Chen Yan charged into the battlefield, sword in hand, his battle robe fluttering in the wind.
Chen Yan, wielding a long spear, moved like a silver dragon emerging from the sea. Each strike precisely pierced the enemy's throat or killed them with a single blow.
"Hold the left wing."
Shen Yan gave a deep, resonant command, his voice piercing the clamor of the battlefield. An enemy soldier swung his sword, aiming only for Shen Yan's head. Shen Yan dodged to the side and, with a backhand thrust, pierced the soldier's shoulder blade with his spear.
The battle beneath the city walls had reached a fever pitch. Both sides had exhausted their tools and formations, and were out of ammunition and food, leaving only hand-to-hand combat.
If Shen Yan left Meng Qingluan on the city wall, Meng Qingluan wouldn't be foolish enough to run down and join the battle.
She knows archery and throwing weapons, but her actual combat skills are absolutely rudimentary.
The soldiers below were all seasoned veterans, having trained for countless years.
If I go down there, I'll only be killed in one blow.
Standing there, she could only watch helplessly. Meng Qingluan turned her head and saw that there were still some arrows behind her.
Although it wasn't enough for the soldiers to fire, it was sufficient for her alone.
Meng Qingluan turned her head to look at Chen Yan, the personal guard who remained on the city wall to protect her, and gave instructions.
"Come help me, bring these arrows over. I'll shoot one and you hand it over."
“Madam, Lord Shen asked you to wait for him here. If something happens to you, I will have no way to explain myself.”
The guard lowered his head and advised.
"Just move it when I tell you to. I'll be fine, don't worry."
Meng Qingluan urged him on, but the man's voice sounded somewhat familiar, so she couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
The man was carrying arrows, and she could only see his profile.
Hmm, this doesn't seem like it either.
Maybe I'm just imagining things.
Meng Qingluan snapped out of her thoughts, stood on the crenellations of the city wall, and drew her bow to release an arrow.
The man standing beside her was taken aback when he saw her hit the target with an arrow; he was clearly incredulous that the woman in front of him actually knew archery.
He was no less skilled than an ordinary martial artist, and his strike hit the target with a single blow.
Is it a coincidence?
"arrow."
Meng Qingluan waited for a long time, but the man beside her did not hand over the arrow. She turned her head and urged him.
The man snapped out of his daze, and the moment Meng Qingluan's probing gaze swept over him, his expression returned to calm.
He handed her an arrow and watched her move.
Meng Qingluan gripped the bow tightly, drew the bowstring taut, her dark eyes gleaming, her gaze fixed on her target.
She was focused, serious, and seemed detached from the world, with only the bow and arrow in her hand and herself remaining.
Let go
—As the bow was released, the arrow drew an arc in the air, flying out swiftly like a shot from a bow, tearing through the air, and an enemy soldier fell to the ground.
"Wow! That's incredibly impressive."
The man subconsciously exclaimed in admiration.
A seemingly ordinary exclamation of praise immediately drew Meng Qingluan's attention. Meng Qingluan put down her bow and arrow and looked him up and down.
"What's wrong..., Madam?"
The man felt a chill run down his spine from her blatant gaze, goosebumps rose on his skin, and he couldn't help but take a step back.
Meng Qingluan's gaze was sharp, as if she were scrutinizing every possible disguise.
After a long silence and staring at each other, Meng Qingluan suddenly spoke, uttering a name.
"Li Zhanlan".
It's not a question, it's a certainty.
The man's expression showed a fleeting moment of surprise, which quickly turned into a smile as he replied.
"Madam, you're joking. I'm just a commoner, how could I possibly be compared to a dragon among men like the Seventh Prince?"
"..."
Meng Qingluan was initially somewhat uncertain, but after his answer, she was absolutely certain.
The man handed over another arrow.
"Madam, shall we not continue?"
"Continue my ass!" Meng Qingluan snapped at him, took the arrow, and nocked it on her bow. "Li Zhanlan, I haven't even settled the score with you for tricking me, and you've come looking for trouble yourself. Do you believe I'll shoot you dead?"
The man looked blank, then said seriously.
“Madam, if you dislike me, you can simply say so. If I have made any mistakes, I will apologize to Lord Shen myself. Instead of cursing me for no reason, you said I am the Seventh Prince. You should at least find some evidence.”
"……"evidence?
Meng Qingluan threw away the bow and arrow in her hand, walked straight up to him, and twisted his face hard.
"You think I'm a country bumpkin? That I don't know about disguise skin? I'll make sure you die knowing why, Li Zhanlan... Lan?"
Meng Qingluan looked at the skin in her hand, then at the man whose features remained unchanged, except for the addition of several scars on his face.
The man lowered his eyes and head, deliberately covering the scar on his right cheek, not wanting others to see it.
"I apologize, Madam. I did use a disguise, but it was because I was stabbed in the face with a poison-coated gun during the battle..."
Looking at the disguise skin in her hand, Meng Qingluan felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and handed the disguise back to him, apologizing.
"I'm sorry... I misunderstood you. Don't worry, I'll compensate you for the loss of your disguise skin, and I'll also buy you a few more."
"Thank you, Madam."
The man took the unusable disguise skin, stuffed it into his sleeve, and pulled his hair down, trying to cover the scars on his face.
Seeing this scene, Meng Qingluan felt even worse.
I feel like I'm not even human.
She casually picked up the bow and arrow again, adjusted her grip for a while before regaining her feel for it, took the arrow the man handed her, drew the bow, and comforted him.
"Actually, there's nothing to be ashamed of about having scars on your face; it doesn't affect your original handsomeness."
"Thank you, Madam. I know you're just trying to comfort me. Actually, it's quite ugly, but I'm used to it."
The man politely thanked him, but when he finished speaking, a bitter smile appeared on his lips, making him look forlorn and helpless.
His demeanor and actions naturally caught Meng Qingluan's eye. In her haste, she even managed to miss her target with the arrow she had just fired.
Frowning in annoyance, she put down the bow and turned to look at the man.
“I’m not lying. Everyone inevitably has some minor flaws, and that doesn’t affect our lives. So what if you have a scar on your face? Some people even have scars on their buttocks.”
"Even a flawed piece of jade cannot diminish its brilliance."
"..."
Upon hearing Meng Qingluan's words, the man unconsciously tightened his grip on his sleeve, and remained so for a long time.
Meng Qingluan turned her head and picked up her bow and arrow again, aiming to shoot down from the city wall.
Suddenly, she heard a man's very sincere voice in her ear.
"Thank you……"
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Meng Qingluan answered with a smile, found her target, and focused her gaze on that person. Just as she was about to let go, the man's next words left her speechless.
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