Chapter 1297: Do You Really Understand? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

If you were afraid of death, you wouldn't be here!

Stop wasting your breath on her!

Shen Tang understood that those who had endured so much psychological torment from Kang Guo for so many days and still managed to hold on were all people of strong will, or rather, stubborn and obstinate. Death was something they could embrace with equanimity, not something they feared and avoided.

Since that's the case, there's nothing more to say.

In just a few rounds, Shen Tang sent the two to their deaths.

Two headless corpses lay not far from their respective heads, their faces smeared with blood. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, their footsteps swept past—their last perception of this world. The battlefield was chaotic; even someone of Shen Tang's strength was unable to operate effectively.

She could only rely on her agility and movement to kill as many enemies as possible within her line of sight. All around her were shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, screams, and explosions… Before long, she spotted Kang Shi. At this point, she couldn't care less about his illness.

【Ji Shou!】

Her heart nearly jumped into her throat.

In his sight, Kang Shi held an unfamiliar standard-issue broadsword in his hand. The sword that had been at his waist was gone, only the scabbard remained. He was covered in blood, and with both hands holding the sword, he dodged the sneak attack by sidestepping. The blade slashed diagonally across the opponent's neck, and with a forceful push forward, he slashed it away. Instantly, warm blood gushed from the wound, staining his blood-soaked clothes with an even more murky color.

Kang Shi was focused on his work and didn't notice Shen Tang at all.

He swung the blade, flung away the chipped and nicked sword with one hand, and snatched it from his enemy with the other. His usually refined and gentle face was now filled with a chilling murderous intent! Shen Tang flew to his side and eliminated the threat.

Ji Shou, are you alright?

Shen Tang grabbed Kang Shi's arm.

The fabric under her palm was soaked with blood, and when she pinched it, streaks of blood flowed out. Kang Shi also gasped.

Shen Tang's first question: [Are you injured?]

Second question: [How did you get here?]

Scholars and intellectuals are all protected by guards. Even those like Kang Shi and Chu Yao, who prefer to be on the front lines, are constantly watched over by their guards. It's impossible for a frail scholar to draw his sword and fight hand-to-hand. Kang Shi's lost sword was most likely destroyed in the fighting.

Now look at his current state—

It's like a sheep falling into a wolf's trap.

Kang Shi wiped away the blood that obstructed his vision, recognized Shen Tang, and his taut, rock-like muscles relaxed slightly: "Just now, over a thousand enemy soldiers landed near me, and my guards were scattered by the chaos. If it weren't for the scholar's ability to escape, I fear I wouldn't have seen my lord again."

Shen Tang precisely extracted the key information.

Simply put, I'm just incredibly unlucky.

She was furious, angry, and wanted to laugh all at the same time: "I've told you to use Alipay less, use installment payments less, and avoid online loans, but you just won't listen!"

Kang Shi is wronged: [What makes you say that?]

He didn't understand things like Alipay installment loans or other online lending platforms.

Shen Tang's eyelids twitched violently.

In the midst of the chaos, she couldn't very well leave Kang Shi to someone else to protect; what difference would that make from harming her own people? Shen Tang pressed her tongue against her teeth and let out a loud whistle. Motorcycles that had been rampaging and trampling warhorses nearby immediately rushed over upon hearing the command.

Shen Tang tossed Kang Shi onto the back of the motorcycle with one hand.

Hold on tight to the motorcycle! Keep up!

Kang Shi, flustered and bending over, clutched the motorcycle's neck tightly: "My lord, we've also lost contact with the group in Tunan."

Ning Yan got dragged down because she got too close to him.

If the enemy hadn't landed so close, the area where Kang Shi and the others were located wouldn't have been overrun so quickly, and the soldiers wouldn't have had time to even form ranks. Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's eyelids twitched even more violently.

Helplessly, he said, "Motorcycle, take Ji Shou to a safe place."

Wielding a knife in one hand, he fought his way through, while his other hand formed a hand seal to summon a bluebird: "Go, find Gong Su, and have him support Tu Nan."

Even the most capable scholars could be caught in the crossfire and die. If Ning Yan were to perish in the final battle, Shen Tang would have nowhere to turn for help—the remnants of the allied forces had the advantage of surprise attacks, and Kang State was burdened by the Kang Shi debuff, resulting in their command center being precisely bombarded by the enemy right from the start. Fortunately, Kang State still had Qin Li, their all-powerful pillar of strength.

As long as he was there, no amount of fighting could turn the Kang army into a disorganized mess unable to coordinate—stabilizing morale, stabilizing the situation, and regaining their footing were only a matter of time. Qin Li's absence from Kang Shi's presence spared him an undeserved disaster.

Thanks to the ingenious application of the scholar's way, Qin Li's location was the safest place on the entire battlefield. After the battle began, only a few scattered enemies were killed by soldiers as soon as they landed. As soon as he received the message from Shen Tang Qingniao, he carefully searched for Ning Yan's current location.

