Chapter 59 Castilia (10) Zerg
Five or six drunken knights were devoured by a few aphids before they could even scream. The knights patrolling the outermost perimeter were the first line of defense; if a crisis came, they would be the ones to give a signal. But the north had already fallen. As aphids with a certain sense of teamwork, this was a significant loss.
It sends signals to the aphids lurking nearby to break through from the north, their mouthparts secreting mucus that drips onto the grass, and their sharp, slender forelegs digging into the soil.
Xu Lingzhao suddenly turned to look north, raised her sword, and shouted, "North! There are insectoids in the north!" Her voice shattered the tranquility of the camp, but as she was part of the Lorraine Knights, the knights beside her looked at her with puzzled eyes.
There were nearly a thousand knights in the entire camp, and they were in the south. It was impossible for them to know if there were insectoids in the north. However, the knights who were assigned to the Lorraine Knights with Xu Lingzhao believed what this S-rank Alpha said and immediately took a defensive stance because of the insectoid attack.
It's always been a collective attack.
Sure enough, a nearly four-meter-tall aphid leaped out from the shadows and almost instantly bit off the head of a knight whose back was turned to him. After the others finally reacted, aphids also jumped out from the shadows one after another. They did not roar but made hissing sounds from their mouthparts.
Xu Lingzhao stood in front of the carriage, drew her sword, and frowned as she watched the aphids about to launch their attack. She had a premonition that this sneak attack was being directed by an A-rank aphid lord with a certain level of intelligence. The only advantage was that the aphids were an extremely selfish insect race, and they would drive away other insect races nearby, thus preventing the emergence of hybrid insect races to some extent.
He heard the sound of a door being pushed open behind him. Chu Jing lifted the curtain and looked at Xu Lingzhao. Only with her there did he muster the courage to look outside. But when he saw what was happening, he was stunned. There were many insectoids not far from him, and they were in a standoff with the Knights.
Xu Lingzhao turned to look at her. She reached out and closed the car door. Before closing it, she whispered, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
While releasing soothing pheromones, she focused her mental energy. This was bound to be a fierce battle. She heard gunshots and explosions coming from the south. The Knights of Lorraine, who had already reacted, adjusted the direction of their cannons and launched the first attack. The explosions rang out the instant the explosions occurred.
The aphids began their attack. Xu Lingzhao's knight rank was not high enough to carry a lance, but looking at the sword in her hand, it was enough. The aphids' attack slowed down in her eyes, and she could easily dodge their attacks and stab the aphids in the body. Their abdomen was often their vital spot.
Xu Lingzhao was in complete control. Those who could enter the Knights were physically better than ordinary people. In particular, most of the Knights were Alphas. Alphas were natural warriors. Her attack range was around the carriage, almost never leaving it. Xu Lingzhao observed the insectoids around her.
She felt that this attack would not be so simple. Her understanding of the Zerg mostly came from actual combat, but the aphids were social animals that Xu Lingzhao rarely saw. Detailed information about the Zerg required consulting the Knights' records, so she had never let her guard down. This was very likely the first wave of attacks by the aphid lord to lull the knights into a false sense of security.
As expected, during the battle, Xu Lingzhao overheard a few brief exchanges between the knights.
"It feels like it will be over soon."
I think so too.
Xu Lingzhao didn't know the situation of the other knight orders, but the battle of her knight order had ended. The knights were busy digging out the crystal cores from the aphids' bodies. Everything was normal. No matter how powerful the insectoids were, they couldn't withstand real guns and bullets.
She exhaled softly, still on guard. She heard the sound of a window being pushed open, just a tiny crack, so small that Xu Lingzhao could only see his eyes. She was about to speak when someone patted her shoulder. She had to swallow back the words she was about to say. The person was dressed in Lorraine knight's uniform. He said to Xu Lingzhao in a commanding tone, "Our knight commander requests your presence."
The words were polite, but the tone was arrogant.
However, Xu Lingzhao was currently under the command of the Knights of Lorraine, and one of the knights' principles was absolute obedience. She couldn't refuse, so she followed the man in another direction.
Chu Jing watched her figure disappear into the crowd through the gap, his eyes immediately drooping. Why was it so hard to even say a word to her? Xiao Yuan, who was standing next to him, blinked awkwardly when she saw his disappointed look.
"Greetings, Commander of the Knights of Lorraine. I am Xu Lingzhao, a knight of the Rose Knights." Xu Lingzhao lowered his eyes, placed his right fist on his left chest, and bowed slightly, performing a standard knightly salute.
“From this moment forward, you will no longer protect Lord Chu, but the esteemed Prince of Lorraine.” He left after uttering this single sentence, his face expressionless. Compared to Chu Jingze’s carriage, the Prince of Lorraine’s carriage was far more exquisite and luxurious, and the carriage window was pushed open.
Prince Lorraine looked at Xu Lingzhao's face, paused for a moment, then gave a polite smile and said, "It was my idea. I heard that you saved Lord Chu all by yourself. You are the most powerful knight I have ever seen."
