Xie Lian's left hand was already bleeding profusely from his own stab, but it was only a "wound," not a kill. His desire would remain unsatisfied. The cloth slipped from his lips, unable to hold onto it any longer. He intensified his attack, stabbing his left leg with his sword. This strike penetrated deeply, the sharp sound of the blade piercing flesh distinctly. The young soldier, unable to contain himself, charged forward. Hearing the clatter of footsteps, Xie Lian retreated in fear, backing away until his back was against the cave wall, desperately trying to retreat. "No, no, no! Don't come over here. No, no..."
The second blood line at the cave entrance was specifically designed to stop Xie Lian. If he couldn't stop the boy, he could still retreat to the safe zone. But now, Wen Rouxiang had already begun its second attack. If the boy entered, Xie Lian would probably kill him on the spot, no way would he let him escape? He was afraid of accidentally killing the child, so he could only hide. The young soldier heard the panic in his tone and said in a daze, "Your Highness..."
The desire for murder and cruelty surged in Xie Lian's blood. With trembling hands, he lifted the broken sword, a voice in his heart repeatedly shouting, "I will not die, I will not die, I will not die!!!"
The next moment, he made a decisive move and reversed the sword's edge.
In the darkness, the young soldier vaguely saw a flash of cold light and shouted, "Your Highness!!!"
Xie Lian had already swung his sword, piercing his abdomen and nailing him to the ground!
A sharp, agonizing pain exploded from his abdomen, spreading throughout his body, dispelling the heat. Xie Lian gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his eyes suddenly widening. He coughed softly, a trickle of blood escaping his lips. Even his breathing froze, and he remained motionless. The young soldier, seemingly stunned, dropped to his knees with a thud.
At this moment, screams rang out from outside the cave: "Who is it?"
The flower fairies cried out in delicate voices, their cries piercing the ears. However, someone's roar was even harsher than theirs, drowning out all their noises: "What the hell!!!"
Hearing this roar, Xie Lian suddenly took another breath.
Wind signal!
Another voice said muffledly, "A land of tenderness. If you don't want to get caught, cover your face quickly."
This was naturally Mu Qing, who had already covered his mouth and nose. Feng Xin covered his face, as if he had seen something again, and said angrily in a muffled voice: "That's... His Highness? His Highness?! Fuck it! I really fucked it! What is he trying to do!"
Mu Qing also exclaimed, "How unbecoming! How outrageous!" However, her tone wasn't as angry as Feng Xin's. Instead, it sounded like someone had just told a bad joke. Xie Lian lay in the cave, unaware of what they were talking about. He probably guessed they were unhappy that the demon girl was naked in front of them, a violation of morals. Feng Xin cursed, "Burn it now! Don't let anyone see!"
Immediately afterwards, there was the sound of a raging fire erupting and burning. Amidst the blazing flames, the banshees' screams and curses gradually faded. Mu Qing said, "Burn it clean! This banshee scent is poisonous. Leaving seeds behind will cause disaster if they grow up." Xie Lian gathered his breath and coughed once. The two men recognized his voice and shouted into the cave, "Your Highness, are you in there?"
Xie Lian said, “…I’m here…”
Although he tried to keep his voice steady, he was still weaker than usual. The two of them immediately went over and were briefly blocked by blood lines at the cave entrance. However, since they were well aware of Xie Lian's habit of setting up barriers, they knew how to break through. Feng Xin raised a palm flame and took a few steps. Before he could illuminate the deepest part of the cave, he suddenly asked, "Who?"
Mu Qing also asked cautiously: "Is there anyone else in the cave?"
Xie Lian said, "It's okay. Just a soldier."
The two men finally felt relieved and walked over. The bright firelight cast the entire cave in a warm orange-yellow glow. Xie Lian lay on the ground, his long hair spread out, his shirt completely peeled off. A long sword pierced his abdomen, pinning him to the ground.
Seeing this, both of them were shocked. Feng Xin leaned over and asked, "Who did this?!"
Xie Lian said, “On my own.”
Mu Qing was surprised and asked, "What's going on?"
Xie Lian shook his head and said, “Don’t mention it. I’m completely helpless and have to resort to this last resort. Get me out here right away.”
Mu Qing stepped forward, frowning as he pulled out the sword. He dropped it with a clang, where it was picked up by the young soldier. Feng Xin helped Xie Lian sit up and put his coat on him. Xie Lian then recounted the terrifying night that had followed his encounter with the Land of Gentleness. He said, "You arrived sooner than I expected. Where's Qi Rong?"