Where has Attendant Ning gone?

The scholar's way indicates that Ning Yan is rushing to the edge of the battlefield.

She had no one of her own people with her to protect her.

Qin Li is currently focused on command and coordination and cannot contact Ning Yan one-on-one. In addition, Ning Yan's activity area is about to leave the scope of the Scholar's Path, so he has no choice but to release the bluebird.

Just as the bluebird took flight into the sky, Qin Li made another discovery.

Someone else was able to allocate manpower faster than him.

Ning Shizhong—

A troop of soldiers galloped in from behind.

Ning Yan wasn't much cleaner than Kang Shi at this moment; only her sword was still at her waist, and she held a large knife she had snatched from someone else. Hearing the calls from behind, her warhorse didn't slow down, continuing to gallop along the narrow path. The group of riders spurred their horses to catch up: "[Minister Ning, we are under the command of General Lü.]"

Ning Yan said: [I know.]

General Lü has dispatched us to protect the Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Ning Yan's words were succinct: 【Follow me, and shut up!】

The strong wind in the valley lashed her face, accelerating the drying of her blood, leaving it sticky and uncomfortable. Ning Yan seemed oblivious, continuing to spur her horse in pursuit of something. Suddenly, her eyes turned cold, and the guards on either side sensed the danger. One of the guards pushed off his horse, using the mountainside for leverage, and unleashed a dozen spear thrusts, all raining down on the cliff face.

A series of explosions rang out.

Then came screams of agony.

There are enemies lying in ambush here!

Rumble, rumble—

The explosion knocked down debris.

Ning Yan didn't dodge. She simply formed a hand seal, creating a qi barrier to briefly block the falling rocks, then her warhorse accelerated, galloping through the area. She assigned two of her strongest warriors to cover the rear and clear any hidden ambushes: "Full speed ahead! Do not stop!"

These guards had no idea where Ning Yan was going.

However, General Lü's order was to protect the Attendant-in-Ordinary at all costs, so they naturally dared not slacken their efforts. The mountain path was narrow and long, extremely suitable for an ambush, but strangely, the ambush force was small. After passing the initial ambush area, the remaining stretch was safe.

Ning Yan, however, dared not let her guard down: "Don't let your guard down."

The warhorse beneath her wasn't formed from martial energy; it was a living, breathing horse of flesh and blood, which Ning Yan had snatched from the remnants of the Allied forces. After such a long and rapid march, the horse was exhausted and tripped by an ambush at the exit, falling heavily to the ground with a clear cracking sound from its neck. Ning Yan rolled to her feet, casting a spell to protect her vital points.

[I knew I hadn't made a mistake!]

The guards who followed closely behind killed the ambush soldiers.

Ning Yan's gaze fell on the cave entrance hidden in the mountain wall.

She picked up the plain cloth from the soldier's body from the ground, casually wiped it on the blade, revealing the blade that was slightly warped from excessive slashing.

Keep up!

Having said that, he raised his hand and infused a spell into the corpse on the ground.

Then he got up and walked firmly into the cave.

The cave shows clear signs of human excavation.

The roads were intricate and winding, barely wide enough for one adult martial artist to pass through. An ordinary person would lose their way after a couple of circles, but Ning Yan seemed to know the way perfectly, choosing each intersection without hesitation. The guards gripped their swords warily, fearing that an enemy might suddenly appear from an ambush...

Finally, Ning Yan stopped.

Footsteps stopped, and the air was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Ning Yan said, "We meet again."

At the end of the stone path was an extremely spacious cave, and in the center stood a person. Judging from her figure, this person should be a tall woman. Strangely, her hair was snow-white, and her back was ramrod straight, showing no signs of old age. Several guards stepped forward one after another, blocking the woman from the attendant, wary and on guard. The white-haired woman was several feet away from them, a distance from which she could easily hear Ning Yan's words, but it took her a long time to react. She turned around, revealing a pale face, and said with disdain: "【What? It's you again?】"

Ning Yan said, "You seem to not want to see me?"

The white-haired woman was none other than Mei Meng, who had not appeared on the battlefield.

Dressed in white mourning clothes, holding a long sword drawn from its sheath, with dense, blood-red patterns painted on her feet, she stood in the very center of the patterns.

Mei Meng asked: "How did you find me?"

[I left myself a backup plan last time.]

Mei couldn't recall which "last time" Ning Yan was referring to; she was only shocked that the other had placed a tracking spell on her without her knowledge. She nodded knowingly, her tone calm and gentle, sounding as if she were confiding in a friend: "I see. I was unaware. However, to have a high-ranking official from the entire kingdom come to see me off is a great honor, a truly fortunate occasion."

Ning Yan tossed the knife to the guard and drew the sword from her waist.

Mei Meng chuckled and said, "I am not as skilled in swordsmanship as you, but taking my life will not be so easy. As a trusted advisor to Lord Shen, a role model for countless women, you hold a high position and enjoy great prestige... I suppose you have no regrets."

