people. The bloody, limbless, and rancid Gu people scrambled to devour him, leaving not a single inch of Su Wujin's body intact.

The month-long battle finally ended. Xu Ning called out to Tang Xixu. A dark shadow passed by, and Xu Ning hugged it with all her might. Tang Xixu turned and looked at the girl vomiting blood. The dark red in the young man's pupils gradually faded, and tears flashed. The brutality in his blood was at work again. He steeled his heart, and said coldly, "I don't know you. Get out."

The young man left without looking back.

Xu Ning's legs went limp and he passed out.

"Daughter!"

"Xu Ning!"

Xu Ning was in a coma for two months. Xu Lian's hand was found but it was burnt and could not be used. Although he lost a hand, fortunately Yin Wumeng was not stupid this time.

This war severely damaged the Xin State. Yuwen Xin was bedridden and unable to manage the government. All affairs were handled by Zhao Mingshang.

All participants in the war, whether or not they were enlisted soldiers, were rewarded according to their merits. Many martial artists entered the military, while others continued to roam the world.

Xin State returned to its former peace.

Qu Xiang told Zhao Mingchang that Yuwen Xin would have to stay in bed and take medicine to keep himself alive. Zhao Mingchang's heart was stabbed, and pity flashed in his eyes, but only for a moment.

"Aren't you sad?" Xu Ning was surprised by Zhao Mingshang's behavior. After all, they had been in love for two lifetimes. Moreover, Yuwen Xin was so good to her and had been a virgin before she married him. Whatever she wanted, even if it was the stars in the sky, Yuwen Xin would pick them for her without hesitation.

"If he leaves and Yuwen Yi returns to the capital, there have been calls in the court for him to ascend the throne. I'm afraid your position as queen will be in jeopardy."

Zhao Mingshang looked at the fireworks of thousands of families under the palace wall: "It's best not to protect it. I would rather rule the country than be the mother of the country." She turned around and her ambitious eyes fell on Xu Ning.

Xu Ning's pupils trembled slightly, and she understood. She was overthinking it, and she was right. In her first life, Zhao Mingshang had become a female prime minister after Yuwen Xin's death. She was not the kind of woman who would cry over love.

Xu Ning sighed deeply: "I'm glad you're not sad."

Zhao Mingchang sneered: "There will be a day when you worry about me. I didn't expect that, Xu Ning."

Since this battle, the two of them have gone from being cooperative allies to close friends.

"I've always treated you as my sister, okay?"

Zhao Mingchang looked at Xu Ning, whose eyes were shining brightly: "Oh, I thought you only had eyes for Tang Xixu."

Zhao Mingchang realized something was wrong and quickly covered his mouth.

"Since he disappeared that day, I haven't seen him since. I sent so many people, but there is no news from him." Zhao Mingshang held Xu Ning's hands.

Xu Ning raised his hand and patted the back of Zhao Mingchang's hand: "Anyway, the world is peaceful now. I will go find him after I deal with the court affairs with you."

Late at night, candlelight flickered in the Qinzheng Hall, the ground was covered with dim yellow, and the shadows of flowers swayed in the wind.

Yuwen Xin picked up his pen and wrote the abdication edict, then handed it to Zhao Mingshang. He coughed a few times and said, "Achang, I will hand over the throne to you."

Hot tears suddenly filled her eyes, and the woman looked at the frail and handsome emperor: "You know?"

Yuwen Xin's cheeks dimpled in a smile: "I have always known that. You are ambitious and capable. You have learned a lot from the Queen Mother over the years. I believe in you. Besides, I am already tired and I want to rest."

Zhao Mingchang kowtowed: "Mingchang will never let you down."

Yuwen Xin looked at the woman he had liked since childhood with gentle eyes.

When they were young, Zhao Mingshang was the prince's study companion. At that time, Yuwen Xin was still living in the cold palace, dirty and often hungry. Zhao Mingshang would often secretly bring him cakes from home. He knew that Zhao Mingshang wanted to be the crown princess and the queen, and she had ambitions, so he took the throne and the high platform to help her achieve her goals.

Three days later, Yuwen Xin abdicated and became the Supreme Emperor, and Zhao Mingshang ascended the throne with the young emperor and ruled the country from behind the scenes.

There were still many skeptical voices within the court. Taran ascended the throne as the first queen of Xizhou and personally visited Xin State for negotiations. Zhao Mingchang negotiated and ultimately, Xizhou agreed to submit to Xin State, hoping to reopen trade and guarantee a fifteen-year truce. Zhao Mingchang's already high prestige among the people helped dispel the skepticism within the court.