Feng Xin said, "Qi Rong has been imprisoned in the palace by the king. He's always flaunting himself outside, which makes him an easy target. But he knew to look for us first after returning. He's quite shrewd." It's clear that although Qi Rong utterly disliked Xie Lian's two attendants, he also knew how powerful they were. The two had originally planned to leave one person behind to defend the city, but because Qi Rong was screaming and wielding a sword blessed with Xie Lian's blood, fearing the danger would exceed their expectations, they all came together. The area around Beizipo was heavily infested with demonic auras, making it easy to find them, and they quickly arrived.
Although Xie Lian possessed a soaring body, ordinary swords and knives couldn't harm him at all, and a stab like this wouldn't kill him, he had practically never lost a true battle or life-or-death struggle in the past twenty years. This was the first time he'd suffered such a serious injury, and he inevitably needed some time to recover. So, Feng Xin carried him back to the Imperial City. Xie Lian frowned repeatedly as he felt waves of unfamiliar, sharp pain in his abdomen, but he tried his best to control himself. "Didn't you encounter anything on the way here?"
Mu Qing said: "No."
Xie Lian held his breath and said, "Be careful, there are inhuman creatures..."
He wanted to tell the story of the man in white with a crying and laughing face, but he was really exhausted. He caught a glimpse of the young soldier following behind him with a bloodstained iron sword, and felt relieved. He closed his eyes, gathered his strength, and fell into a deep sleep.
Since he had requested to descend to the mortal realm, Xie Lian hadn't slept for nearly a month. The accumulated tension had erupted this time, forcing him to rest for three days. Three days later, he suddenly woke up, finding himself lying in a room. Above him was a magnificent ceiling, a palace. He sat up suddenly, "Feng Xin!"
Feng Xin was testing his bow outside when he heard the noise and came in, saying, "Your Highness!"
Xie Lian's abdominal wound had long since healed, so he immediately got out of bed and asked, "Have I rested for too long? Did anything happen?"
Feng Xin said, "Don't worry. It's only a few days. There won't be any enemy attacks in the next few days. If there were, wouldn't I call you? Go to bed. You don't have any shoes on."
Xie Lian finally felt relieved and sat back on the bed. After a pause, he asked, "Where's Mu Qing?"
Mu Qing also walked in, holding the clothes prepared for him, and said, "Here."
He helped His Royal Highness the Crown Prince dress, and Feng Xin said beside him, "However, although there has been no fighting in the past few days, we have discovered something."
Xie Lian asked, “What’s the matter?”
Mu Qing said, "Didn't they say something was fishy going on in Yong'an, and that they suspected foreign aid? We went to Beizipo to investigate, and saw a few people. Although they were dressed like locals, their accents were strange, unlike those of Xianle. I captured them, and it turns out that other countries were secretly supporting them, secretly transporting food, fodder, and armor."
Otherwise, it would be impossible for so many people in Yong'an to be crowded in a desolate mountain and survive until now by eating wild vegetables and peeling tree bark!
Feng Xin cursed, "Damn it, they're always pretending to be friends, but now they're muddying the waters, just wanting to make Xianle as chaotic as possible!"
Xianle Country is vast and rich in resources, with abundant mineral resources, especially gold and jewels. Neighboring countries have coveted it for years. Xie Lian had long anticipated this. He lowered his head and shook it, thinking of something else. He asked, "What about the child?"
Feng Xin said, "Which one? That soldier? We were busy taking you to see the Imperial Master that day, so no one paid any attention to him. He must have returned to his own unit."
Xie Lian finished putting on his clothes, lowered his arms, and sat upright on the bed. He said, "That child is quite skilled. I think he's a perfect material for swordsmanship. If he's well trained, he'll definitely be amazing when he grows up. Mu Qing, remember to find him and take good care of him. You can mention him to me later."
Xie Lian was a man who loved anyone skilled in martial arts, always wanting to have him by his side to watch over him every day. This wasn't the first time he'd done that, but it was the first time he'd spoken so highly of a child. Mu Qing's expression was somewhat subtle as she listened to him praise her as "perfect material for swordsmanship" and "sure to be stunning when she grows up." She crumpled up Xie Lian's hairband and tossed it aside. Feng Xin said, "I think that kid's only about fourteen or fifteen. He's too young. What's the point of bringing him here?"
Mu Qing also said calmly: "It's not appropriate. It goes against military rules."