Ning Yan took a step forward, and a barrier of words appeared, blocking her path. She looked up at the direction in which the words were connected, and vaguely understood why Mei Meng was not on the front line. Her gaze shifted to Mei Meng's left wrist, where it was indeed wrapped in plain cloth.

How could there be no regrets?

Ning Yan's greatest regret in life was watching Yan An die.

Secondly, Mei Meng escaped several times.

Mei Meng took two steps barefoot on the blood-red pattern, blood still dripping from her left wrist. The ground beneath her feet seemed "alive," greedily absorbing every drop of blood from Mei Meng's body.

Upon hearing Ning Yan's reply, she chuckled lightly twice.

A three-foot-long green sword rests across his neck on his right hand.

"[Minister Ning has personally come after me; he must be quite interested in my life.]" She gave Ning Yan, whose expression had suddenly changed, a sly and lively smile that seemed to hold a hint of girlish innocence. "It's just a pity that I can't bear to see others achieve success."

She tilted her head slightly, pressing her cool face against the even colder sword.

The tender, affectionate movements resembled a child nestled in its mother's arms. Ning Yan understood the meaning behind Mei Meng's words, and her previously calm demeanor instantly crumbled. She ordered the barrier to be broken. Mei Meng owed her a life, and she would personally claim it!

Mei Meng's next words terrified Ning Yan even more.

[Unfortunately, it wasn't her or him who came. So be it. With such a noble and capable minister willing to sleep with me, I am not truly alone.]

Having said all he could, he drew his sword and committed suicide.

The moment the blood spurted out, the blood-red patterns beneath his feet stirred restlessly.

No, the entire mountain was shaking.

A series of explosions erupted from above, the shockwaves radiating across the ground. The makeshift, man-made cave was already unstable, and with such commotion, countless cracks spread across the mountainside, threatening to cause it to collapse. Mei Meng's gaze pierced through the falling rocks; she wanted to see panic and regret on Ning Yan's face, but when their eyes met, Mei Meng saw only a calm confidence in Ning Yan's eyes.

The sword slit her throat, and the gushing blood made Mei Meng's consciousness blur. The shaking ground caused her, already unsteady, to lose her balance, and she collapsed to the ground, letting the blood be swallowed by the blood-red patterns beneath her. What was being swallowed was blood, but also her life force.

As for the battle situation outside—

That was no longer within her control.

Suddenly, the world changed.

A sliver of sunlight pierced through the narrow crevice in the mountain.

Someone roughly threw her onto the horse's back with one hand.

[A case of deception!]

Ning Yan activated her pre-prepared Word of Power, leading her men to safety and rescuing Mei Meng along the way. The explosion was so loud that two nearby mountains collapsed. Fortunately, there were no enemies lying in ambush along the way, so the guards didn't have to hold back. Abandoning their warhorses, they could nimbly move through the rubble using their Word of Power. In just a dozen breaths, the epicenter of the explosion was far behind them.

Ning Yan then remembered Mei Meng.

He checked her breath with his fingers and then felt her pulse.

[Already dead?] Her spiritual energy in her dantian was completely depleted, and she had lost so much blood. Her throat was also slit. She certainly couldn't have survived.

"Your Excellency, should we take this person back with us?"

Ning Yan looked at the wound on the other person's neck and gritted her teeth.

【Take it back!】

Mei Meng's suicide, rather than being murdered, really upset her.

Also, who did Mei Meng refer to when she said "she or he"? One of them must be Lü Jue, and the other must be the Lord?

When Ning Yan returned, the melee was drawing to a close.

Corpses littered the ground, and every now and then, one could see Kang soldiers, covered in blood, bending over to identify the bodies. Enemies were promptly finished off with spears until they were absolutely dead. Ning Yan's safe return brought a sigh of relief to Shen Tang: "It's good that you're back."

"My lord, I have brought back Mei Jinghe's body."

Lu Jue, who rushed to report, was instantly drained of his strength, staggered, and almost dragged down the guard who reached out to help him.

【What? 】

Shen Tang also asked, "What?"

Just then, a commotion arose outside the tent.

You can faintly hear Liao Jia urging you anxiously.

Come quick, come quick—

Liao Jia dragged Fang Yan over, not bothering to greet Shen Tang or explain when he had arrived. He simply urged Fang Yan, "Quick, her heart is still intact!"

Fang Yan looked at Shen Tang questioningly.

Shen Tang glanced at Liao Jia and nodded: 【Cure!】

|ω`)

He who steals a hook will be punished; he who steals a state will become a prince.

The first act was murder; he orchestrated the rise of a 'traitor who successfully usurped the throne,' then executed him to uphold the rule of law. The second act was suicide, killing "himself," the one who disrupted the law. It's understandable that Liao Jia hasn't had the opportunity all these years.