Sicherheit

Kapitel 58

Yao Tianlin was taken aback. Although he wasn't as perceptive as the other two, he was still a smart man. Even if he hadn't thought of it before, he realized it now, and his handsome face instantly turned sinister.

"You mean...it was attracted by someone?"

A glint flashed in Feng Xinglie's eyes, his face revealing an undisguised sharpness. A cold smile spilled from the corner of his lips: "It's impossible for me to believe that a divine beast suddenly appeared here on its own. What a coincidence that it would block our way! Although I know it has no ill intentions towards me, it's certain that someone is using it to sabotage our journey and achieve some purpose."

Halfway through his speech, Feng Xinglie felt a strange chill creep into his heart. Could this divine beast capable of separating soul and body be specifically targeting her? As she said, its appearance couldn't be a coincidence, but who would joke around with a divine beast like a mythical creature? There are plenty of beasts that can exert intimidation. Why use the Azure Blood Eagle, this divine beast? Is it really just to demoralize the Qingli army? Or is it just a coincidence?

This terrifying realization sent a shiver down her spine. If it were true, her secret was known only to a select few. However, her thoughts were interrupted before they could continue.

"Then why are you still leisurely strolling around here?" Yao Tianlin was startled, his gaze sweeping over the Qing Kingdom's army. "I just heard the sound of horses' hooves. Since the Azure Sky Blood Eagle has been subdued, why hasn't Qing Li come looking for us yet?"

A sense of dread permeated the air. Qingli knew Feng Xinglie better than anyone else. Theoretically, the main force should have arrived by now, provided there were no obstacles. But strangely, there was no movement at all!

"Let's go back!" Feng Xinglie's eyes gleamed with a glassy light, his confident smile shining even behind the human skin mask: "Relax, don't be nervous, everything... is going according to plan..."

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Dark Clouds Appear Suddenly

A loud bang echoed through the air, and a beautiful crimson light swirled overhead. When Feng Xinglie and his group returned, the battlefield was raging, and the air was thick with murderous intent. The entire area was engulfed in fierce fighting.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. The elegant blue robes fluttered in the wind, and the long, slender sabers gleamed coldly in this battlefield of carnage. The Qing Kingdom's army before them was utterly vulnerable.

There is actually a well-trained army within the territory of Qing Kingdom! Judging by the number, it must be no less than five thousand!

"What happened?" Feng Xinglie casually slapped one of the people who was close to him to death, and the three of them rushed to Qingli's side and asked urgently.

"Just like your Blood Eagle, who knows where it came from." Qingli's roar was not quiet, and although they could hear it clearly amidst the fighting, they could only make out the gist of it. "You just chased into the forest, and a large group of people emerged from the woods behind the mountains. Judging from their training, they are regular troops. Our vanguard is almost at its limit. You, you hold them off, I'll go to the rear to get the main force, they'll be there soon."

"Where did these regular troops come from?" Ling Yuxiang raised an eyebrow, about to ask loudly. Regular troops were no joke. How could they have failed to gather any information about five thousand men lying in ambush? Just as Feng Xinglie had said, like the blood eagle above them, these troops seemed to have appeared out of thin air!

He was about to ask again when he suddenly felt a tightness beside him, and a voice said, "Watch out!" A soft, warm yet domineering body pushed him aside without hesitation!

A small black arrow, barely an inch long, grazed past his clothes with tremendous force. Though it missed, it brought a chilling sensation! Ling Yuxiang felt a jolt of fear and coldness. He caught Feng Xinglie, who had lunged at him, and turned around, his gaze following the trail of black light to a warhorse that had been struck by an arrow.

The horse convulsed and immediately began to neigh wildly! Its entire body tumbled through the air several times, its head seemingly blooming with its last breath, before collapsing into a limp heap, as if no bones remained in its body, with gushing, dark blood flowing from beneath it.

Ling Yuxiang stared in horror at the unassuming little arrow that had lazily pierced the horse's skin, a tiny bit deep. He felt a surge of relief; such a deadly poison, even with Yao Tianlin present, would likely not have been so easily dealt with.

