Sicherheit

Kapitel 51

Upon witnessing this dramatic change, Xi Suifeng and the other Flame Cavalrymen near the riverbank nearly tumbled to the ground. Han Ruoma was dumbfounded, and even Lian Ji, who was watching the battle from the high city wall, stared in disbelief. Qin Yue's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit a watermelon. Yunfei, Xiao Huan, and the others covered their mouths and noses in disbelief. At this moment, everyone's gaze, whether they could see it or not, was fixed on that tiny black figure that was so insignificant compared to the vast army!

"Xing... Xing Lie!" Xi Suifeng's mind went blank, his tongue stammered, and his arms trembled as he pointed at the distant dark figure, stammering out a name. (Poor Suifeng, the image you just built up...)

Good heavens! Are you kidding me?! The Fierce Army on the other side could not possibly grow wings and fly away. Those eight pontoon bridges are still under the control of the Green Army. In other words, at this moment, she is completely surrounded by millions of Green Army soldiers, isolated and helpless, with no help from any side, no elite soldiers, and nothing that could possibly help her!

All alone, all alone!

She actually dared to launch a sudden attack, firing three arrows in quick succession to draw everyone's attention to herself, arrogantly announcing her presence as if afraid no one would know. Did she really think she could fight the entire Qing Kingdom army by herself? It's utterly absurd!

The BMW sped by, and in the blink of an eye, she had arrived at the pontoon bridge where the two armies were clashing. Her signature attire was clearly visible to everyone, and her stunningly beautiful face was still there, but it was extremely glaring to Bai Zhongyan.

"Wind, speed, fierce!" He squeezed out each word through clenched teeth. Having been defeated by this woman time and again, he wished he could tear her to pieces immediately! Bai Zhongyan grinned furiously, "Your failure to kill me is truly your biggest mistake! Today, it's your..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Xinglie gave him a disdainful and helpless look, as if he were an idiot, and kindly reminded him loudly, "General Bai, how come you're still so incredibly stupid after three days? I made a mistake? Who said I made a mistake? Which eye of yours saw me make a mistake? I, Feng Xinglie, can make mistakes?"

This curious question was sure to infuriate every Qing soldier who heard her. Her boastful tone made every soldier of the Lie Army feel ashamed that they had such a shameless marshal. Xi Suifeng and the others wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads, rolling their eyes in their anxiety.

She really is... as narcissistic and arrogant as ever!

Bai Zhongyan finally managed to get up, but her words made him so angry that he almost fell flat on his face again.

She charged into the enemy ranks alone, and faced tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, yet she dared to remain calm and composed, even mocking the enemy marshal!

She really is... as arrogant and conceited as ever!

Before Bai Zhongyan could erupt in fury, Feng Xinglie spoke leisurely, "General Bai, my first arrow was aimed directly at you, a complete surprise. Killing you would have been effortless. Or do you think my aim wasn't good enough?" A mocking smile swept across the fallen banner and Bai Zhongyan's long-dead follower in her beautiful eyes, as if confirming her words. A chill ran through the crowd. Indeed, she had the skill to shoot down the banner and kill the lieutenant, so why couldn't she kill Bai Zhongyan? Especially since it was the first arrow, the one most unpredictable and difficult to defend against!

"I won't kill you, but I've pierced your collarbone. Your martial arts are now completely useless. If you don't believe me, you can try it yourself." Feng Xinglie glanced around, as if he were talking about something insignificant, with such a lazy demeanor.

Bai Zhongyan's face turned as white as paper. He had already tested it with his internal energy, and indeed, his collarbone had been pierced by an arrow. Even if it could be repaired, his martial arts skills would definitely be much worse than before. But hearing it so accurately from her mouth not only terrified him, but also made him feel ashamed.

"I don't care if you're deliberately being obtuse. But I'm not dead yet, and that's enough. Feng Xinglie, you dare to charge into my army alone, intending to single-handedly hold off hundreds of thousands of my troops? I think you're courting death! Guards, seize her!" The distorted face, coupled with the hoarse and shrill voice, truly resembled a demon from hell. Unfortunately, Feng Xinglie was the only one who was afraid of ghosts!

