Chapter Thirteen: A Secret Pact Amidst the Flames of War
I didn't expect it to be so close to where they were just now.
Although Heng simply held him quietly without saying anything.
But seeing the raging fire in the nearshore waters, Huan quickly realized—this was it!
This is the real battlefield between Noah and Nobisola!
Heng placed him on a large tree that was closest and had a clear view, sitting side by side on a branch that reached into the clouds, thus avoiding a lot of trouble.
Soon, the branches rustled, and Peso climbed up as well.
Heng Zhang erected a barrier so that they would not be completely discovered.
Below, figures leaped and chased each other, throwing knives, bullets, rocket launchers-like objects... all sorts of weapons clashed in the chase.
People kept falling, and the ground gradually became stained with blood. In Huan's eyes, she could even see the seawater stained red by their deaths...
Heng held his hand tightly, constantly reminding him of his advice: he shouldn't meddle in other people's business every time—it was his destiny!
However, with such a warm hand by her side, Huan felt much calmer than she had imagined.
"Huh? Where are Ghost Princess and China?" Huan turned to ask Bisso.
"Uh, Oni-hime said she has something to do and will be here later."
Bisso didn't know how to tell him about China.
"Fortunately, Oni-hime is very powerful. If she's with her, Qina shouldn't be in any danger." Huan clearly misunderstood.
"Huan—" Heng pulled him into his arms, pressing his face against his chest. "Qina... is dead."
He didn't want to lie to him anymore; Huan didn't like being deceived. Becoming stronger was Huan's own wish, and he wanted to respect that wish.
Huan didn't speak, nor did she breathe heavily; her face remained pressed against Heng's chest, completely still.
Heng only felt that his clothes on his chest were obviously wet.
As expected... it was still... beyond saving...
Why was someone as useless as himself king? He repeatedly doubted Loku's words. Why did he cause so many people to suffer misfortune...?
If he were dead, if he were no longer here...
"It's all your fault that she got hurt—is that what you're thinking? If that's what you're thinking, then that slap was for nothing." Heng's tone was still gentle, but he couldn't hide a hint of disappointment.
Isn't that how it is? Huan looked at him blankly.
If it weren't for him, China wouldn't have died! That's an indisputable fact.
“If it weren’t for you, China would have died more than twenty years ago—that’s an indisputable fact.” Heng understood what he was thinking perfectly. “Those two aren’t Norbisola people. Their loyalty isn’t to the king, but to you. Indeed, many people have died for you, but you can save even more people. That’s your value and mission, just as their mission is to protect you.”
“Lord Huan—” Bisso interrupted, looking into the distance without turning his head.
"Well?"
“If one day I encounter something like what happened to China, I want to ask you—” Bisso’s eyes were calm, but his tone was firm, “Please—absolutely do not save me! If you suffer an accident while saving me, it will be an insult to me! I will die with my eyes open!”
Huan stared at him in surprise, speechless for a moment.
mission!
shame!
He died with his eyes wide open...
What has he been doing all this time? Doing good deeds beyond his capabilities… completely unaware that it only burdens others…
Last time, he blocked Gellar's kick for Peso, which caused Peso to kneel in front of his bed for a long time... He seemed to understand Peso's feelings at that time.
And his own value and mission...
What Heng was referring to was the mission of the King of Norbisola...
We must save more people!
Suddenly, I hate myself... Why can't I regain the king's memories and abilities for so long!
Right now, he... still can't do anything.
“Huan, look—” Heng pointed into the distance.
Huan finally came to her senses, only to be stunned by the sight before her!
The fire at the oil field grew larger and larger, with flames spreading everywhere, and the leak had already begun to pollute the color of the surrounding seawater!
But……
Where are their people?
Noah's expedition leaders, Sonas and Kupat, are dead, and no new nobles have been sent. Therefore, the Norbisola have the advantage. But why? Why is it that the Norbisola forces, with their overwhelming advantage, haven't sent a single soldier to stop the oil field fire, instead focusing solely on hunting down Noah's remaining forces…
Isn't the ultimate goal to prevent oil field pollution?
"No matter how the body has been modified, the heart is still a human heart. Hatred has superseded justice... This is what I need you to know—the so-called battle between good and evil has long since turned into a bloody slaughter between opposing forces. Nothing is more important than avenging one's comrades. The truth is not as noble as they claim! Anger, sorrow... all are woven into every battle... This is the so-called divine will!" Heng said meaningfully. "Having seen this, do you still want to get involved in this battle that has nothing to do with you?"
Looking around at the burning oil field, the fire had already spiraled out of control... and how many more oil fields were there... and how much worse it would get...?
He turned his gaze to Heng's face—he already knew. He was Noah's King…maybe he was the one who orchestrated it all…
If that's the case...
