Sunrise and sunset, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Lan spends her days either practicing body cultivation or brewing tea, living a carefree life.
In contrast to her, Wang Liu became busier and busier every day. His guards went out one after another, and when they returned, they would rush into his room and then disappear again. As his strategist, Yun had to stay by his side and help him devise strategies, so she naturally had no free time.
Before long, the rice ears were full and bent low. On a night of full moon, a night that carried the hopes and harvests of the common people for the year, Wang Liu received a message. That very night, he ordered everyone to set off immediately.
Less than three days later, Shi Lan saw the very familiar city wall again, with two characters on it. Shi Lan guessed that they should be the characters for Yan City.
At this moment, it seemed that the place was in the midst of war and chaos, with smoke and fire everywhere. The barbarians, holding sharp blades, grinned as they slashed at the common people who hadn't had time to rush home because of the harvest and the guards who had just fled the city for their lives.
The mournful howls and desperate roars in the face of death, along with the cries of terrified and helpless children, echoed throughout the sky.
Wang Liu's face was cold and stern, his dark eyes fixed on the tragic scene. His beautifully curved lips were tightly pursed. He immediately ordered Wen Ju to kill the barbarian who was wantonly slaughtering commoners and arbitrarily killing guards.
Wen Ju accepted the order and led the eight hundred iron cavalrymen behind him, clad in black armor and silent since the start of the journey, away in a grand procession.
Shi Lan frowned. A dozen feet away from the car, the commoner who had been lying on the ground and was already lifeless was standing next to a seven or eight-year-old child who was just beginning to understand things and was crying loudly.
Shi Lan felt a pang of pain in her heart as the child cried, and something seemed to be stuck in her throat, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Why didn't you come sooner?
She tried to hold back, but she couldn't help but scream and demand an answer.
Wang Liu considerately covered the brocade by the window, leaving the cruel scene outside, but he still couldn't hide the grief-stricken cries that came through the crack.
After a long silence, Wang Liu sighed softly, "Ah Lan, I've tried my best to go fast."
Shi Lan naturally knew that her buttocks had been shaken to the point of disintegration these past two days. If the axle hadn't been well-made, it probably would have fallen apart long ago with their frantic running. But after seeing this scene, she still couldn't resist.
Yun turned his head and saw Wang Liu's increasingly transparent face, and explained in a low voice, "Alan, don't blame the lord. The guards reported that there are more than two thousand guards sent here by several families in Yancheng, while the barbarians have less than a thousand. The lord estimated that if it is just defending the city, it can easily hold out for five days."
Yun glanced at Wang Liu, who was urgently summoned back by the family. However, because Shi Lan was worried about this place, he swallowed back his words of disobeying the family order. Since the master was unwilling to mention it, it was best for him, as a subordinate, to keep his mouth shut as well.
Shi Lan lifted the carriage curtain again, coldly observing the barbarians being chased like stray dogs by Wen Ju and his group, as well as the other family guards scattered across the plain. "Does this place look like there are more than two thousand people?"
Speaking of this, Yun also found it strange and turned to look at Wang Liu.
Wang Liu shook his head, then turned and instructed the guards responsible for protecting the three people by the car, "Go and invite those guards over for questioning."
The guard accepted the order and returned, followed by a man with a terrified expression, clearly scared out of his wits.
“Young Master Wang, we cannot stay here any longer. Those barbarians are protected by ghosts and gods, and we are no match for them.”
The man looked at the barbarians falling one after another in horror, and said, "My lord, you'd better run for your life quickly. If you keep killing barbarians like this, that monster will take revenge."
The man's legs trembled, and his whole body shook like a leaf. Before Yun could ask any questions, he spoke in a panic, his words full of things that boosted the morale of others and diminished his own.
He kept glancing at the city gate in fear, as if he would run away at the slightest sign of trouble.
Shi Lan frowned. Nowadays, various schools of thought coexist. There is Taoism, which advocates non-action and carefree living; Buddhism, which believes in reincarnation; and of course, there are those who believe in ghosts and gods, as well as atheists who are not afraid of ghosts and gods and only believe in their own hearts.
These are all beliefs held in one's heart. Regardless of anything else, beliefs are merely personal interests and preferences. One's attitude towards others is always determined by one's status. This guard knew that the person in front of him was the legitimate son of a great clan's royal family, yet he still couldn't control his incoherent ramblings. It seems that he had been stimulated in some way, and this stimulation had affected his mind, which is why he did such an inappropriate thing.
It seems these barbarians are indeed a bit strange.
Shi Lan composed herself and asked, "You say that the barbarians are protected by ghosts and gods, have you seen it with your own eyes?"
The man nodded almost immediately after she finished speaking. He slurred, "Among that group of people, there is one dressed in a black robe. She can conjure up many vines that can strangle people to death."
Shi Lan was taken aback and asked him, "Vines? How did that person conjure them?"
The man did not answer; his mind seemed to be deeply immersed in the scene he had just experienced.
His eyes were wide open as he stared at the sky, muttering something incoherently. He waved his hands wildly and took two steps back in a panic before collapsing softly to the ground. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from retreating.
Shi Lan frowned and looked at the man for a while, then said in a low voice, "Amin, there's something strange about this place. You can't go in." She turned to Yun and said, "Take Amin to the Xiang family's city. To avoid casualties, take the guards with you. We'll decide on other matters after I've investigated Yancheng."
After saying that, she didn't even look at Wang Liu. She braced herself against the carriage with one hand and rushed out like a sharp sword. In a few leaps, she disappeared into the midst of the fighting guards.
"Hey, you..." Yun wanted to tell her to be careful, but when she opened her mouth, there was only air in front of her.
Yun shook her head and said, "They really walked very fast."
Wang Liu looked out of the carriage and said in a chilling voice, "Quickly wipe out the barbarians, then we'll retreat five li." He set up the water clock and said, "Once the water clock runs out, regardless of whether A-Lan comes back or not, we'll charge in."
Yun opened her mouth, wanting to say that it was too dangerous, but seeing Wang Liu's deep-set eyes and worried expression, she wisely kept her lips closed.
The guards obeyed and sped off. As the sky turned a rosy hue, Wen Ju led his guards back to report.
Wang Liu's gaze remained fixed on the water clock, completely ignoring the swaying of the carriage and Wen Ju's disapproving advice.
Inside Yancheng, Shi Lan lay in the shadows of the city wall, coldly watching the figure of a burly man wrapped in animal skin dragging along.
Is it possible for her to create vines?
The person was wearing a long robe, and a large hat covered her head and face, but Shi Lan could tell from her figure and the way she walked that it was a woman.
And she is also a woman with an elegant gait and graceful demeanor.
Shi Lan frowned slightly. Was this person also from the Yuan family?
The Northern Liang Kingdom is uncivilized, and only the Yuan family knows proper etiquette and manners. Shi Lan felt that only the Yuan family could have such a woman in the Northern Liang Kingdom.
Gripping the cold sword hilt, Shi Lan held her breath and focused her mind. Unconsciously, the Chaos Technique began to circulate within her body on its own.
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