Feng Xinglie was taken aback, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, the sound echoing throughout the east and west of the river. Seeing that the stunned soldiers had finally surrounded her, she sighed helplessly, tossing her long, black hair in the air with a carefree and unrestrained air.

"Oh, General Bai, I truly feel sorry for you. You've fallen into my hands so many times, please learn your lesson, okay? Which ear of yours heard me say that I came alone? When did I ever tell you that I wanted to face hundreds of thousands of troops alone? Do you think I, Feng Xinglie, am stupid? Then congratulations, you yourself are not far from becoming a fool."

Before Bai Zhongyan could launch an attack, an unexpected change occurred! A thick and eerie color suddenly appeared on the rolling Yangtze River. The soldiers on the bridge seemed to sense the strangeness and cried out in alarm as they retreated to both sides, causing a large-scale chaos around the pontoon bridge. The large number of soldiers who wanted to deal with Feng Xinglie were also pushed around and knocked over.

Feng Xinglie's beautiful eyes held a faint smile as he gazed up at the upper reaches of the great river.

"Bang!" A powerful war drum sounded from the thick fog where the water met the sky.

Chapter 89 Staying Together

A strange, eerie liquid floated on the rolling river. Soldiers on the pontoon bridges stepped onto the land on both banks in fear. The eight pontoon bridges were suddenly empty. Everyone stared at the beginning of the thick fog in the distance. The scene was indescribably bizarre.

In the distant sky, a bright red light suddenly appeared, opening up a beautiful expanse of red that shot through the clouds like an arrow breaking through the water!

"Fire! It's fire!" someone shouted at the top of their lungs; their panic was beyond words!

The raging fire moved with the speed of a gust of wind! In the blink of an eye, when they opened and closed their eyes again, the entire scene had changed in a terrifying way. The river surface suddenly turned red in the morning mist, and the blazing flames seemed to have suddenly appeared! The great river was now ablaze with flames. This breathtaking and unprecedented spectacle left everyone speechless and unable to move, only able to stare in silence.

As the flames suddenly flared up, several small boats sped downstream and crashed into the pontoon bridge with a loud "bang!" The pontoon bridge itself was flimsy, and with the embers already burned to pieces, it was instantly shattered like broken branches and leaves along with the burning, wrecked boats, like a pile of useless garbage, and continued to crash into the second pontoon bridge!

"Boom boom boom!" Like a mudslide, the eight pontoon bridges were completely destroyed in the blink of an eye! Amidst the sea of fire on the river, they flowed downstream and disappeared without a trace!

Bai Zhongyan was dumbfounded. He intended to use the blood of his comrades to create a battlefield atmosphere and make the Qing army lose their minds, but now that the bridge was broken, what other way was he to fight the people on the other side? He couldn't just jump across the Yangtze River, could he?

The thunderous war drums never ceased at the horizon, and a tall ship slowly emerged, sailing leisurely down the river under the intense gazes of the crowd.

The fire on the river was entirely sustained by oil dumped upstream. The river was swift, and the fire was gradually extinguished in less than a quarter of an hour. Only the broken pontoon bridge and the smoke in the air reminded everyone of what had just happened.

The thick fog was largely dissipated by the fire, and everyone's vision was blurred as if in a dream. It wasn't until the tall and menacing black ship approached that they came to their senses and hurriedly turned their gazes to the man in flowing blue robes at the bow of the ship, who was dashing yet had a solemn expression.

The Qing soldiers were all stunned. The soldiers in the front row were filled with excitement. They threw down their weapons and knelt down straight down facing the river!

"General Qingli! You're finally back!"

This shout shocked and saddened countless soldiers, who threw away the weapons they no longer wanted to hold. The battle line stretching across the river was instantly filled with a dark mass of kneeling soldiers, shouting loudly, as if they wanted to shout out all the grief in their hearts, to call out the pent-up emotions that had been building up for days, which had now reached their peak!