"Heng—"
"How is it?" Heng waited for his reply with mixed feelings, but... for the first time, he couldn't find an answer in Huan's calm expression.
"May I borrow your power? Just this once... to put out the fire in the oil field, and then I will tell you the answer. Right now, I just don't want to harm innocent people, that's all. This action has nothing to do with Noah or Norbisola."
Huan's eyes were incredibly resolute... she must have already made up her mind.
Heng stood up, smiling gently as always. Aside from requests that would hurt Huan, he couldn't refuse any of them.
Although that guy is... a bit troublesome...
Oh well, it's just meddling in other people's business again. Compared to what Huan did before, it's nothing.
All he cared about was the answer... the answer that had tormented him for twenty-two years... what was it?
“Peso—” He turned his back to the ring and faced Peso.
"ah?"
"I'm leaving this to you."
Peso was a little confused... Aren't they going together? What about the King...?
However, he immediately saw Heng mouthing to himself—Absolutely...cannot...let...Huan...leave...the...barrier...
Peso immediately realized what was going on.
This is the largest terrorist attack Noah has launched in twenty-two years... Although those currently fighting below are mostly lower-ranking soldiers, and because of the previous war, there haven't been many civilian casualties yet, neither side should be so careless... There must be other nobles nearby... just not involved in the battle...
If King Noah gets entangled with a powerful enemy while leaving the barrier to extinguish the fire in the oil field, he might not be able to protect the Ring... and the Ring might be captured...
"Leave it to me with confidence." Bisso smiled brightly and moved closer to Huan.
...
The Demon Princess stood there... completely dumbfounded.
What just happened... Think about it carefully...
She was with Bisso, preparing to go to the battlefield with Wang and the others... when suddenly she smelled 'Smoke of Sorrow' in the air. It was the communication signal between the commanders of the assassination unit she used to be in charge of. Besides her, the only person who could release it was her most trusted adjutant, Laila... So Laila had come too. She had originally wanted to see Laila one last time and see how the little girl was doing... but she hadn't expected this...
Lyra stood behind that adult with a calm yet humble expression!
Lord Moyin!
When she saw all this, she realized that there was a barrier around her specifically designed for her; she could get in... but she couldn't get out.
"Ghost Princess, it's been a long time. Luckily, Laila said he could find you, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do when I miss you." Mo Yin's friendly tone and smile made it seem as if the betrayal had never happened.
Of course, this did nothing to help alleviate Oni-hime's anxious mood.
It was Lyra after all! Lyra betrayed her!
"Lord Moyin——"
She awkwardly performed the kneeling ceremony, but was pulled back by Mo Yin.
"I set up the barrier because I had something to tell you, but I was afraid you wouldn't give me the chance. Please don't be nervous. I asked you to come here because of that person named Huan."
Ghost Princess was stunned, not expecting Mo Yin to say it in such a direct way.
"Don't be so surprised, I mean no harm." Mo Yin was clearly deliberately creating this proactive situation, but she changed the subject, "If I did have malicious intent, whose side would you be on?"
"As a subordinate, I will naturally stand by the king's side forever, offering my unwavering loyalty and my life." The ghost princess's humble yet assertive attitude clearly demonstrated that she had already accepted her fate.
"Alas, I really didn't mean any harm, but now... is there no one left who believes me?" Mo Yin's voice suddenly became gentle and desolate.
The Demon Princess's eyelids twitched slightly. She had never seen Lord Mogin look like this before—so vulnerable...so tragic...it evoked pity in her.
“That’s right, I sent Sonas and Kupat. I did have malicious intentions at the time, and I wanted to kill Huan... because my husband went with him... I feel very bad for causing you trouble back then.”
"Why...why..." Oni-hime couldn't help but interrupt her. Was she trying to make amends? What was her reason?
“Because of—Heng.” Mo Yin didn’t deny her advances and continued, “Heng came to see me that day and gave me a final warning. After he left, I thought about it very seriously for a long time and finally understood that feelings can’t be forced. If I can’t have his love, I should at least stay by his side as a friend… I envy you for that. I want to…”
"Why don't you just say this to the king directly?" The Ghost Princess tried her best to remain calm, but she couldn't help but be overjoyed inside.
If they didn't have Lord Moyin as an enemy, their future would have been much easier.
After all, because of Lord Huan, the King has incurred an irreparable debt to Lord Moyin... Therefore, the King always tries his best not to harm Lord Moyin, but if he continues to harbor such hostility... it will be an even heavier burden on those two talents.
"The king already harbors a prejudice against me and won't let me get close to them at all. Moreover, he's maintaining a highly vigilant attitude to protect his beloved. I'm afraid even your plea on my behalf won't work..."
Mo Yin's words began to be filled with deep regret, and he even started to cover his face and sob.
What she said was entirely true; in front of Wang, apart from Huan, no one else had any chance to interject.
