Every word Yu uttered pierced Su Xijue's heart. When had he, the mighty God of War, ever been so dejected?
"Go, take those deserters to the center of the camp and gather all the soldiers."
Su Xijue resolutely stood up and walked outside, talking as he went. Yu followed him.
"Is there any news about the Third Imperial Consort?" Yu asked as they walked, following behind.
"No news, missing for three months without any information"
Rain's reply seemed to make Su Xijue even more upset. Without replying, he walked straight to the platform in the center of the military camp.
A moment later, all the soldiers were standing reluctantly in front of the platform.
Four deserters who had just been captured were tied up on the platform.
Su Xijue coldly looked at all the gathered soldiers, who were indeed like a pile of loose sand. How could such soldiers go to the battlefield to fight against the warriors of Shanghai?
He looked back at the four deserters.
Suddenly, he stepped forward and untied their ropes.
This surprised the four soldiers.
He then turned to face a group of soldiers and knelt down on the platform with a 'thud'.
"Soldiers, this kneeling is the apology of the Tuo Su family to you. Your incompetent ruler has delayed our pay and supplies, and with the fierce attacks from the Demon Capital these past few days, you have all suffered. These four are simply starving and want to leave the camp, but soldiers, if we desert, who will protect our country and our families? Desertion is a death sentence under military law. We must fight our way out of this predicament. I, Su Xijue, swear to heaven that within three days, supplies will be replenished, and half of the pay will be temporarily distributed. If anyone still wishes to leave the camp, the gates are open. We will not stop you, and you will not be punished. The fate of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Even if everyone leaves, I, Su Xijue, will do everything in my power, even at the cost of my life, to protect the Fandu Continent."
Su Xijue knelt on the ground, looking at all the soldiers, and spoke each word with penetrating depth and conviction.
Suddenly, a shout of "Fan Du will surely win!" rang out from the silent crowd, and the entire group joined in, their loud voices inspiring everyone present.
"Victory is assured..."
"The God of War is invincible..."
Amidst wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, the group looked at their master with satisfaction.
"Waaaaah, I can't take it anymore..." the smallest of the electric ones suddenly said in a cute manner.
The other three were also inspired by Su Xijue and became invigorated.
Inside the snow cave of Qinglian Mountain, Wu Liuyin sat quietly on the bed, silently circulating her inner energy. With her unique Phoenix Heart Method, she had already cultivated to the fifth level in just three months, reaching the realm of "Burning the God with Fire," which was equivalent to cyan spiritual energy.
During this period, Feng Yunduan came two or three times, but he always left disappointed, as Wu Liuyin never gave him a kind look.
Nalan Ruo sat to the side, looking at Wu Liuyin on the bed with satisfaction. She truly deserved to be the successor of the Spirit Maiden!
A moment later, Lan opened her eyes, looked at the satisfied Nalan Ruo, got off the ground and walked over.
"Grandpa, can I go down the mountain now?"
The first question Wu Liuyin asked was one she had been holding back for a long time.
"With your current abilities, descending the mountain is no longer a problem, but if you don't practice the Phoenix Heart Sutra for a day, you'll regress. When will you find the leisure time to cultivate every day? The environment inside this cave is so serene and conducive to calming the mind."
Nalan Ruo was somewhat reluctant, but she still spoke.
"I can calm down quickly," Wu Liuyin smiled slightly. Since Nalan Ruo said she could go down the mountain, she could finally go down the mountain. She wondered how the person she had been thinking about was doing.
"Fine, whatever you want," Nalan Ruo sighed, stood up, and turned to walk out.
Looking at his lonely figure, Wu Liuyin felt a pang of sadness and said to Nalan Ruo's back.
"Grandpa, come down the mountain with me. Let's find our parents together."
Nalan Ruo suddenly turned around. "Fine, it's good to go down the mountain together," she thought, and walked back, sitting down to chat with Wu Liuyin.
Counting the days, Feng Yunduan has appeared three times in the past three months, and she will probably come again in the next few days.
As expected, just like the saying goes, "Speak of the devil and he appears," Feng Yunduan arrived.
Wu Liuyin sat on the stool, looking coldly at Feng Yunduan who had rushed over, covered in dust.
"Yin'er, try this. This is a snow plum, which grows in the snow and bears fruit only once every ten years. I just picked it from the mountaintop. It used to be your favorite." Feng Yunduan scooped up the basket in her hand and handed it to Wu Liuyin, lifting the lid of the basket.
The clusters of small white fruits, all crowded together on a single branch, look very cute, just like the grapes you see in a fruit market, hanging together!
What used to be her favorite food?! What exactly happened between Wu Liuyin and Feng Yunduan in the past? Wu Liuyin frowned in confusion as she looked at Feng Yunduan.
What exactly did we have in common?
Before she could even think, Feng Yunduan turned her head, her smile freezing as she looked at Wu Liuyin.
"You call me Yun Duan, I call you Yin Er, we're practically about to get married."
Feng Yunduan opened her mouth, but before she could finish speaking, her words had barely left her lips.
"Pfft!" Wu Liuyin unceremoniously sprayed a mouthful of tea directly onto Feng Yunduan's charming and handsome face.
