The reinforcements arrived quickly. A faint light appeared on the horizon, and hundreds of warships crossed the Beiwu River at high speed. The battle on the river suddenly erupted.
Upon seeing the figures of the Northern Army on the lake, Xuan Yao immediately waved his hand behind him, and the mighty navy charged into Chishui Lake in a roar.
The people of the Western Regions were shocked to see that the Great Qi had sent so many troops to the northern frontier.
A general roared, "Those bastards from the Northern Frontier must have made a deal with the Great Qi. Look, those are the sailors under the Northern Frontier King."
The northern frontier is vast and has many kingdoms. The royal court of the northern frontier and the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions share the same origin. They split up hundreds of years ago, but they all came from the same ancestor.
"General, let the young master retreat. With the Great Qi Emperor dead in the northern frontier, the Central Plains will surely turn against him and wage a bloody war. We in the Western Regions can then reap the benefits."
"Someone, go into the water and find the young master."
It rained all night, and the rain gradually subsided. On the eastern horizon, a faint golden light pierced through the cold river surface and penetrated into the bottomless lake.
Chu Changning kept swimming and swimming, but he couldn't find it no matter what he did.
I'm so tired, so very tired.
The lake is so deep that you can't see the bottom. As far as the eye can see, it's a vast expanse of emerald green, with no end in sight.
Her consciousness gradually blurred, and the killing and bloodshed flashed through her mind. Exhaustion enveloped her entire body, and her limbs began to lose strength. She was so tired that she wanted to close her eyes.
The torrent of iron cavalry overhead shook the entire lake, the clanging of weapons and the deafening roar of battle were like a mountain collapsing and the dark, menacing armor flowing past and covering everything.
In the icy, howling water, members of the Northern Army kept jumping down to search the area.
Helian Ye was taken ashore by the people from the Western Regions. He stood at the bow of the boat, the desolate wind blowing against the hem of his clothes, his handsome face revealing no expression.
At this moment, a general stepped forward and said, "Young master, the lake is bottomless. The Emperor of Great Qi has been hit by the golden arrow and has no chance of survival. We should retreat."
That golden arrow was specially made in the Western Regions and poisoned with deadly poison. Even if someone were rescued and still had a breath left, they would not survive.
Helian Ye remained silent. The cold wind blew across his face, and the lake water lapped against his cheeks. A hint of confusion flashed in his bewitching eyes.
Throughout history, every moment of imperial ambition and hegemony has been marked by rivers of blood and countless corpses.
He was just trying to take down an enemy without expending too much manpower, why is she angry?
A strange, inexplicable emotion crept up and tangled within him, a feeling of unfamiliarity enveloping his entire body, which he uncomfortably suppressed.
The high shaman beside him glanced at him and asked in a flat voice, "What is the young master hesitating about?"
"Why does the great shaman say such a thing?"
"Throughout history, it has been difficult to have both power and beauty; every goal comes at a price."
The desolate wind blew their robes, and the resounding sound of horns echoed across the land.
Helian Ye stared intently at the blue-clad figure rescued by the Northern Army, without uttering a word.
The Great Shaman also stared at the warships of the Great Qi opposite him, recognized the familiar face, and continued.
“Young Master, you have enjoyed the royal court’s support and education since childhood. You bear the mission of the various tribes of the Western Regions and need to take on your responsibilities.”
"You've already made your choice, there's no turning back."
The black battle flag fluttered in the wind, the bleak north wind blew in gusts, and the raindrops seemed to hit people's faces, cold as sharp knives, piercing and painful.
Chu Changning stood on the warship of the Great Qi, gazing at the distant river across it.
The wind and rain around them seemed to stand still as they silently looked at each other, the sound of war drums booming like thunder.
After a moment, she withdrew her gaze, wrung out the water from the sleeves of her dress, and walked to the bow of the boat.
The troops from the northern frontier came from all directions, circling the mountaintops, while the troops from the western regions retreated like a tide. The entire Green Water Red Lake was filled with people from the Great Qi.
As Helian Ye left, he glanced at her across the vast chasm.
She had her back to him, so his expression was obscured, but her slender figure stood with her spine straight.
At this moment, a general stepped forward and said, "Young Master, the general leading the Northern Frontier is Helian Xiao. They dared to let the Qi army enter the pass. Should we exterminate them all?"
The Emperor of Qi died in the northern border region, so even if the matter were exposed, Qi had no reason to send troops to the Western Regions.
Moreover, with internal strife within the Great Qi and widespread warfare in the north, it would be better to seize this opportunity to eliminate Helian Xiao.
Helian Ye turned around, his voice icy cold, "Kill."
War was imminent. The entire lake was filled with the chilling sharpness of blades. The wind howled, and the arrows flying everywhere were like ferocious beasts, roaring and howling.
Previously, the Linwei suffered heavy casualties while covering the rear, and all of them were taken to the warships behind for treatment.
Chu Changning went to check and found Xiao Yan unconscious, so he withdrew.
As the sun rose higher and the light on the horizon grew stronger, she stood on the bow of the boat, watching the soldiers and horses emerge and descend from the lake, her hands gripping the bow trembling slightly.
The vast, deep lake was a terrifyingly green, and its source was unknown; its depths were unfathomable.
The howling north wind whipped her slender, tall figure, tossing her black hair and revealing her fair collarbone.
She didn't know how long she stood there; blood slowly seeped from the wound on her hand, but she seemed not to feel the pain, silently staring at the lake.
The roars and howls coming from the battlefield ahead, and the churning waves like ferocious demons, were devouring the crimson lives.
The brutal war forced the people of the northern frontier to retreat rapidly, causing a violent tremor in the sky as large numbers of troops retreated like a receding tide.
Chu Changning glanced at it from afar and felt a chill run down his spine.
She withdrew her gaze and stared intently at the still lake bottom. A complex mix of emotions overwhelmed her, and the dull pain felt like a knife tearing through her flesh.
A cold wind blew across her face, and tears mixed with blood fell from the corners of her eyes. Blood flowed continuously from the cracked wound on her palm, staining her dress crimson.
All the Northern Army soldiers went down to search, and armor, swords, and weapons were scattered all over the ground. The Green Water Red Lake was covered with corpses and a dark mass of people.
Chu Changning had been standing for too long and felt dizzy and weak. She gripped the bow of the boat tightly and shook her head vigorously.
Suddenly, a loud splash came from the northwest, and several figures burst out of the water and leaped ashore.
After the generals of the Northern Army rescued her, they casually threw her onto a ship, placing her with the Linwei men, far from the main ship.
She heard a sound and reached for the side of the boat to look, but before she could see the person clearly, her body suddenly went limp and she fell backward.
There were only a few soldiers operating below the ship; there weren't many people on board, and no one paid them any attention.
She lay alone on the deck, trying to push herself up, but she was too weak and closed her eyes.
The soldier narrating the scene glanced at her coldly, "A source of trouble."
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