"How powerful! Bone-dissolving and tendon-dissolving powder! What a powerful poison!" Yao Tianlin's expression seemed to turn cold as he stared at the small arrowhead and spoke slowly in a low voice.

Just now, he and Qingli suffered the same fate. Four small arrows were aimed at the three of them, but unfortunately, despite their good accuracy and surprise attack, none of them hit their mark. Yao Tianlin's martial arts were extremely high, so it wasn't difficult for him to detect the arrows. Qingli was purely lucky; a soldier fighting in the woods accidentally took an arrow for him and died a gruesome death. Feng Xinglie had also come through danger, and in the critical moment, her keen sixth sense alerted her. When she saw the dark flash in the forest, she immediately rushed towards Ling Yuxiang.

As it turned out, her intuition was correct. This thing was almost silent before it was released, and it was as fast as lightning. If things went wrong, even Ling Yuxiang would probably perish from this insidious trick.

"Yu Xiang, are you alright?"

"Lie, are you alright?"

The moment they stopped, they scrutinized each other closely, making sure the other was unharmed before they calmed down. That situation had been incredibly dangerous. If Feng Xinglie had been even a fraction slower, or had been grazed by that black arrow, they would likely be like the horse lying on the ground, nearly turned into a pool of blood. The relief of surviving wasn't directed at themselves, but at the other person. Forgetting everything else, Ling Yuxiang instinctively hugged Feng Xinglie tightly, trembling uncontrollably.

"Thank goodness... thank goodness you're alright."

He spoke softly, but his words were clear. There was no blame, questioning, or rebuke of Feng Xinglie for risking his life to rescue him. He simply expressed his feelings through his gestures: they were now inseparable, their fates intertwined; if one could not survive, the other would likely suffer as well. He never said it aloud, but he already knew in his heart that this was what they both thought.

In that instant of tightly embracing each other, their two hearts were completely sealed together, pressed together without the slightest gap. They were both alright, and the feeling was wonderful.

Seeing that the two of them were unharmed, Qingli breathed a sigh of relief. Still shaken, she spurred her horse forward, galloping like a sharp blue arrow, tearing through the enemy formation. Her personal guards followed behind, creating a bloody gap as they rode far away from the main army.

Ling Yuxiang's tight embrace ended quickly, and two sharp gazes swept into the woods. Such a concealed weapon technique was definitely the work of a master. Yao Tianlin was a step ahead of the two, and seeing that they were unharmed, he darted into the forest. The humorous nine, receiving a signal from Feng Xinglie, followed closely behind. However, those people were skilled in martial arts, and just as they had escaped a considerable distance, Ling Yuxiang's expression changed. He glanced at the soldiers fighting amongst themselves and whispered a question to Feng Xinglie.

"Is all of this part of your plan?"

Although surprised and flustered by the fighting around him, Ling Yuxiang was no ordinary person. He had almost finished digesting what Feng Xinglie had said in the forest. Although he was flustered by the attack by an army of unknown origin, he could sense that although Feng Xinglie looked anxious, his body remained relaxed and without any tension.

If she were actually attacked, how could this woman, who loves to fight, not get excited and kick him a couple of times?

"What do you think?" Feng Xinglie winked playfully, but didn't keep him in suspense. He sneered quickly, "Do you think I'd let these delegations get away with all these unreasonable demands? Weren't we already suspicious when they made those demands?"

The so-called unreasonable demands made by the Qing Kingdom delegation were that the Qing army should cover the rear, with their troops clearing the way and escorting the gifts. Therefore, the soldiers currently fighting were not from Qing Li's camp, but rather the three thousand soldiers brought by the delegation. These soldiers had never actually experienced a battlefield and were only good at theoretical warfare, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries, which led to this chaotic situation.

If Qingli's main army were here, how could the enemy be so arrogant?

Qingli had already gone to mobilize the Qing Army in the rear. Amidst the billowing dust, the army's formation was now revealed, exuding an aura of immense power. This team of iron-blooded men was now showing its true form.

