Chapter 1199 – Attack on Xu Pei, the First Kill of the Lords (Sixty-Nine)
“Lord—”
Li Yun looked in surprise towards the direction of the voice, only to see Jiang Pengji wearing a plain white nightgown, her shoulders draped with a wide, elegant cloak. Her features were softer than in the daylight, with her long black hair cascading down her back, and her nightgown stained with thick, bright red blood, exuding a strangely alluring and ominous vibe.
In her left hand, she held a black knife sheath, while her right grasped a long sword, narrow and gleaming like fresh snow, the blade still dripping with blood.
The faint cloud patterns on the blade seemed to shimmer with the essence of life, inexplicably tightening the breath of those who beheld it.
As soon as Li Yun shouted Jiang Pengji’s name, he cursed himself for being careless.
Sure enough—
Xie Ze, ignoring his own injuries, reacted swiftly and lunged at Jiang Pengji with his spear.
The silvery spear glinted as it sliced through the air.
Xie Ze was a master of spear fighting, skillfully deflecting several soldiers blocking Jiang Pengji’s path, aiming directly for her forehead. Li Yun rushed in behind him, but Xie Ze’s explosive power was astounding; he would risk his life, having been stabbed once yet refusing to be hindered.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, fast enough that onlookers couldn’t even react.
However, Jiang Pengji remained calm, her serene eyes betraying not a hint of emotion.
She flipped her long sword, catching Xie Ze’s all-out strike with the knife sheath, turning gracefully in mid-air, her long leg stepping onto the spear’s tip.
Using her weight, Xie Ze felt an unyielding force slam down on the spear, sending him crashing forward.
“Han Mei, what are you panicking for?”
Jiang Pengji scoffed lightly, her foot steadfast on the weapon.
Pinned down by both the spear and the ground, Xie Ze found one of his arms trapped beneath the spear. Jiang Pengji pressed down with such force that he could hardly move. Of course, the soldiers surrounding him provided no chance for retaliation. In the blink of an eye, several long swords were poised against his neck—
Li Yun had gone pale from the earlier commotion and hastily retracted his weapon, apologizing.
“I don’t blame you—get up! Rather than kneeling here in apology, you might as well take down a few more enemies to make up for it.”
Jiang Pengji glanced down at the bloodied Xie Ze, a hint of crimson flickering in her gaze.
But her expression was too calm for anyone to read her thoughts.
Though ordinary people couldn’t see it, Wei Ci understood.
He rushed over, breathless, and by the time he arrived, the soldiers had already bound Xie Ze’s hands behind his back, securely capturing him.
“Lord—”
Perhaps it was due to having run too hurriedly, but Wei Ci’s cheeks were flushed, his ears bright red.
“With such chaos outside, why weren’t you in the tent waiting instead of coming out here?”
Jiang Pengji sheathed her god-slaying long sword with a whoosh, casting a disapproving look at Wei Ci.
With the enemy attacking the camp and the situation in disarray, even she couldn’t guarantee Wei Ci’s safety.
Wei Ci replied, “If the Lord is in danger, how can I hide like a turtle?”
“Hiding like a turtle?” Jiang Pengji scoffed, seemingly recalling something, and chuckled lightly, “Now you sound righteous.”
Wei Ci, embarrassed, revealed a bashful expression.
Before anyone else could react, Jiang Pengji commanded the soldiers, “Keep an eye on him, don’t let him die.”
Li Yun quickly replied, “Yes!”
As he turned to leave, Li Yun suddenly recalled something and couldn’t help but glance back at his lord and Wei Ci’s attire.
That cloak draped over the lord’s shoulders—how did it match Zixiao’s outfit so perfectly?
Matching outfits?
That thought flashed away, as the surrounding chaos brought his attention back, and Li Yun didn’t linger on it.
The night raid caused significant losses for Jiang Pengji, but nothing catastrophic.
More than an hour passed, with enemies dead or captured, and Jiang Pengji sat in the makeshift main tent, listening to the post-battle report. She had changed out of the blood-stained cloak; everyone present was sharp-witted—if she wore that gruesome cloak, they would all know about her disgraceful midnight escapade with Wei Ci that ended in failure. As the lord, she certainly couldn’t meet people in her nightgown.
To be honest, if it weren’t for Han Yu’s poorly timed night attack, Jiang Pengji might have already dealt with Wei Ci by now.
Jiang Pengji’s mood remained overshadowed, the atmosphere in the tent heavy and oppressive.
“Where did these raiding troops come from?”
Nong Qin had no night patrol duty today and had turned in early.
The sudden enemy raid caught her off guard; she hadn’t even had time to don her armor before grabbing her weapon to fight, becoming bloodthirsty in the melee.
“This was a trap prepared by Han Yu early on—he must have started plotting the moment they entered Shanweng City,” Yang Si explained. “I sent someone to interrogate the captives, and the conclusions confirmed this suspicion. Han Yu ordered elite troops to disguise themselves as deserters, avoiding scouts’ notice and lowering our army’s guard.”
As the two armies were at a standstill, the number of deserters gradually increased; not too few but not overwhelming, all within Yang Si’s calculations. That’s why no one had suspected them at first—
“To raid the main camp—this plan is rather ambitious!” If it weren’t for the lord not being in the camp and possessing exceptional martial arts, Han Yu’s plan might have succeeded. Nong Qin scoffed coldly, “If anything happens to the lord, I will personally butcher that Han thief!”
Yang Si shivered at her icy voice.
He wouldn’t dare doubt the truth of Nong Qin’s words.
Jiang Pengji sat at the head and said, “Han Yu’s risky move is actually a good thing since he’s revealed his last cards.”
The ambushed troops numbered in the tens of thousands, with all the elite forces deployed, implying that the defenses inside Shanweng City were quite weak.
“Everyone take a moment to rest.” Jiang Pengji sneered, “At dawn, we breach the city!”
Everyone replied, “Yes!”
With more than an hour until dawn, Jiang Pengji told them to take a nap, recuperating for the battle against Shanweng City.
However, these soldiers had just experienced a fierce battle; one by one, they were so pumped they couldn’t possibly sleep?
During the night raid, the newcomer Bai Ning showcased the demeanor of a seasoned veteran; had he not reacted quickly to organize defenses and counterattacks, our losses may have been even higher. This further solidified the belief that Wei Ci was indeed a solid ally—truly, every spade turned over revealed only talent.
“Did the lord just borrow your cloak earlier?”
Bai Ning leaned in beside Wei Ci, whispering.
Wei Ci nearly stumbled, almost falling flat.
He promptly denied it, “In the dark, you must be mistaken.”
Bai Ning rolled his eyes, expressing clear resentment.
He wasn’t the only one aware; no objections were raised by others, revealing that this man must indeed have a special relationship with their lord.
Bai Ning said meaningfully, “You’d better strive to impress—”
Though he was new, their lord’s age was similar to his daughter’s, causing Bai Ning to involuntarily assume the role of a concerned father, secretly fretting over the lord’s future offspring. In this world, what noble didn’t have children by this age? Without a young master, there was no peace of mind.
Wei Ci: “…”
The army was ready for battle, waiting for the first light of dawn.
Within Shanweng City, the atmosphere was so tense it could drip water, and Han Yu had been wide awake all night.
Standing on the wall, he watched as the enemy camp was engulfed in flames, his heart racing.
Did they succeed?
Or had they failed?
Han Yu’s mind was a whirlwind of turmoil, churning like a piece of fresh meat frying in oil.
As dawn broke, seeing the enemy rally in formation around Shanweng City, he realized the situation was dire!
