Chapter 1232: Slacking Off and Slacking Off on Stage [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Shen Tang calmly met Qi Cang's scrutiny.

With a gentle smile, he asked, "General Qi, why are you looking at me like that?"

The fingers traced a smooth, flawless face; the nails were clean and rounded, and the knuckles showed no calluses from years of martial arts training, not even the slightest deformity. These details all suggested that their owner lived a comfortable and affluent life, unlike a martial artist who had lived a life of constant danger.

A strange, unreadable color flickered in Qi Cang's eyes.

In an instant, her thoughts had gone through a thousand twists and turns, like a bonfire that had burned intensely and returned to ashes, leaving only a calm. However, Shen Tang did not feel that these ashes had completely dispelled her doubts about herself; otherwise, how could there be the phrase "resurrection from the ashes"? After spending some time with Qi Yanqing, she found that he was not at all like a martial arts master.

Attentiveness bordered on suspicion, and confidence bordered on arrogance.

Once doubts arise, they won't easily give up.

He just clings to the conclusion and racks his brains to find ways to fix it.

Qi Cang avoided eye contact: "It reminds me of an old friend."

Zhong Lifu is not Shen Youli herself, but she is definitely a pawn carefully arranged by Shen Youli! However, this greatly diminishes the fun, making it far less interesting than if Zhong Lifu were Shen Youli. Qi Cang glanced in the direction of the fire, without even bothering to offer an excuse.

"You stay here and keep watch, I'll go and take a look."

If the granaries are truly burned down, there's no need to continue this battle.

With those words, Qi Cang leaped forward, transforming into a shooting star as he sped towards the granary. Impatient as he was, he didn't even wait for Shen Tang's reply before dashing off. Just then, Liao Qian carefully made his way through the chaotic area and arrived. He instinctively tried to stop Qi Cang, but his hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips barely touching the other's robes.

"The camp is in grave danger, why has General Qi fled?"

Cui Mi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Who knows why he ran away? Qi Yanqing has been wondering about this for a long time. He invited us to night fishing for several days in a row, and just now he insisted on sticking with us and we couldn't shake him off. Now he just ran away like that. I don't know what's going on in his head."

Shen Tang shook his head: "Pretend to be a 'spectator who loves a good show'."

Qi Cang's reaction this time was beyond her expectations.

Sure enough, those who can get along with Zheng Qiao have somewhat distorted thought processes. Shen Tang's gaze swept over Liao Qian and his trusted confidants from the Southwest who had come with him, and he began to lie through his teeth: "The Allied high command had anticipated this situation. You don't need to rush to the front this time; your priority is to protect yourselves, understand?"

After all, this is someone else's territory. The things Wu You's avatar can do in the past two years are limited, and the talents he cultivates are difficult to keep out of Cui's surveillance. She's worked so hard to accumulate this wealth; she can't let it all be wasted here. Those who can slack off will slack off, those who can skip work will skip work; the essence is to go through the motions, pretending to be busy, just enough to get by.

Liao Qian and the others had no doubts, nor was there any need to. The true master was Zhongli Fu, who stood before them, not any of the southwestern kingdoms. They simply needed to follow her instructions.

Shen Tang then ordered Cui Mi to temporarily take command.

There's only one point to note in what he said—

They went wherever it was safest, leaving the prime front-line positions for Allied troops to charge into battle, while their own men hid in the rear to survive.

Of course, saying this directly would be too demoralizing, so Shen Tang, a master of rhetoric, drastically revised the statement—hiding in the rear wasn't out of cowardice, but because they were outnumbered and weak, unable to form an independent fighting force. Even if they occupied a favorable position, they would only be throwing their lives away and causing traffic congestion for the Allied counterattack.

Cui Mi bowed and accepted the order, saying, "Yes, sir!"

Liao Qian then asked, "Is our lord not with us?"

Shen Tang said, "I have other trivial matters to attend to."

In this world, the strong are respected, and the weak are wrong no matter what they do. The people she brought could slack off, but as a confidante promoted by the King of Qi, she couldn't remain completely out of the public eye; she still needed to symbolically make her presence felt and show her face in front of others.

She brushed a few stray hairs from her forehead with her right hand.

First, a half-face mask engraved with a demon appeared, followed by full armor covering her entire body. This mask only covered the lower half of her face, while her eyes were covered by a thin veil of the same color, about three fingers wide. The veil appeared light and fragile, but in reality, it was capable of crushing gold and jade!

Her fingers deftly flipped the folding fan in her hand.

The fan handle emitted a burst of light and mist, which instantly transformed into a narrow sword.

This sword has a bizarre design; the blade is as tall as a person, and the edge is as thin as a cicada's wing, allowing light to pass through easily. It's too fragile even for decoration, yet someone actually uses it as a weapon in battle? Hahaha, it's more suitable for slicing sashimi.

In the Allied camp, which part of the battlefield is the most eye-catching?

Needless to say, it must be the group of Gongyang Yongye and his two companions.

Want to ride the wave of popularity and gain exposure?

As long as you're not afraid of death, just head over there. Not many people have that guts, and Shen Tang is undoubtedly one of them!