Ling Yuxiang nodded in understanding. Watching Qingli approach from afar, he exchanged a glance and a smile with Feng Xinglie, then looked up at the sky and shouted, "Blood Eagle! Help your own people, fight them!"

The Blood Eagle in the sky was incredibly excited when it saw its two masters looking at it. It couldn't wait to show its peacock tail to Feng Xinglie. Its crimson eyes showed joy, and its whole body transformed into a blood arrow. This time, it led a hundred kinds of birds behind it, like an air force. After circling in the sky, it swooped down into the front of the Qing army that could not resist.

The enemy soldiers, though brave, had never witnessed such a bizarre attack. They came to fight, not to hunt birds, yet now a large flock of birds was attacking them with their sharp beaks and talons. Among them were even vultures like ferocious wolves and powerful giant eagles, which had been obscured when circling overhead, but now, as they drew near, the soldiers were horrified to discover that every single bird in the flock was a giant, nearly as large as the Sky Blood Eagle! A casual charge or collision could produce unexpected results.

Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang were stunned by the unexpected benefits. They stared at the giant birds around them, speechless, and swallowed hard. Feng Xinglie chuckled, his mouth dry, "There are such benefits? I've really found something incredible. This air force, while not the strongest, is practically unrivaled in the mountains and forests."

Although Ling Yuxiang didn't understand what she meant by "air force," he couldn't help but rub her head with envy and scolded her with a laugh: "You ungrateful thing, what do you mean by not too strong? There are so many terrible things in this small forest, don't you think there are even more in the big forest? When we get to the deep mountains and marshes, I think you can become the phoenix, the king of birds."

Feng Xinglie kicked him and said irritably, "What's so good about a phoenix? We Feng sisters don't admire that kind of thing. There's only one kind of animal we like."

"Oh? What is it?" Ling Yuxiang had never heard her mention it before, and had thought Feng Xinglie wasn't interested in small animals. Hearing this now, he couldn't help but smile. She also had a woman's vulnerable side! His heart softened, and remembering the warm fragrance of Che Jiuyu last night, he coughed awkwardly and said gently, "Just tell me if you like one, and I'll definitely go and catch one for you to keep."

"Raise?" Feng Xinglie's gaze held a hint of mockery, his shoulders trembled, and he looked into the distance: "Let's forget about it. We Feng sisters prefer wolves. Lone wolves from the north."

Raising wolves? Aren't you afraid of getting eaten by them instead?

A cold, elegant smile played on her lips as she gazed in that direction, her body standing proudly upright. Ling Yuxiang was startled; his vision blurred, and he seemed to see a lone, silver-white wolf howling at the moonlight amidst the snow-covered landscape—a ferocious yet beautiful creature.

After a moment's thought, Ling Yuxiang couldn't help but chuckle. It was true; if he were to use an animal to describe the two Feng family women he had met, there was indeed no animal more suitable than a wolf.

He gazed at Feng Xinglie, his starry eyes shining with admiration, and said, "Even if you are a wolf, you are a born wolf king, a king by birth, you know? Even I am sometimes involuntarily dominated by the aura on your body."

"That would be best if it were always like this," Feng Xinglie said with a sly smile.

"Dream on!" Ling Yuxiang knew exactly what she was thinking. He was furious at her sly look, snorted, and taking advantage of the chaos of the birds, when no one could see him, he grabbed her and gave her a fierce kiss…

At this moment, the army formation was in complete chaos. The Qing army only saw the blood-red eagle's figure flash by like a blood-red lightning bolt before soaring into the sky again. They were all dumbfounded until the bird had torn the enemy soldiers in the formation to pieces before they reacted. Someone shouted out first.

"Long live the divine beast! May the heavens bless the Great Azure!"

This time, the troops from afar, including Qingli, also reacted. Although they hadn't reached the ground yet, a thunderous roar had already echoed from that direction.

At this moment, the Azure Blood Eagle revealed the true form and array befitting a divine beast. Hundreds of birds flew around it, forming two enormous circles that circled it continuously, resembling a giant halo emanating from the sun, with various colors bright and beautiful! It was hard to imagine that birds could have such an orderly formation. Even if the Phoenix were here, it probably wouldn't be able to steal the limelight from the Azure Blood Eagle.