"General! Commander-in-Chief!"

Standing at the bow of the boat, facing the wind, Qingli's eyes burned with pain. With each glance at the desolate scene on the river, his heart ached. These were his troops! His soldiers! He had arrived too late! He had caused such great losses!

Thinking of this, he was heartbroken and furious, pointing wildly at the west bank and shouting: "Bai Zhongyan!"

"Bai Zhongyan! Where are you going!" A swift arrow, like a whirlwind chasing the moon, kissed Bai Zhongyan's uninjured shoulder as he tried to escape! A fiery red battle robe rang out with a loud shout! The red figure took the lead, his cloak billowing in the wind, and a large circle of nearly a thousand white-clad cavalry suddenly appeared from the side. In the brief moment when everyone was distracted, they had already approached. At this moment, they suddenly launched an attack, forcefully separating the Qing army from Bai Zhongyan's personal guards. Bai Zhongyan's three thousand guards in the middle immediately appeared out of place!

Bai Zhongyan was shot and fell off his horse. He was helped up by his personal guards, and his face looked terrible.

Wearing a fiery red battle robe over a gleaming silver armor, the god-like handsome man exuded supreme majesty. His phoenix eyes held a smile as his snow-white steed arrived beside Feng Xinglie in the blink of an eye. The two equally peerless individuals extended their right arms and clasped hands tightly. They exchanged an excited glance and, without prior arrangement, gripped each other's hands tightly. The smiles that shone brightly between them were incredibly radiant.

"Lie, is this result good?" Ling Yuxiang chuckled softly, his burning gaze fixed on Feng Xinglie's beautiful face, like a child asking for candy.

"With the two great war gods joining forces, how could it not be good!" Feng Xinglie raised his head with pride and self-praise. Seeing that he was quite disappointed, he then smiled brightly and praised him with a playful tone: "Yu Xiang, you were clean and efficient, without any hesitation, and you won the victory. Of course, you are the best."

Her smile captivated Ling Yuxiang, causing his heart to flutter. He almost lost control, his breath hot and eager to sweep away all the onlookers on the river and pull her into his arms immediately!

"You little vixen! Don't you know the time is right for bewitching people?! Wait till I get back, I'll teach you a lesson!" Ling Yuxiang gritted his teeth, clenching her burning hand, and scolded her. Didn't she know her charm was deadly? What was she doing laughing like that outside? Look, those who saw her smile back there are all stunned, aren't they?

"Who will defeat whom is still uncertain!" Seemingly unconcerned, Feng Xinglie gripped the other's hand back, clearly immune to such words. Feigning anger, he said, "What? Haven't you witnessed my power yet? Want to duel me?"

Ling Yuxiang was taken aback at first, then gave her a strange and ambiguous smile and teased her in a low voice, "No problem, let's have a duel in bed!"

"Hmph! Ling Yuxiang, you said it yourself! Tonight I'll test just how powerful you really are!" Feng Xinglie narrowed his bright, piercing eyes, revealing a sinister and dangerous smile, the sound of him grinding his teeth clearly audible.

Ling Yuxiang chuckled dryly, sweat pouring down his face. He slapped his forehead, cursing himself for being an idiot. How could he forget? This woman was no ordinary lady! She was never one to passively accept things like this. Now he seemed to be in deep trouble! Ling Yuxiang felt a pang of anxiety, silently mourning the coming night, yet his fear was mixed with a touch of excitement and anticipation.

Although Ling Ke and the other three couldn't hear very clearly, they could still catch a few words. They looked up at the sky, all of them sweating profusely! Bosses, don't be in such a hurry to flirt! On the battlefield, you still have to exchange glances and flirtations every time you meet. It's simply unbelievable!

Bai Zhongyan couldn't hear what the two were saying, and assumed they were mocking him. He staggered back and forth, his face ashen. He looked around and saw the brave and skilled Flying Feather Cavalry surrounding them and the army bowing down in the river. He knew that the situation was hopeless. He felt dizzy and almost fell over.