Xie Lian said, “If even gods can descend to earth, why are there so many rules and regulations in the military?” He then praised, “You should have seen the way that child killed this humble slave. It was a beautiful sight.”
Speaking of this humble slave, the strange figure in white flashed before his eyes again. Feng Xin said, "Your Highness, why did a female demon like the "Gentle Country" appear on Beizi Slope? You've never heard of it before."
Xie Lian stood up and said, "This is what I wanted to tell you that day."
He finally had a moment to tell the story of the weeping and laughing masked man. The three of them discussed it for a moment, each cautious about taking any chances. They all felt it would be best to report this to the Heavenly Court. So, Xie Lian left, hurriedly meeting the King and Queen before heading up to the Divine Martial Hall on Mount Taicang.
In the past, Xie Lian would have returned directly to Xianjing to inform Jun Wu in person. However, the situation was different now. He had voluntarily left Xianjing, which was equivalent to handing over the key. Now he couldn't open the door even if he returned. Furthermore, he had left in such a hurry that day, and the voices in Shenwu Hall were loud and clear, and he felt a little embarrassed towards Jun Wu. Therefore, he only respectfully lit a few sticks of incense in Shenwu Hall and sent a message to the statue of the Emperor Shenwu, hoping that Jun Wu would hear it when he was free. However, there were at least 8,000 people offering incense to Jun Wu every day, and the backlog was countless, including some of the most important believers. When he would hear it was truly a matter of fate. He didn't dare to withdraw for too long and immediately returned to the battlefield to continue defending the city.
Perhaps due to the heavy losses in the first battle, and the frequent, covert cuts to external reinforcements by Feng Xin and Mu Qing, Yong'an shifted its strategy, no longer charging headfirst. Over the next few months, they engaged in a few smaller battles, but the losses weren't too disastrous. Compared to the first battle, these were minor skirmishes, and the eerie white-clad figure didn't reappear. Consequently, the situation in Xianle Imperial City gradually relaxed, and Xie Lian finally had a rare opportunity to step away from the front lines and walk around the city to relax.
He crossed a small stone bridge, swayed the weeping willows by the bridgeside, and watched the bright red carp swimming happily in the water below, their tails swishing. He felt envious. He was stunned for a moment, and suddenly felt someone staring at him from behind. He turned around, but saw no one. He felt quite strange, but because he didn't sense any murderous intent or malice, he didn't care.
After getting off the bridge, he walked slowly along Shenwu Street. Passersby along the way saluted him with excitement, respect, or joy, calling him "Your Highness the Crown Prince." Xie Lian nodded with a smile. After walking for a while, he felt the gazes from behind him coming again.
This time, he had a plan in mind. Suddenly, he turned around and saw that he had caught him red-handed. He saw a half-figure flashing back from behind a willow tree. Xie Lian walked over and reached out to grab the person, but he saw a young man with a bandaged head hiding behind the tree. He was startled and asked, "Who are you...?"
The young man's head was covered in bandages, but he still had his arms folded over his face, with only one dark eye visible from behind his patched sleeves. He said dryly, "Your Highness, I didn't mean to do that."
Xie Lian pointed at him and said, “You were there that night…”
Before he could finish his words, he immediately recalled what had happened that night a few months prior, and how utterly embarrassed he had been. Images flooded his mind, and his face flushed. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he quickly coughed and said, "So it's you. I've been meaning to find you, but I was so caught up in the process that I forgot. Aren't you a soldier? Why are you in the city?"
The young man was stunned when he heard this, and said in a muffled voice: "I am not in the army now."
Xie Lian was surprised and asked, "Huh? Why is he gone?"
The young man was even more surprised than him and said, "I... was kicked out. Your Highness, you... didn't you know?!"
Xie Lian was completely bewildered. “Know what?”
He had clearly told Mu Qing long ago that this child was a promising talent and that he should be well taken care of and given some guidance. How come after giving him such specific instructions, the young man was actually kicked out of the army?
The young man seemed excited and happy. He lowered his arms and said, "So, Your Highness, you didn't know! I thought... I thought..."
Xie Lian became increasingly puzzled as he listened. He said, “Come on, tell me how you were kicked out? Who kicked you out? Why do you think I would know? And what do you think?”
The young man took a step towards him, but before he could speak, a terrified scream came from Shenwu Street: "Ah——!!!"
Xie Lian turned around abruptly and saw a man stumbling towards them, covering his face.
The author has something to say: [Xie Lian is a serious force control freak! ]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