They not only have the guts, but also the ability!

Under Cui Mi's complex and inexplicable gaze, a dazzling silver light tore through the night, forcefully joining the three!

Before his toes even touched the ground, he almost got stabbed by Gongyang Yongye!

She was incredibly agile, narrowly avoiding danger.

He calmly watched as the blade's energy almost grazed past him.

Her smile almost froze, but she quickly regained her composure. When it comes to riding the wave of popularity and gaining attention, you really need to be shameless.

"General Gongyang, I've come to help..."

Gongyang Yongye interrupted her, saying rudely, "Get out!"

It was as if Shen Tang had eyes in the back of her head. While dodging the giant python that was about to devour her from behind, she darted to the side and used the python's massive head for leverage: "Your Majesty is worried about the General..."

Gongyang Yongye said, "Then get out of here!"

What kind of scoundrel dares to interfere in his battle?

Gongyang Yongye wasn't against accepting reinforcements from his own side, but he couldn't accept being helped by a weaker force. The humiliation of that situation was even greater than being defeated by the enemy! Simply put, Zhongli Fu wasn't qualified to fight alongside him!

Shen Tang: "..."

Gong Xichou's side launched into a merciless sneer.

"Isn't this what they call 'offering a warm face to an old man's ass'?" Shen Tang narrowed his eyes dangerously, his displeasure directed at Gong Xi Chou. This guy, oblivious to his own mortality, continued to mock him. While it was unclear how much his strength had improved over the years, his skill in insulting others was truly masterful. "This old man is over a hundred years old; I wonder how loose his skin and flesh are. This ass you're sticking to not only stinks but is also full of wrinkles."

Gong Xichou was met with a sword light more agile than a serpent.

Her folding fan is actually a soft sword. With strands of martial energy infused into it, it can cut through iron like mud and shatter gold and jade!

"Hey, I couldn't reach it!"

Gong Xichou did not dodge with all his might, stopping in a precarious position, while the silver sword light was only an inch away from the tip of his nose! The eyes behind the mask were filled with contempt and mockery, coupled with his confident and flippant tone, which could easily make people's anger explode.

Shen Tang's tone was icy: "You're asking for death!"

Now, regardless of whether Gongyang Yongye wanted her to join, she drew her sword and got to work. Compared to Gongxi Chou and Yun Ce, who still had some tacit understanding, Chen Tang and Gongyang Yongye had absolutely no tacit understanding whatsoever. However, her moves were flashy and dazzling, completely overshadowing Gongyang Yongye in terms of attention. Whether you were an expert or a novice, it was obvious that she was working very hard; her only drawback was that she wasn't very efficient.

This drew the attention of Gongyang Yongye.

[Zhong Lifu] This disguise is too deceptive in terms of appearance and age; she is a rare female martial artist in Qi Kingdom and even the entire continent. Her strength is far inferior to Shen Youli of Kang Kingdom, but their talent is roughly equal. With great talent, a slight flaw can be forgiven. Gongyang Yongye himself cherishes talent—this can be seen from his previous address of Gongxi Chou as "young man"...

If it weren't for Gong Xichou stirring up hatred, he wouldn't have become a "scoundrel".

Shen Tang didn't offer much help, but she didn't hinder him either. On the surface, she did her best to share the burden with Gongyang Yongye, and Gongyang Yongye tacitly accepted her involvement. The situation didn't change because of Shen Tang's arrival. Gongyang Yongye lost his crucial fighting spirit, and no matter how powerful his Hundred Ghosts Blade was, he couldn't unleash its full potential. Gong Xichou and Yun Ce couldn't kill him, nor were they killed by him.

Neither side could do anything about the other.

As for Shen Tang? ? ?

She's just someone who slacks off and tries to get on stage.

The sword techniques are incredibly varied, sometimes like a hundred flowers blooming, sometimes like a peacock spreading its tail, sometimes like a phoenix rising from the ashes, sometimes like a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, sometimes like a surging river, sometimes like a babbling mountain stream... sometimes thousands of sword shadows merge into one, a white ribbon stretching across the heavens and earth, sometimes a single sword shadow transforms into thousands... making it dazzling to behold.

A flurry of actions as fierce as a tiger, but what happens when you look at the kill count?

He could only slice off a few of Yun Ce's ice dragons that were attacking Gongyang Yongye, deflect them with his sword energy, and let the remaining cold air freeze a section of the camp. Or he could cleave off the scales of Gongxi Chou's Martial Courage Totem. When powerful Martial Courage warriors go all out, how can they not harm the innocent? Shen Tang was considered to have restrained himself, but Gongyang Yongye's actions were truly reckless.

"Take this!"

Gong Xi Chou brandished his serpent halberd, its sharp blade unleashing a dark green light.

Any obstacle on the path will perish!

As the light drew ever closer to Gongyang Yongye, it, like its master Gong Xichou, displayed its arrogant and domineering nature, even pushing aside the incoming martial energy of Yun Ce. Gongyang Yongye appeared to be handling the situation with ease, but inwardly he was already feeling weary and anxious. Gong Xichou, Yun Ce, and even Zhongli Fu, who was providing assistance, all possessed an indomitable spirit.

