When Xie Maoliang entered Qiu Jie's room, Qiu Jie was sitting at the table, holding a mirror in one hand and stroking her cheek with the other, seemingly unaware that someone had come in.
The mask lay on the table, its dark red scars forming a tangled mess, creating uneven undulations on what should have been a smooth and delicate face.
Such a terrifying face would frighten even a man to death if he saw it at night.
When Xie Maoliang first saw Qiu Jie's profile, even though it wasn't her face, it startled him so much that he took a step back, knocking over a vase next to him. The vase fell to the ground, making a crisp shattering sound.
"Is it scary?" Qiu Jie casually reached out and picked up the mask.
Xie Maoliang swallowed hard, composed himself, and said, "Goddess, I... I have already followed your instructions and had the Fifth Prince's soldiers begin receiving the medicine. However, Mr. Jiang only brought two thousand vials of the medicine."
When Wei Shao was in charge of the army, Wei Shao was unwilling to associate with Qiu Jie, so he was responsible for contacting Qiu Jie. Later, after defeating a general and surrendering the pass to join the Southern Chu army, he naturally became Qiu Jie's right-hand man, responsible for handling various affairs.
Qiu Jie put on her mask and picked up the dark red syringe on the table: "General Xie, would you like to receive an injection?"
Xie Maoliang was startled and raised his hands, waving them, saying, "Goddess, I'd better not."
The Fifth Prince, Chu Kai, injected himself with the drug and killed the Southern Chu Emperor in the Golden Palace, along with two other princes. He witnessed the entire event. He didn't want to become that kind of crazed monster.
“You’re also afraid of becoming a crazy person like the Fifth Prince, right?” Qiu Jie pulled out the cannula from the medicine needle. “As for me… I’m already crazy, I don’t need to use this anymore.”
Xie Maoliang chuckled dryly, "Goddess, you must be joking. You deployed the Divine Cannon to help the Southern Chu army attack Wei Jingzhuo, and you also helped the Southern Chu army incorporate Wei Shao's troops. Every step of yours was far-sighted. This is not something an ordinary person could do."
“There was no grand scheme behind it,” Qiu Jie said, staring at the deep red liquid in the syringe. “I just wanted to kill Wei Jingzhuo. Everything I did was to kill him.”
Xie Maoliang nodded and said, "He truly deserves to die."
Qiu Jie sneered and said, "You think you can just agree with whatever I say, right?"
Xie Maoliang grunted and said, "No..."
"Then why did I kill Wei Jingzhuo? Why did Wei Jingzhuo deserve to die? Tell me."
Xie Maoliang couldn't answer. Remembering how Qiu Jie seemed very concerned about her appearance when she looked in the mirror, he could only say, "As everyone knows, he ruined the goddess's face and caused the deaths of her parents and younger brother..."
Qiu Jie inserted the cannula back into the needle, put it in her bosom, and said, "Wrong."
"Wrong?" Xie Maoliang was somewhat skeptical.
Qiu Jie said, "You see me looking at myself in the mirror and feeling sorry for myself, so you think I hate Wei Jingzhuo for ruining my face, but that's not the case. Although he planted explosives in the Shence vehicle and killed my aunt and uncle, I brought it on myself..."
Xie Maoliang's mind went blank, and he froze on the spot. He couldn't hear what Qiu Jie said after that.
Shence Chariot, Ganxi Valley...
It turns out Qiu Jie's face was disfigured by the explosives he planted. If the head of the Lin family is her uncle, then isn't she Bai Zhiyi from the Duke of Shangjing's mansion?
"General Xie, why do you look so panicked?" Qiu Jie's voice rang out.
Xie Maoliang snapped out of his daze and hurriedly said, "Ah, I... I remember that the goddess escaped unharmed. It was truly a close call that she survived the explosion."
To show that he was still scared, he patted his chest.
Qiu Jie stood up, hung the resurrection pendant around her neck, and said, "I have never said these words to anyone."
Xie Maoliang was preoccupied with the Shence Chariot and didn't hear what Qiu Jie said next. He could only casually reply, "This humble general would never reveal a single word to outsiders."
Qiu Jie gave a cold laugh, said no more, and walked out.
Xie Maoliang followed behind her, his heart filled with extreme panic.
What if she finds out that he ruined her face? She's a goddess, wouldn't she have him torn to pieces?
Or should we run away?
Where could I go if I escaped? If Su Wan and Wei Jingzhuo caught me, I certainly wouldn't survive.
What if one strikes first to gain the upper hand, and assassinates Qiu Jie to protect oneself?
To kill a goddess of unparalleled status and under strict protection on the territory of Southern Chu?
Several methods were considered, but none seemed feasible. The best course of action now was to pretend nothing was wrong. Qiu Jie was unaware that she was her true enemy. The best course of action was to find a way to leave her after the war in Southern Chu was over.
The guards outside the door saw Qiu Jie and Xie Maoliang come out and followed them.
Qiu Jie asked, "Where is the Fifth Prince?"
A guard reported, "Your Highness, the Fifth Prince is at the reviewing stand outside the imperial city."
...
In the capital of Southern Chu, beneath the command platform outside the imperial city, stands a row of stone lions used to display the power of military generals.
The lightest stone lion weighs 200 jin, then 300 jin, 400 jin... all the way up to the heaviest 700 jin.
The strongest man in Southern Chu could only lift a stone lion weighing 400 jin (approximately 200 kg). Since the founding of Southern Chu, only one person had ever lifted a 500-jin (approximately 250 kg) stone lion. He was exhausted halfway up the lion, and it crushed him to death.
Chu Kai lifted the 700-pound stone lion with both hands, sending it flying more than ten meters before it crashed into the ground with a thud. The surrounding bluestone bricks shattered, revealing spiderweb-like cracks.
The sleeves and trouser legs that were originally well-fitting were now stretched taut by his bulging muscles, hanging in strips on his body.
He laughed heartily, looking at his bulging muscles and veiny arms: "This power... is truly intoxicating. I can't wait to attack Wei Jingzhuo."
Qiu Jie's voice rang out from not far away.
"Fifth Prince, don't rush. Wait until all your soldiers have been injected with the medicine."
“I can’t wait any longer.” Chu Kai turned to Qiu Jie with a ferocious expression, his eyes gleaming with a beastly light. “I will repay him tenfold for the humiliation he inflicted on me.”
Upon seeing the resurrection pendant hanging on Qiu Jie's chest, the fierce light in his eyes immediately dimmed, and he shook his head as if throwing something away.
Qiu Jie said, "Fifth Prince, you are now incredibly strong, comparable to an ancient beast. However, you will still be injured if you are hit by an arrow from the Great Jin army. It would be best to put on your armor first."
Chu Kai said to the soldiers behind him, "Bring me my armor."
Two soldiers brought him his armor, but when they unfolded it, he couldn't put it on. After being injected with the drug, his muscles had become abnormally muscular, making him a whole size larger, and the armor simply wouldn't fit.
"We'll go even without armor." Chu Kai angrily swayed his body, knocking two soldiers away.
Then he gripped the helmet with both hands, squeezed it tightly, and flattened the hard helmet with his palms. He threw the helmet on the ground: "This armor is too fragile, I won't wear it."
Qiu Jie said, "Since the Fifth Prince doesn't want to wear it, then go to the military review ground and see your soldiers."
Chu Kai nodded and charged toward the gate like a bull.
The two tall, heavy wooden doors shattered instantly upon his impact.
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