"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness. I am merely fulfilling the responsibilities of a knight." Xu Lingzhao did not look up, responding to Prince Lorraine's standard praise with a standardized answer.
Xu Lingzhao stood beside Prince Lorraine's carriage, but her eyes unconsciously drifted towards it. From her position, she could only vaguely make out the outline of the carriage, which was quite far away.
For the next hour, the knights dug out the crystal cores, put them away, and then relaxed.
The carriage windows were never closed, and Xu Lingzhao could feel the gazes coming from inside the carriage, a sensation that made her feel sticky and nauseous.
Suddenly, Xu Lingzhao's expression changed drastically. She felt a slight tremor under her feet—it was underground! This time, Xu Lingzhao didn't make a sound. She suddenly retreated, and the next second, an ant-like insect burst out of the ground. Its sharp mandibles tore apart the front of the carriage. She quickly drew her sword and slashed off its head. The ants were not large, about half a meter long, but there were many of them.
If we stay here, they will drill holes in the ground and cause it to collapse.
Knight Commander Lorraine immediately ordered the relocation to begin. Many things were left unpacked before they left the original location. The route had been planned in advance. Knight Commander Lorraine rode at the forefront to lead the way, while Xu Lingzhao followed behind the carriage, constantly on guard against ants and insects that might break through the soil.
She glanced at the expressions of the people around her, who seemed quite used to this situation. She looked away, realizing that she was still too inexperienced. However, there must be a connection between aphids and ants.
Everyone immediately evacuated. Many knights held torches in their hands. Xu Lingzhao could sense that Chu Jingze's carriage was not far away, but the crowd was so large that his vision was obstructed and he could not see it at all.
She tightened her fingers slightly, feeling uneasy for some reason.
"Hey! What are you thinking about?" Yu Yu suddenly appeared beside Xu Lingzhao and said as she ran, "We'll probably have to run until dawn. Aphids, ants, snakes, and rats all live together. I bet the aphids are waiting for us somewhere."
"Do the Knights have to face these things every day?" Xu Lingzhao asked.
“Of course, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. I’ve walked this road before. I guess the aphids are waiting at the slope ahead, and they’ll break up the group.” Yu Yu’s breathing became heavier, but her tone remained so casual.
Xu Lingzhao nodded without speaking. The entire group moved quickly along the way, and the number of ants gradually decreased. Xu Lingzhao's feet were on uneven ground, and he could easily slip and fall. Beside him was a huge valley slope, and if he were to roll down, the consequences would be unimaginable.
This should be the place Yu Yu was talking about.
Sure enough, the familiar hissing sound reached their ears, and countless aphids rushed towards the group, forcing them to stop and deal with them. Xu Lingzhao and Yu Yu stood back to back, helping each other watch behind them. The insectoids and the knights were once again caught in a melee, and gunshots rang out all around them.
Xu Lingzhao then realized something was wrong. Almost everyone in the Knights of Lorraine had a gun, so why didn't the Knights of the Rose? Yu Yu's words seemed to be prophetic, yet they also contained a deeper meaning.
She then realized that perhaps Castile had deliberately chosen this route, as not equipping the Rose Knights with guns would greatly weaken their combat effectiveness, and from the perspective of the Knight Commander, it was not worth dying to protect his husband, so they would imply that the knights did not need to work so hard.
If even one of the three concubines dies, not only can Lorraine be blamed, but there will also be a legitimate reason to wage war against Lorraine, on the grounds that the Knights of Lorraine failed to protect Castile and disrespected it. After thinking it through, Xu Lingzhao felt a chill run down his spine. All three concubines who came to Castile were political victims.
Even if they safely reach Castile, they will be punished for various reasons later.
What about Chu Jingze? Does he know that he is in a difficult situation? He looks so weak and pitiful.
Xu Lingzhao focused her mental energy, wanting to know his exact location. It was at this moment that she sensed him getting further and further away from her, heading in the direction of—!
Her pupils constricted as she looked down the bottomless slope. He and the carriage had tumbled down it. Xu Lingzhao kicked aside the aphids blocking his way and ran towards the slope, but Yu Yu grabbed her wrist at that moment and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Save them." She frowned slightly and pulled her hand away, but Yu Yu followed her. "I'll go with you. It's too dangerous on a dark and windy night." She winked and gave a sly smile.
Xu Lingzhao knew without a doubt that Yu Yu had misunderstood her meaning, probably thinking that she was going to desert. So Xu Lingzhao said seriously, "I really am going to save people."
“I’ll go with you to rescue him, I understand you!” Yu Yu followed behind her and suddenly said, “You’re going to rescue that concubine named Chu Jingze, right?”
Xu Lingzhao's silence was tantamount to acquiescence. She chose not to dwell on how Yu Yu knew, knowing that the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it would be for Chu Jing.
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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]
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