A withered tree may give way to a thousand others in spring.

He was like a piece of wood terminally ill, while the three people before him were like newly sprouting trees. Comparing the two, he felt a sense of helplessness.

Yun Ce, with his sharp eyes, saw through Gongyang Yongye's inner demons.

A single spear thrust pierced the air, striking directly at the helmet's plume.

puff--

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a few light feathers drifting down, and Gongyang Yongye's face darkened to a grim degree. Yun Ce's actions were humiliating, practically equivalent to beheading! What was most infuriating was Yun Ce's adding fuel to the fire: "General, you are old; why not retire and preserve your reputation?"

He died at the hands of two young men; his reputation was ruined in his later years.

Seeing the other's bare helmet, Gongxi Chou charged towards Gongyang Yongye, riding on his Martial Courage Totem: "If you've done this to the end, Yuanmou, you've already shaved off your feathers, now I'll shave your head bald!"

At the same time, the entire camp shook violently.

The formation is far superior to the earth dragon turning over.

It felt as if some colossal beast was about to burst forth from the earth beneath our feet!

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Then came another series of deafening explosions.

Even through the thick fog, Shen Tang could clearly see hundreds of small hill-like protrusions rising from the ground of the camp. Each protrusion rose abruptly from the ground, instantly transforming into a conical peak several dozen feet high. The top of the peaks resembled blooming flower buds, spewing out countless grains of sand.

"Using soil to extinguish a fire?"

Shen Tang lowered her eyes, concealing a fleeting hint of mockery.

The method was correct, but it took a little longer to make up your mind.

At this point, putting out the fire is no different from dismantling the camp.

roar--

As the colossal beasts formed from the sand roared, a wall of earth rose from the ground, encircling the fire and preventing it from spreading further. A mischievous thought crossed Shen Tang's mind. She pretended to be no match for Gong Xi Chou, feigning being knocked away by his halberd and crashing into the still-forming earthen wall.

She vomited blood, and half of the wall collapsed.

The raging fire, trapped and unable to find a way out, was breached precisely at the right moment by the explosion Shen Tang created. The flames surged forth, dazzling even more intense than the morning sun, instantly engulfing the area near the earthen wall. Fortunately, Shen Tang reacted quickly, thus saving his life…

Gong Xichou and she were of one mind.

"Hahaha, watch this move!"

A wild laugh echoed from beneath the menacing mask, martial energy shattering the sound barrier as energy blasts exploded near the earthen wall. With a deafening roar, Gong Xi Chou unleashed a powerful attack, hurtling towards Shen Tang. Gongyang Yongye, however, was not about to let this opportunity slip by.

He cleaved the ground dozens of feet wide with his sword!

Gong Xichou raised his arm, his eyes twisting into snake pupils.

He said it word by word: "Old Deng, I'll say it again—"

Above his head, a phantom giant arm silently appeared, slamming down with a deafening chop, forcefully severing Gongyang Yongye's attack in two. The explosion, accompanied by a powerful shockwave, cracked the earth, sending sand and stones flying; soldiers who were even slightly close were instantly pulverized into a bloody pulp. Gongxi Chou arrogantly declared, "You! Are! Old!"

Old things should be thrown in the trash.

Old Deng, who's getting on in years, should be in his coffin.

Instead of coming back to life and blocking his way!

Rumble—

The nearby earthen walls collapsed in a chain reaction, like dominoes, and only stopped collapsing after a gap nearly thirty feet long was formed!

What astonishing destructive power!

Cui Zhi: "..."

The fire, which had just begun to be contained, spiraled out of control again.

The culprit behind all this, Gong Xi Chou, was breathing heavily. The feeling of having most of his martial energy drained from his Danfu in an instant was truly unpleasant; his chest was burning as if it were burning away all the oxygen, and a small red snake had somehow trickled down his forehead, almost blurring his vision.

The world fell silent for a moment.

Shen Tang vaguely heard something shatter.

Take a closer look—

Hey, it's Gongyang Yongye's heart that's already tormented by inner demons.

Seizing the opportunity, while Gongyang Yongye was still reeling from Gongxi Chou's attack, Yun Ce immediately rode his ice dragon towards Gongxi Chou, sweeping him away with his long arm. If they didn't run now, once the Southwest Allied Forces extinguished the fire and were free, they would concentrate their efforts on attacking the two of them. Since the mission was already accomplished, why wait to die?

Shen Tang naturally couldn't sit idly by.

Despite the internal injuries she suffered from, she mustered her strength and chased after them.

Two streams of martial energy, similar in color, chased each other, one visibly slower than the other. During this time, more than a dozen other streams of martial energy shot into the sky, attempting to intercept Yun Ce, but he managed to evade them all with his exquisite footwork. Shen Tang had no choice but to grit her teeth and stop.

The eyes of the King of Qi reflected the raging flames.

Her tone remained relatively calm: "How is the granary?"

There are two messages.

Good news: the fire at the grain depot only affected the surrounding area.

"And the bad news?"

(;Д｀)

The black-clad thug has been fighting for two hours and is still lying at the guard's door...

Why is it so difficult...?