Is it really that disgusting? Is it really that terrifying that it gives me nightmares? Call him Yun Duan? God, were Wu Liuyin and Feng Yun Duan really that close before?
"Yin'er, I've already washed my face today."
Feng Yunduan looked embarrassed as she took out a handkerchief from her bosom and wiped herself as she spoke.
"Wash me again, okay? Feng Yunduan, whatever happened between us in the past is in the past. We're not familiar with each other now, so you don't need to lock me up like this."
Wu Liuyin glared at Feng Yunduan and said.
"I, Feng Yunduan, never change my mind. No matter what, you belong to me alone. You'd better stay here obediently and don't even think about going anywhere else."
Feng Yunduan's expression changed, and she turned and left.
This is the fifth time; he stormed off after saying only a few words.
Wu Liuyin watched his retreating figure and sneered.
If she wants to leave, who can stop her?
Wu Liuyin and Nalan Ruo quickly scooped up the things shortly after Feng Yunduan left and walked down the mountain along the path beside the snow cave.
☆, 140 people, each with their own intentions
In the borderlands of the Demon Capital and the Mortal Capital, Murong Fanghua stood on the edge of a high cliff, looking at the Mortal Capital military camp opposite.
Tonight, chaos is inevitable. Su Xijue, tonight is your death night. Your soldiers are a disorganized rabble and no match for the elite of Shanghai.
A cold smile crept up his face; in the darkness, Murong Fanghua's face looked exceptionally confident and sinister.
Inside the Fandu military camp, Su Xijue looked at Xun Feilong, staring straight at him.
"Is there any supply of military rations? How many days' worth of rations do you have left?"
Su Xijue asked, "This is the first time I've felt that fighting is so difficult. It's mainly because Su Beili must have deliberately wanted to see me make a fool of myself and suffer a defeat. I really can't understand what kind of brain that idiot has. With a formidable enemy in front of us, he's still thinking about trivial matters. Doesn't he know that his actions and decisions will bring disaster to the entire Fandu Continent?"
"Reporting to the commander, I have collected 300,000 dan of military rations along the way through Liuzhou and other prefectures. If the soldiers in the entire camp are drinking thin porridge all day long, they can last for about ten days or half a month. But I'm afraid we can hold on, but the soldiers can't."
Xun Feilong frowned as he answered.
"Alright, there's no need for thin porridge every day. I'll figure out the military rations. Focus on reassuring the soldiers. You may leave now."
Su Xijue waved his hand and said in a somber tone.
Xun Feilong nodded and left the tent.
On a lonely night, the north wind howled like a demon's shriek. Su Xijue slowly got up, blew out the candle, and walked out of the camp.
Standing atop the city wall, looking down at the military camps of Shanghai, a sense of melancholy welled up in my heart.
"Liuyin, where are you now?"
He sighed at the moon, the bright moonlight shining on him, and the moonlight shattered on the ground around him.
Inside the imperial palace of Fandu, Su Beili held Jing Lian'er in one arm and held a wine cup in the other, tasting the aged wine that Jing Lian'er had somehow obtained, completely mesmerized.
A fragrant aroma of wine wafted throughout the hall.
Jing Lian'er looked at the already drunk Su Beili and asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Seeing that Su Beili was no longer responding, she pushed him away with a look of disgust, stood up, and walked towards the Imperial Study.
Sitting at his desk, looking at the memorials that had just been submitted that day, a mischievous smile crept onto his lips.
He made a few changes to the memorial, looked at it with satisfaction, and after glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he returned to his palace.
At the Jue Wang Mansion, Lie Huo looked at Ling'er silently in the room where Wu Liuyin lived, and suddenly asked a question.
What are you doing here?
"I'm waiting for Mother and Father Xijue to come back. Ling'er comes here every day to wait for them for a while. Uncle Chi agreed."
Ling'er tilted her little head and looked up at the raging fire in front of her, and said.
"No need to wait anymore, they won't be back anytime soon. You should go back to sleep. Don't worry about your Uncle Chi waiting for you too long."
Liehuo looked at Ling'er and said calmly.
Upon hearing the mention of Uncle Chi, Ling'er suddenly ran outside, saying as she ran, "I'm going back first, Uncle Chi is terrifying when he gets angry!"
Liehuo shook his head, a wry smile on his face. What a mischievous little girl, looking at the empty room.
"Wu Liuyin, where the hell have you been?"
He cursed in displeasure and walked towards the door, his figure disappearing into the moonlight.
Some say that the calmer the weather, the fiercer the storm will come.
The night was dark and silent, eerily quiet.
Two figures walked down the snow-capped mountain along a small path. Wu Liuyin pulled Nalan Ruo through the forest. Neither of them felt sleepy or spoke, maintaining a tacit silence as they focused on their journey.
The sky gradually turned a pale white.
Inside the Lian family's secret chamber, Lian Meiyang, Liehuo, Nalan Die'er, and several others anxiously watched as the white-haired Poison Elder used the antidote he had just concocted to cure the Dance Prayer Poison.
The white-haired old man was covered in cold sweat, with large beads of sweat sliding down his cheeks.