His sharp eyes turned, and he immediately became lively. He excitedly called out to Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang a few times, and spread out his red feathers as if to please them, spinning around a few times, always staying close to the two of them in the air.

Although the scene was still chaotic, some of the young people had already found some time to relax. Pang Ji, covered in dust and dirt, ran over and saw the Azure Blood Eagle, a proud divine beast, displaying such a comical appearance. Many people's minds went blank for a moment, their eyes nearly popped out, and they almost fainted!

Good heavens! A divine beast of the Azure Kingdom! That's a divine beast of the Azure Kingdom! How could it submit to someone? And not even a person from the Azure Kingdom! This is a huge blow!

Deep in the mountains and forests, several shrill and loud cries suddenly rang out, interspersed with a wild and terrifying roar. The sound even reached the location of Feng Xinglie and the others. The noise from the fighting was too great to hear these startling roars. However, Feng Xinglie and Ling Yuxiang, who were nestled in the woods, heard them clearly, and their expressions changed simultaneously.

"It's Tianlin." "It's Brother Yao and the others." The two exchanged a shocked glance. They knew Yao Tianlin's abilities better than anyone else. For him to roar so furiously, he must really be in trouble!

Feng Xinglie was about to chase after him when suddenly his lower abdomen sank, his condensed true energy dissipated, and his limbs went limp. He fell softly from the air and was caught by Ling Yuxiang.

"Don't be reckless, stay here. The situation is settled, just wait for Qingli, I'll go take a look!" Ling Yuxiang told her, afraid that she would be anxious. He was also furious with those who shot arrows at him. With two leaps, the fiery red figure was already several feet away, and soon disappeared into the lush green forest.

Feng Xinglie sat down on the spot and began to regulate her breathing. Although the previous galloping on horseback and the battle with the Azure Blood Eagle had not truly affected her pregnancy, it had still consumed too much of her strength. If she were to force herself to gather her energy and pursue the enemy now, she was afraid that she would really hurt the child in her womb, which would not be good for her either.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Then he heard, in the distance, Pang Ji, who was nearly fainting and covered in dust, listening to a soldier's almost tearful report.

"My lord, our gifts have been stolen! More than twenty boxes! Not a single one is left. I wonder how the Emperor will punish us when he returns to the capital."

"What did you say? I, Wang Mingming, instructed us to guard the position and escort the gifts, could it be..."

Pang Ji wasn't stupid; in the blink of an eye, his face turned deathly pale, and he could no longer speak.

Feng Xinglie, with his keen senses, heard it clearly. He sneered, "The words have been spoken to this extent. How could anyone who is smart not understand what's going on?"

Just as I was about to get up, a strong sense of crisis suddenly rose in my heart. The loud cry of an eagle broke the silence, and a bad feeling welled up in my heart.

Everything seemed to connect at that moment, before the gust of wind behind him knocked him down. Feng Xinglie dared not exert his strength, so he simply flipped over on the spot, using the agility and power he had used in combat, and took several steps far away!

As expected of a spirit beast, the Azure Blood Eagle sensed the danger to its master beforehand. With a flap of its huge wings, it stirred up a gust of wind and swooped down from the sky, arriving in front of him in an instant.

Without pausing, the terrifying black shadow instantly turned its body, seemingly unafraid of the power of the Azure Blood Eagle. With a slight pull of its right hand and a gentle guidance of its left, the Azure Blood Eagle's attack path strangely changed, and it charged headlong into the forest.

Feng Xinglie glanced at the Azure Sky Blood Eagle, flipped her hand, and a black dagger appeared in her grasp. However, because her cultivation was interrupted, she felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and she felt nauseous. In that instant, two more black figures pounced from behind. In her prime, she would naturally not have been afraid of these people, but now she couldn't even cut off some things from their bodies to keep as souvenirs.

A dark cloud and the deafening cry of an eagle intertwined, and suddenly a hand chopped into the back of his head.

Just before plunging into darkness, Feng Xinglie cursed through gritted teeth in his heart.

