Chapter 171 The Choice is Yours

Nobuko licked it again and again, "Hmm? What is this? It's so bitter." She licked it again, "Hmm? What is this?"

With each lick from the python, the beady eyes regained a bit of their senses.

It took a while before it truly woke up from its dazed dream.

Big Head rubbed against Xie Mianmian's shoulder, whimpering, his heart filled with lingering fear.

I almost... killed Mianmian just now.

Xie Mianmian couldn't bear to scold or hit it anymore, "Don't be naughty next time."

There's a war going on right now, not time for playing around. Thinking that the giant python might not be used to the carnage of the battlefield, Xie Mianmian sighed inwardly and didn't punish it too much.

Her arm trembled as she drew her bow and aimed at the enemy beast. Not just the giant python, but no one could adapt to the brutality of war in such a short time.

But for the sake of the people of Great Zhou, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and persevere. She loosened her grip and shot a beast that was about to bite a soldier.

As the giant python knocked the enemy beasts that climbed up to it down, it looked at Mianmian with remorse.

No one but herself knew that Xie Mianmian had almost died just now.

It's going to kill that woman!

The giant python slid down another beast-shaped ladder, heading straight for where the gorilla was.

The tip of its tail pulled the snow wolf, which was locked in fierce combat, urging it to hurry back to the city wall.

Faced with his father's request, Snow Wolf obediently went back, no matter how unwilling he was.

The giant python stood warily in confrontation with the gorilla.

The woman gritted her teeth. The ground was littered with her beast army: a gorilla that had been stunned ever since it was bitten by the snow wolf, and a giant python that was lurking nearby, waiting for its chance to bite her to death.

She clenched her fists in frustration, but it was too late. The remaining beastmen could not be lost; they had no more taming medicine.

Xie Mianmian, you really are my nemesis.

The woman blew a short whistle, and the remaining enemy beasts stopped attacking. They turned around and ran away without looking back.

The gorilla also left with its owner.

In the city, people leaned against the wall, exhausted, with tired but hopeful smiles on their faces.

Yuan City was finally defended, successfully resisting the ferocious beasts.

Fortunately, the Mianyang army was wearing armor, so the casualties were not serious.

After the scouts returned and informed Xie Mianmian that the Northern Rong beast army had completely retreated, she left one beast in the city to relay the message, and then everyone left and returned to the camp.

After waiting at the camp for half a day, Xie Huaijin and his deputy led their troops back.

In the battle of Chai City, it was the Great Zhou's turn to deploy its unstoppable beast army, which routed the Northern Rong and sent them slinking back in disgrace.

It was all bark and no bite, but the enemy didn't expect that the Great Zhou would also have a beast army, a fully equipped, regular army with scales gleaming with gold, obeying the commands of its soldiers.

It was truly terrifying.

Upon seeing Xie Huaijin, Xie Mianmian ran up to him and stopped three steps away.

Xie Huaijin held his helmet with one hand, his silver armor still stained with blood, and strode to the end of the way.

He bent his index finger and tapped her forehead with his knuckle, saying helplessly, "You."

Xie Huaijin understood why she had come. Her emotions and reason were constantly entangled, and in the end, she could only sigh.

Xie Mianmian covered her head and chuckled, "Third Brother is the best."

As darkness fell, the dark blue sky swallowed the last traces of orange-red sunset.

Xie Mianmian sat alone behind the tent, in this undisturbed corner, gazing at the unobstructed sky in front of her.

The sound of grass bending over came from not far away; it was a giant python.

The large head gently rested on her knee, as if trying to explain something, but it couldn't make a sound. It truly hated itself for being a mute snake, and for being so wicked, so very wicked.

It was consumed by endless self-blame.

A warm hand stroked its head. "I don't blame you. It's alright to drill a hole in your scales. When we get back, I'll have a craftsman set a unique gem in it for me."

The python regained some of its vitality, and Mianmian didn't blame it; it would be her little snake dog again in its next life.

Xie Mianmian decided to keep it busy so it wouldn't think about anything else. "I didn't get to eat the roast chicken yesterday, can you make it for me today?"

The python stood up abruptly, its tail tip thumping excitedly on the ground as if to say it was all covered, and then it slid away happily.

Silence fell again behind the tent.

The rustling of grass came from not far away, and a tall figure sat down next to Xie Mianmian.

"You did very well today. Your archery skills have improved, and you are probably even better than your sixth sister," the Seventh Prince praised.

Xie Mianmian laughed and said, "It's all just luck. Now that I think about it, was my first time hitting the second ring when I was a child also just a fluke?"

"Regardless of the process, the result is a testament to your ability."

After the conversation ended, there was another brief silence.

"You..." they both said in unison.

"If it's about what happened last night, let me speak first."

Xie Mianmian nodded and said, "Please speak, Your Highness."

"Everything I said last night was from the bottom of my heart. If you're too drunk to remember, just pretend nothing happened."

Whether or not you get drunk is your decision.

If he's really drunk, he'll say it again later; if he's just pretending to be drunk, he'll still choose to... say it again.

The Seventh Prince cannot let her go.

The sky darkened completely, leaving only a hazy sunlight around us.

Xie Mianmian couldn't see the Seventh Prince's expression at all, but she could hear his serious tone.

She took a deep breath, about to answer, when she caught a glimpse of a flashing light in the distant grove outside the camp.

Xie Mianmian was very familiar with that kind of light. She tugged at the Seventh Prince's sleeve and said seriously, "Your Highness, look quickly, there seems to be something in the woods."

Upon hearing this, the Seventh Prince looked over and felt increasingly uneasy. He pulled Xie Mianmian to her feet and strode towards the main camp. "I'm afraid this is bad. Let's go quickly and tell the generals about this."

They ran into Xie Huaijin and his group halfway there, and it was clear that they had also noticed something amiss.

Xie Huaijin ordered a soldier to beat the war drum.

With three loud thuds, the entire army assembled and entered combat readiness.

Xie Huaijin said, "The scouts reported that a group of wild beasts were rushing towards the camp from the east. In less than half an incense stick's time, a mile away, they were surrounded by beasts on all sides. They are probably the beast army of the Northern Rong."

Xie Mianmian frowned, "After the battle during the day, the enemy beast army was greatly weakened, and they did not receive any herbal supplies from Yuan City. How could they possibly gather so many beasts in just half a day?"