On the day of his departure, Xu Ning didn't tell Ye Yulan and the others. When the two of them reached the city gate, Zhao Mingchang packed Xu Ning's bag and said, "Take care on this trip."

Xu Ning mounted his horse and waved, "You too. Relax a little and don't argue with the ministers. They're all quite old. You should also respect those whose bodies are half buried in the earth. Less anger will help you live a long life."

"When did you become so nagging?" Zhao Mingchang laughed. "I know. You must come back!"

Zhao Mingchang waved goodbye without caring about her manners, tears streaming down her face unconsciously.

…

Ningzhou wasn't as desolate and desolate as he'd imagined. The people there spoke a language Xu Ning couldn't understand, and the people were self-sufficient and self-reliant, a veritable paradise. Xu Ning, leading his horse, pulled out a portrait, stopped a man, gave him some silver, and pointed at the portrait.

The other party immediately understood and gestured randomly.

Xu Ning didn't understand, but luckily, an old lady who could speak Chinese came.

"Is the girl looking for him?"

"Yes. Mother-in-law."

"He is the Gu King of our Wu clan." Grandma smiled and said softly, "The King lives alone in the palace. After he cured us of the Gu poison, he never left the palace again. The King is very lonely."

For years, the Wu clan members were controlled by Xuan Yin's poison, either sleeping unconscious or becoming his puppets. Tang Xixu detoxified them, gave them gold and treasures, and allowed them to resume their lives, abandoning the practice of Gu. From then on, Ningzhou became a normal city.

It has been two years since the last war, and so much has happened.

"Can you take me to see him?"

The mother-in-law was surprised: "Aren't you afraid of him?"

Xu Ning was puzzled.

Grandma continued, "The king possesses extraordinary powers. He cannot control himself and sometimes becomes violent and murderous. Therefore, he never allows us to enter the palace. He only has food left at the palace gate at the beginning of each month."

Xu Ning understood, and she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart. She took a deep breath and smiled: "Don't worry, mother-in-law, he won't hurt me. I am his wife."

Hearing the last sentence, the mother-in-law's eyes widened as if she had seen something strange, but then she calmed down again: "Okay. I hope the king can get better."

The palace was dark and cold, its surroundings a pristine bronze hue. Many of its objects dated from the previous dynasty. If it weren't for the sunlight filtering through the gaps between the missing tiles, it would have been pitch dark.

Xu Ning pushed the door open and walked in. The hall was filled with dust, spider webs connected to the beams, and the air was filled with a musty smell.

The palace was deathly silent. The guide, the old woman, said their king was here. Xu Ning walked for a long time without seeing a single living thing.

"Is anyone there?"

The wind blew, and at the end of the long hall there was a dark mass.

Xu Ning held his breath and walked forward. In the blink of an eye, something in front of him moved. Xu Ning stopped and drew his sword in a defensive stance.

Xu Ning felt a shivering sensation on her back, as if something was staring at her from the shadows. Turning around, the dark mass was already approaching her. Xu Ning leaped back, and the black thing soared into the air, baring its fangs and drooling profusely. A foul odor filled her nostrils.

Xu Ning drew his sword, slicing the black snake into several pieces. Several more snakes appeared from behind, but were also killed by Xu Ning.

At the end of the long hall was a small room. It was cluttered with objects blocking the way: all sorts of witchcraft toys, gold, silver, and bronze artifacts. But mostly around it were copper bells shaped like golden crows. It looked more like a den than a room.

At the end lay a figure, blond and half naked, his chest entwined with pale red lines. A silver snake, about the thickness of an index finger, coiled around his wrist. The silver snake was the first to awaken, slithering over and nuzzling Xu Ning's toes, beckoning her over.

Tang Xixu was fast asleep with his eyes closed. He wasn't lying on a bed, but a random piece of cloth, with two blood jades beside him. His limbs were chained with chains as thick as his arms, but the key was beside him.

The young man's handsome face was covered in silver scales, except for his facial features. The little silver snake crawled onto Tang Xixu's shoulder and tapped him, causing him to open his eyes.

He looked at Xu Ning. The young man had calm, lifeless eyes, sleepy eyes, and a blank mind. He opened his mouth to call her name, but he couldn't remember the girl's name for a long time. He just stared at her as if she were a stranger.

Xu Ning was stunned. She pulled Tang Xixu in and hugged him: "I'll take you home." After a while, Tang Xixu raised her arms and hugged Xu Ning. He didn't know why he did this, but he just wanted to get closer and closer. Being closer to her would calm the violence in his body.