"I'll ask Huan to put in a good word for you! Huan is a very nice person, he should be able to help! The king will definitely listen to what he says!"
As Onihime rejoiced over her idea, when she said, "The king will surely listen to what he says," a flash of hatred crossed Mogin's face, but she was unaware of it.
“I’d like to see that ring first,” Mo Yin suddenly suggested.
Ghost Princess paused for a moment, then did not respond immediately.
“I know what you’re thinking. It’s perfectly normal to wonder if I’m reliable,” Mo Yin always said understandingly. “I genuinely believe that it’s disrespectful to ask someone to speak up for me based solely on your personal connections without properly apologizing to him privately and obtaining his forgiveness. I was wondering if you could help me arrange to meet him behind Heng’s back. I want to apologize to him and ask for his forgiveness. That way, I can feel more at ease asking him for help. What do you think?”
The Demon Princess fell into deep thought.
“Of course, whether you help me or not is entirely up to you. No matter what you choose, you can leave here. I will not threaten a subordinate who is loyal to my king,” Mo Yin added.
"Thank you, my lord, but I, Oni-hime, am not one to betray my people just because my life is threatened." As she said this, her eyes were fixed on Laila behind Mo Yin.
Strangely, Lyra remained unfazed despite being stared at like that.
"Oh, I almost forgot, your subordinates are naturally your responsibility—" Mo Yin understood, and with a casual push, Laila was slammed heavily in front of the Ghost Princess.
Mo Yin opened the barrier.
Laila and Oni-hime leaped out at the same time and disappeared without a trace in an instant.
...
When Oni-hime stood before Mo-yin again, holding a bloody skull, Mo-yin was not surprised at all.
That's Lyra's skull.
This is the consequence of betrayal.
"I knew you would come back. So, can you promise me this time? Are you willing to help me? For the sake of those two people's happiness, I don't want to be a burden to them forever." As she said this, her eyes dimmed.
"No, I just came back to see if you have any further instructions." Ghost Princess still dared not give in.
Knowing the danger, knowing she could have escaped… yet she still returned… indicating her inner turmoil. This person's suggestion, if successful, would greatly lighten the burden on Wang and Huan's love, and Wang wouldn't be troubled by dealing with Mo Yin… However, she dared not take such a huge gamble… what if…
"No need to rush to answer me, you can think about it carefully. By the way, has your subordinate's matter been resolved?" she asked, knowing the answer already.
"Well."
Ghost Princess instinctively clutched the skull in her hand, wondering what she had brought it back for!
"Ah... Ghost Princess, you're actually wrong." Mo Yin looked at the thing and sighed softly, his eyes filled with endless regret. "Laila, she didn't betray you because of my authority, but because of disappointment. Because the person she admired most, the person she thought she could rely on forever... abandoned her and left alone... She couldn't accept it... that's why she hates you! And the deeper her love for you, the deeper her hatred."
No...no...Ghost Princess felt her hands trembling as she held the skull.
Leila was executed because she couldn't tolerate being betrayed by someone she considered her sister! But... herself... that's because she knew she was embarking on a path of no return, how could she bear to take her with her!
"Unable to forgive his own hatred, yet unable to stop it. This child ultimately believes that only being killed by you is the most beautiful ending—that's why I didn't tell you the truth earlier."
Lyra...
Ghost Princess lowered her head, suddenly feeling like crying.
"Many things are unpredictable, and even if we could, the choice is fraught with difficulty... Take Layla, for example. You were afraid she would die if she stayed with you, so you abandoned her, and she pushed herself to the crueler guillotine because of your abandonment... I know you regret it, but have you ever thought about it—the matter I asked you to do is the same—" Mo Yin paused, "If you doubt my sincerity and miss this opportunity, it's not wrong to take precautions, but at the same time, it will burden them with this burden forever. So, in this kind of situation, the person involved should make the choice themselves."
The choice is yours?
Ghost Princess couldn't help but raise her head.
“There’s no need to lie. Just find an opportunity to tell Huan, away from Heng, that Heng’s ex-wife wants to see him and also tell him my purpose… Whether or not he wants to see me should be his choice. This is a good compromise.”
Seeing that the Ghost Princess remained silent, Mo Yin added, "You can also go back and think about it carefully..."
"No need, I'm happy to help you. Please wait for my message." After saying that, Ghost Princess turned and left without looking back, as if afraid she would regret it.
He was still clutching the skull tightly in his hand, his palm bleeding from the effort. On the mangled skull, it was impossible to tell whose blood it was.
She... probably won't regret it...
I don't want anyone to be as confused as Lyra...
I don't want anyone to regret things like I do now...
Mo Yin stood behind her, coldly watching her back, and smiled cruelly.
Elsa, as you said, our bet... is about to begin.
...
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