His hidden sentries and scouts were completely unaware that Ling Yuxiang was able to launch a close-range sneak attack! There were no obstacles within the Qing Kingdom's borders, allowing Qing Li and her group to pass through without a word! Were all those sentries and messengers useless?!

"You're probably wondering why we got here so quickly, and why you didn't notice at all, aren't you?" Feng Xinglie glanced at his puzzled expression, smiled calmly, and kindly explained, "It's actually quite simple. I was traveling alone, disguised, while you were only searching for the large cloaked men nearby, so of course I could easily evade you! You just have this fixed mindset that we have to come and go as a group. Who told you that we can't split into three groups since we're a small group?"

"Xing Lie's solo operation, coupled with her arrogant style, will surely attract your attention. General Qing will instead take the waterway. I will lead the Flying Feather Cavalry to sneak up behind you while Xing Lie and Qing Lie's grand actions distract you. We will use cloth to cover our horses' hooves and stealthily approach them, isolating you from the Qing army. Once Qing Lie appears, the Qing army will naturally no longer be under your command. With my Flying Feather Cavalry and two layers of troops, if you don't escape immediately, you'll likely never get away! Hmph, Bai Zhongyan, do you think Lie came here alone to seek death, or to send you to your end?" Ling Yuxiang smoothly picked up the conversation, quite at ease, as she looked at him with a smile. The feeling of exchanging words with her was indescribable. Her approving gaze transformed into a warm current, slowly flowing between his chest and abdomen, becoming a strange power within his body.

"You...aren't you afraid that outsiders will become suspicious and the world will descend into chaos!" Bai Zhongyan glared and sneered. He never expected that Feng Xinglie and the other two would once again openly join forces militarily. After all, they were still nominally from two different factions. It was one thing before, but after publicly revealing their relationship, they still dared to use force together. Feng Cheng's inclination was the inclination of the world's situation, and now, Feng Cheng's inclination was already obvious!

"Do you think the King of Qin will sit idly by the river? Do you think my king will remain inactive? Feng Xinglie! You will regret your actions today! Haven't you considered that Ling Yuxiang's actions have already drawn you into the Ling Kingdom's camp? You are so clever, do you not know how the world will turn out? He is clearly scheming against you! You will be just like any other woman, losing all reason for a man?"

Upon hearing such provocation, the two were both taken aback, exchanged glances, and then their shoulders suddenly twitched.

A burst of laughter echoed across both banks of the river, and their tightly clasped hands never loosened their grip.

Seeing Ling Yuxiang's burning gaze fixed intently on him, Feng Xinglie was overjoyed and laughed loudly without any attempt to hide his delight: "General Bai, it's rare for you to be so clear-headed. Your analysis is so logical and insightful, not a single point is wrong. However, you're overthinking it. If it were Prince Ling Yuxiang of the Ling Kingdom who were to raise an army with me now, I think it would indeed attract the attention of the King of Qin. But... if Yuxiang is no longer Prince Ling, and the Flying Feather Cavalry are merely his personal guards, I think the King of Qin would be overjoyed, not angry and hostile."

These words immediately caused an uproar on both sides of the Yangtze River!

Even the Flying Feather Riders couldn't help but stare at Ling Yuxiang so hard his back almost burst open. The two, one in red and one in black, holding hands and standing proudly in the wind, were already eye-catching enough, but now they once again became the focus of attention for thousands of people!

On the opposite bank, Ma Zhiyun and Han Ruo couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock, even more so than when they saw Feng Xinglie appear alone. Han Ruo exclaimed, "Commander Feng's words are so strange! How can the prince not be the prince? What... what does this mean?"

“If Prince Ling is no longer a prince, is he still the emperor?” Ma Zhiyun murmured, but immediately shook her head in denial, feeling that it was simply impossible.

Even these two big, clumsy guys realized the seriousness of the problem, and most of the others understood it to some extent as well.