The Ningzhou mayor was surprised that Xu Ning actually brought Wang out.

Watching the two depart, the grandmother clasped her fists and muttered, "Gu God, please bless the kind king so that he will no longer be lonely. May they have smooth sailing."

Tang Xixu's memory was emptied, and he remained silent all the way. He ate whatever Xu Ning gave him to eat, did whatever he asked him to do, and let Xu Ning lead him by the rope. The only bad thing was that he couldn't leave Xu Ning for a moment.

"I'm going to pee, you can't follow me." Tang Xixu grabbed her clothes and looked at her with innocent puppy eyes.

"Okay, okay, we're an old married couple anyway." Xu Ning was helpless. When she took off her pants, Tang Xixu blushed and turned his head away from her.

Xu Ning teased: "Oh, you feel shy now?"

Tang Xixu's ears turned red and he turned his head away, avoiding the girl's gaze.

Seeing his condition, Xu Ning once suspected that he was mentally ill, as he looked like an idiot from the next village all day long.

It took the two of them a month and a half to return to the capital. Xue Qin took the initiative to admit his mistake and accepted the punishment from Xue Buzhu. He also knew a lot about Su Wujin and Xuanyin's poison.

Xue Qin looked at the two pieces of blood jade that Tang Xixu had taken and was overjoyed. "This is the key to the antidote. Tang Xixu only suppressed his violence by wearing this jade every day."

Qu Xiang took Tang Xixu's pulse and found it steady, the overbearing force much weaker. She picked up the small silver snake again, examined it carefully, and sniffed some of its blood. "Sure enough, the City Lord must have recovered from drinking the snake's blood and eating the eight-legged insect in the blood jade."

Xue Qin added, "The first cycle is one year. After taking the antidote, you fall into a deep sleep. The poison is diluted and replaced. Something like snake scales grows and then falls off. During this cycle, you will completely lose your memory and mind."

"Perhaps he wants to come back after clearing himself of the poison. During the treatment process, that power can easily get out of control, and if he's not careful, he could go on a killing spree."

Xu Ning's heart sank, realizing why Tang Xixu had locked him up. Not to mention the pain of ants gnawing at his bones during treatment. Xu Ning's eyes reddened as he hugged Tang Xixu. Tang Xixu, bewildered, responded with a hand.

The treatment has not yet ended, and for safety reasons, he will be chained up for the rest of the treatment.

Xu Ning would visit him every day. When he went crazy, Xu Ning would hug him tightly, and sometimes he would bite Xu Ning's neck by mistake.

Xu Ning wondered why Tang Xixu would calm down after drinking some of her blood after biting her. Xue Bushuo said, "You've taken many tonic pills and precious life-saving herbs before, so your blood should naturally be able to detoxify. Tang Xixu would be like a hungry wolf seeing a fat sheep if he saw you."

"Then he used to..."

Xue Buzhuo: "He has bitten you before, but rarely. He didn't want to hurt you, so he was holding back."

Xu Ning's heart was gripped, and she lowered her eyes and said weakly, "Is he feeling very uncomfortable..."

At this point, Xue Bushu became agitated and slammed the table. "It's more than just uncomfortable! It hurts me to see him. He's clearly in excruciating pain all over his body. Drinking a little of your blood would ease it, but he refuses to do so and won't let me tell him. It's so mad at me! I've lived for so many years, but to meet such a stubborn donkey like him, my life is cut short."

Ye Yulan suddenly said: "I see you jumping around every day, I never saw you dying."

"Tsk." Xue Buzhu gave Ye Yulan a white look.

Five years passed, and Yuwen Xin's illness was cured. However, he did not rule the country. He studied all kinds of food and various bedroom pleasures between couples every day, and tried various ways to make Zhao Mingshang happy.

"I just realized that Yuwen Xin is in such good health. Isn't it said that men are no longer healthy after the age of 30? He is the complete opposite. I finish reviewing memorials late at night every day, but he still asks me if I want to have sex with him." Zhao Mingshang never puts on airs in front of Xu Ning. There is no distinction between the king and his subject between the two.

"Several times he took off his clothes and waited for me without even asking me."

Xu Ning covered her mouth and laughed, "With a handsome man in my arms, the king will never attend court again. Hahahaha."

"What handsome man in your arms? You and I haven't divorced yet." A familiar angry voice sounded.

"I know, I said..." Xu Ning realized something was wrong, stopped smiling and turned his head away.

Tang Xixu walked over step by step and hugged the stunned Xu Ning: "There is no divorce unless I die."

Xu Ning burst into tears: "You can't die, we will all live well."

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