Damn it! We fell for their trap! And such a low-level tactic—a feint to lure the tiger away from the mountain! I wonder if Ling Yuxiang will be humiliated to the point of collapse by this simplistic strategy when he returns…

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Qingcheng Death Row

Inside the dimly lit stone chamber, a stench of blood permeated the air. The smell of blood was not enough to mask the stench emanating from the rusty, blood-stained torture instruments burning in the braziers. The squeaking of rats and the pairs of small, green eyes peeking out from the shadows created an atmosphere of terror.

"Grim" is an understatement to describe the feeling of this dungeon. Every inch of air here exudes an indescribable stillness and fear. Here, not a single prisoner shouts or cries like in ordinary cells; the silence is chilling.

From those dull eyes, all one could see was a deathly gray, and from the deepest, darkest depths came piercing screams—the screams of those being tortured.

Each of the jailers possessed martial arts skills. Although they were not unparalleled masters, their expressionless faces were the result of training from childhood.

The nauseating smell dissipated slightly as a sliver of light appeared, but the warm, almost divine glow vanished in an instant.

The jailer finally stood up when he saw the man enter from outside the door, but his expression did not change much. He bowed his head flatly and said stiffly, "Lord Yuan."

Emerging from behind the narrow wall was a man dressed entirely in gray, with sharp eyes that gleamed with a fierce light, yet emanated the same deathly aura as everyone else here. His face was obscured, only covered by a black wooden mask, and he wore the same black, form-fitting clothing as everyone else present.

The man nodded slightly and asked in a low, dark voice, "Are the people settled?"

"Sir, everything is settled. The prisoner woke up early this morning and is currently locked in cell number one."

His tone remained curt, but Lord Yuan merely nodded, offering no further comment, seemingly understanding that this was likely how the people here would live their entire lives…

Following the only bloodless path in the prison, several exceptionally clean cow sheds soon came into view. After turning several corners, Yuan merely nodded to the other prison guards along the way. The clanging of chains echoed as they passed through several layers before finally approaching a small room.

The small room, though bare of walls, was exceptionally clean and spotless. There were no rats or cockroaches, and even the straw on the floor seemed washed clean, free of any mud. In this death row cell, such a cell was practically paradise!

Before Yuan even entered the room, she saw the person inside half-lying on the bed, squinting her beautiful eyes, looking relaxed and unhurried, with a strange glint in her pupils.

"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? What, you've finally decided to come see me?" The person was dressed in a magnificent white robe, casually, and looked like a deity. In this dungeon, she radiated an undeniable brilliance. Her long, black hair cascaded down half of the bed, and she rested her head on her hand, looking completely relaxed.

Yuan's eyes flashed even more intensely, as if he was speechless, but he still couldn't help but sneer in a low, mocking voice: "As expected of Master Feng of Fengcheng, you're not nervous at all? Do you think this is your marshal's headquarters?"

The man was sipping from a small bottle, occasionally picking up pieces of the delicious food from the dozen or so bowls in front of him, eating with great relish. His arrogant and conceited manner would have infuriated any other guard. This guy wasn't here to be imprisoned; he was clearly here to eat at a restaurant!

This person was none other than our beautiful and arrogant Feng Xinglie. At this moment, she completely ignored the sarcasm, shaking her head and eating as if it were the most natural thing in the world, saying, "I wonder who invited me to be a guest? Is your brain so bad that it's worse than a pig's, that you've even forgotten what you said?"

“You…” Pingpi’s tone had changed. Yuan’s fist suddenly clenched, his pupils contracted, and his fingers trembled as he pointed straight at her. Of course, he wasn’t scared, but angry.

"How dare you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Feng Xinglie interrupted him again, feigning surprise: "Why wouldn't I dare? You yourself said you would treat me as an honored guest before you invited me here. Since that's the case, you can't just leave me here unfed, can you? Although I know that having fun is probably not a realistic possibility, brother, you've come, so I know you must be here to drink and make merry with me. Come on, sit down across from me! I won't be stingy. There's so much food here, eat as much as you want, I guarantee it's free! Of course, if you want to give me some money to spend, I won't mind accepting it."