On the magnificent ship in the middle of the river, Qingli was also surprised. He understood that Ling Yuxiang might lose his position as a prince for Feng Xinglie, but he never expected that the two of them would be so arrogant, so openly announcing it to the world! After thinking about it, he smiled bitterly. At the banquet in Xi Qin, the two of them had openly and arrogantly made their relationship public, as if they wanted others to know. So their actions now did not seem so strange.

Feng Xingying stood beside Qingli, his gaze fixed on the two figures, their intimate and unrestrained demeanor etched into his eyes, forming a beautiful picture. He nodded slightly and said, "Only now do I understand why Xiaolie chose my brother-in-law. Only now do I realize that he truly deserves the title of 'brother-in-law'."

Those two people, one a fiery red, the other a proud black, just standing there, and no one in this world could ignore their presence! Two chosen ones, two legendary figures, for the first time, revealed their identities and truly joined forces, just like those tightly clasped hands, with not a single gap left between their closely intertwined fingertips.

Ordinary arrogance and self-importance, ordinary concern for the world, ordinary unrestrained passion, and ordinary disregard for worldly conventions.

In this world, no one understands you better than the other person, and no one has a better understanding with you than the other person.

Today, I can't help but have a feeling that they will always be together like this, even thousands of years from now. Looking down from the top of Fengcheng, we will always see their arrogant figures, trusting each other and facing the vast army together.

What emotion in the world is more steadfast? What trust in the world is more reliable?

There is no suspicion, no doubt, no misunderstanding; there is only sincere and touching affection, the joy of mutual understanding and commitment, the unreserved dedication, and the determination to stay together forever!

Why must love be filled with suspicion and misunderstanding? Why can't we trust each other as much as possible and give each other everything? Since that person is the one you've chosen, you should have confidence in them and in your own judgment!

What's wrong with loving wholeheartedly, without doubt or suspicion, without abandoning or forsaking each other? Why distrust each other over trivial matters? Although Bai Zhongyan's attempt to sow discord had reached a new level, it was all in vain for two people whose trust in each other was as solid as a rock.

Ignoring the uproar and probing gazes, Feng Xinglie leaned slightly closer to Ling Yuxiang and winked mischievously, saying, "I know you want to go public, so I've saved you some spiel. Aren't you going to thank me?"

"Yes, yes, yes, my wise Marshal Feng, no one understands me better than you! I will definitely thank you properly tonight!"

A surge of tenderness welled up in Ling Yuxiang's heart, and he couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch her delicate, white nose. He sighed again, lamenting how late they had met! If he could fight every battle alongside her, the years wouldn't have been so lonely. He smiled again, but by now, his loneliness had reached its end. Heaven had been kind to him; with Feng Xinglie by his side at all times, what more could he ask for?

"General Feng! What kind of joke is this!" Bai Zhongyan was utterly shocked. At this moment, what he said was no longer meant to sow discord, but simply to express his surprise.

"A joke? General Bai, you are seriously mistaken. I, Ling Yuxiang, assure you, this is absolutely no joke! You may covet a mere prince's position, but I, Ling Yuxiang, have no interest in it! This worthless position is nothing compared to Lie's importance!"

With a casual flick of his long robe, his fiery red cloak billowed in a sudden gust of wind, Ling Yuxiang said with an air of nonchalance, "Before coming here, I submitted my resignation to my Prince Ling. From now on, there is only Ling Yuxiang in this world, and no more Prince Ling! In that case, I'm sure the King of Qin will be pleased rather than angry. As for your Prince Qing, well, doesn't Qing have enough trouble of its own? Don't you recognize General Bai on the river?"

The majestic black ship had already docked at the riverbank. Qingli and Feng Xingying appeared together in front of everyone. Bai Zhongyan's pupils suddenly contracted, and he stared at Feng Xingying with great surprise.

Before he could make any further connections, Qingli's cold and icy voice reached his ears from the bow of the ship. He was indeed a great general, and at this moment, his aura was imposing and dignified. Bai Zhongyan lacked confidence, glanced at him, snorted, and turned his head away.

