“`
It was the hour of Shen, less than five hours before the scheduled battle.
The soldiers of Great Jin had already sharpened their blades, gazing northward. There, towering figures like gods and demons stood between heaven and earth. As time passed, the overwhelming aura of the Morning Glow Realm Great Beings surged across the entire snowy plain.
One, two, three… ten! Fifty!
The sheer overwhelming numbers were visible to the naked eye, plunging the entire Great Jin camp into silence, a sense of despair spreading.
The Alliance of the World had dispatched fifty Morning Glow Realm experts, while Great Jin had only the Sword Saint and the Empress, with Li Guanyan and Wang Xianjia capable of fighting.
“Resist the North City has always been the first line of defense against the Northern Territory. If the situation turns unfavorable, we must be prepared to die,” said Wu Shangpin, the City Lord of Resist the North City, clad in black armor, as he patrolled with his sword.
The hundred thousand soldiers of Resist the North City all wore grim expressions, silent and murderous.
Wu Shangpin continued, “If we face the worst outcome, I need you all to be ready to sacrifice your lives and souls to form the Emperor Grade Heavenly Sovereign Formation, buying time for Her Majesty and the Space-Time Sword Saint.”
“To be honest, even if you sacrifice your lives, it might only hold them off for a moment, perhaps just a few seconds…”
“Even so, are you willing to entrust your lives to me?!”
The hundred thousand soldiers’ eyes filled with determination, shouting in unison, “Willing!”
Wu Shangpin removed his helmet, drew his long sword from his waist, and solemnly knelt before all the soldiers, saying, “I have been honored by Her Majesty and my colleagues to guard Resist the North City for three hundred years, and have received your worship. Today, I wish to honor you.”
With that, Wu Shangpin paused, gripped the blade embedded in the ground, and thrust it down hard, letting the blood flow freely.
Then, he conjured a wine cup out of thin air, melted the snow into water, and mixed it with his blood as wine.
Gulp.
Kneeling on the ground, Wu Shangpin raised his head and drank it all in one go, then smashed the cup on the ground, shouting loudly, “For Great Jin, for Her Majesty! The wind rises in the east, and dawn will eventually shine upon the wasteland! To the unyielding spirits! And to all of you!”
…
…
Meanwhile.
The ten generals of the Ministry of War stood in a row, addressing the two hundred thousand troops drawn from the Imperial Capital.
Everyone was filled with a resolve to die, having written their wills and prepared themselves to the best state, ready to offer their best selves as fuel at any moment.
Meng Qingzhou leaned on his blind staff, standing in the shadowy corner, quietly listening.
“Do you think these people aren’t afraid of death?”
Su Qingqiu, disguised as a mute maid, was startled by the question, looking around to find no one else nearby, realizing Meng Qingzhou was asking her.
Since the army set out, Su Qingqiu and Wu Die had been hiding all day, fearing discovery by the Empress’ Husband.
Earlier, Su Qingqiu was guarding the main tent when she ran into Meng Qingzhou, who was leaning against the wall. Before she could escape, Meng Qingzhou stopped her, asking her to accompany him for a walk.
Su Qingqiu thought carefully about Meng Qingzhou’s question, scratching her head in confusion, about to speak but then reconsidered.
Her voice was too distinctive, easily giving her away.
“Mm-mm-mm…” Su Qingqiu had a sudden idea, mumbling and gesturing.
“Mute?” Meng Qingzhou tilted his head, surprised.
“Mm-mm-mm…” Su Qingqiu nodded repeatedly.
Meng Qingzhou rubbed his chin, feigning surprise, “You know, you resemble a girl from my household named Su Qingqiu. She’s good in many ways but too dumb and clumsy, not as clever as Wu Die, with average talent and aptitude.”
“And she always causes trouble for me. I think it’s time to kick her out and let you take her place. How about it?”
Hearing this, Su Qingqiu’s eyes widened in anger, “How am I dumb?!”
As soon as she spoke, Su Qingqiu realized her mistake, quickly covering her mouth and trying to sneak away.
“Stop!” Meng Qingzhou’s face darkened, shouting.
“Master…” Su Qingqiu hunched over, her sneaky movements stiffening, forcing a smile and pouting pitifully, “Did you recognize me from the start and deliberately trick me?”
“Explain yourself!” Meng Qingzhou said coldly.
Su Qingqiu shrank back in fear, stammering, “Ex… explain what?”
“Why are you here?”
“The young lady asked me to protect you, so I followed secretly.”
“You protect me?”
Meng Qingzhou’s face was stern, “Do you take me for a fool? Such a flimsy excuse? Do you think I’m some naive fairy?”
Su Qingqiu pouted.
Bad master, always belittling her indirectly.
“Alright, alright, I’ll tell the truth. The young lady asked me to follow and monitor you, to prevent you from being seduced by some scheming vixen,” Su Qingqiu said.
She had prepared these words long ago, fearing this very situation.
Meng Qingzhou laughed coldly, “Then you have neglected your duty. Your master has already been seduced by the Empress of Great Jin, and you stood guard outside all night without noticing?”
Su Qingqiu was speechless, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead. Her lively eyes darted around, spotting Wu Die peeking around the corner of the tent.
Su Qingqiu’s eyes lit up, seeing a savior, and quickly waved, signaling for help.
“Wu Die, come out,” Meng Qingzhou suddenly turned his head, facing where Wu Die was hiding, and shouted coldly.
Hearing this, Su Qingqiu’s smile froze, her hands clasped nervously, fingers intertwined, her heart pounding, her face turning pale with fear.
Wu Die glared at Su Qingqiu, then adopted a calm demeanor, stepping out and about to explain.
“You wouldn’t say it was Her Majesty’s idea to have you follow me, would you?” Meng Qingzhou said.
Wu Die stumbled, almost falling.
What was going on?
The perfect excuse she had prepared was exposed before she could even say it.
Meng Qingzhou showed no kindness, his expression cold, “I don’t want to hear any more unnecessary words. You probably won’t honestly tell me your secrets anyway.”
“In that case, Su Qingqiu said you two were here to protect me.”
“Without a strong foundation, you can’t even protect yourselves, let alone others. Su Qingqiu! You have half a month to break through to the Sea Covering Realm! Wu Die, the same goes for you!”
“If you can’t meet the goal, prepare for the worst.”
With that, Meng Qingzhou turned to leave. As he walked away, his stern expression vanished, replaced by a smile.
He had already settled the score with his wife last night.
Su Qingqiu and Wu Die had also been dealt with.
And… Big Yellow, yes, the Sunlight Lord, the Guardian Beast pretending to be a Peke.
……………
【Third update today, more to come later, please follow and send gifts】
“`
Leave a Reply