"Bai Zhongyan, things have come to this point, I only have three questions for you!"

Ignoring his attempts to dodge or evade, Qingli pressed him directly: "To this day, do you remember that you were once a powerless soldier, that you once risked your life for others, that you once obeyed orders under a general? Do you remember how you felt back then?"

"Bai Zhongyan, do you remember that you were once a patriotic general? You once fought against foreign invaders for the country and the people, making countless contributions and protecting countless civilians. Do you remember the excitement you felt back then?"

"Bai Zhongyan, do you remember what you said to me on the first day you taught me military strategy? You said that protecting the country and its people is the soldier's duty. You said that the interests of the people and the country must always be put first. Do you remember every single word you said?"

Qingli paused, looking at Bai Zhongyan's increasingly ugly and silent expression, and sneered indifferently.

"What kind of night is this? A general who is loyal to the emperor and loves his country is now slaughtering civilians, plundering civilian ships, forcibly conscripting laborers, and extorting military pay, showing no regard for the lives on both sides of the strait, causing many patriotic soldiers to die meaninglessly! Search your conscience! Can he still find any reason for you now?"

Countless bodies floated on the river; the real carnage took place in a single night. Yet, in that one night, far too many lives were lost, far too many were crippled for life, far too many lost sons, fathers, and brothers. How long that night was!

"Qingli, don't be so presumptuous! All of this is an order from the Emperor. When the Emperor commands a subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die. Do you intend to defy the imperial decree?" Bai Zhongyan roared angrily, still making a desperate last-ditch effort.

Feng Xinglie had been waiting for this very sentence, and now he had finally seized the opportunity. Without giving him a chance to explain, he suddenly raised his crimson longsword, took a deep breath, and shouted: "As the saying goes, if the ruler is not righteous, the subjects will defect to another country! You have all heard this! This cruel tyrant actually wants to annihilate 600,000 iron-blooded men who risked their lives for him. Why do you still serve him? General Qingli has been repeatedly pursued by the King of Qing and has almost died in the mountains several times. Even tigers don't eat their cubs. How can such a heartless tyrant ensure the safety of the people of the world? As the saying goes, destruction precedes construction! You should all gather under General Qingli's command and fulfill the duties of soldiers to save your loved ones and all the people of Qing!"

“General Qingli would naturally not serve another country, but he is a prince of the royal family. The Crown Prince is still on record for violating the law, so he should not be allowed to ascend the throne. The other princes are no match for the Third Prince Qingli in terms of literary and military talent. General Qingli is the only suitable candidate to ascend the throne in the royal family. This time, the three forces have signed a treaty with General Qingli, so we should send troops to help. Overthrowing the Qing King is just around the corner! The ascension of the Qing King is what everyone wants!” How could Ling Yuxiang not understand her intentions? Of course, he immediately added fuel to the fire and fanned the flames to excite the Qing army on both sides of the strait.

"Long live the King of Li! Overthrow the tyrant!"

"We are willing to save the people from suffering! We are willing to serve as your warriors and help King Li to pacify the Qing Kingdom!"

"King Li dedicated his life to the country and its people; he deserves to be king!"

The shouts and cries were so excited that they shook the heavens and earth. Feng Xinglie and his companion were also somewhat shocked. These Qing soldiers had been driven to this point for far too long. A few words of righteous indignation were enough to incite them. In addition, Qingli was their deity. Whether they wanted to save their lives or serve their general, this was the best way. However, the change of address was too fast. Qingli had become the King of Li. It made the two of them feel ashamed.

As for the excuse, it was completely fabricated. It sounded grand and dignified, but in reality, it was an attempt to seize the throne of Qing Kingdom.

Even though Qingli was determined to ascend the throne, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. Facing hundreds of thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of dead heads in the river, he could not retreat. Qingli sighed deeply in his heart! He calmly raised his hand, knowing that he could no longer live those dissolute days.

The crowd that had been kneeling in worship slowly stopped and stared at his raised hand.